Random thoughts...

scottmitchell74 wrote:The most well-armed segment of private citizens in human history had a massive UNARMED gathering... and they call it an insurrection?

Context?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_6_United_States_Capitol_attack

A riot, not a coup or insurrection, but the incident gave the American left the best propaganda opportunity they could ever have asked for, which they have been milking ever since

seth wrote:https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_6_United_States_Capitol_attack

A riot, not a coup or insurrection, but the incident gave the American left the best propaganda opportunity they could ever have asked for, which they have been milking ever since

Yep
Btw... congrats on reaching HUB! (Not that it really means anything other than you being online a whole bunch, but it's still cool lol)

StevenCressler wrote:

seth wrote:https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_6_United_States_Capitol_attack

A riot, not a coup or insurrection, but the incident gave the American left the best propaganda opportunity they could ever have asked for, which they have been milking ever since

Yep
Btw... congrats on reaching HUB! (Not that it really means anything other than you being online a whole bunch, but it's still cool lol)

Thank you, although it does serve as a reminder to me that I probably have spent too much time on this forum over the past few months. Been fighting digital media addiction for a while now, and this forum is currently the only “social media” I permit myself to use, but even here time spent can creep up on you if you aren’t careful

seth wrote:

StevenCressler wrote:

seth wrote:https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_6_United_States_Capitol_attack

A riot, not a coup or insurrection, but the incident gave the American left the best propaganda opportunity they could ever have asked for, which they have been milking ever since

Yep
Btw... congrats on reaching HUB! (Not that it really means anything other than you being online a whole bunch, but it's still cool lol)

Thank you, although it does serve as a reminder to me that I probably have spent too much time on this forum over the past few months. Been fighting digital media addiction for a while now, and this forum is currently the only “social media” I permit myself to use, but even here time spent can creep up on you if you aren’t careful

Yeah. I think both of us (well, I'm not there yet, but I will be soon) have gotten there pretty fast, as we're some of the newest members. The thing I like about having those is it makes me feel more like a valuable recognized member of the community here lol

Sometimes I really think about getting rid of my smartphone and going back to a dumb phone.

Of course it was something political. The only thing I hate more about the "church?" than all the pointless debates over non-salvation issues is its fascination with politics. 

Heaven is a theocratic monarchy. Every earthly political view is meaningless and will die with the people who believe in them. Every politician, political podcast host, etc is a goat who, at best, allows you to live each day because they can puppeteer you for profit.

The left and right are two sides of the same /️\.

Pethead wrote:Sometimes I really think about getting rid of my smartphone and going back to a dumb phone.

Although I’ve never actually had a “dumb” phone, I have honestly thought about it myself. But the appeal of having a pocket-sized camera that works really well, and the necessity of work and school related things that require apps, keep me from doing it

nocturnaliridescence wrote:Of course it was something political. The only thing I hate more about the "church?" than all the pointless debates over non-salvation issues is its fascination with politics. 

Heaven is a theocratic monarchy. Every earthly political view is meaningless and will die with the people who believe in them. Every politician, political podcast host, etc is a goat who, at best, allows you to live each day because they can puppeteer you for profit.

The left and right are two sides of the same /️\.

Agreed that anyone who puts their hope in politics, or thinks politicians on either side genuinely care about them, is a fool. I do however think it’s advisable to at least pay some attention to politics to know who to vote for, and to recognize that while both sides are bad, one is decidedly worse than the other when it comes to pushing harmful policy on society

nocturnaliridescence wrote:Of course it was something political. The only thing I hate more about the "church?" than all the pointless debates over non-salvation issues is its fascination with politics. 

Heaven is a theocratic monarchy. Every earthly political view is meaningless and will die with the people who believe in them. Every politician, political podcast host, etc is a goat who, at best, allows you to live each day because they can puppeteer you for profit.

The left and right are two sides of the same /️\.

Debates over non-salvation issues are not unimportant. We are called to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Doing this properly requires understanding who God is and what pleases him. This requires a greater understanding than the absolute bare minimum to get saved.

The only way that every political view is meaningless is if everything that happens on earth is meaningless, and you know that that isn't true.

