I know there are a thousand ways that God blesses us each day, but has there been a special occasion in your life when you were particularly aware of His hand directing you, or His arms around you? Please take the time to post. Sometimes this is more important than discussing scriptural obscurities.

I am being blessed by two things.

1. I have started going through the "survival kit & basic training kits from www.FAST.ST . Nobody bothered to teach me how to be a Bible following Christian in a systamatic organized way. I have had to pick up what I could along the way & things here and there from others. This survival kit & basic training kit help fill a big void.

2. Secondly, seeing happy and kind SDA friends share happiness across cyberspace. The interchange of happiness brings back memories of childlike times with God and others, even though the memories are unrelated to that particular thread. It helps rekindle childlike Agape within. Tell Dora that flowers are God's direct smiles & that chat thread is His grins and hugs across the miles. The benefits of the transparent joys of true friendship are contagious.

Gerry Buck was praying for a heater, so it's time to start praying for an excellent and powerful A/C for Zyph and family. Till then Dora could airmail some snow .

This may sound strange top you, but, it did happen.

A few years ago, around fathers day, I was lamenting the fact that I never knew my 'real' father [I was raised by a step-father] and never enjoyed all the little frills that go with it.
For my football banquet, when I received my letter in football, I was alone, watching all the other boys there with their fathers.
When I won a medal in band, and received the award, none of my parents were there.
I was feeling especially depressed as my step dad died the year before and now I was truly an 'orphan', my mother went to her rest in Dec. of 1990, I 'heard' the words 'I'll be your father', not really a voice, but something.
It was then that I finally realized that all these years the 'Father' that really mattered, had been there all along.
To some, I might sound like I'm saying God talked to me, but that wasn't it, He just put His arms around me and gave me a hug, to let me know He is here, with me at all times.
That makes life bearable (sp?), doesn't it.

Ed, I thank you for the offer of prayer. How lovely that would be. But we survived the heat, and I know Gerry's need was greater in the bitter cold. If an air conditioner arrives unexpectedly, I'll know you went ahead and prayed anyway!

Gerry, your story reminded me of a similar experience I had in the 1980's. I was in the throes of a relationship breakup with a man. We were still seeing each other, but weren't happy. Each was waiting for the other to end it. I was driving along a highway to his house, feeling sorry for myself, and praying that God would help me to feel better. I experienced, out of the blue, a "voice" in my mind, rather than my ears, but so clearly that it seemed audible. It said, "You don't need to feel better, you need repentance." Now, this wasn't my thought. I had been having arguments with this man about Ellen White. He was an Adventist, but had come to believe Mrs White was deceived, or a liar. I hadn't been a church member for 13 years (since I stopped attending as a teenager). He kept carrying on about the supposed lies told by the SDA church, and I kept saying I wasn't interested in discussing the issue, because it wasn't my problem. Eventually, he had undermined my faith so much, I knew I had to investigate his claims to settle things in my mind once and for all. I knew if what I had believed since I was 12 years old was a lie, I had to know, and live with the consequences. I had begun reading the bible again, as well as some of Ellen White (I can't remember which books), and I was being convinced more than ever of the truth and absolute spirituality of Adventist doctrine and Mrs White's writings. I had no intention of going back to church at that time. And now, this odd thought. But I was convinced God "spoke" to my mind on that occasion, and I never experienced anything like it before or since. I wasn't converted on the spot. That took a little longer. But the thought stayed with me, and when I reached the point where I knew I couldn't ever live a "normal" life because I messed everything up, I told God if He didn't intervene right then, I'd die. I meant it. He intervened, and I followed the moving of the Holy Spirit, studied the bible all the time, and became desperate to be where God was - Prayer Meeting, church, anywhere.

In spite of the fact that I am the world's biggest backslider, and I've hurt God terribly in the process, He has continued to travel all the difficult places with me, He has given me strength when I just didn't think there was anything left, and He has spared me a thousand embarrassing moments. He has kept me fed and clothed, He has preserved the life of my precious son, and He gives me the wisdom I desperately need in my job, which I couldn't begin to do if it weren't for Him.

Zyph,

I think I have stumbled upon another potential blessing, from Readers Digest no less.

I have found an article called "Are boys the weaker sex?"

I took a highlighter pen & marked the books & authors & physicians listed. Then went to Google Search Engine, found lots. The people listed are all degree holding medical people so I will skip titles unless they are not authors & still medical professionals (to save typing - convalessing from the flu.)

Books:
1."Real Boys" & two other volumns in that series by - William Pollack

2."Raising Cain" - Michael Thompson (co-author)

3."The war against boys" - Christina Hoff Sommers

4."Boys and Girls learn differently" - Michael Gurian

Do you have any of these books ?

