Mature prayer topics (older or mature members only, please)

[Okami]

[SIZE="1"]Guilty.[/SIZE] Please pray.

[Sheenar]

Prayed for you, friend...

[TopazRaven]

Will be praying for you Okami.

[Nate]

Hmm. So recently, something very interesting has occurred. Through hanging out on Ponychan often, I have run into a situation I didn't think I'd run into again: namely, a female has expressed interest in me. We talked a bit on the forums, and then through Steam, and figured out we have a mutual attraction to each other.

Except the only problem is she lives in Germany. This really sucks 'cuz I got no plans to go to Germany, and I don't think she has any to come to the US. If it weren't for the ocean in between us then maybe something could come of it, but for now, no dice. This kinda sucks, as you can imagine.

We've also already talked about that, and determined that so long as we're separated from each other like this, we can't really have anything resembling a functional romantic relationship...so that option is already out the window. At the moment, we've resigned ourselves to just being really good friends with benefits (or at least, what little benefits you can give to someone online).

I guess what I'm asking for prayer for is that well, while I think I'm more or less okay with this (though obviously I wish we could have something more together), I'm not quite sure how she feels about it. She says she's okay with it too but something tells me that she's taking the separation a bit harder than I am, and that makes me a bit sad, because I really REALLY like this girl and don't want her to beat herself up over something that neither one of us can help.

I guess just that the two of us can come to terms with our situation I guess...and that she's not taking it as hard as I perceive her to be. And I guess the most difficult one, that if either of us somehow finds someone closer to them (not likely for me but possible for her), that the other won't take it too badly.

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

Nate, you're in the US, she's in Germany - couldn't you two meet in the middle? Say, Australia? I'll be praying for you and your situation.

[Atria35]

I'm praying, too, Nate!

Nate, you're in the US, she's in Germany - couldn't you two meet in the middle? Say, Australia?

Um, Australia is in the middle if you're going the long way around...

[TopazRaven]

Aw, I'll be praying for you Nate!

[GrubbTheFragger]

Praying Nate

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

Atria, I don't know what your world maps show in the US, but here in Australia ours have Australia in the middle, framed on the left by Europe, Asia and Africa etc. and framed on the right by North and South America etc.

[Atria35]

Atria, I don't know what your world maps show in the US, but here in Australia ours have Australia in the middle, framed on the left by Europe, Asia and Africa etc. and framed on the right by North and South America etc.

Were you looking at maps or globes? Because globes are a little more accurate when it comes to distances between places. Our maps have the Atlantic Ocean in the middle with North America to the left and Australia even more left, and Europe to the right of the Atlantic with Asia/Africa even more to the right, which is definitely different from Australia's, but no more accurate I imagine.

It's about a 19 hour flight from where I am (smack dab in the middle of America) to Australia, and 9 hours to Germany. If he lived in LA (West Coast), then it would 15 hours to Australia and be 13 hours to Germany. If he's on the East Coast, then there's no question which way is shorter.

Any way you cut it, Australia is the long way around.

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

Hmm... okay. You're right. I'm not that bad at geography, honestly. I could hardly say meet on the Fiji islands, could I? ;P

[Atria35]

xD Too true!

[Popyman]

@Nate: You should try just meeting each other in person at least once! You never know, you guys might hit it off so well you HAVE to be together and you might end up liking Germany a lot, or she might like the US--it could go a lot of ways. Two of my friends were like that, they met online and one lived in England and the other lived in Poland. Both of them liked their countries but a few months or so after their first meeting he moved to England to be with her. ^^

[Nate]

I don't have the money to go there and likewise she doesn't have the money to come back here.

Um...at any rate, I'm actually a bit worried about how things are going. Last night she pulled the "I think I love you" line on me and uh...well...I think I handled things sort of okay but...I'm a bit concerned. I told her I wasn't entirely sure of my feelings to her and I didn't want to lie to her and say it back, because I didn't want to lead her on. She means a lot to me but at this point, with no chance of a real life relationship for the moment, I'm not entirely sure of the extent of my feelings. She said she was okay with that but I'm a bit paranoid so part of me worries that I've hurt her.

And to be fair, it's probably better that I hurt her before things go TOO far (though considering our relationship to this point one might question how much further they could go I suppose XD) but even so... :\

[K. Ayato]

You did the right thing in being honest, Nate. I'll keep praying for both of you. *Hugs*

[Sheenar]

I agree with K Ayato --you did the right thing by being honest and up front with her --and it sounds like you did so in a caring way.

[Okami]

[SIZE="1"]Guilty.[/SIZE] Please pray.

This past week, I've been deeply convicted over my lack of words here. I felt you all deserved a real answer, but not before I told those important to me IRL, first. The reality is, I injured myself very badly last week. Not only once, but three times. Thursday's cuts were bad enough that by this past Monday I went in to the med center to get checked out, due to dehydration and suspected anemia, among other things. I have never sought out medical attention before. The doctor explained that had I come in the day-of, I probably would have needed stitches for the deeper wounds, but that as they were healing, they would need to continue the process as it had began, and I left with a prescription for some healing ointment. The reality is, at that time, I had not been doing anything other than bandaging the cuts (minus cleaning it once), and they were already relatively closed and healing - that doesn't happen naturally with how deep they had been.

God has been showing up at every opportunity. As it stands, I could have died from my lack/loss of control. There was quite a bit of blood lost on top of everything else. I have learned so much through this experience as I am now back to being re-hydrated (and was not diagnosed anemic, but I know I had been over the weekend), and am back up to standard body temp after being under for several days. I have hope again, and tonight (well, at this point in time, last night) I told my testimony (in full) to my floor, of which only two had previously known what was going on (a friend who removed all sharps from the dorm and my RA) and I learned the distinction between my friends and peers - those that were oblivious to everything, and those that felt paralyzed as they recognized what was going on, unable to intervene for one reason or another.

