What's on your mind?

I don't think it's true of everyone, but I would say there is definitely a God-and-country type of idolatry that is pervasive especially among the right. This is not to say that those on the left don't have their own idols. There is nothing wrong with patriotism at all, and too often people will swing too far over in the other direction and paint out the U.S. to be a terrible place. But the freedoms that we are able to exercise here are a blessing and we should be grateful for that. I just think that patriotism needs to be prioritized correctly and isn't always. We are Christians first and Americans second. It is truly fascinating just from a social psychology perspective how so many Republicans embraced Donald Trump as a believer in Christ merely because he was the Republican candidate for president. Basically in the end, anytime you start equating your political views with Christianity, you have gone horribly off the rails, and unfortunately I have seen that be the case with a lot of people on both sides. This is why I have always spatted with Democrats and Republicans equally lol. You subject your political views to the authority of Scripture, not the other way around. And the truth is that I could take both parties' platforms and poke holes of inconsistency all over them. Why? Because they are man-made moral constructs and are thus inherently bankrupt.


In conclusion, I'm just going to leave this here

blah blah blah blah blah.

Welcome back @SweetCarolina !

Saucy said:

I desperately need a new pair of glasses. I'm wondering if I should go with contacts instead.

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Have you tried contacts before? If not you can ask your eye doctor for a couple disposable samples to see if it’s right for you before buying them. I opted for just contacts last time I went to the eye doctor because glasses give me headaches, and the current glasses styles are not my style. Also, another way to save money. For years I opted for both so I can switch back and forth though.

On my mind: I haven’t been here in nearly three years. Which is crazy. Especially since I started posting TWELVE years ago.

I’m surprised to see so many familiar faces still posting. It’s nice. How is everyone doing?? Update me!

Keri said:

On my mind: I haven’t been here in nearly three years. Which is crazy. Especially since I started posting TWELVE years ago.

I’m surprised to see so many familiar faces still posting. It’s nice. How is everyone doing?? Update me!

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Welcome back.

Multifavs said:

My opinion is that it's disrespectful to not stand during the anthem. That's disrespecting your flag and your country. If you feel oppressed in some way it's fine to protest peacefully, but not disrespectfully. That doesn't make your whole country bad. Be thankful for what you have and for all the freedom you have in this country that you might not have if you lived somewhere else. Simply respecting and honoring the flag doesn't mean you're worshiping it, either. And just as it's not respectful to do that, it's not respectful to make fun of someone no matter what they've done.

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To be fair, though, I think we have to acknowledge a few things. One is that sitting, standing, doing the polka, etc. during the national anthem is not something that the Bible speaks to, so we cannot truly say that it is right or wrong from a moral standpoint. Philosophically or ideologically maybe, but either way it is going to be extra-biblical.

Another one that is difficult to notice--when you see the national anthem being performed on television, there are loads of camera operators and members of the media that are not standing and paying their respects. What do we say about them?

And the last thing I would say is that I think a lot of people forget the reason behind Kaepernick's protest in the first place. He was protesting because of unjust killings of African Americans by police. As an African American man, he felt like the flag did not represent freedom for him because of what he was seeing happening to people of his race around the country. He originally would just sit down during the anthem, but then he had a member of the military meet with him and request that he do something that would both allow him to protest but also show respect. Instead of sitting down, this person requested that he kneel instead, and so that is what he began doing.

So I think if we are framing the conversation around what is disrespectful and what is not, you have to admit that both sides actually are not that far apart. Both sides desire respect, it's just that one desires respect for the flag while the other desires respect for their race. Is kneeling during the national anthem the most effective way to get your point across? Probably not. Especially with some of the other things that Kaepernick has done before and since then. But I think the moral of the story here should be that there are genuine human beings on both sides of the issue, and it's worth actually listening to and empathizing with the thoughts and feelings of those on both sides. As with any issue that stirs up a lot of anger among people, I have seen very little listening and empathy on either side regarding this issue.

Keri said:

On my mind: I haven’t been here in nearly three years. Which is crazy. Especially since I started posting TWELVE years ago.

I’m surprised to see so many familiar faces still posting. It’s nice. How is everyone doing?? Update me!

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Whaaaaaaaaaat??? I am not sure that Singles can handle the epicness of this return.

How are you?? Give us a rundown of the last three years. Ready......go!

kittysbecute said:

Welcome back @SweetCarolina !

Have you tried contacts before? If not you can ask your eye doctor for a couple disposable samples to see if it’s right for you before buying them. I opted for just contacts last time I went to the eye doctor because glasses give me headaches, and the current glasses styles are not my style. Also, another way to save money. For years I opted for both so I can switch back and forth though.

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I haven't yet, but that's okay. Already had my appt yesterday and they said prescription hasn't changed, but I have an astigmatism.

