How Did Your Spiritual Journey Begin?

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seantspence

Guest
#81
ok. well, what would I lose if I lost my main account? I literally used it for porn and now for texting one friend. oh and this.
It basically has screen surveillance, so all you would need is an accountability partner. When ever you look at porn, it’ll notify your accountability partner and they will most likely have a talk with you about it. It really helps with preventing you from looking at porn again.
 

enril

Active member
Aug 18, 2024
470
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#82
It basically has screen surveillance, so all you would need is an accountability partner. When ever you look at porn, it’ll notify your accountability partner and they will most likely have a talk with you about it. It really helps with preventing you from looking at porn again.
oh-kay you can probably e-mail me.
 

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
Aug 13, 2014
27,688
9,621
113
#83
[email protected].
my old email i use for things. I dont even know where it came from. it is in all kinds of bad sites, thankfully i cant go back there anymore. the same email i use for everything online though.
also does being on linux pose problems at all?
Somebody mentioned to me that I may have a clone...

My name is Isaac. And I use Linux. Linux mint is my daily driver. Puppy Linux for forensics and data retrieval on crashed windows install. Bunsen Labs for lightweight distro.
 

enril

Active member
Aug 18, 2024
470
206
43
15
#85
Somebody mentioned to me that I may have a clone...

My name is Isaac. And I use Linux. Linux mint is my daily driver. Puppy Linux for forensics and data retrieval on crashed windows install. Bunsen Labs for lightweight distro.
interesting. I use linux through raspbian, which is... not the best. it can't handle two windows at the same time.

Isaac was my uncle's name. I kinda adopted it.
 
Sep 29, 2024
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#86

LifelongLearner
Last seen Sunday at 12:08 PM


I hope you are well...
Greetings and hugs friend, have a painful problem involving my right shoulder and arm currently, unsure if it's an injury or just getting old thing. Seems to be easing a little, will see how it goes and try not to push my luck too much yet, it makes typing and other tasks painfully difficult sadly.

Until recently, i used to practice the Alexander Technique, which is excellent for keeping supple/freedom of movement. It was purely for the physical benefits, however, it sadly now seems to be connected with the New Age movement, which makes me wary as a new Christian. It would really help me at the moment but i am concerned, do you think it's ok to use the technique when it's purely for the physical benefits? :unsure:
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
61,104
30,232
113
#87
Greetings and hugs friend, have a painful problem involving my right shoulder and arm currently, unsure if it's an injury or just getting old thing. Seems to be easing a little, will see how it goes and try not to push my luck too much yet, it makes typing and other tasks painfully difficult sadly.

Until recently, i used to practice the Alexander Technique, which is excellent for keeping supple/freedom of movement. It was purely for the physical benefits, however, it sadly now seems to be connected with the New Age movement, which makes me wary as a new Christian. It would really help me at the moment but i am concerned, do you think it's ok to use the technique when it's purely for the physical benefits? :unsure:
Anything that can keep your movements free and easy such as stretching techniques or supplements etc, I would not worry about the other associations they might have, since your heart is in the right place. I am sorry to hear you have been in pain...
 
Sep 29, 2024
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#88
Greetings and hugs friend, have a painful problem involving my right shoulder and arm currently, unsure if it's an injury or just getting old thing. Seems to be easing a little, will see how it goes and try not to push my luck too much yet, it makes typing and other tasks painfully difficult sadly.

Until recently, i used to practice the Alexander Technique, which is excellent for keeping supple/freedom of movement. It was purely for the physical benefits, however, it sadly now seems to be connected with the New Age movement, which makes me wary as a new Christian. It would really help me at the moment but i am concerned, do you think it's ok to use the technique when it's purely for the physical benefits? :unsure:
Blessings sweet friend, glad you've seen my comment. Will post a couple more replies to comments here soon, this thread has been busy, will read and catch up.
 
Sep 29, 2024
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#89
Anything that can keep your movements free and easy such as stretching techniques or supplements etc, I would not worry about the other associations they might have, since your heart is in the right place. I am sorry to hear you have been in pain...
That's so good to hear precious friend, i want to focus on relaxing the muscle, not airy-fairy rubbish. Thought it probably was alright but it's tainted with some nonsense now because of younger practitioners.

