Repose

Dreams are just dreams. In the dream I had last night, my parent's basement was decked out like a flooded gym shower. My parents told me to shower, and I wondered why because there is a perfectly normal shower upstairs, but dream me went for it. Naked and knee-deep in ice cold, murky water, I stood under one of the nozzles. Then a bunch of dog's heads appeared out of various cracks and, on top of letting out these unearthly and sickening noises, began vomiting black liquid everywhere. It scared me so much, I woke up. I had another dream where a giant swordfish stabbed me in the chest. This also woke me up. Yet another dream, I went to go brush my teeth only to look in the mirror and see my left eye swollen and infected. Again, I awoke. What do all of them mean? That I'm scared of swordfish and really don't sleep well. I wouldn't think on it too much. Dreams are strange.

I too notice the issue. I've often just given up reading a thread if it's too long. There perhaps could be a solution, a middle ground, but it would involve changing the website somewhat. On many other messaging boards/forums, they have a "hidden" or "hide" feature. This means that, whatever is typed under it is kept underneath a clickable box. A site that does this that I used to browse is recolor.me On Rec, when typing, you type in [hidden=][/hidden]. Whatever you type between the "=]" and the "[/" will be kept under a blue box with a white addition symbol. By clicking on this box, it reveals whatever text or picture was hidden. By clicking the box again, it hides it again, greatly reducing the room any text or picture might take up on the page. This way, people could still type long and quote/reply long, but still reduce the size each individual post/quote takes up on the page. Example: [hidden=]This is a very lengthy post comparing various different lines of scripture[/hidden]

I guess you could call me non-denominational. 1. Revelations can be a rather confusing and esoteric book. As such, I don't think much of anything will make much sense or be too obvious until it's passed. While it can offer insight as to how this earth ends, I think it better to stress salvation through Christ. A bullet is coming; you don't know when, so you might as well don kevlar in the meantime, you know? As for specifics, well... Sorry, but I just don't know. I'm no scholar nor teacher; I'm just a guy. A paradise... Eventually. Not right away. There is a new heaven and new earth, but where the story goes beyond that remains to be seen. 2. When Jesus was asked on the Mount of Olives about the signs of his coming, he says first, "see that no one deceives you". False prophets and messiahs have always been, and I think it will become much more frequent near the end. Climate change has always been a thing; I don't buy into the doomsday theories put forth. Perhaps it does play a part, though, what with earthquakes and other disasters. 3. I'd like to say both, but... Probably judgement if we're going by "more".

I bought a thing of tarot cards years ago, when I was ignorant. I started reading through the little booklet that came with it, explaning the cards, and it just sounded like a bunch of mystic babble. This card means such and such with a cycle of the sun and such and such blah blah. I'm glad it seemed stupid though, as I didn't finish reading and simply tossed them in the trash. Perfect waste of $15. It makes no sense to try and dabble in such things. Even if you could walk away without harm, you put yourself at risk. It's like playing the knife game. You're likely to stab your hand or lose fingers, and if you don't, you've gained nothing. It's pure foolishness.

It's not proper to treat a person's cocaine addiction by giving them cocaine. Substance abuse and actual abuse are different, yes, but it's the same idea; the best you can do to help what you've been doing, maintaining your distance and praying for him. If you return, it will just continue from where you left off, with built up abuse on top of that. So long as there's someone there willing to take his abuse and he doesn't blame himself and seek to correct whatever his issues are, he will continue being abusive. Maybe he'll meet a woman someday who won't stand for that, not one bit, and she won't hesitate to strike back. Maybe he'll someday realize that he is awful, and hopefully with a good seed planted, he can turn to God to mend his ways. Perhaps that day will never come, and he will go to his grave, still gnashing his teeth. Some things are simply beyond our control, and some people just don't want help. What seems to be best would be to stay away, and pray. Even if he did change his life around in such a major way, i'd still think that returning would only reopen the wound. 2 Peter 3:9 - The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

If the Lord were not long-suffering towards us, I'd have likely ended up dead years ago. I'm thankful.

Happy anniversary. It's a completely average day here in SD. Neither hot nor cold, a slight breeze... Not bad. I remember camping in the Rocky Mts with my mother and brother as a kid. You could see for miles. I collected rocks at the time, so my eyes were mainly focused on the ground - good thing, too, cause I was able to collect rather unique things. A chunk of fool's gold, a crystal, even a rock with a bunch of really small seashells in it. Found more joy in the rocks rather than the view, essentially.

