Hello everyone..... and I'm looking for some help

OverMyHead · 01-10-2007, 05:54 PM

Hello everyone, my name is Chris and obviously I"™m new here, I"™ve been reading the site for about a year mostly in the bow hunting forum. I"™m 20 years old and going to school for auto mechanics. I was raised in a family of 7 we moved around a lot due to my father"™s job. My family is great, everyone is very supportive especially my parents. My mom takes her Roman Catholic faith very seriously. I"™m the oldest of the 5 kids in my family and I went to catholic school from first grade through high school. We always went to church on Sundays and that"™s something I have continued doing since I moved away for school in 8/05. Faith for me has always been a great struggle, I"™m sure it is for a lot of other people. I don"™t think my life has been really easy, but I"™m not complaining as I realize I have it so much easier than a lot of other people do. I haven"™t really been happy with myself for a few years now and I"™ve been pretty angry with the world. I moved to Florida after 8th grade and I really wasn"™t happy about it for the first two years of high school. I was pretty much friendless or so it seemed to me. At the end of my sophomore year I started to make some friends and things got better. Just before junior year started I met a wonderful Girl. If there"™s one thing in my life I"™ve been sure of it was that I loved her. I think I felt really content with my life. I had my family, friends and someone I loved. After I went away to collage a month later my girlfriend pretty much said this is over. That broke my heart. I was at Florida State. I liked Tallahassee a lot because of the hunting and it was much different from south Florida where I went to high school. Last year was my first year of actually bow hunting although I grew up shooting archery. I did pretty well at fsu, until I started getting grad students that didn"™t speak English for teachers. I decided fsu wasn"™t for me. I"™ve always hated school. That"™s when I decided I wanted to move back to where I grew up, Massachusetts. I still had friends up there and I liked the change of seasons and thought things might be easier if I went to school for something I actually liked doing. So now I"™m going to school for auto mechanics which is great, I like what I"™m learning for once in my life. I feel pretty much friendless again, kind of a bad feeling. Anyways it seemed like everyone on here was pretty level headed. I feel pretty much lost. Like I said faith is hard for me. I"™m thinking and I"™ve been told by my mom that God is key to everything. I don"™t like feeling the way I"™ve been feeling. Thanks for any and all help and advice. Chris

Chuck7 · 01-10-2007, 06:07 PM

Welcome Chris,
My Christian lieutenent was Catholic and was very influential in me getting saved. I would offer you the same encouragement he offered me. Read your Bible my friend. The Word will increase your faith. You will find friends right here. The folks on here are wonderful. We call each other up sometimes , pray for one another..fight a little [8D]too...hey that is bound to happen but we have all grown in the Lord.
Welcome aboard,
Chuck7

PS NOte the 2 men in my picture of my avator. I met the man on the right ..right on here. We are very good friends.
I'm the guy on the left. We live 1650 miles apart.

The Rev · 01-10-2007, 06:53 PM

Welcome Chris
Feel free to PM or email anytime you have a question. Glad your leaning on God, He will see you through it all.
Bob <><

MichaelT. · 01-10-2007, 07:44 PM

Hey Chris, welcome to the forum. It is good to meet you brother.

I can understand what you mean about faith, because I used to be the same way. I had a hard time finding my faith, while everything seemed to be going o.k. , but I was unsure about what the future held. It is even harder when you feel like you are going it alone.

The first thing I can tell you is that Chuck7 hit the nail on the head. It took some time for me to realize it, but there is more truth and answers in God's word than you can imagine. Read His word daily, and make it the foundation for your life.

I also believe that there is no better place to find your friends than in your church. To have friends who are like minded to you is a blessing. There is not the typical peer pressure in those relationships as there is when you find your friends in the world.

You also have to realize for yourself, that friends and / or girlfriends will not make you any more complete. You have to be happy in yourself, before you can find a healthy happiness with others. That is where God comes in. You need to understand that He loves you just the way you are. His love is never conditional, and he is willing to forgive our short-comings. When you open your heart up to God's fullfilling love, you will feel your faith growing naturally.

At your age, it is not uncommon to have questions, or to feel a bit distant from God, but reading His word everyday, talking to Him like you would to a friend, and listening for His still small voice will bring you comfort in your times of doubt, because in God, you always have a friend.

Again, welcome to the forum, and I hope you find many friends here. We may not always agree on everything, but we can disagree civilally, and get along.

God Bless, and you are in my prayers.

Michael

mr-pirk · 01-10-2007, 08:58 PM

Chris, nice to meet you.
I would first ask what it is that you are having trouble with.

Having faith that God IS, that one is easy.
Having faith in God"™s current plans for you, just trust him.
Having faith that you can fulfill God"™s plans for you, don"™t worry, God has faith in you.

Having faith that God is backing your plans, forget it. We are here to serve God not the other way around.

Thanks
mr-pirk

mr-pirk · 01-10-2007, 09:05 PM

Chris, Michael said it all, you will find your friends at the local church.

Thanks
mr-pirk

Rem1100 · 01-11-2007, 05:41 AM

Quote:

ORIGINAL: OverMyHead

. I did pretty well at fsu, until I started getting grad students that didn"™t speak English for teachers.
I still had friends up there and I liked the change of seasons and thought things might be easier if I went to school for something I actually liked doing. So now I"™m going to school for auto mechanics which is great, I like what I"™m learning for once in my life. I feel pretty much friendless again, kind of a bad feeling.

1st..Welcome, my young,Southern Bro.....

the 1st highlighted sentences should ring alarms in America, but it doesn't...that's sad
finding, and then actually doing something you enjoy for a living, is found only by the blessed few...pursue it with all vigor...
if you like what you're learning now, wait til Gods' word gets into your heart...that'll take your enjoyment to the next level.. and forget the feelings... we walk by faith, not feelings...sometimes not so easy to do
there's some fine folks here that will assist you whenever needed,don't hesitate to ask. Peace

Goose 11 · 01-11-2007, 09:51 AM

I guess I'll second the things that have already been said. The way out of the darkness of dispair and self-pity is through the Word of God. Listen to the words there and really meditate on them. I'd encourage you to start with the gospel of John. Even if you have read it before, start over and take it all inseriously. The next thing to help you get right is to get involved in church. Not just attending, but actually being involved in the activites that go on.

Where are you at in Mass? I couldsend you the names of some churches that have active college ministries. God bless you, and remember if you will draw near to Him, He will draw near to you, James 4:8!

Trae

burniegoeasily · 01-11-2007, 11:57 AM

Not much I could add except, Welcome to the board. Stick around and post away.

Rebel Hog · 01-11-2007, 12:07 PM

Quote:

ORIGINAL: MichaelT.

there is more truth and answers in God's word than you can imagine. Read His word daily, and make it the foundation for your life.

I also believe that there is no better place to find your friends than in your church. To have friends who are like minded to you is a blessing. There is not the typical peer pressure in those relationships as there is when you find your friends in the world.

God Bless, and you are in my prayers.
Michael

Welcome and most of all, heed to the above Great Advice!