|
Users viewing this topic:
none
|
|
Login  | |
|
Hither And Yon - 6/26/2010 11:47:18 AM
|
|
|
bkj1981
Posts: 2286
Joined: 2/14/2010
From: The Great State of Extreme Confusion
Status: offline
|
Welcome to “Hither and Yon”. This is a new experience for me. I’ve never had a blog before.
So to begin, here’s a little about me.
*~*~*~*~*
My name is Brent. You can call me Brent, bkj1981 (my handle here, at least as of the time I’m writing this), TexasMan (a nickname my beautiful wife gave me), Hey You, Silly Goose, or just about anything else you want to call me (as long as you call me for dinner, that is). 
I learned about FCN from a fellow member. You might know her. Currently, her handle is EclecticJoy, and her name is Sharon-Marie, or Shar-Mar for short.
I met her on an online dating service. She was actually a member there for one reason: She was quote “trying to refute the validity of on-line dating” (her words, not mine). I was a member there for several reasons, including having a job that was not conducive to meeting people, and attending a church with a membership of about 40 to 50 people, most of whom were in their 70's. So, in day-to-day life, I hardly ever met any unmarried females in my age range.
The really crazy part is that we lived 1,400 miles apart, and one of the first things I ever emailed her was
“I don't need or want a long-distance relationship...”
That was in January, 2010.
So, here we were, she on the site to get ammunition so that she could speak about the “evils” of online dating, and me there to meet new people, but only in my area. Needless to say, 3 months later she became Mrs. TexasMan. 
Funny how God leads us, isn’t it?
*~*~*~*~*
(Yes, I ‘stole’ the asterisk-tilde separator from her. I like it.)
Now, on to my intent for this blog.
You may read just about anything in here. Hence the title, “Hither and Yon”. I do hope, however, that as you read you won’t be changing the name in your head to “Hither and Yawn” or something like that.
I’m sure that I will write about my walk with Christ. I may write about current events. I may rant a little. I may cry a little. I will probably laugh a lot. Especially at myself .
*~*~*~*~*
So sit back and enjoy! (Please keep arms and legs inside the car at all times, and remain seated until the ride comes to a complete stop.)
_____________________________
If you want to follow Sharon-Marie's PFY thread
after FCN closes, send your E-mail address to
zooneyland@sbcglobal.net
 
|
|
|
|
Hither and Yon - 7/10/2010 4:26:47 PM
|
|
|
bkj1981
Posts: 2286
Joined: 2/14/2010
From: The Great State of Extreme Confusion
Status: offline
|
Priorities
Isn’t it amazing how much time we can spend doing something we love?
We can spend 3 hours watching a sporting event - and have the time of our lives. We can spend 2 hours watching a good movie. We can spend a whole day at an amusement park. We can go to get-to-gathers and socialize and have fun, and it seems like we’ve only been there for a few minutes.
So why do we seem to have so much trouble spending time in the Word of God?
I’m not preaching to anyone but myself here, since I’m one of the guiltiest parties of this. Life gets in the way sometimes - going to work, mowing the lawn, cleaning the house, washing the dog, etc.
But through all that, don’t we always find the time to do the things we love? We record a TV show. We plan our days around what we WANT to do. Around what we LOVE to do.
God wants us to LOVE him. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind.” Luke 10:27.
So if we love HIM, why don’t we spend at least as much time in HIS Word as we do entertaining ourselves and being entertained? Like I said, I’m just as bad about this as anyone. I need to MAKE time for studying his word.
Not that there is anything wrong with entertainment - It’s necessary, in fact. As human beings, we have to unwind and relax from time to time. One thing that my wife and I love to do is go to amusement parks. We’re both adrenalin junkies. The bigger and faster the roller coaster, the better it is (even if she screams her head off while she’s actually on one - and then laughs her head off about it when she gets off of it).
Entertainment is indeed necessary, and vital. But so is spending time in HIS Word. Please, let’s not forget to do this.
_____________________________
If you want to follow Sharon-Marie's PFY thread
after FCN closes, send your E-mail address to
zooneyland@sbcglobal.net
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Hither and Yon - 7/26/2010 8:10:56 PM
|
|
|
bkj1981
Posts: 2286
Joined: 2/14/2010
From: The Great State of Extreme Confusion
Status: offline
|
Lessons from the Sports World
Today, the big news in Dallas is about Dez Bryant. For those who don't know, he is a highly-touted rookie wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys. It seems that a common ritual for rookies in training camp is to be told to carry veterans' pads and other things. When veteran receiver Roy Williams dropped his pads in front of Mr. Bryant and said, "carry them", he refused. He said, "I'm here to play football..."
