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wasted my life
umm ok well i feel like i have wasted just about 14 yearsa doing nothing!! the best thing i ever did (not even my choice) was being baptized...i have never confessed, barely pray andd read the Bible, and every time i read a topic i see that i have been doing pretty bad, i learn from it but there is always something else, worse that im doing wrong! i feel like i have messed up too much and to get God's help to begin to fix it i have to start some where! but where? please don't tell me to speak to a foc or priest...! also how can i make myself love God , i dont wanna drift off any further! i need to fix it cuz ...hard to say but who knows how long they will be on this earth! k any comments would be appreciated
mary
mary
Comments
sorry i will begin my reply with a question.can u get to the 10 floor without going through the 1st,2nd .... 9th ?
or can u reach a definite place without taking the right way ? i guess no.that`s why u shouldn`t say "don`t tell me to talk to FOC ". ;) ;)
this is the first and the right step that u have to take before starting anything.he must know everything about u so he would be able to give u advice.none of us would give u a better one as we know nothing about u,we don`t have enough experince a like priests.
so if u don`t want to talk to a priest and take his advice,i think u will never reach anywhere.
pray to god to lead u to the right way,
GBU
:D :D :D
umm ok well i feel like i have wasted just about 14 yearsa doing nothing!! the best thing i ever did (not even my choice) was being baptized...i have never confessed, barely pray andd read the Bible, and every time i read a topic i see that i have been doing pretty bad, i learn from it but there is always something else, worse that im doing wrong! i feel like i have messed up too much and to get God's help to begin to fix it i have to start some where! but where? please don't tell me to speak to a foc or priest...! also how can i make myself love God , i dont wanna drift off any further! i need to fix it cuz ...hard to say but who knows how long they will be on this earth! k any comments would be appreciated
mary
funny how my name is mary and i used to have the same problem... small world lol..........um start by reading the bible and stuff that should get you closer to god and help you do all u want spritually and physicaly by like going to abouna later on not now since you dont want to but i do think that those are good baby steps :D :D :) ;D
Last but most important, you must see a priest. It is inevitable; you must confess.
i agree with shnoda its very vital to go to a priest he took the fatherhood from God the best father so please go toa priest and start repenting and you will experience a life full of hapiness , success and maybe failure but then he'll tell you why you this happened and how not to do this sin again (el talmaza)
how to love God?
read psalms like one of our friends said
talk to GOd
and thank him and you'll feel how he is close to you
why don't you try and go to bible lessons ? It's very useful
You know people have been through a lot lately and it's hard for them too, but you know you can start over no matter what, here is an example, simple too-have you ever heard of Saint Moses the Black, he was a murderer, a stealer, an adulterer, anything possible that was bad, than he got a message from the Holy Spirit, to talk to a leader of the monastery, he was A MARVELOUS SAINT after he repented, I LOVE ST. MOSES THE BLACK, he is a great example, don't think your bad, it's just satan that changes your mind, it's called quenching your spirit, meaning you ignore it, just start off by making a schedule for yourself, it's so simple, and confession is something that you need too, if you don't do something on your schedule that your supposed to do but didn't put it down on your confession journal it will help you out a lot, hope I helped though!