Both groups make decent points, but so as well do they make bad points, points where they are clearly self-interested and are looking for superiority rather than equality. As it is with many things, to me, it just seems like a bunch of people having no thought nor clue as to what they're screeching about, and so I likewise just tune out their idiocy. Bunch of pointless messy nonsense people do so love to embrace out of lack of anything else interesting about their lives or themselves. We are people. Encourage people to treat people like people, in fairness and honesty. Nothing more really needs to be said beyond that.

Perhaps misguided isn't quite the appropriate word. It's just that, at the time, you had a number of people claiming to be prophets who were not. Such as Hananiah breaking jeremiah's yoke. The israelites really should have relied on God's word and the mosaic law, but I can only imagine a bunch of false prophets going about, trying to teach false teachings. You're not wrong though, there was enough of a presence of God's word and people who adhered to it that it likely was a number of people backsliding and being rebellious.

I'm sorry. I mean, I can't understand completely as I don't have kids, but that's just sad. If I understand your post right, it seems that you're trying to fix things all across the board. Maybe it's to a point where you're trying to fix too much at once? Your daughter is getting to be in those teenage years, and as far as teenagers go, they tend to be a bit difficult in general, especially when it comes to what seems like a fairly messy family life. The only thing I can think of to say to is to try and keep your chin up and take things one at a time. Pray, and have faith that your daughter and yourself can repair the damage someday. My brother and myself would get into physical fights when we were younger (literal physical confrontations even, not just wrestling - like choking and putting holes in the walls type stuff), and now that we're older, we get along much better. Just give it time and stay on your feet, alright?

Funny enough, I brought this up previously in another post. AnOrangeCat and Jayne summed it up very well. You had a number of misguided Israelites way back then, and it wasn't unheard of for them to try and mix things up, per say. It wasn't even an unheard of practice amongst heathens, either, as many of the heathens would also acknowledge God's existence, yet still stuck to their ways. You've got researchers doing diggings and finding this stuff, and whether they mean it in that they're convinced she was his wife (ignorance), or they pointed out how this is stuff from the ancient israelites beliefs and people on the outside looking in took this as truthful (reader's ignorance), I guess I don't know. I'd wager it's both researchers being ignorant of scripture and people hopping aboard out of ignorance.

I thought bobbing for apples was of Pagan origin as well? Wikipedia says it's when the Romans invaded Britain, they brought apples with them, which apples are a representation of the goddess of plenty, Pomona. A bit like throwing the flowers at a wedding, the first unmarried person to bite into the apple was the next one to marry. It is also said that, if a young maiden slept with the bitten apple under her pillow, she would dream of her future sweetheart. In a way, I rather dislike the pagan origins of Halloween. I mean, i'm someone who rather enjoys the macabre. Not to the point of enjoying violence or gore, mind you, I think of it more like... Memento Mori, if that makes any sense. Costumes can be very neat and creative, and as someone who knows makeup, the makeup work that some people do can also be quite fascinating. However, many others see such things in a violent, gory, or what i'd call "hostile" way. Think of one of those "haunted houses" people walk through on Halloween. There's a meat grinder with human flesh, some guy pretending to eat it, some guy jumps out of the dark in order to scare people, etc. It's just gross, and has poor intentions behind it. If anything, I think i'd be more fond of something like Dia de Muertos, though maybe with less of an ancestor worship connotation (the departed dancing with them, etc). A period of time set aside to remember and pray for the ones no longer with us, and rather than either being depressing or going out of our way to scare other people, it's more of a celebration of life. That's largely what memento mori was about - you're going to die, you don't know when you will die, so use your life well as it still is. I'm blabbering on a bit, but yeah, I don't think i'll be celebrating Halloween anymore.

Former metalhead here as well. I eventually just got tired of metal when I was still an unbeliever. Big switch, going from black/death metal to stuff like smooth jazz. I've encountered this issue as well, but mainly when it came to rap. Listening to lyrics about gunning people down and bedding women isn't very good, after all. So, I just sought out instrumental versions of what I already listened to. Sorry that I can't help in terms of Christian metal, but that's my two cents.

