Streams of Consciousness & Thoughts~~~

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Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
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The problem with this advice is that it's basically saying (as does the Christian church in general when trying to give "comfort") -- "You'd be so much better off if you were dead!!!", because the only way to walk into all these wonderful heavenly blessings, obviously, is to die.

I've always wondered why people never seemed to understand that this is no comfort to someone who is questioning the validity of their existence/continuation of living in the first place.

Then again, maybe I'm personalizing it too much.

I just know that when I have had, or still have, the feelings that Zero is expressing, advice such as this just made me want to die all the faster.
no I dont see it that way,.
when Jesus came to die for us it was because He was dying to sin. I think many people dont really get that.
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,173
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The thing is, any one of us could be broke and homeless. war happens, stuff happens. Faith says, in spite of our circumstances, or whatever our circumstances, we can be content.

Thats a hard lesson some of us have to learn. I didnt live through years of suffering and depression for nothing. God could have given me an easy life in the lap of luxury, but he didnt. and Im thankful because, if I had not known Him I would have nothing. I would still be in the darkness.

I cannot give a home to anyone else but I can be thankful for the home I do have and the one He has ve has pepared for me. I cannot pay off someone elses debts but God can forgive any debt. I cannot go and live with someone else to stop them from living all by themselves but I can always visit.

please dont dismiss whatJesus says, when anyone does that, I, sad cos this is a Christian site.
 

17Bees

Senior Member
Oct 14, 2016
1,362
800
113
The problem with this advice is that it's basically saying (as does the Christian church in general when trying to give "comfort") -- "You'd be so much better off if you were dead!!!", because the only way to walk into all these wonderful heavenly blessings, obviously, is to die.

I've always wondered why people never seemed to understand that this is no comfort to someone who is questioning the validity of their existence/continuation of living in the first place.

Then again, maybe I'm personalizing it too much.

I just know that when I have had, or still have, the feelings that Zero is expressing, advice such as this just made me want to die all the faster.

To me, I saw the conversation between Cinder and Z as a classic human debate. Z is a guy I consider compassionate, fun loving, a gentle soul and insightful, a man with xray vision to the heart, and what better window for a different view than Cinder who seems to me, pragmatic, intelligent, astute and keen, not only in those things tangible, but intangible values like love and hope and even loss.

It was a good healthy conversation. It was heart on a sleeve confession and road to recovery. I loved it!
 

Deade

Called of God
Dec 17, 2017
16,724
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77
Vinita, Oklahoma, USA
yeshuaofisrael.org
i long ago learned to stop asking God “why” because my little brain is too small to comprehend his
whys. I believe a fellow named Job learned this lesson a while back as well. As for killing them off, who says that He was responsible for that?
The way David looked at things, if God allows something it is the same as Him doing it.

Psalms 39:6-9 (ESV) "Surely a man goes about as a shadow! Surely for nothing they are in turmoil; man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather! “And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you. Deliver me from all my transgressions. Do not make me the scorn of the fool! I am mute; I do not open my mouth, for it is You who have done it."

Why are we always dismayed when we seem to have nothing but trouble in this life. Christ promised us trouble, that is how He perfects us.

John 16:33 "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
 

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
Aug 13, 2014
24,799
8,103
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the rich man and lazarus.

Lazaurus died broke, alone and homeless.
the rich man died rich, with heaps of servants attending to his every need, in his huge palace.

Lazarus was taken by the angels into Abrahams bosom when he died
the Rich man after he died, he opened his eyes and he was in Hades.

Jesus told this very story a long time ago. I think the point was that God sees everything and he always sees a kindness, because the greatest miracle happened with Lazarus and the rich man was in torments.
This only works, though, if your focus is not on what you have, but what you can do for those around you.

If you are a good christian now, and tolerating being poor now, just because you want to be rich in Heaven... it all falls apart. Mostly because money won't really mean a thing in Heaven.

It's kind of like the whole "coals of fire" thing. If you are nice to your enemies specifically because you are imagining heaping coals of fire on their heads, you won't get much accomplished.
 

Deade

Called of God
Dec 17, 2017
16,724
10,529
113
77
Vinita, Oklahoma, USA
yeshuaofisrael.org
...well, there was that whole Bathsheba thing.
Au contraire - David always looked at things from a godly perspective. When he confronted Goliath he was flabbergasted that no other Israeli took up the challenge. He looked at it as God's battle, and already decided (see 1 Sam. 17:26).
 

Tinkerbell725

Senior Member
Jul 19, 2014
4,216
1,179
113
Philippines Age 40
thank you, Cinder. ♥ I don't think i've really done more than what most people would have done when it comes to helping others, but what I worry about is that my future seems pretty hopeless right now. I am actually very scared and it looks like everything I've done in my life, all i've been through is going to end up being pointless because I am probably going to die broke, alone and with no friends. Possibly even homeless. Not tomorrow, maybe not next month or next year, but sometime in the not too distant future. There I said it. I never wanted to share that here because I never felt comfortable sharing that here with anyone.




May God help you through your suffering Zero. May you also learn to surrender and accept your thorn in the flesh the way Paul did and find peace amidst the chaos of your suffering. Whether you suffer because of shame, guilt, fear or bitterness and think that life has no meaning, I hope you find meaning, if not, at least find something to look forward to each day by treating each day as a gift not a curse. You are alive and healthy. That is something to be happy about. Solomon said, life without God loses its deepest meaning. You can afford to lose everything except God.

Solomon said life is meaningless and there is nothing new under the sun. Solomon, the wisest philosopher of the Bible could be wrong. Isaiah disagrees with him. Isaiah 43 says forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. Behold I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; But will you even be aware of it?


Look around. The new is everywhere. Behold, open your eyes, I am doing a new thing. We are a new creation. Solomon could have been more wrong. He is absolutely, emphatically wrong that there is nothing new under the sun. But every time the sun comes up, it is a promise that His mercy, His compassion, His imagination, His creativity is waiting to bring the new. - Erwin McManus





 

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
Aug 13, 2014
24,799
8,103
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Hardee's has double loaded omelet biscuit. They are not half bad. I'm getting a couple for breakfast this morning.

Two double loaded omelet biscuits... if you eat those regularly, the math comes out to something like, double times double equals quadruple bypass surgery... Or something like that.
 

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
Aug 13, 2014
24,799
8,103
113
Every town should have an unwanted gift repository, a place where you can take all the gifts you got that you don't want. Drop them off there, look over what others dropped off and get something if you like it. It would save the trouble of asking around if anybody wants this 1,842nd flashlight I got for Christmas.
 

17Bees

Senior Member
Oct 14, 2016
1,362
800
113
So so many things on my mind. It’s kinda hard to organize them.
That shook loose an old memory. 10 year old best friend Davey B who had a bad stutter. He claimed he'd "see" a word but then he'd see more of them and they "was hhh --hhhard to oor oorrganize". So I'll tell you the same as I told Davey B. Start with the easiest one love.
 

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
Aug 13, 2014
24,799
8,103
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NERDS OF THE WORLD, REJOICE! THE GOLDEN AGE OF AUTOMAGIC* CONFIG IS HERE! Soon we will be free to pursue our own nerd interests, without being interrupted by Grandpa or cousin wanting us to help them with computer stuff!

So my uncle wanted a security camera to watch the front door. I googled a bit and found the Reolink Argus 2, and it seemed to have everything he wanted. It came in the mail, he got out his power drill to drive in some screws and we started setting it up. I was on hand as the local nerd, to get the camera talking to his phone.

I was not needed at all.

It has an automagic* config. A child of four could get it connected to a phone. I installed the camera app on my uncle's phone and pointed my uncle's phone at the QR code sticker on the back of the camera. Then on the phone I put in the local wifi password. The phone gave me a QR code and I pointed the camera back at the phone to read it. And... that was all! The camera and phone were connected. Apparently the QR code the phone generated had all the wifi information and my uncle's phone connection. It even worked when my uncle left the wifi area, though it did ask if he was sure he wanted to use mobile data to continue accessing the camera.

Connecting two phones was even easier. Put the camera app on second phone, select "Share" on first phone, first phone makes a QR code and you show it to the second phone. Instant connection. I set up three phones total with the camera and all three just plain worked, seamlessly.

The time has come. This is what nerds everywhere have dreamed of.



"Oh, you're using their Chrome APP, not their Chrome EXTENSION. They're very similar but one handles window creation differently." is a thing I hope I can stop saying soon.

*Automagic config: When automatic configuration is so automatic it seems like magic. A term used in the early days of Knoppix, a Linux system that automagically configured itself to whatever computer you ran it on.
 

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
Aug 13, 2014
24,799
8,103
113
The downside of being good friends with an elderly person is knowing that sooner or later, and probably sooner, you will be called on to be a pallbearer.

I've been in that position three times already. On the upside, all three of them were really cool people that I was proud to know. :) But it's a strange feeling anyway.
 

love_comes_softly

Well-known member
Feb 13, 2019
768
822
93
The downside of being good friends with an elderly person is knowing that sooner or later, and probably sooner, you will be called on to be a pallbearer.

I've been in that position three times already. On the upside, all three of them were really cool people that I was proud to know. :) But it's a strange feeling anyway.

