The Bible tells us you can’t serve the Lord and money. It’s clear which side of that equation LeBron James and the NBA are on.
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Maranatha! I am so glad I will be at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb instead of here on earth suffering and starving through the Antichrist.
@newbee, i, too never had children. Was yours also by choice?
@llsotka – I feel privileged to have read part of your story also. It looks like we both have had instances in life where another believer had a big influence on our lives. Some of my most joyful days now are when God allows me to plant or water a seed in some unknowing person’s life I meet and talk to at the grocery or craft store, or waiting at a bus stop. I pray that God uses me in others lives like he did Russ Peterson in mine or that street preacher did for you.
About a year ago, a young man got on the bus and was wearing a tee-shirt that said, “I’m going to hell in every religion”. As he walked the aisle and caught me looking at him, with a smile on my face, I said, “You know, you don’t HAVE to!” In the few minutes that were left I turned around and shared a few verses of scripture and asked him to think about if he really WANTED to go to hell. I turned back in my seat; he had received that quick message and surprisingly wasn’t offended. Before he got off, he stopped in the aisle at my seat, shook hands with me, and told me his first name and said he enjoyed our conversation. I told him my name, and said I’d pray for him to think about it some more. I haven’t seen him since, and that was over a year ago.
The other day I was in Walmart and a young cellular phone salesman asked me how I was doing. I stopped and said, “Just dandy! How about you?” He smiled, said he like that word and would start using it. Being the Chatty Cathy I am, I complimented him on his sales charisma and encouraged him to grow into one with more potential for success, “You want to get married and start a family, right? Are you married yet?” No, he wasn’t , but he had a girlfriend. I asked if they were living together. ” Uh, no . . . , not exactly”, he said. I grimaced and said, “Ah, that’s not so good. When you get married, don’t you want a woman who’s not going to compare your performance with that of another man? God’s plan is for only having sex within marriage, so there’s a trust between the spouses. Without that trust in a relationship, you just have a temporary sex arrangement. No,, that’s not so good. Think about it.”
I started to walk away and he said, “I’m never going to forget this conversation.” Maybe he was in shock that this stranger butted into his personal life so abruptly; I don’t know. I kept walking, looked back, smiled and said, “I hope not!”. A week later I was at Walmart and saw him again. I stopped for a moment, and just started with, “And you know, there’s a bond that takes place there. A bond she will have with you for the rest of her life and you with her even if you marry someone else. Wouldn’t you rather have that bond with just one woman?” He lifted up his hand to hi-five me and I him. As I walked away, he said, “I can’t believe how you just continued our conversation from last week where we left off!” and smiled. I walked away, then turned around and added, “And remember, when you do things God’s way, everything turns out better!” Who knows, maybe I’ll see him again, and maybe I won’t. But, it’s times like these encounters I’m so very grateful to God for giving me an outgoing personality and the joy of touching people’s lives if even for a few moments.
@llsotka – Yes and no. It was God’s choice, and the gift of celebacy. I dated from high school through my 30’s, even had a formal proposal from a Christian. But I didn’t want that man to be the father of my children among other reasons.
Having gone to a Bible school and dated godly men, I got “spoiled” in wanting all the things I knew God wanted for me in a marriage. I have two sisters who have eight – yes eight marriages between them. My family all think I was too picky. I went to college thinking I wanted to be an elementary school teacher since I love children. But dropped out after 2 1/2 years and later worked in the business world as an Administrative Assistant.
I taught Sunday School, Children’s church, camp counselor, Pioneer Girls leader, etc. for many years. In teaching a first grade Sunday School class of girls, one of them, Elizabeth Morris, asked me in her naive and sincere way, “Miss Linda, if you love children so much, why don’t you have any of your own?” With tears in my eyes, I said, “I don’t know, Elizabeth , I’ve asked God that many times.”
The tears were there because I realized Elizabeth had experienced my love for her and the other girls in the class. And for that I was very happy and still am to this day.
@newbee, my first impression of those wonderful encounters you shared were, “where do you live that young people are receptive and hear you!” But it’s much more than that. You have a gift! Such a quick mind, too. VERY inspiring.
I should have remembered you saying you had never been married. It’s late, and I have so enjoyed this glimpse into you life. I’ll always keep an eye out for newbeequilter’s comments. 🙂
@llsotka – Thanks for listening to this old lady 🙂 I talk too much in these wee hours of the morning. “See” you later – maybe in another thread of comments.
I thrifted a genuine Nike brand T-shirt today that said “Just Money.”, and it had a picture of basketballs that looked like coins going into a slot. It’s not a new tee.