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Post by ivor on Jan 29, 2016 8:20:49 GMT
Sounds good to me and may James's LW site remain there with an open door always
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Post by Deleted on Jan 29, 2016 8:25:50 GMT
To Everybody,
Don't forget to keep shouting 'Alleluia' in our Shoutbox.
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Post by Helen on Jan 29, 2016 15:28:47 GMT
'Alleluia' praise the Lord Mike. I am very blessed to see the both of you working together and in one place...so much easier than hopping from site to site like we were, and even double posting the same thread on all..to the same people.
As we each get familiar with the site...it will become easier and easier for us to navigate.
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Post by amadeus on Jan 29, 2016 23:20:42 GMT
There is no such thing as theocratic democracy (never has been) so we have a problem to resolve, - where do we set our table up for consuming our tasty morsels?.... and for all the much due credit we give to both James and Mike I don't think either of them should decide.
My personal opinion is that Amadeus makes the sole decision (sorry friend to put you on the spot). We all of us too easily shoot from the hip where you don't appear to, you have a more considered measured approach and you are always kind and gentle with delivering your reply. If we decide to take a vote then please accept that I will happily abstain from voting as there's a wind of change in the air and I feel we should have it move us where we need to be moved. This is an older post and lot of water has gone under the bridge since it was posted, but if I may...
Until we have all overcome as Jesus overcame, we are likely to disagree on things.. including which forum or forums to keep active or even which one or ones to forget.
While you are most certainly right about there being no such thing as a theocratic democracy, what are our alternatives to a strictly democratic forum process?
I have been around apparently from the start of Mike's and then James' endeavours at forum operations. Even if most of us were mostly very opened handed and fair, as we have seen it only takes one spoiler to engage and someone else will soon also be at it. At what? At digging into a "my way or the highway" position.
Ultimately then the decision should be God's but since all of us are not always listening to and obeying God, it comes back to having a controller. I am generally against a democracy because eventually it leads to some of the worst problems I have seen as for example the USA today. Our nation tried to prevent some of these things by writing protections into the Constitution for minority rights in spite of the agendas of the majority. Over time, men have learned how to bypass those original safeguards and the majority is taking us down.
The Controller for God's Church needs to be God and/or His Son. The same should be true for any sincere Christian forum. That it doesn't work in most churches is seen in many of the organized churches which are supposed to be the Church.
Here on a forum when democracy fails (which it will) we may go to the "man" in charge, be it Mike or James or another, who has to make the difficult decisions. Lacking a continuously unadulterated connection with God by each and every member, what choices do we have?
Yes, we could put it on the back of one person, but even if it were Jesus Himself in the flesh, would everyone always agree to agree? No, because not everyone would always recognize Him for who he was.
As for me, I was once a moderator on a forum, T2O it was, and it hindered me terribly in my open participation as a member because I had to abide by the forum rules strictly even when I disagreed with them. I finally resigned primarily for that reason. I would take such a role again only if I were absolutely sure that God wanted me to do so. I feel no such calling. Even making one single final decision for now is not something I would want do. I won't say that I would not if the right pressure were applied, but I really don't believe that it can be.
Mike and James went to the trouble and/or expense to set up these three forums. If they ask for advice let us provide it as we are able, but is it not they that must implement or not, whatever is needed.
What exactly is needed?
Mike has started several forums. James has started one. All of us feel there is a need for such a forum.
I am happy with this one, but I was also happy with each and every one of the other forums [with the possible exception of Mike's Blog, the other one (4th) which still exists.] I did not like that one only because of the way it did or did not work mechanically. With that one exception I would have probably stuck it out with the very first one Mike initiated.
This is where I stand. I guess I haven't solved anyone's problems, have I?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 30, 2016 2:43:12 GMT
Amadeus (John), I think I speak for James (as well as for me) when I say that we are both agreed that by uniting together (James setting up this site and me joining with him as admin.....at his invitation) we are nearer to fulfilling Jesus' prayer "That they may be one", even if not quite "as Jesus and the Father are one". Together James and I have talked and recognise that we represent two extremes of 'faith' (his being the more pure 'not seen' type, and mine being tempered by 'experience') and that whilst we each have concern for both the spiritual and the nuts and bolts tweaking of a good forum, his emphasis is on the spiritual whilst mine is on the nuts and bolts. And just as"each joint supplieth the body" so we make a good 'team'. But it is still down to how God leads existing and future members when it comes to trusting James' and my partly theocratic and partly democratic leadership (with Helen making up an important trinity of admin endeavour).
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Post by amadeus on Jan 30, 2016 3:15:41 GMT
Thanks for the response on this Mike. God can smooth out all of the wrinkles if we will allow it.
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Post by james on Jan 30, 2016 19:32:33 GMT
Good post John.
I notice Mike paints me as a 'more pure faith' person, not the first description that comes to my mind, but then I don't see me as others do.
I received an email that said forums were gone and almost automatically looked up free forums on Google and took a bite of the first that looked as if I could kick it off. I knew Mike's was down as well, took no thought at all to ask him to be a part, how could I not?
So with an almost organic beginning I am not sure that I want to have board meetings over where we go from here. Even writing this I realize that things have moved on and perhaps we are already into the journey and adventure of discovering how the Lord Jesus is going to lead us.
James
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Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2016 7:02:36 GMT
Team work - isn't it about using eachothers abilities accordingly and working together, more than an issue of Faith and what we believe.
Also an issue of time- I also believe it is far better to have more than one person involved ' behind the scenes' becasue of accountability.
