Re: Donuts with dad...

That's really nice. I've always been a Daddy's girl. I'm always thankful for the time I spend with my dad, it really means a lot to me, especially one on one time, when I get my dad's full attention without my little brother interupting my every sentence. I'm not sure if my dad realizes it or not, but time with my dad means the world to me. Your daughter is really blessed to have a dad that does things with her, when I was little, my dad let me down a lot, he's an alcoholic, he doesn't drink anymore, but when he did, he couldn't ever keep his promises. I'm really grateful for the time I get to spend with my dad, I love talking to him about everything. Especially God, that's always our most meaningful conversations.

Re: Donuts with dad...

Great story, Kyle! My little girl is 2 years old and I look foward to those moments with her when she tells me what she's thankful for.
I pray that you have a blessed trip to Latin America and that you're able to touch many people with the good news about Christ!

Re: Donuts with dad...

Truly being grateful for what we have. I often think I do a good job at this. Props to myself! However when I really think about it, "Am I grateful for what I have", or for "where I am in life," I realize how short I fall. I have to say I don't thank God enough for what I have and in fact I often ask Him why He has not given me certain things in my life... Talk about ungrateful. When I begin to wonder why God has not given me something in life I should also remember "nothing is owed to me." Thanks for the reminder Kyle. God loves us and we get to spend eternity with him, that is more then enough and infinitely more than I deserve.

Re: Donuts with dad...

I am very grateful for the life that I have. When I find myself feeling sorry for myself I remind myself that there's always someone who has it worse. When my dad went to Pueblo, Mexico, he saw a lot of poverty, there were homeless children on the streets, houses down there had water tanks on top of there houses, and that was where their water came from. He said that it was a life changing expierence and he is so thankful for the life he has. In America, it doens't matter how you grow up, anyone can make there selves a better life, we have a free education here. You could grow up poor and end up becoming really sucessful. But it places like Mexico, and Africa, kids don't get that opportunity. I think that people that have to earn things in life are going to appreciate things a lot more than the people who have it handed to them. When you spend a lot of money on something you aren't going to let it go to waste, but if someone has something bought for them then they won't care as much if it goes to waste. I think that it doesn't matter if you live a hard life, as long as you get an eternal life with God, the life you had on earth will seem so small.

Re: Donuts with dad...

Surprise, surprise-I get back from Basic and the site is all topsy turvy. Is it safe releasing your opinions to the rest of the Internet? lol.

Anyways, I wish I could understand moments like that. The closest my family ever came to enjoyable was Thanksgiving holidays. We had one year where mom and dad and I went bowling on Sundays, but they never truly tried and reinforced and raised me like you are raising your kids.

I hope some of the youth of Cedar Creek is watching, so I'm not the only one learning.....

Re: Donuts with dad...

Kyle,

As I listened to your (excellent) message this weekend, it brought up something that I have struggled with for many years of my faith. Specifically, is Hell actually conscious and eternal suffering? Most pastors I have worshipped under seem clearly convinced that this is the case. However, after years of re-reading scripture on the subject and discussing with other Christians, I still remain unconvinced of this specific point. The jury is still out for me on this. This is normally not the case for me. While many Biblical teaching are difficult, I accept them based on faith and trust in God and His word. I am plenty convinced that Hell is nowhere anyone wants to be, and the truth of this point has little impact on my personal faith. My struggle is that that I don’t want us Christians to exaggerate what Hell is without CLEAR scriptural support just to make the effect more compelling to the lost. If we do this, we lose the trust of those we wish to save.

The scripture is very clear that Hell is an eternal, unquenchable fire, but I don’t see where it says that the lost will be “conscious” for eternity in this fire. The scripture says the lost are headed for “Eternal Destruction”. But does these mean destroyed forever, as in no coming back, no resurrection? (certainly yes) Or, does this communicate that the process of being destroyed lasts forever while one is conscious? On this, I have not yet interpreted scripture to clearly state this. The concept of “destruction” sounds more like an end with no return (vs. and ongoing process).

I have read the scriptures I can find on the suffering, weeping and gnashing of teeth that will take place for those not in the Lamb’s Book. But, I don’t think I have seen “consciously eternal” directly tied to this suffering. I have no doubt that there will be suffering at the judgment where Christ makes The Truth clear to all.

