DISQUS

Randy,
How can you allow yourself to just talk right past everything that I just said?
I called them your target audience. I honestly don't think they consider themselves to be your target audience audience and some would probably be offended that I called them such. but...I'll take those lumps as they come to me. I was/am trying to have a conversation with you. And you do that thing you do yet again....just blowing someone completely off. It's so difficult to comprehend how you think that's a graceful way to treat a sister. It's sad.
And yeah...you DO react to them. Because of your position, everything you do or don't do is seen as a reaction. And yet, you don't engage in the conversation...at what risk? Just because you know you'll never be understood correctly and your words might get twisted around? So what? Continue to be graceful and disagree.
I'll leave you alone now. It's apparent you are done "discussing" with me.
::heavy sigh::
love and grace,
pam

Randy,
I appreciate your willingness to leave my comments (supposing you do leave them permanently) and discuss this with me. Things like that begin to build bridges. And yes, I seriously believe that each and every one of us are to consider our witness and our time here (every bitty minute of it) as significant as that of Moses and the others. That's the reason we have those stories and the reason God chose over and over again to work through people who struggled in various ways. They were ordinary folks just like us. And we, are now in their place. And while I fail miserably at using ever bitty bit of my time (or even a majority of it) being purposeful about his kingdom...well...I do honestly believe I'm to take every breath with a thankful heart and a gracious spirit because it comes from Him and I need to be using it for Him. I see no difference between your significance and that of Moses in the grand scheme of things...what is one soul worth? We all know that Christ would have died for even just one of us. That's pretty darn significant! ;)
I apologize for any offense you've taken at my critique of your article. I do believe that we all set ourselves up for that sort of thing when we put things out there. I've taken my share of "knocks"...it's just part of the way it works.
You've actually had some very nice comments of support over at XGW. I hope you've noticed that. ;) I don't think God is indignant about the delete button in Wordpress either. I wasn't ever judging you as a Christian...just as a witness to your "target audience". In my assessment, you've screwed up some major opportunities you've had to be transparent, open, and graceful toward others by all the pruning and lack of dissent you allow over here. It's also not helpful that you come over and comment a few times at XGW and then appear (maybe it's just a perception) to leave off in a huff each time. I'm just being real with you, Randy. I want to maintain a friendship and live in peace with you. I would like to think our Christian brotherhood can allow for some honest dialouge and disagreement now and then.
You know...I've made it very clear at my own blog that I still don't have a bunch of stuff figured out about all this mess. But...hey....the stuff I DO have a better handle on....I'm working with and doing what I believe to be what God intends for me to do. That's pretty much all any of us can do at any given point. I guess I'd just like to see you do that with more transparency.
But...if you don't....well...life goes on. It's not like we can't still be friends. I hope.
love and grace,(really)
pam

Randy,
How can you allow yourself to just talk right past everything that I just said?

I called them your target audience. I honestly don't think they consider themselves to be your target audience audience and some would probably be offended that I called them such. but...I'll take those lumps as they come to me. I was/am trying to have a conversation with you. And you do that thing you do yet again....just blowing someone completely off. It's so difficult to comprehend how you think that's a graceful way to treat a sister. It's sad.

And yeah...you DO react to them. Because of your position, everything you do or don't do is seen as a reaction. And yet, you don't engage in the conversation...at what risk? Just because you know you'll never be understood correctly and your words might get twisted around? So what? Continue to be graceful and disagree.

I'll leave you alone now. It's apparent you are done "discussing" with me.

::heavy sigh::

love and grace,
pam

Randy,
I appreciate your willingness to leave my comments (supposing you do leave them permanently) and discuss this with me. Things like that begin to build bridges. And yes, I seriously believe that each and every one of us are to consider our witness and our time here (every bitty minute of it) as significant as that of Moses and the others. That's the reason we have those stories and the reason God chose over and over again to work through people who struggled in various ways. They were ordinary folks just like us. And we, are now in their place. And while I fail miserably at using ever bitty bit of my time (or even a majority of it) being purposeful about his kingdom...well...I do honestly believe I'm to take every breath with a thankful heart and a gracious spirit because it comes from Him and I need to be using it for Him. I see no difference between your significance and that of Moses in the grand scheme of things...what is one soul worth? We all know that Christ would have died for even just one of us. That's pretty darn significant! ;)

I apologize for any offense you've taken at my critique of your article. I do believe that we all set ourselves up for that sort of thing when we put things out there. I've taken my share of "knocks"...it's just part of the way it works.

You've actually had some very nice comments of support over at XGW. I hope you've noticed that. ;) I don't think God is indignant about the delete button in Wordpress either. I wasn't ever judging you as a Christian...just as a witness to your "target audience". In my assessment, you've screwed up some major opportunities you've had to be transparent, open, and graceful toward others by all the pruning and lack of dissent you allow over here. It's also not helpful that you come over and comment a few times at XGW and then appear (maybe it's just a perception) to leave off in a huff each time. I'm just being real with you, Randy. I want to maintain a friendship and live in peace with you. I would like to think our Christian brotherhood can allow for some honest dialouge and disagreement now and then.

You know...I've made it very clear at my own blog that I still don't have a bunch of stuff figured out about all this mess. But...hey....the stuff I DO have a better handle on....I'm working with and doing what I believe to be what God intends for me to do. That's pretty much all any of us can do at any given point. I guess I'd just like to see you do that with more transparency.

