tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740924465958245224.post6393354565090766931..comments2024-03-10T00:44:49.280-05:00Comments on This & That: Remove that mask and be real!Susannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03115294023069458287noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740924465958245224.post-41264791002015484772010-02-02T08:46:25.122-05:002010-02-02T08:46:25.122-05:00Best wishes with all that. I know it's tough t...Best wishes with all that. I know it's tough to separate our emotions from some people's comments. At least I am that way! :) Keep on blogging though. I enjoy reading your honest thoughts.Susannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03115294023069458287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740924465958245224.post-88741178800079814492010-02-02T08:37:28.204-05:002010-02-02T08:37:28.204-05:00Thanks. And thanks for never telling me not to be ...Thanks. And thanks for never telling me not to be so opinionated about Christianity!<br /><br />I am finding it hard with the blog. I guess I still think being real is good - I certainly don't believe in being false - but you can keep some things private without being false. Boundary issues... I never had enough readers before to have to worry about causing offense!<br /><br />When it comes to admitting weakness I think you have to be prepared for people turning round and kicking you while you're down. Or else, only tell people who you can trust not to do that. :)Sarahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11320601087412404116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740924465958245224.post-75320674068126044342010-02-02T08:09:02.581-05:002010-02-02T08:09:02.581-05:00It's tough to be totally real. I'm gatheri...It's tough to be totally real. I'm gathering you are finding this because of your sharing honest thoughts on your blog. Not everyone agrees and it's hurtful sometimes to get negative feedback. But share whatever you want. I like that you are real. I'm sorry it's been a struggle for you lately. Hugs!Susannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03115294023069458287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740924465958245224.post-14679367503286822882010-02-02T04:41:09.139-05:002010-02-02T04:41:09.139-05:00I'm rethinking this whole honesty thing. It se...I'm rethinking this whole honesty thing. It seems overrated. Or maybe there's a time and a place and it's not on a public blog. What do you think? I'm really undecided what to do.Sarahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11320601087412404116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740924465958245224.post-7259489391275043722010-01-24T16:50:32.261-05:002010-01-24T16:50:32.261-05:00Stacy, so true about David. I'm like you, I t...Stacy, so true about David. I'm like you, I think. It's not so easy to share details. I'm all about vague admissions though! Er, I think! :)<br /><br />Amber aka Ms. Perfect, I love what you shared: confession as freeing - ah, good stuff. And, yes, that's what I love about the Bible as well! I have a harder time with Islam because their prophets are so stinkin' perfect! :) The Bible shares how God can use us IN SPITE OF our flaws. It shows how gracious and powerful He is! Thanks for your comment.<br /><br />Sarah, I've always loved that you were so honest. I never read your protected posts except the last one because I wasn't part of your group until later. So I don't know what you shared so who knows how I would have reacted. But I think it's great that you are willing to "confess your faults." Great point about not wallowing though. I don't find the Bible telling us to wallow in our faults. In fact James 5 says to confess them so we can pray for one another and be healed! Healing is not wallowing. :)<br /><br />I'm glad you share about your religious struggling as well. Definitely I believe others are helped when we are honest in our "wrestling" with spiritual things. It's how we are challenged to think and grow.<br /><br />Thank you all for your comments!Susannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03115294023069458287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740924465958245224.post-59749418130529431812010-01-20T13:00:35.810-05:002010-01-20T13:00:35.810-05:00I love it when people are real. However I find it ...I love it when people are real. However I find it harder to deal with when there is no apparent point to it and they just want to wallow. It is best to be real and also constructive.<br /><br />I actually have the opposite problem to you, I am too much of an open book and I quite readily share my struggles. One of my biggest faults is that I tend to wallow!! My other blog used to be all about that. Now I try not to do it so much. No-one wants to hear it. lol.<br /><br />On WWR, I used to share some of my moral struggles in password-protected posts but it never felt very freeing because people seemed to not know how to react. I guess a lot of people are not used to such honesty. It didn't really help me to do better, anyway. Maybe I just shared with the wrong people. In the end I have deleted most of those posts.<br /><br />But there again, I am still quite honest in my public posts about the struggles I go through with religion, and a lot of people have said that I've voiced thoughts they have too but have never voiced. I think there is good in it. I think constructive sharing is a good thing, but for some people there is a limit to how much sharing they can take because it is so unfamiliar (and that can be discouraging).Sarahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11320601087412404116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740924465958245224.post-21950523616900437112010-01-20T12:47:58.684-05:002010-01-20T12:47:58.684-05:00'Do you find it easy to confess your faults an...'Do you find it easy to confess your faults and weaknesses to others or do you tend to sugarcoat yourself (and you family) so others see a well-put-together you?'<br /><br />It's *hard* to confess that I'm not perfect. I mean, people should just accept that I am, and move on. Why do they insist on inflicting me with reality? But really, I think it's a combination of pride, and the drive to not be seen as 'defective'. We're presented with the image of 'perfect' and we want to *be* that, because they seem so happy, but those people aren't real. Real people are never going to be perfect. But admitting that is hard, especially when we're talking about our actual problems. <br /><br />I'm of the opinion that a single persons sin does not just harm them, but has the potential to harm others. To that end, it is the business of the church, especially if it is a sin that causes public scandal. Think the 'Catholic' politicians who support abortion. Their Bishops have an obligation to correct them, and if they don't correct their behavior, then there are consequences.<br /><br />I have, in both personal life and religious life, found confession to be freeing. The 'confession', to a parent, for example, of the thing you did wrong takes away a huge heap of fear, of worry for 'when are they going to notice' or 'can I keep it hidden?' Religiously, while God knows what you've done already, I find the acknowledgment of my wrongs to be... freeing as well. It's a matter of knowing what I did wrong, and getting advice, sound, spiritual advice, on how I can keep myself from falling into that sin again. <br /><br />You know I personally find the fact that the people in the Bible, patriarchs, prophets, kings, common people, are all shown to be real people to make it all more believable. I find comfort in the fact that, despite their flaws, God chose them and used them. Knowing, ahead of time, that they would fail in being perfect, but that they were still *worthy* of the charge He laid on them.Amberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09002997517784638068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740924465958245224.post-59519274742049713562010-01-20T12:40:55.590-05:002010-01-20T12:40:55.590-05:00I will readily admit that I have faults, but I hav...I will readily admit that I have faults, but I have a hard time actually sharing intimate details of my struggles for the most part. <br />The Biblical example of David is one that demonstrates how God can be pleased with a person even after they have made some pretty serious mistakes.Stacy K. https://www.blogger.com/profile/06853574441003653244noreply@blogger.com