It’s been a long time since the last post but my daughter has finally written a new post on her blog. It’s frank; it’s raw; it’s honest.
Friends over the years…
Ever got that feeling of complete and utter pointlessness? I have. It’s horrible. No purpose in your life. Nothing inspires you, nothing motivates you, nothing gives you hope. It is literally hopeless.
On a Friday, my best friend at school is leaving. Friday. Monday is going to be hell. She has been my lifeline since all my old friends fell out with me. She likes the same music, has the same sense of humour, we even think the same guys are sexy! (Andy Biersack, I’m looking at you) She’s not afraid to be herself, problems, flaws and all.
Around her, I’m not afraid to be myself either.
She’s great. Inspiring even.
But… she’s leaving.
There isn’t anything I can do to stop that.
There isn’t anything I can do to stop my school closing in around 8 weeks either.
Helplessness.
That is the origin of…
View original post 491 more words
kenthinksaloud 
I would just like to say that Helen’s “version of God” and the Japanese missionaries “version of God” (the one who sent the tsunami), is also my “version of God” and the only God who exists.
Any other “version of God” is a figment of your imagination and you need to repent of the sin of idolotry and put your trust in the God of the Bible, before you meet Him and He gives you justice.
All I see here is a Christian (Helen) reaching out in love with the truth of God’s Word to those who are showing good evidence of being lost.
Repent and believe the Gospel.
LikeLike
Dale – you’re an idiot. Worse, you are undoubtedly someone who damages people who need love.
Your version of God is a false one as far as I’m concerned and I would want nothing to do with him if he exists. Thankfully I believe in a much better, much kinder and more humane faith. I’m far from lost and wouldn’t trust in you to help me find the way if I was. Good luck with Helen – you seem well suited.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Jesus said: “But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.” (Matthew 5:22)
Sorry if this sounds harsh and unloving , Ken, but these words, above, ARE THE WORDS of JESUS! Perhaps you find them not kind or humane, and would prefer “a much kinder and more humane faith?” Well, they ARE THE WORDS OF JESUS! – You seem to struggle with the Jesus as revealed in scripture and prefer a Jesus of your imagination…? A different Jesus is not the Jesus of the gospel and a different Jesus/different gospel does not save!
LikeLike
Helen, you continue to misuse scripture and I really don’t know why you bother. I will bring this thread to an end to save you from looking any worse than you do already so please don’t respond to this. Neither you nor Dale will be able to publish on this thread.
I did not react to either you or Dale in anger nor with swear words as Jesus implies in your quote. I told the truth. He’s an idiot and he’s destructive pure and simple. I don’t hate either of you. I pity you. I would pity you more but I save that for the poor unfortunates who come across you in real life.
Matthew 7:16 says “By their fruit you will recognize them.”
Wherever I’ve gone, in Cumbria, in the UK, around the world (via the internet) when your name has come up it has been met with derision and disgust. There is no sign of the fruit mentioned in Galations 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” I’ve yet to find anyone who has commended you for any of these qualities. Instead, I hear story after story of people you have abused. I still recall you as the woman who slapped the children of non-Christian visitors in Church because you didn’t like how they were behaving.
Read the Bible carefully and you will see that Jesus only judges those who claim to believe for they should know better – and then only to the pompous and arrogant who are a burden to others. To non-believers he shows only love, care and tenderness. I address you as a believer as Jesus would (remember he told Peter “Get behind me Satan”?) To non-Believers I would rather show them Christ’s love (imperfectly because I’m pathetically sinful) by action. Life before lip – there is no other way and Jesus showed that perfectly.
Believe me I have no axe to grind and I am not trying to be cruel but I suspect very few people are telling you what you need to hear. You don’t bear fruit, instead your reputation is one of tearing down and closing doors to any who would actually want to hear your message. Dale also has the same reputation. I’ll make a prediction – within the next few years you will turn on each other. Wolves always do eventually.
I have no interest in your opinions of my faith. I don’t go around pretending I am right or pure – in fact my faith comes from knowing that I am unlovable yet am loved anyway. I live each day in the strength that no matter how bad, how sinful I am, I will be loved regardless and what I have received I try my best to share with others. It is not up to me to judge others – there is only one who can do that – but it IS up to me to love others.
It is in loving others and desiring to save them from harm that I stand up to your words of destruction and condemnation and tell you what I believe to be true. I don’t care whether you’ll listen to these words or not. I will only carry out what Romans 14:16 commands: “Therefore do not let what you know is good be spoken of as evil.”
