Showing posts with label Scripture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Scripture. Show all posts
Saturday, March 19, 2022
Thursday, January 6, 2022
Ebenezer, Mississippi Place Workshop - Samson Society Exclusive Offer
For more detailed information about this opportunity, please contact Mr. Justin Schwind at dukex55@gmail.com.
Bad / Poor Mouthing
Bad / poor mouthing is the practice of tearing others down behind their backs. It's usually executed amongst a triangulated peer group - friends, family, co-workers, and it's done because we all feel - at times - entitled to do so.
Entitled means "believing oneself to be inherently deserving of privileges or special treatment."
Arrogance is what fuels feeling entitled. Arrogance means "the quality of being arrogant."
Arrogant means "having or revealing an exaggerated sense of one's own importance or abilities."
Exaggerate means "represent (something) as being larger, better, or worse than it really is."
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Individuals who poor mouth should be wary of not experiencing one distinct side effect: guilt. Usually it's immediate for it doesn't take but a split second to hear one's own callousness.
If you're one of the fortunate ones subjected to these reactionary pangs, be thankful (whilst heeding them). For that's your conscience doing its good work on your behalf.
From there, drop to your knees and thank God that you still have a conscience that's properly calibrated and functional.
If you're one of those whose innards stay silent immediately following bad / poor mouthing, please make a point to read (& commit to memory) James 3 as soon as possible.
And just so you know, James was the brother of Jesus. That makes his words that much more relevant.
Friday, February 26, 2021
Saturday, November 21, 2020
Value Should Never Have Been Equated To Sexiness
Pubescent hormones and our own innate draw towards the visual make for easy fodder when it comes to sex appeal. As children, we're indoctrinated (I realize it's a strong word) into equating value with sex appeal, sexiness, youthfulness, and so forth. But Christianity banks nothing on these things. Hotness isn't a fruit of the Spirit, and Jesus didn't parade around attempting to bed as many individuals as he could relative to his singleness.
The Bible speaks out against fornication and adultery as well as homosexuality. No, no, and no again. And Jesus addressed lust specifically as out of sync with God's will.
As Christians, our / other's personal value is always discounted in light of Christ. This is back-assward to what our culture celebrates. Hence, it should be Jesusbook in lieu of Facebook.
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How do we know / come to know this Jesus?
Scripture firstly, and from there via the Holy Spirit living inside of us and other believers. These things combined results in solid teaching and preaching.
What draws us towards Jesus?
Life circumstance with a heavy emphasis on suffering because his appeal isn't and never has been cheap (it will cost you everything).
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To continue forward with that last sentence, when men face a circumstantial reckoning, it's then that Jesus may come into clear focus. For example, via sickness or personal trials. Christ's life is clearly documented within the gospels, and we're called to emulate him via the example he set.
But it sure ain't no glamorous existence.
Just ask the apostle Paul.
Yet, Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians as if he'd just won the lottery and had the best sex of his life, all in anticipation of either dying and being with Christ or living and continuing to represent Christ. His rejoicing within that correspondence is over the top!
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I want to encourage you today to not Lolli gaggle around for a portend. Misplaced value is a huge problem in our western culture. Instead, open God's word today. If you don't know where to start, start with the gospel of Mark, and from there ween yourself off of any and all cultural venues that do not put the emphasis on Jesus Christ (which is all of them).
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Adam & Eve Appreciation
Holy scripture starts with God creating man and woman and placing them within the garden of Eden. Jesus is cited referencing this within the gospels. Undoubtedly, he's not only privy to it as a Jew who's been educated, but as God who was present when it occurred.
Scripture gives us no indication as to how long the first husband / wife were cultivating the garden 'till the Fall, but nevertheless, enough time passed for them to suffer / know tremendous loss when the Fall did occur.
Scripture alludes to the lion and the lamb lying down together amidst the new heaven and Earth, therefore I can only assume this same pacifistic state existed within the Eden at the dawn of creation. Therefore, a lot of time was obviously spent enjoying the goodness / prosperity of this setting which in turn meant that Adam and Eve took full advantage of each other within that same vein.
-------------------------
I am an architect, and I've had the privilege of working with some amazingly talented people on some very noteworthy projects here in Mississippi.
One of the largest public buildings that I served as the lead designer on is literally just a few miles from where the Turner's reside in Rankin county. It was completed in 2002, and during the ribbon cutting ceremony (grand opening), I remember anticipating hearing the local mayor (within his speech) recognizing not only the contractors' efforts (who'd been quite capable) but the efforts of the architect (the firm that I worked for).
