Heavenly Father,

I want to thank you for looking after me and my family. My child has moved out and is safe and living a productive life and my husband and I have entered a new phase of our lives together which I am looking forward to. Having talked to others, I know that many struggle in their relationships with their children and/or spouse and I feel blessed to have a spouse who is my best friend and pray for those not so fortunate to reach the same place in their marriage as I have, with your blessing.

Thank you for today, for my little dogs, for my life and for the sunshine.

In Jesus name, Amen.

resort
intransitive verb

1. To turn to or make use of a person, strategy, or course of action for help or as a means of achieving something.
2. To go, especially customarily or frequently; repair.

noun
1. A place frequented by people for relaxation or recreation

Ancient Trait, The Lost

Benny Hinn, Kenny Copleland, Paul and Jan Crouch, Ernest Angley - I was raised with all of these in my Grandma's & parents house and thought nothing of it until I learned that my Grandma and my parents sent money to these televangelists.

I have nothing against people making a living but these people seemed obscene to me in their wealth, artificial and exploitative. My Grandma made flour and water in Crisco for dinner but she sent strangers money so they could purchase a Rolex and preach about good money strategy, tithings to church etc?

Am I looking at this the wrong way? I have become bitter and resentful regarding what I view to be heretic charlatans, even though I can't change anything and my Grandma passed away many years ago now, because I view these people and TBN as false.

It doesn't help that Pat Robertson was so ingrained within politics, just as the Pope is, which I think is a conflict of interest since what is God's is God's a politics is of men, IMO.

What are your views?

Hi all,

Is anyone doing keto and have any tips for Thanksgiving/Christmas?

I'm the hostess for Thanksgiving and the guest at Christmas. I have attempted a keto Thanksgiving before, and it went ok, but those of you living this lifestyle know that many ingredients like almond flour, pure chocolate etc is an acquired taste for many used to sugar. For Christmas, this is held at my mother-in-laws and I have no control over what is served and would not want to stress a 70+ year old, on a budget, with food preferences or insult her efforts by bringing my own on one day of the year.

My thoughts were just to have a week (or less) off of keto for Thanksgiving and probably most of December but I realize this will kick me in and out of ketosis and so I was thinking I would just aim for low carb until after New Year?

I don't want weight loss to stall, muscle growth to be affected, have digestive upset or reignite a sugar addiction, but I'm 2 years into this lifestyle so assume I can be more flexible? Also, husband loves Starbucks eggnog latte and looks forward to this each year so.......

I've never been full keto, even though this is always my goal, as I am over 20g carbs about 20% of the week.

Many thanks!

President Joe Biden’s economic approval ratings have hit an all time low as his administration continues to push the claim that “Bidenomics” is working, according to a poll released by Investor’s Business Daily (IBD) on Monday.


Approximately 56% of Americans disapprove of Biden’s economic policies as opposed to 24% who approve, a swift drop from the reported 50%-31% in September, according to IBD. The low ratings underscore the problems straining the U.S. economy as inflation continues to rise while wages are by and large failing to keep pace. (RELATED: Dems Are Begging White House To Stop Using The Word ‘Bidenomics’: Report)

Biden’s Economic Approval Dives To Lowest Point Of His Presidency: POLL

President Joe Biden's approval ratings have hit an all time low as his administration continues to push the claim that

dailycaller.com

Morning:​

"The myrtle trees that were in the bottom." — Zechariah 1:8
The vision in this chapter describes the condition of Israel in Zechariah's day; but being interpreted in its aspect towards us, it describes the Church of God as we find it now in the world. The Church is compared to a myrtle grove flourishing in a valley. It is hidden, unobserved, secreted; courting no honour and attracting no observation from the careless gazer. The Church, like her head, has a glory, but it is concealed from carnal eyes, for the time of her breaking forth in all her splendour is not yet come. The idea of tranquil security is also suggested to us: for the myrtle grove in the valley is still and calm, while the storm sweeps over the mountain summits. Tempests spend their force upon the craggy peaks of the Alps, but down yonder where flows the stream which maketh glad the city of our God, the myrtles flourish by the still waters, all unshaken by the impetuous wind. How great is the inward tranquility of God's Church! Even when opposed and persecuted, she has a peace which the world gives not, and which, therefore, it cannot take away: the peace of God which passeth all understanding keeps the hearts and minds of God's people. Does not the metaphor forcibly picture the peaceful, perpetual growth of the saints? The myrtle sheds not her leaves, she is always green; and the Church in her worst time still hath a blessed verdure of grace about her; nay, she has sometimes exhibited most verdure when her winter has been sharpest. She has prospered most when her adversities have been most severe. Hence the text hints at victory. The myrtle is the emblem of peace, and a significant token of triumph. The brows of conquerors were bound with myrtle and with laurel; and is not the Church ever victorious? Is not every Christian more than a conqueror through him that loved him? Living in peace, do not the saints fall asleep in the arms of victory?

Evening:​

"Howl, fir tree, for the cedar is fallen." — Zechariah 11:2
When in the forest there is heard the crash of a falling oak, it is a sign that the woodman is abroad, and every tree in the whole company may tremble lest to-morrow the sharp edge of the axe should find it out. We are all like trees marked for the axe, and the fall of one should remind us that for every one, whether great as the cedar, or humble as the fir, the appointed hour is stealing on apace. I trust we do not, by often hearing of death, become callous to it. May we never be like the birds in the steeple, which build their nests when the bells are tolling, and sleep quietly when the solemn funeral peals are startling the air. May we regard death as the most weighty of all events, and be sobered by its approach. It ill behoves us to sport while our eternal destiny hangs on a thread. The sword is out of its scabbard-let us not trifle; it is furbished, and the edge is sharp-let us not play with it. He who does not prepare for death is more than an ordinary fool, he is a madman. When the voice of God is heard among the trees of the garden, let fig tree and sycamore, and elm and cedar, alike hear the sound thereof.
Be ready, servant of Christ, for thy Master comes on a sudden, when an ungodly world least expects him. See to it that thou be faithful in his work, for the grave shall soon be digged for thee. Be ready, parents, see that your children are brought up in the fear of God, for they must soon be orphans; be ready, men of business, take care that your affairs are correct, and that you serve God with all your hearts, for the days of your terrestrial service will soon be ended, and you will be called to give account for the deeds done in the body, whether they be good or whether they be evil. May we all prepare for the tribunal of the great King with a care which shall be rewarded with the gracious commendation, "Well done, good and faithful servant"

Hey, I'm pleased to say we've just completed and published the Gospel of Luke with Kretzmann commentary and added ESV tooltips, notes, and cross-references. You can find it here:

I'm tired. My life has been nothing but depression and suffering for the last 10 years. I've essentially become a hermit paralyzed by illness and fear. Brute forcing my way to positivity just causes me to break down and lose myself.

I've been a faithful Christian the whole time. Yet I'm so numb. Nothing feels good, life is painful and I feel so far away from God. I'm in a dark place. Sometimes wishing that I was never born.

President Joe Biden is losing substantial ground with minority voters while former President Donald Trump is gaining significantly, according to a poll released on Monday.

Biden’s support among black, Latino and Asian voters fell from 63% in July to 47%, according to the Monmouth University Poll. Trump’s support among these demographics rose from 23% to 33% during the same time period. (RELATED: ‘Discouraged’: Focus Group Of Minority Voters Express Dismay With Biden’s Job Performance)

Biden’s Support Among Minority Voters Is Plummeting As Trump Gains Ground: POLL

President Joe Biden is losing substantial ground with minority voters while former President Donald Trump is gaining significantly, according to a poll.

dailycaller.com

Science And The Bible: The Historicity Of The Bible
Many people don't realize the far superior reliability of the Bible over secular history when it comes to dating, chronology and history itself. The first step is to make sure you are aware of cardinal and ordinal numbers and how they differ. Cardinal numbers (1, 2, 3, 10, 100) have full value but with ordinal numbers (3rd, 5th, 22nd) you have to subtract 1. So - for example the "18th year of Nebuchadnezzar" at Jeremiah 52:29 would actually be 17 full years and however many months, weeks or days elapsed from the end of the 17th year.

Also, when considering a number of years from BCE to CE you have to keep in mind that from a date such as October 1, 1 BCE to October 1, 1 CE is only 1 year, rather than 2. They are ordinal numbers. So, from October 1, 2 BCE (about the time of Jesus' birth) to October 1 of 29 CE (about the time of his baptism) there is a total of 30 years. 1 full year plus 3 months in BCE and 28 full years plus 9 months in the CE

Next we need to set the pivotal date that both Biblical and secular history can pretty much agree upon. 29 CE; the early months of 29 CE were in the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar, named emperor by Roman Senate on September 15, 14 CE (Gregorian calendar) and the year that John the Baptizer started his preaching - six months later he baptized Jesus. Luke 3:1-3; 3:21, 23; 1:36.

Or we could use 539 BCE when Cyrus the Persian overthrew Babylon (See Diodorus, Africanus, Eusebius, Ptolemy and the Babylonian tablets.)

Cyrus gave the decree releasing the Jews from exile most likely in the winter of 538 BCE or spring of 537 BCE That would have given them enough time to make preparations and make the four month journey to Jerusalem, arriving by the seventh month (Tishri - October 1) of 537 BCE Ezra 1:1-11; 2:64-70; 3:1.

Egypt
Egyptian chronology is uniquely important because it is used in so much of ancient historical observation but also because at times Egyptian history meets with that of Israel. 1728 BCE Israel entered into Egypt and 215 years later the Exodus in 1513. Pharaoh Shishak's attack on Jerusalem took place during Rhoboam's fifth year in 993 BCE. King So of Egypt reigned about the same time as Hoshea, c. 758 - 740 BCE and Pharaoh Necho's battle that resulted in Josiah's death was likely in 629 BCE. (1 Kings 14:25; 2 Kings 17:4; 2 Chronicles 35:20-24) Modern historians would differ from this as much as a century but narrow down to about 20 years by Necho's time.

The reason is that modern historians rely upon documents such as the Egyptian king lists and annals. The fragmentary Palermo Stone with the first five "dynasties," the Turin Papyrus which only gives fragmentary lists of kings and their reigns from the "Old Kingdom" into the "New Kingdom," and other fragmentary inscriptions. These and other independent inscriptions were coordinated in chronological order by Manetho, an Egyptian priest of the third century BCE. He divides the Egyptian monarchs into 30 dynasties which modern Egyptologists still use today. With astronomical calculations based upon Egyptian texts of lunar phases and the rising of the Sothis (Dog Star) a chronological table can be produced.

Manetho's work, of course, is preserved only through the writings of later historians such as Josephus, Sextus Julius Africanus, Eusebius and Syncellus. Third, fourth and late eighth to early ninth centuries CE. They are fragmentary and often distorted. His work is distorted not only through scribal errors and revisers but untenable from the start, consisting of a great deal of legend and myth.

Part of the problem was that he listed princely lines from which later rulers over all Egypt sprang. Several Egyptian kings ruled at one time and the same time, so it was not necessarily a succession of kings on the throne one after the other but several reigning at the same time in different regions. The result is a great total number of years.

So when the Bible indicates 2370 BCE as the date of the deluge, Egyptian history must have begun after that date even though Egyptian chronology goes all the way back to the year 3000 BCE - it actually doesn't.

Egyptologist Dr. Hans Goedicke of Johns Hopkins University has a nonsensical theory that the Biblical record of the events at the Red Sea and the Exodus coincided with a 1477 BCE volcanic eruption at Thera resulting in a tsunami or tidal wave that drowned the Egyptian forces, but his theory doesn't pay much attention to the Biblical account which mentions no wave.

The Hyksos period of Egyptian history warrants the same degree of caution and suspicion. Some believe that the Hyksos were a foreign people that gained control of Egypt and place Joseph's and then his family's entry into Egypt as being during that period of the Hyksos rulers, but only on the premise that it would have been more likely for a foreign ruler to have given a non Egyptian the position of second ruler.

But that theory disagrees with the Bible. Potiphar the court official was an Egyptian (Genesis 39:1) and Joseph was surrounded by native Egyptians. (Genesis 43:32)

Josephus, the source of the name Hyksos, accepted some connection between them and the Israelites but argued against many of the details found in Manetho's account. He (Josephus) preferred the term Hyksos as Captive Shepherds rather than Shepherd Kings.

Manetho presented the Hyksos as gaining control of Egypt without a battle and then destroying their cities and temples. Many years later the Egyptians supposedly rose up and fought a long and terrible war against them. Finally an Egyptian force of 480,000 men besieged them at their chief city, Avaris, and then, oddly enough, an agreement was reached that allowed the Hyksos to leave the country unharmed and they went to Judea and built Jerusalem. (Against Apion, Book I, par. 14)

Manetho adds to the account in what Josephus labels a fictitious addition of a large group of 80,000 leprous and diseased persons being allowed to settle in Avaris after the shepherds had left. Those persons later revolted and called back the "shepherds" (Hyksos?) who destroyed the cities and villages etc. (Against Apion, Book I, pars. 26, 28)

Though modern historians agree with the idea of a Hyksos conquest, they believe Josephus quotations as inaccurate in associating the Hyksos with the Israelites. They can't find much information from ancient Egyptian sources to fill in the records of the "Thirteenth to the Seventeenth Dynasties." Since they can't find it, they assume that some disintegration of power occurred in the "Thirteenth and Fourteenth Dynasties" based upon not much information, Egyptian folklore, and conjecture they conclude that it was the "Fifteenth and Sixteenth Dynasties" that Egypt was under the domination of the Hyksos.

Some archaeologists depict the Hyksos as "northern hordes . . . Sweeping through Palestine and Egypt with swift chariots." Others present them moving as a 'creeping conquest,' a gradual infiltration of migrating nomads or semi nomads who slowly took control or as a swift coup d'etat . In The World of the Past, 1963, p. 444 archaeologist Jaquetta Hawkes says: "It is no longer thought that the Hyksos rulers . . . represent the invasion of a conquering horde of Asiatics. The name seems to mean Rulers of the Uplands, and they were wandering groups of Semites who had long come to Egypt for trade and other peaceful purposes."

If that were true how would these wandering groups have gained control of Egypt in the "Twelfth Dynasty" which was about the time of Egypt's peek of power. It indicates to me a considerable amount of confusion on the parts of not only ancient Egyptian history but modern interpreters as well. No validity of the Hyksos Period can be achieved.

Another point of consideration is the fact that Egypt, like many Near Eastern lands, was heavily linked with the priesthood and the scribes were well trained under their tutelage leaving the very possible fact that propagandistic explanations were invented to account for the Egyptian gods to deal with Jehovah and the exodus.

If the Exodus account can be questioned it is only because the Pharaohs of Egypt didn't make any record of it. That is not unusual. They tended to record only their victories and not their defeats and they tried to erase anything historical that was contrary to their nationalistic image or ideology. Thutmose III, for example, chiseled away inscriptions made of Queen Hatshepsut on a stone monumental record found at Deir al-Bahri in Egypt.

Manetho the Egyptian priest and historian hated the Jews and Josephus quotes Manetho as saying that the ancestors of the Jews "entered Egypt in their myriads and subdued the inhabitants," Josephus said that Manetho "goes on to admit that they were afterwards driven out of the country, occupied what is now Judaea, founded Jerusalem, and built the temple." - Against Apion, I, 228 (26).

Though Manetho's account is regarded as unhistorical the fact remains that he mentions them as being in Egypt, going out and in other writings identifies Moses with Osarsiph, an Egyptian priest. Josephus also mentions two other Egyptian historians; Chaeremon, and Lysimachus who said that Joseph and Moses were driven out of Egypt at the same time. - Against Apion, I, 228, 238 (26); 288, 290 (32); 299 (33); 304-311 (34).

Jeroboam fled to Egypt to escape Solomon when Shishak ruled (1 Kings 11:40). Later, in the fifth year of Solomon's successor Rehoboam's reign (933 BCE) Shishak invaded Judah but didn't bring Jerusalem to ruin. (2 Chronicles 12:1-12)

Archaeological evidence of Shishak's invading the area of Palestine was found on a fragment of stele at Megiddo and mentions Sheshonk as a victory of his. (Ancient Near Eastern Texts, edited by J. Pritchard, 1974, pp. 263, 264) A relief on a temple wall at Karnak, the north part of the ancient Egyptian city of Thebes, lists numerous cities and villages that Shishak conquered. (Supplements to Vetus Testamentum, Leiden, 1957, Vol. IV, pp. 59-60) It is likely that his campaign was not so much to assist the ten tribe kingdom but to gain control of the trade routes located in the territory of that kingdom, thus extending Egypt's power and influence.

Necho[h] was a pharaoh of Egypt, who, according to Herodotus (II, 158, 159; IV, 42) was the son of Psammetichus (Psammetichos, Psamtik I) and succeeded his father as ruler of Egypt. He began construction on a canal linking the Nile with the Red Sea but didn't complete the project, though he did send a Phoenician fleet on a voyage around Africa in three years.

At the close of Josiah's 31 year reign (659 - 629 BCE) he was on his way to help the Assyrians at the river Euphrates. Josiah disregarded "the words of Necho from the mouth of God" and was killed while attempting to turn the Egyptians back at Megiddo. Three months later Necho took Jehoahaz, Josiah's successor, captive and made 25 year old Eliakim his vassal, changing his name to Jehoiakim. He (Necho) also put a heavy fine on Judah. (2 Chronicles 35:20-36:4; 2 Kings 23:29-35) About 3 or 4 years later Necho's forces were defeated at Charchemish at the hands of the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar. (Jeremiah 46:2)

Babylon
The history of Babylon enters the Biblical chronology from Nebuchadnezzar II. His father, Nabapolassar marked the beginning of the Neo-Babylonian Empire which ended with Nabonidus and his son Belshazzar when Cyrus overthrew Babylon. Thus enters the destruction of Jerusalem and the 70 year exile.

Jeremiah 52:28 says that it was in the seventh year of Nebuchadnezzar (Nebuchanrezzar) when the first Jewish exiles were taken to Babylon. A cuneiform inscription of the Babylonian Chronicle (British Museum 21946) says: "The seventh year: In the month Kislev the king of Akkad mustered his army and marched to Hattu. He encamped against the city of Judah and on the second day of the month Adar he captured the city (and) seized (its) king [Jehoiachin]. A king of his own choice [Zedekiah] he appointed in the city (and) taking the vast tribute he brought it into Babylon." (Assyrian and Babylonian Chronicles, by A. K. Grayson, 1975, p. 102; compare 2 Kings 24:1-17 / 2 Chronicles 36:5-10.) For the final 32 years of Nebuchadnezzar's reign there is no historical records of the chronicle except a fragmentary inscription of a campaign against Egypt in his 37th year.

Tablets dated up to the second year of the rule of Awil-Marduk (Evil-merodach 2 Kings 25:27-28) have been found. Neriglissar is thought to have been his successor and there are tablets dated to his fourth year.

Astronomical information for the seventh year of Cambyses II son of Cyrus II say: "Year 7, Tammuz, night of the 14th, 1 2⁄3 double hours [three hours and twenty minutes] after night came, a lunar eclipse; visible in its full course; it reached over the northern half disc [of the moon]. Tebet, night of the 14th, two and a half double hours [five hours] at night before morning [in the latter part of the night], the disc of the moon was eclipsed; the whole course visible; over the southern and northern part the eclipse reached." (Inschriften von Cambyses, König von Babylon, by J. N. Strassmaier, Leipzig, 1890, No. 400, lines 45-48; Sternkunde und Sterndienst in Babel, by F. X. Kugler, Münster, 1907, Vol. I, pp. 70, 71)

Those two lunar eclipses can be identified as those that were visible at Babylon on July 16, 523 BCE and January 10, 522 BCE (Oppolzer's Canon of Eclipses, translated by O. Gingerich, 1962, p. 335) This with the tablet puts the seventh year of Cambyses II as starting with the spring of 523 B.C.E. Which means his first year of rule was 529 BCE his accession year, also the last year of Cyrus II of Babylon would have been 530 BCE The last tablet of the reign of Cyrus II is dated from the fifth month, 23rd day of his ninth year. (Babylonian Chronology, 626 B.C. - A.D. 75, by R. Parker and W. Dubberstein, 1971, p. 14) Since the ninth year of Cyrus II was 530 his first year would have been 538 B.C.E. and accession year 539.

According to the Book of Daniel the last ruler in Babylon before it fell to the Persians was Belshazzar. (Daniel 5:1-30). Since there was no mention of Belshazzar outside the Bible his very existence was in doubt, but in the 19th century there was found several small cylinders inscribed in cuneiform in southern Iraq. A prayer to the health of Nabonidus, king of Babylon's eldest son - Belshazzar.

Nabonidus was the first king, his son Belshazzar was second and at Daniel 5:16 Belshazzar himself offered to make Daniel the third.

Wait for archeology. It usually catches up with the Bible.

Dialysis, kidney cancer, a relationship ending and not being able to find a job. Every day I wake up and give thanks to God, but it's so hard when so much is happening. I feel like I'm about to break. Please pray that things get better.

God bless.

Abbey Altson - Flood Sufferings: 1890

California has repealed a misinformation law that restricted the advice doctors could give patients about COVID-19, bowing to mounting legal pressure.

The legislation was signed into law in September 2022 and took effect in January. It tried to define COVID disinformation as “unprofessional conduct” and empower the Medical Board of California to revoke the licenses of physicians who diverged from “contemporary scientific consensus.”

A federal judge halted the law in January pending court challenges, and it is unclear that officials ever enforced it.

Good afternoon, friends!

So, fun new evangelistic tool I'm trying to get word out regarding. I made a little sheet of cards that you have can print out and use. Just cut out these cards and leave them in places as you go about your day. Branch out and get creative. Restaurants. Libraries. School. You name it. Leave a card behind.

How these work - anyone who scans one of the cards with their phone camera will be taken to an online page where they will be taught about the gospel how to be saved. I use them all the time and love sharing them with others because they're very effective. Just save and print out the page, cut out the cards, and leave them here and there in public places for other people to find. Make sure to test scan the cards with your own phone camera before using, just to ensure the code works and the cards didn't come out too small. Access link attached below - just save to your files and print (I recommend making several copies)

Website where you can save and print your pages here: https://gospel-cards.blogspot.com/2023/02/

Take care!
Ash

Wow. Wish he spoke up sooner.

I am currently reading into the Book of Enoch in which he made a little headway into our current Bible...

And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. - Jude 1:14-15

And behold! He cometh with ten thousands of His holy ones. To execute judgement upon all and to destroy all the ungodly: And to convict all flesh of all the works of their ungodliness which they have ungodly committed and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him. - Book of Enoch 1:9

Reading into the Book of Enoch I find largely judgements against the Ungodly. After reading into most of that I went to church this morning thankful we live in the age of grace where we can find a walk with the Holy Spirit. I also wonder why more of Enoch was not included in our compilation of scripture.

I don't have a subscription to the Washington Post but I signed up for a free email to be sent to me every Monday morning. I believe it is helpful for keeping up with each trial.
If you're interested in receiving this email sign up at the Washington Post, it's free.


Welcome back to The Trump Trials, our weekly effort to keep readers up to date on the many criminal cases the 45th president is fighting in federal and state courts.
...

Highlights of last week​

1. Georgia: State case on 2020 election

The details: Trump faces 13 state charges, with prosecutors alleging that he tried to undo the election results in that state.

Planned trial date: None yet, though two of Trump’s 18 co-defendants are scheduled for trial Oct. 23.

What happened: Trump decided he would not try to move the state charges against him to federal court, ...

I've had it with Disney. I think they are getting into the horror movie business. I watched Jungle Cruise last night, it was disgusting. The only thing I liked was the tree with the 'tears of the moon.' which bloomed very breifly with pretty flowers, reminded me of the tree of life in the bible. It did have garden of Eden themes, with all the scary snakes, it had way too many snakes in it, I hate snakes. It had a gay character, cursed undead conquistador soldiers, a man who claimed he wanted to heal sick daughter, yet violently attacked and tried to kill the natives who had helped and healed them, who became a cursed villain whose body was petrified and filled with snakes and soul tortured, That is demonic/Satanic. I wonder if God will punish the wicked that way in hell. The female scientist in the movie wears pants, which shocks some of the people in the early 20th century the movie takes place in. She has a man's place as a scientist and adventurer. The female scientists steals an object needed in her quest, stealing is a sin and a crime, it is not right, other Disney movies have heroes that steal in them, this is not what we want to teach our children.


I've seen other Disney movies with snakes, A lot of Disney movies have 'spirits' in them, sometimes the spirits are supposedly 'good' but there are a lot of evil ones, usually they don't use the name Satan. But they are very careful not to use God's name, and the name of Jesus Christ. In Frozen they have magic, and there is revenge, hitting, slapping. Disney movies have become violent.

These days, you can't expect a Disney movie to be appropriate for children, innocent or wholesome. They are as trashy and demonic as other movies. I guess since most kids don't go to church or read the Bible they don't know about Eden or the tree of life, or the tree of knowledge of good and evil, or Satan the old serpent who deceives the whole world.

Anybody else a fan of this TV series?

I became curious about the background of the creator of this series, Rod Serling, since many of the episodes he wrote had moral or religious themes. It turns out he was a Jew who converted to Unitarianism at a time when church membership was normative in the US, because his wife wasn't Jewish and they needed a church to go to together (his wife had been Protestant). The preaching at his Unitarian church had an influence on his appreciation of the value of religious symbolism. He also was a WWII veteran (Marine) and saw fierce combat in the Pacific on the Filipino island of Luzon, something that made him detest war and nationalism the rest of his life, and which lead him to seek to become a writer as an outlet for his trauma.

My favorite episode is Night of the Meek, written by Rod Serling in one of the later seasons, and aired December 23, 1960. It's sort of like a much less cynical version of"Bad Santa". Art Carney plays a drunk, Henry Corwin, who lives surrounded by poverty and once a year gets a job as a department store Santa Claus. Drunk at a bar, he makes a wish that "just one Christmas... the meek would inherit the Earth", and then he finds a magic bag that gives people whatever they want. He gives away so many toys, the police end up suspecting he must have stolen them, but then is exonerated when he gives one of the police detectives a bottle of brandy out of the bag. At the end of the episode, he laments having to go back to his ordinary life, and wishes he could be Santa every year. Which of course leads to a Rod Serling type of ending where the camera pans to show a sleigh appearing, pulled by reindeer, upon which Mr. Corwin boards the sleigh and rides away.

Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman win this year’s Nobel Prize in Medicine for their mRNA vaccine discoveries that made the COVID vaccines possible

Karikó and Weissman first published their seminal work on mRNA vaccines in 2005 when they worked together at the University of Pennsylvania. Their research overcame major obstacles to the use of in-vitro mRNA (synthetic) technology, such as the inflammatory response by the body that involves the production of harmful cytokines.

“What’s important here I think is that vaccines can be developed so fast, and this was as we just heard, largely due to improvements in technology and this basic discovery that allowed this,” Gunilla Karlsson-Hedestam, a member of the 2023 Nobel Committee for Physiology or Medicine, said at this morning’s announcement.

How long do these things last? I went fishing 10 days ago and the bites shrink, itch and then swell up like first day all over! I'm kinda miserable!

Over the course of 20 years, I have lost and maintained a loss of over 150+ lbs. It may be more but, at one point, I was so heavy the scale stopped working so not 100% sure. I went from size 26 to current size 8. I try to be a good example and, despite my achievement, work hard to improve further as I would like to lose a further 40 lbs or so.... again, not sure, due to excess skin etc what is real weight and what isn't and I'm very short!

Anyway, I have swapped places with my parents who used to be slimmer than me but are now near 300 lbs. My dad can't walk and my mom has a host of health issues.

Leading by example isn't working at all and I feel that my parents are embarrassed or just think I'm some sort of special case that can't apply to their situation.

Despite showing them in real time what changes can do, even if the starting point seems overwhelming, I can't seem to encourage them to walk, lift or change the way they eat so I'm at a loss as to how to help.

Can you please pray for them with me? I don't want to lose hope even if they have........thanks.

please pray for healing of a tooth that is playing up. I have a dentist appointment in two weeks but this has happened the last day or so. thank you for any prayers

I came to the forum a bit ago but I don’t really feel like any thing is helping at all. Situation hopeless. No end in sight. I definitely do not belong here. I have zero people to talk to about what’s really going on and I can’t post it all in a forum. And I don’t even know why I came here in the first place. Maybe I thought things would be different, but they’re not. Best thing is to have my account deleted. Is there anybody that can do this? I couldn’t find anyone else to ask so I’m posting it here. Hopefully somebody will see this and just delete my account. Thanks.

I have a pet dog that died almost 10 years ago and a week before my birthday. Missed her dearly, she was my best friend.

Couple of months ago, I saw her in a dream. It was her except in slightly different colors. Same typical Malinoise (German Shepherd) colors but without the white spots and her claws, instead of being transparent, her claws was black in the dream. She was young again. I was playing with her in that dream. A really nice and happy dream because my late dad was also there.

Last month I finally visited a cousin out in the countryside. She had invited me to her house so many times already but couldn't due to problems and commitments until finally, I decided to go.

She had around 10 dogs in her house but only saw 5 who greeted us when we arrived.

After two days in her house, I saw one of her dogs I hadn't seen since I got to her house. It was the same dog in my dream! A young Malinoise-looking and colored dog with no white spots and had black claws!

I approached the dog slowly at first and she began wagging her tail. The other dogs didn't, all barked me at first but didn't take long to become friendly.

As I got even closer she fell on her back and still wagging and started panting in excitement. I started rubbing her belly and she started play-biting my finger.

The other dogs didn't behave the same way, though they went rushing to me to get a head rub but none fell down on their back and as the other dogs got closer, "my" dog start chasing and biting them away, she's smaller than the other dogs and wanted my undivided attention.

Here's the shocker, the last day I saw my original dog alive, she also fell on her back and kept on wagging her tail and won't come back up. She don't usually do it but seemingly begging me to stay and not leave (to work in the Middle East).

The next few days, the new dog just wanted to seek me out and play chase with me. I also played chase with my original dog A LOT and play-biting was also her thing! But it was me who initiated the chase but with the new dog, the roles have reversed.

My cousin tells me that dog is extremely shy and potentially dangerous to strangers, yet somehow, strangely, behaved quite different around me. Not shy but rather excited.

I am happy. I truly believed it was my old dog we had reunited and happy to see her and also doing quite well.

Yet I should have been much happier yet somehow, my emotions are not as sensitive anymore. I feel like a part of me has died from all the trauma I've been through since. Just to make it clear, I didn't go to Middle East as a soldier. I went there as an office assistant in a civilian company. Back home is where I had PTSD.

Yet, these could all be symbolic from the dream to the actual witnessing of exactly the same events in my dream - reuniting with my dead dog who is alive again in a better place (my cousin's place is literally 10x better than ours!)