Mich Has Nothing to Say...

[Rhoni]

Originally Posted by Michlow

God has continued to use this to teach me.

For a long time I "consoled" myself to my difficult situation. Everytime that I got to the point where I didn't think I could take another day, the Lord would somehow give me the peace to go on.

To be honest, I always had this idea that maybe I was the only way that the Lord would ever be able to get through to my husband some day. But this really humbled me with the realization, that maybe my husband was the only way that the Lord could get through to me.

That was powerful! Thank-you for sharing this.

Blessings, Rhoni

[Blubayou]

Mich- What a wonderful revelation. I had a similar one when I was dealing with a very difficult child in my classroom. As I mulled over how trying this child was and how I never seemed to see any progress with him, God spoke to me. He let me see that He is patient with me, loves me and corrects me, but with love. He let me know that I was entrusted with this child and He expected me to be kind and merciful to him. I have never forgotten that moment, and that child. It changed the way I thought about that child and many other children I taught. It also gave me insight into my relationship with God and just how loving my Heavenly Father toward me.

Originally Posted by Blubayou

Mich- What a wonderful revelation. I had a similar one when I was dealing with a very difficult child in my classroom. As I mulled over how trying this child was and how I never seemed to see any progress with him, God spoke to me. He let me see that He is patient with me, loves me and corrects me, but with love. He let me know that I was entrusted with this child and He expected me to be kind and merciful to him. I have never forgotten that moment, and that child. It changed the way I thought about that child and many other children I taught. It also gave me insight into my relationship with God and just how loving my Heavenly Father toward me.

Awesome...such good stuff here...I am blown away....God is soooo good!

[Michlow]

Originally Posted by Rhoni

That was powerful! Thank-you for sharing this.

Blessings, Rhoni

Originally Posted by Blubayou

Mich- What a wonderful revelation. I had a similar one when I was dealing with a very difficult child in my classroom. As I mulled over how trying this child was and how I never seemed to see any progress with him, God spoke to me. He let me see that He is patient with me, loves me and corrects me, but with love. He let me know that I was entrusted with this child and He expected me to be kind and merciful to him. I have never forgotten that moment, and that child. It changed the way I thought about that child and many other children I taught. It also gave me insight into my relationship with God and just how loving my Heavenly Father toward me.

Originally Posted by Sister Truth Seeker

Awesome...such good stuff here...I am blown away....God is soooo good!

If you guys don't stop it, I might have to change the name of this thread!

[Michlow]

Something that I wrote on a different thread, regarding spiritual abuse, that I would like to repost here, as it is my blog of sorts.

The truth is that those who have not experienced it, do not understand the depths of damage that can be done in the mind.

Though I long ago let of any bitterness or anger that I held and freely forgave those who injured me, even I did not completely understand the effect those past experiences had on my spiritual life.

Firstly, and most importantly, I was taught a distorted view of God. Secondly I was shown a distorted view of authority. This distortion continued to encompass the church/body. These were all tied together with a manipulation and distortion of the Word.

So what was I left with? A fear of the ministry, a lack of trust in other believers, a dislike, fear, mistrust and feelings of confusion towards God and His word.

How do you just "get over" something like that? What tools does one use? All the sources one would normally turn to, have in the past been sources of abuse.

Perhaps it is different when one has been taught and nuturted in a healthy spiritual environment and then has a "bad experience", but when one is "born" into an abusive church it is not that easy to overcome. Then you are equipped with a defective filter. Even when you hear "truth" it is filtered through the distorted and twisted foundation that was first built.

I have been out of the bad environment for over 3 years and it has only been in the past month that I have begun to make progress. Because I have only now gotten a clear picture of Jesus. My view of Him was so distorted that there was no peace or joy in my walk, for I was serving a God that I despised, feared and had so much anger towards. I found Him capricious, arbitrarily cruel, demanding, domineering and a spiritual blackmailer.

(Anyone interested in reading about how that change, it is posted here: http://www.apostolicfriendsforum.com...6&postcount=23 )

Now that I have rebuilt my foundation, I can begin to deal with the other things.

But to be honest, it's very much a two steps forward, one step back process. Especially when it comes to church, Pastors and the Bible. They were the things that were used to distort my image of God.

[Tina]

[Michlow]

Originally Posted by Tina

[Michlow]

Written on a different forum, something that I have never been able to articulate before today.

What I am looking for in a church:

I want something transparent and real, something deep and meaningful. A meeting of believers, who though they are in different stages of the journey are nevertheless, equals; a group that submits to one another, not to just one, who in turn submits to no one. A group that can disagree without judgment, and be different yet still united. A place where the Word is discussed not “taught” and where love is practiced, not preached. A place where His kingdom is sought, not the kingdoms of men, of money, of success.

[BoredOutOfMyMind]

Originally Posted by Michlow

Written on a different forum, something that I have never been able to articulate before today.

What I am looking for in a church:

I want something transparent and real, something deep and meaningful. A meeting of believers, who though they are in different stages of the journey are nevertheless, equals; a group that submits to one another, not to just one, who in turn submits to no one. A group that can disagree without judgment, and be different yet still united. A place where the Word is discussed not “taught” and where love is practiced, not preached. A place where His kingdom is sought, not the kingdoms of men, of money, of success.

WOW!

This is powerful!

[Blubayou]

You have set the standard high. I hope you find a church like this - When you do, tell me so I can attend!!!!