I do not expect them to be as accurate as the Bible & SOP, but they might develop and articulate in a way that validates what the Bible & SOP say, for an "opening wedge of emotional healing" for non SDA's & SDA's & former SDA's . Many SDA's have been cultivated and trained to be revolted and turned off by the SOP & the Bible. At least here in the U.S.A., and the main thing this article brings to mind is potential hope to repair my infulence during my children's developmental years. Compairing Inspiration & human research I might both find and develop understanding & tools to heal my children & brighten my home. Too bad this has only begun as empty nesters. Sooner would have been better.

But I must add also, God's gift in the Bible believing parents inspired helps. Deuteronomy 30:2,6,8,10 & on. (I used the KJV)

1 ¶ And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee,

2 And shalt return unto the LORD thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul;

3 That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee.

4 If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the LORD thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee:

5 And the LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers.

6 And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.

7 And the LORD thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, which persecuted thee.

8 And thou shalt return and obey the voice of the LORD, and do all his commandments which I command thee this day.

9 And the LORD thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for good: for the LORD will again rejoice over thee for good, as he rejoiced over thy fathers:

10 If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn unto the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.

11 ¶ For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off.

12 It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?

13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?

14 But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.

15 ¶ See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;

16 In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.

17 But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them;

18 I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it.

19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

20 That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

SOP books - (just a list from memory)
Ministry of Healing, Christ's Object Lessons, Steps To Christ, Adventist Home, Child Guidence, Mind Character and Personality (2 volumes), Conflict of the Ages Series. I had all these books & used them too little, if at all when Joel and Suzanne were little. It seems, though more difficult logistically due to distance, there may be another chance.

The local SDA Hospital Chaplin wants me to give a testimony @ Church. I do not want to revert to spotlight getting behaviourism sensationalism.

Focusing the folks on what God can and does do, and how with the mass exodus of kids (especially adult kids) from Church. Here is what we can do to connect with God ourselves, here is what we can do to help our kids, here is what we must do to personally change to accomplish that.

They don't need to see me, they need to see Him & His solutions for their families & themselves & practical solutions gleaned from many sources and compaired with inspiration . Maybe this is part of the helping and blessing others kicked into a higher gear.

There is a list of SOP quotes & Bible texts that profoundly affected my life as an SDA after God called me out of 6 yrs of backslidding & seperation from Him. I think the post is getting really long so I will build the list & post seperatly.

In regards to :
Deuteronomy 30:

SOP Quotes from Index List off of EGW CD ROM Disk. I have not tried searching for key words & phrases from the Bible texts yet.

Chapter 30

30:1 TDG 195:5
30:6 LHU 229:3; PM 280:0; TDG 161:1; TMK 202:4
30:16 UL 175:k
30:19 TSB 136:2; UL 140:k

TDG = This Day With God (1979)
LHU = Lift Him Up (1988)
PM = The Publishing Ministry (1983)
UL = The Upward Look (1982)
TSB = Testimonies on Sexual Behavior, Adultery, and Divorce (1989)
*********************
On to the SOP Quotes & Bible texts that profoundly affected me.

My unspoken question : How will I ever fit in to Heaven ? How will I ever be ready ???

SOP Answers - List - A. #1. - 8.“The completeness of Christian character is attained when .....” & list B.- # 1. - 4. We cannot discern the character of God, or accept Christ by faith, unless we consent to the .......” List C. #1.- 2. “When.....then for us His mission is accomplished. ”-. I have 18 pages compiled from hunting up these three quotes where ever they are listed on this EGW CD ROM Disk.

[ January 24, 2002: Message edited by: Edward F Sutton ]

Wow, Ed! This will keep me off the street for quite a while. Thank you.

I feel a bit disappointed with the fact that only a few people have responded to this.

Zyph;
all in the life of an internet poster.
I have so many of those experiences that I will share a particlarly intersting one for me. I had to put my car into the shop about two years ago. The mechanic ordered a part, it took about a week to get and I was without a car. Church friends were taking me to work and bringing me home. I was trying to gather enough funds to get the car back out but couldn't. I was going to borrow some money from a friend and just before I left to get the car God told me that the friend would not loan me the money. Sure enough the friend did not. God then played out a scenario in my mind of how that day would unfold. I went to the mechanic and put enough money on my account to pay him back for the part that he had ordered and paid for, and I told him I did not want his Christmas to be effected because he had to put money out of pocket for me. He went over to the key rack took me out to my car, started it up and said get in. He asked me to pay for it when I could. It was just like God had played it out in my mind before I had arrived. God does those kinds of things all the time for me. Praise His name.

Zyph, not responded cause I am in between blessings! apart from the normal everyday ones

While I am recovering from a broken wrist, husband is struggling with a large hernia - funding available in April.

Son is looking for work after having the rug pulled from under him suddenly.

Life is just a tad painful, but the blessing is, it could be worse. At least I live in a relatively safe country, though even that now has to be questioned. 3 murders in a week in the South Island.