Long Overdue
Hello to you all!
I think this e-mail (and subsequent LiveJournal post) has gone to everyone that I know. Family, friends and loved-ones. You are all included, because you all need to know. I realise some of you I haven't spoken to for ages and you may be wondering why now all of a sudden. I guess the fact is that at some stage I was present in your life in one form or another, and in that regard whether you want to tie this end off, or re-establish contact with me I don't really care to be honest, but you do need to hear what I have to say.
Over a year ago now, I met someone online, through a computer game called Guild Wars. One week after I met this person, we were in an online relationship. After another week we had confessed our love for each other. After six weeks I had made plans to move to Australia to meet this person and after four months I was standing in Melbourne airport hugging her for the first time.
That happened... swifty. Yeah, sort of. Just four months and I had totally reordered my life to meet this person. I hope that speaks something of the connection that we shared, how strong and absolute it was and what it enabled us to do. It wasn't easy, and it was pretty terrifying at times make no mistake.
Anyhow, a fair few months back, about 8 or so, I sat down one evening and had a conversation that was long, long overdue. I sat down and told God all the wrong things I have done. Everything I could remember, I think I started with something that I recall doing when I was 9 and brought it right up to the present. It was a fairly long conversatoin actually. After that, things continued on as normal and a few months later I started attending church with Rebecca and that's become our second home currently. In this regard, and heres the part that affects you - I believe in God, and I am Christian.
What is a Christian? Well, someone who has made God the foundation of their life, and the guiding force in all their actions and decisions. Why does this affect you? Well, because I am a different person now, I may not appreciate some of the things you do, I may not like the way you treat people, or the decisions you make. Because to me, they are made without asking God first. Is that weird? To you, yes probably but I guess this is where the hard-line comes in.
I will not compromise on my values as a Christian, for anyone, or anything. I will not do it for my friends, I will not do it for my family, I will not do it for my wife.
Christianity is more than just going to church, it's more than just doing a nice thing every so often. It's quite likely a great deal more than I know currently too. Christianity is not what you know. At this point, I am tempted to make a case for it. However recently a wise birdy said, "If someone can argue you into Christianity, someone else can argue you out of it.". In that respect, the only thing I would say is to go to church, because God's Word convicts and you will be surprised what speaks to you there. I guess when it comes down it thought, I have one real message I wanted to give you.
To all of you: There will be many points in your life where you will be faced with hard decisions, or something scary or terrifying to do. I think, in that regard, I have to applaud my Mum for putting up with me, because I seemed to take all those paths presented to me, and not just walk down them, but start off at a dead run. I rarely, if ever, explained why. Often saying, "Because I want to." or "Its important." In that regard perhaps I had it easier than most, because I was selfish and never gave thought to how it would affect people, or quite truthfully affect me. You are all better people than me. But the one thing I do know with a concrete and unshakable certainty, is that looking back at all those times, looking at all the things I did that made me fearful of my future, or made me wonder where I belonged on this little planet, there is not a single one of them that I regret doing. If given the opportunity again, I doubt there is a real-world measurement for the length of time I would hesitate in setting off a dead run again.
The thing that excites me most, is that in the grand scheme of things, I am probably just nearing the halfway mark.
Back to the present. Rebecca and I made a huge mistake, we moved in to live together, before we had cleared it with God. In that regard, the last few weeks together have been some of the hardest and have been witness to some of the largest changes. We want to move forward with our life, and in order to do that, we need to make things right between us and God. God prepared a gift for people who want to commit themselves in love, to another person, for the rest of their lives, and we intend to accept it.
Roughly four weeks from now, Rebecca and I will be getting married. \o/
Our wedding day, will be the first day of our new life through God. It's been the day I've been waiting for, all my life...
My best wishes to you all and God Bless,
Ian.
I think this e-mail (and subsequent LiveJournal post) has gone to everyone that I know. Family, friends and loved-ones. You are all included, because you all need to know. I realise some of you I haven't spoken to for ages and you may be wondering why now all of a sudden. I guess the fact is that at some stage I was present in your life in one form or another, and in that regard whether you want to tie this end off, or re-establish contact with me I don't really care to be honest, but you do need to hear what I have to say.
Over a year ago now, I met someone online, through a computer game called Guild Wars. One week after I met this person, we were in an online relationship. After another week we had confessed our love for each other. After six weeks I had made plans to move to Australia to meet this person and after four months I was standing in Melbourne airport hugging her for the first time.
That happened... swifty. Yeah, sort of. Just four months and I had totally reordered my life to meet this person. I hope that speaks something of the connection that we shared, how strong and absolute it was and what it enabled us to do. It wasn't easy, and it was pretty terrifying at times make no mistake.
Anyhow, a fair few months back, about 8 or so, I sat down one evening and had a conversation that was long, long overdue. I sat down and told God all the wrong things I have done. Everything I could remember, I think I started with something that I recall doing when I was 9 and brought it right up to the present. It was a fairly long conversatoin actually. After that, things continued on as normal and a few months later I started attending church with Rebecca and that's become our second home currently. In this regard, and heres the part that affects you - I believe in God, and I am Christian.
What is a Christian? Well, someone who has made God the foundation of their life, and the guiding force in all their actions and decisions. Why does this affect you? Well, because I am a different person now, I may not appreciate some of the things you do, I may not like the way you treat people, or the decisions you make. Because to me, they are made without asking God first. Is that weird? To you, yes probably but I guess this is where the hard-line comes in.
I will not compromise on my values as a Christian, for anyone, or anything. I will not do it for my friends, I will not do it for my family, I will not do it for my wife.
Christianity is more than just going to church, it's more than just doing a nice thing every so often. It's quite likely a great deal more than I know currently too. Christianity is not what you know. At this point, I am tempted to make a case for it. However recently a wise birdy said, "If someone can argue you into Christianity, someone else can argue you out of it.". In that respect, the only thing I would say is to go to church, because God's Word convicts and you will be surprised what speaks to you there. I guess when it comes down it thought, I have one real message I wanted to give you.
To all of you: There will be many points in your life where you will be faced with hard decisions, or something scary or terrifying to do. I think, in that regard, I have to applaud my Mum for putting up with me, because I seemed to take all those paths presented to me, and not just walk down them, but start off at a dead run. I rarely, if ever, explained why. Often saying, "Because I want to." or "Its important." In that regard perhaps I had it easier than most, because I was selfish and never gave thought to how it would affect people, or quite truthfully affect me. You are all better people than me. But the one thing I do know with a concrete and unshakable certainty, is that looking back at all those times, looking at all the things I did that made me fearful of my future, or made me wonder where I belonged on this little planet, there is not a single one of them that I regret doing. If given the opportunity again, I doubt there is a real-world measurement for the length of time I would hesitate in setting off a dead run again.
The thing that excites me most, is that in the grand scheme of things, I am probably just nearing the halfway mark.
Back to the present. Rebecca and I made a huge mistake, we moved in to live together, before we had cleared it with God. In that regard, the last few weeks together have been some of the hardest and have been witness to some of the largest changes. We want to move forward with our life, and in order to do that, we need to make things right between us and God. God prepared a gift for people who want to commit themselves in love, to another person, for the rest of their lives, and we intend to accept it.
Roughly four weeks from now, Rebecca and I will be getting married. \o/
Our wedding day, will be the first day of our new life through God. It's been the day I've been waiting for, all my life...
My best wishes to you all and God Bless,
Ian.