Well, now. Let's consider this. Would it have hurt him to carry them? I think most of us would say "Nope. It's expected. It's a rite of passage into the NFL." (And by the way, that and other silly little rituals are indeed a "rite of passage" for NFL rookies).
But now, lets twist and turn this incident a bit. Imagine yourself at home, relaxing and watching TV. There comes a knock on the door. You open the door and there stands several men in black suits, with earpieces in their ears. They walk into your house, look things over quickly and then hold open the front door. In walks the President of the United States. He promptly shakes your hand, and then says, "I'm here to clean your toilet."
What is your reaction going to be? I know my immediate thought - "Ain't no way, Mr. President. You are far too important and the world is far too insane for you to be cleaning the toilet of such a peon as me."
Now, let's give this a little more perspective. Jerusalem. Just before a Passover feast. A man is about to eat a meal with his closest associates. A man who knows he is about to be betrayed by one of his 12 closest associates. And that the betrayal will result in terrible violence and a prolonged, painful death. And that his death will result in the forgiveness of the sins of every Child of God who has ever lived and who ever will live.
Kind of an important time, isn't it. Jesus Christ, our Savior and our Lord, is about to be tortured and killed. For Us. So, then, what does He do?
"I'm here to play football."
"I'm here to die a horrible and violent death for your salvation."
If Dez Bryant had picked up Roy Williams' pads and carried them, NOTHING would have made the news. But, what if Roy Williams, the veteran, had walked up to Dez and picked up HIS pads and carried them? BIG news, instantly.
WHY? Because, that's HUMAN nature. NOT God's nature.
Let's look at what Jesus did:
It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for Him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own, who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.
The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"
Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."
"No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet."
Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."
"Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!"
Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you." For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.
When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. John 13:1-17, NIV
Jesus washed the feet of His disciples; INCLUDING JUDAS ISCARIOT, who Jesus knew was about to betray Him to death.
To me, there are two lessons to be learned here.
First, if the veteran football player asks the rookie to carry his pads, he should do so, without complaint, but with the right attitude. Jesus washed Judas' feet. Even knowing that he was about to be betrayed by him. Why? It was a service. Jesus didn't just "roll over" and become wimpy. He washed Judas' feet knowing what was going to occur. Have you ever helped someone, even thinking that it would do no good? Jesus KNEW. But He did it anyway. If a person legitimately asks us for help and we can help them, we should do so. We should all be willing to serve each other as we are led to do so by our Lord. Without any complaints.
But second, if someone asks us to let them serve us, WE SHOULD LET THEM DO SO.
Peter tried to refuse our Lord. Because he thought that it was beneath our Lord to wash his feet. What if Peter had continued to resist his feet being cleaned? I don't have a clue what the final result would have been, but by Scripture, he would have no longer had a part with Jesus (John 13:8).
So here are the lessons:
1) Serve others in whatever way you can; regardless of the perceived meniality of the service.
2) If someone TRULY wants to serve you in Christ, with a sincere heart for Him, LET THEM DO SO.
In either case, you never know what it may lead to. You never know who may be watching in the wings.
May the Lord Almighty bless you all today.
_____________________________
If you want to follow Sharon-Marie's PFY thread
after FCN closes, send your E-mail address to
zooneyland@sbcglobal.net
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Hither and Yon - 7/27/2010 1:22:08 PM
|
|
|
bkj1981
Posts: 2286
Joined: 2/14/2010
From: The Great State of Extreme Confusion
Status: offline
|
And now for a short, true story:
In 1905, a man, his sister, and her husband moved from Dallas, Texas to Atlanta, Georgia. The man and his brother-in-law started a sales promotion (read: advertising) business that did very well. So well, in fact that less than two years later, they sold the company for a profit.
Well, here is where the story gets interesting. As I understand the facts, they had two offers for the company. One offer was for $25,000 in cash. The other was effectively a "trade". Their advertising business, straight up, in exhcange for a new start-up company in Missouri that was to produce a brand-new product. After consideration, they choose to take the $25,000 in cash and move back to Dallas, Texas. After all, $25,000 was a LOT of money in 1907. It was the "safe" thing to do.
And so, off they went back to Dallas.
Oh, you want to know the name of the start-up company they turned down?
It was Coca-Cola.
Oh, what an opportunity lost! However, when they took their $25,000 back to Dallas, they started another company. You see, the man's name was Herbert Marcus. And his brother-in-law was A.L. Nieman.
So yes, as the family joke went, "Nieman-Marcus was founded on a bad business decision".
*~*~*~*~*
So what does this have to do with anything? Simply put, in our walk with Christ, God closes some doors to us. But for every door He closes, a new one opens. Sometimes a door of opportunity to serve Him is only open for a short time. Sometimes we miss those open doors. But even when we do miss one, if we are faithful, God will open another for us. We need to listen to Him. And sometimes, the "safe" road is not the best road.
My prayer for not only me and my family, but also for each and every one of you reading this, is that we will always take the path that God leads us down.
_____________________________
If you want to follow Sharon-Marie's PFY thread
after FCN closes, send your E-mail address to
zooneyland@sbcglobal.net
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Hither and Yon - 7/31/2010 5:17:49 PM
|
|
|
bkj1981
Posts: 2286
Joined: 2/14/2010
From: The Great State of Extreme Confusion
Status: offline
|
Theft?
Most convenience stores today have a little tray at the cashier that says "Need a penny? Take a penny. Have a penny? Leave a penny." Or, something like that.
Question: Would you ever consider walking into a convenience store, WITHOUT buying anything, grabbing ten cents out of the tray, and walking out with it?
I hope you wouldn't. I think we would all agree that this would be considered theft.
Well, something happened last night that disturbed me just a bit. Okay, not "just a bit". More like "a lot". My beautiful bride and I attended a Christian concert at Six Flags over Texas. They hold the concerts at an amphitheatre, which has only one entrance. Large signs are posted at the entrance that read, "No audio or video recording equipment is allowed, No still photography is allowed," (with even further instructions). Additionally, before the concert started, the same instructions were also VERY clearly announced over the PA system; not by a park employee, but rather by the concert's MC who is a DJ of the local Christian radio station sponsoring the concert.
Okay, the concert started (Tenth Avenue North, followed by Chris Tomlin). There were somewhere in the neighborhood of 10,000 people there. Most of them were professing to be Christians. As I looked around, guess what I observed?
Yep.
On nearly every aisle, there was at least one person using either a digital camera, a small digital video recorder or a cell phone in picture or video mode. Sometimes, there were multiple people on one aisle doing this.
Okay, I could understand this a little better if it were a secular concert. But, this was a Christian concert attended by Christians. Somewhere between 5% and 10% of them were openly breaking a clearly announced and posted rule; not to mention openly breaking copyright laws.
*~*~*~*~*
I wonder . . . did any of the people who were doing these things during last night's concert realize that they were committing THEFT? I've been a part of a Christian band before. I know several professional musicians. I know people who have made their living in music. I know how incredibly hard every band member works. I know how expensive it is to do concerts, create music, practice it, get it recorded, etc. The band I belonged too often spent 16 hours or more in the studio, just to get the DEMO version of ONE song right. This is typical of any band. A band (nor solo artist) doesn't just waltz in, record an entire CD, and then waltz right back out 30 minutes later. Professional recordings require a LOT of time, and the studios cost a band a LOT of money.
Every single time someone pirates a song from the internet, illicitly records a song, all or part of a concert, etc., they are stealing money from the very people who worked so hard to bring them this music. This practice is KILLING their ability to continue to create new music for OUR pleasure, edification, etc.
Sure, everyone hears about the "mega-bands" that make a lot of money on music (both secular and Christian). But, for every one of those, there are also 1,000 or more bands that struggle to make ends meet. Most, if not all, of these bands do not get paid enough from their music to even cover their expenses.
How would you feel if you worked hard every day for your boss, let's say for $20.00 per hour; and when payday came, your boss said, "Hey, Joe - This week I'm only giving you $15.00 per hour because MY money is a bit tight, since I had to go on vacation." Would that make you happy? Or would that make you angry?
We who listen to a band's music ARE their ultimate bosses. If we don't buy their music, they don't get paid. If they don't get paid, they can't continue to produce music. So, when someone pirates a song, they are STEALING from those who brought us the music we love.
