Before we adopted our pound mutt, I set up a file to adopt a greyhound from Greyhound Rescue. Since we got our dog, I continue loving the rescued greyhounds we meet occasionally. They are so darling!

For now, I won't take on any long-term commitments. Once our son goes to college, I'll still have the dog - that's for a lifetime. (Unless my STBX moves back into the house, in which case HE'LL have the dog.)

Making a plug for greyhound rescue. They are extremely grateful pets.

Georgia and Mimi-

My little companion, our family dog, is a Shih Tzu. His name is Shadow. If you love a dog with a sweet temperament and is good with little ones, a Shih Tzu is a wonderful family member. They are extremely easy to train, do not shed (I'm allergic to shedding dogs), and are just the most freaking lovable and adoring friends you will ever have.

Mimi, you will love that dog. It is a very GODDESS dog. They were originally bred only for an Emperor, ya know. I do not have a top knot on mine, I keep him in a puppy cut. My H just loves him to death. My 5.5 month old is constantly getting handfuls of Shadow's hair and the little dog just lays there waiting for me to rescue him.

Shadow is my constant...well, shadow. If I leave a room he usually follows so he can make sure Im alright. He's very nosy, needs to know what is happening in the house at all times. I adore him. I think you'd love one, too.

Good Morning...

There's not a lot going on differently in my life today. Tomorrow is my final CASA hearing in court and I've submitted my report already. I will take the morning off to go to court.

Tomorrow is going to be a huge day in the life of our company, probably the most significant day for me in the 25 years that I've been here. There will be many, many unhappy people. More about that later.

Okay, messages to FH and Mimi:

FH - The practice is infant baptism. I can handle the sprinkling (instead of dunking), but it seems to me clear the NT demonstrates that baptism is subsequent to, and a symbol of, salvation.

Mimi - I know you don't have to explain to me anything, but I'm very, very concerned about where you are going in the discussion on the other thread. I hope you will accept this as the "challenge" of a friend and not tell me to MYOB.

I was 20 when I was saved. Even though I have been in a Baptist church (because xW was staunchly Baptist), I've never thought of myself as a "Baptist". I've seen myself as a Christian who attends a Baptish church. Now I'm a Christian who attends a Methodist church, but I'm not a Methodist. I'm a Christian.

As far as "rethinking organized religion", well, I know that many here will rally to your defense. But I strongly disagree. I like what someone in my "new" church (the Methodist one) said recently. "We're not a sanctuary for saints, we're a hospital for sinners." And (in my words) if you're a hosptial for sinners, well, there's going to be a lot of sick people in there.

I strongly, strongly believet that a Christian needs to be in church along with all the rest of the sinners. It's roots are found in the NT, and from day one it's been plagued with the fallabilities of its members. But, that is absolutely NO REASON for anyone to feel that they are in some way superior and don't need to associate with "those people".

It was "organized religion" that sent 90 people to give a wonderful Christmas to 44 abused youth last week. It is organized religion that that does more chartitable work to help the downtrodden than any other group(s) in the world. And, it is organized religion that has been charged with the task to deliver the Gospel (literally: the Good News) to a world that needs, really needs, HOPE.

There, soap box speech is done.

VIVA LA CONFLICT AVOIDERS!!!!!

Georgia

lol....and here I thought it was something "serious!!!"

I have some rather strong views on this subject, but I'll try to give you the "Cliff Notes" version of my opinion and belief.

1. Water baptism, sprinkling, dousing, immersing, etc., has NOTHING to do with salvation, else the "thief on the cross" would NOT be saved and Jesus would have lied to him.

2. Baptism is merely a way to do 2 things that one would "expect" from someone who has surrendered their life to Christ.

A) It is a public declaration of one's CHOICE to follow Christ.

B) It is a way to humbly submit to an instruction of God regardless of what we may personally "feel" about the act. It is a "beginning" of a new way of life...of following God's commands in humble obedience regardless of what we might be feeling or what we think we "might know better than God."

