71
The Lounge / Re: Members birthdays
« Last post by Pip on May 31, 2026, 05:04:27 PM »Happy Birthday FairyGirl and lemsips
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73
Christian / Re: Devotions
« Last post by Pip on May 30, 2026, 03:43:01 PM »https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2025/01/22/the-love-you-can-give-is-enough?utm_campaign=Daily%20Devotions&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_G2YjyBdzXy19jg_LAsCaUo5lmxF995utH8kds-Qqsifl41e5BFjmtuews18i-OYMAYQNRzLOwGoarjMDlMFutrMNc-w&_hsmi=341785544&utm_content=341785544&utm_source=hs_email#disqus_thread
The Love You Can Give Is Enough
January 22, 2025
by Alli Patterson
“And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” Romans 5:5 (NIV)
The command to “love your neighbor as yourself,” found in Galatians 5:14 (NIV), used to overwhelm me. I felt like Jesus was asking me to love everyone with the same level of intimacy and commitment as I love my husband or my best friend. It left me feeling like nothing I did to love others was ever good enough. But I discovered a divine blueprint for relationships in Jesus’ life. Now, I have fresh eyes and the strength to love all my neighbors. In a careful reading of the Gospels, it became clear to me that Jesus had five different types of relationships in His life: a core, a circle, comrades, a community and crowds. Jesus needed all these relationships, just like we do, for a thriving human life. He was not only fully God but also fully man, the ultimate example of God’s perfect design for the ecosystem of human connection. How I love others changed when I saw what was at the center of this divine design: a connection to the Father. This connection to the Source held up every other relationship in Jesus’ life. It enabled Him to welcome others wherever He encountered them never trying to meet His own needs at others’ expense or avoid connection truly loving others in all spaces. We have the same invitation to be filled with the love of God through His Spirit! And we won’t be free enough to love others without Him. “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” (Romans 5:5).
Jesus was free to embody love, in all its different forms, to anyone from a stranger to His best friend or mother. His love was patient and kind, not just seeking what was easiest in the moment. He freely gave and received, never holding grudges or becoming jealous. The love of Jesus looked all different ways. He always loved, but He loved each person in their own unique way! And we can do the same! This truth is key to fulfilling the command to love our neighbors as ourselves. Depending upon the type of relationship, Jesus’ love looked different, sometimes leading with gentleness and intimacy, sometimes saying “no” and setting boundaries. He was free enough to act in any way that ascribed worth to another person, even if it cost Him something. The Source at His center was always renewing and overflowing with love. Loving others isn’t a religious exercise; it’s the very heart of God on display. This could mean simply looking a stranger in the face with a warm smile instead of ignoring them telling the truth instead of making an excuse forfeiting your plans in order to help a friend. In Christ, you are free to love people the way you are uniquely able. Come with me to start loving others in a better way.
The Love You Can Give Is Enough
January 22, 2025
by Alli Patterson
“And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” Romans 5:5 (NIV)
The command to “love your neighbor as yourself,” found in Galatians 5:14 (NIV), used to overwhelm me. I felt like Jesus was asking me to love everyone with the same level of intimacy and commitment as I love my husband or my best friend. It left me feeling like nothing I did to love others was ever good enough. But I discovered a divine blueprint for relationships in Jesus’ life. Now, I have fresh eyes and the strength to love all my neighbors. In a careful reading of the Gospels, it became clear to me that Jesus had five different types of relationships in His life: a core, a circle, comrades, a community and crowds. Jesus needed all these relationships, just like we do, for a thriving human life. He was not only fully God but also fully man, the ultimate example of God’s perfect design for the ecosystem of human connection. How I love others changed when I saw what was at the center of this divine design: a connection to the Father. This connection to the Source held up every other relationship in Jesus’ life. It enabled Him to welcome others wherever He encountered them never trying to meet His own needs at others’ expense or avoid connection truly loving others in all spaces. We have the same invitation to be filled with the love of God through His Spirit! And we won’t be free enough to love others without Him. “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” (Romans 5:5).
Jesus was free to embody love, in all its different forms, to anyone from a stranger to His best friend or mother. His love was patient and kind, not just seeking what was easiest in the moment. He freely gave and received, never holding grudges or becoming jealous. The love of Jesus looked all different ways. He always loved, but He loved each person in their own unique way! And we can do the same! This truth is key to fulfilling the command to love our neighbors as ourselves. Depending upon the type of relationship, Jesus’ love looked different, sometimes leading with gentleness and intimacy, sometimes saying “no” and setting boundaries. He was free enough to act in any way that ascribed worth to another person, even if it cost Him something. The Source at His center was always renewing and overflowing with love. Loving others isn’t a religious exercise; it’s the very heart of God on display. This could mean simply looking a stranger in the face with a warm smile instead of ignoring them telling the truth instead of making an excuse forfeiting your plans in order to help a friend. In Christ, you are free to love people the way you are uniquely able. Come with me to start loving others in a better way.
75
The Lounge / Re: Members birthdays
« Last post by Amanda_George on May 30, 2026, 07:13:38 AM »It's Bexwa's turn to celebrate today!
