Let me start here...

[Jennie@ifish]

Let me start by saying that I am a struggling Christian. Aren't we all?
I could really benefit from daily scriptures and thoughts.
Plus, we can all put our worries here, and pray for people... This could be awesome!

I remember once in a women's bible study I used to attend, the topic that day was to ponder...

"If you had a choice of winning the lottery, or having a truly wonderful, close relationship and friendship with God, which would you want more?"

I know what I would want. BOTH!
No, seriously, I would like to have that wonderful relationship. But, no matter how hard I strive, and pray, and read the bible, and want that relationship, it seems to not be what others have!
I see others have these great/whole/complete relationships, and I wonder... How'd they do that? Where did they get that?
I have a close relationship, but something is missing.
I will continue to always work on this. I hope that this place on ifish can help me get there!
Wouldn't it be great to have someone do a daily scripture or thought? I start each morning on the web. I would love to check this place first.
I'm excited about it!
Someone wrote to me, and mentioned that if we could only get one person to believe... That would be like catching The Really Big One!

:smile:
I'm no terrific example of a perfect Christian.... But I'm workin on it!

PS... another thing... PLEASE don't anyone preach to me! Don't tell me I need to change this or that. I'm stubborn, and this is what has turned me away in the past.

I am looking forward to positive influence, example, and inspiration.
Signed,
God's wild child,

Jen

[Jennie@ifish]

I can hear some people already saying... "Oh that Jennie, wants to look like an angel again..."
I do! I do want to look like an angel someday!
But I also want to say, that the reason I am so excited about this, is because I feel, if anyone NEEDS this forum most... It's me.
I need spiritual guidance and inspiration.
I won't be giving a lot, at first, but I sure hope to take.
Is that so bad?
Jen

[Booja 1]

Hiya Jeannie

Thx so much for the prayer board..You know we all aren't like we ought to be but the Lord knows our heart and until he returns we just have to follow him the best we can..One really neat thing is our Lord's line is never busy, down or outta service..He's always waiting for a call..Let's pick up that phone not only in time of need but also in time of plenty when everything is going so well......

[Cutter]

I'm in the same boat Jennie, with my relationship with God. I'm not there yet, but each day I look at the things God has done in my life. I'm amazed and very grateful.
I'm the same way with preaching too, it's my relationship, selfish?, maybe but I'm not the kind of person you can just peach to.

The good thing is God is in my children, I see it every day.

[FM2]

A thought to ponder:

A happy heart makes the face cheerful,
but heartache crushes the spirit.

Proverbs 15:13

:smile: :smile: :smile:

Anyone who reads this thread please pray for the continuing existence of this site. I'm not aware of places similiar to this and we can Thank Jenny for allowing a place for spiritual and non-spirtual people to come for compassion and God's Love in a time of need or for encouragement.

Jen, I'm sure you have brought a huge smile to God :smile:

Thanks from my heart!

[ 02-04-2002, 10:15 PM: Message edited by: FM2 ]

[Jim]

Jen,
Scripture tells us to "give a cup of water in the name of the Lord" I think you have done this. I am in agreement with FM2 that I am not aware of any such place.

It is also great timing for me to ask for prayer for a new ministry. I belong to a church in Olympia, Wa. that believes we are all to be "ministers of the gospel" that almost deserves a duh but not really. Literally hundreds of ministries have been "born" the last two years including just recently, mine. Those of you who may know me know that I love kids. I spent 10 years of my life working on staff for Young Life. It was during this time that I knew a ministry was in the process of being born...it was in labor. In November we launched Dad 4 A Day, where every wednesday we take a boy who doesn't have a full time dad fishing, we also take long distance dads who want to spend a day with their son(s). Please pray that God will have His way with this! That His protection will cover it! And that His hand will guide it. I am thrilled to be a apart...it doesn't hurt to have three of the Pastors on staff who love to fish.

Thanks Jen...You are Loved!!

Thank you Lord for my obedient and creative sister Jennie!

Jim

[Ryan Pultz]

Jen
Thank you so much for this step in faith making this prayer bord we are all in need of prayer from time to time if not all the time. I to am not in the perfect relationship with the lord but who is? For me it is not religion it is a friends ship. And we all need to remember like a good friend even thought we step away for a few years or we hurt out friends a true friend will always forgive you and that is one thing God dose do he forgives us. :smile:

[lightline]

Jennie you are an Angel for starting the prayer board. I will start my day here. Thanks..

[Fishing Eddie]

Jen, Thanks so much as a sister in the Lord this is a great idea. As christians this is a great way to show Christ love thru this board to christians and non christians.
Maybe we can even put a prayer time togather with all that could make it? Our chruch has started a 24 hrs. of prayer and it's been really great to see God answer prayers and all the people involved.

[hawgcatcher]

Jennie, I am a believer in God but not so much of organized religons. I have seen various churches that all they look for is the allmighty dollar and not for the good of all. If you are rich then you will be saved. But when I go out into the world, I see God in everything of nature. He has made insects that hatch at the same hour every year and are identical in size and in body. He has made things in an order. Each animal has something that God has made to feed him. He has given man a brain to help his fellow man to live in comfort and order. Even the animals show that God has given them some reason so they make it in his world. If all mankind would only look at life with their eyes and their soul, we would have a good and blessed world. No fighting and no strife. Every time I see someone that has a problem, such as Chris, I pray that God will help and bless them. Everything has a reason, even though we don't understand it. Look at God's world with different eyes and thank him for being so wonderful to us all.

