Happy Easter!

Quote: Evenbob

So you're probably on the right track if
you're making women angry.

100% of the people who have called me a terrible father over those videos are women. Not all women, some have given compliments or just found them amusing.

Quote: Wizard

100% of the people who have called me a terrible father over those videos are women. .

That's why I said you're onto
something that works. If you
get lots of women complaints,
and few or none from men,
you're on the right track.

The next dog I get will be trained
old school, these 'new' ways are
long and hard and a pain. And
they don't often work. Dogs are
smart, they understand punishment
and reward. Just like kids do.

Quote: Evenbob

The next dog I get will be trained
old school, these 'new' ways are
long and hard and a pain. And
they don't often work. Dogs are
smart, they understand punishment
and reward. Just like kids do.

Not to change the topic, again, but I trained my dog the "new school" way where you don't hit or yell at the dog, and it worked fine. It sounds stupid, but I was taught to get mad at the poop, when it was located in the house. Then move it to the lawn outside and praise the poop. All this with the dog around, preferably as soon after the fact as possible. Once I started with this method he pooped in the house only about five more times and never since, unless he was sick and couldn't wait. In those cases, he will go on a throw rug, which is good for me because I can take it outside and hose it down.

Quote: Wizard

Not to change the topic, again, but I trained my dog the "new school" way where you don't hit or yell at the dog, and it worked fine.

For every time it works, there
are 2 times when it doesn't.
Some breeds are very hard
to train and mine was one of them.
He's too smart for his own good,
but he understood that peeing
in the house would cause him
pain. He was trained in one day
with the old school method.

I find it interesting that you like this old school approach but lament all the time the fact that God will hold us accountable for unrepentant sin.

Quote: FrGamble

but lament all the time the fact that God will hold us accountable for unrepentant sin.

I lament about what a god that
doesn't exist will do? Where is
this post, it wasn't by me. There
is no god, quit being silly..

Quote: petroglyph

When you understand why it is, that people give, I think it will help you a lot.

Again, why do people give.

I quipped occasionally, that I was a magnet for leeches. Once I figured out the why, things got much better. I occasionally put up a sticky note with one word, why to help remind me.

You're being terribly cryptic.

I gave because that's what family does. I made a lot of money, they didn't, they were raising young children, I wasn't. It was simple.

It's not possible to see your sister looking like a Dachau survivor because she was giving the kids all the food there was, and not ensure she can buy groceries and winter fuel, without having to ask all the time. For one example.

Quote: Evenbob

I lament about what a god that
doesn't exist will do? Where is
this post, it wasn't by me.

It is kind of silly that you do lament and complain so much about a God you don't even think exists. Anyway, the many posts where you talk about how much you dislike the notion of consequences for your actions - I think you talk about faith being like thinking life is a board game, does that sound familiar?

Quote: beachbumbabs

FrG,

This hit on a key aspect for me, one that goes deep, what I said to you. I would like you to respond, very much, though I appreciated that others responded, too.

The whole giving and receiving thing has been a source of great pain in my life. Generosity begets resentment. Gratitude is not a virtue, it's a grudge. Whether we're talking God, Jesus, or between people.

I would really like to sort this out. Perhaps you can help.

Makers, takers, fakers...people close to me seem to fall into one of those 3 categories. No exclusions, few mixed impulses.

Sorry babs sometimes I get lost in replying to one person and forget to respond to others.

Thanks for your post and you are correct it is painfully obvious that guilt and shame have since the cavemen been a powerful force in society and the Church did not invent it. In fact as you kind of allude to the Church's main goal is to stop it. Jesus came to give us a life free from guilt and shame. This is a risky thing to do for lots of reasons.

If we are freed from guilt then what is to stop us from indulging even more in our self destructive passions and desires. If Jesus really did die for not only all your past sins, but also all your future sins then why not go crazy. It could be like a free for all. God forgives you and loves you unconditionally therefore I can do whatever I want. This is indeed a risk the Lord takes. You can abuse and use His love to take advantage of the gift. We all know what that feels like and we all know someone who has done that to someone or even to us. The Lord Jesus is banking on our goodness and that given freedom we will be more motivated by love then by the fear or shame of guilt. I know this to be true. Shame and guilt do motivate, but it is nothing compared to being motivated by love. It is like a solider who fights because they are paid versus a soldier who fights because of a loved one, a beloved country, or a loved idea. Jesus believes that we can only trample and stomp on His gift of love for so long until it wins us over by its patient, never ending, overwhelming, reckless love.

The other problem with the Lord's generosity is the interesting problem you mention - that it makes us feel worse. God loving us in such a way that we can never repay makes us feel more unworthy or a burden to the Lord. As you so profoundly put it, "Generosity begets resentment." I know one thing that helps me overcome this feeling is getting in touch with how helpless I am to live a perfect life that would be worthy of God's love. It seems strange but recognizing how helpless I am gets me over the feeling that God has done too much for me. I can think of myself adrift in the ocean at the time I see the captain throwing me the life preserver I am not thinking about the burden it is on Him to get to me and haul me in. I just accept the grace filled gift because without it I don't have a chance.

In your 3 categories I need to accept the fact that with God I am a taker (or sometimes a faker). This ironically also helps me deal much more kindly with the takers and fakers in my own life. Hope this makes some sense and I'm curious as to your thoughts.