Paulie079 said:

Whaaaaaaaaaat??? I am not sure that Singles can handle the epicness of this return.

How are you?? Give us a rundown of the last three years. Ready......go!

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I want the rundown on you guys! Lol.

As for me: my life consists of basically succulents. I have an Instagram that is about succulents with 20,000 followers and it’s an awesome obsession. If you want to buy rare succulents, let me know.

As for other aspects of life. I have a cute little apt by the beach and I have Caro and our dog Dodo (like the bird). I do my art and basically live the hippy life and am thinking about getting certified as a doula. I’m not a Christian anymore. I live that natural/spiritual/crystal/pagan life now.

Keri said:

I want the rundown on you guys! Lol.

As for me: my life consists of basically succulents. I have an Instagram that is about succulents with 20,000 followers and it’s an awesome obsession. If you want to buy rare succulents, let me know.

As for other aspects of life. I have a cute little apt by the beach and I have Caro and our dog Dodo (like the bird). I do my art and basically live the hippy life and am thinking about getting certified as a doula. I’m not a Christian anymore. I live that natural/spiritual/crystal/pagan life now.

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That is both fantastic and hilarious. I actually have a friend who makes artificial mini-succulents and sells them on Etsy. Social media is a fascinating thing.

And an apartment by the beach sounds amazing as someone who lives about as far from the ocean as you can possibly get. Is that by the beach in...Wales? Or the West Coast?

Paulie079 said:

That is both fantastic and hilarious. I actually have a friend who makes artificial mini-succulents and posts them on Etsy. Social media is a fascinating thing.

And an apartment by the beach sounds amazing as someone who lives about as far from the ocean as you can possibly get. Is that by the beach in...Wales? Or the West Coast?

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California! I’ve been back since autumn 2014.

I love living here. We are super blessed.



What’s new with you??

Keri said:

California! I’ve been back since autumn 2014.

I love living here. We are super blessed.

View attachment 228087

What’s new with you??

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That is an unbelievable view. The jealousy...it burns.

I am trying to remember the timeframe when you were last around, and I thiiiink I was still living with my parents at the time. So I bought a house not far away and have been there for...4 1/2 years? Still working the same job doing accounting but also picked up an associate's degree in accounting so I could halfway understand what was going on. Been through some good times and a pretty long, pretty rough patch. The constants for me have really been my job and my church family which...it's hard to explain how much of a blessing it has been to me. I am leading the music on an interim basis while they find someone to take over permanently, so that is making life pretty insanely busy. I also have a cat that I have a love-hate relationship with lol. My life is summed up pretty well by work, church, music, and sports. I have a lot to be thankful for.

Paulie079 said:

That is an unbelievable view. The jealousy...it burns.

I am trying to remember the timeframe when you were last around, and I thiiiink I was still living with my parents at the time. So I bought a house not far away and have been there for...4 1/2 years? Still working the same job doing accounting but also picked up an associate's degree in accounting so I could halfway understand what was going on. Been through some good times and a pretty long, pretty rough patch. The constants for me have really been my job and my church family which...it's hard to explain how much of a blessing it has been to me. I am leading the music on an interim basis while they find someone to take over permanently, so that is making life pretty insanely busy. I also have a cat that I have a love-hate relationship with lol. My life is summed up pretty well by work, church, music, and sports. I have a lot to be thankful for.

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I love it! You sound like you’re doing great Paul. I’d love to buy a house but in this area, with these views, they are $750k minimum. So apartment life it is. Lol.

Keri said:

I love it! You sound like you’re doing great Paul. I’d love to buy a house but in this area, with these views, they are $750k minimum. So apartment life it is. Lol.

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Haha I guess that's the give-and-take. I live eons away from the ocean, but I was able to buy a 1,000 sq. ft. house for under $35,000 because the cost of living here is so insanely low. The only drawback is that I am going to be in for a rude awakening as soon as I decide to move anywhere else and things are suddenly way more expensive.

Paulie079 said:

Haha I guess that's the give-and-take. I live eons away from the ocean, but I was able to buy a 1,000 sq. ft. house for under $35,000 because the cost of living here is so insanely low. The only drawback is that I am going to be in for a rude awakening as soon as I decide to move anywhere else and things are suddenly way more expensive.

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Holy crap. Are you serious?? Sign me up. What state?

Keri said:

Holy crap. Are you serious?? Sign me up. What state?

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Indiana!

Paulie079 said:

Indiana!

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Oh right. Haha. Well. Maybe not. That state is notorious for hating gays.

Keri said:

California! I’ve been back since autumn 2014.

I love living here. We are super blessed.

View attachment 228087

What’s new with you??

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What a view! Is it super expensive to live there?

Yeah, nothing like a cute woman's smile that can brighten your day.