My Dad is kinda old and bitter, and was involved in an altercation at an RSL following another patron harassing him verbally over 3 different incidents across a few weeks. Each time a incident report was lodged with the club, which didn’t result in any real disciplinary action from the club.
After the 3rd time, in which the other patron made sexually explicit remarks about my sister (my Dad’s daughter), my old man rushed him and belted him twice. Obviously not his finest work, but he felt provoked into doing so.
No legal action about the assault has come yet (occurred in Jan 2023), but he has received a lifetime ban from the club, which has destroyed him as he plays snooker there with a bunch of his mates, and is his only real pass-time in retirement.
He believes that if the club had acted correctly and disciplined the other member in the first instances, the 3rd and final one could have been avoided, and he would therefore not have been banned after striking the other patron.
He was looking into escalating it further with legal options, but I’m not so sure anything of this nature exists for him, being a private club (RSL), and governed by their own constitution and bylaws. He just wants to fight this on principal, but I also think he could shake the hornets nest, resulting in police action if the other patron is reminded of the assault and decides to go after him.

I take Uribel usually 1-2x a day on problem days (like this week!) but I also have a nasty cold right now. The internet is telling me that every kind of decongestant can have bad interactions with Uribel (DayQuil, Sudafed, Mucinex, etc)…. What can I take to relieve nasal congestion?

Hello, I live in Liverpool and cycle everywhere, I was cycling to halfords and have had an accident on Edge Ln. I am unsure where the accident happend but it must be between the innovation park(JD Gyms) and the new rusty NHS building. I have been diagnosed with a concussion and can't remember the last few weeks or the accident.
Did anybody see the accident and be able to tell me what happened? I am not looking for claims or whatever so if for whatever reason you might be involved and are scared or speaking, just tell me like you seen someone else do it. Thanks
If anybody knows any other platforms to find insights that would be great, I was thinking maybe Facebook Market place would be a good one

A week and a half ago I had a week of continuous physical activity from 9-5. I really wanted to cancel it because I knew it was going to wreck me physically but I couldn’t because my group was hosting the thing and I had to be involved. Well I was right! Every day since then I have literally slept 16 hours (12 at night then a 4 hour nap) and it doesn’t feel like the fatigue is going away any time soon.
I’ve had POTs for 6 years now. I’ve honestly just been trying to live my life as someone without a chronic illness and it has not been working out great! It’s hard accepting my limits especially when I am in a flair and it feels like I can’t do anything. Lately a simple trip to the grocery store exhausts me.
For my birthday coming up I am going to the renaissance faire which I have created a whole costume for. I made myself a walking stick partially for the costume, partially as a mobility device because ik it’s going to be hard on me being out walking for so long. Other people seem to think that I don’t need a mobility device even though I’m going through all of that and on top of that I’ve been extra dizzy and wobbly lately.
Any tips for regaining my energy and strength?

I scored 23 in my first attempt and I need to reach a 25+ score. Could anyone suggest areas of improvement in the essay I've written below?
The question is from the ets website itself.
Q) Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
Television advertising directed toward young children (aged two to five) should not be allowed.
My response -
Product-based companies rely on television advertising as televisions are used by the majority of the population. While I have no problem with advertising targeting teens and adults, I do not think advertising directed toward young children should be allowed. There are two reasons why I feel this way, both of which I will elaborate on in the following essay.
My parents often tell me how obsessed I was as a kid with beyblades, which were advertised quite aggressively at the time. We weren't financially comfortable back then, but as a child, I didn't understand the difficulties my parents were going through. I threw tantrums over wanting those toys till they ended up agreeing. It is surprising to imagine being that demanding at that age. The fact that ads could capture the imagination of a five year old to such an extent is scary. When my parents got me the beyblade, I didn't play with it for more than a week. I didn't have the critical thinking skills needed to dissect an ad and know if I actually wanted the thing, rather than mindlessly believing the ad saying I did.
Moreover, targeting little children like that feels ethically wrong to me. I have a young niece who was convinced that the Lego sets turned into real animals because of how the game was depicted in the ad. Children at that age tend to have imaginative minds and innocence. Directing advertisements toward them when they don't have the necessary aptitude for skepticism and rationality is harmful for them. Not getting what they want puts a strain on both the parents and the kids. Evoking such ugly emotions out of children is dangerous for society and could have potentially harmful effects on them in the long term.
To conclude, I completely agree with the sentiment that advertising should not target young children. I feel this way because of how naive and gullible little children tend to be.
E - some words