Forever,
Coptic Servent
mary
God loves u soooooooo much. For god so love the world he gave his onley begotten son .............so YOU are very important to god. he cares about you and he will always care for you. so just pray to him and ask him to come into your heart and change you. be honest with him. let him lead through the way and give you courage and believe me he will make a difference but the important thing is to accept him into your heart. and when u read the bible underline a verse u like or that touches you and use these words to pray tell god his promises pray by his words. like "god u said knock and i will open for you (something like that) ask and u will be given ........................etc...." ..and god doesn't need anyone to remind him of his promises but it helps you pray and remember god's promises and he said that whover comes to me i will not turn him away. god didn't come to the world for the good people but for those who need him. You will always be in my prayer
god be with you,
egyptiankrkr
First of all lol, you must know one thing, its very nice from you that you knew that you need to repent, coz that's the most important start, Secondly you must know that GOD loves you much much much more than you can ever imagine, so if he does love you that much mary, than I think you love Him as well so much and you want to make Him happy. Satan is trying very hard to make you depressed so that you will keep in going in the way that doesn't have GOD, but indeed everytime you try to keep away from sin it is a crown in heaven for you. Lol please first of all promise GOD that you will never return again to the bad way, and then try as hard as you can to meet with a FOC and tell him everything, everything, and btw I can assure you 100% that a FOC won't ever ask you "You have you done this" but rather he will look at you with happeniess that you tried to come back to GOD. FOC will really tell you what to do lol, so don't be scared or embarrased. Lol you must know one thing that is very important, We are all sinners and we are trying to get over sin, so don't ever put yourself down, and again there is another example: At the time of our lord, they use to had judes the iscariot that everyone at that time thought that he is a great saint but unfortunately he lost the kingdom of heaven, while in the same time the right Thief that everyone at that time thought that he is definitely gonna go to hell, he was the first one to enter the kingdom of heaven. Look lol don't ever put yourself down, Do like how saint Paul said "I forget what is back and look at the front", that means, forget about all you last sins, repent and talk to your FOC and confess and then start a very new life with the blessing of GOD
thanks
Hany
i dont know if it has been mentioned above (nice post Shnoda btw) its NEVER TOO LATE..ever ever ever..not even on the dying moments..like the robber on the cross..and ur NEVA TOO BAD TOO REPENT ...like saint moses the Black...
ok..so what is wat ur probably thinking..HOW DO I ACHIEVE THAT...
well...i know u dont want to talk to a priest ...but u have to take my advice..if u currently have a FOC and ur too embarrased, ashamed..or scared too go to your FOC ..i recommend you change ...to anyother one..that u r more COMFORTABLE WITH..one that u love very very very much and just wanna tell him everything..one that u can treat like a big brther..that is how me and my confession father is..he even tells me when he doesnt like things that i do..like Marina please dont do that again i dont feel confortable....YES HE IS THE ONE SAYING THAT>..im like yer sure..i u want anything else.just apporach me...
this kind of relationship makes u WANT to tell him everything..also..if u donot like ur FOC responses like..tayeb ya habebti..rabena ye samhek...and u would rather a more explaining type of FOC..change and go there...
and then we move on to...how do i achieve this..well i am STILL STUCK IN YOUR POSITION..but it was recently that i went to the monestry and took my sunday school teachers advice...MEDITATE FOR 15 MINUTES... just do what u want..read from the agbeya..pray..think about your relationship with God..sing Hymns..its up to you but the main aim that u r in a quiet palce with GOD for 15 min with no inteuptions...
i personally opened the agbeya and prayyed the thanksgiving prayer and psalm 51..that took me 15min..i done it bit by bit and meditated on every sentence..u will be suprised how much meaning it has...just do that for 15 min and i can GAURANTEE U...that the result will be a feeling of closeness to GOD...how cant it be..like seriously..u just spent a whole 15 min thinking about NOTHING but HIM...
and last but nott least..i am ahypocrite in saying these words..read the bible more often..it has soo much meaning aswel..the enjoyment of reading is the bible is when u read the RIGHT chapters..one that u can relate to..it is no use if u read about temptation if u need words about LOVE..this can be provided (the right chapter) by your FOC ..and also..just read a couple of books..see what they are about..i personalyl know that john i think it was john 1 is about temptaion..that helped me personally..and that corinthians 13 is about LOVE and so on...
with the combination of all the things i have said ..it will be virtualyl impossible for u not to feel closer to go.d..
now my problem is doing these things more REGULARLY..that is the KEY..
anywasy..try these things out and it will be alll goood!! seriously i have to start taking my advice..
