Posts by lriddle80

21

What can a therapist really do?

by Thetruthhurts in

hi all, i've not read the forums for awhile as i've been trying to move on with my life but i'm back and posting for the first time feeling like i cant get a grip.

so i'm wondering for those of you that have seen a therapist and say that it truly helps, what can be accomplished?

i'm just really skeptical, but starting to feel desperate.

lriddle80

I saw a therapist when I was in the middle of some very hard life circumstances.

Basically, the therapist was very kind to me. She validated my feelings and told me I had healthy mindsets. That my feelings were normal given the situation.

It was good to talk about things without feeling like this person would gossip to their friends about me. And it was nice to be able to talk and not be pressured to be a friend to this person.

Also, for me, as a people pleaser, it made me want to get over my negative feelings to make her proud, in a way.

It helped, though I don't really feel the need to go back at this time.

But I always know that I can. So that's cool!

36

how do you perceive God ?

by stan livedeath in

what i'm trying to do is ask what theists think god is like.. also--why is he invisible.. how big is he ?.

in fact--why is god a he--not a she.

or is he / she hermaphrodite ?.

lriddle80

There's a story in the Bible where some people supposedly saw God and they had a feast together.

Exodus 24:9-11

Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab and Abihu and 70 of the elders of Israel went up and they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet, as it were, a pavement of sapphire stone like the very heavens for clearness. And he did not lay his hand on the chief minister the people of Israel; they beheld God and ate and drank.

I think that's as close as we're going to get as for a description.

There are other passages from Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel. Similar descriptions. I don't think anyone saw his face, though, because they would have died. Moses saw his back that one time.

I personally don't picture him at all. I pray and then I "see" him in how he answers those prayers, or how he cheers me up when I am down, and a lot of other ways. But that's because I am looking for him in everything and I have eyes that see.

18

Anyone have someone move in and take over the congergation?

by rickroll in

i have been in two congregations where someone moved in from the big city and took over with the attitude of the northerners when they go south, i come from where they do it right.

like bulls in china shops they remove people and do the house cleaning like the political org cult it is.

.

lriddle80

The guy that disfellowshipped me was a new guy, so he was apparently cleaning house

35

The biggest mistake.

by Half banana in

a long time ago, before television radio and films, before printing, before the invention of writing, people listened only to the spoken word—and the cry of birds, the wind whistling through the trees and the sea crashing on the sea shore.

before written text they knew about the gods because high up there in the night sky was where they lived; gods, goddesses and immortal heroes.

the constellations told of their exploits.

lriddle80

I doubt it!

35

The biggest mistake.

by Half banana in

a long time ago, before television radio and films, before printing, before the invention of writing, people listened only to the spoken word—and the cry of birds, the wind whistling through the trees and the sea crashing on the sea shore.

before written text they knew about the gods because high up there in the night sky was where they lived; gods, goddesses and immortal heroes.

the constellations told of their exploits.

lriddle80

There was a fence!

The therapist helped me, but also my mom and another friend helped me not be a doormat.

I believe prayer/belief/ God helped my husband to listen and he changed his heart and gave me extra courage to know that I wasn't alone in the fight!

14

Finding our true identity after spiritual abuse in the Watchtower

by Faith after Deception in

i personally find that when you’ve been around toxic people long enough, either in a family environment or as part of a cult or a highly controlling church, (or worse, both!

), you tend to get a very twisted view of your own identity and also human nature in general.. in a religious context, you may end up feeling that you are a “lowly worm” and that in general, people can’t be trusted.

since all you’ve known of relationships has been painful, complex and tiresome, it can give you the impression that this is the norm and that’s all you can expect .

lriddle80

I'm not a son of Adam anymore either! I've been born again ;)

35

The biggest mistake.

by Half banana in

a long time ago, before television radio and films, before printing, before the invention of writing, people listened only to the spoken word—and the cry of birds, the wind whistling through the trees and the sea crashing on the sea shore.

before written text they knew about the gods because high up there in the night sky was where they lived; gods, goddesses and immortal heroes.

the constellations told of their exploits.

lriddle80

Ok, my cow story. It's very silly, but so am I!

I had been learning about the role that faith plays in prayer.

I was taking a walk and there was a field of cows (I am in Florida) and I decided to put this to the test (to pray with faith/belief). The cows were far away.

I looked intently at the cows and prayed in my head "see Christ in me and come to me"

Well, they seemed to move closer, but maybe I was seeing things.

I prayed with more belief. Come to me, cows. Come to Christ, your maker.

Then! A cow suddenly runs toward me, back and forth and jumped all around!! What??

I start laughing and really enjoying the moment, not even believing what I was seeing!!

I suddenly remember a recurring dream I have had where animals are jumping all around me and I laugh in my sleep when I have it. (Also, I had a small story about when I was a kid and I would get very excited when seeing cows, so it's just so appropriate!)

Now, later as I start thinking about it, I think maybe the cow was mad or something and I mentioned it to my friend. She says that cows only jump around when they are happy!