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[REQ] ($160) - (#Setauket, NY, USA) (Repay $90 11/05/21 & $90 11/12/21)

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Hello friends, today I’m asking for assistance today to pay my car insurance (again). A lender helped me pay this months bill about a week and half ago and I’d like to pay novembers before I receive the cancellation notice.
Ive just recently accepted a job offer so I’ll be repaying you starting next Friday when I get paid for my week of training (this week) for my new job and then you’ll receive the rest the week after for a total of $180 in return. Feel free to pm me with your terms and we’ll take it from there.
Thanks.

Hi all, not really sure what to do currently. My boyfriend and i moved into a new flat in September of 2022. Since day one there have been issues with the bathroom like the flush leaking, the tap on the basin leaking etc, but most prominently, the water boiler for the shower has not worked since day one.
We have been paying the rent in full, it's not very high but it's still a lot. We have complained to our land lady multiple times and there have been handy workers that have visited twice or thrice. Who advised that the only thing that can be done is that she has to buy us a new boiler because they just do not make parts for the very old one we have. She told us she ordered a new boiler but that handy worker had no open appointments.
Then 3 weeks ago she told us that the very first Handy worker she called (who apparently can fix the old one) called her back (she had called him all the way back in November) and that he is willing to come take a look. That still hasn't happened. This makes us think she never ordered the new boiler to save money and has been lying to us.
My boyfriend called the new handy worker a few times but they can't do anything unless the land lady says so.
We have been using the shower in the flat 1 floor below us (she owns the whole building) and it has been really inconvenient, even though we have access to a shower. It was okay in the winter but not anymore.
We are at our wits end trying to get her to fix it, we hadn't thought of getting any legal recourse because apart from the shower issue she is a really nice lady and a single mom but we are just really tired of not having a working shower.
What should we do?

To preface this, I am based in Australia.
So to get straight to the point, I’m working a job that is seasonal. In the lead up to and through winter all the work dies off. Essentially they can only keep on their full time employed staff which is the Boss, the Bosses son (he and I have been handling accounting/bookkeeping together and there’s not enough work to go around)
I have been fighting to get onto government benefits for the last 8 weeks, my previous employer is dodgy AF and my Employment Services provider have been fighting for the last four weeks, just to get a damn signature on some pre-filled paperwork!
My hours have gone down the drain and I keep having to borrow money while looking for suitable work due to disability. I always feel so guilty asking anyone because I’m extremely independent and stubborn and can’t face the fact that I can’t even pay my own damn bills without help.
I’m literally sitting here crying.
I just need some advice right now, can someone help?

** TRIGGER WARNING **
I’ve had two dreams so far about someone SA me. The first time I knew the person, who I’m not attracted to in the SLIGHTEST.
Last night I had dreamt that my older brother (I don’t have an older brother) got engaged to this girl he’s been seeing for 3 months, and I did not like her. So I threw a fit, went into the bathroom stall, and saw hoards of men and some women coming into the bathroom. I had said something to one of the guys and he goes “Oh you didn’t know? Every (day of week) we go in the women’s bathroom and SA. And actually I’m going to go with you” I try to fight, doesn’t work, he SA me then moves on. I don’t tell anyone in my dream, I see him again later, now he’s trying to be romantic with me and change as a person.
That’s really all I can remember, is there something to this?