76
The Lounge / Re: Members birthdays
« Last post by Pip on May 29, 2026, 07:02:41 PM »
MichaelAlone and stewart 
77
The Lounge / Re: Members birthdays
« Last post by Amanda_George on May 29, 2026, 06:17:47 AM »It's the turns of MichaelAlone and also stewart to celebrate with an ice cream float today! 
78
Christian / Re: Devotions
« Last post by Pip on May 27, 2026, 04:13:03 PM »https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2025/01/17/the-perfect-friend?utm_campaign=Daily%20Devotions&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_HfyObFWl--1dT0J75r29Sjt4D5q_aJ4WVSaSoBE-oe90WGcRp-HboZHN6OnNeLU52V8xEAdjd7OVKxGc1bWPuXTGUSA&_hsmi=340446373&utm_content=340446373&utm_source=hs_email#disqus_thread
The Perfect Friend
January 17, 2025
by Megan Fate Marshman
“We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19 (NIV)
For a long time, I assumed everyone else had the “friendship” thing figured out. I thought everybody had satisfying friendships and wondered how in the world I was missing out. From time to time, I had good moments with people, but my problem was with maintaining good friendships. I thought friendship started with meeting a “good fit” a person who would show up when I needed her, love the Lord with all her heart, parent her children (who happened to be the same age as my children) in the same way I did, listen to my struggles compassionately, be vulnerable about her struggles (but need only, like, 15 minutes a week to get in all the relevant info), and be consistent in “just checking in.” Guess what?
I never found her. But I did realize the freedom in focusing on being a good friend instead of searching for perfect friends. And that’s because I already have a perfect friend: Jesus. As 1 John 4:19 says, “We love because he first loved us.”
In our relationship with Jesus, He lovingly pursued us first. That’s not to say Jesus has to be our only Friend. He knows we also need deep, meaningful friendships with the people around us. But by extending His perfect friendship to us, He gives us the strength to love imperfect people. Once we find true friendship with God, we find not only the most essential relationship we need but also a model for how to be a friend to others. In Luke 6:31, Jesus said, “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (NIV).
His words here are so practical. What do you wish someone would do for you?
Do that for someone else. There are fun ways to live this out. Do you wish someone would drop off a coffee for you at work?
Drive right now and pick up one for them. Do you want someone to check in on you?
Shoot a text to someone else. Do you wish someone would follow up on whatever you discussed last week?
Try to remember what someone else talked about last week and follow up with them about it. Like any good friend, Jesus doesn’t hold back the advice we need to hear. About friendship, I hear His Word saying something like this: Once you discover the riches of friendship with Christ, focus on being a friend instead of trying to find another perfect one. So where do we begin?
Well, maybe just think of one friend. What do you wish they would do for you?
Now follow Jesus’ advice and example: Go first!
The Perfect Friend
January 17, 2025
by Megan Fate Marshman
“We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19 (NIV)
For a long time, I assumed everyone else had the “friendship” thing figured out. I thought everybody had satisfying friendships and wondered how in the world I was missing out. From time to time, I had good moments with people, but my problem was with maintaining good friendships. I thought friendship started with meeting a “good fit” a person who would show up when I needed her, love the Lord with all her heart, parent her children (who happened to be the same age as my children) in the same way I did, listen to my struggles compassionately, be vulnerable about her struggles (but need only, like, 15 minutes a week to get in all the relevant info), and be consistent in “just checking in.” Guess what?
I never found her. But I did realize the freedom in focusing on being a good friend instead of searching for perfect friends. And that’s because I already have a perfect friend: Jesus. As 1 John 4:19 says, “We love because he first loved us.”
In our relationship with Jesus, He lovingly pursued us first. That’s not to say Jesus has to be our only Friend. He knows we also need deep, meaningful friendships with the people around us. But by extending His perfect friendship to us, He gives us the strength to love imperfect people. Once we find true friendship with God, we find not only the most essential relationship we need but also a model for how to be a friend to others. In Luke 6:31, Jesus said, “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (NIV).
His words here are so practical. What do you wish someone would do for you?
Do that for someone else. There are fun ways to live this out. Do you wish someone would drop off a coffee for you at work?
Drive right now and pick up one for them. Do you want someone to check in on you?
Shoot a text to someone else. Do you wish someone would follow up on whatever you discussed last week?
Try to remember what someone else talked about last week and follow up with them about it. Like any good friend, Jesus doesn’t hold back the advice we need to hear. About friendship, I hear His Word saying something like this: Once you discover the riches of friendship with Christ, focus on being a friend instead of trying to find another perfect one. So where do we begin?
Well, maybe just think of one friend. What do you wish they would do for you?
Now follow Jesus’ advice and example: Go first!
79
Christian / Re: Devotions
« Last post by Pip on May 27, 2026, 04:04:03 PM »https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2025/01/16/the-gift-of-being-seen-and-known-by-god?utm_campaign=Daily%20Devotions&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8oSmkCmqa6hSLt1MlopoWxfQgtgea0iPQgOmxNjvUCE7O6d1OOKkgyLw2Po1dp-ftudmmYo3PtPnbs75rB4nwo39o8xw&_hsmi=340443785&utm_content=340443785&utm_source=hs_email#disqus_thread
The Gift of Being Seen and Known by God
January 16, 2025
by Hadassah Treu
“She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: ‘You are the God who sees me,’ for she said, ‘I have now seen the One who sees me.’” Genesis 16:13 (NIV)
I called my closest friend with joyful expectation. Sunday afternoon was our time to spend together. However, she told me she had promised another friend she’d go to the cinema, and we couldn’t meet. She didn’t invite me to join, nor did she offer me another time to talk or meet. I felt the rejection hardening my stomach with its icy sting. Have you felt this sting too?
Have you struggled with rejection from your family, friends or co-workers?
Rejection is truly one of the most painful human experiences. It cuts to the core of our being and projects powerful and heart-shattering messages like:
You are not enough.
Your work is not good enough.
You are not loved.
You don't deserve it.
You don't belong.
You are worthless.
You will never measure up.
These harmful messages can damage our identity and relationships if we believe and internalize them. But God’s Word has a different message. One of my favorite passages in the Old Testament is the story of Hagar an abused and rejected woman who experienced God's love and care. Genesis 16 tells us Hagar was the slave of Sarah, Abraham’s wife, who was barren and used Hagar as a surrogate mother. This changed the dynamic in the family, and Sarah began to mistreat Hagar. Rejected and despised, Hagar fled to the desert. There, God sent an angel with a personal message for her. God Himself manifested His presence with Hagar in a powerful way: He came to this woman and brought encouragement, comfort, vision for the future, and a magnificent promise to bless her family. Hagar gleaned hope from the angel’s words about God’s love and acceptance of her, and she trusted the message. She heard God saying:
I see you.
You are valuable to Me.
I love you.
I accept you.
I have a plan for you.
I will take care of you.
I will not abandon or reject you.
Hagar gave a name to the Lord right then and there: “‘You are the God who sees me,’ for she said, ‘I have now seen the One who sees me’” (Genesis 16:13).
Imagine this for a moment: God sees, understands and loves every part of your being. He sees your past, present and future. God sees the hurt and even the invisible wounds in your heart. He sees the light and the darkness. And He stays; He does not reject. He sees your true self, and all parts of your story come together as His plan unfolds. May we accept this gift of being seen and known by God, letting Him heal our wounded hearts as only He can.
The Gift of Being Seen and Known by God
January 16, 2025
by Hadassah Treu
“She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: ‘You are the God who sees me,’ for she said, ‘I have now seen the One who sees me.’” Genesis 16:13 (NIV)
I called my closest friend with joyful expectation. Sunday afternoon was our time to spend together. However, she told me she had promised another friend she’d go to the cinema, and we couldn’t meet. She didn’t invite me to join, nor did she offer me another time to talk or meet. I felt the rejection hardening my stomach with its icy sting. Have you felt this sting too?
Have you struggled with rejection from your family, friends or co-workers?
Rejection is truly one of the most painful human experiences. It cuts to the core of our being and projects powerful and heart-shattering messages like:
You are not enough.
Your work is not good enough.
You are not loved.
You don't deserve it.
You don't belong.
You are worthless.
You will never measure up.
These harmful messages can damage our identity and relationships if we believe and internalize them. But God’s Word has a different message. One of my favorite passages in the Old Testament is the story of Hagar an abused and rejected woman who experienced God's love and care. Genesis 16 tells us Hagar was the slave of Sarah, Abraham’s wife, who was barren and used Hagar as a surrogate mother. This changed the dynamic in the family, and Sarah began to mistreat Hagar. Rejected and despised, Hagar fled to the desert. There, God sent an angel with a personal message for her. God Himself manifested His presence with Hagar in a powerful way: He came to this woman and brought encouragement, comfort, vision for the future, and a magnificent promise to bless her family. Hagar gleaned hope from the angel’s words about God’s love and acceptance of her, and she trusted the message. She heard God saying:
I see you.
You are valuable to Me.
I love you.
I accept you.
I have a plan for you.
I will take care of you.
I will not abandon or reject you.
Hagar gave a name to the Lord right then and there: “‘You are the God who sees me,’ for she said, ‘I have now seen the One who sees me’” (Genesis 16:13).
Imagine this for a moment: God sees, understands and loves every part of your being. He sees your past, present and future. God sees the hurt and even the invisible wounds in your heart. He sees the light and the darkness. And He stays; He does not reject. He sees your true self, and all parts of your story come together as His plan unfolds. May we accept this gift of being seen and known by God, letting Him heal our wounded hearts as only He can.
80
The Lounge / Re: Members birthdays
« Last post by Pip on May 25, 2026, 06:28:59 PM »Sorry I missed your birthday Sir STRESSHEaD
Happy Birthday sandy, mrj25 and IAmNotMe
Happy Birthday sandy, mrj25 and IAmNotMe