It's a silly story, but when I prayed with faith, something happened.

A short time later, I went through tremendous suffering concerning my son. Did my faith hold up? The first few months, it did. Then I suddenly took up watercolors and other art and immersed myself in it and tried to abandon God. But it was really, I was testing God to see if he would lead me back. Then the second wave of suffering came.

I was angry. At God, at my lot in life, everything and I knew all the platitudes. I saw a therapist. And I prayed for my husband and my marriage, I fasted.

And then, one day I prayed and bravely voiced my feelings to my husband and something happened - he listened. What??

For the past 4 or more months, our marriage is stronger than ever! He prays with me, he has conversations about God with me, he is different with our son, we are new. I am new.

I have been praying for God to change my husband's heart and he did it! Through me? I don't deserve it.

The Bible is true. God rewards faith. I proved it over and over. It's not because I am good or particularly more obedient than anyone else. My motives are as selfish as anyone elses. But I believe him. Things happen. And he lets me see.

And I feel like John who says in 21:25

" Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written"

35

The biggest mistake.

by Half banana in

a long time ago, before television radio and films, before printing, before the invention of writing, people listened only to the spoken word—and the cry of birds, the wind whistling through the trees and the sea crashing on the sea shore.

before written text they knew about the gods because high up there in the night sky was where they lived; gods, goddesses and immortal heroes.

the constellations told of their exploits.

lriddle80

I have posted frequently.

Sure, I believe in coincidence.

But...

It's so weird because let's say I pray for something. Then I will almost immediately forget about that prayer because I can really ramble during a prayer session!

Then, something will happen or a string of events will happen (maybe even years later!) and suddenly out of nowhere I remember the prayer (or prayers) that I prayed and I am just so amazed, really.

It just always amazes me that God loves me enough to not only answer my prayers, but that he reminds me of them so that I will see it!

Answers to prayer almost never go how I want or expect, but I always see the beauty in it! It usually comes with suffering. Heartbreak. Tears.

And as I look back, he protected me, he comforts me, carries me, prepares me for things I didn't see coming, he knows just how I am wired so as to lead me away from things or to things. It's spooky!

And it's not just with me. I have seen him work in other people's lives in the same faithful ways. In my husband's life, too!

It's beyond coincidence. I could probably write a book with my stories and stories I have witnessed from other people. If anyone wants to hear some...I have a really silly one that is special to me involving a cow, but I have better ones, too!

14

Finding our true identity after spiritual abuse in the Watchtower

by Faith after Deception in

i personally find that when you’ve been around toxic people long enough, either in a family environment or as part of a cult or a highly controlling church, (or worse, both!

), you tend to get a very twisted view of your own identity and also human nature in general.. in a religious context, you may end up feeling that you are a “lowly worm” and that in general, people can’t be trusted.

since all you’ve known of relationships has been painful, complex and tiresome, it can give you the impression that this is the norm and that’s all you can expect .

lriddle80

I read the flood story again recently. What I got from the story is this:

God is capable of destroying the world. One man found favor with him. That man was obedient to his God and made the ark for anyone who wanted to be saved. Noah's family was saved, but they didn't necessarily find favor with God, only Noah.

It's the same today.

People thought the ark was ridiculous. People think believing in Jesus is ridiculous.

But I see that, like Noah's family, they got in because of Noah. Anyone can get in because of Jesus. We don't have to be good enough or do enough. Jesus was enough.

I read the flood story and the crushing of Jesus and it fills me with hope!

I have dealt with narcissism, as we all have, and when we start putting God in the same category as people, that's when it gets clouded. People who think they are God do a lot of harm because they distort his image.

But God has the right to be God and he is totally just and has total mercy and the more I read about him, see his dealings in my life and compare his love to how humans love, there is no comparison.

With people, it's all about performance, pleasing them, proving yourself over and over... it's so exhausting!! Also, people are so "what have you done for me lately" forgetting all of what you've done and will abandon you at the drop of a hat! People are the absolute worst compared to God!!

And, as far as natural disasters. Jesus talked about a terrorist attack and a time when a building fell on a bunch of people. His response in Like 13 was that these things didn't happen to them because they were more sinful than others, but he said that if people didn't repent, that they would likewise perish.

So, in conclusion, God is God and he is good (which means a perfect balance of Justice and mercy) People are the ones who need to repent.

It's not a popular message.

35

The biggest mistake.

by Half banana in

a long time ago, before television radio and films, before printing, before the invention of writing, people listened only to the spoken word—and the cry of birds, the wind whistling through the trees and the sea crashing on the sea shore.

before written text they knew about the gods because high up there in the night sky was where they lived; gods, goddesses and immortal heroes.

the constellations told of their exploits.

lriddle80

But, when someone takes the stories of the Bible out of context and uses them to control, condemn, or abuse others, it's wrong.

The whole story of the Bible and what we are meant to do with it is to believe in Jesus, and to take the love that he gave us and love others.

Love is not control or abuse and unfortunately there is a lot of this going on. But, this is not the spirit of Christ.