I have made a contract with my dean of students, who is my mentor. That is, I am to abstain from self-injury from now until graduation (and, I would pray, beyond). Failure to abide by the contract means automatic dismissal, given 24 hours to leave campus, and in order to return I would need a pastoral letter of reference as well as proof of professional Christian counseling.

Friends, I am not guilty anymore. Jesus is my strength, my hope, my light, my life. I am alive. I am a healer. Jesus told me to "Go and heal the broken..." and this begins now, just...with myself. [SIZE="4"][font="Century Gothic"][B] I want to thrive, not just survive!~♪][/font][/SIZE]

[K. Ayato]

Atta girl!

[Sheenar]

Friends, I am not guilty anymore. Jesus is my strength, my hope, my light, my life. I am alive. I am a healer. Jesus told me to "Go and heal the broken..." and this begins now, just...with myself. I want to thrive, not just survive!~♪

Yes!

[Nate]

So yeah, about my last couple of posts in here? Don't worry about them! Nothing to see, go about your business! :p

[Makachop^^128]

So my best friend has been really weird recently, wont look at me while I talk to him, acts scared, uptight and mad for no reason. So I asked him and he said he is having lust issues :/ He said he can't look at me without thinking something....I don't know what I can do other then pray, He's my best friend, but now I feel like I shouldn't hang out with him at all. I told him to talk to a adult male christian to talk to but he doesn't seem to want to. Should I dress more modestly? I'm pretty modest, but I jstu feel.....idk sick and sad v.v please pray that he will stop having issues with me so we can hang out again

[Atria35]

Maka, if a guy feels that way, then dressing more modestly won't help if you're already modest. When you're a teenager- and I'm thinking he is, so I'm going to emphasize this- teenage hormones cause lust. It's a fact of life. It's how you deal with it that matters. He does need to talk to an older Christian man about it, even if it's to only get it off his chest. You need to emphasize that he needs to talk to somebody, and if knowing this makes you uncomfortable in his presence, then say that you can't hang out with him until he does.

[Xeno]

Maka, if a guy feels that way, then dressing more modestly won't help if you're already modest. When you're a teenager- and I'm thinking he is, so I'm going to emphasize this- teenage hormones cause lust. It's a fact of life. It's how you deal with it that matters. He does need to talk to an older Christian man about it, even if it's to only get it off his chest. You need to emphasize that he needs to talk to somebody, and if knowing this makes you uncomfortable in his presence, then say that you can't hang out with him until he does.

QFT.

I have to echo everything Atria said. He needs to talk to someone older about it. He doesn't necessarily need counciling, but he does need to be able to get it completely off his chest. I was once a teenage boy myself, I understand what he's going through and it's not your fault Maka, it's hormones of which all he can control is what he does about/with the feelings that are being generated. You should tell him you need to take a break from hanging out, but not from being friends, until he can get this mostly worked out.

And even then, maybe his lust issue is really a genuine attraction to you being amplified right now because of those hormones. Once he gets this figured out and if you like him too, who knows what could happen.

[Makachop^^128]

Thank you guys, I told him about three times he needs to talk to someone older and wiser about it, he said he wouldn't for a bit but then he asked if he could talk to my dad (my dad is basically a youth pastor) so he's gonna talk to him. I feel really awkward, he's like my best friend, he says I can't look at him with out some really bad thought getting in his head :/ I don't know how to talk to someone with out looking at them lol. I told him we shouldn't hang out other then school and bible study for a bit. I just feel really uncomfortable. Problem is during our friday night bible study, there are a lot of times were we are alone, sense the rest of the kids there are my little brothers friends. I need make it clear I'd rather not be alone without making him feel bad....

And even then, maybe his lust issue is really a genuine attraction to you being amplified right now because of those hormones. Once he gets this figured out and if you like him too, who knows what could happen.

nahhh lol I think of him like a brother.....also he has a girlfriend lol thats another reason why I feel really bad about this :/

[K. Ayato]

You could always go to Bible study with another friend or someone older if possible. It may diffuse the awkward feelings.

Sounds like he's hit the stage in adolescence (based on what you've described) where all he can think about is girls. The fact that he knows you doesn't make it any easier. Hope things get better for the two of you .

[Makachop^^128]

You could always go to Bible study with another friend or someone older if possible. It may diffuse the awkward feelings.

The bible study is at my house >.< and I wouldn't tell him "you can't come" I'd feel horrible lol theres just many times were we are alone at my house and now I feel really awkward about it....please pray that he will get over this and not have these issues.

[K. Ayato]

There a way you can still have him over for the study, but not be there alone with him 100% of the time? Like excuse yourself to help out in the kitchen?

[Makachop^^128]

There a way you can still have him over for the study, but not be there alone with him 100% of the time? Like excuse yourself to help out in the kitchen?

yea, problem is, the guys all play halo before the bible study REALLY loud, I'm really sensitive to noise so I have to leave the house, He normally follows me and we play video games quietly in my room, but I think I might just ask my brother to come with us or something this time.

[Atria35]

Could you invite some of the girls to come with you? Or you could sit on the front porch/somewhere where the noise isn't so bad but you're not totally alone and read a book? Definitely invite your brother along next time. You two really should not be alone until he's talked to somebody.

[K. Ayato]

While you're stressing the importance of him seeking support in this phase of his life, it's best you let someone you trust know about it as well. Your dad, brother, a girlfriend. Together, you can all work through this so it doesn't allow for awkward moments.