I wonder if this has to do with security or needing to be stealthy (somewhat). But it seems like even with the Navy ships being "hidden" the Navy ships should have enough tech on board to NOT run into the side of someone else who is commercial.

We use a program called Home Again. At first it was only $9 per year back in 2007/08. Now, it's up to $20 annually. Still, that is not that much for 365 days of coverage. But I wondered if it's redundant.

We had only 84% here in my part of MN. We debated on driving somewhere for totality, but four kids, including the baby...sigh. Gone are our days of couple adventures!

Our dog is microchipped. Every year we spend a fee to have her chip enrolled in a finding program. This year it's up to $20. Not a huge deal. My question is, for a chip to work and match a lost dog with its owner, does the chip have to be enrolled in a for-cost program?? Or can a shelter or vet just scan and get a match?

Samsonite 360' spinner. (The wheels spin in all directions). I've found TravelPro to be heavy compared with Samsonite. I travel a lot. And we're stand-by so I use my roller bag as my main bag for everything.

What does it mean? Everytime I look online, I can never find the acronymn for some reason. Thanks!

Our two older kids graduated from a 5 point harness style at the age of 3.5/4 or so, into a high back booster that uses the standard car's seatbelt - so across the lap and chest. Our 5.5 year old has been in that style for 1.5 years now. We use the Graco with side impact protection. They have channels that the car's seatbelts pass through so the belt stays put at the shoulder. I think it runs between $60-100.

Actually, retaining 'active status' (A1, A2, and A3) is ordering every three months. But to still be a consultant it's every 6 months. I order twice per year. That's all. Been a consultant since 2005.

My 12 gauge and shells. And everything else everyone mentioned already.

North Shore of MN (along Lake Superior). The Lake is fantastically clear. There are agates to hunt for on the rocky beaches. I love the hiking, waterfalls, and creeks/rivers.

I've never heard of this before. Dog whistle in politics or that white supremacists utilize this term in that way. Thanks for sharing.

I have respected your points on all this. But I have not concluded the OP's post was disingenuous. Several people, I believe, pointed to some real information as well as correctly established terms, definitions, and arguments' positions. Some of these things went unaddressed in the course of the discussion - a whole host of mine did. I too had a brief focus on the fact that "omnipotence" and "benevolence" are not mutually exclusive. I have to step back and ask myself if that is "bugging off" or just not willing to go there online with strangers. I think it is the latter. OP doesn't have to "go there" either. The initial question was on prayer and the conversation took several twists and turns none of which she was under obligation to entertain, but she did. I think considering her stance on the matter, she took a risk asking all of us for input. I am not offended in the least if she did not want to "go there." I also do not see this as an attack on Christianity. Objections, or the absence of responses when presented with a solid argument, are mainly unanswered questions or even the uncomfortable possibility that one may be incorrect and something needs reevaluation. It is not our job or duty to rub anyone's nose in that. I too have had people on here do that to me in other threads, and it is very disheartening and hurtful. We aren't here to put people under our Internet thumbs. I would also wonder what you aimed to get out of this conversation here. A change of mind or heart by the OP? That is likely not going to happen over the Interweb. Hopefully with the book recs and the nice posts here, the OP can make some informed reading and study choices.

I agree and disagree. Museums can do a very good job of passing along the message. There is a an amazing Holocaust Museum in downtown Richmond, VA of all places. Before we were married, DH and I went there. The route the museum took was to have you in your home, trying to escape the Nazis. You crawled into your basement storage room, in dim light. Shouts are heard outside the home. You slip behind a hidden door and the lights flicker, thunderous footsteps are heard above, dust falls, and more shouting. Then there is rapid gun fire. I kid you not. I almost peed my pants. I was absolutely scared $hitle$$. Nearly in tears and trembling - it was SO real. You climb out in a crawling position to the sound of shots and machine gun fire. Bright lights and sirens. That cannot be recreated in real life.

Ugh. I had no idea they were using the "Don't Tread on Me" flag too. I actually like that one. Now it's tainted by hatred. In our public elementary school growing up in the 1990s, in northeastern Ohio, we had a variety of U.S. historical flags on display in our cafeteria. I remember as a kid not understanding the "Don't Tread on Me" one, but I was always curious about it and liked it then.

Maybe some sort of hair smoother product would help. All the homes here in our part of MN have them. The hard minerals are too much for the homes' pipes, I suppose. It took getting used to for me too.

I wish I could recall more. I think a lot of what I do recall is just because I see photos.

My dear friend's boyfriend ruptured his Achilles tendon yesterday playing tennis. His insurance wants to wait 16 days before surgery. He's in a boot now. Is waiting that long normal? Something about swelling going down. I'm not sure if she needs to push him (he's kinda blasé even on important matters) to push the doctor/insurance.