His speech began and there were such accolades for politics and politicians, past and present. And then there were more accolades for those same politicians. This went on in excess of 20 minutes. And then it was over.
I remember standing up from my metal folding chair out there on the front lawn of the building and literally feeling as if all the work I'd done had been meaningless in so many ways.
Even today, whilst looking back on that, I'm amazed that this prominent city mayor didn't take the time to publicly acknowledge either the designers nor the constructors of this beautiful municipal centerpiece of a building, and of course, I can't help but ask the question, why?
-------------------------
God instructed Adam and Eve to populate the Earth. We have to assume had the Fall not occurred that they would have had children within that unblemished setting just as they did after the Fall. Of course, the world these children would have been born into would have been the same Adam and Eve had only known there in Eden.
One of the most prominent differentiators between the pre / post-Fall state of mind / body for these first human beings was their nakedness. Adam and Eve both felt ashamed of their nakedness immediately following the Fall, therefore they became resourceful in order to clothe themselves with plant material. Eventually, as Scripture alludes, they were ran out of the garden, forbidden to ever return as punishment for their disobedience.
But before that ever occurred, Adam and Eve were the ideal husband / wife within the ideal setting. Their way of life within the garden had been set in motion by their creator. It involved no shame and certainly no sin, therefore I can only also assume (as I alluded to prior) that there was no need for nor hint of violence.
Why don't we as Christians focus on this ideal more? There's so much here to appreciate because it's what God had intended life on Earth to be.
-------------------------
I believe the primary purpose of attending college is to move from dumb ass to smart ass as a person. College should enlighten to the point that graduates know and understand the world around them with relevance and appreciation. And, I believe there's value to this knowledge. In the not too distant past, most collegiate types pursued the liberal arts. And these were precisely what I'm describing here. A wide gamut of relevant knowledge that enlightens and expand one's mind.
As any college grad should tell you (ideally), there is so much to learn about the world around us. And by doing so, you then see everything continuing forward within a new light.
Therefore, if you're not given the opportunity to receive this education, your view of the world will most certainly be confined within the boundaries of what you yourself have been able to obtain on your own accord (after high school). And from there, your ability to appreciate said world may certainly be constrained, constricted, etc.
Now obviously, not every collegiate experience is the same due to institutional and / or field of study choices, but in general terms, these are true statements.
Have you ever come across the phrase Renaissance Man? If not, it's worth researching. It's what I meant by smart ass (in jest).
-------------------------
As husbands / wives, we are constantly tempted to compare ourselves to others and in turn, do the same relative to our spouses. Our culture is built on this, and it does more to weaken marriages than anything else. Entertainment and the advertising revenue that our entertainment industry is built upon uses this societal crutch (weakness) as it's primary motivator to keep all of us attentive and novelized by our many screens.
Party to this, there is no sense within most marriages that one's spouse's body is owned by the other. We understand that paying off our mortgage makes the grass seem greener on the front lawn, but we fail to apply that to what we already own within our spouse.
Eve was created from Adam. God saw a need and fulfilled it via Eve's creation. And when Eve was presented to Adam, she was solely focused on what was now her property. Him. And this had to have put a smile on her lovely face.
And there was a physical toolset (no pun intended) that she understand as Adam. Eve knew herself, therefore when she saw Adam, she comprehended what was her own and how it perfectly complemented her own created self. To be blunt, she loved his wiener in relation to her vagina because it was her husband's wiener. And so forth, and so on regarding her understanding of Adam, from Adam's head to Adam's toes. All of it was her own property. Paid in full. Therefore, just like the paid off mortgage, she was the owner, and this gave her every right to do with his body whatever she saw fit to.
Therefore, the marriage brought with it no shame nor comparison because each spouse knew and understood the other as God had intended. And of course, sexuality was a sizable part of their existence as husband / wife. And it was completely uninhibited due to neither of them being ignorant to the truth of what God had given to each of them within each other.
And please know that I'm writing this from Eve's point of view because I believe women moreso than men are more susceptible to the shame / lies that spring forth from the constant pressure to compare / contrast herself and her husband within our culture. And this is a pointless, destructive exercise unless of course he's an adulterer, addict, or abuser.
