Peace

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Feb 10, 2008
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#1
I'm not exactly sure how to start this thread. I've had a bit on my mind recently and realized how much I appreciate so many people here. Sometimes I get hung up on insignificant details and push too hard, I don't want this to lead to resentment.

God has shown me that sometimes these things, even things that may seem trivial, can influence us without true recognition of the reason. I wonder if sometimes we may try to blanket all offenses, all sins, with a single request for forgiveness. Sometimes at least, it seems that offenses must be addressed specifically, individually. I'm not sure if there are people here who I need to seek forgiveness from. I have a feeling that there are at least some. I wanted to give anyone this opportunity to (publicly or privately) bring forward any ways that they have felt wronged by me. I do hope that you all can forgive me.

I don't want to make this awkward for anyone. If I'm mistaken, this may be a very short thread. But it won't be my first. :)
 
J

Jullianna

Guest
#2
Lightning, when we try and understand the heart rather than the post, forgiveness is easy.

Hanging onto slights in a chat forum seems kinda silly and childish to me, as (except for obvious trolls) it is normally a simple misunderstanding or someone is simply having a rough day. Even if parties can never come to agreement over certain issues, I can't imagine that the world will stop turning for either of them, can you? :)

Love DOES cover a multitude of sins :)

Hugs :)
 
Feb 10, 2008
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#3
Yeah, this thread was actually the last in a series of things that have been hanging over me. I went back and forth many times about whether to write it or not. In the end I decided that it was better to ask and get crickets than risk something hanging out there in the ether. I wasn't thinking especially about a single instance that would stick with someone, but rather a mass of cumulative disagreement.

I recall a few threads posted by hurt people who were vowing to leave the forums...

Either way, thank you for the response. I really don't want to be known as an argumentative jerk.
 
J

Jullianna

Guest
#4
We've probably all fit into the argumentative jerk category from time to time, but I've never thought of you that way. :)
 
B

BarlyGurl

Guest
#5
lightning, I think that is very upstanding of you to open such a thread and suggest perhaps the Holy Spirit is bringing forth a deeper understanding of "loving Thy Neighbor" for your consideration more so than merely urging you to invite chips of dissention. Good for you.
 

Snackersmom

Senior Member
May 10, 2011
1,472
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#6
Sometimes I get hung up on insignificant details and push too hard.
YOU?!?!?! Get hung up on insignificant details and push too hard?!?!?!?! Pfft. No. NEVER. ;)

Just a thought, but instead of putting the responsibility on those you've wronged, why not pray about it and ask The Lord to show you who/what you might need to apologize to/for? It will mean a lot more to the person if you approach them yourself. If you aren't sure about a particular scenario, I would say to err on the side of caution, even though it might half-kill you. :rolleyes:

And, no, I am not posting in here as a hint that I want an apology, I'm just tryin' to help ya out.

P.S. "err on the side of caution" means "apologize even if you aren't sure that you need to", just in case I wasn't clear enough (gotta be careful with cross-regional communication, some things get lost in translation) ;).
 
Feb 10, 2008
3,371
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#7
YOU?!?!?! Get hung up on insignificant details and push too hard?!?!?!?! Pfft. No. NEVER. ;)

Just a thought, but instead of putting the responsibility on those you've wronged, why not pray about it and ask The Lord to show you who/what you might need to apologize to/for? It will mean a lot more to the person if you approach them yourself. If you aren't sure about a particular scenario, I would say to err on the side of caution, even though it might half-kill you. :rolleyes:

And, no, I am not posting in here as a hint that I want an apology, I'm just tryin' to help ya out.

P.S. "err on the side of caution" means "apologize even if you aren't sure that you need to", just in case I wasn't clear enough (gotta be careful with cross-regional communication, some things get lost in translation) ;).
Hm, I get the feeling your question may have been intended rhetorically. But in truth, I have already spoken to several people directly. Along the way God showed me that I had been harboring resentment that I honestly didn't realize. It really shocked me when He brought it out. This thread wasn't a result of a lack of the aforementioned prayer, but rather in addition to it and its results. I guess perhaps that some level of introspection prompted by this thread may have led others to similar recognition. Or not, all I know is that it was weighing on me for a while, along with several others who I have already addressed individually.
 

