Greetings from AFRICA

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TimothyGirl

Active member
Jul 19, 2019
187
152
43
#1
Hi there, so this is me reaching out. When I was a young teenager, friends were difficult to come by -- and when I say friends, I mean like-minded people. I found a little haven on a forum that is now extinct, but it has always held such precious memories that 15 years later, I'm giving in to the urge to try again!

I'm not quite sure how much to share about myself. Growing up in Africa - Zimbabwe to be exact - life has never been easy. I think I like it that way though, because it is the hardship presses you in to God. It sifts your motivations, your faith, what is really important, and what really is not. You learn to be content in whatever situation you find yourself in, but more than anything, you learn to TRUST GOD for your daily existence. It's been an adventure!

Nothing about my life has been normal, but that is because from a very young age, I decided to put my life in His Hands and see what He can do with it. At 31 years of age, my story is certainly not complete yet, but then, whose is? All I know is that as I keep walking with Him - often in the wilderness - He will lead me to where I am meant to go. We walk by FAITH and not by SIGHT. So here I am, and hoping to find some like-minded fellowship and get to know some of you :)
 

oyster67

Senior Member
May 24, 2014
11,887
8,696
113
#2
Hi there, so this is me reaching out. When I was a young teenager, friends were difficult to come by -- and when I say friends, I mean like-minded people. I found a little haven on a forum that is now extinct, but it has always held such precious memories that 15 years later, I'm giving in to the urge to try again!

I'm not quite sure how much to share about myself. Growing up in Africa - Zimbabwe to be exact - life has never been easy. I think I like it that way though, because it is the hardship presses you in to God. It sifts your motivations, your faith, what is really important, and what really is not. You learn to be content in whatever situation you find yourself in, but more than anything, you learn to TRUST GOD for your daily existence. It's been an adventure!

Nothing about my life has been normal, but that is because from a very young age, I decided to put my life in His Hands and see what He can do with it. At 31 years of age, my story is certainly not complete yet, but then, whose is? All I know is that as I keep walking with Him - often in the wilderness - He will lead me to where I am meant to go. We walk by FAITH and not by SIGHT. So here I am, and hoping to find some like-minded fellowship and get to know some of you :)
All I can say is AMEN! :)

(welcome again:))
 

TimothyGirl

Active member
Jul 19, 2019
187
152
43
#3
All I can say is AMEN!:)

(welcome again:))
Thanks Oyster! And sorry about the duplicated post!! After 24 hours, I thought it might have gotten "lost in the system"!! Must be an African thing!:LOL:
 

3angelsmsg

Junior Member
Mar 1, 2018
610
649
93
#4
Hello and welcome Timothygirl... And I am also from the most Southern point of Africa. And the most beautiful city in S Africa and best beaches🌍👏...
I share the same sentiments that like-minded friends are very difficult to find like gems. We are called to be such an friend to others.
 

oyster67

Senior Member
May 24, 2014
11,887
8,696
113
#5
Thanks Oyster! And sorry about the duplicated post!! After 24 hours, I thought it might have gotten "lost in the system"!! Must be an African thing!:LOL:
The US postal system is like that also. I ordered a Bible and they shipped it more than a month ago. The Lord uses these things to work patience into us, I believe:giggle:

James
1:3 Knowing [this], that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
1:4 But let patience have [her] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
 

kecpoa

New member
Dec 30, 2020
1
1
1
#8
Hi there, so this is me reaching out. When I was a young teenager, friends were difficult to come by -- and when I say friends, I mean like-minded people. I found a little haven on a forum that is now extinct, but it has always held such precious memories that 15 years later, I'm giving in to the urge to try again!

I'm not quite sure how much to share about myself. Growing up in Africa - Zimbabwe to be exact - life has never been easy. I think I like it that way though, because it is the hardship presses you in to God. It sifts your motivations, your faith, what is really important, and what really is not. You learn to be content in whatever situation you find yourself in, but more than anything, you learn to TRUST GOD for your daily existence. It's been an adventure!

Nothing about my life has been normal, but that is because from a very young age, I decided to put my life in His Hands and see what He can do with it. At 31 years of age, my story is certainly not complete yet, but then, whose is? All I know is that as I keep walking with Him - often in the wilderness - He will lead me to where I am meant to go. We walk by FAITH and not by SIGHT. So here I am, and hoping to find some like-minded fellowship and get to know some of you :)

Wow this was just so powerful and spoke to me ... yes finding those kindred spirits
 

Adstar

Senior Member
Jul 24, 2016
7,417
3,468
113
#10
Hi there, so this is me reaching out. When I was a young teenager, friends were difficult to come by -- and when I say friends, I mean like-minded people. I found a little haven on a forum that is now extinct, but it has always held such precious memories that 15 years later, I'm giving in to the urge to try again!

