A serious question for Christians (Page 7): For those who have been following the saga of the last few weeks, I thought I would let you all know that Brian died this morning. She Who...

no propaganda please Loc: moon orbiting the third rock from the sun

no propaganda please wrote:

It has been a week since we got here, but it seems like a month. Both of us are exhausted. The other night I posted something and accidentally put it in the wrong place, and hurt someone's feelings, so I decided I needed some sleep, which as been in short supply Didn't get much last night, so if this post doesn't make much sense, you will know why.

Brian is steadily going down hill. He is now unwilling or unable to swallow, so the IV fluids are all that are working. When Brian had his second rectal surgery they told him that it had spread and the surgery was just a temporary reprieve. He and I and the lawyer worked out the arrangements, including the Hospice care rather than a hospital which would simply slow down the dying process. These people have been wonderful, and they are doing what he wanted.
I had put a cross on his night stand last Friday, and Saturday morning he was holding it. At that point he was lucid for short periods of time so we were able to talk. since then he has had a few periods where he could at least understand what we were saying to him, but that doesn't seem to be the case and more. Last Friday I told him that people were praying for him. After he asked why and I told him that there are wonderful people out there who care what happens to other people, even if they do not know them. At that he smiled.
I am still amazed at how many people are out there who will go out of their way to help complete strangers. Earlier in the week, I think it was Sunday, we had gone back over to our friends' house to catch up on some things. When we went back to Brian's house to get back to cleaning and sorting, we found a water pipe in the basement had broken, and the basement had turned into a swimming pool. His neighbor was kind enough to bring over his portable sump pump and help us get the water out. The plumber got here Tuesday and fixed it, and a couple of other pipes that were about ready to break. Talking to the neighbors when we had them over for pizza, they told us that Brian had barely said a word to them, or anyone else in the neighborhood for the six or seven years he lived there. He had just glared at them and gone back in his house. I kind of thought that might be the case. The neighbors with the sump pump said they would have been happy to help if my brother had told them he needed help, instead of always being such an old curmudgeon. Such a shame.

We have had time to take the dogs to the nursing home next door and all four, Airedales included, to the VA hospital a couple of times. The dogs are happiest when they are working, and they bring joy to so many people that it makes the whole experience much better.

Thank you all for caring and all your prayers. God Bless You.

Mike

It has been a week since we got here, but it seems... (show quote)

For those who have been following the saga of the last few weeks, I thought I would let you all know that Brian died this morning. She Who Must Be Obeyed (my wife) and I were there with him. I think he was aware that we were talking to him, but it might just be wishful thinking.SWMBO and I went back to Brian's house later and we slept on the floor with the two Mastiffs. They were almost as stressed out as we are, so it was a person, dog hug, which helped a lot. they earned their titles as therapy dogs in the last two weeks. I am going to try to get a thread going before we leave about how destructive hate is, not only in the case of sexual molestation but in life in general. Monday we will make a final trip to the VA hospital with the dogs, Tuesday to the Nursing home next to the Hospice facility. Those will be the fun parts of each day. We still have lawyers, and packing what we want, and getting the rest of the things to Salvation Army and Women's Resources Center, so the house is ready for the realtors. There are a couple of pieces of furniture that we think the young man who was the subject of this thread to start with might like, so we have to see how to get them there. Maybe the busy work will help calm us down so we can get back to normal life, what ever that is.

Thanks for all your love and support. God Bless.
Mike

RockKnutne Loc: Valhöll

no propaganda please wrote:

For those who have been following the saga of the ... (show quote)

Thanks for the update and, I know we all are sorry for your loss. Hope you have a great day of reflection tomorrow, you're been a better father and friend to many than most of us ever had and, any young man would be blessed to have you as their mentor!

~God bless you

robby1

no propaganda please wrote:

For those who have been following the saga of the ... (show quote)

I is a sad time when part of the family gets sick. All the words in the world can't take away the pain. We lost a son 40 years ago. He was five years old. We lost a daughter to breast cancer. She was 52. My wife and I always thought the children should bury the parents. My wife and I being Christians know in our hearts that God gave each one of them a perfect healing. Someday we will see them again in a perfect spiritual body. We still miss them and wish they were still with us in this world. We always thought we would be together for eternity. They say time heals all wounds. But time can never erase the memories of the love and joy we had when they were with us. We always keep them in our hearts. Peace be with you and God's love hold you up.