Snackersmom

Senior Member
May 10, 2011
1,472
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#8
I actually did not mean the question rhetorically, but whatevah. :)

It seems clear from your post that you realize that you can be a little hard to take at times (no hard feelings, so can I), so I don't see the harm in asking God to bring stuff to your attention, since it's nagging at you. Sometimes I'll just be minding my own business, and all the sudden I'll realize how poorly I handled a situation, or how insensitive something I said was, or that my heart was in the wrong place regarding something. Sort of like how you mentioned that God brought out the resentment you'd been harboring. It's a good thing, even though it hurts a little when I first realize what an idiot I've been.
 
G

GreenNnice

Guest
#9
I'm not exactly sure how to start this thread. I've had a bit on my mind recently and realized how much I appreciate so many people here. Sometimes I get hung up on insignificant details and push too hard, I don't want this to lead to resentment.

God has shown me that sometimes these things, even things that may seem trivial, can influence us without true recognition of the reason. I wonder if sometimes we may try to blanket all offenses, all sins, with a single request for forgiveness. Sometimes at least, it seems that offenses must be addressed specifically, individually. I'm not sure if there are people here who I need to seek forgiveness from. I have a feeling that there are at least some. I wanted to give anyone this opportunity to (publicly or privately) bring forward any ways that they have felt wronged by me. I do hope that you all can forgive me.

I don't want to make this awkward for anyone. If I'm mistaken, this may be a very short thread. But it won't be my first. :)
OK, I'll bite.
I have sooooo much personally against you, lightrod, there is that, and, this,and...all unmentiionables, and, oh, really, seriously, lightningbro, God forgave us so we ALL should forgive each other and we, when we do, are forgiven by guess who. This is called right there perfectly, yep, what julieannie said covers a multitude of sins.....

Love.

So, unless you feel someone has something personally against you, the Lord leads, He's granted you forgiveness. :)

Now, some may not see this next thing as a big deal but I did that thread on spiritual gifts and had two tests and I asked people to do both tests , for the most accurate analysis. None did it, and, yes, lightnin', I still plan too, just not got aroundtoit ;) But, yes, only ONE person, that I khow of, anyway, did not one gifts test but two, did both tests, and, out of many that responded only YOU took the time to do both tests....

When we follow Him, our lives just flow, our lives just go, perfectly, and, whether it be forgiveness, or, peace needed, God perfectly times it into our life. The Lord leads, and, of all your other many gifts of your repertoire learned from Him, Christbro, add the gift of forgiveness to all the others :)

It's humbling to ask for forgiveness, lightnin', and, when it comes from the heart, God sees greatness in you, for whatever you do you give Him glory through that outpouring act of love to others which always is seen from them in Him by what He did through love of another and, in this case, that 'other' is you :)
 

Snackersmom

Senior Member
May 10, 2011
1,472
135
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#10
Ok Lightning, I'm back. Not because I particularly want or expect an apology, but because a few things have stayed on my mind. I was going to bump the thread myself, but Green beat me to it.

First off: I was a bit skeptical of your motives when I read your op, and I think that may have come across when I responded. So I would like to apologize if my tone in the previous 2 posts was a bit needling or condescending.


Gaaaaaackkkk!!!!!!! Unghhhhh.....the lights are going dim.....I'm not sure if I'm going to survive this one......*collapses* *dies*

I'm being silly, of course. Apologies won't kill us......right? They prove that we actually respect the other person, because our pride takes a backseat to their feelings.

So, before I bring up anything specific, I guess what I really want to know is: How do you intend to respond if someone brings up a specific instance wherein they felt that you insulted or disregarded them?
 
G

GreenNnice

Guest
#11
Ok Lightning, I'm back. Not because I particularly want or expect an apology, but because a few things have stayed on my mind. I was going to bump the thread myself, but Green beat me to it.

First off: I was a bit skeptical of your motives when I read your op, and I think that may have come across when I responded. So I would like to apologize if my tone in the previous 2 posts was a bit needling or condescending.


Gaaaaaackkkk!!!!!!! Unghhhhh.....the lights are going dim.....I'm not sure if I'm going to survive this one......*collapses* *dies*

I'm being silly, of course. Apologies won't kill us......right? They prove that we actually respect the other person, because our pride takes a backseat to their feelings.

