lola21st

Yea, praise God!

Standing in agreement with you and praying that you will be exalted among the admissions board, that they see in you that that the Lord sees in you, and that they "just know" that you should be admitted to the next class of students.

Hi exo152 - Will they be at your home for a few days again or is this a day visit? If the latter, is there a way for you to arrange activities or a visit to other relatives/friends/neighbors for your sone while they are visiting so that they aren't around your son but are able to see your parents and are able to drop off the items? I've not been on the site for a while so don't know the details of your situation but if it is new in that the wounds are fresh, having them around your son might also do more damage than good for him. When we forgive, we leave the other party in the hands of the Lord and we move forward BUT that doesn't mean that we have to make ourselves vulnerable again to the party who caused us harm, especially if they haven't accepted responsibility for causing the pain and/or if they haven't demonstrated a heart of repentance. It's appropriate that you are still dealing with trust issues, please balance being hospitable with being discerning. You have the right to protect your home and family, while it is appropriate to be hospitable while they are at your home visiting your parents, you should not feel obligated to have them in your home for an extended period nor should you feel obligated to have the children play together - that does indeed feel like opening the door to snakes, i.e., spirits of divisiveness, conflict, control, etc. You set the new boundaries of what an acceptable visit looks like, please don't feel obligated to allow it to occur in the manner it has in the past....

Just seeing this now. Congratulations, Jasmine!

Hi Connie - I'm just seeing this post. I'm so sorry to hear the news. I pray the Lord will continue to comfort and protect you and your family during this tragic time.

Hi Lara - I would encourage you to remain in prayer. Sometimes when we're fasting and praying about something, an option will present itself but we need to assess whether it's really from God. In this case, I don't think the Lord would place you in a roommate situation with a male rock musician who has Krishna books unless. I don't mean to judge the fellow, I just see more things that could have gone awry in this situation than could have gone well. What does stand out in your post is the lack of peace you felt regarding this situation. You mentioned a few things in your post that you felt were weird or just didn't sit right in your spirit. When God has blessed us or instructed us, we should feel His peace. When I'm praying/fasting, that's the sign I'm looking for to know when the prayer/fasting can cease or if a decision is from Him. The other way you'll know it's from God is that everything falls together effortlessly. Things that would normally be barriers aren't, obstacles are no more. So keep praying/fasting until you receive His guidance and instruction. God is able and He will be faithful in your situation. I will pray for you as well. Please keep us posted on how things turn out, ok?

Hi - It's been a while, my apologies for my absence... Thank you all so much for your prayers and PMs! My brother's condition has stabilized but he's still very weak. He's home but my SIL intends to take him to the MD for a follow up exam. The stroke appears to have impacted his speech - he's slurring a little bit but more noticably just isn't talking as much as he typically does. Not sure whether this is by his own doing or if it's because there's damage, hoping the MD will speak to this as well... Please continue to keep him in your prayers, please!

Praise the Lord, this is wonderful news!

Hi - I'm requesting prayers for my brother who had a mild stroke a few days ago. We noticed he wasn't himself and insisted that he see a MD. The MD diagnosed him as having a mild stroke and sent him home because his vitals appeared ok but wanted him to come in the next day so that they could do further testing. He wasn't able to leave his home yesterday because he was too weak and my SIL didn't have anyone else to help her transport him. In the meantime, his condition appears to be getting worse and IMHO, he's not getting the medical care that he needs quickly enough (the medical system in Jamaica is a bit different than in the US). My prayer is that the Lord's hand be on him as he goes through this process, that the MD's will admit him to the hospital today and complete the tests that need to be completed so that they have the information that they need to complete the healing that the Lord has put forth. I also raise up prayers for his wife for comfort and strength during this trial because they live alone and she's dependent on him, e.g., she doesn't drive so she's a bit unnerved.

Praise God!! Thanks for sharing your testimony, it's very encouraging!

I have to remember tht the way god loves us, is the complete opposite of how we love each other... Isn't it wonderful that His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts?

Sorry to hear of Elsie's passing. May the Lord comfort you as you grieve your loss.

hi Daisy - Yes, iPhones work although there is one feature that I can't do or don't view in the same way as from my pc. I can't remember what it is but don't consider it a deal breaker....when I'm able to remember it, I'll post it....

Praying for Elsie's speedy recovery!

Praise the Lord, that's great news! Congratulations!

I don't care either way, to be honest with you. I'm after the soul of a person. I'm looking for them to get healed and delivered from whatever they need to be healed and delivered from. If a Christian decides to get a tattoo, it doesn't matter to me because if it doesn't change God's heart towards them, then I don't want my heart to change either. Amen, I think that's the crux of it at the end of the day for me.

