Hi from San Diego!

[SDDiver]

Greetings to all you fellow forum members (and lurkers too)! My name is Don and I've been a lurker myself for several months and have gotten to "know" many of you through your posts. It's funny how you can develop a mental image of people through this medium even through you've never met them in person. Speaking of meeting in person – if any of you are in the San Diego area, please speak up. It'd be great to have some like-minded (like-believing) people nearby.

I've been married for 7 years and it's been the best time of my life so far. My wife is the best mate that God could have hand-picked out for me. We don't have kids but we're still hoping and trying and hopefully one day the Lord will bless us with a baby. My wife is a believer and has been since childhood. She does not (quite) believe the way I do but she's trying to understand. She likes going to church and as a loving husband I find it to be my duty to tag along.

The church is a large non-denominational one here in the San Diego area. They're affiliated with Calvary Chapel and practices the book-by-book/verse-by-verse kind of teaching. The pastor is a down-to-earth guy. No emphasis is made on giving money or on hell. I don't think in the years that we've been going there I've heard the pastor preach about money or tithing even once. I have heard hell mentioned when it was in (seeming) context with the scripture. I'd just as soon not go at all but at this point that would sadden my wife and confuse her even more about my "new found beliefs".

My username and avatar are a reflection of a hobby that my wife and I share – scuba diving. We don't get to do it as much as we'd like to, partly because the water off the coast of San Diego isn't particularly warm (or clear) and also because budgeting for dive trips to warmer regions isn't really prudent in this economy. We've been to some really nice places though in the past, including Australia (Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea) and got to marvel at a part of God's awesome creation that you don't typically get to immerse yourself in unless you have an air tank or gills.

My heritage is part Jewish, though I wasn't really raised in the Jewish faith (my parents actually sent me to catholic school of all things). I'm trying to learn Hebrew in order to study scripture and also to converse with native speakers. We have relatives and friends in Israel and I have visited a couple times, once with my wife. I'm always amazed at how green and lush this little strip of land is compared to the arid Arabian dessert that surrounds it. And also how much the countryside reminds me of Southern California.

I'm a software engineer by day and a couch potato at night. I enjoy making music, cooking, travelling, spending time with my wife and with friends, learning God's wonderful truths, and spending time here on this website and getting to know you nice people.

It still blows me away that God has brought me here to Bible Truths. I've known for years that something wasn't kosher with the way I've been taught. Reading through the articles, emails, and forum posts has been a real eye-opener and if God keeps me around for a while longer, I'm sure I'm not done learning.

Shalom to you all, and to all a good day!

Don

[Shawn Fainn]

Welcome to the forum Don

Speaking of Israel.. I've been wanting to take Mediterranean cruise for awhile now, and visit Israel especially. I'm such a huge history buff anyways, and would love checking all the historical sites. When was the last time you went?

[Deborah-Leigh]

Shalom ~ What a beautiful Word...and to you too Don.

Welcome to the Forum.

Arcturus

[Kat]

Hi Don,

I'm glad you have joined us 
It's good to hear your wife is trying to understand, just take it slow with her, trying to push these things on somebody just doesn't work. I think as you grow in your understanding it will be easier for you share things with her too. If we can be of any help with questions just ask, we have lots of people that will try and help you out.

Here are links to stuff we have here, until you can find your way around.
The forum rules will help you see how this forum is moderated.
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,3.0.html
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,4558.0.html
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,3614.0.html

Forum Indexes & lots of Info.
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/board,14.0.html

FAQ (most frequently asked questions)
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/board,23.0.html

Ray's Videos
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,8227.0.html

Ray's Audios
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,2641.0.html

Ray's 2008 Audios
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,8256.0.html

Transcripts of Ray's Audios
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/board,12.0.html

Who Am I? (members pics and personal stuff)
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/board,16.0.html

mercy, peace and love
Kat

[Linny]

Welcome to the forum Don! I am sure you will be blessed here. Enjoyed reading your introduction. As someone said, be slow with your wife. Since she is not rejecting this, she will likely come right along.
Blessings, Lin

[cherokee]

Hey Don,

Welcome to the forum.

Blessings,
Suzie

[acomplishedartis]

It's funny how you can develop a mental image of people through this medium even through you've never met them in person. Speaking of meeting in person – if any of you are in the San Diego area, please speak up. It'd be great to have some like-minded (like-believing) people nearby.

Hi Don.
I am not close to your area, but I understand your enthusiasm for sharing with like-minded (believing) people. At list an occasional deep personal conversation is of much encourage and inspiration, I talk from experience, but still I don't make less the greatness of online communication.

And yes ''It's funny how you can develop a mental image of people through this medium even through you've never met them in person'' I agree. However I also have had the opportunity to met a few people from these forum in person, for witch I am very grateful.

[SDDiver]

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome! 

[SDDiver]

Welcome to the forum Don

Speaking of Israel.. I've been wanting to take Mediterranean cruise for awhile now, and visit Israel especially. I'm such a huge history buff anyways, and would love checking all the historical sites. When was the last time you went?

Hey Shawn!

Yes, definitely – if the Lord has put the desire on your heart to visit and you have the funds, then you should go. The last time I went was in 2007. I understand there's much controversy surrounding the country's legitimacy. But I do believe that the way it was reborn (through the "birth pangs" of the Holocaust [in which many of my family members perished]), and that an otherwise dead language has been preserved and made alive again, and that they weren't destroyed and devoured by their neighboring enemies within the first few hours of establishing the nation, is nothing short of a miracle. I have a great love for the people there, as well as the culture (not to mention the food!), and as you, I also love the history. Seems you can't stick a shovel in the ground without digging up something of historical value.

[SDDiver]

...practices the book-by-book/verse-by-verse kind of teaching. The pastor is a down-to-earth guy. No emphasis is made on giving money or on hell. I don't think in the years that we've been going there I've heard the pastor preach about money or tithing even once. I have heard hell mentioned when it was in (seeming) context with the scripture.

Welcome to the forum! I came from a very similar church back ground. The biggest problem with their teaching was the "human free will", this thick veil blocks the true light from God, and has become the greatest idol of the heart. Yesterday I went online to listen to one of their Bible study meetings just to find out what is been taught now, all I heard was "if only you are willing..." "if you allow God to...otherwise even though God is willing He still can't because He respects your free will..." "You have to be obedient... then God can do this and that" "You have to be pure in heart first then you can see God..." "you have to be this and that first then God can do this and that..."

How I wish God would open the eyes of my friends as He had opened mine! Then they would stop trying to trust in their own "free will" for salvation and trust God and find rest. I am happy for you. Jesus knows who are His.

Thanks for the welcome! I agree 100%. God is sovereign and we are totally and absolutely depended on Him and on His will. I can see and accept this now, but for so many years I believed exactly the way you described it so well.

[Shawn Fainn]

Hey Shawn!

Yes, definitely – if the Lord has put the desire on your heart to visit and you have the funds, then you should go. The last time I went was in 2007. I understand there's much controversy surrounding the country's legitimacy. But I do believe that the way it was reborn (through the "birth pangs" of the Holocaust [in which many of my family members perished]), and that an otherwise dead language has been preserved and made alive again, and that they weren't destroyed and devoured by their neighboring enemies within the first few hours of establishing the nation, is nothing short of a miracle. I have a great love for the people there, as well as the culture (not to mention the food!), and as you, I also love the history. Seems you can't stick a shovel in the ground without digging up something of historical value.

Well, you just spoke the magic words.. I'm there.. lol

[soberxp]

part Jewish WOW,luck man. welcome!

[tinknocker]

Welcome Shawn

I live in the San Jose, CA. If you ever come up here I would love to get together!
Just PM me when your headed this way 

tinknocker