So, before I bring up anything specific, I guess what I really want to know is: How do you intend to respond if someone brings up a specific instance wherein they felt that you insulted or disregarded them?
I think what snackx, a.k.a. Nicolle with one 'l' and don't forget the 'h' is,saying, is that you posted and

surely quite a few people alk seen your thread and no one is saying anything that was hurtful as one person I thought may've been upset at you just talks to you nicely and communicatively, and, I feel, you even have chemistry with this,person , and, no, not me, and, no, I will never say who you could have hurt, but, yes, you are a challenging guy, and, a deep thinker of posited questions, an avid debater, nothing wrong with any of that, lightninbro, we all on here know to love God and love others and whether we know it or not we are giving God a chance to bless us by our willingness to forgive others in the small shop of our bodies called our hearts .

You will be lifted up for doing this humble post, lightnin', the Lord leads, keep on burning your life with the passionate response of 'I will follow You, Lord,' whenever He brings great threads to your heart :)
 

Snackersmom

Senior Member
May 10, 2011
1,472
135
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#12
^^^Can someone please translate this for me? :p
 
Feb 10, 2008
3,371
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#13
Ok Lightning, I'm back. Not because I particularly want or expect an apology, but because a few things have stayed on my mind. I was going to bump the thread myself, but Green beat me to it.

First off: I was a bit skeptical of your motives when I read your op, and I think that may have come across when I responded. So I would like to apologize if my tone in the previous 2 posts was a bit needling or condescending.


Gaaaaaackkkk!!!!!!! Unghhhhh.....the lights are going dim.....I'm not sure if I'm going to survive this one......*collapses* *dies*

I'm being silly, of course. Apologies won't kill us......right? They prove that we actually respect the other person, because our pride takes a backseat to their feelings.

So, before I bring up anything specific, I guess what I really want to know is: How do you intend to respond if someone brings up a specific instance wherein they felt that you insulted or disregarded them?
I find it is best to find any small character flaw which they posses and isolate it. Then after I've found this flaw, it must be the reason for the offense. ;)

Nah, I actually removed the answer to your from my original post on purpose. I already knew how I would respond before I clicked the "Submit" button on the OP. I hope for now simply answering by saying "with God's help" gives you any reassurance you need. :S
 
A

arwen83

Guest
#14
I'm not exactly sure how to start this thread. I've had a bit on my mind recently and realized how much I appreciate so many people here. Sometimes I get hung up on insignificant details and push too hard, I don't want this to lead to resentment.

God has shown me that sometimes these things, even things that may seem trivial, can influence us without true recognition of the reason. I wonder if sometimes we may try to blanket all offenses, all sins, with a single request for forgiveness. Sometimes at least, it seems that offenses must be addressed specifically, individually. I'm not sure if there are people here who I need to seek forgiveness from. I have a feeling that there are at least some. I wanted to give anyone this opportunity to (publicly or privately) bring forward any ways that they have felt wronged by me. I do hope that you all can forgive me.

I don't want to make this awkward for anyone. If I'm mistaken, this may be a very short thread. But it won't be my first. :)
I've never felt slighted by a comment from you, atleast that I remember, bad memory comes with old age :p There is someone on cc who an apology from would be nice ... *cough* the guy who called me an apostate against the church *cough* But that won't happen. Meh *shrugs*. I can't recall anything from you. I know I made posts that I regret, trying to be witty but passing the line into sarcastic and even condescending. But I think (or hope) that we're pretty understanding on here.
 
G

GreenNnice

Guest
#15
I find it is best to find any small character flaw which they posses and isolate it. Then after I've found this flaw, it must be the reason for the offense. ;)

Nah, I actually removed the answer to your from my original post on purpose. I already knew how I would respond before I clicked the "Submit" button on the OP. I hope for now simply answering by saying "with God's help" gives you any reassurance you need. :S
it's important to understand too, lightnin,' that everyone is different, sometimes we don't even understand those differences until it's too late. But God is there, and, He will help us understand, perfectly, it's been said a 100 times but you might think you will get along with everybody, that you can love everybody but this is not true, at least, it is not true of your own doing. Ahhh....

But with God, comes the revelation of understanding and promise from God that we can love others, He gives us the strength to do this, and, there is Scripture too that says we must love God or we do not really know God.

In order to truly love God, all bitterness must be rooted from our heart and understanding of wronging others and how do we understand that? By jove !

Oh, of course not, by God, He shows us the way to reconciliation, and, that way is through the person you wronged, green? Maybe. I dunno, that's between YOU and God :) But I do know this as Scripture tells us, God forgave ALL of us, when we were ENEMIES of God. He did this forgiveness through the grace of giving us His Son and now all the past sins we've done are COVERED by the blood. So, all the things you think you've done to wrong others, lightnin'bro, are covered by 'His shed blood.'