But...if you don't....well...life goes on. It's not like we can't still be friends. I hope.

love and grace,(really)
pam

p.s. I don't believe there's any such thing as a "hobby" when you live a life in Christ. It's all significant.

Randy,
It's unfortunate that God has allowed you to be in such a place where you could do so much good in His name, yet you repeatedly waste those talents and miss those multitudes of opportunities you have to demonstrate genuine love, grace, committment, and most of all humility in His name. All this "pruning" and "preening" doesn't give anyone, let alone YOU, a true picture of what it looks like to grapple on a daily basis with living a faithful, Godly life. It's making it all "look" just so, not allowing God to do what He will, come what may. I imagine the Moses, King David, Rahab, and all the others in the line of Christ would have liked to have done some "pruning" on their stories now and then as well...yet those stories stand as a testament to God's infinite grace within desperate circumstances. If you have to "prune" it later, then what good is any of it, really?
That's just my heartfelt take on the matter. I know you don't agree...and I stand the good chance of getting "pruned" right out of these comments. So be it.
I wish you well as you continue to do as you see fit. What we see as "fit" just happens to be entirely different approaches to a life of faith in Christ.
much love and grace,
pam

p.s. I don't believe there's any such thing as a "hobby" when you live a life in Christ. It's all significant.

Randy,
It's unfortunate that God has allowed you to be in such a place where you could do so much good in His name, yet you repeatedly waste those talents and miss those multitudes of opportunities you have to demonstrate genuine love, grace, committment, and most of all humility in His name. All this "pruning" and "preening" doesn't give anyone, let alone YOU, a true picture of what it looks like to grapple on a daily basis with living a faithful, Godly life. It's making it all "look" just so, not allowing God to do what He will, come what may. I imagine the Moses, King David, Rahab, and all the others in the line of Christ would have liked to have done some "pruning" on their stories now and then as well...yet those stories stand as a testament to God's infinite grace within desperate circumstances. If you have to "prune" it later, then what good is any of it, really?

That's just my heartfelt take on the matter. I know you don't agree...and I stand the good chance of getting "pruned" right out of these comments. So be it.

I wish you well as you continue to do as you see fit. What we see as "fit" just happens to be entirely different approaches to a life of faith in Christ.

much love and grace,
pam

Randy,
Thanks for your sincere reply. I'd love to be privy to some more of those discussions....but I probably don't have time, even if that's possible. I'm going to pray that you will be willing to go ahead and bring the dirt and water....it's actually quite freeing when you find yourself in that place where you can just say whatever you really need or mean to say without feeling those feelings you are having when the mud comes your way. One of my friends and I have this little thing we say amongst ourselves...."rise below it". haha! anyway....I'm encouraged that you are at least willing to say that it's something your working on....the blog comments and all. Thanks for talking Randy! :)
much love and grace,
pam

Randy,
I've debated and prayed over whether or not to try and engage you in a conversation. I'd just like to encourage you to let go of your own attempts to defend yourself against what you believe to be traps and tricks from the "other team". It may be that there are God-ordained positives and devil-inspired negatives in either corner. Alan garners a great deal more respect from the "other team" simply because he's at least willing to be open and transparent in spite of what games he may actually believe are being played. He seems to have the good faith in God and the common sense to understand that, in the end, what the "other team" does can't really affect him in the grand scheme of things. I'd like to see you exercise that sort of courage and faith. I realize that you and I may be the only one to see what I've written here. Even that knowledge, that you often don't allow dissenting or critical voices to stand in your comments....is just sad to me...for your sake. I would love to see you come to a place where your voice, and what you have to say, could actually be taken more seriously as part of the nitty gritty discussion that really must happen in order for any sort of positive change to take place. We all get a little mud slung on us now and then....big whoop. I'm praying you hear me with a fresh heart, and I promise to listen to what you say with a fresh heart as well.
love and grace,
pam

Randy,
Thanks for your sincere reply. I'd love to be privy to some more of those discussions....but I probably don't have time, even if that's possible. I'm going to pray that you will be willing to go ahead and bring the dirt and water....it's actually quite freeing when you find yourself in that place where you can just say whatever you really need or mean to say without feeling those feelings you are having when the mud comes your way. One of my friends and I have this little thing we say amongst ourselves...."rise below it". haha! anyway....I'm encouraged that you are at least willing to say that it's something your working on....the blog comments and all. Thanks for talking Randy! :)

much love and grace,
pam

Randy,
I've debated and prayed over whether or not to try and engage you in a conversation. I'd just like to encourage you to let go of your own attempts to defend yourself against what you believe to be traps and tricks from the "other team". It may be that there are God-ordained positives and devil-inspired negatives in either corner. Alan garners a great deal more respect from the "other team" simply because he's at least willing to be open and transparent in spite of what games he may actually believe are being played. He seems to have the good faith in God and the common sense to understand that, in the end, what the "other team" does can't really affect him in the grand scheme of things. I'd like to see you exercise that sort of courage and faith. I realize that you and I may be the only one to see what I've written here. Even that knowledge, that you often don't allow dissenting or critical voices to stand in your comments....is just sad to me...for your sake. I would love to see you come to a place where your voice, and what you have to say, could actually be taken more seriously as part of the nitty gritty discussion that really must happen in order for any sort of positive change to take place. We all get a little mud slung on us now and then....big whoop. I'm praying you hear me with a fresh heart, and I promise to listen to what you say with a fresh heart as well.
love and grace,
pam