LikeLike
“Everything is meaningless!” (Ecclesiastes 1:2) “Remember your creator in the days of your youth.” (Ecclesiastes 12:1)
LikeLike
Sad….. Regarding the purpose of life, The Westminster Shorter Catechism asks: Q:”What is the chief end (purpose) of man?” A: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and enjoy him forever.”
LikeLike
So the Christian experiences the blessed state where “Life without purpose” does not exist! Glorifying God IS our purpose! And life is no longer meaningless!
LikeLike
Do you actually bother to think of others when you spout your ivory tower judgements Helen? ‘Love is kind’ is a good Biblical place to start…
LikeLike
I have suffered years of domestic violence and abuse that has left me feeling suicidal in the past… (But through the grace of God I am still here.)
The comments I posted above are the things that have got ME through the difficulties of living in a fallen world…. (And things I would like others to say to ME at my lowest moments.) I write them so that they might be a comfort and encouragement to others as they have been a comfort and encouragement to me. No matter what happens to us God is Sovereign and in control of EVERYTHING that happens to us…. even when we can’t make sense of it. I encourage myself with such thoughts, and would like to encourage others.
My pastor and others in my church often quote “The chief end of man is to glorify God… ” – it is an encouragement to all of us.
– I don’t know why you attribute to me “ivory tower judgements.” Given what I have suffered I could find that deeply distressing, but God in His mercy has of late given me a new strength to cope with abuse and abusers. That was not always the case.
I quoted the bible book of Ecclesiastes because it deals so wonderfully with the age-old problem of finding life meaningless… explores the empty pleasures people find solace in, and builds to a crescendo, where the only answer to the apparent meaningless of life is to trust in God…. It’s a good read!
I hope you can see that I meant my comments in a good, right spirit.
LikeLike
What you’ve gone through is no excuse for being a ‘Job’s Comforter’. Thankfully you put your comments here and not on my daughter’s blog or there would be a very different conversation taking place now. Telling someone who is down that “the Christian experiences the blessed state where “Life without purpose” does not exist!” does nothing but heap judgement upon them. It is a classic example of the errors of Job’s ‘friends’ and does not come across as a ‘good, right spirit’. If you really would have found such a statement helpful to you in your times of distress than I would be wary of sharing with others as you are completely out of touch with what is needed for offering sympathy and care.
And do not EVER try to compare my words to that of abusers – you’re not the only one who has suffered abuse and suicidal thoughts. I’ll trump your ace every time on that one…
LikeLike
This is a reply to Ken’s reply to my long reply. ( I don’t seem able to reply to his reply to my reply – Gremlins!)
Yesterday my church hosted a visiting missionary from Japan, who is a pastor/church planter in the town that experienced the tsunami. The missionary told how God sends these disasters as a wake up call to the survivors, and the rest of the world, that “Unless you repent, you too will perish.” (Luke 13:3-5). The missionary said how these people’s greatest need post-disaster was to hear the gospel and be saved, not shelter, blankets etc…. He presented the tsunami as a blessing, cos some where saved, through having been made to think, and he prayed that God would use it for good, by bringing as many to faith as were killed in the tsunami… (I hope I have not represented his sentiments too clumsily!) Was the missionary insensitive to take this approach? Many in the congregation, myself included were mightily encouraged!)
Of course I avoided commenting on your daughter’s blog as she is a child, and I don’t know if she professes to be a Christian, so I would not say anything on a child’s blog which she could misinterpret….. But you Ken are a professed Christian, and a writer, thinker and intellectual (more than me!, so I presumed you could take it.) I have conversations like this with Christian facebook friends all the time. The analogy with Job’s comforters is not apt, as I intended my remarks to encourage, as I MYSELF am encouraged by the same.
LikeLike
I’m sure Job’s friends believed they were encouraging him. They were guilty merely of having a fixed idea of what was wrong and condemning him with their attempts to solve his problem.
That you praise a preacher who presents a tsunami as a blessing and a ‘wake up call to survivors’ says it all really. I am appalled by your words and yet again find no love, no compassion, no mercy in your words. I do not recognise your version of God nor do I ever wish to.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love this.. very honest and thought-provoking.. But she is your daughter after all..!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes she is indeed. We both have our ups and downs and both find solace in writing about it 🙂
LikeLike
As do I.. Lovely sense of relief
LikeLiked by 1 person