Thanks
Thanks for sending prayers her way. I wrote her an email just now.
Here's a bit of it, Brianna is my niece and she felt I was attaching her when she asked about Jesus and I told her.:
"Now concerning this whole business about "religion", I wasn't trying to force my beliefs on anyone. Brianna, in our conversation made a comment like "you Christians do this and all you Christians do that" and I have every right to defend the truth about what I believe in and how I believe to anyone. Understand, when I talk about my Christian faith to you or to anyone else it's never ever about "Oh I've found this perfect philosophy and you believe something false and I'm smarter or luckier than you, and you're stupid for being deceived." I've found something that has changed my life and changes lives, that heals broken families and gives me real security and real peace. I love telling people about it because I want everyone to experience this joy that I've found. It's not about "religion". It's about having a living, talking, real relationship with the real and living person of Jesus Christ. That doesn't mean you won't still have troubles in life. It means you'll have real peace about your troubles. Imagine if the people from our childhood that influenced a lot of us, Dad, Gil and Pearl, Richard and Iva had truly found the Lord and lived the way He wants us to live and we saw that in their lives. Now, ask yourself, where would you and your family be right now? Are you really, sincerely happy? Come on Alisha, I love you and I know you're not happy. Religion won't make you happy, searching your inner self for peace won't either. Better jobs, more money, etc. won't. We all need to let go of trying to find all the answers and fix everything ourselves and let God take over and guide us. We're all stubborn by nature. Letting go is the hard part. We all really need to be saved from ourselves. People are a mess, you know? We need fixing from the inside and that's what the Lord does. Alisha, saying you "believe in God and Jesus" or believing that they exist isn't the point. You have to BELIEVE GOD and what His word says about who He and His Son are and what they really mean to us. Not someone's opinion, but what the Bible really teaches. I never told Brianna that you were going to Hell, I never said that, nor would I ever make that kind of judgment. Some say a loving God would never send anyone to Hell. God has never, nor will ever send the first person to Hell. People send themselves. It's a choice. That's free will. God doesn't "allow" people to abuse us, people "choose" to be abusive and the innocent suffer. Free will has a high price, but if we couldn't choose to love God or what is right, if we were made to love Him, would it really be real love? See why God allows free will? But He loves us so much! I hope you make the choice to experience that someday. I'm not going to say any more on the subject and won't ever again unless you choose to. If you do, I'm here for you. Even if you're mad at me and you or Brianna won't talk to me. I love you both dearly and will always be here if you ever need anything."
I hope she really takes it to heart. She may never speak to me again. :tear:
Melissa
raying: 
