Religion and Spirituality

PhillieG

zjrosenthal said:

Developments since I last posted in July
Wow has a lot happened...I found out in Aug that my husband of 34 yrs was seeing prostitutes at the time I posted. I knew as I had written that God had a plan but was blindsided by this. I believe Gods will was for me to stay in the marriage and I have come to realize that part of God's plan was to get both myself and hubby into recovery in a 12 step program at my church and to save him from the destruction he was headed for. I am so grateful that God is healing our marriage, has saved hubby and is having me look at issues I didnt even realize I had. My Lord is good all the time even when I dont much like what He is doing. Please pray for us to stay the course He has laid out for us.

Hmmm
I guess he does work in mysterious ways as they always say...

PhillieG

papajedi said:

Hi Phil
Talk about the evolution of a person it would be me when he went to Iraq. I began to loathe the Bush tactic of using fear, axis of evil ect. to force us to adopt his policies. I prefer to be an "intelligent" patriot If the average person could be as involved with the soldiers as we were they would be livid to see how they have been treated.
I really admire Colin Powell, more after Bush hung him out to dry at the United Nations

Validity
Sometimes it's hard to justify war, other times it's not as hard. Look at WWII and Hitler. Pretty cut and dry in my opinion. The Iraq war though was almost like we were attacked on 9/11 and then we went and invaded Canada. I could understand Afghanistan but Iraq had nothing to do with it and they (GW) knew it. They had plans to invade Iraq pre 9/11. The sent so many young men and women to die so they could "liberate" the oil and they didn't even get that right.

I hope your son is back home, safe and sound.
-p

robinvan

PhillieG said:

Validity
Sometimes it's hard to justify war, other times it's not as hard. Look at WWII and Hitler. Pretty cut and dry in my opinion. The Iraq war though was almost like we were attacked on 9/11 and then we went and invaded Canada. I could understand Afghanistan but Iraq had nothing to do with it and they (GW) knew it. They had plans to invade Iraq pre 9/11. The sent so many young men and women to die so they could "liberate" the oil and they didn't even get that right.

I hope your son is back home, safe and sound.
-p

OMG! Invaded Canada!
For the US to invade Canada...

An aircraft carrier pulls into Vancouver and a submarine into Halifax. "OKAY CANADA, throw down you gun! We have you surrounded!" LOL

I think the last time the US invaded Canada was 1812 (actually we weren't even Canada then, just another colony). We've pretty well been best buddies ever since. I've got dual citizenship so can relate to how close we are.

We have many young men and women in Afganistan too. The IED's are doing a real number on them! Almost 9 years now.

Robert, I join Phil in hoping your son is home soon, safe, and sound.

Peace and blessings... Rob in Vancouver

papajedi

PhillieG said:

Validity
Sometimes it's hard to justify war, other times it's not as hard. Look at WWII and Hitler. Pretty cut and dry in my opinion. The Iraq war though was almost like we were attacked on 9/11 and then we went and invaded Canada. I could understand Afghanistan but Iraq had nothing to do with it and they (GW) knew it. They had plans to invade Iraq pre 9/11. The sent so many young men and women to die so they could "liberate" the oil and they didn't even get that right.

I hope your son is back home, safe and sound.
-p

Yeah
Thank You!!

papajedi

robinvan said:

OMG! Invaded Canada!
For the US to invade Canada...

An aircraft carrier pulls into Vancouver and a submarine into Halifax. "OKAY CANADA, throw down you gun! We have you surrounded!" LOL

I think the last time the US invaded Canada was 1812 (actually we weren't even Canada then, just another colony). We've pretty well been best buddies ever since. I've got dual citizenship so can relate to how close we are.

We have many young men and women in Afganistan too. The IED's are doing a real number on them! Almost 9 years now.

Robert, I join Phil in hoping your son is home soon, safe, and sound.

Peace and blessings... Rob in Vancouver

Thanks Guys
He is home safe, he served with the 349th quartermaster battalion. They were attacked nightly with rockets and mortars. He won The Meritorious Service Medal for "Valor in combat theatre". He saved his roomates life one night while they were under attack.

dasspears

PhillieG said:

Hmmm
I guess he does work in mysterious ways as they always say...

Oh my!
That's all..

RE

zjrosenthal said:

Developments since I last posted in July
Wow has a lot happened...I found out in Aug that my husband of 34 yrs was seeing prostitutes at the time I posted. I knew as I had written that God had a plan but was blindsided by this. I believe Gods will was for me to stay in the marriage and I have come to realize that part of God's plan was to get both myself and hubby into recovery in a 12 step program at my church and to save him from the destruction he was headed for. I am so grateful that God is healing our marriage, has saved hubby and is having me look at issues I didnt even realize I had. My Lord is good all the time even when I dont much like what He is doing. Please pray for us to stay the course He has laid out for us.

Hmmmm too
You're a better woman than I, not sure I could cope as well as you appear to be doing. Will lift you and yours in prayer.

RE

Hondo

zjrosenthal said:

Developments since I last posted in July
Wow has a lot happened...I found out in Aug that my husband of 34 yrs was seeing prostitutes at the time I posted. I knew as I had written that God had a plan but was blindsided by this. I believe Gods will was for me to stay in the marriage and I have come to realize that part of God's plan was to get both myself and hubby into recovery in a 12 step program at my church and to save him from the destruction he was headed for. I am so grateful that God is healing our marriage, has saved hubby and is having me look at issues I didnt even realize I had. My Lord is good all the time even when I dont much like what He is doing. Please pray for us to stay the course He has laid out for us.

