Thank you James,

Having everybody here in this particular group is the icing on my cake for the week.
I think I shared with you that a lovely couple comes by every Sunday to do Bible study with me and somehow your forum mirrors the study we are doing.

When you think about it, rules make life easier. You know right away when you are veering off course and can make a correction easier than if you don't know and waste a lot of time wondering what went wrong.

And when you start with the firm knowledge that the end result is to be happy and fulfilled-then how hard could it be?

Yesterday, I went to the drugstore to buy kitty litter (I've been adopted by Callie Kitty)-I was pleasantly surprised that I could go down every isle and not even be tempted to "pick up a few extra things" -they would have been too heavy to carry home; this struck me as a perfect analogy when I read this topic.

All those extra burdens we tend to pick up along our journey do not fulfill anything; only become junk to be thrown out when we clean house!

Hi Jim,

I must comment on Thomas's post.  I also was glad to see you here Thomas.  I am a "first grade student" of the Word.  Our Pastor is always saying: " to suffer but only for a short while. Meaning since i am in this world i cannot be of this world"  And I, have never quite understood that until your post here.  Thank you. 

I love Hebrews 11:1 - Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.

That verse is reassuring, for all of the doubting times.  It is so simple and easy to put to memory.

Thanks again Thomas, and Jim, this is an awesome forum!

Judy

Hi Roger, back in April this year, I had a severe problem with my laptop. Someone sent me an email, and unfortunately I opened it up. With the thousands of emails I get, I sometimes just randomly choose the emails that don't look suspicious. Anyway, this email infected my hard drive with a message. It was not detected by my spyware, nor any of my other detection wares. My computer would freeze after about a minute, rendering it useless. I spent almost a month trying to figure out what the problem was. I should have just done a ghost, but I didn't remember how to do it. Anyway, I deleted almost every file I had, and every website in my favorites. Then I removed all my downloads except the necessary ones. Then I went into my start file and started looking for folders that looked suspicious, and I found one. It had a bunch of computer jargon in it and at the end, it said it would freeze my computer.

Aahhh!! I removed that file, and solved the problem.

Thomas, here is a text relating to being in this world but not of it:

John 15:19  (NIV)  If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.

John 17:13-15 (NIV) I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14  I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15  My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.

 

Joyce, I can envision you having bible studies. If you need to use any of the material in here, please help yourself. That's one reason why it's here, and that is to share!!

I like to use the bible as my personal living guide. Sure there are other means that one could use, but this is my chosen guide. I have another guide that I use for flying, it's called the Federal Aviation Regulations. Commonly called FAR's, and it's a code of regulations used by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) which is primarily responsible for the advancement, safety and regulations of civil aviation, as well as overseeing the development of the air traffic control system.

Flying is fun, but in order for it to remain safe, there must be rules that everyone knows and follows. The same goes for our personal lives. If we know and follow the rules as provided (Primarily the 10 Commandments) then we have joy and fullness of life without worry or concern, because if we love God we will keep His Commandments (all) and He will honor us with eternal life thru His sacrifice.

I did a search for the two words love and keep, and bible gateway came up with 21 texts I'd like to share with you:

Love and Keep (NIV) You can switch to whichever version you like better once you are on the website.

Joyce