INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN FORUM



Nondenominational forum for like-minded Christians. We do not discriminate against, or censor, conservative Christian viewpoints.

This forum is best viewed on a desktop or a laptop computer. Cell phone users: turn your phone sideways to landscape mode.

This forum is only as good as YOU make it. Please do YOUR part. Don't just observe. Participate. That is the only way to keep it alive and interesting.

"But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased."
Hebrews 13:16, KJV

Please Share! . . . . Please Share!


» Forum Index » Introduce Yourself » Topic: A little bit about me

Posted on 05/13/19 9:43:28 PM
Jo Cunningham
[Newbie]
Posts: 3

Reply


A little bit about me
I live in north west England, I am a single mum, my daughter is 16 and in her last year of high school.
I became a Christian in 1993, but after 1 year, walked away for 15 years, until God used my daughter to bring me back to him.
I love Jesus, he is awesome!


I am a youth leader, an Elder and worship leader.
Previously I have been a Street Pastor and have worked as a volunteer for Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, on their internet evangelism and discipleship coaching.
My hobbies are running, gardening, cooking and cats.


I hope everyone will join in this forum and support Bill's hard work!

Posted on 05/15/19 09:51:32 AM
Bill Kochman
Administrator
Posts: 287

Reply


Re: A little bit about me
Hello Jo. Thanks for sharing part of your life story with us. I appreciate it.

I have never been to England, or to any part of Great Britain for that matter. But from the few direct experiences I have had with British people, along with what I read on the web, and see in books, movies and music, I get the impression that England, at least, has become a pretty dark place in a spiritual sense, much like what is also happening in the USA.

While I have never walked completely away from my faith, there was a ten-year period a few decades ago when I became too involved in the world, and seriously neglected my service to the Lord. However, thankfully, the Lord eventually pulled me out of it, and opened the door for me to start this online ministry.

Unless it makes you feel uncomfortable talking about it, I'd be interested in hearing how God used your daughter to bring you back to the Lord.

I also enjoy being close to God's natural creation. I find seeing green stuff very inspiring. It lifts my spirit.

I am also an animal lover, and have had a wide range of pets over the past fifty years. My last were three cats, which, sadly, I no longer have. Here are pictures of them from seven years ago.

This is Socks, doing what cats are not supposed to do. I mean, aren't they supposed to dislike water?



Here is one of Sock's kittens named Smokey. Just look at those eyes.



And here is Smokey's sister, named Bandit. Yeah, yeah. I am sure you get the name connection.



While I enjoy cooking, I now look at it as a necessity, more than anything else. What I mean by that is that having to stop to cook food in order to nourish my body is somewhat of a distraction from my BBB ministry work. Of course, I enjoy eating what I cook, although it is very specialized, because I have no teeth, and can't wear dentures.

Unlike you, I do not run. I used to engage in a very rigorous home exercise program which was a mixture of body weight exercises -- such as sit-ups, pushups, squats, etc. -- and resistance training with dumbbells.

However, as you may recall, in both 2017 and 2018 I became very sick -- and was hospitalized -- due to DVT -- Deep Vein Thrombosis -- and Acute Bilateral Pulmonary Emboli. In short, I was dying from blood clots in both of my legs, and in all four nodes of my lungs.

Anyway, the only exercise I do now, is my 5:00 AM morning stairs exercise, where I go up and down two flights of stairs outside. Thirty times up, and thirty times down. It usually takes me 15-20 minutes to do it, and I am sweating and panting by the time I am done.

So, that is my response. Your turn!

_________________
Bill Kochman
Bill’s Bible Basics
wordweaver777@gmail.com
https://www.billkochman.com


Posted on 05/17/19 7:39:06 PM
Jo Cunningham
[Newbie]
Posts: 3

Reply


Re: A little bit about me
Your cats were gorgeous!
I love my cats, they are very affectionate. Cats aren't meant to like water, but sitting in an empty sink isn't really in water, and they often like to drink the water from a dripping tap.