What is your opinion on these two? ASX is more expensive by approx. Dhs.10,000
But performance-wise, what do you think?
I would mainly be using for AUH-DXB-AUH daily drive, 5 days/week.

I have a 4 year old Rav4 hybrid that has been tried and true. I can currently sell it for about $3k less than I paid for it in 2019, so incredibly low cost of ownership.
I’ve been getting the itch for something a bit more fun to drive, a bit more luxurious perhaps. My commute is quite short (4 miles) and I probably drive 200 miles per week max. My hobbies have me on rough and jeep roads relatively regularly, so SUV or something higher ground clearance preferred, but probably get away with something a bit less than what I currently have.
The short commute has me thinking EV or PHEV, but maybe just a powerful luxury SUV? Budget is $50k max, preferably $40-45kish.
I’m considering, but am not tied to:
18-22 X3 M40i (some type of warranty added on)
18-22 X3 PHEV
23 Mazda CX-50 Turbo
23 Tesla MYLR
Any thing obvious I am missing or should consider?

This is my district's fifth year with iReady. Every year, it's the same thing with my students. They have to pass two iReady lessons per week. I NEVER look at any of the iReady data beyond how many lessons they passed. About half of my students don't do their two lessons per week, and I don't really care. I hate that program and I only keep using it because the district says I have to. The students know that I hate the program. I don't try to hide it.
Yet, every single year, my students, on average, increase their scores by 2-2.5 grade levels. The only explanation I have, besides me being an awesome teacher despite being forced to use iReady, is that the program itself is fudging the numbers. Students who've shown no growth on any other assessment suddenly grow two years' worth on iReady?
I'm convinced that iReady is manipulating their diagnostics to make it seem like the program is better than it really is.

Greetings, stranger!
I see you've stumbled upon my post. I believe you're looking for a partner as well. I'll introduce myself then. I'm a 22 years-old college student with some free time to kill. Passionate about books, mostly fantasy and post-apocalyptic genres. I have some writing experience, but I'd classify myself as a semi-lit; I'll try my best to match your writing. I'm capable of responding several times a week, so I'd love you to be somewhat active too. As for the rest, less important stuff: main platform is Discrod, 3rd person past tense, time zone CET and I don't do fandoms.
I'm looking for someone that is:

• A female, preferably of my age, but I'm fine with any range. As long as you're at least 18+.
• Semi-lit. I absolutely hate short responses. Squeeze those 2 paras, so we have something to work with. Also 3rd person past tense required.
• Imaginative. Unexpected twists and turns are a great addition to the story.
• Capable of responding quite often.
• Communicative. I like to discuss how we'll develop the plot. OOC talk is welcomed.
• Honest. If you don't like a particular idea, my style of writing or just get bored - tell me. I want both of us to have a fun time, neither side forcing itself to do so. We'll figure something out. And if you feel like we're not a good match for each other, let me know. Ghosting is for children.

I already have a few well-established RPs ongoing, so I'll be more picky this time. I'll only respond to messages that have some effort put into them. I like my future partner to be communicative, as stated before, so give me at least a brief introduction of yourself.
As for the plot, I don't have any specific ideas for now. If you have something up your sleeve, you're more than welcomed to bring your ideas to the table. I thought of a fantasy settled world with some romance slapped on top of it, but I'm open for any other mixes. We can brainstorm some ideas together, create a suitable world for both of us and get into details.
Hope my not-so-well written post caught your attention nonetheless. If you're interested in beginning a hopefully amazing journey with me, drop me a message in PM. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Greetings, stranger!
I see you've stumbled upon my post. I believe you're looking for a partner as well. I'll introduce myself then. I'm a 22 years-old college student with some free time to kill. Passionate about books, mostly fantasy and post-apocalyptic genres. I have some writing experience, but I'd classify myself as a semi-lit; I'll try my best to match your writing. I'm capable of responding several times a week, so I'd love you to be somewhat active too. As for the rest, less important stuff: main platform is Discrod, 3rd person past tense, time zone CET and I don't do fandoms.
I'm looking for someone that is:

• A female, preferably of my age, but I'm fine with any range. As long as you're at least 18+.
• Semi-lit. I absolutely hate short responses. Squeeze those 2 paras, so we have something to work with. Also 3rd person past tense required.
• Imaginative. Unexpected twists and turns are a great addition to the story.
• Capable of responding quite often.
• Communicative. I like to discuss how we'll develop the plot. OOC talk is welcomed.
• Honest. If you don't like a particular idea, my style of writing or just get bored - tell me. I want both of us to have a fun time, neither side forcing itself to do so. We'll figure something out. And if you feel like we're not a good match for each other, let me know. Ghosting is for children.

I already have a few well-established RPs ongoing, so I'll be more picky this time. I'll only respond to messages that have some effort put into them. I like my future partner to be communicative, as stated before, so give me at least a brief introduction of yourself.
As for the plot, I don't have any specific ideas for now. If you have something up your sleeve, you're more than welcomed to bring your ideas to the table. I thought of a fantasy settled world with some romance slapped on top of it, but I'm open for any other mixes. We can brainstorm some ideas together, create a suitable world for both of us and get into details.
Hope my not-so-well written post caught your attention nonetheless. If you're interested in beginning a hopefully amazing journey with me, drop me a message in PM. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Greetings, stranger!
I see you've stumbled upon my post. I believe you're looking for a partner as well. I'll introduce myself then. I'm a 22 years-old college student with some free time to kill. Passionate about books, mostly fantasy and post-apocalyptic genres. I have some writing experience, but I'd classify myself as a semi-lit; I'll try my best to match your writing. I'm capable of responding several times a week, so I'd love you to be somewhat active too. As for the rest, less important stuff: main platform is Discrod, 3rd person past tense, time zone CET and I don't do fandoms.
I'm looking for someone that is:

• A female, preferably of my age, but I'm fine with any range. As long as you're at least 18+.
• Semi-lit. I absolutely hate short responses. Squeeze those 2 paras, so we have something to work with. Also 3rd person past tense required.
• Imaginative. Unexpected twists and turns are a great addition to the story.
• Capable of responding quite often.
• Communicative. I like to discuss how we'll develop the plot. OOC talk is welcomed.
• Honest. If you don't like a particular idea, my style of writing or just get bored - tell me. I want both of us to have a fun time, neither side forcing itself to do so. We'll figure something out. And if you feel like we're not a good match for each other, let me know. Ghosting is for children.

I already have a few well-established RPs ongoing, so I'll be more picky this time. I'll only respond to messages that have some effort put into them. I like my future partner to be communicative, as stated before, so give me at least a brief introduction of yourself.
As for the plot, I don't have any specific ideas for now. If you have something up your sleeve, you're more than welcomed to bring your ideas to the table. I thought of a fantasy settled world with some romance slapped on top of it, but I'm open for any other mixes. We can brainstorm some ideas together, create a suitable world for both of us and get into details.
Hope my not-so-well written post caught your attention nonetheless. If you're interested in beginning a hopefully amazing journey with me, drop me a message in PM. Looking forward to hearing from you!

