Update 4/28/2023 I like finished making like what total like 30 or so suncatchers this week and put them in many windows, and hanged up plants to, and selenite for good vibes that to the rest of the body of christ is demonic evil wanting good angelic vibes in your house - uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
And instead of donating to charity this week, I like bought my mom a mother's day gift below............................
Mini me in 2014 didn't actually end up getting counseling that shiz was to expensive. But the greatest counseling is the word of god anyways. Mini me you are hated, but it's ok, I think you have some "secret fans" out there in the earth, at any rate your going to be ok, your going to take ice baths, start getting really skinny, start really enjoying working out on the treadclimber by nordic track.............your gonna be alright.
getting counseling via apostolic christian church of america counselors (man counseling is expensive YIKES).............http://www.accounseling.org/page.cfm?p=349Ron one the pastors this sunday was like "john wants everyone to go to the prooving" and I got to thinkin I'd like to see what these proovings are like......................can't go, according to mike the other pastor of portland if you aren't a member you can't view the proovings, which to me and my husband doesn't make sense.......................
if you want people to repent
if this is your churches goal
well in my estimation it would be greately helpful for me to hear the testimonies of other people that have repented
It makes me feel unwelcome, unwanted, and less then. And there is a girl that has replied on a few blog posts here and I am friends with her and she is a member of this church.......BUT SHE DOESN'T WANT ANYONE TO KNOW SHE IS MY FRIEND.....................
I called up lisa, and left a message on her machine shortly after christmas and mike said she'd call back and set up a time to hang out with me...............................I'm not hopeful about the prospects of her getting back to me..............in my mind I'm viewed as that "less then"
gotta go
maybe I'm just going through a real bad time ---------------------- real bad YIKES
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11 comments:
Sheri, I am fine with people knowing I'm your friend! I just didn't want my name on an open blog! So here it is: Elaine Graf. Now if you want to refer to me, you can just say Elaine in your posts!
I also prefer that private advice/discussion about church be kept private! But I'm not ashamed to be your friend! !! Elaine
“if you aren't a member you can't view the proovings, which to me and my husband doesn't make sense…. if you want people to repent if this is your churches goal well in my estimation it would be greately helpful for me to hear the testimonies of other people that have repented It makes me feel unwelcome, unwanted, and less then.”
>> Sometimes I’ve wondered about this, too. Hearing a testimony of what Christ has done in a soul’s life is a beautiful experience. Many years ago the church didn’t allow nonmembers to even witness baptisms, and I understand this is still the policy for some of the brethren in Europe. So, perhaps this will change in time.
>> But Sheri – you don’t have to actually go to a ‘proving’ to hear a testimony. I would encourage you to simply ask someone to share this with you. Anyone. It would hopefully be just as good for the person you ask as it would be for you… even if they feel shy in trying to share this. Any person professing to be a Christian should have a testimony, both now in the life they live, and for how the Lord drew them to Him at the beginning.
>> In terms of hearing testimonies helping people repent, well, you might be right – maybe in some cases it would help. But I would hope that it wouldn’t take clear until the night of testimony for that difference to be made. I would hope inspiration could be taken by observing the life of the person who ‘started repenting’ in coming to Christ. And not just observing, but in talking to them. In my own life, God used one of my cousins in this way. But ultimately, it was the Word of God and the conviction of sin that drove me to Him. Not a testimony. Has anyone repented recently in the church you attend? Have you talked to that person and asked about the hope that lies in their heart?
>> Not being allowed to attend an activity intended for the church membership makes you feel unwelcome and unwanted? That’s quite a statement. I’m honestly trying to figure out whether you truly believe that, or are just saying it for ‘effect.’ If you wish to attend, have you looked into becoming a member? Almost every organization out there, whether a church, nonprofit organization, or a major corporation, is going to have activities that aren’t open to the general public. Would you feel unwelcome if you went to your local Walmart and they didn’t allow you to attend their staff meeting?
“I called up lisa, and left a message on her machine shortly after christmas and mike said she'd call back and set up a time to hang out with me...............................I'm not hopeful about the prospects of her getting back to me..............in my mind I'm viewed as that "less then"
>> Sheri – these are heavy accusations. Are you sure they are true? Can you see into the mind of ‘lisa’ to know that she feels this way? I’m wondering how ‘lisa’ would feel if she knew you were talking about her on the internet, where all the world can see, and basically accusing her of viewing you as a ‘less then.’ Isn’t that an indirect way of saying ‘lisa’ is evil?
I have since hanged out with lisa, I mentioned that on a later blog post!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for attacking me, hope your day is going good though, I'm used to being attacked so.
and you are pry thinking your trying to be helpful, but man often people's "helpfulness" it comes off as a full out attack. I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOUR HEART IS ONLY GOD KNOWS. But to me all this comes across as you attacking me. Like a ridiculous amount whoever you are??????? And nobody ever complements me on the internet and says ---------- ah sheri that was a good post...............often people attack me. My mom compliments my blog posts!!!!!!!!!!!! Like on my blog ---------- there's one blog post where there's a conversation between various people in the apostolic christian church of america that has gone on...........rest time I've been attacked by people : (
Firstly, Lisa knows about the blog. Sheri is not talking behind anyone's back. Quite the opposite, with her you know exactly what she is thinking. And that's kind of the point. She does not say "so-and-so thinks this", she says "so-and-so did this (or didn't do this) and it made me feel like..." She never said that they view her as less than, but that in her mind they view her as less than. It is a small difference in wording, but the meaning is very different. One is a statement of "fact" and the other is a statement of how she feels she is seen.