On returning to God after 15 years - I was back slidden when I got pregnant, but God clearly had a hand in what followed, because it was just too much of a coincidence what happened.
In 2009, I was standing at a bus stop which was outside a local Church, on the notice board was a sign 'Children's Christmas Craft morning', for the following Saturday. I thought 'Louisa likes crafts, I'll take her'. I took her to it and left her there whilst I took the opportunity to go Christmas shopping. When I went back to get her, I got talking to one of the women, I told her I was a Christian but I had walked away, but I still believed and loved God. I remember feeling a stirring in my heart. She invited me to the service the following morning, it was Christingle. The next morning I was feeling unenthusiastic about going to Church, and Louisa said 'but mummy, you told that lady we would go'. So we went, and have been going ever since.
The Holy Spirit once gave me a picture of God sat waiting for me in the Church, because when I first stopped going in 1994, I visited the Church about 3 times and then decided I didn't want to go on my own. So the last place where I went to spend time in His presence, was the very place He led me to in 2009.
This image made me cry.

So there is my testimony of how the Prodigal Daughter retuned

Posted on 05/17/19 8:56:26 PM
Bill Kochman
Administrator
Posts: 287

Reply


Re: A little bit about me
Yes, I was very attached to those three cats. My young daughter is the one who brought Socks home. She was a boonie cat, meaning just a stray, and no pedigree. She was already pregnant at the time, although I didn’t realize it at first, even though she had a serious bite wound on the back of her neck, which eventually healed. I made it clear to my daughter that we were only going to keep her until the wound healed ... but then I got attached to her.

One of the conditions of us keeping her was that my daughter promised to take care of her, feeding her, taking care of the litter box, etc. Well, I am sure you know how that turned out.

Smokey and Bandit were born on my living room floor. I had prepared a nice birthing box for Socks, but she had other plans, and had them on the living room floor under the couch. I laid on the floor the whole time and comforted her as she gave birth.

There was a moment during the first few hours or days — I can’t remember now — when Smokey gave us a real scare. I found him laying seemingly lifeless on the floor with his little tongue half hanging out. My daughter was present.

I picked him up and said “I think he is dead.” My daughter was on the verge of crying. Then that little rascal stirred. I guess he was just in a deep sleep.

My original intention was just to keep them until they were weaned. But, as the weeks passed, I grew very attached to them as well. And that is how I ended up with three cats instead of one.

Well, until my ex forced me to give them away. I felt so guilty about doing that, but at least I was able to keep them together as a family, and they all went to the same new home. In fact, I called the new owner for a few months after that, just to make sure they were doing okay. I know they felt betrayed by me, and putting them in kennels the day they left me was a very traumatic experience for both them and me. Socks freaked out and really scratched me up. Smokey too became very vicious when I tried to put him in the kennel. It took me a long time to get over that day, many months in fact.

Thanks for sharing your story. But what is “Christingle”? Is that a British term for Christmas, or just a typo?

_________________
Bill Kochman
Bill’s Bible Basics
wordweaver777@gmail.com
https://www.billkochman.com


Posted on 12/12/19 08:06:05 AM
Jo Cunningham
[Newbie]
Posts: 3

Reply


Re: A little bit about me
Sorry you had to give away your gorgeous cats and if it were me, the 'ex' would have been that much sooner if they suggested getting rid of my cats! Never happening, it would have been 👋

We had our Christingle service last Sunday. It's an orange with a red ribbon around it, a candle stuck in the top and then tooth picks with sweets stuck in. Perhaps if you Google it, you might get a descriptive explanation!

Sorry for not coming on here Bill, and thank you for all the effort you put in to the work.
I started your series on whether Jesus has already returned.... was a bit heavy but I'm going to resume it.

Blessings
Jo 😃

Posted on 12/12/19 08:59:50 AM
Bill Kochman
Administrator
Posts: 287

Reply


Re: A little bit about me
In hindsight, yes, I agree. I should have kept my cats. I should have taken the prenuptial signs as a warning that that relationship was simply not going to work out. When a potential life partner starts making demands and conditions even before the marriage occurs, well . . .

But I definitely learned from the experience.

According to my computer dictionary, Christingle is "a lighted candle symbolizing Christ as the light of the world, held by children at a special Advent service originating in the Moravian Church."

Of course, then I had to use Wikipedia to look up Moravian Church, because I had no idea what it was.

Please take your time in reading the series. It is pretty deep, meaty stuff, but it is solidly based on the Scriptures, like all of my work. You may or may not agree with my conclusions, but they seem flawless to me.

_________________
Bill Kochman
Bill’s Bible Basics
wordweaver777@gmail.com
https://www.billkochman.com

Back

[ To post a reply, please Log In or Register ]

Brought to you by Bill's Bible Basics

Please Share! . . . . Please Share!