It was a call at midnight. A counsellor psychologist at the Tele Mental Health Assistance Centre Srinagar picks up the call.
"The caller had irresistible ideas to self-harm. He wanted to end his life and before that, he wanted to talk to someone about it,” says Areej Khalid, the counsellor at the Tele Mental Health Centre in Srinagar.
The Centre is located at the old building of the Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences in Srinagar (IMHNS), previously called the Psychiatric Disease Hospital. The toll-free phones at the centre are buzzing, counsellors picking them up, some talking to them in Kashmiri and some in Urdu, advising the callers what to do.
That night Khalid heard the caller. “He was in terrible pain,” she says during her 30-minute break.
"I used techniques I learned during my training to achieve pause in him. I tried to create a momentary interruption to break the cycle of self-harm thinking. I am grateful that I succeeded," she says.
"I was able to take him to the safety of his family's supervision," she says. She guided him to a nearby mental health facility for further treatment and it all happened on through a call.
Later when the person called again, the crisis was over and he had started following a psychiatrist and is on weekly cognitive behavioural therapy sessions with the centre.
“The midnight calls are mostly about crisis situations with many youngsters talking about self-harming or having such thoughts,” says Khalid.
The Tele Mental Health Centre Srinagar since its establishment in October 2022 has received nearly 12,500 calls related to mental health disorders. These include around 500 “crisis interventions" in people having self-harming ideas.
The centre has a three-tier system in place. The first line is of counsellors, who receive calls from people having depression, anxiety disorders, substance abuse disorders, exam stress and other anxiety issues.
The centre has a three-tier system in place. The first line is of counsellors, who receive calls from people having depression, anxiety disorders, substance abuse disorders, exam stress and other anxiety issues.
The counsellors are all psychologists. The typical session lasts around 30 minutes but some sessions take more time.
In case the counsellors feel that any caller needs a psychiatrist’s advice, they transfer a call to a psychiatrist or a clinical psychologist on call. The third tier of the system is the Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences in Srinagar (IMHNS
“It started slowly but now we receive around 100 calls in a day and most of these calls are from women,” says Khalid, who like other counsellors has been trained at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences Banglore and IMHANS Srinagar. She says if the counsellor comes to the conclusion that the caller needs medicine, or having a recurring panic attack, the counsellor transfers the call to the psychiatrist or clinical psychologist on the call.
While 70 per cent of mental health distress calls are handled by the counsellors themselves, 30 per cent of calls are escalated to the consultants.
“Most of the calls are stress related. We also get calls from those persons already diagnosed with mental disorders like anxiety and OCD,” says Suriya Sanam, another counsellor.
The calls also reflect the prevailing mental health situation in Kashmir. There has been a rise in mental health cases in Kashmir in the past thirty years of conflict.
According to a study “Mental health in Kashmir: conflict to COVID-19” 45% of Kashmir's adult population (1.8 million) is suffering from some form of mental distress. There is a high prevalence of depression (41%), anxiety (26%), post-traumatic stress disorder (19%), and 47% had experienced some trauma.
“Our counselling is affordable and we are just a call away. That might be the reason people feel it much more secure to call and confide to us,” Sanam says. She says that the highest number of calls revived in a day was 160 when an advertisement about the Tele Mental Health services had come up in widely circulated local English daily of Kashmir.
“We also get calls from persons involved in substance abuse. We receive such distressing calls during the night hours,” says Sanam.
Over the years Kashmir has seen a spike in substance abuse cases and the government is considering drug abuse as one of the serious issues.
According to the latest survey, “Prevalence and Pattern of Substance Use Disorders in Ten Districts of Kashmir” carried out by the IMHANS, Kashmir, the Valley has an estimated sizable population of 67 468 substance-dependent individuals. While opioid dependence prevalence in all the 10 districts of Kashmir is 2.23% and the total number of opioid dependents is estimated to be 52 404 in the Kashmir valley making it an epidemic.
At the Tele Mental Health Assistance Centre of Srinagar, 19 counsellors are on the job in different shifts throughout the week catering to different calls. All these counsellors are women.
Dr Patley Rahul, an Assistant Professor at the NMHANS Banglore, says people who call the centre and open up about their self-harm thoughts are the most important calls. “These are the kind of patients who need attention and care. The suicidal thoughts are fleeting thoughts. These thoughts stay unless there is some intervention done,” he says
“In this respect, Srinagar centre is doing exceptionally well,” he says.
“When someone is in distress they want a listening ear. This calms them down and also motivates them to avail the psychiatric services. That is the whole idea of Tele Mental Health services,” he adds.
The Srinagar centre is now considered a model centre among 22 centres. These centres are coordinated by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences a medical institution in Bangalore.
Dr Rahul says the data of Srinagar Centre is impressive. “How the counsellors have handled nearly 500 suicide calls shows their competence,” he adds. “We are thinking to replicate this model in other centres of the country,” Dr Rahul says.
The Tele Mental Health service concept came after Covid-19 in 2020 lockdown when everything was shut and availing of medical facilities became a tough challenge. In October 2023 the concept took shape after the government of India under NHRM opened these centres in 22 states across India. Of 22 centres, the Centre at the IMHNs is the only centre that is fully functional.
Dr Arshad Hussain, professor at the Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences in Srinagar (IMHNS), says the past six months' performance of the Tele Mental Health Service has two messages, quantitative and qualitative.
“The quantitative statement is nearly 12500 people have sought help regarding mental health issues second highest in the country meaning thereby that this mode of Mental Health delivery has acceptance in our society. And qualitatively these calls have a life-saving potential statement as pause has been achieved and these people have been linked to mental health services," he says
"They definitely have chances of better outcomes if comprehensive safety plan and treatment is done following a pause," he says.
While he concedes that the tendency to self-harm is a very complex problem and a mere pause is not enough, he says, "We need to treat underlying mental health issues in many of them to save lives.”
"We have been able to link most of them to the nearest mental health service and pause can act as mental health first aid for such people," Dr Hussain says.
“We are able to give first aid. We are able to achieve linkages. There are people who don’t know where to go. We guide these people to avail mental health facilities. Thus we create linkages,” he says.
Dr Hussain says initially women callers outnumbered men but now men are catching up as well. "Our centre is unique in the whole of India with more female callers. It is in sync with what we see at OPD at the hospital. Most of our patients are women,” he says.
Besides, as the counsellors are women, women prefer to call them. “Maybe they feel more empathy and maybe through word of mouth they ask others to avail of such services,” says Khalid smiling.

