In an odd dither this morning

[stunnedbygrace]

Wonderfully put, Quiet. And absolutely. This is why I mentioned that STG appears to be in a good place right now, because He appears to be convicting her of some things.

This implies that she is able to handle it, and come away from it having grown stronger in some things she was once weaker in.

I don't feel convicted...I don't think He is convicting me for not being good...He knows I'm not good. I only feel convicted when I stop trusting Him and make those first motions back toward...hmm, hard to put in words...those first motions back toward trying to...do anything to be good by my own effort?

 

[stunnedbygrace]

And thanks for talking with me by the way!

 

[stunnedbygrace]

I mean that every word out of his mouth was simply what he thinks he knows about words on the pages of whatever books he has read, and the conclusions he came to from considering that information. He may be right on some things, or he may not.

Mmm... I don't know how you could determine that...you don't know him to say that every word out of his mouth is just only his own conclusions. There is such a thing as wisdom from God...

 

[Hidden In Him]

And thanks for talking with me by the way!

Well you are quite welcome, sister.

I think if there's one thing we can all identify with... it's being in a bit of a dither over our sinful state sometimes : )

 

[stunnedbygrace]

I don't feel convicted...I don't think He is convicting me for not being good...He knows I'm not good. I only feel convicted when I stop trusting Him and make those first motions back toward...hmm, hard to put in words...those first motions back toward trying to...do anything to be good by my own effort?

That whole foolish galatian thing of trying to finish by my flesh what was begun by the Spirit.

 

[Willie T]

Mmm... I don't know how you could determine that...you don't know him to say that every word out of his mouth is just only his own conclusions. There is such a thing as wisdom from God...

Do his ears glow from a halo, or something, when he talks so that you supernaturally know when he is speaking this special wisdom from God? Probably not. Fact is, it is still no more than his mind telling him (no matter how honestly and earnestly he believes something else) that he is repeating words God told him to speak. Believing the original writings and letters that were compiled into a book called the bible, were inspired is one thing...….. but to start giving people who run churches the same divine inspiration starts getting into realms we were never told to expect in the manner we have found ourselves crediting other mere men with. He's probably a very nice guy who believes he is telling you the truth of things as he understands them, but please don't start doing what has disappointed so many millions of others in the past, and assume that he has some sort of direct communication line straight to God.

 

[quietthinker]

I am not good and I'm certain that I will not jump on that useless merrygoround again. It's too much of a relief to just be honest. At least if I can't be good I can be truthful.

Self honesty is the first cab off the rank. Without it I can't be honest with others and I certainly won't be honest with God.
The Publican in Jesus story was self honest and we know what Jesus concluded.

 

[stunnedbygrace]

Do his ears glow from a halo, or something, when he talks so that you supernaturally know when he is speaking this special wisdom from God? Probably not.

Oh, so that is how men discern if a word is from the Spirit or not? The mans ears glow?

Do you believe the gift of discernment is done away with? (Mind you, I'm not asking if you think it is rare that a man who says he has this gift actually has the gift. I'm asking if you think NO man has this gift.)

 

[quietthinker]

Constant smooth seas don’t make skilled sailors.

I've done a bit of sailing solo across oceans. Rough weather and once a shipwreck that took two months to see the shores of home. God has ways of opening our eyes that we would never wish yet in hindsight, never regret.

 

[stunnedbygrace]

please don't start doing what has disappointed so many millions of others in the past, and assume that he has some sort of direct communication line straight to God.

Does discerning of spirits just mean assuming?

 

[Giuliano]

I do see why I should love others. I'm not sure you're hearing me...

I went for years always rehearsing why I should be good and love and not hold grudges and forgive. And I would determine to try harder to be good. But eventually, I would fail again to be good, which would be followed by depression. At some point, I would come out of the depression with a resolve to try again. Then would come the failure at some point again and the depression.

At some point, you have to jump off that depressing and cyclical merrygoround. You have to admit that you give up and that you aren't good. The want to is there but the doing isn't. And I'd rather be honest than deceived.