3. I was raised Lutheran, Missouri Synod, so I got the "sprinkling" as an infant.

4. I "identify" myself as a Christian who happens, now, to attend an independent Baptist church.

5. I was Baptized by immersion just a week or so before "d-day" in a Southern Baptist Church.

6. I "see" baptism used in some churches, (i.e., Roman Catholic, Lutheran) as being doctrinally taught that it "imparts" salvation to the infant and that without the baptism, the child is not saved and would go to Hel! if not baptized. I STRONGLY disagree with this...salvation is NOT based upon ANY works that we do. We ARE saved, wet or dry, by Christ and Christ alone.

7. Infant baptism is little different than "infant dedication." It is a public declaration BY THE PARENTS that they commit before God and witnesses to raise the child "in the faith of Christ."

8. My "problem" with the Methodist Church, and many other churches of ALL denominations, is that they supplant the Biblical truths with human reason and begin to deny the inspiration and authority of the Scripture. "Baptism" can easily fall into this category. Is it small wonder that John wrote of Christ's warnings to the churches in Revelation? WE are human and we tend to "move away" from God and His clearly revealed will and commands and are "expert" at justifying our "modifications" to God's commands.

I know Mimi is considering a conversion to Roman Catholicism, because she is probably frustrated with a lot of the church "options" in her area. But aside from Doctrinal differences regarding Baptism, there are many beliefs and practices of the RCC that I strongly disagree with, and even consider heretical...i.e., the idea of "transubstantiation" in the communion eucharist. The RCC teaches that the bread and wine do NOT merely symbolize Christ's sacrifice so that we will remember what He did, they teach that the bread and wine actually BECOME the real flesh and blood of Christ, in effect, crucifying Him all over every time they celebrate communion.

So, humans in charge of the "church on earth" need to be extremely careful to not depart from the "Truth, once delivered."

I don't know if that helps, but it's the "short version."

Personally, I could NOT attend a Methodist church, or any church, that does not stand on the Scripture alone. It's an issue of the "camel's nose." What DO we tolerate?

God says "do not be unevenly yoked" with reference to marriage. I think it's not much different when deciding on a "church family."

It's also why it's increasingly difficult to find a solid, bible believing, church these days.

God bless.

Georgia:

The betrayal that I received from my former church cuts real, real deep...on so many different levels..in so many different ways...

Just as I was anxious about reconciling with my H and continue to be anxious SOMEWHAT in my R with him, I am anxious about joining another church...

I'm sure we won't be going back to my former church..It was a church that I grew up in..my grandparents, before their deaths last year were among its oldest members, my great-great grandfather was one of the former pastors...my H was a former deacon that, of course, had to be let go..and then the members were not there for me when I needed them...the minister was not able to give correct information about my grandmother at her funeral in July ( I was giving the church another chance)....

So you see...I've got to heal.....

Later...

Mimi....healing is one thing, escaping is another.

I am sorry the PEOPLE in your former church let you down.

Georgia

Georgia:

I'm HEALING...

Not escaping...

I don't want to make a mistake on the wrong place of worship and then LOSE MY FAITH....

I believed in my church members as strongly as you trust and believe in your new church members...

We participated in loads of mission activities over the years with each other..for many years I served on various church committees and was a Sunday School teacher...

But when THEY had the opportunity to evidence a Christian response towards me..where were THEY?

They began to make me question my faith...I don't want that to happen..

I began to ask myself WAS THIS ALL SHOW? WAS THIS JUST SOCIALIZING..NOT SERVING THE LORD?....

I do not like having such thoughts...

<img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

FH,

"I "see" baptism used in some churches, (i.e., Roman Catholic, Lutheran) as being doctrinally taught that it "imparts" salvation to the infant and that without the baptism, the child is not saved and would go to Hel! if not baptized."

Not true, Catholic-wise, anyway. I'll not TJ here, but that is simply not the doctrine and never has been. We can clarify this elsewhere if you wish.

I am continually amazed at how so many Christian fundamentalists know so little about Catholicism. I definitely will not have any arguments on here though, OK?

With prayers,

Amphelion -

Thank you for clarifying that. I have come to realize that some of the most devoted and dedicated Christians I have ever met are Catholic. An example is the lady who sold me the house. She is, I think, a pentecostal Catholic.

However (not a criticism, just an observation) I am amazed at how little she knows of the Bible. Things that most church-going folks seem to take for granted is new to her. And..when I started the home Bible study, she said she had been wanting to come to learn about what the Bible says. Just about any verse we read seems new and fresh to her.

