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L
i have sophos anti-virus, and it's free. i have a mac... i'm not sure what you have, the reason i say that is i don't know if it's only for macs or... ?
all you have to do is download it off the internet.
it's so funny, i thought mine didn't work really either, though when my computer started to act funny sometimes and i updated it manually it would actually work things out faster.
i think it was a day or so ago that it detected a legitimate threat and it popped up for me to erase, instantly.
i don't know how many years i've been using it, but it seems to work fine.
all you have to do is download it off the internet.
it's so funny, i thought mine didn't work really either, though when my computer started to act funny sometimes and i updated it manually it would actually work things out faster.
i think it was a day or so ago that it detected a legitimate threat and it popped up for me to erase, instantly.
i don't know how many years i've been using it, but it seems to work fine.
T
Talking about viruses, how normal is it for a fever to develop into a cold (or whatever) and then for it to create asthma-like symptoms later down the track, in a person who has no history of asthma? Because that's what I have. I generally eat healthily and I rarely get sick but this sickness has lasted 6 six days now. I hope I'm near the end.
It's your birthday, too??? 
...AWESOME!!!
Happy Birthday, dear sister ww_22!!! Don't worry, I haven't grown up myself XD
I always tell myself that if I grow out of my "heart age" of 11, then all is lost!!!! Ain't no way I'm giving up my kiddie ways, just because I'm now 30-ish (I don't want to remember the details!!! XD).
As long as you're not still sucking on your thumb, and curled up in a fetal position, you're not THAT messed up just yet
...AWESOME!!!
Happy Birthday, dear sister ww_22!!!
Don't worry, I haven't grown up myself XDI always tell myself that if I grow out of my "heart age" of 11, then all is lost!!!!
Ain't no way I'm giving up my kiddie ways, just because I'm now 30-ish (I don't want to remember the details!!! XD).As long as you're not still sucking on your thumb, and curled up in a fetal position, you're not THAT messed up just yet
Emmy, I hope you see this. I just thought of something. If you want to confess Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord, and say that you want to follow Him, I see no reason why you can't "be baptized" right now. It doesn't take the members of your local church saying that you're "allowed" to be baptized because you attended enough classes that they were offering (that still makes me mad that they did that to you). We're all witnesses here. Reading the book of Acts, chapter 8, verses 26-40, I see no reason why, here on your birthday, we can't declare you baptized in the name of Jesus, if you agree to the things I typed in the third sentence of my post. You can then do whatever water-type thing is feasible; dunking yourself in the bathtub, or even sprinkling yourself with water from the faucet, if that's all that would work for right now (going to a creek or swimming pool with a fellow believer and letting them gently lower you into the water for a second is great if that's feasible as well). It's up to you, but, again, reading that passage of scripture, if you want to ask Jesus to be your Savior and a part of your life and help you to follow Him, it suits me to do this and consider you baptized .
.
I also want to weigh in with the opposite side of the story (or rather a similar story that took the opposite track). While I will agree that from what I've heard WW's church treated her ungraciously and overly legalistically, there is a case to be made for requiring a baptism class which I will illustrate with the story of my friend Baba:
Baba is a local here who has "been a Christian" for a little over a year. Where I'm living it is not uncommon, especially in response to the more aggressive sharers, for a local person to pray the prayer to become a Christian just because they know their foreign friend wants them to and they want to keep their foreign friend and make their foreign friend happy (not that I have ever heard of someone losing a foreign friend for not wanting to do so, but that is how people think here). Baba's story is basically that a foreigner she knew took her to church and she felt happy and accepted there and she likes the music and wants to practice her English. Those seem to be her main reasons for becoming a Christian.
Now she is sincere and often asks what she needs to do or is allowed to do as a Christian. So when they advertised an upcoming baptism at the international church, she said something to the pastor about a week before and they agreed to let her be baptized without taking any sort of class because the class had already happened. Honestly I'm appalled by that decision because this girl barely knows the first thing about being Christian (she's really challenging my assumptions of what it means to be a Christian and be saved in some ways). And she told me the story about getting baptized and how God was so good to her because her baptism wasn't until right after her grandmother's funeral so since she wasn't baptized yet she didn't have to worry about whether or not to participate in the ancestor worship aspects of the funeral that are a common part of funerals here, she could participate because she hadn't been baptized yet.
