The Things We Must Learn

I’ve learned that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone that can be loved. The rest is up to them.

I’ve learned that no matter how much I care, some people just don’t care back.

I’ve learned that it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it.

I’ve learned that it’s not what you have in your life, but who you have in your life that counts.

I’ve learned that you shouldn’t compare yourself to the best others can do.

I’ve learned that you can do some thing in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I’ve learned that it’s taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I’ve learned that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I’ve learned that you can keep going long after you can’t.

I’ve learned that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel. That either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I’ve learned that heroes are the people who do what has to be done regardless of the consequences.

I’ve learned that money is a lousy way to keep score.

I’ve learned that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.

I’ve learned that just because someone doesn’t love you the way you want them to doesn’t mean they don’t love you with all they have.

I’ve learned that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you’ve had and what you’ve from them and less to do with how many birthdays you’ve celebrated.

I’ve learned that you should never tell a child their dreams are unlikely or outlandish. Few things are more humiliating, and what a tragedy it would be if they believed it.

I’ve learned that no matter good a friend is, they’re going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I’ve learned that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn’t stop for your grief.

I’ve learned that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I’ve learned that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.

60,000 Visits for BB

60 K!

More than 60,000 hits.  Since August, 2009 we have been slowly building some momentum, and our readership has come from every continent in the world (except Antarctica— the penguin vote is not tabulated.)

More than anything, I’m aware of the blessing and strength that this site tries to impart.  Originally, the vision for brokenbelievers.com was directed at Christians dealing with mental illness.  But because of the tremendous need, I extended the scope of this site to include strugglers and rascals.  People that the Church has closed its doors.  Anyone on the margins, the “black cats” and the “tax-collecters,” and the harlots.  And all failures!

BB has linked up with “Faithful Bloggers,” a few months ago.  It provides BB with a much needed guidance and support.  If you have your own blog, just click on the logo on the BB Home Page. I have also added a link to a side ministry of old classic CCM.  So much can be added to that “ministry” and we will try to help the aficionados of classic Christian music and their requests.

Back to the numbers of BB.  Right now we are averaging almost 200 hits everyday.  (These are coming from almost 200 individual computers.)  Some bloggers do over 100x this, per day, on their sites.  But I’m quite happy with were we are at; and that many hearts that get blessed.

One more thought, I am looking for another person who feels led into a ministry like BB.  A posted teaching, once or twice a week.  Heart and spirit are more important than polished skill.  Just hit me with what your thinking, we can pray.  I would ask for a committment of one year. I’m at flash99603@hotmail.com.

Blessings on you, and thank you for supporting BB, esp. w/prayer.

Theoretically Hackable

I encountered this particular phrase as I attempted to do a download from a reasonably effective source.  They came out and made this simple statement.  I suppose it was done for legal issues.  It was “theoretically hackable.” (That word, “theoretically” cracks me up!)  But I understand what it means.

And I started to see something.  It was a thing of some sense.  I am most vulnerable to things that are beyond my control.  I’m pretty much accessible to the many different things that could and should take me apart.  I have to tell you, that I regularly buy cheap “netbooks” with this fully in mind.  In a way they are like “Bic lighters,” I use them over and over, for 1 or 2 years, and than I ditch them.  I have gotten more than $400 out of them, and it beats the $800 plus to keep them going as they should.  It’s “Bryan’s Rule of Good Computing #87.”

“Theoretical Hacking.”  There is so much theology that gets rolled up into this phrase.  It has the idea that you can be accessible to anyone that has just a special urge to make things rough on you.  “Theoretically” speaking they can possibly walk right in and wipe you out.   It’s a bit nebulous, I’m sure, but the threat is out there, and it can happen–to the best of us.

“Hacking” is a bad word.  It carries with it a trickery, or a deceitfulness.  It most certainly is a word we avoid, as it carries with it very substantial problems.  And yet, it has a deeply theological concept.  Deception has incredible issues.  To walk out on it is thin ice.  You never, ever realize what the next step will bring us.  It really comes down to a deception.

We struggle with deception.  Kind of a theological deception.  The idea of being taken in, tricked and then destroyed.   We are so trusting.  Few of us carry the 24/7 “on guard mechanism.”  We step out without the slightest sense of betrayal.  We become “lambs” for the slaughter.

Evil is such, that we can never really factor through it completely.  It folds on itself to dimensions we could never fathom.  We can’t really approach it, because it expands things so rapidly.  It is full of deceit.  To encounter it face-to-face is destructive in itself.  We must hope in the presence of God.  He is the only one who can dismantle it.  Our trust (in the face of such evil) is in Him.

Yes, we are “hackable.” We are in a deep place of vulnerability.  But I must tell you, this is not a bad place to be.  In a theological sense we are pretty much accessible.  We have an openess that places us in front of the dark evil.  From here we have nothing to say.  We can do nothing but to believe that we are immune from the darkness.  That someone has stepped in and altered us, in a way that will prohibit us from harassment.

More info at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacker_(computer_security)

Five of the Greatest Sites Ever *

 
 
“The Teacher sought to find just the right words  to express truths clearly.”  Eccl. 12:10, NLT

 

I came across these and wanted very much to share them with anyone interested in some extracurricular reading.  I have hand-picked these out of hundreds of possible posts.  I know these will be a blessing.

There is somewhat of a mixture here.  Some will be links to articles on mental illness, and others on Christian discipleship.  And maybe, this might become a regular feature here on BB. (Who knows what lurks in my brain? lol)  But what you find below, may be an incredibly rich blessing for you.

 

I.  Lithium, “The Metal Marvel” 

Discover Magazine has always been a good source of fascinating insight.  Lithium for 50 years has been the most effective treatment for bipolar disorder.

http://discovermagazine.com/2010/the-brain-2/27-metal-marvel-mended-brains-50-years-lithium

II.  The Best Online Bible, Ever

An exceptional site that I use daily.  (It’s like a carpenter’s favorite hammer.) Almost 30 translations, search topics or themes.  It is fresh and modern.  I use it whenever I need to “cut & paste” a passage into a post.  I’ve tried many and yet, this remains the best.

http://www.biblegateway.com/

III.  Intelligence Linked to Bipolar Disorder

Research has indicated that bipolar disorder may be up to four times more common in young people who were straight-A students. A link between high IQ and bipolar disorder has been proposed for many years.

http://psychcentral.com/lib/2010/intelligence-linked-to-bipolar-disorder/

IV.  259,731 Bible Questions Answered!

 Got Questions?  A solid and comprehensive place for anyone to sort things out.  It’s easy to navigate.  It is a “safe” place to think out loud about hard things.  Do you have a question about God, Jesus, the Bible, or theology?   Have you ever needed help understanding a Bible verse or passage?  Are there any spiritual issues in your life for which you need advice or counsel?



V.  Alltop Bipolar Links

Alltop is essentially a news aggregator— they supply a one page site of continuously updated links, on a topical base.  They do a lot of broad subjects (I haven’t used it, except for BP news.)  I don’t consult it often, but when I do it is almost always great. ( Alltop has started showing Broken Believer posts, yeah!!)

http://bipolar.alltop.com/

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* In my humble opinion, as of this moment, on this particular day, and is subject to change without warning