If you have ever pirated a song or borrowed a friend's CD to copy it, please try to think about what I have written the next time you want to do so.
If you have ever recorded a concert you have attended, please try to remember this blog post the next time you attend a concert.
Please also remember that there are going to be non-believers wherever you go . . . and they will be watching. How does openly disregarding posted rules and copyright laws help point people to Jesus?
_____________________________
If you want to follow Sharon-Marie's PFY thread
after FCN closes, send your E-mail address to
zooneyland@sbcglobal.net
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Hither and Yon - 9/2/2010 9:25:39 PM
|
|
|
bkj1981
Posts: 2286
Joined: 2/14/2010
From: The Great State of Extreme Confusion
Status: offline
|
The Painting
I have no idea if this story is true, or an urban legend. This story was read to the congregation at Church last Sunday, and it truly is a moving story. I do not have a link to it (it may not even be on the net), and I do not have any references for it. But here it is, because it has an awesome message for all of us:
A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art. When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.
About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands. He said, "Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art. The young man held out his package. "I know this isn't much. I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this."
The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the painting that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture. "Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's a gift."
The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.
The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection. On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. "We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?"
There was silence. Then a voice in the back of the room shouted. "We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one." But the auctioneer persisted. "Will someone bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?" Another voice shouted angrily, "We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Gogh's, the Rembrandts. Get on with the real bids!"
But still the auctioneer continued. "The son! The son! Who'll take the son?"
Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the long-time gardener of the man and his son. "I'll give $10 for the painting." Being a poor man, it was all he could afford.
"We have $10, who will bid $20?"
"Give it to him for $10. Let's see the masters."
$10 is the bid, won't someone bid $20?"
The crowd was becoming angry. They didn't want the picture of the son. They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections. The auctioneer pounded the gavel. "Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!"
A man sitting on the second row shouted, "Now let's get on with the collection!" The auctioneer laid down his gavel. "I'm sorry, the auction is over."
"What about the paintings?"
"I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings."
*~*~*~*~*
The moral is obvious. Choose the Son, and you will inherit everything. Ignore Him, and you will receive nothing.
I choose the Son. Do you?
_____________________________
If you want to follow Sharon-Marie's PFY thread
after FCN closes, send your E-mail address to
zooneyland@sbcglobal.net
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Hither and Yon - 9/24/2010 12:31:49 PM
|
|
|
bkj1981
Posts: 2286
Joined: 2/14/2010
From: The Great State of Extreme Confusion
Status: offline
|
Talents
A few years ago, I heard a story. I don't know if it is true or not. My internet research on it has been inconclusive. However, I first heard this tale on Paul Harvey's "The Rest of the Story". So, based on that, I believe that it is based on facts, not made-up legends. Please judge for yourself whether or not it is true. Now for the story:
Sometime around 1959, there was a teenage boy in England who had an absolutely beautiful voice. His name was Michael. He sang in the choir, and everyone loved listening to him sing. Michael also played on a school basketball team. During one game, he took an elbow to his chin. It was a very hard hit. So hard, in fact, that the young man actually bit the end of his tongue off.
After that event, when he was healed enough, he tried to sing again. And what came out of his mouth was rasping and sounded nothing like his previous voice. No one wanted him to sing in the choir anymore. In fact, the injury was bad enough that no one wanted to hear him sing at all. And so, Michael's singing career ended that day on the basketball court.
Or so everyone thought...
As I stated, the young man's name was Michael. You might have heard of him before now. His full name is Sir Michael Phillip Jagger. Yes, Mick Jaggar of the Rolling Stones.
*~*~*~*~*
Again, I can't say for sure if the story is true or not. But if it is true, it would have been easy for that young man to completely give up singing. After all, life had just given him a huge blow. But he didn't give up. He fought through, and became very successful (in earthly terms).
No, I don't condone his lifestyle, or his life choices. But, there is a lesson here:
It doesn't matter what a person has or doesn't have. It doesn't matter what they've been through. It doesn't matter what bad things happen to them. What matters is what they do with what they are given, and the heart they do it with.
God gives every one of us talents and abilities. Do we use them in the way He wants us to?
_____________________________
If you want to follow Sharon-Marie's PFY thread
after FCN closes, send your E-mail address to
zooneyland@sbcglobal.net
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Hither and Yon - 12/19/2010 2:16:31 PM
|
|
|
bkj1981
Posts: 2286
Joined: 2/14/2010
From: The Great State of Extreme Confusion
Status: offline
|
The Lifesaving Station
Well, it's been awhile since I've had time to write in here.
It's been a VERY long semester in grad school. I'm glad I
have a break for a month!
*~*~*~*~*
There was a story in today's bulletin at church that I'd like to
share with y'all (and it is also the source of the title of this post).
Here is the first part of it, followed by a link to the complete story.
I would ask each of you to click the link, and finish reading, BEFORE
you continue reading this blog entry:
On a dangerous sea coast where shipwrecks often occur,
there was once a crude little life-saving station. The building
was just a hut, and there was only one boat, but the few
devoted members kept a constant watch over the sea, and
with no thought for themselves, went out day and night,
tirelessly searching for the lost. Some of those who were
saved and various others in the surrounding area wanted to
become associated with the station and gave of their time
and money and effort for the support of its work. New boats
were bought and new crews trained. The little life-saving
station grew.
Click here to finish the story, before reading further.
*~*~*~*~*
Every Sunday morning in this country, and around the world,
thousands of people get up, get dressed and go to their club church.
John F. Kennedy once said "Ask not what your country can do for you,
but what you can do for your country".
Why can't we change that to read "Ask not what your church can do for
you, but what you can do for your church"?
Or even better, "Ask not what your God can do for you, but what you
can do for your God". The God that loves us enough to send His Son.
To die a horrible, lingering death for us.
Thank You, Father, and thank You, Jesus our Lord, for that amazing Love.
_____________________________
If you want to follow Sharon-Marie's PFY thread
after FCN closes, send your E-mail address to
zooneyland@sbcglobal.net
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Hither and Yon - 1/28/2011 12:52:51 PM
|
|
|
bkj1981
Posts: 2286
Joined: 2/14/2010
From: The Great State of Extreme Confusion
Status: offline
|
Challenger
Twenty-five years ago today (Wow, has it been that long already?), seven brave souls gave up their lives when the space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after launch. It's a day of remembrance for me. I remember being at work, and our secretary calling me and saying "The shuttle just blew up". I remember watching the replays over and over, and the feeling of sadness I had.
On February 1, 2003, the shuttle Columbia burned up on re-entry, also killing the seven souls aboard. I remember that day too. It came apart over North Texas, on a Saturday morning. Being in Dallas, Texas, the pressure waves from the tragedy actually shook the walls of my house.
On January 27, 1967, the three astronauts aboard Apollo 1 for a pre-flight test died when the cabin burned while sitting on the pad.
*~*~*~*~*
What did these 17 people have in common (other than that they were all astronauts, and that they are the only
people that have been killed in the U.S. Space program)?
All seventeen of them knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the risks they were taking.
All seventeen of them knew they could die.
All seventeen of them knew that spaceflight is very dangerous, and that things can and do go wrong.
All seventeen of them shared a love for adventure, and an unending thirst for knowledge.
All seventeen of them also trusted that the equipment would keep them alive.
*~*~*~*~*
Please remember the sacrifices these people made to advance human knowledge.
*~*~*~*~*
However, this brings me to a different, but related, subject.
How many of us are willing to die for our beliefs?
Are we REALLY willing to suffer and die for Jesus Christ,
or are we just "arm-chair", or "Sunday-morning", Christians?
One thing to take comfort in, is that unlike the 17 astronauts, our "equipment" as Christians will never fail us, because our "equipment" is God's Love and His Word. Do we love our Lord enough to take the risks He may have us take for him? Or do we allow our human fears to hold us back from doing His will?
Go with God, everyone. He will NEVER fail you.
< Message edited by bkj1981 -- 1/28/2011 1:08:20 PM >
_____________________________
If you want to follow Sharon-Marie's PFY thread
after FCN closes, send your E-mail address to
zooneyland@sbcglobal.net
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Hither and Yon - 10/15/2011 9:52:42 PM
|
|
|
bkj1981
Posts: 2286
Joined: 2/14/2010
From: The Great State of Extreme Confusion
Status: offline
|
It's Been A Good Ride
It's been awhile since I posted a blog entry. Yes, I know. I've neglected it. I've meant to come in and post, but "life" kept getting in the way.
"I'll write tomorrow, I have to get my school studies done tonight."
"I'll write tomorrow. I have to mow, and edge, and weedeat."
"I'll write tomorrow. I have to get this garage cleaned up."
"I'll write tomorrow. I have to clean out that sock drawer."
Y'all know how that goes, don't ya. "I'll get around to it tomorrow." And then, we got the announcement that the forums were closing. It's been a VERY crazy week since then, what with a lot of offline stuff going on in my life, in addition to talking and praying with my wife about what to do, and where to go, with her ongoing "PFY" thread.
*~*~*~*~*
In case you didn't know, the "PFY", or "Personally For You" threads here at FCN are located in the "Community Lounge" forum, and they are about the only place where folks can just talk about whatever. People don't have to worry about staying on topic there, since there IS no topic.
Think of them as kind of like a bunch of small neighborhood online "coffee shops". Or, if you are not familiar with those, then think about the TV show "Cheers". A small neighborhood bar where people talk about just almost everything.
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah. Just a bunch of silly chit-chat. Nothing deep and really thought-provoking, right? Really, just a bunch of folks letting off steam and mindlessly chittering away about meaningless drivel.
*~*~*~*~*
If that's what you think the PFY's were, then you couldn't be further from the truth.
Many people here made bonds with others. The "Singles" folder. The "Older Student" thread. Even in "Morality and Ethics", "Theology", and "Science and Origins", where so many times lines were drawn in the sand, tempers flared, and Moderators had to slap some folks' hands from time to time, relationships were formed.
But, IMHO, nothing like what happened in the PFY's. There, rather than being limited to a single topic, people found on-line homes.
- Homes where they got to know each other.
- Homes where they could ask for advice.
- Homes where they could just come and vent about a hard day at work.
- Homes where they could ask their friends for prayer and condolences.
- Homes where they could pray for each other.
- Homes wiere they could laugh and cut up.
- Homes where they could share joys and sorrows.
- Homes where people became truly real to each other.
In the PFY threads, people helped each other grow in Christ just as much, if not more than, any other threads on this forum, in my opinion.
*~*~*~*~*
I know, you are asking, Why is Tex writing about this? Why's he blathering on and on about some silly chat thread?
Okay. Fair question.
Why? Because the people I've formed relationships with in those PFY threads have become FAMILY. And now it's time to move. It's time to say goodbye to a house where a family has lived for many years.
And even though that house is no longer going to exist, the family will still exist. The house isn't the important part. The Relationships ARE.
*~*~*~*~*
Many of you may know that Sharon-Marie's PFY thread is relocating. Maybe some of you don't. Let me tell you about that thread. It's existed in one form or another since 2005. It's seen births and deaths. It's seen new faces come, and some old faces drift away. It's seen grief, and joy, and everything in between. It's seen just about everything under the sun.
And through it all, the PEOPLE, and their Love for each other, have made it possible. Why? Because they took the time (maybe not even intentionally) to form RELATIONSHIPS. And they took the time to SHARE with each other, and to support each other.
Sharon-Marie's thread is indeed moving. But not to Facebook. It will be in a different house, beginning on Monday. And the PEOPLE will be a little disjointed at times. Things won't be in exactly the same places as in the old house. But the FAMILY will still be together. We'll still love each other. We'll still be both serious and silly. We'll still laugh and cry and grow in our Lord together. We'll learn about the new home together.
*~*~*~*~*
And now, I've come back full circle, to thinking about "tomorrow" (or Monday, in this case).
The forums here closing have really reminded me of one absolute truth:
There may not BE a tomorrow. You never know when a forum will suddenly close. You never know when a loved one's life on earth will suddenly end. You never know when YOUR life on earth will suddenly end.
So, while you ARE here on earth, please TAKE the time for family.
Thanks for reading.
I hope I'll see y'all in the new home of Zooneyland (that's the "overall" nickname of Sharon-Marie's PFY). It has indeed been a good ride.
_____________________________
If you want to follow Sharon-Marie's PFY thread
after FCN closes, send your E-mail address to
zooneyland@sbcglobal.net
|
|
|
|
 New Messages |
 No New Messages |
 Hot Topic w/ New Messages |
 Hot Topic w/o New Messages |
 Locked w/ New Messages |
 Locked w/o New Messages |
|
 Post New Thread
Reply to Message
Post New Poll
Submit Vote
Delete My Own Post
Delete My Own Thread
Rate Posts |
|
|
Forum Tools
Printable Version
