Twinky

Most of us here have been wounded, often very deeply, by TWI. The isolating way we were dealt with usually meant it does take years to get over it since there may be no supporting network. Lk 7:41 There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. 42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? 43 Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. Does that mean you need to have big debts forgiven, to be able to forgive? Does it mean you have to have had big hurts, to be able to forgive? You can forgive - you just have a greater and deeper understanding of what it means. Doesn't mean the smaller debtor isn't grateful or doesn't understand. Simon above lived in a very senses-oriented way. BNIS, are you suggesting forgiveness from people not deeply hurt is only "senses" forgiveness, a matter of expediency but not from the heart? Or is it that "Their version of forgiveness" might relate to how far the victims have so far managed to deal with their wounds? You can get over it: but doesn't mean that you want to spend any more time in contact with those who hurt you, if they have not shown that they repent of their behavior. It doesn't mean where appropriate that you shouldn't warn others or expose the abuse. Biblically there are many exhortations to beware of certain people who have caused harm.

Oh yes I remember that stuff. The expression now comes to mind, "straining at gnats" or "nit picking". (Perhaps some of the purported difficulties could have been avoided by using expressions like "confidence" instead of "believing". We could even have referred to different versions of the Bible by way of comparison, to see how these "usages" were translated elsewhere. But no, we have to engineer difficulties so that we can get puffed up in our special knowledge of the Word.) Not sure where any of these fit with: • "Believing to see Johnny Jumpup at fellowship/work/the park tomorrow” • “Believing for Bill to pass the exam” • “Believing that Maggie will one day come to the Lord” but the nearest definition is the first (senses based). Still not convinced it's other than sloppy use of language. Believing verging on plain wishful thinking...

Five categories of believing? Don't remember this one, did I forget it or was it never beaten into me? Remind me, someone. And is one of them "believing to override someone else's free will"?

Funny, if one is inclined to use certain other expressions. But sometimes you can stop people's mouths by smiling very sweetly and saying, "God bless you!" in a kind manner. Makes the curser think a bit about what they said. Oh, and to return to the subject of this thread, "OMG" and "Jesus/Jesus Christ/Christ" and permutations thereof tick me off too. Odd, isn't it, how the most powerful Name above all names has become the most debased, in modern life.

Forgiveness is as much for oneself as for another. Like AD's quote about non-forgiveness being a poison. It is when we start to forgive that we get healed. Lack of forgiveness is an open sore in one's own heart. We are to bless those who persecute us. Pray for them. Read how Job prayed for his persecutors. To truly pray for someone you cannot hold unforgiveness against them; you have to let it go. Refusing to forgive someone because they haven't shown they are repentant or haven't apologized to you is Wayspeak. That's what LCM taught, as an excuse for getting people to grovel to him (him!)when he had M&A'd them, humiliated them and slandered them vilely. "Be ye kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." Where does this say, only if they seek forgiveness first?

(Straight from the randi site) 'Sright, didn't you guys know this? ;) And doesn't this thread belong in Just Plain Silly?

New Zealand beer ad:

Well I don't ever think of myself as a cat owner, just as a cat carer. I am permitted to share her bed (a large comfortable double) as she only requires a small bit of one corner at the foot. However she comes and goes at will. She comes in every night, but at times to suit herself and generally in the wee hours. She is considerate and does not wake me. I am permitted to share the couch as long as it isn't her seat. If I sit in the wrong seat she will sit on top of me and also hasten to put herself in the same place should I vacate it for any reason. I am required to serve particular meals. If she doesn't get what she fancies, she goes to another restaurant and is quite shameless about this. If my service is unacceptably poor, I am given a smack or a scratch. However, I am occasionally given a small reward. Nonetheless - I do love this cat. :) :) :)

Thank y'all very much! Appreciate your concern. Funny song. Except we weren't trying to get rid of Twinkle. She is being kept in for a time while her wounds heal up. She thinks this is a bad thing and wants to go out (and have some more adventures?). Next collar if any is going to be easily removable/breakable. Miaow for now. Twinky

If they meant "hope to see you there" why not just say that? Why adopt instead an unusual way of speaking?

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Gt 22 but would have got 23 if I could spell prpr right and used an " " not a " "