I must admit that I have never considered Gods will about the forum issues- more so with the recent closures, to me something happened and another route was needed - and the good that happened was to bring some of us back together, although most of us were ' together' anyway, just having to go from one forum to another inorder to keep in contact.
A behind the forum question- Pat mentioned about this site not being good with her light sensitivity issues - on another pro-boards forum I could go into my profile and change the colour to one that suited my eyes ( I get migraine with certain colours, and must admit the blue is not good for me long term ) well I checked with the ' help ' and we should be able to do this, but its not set up in our settings to do- can any of admin help so that the colour could be less bright ?
Rita
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Post by Helen on Jan 31, 2016 17:55:26 GMT
Amen Rita, glad you mentioned it! I like it much better and its much easier on the eyes. Hope that Pat soon gets everything computer wise, sorted out. She is missed.
Blessings...H
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Post by Dave on Jan 31, 2016 21:41:01 GMT
Team work, what a lovely picture that conjures up in the mind, Not quite understanding the colour thing, So I thought I'd clean my glasses to see if that gave any clarity but alas, just clean glasses, shall wait with bated breath for colour conformation. Rita, always enjoy your posts, you seems to have a gifting of seeing beyond the obvious.
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Post by Helen on Feb 1, 2016 1:08:14 GMT
I just wanted to say, in this easy to find Thread...my apologies to anyone who's thread or posts I have missed. I just found a few I had totally missed reading, I never noticed them, have no idea how I missed them.
Just when I think that I have got it all 'down nicely' I find I am still not as good as I thought I was!! ( navigating etc) x
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2016 6:59:53 GMT
Good morning ....the colour is much better- thank you xx
LOL - Dave I use to organise childrens clubs and holiday bible weeks - and create crafts for 40 under five years olds every week for five years- believe me you learn all about team work and using each others gifts and abilities. Also God taught me to look at different prospectives when I was endeavouring to get through the divorce - it kind of comes naturally to me now and helpful in so many other situations. So I just stand back and view things, and often as not I see things a bit differently to the norm - its not always helpful though as often I can be alone in what I see and everyone thinks I am mad or misguided !!
Thank you for your kind words.
Rita
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Post by james on Feb 1, 2016 22:53:01 GMT
At 10 this morning I started to download windows 10, it is now 5 to 11 at night and I have just finished installing windows 10. Hope it is worth it!!!!! My eyes are falling out of my head. Tomorrow Vessy goes into hospital at 10pm for an early start on Wednesday morning C section. They say it must be done as baby is at risk since Vessy has gestational diabetes, as the baby is not engaged they can not induce so C section it has to be. Then it will be a case of all change in this household.
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Post by Dave on Feb 2, 2016 1:12:04 GMT
James, the bloke up the road had 12 windows put in and it never took that long . Eyes falling out of head, reminded me of the healing testimony, that old Gibby told, of the man whose eyes literally fell out and his remarkable healing, confirmed by the doctor and people who knew him.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 2, 2016 2:17:16 GMT
James, the bloke up the road had 12 windows put in and it never took that long . Eyes falling out of head, reminded me of the healing testimony, that old Gibby told, of the man whose eyes literally fell out and his remarkable healing, confirmed by the doctor and people who knew him. Literally?
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Post by Dave on Feb 2, 2016 5:07:43 GMT
Yes, literally, they dried like peas and he was led about by someone, then one day he leaned over and they fell out, he asked the Lord for new ones and they grew came back, It's a long testimony and it was printed into a tract form to hand to people for a witness of what God can do. Helen knows the full story. Or did you mean the windows?
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Post by Helen on Feb 2, 2016 5:08:20 GMT
Yes Mike. Our old Pastor knew of him, and people knew him..but Pastor never met him personally, but Pastors dad did.. He lived in Brighton , early 1900's ( where our Pastor came from). His eyes started 'going' quickly when he was born. He had a young lad lead him around by the hand. I must check it out, Pastor gave me a booklet I still have it. I wonder if anyone ever uploaded into the net!! I must dig it out. As a young man, it says his eyes "gathered?" shrunk and fell out one day when walking with the young boy, who screamed and fled, leaving him to find his own way home!! They were like two tiny marbles he said. Long story short..he went to a healing meeting ..got healed...slowly they started growing again. Many people ...names and addresses...( and a doctor) testified that they saw him and his eyes were bright baby blue.
Something happened at home, forgotten what...he had "words " with his mother about something, and yelled- "Well, I don't care if I lose my eyes again." It says that from that moment they started gathering again, and he had great pain in them..he went totally blind again ( but they didn't fall out or shrink this time)
Him and his mum got it all sorted, and he went back to the tent meeting..went out, repented of saying what he did, and got his eyes healed again that night. They all saw him. And lived happily ever after.. Obviously it was very BIG in Brighton at that time. Written about, documented , confirmed etc etc Not your average miracle...eh?!!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 2, 2016 5:19:05 GMT
Obviously it was very BIG in Brighton at that time. Written about, documented , confirmed etc etc Not your average miracle...eh?!! Sounds like a 'Happy Heretic' speciality to his poor old 'doubting Thomas'. Only a few hours earlier I had a real long talk about my 'faith deficiencies' with a leading light (a Pastor) who is a member of our local House Group....I feel such a 'sham'.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 2, 2016 5:23:45 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 2, 2016 7:19:42 GMT
James- Really hope everything goes okay for Vessy today xxxxxx
Helen and Dave- that story is amazing, and it happened here in Brighton - wow I will have to try and look that up x
Rita
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