I'm not quite sure how much to share about myself. Growing up in Africa - Zimbabwe to be exact - life has never been easy. I think I like it that way though, because it is the hardship presses you in to God. It sifts your motivations, your faith, what is really important, and what really is not. You learn to be content in whatever situation you find yourself in, but more than anything, you learn to TRUST GOD for your daily existence. It's been an adventure!

Nothing about my life has been normal, but that is because from a very young age, I decided to put my life in His Hands and see what He can do with it. At 31 years of age, my story is certainly not complete yet, but then, whose is? All I know is that as I keep walking with Him - often in the wilderness - He will lead me to where I am meant to go. We walk by FAITH and not by SIGHT. So here I am, and hoping to find some like-minded fellowship and get to know some of you :)
Welcome aboard CC :)

You sound like a great additon to the forum.. Hope you are blessed and are a blessing here. (y)

Oh and what was the name of the other forum.. I have passed through a few in my time as well..
 

TimothyGirl

Active member
Jul 19, 2019
187
152
43
#11
Welcome aboard CC :)

You sound like a great additon to the forum.. Hope you are blessed and are a blessing here. (y)

Oh and what was the name of the other forum.. I have passed through a few in my time as well..
Thanks @Adstar for the warm welcome. It is always a blessing to be able to share our common faith with one another :)

The name of the other forum was 7cworldwide. Don't suppose you know it? Twas a huge blessing to me and I still wonder what happened to some of my brothers and sisters from there... some "names" I will never forget... :)
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
55,247
25,716
113
#12
The name of the other forum was 7cworldwide. Don't suppose you know it? Twas a huge blessing to me and I still wonder what happened to some of my brothers and sisters from there... some "names" I will never forget... :)
I have not heard of that particular forum, but I can certainly relate to what you have said here. I stumbled into online apologetics three years into my Christian walk, which was 13 years ago, and I still remember some of the names from that first site, also, after being there for four years. It was a secular site with very little Christian moderation, and quite an exciting environment at the time, and also very challenging, but fun! I remember a few names from my second site also after the first one was sold and reclaimed for its original use (in the years I was there, it had fallen in "popularity" while Facebook was on the rise). I was on the second site for almost four years also... it was a Christian site, though my participation was again almost exclusively with non-believers of many stripes. Ah! Good times :D I remember them fondly :)
 

TimothyGirl

Active member
Jul 19, 2019
187
152
43
#13
I have not heard of that particular forum, but I can certainly relate to what you have said here. I stumbled into online apologetics three years into my Christian walk, which was 13 years ago, and I still remember some of the names from that first site, also, after being there for four years. It was a secular site with very little Christian moderation, and quite an exciting environment at the time, and also very challenging, but fun! I remember a few names from my second site also after the first one was sold and reclaimed for its original use (in the years I was there, it had fallen in "popularity" while Facebook was on the rise). I was on the second site for almost four years also... it was a Christian site, though my participation was again almost exclusively with non-believers of many stripes. Ah! Good times :D I remember them fondly :)
It sounds like you have a gifting, Magenta. Not all of us are able to befriend non-believers and engage them on their level - the antagonistic ones, that is ;) My brother is still not a Christian; in his younger years, he was extremely aggressive and impossible to talk to. Life has a way of working, though and he is searching for the truth now. It makes for interesting conversation, but still, you have to be so careful not to be pushy.

But yes, there's something about building relationships beyond the "veil of the flesh" if I can call it that. It's raw personality; often spirit to spirit. I guess even the believers back in Paul's day found that. They found his letters powerful but they stumbled over his physical appearance (2 Cor. 10:10). Sometimes there is more acceptance when people hear what you have to say instead of judge you for what you look like...

Looking forward to making some more fond memories here :giggle:
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
55,247
25,716
113
#14
It sounds like you have a gifting, Magenta. Not all of us are able to befriend non-believers and engage them on their level - the antagonistic ones, that is ;) My brother is still not a Christian; in his younger years, he was extremely aggressive and impossible to talk to. Life has a way of working, though and he is searching for the truth now. It makes for interesting conversation, but still, you have to be so careful not to be pushy.

But yes, there's something about building relationships beyond the "veil of the flesh" if I can call it that. It's raw personality; often spirit to spirit. I guess even the believers back in Paul's day found that. They found his letters powerful but they stumbled over his physical appearance (2 Cor. 10:10). Sometimes there is more acceptance when people hear what you have to say instead of judge you for what you look like...

