i met john cooper at one of the concerts in north caroline in 2002. i drew a picture of him,wife and child, i think he liked it, does he still have the picture i drew for him? my name is Lindsey C. i have a story to tell and i need some advice. when i was 12 i accepted christ as my savior. i was living with my father at the time. when i saw my mom again, we went to the Skillet concert. i was a decticated fan. listening their music...helped me so much.
i'm 16 now and i live with my mom. i don't know what made me do it, but i checked Skillet's website to see how they were doing. i've grown so so far from the Lord! my boyfriend of 7 months has gone to an insane asylum, he came back and mom thought he and had been having sex (which we weren't) everything was okay for a while until she forbidded us ot see one another. Brandon (boyfriend) told me something yesterday that almost killed me. he said that when he was 12 he touched an 8 year old girl's private parts. i was in shock. you see, when i was young i was sexually molested by and evil man. i had told brandon this a LONG time ago...he was so angry he wanted to kill that man....but in the end he ended up being no better than the scum bag who touched me! i am in such sorrow my heart hurts something fierce. i've been listening to skillet's new songs. when i heard Savior, i started crying i cried and cried. i want to come back to God....but i'm afraid that he won't have me back in his family. i'm in such pain...i need God....but i've gotten so far, away what if i betray God again?
and Brandon...he's an Atheist i can't bare him going to hell. i still care for him.....please someone help me

heh heh why do i even write? no one cares

Thats not true, not everyone is on the boards right now and it takes a long time to write a lengthy reply. In actuallity this should be posted in the Garden....

yea i messed that up, i'm sorry

No problem... I can't find my Bible and my Dad's isn't a help

Until I find my Bible (Its at Church) The only thing I( can do is to pray for you...

Heres a couple of verses
Mark 5:36
Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid; just believe."
Mark 11:24
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Mark 16:16
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

We are never too far away from God to be saved. Never. Have you heard the song 'My Tourniquet' by Evanescence? *or Soul Embraced* If you know some of the lines, the writer thinks they are too far away from God, too lost to be saved. God will welcome anyone back. He's still there. If you have gotten Skillet's new cd...or have any of their cds:

From 'I Can'

Do you really love my soul, even after I hated you?
Do you really know my name, can I really come to you?
Are you really more faithful than the changing of the seasons and the morning sun?
Do you really know my name, can I really come to you?

The answer to all that is the song title...I can.

Why did you suddenly think you've gotten too far from God when you went on their website? :- I'd suggest going to www.alienyouth.com and looking for the bible studies. Or go to the music section of this site, and for most of the skillet songs they have a little bible study along with it.

From 'Savior':

There's nothing left to lose
There's nothing left to prove
Surrender your love, it's all you can do

What you got, what you want, what you need
Gonna be your savior

Romans 5 : 1-2'Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.'

All you have to do is pray, and ask God for forgiveness, and tell him everything that's on your mind.

If you want more lyrics, prayer, or advice, I'll be praying, but since its online and everything, I'd suggest telling your mom. Or someone close to you. :)

i have all the cds except Collide. i didn't realize that i was far from God just by going to the site.....it's always been eating at me, for a long while. it just hit me the hardest when i heard the song for the first time.

Everyone struggles with not being passionate, or straying far from God. We just have to keep thirsting for God *Thirst is taking over* and letting him kill our pain, heal us and renew us. *Kill Me heal me*

The thing is, like I said before, no one is too far from God to not be welcomed by him again; or to be saved. God accepts anyone. Pray that your thirst for him will increase and for wisdom in situations.

If you can talk to your Mom, if she's a christian, I would. Or if you know a pastor or christian friend. :) Don't be afraid to ask for advice and just remember:

From Savior:

'I'm watching you, you need me...whatcha got, whatcha want, whatcha need, *gonna be your Savior*'

Remember the parable of the .. gagh can't remember name anyway

Luke 15 11-24

11 Then He said: "A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.' So he divided to them his livelihood. 13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. 14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. 15 Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything. 17 But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants." ' 20 And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.' 22 But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' And they began to be merry.

God wants you to turn back to Him much much more than you want to turn to Him. He's waiting with open arms for your return.

Wow, that's sad.
I know how you feel because a friend of mine went to an asylum because she tried to kill herself.
She doesn't believe in God, nor that he exists, and I've been trying to help her, but it's hard because I don't know how she is, nor what's going on.

But I know God is and will be there for you, and he will accept you for who you are and what you've been through, even if you don't think he will.
All I can say is I'll be praying for you, and you are going to get better, I know it.

Hi, is there anything I can do to help? I will do anything I can, would love to talk if you need someone to talk to...=)

No matter what happens, God promises to never leave you or forsake you, and he is with you right now, and is holding out His hand to comfort you, which is really kool =) - He loves you dearly =). And you mean so much to Him, He appreciates you... No matter what happens you can come back to Him, He is always with you. I know what you are going through to some degree, I have had to deal with stuff very similiar to that with people close to me. I am praying for you =).

heh heh why do i even write? no one cares


Linz, don't ever believe that lie. People fall and they let you down and they hurt you and they disappoint you but God never will. I care about you and I've never even met you, how much more do you think God cares, who knows everything about you and knows every hair on you head? he's got your days counted and every one is in his hand. He will always be there for you and he loves you even when you mess up, which we all do, and every second that you're away he's loving you and longing for you to come back to him. He loves you so much that he was wiling to give up EVERYTHING for you, I promise you that you'll find forgiveness if you look for it, He can't wait to have you back.
If you want to talk my email is Jake_emily@mailpanda.com or if not than I'll hear from you on the board. I hope you find what you're looking for.
-A

