Like the title says. We start at 500 and when we get to 0 or 1000, we start over. Let’s see how it goes!

500

Fantine said:

I checked. NWS had 4800 workers and lost 550. They had been 5% understaffed and now are 19% under. Saw this on Google.

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I wonder how "understaffed" is established and by whom? And also how understaffed the NWS in charge of Kerr County, Texas was due to anything the Trump administration did.

perplexed said:

Do you know anyone that thinks they will Vote for Elons America party?

I strongly suspect the vast majority of people will say no
it is very common to think 3rd parties simply don't work even if they would want them to and a vote for Musk just helps the Democrats
if you want to help Democrats just vote Democrats.

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For a third party to become a viable option in America, it would require a long-term strategy. Initially, it should focus on participating in local elections, securing positions such as mayor, and then pursuing higher offices like governor. By establishing an effective governing body and demonstrating success in office, the party can show that it is capable of running for office, winning elections, and providing effective governance.

However, such long-term strategies require significant funding and time. Although Elon has substantial resources, his impatience and ego will prevent him from starting small or committing to a long-term approach.

Valletta said:

Harvard has violated the rights of students and potential students. What has been stressed in the MAGA movement is abolishing the two-tiered justice system in our country. No one should be above the law because they belong to a particular political party or discriminated against because they don't. This goes back to our founding document MAGAs believe in, that states "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." That means that ALL students have a right to attend classes without being threatened, and included in ALL are Jewish students. Nor should Americans of Asian ancestry be discriminated against for entry into our universities, they should be judged on merit rather than the color of their skin. Students should not be separated or discriminated against by race for any school function. No more of the Joe Biden stance that black children should not be bused to white schools. The United States government would be wrong to fund any entity, university or otherwise, that does not respect the rights of all.

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Harvard is one of the most prestigious and expansive universities in the world. The annual cost for a student to attend Harvard is approximately 95,000 US dollars.

Most students attending Harvard come from some of the most affluent segments of the global community. Significant proportion of Harvard students are from privileged backgrounds and generally do not face discrimination. If they are unable to enroll at Harvard, most choose to attend other prestigious and expensive institutions such as MIT, Princeton, Cambridge, or Oxford. These are hardly injustice or discrimination.

If MAGA truly believed in the founding documents, they would focus on poor American communities facing housing discrimination and many other discrimination due to skin color, rather than seeking injustice in affluent and most privileged places like Harvard.

Let's be straightforward: this isn't about seeking justice at Harvard, but rather about MAGA targeting liberal educational institutions for political reasons, not genuine concern for the vulnerable.

Engineers wondering why does Starship keep exploding? “I’m not surprised that they are having these issues,” says Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer and astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts. That doesn’t mean those issues will perpetuate forever, however. “They will probably eventually get Starship working, but it is going to take a lot longer than they are thinking, because it is such a step forward,” he says.- Why does SpaceX's Starship keep exploding?

Shemjaza said:

Evolutionary theory is used for tracking changes it's also function as a guide for examining animals. Genetics is one pathway and inherited traits are understood via the demonstrated mechanisms of evolution.

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... none of which depends on the theory of common descent.

It should be a daily experience of entering His rest from sin and rebellion.

Heb 3:13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called "TODAY," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

In Christ rest there is just peace Isa 48:18 so no one would be rebelling against Him- what Hebrews 3 and 4 are clearly saying if being honest with the Text Heb 3:7-19

Why it goes on to say those who enter His rest-------- ALSO... please read that again. Those who enter His rest also, which means in addition- rest from their works as God did, on the seventh day. So those who enter rest with God on the Sabbath, because God said the seventh day is the Sabbath Exo 20:10, why verse 9 says there remains a Sabbath-rest for the people of God and this verse literally means keeping the Sabbath.

Heb 4:10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.
Heb 4:4 For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: "AND GOD RESTED ON THE SEVENTH DAY FROM ALL HIS WORKS";

God did not rest on the first day of the week, God did not rest on the second day or third day or 4th day or 5th or 6th. God rested on the seventh day, thus saith the Lord. Those who enter His rest ALSO cease from their works as God did on the seventh day.

Gen 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
Gen 2:2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
Gen 2:3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
Exo 20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Heb 4:4 For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: "AND GOD RESTED ON THE SEVENTH DAY FROM ALL HIS WORKS";

God's people keep God's commandments and His Testimony, because He needs to be the center of our world and who we place our faith in. God promised not to alter the words of His covenant Psa 89:34- having no other gods before Him, will always remain, just like the 4th commandment - just the way God personally wrote and spoke it, because there is no greater Authority than He.

We see this same concept at the end of time which I believe we are getting close to. In the end there will only be two groups. Those who worship the beast and the Bible tells us whoever we obey is who we serve (worship) so if we are not obeying God, the way God said, who then by default are we serving?

Rev 14:11 And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name."

But here is the antidote obeying God the way God said and living by the same faith of Jesus. Jesus said come to Me, I will give you rest AND kept the weekly Sabbath. Just like our example Heb 4:10

Rev 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

God never made His law confusing- He wrote it He spoke it and made it so simple even a 10 year old could understand. He promised not to alter the words of His Covenant- as it is God's written and spoken will Psa 40:8 and Testimony Exo 31:18 and it sits under His mercy seat in the Most Holy of His Temple where justice and mercy will come together soon. Lets not remove a jot or tittle from God's law, I would be weary of removing anything that He covers with His mercy.

Exo 20:6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

I pray that we can all hear His voice calling on us daily to come our of our sin and rebellion to Him and His Law. John 14:15

BelieveItOarKnot said:

There is no if. Jesus is the Savior of the world, by His Own claims.


Let's draw a simple line here:

In scripture there are people and there are devils. These 2 parties basically occupy the same space, that is, our own sorry hides. We all engage the tempter internally. I'd start there as a lot of believers seem to forget this part.

And IF that is true, I believe it is true, THEN not "all" are saved, are they? Because the devil and his messengers do go to hell.

People however are their "captives" and Jesus came to set them free AFTER this present life OR when the devil and his messengers are put away entirely ala Matt. 25, whichever comes first.

So, walking in the same pair of shoes are one who will be saved, and one (or more) who will not be saved.

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Did you learn these "simple" steps of logic and hermeneutics in college classes on Logic and Hermeneutics?

If so, I'd go to the registrar, withdraw and ask for your money back.

In the meantime, I'm going to affirm Hitler stake in Hell. And I'm pretty sure that there, he'll stay.

High Fidelity said:

I don't think that's necessarily true, but older generations are definitely far more resilient mentally and emotionally than younger generations.

Alas, I don't think it's a fair conclusion to draw against the older generations when most of them grew up during or post-war during recession, rationing and a host of other things all whilst maintaining their faith and worshipping when and how they could.

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I guess. God is faithful thruout the generations. But I think they thought since they made it thru the post-war, everything will be a breeze for their children & that's not reality. They thought they fixed the world's problems. & they think the world is all very Christian too & often you're the only one

FredVB said:

I can accept the earth, within the universe, is much older than several thousand years, along with it. It would be while the earth was what the Bible says was formless, or as I understand it to mean, unformed. So as there was the creation week with six days of everything on this world being created, before that, however long it was, the world was just a barren planet like others are, with nothing on it distinguishing it much. But God chose this planet to be where he would house the life we can now see here, and he made it all with the very hospitable environments, within the six days there was creation being done by God as we see described. And this was then the one thing that God said was very good, in the whole Bible. No harm or problem was in it, before the rebellion at the fall of humanity with sin.

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Does that mean you don't believe Adam was created as a man?

Fervent said:

Where are these numbers coming from? This sounds so far off from what I see in my community that I'm quite suspicious of it, but I'm open to being contradicted. So where do these figures come from? Is this self-reports? What was the sampling method?

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It doesn't help the data is 20 years old (published in 2005 for a report made in 2011). You have to wonder why, for a report written in 2011, they didn't use data from 2010. Perhaps because the Heritage Foundation has a right-wing agenda and the 2005 data was "better" for them and may also be why they, apparently, have never tried to update the report over the last 15 years.

Gregory Thompson said:

The claim is implied in the demanding attitude.

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I doubt that.
I read God's word, buy I'm certainly not God.

JohnClay said:

BTW I was wondering if you think that you need to believe Jesus was literally raised from the dead to be saved... ?
I currently don't believe in Jesus literally rising from the dead or the Virgin birth.
The pastor Martin Luther King Jr also believed in this:

The Truth Behind MLK's Social Gospel | G3 Ministries

While King skillfully used Christian rhetoric to champion civil rights, he also wholeheartedly embraced the contrasting heterodox ideas of the social gospel.

g3min.org

So did the late Bishop Shelby Spong

John Shelby Spong - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

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Of course one must believe that Jesus rose from the dead. Who would we count on for salvation, to hear our prayers, to hear in order to follow, to obey unto holiness, to be sealed and filled by His Own Holy Spirit for eternity... another bit of dust in the ground like every other human?

Either Jesus is exactly Who He and the Father say He is - The Way, The Truth, and The Life and God Himself - or His *followers* are the most wretched of all men.

My advise, John? Quit toying around and make a commitment. Your intellect will never be satisfied if you presume to judge God - and reject His requirement of faith. Read the Gospel of John and make a decision if Jesus - and His promises - are worthy of your faith.

Eternity hangs in the balance, and tomorrow is not guaranteed, friend.

God bless!

Romans 10:8-11
"But what does it say? “The Word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in Him will never be put to shame.”

Valletta said:

so someone who is converting and intending to receive the sacraments could be considered a member of the Catholic Church.

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Again, far removed from the early church. By the CC's standard of today no one would have been a member back then. It would be impossible to do that in a day. But thankfully it's God that adds to the church, not man. And as the Word states back then he added to it daily. He's the heart knower. And not everyone that hears that gospel immediately accepts it and of course some never accept it but only God can know who's truly sincere or not. Man cannot.

Africa
- from mission field to mission force.
---
A deeper conviction and calling to gospel mission is
stirring in Africa.
---
Mission Network News
- mnnonline.org

161. God’s perfect plan





Let’s pray to the Lord every day:

“Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.” Luke, chapter 21, verse 36



Let’s stay awake and continually receive Jesus’s message for us.

We will be able to escape some obstacles that come around on the road, because the light of God transmitted by prayer allows us to see clearly. Prayer enables us to discern what are the different objects and the people who take us away from God from those who gather us to him. Prayer illuminates what is happening in our lives and in the lives of those surrounding us. To see clearer let’s stand in the Light of the Lord.



Jesus prepares us for the mission of evangelizing:

“Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.” Luke, chapter 12, verses 35 to 36



Let’s stay awake and vigilant, to grasp every movement of the Holy Spirit in us. Mary, herself, had to be in a state of deep prayer to be fulfilled and to welcome what the Holy Spirit wanted to achieve miraculously in her. Her mission is to host. The evangelization that Mary realizes is to offer Jesus, God with us, the Son of God, to the world.



Since we hold fast to prayer, we hold fast to the Word, we hold fast to the Eucharist, we hold fast to the Trinity, we want to share God’s Love to the people. God is with us. The Holy Spirit wants to realize his miracle of peace in us and fraternity between us.



We have a special mission, a unique mission in a precise plan, immutable, unchangeable, God’s perfect plan. We don’t see all that Jesus realizes in our life, by our life, but he works with us, he continues to be God for the world.



The new American Bible, 2011-2014

Book: Watch with faith, Normand Thomas

cfposter said:

Jesus will return in Glory and Power in Sept of 2040. The days of Adam began in 3890 BC with Isaac born in 1910 BC, with the Exodus in 1479 BC. With the crossing of the Jordan in 1440 BC. With Solomon's Temple dedicated in 950 BC. With the destruction of that Temple in 530 BC. With the Resurrection of our Lord in 31 AD, and with the coming of the 121st Jubilee in Sept of 2040.

The intervals above are consistent with Jubilees and there are only 120 Jubilees given to the dominion of Man (Genesis 6:3). Time is short.

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2040? Hot diggity dog, we got time yet to eat, drink and be merry while He tarry!

Seriously, one must be pretty special to be given a date when Jesus doesn't know it. But hey, that's His humility before His Father.

Truth is, Jesus is coming for us all the *instant* we breathe our last. Today is the end times for every individual, because tomorrow isn't guaranteed.

He is coming soon, indeed.

God bless!

The Star Ocean 2 remake. It's pretty awesome!

LoveDivine said:

I don't think there is a high success rate for approaching total strangers. Obviously if a guy is really attractive, it might increase his odds, but most women are going to be a little guarded when some guy they don't know approaches them to ask for a date. It obviously does work for guys in some situations, but I don't think that is the typical outcome. I do agree though that it doesn't hurt to be more assertive and look for opportunities to speak to women. I think your chances of getting a "yes" go up a lot the more you interact with others. My suggestion is to join some local interest groups that allow you to mingle semi-regulalry with others. It takes a lot of the worry or fear of danger out of the equation. Oddly enough, running clubs have become one of the trendy new ways to meet someone haha. I've even heard that there is this new trend of asking a girl to add you to Strava ( the popular running app). I found that so amusing. But honestly, I can see why. You are both pursuing a similar interest and trying to better your overall health. Running groups tend to be very welcoming and encouraging. There are often a lot of community runs and events too that also allow you to meet new people. It's something to consider. Even if that is not your thing, consider joining other groups that focus on a hobby you do enjoy.

My one piece of advice is that women feel very turned off by desperation. It does send off a predatory signal ( even if the guy isn't actually dangerous or creepy). You don't want to appear like you are on the hunt for a woman. Also, from the Christian perspective, you shouldn't really be asking just anyone out for a date. You should try to find out something about their faith prior. As a Christian woman, I would assume that if a man is asking me out on a date and he doesn't know if I'm a Christian or not, that he probably isn't one. Yes, he could ask questions on the date to find out, but it's not a promising start in my opinion. This is why I don't really think asking total strangers out for dates is a very practical method for Christians.

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Hm, my mom and dad were both Christians when he approached her on a public beach. They so happened to be parked next to each other, and he started a conversation with her.

The fact that they were Christian had nothing to do with it, but more about how they just clicked with each other in person. Of course the Christian thing came at a later time. (They got married in church obviously lol)

ARBITER01 said:

I'm not listening to someone who is still dominated by sin.

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God has tolerated sin from the moment He created.

Everything is less than His Perfection, including you and I.

Sorry to break the bad news to you. I'm OK with it.

Oh, and just so you know, there are very few claimants at his board or any other who claim they are sinless, so maybe engaging with just about anyone isn't a good idea for your position.

Jerry N. said:

Goliath was 9 ft. 9 in. The tallest man in modern history was 8 ft. 11in.

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Yes, and at that it was a different kind of giant. It was not as much of a blessing as many people perceive it to be for him, and was a case of gigantism. Wadlow was a human.

Robert Wadlow's condition caused him an early death at the age of 22 years old and health complications leading up to it. The giants we are referring to in the Bible are not human beings with gigantism and their shoulders likely displayed prominently through great width the extent of their genetics being the reason for their incredible size.




In other words, these were fast, strong creatures that were mutants made by the fallen ones. There have been attempts by some in the ignorance of modernity by individuals who cannot fathom the frightful sight of a giant who could easily kill them, to describe these beings as slow, awkward, clumsy, frail, and even going as far as claiming they likely had poor eyesight and other senses. These faulty fabrications are caused by the arrogance instilled within a man when he thinks highly of himself and needs to feel superior to the subject that he is speaking about to a crowd of people, as a frail ego cannot admit that things exist that could quite easily destroy him if it were in his presence.

The opposite is true of these giants recorded in the Bible. They were anything but clumsy, weak, slow, or awkward and they were highly intelligent. This makes what God done through king David and his extremely fierce men all the more astonishing. These were not mere mediocre men that managed to pull off a few great feats of brave valor with God's help "in spite of being normal." They simply were not normal men to begin with and God made them strong and fierce in their time for a purpose.

Consider these accounts for example:



2 Samuel 23:8
These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-Basshebeth the Tachmonite, chief among the captains. He was called Adino the Eznite, because he had killed eight hundred men at one time.

2 Samuel 23:18
Now Abishai the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of another three. He lifted his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and won a name among these three.

2 Samuel 23:20
Benaiah was the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man from Kabzeel, who had done many deeds. He had killed two lion-like heroes of Moab. He also had gone down and killed a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day.

1 Samuel 17:36
Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.”


If Josheb killed 800 men in one battle all by himself, how many men did king David kill throughout all his battles over the course of his life? King David also stated he killed a lion and bear, and Benaiah also killed a lion.

Now, I know there are a lot of men that would like to think highly of themselves in believing they could "easily" kill a bear or lion without a high powered rifle, and only a sword in their hand... but it isn't as easy to do as it is to say. To add to this, I don't know if king David had a sword when he was tending sheep and killed the lion and bear, and the account of Benaiah doesn't reference any sword, though I personally would suppose him to use one if he had it, or a spear.

Even then, we know that these kind of men existed that could kill lions bare-handed, as we have the account of Samson doing so long before kind David's time:

Judges 14:5-6
5So Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came to the vineyards of Timnah.

Now to his surprise, a young lion came roaring against him. 6And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one would have torn apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.

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The skulls and bones of the giants were on display in Israel, during Josephus' day in the first century and are described by him as a "terror" and resembling nothing similar to humanity:

Antiquities 5.125 So they moved their camp to Hebron, took capture of that town and massacred all therein. There remained still a race of giants, who, by reason of their huge frames and figures in no way like the rest of mankind, were an amazing spectacle and a tale of terror to the ear. Their bones are shown to this day, bearing no resemblance to any that have come within men’s ken.

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