I agree 100% with your assessment about science and rational explanations. I would define terms or clarify them for the remainder of your post. Scripture does not define God as "unknowable." On the contrary, Scripture says things like, "They do not know Me." Or, "I do not know them," with God being the "Me" and "I." Or, there are phrases like, "Come to know the Lord." All the uses should have us conclude that He is knowable otherwise none of it makes sense grammatically or for faith. Someone can still be knowable and be mysterious, quiet, seemingly distant, or even beyond human reasoning. Yes. It is true, some aspects of God are too big for the human mind to "get" some of which we discussed already like "free will" versus "predestination." God does not and has not declared Himself as "unknowable." He is bigger than us in every way - more perfect, more loving, more creative. All of our good qualities (made in His image) are exponential in Him. But this vastness is not the same as not being known. Ultimately, and I know many do not share my perspective, God is a person. I approach Him like I do another person and spend time getting to know Him. On the matters over time, with which I have wrestled (and there have been some), I found that humans only can be so helpful in answering questions. People often ask of another person, "What is s/he like?" I can do my flailing best to answer that question, but what a person is essentially asking is this, "What is it they are all about? What's their essence?" Well, the best answer would actually be for me to direct that person asking the question to meet the person for oneself with all one's preconceived notions striped away in order to give a fair assessment. Some doubt always has a place in faith. Faith is not the absence of doubt, it is belief in spite of it. Doubt is not a reason to fear one can not know God either. He welcomed Thomas (whom we call Doubting Thomas) to reach out and touch His hands and His side. We are all welcome to do so too.

I think the bolded is highly important. If we can "see HOW someone could think something," we are far more likely to understand and then we can work toward reconcile and compromise. I think of the times DH and I argue..."Well, DH, I can see how you would think that based on 1. 2. and 3." If he knows I understand his thinking, even if I do not agree, we are more likely to reach a positive outcome. Maybe we can all seek to understand each other sociologically these days....

A kidnapper/victim scenario makes sense in a human-to-human context. One person's free will usurps someone else's. We see this as parents too as we relate to our children - they too have free will, but it is often usurped by our own. Often the kidnapper or parent's will is due to their own human selfishness - the kidnapper's for money/ransom and/or for some heinous act. The parent's need for control, or maybe not wanting to go or do what the child wants. Kidnappers always use their free will for evil. Parents mostly use their free will for good. And some parents, also use their free will for evil (if they are cruddy, horrid parents). I trust that God always uses His free will for good, though we may never see the outcome. We often try and take a human lens and set of understandings and apply them to a bigger being. I am saying we should try to understand this being, but human attempts are often too feeble and limited by space and time. We may try all or lives to come to understand Him more, and still we may come up knowing very little. Is this cause to give up, though? Even the Apostles lamented how little they understood at the ends of their lives and these were men who walked beside Jesus. There are a lot of mysteries in the physical world we have yet to unravel. Personally, DS4 had that seizure at the end of July. DH and I are astounded by how little is actually known about the human brain and its complexities. We are much further than we were decades ago, but there is much progress to be made. Imagine if doctors and researchers just gave up. The presence of mystery and the hidden should not be a deterrent to sticking on and learning more. The more confusing God is, the better, IMHO. He leaves us in search and there is always hope that we would meet Him in new ways we never expected. I like that there is someone bigger than all that I see and hear. Anyway, I appreciate your questions and thoughts. I am not sure if I am helping though.

Sorry, I don't understand what you mean by "dog-whistle" in this context. Do you mean that the phrase "War of Northern Aggression" is cause for white supremacy to get upset? I'm just not following you can you give some more explanation. And to clarify, I don't use the phrase "War of Northern Aggression." I call it the Civil War. But, I have heard the term "War of Northern Aggression" used. I used to live in Richmond, VA for 6 years.

This is true. To own slaves, which were property (ugh), one had to be wealthy and have a plantation (large farm) to grow crops. Most people in the south did not own slaves as they had no need to - their plots of land were not large enough to need forced labor. And, they did not have household servants/slaves either because they did not have the money to buy slaves. When the southerners joined up, they were fighting against a mass of drafted soldiers who were marching on their homes. I have heard the Civil War referred to as the War of Northern Aggression. I have also seen Confederate flags in many states, including Colorado. I don't know why people fly them with the American flag...

Yes, I am interested in the "guarantee of some level of coverage," aspect of LI for a child and not in the $10k to pay for a funeral, which we could do on our own. This is in case DS4 couldn't get his own coverage in the future (LI is harder to get as one ages, especially with pre-existing conditions).

The Confederate Flag currently has two main meanings, IMHO. 1. Rebelliousness. 2. Hatred. I am fine with the former if it is a symbol that means struggling against someone or something. I would put it in the same category as the "Don't Tread on Me" flag flown in the Revolutionary War (the one with the snake). But it is now tainted by the latter second point - it is too pervasively a symbol of hatred and now is in the likes of the Nazi flag, which always means oppression and hatred.

I would kindly point out that without the Resurrection of Jesus and the after life, in your world view, you may render the whole dilemma of omnipotent and at the same time, benevolent, moot anyways. The Resurrection and the afterlife with Jesus in Heaven are the primary good demonstrations of God's GOOD character, good nature, and righteousness as the perfect father and judge. By cutting out the Resurrection and eternal life in Heaven with Him, you systematically dismantle God's primary goal for us humans, which is to be WITH us (He loves His creation) forever. ​Therefore all that remains is a confusion with a seemingly unanswerable question. Add back the possibility of Jesus' Resurrection and the afterlife and a lot more makes sense about the nature and character of God. Without these two important points, the entire Bible falls apart as really, it is the story of God's redemption of the world, in the face of an evil foe, through a Chosen People.