Also, just so you know, I'm 16 too and I know some of the crazy crap satan has thrown at us. You didn't come here by chance, grab the oppertunity to get right with God. I'll be praying for you. Email me if you have a chance...I'll definatly be praying. :D

Romans 8:38,39

"For I am convinced that neither death, nor lfe, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing shall be able to seperate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (NAS)

in the Message Translation - it reads like this:

"I'm absolutely convinced that nothing - nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable - abousolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us."
---

i know so many times we think "oh God, i have done such horrible things [or have had such horrible things done to me]...there is no way you can forgive me and love me again." but that is not true. God's agape love covers all - His love is not conditional - based on how we were raised, what we have done, whether or not we love Him back, etc. His love is consuming and pure.

You mean so much that Heaven would touch the face of mankind for you. How special you are...

God wants you to come to Him. He loves you so much. i know that sounds trite...but, oh, you need to know how much He loves you. nothing you can do, or have done, can seperate you from the love of God. You cannot escape His love for you. yes, He even loves atheists. He didn't shed His blood in vain. His blood was shed to cover us and cleanse us from our sin. so that we could enter into His presence. Jesus chose to go to hell for us, than heaven without us. and when He rose from the dead, He gave us new life. a life of hope and love - a life in Him.

i am so sorry to hear about what is going on between you and your boyfriend...

can i ask you a question? if it is to personal and you do not want to answer, you do not have to. ... have you forgiven the man that violated you? i'm not saying what he did was right - i am not defending his actions. but i will say this: Christ died for him on the cross too. covering his sin [if he choses to repeant and coming to the saving knowledge of Christ].

i know forgiveness is hard and not something that can be done over night. but unforgiveness will hinder your life and walk with the Lord. for while we were yet sinners, enemies of God, Christ forgave us. He forgave us when we didn't deserve it. and we still don't deserve His forgiveness and love and yet, He still loves us. We are challenged in Ephesians 4:32 to forgive each other just as God has forgiven each and every one of us.

even if you have to wake up every morning and declare that you have forgiven that person, then do it. [that helped me.] know that forgiveness is not a feeling - but an action. a decision to forgive the person. i had friends spreading all sorts of lies about my sister and i throughout our circle of friends, and even the school. it continued on for a few years - our friendship died. and still is to this day. it took me a good two or three years to say "I forgive them" and mean it in my heart. for awhile i just said it, when inside i didn't. but i kept saying it everyday. i knew that if i did not forgive them, then God could not forgive me and my bitterness would hinder God and what He could do in my life.

i know of people who were sexually abused in the childhood and God showed them that they had to forgive the person - and they did. now they are being used mightly by God - to encourage and strengthen people in the Lord. I say this to encourage you that it can be done.

and as far as brandon...we cannot force anyone into heaven. all we can do is pray for him and ask the Lord to bring people across his path that he can listen to and respect. and that those people will be able to share the love of Christ with him. i will be praying for him. for both of you.

if you need anything, have any questions on what i said, etc. - i am here. i don't promise to have all the answers. but i do promise to listen and turn to the Lord and His Word for wisdom.

*hugs*

Please don't ever believe that God won't forgive you b/c you've gone too far. That's not true. My grandfather suffers from the same belief. Please, please don't believe that. That is a lie straight from Satan himself. God's love is unending, unchanging, unconditional, and unfathomable. He doesn't care how far you have gone, He's been waiting for you with open arms the whole time.
Prov. 10:12 "... But love covers all sins." I think that pretty much sums it up right there. God's love covers all sins.
Duet 31:6 "Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you." God won't leave you, He won't abandon you, He doesn't care how far you've gone, how bad you think you are. He's right there, His hands outstretched, He's waiting for you to run back to Him.
Please do, He loves you and so do I.

another thing that i've been struggling with is rather or not i should leave him. i talked to him for three hours last night on the phone and out of no where i started crying. i'm scared. if i go to heaven and he goes to hell....i can't even think about that. i DO love him despite the evil thing that he did.

Linz, I may not know the whole story but it's usually not a good idea to be going out with someone who doesn't believe the same way you do. You're doing it for the right reasons but you won't pull him out of the hole, he'll pull you down, or, as the bible puts it in 1st Corinthians 6:
14Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15What harmony is there between Christ and Belial[2] ? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?

So that's my advice, also, if you love him then, hard as it may be, this is the best thing. You won't be able to help him if he pulls you away, then both of you would be going to hell. I think the best thing you can do for him is intercede on his behalf, pray every time you think of him, tell God how muh you love him and don't want him to go to hell, God doesn't want to let him either. God answers prayer. I just don't think you should keep youself in a position where he has such a big influence on you (like a dating relationship), step back and tell him why. Tell him you love him and don't want him to go to hell and pray. I'll be praying with you and for him. Keep us posted...
-Mandi

i agree with mandi on this...

i'll keep praying.

I agree that it probably wouldn't be too wise for you to continue in a dating type relationship with him. It would be so easy for him to drag you down.

thanks for the advice. i will truly think about it.

Hey. I'll be keeping you in my prayers! Put your faith in
God! He will deliver you!

We're praying for you Linz! Keep us posted :)
*hug* Bye!