What does it mean when people use “believing” as in to do something or for something to happen? As is: "Believingto see you [let’s say, Johnny Jumpup] at fellowship/work/the park tomorrow” “Believing for you [let’s say, Bill Bludger] to pass your exam/get your money together” “Believing that [let’s say, Maggie Muggins] will one day come to the Lord” Seems sloppy use of language to me. Believing? It’s a desire (and “whatsoever things ye desire,” etc…) but there are surely other factors at play. Like the other person’s free will. What if Johnny doesn’t want to go to fellowship tomorrow – other commitments, perhaps, or just plain doesn’t want to go? Doesn’t the other person’s “believing” put a burden on Johnny? What if Bill simply didn’t bother to study for the exam, or to make any effort to look after his financial affairs? What if Maggie really doesn’t want to know God? Where does that leave the other person’s “believing”? If the other person doesn’t want to do something or puts in no effort? In the first example, non-Way people might say, “hope to see you” or “look forward to seeing you” or even “would like to see you”. A person raised with Wayspeak would only rarely use “hope” in that way. But neither would they use a word like “expect” – which actually might seem too demanding! (“I expect to see you at fellowship…!”) In the second example, if the “beneficiary” of the believing doesn’t do anything towards what’s necessary, does s/he really want anything? In the third example, one might be “praying” for such an event, or, again, desiring, and might even take committed action to try to bring that about (by words or demonstration of God’s lovingkindness) and by praying. There are lots of NT records where Paul and others “pray” for the believers of their day and time and Christians are frequently exhorted to “pray” for one another – to come to a knowledge of the truth, to be established, to be strengthened, to understand, etc (eg Eph 1:16-18) – but “believing” for this to happen? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking prayer and commitment to other people – I’m considering inappropriate terminology. It seems to me that it’s a sloppy use of a word, a fear of using the word “hope” in its modern usage, and perhaps even disrespectful of other people and their own free will and beliefs. What do you think? (Believing I’ll get some replies to this) (tongue in cheek)

Somebody sent me this a while back and my first thought was, a more honest representation of Athletes of the Spirit. What I didn't like about it was that when the girl looks to him after she has played with the gun and as she tries to get back to him, "Jesus" stands helplessly messing about on the sidelines waving. It isn't till quite late on that he actually kicks into the fray and beats off all the baddies. He's not with her in her initial struggles to get away despite her keeping reaching back out to him. Nonetheless, it's short, to the point, and keeps the focus very definitely in the right direction not on the pseudo-savior.

Thanks, all. Dooj, too right. The vet says she is fine. She hass given Twinkle a shot of something and she has to have another on Sat. Antibiotics, I guess. Twinkle has a sore on her neck and under her "armpit" where the collar rubbed. The collar is all chewed at where she has tried to get out of it. Must be made of tough stuff - as is she. The vet in her exam found a growth in the cat's abdomen which apparently is common in older cats and will eventually constrict her insides too much. But at the moment T is in fine health despite her holiday, and the growth does not bother or pain her. So the growth either needs to be prayed away (and why not?) or the cat may need a colostomy bag. So glad she is home again. ...How much more glad our Father must be when we return from our wanderings in the dark and sh1tty places.

Just got to share this good news with you. Twinkle, my cat, has been missing now for just two weeks. She went out on Wednesday evening and did not return. Extensive searches and enquiries - no sign of her. Also prayed for her safe return. And this morning, Thursday two weeks later, she miaowed outside the door at breakfast time. She had one foot through her collar and clearly it had been like that for a while because the fur was rubbed off and the skin beneath a little sore. She smells of cat excrement and her fur instead of being soft and fluffy is hard and sticky (guess what?!). Other than that, she seems well. Can’t tell you how happy I am. Praise God for His goodness and loving kindness in restoring her to us, healthy and uninjured. (I posted a bit about this on ExCathedra's thread about her cockatiel. So encouraging! Many thanks for those of you who also prayed for Twinkle's safe return.)

I started something like this before - just about a year ago. witnessing cards (Hey I finally figured out how to make a link to another topic! (pats self on back))

When they threw me out, a year or so later the Credit Union threw my money out. I asked them to transfer it to my then spiritual partner (had supported me in rez and now in rez himself) and they refused to transfer it and demanded I withdraw the balance. Imagine that, huh, they simply didn't want my money.

Sorry, can't resist this... ...the exploits of certain leaders definitely give "root" locale a new meaning. Were they telling us all along what went on at HQ? (Slapped wrist, ducking for cover ;) )

You guys are too funny! Ain't life good, to be able to talk about pets and such? And not the word as it applies to cockies. Real cute of Rascal to bring a friend home albeit in utero. Clearly making sure she has a flock to hang out with.

Hey you guys really encourage me. My cat Twinkle (no, not quite my namesake, Twinky with a y is a different cat) - anyway Twinkle has gone on holiday... She never strays, very much a homebody, lets other cats roam through her territory, dislikes larger animals, likes to be with people and to sit and watch them, loves to hunt small rodents and birds, hunts in a wood next to the house, lies in the sun on the lawn, doesn't like being in houses (even "her" own), goes nowhere near any roads ... and has been missing since Wednesday evening. Looking forward to sharing my own "happy return" storywith you... Pleased for you, Exie. Always nice to have good news to share. Amazing story! (edited coz I missed a word out)

Some o'those pavement artists got real talent. Paying their way through art school, perhaps?

Ah well, Bumpy, that's where his powers of prediction failed. Most of us here (myself among them) would say we have a better relationship with God now than we did in TWI. Not so much of a grease spot as a growth spurt. (D'ya suppose he thinks of himself as a grease spot?) (Or d'ya suppose he realizes this infamous prediction didn't come to pass?)

me me me me me if only...

Hey, would it be funny if Rosie were a lurker here and heard about this possible "coup" from the greasevine? :lol: