ViaCrucis said:

Must...not...post...chubby...Vance...meme...must...remain....strong

-CryptoLutheran

Click to expand...

Oh go ahead. The thread is about him.

Oompa Loompa said:

I am sure many people voted for Trump because they though Melania would be a prettier first lady than Bill Clinton.

Click to expand...

Her Christmas decorations are better, too.

Oompa Loompa said:

Seditious conspiracy would be more appropriate than treason.

Click to expand...

Funny how this constitutes "seditious conspiracy" but Trump's actual, literal attempt to steal an election was less "important" than the price of french fries and the investigative hearings were an "insult to democracy".

You guys aren't being serious.

NxNW said:

I completely agree, with the exception of the last sentence being unlikely.

Click to expand...

Closer than ever but perhaps unlikely or even the wrong end times thinking on my part. God bless

prudent_commenter said:

Hello,

I have a long-time problem that I have not be able to solve, and I'm not sure what it is. I have everything in my life except a career/financial stability. On this side, opportunities have always been non-existent: never had access to higher people, likewise job opportunities I could never find. For some reason, the right people, and the right jobs are out of my reach. What I am given are jobs that are either above me, or jobs that are below me. This is to say, it's made such a way that you can't succeed.

It is very painful for me because I consider myself a capable individual. The degrees are there, same as the work experience. I also posses a fair amount of foreign languages, and other valued skills, but all of this - for some reason - is nothing to what I'm dealing with.

Over the years I tried many things, but nothing seems to work. It appears to be that I'm stuck in a perpetual loop, and there is a fair amount of confusion as well. Sometimes I feel like what I have, i don't have. And what I don't have have, is actually what I do have. I try to slow things down to understand how it works.

And, there is this thing of traps, as I like to call them. The roads which I'd need are all closed for me. Yet, every road that either leads nowhere, or leads to evil is wide opened. In the past, I let down the knowledge and wisdom, and went through one of these opened paths, only to realize that it caused much more problems than it solved, and that I was better of before that road was taken. It fells like what is easy is wrong for me, and is a trap.

The career is the ultimate humiliation because I love to study, and allocate a lot of time for it. The development of my mind, and acquiring knowledge, and the forming of wisdom later-on are one of my top priorities. So obviously, when it is fruitless, I feel like I'm dying inside.

I'm trying to understand if this is a curse or a test.

I have not introduced myself (yet), but for a short context, I am a man, that keeps the scripture as much as possible. Some of my activities: I pray, I fast (daily), chant the psalms, treat the body as it is the temple, sober and vigilant towards corruption, never had a romantic relationship, and saving for marriage (if ever). In the case of a potential curse, how would this be possible? And if this is a test, why? It's been going on for a lot of time now (years).

Thank you.

Click to expand...

I sometimes pray "Shut doors no man can open and open doors no man can shut." It seems quite practical to do this. There are some other variables too I think in gaining good employment and opportunities. The foremost is to follow God's will. This includes preparation, direct guidance (sometimes may be available) for location, and even the type of jobs one is applying for. Other variables that will help are taking a look at your giving and service. God likes committed workers that are humble and will submit. No one really owes us much of anything, only God in his mercy will lift us to bigger and better heights. God too might be calling you to ministry and if that is the case, no secular work is going to be fulfilling. I guess what i am saying is to become the part of the body of Christ that relies on God and follows his direction.

I once remember hearing a teaching on God's favor. Favor works about the opposite of a curse. God's favor shows up by giving you additional opportunities that others do not get. Daniel recieved such favor. He was extraordinary and God granted him interpretations and a countenance that basically created his calling. At the end of this minister's teaching he called those up to the front and prayed for everyone that wanted an increases in favor. I went up and the very next week I was promoted in my position.
Why would that occur? because God loves such demonstrations of his love and glory. The question is can we expect that? Yes, and Amen. God responds to faith and a desire to please him. So yes, assuming you are asking for the right reasons, God wants to bless you and move you forward to the right positions. I pray you seek His will and way in getting there. That you can have faith that he wants to give you abundant life that includes meaningful work. I do not say it is always instant, but God rewards the faithful servant, giving him more.

To relate another story, as a young man I worked at one missionary base where I rotated into the kitchen and basically just peeled potatoes because the EU women never thought a male American could cook much if anything. At that same base later, I heard a message from a leader who said to seek out opportunties where you can learn and grow, ones that push your limits and make you reach. Absolutely, that is true. As I was scheduled to change positions I wondered how the next place would go. It was similar in structure but far more expansive in opportunity. I now was rotated in as the sole cook for some forty plus poeple once a week, planning the menu etc. Small examples but I pray they get you to thinking that God is going to meet your need because you are attentive to his will and desires. No you are not too old. Yes, this business of finding the right position is spiritual. So God speed my brother, may you have more opportunites and expansion. may you carry the attitude that God desires and the realize that through God you can do mighty things. Such a ride is no always for the timid. You can be bold in God though, bold is your dependence on him too.

Revelation 3:8 (KJV)
8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

Psalm 18:29-36 (KJV)
29 For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.
30 As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.
31 For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?
32 It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.
33 He maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon my high places.
34 He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.
35 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.
36 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.

d taylor said:

-
​

How do you know God is the only one who knows.

Click to expand...

Because my wife and I have a very close relationship with God and He's always looking after us. Plus we are the only ones who live at home. Who else could it be? Not a bad spirit that's for sure.

ND Christian guy said:

Because He's the only one who knows what is going on between my wife and I. Like the time she was unconscious having a seizure. He saved her life by texting me to go check up on her.

Click to expand...

How do you know God is the only one who knows.

DaisyDay said:

Most people don't have a stable of lawyers on retainer. We have a tiered justice system.

Click to expand...

was thinking more world leaders and such that he lies about

John Archibald Wheeler did not believe in pantheism or panpsychism but was a cosmologist addressing the philosophical question of the role of the observer in Quantum Mechanics.

According to Quantum Mechanics the observer can be my telescope/CCD combination which took this image of the Hydra Galaxy Cluster.


Wheeler came up with the “It from Bit” idea where all physical things ultimately emerge from information where in this case the observer (the human) makes sense of the information in the image by producing a software program that is able to annotate the image and identify all the galaxies in the image by their NGC, IC and PGC numbers. Stars are identified by their TYC numbers.



This raises an interesting question what happens if the observer happens to be AI?
I asked ChatGPT to annotate the image giving it zero prior information.

It is impressive ChatGPT correctly identified the image from nothing despite the annotation being hopelessly wrong including objects that do not appear in the original image, one would expect this deficiency to disappear with advancements in supervised and unsupervised machine learning.
It reinforces the issue the observer doesn't have to be a conscious being.

d taylor said:

-
​

So how do you know it is from God.

Click to expand...

Because He's the only one who knows what is going on between my wife and I. Like the time she was unconscious having a seizure. He saved her life by texting me to go check up on her.

lifepsyop said:

Do you think it's worth investigating, or nah, nothing suspicious at all?

Click to expand...

What's the point? Trump made sure presidents are immune to any and all actions during their presidency. Let us reason. Please.
Thanks fis engaging!
Be blessed.

I forgot to mention that I also have a complete collection of Currier and Ives engravings, as well!

Richard T said:

If i had to predict, I think that Trump's second term honeymoon is about over. Wars, an economic quagmire and this never ending battle on illegals is going to take its toil. The GOP will likely lose the House in 2026 and then it will be pretty much a lame duck Presidency with the exception being putting out one fire (crisis) after another. What an exhausting 4 years. May Jesus return soon.

Click to expand...

I completely agree, with the exception of the last sentence being unlikely.

So how do you know it is from God.