Baba still seems more interested in practicing her English, having foreign friends, and just being told what she has to do to be a good Christian than to really dig into God's word for herself. Your prayers for her are appreciated, but I think she is a great case study as to why churches should require people to go through a class before baptizing them. You don't want to give people a false sense of security ( or license) that this one action makes them good with God forever just by doing it.
fascinating. i tend to find them droll, probably because i love wordplay. and if someone can wittily craft words, i'll often admire that.
but not enough to succumb to a pick up line. *shudders*
and unless it is used tongue-in-cheek, guys using pick up lines are just creepy.
perhaps.
and i would naturally assume you're exempting yourself from the aforementioned group??? : )
but not enough to succumb to a pick up line. *shudders*
and unless it is used tongue-in-cheek, guys using pick up lines are just creepy.
perhaps.
and i would naturally assume you're exempting yourself from the aforementioned group??? : )
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Yes, people who don't have asthma could present with asthma-like symptoms. The tightness of the airway could be 1) a build-up of really sticky phlegm, or 2) airway sensitivity due to the current infection. I usually experience this myself when I have a really bad cold (viral) infection that's starting to go "down" or lower along my respiratory tract (secondary bacterial infection).
If your discharge is still clear, and you're not coughing up colored phlegm, you can relieve the hyperactive airway by:
1) wearing a mask, specially when traveling (to avoid irritation from smoke, dust particles, dander, etc.). It also helps by "warming up" the air you breathe. Cold air dries up the airway moisture faster, making it more sensitive and prone to irritation.
2) avoid extreme temperatures (too hot, too cold). A lot of people don't know this, but the body is subjected to a great deal of stress when being exposed to drastic temperature changes (e.g. Moving in and out from an air conditioned room into a hotter environment). The body has it's own self-regulating thermostat, always trying to maintain the body temperature that is optimum for normal body function. When one gets too stressed, the immune system gets depressed, making it really prone to viral infections. Plus, it can cause irritation to the airway as well. This is a common trigger for asthma in asthmatic patients.
3) avoiding foods that could trigger allergic responses. Even if you have no known food allergies, it would be best to avoid common allergy-causing foods. The list includes eggs, chicken skin, seafoods (like shrimp, sardines, etc.), nuts, and the like.
4) drink lots of fluids (preferably warm drinks).
5) inhale water or saline steam, to moisten up and soothe the airway.
i hope these tips help. Take lots of rest, vitamins, and increase your protein in your diet, too (helps increase your white blood cells to fight off infection). If your having colored mucous/phlegm discharge, you might need to start taking antibiotics.
Please get well soon, dear brother Tintin!!! Will be praying for Papa GOD's blessing and healing upon you
If your discharge is still clear, and you're not coughing up colored phlegm, you can relieve the hyperactive airway by:
1) wearing a mask, specially when traveling (to avoid irritation from smoke, dust particles, dander, etc.). It also helps by "warming up" the air you breathe. Cold air dries up the airway moisture faster, making it more sensitive and prone to irritation.
2) avoid extreme temperatures (too hot, too cold). A lot of people don't know this, but the body is subjected to a great deal of stress when being exposed to drastic temperature changes (e.g. Moving in and out from an air conditioned room into a hotter environment). The body has it's own self-regulating thermostat, always trying to maintain the body temperature that is optimum for normal body function. When one gets too stressed, the immune system gets depressed, making it really prone to viral infections. Plus, it can cause irritation to the airway as well. This is a common trigger for asthma in asthmatic patients.
3) avoiding foods that could trigger allergic responses. Even if you have no known food allergies, it would be best to avoid common allergy-causing foods. The list includes eggs, chicken skin, seafoods (like shrimp, sardines, etc.), nuts, and the like.
4) drink lots of fluids (preferably warm drinks).
5) inhale water or saline steam, to moisten up and soothe the airway.
i hope these tips help. Take lots of rest, vitamins, and increase your protein in your diet, too (helps increase your white blood cells to fight off infection). If your having colored mucous/phlegm discharge, you might need to start taking antibiotics.
Please get well soon, dear brother Tintin!!! Will be praying for Papa GOD's blessing and healing upon you
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P
Hmmm the guy came down looked at the car with his buddy. Willing to buy the car right away. But there is a process of turning the car over...!? I need the car until at least Monday for work. Near the end, I got the impression that he has plans to go away for the long weekend and wanted a car for it. Not that easy buddy. He's getting back to me tonight.
Didn't mean to take this long to come back to the baptism discussion; a customer showed up.
First off, I ABSOLUTELY agree with you all that one doesn't need to be baptized to be saved, and there are multiple verses that back us up; it's the blood of Jesus that saves us, thankfully. I see no reason not to look at it as being a public confession of faith; something that one would do to sort of announce to the world (or at least their community) that they are now officially following Jesus Christ and are a member of His family. I understand the church requiring classes to join that church. However, confirming that someone has enough knowledge about Jesus and His sacrifice to baptize him or her should only take a few minutes IMO* (and judging from the passage of scripture I quoted, I believe the Bible backs me up). Apparently the classes that Emily took were many; missing just 3 of them out of what sounded like a large number really makes it sound to me like they were covering really specific stuff that they shouldn't consider to be necessary for baptism. Also, they apparently didn't let her know ahead of time that she hadn't learned enough or whatever; I believe they told her the day of the baptism. Some churches as so legalistic that I hate to tell Emily to go back to them and see if she can learn enough to please them. I know so little about Emmy's church.
As to whether or not Emily could consider herself baptized or not if she immersed herself, I talked to a pastor about it. He couldn't think of any reason that it'd be against the Bible to dunk one's self if no other Christian was available. However, he said, he personally believes that it would be better to have another Christian do the dunking, partly because there are apparently some of them around, but also because it would be more meaningful to Emily (and possibly for other reasons as well). He agreed with me that there wouldn't need to be an official clergy member present; just another believer. Although he didn't mention this, I'd recommend letting the Christian who immerses you be one that is as strong a believer as is readily available, partly because you'll probably get quite attached to him or her emotionally.
How about this, Emily: what if you dedicate your life to Jesus in the way I mentioned in post # 20,124 and wait until you can get another believer to baptize you physically in water, rather than self-dunking? You can let it be a "heart thing", Sis; He knows yours even better than you do; He ABSOLUTELY ADORES YOU, EMILY :'). Ask Jesus to fill your heart to overflowing with His love, and thank Him for dying on the cross for your sins. Ask Him to help you follow Him, and to show you what to do next in life; He can guide your steps. Ask Him to fill you with the power of the Holy Spirit and to keep you right on track with Him. I just now prayed all those things for you, though it's up to you as well; if you ask those things for yourself it would be better. He's a gentleman and doesn't force Himself on us. I hope you keep staying in touch with your family on this site as well, and please let us know when you do get a chance to get dunked, Emily!!!
Before I posted this, I checked first to see if there was anything new to which to respond. Concerning Baba (in Cinder's post), if she thinks that she has to do stuff for God in order to be saved, it sounds like salvation wasn't explained to her enough in the first place, honestly. If she thought that the baptism was what made her a Christian, then it wasn't right to baptize her at all, IMO (NOT saying that to throw stones at Cinder). Rather, it should be looked at as "okay, I'm going to try to follow Jesus. If I mess up, call me out on it, because I'm telling you now that I'm officially a member of your family". That "watch-out-for-me" attitude should include saying "Baba, you need to read your Bible. If you truly honor Jesus' sacrifice for you, you need to show it; He's worth it, times infinity. Do you appreciate Him or not?". We're supposed to go to a brother or sister if he or she sins, first personally, then with another believer if needed, then in front of the whole church, if the person still won't repent. If even that won't do it, then he or she can no longer be a church member (Matthew 18:15-17). However,if someone is like "What?!?!? He came to Earth and died for me?!?! How can I serve Him; this is amazing?!", like the eunuch in the scripture, it's different from "oh, this sounds good; kinda like my old way of doing it, yet this sounds easier, and the music is more my style". This is one reason why, for the less-enthusiastic, rather than classes, I'd recommend that they be "watched", sort of; they can take all the classes in the world and still not believe it. Maybe better to wait until the fruit starts to show... I'd been a believer for years before I was dunked.
Sorry this post rambles a bit, people; it's late now, and I think this is everything on my mind.
* One thought, though, if the eunuch in Acts chapter 8 hadn't himself asked if he could be baptized, or had shown little enthusiasm, I wonder if a little bit more devotion would've been proper to have been shown before baptism. I don't recommend trying to push anyone into getting baptized.
TLDNR: I totally agree with y'all on not having to get baptized to be saved, but there were other things I addressed, including Cinder's post and a prayer for Dubs.
