A Light

You know, I've been actually really good lately. Things are getting better.. with actually everything, or I can tollerate whatever is thrown at me. ANYWAYS, this was a phone call, and I was contemplating if I should just start going to Bible Study again because it was hard not going.

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chelseaaboy: heyyy, um kathleen wants me to ask you for advice for her
Julianthecoolian: sure
Julianthecoolian: what's up
chelseaaboy: about what to do about bible study, because she really feels like shes falling away like ALOT and bible study is the one thing that helps keep her on check and she really feels like she needs it and yah
Julianthecoolian: hmm
Julianthecoolian: that's rough
Julianthecoolian: i'll have to think about that
Julianthecoolian: give me a sec
chelseaaboy: mkk
Julianthecoolian: is she online?
chelseaaboy: nooo
Julianthecoolian: hmm
chelseaaboy: im on the phone with her
Julianthecoolian: okay
Julianthecoolian: can i ask her a few questions?
chelseaaboy: yah
Julianthecoolian: hold on
Julianthecoolian: 1. in what ways have you been falling (you don't have to say thing you don't want to)?
chelseaaboy: kathleen: okay um, the party scene, im not setting an example for others and im hurting my relationships with friends because im not being a light to them and im depending more on other things than for and iv been pushing him away
Julianthecoolian: have you been committing definite sins?
chelseaaboy: definite sins?
Julianthecoolian: i mean sins that you know of
Julianthecoolian: (of course there could be some you don't realize)
chelseaaboy: she said yah, she knows shes sinning and stuff. and she said its hard to turn around like she keeps falling back everytime she tries to turn things around
Julianthecoolian: do you have regular contact with any Christians who you believe can keep you accountable?
Julianthecoolian: (perhaps Joanna, Lidia, or Kristine)
chelseaaboy: kathleen: i talk to kristine and melissa about god alot but sometimes as much as they do rebuke me i still fall away. like i listen for a few days but in the end i always keep end up falling back
Julianthecoolian: have you considered having regular accountability with them?
Julianthecoolian: like, where you set a time to talk and confess your sins, and pray with each other?
chelseaaboy: kathleen: um whenever i need help i come to them and maybe like twice a week i ask them to pray for me and i ask them for their prayer requests
Julianthecoolian: hmm looks like you're already on your way. i suggest you officially make them your accountability partners (either individually or all as a group, whichever is more comfortable) do you understand how accountability works?
chelseaaboy: kathleen: yah i do but then its been hard for them to keep me accountable sometimes because i tend to push them away when i dont notice. and like im surprised that i havent acted up this week with them and its hard staying away from temptations because it seems like im going in a circle even though they keep me accountable
Julianthecoolian: what does your accountability meetings usually consist of?
chelseaaboy: kathleen: they keep me accountable but when theyre not acctually there, i fall into temptation easily. like they already talked to me about it and im realizing that it needs to change but in not 100% sure if im gunna be able to stay away from temptation
chelseaaboy: kathleen: oh and like it consists of just like calling each other and just asking how were doing with god and just help keep each others relationship with god strong but its just really hard when theyre not there cuz i dont check myself
Julianthecoolian: i see.
Julianthecoolian: how much Scripture usually is involved in your meetings?
chelseaaboy: kathleen: um not a whole lot but there is some
Julianthecoolian: ah. that's a big problem.
chelseaaboy: hah she said what does she do
Julianthecoolian: Romans 10:17 "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ."
Julianthecoolian: There are two things that Bible study basically consists of.
chelseaaboy: kathleen: im really stuck right now. bible study used to help me with a lot of situations but not its really hard. i even talked to melissa and i was really about to just go and not tell my mom i was gna go. and melissa thinks i really need it.
Julianthecoolian: 1) Scripture explanation 2) Fellowship
Julianthecoolian: While, yes, Bible study is a very good place for those, if Bible study is not possible (which it isn't right now...unless you get your parents permission), then we need to consider ways for you to still get those two things
Julianthecoolian: Praise God, you have fellowship still with Kristine & Melissa. so continue that, and set a regular time to meet. This will show your commitment to accountability and will keep things consistent.
Julianthecoolian: But you still need to read scripture. you can do this in a number of ways
Julianthecoolian: 1) Read it on your own. This you need to do. There is no replacement for this.
Julianthecoolian: 2) Read with Kristine and Melissa. You can discuss together what the passage means (You can get bible commentary to help you figure that out)
chelseaaboy: oh she said she already does both of those
Julianthecoolian: 3) Find a good book to go through with Kristine & Melissa. My accountability partner Andrew Ho and I are going through a book.
Julianthecoolian: Find a good book that focuses on the Bible and helps you understand it. Alex and I can help you find a good one.
Julianthecoolian: 4) Also, in your accountability meeting. Discuss and figure out what things are triggering you to fall. Is it the party? Is it a person? Is it an object? Then figure out ways to eliminate those triggers (Don't go to the party, avoid that person, avoid that object)
Julianthecoolian: Talk to Kristine and Melissa and have them help you figure out what it is that's making you fall over and over again.
Julianthecoolian: If you really want to stop, you are going to have to learn to eliminate those things from your life
Julianthecoolian: Hebrews 12:1 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,"
Julianthecoolian: Even if it's not an absolute sin (like a party), it may still be a weight, something that's dragging you down or making it hard to run the race for Christ
Julianthecoolian: If you're already doing these things, and still it's not working
Julianthecoolian: then do it more
Julianthecoolian: Pray more, talk more, read more, cut more triggers out
Julianthecoolian: You may even have consider changing your regular hangout group
Julianthecoolian: have to consider*
chelseaaboy: kathleen: yah um iv been trying to stay away from certain groups of people and like yah just to try and avoid those scenes
Julianthecoolian: That's good. But if still you're falling then you'll have to do them more. You said you're not setting a good example at parties...well, why go to the party at all?
Julianthecoolian: Maybe you miss out on a hangout, or even an opportunity to evangelize, but if you only end up setting a bad example then it's better you not go at all
chelseaaboy: kathleen: yah i'll keep that in mind.
chelseaaboy: kathleen: thanks<3
Julianthecoolian: anytime

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It feels good to know that so many people have my back. SLYM, CFBC, JKMK, Best Years, etc. etc. Now it's just my turn to keep this state of mind.

"The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God stands forever."
Isaiah 40:8

Sincerely,
Kathleen Michelle Reichenberger