no propaganda please Loc: moon orbiting the third rock from the sun

It is time for an update. the young man, who I will call "Bill" did ask her to marry him, and she agreed. The wedding is set for August 30. Everyone was thrilled that he finally decided that, through Jesus Christ, he had become worthy of marriage, and ultimately fatherhood. Word of this blessing from God brought a great number of people together. Many are other men who had been abused as boys, and the psychologists and counselors who have helped them over the years, His struggle became their struggle and his success gave them hope for their successful healing. As the word spread, many wanted to be part of the celebration. We checked with his fiance and her parents and found out that having others join in the celebration and prayers was welcome. At last count about two hundred people will be there, and the wedding will be outside, with various church members and friends providing the after the ceremony wedding feast. Again, with discussion with everyone except "Bill" we found them a nice used double wide on about two acres, and it is now about half paid for, which should give them a good start. the friends who we stayed with at the end of Brian's life are Airedale breeders. They sold a dog to a young couple a few years back. They knew the man had been a survivor who had worked with a couple of people we know. Turns out that the survivor and his wife are coming to the wedding, and have agreed to take the three pieces of furniture that we had wanted Bill to have, that had been in Brian's house. So the furniture will be there in the double wide when the newlyweds get there. Apparently God does approve of this wedding or it wouldn't be coming together so well. SWMBO and I are going to stay with our friends for a couple of days before the wedding. Zeus and Tank will be with us. We finally figured out how to get Zeus to carry the flowers down the aisle. We had to use artificial flowers, and I soaked a thick piece of rawhide until it was soft, and wrapped it around the flowers and he seems willing to carry the bouquet that way.I think there will be about 9 therapy dogs at the wedding. That is a major connection for many of the young men, and the dogs will be very welcome.
If photos come out all right, and I can figure out how to post them, I will do so. Several people who will be there, are good with a camera, so it should be interesting. We will probably stay around for a couple of days after the wedding, to see some of "our boys" and of course talk to a number of other young men.
We are looking forward to the trip and sing praise to God for all He has guided us to do over these many years.
I am relieved that I got the heart procedure done before hand, didn't want to have to worry about it or having problems in all the excitement.

Liberty Tree

no propaganda please wrote:

We had out of town company for the weekend and a question came up that I had no way of answering, so I need your thoughts.
the couple who stayed with us are also therapists dealing with victims of child molestation, primarily boys in the preteen and young teen age, molested by men. so we have been doing the same type of work for years, and asking for God's guidance in the type of help we offer to the young men and boys.
The husband had been working with a young man since the boy was thirteen years old, and is still in contact with him as an adult man, of 25. As a boy, he was molested by his stepfather for about two years. Too afraid of the adult and ashamed of participating in the activity, although unwillingly, he did not report it to anyone. When the boy was thirteen, he discovered the stepfather had started molesting his ten year old younger brother. The thirteen year old was furious, for good reason, and waited until the step father was asleep, and stabbed him to death. The boy ended up in a youth facility for serious offenders, where my friend was his therapist. The boy was introduced to Jesus and God and has become a believer, has asked for Jesus to help him with his sinful ways. The man, who is now 25 is no longer incarcerated, has finished college and has a good job. He has met a wonderful woman and they want to get married. however, he believes that the sin of murder makes him unworthy of getting married and having a family. Unfortunately, while I believe I am a good Christian, I must admit that I have not spend as much time studying the bible as I should have, so I am at a loss to give my friend any suggestions as to how he should handle the situation. My believe is that the man is now a good Christian, and a good man. With help from Jesus and the people who God has sent to help him, the man has turned his life around and I believe that he would be a worthy husband and father, but I may be looking at the situation from a shallow standpoint.

What would those of you with more knowledge say to him, and what would your suggestions be, at this juncture in his life?

We had out of town company for the weekend and a q... (show quote)

I John 1:9 comes immediately to mind. It says that if we confess our sins God is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. In God's eyes all means all--no exceptions. Also read Psalm 51 that David wrote after he committed adultery with Bathseba and had her husband set up to die in battle God forgave him. Ephesians 2:8-9 says that we are saved by our faith and God's grace not by our works. No one is worthy of salvation but can have it through Jesus and what he did. The Bible also teaches that when God forgives that he no longer remembers our sins. Try to help this young man see that forgiveness and restoration do not come by who we are or what we have done but by who God is and what he has done. Even the Apostle Paul consented and participated in the killing of Christians before he was saved and he was forgiven and used greatly by God. If God can do it for him then this young man needs to know God can do it for him. He should not keep punishing himself for what God has forgiven. I became a Christian not because I was good but because I knew I was not good. I hope this helps a little.

no propaganda please Loc: moon orbiting the third rock from the sun

Liberty Tree wrote:

I John 1:9 comes immediately to mind. It says that... (show quote)

Liberty Tree
Please go to the end of page 7 to see the most recent posts on the thread.

robby1

no propaganda please wrote:

Liberty Tree
Please go to the end of page 7 to see the most recent posts on the thread.

Forgivness was given before the foundation of the world. People just can't understand that God settled everything once and for all before He said let there be light.