https://www.outlookindia.com/culture-society/from-the-listening-post-of-mental-health-distress-calls-in-srinagar-weekender_story-287839

. We recently moved in to a much larger apartment so how much we need to be cleaning our home has changed. My boyfriend has recently started to work over nights so when I'm starting my day he is ending his. So we have been planning all week to completely reset the house over the weekend. But, it's Sunday and still no cleaning has been done. He slept in Friday & Saturday our only mutual off days. Again I understand he's tired from work but I work as well. We split our home bills 50/50 and I believe the house work should be split the same, and I am content with letting the mess pile up when he is unavailable to help me being that I work too. This morning I woke up on the wrong side of the bed from having several nightmares and couldn't find it in myself to continue my understanding. I explained to him very angrily and yelling that I have to work today and now the house will likely continue to stay dirty. And how unfair it is for me to have to clean the house myself. I understand that this is not what you say but how you say it things. On one hand I want to apologize for my tone/delivery but on the other hand I feel as though I've been patient and understanding enough. hate that I feel like his tiredness is minimum to mine. I have a daughter and of course he's extremely helpful they have a great relationship and he provides for her, but being that I am the only biological parent I of course take on most of the responsibilities, only bills we split/ the only bills he has are home/light. I ha million other bills to handle on my own car, insurance, childcare, gas, phone bill. And I'm adult so I do this without complaining and still and still make time to care for myself and my daughter, cook us nightly family dinner and Work a full time management position with a staff of 10+. So if I can do all of these things on 4-5 hours of sleep and a smile on my face why can't my partner step up and just take a hour out of his day when he gets off work to help me clean before I leave for the day and before he heads to bed. Oh and when I told him I didn’t think it was fair to do it alone he said he would do it without complaint by himself because it benefits both of us. But that’s not true because if that’s the case why isn’t he cleaning when he wakes up for day which is usually no later than 6pm, and he has to be to work by 10p