They can keep their chips and eat them. If they want my blood for refusing, then they're welcome to it.

Writing and expressing such things is good, actually. By being able to put it in words, you can more easily define it, and thus it gives you closure (or it can help give closure). Might even work better for your blog. We can't all be chipper and positive all the time. Without the sad and negative stuff, the positive's meaning loses impact. Makes one seem more human, it adds depth. Though, I personally like a positive end note, myself. Such as a poem that has 2 depressing stanzas, and then 1 final stanza that speaks with hope.

This is one of those things where you need to step outside of yourself, look at yourself, and try to honestly answer, "is this the best thing for me?" I concur with the other posts, you should not be seeking out girls at your age. I realize it's not nearly so simple. I was a young man once, too. Well, a younger man, I guess (ain't old yet). It's hard when your hormones are through the roof and girls are walking around in low-cut shirts and short shorts. You want to do your homework but that redhead exchange student's backside just won't get out of your thoughts. It's much easier said than done to try and focus on other things. All I ask you to do is trust us in that, fighting that and waiting until you're older is what's wisest. It might not seem like it now, but there's more to life. Women and relationships are overrated, trust me. They're great, but also not great, you know?

Bad part is, I was 23 at the time. If I was that bad then, how will I be when I get older? The only thing I can brag about is remembering my name, and I hope the day doesn't come where I suddenly forget it. Math can't help me there.

This is a habit of mine. I can't help it if I'm blond. I've seriously forgotten how old I am before. I had to sit down and do the math.

I agree with alerting animal control. We have a number of people who do that here too, and I'm always afraid some other dog will run up on my own. That fear is made worse cause I've got pits; the law isn't nice to pits. I've had too many run-ins. I would suggest doing research on what self-defense weaponry is addressed in your area in the laws. More often than not, the law only addresses guns and tasers, rather than things like batons or knives. I wouldn't advise melee weaponry anyway however, due to the physical nature; decreased energy and decreased ability/mobility due to the stomach. That, and having to get close in general. Mace is a good idea, but another option might be a tranquilizer gun. Takes them down without killing them, and is more effective at disabling than mace.

Agreed. Even when I'm still a bit sore, I put it to mind and prayer to forgive them. It just doesn't feel more sincere until some time passes.

Be wary. Cheaters and abusers are often manipulative liars. Not to say you can't pray for him and try to guide him to God, but in that, don't let your guard down. Beyond that, I'm happy to hear that things have improved. I'll pray for you, and him.

Though, wouldn't the forgiveness have to be genuine eventually? I've always never really gotten over it until a bit down the line, when wounds can be healed and things can be put into a better perspective.

There... Is a truth to the fact that not standing up for yourself is enabling him. Imagine it like prison. If you let them push you around or take your things, then they will never stop and they will only get worse. However, please don't put it squarely on yourself. He is still the one being violent and he is still the one being unreasonable. Assert yourself. Call the police if you must. Be prepared to leg it or whatever else until they arrive. I don't know about divorce, but... I wouldn't personally stick around with someone who treated me in such a way. Even just reading that he's put his hands on you has my teeth itching. It can be hard to reach out for help, like it's somehow shameful that this has happened, but it is HE who has done this. You have nothing to be ashamed of.

We are not perfect. Many might seem to be, but only God is perfect. I'm sure a good number, if not all of us, have before sought perfection in ourselves. In our manner, our dress, our behavior, our words... It doesn't work. People who mess up and hurt themselves as punishment. People who pull their hairs out worrying. Who knows what else. Leave it to God. This is faith. You can't rely on yourself. You pray. You pray that the wisdom and words come to you. You pray that, as you read, the words are laid up and the knowledge therein is revealed. You pray for the strength to be honest, even when that honesty seems inadvisable. The list goes on, but it's the same idea. Rely on God, not yourself.

If you are, at least you'll have gotten your beauty sleep. A poet might look at the ocean and see many things. The twinkling dreams of tomorrow. The collective tears of our past. An unknowable and imperceivable ebb and flow beneath the waves, a movement that, despite our own stillness, never ceases. Or it's just water. More often than not, and more realistically, it's just water. Woopdeedoo. Reality is just as you perceive it to be. If it isn't, and this is a coma, what would it matter? You're still talking with folks. Listening to music. Going day by day. C'est la vie, as it were.