This whole question for me is similar to the “will the Rapture be pre, mid, or post tribulation”. Most pastor leave open the possibility of multiple interpretations on this. However, I seem to be in a small minority in this Hell subject which makes me question whether I am clouded by something other than the Holy Spirit. Or, could it be that this is something that has not been clearly interpreted throughout the ages?

God has many harsh truths, yet on none of these, does it ever make me question the loving character of God. Eternal conscious torture does seem a little out of the character of the God I know. However, if the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit speak otherwise, I want to embrace the truth where it is clear.

I would appreciate any thoughts you (or others) have on this, or scripture I may have missed to help with the clarity. Feel free to move this to the new blog I see on the site if you like.

Re: Donuts with dad...

God Bless you and your children and may the Blessings you offer in Honduras follow you home. My daughter and I do a thank you Jesus every night and I must be honest, tears roll down my cheeks almost every night because the absolute honesty she shares. "How come I talk to Jesus but I can hear him". "I love you Jesus and I know you love me". His Glory shines brightly.............

I know my dad loves me

So Saturday was probably one of the worst days of my life. And I don't think I handled it the way I should have. Like I said, I'm a daddy's girl, and my dad has always pretty much given me what I want, he feels guilty for not getting to see me often, so he usually gives in. So my dad's girlfriend has been complaining about that, and she made a smart comment to me about it and my dad got really mad. I thought he was going to leave her, but after several hours of arguing, he decided to stay. I however, never liked my dad's girfriend in the first place and wasn't going to stay. I sat in the car as she tried to apologize, she tried to talk to me a lot, I didn't wnat to hear any of it, I thought that if my dad loved me, he would have left her. I got out of the car and took off running. I ran all the way to the park outside Bay Park Hospital, I was there for a long time, crying and praying, I thought that my dad wasn't supposed to be with her and that he'd leave her if he loved me. I finally came back, my dad was so worried, I think he was crying, my mom was there too, I was expecting to get yelled at, but instead my dad took me in his arms and told me that he loved me so much. I now know that my dad's love for me is greater than I can imagine. I know I shouldn't have ran away, I wish I didn't. Now I don't know if my dad should be with his girfriend, but whatever God's Will is should be, so maybe this isn't God's Will or maybe it it, I don't know, but I'm sure I'll find out someday, it'll take it's course.

Re: Donuts with dad...

Kelly-I guess I could relate to your problem myself. As a teenager, I used to get in huge fights with my mom, I would run away, only I would for sometimes weeks at a time. But although you may feel like it, you shouldn't run away, it won't solve your problems, when I would come back, there was only more problems waiting for me. I can tell from your dad's reactions that he really loves you. I wish that I could have had that great of a relationship with my dad. And this just may be my opinion, but about your dad's girfriend, it seems to me that if this person would treat you like that, then you sawa whif of her true colors, and soon you dad will realize that, at this relationship just may not last. I'm just saying, you can really really tell that your dad loves you, he'll probably put you first, because that's what's right.

Re: Donuts with dad...

yeah, thats right...all the way from choluteca honduras! forgive the whacked out typos you may find here...these keyboards are crazy. im scared of it...i havent read ony of the comments but i just wanted to let everyone know things are going great here. its about 90 degrees here in the jungle, the team we are with is absolutely crazy...we're having a ton of fun. our hotel has a computer belive it or not...ill check in here from time to time, all is well from choluteca - these people are incredible:)

Re: Donuts with dad...

Kelly, I know this sounds so cliche, but when dealing with your dad's girlfriend just keep telling yourself "what would Jesus do? what would Jesus do?" and I think He'll give you the answer. You are most definitely spiritually mature however you still have the emotions of a teenager hurt by the affects of divorce. Cut yourself some slack, cut your dad's girlfriend and (this is important here) cut your dad some slack. He sounds like a good man who loves you and wants the best for you, however, remember he is only human and so is his girlfriend. Remember, its not your job to determine who is or is not good for your dad, it's your job to love your dad and be supportive of him even if you aren't crazy about his decisions. If he is a believer God will make GOOD of his decisions wheter they be good or POOR DECISIONS. Keep searchin, girl...you got it goin on!! Peace.