Looking forward to making some more fond memories here :giggle:
Thank you, TimothyGirl, though I am not so sure about befriending them, as the antagonistic ones hated me from the get-go simply because I was a Christian :giggle: But I certainly felt I understood their lack of belief, as I did not convert until I was almost fifty, and did meet them on their level, challenging their faulty assumptions, contradictions, logical fallacies, and outright lies, and occasionally providing Scripture when required (I knew they did not want to hear it "just because"), which helped me learn it better also :D And it certainly was not my plan, as I found that first site as a result of befriending and supporting a young man on another site who was having difficulty dealing with less than kind criticisms regarding his musical abilities, which I thought were outstanding.


I sill enjoy listening to his version of Classical Gas, so thanks for prompting me to revisit it :)

Anyways, I found him on myspace also, and wondered how people made friends there, and then noticed there were forums/boards, with a Religion section, which was very busy back in those days. I was hooked right away :giggle: Mostly I hoped to encourage the non-believers to seek, and yes, some I did befriend, and I remember them also, but the worst of them? It took three years before they stopped trying to pull the wool over my eyes :LOL: So when the site went bye-bye shortly afterwards, and all the forums and posts were removed, it seemed a shame :cry: It is some of the worst of them I most fondly remember. Does that seem odd? And like you, I wonder what has become of them... :unsure::geek:
 

Adstar

Senior Member
Jul 24, 2016
7,417
3,468
113
#15
Thanks @Adstar for the warm welcome. It is always a blessing to be able to share our common faith with one another :)

The name of the other forum was 7cworldwide. Don't suppose you know it? Twas a huge blessing to me and I still wonder what happened to some of my brothers and sisters from there... some "names" I will never forget... :)
7cworldwide , nope never seen that one.. Hope you find some worthy fellowship here on CC soon (y)
 

TimothyGirl

Active member
Jul 19, 2019
187
152
43
#16
7cworldwide , nope never seen that one.. Hope you find some worthy fellowship here on CC soon (y)
The chances were slim, but you never know :)

Thanks, seems like there's lots of decent people here... looking forward to that fellowship... :)

A blessed new year to you all!
 

Shandy

Active member
Sep 12, 2020
178
212
43
#17
Welcome @TimothyGirl
I think you are going to like it here. Something tells me you will make friends very quickly.
God Bless
 

BlessedByGod

Well-known member
Sep 28, 2019
12,196
7,026
113
#18
Hi there, so this is me reaching out. When I was a young teenager, friends were difficult to come by -- and when I say friends, I mean like-minded people. I found a little haven on a forum that is now extinct, but it has always held such precious memories that 15 years later, I'm giving in to the urge to try again!

I'm not quite sure how much to share about myself. Growing up in Africa - Zimbabwe to be exact - life has never been easy. I think I like it that way though, because it is the hardship presses you in to God. It sifts your motivations, your faith, what is really important, and what really is not. You learn to be content in whatever situation you find yourself in, but more than anything, you learn to TRUST GOD for your daily existence. It's been an adventure!

Nothing about my life has been normal, but that is because from a very young age, I decided to put my life in His Hands and see what He can do with it. At 31 years of age, my story is certainly not complete yet, but then, whose is? All I know is that as I keep walking with Him - often in the wilderness - He will lead me to where I am meant to go. We walk by FAITH and not by SIGHT. So here I am, and hoping to find some like-minded fellowship and get to know some of you :)
What an awesome way to come on in here. I agree with what you have wrote about the trying times testing us and pressing us, and allowing us to lead more onto God. Praise be to God he never ever leaves us. What a truthful and well put testimony of serving God.
Look forward to talking with you sometime.
May God continue to shed his Ever Loving Grace, Peace , Protection and Love upon you and into your Blessed Heart.
 

TimothyGirl

Active member
Jul 19, 2019
187
152
43
#19
Thanks for your welcome, @Shandy. If I make friends quickly, that will be a first! But there's something special about connecting with people on the forums :)

What an awesome way to come on in here. I agree with what you have wrote about the trying times testing us and pressing us, and allowing us to lead more onto God. Praise be to God he never ever leaves us. What a truthful and well put testimony of serving God.
Look forward to talking with you sometime.
May God continue to shed his Ever Loving Grace, Peace , Protection and Love upon you and into your Blessed Heart.
Thanks for your kind words, BBG. We all have our stories, and one of the privileges we have is to search them out and discover them!
It has been a blessing to be back on the forums interacting with the likes of all of you. It has put me back in touch with a part of me I haven't had access to in a long time. There's something about writing to fellow believers that draws out the testimonies, the faith and the encouragement, isn't there? At least I find that :)
And, absolutely, looking forward to the conversation too.
The Lord bless you and meet with you this coming year in a profound and unexpected way.