Comments? (I'm not arguing, just curious why that seems to be that way...or am I over-generalizing?).

Georgia

Georgia:

Be careful..

You are very much generalizing...

NO KIDDING...

My other grandmother was a Catholic...I don't know why I blocked on sharing this before on the other thread..

I went to church with her on many occasions when I was a little girl...

Well, my Catholic grandmother read her Bible dutifully every single day and said all kinds of prayers, including "HER ROSARY", throughout the day....

I'm not too sure what it all meant..but I would often find her holding her "beads", kissing them, and praying...

<img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Okay, I'll accept that.

I'm off to meet with a Financial Advisor (at the bank, one of those free ones) to discuss any advice on the impact of all this stuff (divorce, split of 401K, income taxes at as single vs. married, sale of house, etc.) before the end of the year.

See ya'll tomorrow.

Georgia

Aphelion - I don't intend to have an "argument" either. I guess I could be mistaken, but not according to the Roman Catholic Catechism published in 1992 (translated into English in 1994) where it stated the following as official RCC doctine:

1263 By Baptism all sins are forgiven, original sin and all personal sins, as well as all punishment for sin.

1257 The Lord himself affirms that Baptism is necessary for salvation. ... The Church does not know of any means other than Baptism that assures entry into eternal beatitude; this is why she takes care not to neglect the mission she has received from the Lord to see that all who can be baptized are "reborn of water and the Spirit." God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism...

1265 Baptism not only purifies from all sins, but also makes the neophyte "a new creature," an adopted son of God, who has become a "partaker of the divine nature," member of Christ and co-heir with him, and a temple of the Holy Spirit.

1267 ... From the baptismal fonts is born the one People of God of the New Covenant...


This imparts a "works based" faith in that it takes an ordinance and "elevates" it to the level of a "saving action" that results in forgiveness of sins rather than being a "Gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast."

God bless.

It's not all that surprising, FGG. The position of the RCC is that ONLY the Pope and the Bishops can "interpret" Scripture. For a long, long, time, the "masses" of people were illiterate and couldn't read, so that contributed to a "listen to the priest" as he explains things and not a "Read it for yourself and ask questions based upon what the Scripture actually DOES say."

But one does NOT have to read the Bible to BE a Christian. In fact, her eagerness for the Scripture is something that I, for one, would expect from a true believer (who hungers for the word of God).

Good Morning all -

This is going to be short.

Court for the CASA case is in 2 hours, so I'll be leaving work soon to go to that.

Also, today is the big day in our company. More about that later, but changes are afoot.

Mimi...here is a photo of my granddog. You can probably tell from the photo that she is indeed a GODDESS PET, but I think a more appropriate title would be a DIVA DOG.

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/mb_georgiaguy/album?.dir=/1723

Georgia

She is absolutely beautiful. My Shih Tzu's markings are almost entirely all black-- except for his golden fur on his feet and the white 'beard' under his muzzle. When he stands watching us at our front door as we leave, we call him our little old man.
Here is my baby Logan and Shadow-- his hair is shorter than I usually keep it due to a cut he needed when he got a rash.

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4865/188/1600/Picture%20482.jpg

Hi mojodiva -

Thanks for the granddog compliment. She is a very pretty dog, I must say.

I'd like to see Logan and Shadow, but you're link didn't work.

Georgia

OH! Georgia!
I found an old picture of my Solid Gold MINI (his name was Elvis) and his friends-- the one in the middle is BRitish Racing Green and the one on the far right is a Silk Green, a color they do not produce anymore.

The no longer produce the Solid Golds either. If I had my MINI still it would be an extremely rare MINI. *pout*

http://www.angelfire.com/ne/LadyVix/OURMINIS.jpg

That's weird! When I click it it works for me! Hmmmm...
Maybe try copy pasting it in your browser address window?

Okay, I pasted and the links worked. Looks like Shadow and Logan are friends.

Cool picture with the MINI. That made my day....3 MINI friends meeting at Starbucks! (Can you say "yuppie"?). I can see why you liked Elvis, maybe you need to get another one. You, Shadow, & Logan stopping by Starbucks with Elvis...

Georgia