Forgiveness

Zjrosenthal, you are one very remarkable person your example is what true Christianity is all about, may God bless you according to your faith.

zjrosenthal

Hondo said:

Forgiveness

Zjrosenthal, you are one very remarkable person your example is what true Christianity is all about, may God bless you according to your faith.

About forgiving
Thank you all for the wonderful encouraging words. In the beginning after I found out what he was doing in my bed,of all places, when I wasnt there....I was feeling both homicidal and suicidal. I knew even then that God was in this whole journey including cancer but I hated what He had to do to save my husband. Hep C, Lyme Disease, Salmanella poisoning and then cancer and infidelity have grown me in so many ways. I dont much like the growing pains but they have taught me that God is in charge not me and that He can be trusted no matter the circumstances. Today I am so grateful to be alive and am learning to forgive as He does but only with His help, support from others and much prayer and soul searching. I have realized that I am far from perfect myself (Step 4 of the 12 steps)and that is helping me in the process of forgiving. God is the remarkable one who is healing, teaching and guiding me. He died to save me so how can I deny Him what he asks of me? Teaching me how to love is the most important thing and today my marriage is better than it has ever been. I am looking forward to more healing both physically and spiritually. (1 Corinthians 13)

Hondo

zjrosenthal said:

About forgiving
Thank you all for the wonderful encouraging words. In the beginning after I found out what he was doing in my bed,of all places, when I wasnt there....I was feeling both homicidal and suicidal. I knew even then that God was in this whole journey including cancer but I hated what He had to do to save my husband. Hep C, Lyme Disease, Salmanella poisoning and then cancer and infidelity have grown me in so many ways. I dont much like the growing pains but they have taught me that God is in charge not me and that He can be trusted no matter the circumstances. Today I am so grateful to be alive and am learning to forgive as He does but only with His help, support from others and much prayer and soul searching. I have realized that I am far from perfect myself (Step 4 of the 12 steps)and that is helping me in the process of forgiving. God is the remarkable one who is healing, teaching and guiding me. He died to save me so how can I deny Him what he asks of me? Teaching me how to love is the most important thing and today my marriage is better than it has ever been. I am looking forward to more healing both physically and spiritually. (1 Corinthians 13)

Forgiveness is free but not Cheap

Understood as a paradox to the world but as love to His followers, the idea that God would give his own life for a falling world just does not make sense to someone who does not know Him.

You have found something that not many people have; it is only as we are tried in the fire of affliction that the true gold will appear and the smith knows when the gold is pure when he can see his own reflection in it.

You are so right the greatest of these is charity

God be with you and bless your Faith

PhillieG

blueroses said:

What's the 'you know what forum'? lol
This discussion topic puzzles me, Religion and Spirituality. Why is it a separate topic? I am by no means a bible carrying Christian but I am a Christian and it just seems to me that any talk of spirituality, religion, yada yada, would flow naturally in many posts on these boards - to people who held all kinds of beliefs and disbeliefs. Why separate it?

I used to belong to a cancer forum who discouraged ADAMANTLY relgious or spiritual chat and I left there because of that. I think that as long as everyone is respectful of others ideas and beliefs then why shouldn't spirituality be just a part of anyone's posting, wherever it may be in category? I see no real problem with this being separate too but something just feels odd about it. Am I reading this wrong?

I guess this is the place then to post my story of how group prayer and healing actually saved my life in hospital when I wasn't even looking for that to happen. Unfotunately I have a doctor's appt soon so I can't do the story now, have on other boards though, but I will copy it out here too when I get back later today or tomorrow.

Blessings, Blueroses

I know this response is 9 months after your post. Religion and Spirituality are two separate things. You can be one without being the other. As far as putting it in a different section of the site, why is breast cancer in one forum and colon cancer in another? They are both cancer, right? Yes...and no. There are times when R&S (religion and spirituality) make sense to be part of a cancer post and then there are times when they make no sense being part of a cancer post.

I've read many posts where a person is having serious medical problems and they are looking for specific answers to specific questions and all they get back is "gee, I don't know but I will pray for you". Some people may like that, I find it very unhelpful. I need answers, not a prayer group. Other times people would post psalms as topics. That has nothing to do with cancer Q&A and it is offensive to some people.

I will admit that it's not a B&W issue, it is very gray. It is also widely assumed that everyone is a christian on the board. Well that is not true at all. The most vocal people are the christians and some of the nastiest people I've seen are the christians who often have no regard for others beliefs. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of people who are christian who are wonderful caring people. They seem to be good people first and christian second.

I do know of people who will not comment because they are not christian and they feel like outsiders because of it. Also, look at the avatars of people. It's white folks or people dogs for the most part. I am very glad they have this forum up and running. It is being utilized more and more which is great but then there are those who will never visit here because they feel they are being censored. They also have shown me by their comments how closed minded they are. It's their God or nothing. They are right and everyone is wrong...

JoanieP

Beautifully said
Kimby, I enjoyed reading your blog. I believe that God only gives us the good if we love him. The good from cancer has been the lessons learned about priorities and how God's strength gets us through the hard times. I try to talk about my Lord and Savior whenever I can. If there is peace in cancer it comes from him.