Welcome to the /WeAreTheMusicMakers Weekly Feedback Thread! The comments below in this post is the only place on this subreddit to get feedback on your music, your artist name, your website layout, your music video, or anything else. (Posts seeking feedback outside of this thread will be deleted without warning and you will receive a temporary ban.)
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Prayer based on Revelation 3:14-22
Jesus, the faithful and true witness, speaks truth to the Church in Laodicea.
Father we praise You for Your kindness and Your patience with us. You desire to give us a glorious life in You, and we say no thanks because we are foolishly content with so much less.
John writes down the words of Jesus, who has every right to critique His wayward Church, and sends them to His Church in Laodicea. The Church foolishly believes they are self-sufficient, prosperous and need nothing. Jesus tells him they are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. They need to be clothed in white garments to cover their shame. They were famous for a black fabric they produced. They need a salve to anoint their eyes so that they may see. They sold an ointment known for its healing properties. Jesus calls them to repent and be zealous for the good works He has prepared in advance for them to do. (Ephesians 2:10) Jesus desires to have his rightful reign over them. Jesus tells them if they submit to Him, they will be conquerors, and He will grant them to sit down with Him on His throne! He who has ears, let him hear and accept this glorious offer.
Father, forgive us for our blind and foolish ways. May we turn to You and live. Amen.
Questions for reflection and meditation: 1. Can you see a gap between the abundant life Jesus has for you and the life you are living? What is needed to close this gap? 2. How can you discover your blind and foolish ways? 3. How have you experienced godly sorrow and repentance this past week? (2 Corinthians 7:10

Prayer based on Revelation 3:14-22
Jesus, the faithful and true witness, speaks truth to the Church in Laodicea.
Father we praise You for Your kindness and Your patience with us. You desire to give us a glorious life in You, and we say no thanks because we are foolishly content with so much less.
John writes down the words of Jesus, who has every right to critique His wayward Church, and sends them to His Church in Laodicea. The Church foolishly believes they are self-sufficient, prosperous and need nothing. Jesus tells him they are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. They need to be clothed in white garments to cover their shame. They were famous for a black fabric they produced. They need a salve to anoint their eyes so that they may see. They sold an ointment known for its healing properties. Jesus calls them to repent and be zealous for the good works He has prepared in advance for them to do. (Ephesians 2:10) Jesus desires to have his rightful reign over them. Jesus tells them if they submit to Him, they will be conquerors, and He will grant them to sit down with Him on His throne! He who has ears, let him hear and accept this glorious offer.
Father, forgive us for our blind and foolish ways. May we turn to You and live. Amen.
Questions for reflection and meditation: 1. Can you see a gap between the abundant life Jesus has for you and the life you are living? What is needed to close this gap? 2. How can you discover your blind and foolish ways? 3. How have you experienced godly sorrow and repentance this past week? (2 Corinthians 7:10

i am still living with her and it is fairly pleasant still. sometimes feels like nothing has changed, despite the lack of intimacy, but it definitely has. she doesn't want to be with me, but i was enquiring with one of her favourite jewellers about getting a custom engagement ring made before this happened. i very much want to be with her. i want everything we both dreamt of still - kids, a secluded cottage with dogs and goats and a self-sufficient lifestyle.
we have a beautiful puppy that we still go on nice walks with. once i move out though, she wants time away from contacting me, other than when i come to get the puppy for a bit. i cry daily but i am so worried how hard it is going to hit when i actually move out. i am going to join a gym, start therapy again and work on myself in hopes that i become a person i am happy with and then maybe one day my dream with come true.
anyone have any other suggestions on how to keep busy? i am going to be living in a van. i will be working 3 days a week. i don't want to date again.
sorry, this is probably written like the ramblings of an overly-emotional, middle-aged man..