Yes, I recall that from your earlier post. What wasn't clear to me in this post was whether you were hoping a producer in general or if you needed help identifying a specific one.... And, um, BTW, how you you know the producer isn't a her?

too funny, ironically, I ran into the same guy this evening at a different restaurant...the real irony is that I recognized the tattoo before I recognized him....

hi meg2011 - I was in a similar situation and what I can offer is the same that Cholette offered. Pray God's perfect will into the situation and pray that He would direct your steps. Also take heed to Psalm 46:10 and let Him to any work that He means to be done, don't try to "help" Him in this situation. Only take action if you are hearing it loud and clear in your Spirit and you have received several confirmations that it is the appropriate action to take. This is one situation in which it's ok to be a Gideon... The last thing I'll add is that while it's true that Satan will try to add confusion right before a blessing, God is still God. When God opens a door, Satan can't stop it. I say that to say that the quote that you included is true on one level but somewhat flawed on another level. When a situation is of God, things roll into place in such a perfect way that God has to be glorified because it could only have occurred through Him. God is not going to create a situation that causes further confusion, especially when you're seeking Him for His will and direction on a matter. I hope that I don't come across harsh, it's just that I've seen many Christian friends get tripped up over this. For example, I have a friend who went through something similar to you regarding a potential mate and while he should've seen the confusion and spiritual attacks as signs that what he was praying about wasn't God's will for him, he drew a similar conclusion and thought that the enemy was trying to thwart God's plans...well, that couldn't have been further from the truth. He got tangled up in a huge mess that has taken years to recover from and only in the last year or so has his life returned to some level of normalcy. I don't want anyone else to have to endure that type of trouble so I caution you to tread lightly. If you see a situation that appears to be the devil thwarting God's plan, then please use your spirit of discernment and don't take action until you see clearly that God has thwarted the devil's plan.

Praying for you. Have you had the discussion yet?

???

Amen, standing in agreement with you!

Ok, I missed this topic while I was away so want to resurrect it for a couple of reasons. Mainly, this topic has been on my mind lately as well... I've also taken the stand until recently that tattoos aren't something that Christians should partake in citing the same verses as above. A couple of months ago, I ran into the son of a friend. He's in his early 20's and is a Christian. We were at a Panda Express restaurant and he was in line. He was wearing a tank top and I noticed that he had two very prominent tattoos on both shoulders. Admittedly, I started to pass judgement and was about to accuse him of being worldly and a hypocrite ( , yes I'm dealing with myself over what can be a quick to pass judgement spirit within me...pray for me, y'all!)... BUT then I looked at one of the tattoos and realized that it was a bible opened to Psalm 23. As much as I hate to admit it,*camera lens zooms in for a face shot so that I can whisper that* the tattoo was beautiful. The full text was legible and must've taken forever to complete because it was very detailed. I typically hate tattoos because they're often that ugly green black colored ink but this was different. On his other arm was Psalm 91, same style. In talking to him, I learned that it was a great conversation piece for him and he actually uses it as a witnessing tool. This kind of reminded me of Brian Welch, the former lead singer of the metal band Korn, who quit the band after he got saved, got delivered from his additions and has since done overseas missionary work, has written an autobiography and is recording Christian music. This man is covered from neck to toe with tattoos. I have no idea what any of them symbolize but I suspect they may not have much to do with Jesus since he was already covered with them when he got saved. (But I could be wrong...) My point is that he is in a position to witness to a segment of society that I can't reach. The irony here is that those very tattoos give him a sort of 'credibility' that I wouldn't have because I look too 'establishment' for this group of people. To me this is potentially a case of using what was meant for evil/carnality and using it for good. If these tattoos have served as a conduit that opens the door for witnessing and saving souls then isn’t God is still glorified? Nothing can keep us from the love of the Lord, not even tattoos. (Romans 8:35-39) Yet, this still doesn't mean that I support tattoos. My son asked me recently about whether I would prefer him to have a pierced ear(s) or tattoo and I told him neither but he pressed me to make a choice so I told him that if he had to get one of them then I could better live with the tattoo but that shouldn't be considered an endorsement. I reminded him that his body is a temple of the Holy Spirit so he really needed to think through whether or not this was something that he thought the Lord would approve especially based on what he told the Israelites in Leviticus. From a practical perspective, I told him that he would have to wait until he was self-sufficient to get one - I'm just not that on board with the idea but I recognize that at some point he's going to have to make his own decisions as an adult and I may not be in agreement with some of them. (And provides enough time for me to pray God's wisdom for him and for him to hear from the Lord directly on the topic since he’s only 16.) That being said, I told him that he'd have to use common sense about it and realize that there might be consequences to having one (the employability issue) so he'd need to have it in a discreet place that's not viewable when he's working but can be exposed when he's on his own time. Also that if he were to get one, he'd have to be sure that it was something that he could live with for the rest of his life given that they're largely permanent (removing them is an involved and painful process) and given that our thoughts, interests, beliefs evolve over the course of our lives so whatever he gets must be something that is such a core part of him that it's not likely to change, i.e., no references to girlfriends, no trendy designs/quotes/etc. Can’t remember the actress but someone recently had one removed and she really regretted having one done in the first place so I reminded him of her situation. Ironically, he said that if he were to do it, he would either get a scripture verse or do a tribute to his grandfather. Ok, to be honest I’d rather he have a scripture verse tattoo than earrings or any other type of tattoo. But what is the root issue behind this – is it to evangelize or is it to fit into a carnal world but within the scope of a Christian? So I guess this is my long winded way of wondering what about those tattoos that attempt to glorify the Lord? I say “attempt” because I’m not convinced that it’s okay but I’m seeing cases where it’s an effective evangelical tool….I suppose the answer comes back to what’s already been stated - if the person is at peace with God regarding it, then let that be the guide….but I’m still noodling over it… Thoughts?