GoldenBoy89 said:

Surely this team has played at least one other game before with the same roster. How hard can it be to find it if these are legitimately a youth team made up of a bunch of kids just coming for the competition or actually a gang of elite Venezuelan special operatives trying to circumvent our borders and immigration laws?

Click to expand...

Yea, the most powerful country on earth is incapable of screening athletes? It's all a show.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration just accepted a known murderer from Venezuela.....

FAITH-IN-HIM said:

Well, Jesus had an answer for your hypothetical. He said “ My kingdom is not of this world”.

Click to expand...

Quoting our Lord doesn't address what we are specifically to do. Can you please address what I asked? What should happen to said nation? What should thr Christians of said nation do? Should they be like Dhimmis underneath a non-Christian ruling class? Should they dissolve the nation? What exactly should they do?

Ignatius the Kiwi said:

So let me present you with a hypothetical. Imagine a country where there is a small percentage of Christians. Now these Christians over many generations manage to convert most of the Nation to the faith.

What then should happen to the Nation? Should it be dissolved? Should said Christian majority still have no say in how thr country operates?

Click to expand...

Well, Jesus had an answer for your hypothetical. He said “ My kingdom is not of this world”.

SimplyMe said:

They had qualified to play in the Senior League (ages 13-16) Baseball World Series and now will be replaced by a team from Mexico, who finished as runner up to the Venezuelans. The denial is based on Trump's invocation of the Alien Enemies Act and Executive Order that prevents people from Venezuela (and other countries) from entering the US; as Venezuelans are, per Trump's comments, terrorists and enemies to the US.

Click to expand...

...maybe the World Cup and Olympic Committeees should re-consider having the U.S. host their respective events.

She should be sued for impersonating a journalist.

ThatRobGuy said:

Actually, what was I referring to was the concerns about people (who maybe aren't actually kids, or people posing as relatives of the kids) with fraudulent documentation

https://www.npr.org/2019/04/02/708118129/fake-birth-certificates-a-growing-problem-amid-migrant-family-surge

Without robust data sharing systems, we have no way of knowing.


If these were Chinese, Iranian, or Russian teams, would we be haphazardly letting in people who A) claim to only be 16 and B) people claiming to be their family members without the ability to do actual vetting -- merely in the name of a youth sporting competition?


The reason why I linked that story about the 24 year old Venezuelan man enrolled in High School for over a year posing as 16 wasn't to highlight a fairness concern (that's secondary), it was to highlight the fact that our courts aren't particularly sharp at identifying birth certificates (keeping in mind, it was a Juvenile Immigration judge who placed that guy with a foster family and helped facilitate getting other documents so he could enroll in high school), and to highlight the fact that clearly you can't just visually tell who's a 15-16 year old vs. who's an adult and impersonating one in all cases.

Click to expand...

Surely this team has played at least one other game before with the same roster. How hard can it be to find it if these are legitimately a youth team made up of a bunch of kids just coming for the competition or actually a gang of elite Venezuelan special operatives trying to circumvent our borders and immigration laws?

Vambram said:

Unlike the majority of liberals in the mainstream media and the Democratic Party, conservatives have been telling the truth for many, many years.

Click to expand...

I thank you for repeating my point but it isn't necessary.

durangodawood said:

Well RTTL is nothing if not fashionable.

Here come the white polos and khaki pants.

Click to expand...

I should report you for ridiculing my culture.

FAITH-IN-HIM said:

Then Jesus said unto His disciples, “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.

Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you" John 15:19

Click to expand...

So let me present you with a hypothetical. Imagine a country where there is a small percentage of Christians. Now these Christians over many generations manage to convert most of the Nation to the faith.

What then should happen to the Nation? Should it be dissolved? Should said Christian majority still have no say in how thr country operates?

durangodawood said:

Ugh.... please.

Click to expand...

We can agree on something. I tried them once in my life. Bad mistake.