tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10098217.post112922791932502168..comments2023-10-23T07:38:48.285-07:00Comments on Adorable Trivialities: Head-Hunting for Jesus or The Myth of the 5-Minute TestimonyJustinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07675442512111141220noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10098217.post-1130969644156323882005-11-02T14:14:00.000-08:002005-11-02T14:14:00.000-08:00Thank you everyone for your comments. I treasure ...Thank you everyone for your comments. I treasure every one.<BR/><BR/>Morris: Your three-part written testimony made me catch my breath and tear up repeatedly. It was, as Flicka might say, "raw." Thank for for sharing your heart for Him.<BR/><BR/>Arielle: You are so right about living our lives as a reflection of Him being the most important testimony. People do not need that quick-fix -- they need that eternal Light.<BR/><BR/>Joelle: Like your mom, I was struck by your statement about there not being a salvation "moment" but a perpetual salvation being worked within our lives. I think, even in times when it seems like the Lord swoops down for an instantaneous rescue, such as in the case of my mom, were we able to read the history of the heart we would know the deeper story. For His own, our lives can be seen as a maze of grace (whether we realize it or not).<BR/><BR/>Difster: I was SO a worse sinner than you - nah! nah! nah! :-)<BR/><BR/>Serena: You inspire and console me more than you will ever know (even when I have an eternity to tell you about it!). I praise Him for you and look forward to reading whatever else you are led to write about the wonderful work He is doing in you.<BR/><BR/>Amigo: I like what you said about gaining the wisdom of the gospel and its making more and more sense as you get older. Especially now that I am a parent, I am better able to glimpse into how God's heart must be to His willful, rebellious children. That wanting gently to correct behavior while never failing in love and protection -- if I who am evil can know that kind of love for my daughter, then how much more my Father in Heaven?<BR/><BR/>Flicka: Sorry about the mascara -- consider it payback for "What Baby Knows." I too can relate to the complete breakdown when even trying to communicate the amazing love my Lord gives and gives and gives. For He is good, for He is good, for He is good to me. It is just as well that blogs aren't completely interactive, since most of you would only know my face stained with tears of gratitude. I cannot even pray with Sadie without the waterworks turning on. The story of salvation is always a current event in my life -- not something that happened long ago (though I do reflect upon dates), but something happening every day.<BR/><BR/>Thank you all again for commenting. You help me dig deeper and deeper into the things that God has placed on my heart.Justinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07675442512111141220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10098217.post-1129516148569344892005-10-16T19:29:00.000-07:002005-10-16T19:29:00.000-07:00Darn you, Justine!!!!You forced me out of my blog ...Darn you, Justine!!!!<BR/>You forced me out of my blog hiatus. This post was just too compelling not to respond to. (I've been simply not reading any of my favorite blog sites because I knew I would be tempted. I may have to be more strict in the future - because when I take a peak, I want to post.)<BR/><BR/>First, let me say that I found your testimony about your mother to be completely raw and very emotional. I became undone reading it. I've just now washed the mascara off my cheeks and collected myself. It was painful to read and then so beautiful. Oh, there I go again! I'm bawling!<BR/><BR/>Secondly, I CAN NOT master the five minute testimony. I have yet to tell anyone, in total, what God has done for me and to me. I tried last year. A girlfriend and I were on a road trip to the heart of Indiana and we had about 4 hours to kill. Well, she and her husband were literally selling all they had and going into full time ministry and so for the first, I'd say three hours, she talked non stop. She got everything off her chest. So, when she asked me about my testimony, I thought I'd give it a whirl and start at the beginning. I got about 15 minutes into this thing and started crying so hard that I hyperventilated. I kid you not. I had to roll down the window and stick my head out to keep from passing out. And I was the blithering idiot driving! After gaining my composure I summed up my Christian walk in about 20 seconds, "My walk has been degrees of revelation and reltaionship with Him since then." Goodnight! I can't do it.<BR/>See you next month. (If I can stay away that long)Flicka Spumonihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10670369483815796358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10098217.post-1129419722535642282005-10-15T16:42:00.000-07:002005-10-15T16:42:00.000-07:00I'm so glad the story of your mother turned out so...I'm so glad the story of your mother turned out so well. As I read it I was starting to dread what was coming. To know she turned to Christ was such a relief and a blessing.