Looks like Enril could do with some loving support from us, will read through and post another couple of replies, then take it easy for a while. :)
 

daisyseesthesun

Well-known member
Aug 23, 2024
766
431
63
#90
Anything that can keep your movements free and easy such as stretching techniques or supplements etc, I would not worry about the other associations they might have, since your heart is in the right place. I am sorry to hear you have been in pain...
Hi Magenta, lifelonglearner,

This might help. My mom really likes her videos. I like them too. Its nothing wild like some of the yoga that's popular today 🙄 but its pretty fun
 
Sep 29, 2024
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#91
I hope you had a good day, yesterday! It is so odd for me at work right now because we are really busy, but there is not a lot for me to do. We are in the midst of printing back-to-school orders, which get what we call a "bulk" correction, which means that two or three hours of printing time (and sometimes more!) is accomplished with one correction applied to the whole order. There are a very many such orders. It also means I go to work and sit in the lunchroom most of the day, puttering around the site and also designing panels, some which are begun and pretty much finished while at work. This is not a new thing for me, though sometimes I honestly wonder, how long can it go on for? And it is not like I can do it forever, either. I was involuntarily retired at 65 with the COVID closures, which coincided with my cancer diagnosis, giving me all the time I needed to go through my treatments and surgeries etc., and then once that was all done my boss called me back to work because someone was leaving. Someone, I might add, that I never really got along with and who tried to do my job while I was absent and failed miserably. She had been gunning for my job for a while, and probably thought it was easy peasy, because all I do is sit at a monitor and adjust dials, right? LOL. In two weeks I'll have been back two years. Six hour days three days a week is great...

I am moving this to your thread because I want to respond to a number of things you've said without derailing @Eli1 's thread. I believe My Demon was my very first K drama and I was definitely impressed with the level of production, actors, story-line/plot, photography etc. I was on a bit of a Sabbatical from designing from late last year when I watched it in February, and have seen quite a few K dramas since then. I was trying to find the list of many of them I've seen in case you missed it (I have added to the original list)... Crash Landing On You (was darling, and is considered the gold standard for K dramas); Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, Sisyphus, Our Blues, Miss Night and Day, The Atypical Family, Castaway Diva, Start-Up, 20th Century Girl, Once Upon a Small Town, Thirty-Nine (never finished),... I just could not watch that one many rave about, what's it called? Oh! Squid Game. LOL. There may be others. I really need to keep better records, but I have so much going on at any given time, added to my general laissez faire attitude and level of procrastination... You recommended a series of posts to me, also, but I just do not have the energy or concentration at times to follow involved exchanges between others.

I do not recall if I have posted a picture of my kitty cat to you. Perhaps you can show it to your beautiful Princess and she and Luna can be friends LOL. I call Luna a pillow princess because if there is a pillow she will lay on it. That is so typical for cats. The other day the zippered bag I put my laptop in before I stuff it in my knapsack ended up on the floor, and fairly immediately, there Luna was, enjoying laying on top of it as if was there for her express pleasure. LOL





There may have been other things I wanted to respond to but I may have said enough for
now. You have been very kind to me and I do appreciate that, so hugs right back atcha...


I will add, though, that I would like to respond to your OP question, though it is difficult to know how
to begin. Heh, reminds me of a yearly milestone cake I took in AA, when I said something similar,
about not knowing where to begin, ... so I will start at the beginning, I said... "I was born... "
She is gorgeous and has that intelligent, direct expression to her eyes too. As with my li'l Princess, bet she doesn't miss a thing and quickly tells you if something bugs her. Laughed at the pillows, bags etc things, she's lying on the pillows now while i type this via my bedroom rig. :love:

Think you're amazing precious friend, you've kept your joy/enthusiasm for life despite having real difficulties. Really sure your work replacement isn't missed and your colleagues are glad you're backThink we have a lot in common, life is a precious learning experience to me, including learning about other people and how to make life sweet with one another. Then there's your art/Now learning about God is the biggest thing in my life and sure it'll stay that way, however, he clearly wants us to love and care for each other too, which i definitely agree with.

You've just responded to the question in this comment sweet friend and definitely sure you don't lack kindness yourself. Really dunno if binge drinking or alcoholism is worse, swings and roundabouts for sure, hugs and kudos for sorting your issue. Like i said, with me, it was a stopping out of the blue thing, i only made the connection when i began wanting to know about God.

Well, better quickly read through some posts to get a handle on what's been happening, love and hugs for now friend :)
 
Sep 29, 2024
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#92
Hi Magenta, lifelonglearner,

This might help. My mom really likes her videos. I like them too. Its nothing wild like some of the yoga that's popular today 🙄 but its pretty fun
Great seeing you too me darling, hope that conversation between Sean, you and i has been helpful to others, do think it had quite a few real insights.

Get the feeling you're quite young too, like Sean? Young or not, you're both intelligent, insightful people, hope our chat might have helped others. :)
 
Sep 29, 2024
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#93
Great seeing you too me darling, hope that conversation between Sean, you and i has been helpful to others, do think it had quite a few real insights.

Get the feeling you're quite young too, like Sean? Young or not, you're both intelligent, insightful people, hope our chat might have helped others. :)
Ooh, real thanks for that video too, it's definitely helpful. Think it's good i'm a little cautious but i don't want to throw the baby out with the bathwater either, love and hugs for now Daisy :)
 
Sep 29, 2024
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#94
yeah. as i posted earlier, 30% of commited christian teens struggle with porn.

yeah. I love your posts. they really have made me think.
I am doing some great and not so great things. my life is a mess right now.
my mind is a mess right now.
NF is a light to me.
I have a good friend. she is helping me. simply being here. talking to me.
I read. Do you Read?
I am mostly staying clear of bad things.
My heart goes out to you Enril, God's blessings, much love and hugs to you.

You sound very young and sadly, it also sounds like you don't have much, if any support within your family. Noticed you said your life and mind are in a mess right now, does that mean you were in a better place recently?

It would help to know how old you are, all sorts of possibilities regarding what might have happened to cause your pain, are going through my head. Seoulsearch and Sean have offered great advice but think you need in person help. You use a truly wise quote from Brandon Sanderson, which suggests you have a pretty mature understanding of what caused your troubles and could make quick progress with the right help.

Wondering if a Christian youth counsellor might be of interest to you, one might be available through a local chapel or church to you. Will look in soon to see if you've replied, sadly, i'm an old dear who has physical problems currently so can't help much right now but really wish i could. Blessings and hugs for now.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
61,104
30,232
113
#95
Hi Magenta, lifelonglearner,

This might help. My mom really likes her videos. I like them too. Its nothing wild like some of the yoga that's popular today 🙄 but its pretty fun
Hello Ms Daisy thank you so much for the video ... I do see the ads a lot on my phone when I'm doing various things... ads for both chair Yoga and also wall Pilates, though many more for the yoga stuff. I would like to think I would be able to do it at some point but I'm not sure that I could manage it...
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
61,104
30,232
113
#96
You sound very young... It would help to know how old you are...
Perhaps he will not mind me answering in the meantime, before he can answer for himself, to let you know that he is I believe 15 years old. That is the age I was when I started using mind and mood altering substances on a more regular basis, and it wasn't until I was 39 years old, when I cried out to God for help, that I lost the desire to use after being directed to Narcotics Anonymous. I certainly was not a believer in those days, but I had been attending AA for a few years by then just to listen to people share about the circumstances of their lives. It helps to know we're not alone. I am out having coffee right now sort of whispering into my phone LOL and I would love to share more with you, but if you would like to know more about my recovery journey, some of my testimony is in my scripture art thread on page 2 and there is also a thread called Christians in recovery... Since I am on my phone right now I cannot retrieve the link for you right now but I will post it for you later, as there is probably a lot of things in that thread from a number of people that you would find helpful.
 

enril

Active member
Aug 18, 2024
470
206
43
15
#98
My heart goes out to you Enril, God's blessings, much love and hugs to you.

You sound very young and sadly, it also sounds like you don't have much, if any support within your family. Noticed you said your life and mind are in a mess right now, does that mean you were in a better place recently?

It would help to know how old you are, all sorts of possibilities regarding what might have happened to cause your pain, are going through my head. Seoulsearch and Sean have offered great advice but think you need in person help. You use a truly wise quote from Brandon Sanderson, which suggests you have a pretty mature understanding of what caused your troubles and could make quick progress with the right help.

Wondering if a Christian youth counsellor might be of interest to you, one might be available through a local chapel or church to you. Will look in soon to see if you've replied, sadly, i'm an old dear who has physical problems currently so can't help much right now but really wish i could. Blessings and hugs for now.
I recently became christian. (18 june) I was lost for about 3-4 years before that, in porn, depression, almost, but thankfully not quite, drugs, sex, suicide. after becoming christian, my life changed completely, but, since then, it has recently been getting broken again. my faith is stronger than ever, but my mind is not.

yep, I'm 15. pretty sure you now know what caused my pain, if not, I am absolutely open to sharing more. I have been texting with a friend, and she has helped me through a lot. And I also have been talking to my youth pastor, we plan to meet sometime soon in person. I could. but I am still hanging on to the past.
Brandon Sanderson is one of my favorite authors.
 

Publican

Active member
Oct 1, 2024
438
228
43
#99
So many great testimonies, I wish there were more.

My spiritual journey began as a child, going to church and spending time studying scripture with my Grandmother.

I was a neglected kid who ended up getting molested a couple of times. Never fit in anywhere, I'm 57 and still don't fit in anywhere, and I've gotten used to it.

I spent much of my teenage years afraid that I was gay because of the sexual abuse. Started smoking pot at 10 years old, was a full fledged alcoholic by 15, the year I left home.