People who think politics are meaningless and/or don't pay attention to politics will sooner or later find their lives very much controlled by the people who do pay very close attention and do think often about politics.

This idea that Christians shouldn't be involved in politics is utterly bananas. That would mean letting godless heathens be in charge at every level from school board to Commander in Chief. That's a huge reason why we have the insane policies we have now, and find ourselves trying to dig ourselves out of a massive hole.

I'm leaving in a few days for a 8 day missions trip in El Salvador. We'll be building houses and encouraging the local believers.

This is a big deal to me. I'm 42 years old, and it's my first time traveling internationally and my first time traveling to another culture. My 2nd oldest child, Emily (18) is going as well. I'm pretty excited, and a bit nervous.

On the subject of politics, I am reminded of how a professor I had once described the meaning of the word. “Poly” is a latin prefix meaning “many,” and “ticks” are parasitic, blood-sucking bugs. Very apt description imo

Sevenoneself wrote:I'm leaving in a few days for a 8 day missions trip in El Salvador. We'll be building houses and encouraging the local believers.

This is a big deal to me. I'm 42 years old, and it's my first time traveling internationally and my first time traveling to another culture. My 2nd oldest child, Emily (18) is going as well. I'm pretty excited, and a bit nervous.

That's awesome praying for you all.

Black Rider wrote:

Sevenoneself wrote:I'm leaving in a few days for a 8 day missions trip in El Salvador. We'll be building houses and encouraging the local believers.

This is a big deal to me. I'm 42 years old, and it's my first time traveling internationally and my first time traveling to another culture. My 2nd oldest child, Emily (18) is going as well. I'm pretty excited, and a bit nervous.

That's awesome praying for you all.

Thanks Black! I really appreciate it. I've had the opportunity to go previously, but my fear of having panic attacks kept me. My mind is pretty stable right now, but I will need to trust in the Lord and not give in to doubts. I want to make the most of it and enjoy God's adventure for us and not just survive.

Fear of panic attacks can be debilitating. It’s often kept me from doing things I’d otherwise jump at.

Pethead wrote:Fear of panic attacks can be debilitating. It’s often kept me from doing things I’d otherwise jump at.

I wouldn't have done this trip except my daughter was determined to and "required" either my wife or I to go with her! My wife can't go because of her job, so it was me! And God uses our love for our children to conquer obstacles we wouldn't have otherwise overcame. So I'm thankful for Emily and God!

God bless you Seven! Your example is encouraging and motivating.

Pethead wrote:Sometimes I really think about getting rid of my smartphone and going back to a dumb phone.

Could never get rid of my smartphone. I take walks constantly (try to fit in at least one walk a day, sometimes 2 or even 3 if I dont have anything else going on that day), and I enjoy listening to (and singing along to) music while taking said walks.

Pethead going for a stroll without his smartphone.

In all seriousness, Pet, you're probably right. Smartphones are great, but perhaps it's not wise to have all that power with a person wherever he or she goes. We might have to go back to mp3 players with smaller memory sizes but it'd probably be worth it.

I hate smart phones. Hate them. But so much of what we can or must do (work, shopping, bills, travel) is phone-centric. My dad is very proud of his flip-phone status, but I have to remind him that he gets away with it because my mom takes care of everything.

Like having a crackpipe in your pocket 24/7 that also has legitimate use to prevent you from having an excuse to get rid of it. One technique I’ve found to help is putting a thick rubber band around the phone to deliberately make it more annoying to use, and to remind me to watch my time on it. Sounds ridiculous but it has actually helped

seth wrote:Like having a crackpipe in your pocket 24/7 that also has legitimate use to prevent you from having an excuse to get rid of it. One technique I’ve found to help is putting a thick rubber band around the phone to deliberately make it more annoying to use, and to remind me to watch my time on it. Sounds ridiculous but it has actually helped

I actually haven't been using my phone that much recently... I've been spending too much time on the computer lol

At least the computer can’t go with you wherever you go. Although that could potentially lead to more problems if someone finds themselves stuck to their computer all day instead of spending time outside