This is kinda heartbreaking. 😢 Bless you for being the best of friends regardless of age.

I know they probably feel/felt just as blessed by the friendship as you do, if not more.
 
L

LordsHandmaiden

Guest
I once was young and looked at my world through those eyes,that life was an adventure,a time to spread my wings and fly.
A time to test the limits and boundaries that parents and society put in place.

And I did!

Now that I am old and look through these eyes,I needed those boundaries and have many regrets!
The one constant I find now was how valuable my parents were and what I was taught was for my good.

Jesus doesnt put boundaries up for us except for our good and against sin

What a priceless treasure it is to have Him in the youth of your life and be transformed in His word!
One day this life shall pass and as David said who have I in heaven but you Lord!

May we be in a transformation period in our life and not a conforming one.
Renewing our minds daily,trusting in the one who sees all,knowing His awesome and amazing love for us!

Where ever you are in life young,old,in between,our heavenly father must direct our steps and make our paths straight now!

Let this time in your life be the absolute BEST time of your life in Him!
 

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
Aug 13, 2014
24,799
8,103
113
When you enjoy seafood - tuna, shrimp, crab, whatever - on Sunday, and the trash is not picked up until Friday, you figure out why it's so important to rinse out those containers before you throw them away. :sick:

I wonder if the trash collector guys are ever brought to their knees by a smell. I wonder if they start forming opinions about the people who live in a house based on how bad it is to pick up their trash.
 

christian74

Senior Member
Oct 1, 2013
594
280
63
Just got the news that Kobe Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash today - it just feels unreal and just another reminder how fragile life is as no person can guarantee tomorrow, no matter how well your life seems to be going, no matter how secure you think your life is.

I was hit with a 2.6 earthquake about 3 days ago right around before midnight. While 2.6 isn't much, I was less than 5 miles away from the epicenter and felt that bang pretty much unadulterated. That feeling of helplessness when you are hit with one, it was a good reminder how my life can end at an instant. I had to acknowledge God's sovereignty that night and then was able to go back to bed.

Although while being a long time LA resident but was never really followed NBA, rest in peace Kobe and heartfelt condolences and prayers for his family and the family of those who were also involved in the crash. And.. as for CC, for those I know "personally" (you know who you are) God bless you as I keep you guys in my thoughts and prayers all the time.
 

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
Aug 13, 2014
24,799
8,103
113
In local news, families are awesome.

Back in late October when that big storm knocked over about a quarter of all the trees in west Tennessee and power was out for a week, I was in another town when it hit. By the time I (navigated around a lot of trees and) got home, multiple aunts and uncles were at Grandma's house. They decided where Grandma would stay until power was restored, lined up a roofer to fix the roof, got plans in place to take care of the fallen trees and everything. I commented to a visiting friend, "Grandma has Smith Family insurance. She'll be fine." (Names have been changed to protect... well... me.)

Today an elderly lady at church had a flat tire. The elderly lady has a daughter who is married to an Adams man. (Family name has been changed.) So of course the Adams guy and his father tromped out to fix the tire on the spot. The Adams guy muttered something about he still didn't like how the tire looked and he was going to take the car home tomorrow and fix it right. I said, "Ah, so since she married you, her mother is covered by Adams Insurance."

Here in the South it feels like when you marry into a family, you're marrying into the Mafia, but without the crime. "You married my son. You're family now. You got a problem, let me know. We'll fix it."

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. I think it's great. :cool:
 

seoulsearch

OutWrite Trouble
May 23, 2009
14,940
4,581
113
In local news, families are awesome.

Back in late October when that big storm knocked over about a quarter of all the trees in west Tennessee and power was out for a week, I was in another town when it hit. By the time I (navigated around a lot of trees and) got home, multiple aunts and uncles were at Grandma's house. They decided where Grandma would stay until power was restored, lined up a roofer to fix the roof, got plans in place to take care of the fallen trees and everything. I commented to a visiting friend, "Grandma has Smith Family insurance. She'll be fine." (Names have been changed to protect... well... me.)

Today an elderly lady at church had a flat tire. The elderly lady has a daughter who is married to an Adams man. (Family name has been changed.) So of course the Adams guy and his father tromped out to fix the tire on the spot. The Adams guy muttered something about he still didn't like how the tire looked and he was going to take the car home tomorrow and fix it right. I said, "Ah, so since she married you, her mother is covered by Adams Insurance."

Here in the South it feels like when you marry into a family, you're marrying into the Mafia, but without the crime. "You married my son. You're family now. You got a problem, let me know. We'll fix it."

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. I think it's great. :cool:

So...

How does one get in on this "Family Insurance Plan" without actually marrying into the family? :unsure: