i deserve better ...

i am not perfect, far from it
a continuous work in progress
even so, i love the Lord Jesus 
i help strangers and friends alike
when friends are in need, we jump to it
i empathise and waterworks are turned on easily 
i am a very selective touchy-feely hugger
there are seasons when my faith is stoked
seasons when my faith is refined in the furnace
my children and fishing are high priorities
outdoorsy yet totally comfortable with books at home
don't need crowds nor drinking mates for mood or atmosphere
sitting quietly with a book 
or breaking out in guffaws with close friends
sitting quietly with friends without need for conversation 
especially with my partner, and to revel in each other's company
fine cuisine is great but hawker food is also cool 
quite often convicted by 1 Chronicles 21:24, 
'it must cost me something" comes into play in many areas
i don't mind 'investing' in many a thing 
even when there is no ROI depending on person/item/issue/subject matter
but i can't stand promise breakers
repeat offenders who think nothing of not keeping their word
& people who change their minds/commitments at their whim and fancy 
while the other party is supposed to or is expected to let things slide
those who take things for granted
the selfish betrayers and traitors
if you can't even respect yourself
i guess i can begin to understand why you can't or don't respect me
and maybe that's why you have no or weak convictions/principles
my partner must be a woman of principle and conviction in the Living Word
my helper believes it is NEVER right to break a promise made to children
an apology + explanation is the least a child can expect if we can't keep our word
externals matter little to me, the heart and spirit are vital to me 
when i love, i love deeply without reservation 
i give my all and i expect the same
i have never played nor engaged in extra-maritals
and i don't intend to ever start
called to serve, i am not a service provider to be used as one wishes
i will no longer come after someone else's mother, brother, your ex(-es) or your anyone else 
other than Jesus
if you can't do something that simple, 
then you have NO business being my partner
even less getting married
i deserve better 

truth vs love/unity ... the Bible's perspective

every so often, even churches and church leaders get a little confused ... ?
due to their mentors, seminary teachings or by their individual or respective perceived callings?
i'd rather not doubt their calling as their understanding of their calling
perhaps more apt to consider application of truth to a certain set of circumstances for the better/greater good of the congregation ... which inevitably calls for judgement calls to be made

which brings us to the question: 
truth OR unity to keep the church together ?
and if it's the latter, how far would one be willing to bend the truth, ignore the truth, twist the truth for the sake of unity ?
does family unity and family practices apply across the board to all other families ?
and if this is the case, what happens to the truth as expounded by the Living Word of God ? 
would this not give rise to double standards, hypocrisy, 'you don't know so much', 'we can't tell you everything for it is personal and confidential', etc etc etc
for the sake of unity, truth is abused ? 
either some people are missing it or i am totally wrong .... 

Family Shepherd seem to have laid it out quite decently with its list of of 9 reasons as to why discernment is necessary and explains how sentimentalism hinders truth

Some sincere Christians ask, “What about love and unity in the body of Christ? Doesn’t the practice of truth circles violate Christ’s appeal and prayer for love and unity among the brethren (John 13:35; 17:21ff)?”

That depends upon what sort of love and unity Christ was appealing for in His church. Human sentimentalism defines love as the warm fuzzies that make us feel good toward another person. Yet God describes agape love as selflessly doing what is best for another person regardless of our feelings. It is agape love that Christ commanded in the body of Christ, not human sentimentalism. And it is unity in truth that Christ prayed for, not unity in error. Even so, someone might argue, when we must draw truth circles that define our levels of fellowship with others, aren’t love and unity more important than truth?

The ecumenist tells us that truth in doctrine and lifestyle must be ignored for the sake of love and unity. Is that what Scripture says? No, the Bible teaches that believers are perfected in unity (John 17:23) as God sanctifies them in the truth (John 17:17; cf. Eph. 4:17). 

First, the Bible proclaims that truth and love are absolutely essential to each other. Scripture tells us that God is love and also that God is truth (1 John 4:16; 1:5-7). These two completely compatible virtues were perfectly and fully manifested in our Lord Jesus Christ (“full of grace and truth” — John 1:14) and, ultimately, in the Cross (2 Cor. 5:21). Someone has said, justice (truth) and mercy (love) kissed at the Cross.

Second, the Bible indicates that truth is prior to love and is thus the highest virtue. Can a person believe that God is love if he does not first believe that God is truth? Of course not, for God’s truth, the Bible, tells us of God’s love. Apart from truth, we would know nothing of love. Truth, then, is prior to love because it declares and defines love. One author has said that truth is the foundation upon which love stands. But doesn’t 1 Cor. 13:13 say that love is the greatest, that all other virtues are subservient to love? Let’s read that verse again: “But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of THESE is love” — that is, the greatest of these three. The greatest of ALL virtues, however, is truth. Look back a few verses to 1 Cor. 13:6. What does it say? Love rejoices in the truth.

Third, the Bible reveals that truth defines love. In truth’s greatest description of love, the love chapter of 1 Corinthians 13, truth gives love its boundaries of operation: Love is patient, kind, not jealous, not arrogant, not rude, or selfish, or irritable, or resentful; love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Without such boundaries, love will devolve into nothing more than human sentimentalism. It is God’s definition of selfless love (agape), not man’s definition of sentimental love, which must control our ministry and fellowship.

Fourth and finally, the Bible tells us that truth is promoted by love. Biblical love never minimizes truth but rather motivates truth as Paul explains in Eph. 4:15: “speaking the truth in love.” This verse suggests that there are two different ways to speak the truth: either in love (patient, kind, humble, etc. — 1 Cor. 13) or not in love (nagging, harsh, arrogant, etc.).

the article continues with concentric circles of truth ... starting with one big circle for the nation of Israel, reducing in size until it reaches the apostles, as our Lord Jesus had done

we see this all the time with groups and cliques be it at school, at work or especially in politics

but, does maintaining such circles for the sake of congregational unity allow or encourage truth be bent, ignored or twisted for the sake of unity?

does it ever justify the grip on power or reducing accountability or avoiding questions? 

Paul practised what our Lord Jesus did, ie applying circles of truth, "For Paul, friendship could never be an excuse for compromising the purity of God’s truth."

i like to believe by the same token, neither is family an excuse or good enough reason for compromising truth - but how many are able to do so? 
something i personally would prefer not to be tested with ... and if even Paul had disagreements with co-workers, how much more us laity?

and when such disagreements arise, as they inevitably will 
will the parties submit to truth or use 'love' as an excuse to cop out, avoid responsibility and not face the truth?

to be continued ... ?

finally, a shimano BC ...

took a very long time before finally springing for a second hand boxed set
with my friend's help ... took me a few instalments to finally lay me hands on it
weighs/feels about the same as my ABU Inshore .. so the weight doesn't bother me

 behind that spool, the words 'free spool' are etched or stickered onto part of the foot 


i was looking for line to spool it with and dropped by Red Hot on a whim
Sam of Red Hot suggested i try DUEL Hardcore line supposedly designed for multipliers/BCs
can't find this particular line in their product line up though
1 spool is just enough to fill the antares V.2's spool almost to the brim 

 

i'm glad i tried it ... had no idea bout the reel's character 
smooth and fast start up when brakes are totally off
overruns occurred repeatedly until i opted for 3-on, 3-off on the reel's SVS
even so, i consistently achieved similar distances as with a 1-on ABU inshore or 2-on orra inshore using the same lures 
seems to throw lighter lures easier than the ABUs 
... then again, some have learnt to use the ABU Inshore for light luring 
that level ... is way beyond me
despite the antares V.2's saltwater usage, its gear ratio is ill suited for deep divers
great for topwater, shallow cranks, soft plastics and the occasional light (for me, it's <10g, >5g) lure with a suitable rod, of course 
other shimano BCs? 
considering the caenan, old curado, old chronarch, pre-2014 calcutta 100XT, 50XT, pre-2014 conquest 50/100
and a nicely priced used Tatula ... on geng niaga pancing


the zerek amazoniac arachne is a tempting rod with blue accents and an in-between 4-15lb rating instead of the run of the mill ratings 
at less than rm250 it sure is tempting and sure enough, when i returned a week later, it was gone

guess i'm a sucker for blue accents, spiders, exposed carbon weave and xzoga-like python-wrapped blanks ;)