-------------------------
Let's educate ourselves as husband / wives, looking to God's first married couple for enlightenment. If we don't have that thorough appreciation, we'll miss out on what we're to understand innately about our spouses within our marriage. This is why Bible study is so important as well as education (as it points us towards the importance of study) in general. Otherwise, we're going to waste an awful lot of not only our own time but our spouse's time due to our ignorance and confusion as to how God actually intended marriage to be. And in the end, all the more unhappier / unsatisfied for it.
If you're a Christian and married, you should make a point to study God's word, if for no other reason than to comprehend marriage and thusly protect it, enjoy it, appreciate it to its fullest. God designed it and called it good.
Don't be a dumbass and miss the opportunity to acknowledge God's good work through your own understanding. For that's what Satan wants.
Scripture gives us no indication as to how long the first husband / wife were cultivating the garden 'till the Fall, but nevertheless, enough time passed for them to suffer / know tremendous loss when the Fall did occur.
Scripture alludes to the lion and the lamb lying down together amidst the new heaven and Earth, therefore I can only assume this same pacifistic state existed within the Eden at the dawn of creation. Therefore, a lot of time was obviously spent enjoying the goodness / prosperity of this setting which in turn meant that Adam and Eve took full advantage of each other within that same vein.
-------------------------
I am an architect, and I've had the privilege of working with some amazingly talented people on some very noteworthy projects here in Mississippi.
One of the largest public buildings that I served as the lead designer on is literally just a few miles from where the Turner's reside in Rankin county. It was completed in 2002, and during the ribbon cutting ceremony (grand opening), I remember anticipating hearing the local mayor (within his speech) recognizing not only the contractors' efforts (who'd been quite capable) but the efforts of the architect (the firm that I worked for).
His speech began and there were such accolades for politics and politicians, past and present. And then there were more accolades for those same politicians. This went on in excess of 20 minutes. And then it was over.
I remember standing up from my metal folding chair out there on the front lawn of the building and literally feeling as if all the work I'd done had been meaningless in so many ways.
Even today, whilst looking back on that, I'm amazed that this prominent city mayor didn't take the time to publicly acknowledge either the designers nor the constructors of this beautiful municipal centerpiece of a building, and of course, I can't help but ask the question, why?
-------------------------
God instructed Adam and Eve to populate the Earth. We have to assume had the Fall not occurred that they would have had children within that unblemished setting just as they did after the Fall. Of course, the world these children would have been born into would have been the same Adam and Eve had only known there in Eden.
One of the most prominent differentiators between the pre / post-Fall state of mind / body for these first human beings was their nakedness. Adam and Eve both felt ashamed of their nakedness immediately following the Fall, therefore they became resourceful in order to clothe themselves with plant material. Eventually, as Scripture alludes, they were ran out of the garden, forbidden to ever return as punishment for their disobedience.
But before that ever occurred, Adam and Eve were the ideal husband / wife within the ideal setting. Their way of life within the garden had been set in motion by their creator. It involved no shame and certainly no sin, therefore I can only also assume (as I alluded to prior) that there was no need for nor hint of violence.
Why don't we as Christians focus on this ideal more? There's so much here to appreciate because it's what God had intended life on Earth to be.
-------------------------
I believe the primary purpose of attending college is to move from dumb ass to smart ass as a person. College should enlighten to the point that graduates know and understand the world around them with relevance and appreciation. And, I believe there's value to this knowledge. In the not too distant past, most collegiate types pursued the liberal arts. And these were precisely what I'm describing here. A wide gamut of relevant knowledge that enlightens and expand one's mind.
As any college grad should tell you (ideally), there is so much to learn about the world around us. And by doing so, you then see everything continuing forward within a new light.
Therefore, if you're not given the opportunity to receive this education, your view of the world will most certainly be confined within the boundaries of what you yourself have been able to obtain on your own accord (after high school). And from there, your ability to appreciate said world may certainly be constrained, constricted, etc.
Now obviously, not every collegiate experience is the same due to institutional and / or field of study choices, but in general terms, these are true statements.
Have you ever come across the phrase Renaissance Man? If not, it's worth researching. It's what I meant by smart ass (in jest).
-------------------------
As husbands / wives, we are constantly tempted to compare ourselves to others and in turn, do the same relative to our spouses. Our culture is built on this, and it does more to weaken marriages than anything else. Entertainment and the advertising revenue that our entertainment industry is built upon uses this societal crutch (weakness) as it's primary motivator to keep all of us attentive and novelized by our many screens.
Party to this, there is no sense within most marriages that one's spouse's body is owned by the other. We understand that paying off our mortgage makes the grass seem greener on the front lawn, but we fail to apply that to what we already own within our spouse.