And, living in His will for our life , sure, we will make mistakes in the PRESENT and the FUTURE (that's sin, people ! :) ) , and, God WILL cover that sin too. He does WANT us to confess when we DO sin, we don't just get to confess once and then just go on sinning. Oh no !! Just because God's grace gives us a nullification of our sin, we are NOT to do it. Paul puts it clearly: God forbid! :)

God bless ya, and, just keep on keeping on living in His grace, we MUST all do this, NONE of us, even, GASP!, the people you think you MAY have wronged on here. They TOO are just like you, none of us are good, but THROUGH the blood of Christ, the PRECIOUS blood of Jesus, we are freee, indeed, for believing and following and living in Him and He is us and walking in His ways, and, with Him, He is your Helper, His Spirit is with you, who is also, just as He was for His disciples, your 'friend,' lightningbuddy :)

So, others should forgive you, they then are forgiven, just as the Matthew 5 Lord's prayer says, Christbro :)

Judging Others
37“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Don't condemn others who believe a little different than you, in fact, I would go so far as to NOT judge anyone who IS claiming to follow Him and you see it with their heart, even if their doctrine is not the same as your own. Powerful Sciripture.

So is this:

12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command. 15I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17This is my command: Love each other.

:) I love ya, lightningbrother, fellow follower of Christ :)
 
Jul 25, 2005
2,417
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#16
First man, never post something that could be read as "goodbye" as the title of a thread. I came very close to amputating one or two of my limbs.

Either way, I can see where you are coming from. To paraphrase Jefferson, the tree of the forum must, from time to time, be watered with the blood of trolls and misguided friends. :p

I have never really seen a post from you that I would consider offensive or mean-spirited. I mean, this is the guy who admires and seeks to emulate the empathy of Ender Wiggin. The fact you feel the need to make amends says a lot.

I've apologized online. Incivility in a forum is generally something I cannot abide, but there are times when I let people have it that I probably should've held back.

That said, if someone leaves the forum because of something you said. Well, there are worse things you could have done to somebody. Most should expect a good ribbing when they post something. That's the internet for you.



I've never felt slighted by a comment from you, atleast that I remember, bad memory comes with old age :p There is someone on cc who an apology from would be nice ... *cough* the guy who called me an apostate against the church *cough* But that won't happen. Meh *shrugs*. I can't recall anything from you. I know I made posts that I regret, trying to be witty but passing the line into sarcastic and even condescending. But I think (or hope) that we're pretty understanding on here.
Well, you are an apostate for preferring effeminate elves to the tough as nails vulcans. :p
 
Feb 10, 2008
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#17
First man, never post something that could be read as "goodbye" as the title of a thread. I came very close to amputating one or two of my limbs.

Either way, I can see where you are coming from. To paraphrase Jefferson, the tree of the forum must, from time to time, be watered with the blood of trolls and misguided friends. :p

I have never really seen a post from you that I would consider offensive or mean-spirited. I mean, this is the guy who admires and seeks to emulate the empathy of Ender Wiggin. The fact you feel the need to make amends says a lot.

I've apologized online. Incivility in a forum is generally something I cannot abide, but there are times when I let people have it that I probably should've held back.

That said, if someone leaves the forum because of something you said. Well, there are worse things you could have done to somebody. Most should expect a good ribbing when they post something. That's the internet for you.





Well, you are an apostate for preferring effeminate elves to the tough as nails vulcans. :p
Just you wait until the pirates come... Flee all ye weird ear'd creatures of villiany!
 
A

arwen83

Guest
#18
Just you wait until the pirates come... Flee all ye weird ear'd creatures of villiany!
Pshh... pirates! Mere mortals with hooks for hands, yellowed teeth and an excessive fascination with birds. Hardly fit for an epic battle with vulcans and elves :p
 
A

arwen83

Guest
#20
Pssh, atleast elves are useful: they're excellent with a bow and kill swiftly, are quick on their feet, they heal and live long, they make magical swords, speak a beautiful language, their beauty is breathtaking, they make cookies in trees and toys for santa. Minus the sword and boat, pirates are the equivalent of someones overweight drunk uncle passed out on the couch with a double quarter pounder cheeseburger in his hand :p
 
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