First off, I ABSOLUTELY agree with you all that one doesn't need to be baptized to be saved, and there are multiple verses that back us up; it's the blood of Jesus that saves us, thankfully
. I see no reason not to look at it as being a public confession of faith; something that one would do to sort of announce to the world (or at least their community) that they are now officially following Jesus Christ and are a member of His family. I understand the church requiring classes to join that church. However, confirming that someone has enough knowledge about Jesus and His sacrifice to baptize him or her should only take a few minutes IMO* (and judging from the passage of scripture I quoted, I believe the Bible backs me up). Apparently the classes that Emily took were many; missing just 3 of them out of what sounded like a large number really makes it sound to me like they were covering really specific stuff that they shouldn't consider to be necessary for baptism. Also, they apparently didn't let her know ahead of time that she hadn't learned enough or whatever; I believe they told her the day of the baptism. Some churches as so legalistic that I hate to tell Emily to go back to them and see if she can learn enough to please them. I know so little about Emmy's church.As to whether or not Emily could consider herself baptized or not if she immersed herself, I talked to a pastor about it. He couldn't think of any reason that it'd be against the Bible to dunk one's self if no other Christian was available. However, he said, he personally believes that it would be better to have another Christian do the dunking, partly because there are apparently some of them around, but also because it would be more meaningful to Emily (and possibly for other reasons as well). He agreed with me that there wouldn't need to be an official clergy member present; just another believer. Although he didn't mention this, I'd recommend letting the Christian who immerses you be one that is as strong a believer as is readily available, partly because you'll probably get quite attached to him or her emotionally.
How about this, Emily: what if you dedicate your life to Jesus in the way I mentioned in post # 20,124 and wait until you can get another believer to baptize you physically in water, rather than self-dunking? You can let it be a "heart thing", Sis; He knows yours even better than you do; He ABSOLUTELY ADORES YOU, EMILY :'). Ask Jesus to fill your heart to overflowing with His love, and thank Him for dying on the cross for your sins. Ask Him to help you follow Him, and to show you what to do next in life; He can guide your steps. Ask Him to fill you with the power of the Holy Spirit and to keep you right on track with Him. I just now prayed all those things for you, though it's up to you as well; if you ask those things for yourself it would be better. He's a gentleman and doesn't force Himself on us. I hope you keep staying in touch with your family on this site as well, and please let us know when you do get a chance to get dunked, Emily
!!!Before I posted this, I checked first to see if there was anything new to which to respond. Concerning Baba (in Cinder's post), if she thinks that she has to do stuff for God in order to be saved, it sounds like salvation wasn't explained to her enough in the first place, honestly. If she thought that the baptism was what made her a Christian, then it wasn't right to baptize her at all, IMO (NOT saying that to throw stones at Cinder). Rather, it should be looked at as "okay, I'm going to try to follow Jesus. If I mess up, call me out on it, because I'm telling you now that I'm officially a member of your family". That "watch-out-for-me" attitude should include saying "Baba, you need to read your Bible. If you truly honor Jesus' sacrifice for you, you need to show it; He's worth it, times infinity. Do you appreciate Him or not?". We're supposed to go to a brother or sister if he or she sins, first personally, then with another believer if needed, then in front of the whole church, if the person still won't repent. If even that won't do it, then he or she can no longer be a church member (Matthew 18:15-17). However,if someone is like "What?!?!? He came to Earth and died for me?!?! How can I serve Him; this is amazing?!", like the eunuch in the scripture, it's different from "oh, this sounds good; kinda like my old way of doing it, yet this sounds easier, and the music is more my style". This is one reason why, for the less-enthusiastic, rather than classes, I'd recommend that they be "watched", sort of; they can take all the classes in the world and still not believe it. Maybe better to wait until the fruit starts to show... I'd been a believer for years before I was dunked.
Sorry this post rambles a bit, people; it's late now, and I think this is everything on my mind
.* One thought, though, if the eunuch in Acts chapter 8 hadn't himself asked if he could be baptized, or had shown little enthusiasm, I wonder if a little bit more devotion would've been proper to have been shown before baptism. I don't recommend trying to push anyone into getting baptized.
TLDNR: I totally agree with y'all on not having to get baptized to be saved, but there were other things I addressed, including Cinder's post and a prayer for Dubs.
L
If your having colored mucous/phlegm discharge, you might need to start taking antibiotics.
Please get well soon, dear brother Tintin!!! Will be praying for Papa GOD's blessing and healing upon you
Please get well soon, dear brother Tintin!!! Will be praying for Papa GOD's blessing and healing upon you
my grandmother and mum always made hot water with honey and lemon. it tastes good and seems to work.