I moved back in with my mom briefly at 18, she lived behind a gay nightclub. You had to walk by it to get to the main road, the gays would always approach me and offer me drinks, eventually I gave in. I was an alcoholic. For the next three years I lived the life of a male prostitute. Yeah, pretty gross huh?

At 21 I met and quickly married the woman who would become the mother of my five children and got married.

I was taught the truth, I knew right from wrong. I wanted to be a good husband and father, but I was just a drunken confused kid who couldn't get it together no matter how hard I tried.

I'm pretty sure my mom was a narcissist, and she passed some of that on to me, along with depression and anxiety etc, it runs in the family. So here I am, 22 year old kid, with a child and a child on the way, drinking and doing drugs and still hitting the bars. I would stay gone for days sometimes. I had panic attacks, suicidal ideation, and constant fear of death. Shooting dope with queers in the middle of an AIDS epidemic will do that to you.

Just before Christmas in 1989 I went to a party and didn't come home till New Years day. My wife didn't say a word to me. I went into my bedroom and spent much of that day and evening crying out to the Universe, not Christ, I had been reading the bible since I got married, off and on when I wasn't getting drunk. But it didn't seem to be doing much good. How wrong I was. So I just cried out, "If there's anyone out there please help me, I'm dying. Whoever's out there, if you fix me I will serve you the rest of my life."

Upon awaking the next morning, I was a completely different person.
Zero desire for alcohol, drugs, or even cigarettes. My fear of death was so far gone I didn't even realize it until months later.

I didn't know what or Who had happened to me, but I knew I was changed. So I sat down in my favorite chair and grabbed my bible. The words were leaping off the page and into my heart. I had been reading the bible my whole life and never really understood it.
And now I did. And realized that it was Christ who had saved me.

From the moment of my conversion I began to share what Christ had done for me with any and everyone who would listen. And quite a few who were gonna hear it whether they wanted to or not. Youthful Zeal, lol.

And that's how my spiritual journey began.

Much has transpired since that time. Many ups and downs, many trials, many failures. But Christ has been faithful through it all.
 

jacko

Well-known member
Sep 2, 2024
1,111
609
113
So many great testimonies, I wish there were more.

My spiritual journey began as a child, going to church and spending time studying scripture with my Grandmother.

I was a neglected kid who ended up getting molested a couple of times. Never fit in anywhere, I'm 57 and still don't fit in anywhere, and I've gotten used to it.

I spent much of my teenage years afraid that I was gay because of the sexual abuse. Started smoking pot at 10 years old, was a full fledged alcoholic by 15, the year I left home.

I moved back in with my mom briefly at 18, she lived behind a gay nightclub. You had to walk by it to get to the main road, the gays would always approach me and offer me drinks, eventually I gave in. I was an alcoholic. For the next three years I lived the life of a male prostitute. Yeah, pretty gross huh?

At 21 I met and quickly married the woman who would become the mother of my five children and got married.

I was taught the truth, I knew right from wrong. I wanted to be a good husband and father, but I was just a drunken confused kid who couldn't get it together no matter how hard I tried.

I'm pretty sure my mom was a narcissist, and she passed some of that on to me, along with depression and anxiety etc, it runs in the family. So here I am, 22 year old kid, with a child and a child on the way, drinking and doing drugs and still hitting the bars. I would stay gone for days sometimes. I had panic attacks, suicidal ideation, and constant fear of death. Shooting dope with queers in the middle of an AIDS epidemic will do that to you.

Just before Christmas in 1989 I went to a party and didn't come home till New Years day. My wife didn't say a word to me. I went into my bedroom and spent much of that day and evening crying out to the Universe, not Christ, I had been reading the bible since I got married, off and on when I wasn't getting drunk. But it didn't seem to be doing much good. How wrong I was. So I just cried out, "If there's anyone out there please help me, I'm dying. Whoever's out there, if you fix me I will serve you the rest of my life."

Upon awaking the next morning, I was a completely different person.
Zero desire for alcohol, drugs, or even cigarettes. My fear of death was so far gone I didn't even realize it until months later.

I didn't know what or Who had happened to me, but I knew I was changed. So I sat down in my favorite chair and grabbed my bible. The words were leaping off the page and into my heart. I had been reading the bible my whole life and never really understood it.
And now I did. And realized that it was Christ who had saved me.

From the moment of my conversion I began to share what Christ had done for me with any and everyone who would listen. And quite a few who were gonna hear it whether they wanted to or not. Youthful Zeal, lol.

And that's how my spiritual journey began.

Much has transpired since that time. Many ups and downs, many trials, many failures. But Christ has been faithful through it all.

man, thanks a crazy story.

I use to be a gang banger in high school and I was at a party being thrown by my homeboy and someone got killed. I knew that it wasn't the life for me after.