AWFULLY sorry for the LONG LONG LONG post..hehe..break up the post and read it over different hours haha..okaiie hope i helped!! keep us informed with how ur going..
God Be with You..
btw..remember me in ur PRAYERS PLSSS I NEED IT!! AND THAT GOES TO EVERYONE ELSE!!
DO NOT GIVE UP THAT EASY!!
GOD DOES NOT GIVE UP ON US, WHY SHOULD WE GIVE UP ON HIM????
HE IS V.V.V.V. PATIENTE WITH US, SO PLZ BE AS PATIENT WITH HIM!!!
HE ANSWERS YOUR PRAYER, BUT IN THE RIGHT TIME.
I AM SURE YOU KNOW THE STORY OF " EL EBN EL DAL" and " EL 99 CHEEPS!!"
HEAVEN CELEBRATE WHEN ONE PERSON REPENTING THAN ALL THE PPL IT HAS THAT ALREADY REPENTED!!
GOD IS GONNA LEAVE HIS 99 CHEEPS, AND COME LOOK FOR YOU!
PLZ DO NOT GIVE UP!
GBWU!
and may the blessings of St. mary, the saits, and all the angles' bless u and guide you now and forever more!
Mary don't say i wasted my life, when you are only 14 you are just beginning it because god doesn't expect the one of us to start studying theology when he's 4yrs old lol you are still young - me too- say I'M WILLING TO START with the grace and help of god.
i dont hv my own priest too i go to one like every 2 months! but at leaaaast i see him, it's A HUGE GRACE that we get father of confessions who listen and advice us we are so lucky christains and especially copts cos they have 'confession' as a big part of their spiritual life
i know it's a bit scary to have a bishop as ur FOC lol neva tried that but you might overcome this feeling by talking to him more in like saying hi ya sayedna and what i do is when after mass the abouna goes to sit with the ppl i go like a kid and sit next to him or at least near him lol cos then you'll get used to him and be able to talk to him more confidentally.
it's not just you, in my entire life everytime i read from the agpya i come to the end and say oh what did i read cos i dont concentrate still but that's why we pray more and more, the more u do things the better you'd get mentioning that you dont pray a huge no of psalms or u'll get bored n stop praying for the rest of ur life looool..i was about to do that once dunno may be i felt i was going to be st monica wala haga hehe
k i'll stop there or u'll hate me chatty me yalla God bless you and smile loadsss it helps may the blessings of all the saints be with you amen,
monica
About confession: If you find the bishop scary and hard to get to (offcourse his grace must be so busy), you must find another FOC, if you don't have another one at your church, then go to the priest in the next closest church. If that's too far, get a priest's number and confess to him over the phone. The vital thing is to confess regularly because it's so important to embarrass the devil and shed light on his handiwork.
God, what excuse do I have, we have three priests at our church and I get to see my FOC once every 3-4 months, I'm so terrible. Don't do as I do.
Now that your fellow brothers and sister (God bless them) have told you how patient God is and how it's never too late, let me tell you something different:
There are people who have discovered Jesus on their deathbed, literally!
Others have discovered him when they set out to fight him (St. Paul for example)
Some have even found Jesus in the death of a relative.
The thing that's common between them is that for one reason or another they discovered that they need Jesus in their lives, they can't live any longer without him.
This blessing of revelation that comes from God, because He Himself said "No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6), but He also said "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me." (Revelations 3:20)
Struggling is hard when the goal is not clear, for what makes a life of repentance so worthwhile, and, why would we struggle to enter the kingdom of God?
David said in the book of psalms:
"One thing I have desired of the LORD,That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His temple." (psalm 27:4)
Why?
"Because Your {God's} lovingkindness is better than life" (Psalm 63:3)
"How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth!" (Psalm 119:103)
Pray that God may let you experience his sweetness, for it is truly better than life!
Love,
His son
GBU!