tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9928836.post115284318889505294..comments2023-08-06T06:52:33.301-05:00Comments on Tent Pegs: The Unlovely, The UncoolPatrickMeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00741720069221746106noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9928836.post-1154199792385902262006-07-29T14:03:00.000-05:002006-07-29T14:03:00.000-05:00This is so true for me. I appreciate your words of...This is so true for me. I appreciate your words of wisdom, Patrick! It's so easy to forget God made us unique for a reason. And that there is more to life than fitting into a particular group.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9928836.post-1153147200293372322006-07-17T09:40:00.000-05:002006-07-17T09:40:00.000-05:00Wonderful piece! Good reminder to look to God for ...Wonderful piece! Good reminder to look to God for our identity. And to go forth with "gentleness, humility and grace." As someone who prefers solitude and has always felt a little odd about that, I really enjoyed reading this!Connie Lardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02281532063131744276noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9928836.post-1153104360761238352006-07-16T21:46:00.000-05:002006-07-16T21:46:00.000-05:00It takes all kinds Patrick. I love a crowd, and e...It takes all kinds Patrick. I love a crowd, and even if they are strangers when I get there, most of them aren't when I leave. God made me a people person. I have been uncool and unlovely at different times in my life, but I always found acceptance, attention, and appreciation somewhere. I LOVED #3 the most. What great advice! Accepting who we are is hard sometimes, but noone else can play our part for us, and you're right, God made us and giftd us and we ARE all needed.Nikihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11939695756973039908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9928836.post-1153103745575914082006-07-16T21:35:00.000-05:002006-07-16T21:35:00.000-05:00May I please address Tinamarie?My dear stranger fr...May I please address Tinamarie?<BR/><BR/>My dear stranger friend...YOU are a part of the body and you take "the body" with you when you are with the groups you are working with. We were never meant to only function in the church setting. If we were, we wouldn't be sharing the gifts God gave us with some of the people who need our gifts the most. It is unfortunate that sometimes we feel unappreciated in the church setting and that our talents and gifts go unnoticed and unused. It sounds like your heart is in the right place by wanting to use your gifts in the church. Might I suggest though that maybe your gifts were meant to be used outside of that setting? (I can relate to this myself!) You're still being part of the body (see the first sentence). I'm not so sure there IS a missing key. BE YOU wherever God puts you - you're the only one that can do that.Nikihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11939695756973039908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9928836.post-1153022188485255332006-07-15T22:56:00.000-05:002006-07-15T22:56:00.000-05:00laymond:I've known pastors like that. I think the...laymond:<BR/><BR/>I've known pastors like that. I think the problem is that "it must be God's will" is just a cop-out answer for "I don't know." The pastor had no idea why, but didn't want them to think him stupid, so he blamed it on God. Pastors need to be able to say "I don't know" more often, I think. Maybe even "I don't know, ask him yourself."<BR/><BR/>I'm not entirely convinced that God needs us "just as we are." I think God <I>uses</I> us just as we are, but asks that we grow. Children with defects is such a tragedy, but life is full of pain, and the church has deadened us to it with promises of a happy life. If our faith can't direct us to be closer to God through our pain, then maybe we need to think about why we've bothered ...<BR/><BR/>... God loves us, of course, but he never said it would be easy ...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9928836.post-1152977672763252662006-07-15T10:34:00.000-05:002006-07-15T10:34:00.000-05:00What you have shared is so true. There are those ...What you have shared is so true. There are those of us who are square and will never fit into the round hole. That I have learned to accept and know that I am one of those individuals. When I have many people around me, wanting a part of me, I come apart. However, I have a questions for you? When you look at your talents, skills etc and find groups the groups where you belong, what happens when most of those groups are outside of the church body? I have tried and tried to use the skills I have used successfully with Girl Scouts and The Red Cross in the church but they don't seem to be accepted. In the body I feel more critizied then I do in the other groups. What is the missing key? Could I be more sensitive to tone and words in one group than in the other? When I look at the situation I don't see the same things happening.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9928836.post-1152939254505197332006-07-14T23:54:00.000-05:002006-07-14T23:54:00.000-05:00Following my divorce I retreated to my "Fortress o...Following my divorce I retreated to my "Fortress of Solitute" and became closer to God. But I've had my share of struggles in the past. <BR/><BR/>For much of my life I've struggled to meet the expectations of crowds, and have been disppointed and depressed. Profoundly Depressed about Loss in my life. Depressed with a capital "D" with medications and suicidal tendencies. But those days are long gone - praise God.<BR/><BR/>Now my aim is to please God and seek the company of a small circle of friends.<BR/><BR/>And - I delight in the time I spend in my "Fortress of Solitute."<BR/><BR/>Through living in Christ, I've been true to myself, and how God made me.BlogVantagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02839331328300804337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9928836.post-1152912977652669022006-07-14T16:36:00.000-05:002006-07-14T16:36:00.000-05:00Dear brother, you wrote, I believe Psalm 139 tell...Dear brother, you wrote, I believe Psalm 139 tells us that God built us on purpose, forming us in His mind before He forms us with His hands. That means you are not a mistake. God needed you, built just as you are.<BR/>You and Rick Warren-- what is so strange to me is this is the attitude of those who have made a success of a life that started out not so well. Your story of your childhood only strengthens my belief that our life is formed by our surroundings and enviroment. if you can please tell me why god picks some over others. I know a young couple who were happy they were members of the Baptist church and believed strongly in what they were doing.Their first child was born with an incomplete heart, died soon after birth. They consulted their pastor he explained God had nothing against them (rightly so) they had a second beautiful baby girl. Had a hole in heart, after many operations and unbearable pain and cost the child survived. they once again consulted their pastor this time he said it must be God's will.<BR/>They have gotten a divorce and both left the church. can you tell me just what God's purpose in this was? did he just have to many trusting children?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9928836.post-1152854888778168662006-07-14T00:28:00.000-05:002006-07-14T00:28:00.000-05:00For the biggest part of my younger adult life I fe...For the biggest part of my younger adult life I felt like I was on the outside looking in. Then I was diagnosed with depression. I no longer take antidepressants. I have learned that I am only on the outside if I think I am AND I have learned that I like it on the outside some of the time.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com