Eve was created from Adam. God saw a need and fulfilled it via Eve's creation. And when Eve was presented to Adam, she was solely focused on what was now her property. Him. And this had to have put a smile on her lovely face.
And there was a physical toolset (no pun intended) that she understand as Adam. Eve knew herself, therefore when she saw Adam, she comprehended what was her own and how it perfectly complemented her own created self. To be blunt, she loved his wiener in relation to her vagina because it was her husband's wiener. And so forth, and so on regarding her understanding of Adam, from Adam's head to Adam's toes. All of it was her own property. Paid in full. Therefore, just like the paid off mortgage, she was the owner, and this gave her every right to do with his body whatever she saw fit to.
Therefore, the marriage brought with it no shame nor comparison because each spouse knew and understood the other as God had intended. And of course, sexuality was a sizable part of their existence as husband / wife. And it was completely uninhibited due to neither of them being ignorant to the truth of what God had given to each of them within each other.
And please know that I'm writing this from Eve's point of view because I believe women moreso than men are more susceptible to the shame / lies that spring forth from the constant pressure to compare / contrast herself and her husband within our culture. And this is a pointless, destructive exercise unless of course he's an adulterer, addict, or abuser.
-------------------------
Let's educate ourselves as husband / wives, looking to God's first married couple for enlightenment. If we don't have that thorough appreciation, we'll miss out on what we're to understand innately about our spouses within our marriage. This is why Bible study is so important as well as education (as it points us towards the importance of study) in general. Otherwise, we're going to waste an awful lot of not only our own time but our spouse's time due to our ignorance and confusion as to how God actually intended marriage to be. And in the end, all the more unhappier / unsatisfied for it.
If you're a Christian and married, you should make a point to study God's word, if for no other reason than to comprehend marriage and thusly protect it, enjoy it, appreciate it to its fullest. God designed it and called it good.
Don't be a dumbass and miss the opportunity to acknowledge God's good work through your own understanding. For that's what Satan wants.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Supernatural Presence Within
The Bible has a lot to say about the supernatural existing within human beings. Sometimes it refers to evil in that regard, but mostly it places emphasis on holy. Jesus as well as a number of the apostles are chronicled within God's word as having run ins with evil spirits who happened to be existing within human beings. In the case of Jesus, a number of those evil spirits identified themselves upon encountering the Messiah via their natural host. A few very awkward exchanges are recorded in Scripture due to this. And there's no doubt that the "persuasion" of the evil spirit made quite the impact on its host relative to outlook on life, mood, but mainly his / her state of mind. In other words, what the demonic spirit was feeling was amplified into the experience of its victim.
Jesus ascended into heaven, having spent 30 or so additional days on the Earth after his resurrection from the dead. He stated that it would be better for him to exit than stay in order for the Holy Spirit to "relieve him" (my way of seeing it) here on Earth.
In all honesty, I've never put much thought into whom or why he said that 'till recently. Therefore, what you're about to read is my take on an important foundational topic of Scripture from the point of view of a Reformed Christian.
-------------------------
When I was lassoed in by the gospel at age 13, I have no doubt the Holy Spirit entered in. I credit it's help with so many righteous decisions / periods of enduring suffering well, though I'll be the first to admit that I was far from perfect. But what I've never considered is how God's spirit affects 47-year old Rob day to day as I go about living my life. The Bible is clear that our bodies are vessels for God's spirit to "make itself home" within. Therefore, this notion that post-conversion God's spirit might overstay its welcome, or simply cease to be present doesn't line up with Scripture. In fact, it's more in line with the homeyness analogy which would be, as time advances, God's spirit only becomes that much more integrated within.
-------------------------
When my wife became a mother to our first child, her identity as Angie changed. It wasn't that she became someone else, but due to her birthing Caroline, it was as if another permanent point of view was put in place simultaneously.
Let me give you an example of this.
Angie detests being out in the heat because she physiologically reacts to it almost immediately by perspiring profusely. Literally all over her body, within a matter of a few minutes, she looks as if she's been out in the scorching hot sun for over an hour. When she was a student at Baylor (very hot fall semesters), she loathed having to walk across campus to class due to the inevitable perspiration on her face, in her hair, etc. that she'd have to cope with whilst walking and during her class. And this issue has stigmatized her literally to the point of pretty much never walking outside the house unless it's less than 85 degrees F. Interestingly enough, her father had this same physiological quirk, and I must say that I'm thankful it wasn't passed along to any of our 3 little sinners.
Our oldest daughter is a varsity dancer, therefore at every high school football game, she's there with the team, shaking her ass at the fans. As part of this, there's tailgating and so forth that we as "dance team parents" are encouraged to be a part of. Well, you dear reader already know how I feel at high school football games.
Inevitably, the first 4 or 5 games are played within quite uncomfortable climate conditions here within the Magnolia state, and this is especially true considering the tailgating food frenzy starts 90 minutes prior to kickoff. And guess who's there despite the heat? At each and every home game? My sweet, profusely sweaty Angie. And, of course, she's all smiles and in good spirits as the mother of Caroline.
-------------------------
90 days after being terminated from my job at Delta State for breaking their Information Technology policy, I wasn't experiencing any emotional healing. If anything was happening, I was actually becoming more despondent. During the initial 30 days (this was about this time of year in 2013), I lost 14 pounds, slept no more than 3 to 4 hours a night, and experienced hopelessness like I'd never experienced in my life. You would have thought that I'd lost a child or was going through a divorce had only the qualitative emotional suffering been taken into account. Eventually, I soon discovered that I had developed PTSD due to the severity of the emotional trauma, therefore from there, I found myself on an 18 month collision course dealing with daily flashbacks of the termination and subsequent emotional fallout.
Leading up to that termination was a point of spiritual reckoning for me that I had no clue how to come to grips with. Essentially, 3 months prior to that fateful day, I wrote a letter to our pastor at Covenant Presbyterian Church which specifically asked him for help with my continued struggle with sexual sin. Well before that letter was penned (soon after we joined the congregation), he became privy to my former blog, The Architect's Garage, which detailed my entire struggle with homosexual desire, porn, my faith, and so forth. Unfortunately, Pastor Tim only chose to respond to my aforementioned letter 5 weeks after I had handed it off to him. But by then, it was much too late. Not only had too much time passed for me to keep my needy outstretched hand open for him, but circumstantially, my vocational situation had only grown that much more difficult for me to cope with.
Therefore, there was a deep seated sense of personal and spiritual rejection and negligence here that went far beyond a simple job loss, and it rocked me (& God's spirit within me) to the very core of my being. Hence, I believe, the fertile ground for suicidal thoughts and the horrific extenuating trauma brought on by PTSD.
-------------------------
The Bible mentions "grieving God's spirit" a few times. It also talks an awful lot about God's emotional state of mind (this is especially true with the Old Testament). The former, to me, for such a time as this, has much to do with Rob being "impressed upon" by the latter. To put it another way, God's spirit within me responds to my life circumstances, and from there, I experience His return that's therefore aligned with his emotional state of being. Call it Heavenly Father empathy if you will.
Similarly, I believe God's spirit, that resides within Rob, positions itself towards certain individuals who are brought into my sphere of influence due to this same holy empathy. And I've seen this occur even if I may not personally be drawn to those / that particular individual(s). Upon discovering this, it has been hugely impressed upon my heart, therefore I think on it often.
-------------------------
Lastly, how does this apply to Samson Society?
God's spirit within me draws me in or repels me from certain Samson guys depending on circumstance / need. It also tempers my heart, allowing me to be far more patient / interested than Rob truly is or ever would be.
As most of you know, I love men. But that doesn't apply to every one. It can't. But God's spirit within me is far greater and more interested than I ever could be.
It is such a privilege to be a vessel for God's Holy Spirit. I'm a better man for it. To God be the glory!
The undeniable truth is this: Samson Society is built on God's spirit doing its good work in and through Samson guys as we support each other via relational accountability.
Jesus ascended into heaven, having spent 30 or so additional days on the Earth after his resurrection from the dead. He stated that it would be better for him to exit than stay in order for the Holy Spirit to "relieve him" (my way of seeing it) here on Earth.
In all honesty, I've never put much thought into whom or why he said that 'till recently. Therefore, what you're about to read is my take on an important foundational topic of Scripture from the point of view of a Reformed Christian.
-------------------------
When I was lassoed in by the gospel at age 13, I have no doubt the Holy Spirit entered in. I credit it's help with so many righteous decisions / periods of enduring suffering well, though I'll be the first to admit that I was far from perfect. But what I've never considered is how God's spirit affects 47-year old Rob day to day as I go about living my life. The Bible is clear that our bodies are vessels for God's spirit to "make itself home" within. Therefore, this notion that post-conversion God's spirit might overstay its welcome, or simply cease to be present doesn't line up with Scripture. In fact, it's more in line with the homeyness analogy which would be, as time advances, God's spirit only becomes that much more integrated within.
-------------------------
When my wife became a mother to our first child, her identity as Angie changed. It wasn't that she became someone else, but due to her birthing Caroline, it was as if another permanent point of view was put in place simultaneously.
Let me give you an example of this.
Angie detests being out in the heat because she physiologically reacts to it almost immediately by perspiring profusely. Literally all over her body, within a matter of a few minutes, she looks as if she's been out in the scorching hot sun for over an hour. When she was a student at Baylor (very hot fall semesters), she loathed having to walk across campus to class due to the inevitable perspiration on her face, in her hair, etc. that she'd have to cope with whilst walking and during her class. And this issue has stigmatized her literally to the point of pretty much never walking outside the house unless it's less than 85 degrees F. Interestingly enough, her father had this same physiological quirk, and I must say that I'm thankful it wasn't passed along to any of our 3 little sinners.
Our oldest daughter is a varsity dancer, therefore at every high school football game, she's there with the team, shaking her ass at the fans. As part of this, there's tailgating and so forth that we as "dance team parents" are encouraged to be a part of. Well, you dear reader already know how I feel at high school football games.
Inevitably, the first 4 or 5 games are played within quite uncomfortable climate conditions here within the Magnolia state, and this is especially true considering the tailgating food frenzy starts 90 minutes prior to kickoff. And guess who's there despite the heat? At each and every home game? My sweet, profusely sweaty Angie. And, of course, she's all smiles and in good spirits as the mother of Caroline.
-------------------------
90 days after being terminated from my job at Delta State for breaking their Information Technology policy, I wasn't experiencing any emotional healing. If anything was happening, I was actually becoming more despondent. During the initial 30 days (this was about this time of year in 2013), I lost 14 pounds, slept no more than 3 to 4 hours a night, and experienced hopelessness like I'd never experienced in my life. You would have thought that I'd lost a child or was going through a divorce had only the qualitative emotional suffering been taken into account. Eventually, I soon discovered that I had developed PTSD due to the severity of the emotional trauma, therefore from there, I found myself on an 18 month collision course dealing with daily flashbacks of the termination and subsequent emotional fallout.
Leading up to that termination was a point of spiritual reckoning for me that I had no clue how to come to grips with. Essentially, 3 months prior to that fateful day, I wrote a letter to our pastor at Covenant Presbyterian Church which specifically asked him for help with my continued struggle with sexual sin. Well before that letter was penned (soon after we joined the congregation), he became privy to my former blog, The Architect's Garage, which detailed my entire struggle with homosexual desire, porn, my faith, and so forth. Unfortunately, Pastor Tim only chose to respond to my aforementioned letter 5 weeks after I had handed it off to him. But by then, it was much too late. Not only had too much time passed for me to keep my needy outstretched hand open for him, but circumstantially, my vocational situation had only grown that much more difficult for me to cope with.
Therefore, there was a deep seated sense of personal and spiritual rejection and negligence here that went far beyond a simple job loss, and it rocked me (& God's spirit within me) to the very core of my being. Hence, I believe, the fertile ground for suicidal thoughts and the horrific extenuating trauma brought on by PTSD.
-------------------------
The Bible mentions "grieving God's spirit" a few times. It also talks an awful lot about God's emotional state of mind (this is especially true with the Old Testament). The former, to me, for such a time as this, has much to do with Rob being "impressed upon" by the latter. To put it another way, God's spirit within me responds to my life circumstances, and from there, I experience His return that's therefore aligned with his emotional state of being. Call it Heavenly Father empathy if you will.
Similarly, I believe God's spirit, that resides within Rob, positions itself towards certain individuals who are brought into my sphere of influence due to this same holy empathy. And I've seen this occur even if I may not personally be drawn to those / that particular individual(s). Upon discovering this, it has been hugely impressed upon my heart, therefore I think on it often.
-------------------------
Lastly, how does this apply to Samson Society?
God's spirit within me draws me in or repels me from certain Samson guys depending on circumstance / need. It also tempers my heart, allowing me to be far more patient / interested than Rob truly is or ever would be.
As most of you know, I love men. But that doesn't apply to every one. It can't. But God's spirit within me is far greater and more interested than I ever could be.
It is such a privilege to be a vessel for God's Holy Spirit. I'm a better man for it. To God be the glory!
The undeniable truth is this: Samson Society is built on God's spirit doing its good work in and through Samson guys as we support each other via relational accountability.
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