[FM2]

Friends in Christ are truly special as Jesus demonstrated by His love for us and His sacrifice on the cross.

John 15:12-13

12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

1 Cor 13:4-7

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Please forgive me if I seem to be preaching and if someone believes I am please let me know. My love and faith for the Lord is deep and growing daily and everyone I come in contact with knows where I stand. I'm not a fanatic, just a God loving person who enjoys sharing the word whenever and wherever I can.

I want all who read this to know I am not perfect nor try to be and as Christ sprouts his fruits in my heart I will reach out to all who needs His love and compassion and do my best to comfort and encourage.

:smile: :smile: :smile:

[otter]

None of us are perfect, however some of us are forgiven. Jen, thank you for this board. To all the brothers and sisters in the Lord.... Let your light shine brightly.
Kirk

[Tanner]

Jennie,
First I want to say what an awesome idea this was to have this forum on here. Secondly, I know where you are coming from. I too am a Christian that is constantly struggling. I struggle with addictions, temptations and just flat out being a human being with a sinful nature. I heard someone once say "following Christ is easy all you have to do is change your entire life". It is hard to detach yourself from people you have called friends for years, habits that you have had for a good portion of your life and beliefs that you were raised with. It's also hard to seperate what you do from what the world does.

Don't ever feel that you are less of a Christian than someone else because it appears that they have a better relationship with him than you. (Notice I used the word appears). We are all sinners by nature (Thanks Adam and Eve :rolleyes: :grin: ) There has only been one perfect sinless man on this earth and his name was Jesus Christ. Your relationship with Christ is for you and him. Don't let what someone else appears to have be a stumbling block for you. Keep your faith in him and his will for your life and remember, what you are praying for may not be in his will.

Jen, I honestly believe that putting this forumn up here is a definite example of the Great Commission and you will be blessed for it. I will keep you and this board in my prayers regularly.

[DAB]

Jennie

Psalms 138:

I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; before the "gods" I will sing your praise. I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your love and faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. when I called, you answered me; you made me bold and stouthearted. May all the kings of the earth praise you, O LORD, when they hear the words of your mouth. May they sing of the ways of the LORD, for the glory of the LORD is great. Though the LORD is on high, he looks upon the lowly, but the proud he knows from afar. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand aginst the anger of my foes, with your right hand you save me. The LORD will fulfill [his purpose] for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever-- do not abandon the works of your hands. NIV

My verse for the day thank you jennie for this part of ifish

God bless

[Smily]

I too want to thank your leap of faith here and want to encourage you to keep up such a wonderful site. Here is something I kind of like and encourages me at times:

Psalm 1
1 Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
2But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.
4The ungodly are not so,
But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
5Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

6For the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

:smile: Smily :smile:

[Jennie@ifish]

Wow! This is the beginning of the chapel! Remember way back? :)

[FireCat]

We all go through periods or seasons of suffering and struggling followed by strengthening and perfecting. It is like the cycles of plant life. The plants, for example, are grown in all different kinds of climates. they go through amazing cycles. They spread and bear leaves and those leaves are cut off, and then the plants are pruned severely so that you would think that they are dead, but they aren’t. They are just going through a necessary stage in the dormant stage because we may feel ugly but,.get ready we are about to grow in beauty for his name sake. The Christian life is like that. We go through periods when it seems that the spiritual life is almost dead and the discouragement is so severe that we wonder what is happening and where God is. But those periods aren’t permanent. God, the master Gardener, is just pruning us and preparing us for more fruit (John 15). Our part is to remain faithful through it all, to keep our faith in Him, and when we do we will eventually understand the truth of Romans 5:3-5, that trouble, when endured patiently in faith, produces experience (learning more about Christ and the Christian life), which results in increased faith, which results in an increase in spirituality...I read on here by a few of you the statement " I HAVE NOT ARRIVED YET"...Wanna know something!...you never will...not to be harsh or anything but when you think you are about to arrive The good lord will prune a little more..and we are back where we started from, Just remember this little thing....HE WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU OR FORSAKE YOU.
Lord Bless

[DAB]

Wow! This is the beginning of the chapel! Remember way back? :)


Didn't think I have been on Ifish that long, This is my favorite place on Ifish where I recieve the biggest blessing.


Thanks for the Chapel Jen.


DAB

[feisty]

Jennie, I am a believer in God but not so much of organized religons. I have seen various churches that all they look for is the allmighty dollar and not for the good of all. If you are rich then you will be saved. But when I go out into the world, I see God in everything of nature. He has made insects that hatch at the same hour every year and are identical in size and in body. He has made things in an order. Each animal has something that God has made to feed him. He has given man a brain to help his fellow man to live in comfort and order. Even the animals show that God has given them some reason so they make it in his world. If all mankind would only look at life with their eyes and their soul, we would have a good and blessed world. No fighting and no strife. Every time I see someone that has a problem, such as Chris, I pray that God will help and bless them. Everything has a reason, even though we don't understand it. Look at God's world with different eyes and thank him for being so wonderful to us all.My Church is on a River somewhere....thnxc, Jen:):):)

[garbageman]

Thanks for the site....this is a true blessing.:pray::pray::pray::pray:

[Troutinator]

I cannot help but feel that there unknown and untiold greatness that has flowed from this forum in the last almost 6 years... what a great time to reflect and give thanks!