social torture

oh um I encourage honesty rather than lying. I guess that might be hard to handle sometimes if people dont like the truth or would rather believe lies.

Jesus told the truth but often spoke in parables which you had to spiritually discern otherwise they made no sense. Because in other situations he had no filter either and the things he said was offensive to those who didnt like the truth

Just to be clear, my earlier comments were not meant to be taken in a critical manner. Again, I find your straightforwardness or lack of guile quite refreshing.

As far as me laughing at your posts at times is concerned, I'm just funny that way. Whenever something needs to be said, and somebody just flat out says it, I find it amusing as I contemplate in my mind's eye (no, I'm not in the Illuminati or anything...it's just a figure of speech) the facial expressions on certain people who might be on the receiving end of such comments.

In short, I have a serious problem where humor is concerned. For real. That is the precise reason why I recently purchased the owl ring that I posted a picture of not too long ago. In other words, to remind me to act wisely where my sense of humor is concerned. I just joke around and laugh a lot, and it often gets me in trouble in some fashion or another.

If I caused you any offense, then I truly am sorry.

Btw, and pretty much totally off topic, what a day I had today. When Jesus said "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof," he wasn't joking.

This world truly is an evil place, and that is another reason why my propensity towards humor bothers me. In other words, in as bad a shape as this world is, I really shouldn't be joking around because it is no laughing matter.

Again, I am sorry if my earlier comments caused any offense.

no its ok sometimes you have to laugh it takes the edge off a tense situation sometimes
dont worry about it

sometimes I take myself too seriously

I know when I have bad days theres always the old adage...someday I'll look back on this and laugh...! Though its often not funny at the time.

I remember one example when I wrote and told my boss that the library chairs were too square and they had no personality, could we have a special reading chair or the round stools that were unused in the staffroom. She read this out in a deadpan face in my meeting and I had no idea if she was offended that I had dissed the school furniture. But she said no to the reading chair.

its just the juniors were hiding under the tables and chairs or leaning back on them and tipping over and it was just hard for them to sit on them and read. I later learned that she didnt want anything changed at all and I couldnt even move a table around the library without making her angry.

Maybe if I had lied and said everythings perfect maybe she would have treated me better I dont know. Or just not told her anything I was doing and did it anyway, but then she would have pounced on me for not asking permission.

Do you mean to say that I do not need to send you a secret gift to pacify your anger?

Proverbs 21:14

"A gift in secret pacifieth anger: and a reward in the bosom strong wrath."

Aww, that is too bad because I had the perfect gift picked out for someone like you who can fall asleep anywhere at the drop of a hat.




Oh well, let me check and see what Amazon's return policy is.

I am just pulling your pigtails, again.

I am sorry for saying this here, but I really do not have anywhere else to talk or vent about spiritual matters at the moment.

As I hinted at yesterday, at the moment, which is even worse than yesterday, I have a lot of people, outside of this forum or in my real life, gunning for my head. I say that figuratively, but I honestly believe that it would be literal if people thought that they could get away with it.

I am mentioning this because this is one reason why I sometimes resort to silliness or foolishness as sort of a momentary escape from the spiritual battle that constantly rages around me.

Of course, I know that I can only truly find peace in Christ, but sometimes it just helps to have others to talk to.

John 16:33

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."

I had several 'class clowns' who wanted my undivided attention, though I could never be angry at them,, they disrupted the class alot. School was social torture for them as they didnt know how to cope in a class of nearly 30 children.

One child who was one of the worst, ran round the library, jumped on tables and chairs, did not do what everyone else did, and pulled off a row of books and chucked them on the floor. I was like WHY?

He said he didnt know, but I found out later that he had a 2 year old sibling at home who was getting more attention than he was with his mum and I gathered that maybe his dad was absent for most of the time. And there probably was no grandparent or nanny at home he could talk to

I suggested training as a library monitor even though he was too young

my most willing helpers were actually the youngest ones by the time they got to year 7 they were not that interested anymore.

anyway the principal was not interested she was in favour of banning him from the library and not doing anything to reconcile. Basically her attitude was she didnt care what he did when he was out of sight and out of her mind. She did blame me for basically not putting a spell on all the children and threatening them with extra homework so they would behave. Which was what some teachers did lol

I had a chair in the corner that I would laughingly refer to as the naughty chair and anyone who sat there would be the naughty one but then I changed it to be a listening post. The principal didnt like that I had a naughty chair she refused to believe that the children at 'her' school were naughty. She lived in a bubble in her own office an didnt seem to have time to deal with anyone who went astray.

Sometimes you have to leave the 99 sheep and go after the one thats lost.

Hi from New Zealand!

New Zealand isn't all small towns, so there are still big churches. Especially in Auckland and a few here in Christchurch. But yeah.. I find it difficult to socialise at church when the people that I DO know are ignoring me. We have a congregation of about 30 people, but it's a small cottage type building, so when we all go out the back to have a cup of tea and biscuits etc.. it's quite up close.

I guess you mean the conspiracy etc.. by the fact NZ is embracing the LBGTQ+ agenda?

Anyway, I find it hard to know what to do .. because the kids will always be sitting around the big table with food on it.. and I'd like to talk to the kids.. but then the adults are all generally around the outside, not sitting with or talking with the kids much. There are people that I do know.. one I used to be good friends with. They decided to no longer be friends once they became my pastor. Now it's always a bit awkward around them for me.

Probably better off starting new threads than hijacking an existing thread. And may even get more reads and responses. Better for everybody that way.

There are some that can't handle the truth.

Amen.

When I used to teach Sunday school, I had a small group of three or four children who were periodically disruptive. It seemed to me that they just needed someone to pay them some attention, so I did. Eventually, and it did not take long, they became some of my best students.

Yello
Ive been in big churches and small ones and ones in between.
I dont really know what to think about the lbgtq thing now that some liberal/radical churches are marrying or blessing same-sex couples ...but then many churches married unbelievers or unequally yoked ones together so whats new. Maybe they were just in the whole marriage/wedding industry thing? The more marriages and remarriages the better for church business?

I mean with the amount of divorces and abuse in marriages it seems it doesnt really stop fornication as its supposedly meant to. I know separated and divorced couples that just go to different churches.

I wondered why cant people treat you like a sister or brother instead of keeping on trying to couple people up in church. Thats what sometimes makes it so awkward, like its a hunting ground for singles or you just get ignored because you dont earn enough money

The 'megachurches' in Auckland are pretty much like indoor rock concerts every week. Like something out of the 90s remember grunge. Its kind of weird how rock music came into the church. I just cant really stand it when theres a screaming guitar solo or the drummer has to hide behind plate glass panels/cage and theres a sound system and flashing lights now. I get that rockers wanted to worship Jesus but its such a headache going to a rock concert every week.

Yeah, we just got a nice piano and biblically based hymns.

That's enough. Why have a big show? Is it covering the fact their teaching is skin deep?

I like classic rock music ..but there are times when I need quiet with God and deep study.

Big churches with big bands can have God's spirit too.

And there's a blue million small churches that don't.

Big or small, it all depends on what the people are going there for.

For sure there are big churches that are solid on the bible and small that aren't.

When I look at the bible and how a church is run though.. the flashy, showy kind isn't on there. And churches that were going a bit over the top like Corinth were admonished to change.

But going off topic a bit.

This is Christian Chat. A little off topic never hurt nobody.

We’re getting old, sister.😁

Good thing you said sister. I was about to take 45 year old offense. I got everything from country and bluegrass to rap and heavy metal in my collection.

Yeah, I have a music collection. That means I'm old too. Don't say it.