You are so right about this. I didn't think my family had that type of mentality but how very wrong I was. Unfortunately, I'm finding out this is the way most think these days because everyone told me the same thing during my ordeal. It has gotten to the point where I seem to be burdened with the responsibility to at least try to change that.

I have a deep, burning desire to educate people about God's view of marriage, divorce, adultery, and how WE, as Christians can effectively bring about change through actions, not passively waiting on someone to get it on their own or waiting on God to miraculously do something. No one these days seems to want to take the hard stance and stand up!

As I write this, I'm actually beginning to get a bit emotional because I hate what I've seen from my family. I hate what I saw from my ww's family. I hate what I've been seeing from the Christian community. I HATE IT!

God DOES NOT operate the way most people think he will, by secretly making people change. He uses, as you and I know, his servants to accomplish HIS purposes. And right now, I praying that he uses me to help bring about a change.

If no one else is willing to be the vessel that might be able to make a difference, I AM!!!

The wonderful news is that Christ is the light of the world.
When the Gospel message is preached to those in darkness some come out towards the light. They leave behind adultery, lying, stealing, and other sins.

The Bible is sharper than any two edged sword.
So if you encounter those who claim to be Christians condoning adultery I suggest you politely say that God hates adultery and it is a sin and we are called to be the salt of the earth.

I just want to say I know some beautiful people who stand against adultery of all faiths and lack thereof.

And, many confused and sad folks who do not stand against it. They are confused and not the direct target of the horror and just don't 'get it' how being accepting of it is actually causing their own vulnerability as people.

It is awful that people are forced to take sides and often they choose the wayward's side. Waywards can be very convincing when justifying their actions.

Not to get off topic but that is the mentality in America. Think of all the tragedies that could of been avoided if one person would of bad courage to do the right thing. Sandy Hook, Aurora, Virginia Tech etc. People know when someone is doing something and say "it's not my problem or God will help." They forget about the values they instill in their children and the values they were taught.

We even have a defense mechanism built in our minds that makes us uneasy when we do the wrong thing through inaction. Spidey sense is real folks. Yet they sit oblivious of the world around them because God will take care of everything. Another thing that ticks me off is the "WS is grown he/she can make their own decisions". As a fricking parent just cause your children are adults and move out DOES NOT MEAN I repeat DOES NOT MEAN YOUR JOB AS A PARENT IS FINISHED! I am all for helping family but if any of my family members are participating in immoral and/or illegal behavior I will not shield them from the consequences and vice versa! Phew! Got it out. Once again Mark your doing the right thing as a man of God!

Thanks for the support you all have shown me. It has been refreshing to know that there are people who still believe in taking action. Unfortunately, these type of people are few and far between as we have all witnessed.

I have, for a long time, felt that someone should start taking a stand against the awful mindset of the world today, especially within the Christian community. I have felt the desire to be the spark that might challenge others to stop sitting back and "waiting on God" to change people. I am understanding more and more what I believe God wants me to do...speak out and that's exactly what I'm gonna do.

I'm gonna share something with you all so that it makes sense...

Up until a week ago, starting on Mother's Day 2012, I went to a dark place. I started drinking heavily, returned to the marijuana use of my former days, began partying excessively. I stopped attending church, stopped reading the word, stopped praying, etc. I'm not proud of it, but it happened. I've repented of it and I know God has forgiven me.

But here's what happened. God,himself, did not come down and tell me to stop. He used people. During that time, I got regular phone calls from a variety of people who went to my church (even though I ignored them all). I did listen to the messages they left, though. I would get text messages, messages on FB, and the list goes on.

Last Saturday, I received a phone call from my Pastor that said "We're praying for you. I hope you hear the voice of the Lord". For me, it was time to turn things around. I was tired of living that life.

I said all of that to reiterate what we've all been saying. Had I not had the constant barrage of messages, I'm not so sure I would have ever stopped. But God used people to continue to remind me that I was lost and I eventually responded.

I later spoke to my pastor about giving me an opportunity to share some things to the congregation in hopes of helping others and that takes place tomorrow.

I believe God allowed me to go through what I went through, the divorce, the hurt, the pain, the "let God handle it" attitude of everyone (including the pastor), and everything else so that it can serve to be an example that He works through men. That's what I plan on sharing.

I plan on sharing the how I was "brought back". I plan on sharing how we should start fighting more for families, especially since it is the very core of the Christian experience. I plan on sharing all that I know about how God views marriage and divorce because I took the time, during my situation to study everything in scripture concerning it (I discovered I knew very little on the subject). I plan on sharing how inaction is doing nothing but perpetuating the spiritual decline of God's people. But most of all I plan on sharing the fact that I would be still out there, lost, if people would have simply "left it alone".

Mark,

how is your musical journey going?

Are you still on that or did you let it take a break?

I am still on that journey. My current plan it to spend about a year working on jazz. It started about 2 months ago and I'm loving it.

It is quite involved and requires extensive music theory knowledge and understanding. That's part of the challenge. The other part is the physical aspect of getting my hands to cooperate.

A guitarist friend of mine and I are currently working through 4 jazz standards to play together at an open mic night event next week.

You can always send her the SAA book and some printed materials linking to MB website and forum. That way it is in her hands, she can read through it and it might just guide her here.

WE are the thunderbolts that do His work...

...praying that he uses me to help bring about a change. If no one else is willing to be the vessel that might be able to make a difference, I AM!!!

And today's gospel was about.....the miracle of the wedding feast at Cana. Is it not encouraging that the FIRST miracle that Christ performed on his earthly ministry was to assist a newly married couple avoid embarrassment and start their marital life on a positive note?

While I can't (yet) change water into wine, I think what we do here, and taking the knowledge with us into our live-a-day existences, continues the path His footsteps began..

First they came for the communists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.

Then they came for the socialists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the jews,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for the catholics,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a catholic.

Then they came for me,
and there was no one left to speak for me.


Regretfully, that is how many people live their lives. They (and we do too at occasions) do nothing if it does not immediately concerns themselves. They want to stay out of things because they care more about their own peace and quiet, than about others. That's the bottom line of it: egoism. Not wanting to do the difficult 'right' thing they even abuse the Bible to condone their son's adultery. I say condone, because they make it too easy on him.

God bless,

Happyheart

P.S. What you told about him giving the ring to the OW, that is so cheap!

It never fails to shock us when seemingly good family members go the "blood is thicker than mud" route when faced with such horrificness.

Close family member of ours recently went to an affairage wedding....they knew better than to tell me about it but we saw pictures on FB. It truly makes me sick and I wish I could say I knew my family would stand up for what is right, but....sigh. They did not. Such is life.