So Mich.... - Page 7

ILG · #61 08-20-2014, 07:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KeptByTheWord

Yes, I'm sure it is scary in a sense, but I believe the Lord is leading, and guiding you to a place where you can grow in your relationship with Him, and despite your difficult past, there is a better future with the lessons you have learned already.

Well I won't be jumping into anything.

ILG · #62 08-20-2014, 07:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by strait shooter

For some reason after reading this thread these lyrics from The Grateful Deads song "Truckin" come to mind...

"Sometimes the lights all shinin on me;
Other times I can barely see.
Lately it occurs to me what a long, strange trip its been."

Indeed.

KeptByTheWord · #63 08-20-2014, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ILG

Well I won't be jumping into anything.

No, and that's a good thing!

Dichotomy Girl · #64 08-20-2014, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ILG

I went to a little church in town here today. I've been kind of scared of it because I feel that way about all seeming charismatic/pentecostal churches. Well, today I sucked in my breath and charged forth.

The music was great. The preaching was great. I was very blessed in the service and felt some spiritual breakthroughs that I needed.

The pastor and his wife were gone on vacation.

I expected about 5 people and a boring service that I couldn't wait to get out of. Instead, there were about 35 people and I was engaged from start to finish.

Now, I'm terrified. I went home with my stomach in knots and had to pray and decompress for about 10 minutes and cry and get it out of my system.

I want to marry the Lutheran church with this one and go there.

My brain tells me to go one place and my heart another. So, I have no idea where the journey will take me. Anyway, I am not in any big hurry. I have concerns about going to any serious Bible believing church since I don't believe in a literal interpretation. But maybe this is the way I have been supposed to believe all along while in a church like that. I dunno.

So, pray for me. Who knows....

Sorry once again for the delayed response (they always end up in my spam folder!)

I'm glad that you enjoyed yourself, and sorry that it freaked you out!

It's hard sometimes....For me, it's like I have this longing for intimacy, the desire to stop holding God at arm's length. But at the same time, I'm afraid of letting Him close, mainly because part of me is afraid in part, of those pesky strings that are attached, and secondly of returning to the obsessive state that I worked so hard to overcome.

Basically, I think it's hard for people like us to find a good solid middle ground, we want to go all in, but I think we let it take us to an unhealthy place.

ILG · #65 08-20-2014, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dichotomy Girl

Sorry once again for the delayed response (they always end up in my spam folder!)

I'm glad that you enjoyed yourself, and sorry that it freaked you out!

It's hard sometimes....For me, it's like I have this longing for intimacy, the desire to stop holding God at arm's length. But at the same time, I'm afraid of letting Him close, mainly because part of me is afraid in part, of those pesky strings that are attached, and secondly of returning to the obsessive state that I worked so hard to overcome.

Basically, I think it's hard for people like us to find a good solid middle ground, we want to go all in, but I think we let it take us to an unhealthy place.

I was definitely at an unhealthy place before and I surely don't want to repeat it!

commonsense · #66 08-21-2014, 10:52 PM

I'm following this journey......understanding your dilemma too well

ILG · #67 09-07-2014, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by commonsense

I'm following this journey......understanding your dilemma too well

ILG · #68 09-07-2014, 10:37 AM

Okay, well......(big deep breath).....

I went back to the charismatic/pentecostal church again. This time the pastor and his family were there (they were on vacation last time). I really liked the pastor! Very happy, go-lucky sort. He preached on spiritual disciplines and how sometimes we go too far and that maybe we just need to skip rocks with God or take a walk in the woods with God or bake chocolate chip cookies with God. That was refreshing.

So, I've been there twice and I really liked it both times. So.........(this is hard to say)......I think I'm going to tryyyyyyy it. This means maybe I'll go once a month or once every two weeks and fritter around the edges and feel it out more. Gulp.

There are things I like about the Lutheran church but I had to ask myself if someone could find a vibrant walk with God there.....if they needed a conversion. I think it would be harder there than the charismatic church. I'm not ruling it out but am leaning towards the charismatic one at this point.

Sigh. Excited and exhausted.

Dichotomy Girl · #69 09-08-2014, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ILG

Okay, well......(big deep breath).....

I went back to the charismatic/pentecostal church again. This time the pastor and his family were there (they were on vacation last time). I really liked the pastor! Very happy, go-lucky sort. He preached on spiritual disciplines and how sometimes we go too far and that maybe we just need to skip rocks with God or take a walk in the woods with God or bake chocolate chip cookies with God. That was refreshing.

So, I've been there twice and I really liked it both times. So.........(this is hard to say)......I think I'm going to tryyyyyyy it. This means maybe I'll go once a month or once every two weeks and fritter around the edges and feel it out more. Gulp.

There are things I like about the Lutheran church but I had to ask myself if someone could find a vibrant walk with God there.....if they needed a conversion. I think it would be harder there than the charismatic church. I'm not ruling it out but am leaning towards the charismatic one at this point.

Sigh. Excited and exhausted.

Yay! I'm happy for you! I still haven't been back to any church.

This past week I was on a vacation get together with a group of ex-upc'ers I know from a different forum. Ironically, our get together coincided in time and place with the WPF conference

I haven't seen that many apostolics in I don't know when! I was tempted to go to the convention and see if I could find Steve Epley!

The last night I was there I dreamed that I went "undercover" to an Apostolic conference. I was wearing a big hat so that they couldn't tell that my hair was short. My husband was with me and he kept saying things like "Isn't gay marriage great?" and I would be all "Shut up! They are going to know!" LOL

KeptByTheWord · #70 09-08-2014, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ILG

Okay, well......(big deep breath).....

I went back to the charismatic/pentecostal church again. This time the pastor and his family were there (they were on vacation last time). I really liked the pastor! Very happy, go-lucky sort. He preached on spiritual disciplines and how sometimes we go too far and that maybe we just need to skip rocks with God or take a walk in the woods with God or bake chocolate chip cookies with God. That was refreshing.

So, I've been there twice and I really liked it both times. So.........(this is hard to say)......I think I'm going to tryyyyyyy it. This means maybe I'll go once a month or once every two weeks and fritter around the edges and feel it out more. Gulp.

There are things I like about the Lutheran church but I had to ask myself if someone could find a vibrant walk with God there.....if they needed a conversion. I think it would be harder there than the charismatic church. I'm not ruling it out but am leaning towards the charismatic one at this point.

Sigh. Excited and exhausted.

Wow! Twice in a row, and you didn't run out the back door...

I can see that this would be both exciting and exhausting for you.