I know we are in mixed company here when it comes to faith so many of you will just chalk it up to mere coincidence and call me crazy. I have been called worse so no big deal.
Been in a pretty dark place for most of the year and have spent most of it pretty pissed off at God.
A little while back a thread was posted about music you like and a member posted a list that was almost identical to mine but added an artist NF that I had never heard of.
Not much of a rap/hip hop guy but started to take a listen to it and it is pretty dark and raw and I found myself relating. But a lot of the message is quit blaming God and figure out how to change yourself and focus on what you can do to make it better.
So I have been doing that and am in a much better place.
But anyway on to the point about 2 weeks ago I was going through some old pictures and stumbled upon a couple pictures from a mission trip to Pippa Passes Kentucky that I went on 20 years ago this summer. Found a picture of the house we built and the family we built it for. Got me thinking I would like to drive down there and try to find the house. Things got busy and did not think about it anymore. Then yesterday just flat random my brother sent me an old picture of a group of our friends. I responded back that is the group picture from our Pippa Passes trip. So I quickly sent him the two pictures I had just found a couple weeks back. I said it was weird as I had just found those pictures. So my interest to make the drive and find the house again was on. Well out came google maps and there are literally only like 7 roads in Pippa Passes and I remember the house being all alone at the top of the mountain. So I am pretty sure I found the house on google maps. So I took a screen shot of the satellite map and the route to the house on my phone.
I walk in the house today after work and my foot was barely in the door and my wife asks why I was searching routes to Pippa Passes? Well that was weird but our pictures automatically upload to Amazon and my wife and boys were looking at pics and videos from the school Halloween party and my maps came up. I told my wife the story and my boys both started jumping around with excitement screaming we’re going to Pippa Passes, we’re going to Pippa Passes. One would think the coincidences were done but oddly enough, not the case.
Well there is pretty much nothing in Pippa Passes so when we were there we spent the days building this house and nights just hanging out at the Church we were staying at playing Euchre and drinking Clearly Canadian because that was the cool drink that year. I have not seen Clearly Canadian in probably 10 plus years. Went to the grocery store tonight because the boys wanted hot chocolate and marshmallows. If for dang sure right next to the hot chocolate mix was Clearly Canadian so I picked up a few of those and have them chilling on the fridge.
So long story short is I guess God wants me to head to Pippa Passes.
No idea why and may be nothing more than just breaking our normal routine and enjoying the fall colors.
Supposed to rain all weekend so maybe we’ll head down next week.

Well I'd call that a sign(s). Go for it, you are being called there for some reason. Maybe you have more work to do there.

I’ve spent the better part of20 years being pissed off at God. I reluctantly went to church last May because my sons friend had been begging to take him and I wanted to know what the church was about before I let him go. I went looking for a reason to say no. I heard the most amazing sermon I’ve ever heard and left realizing that I’ve wasted half my life being pissed for the wrong reasons.

It’s a long road back but the last 6 months have been the best I’ve had in a long time.

I wish you the best in your journey.

Sometimes you just have to go to where the music is playing.

quote:

Originally posted by Skins2881:
Well I'd call that a sign(s). Go for it, you are being called there for some reason. Maybe you have more work to do there.

For sure!

the fact that you have put all this together should tell you something. Sometimes it’s as small as him tapping you on the shoulder and saying “hey, remember me?”

I’ll be praying for you brother. Oh and I am an NF fan as well.

So often we Christians tend to blame God when we suffer difficulties or troubles.

We fail to realize or remember who actually brings these hard things into our lives. It is not God but is rather the devil.

I Peter 5:8-9 reminds us, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith.” NLT.

Knowing this, and understanding that God is the source of our strength to fight the battle against our actual enemy, can make all the difference in our lives.

God works in mysterious ways. Sometimes what we see as coincidence may be His way of speaking to us. By all means go to Pippa Passes. Keep your heart and mind open to the possibility that God will move in you.

I pray for God’s blessing upon you.

Bob

quote:

Originally posted by Yellow Jacket:
So often we Christians tend to blame God when we suffer difficulties or troubles.

We fail to realize or remember who actually brings these hard things into our lives. It is not God but is rather the devil.

A lot of years ago, I was in an automobile crash with a friend and his family. Once the dust settled, someone said something to the effect of, "why did God let this happen to us?" I don't remember whose voice it was, but the response was something like, "We've got quite a mess here, but none of us is hurt at all. God kept this from being worse than it was!"

It's all about perspective, I learned. While it's easy to default to the negative in a situation (criticism), we need to remember to spend some time recognizing the positive.

You can fight the terrain or follow it. I'd flow with the momentum and see where you are when you arrive. All the best!

I am a man of faith....sort of. I have probably lost my path but at least I know there is a path that I have lost.

At any rate I always tell people that we all have an angel. We just need to STFU and listen as they will not yell. I think your angel is whispering....so STFU and listen.

God is with all of us even those of us who have lost our way. I am not the person to give this advice as I may be struck down for saying so but I believe if we are able to STFU and listen he will guide us where and who we need to be. Sometimes that means dragging us through shit so we have the grace and experience to help others.

Listen to your heart. Listen to your angel.

And for GOD SAKES DONT LISTEN TO ME.

Godspeed, Blackie.

Black92LX, you definitely have to go and, like your mission trips, you need to be open to unexpected moments.

I am praying for you.



.

Once you put sweet rims on a minivan, well... it changes you.

This is a very deep and heavy thread. I can tell you we ALL walk that line, questioning our beliefs at some point. I always think of the Angel on one shoulder and the Devil on the other. We don't always make the right choices. We are after all, only Human, But God forgives.

Oh and I bet those who din;t know, Duckduckgo'd
Pippa Passes. I think I was in that area at one pointand it was beautiful.

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:
Been in a pretty dark place for most of the year and have spent most of it pretty pissed off at God.

Just curious, what do you think He has done to you?

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.-Romans 8:38-39.

God is working miracles. He is trying to remind you of when you walked with him. Go, reminisce.

In our path with God we look up to him as if on a mountain, and in doing so we eventually reach the mountain with him. Then we stop focusing on God and instead look back on where we came from, and through our focus, or lack there of, we backslide into the valley we came from. Eyes on God always.

quote:

Originally posted by sigmoid:

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:
Been in a pretty dark place for most of the year and have spent most of it pretty pissed off at God.

Just curious, what do you think He has done to you?

Not a thing. I don’t think God does thing to us. Been a rough year and the problems have just seemed to pile on and those that I have some bearing on the out come have not gone so well even with me trying my best but the biggest issue (my son’s health) which I have zero control over just continues to beat us down. He has been to multiple specialists, had so much blood drawn, poop samples, you name it and they are coming up with nothing. But like vthokey said it is about perspective and I am working on that, lukemia and other cancers have been ruled out so that is a positive. But it is still frustrating when his symptoms present like clockwork and he seems so pitiful and there is zero explanation for it.
Lots of prayer for help and guidance seem to have fallen on deaf ears though I know they haven’t. The results just aren’t what I want them to be or don’t seem to be results at all.
I guess sometimes when we don’t know where to direct our frustration and we send it the wrong way.

Thank you for sharing this in a post. I hope you go on this trip and take your family.
Please let us know how it went. I love your quote on the bottom of your posts.

I also wanted to send positive thoughts your way and hope that your son’s illness will soon be diagnosed and treated.