I'm glad you found this encouraging. It is always good to know if these things are helpful !

Happy to share...I'm glad you enjoyed it. I agree with you about the difficulties....they do draw us closer to God.

Thanks for the comment. Yes ... I agree that it is in our hearts and minds and spirits...what we believe.. what we put our faith in. Many people participate in religious activities for no other reason then to just get along.. be part of the group.. community.. etc. and that was me for a long time as well. But that all changed when I actually encountered God as he is( as you heard in the story) and that's a big reason I feel lead to share the reality of Gods existence.... because there are so many of us just going through the motions of religion. God is so much bigger than these man made institutions...and so much better then they portray...It's really worth seeking out Jesus Christ and who he really is...I promise you that. Thanks so much for commenting...and may God bless you in your journey through life...

No .. not easy to share... but something that can be helpful to some I believe..thanks for commenting..may God bless you greatly.

Thanks for commenting. I'm glad you have God in your life ...and are able to lean on him always. It is such a big benefit of being a believer... there are many other benefits of course( eternal life being the most obvious)... but yes ...in the day to day...I agree that having God to lean on is a huge deal! God bless you... and thanks again for commenting...

Thanks for sharing that. I think things like that really leave a scar on a person's spirit and emotional well being. With time the wound heals over... but there's always a scar... and sometimes certain things can happen that make it feel pretty fresh again. That's been my experience anyways. Thanks again for sharing... may God bless you in the slow healing process...

Thanks!

Thanks! And the same to you....

Thanks for the comment. I don't know to much about the Catholic Church or churches associated with it. I do know they are works based institutions ( work your way to heaven) and for that reason alone... I would not consider associating myself with any of them. Because I believe that Salvation comes through faith alone through Christ Alone... and then comes a period. Not a comma...or a ..but...I respect your right to believe in the teachings of this institution you're talking about. I would just highly recommend a thorough inspection of what they teach on how a person is saved. Thanks for the comment. God bless you ...

@@norcaltimberfaller1943 not Catholic as in Rome. The word catholic is Greek and it means “universal”. You need to look at a historical timeline of the Christian church. The first thousand years after Pentecost when Christianity was established there were five church centers of which Rome was considered the head but equal to the others. Constantinople, Antioch, Jerusalem and Alexandria were the others. It is during this time the Bible was established, the creeds pronounced and heresy was refuted. This led the the church in Rome being excommunicated in the year 1054, which led to Luther and Protestants in the 1500s, bout one church remained, and that is the Orthodox Church. Again, learn your history.

I'm not disputing that learning history is good....I am sure you know more about church history then I do. That being said....when I am looking at a churches accuracy....I am going to look directly at what they teach. Their actual doctrine...removing all the fluff and pealing it back to the core. You are saying that this church....the Orthodox Church ...is the one and only correct church? I believe that is what you are saying ....correct me if I am wrong. That being said,...the first thing to examine is what does this church teach about Salvation ? So here is a very simple question. What must a man ( or a woman) do....to be saved? What does the Orthodox church have to say about that?

@@norcaltimberfaller1943 repent and be baptized. The question becomes, is it a valid baptism? That depends on the bishop. I was baptized as an infant, and often catechumens(those entering the church) are re-baptized. When I came in it was our whole church, 70+ families, so the bishop allowed anointing with holy chrism for those already baptized. If I were you, what I’m suggesting, is research the Orthodox Church. It is the difference between “cutting with a stihl versus cutting with a farmertec”. One is original, one is imitation. They both can cut but the original has a history that will last. I’m not saying you can’t be “saved” somewhere else, but the Orthodox Church says “I was saved at the crucifixion, I am currently being saved, and I will be saved at the resurrection”. It’s an ongoing process, not a one time event.