I don't know very many, so I couldn't tell you. But I can remind you that all you have to do is look in the Bible to find your answer. David, the "man after God's own heart", lied to a priest, commited adultery, and murdered the husband of the woman he slept with. Moses killed an Egyptian man and was forced to flee from his home. Noah, after saving his family from the destruction of the world, got so drunk his sons had to walk in backward to avoid seeing his naked, shameful condition. Rahab, the woman who saved Joshua and Caleb's life, allowing them to enter and eventually possess the Promise Land, was a prostitute. Peter cuts off the ear of the high priest's servant (not to mention betrays Jesus). I won't keep going because the list is 10 miles long, but here's one last one: Paul (you know, the guy who wrote over half the new testament) was a terrorist of the olden days. He went around from door-to-door, dragging Christians from their homes to imprison and beat and kill them. And that's just Bible characters. If you're looking at other saints, it's hard to find one that doesn't have some history...Bartolo Longo, St Augustine of Hippo, St Ignatius of Loyola, St. Margaret of Cortona (who "attempted to mutilate her face but was restrained") There's St. Moses the Ethiopian who was the leader of a criminal gang and became one of the most famous of the early Desert Fathers. And on the Byzantine Calendar, there are only two Sundays dedicated to female saints, and both of them had--to put it sweetly--interesting pasts: the Samaritan Woman of John 4 (traditionally named St. Photini) and St. Mary of Egypt.
Do I need to keep going? ;)
Its been an internal hate-fest the last 2 days so would you pray for me?
Then wear the gold hat, if that will move her;
If you can bounce high, bounce for her too,
Till she cry "Lover, gold-hatted, high-bouncing lover,
I must have you!"
Thomas Parke D’Invilliers
I'm Catholic, but unfortunately so silly I don't understand what angelmillennium666 was asking. Bear with me, guys, I'm not a native English speaker. :D
Then wear the gold hat, if that will move her;
If you can bounce high, bounce for her too,
Till she cry "Lover, gold-hatted, high-bouncing lover,
I must have you!"
Thomas Parke D’Invilliers
Prayers please.
I'm so stressed and I'm having so much trouble concentrating...
it just really makes me want to cut, because I remember that when I used to cut I would always have perfect focus...
and I know that's not the answer.
in my heart of hearts, I am terrified of slipping up, because I know that if I slip once, that destructive pattern will take over my life again....
and I'm barely living... Christ came to bring abundant life, not mere existence...
I need to feel alive...
and everything is so out of control... I just need to have control of something...
and I know that I should instead be relinquishing control to Him.... but
“The good things don’t always soften the bad, but vice-versa, the bad things don’t necessarily spoil the good things and make them unimportant.”
“Nobody important? Blimey, that’s amazing. Do you know, in nine hundred years of time and space I’ve never met anyone who wasn’t important before.”
“If it’s time to go, remember what you’re leaving. Remember the best. My friends have always been the best of me.”
Simon: Welcome, may God Bless you through this site and the many friends you will make.
Salana: I shall keep you in my prayers. May the Lord remove your anxiety and fulfill you with peace and focus that you can continue your work and complete your tasks.
I am off on holiday on Friday so might not be around much for the next 2 weeks. I will have some access to the internet so will pop in when I can. God Bless to you all.
oh, salanna...*hugs* i'm praying for you. stress makes us do crazy things, but there *are* healthy ways of dealing with it. take one thing at a time. making lists always helps me because i can see what needs to get done, and when i cross things off it feels like i've accomplished something. eating right and getting enough sleep are important too, since it really can affect your mood. and, if you aren't adverse to it, try going out for a run or something. excersize releases endorphins just like self-harm does. when i'm really stressed out, i pull on my sneakers and hit the pavement. it's wonderful (thus, the term 'runner's high') and i'm actually on my way out the door to run right now... :) I'm praying for you. Take care of yourself.
Then wear the gold hat, if that will move her;
If you can bounce high, bounce for her too,
Till she cry "Lover, gold-hatted, high-bouncing lover,
I must have you!"
Thomas Parke D’Invilliers
hi everyone..umm thought id post here coz ive been thinking bout something lately and any help would be good, thanks
well do you think you go to hell if you commit suicide..sorry this is a very hard question and sorry if any of you have had to deal with a suicide..yeah so thats my question. Also i used to go to church and stuff and got saved about 1yr and a half ago but now i think of it i really dont think i actually was saved..i wanted to be but didnt truly have faith in god you know? So now i havnt been to church for bout 6 months and dont know what i believe anymore..do u think i am still saved or have 'lost' god..if you know what i mean..sorry its a bit hard to understand but thanks for reading
mystery, i'm really not the best person to answer your question, so i'll leave it to someone who hasn't had theirr sunday school teacher kill himself. bit of a sensitive topic.
a quick tbought, sorry if i'm standing on anyone's toes here, i'm not sure what different denom.s would say about this but i'll say it anyway!
EVERYONE was saved just under 2000 years ago. it's not about being really 'saved', it's the same for everyone; we've all got to decide every day whether we are going to accept that safety. if we don't jesus still saved us on the cross, salvation was once for all. we're not saved by baptism or communion or penance, i'm sur e we all know that, but we seem to forget. we were saved before we ever heard of Christ, now we have the task of accepting that every moment, of not running away from the passion.
Then wear the gold hat, if that will move her;
If you can bounce high, bounce for her too,
Till she cry "Lover, gold-hatted, high-bouncing lover,
I must have you!"
Thomas Parke D’Invilliers