I'm talking about myself, not making any statements about anyone else. I am not good and I'm certain that I will not jump on that useless merrygoround again. It's too much of a relief to just be honest. At least if I can't be good I can be truthful.

I can't be certain, of course; but it sounds to me as if maybe you have someone in your life who isn't very healthy to be around. If that person is talking with other people in your life, it could make it almost impossible to feel loving. What's strange is that this type of person may look like the sanest person around while he or she drives others half crazy.

Frequently the unhealthy person tells us stuff about other people that makes you uncomfortable with them; odds are he's telling them stuff about you. He gives the impression he is everyone's best friend, but he's really undermining them all.

As for not feeling loving, righteous or holy? That may be a good thing in a way. Some people who have high opinions about themselves are none of those things but seem to feel that way about themselves.

I find people being courteous with me enough. If I don't know them that well, I really don't feel like putting on an act of intimacy with them. Maybe when we know each other better, maybe when we trust each other more, courtesy would develop into something else.

 

[stunnedbygrace]

I can't be certain, of course; but it sounds to me as if maybe you have someone in your life who isn't very healthy to be around. If that person is talking with other people in your life, it could make it almost impossible to feel loving. What's strange is that this type of person may look like the sanest person around while he or she drives others half crazy.

Frequently the unhealthy person tells us stuff about other people that makes you uncomfortable with them; odds are he's telling them stuff about you. He gives the impression he is everyone's best friend, but he's really undermining them all.

Hmm...you have shocked me.

Do you have a rabid passive/aggressive person in your life??

 

[stunnedbygrace]

And yes, a very clever and practiced P/A person will absolutely work in such a way that they will look like a sweetie pie and you will look like a crazy monster.

 

[Giuliano]

Hmm...you have shocked me.

Do you have a rabid passive/aggressive person in your life??

I do not. I used to. I was convinced she was my best friend. She wasn't. I found out later she was undermining me with others.

 

[stunnedbygrace]

A best friend is easier to cut ties with than a parent.

 

[Giuliano]

And yes, a very clever and practiced P/A person will absolutely work in such a way that they will look like a sweetie pie and you will look like a crazy monster.

I cannot say for sure -- but it seems odd to me that you got put into a dither over reading those notes. Something or someone appears to be undermining you and making you feel inadequate. I don't know you that well; but you seem like a loving enough person to me. That makes me wonder what happened with those notes to cave you in? It does make me wonder if you have a passive-aggressive person hanging around?

 

[Giuliano]

A best friend is easier to cut ties with than a parent.

There sometimes come a time when even a child has to cut some ties with a parent if that parent is too domineering or manipulative. It may not mean severing all ties, but it can mean not taking what they say too seriously, not believing negative things they may say, not buying into their ploys. There are some parents too who play the sympathy card, trying to get what they want by making their children feel sorry for them. If the child doesn't do it, the parent will try to make him feel guilty. It's a ploy.

Sometimes being "kind and loving" with negative people makes them worse. They know they can get what they want from you by being negative. They interpret kindness as a weakness to be exploited. That wrecks a relationship. You can drive yourself batty by trying to be kind and loving. That can affect the rest of your life by spoiling your attitude. It seems better to me to show kindness to people who aren't trying to manipulate you. It's more real.

 

[stunnedbygrace]

I cannot say for sure -- but it seems odd to me that you got put into a dither over reading those notes. Something or someone appears to be undermining you and making you feel inadequate. I don't know you that well; but you seem like a loving enough person to me. That makes me wonder what happened with those notes to cave you in? It does make me wonder if you have a passive-aggressive person hanging around?

She certainly does undermine me. She throws me under the bus every chance she gets. Its very difficult. She comes into my shop and does it in front of customers. She destroys my displays and any visual merchandising I do. She insists it is because it wasn't right or good enough or perfect enough.

I had quite a row with her 3 days ago when I insisted I was taking a big table down and redoing the front at the door. I told her I wanted it to be left alone because I liked it and believed it was good. I said I thought it looked so good that I wouldn't be surprised if someone bought the entire arrangement. She kept sneaking in changes and I kept switching it back. She said it was "just okay". I told her to stop and that I needed to make some sales and unless She was going to pay the rent, she needed to leave it be. She still kept changing it and junking it up until I lost my patience and she left offended.

