This used to be a busier forum than it is now,,I keep coming here every day hoping for a new thread that will spark something in me, I am in a bit of a spiritual funk and need something, I guess something to seek out, something to spark my interest,you know. :) (And yes, my entire life is in a bit of a funk these days, not just my spiritual life)

so surely everyone else is not in a funk too...so where are you these days? What are you learning, seeking, longing for? My spirituality is Christian to the core, but would love to hear what God (uhh, yeah,,I think the same god is everywhere, call it what you wish..:) ) is doing in everyone's lives,,whether you are at the other end of the spectrum or right next to me with your hands raised in worship..

Hey mama I've been wondering the same thing, I always come here hoping to find a new topic I can relate to etc. There hasn't been much going on. Well, right now I feel like I'm still growing spiritually just waiting for the time to blossom and continually seeking the Lord.
I just wrapped up a 3 month study at church on World views and we finished w/the rapture, it was so fascinating to talk about all sorts of thing si had never thought about before such as what do angels look like etc. I am going to try to read some books on it when my chemistry class is finisihed. I've heard that Dr. David Jeremiah wrote a good one so I will have to search for it.

So what study did you do on the rapture? I am always curious, because I have yet to be convinced that the theory of the rapture is real,,,I have yet to find more than a couple verses that "could" be interperted as telling us that the rapture will take place(and I don't want to just interpret, I want to "KNOW")..but I am always asking people to point me towards more, because being a good "Left Behind" fan (LOL!) I want to be looking forward to it....

I have been feeling down lately, too. Part of it is feeling the separation from God very much. I used to be much closer, very focused on God. I think a lot of life has just gotten in the way. I am trying very hard to refocus and spend some time praying to get back where I was. I have also been really asking the Holy Spirit for help. Life is just really crazy lately, but it has to get better!

I'm actually here - lurking away :)
I am feeling closer to God then I ever have in my life - so He seems to be "going with that" lol and presenting things for me every day.

This past 12 weeks we've been studying and working on forgiveness which has been wonderfully healing to me. Our pastor basically gives us 'homework' lol and I love our church so much because of how each message in a series really calls on us to apply Christs works and words to our daily lives.

I called my little sister last week and talked to her about something that is a 12 or 13 year old issue between us. We'd talked about it before, about ten years ago and each expressed our thoughts, but were both still angry at the other.

Even tho we both did things wrong in our situation, even tho it was many years ago and we were both younger and even tho she has made it clear over the years she does not wish to discuss it because I am wrong, she is right and there is no in between (lol)... thru the work I've been doing at church I felt led to ask her forgiveness. So i did. I did the steps we'd discussed at church. I did "the ASK"

I expressed what i believed was the issue in full, I took responsibility for my part in it without even bringing up her part (since she's not in a place to even admit any wrongdoing on her part) . I let her know that i do indeed "get it", I "get" how much I hurt her , I apologized for all of that hurt, I told her how much I love her and then I asked her to please forgive me.
she never said "i forgive you" and i'm guessing that is because she truly never has forgiven me , but as I learned recently that is now her issue, her baggage she is hanging on to , not mine.

Just as the Lord forgave me (and continues to do so), I needed to forgive her and include in that forgiveness her unwillingness to own any of it . And so I did.
But I also needed to ask her forgivness, which I'm not sure I ever did. Now that I've forgiven her, and asked for her forgivness I can totally let go of it - I've done all I can do according to the word of God. I feel this HUGE weight lifted off of me.

I think sometimes we need to physically get with someone we've hurt and say so. Say we "get it" , apologize and ask for forgiveness.

anyway, thats my long spiritual ramble for the day. The newest news is that our church musical director and wife have resigned. this is HUGE - they've been there 10 years, are amazing and will change things. So lots of prayer here on the transition this summer, who will be hired as the new musical director(s), how the music praise team will change, how my role will change etc. I've already been asked if i can committ more time to helping choose music to fit message, take lead on songs, assist in rehearsals.
It will be weird, but good. God working in more mysterious ways to bring new challenges right? lol

ok. am shutting up now.

wow Barb, that must just be incredibly freeing for you. That is so wonderful that you had that word and were able to take it to heart. If you haven't already done so, take a look through Beth Moore's Breaking Free I think you might really enjoy that.

As far as the rapture part, I wouldn't know exactly how to answer your question. I have never doubted that there would be a rapture, I guess I'm curious as to what makes you not believe that? Our whole study wasn't about the rapture just the last 1 1/2 classes so it wasn't too in depth, basically just looking at what will happen in the last days and when the rapture does occur. My church believes in pre-trib so we look at it from that perspective, and boy do I hope we are right! I certainly won't want to be around when all the plauges and earth shattering events are occuring.
I was thinking about starting a post about people's feelings on the rapture but where it has been so slow here I didn't know what kind of a response it would get.

no,,do it do it! At least it might get people talking again! LOL! I will wait until then to post on the subject.. :)

Jeni~ That is sort of where I am sitting right now..I stepped down from a ministry position to focus on my true calling, midwifery, but that step did move me away from God, or so it feels. My days used to be filled with focusing on Him, hearing what He is doing in the lives of others, praying, talking about him,,,,,,now I have to work hard to seek his face every day, and life does get in the way of that. That is my sin, having other priorities...Every day I am feeling far from him, I have to remind myself that He didn'tmove,Idid

ok,whoywon'tmyspacebarworkanymore?freaky

LOL about your space bar. :muaha:

I'll start a post about it :D

Joyful Journeys, Nothing has really changed for me except that life has really been more challenging - requiring more effort. My kids, my job, and other things have become more challenging as opposed to being able to really focus on Him more easily. So now I have to work at it and it's not so easy. I'm trying!