As for becoming members, we are working on that. However, I believe that part of Sheri's issues stem from the fact that we have been going to the church for almost 5 years and nobody there has made the move to ask if we want to start the process to become members. The first time we inquired about it there was a short meeting with one of the elders and then nothing ever happened again after that. It is easy to get discouraged when it doesn't feel like the organization which you are wanting to join doesn't do much to help you join. (Not to mention that the person we need to work with seldom comes to our location. Unless we want to go to the Silverton location, which is over an hour and a half away, we only see him in person 4 or 5 times a year.) It makes it feel like they don't want new members when the process to become one is made so unavailable.
There are a lot of positives about this church, most of which Sheri mentions on a regular basis. However, no church is perfect and when there are issues that come up and Sheri blogs about them. I think it is actually healthy to get them aired out instead of letting them fester and make things worse. And, even when she rails at them the hardest there is always the undercurrent of love in there. If She didn't love the church, what they stand for, and the people that go there it wouldn't affect her so much.
Just my two cents
Us internet "personalities" if you will.................we no different then everyone else................the only difference is we are out in the open, and our shortcomings are sometimes out in the open I surely do need to be more careful how I say things in the future I TRY most my blog posts I'd say are pretty good!!!!!!!! Though nobody out there besides my mom is complementing me hahahahahahaha
My husband has said I work through things sometimes on my blog I REALLY DO.................that's always my method of working out things ------ talking (whether that be via writing format, or e-mails, or prayer, or talking to someone one on one) Sometime's if I just get a bit more faith, or a bit more better perspective on things via the word of god..............all the sudden THERE'S HOPE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But I do have flaws to work on.................maybe my flaws are worse then everyone elses????????????? Maybe better???????????
I'm willing to work with the church, work as a "team player" -------------- none these blog posts happen without a team behind me.
I hope we can all grow in patience in love for one another...................um pretty much.
>> Attacking you? Wow, my apologies – I didn’t intend to come across that way. But please understand that it’s a two-way street. When I read some of what you’ve written, it feels like you are also on a ‘full out attack.’ Maybe that means both of us could use some communication lessons. :)
>> You said it was by a ‘ridiculous amount.’ Maybe that was because I used too many words. I can try to write them shorter in the future but it seems I’m as wordy as you are. :) You’re right, I was trying to be helpful. Since it didn’t come across that way, I’ll need to work on communicating better. I was actually trying to give you some encouragement, to show you that you don’t have to wait to go to a ‘proving’ to hear a testimony. Just pick someone and ask them to share their testimony with you, and you can get it straight from them… and probably far more intimately than it could be heard in a church setting. You could ask this person questions and everything. I even agreed with you and have likewise wondered about this policy.
>> As for my question on ‘lisa,’ how would you like me to have stated that part, so that it isn’t taken as an attack? All I can say is that I’ll try again. Please be patient with me. :) And since I’ve misunderstood you – please feel free to delete my question about her.
>> Nobody ever compliments your posts? Sheri, I’ve tried to do that. Several times. Want me to give you some examples? Here’s one: In your December 3, 2013 post, I was the one who posted to thank you for encouraging me by demonstrating what it means to be made conformable to Jesus’s death. I said it was admirable what you were doing. Is that a compliment? Here’s another: In your November 13, 2013 post you expressed some worries about what other people might be saying about you at church. In my reply, I tried to encourage you, glad that you still felt you were loved, and not to worry overly much about what other people think. Well, maybe that wasn’t a compliment… but I did try to be encouraging. You might not have seen that one, as you didn’t reply to it. We had a small dialogue in your November 12, 2013 post. Hopefully it didn’t feel negative to you. In your October 13, 2013 post, you talked about having an ‘addictive personality.’ I also replied to this one (you may not have seen it as you didn’t reply), and my first words were, “Good for you, Sheri!” I shared a Scripture that talks about a ‘healthy’ form of addiction, that being ministering to others. Maybe that was my earliest post – I’m not sure as I can’t remember when I found your blog.
>> Sheri, I’m trying to encourage you, but evidently I’ve failed as it’s come across as an attack, and for that I’m sorry. I’ve enjoyed MANY of your posts, even if it’s sometimes challenging for me to follow your communication style.
>> Brian, I appreciate your explanation and clarification, and apologize for an incorrect conclusion on my part. I didn’t know that this ‘lisa’ knew about your blog, and I’m happy you were able to hang out with her. Best wishes in becoming part of this group, if this is what you choose to do, and in building further friendships. I’m unfamiliar with your situation or what you’ve discussed with them, as to why time is passing by, but hopefully more conversation with them directly will help with this. Please be patient with them – this church doesn’t have a paid ministry, so the men in leadership have jobs to go to throughout the week and maybe can’t attend to your needs as completely as might be hoped for.
>> But I don’t think it’s intended to be an arduous (or even lengthy) process. While I can’t speak for the ministers you’re working with, I’m assuming that what they hope for with you (or anyone else) is genuine belief in Christ followed by repentance from sin, and sincere effort by God’s grace to live a sanctified life dedicated to Him. Many other things could be said (such as the need for baptism, encouragement to maintain good works, etc.), but hopefully they’ve explained, biblically, what is expected. One thing you could do is ask if you can attend their convert classes. I could be mistaken, but I think they have classes for those coming to Christ. You might also consider asking them if there’s anything you’ve done or do that makes them feel uncomfortable or that is a reason for their hesitance. Honestly (and please don’t take offense at this), some of the things posted on this blog that are said about people or about this church make me feel uncomfortable. Do you suppose they might feel uncomfortable too? You’ve basically said there is no ill intent with these posts, and I’ll take you at your word… but maybe someone in the leadership can’t see that… if they come here, that is. I don’t know. I’m just guessing. But seriously – best wishes. Having a church family is wonderful, and very important!
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