Today, three days later, not only did the entire display sell (a console table I had painted, a channel back chair, a footstool, a mirror I had gold leafed) but they sold to one person, $700. AND, two different women returned who had admired the arrangement, very upset that it had sold because they'd both decided they wanted the items!

She is not pleased. It is this odd thing where she feels I outshone her. But really, I didn't. I just have seen what women like and have learned what appeals to them visually and have learned that trying to stuff too much in does not work for getting sales.

And the most puzzling thing to me is that she is very good with color and design and balance but makes it look atrocious, as if she is purposely doing it to try to make me fail...very bizarre.

I know she will be completely awful to me for days now and will be very insistent in not giving me any autonomy at all in my shop. I know it will be rough. Not looking forward to it.

And yes, it was thinking about her that made me see I do not have love for others.

 

[Waiting on him]

She certainly does undermine me. She throws me under the bus every chance she gets. Its very difficult. She comes into my shop and does it in front of customers. She destroys my displays and any visual merchandising I do. She insists it is because it wasn't right or good enough or perfect enough.

I had quite a row with her 3 days ago when I insisted I was taking a big table down and redoing the front at the door. I told her I wanted it to be left alone because I liked it and believed it was good. I said I thought it looked so good that I wouldn't be surprised if someone bought the entire arrangement. She kept sneaking in changes and I kept switching it back. She said it was "just okay". I told her to stop and that I needed to make some sales and unless She was going to pay the rent, she needed to leave it be. She still kept changing it and junking it up until I lost my patience and she left offended.

Today, three days later, not only did the entire display sell (a console table I had painted, a channel back chair, a footstool, a mirror I had gold leafed) but they sold to one person, $700. AND, two different women returned who had admired the arrangement, very upset that it had sold because they'd both decided they wanted the items!

She is not pleased. It is this odd thing where she feels I outshone her. But really, I didn't. I just have seen what women like and have learned what appeals to them visually and have learned that trying to stuff too much in does not work for getting sales.

And the most puzzling thing to me is that she is very good with color and design and balance but makes it look atrocious, as if she is purposely doing it to try to make me fail...very bizarre.

I know she will be completely awful to me for days now and will be very insistent in not giving me any autonomy at all in my shop. I know it will be rough. Not looking forward to it.

And yes, it was thinking about her that made me see I do not have love for others.

It appears our brother @Giuliano has the gift of discernment.

 

[Waiting on him]

She certainly does undermine me. She throws me under the bus every chance she gets. Its very difficult. She comes into my shop and does it in front of customers. She destroys my displays and any visual merchandising I do. She insists it is because it wasn't right or good enough or perfect enough.

I had quite a row with her 3 days ago when I insisted I was taking a big table down and redoing the front at the door. I told her I wanted it to be left alone because I liked it and believed it was good. I said I thought it looked so good that I wouldn't be surprised if someone bought the entire arrangement. She kept sneaking in changes and I kept switching it back. She said it was "just okay". I told her to stop and that I needed to make some sales and unless She was going to pay the rent, she needed to leave it be. She still kept changing it and junking it up until I lost my patience and she left offended.

Today, three days later, not only did the entire display sell (a console table I had painted, a channel back chair, a footstool, a mirror I had gold leafed) but they sold to one person, $700. AND, two different women returned who had admired the arrangement, very upset that it had sold because they'd both decided they wanted the items!

She is not pleased. It is this odd thing where she feels I outshone her. But really, I didn't. I just have seen what women like and have learned what appeals to them visually and have learned that trying to stuff too much in does not work for getting sales.

And the most puzzling thing to me is that she is very good with color and design and balance but makes it look atrocious, as if she is purposely doing it to try to make me fail...very bizarre.

I know she will be completely awful to me for days now and will be very insistent in not giving me any autonomy at all in my shop. I know it will be rough. Not looking forward to it.

And yes, it was thinking about her that made me see I do not have love for others.

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