<BR/><BR/>As for my testimony, it would probably take a while. The thing is, as I get older, God, the Bible, salvation just make more and more sense. I just can't understand why everyone doesn't see it God's way.Amigohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15011729207157340729noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10098217.post-1129413682934545052005-10-15T15:01:00.000-07:002005-10-15T15:01:00.000-07:00I'm sure, Justine, that it will take many hours of...I'm sure, Justine, that it will take many hours of prayerful writing to write His testimony through my life. It is as Joelle said - "I guess it's really not about our salvation "moment", though, it's about that salvation being worked out in our lives as we grow in our relationship with our Lord." When I read your post here earlier today, I was thinking those kinds of thoughts and about all that there is still to write of His goodness in my life and His bringing me through all He has so far.<BR/> <BR/>When we have been in those refining fires and are being, at least a little, conformed to the image of our Messiah, we have encouragement to give to those that are entering into them. He will be with them as He was with the Hebrew children in the fiery furnace and as He has with us. He NEVER leaves us or forsakes us. If we want to know the intensity of His love, we have to go through the fire, for He is an all-consuming fire. That is why I love the <A HREF="http://crimsonchronicle.blogspot.com/2005/06/refiners-fire.html" REL="nofollow">poem</A>that Rick started the <A HREF="http://crimsonchronicle.blogspot.com/" REL="nofollow">Crimson Chronicle</A> blog with.<BR/><BR/>I am really hoping that others will start to share His wonderful workings in their lives. It is one of the greatest ways to encourage other pilgrims on their journey in this life. I'm so glad that Morris has started writing his story.<BR/> <BR/>No one who has a relationship with Messiah Yeshua can truly give a 5-minute testimony. It is a process to come to that point of initially trusting Him, just as it is a process to learn to walk with Him over the years of our lives. The true testimony is what people see on a day-to-day basis. But it is in our weakness that He is strong and it is these weak and foolish lives of ours that He uses to confound the wise.<BR/> <BR/>I am blessed by what you wrote. Thank you for your labor of love in doing it.<BR/><BR/>Love and shalom,<BR/>SerenaSerenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05442374238506159477noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10098217.post-1129403571296975542005-10-15T12:12:00.000-07:002005-10-15T12:12:00.000-07:00Maybe one of these days I'll post my testimony on ...Maybe one of these days I'll post my testimony on my blog. It's not extraordinary in a human sesne. I wasn't on drugs, in prision or anything like that. I was just a normal highschool kid.<BR/><BR/>Even so, it takes me at least 20 minutes to tell someone my testimony. I suppose I could make it shorter, but the fact is, my testimony isn't about ME, it's about the saving Grace of God through Jesus. I've heard too many testimonies that were more about self-aggrandizement and "I was a bad person" one-upmanship.Difsterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15192605698986301905noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10098217.post-1129401839058822012005-10-15T11:43:00.000-07:002005-10-15T11:43:00.000-07:00Definitely an excellent topic. I've been doing a l...Definitely an excellent topic. I've been doing a lot of thinking on it this morning (only now getting around to making a comment). I also went back and read your March entry about the miracle at the end (or should I say beginning?) of your mother's life. All I can say is Wow! God is so Faithful. I was crying while reading it.<BR/>I've always said that I want my life, not just my words, to be a light. I guess I struggle with that, though, because I know my life is not the light that I want it to be. So often I've kept quiet, or downplayed my beliefs so as not to rock the boat. Also, how do I show love when I'm having such a hard time just loving the ones closest to me (namely my husband)? I don't have an outstanding testimony. By that I mean, I don't have one that is very attention getting. I was raised in a Christian home. I was (by a lot of people's standards) a good kid. Yes, I sinned, and around 11 or 12 I finally realized that I believed in Jesus and what He did for myself, and not just because that's how I was raised. But I've gone through a lot of struggle in my late teens and early twenties. Then, after a couple years of relative peace I've been going through the hardest time yet dealing with marriage, husband, and starting a family. I guess it's really not about our salvation "moment", though, it's about that salvation being worked out in our lives as we grow in our relationship with our Lord.<BR/>Anyways, sorry to ramble on. I've had a lot of thoughts boiling in the brain this morning and I'm just sorting through them a bit as I type. :)Johttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04923759769913226698noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10098217.post-1129392285573883452005-10-15T09:04:00.000-07:002005-10-15T09:04:00.000-07:00Justine, this was an excellent topic to bring up f...Justine, this was an excellent topic to bring up for discussion.<BR/><BR/>You were right to be turned off by the idea of a five minute testimony. The Bible makes it very clear that how we live our lives matters much more than anything we say. People aren't looking for glib, how-to-fix your life speeches, they're looking for the truth; they're searching for evidence of something, Someone, that can truly change their life.Ariellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13414921155140556313noreply@blogger.com