I return things more than you. I don't think I've been flagged. I do take into account the cost of the item. If it's cheap I just give it away. I'm a little worried now because I have two items of clothing that didn't fit me and I'm returning. I want to re-order the next size though, so hopefully, that will help. I've never heard of anyone taking a sanctimonious attitude about returns to online stores. I think it goes with the territory. We're basically buying items sight unseen so of course some things will not turn out.

Thanks everyone.

I had it done before we sold our previous house. They did sand it and then used a paint that was specific for cabinets. I don't remember which brand it was though. There's a ton of Youtube videos out there on this subject.

exactly! We see this with my MIL. It does make me wonder if Stupid Professor has some kind of dementia (or other brain issue) coming on that is still it's early days. That can cause otherwise intelligent people to lose their critical thinking skills. This is why elderly are easy targets. Their brains do not function as well as when they were younger.

Certainly, he was not using his brain when making decisions. 😉 I know he had trouble brewing tEA because of meds, but they were stroking his ego too.

It's way too complicated for 3 sentences. I recommend reading the first paragraph and then the last 3-4 paragraphs. 🙂

In my experience literalists tended to be more fundamentalist (Baptists, AOG, Pentacostals) than from sacramental traditions (such as Catholics, Episcopalians). Perhaps back in the day (like 80yrs ago) Methodists were - but I think they have moved away from that in the last 40 or so years. Are there literalist within the Jewish traditions??? I don't know. My understanding is that literalists would differentiate between Psalms (poems and allegory) and historical events such as Flood and Adam and Eve. They believe there were 7 - 24hr days of creation and the believe that Jonah and the Whale and the Flood accounts are historical events. But that is a very superficial understanding. I have no idea how they would interpret the Book of Leviticus exactly, nor how they interpret things that aren't specified in the Bible (like what a Christian church service looks like, wedding rings, or pews). Edited to add: There are plenty of people who believe that Noah and Jonah were historical people who would not be considered literalists. (ie, they may be Old Earth Creationists or believe in Evolution) .. so I don't know where the line is drawn between the two. It's a little muddy.

I kept wondering about them too. What an awful situation to grow up in. Awful. My random thoughts.... I agree that the guy's an idiot. He gave his passwords to these women?!?! Doesn't Harvard Law school teach critical thinking? I would not be a happy parent spending money on Harvard tuition for my kids to be taught by him. OTOH, I have a family member who is currently a victim of elder fraud. We cannot get her away because she refuses to believe her family. It is tragic to watch it all unfold. She has lost so much money. My father is totally gullible, like this man, and he's not on the spectrum. The only reason he has not become a victim, since my mom died, is that he has no money (thank God for small mercies).. He's a very devout man who I would hope would keep it in his pocket. Otherwise, I'm sure he'd be preyed upon.

Whoo hoo!!! Congratulations.

I do have a question: Even if I cut up all my cards and close my accounts, isn't it too late? Isn't all my data already out there? Wouldn't Capital One and others keep that information on file records somewhere?

While I wouldn't put it in those words exactly, it is basically what I've been pondering about this thread too. Who gets to decide? Not even sure how best to bring it up either, so I just kept quiet. It seems to be an issue because there are so many different traditions within Christianity. It was certainly a BIG question I had back 15-20yrs ago when I started questioning. However, I didn't throw out the baby with the bathwater. But, yes, I do feel like those of us who try to follow our faith carefully and lovingly are lumped in with those who are more legalistic. I think somewhere up-thread someone hinted at how hard it can be to define what is legalistic. One person's living out their faith with themselves, and their family, is another person's legalism.

I would not use debit cards. My sis does that and she's had the number stolen multiple times. I like the idea of buying gift cards 👍

The double-speak on the bolded is astounding. I'm a customer and very angry. This is not the first company to have a data breach on their credit card customers. Makes me wonder if there's an alternative - esp. for online shopping where you can't pay cash.

I thought the same thing when I read her post. We're all works in progress.

I think it was the timing. I think he book was in reply to the culture which was becoming increasingly "worldly". Also, because he was young the kids could relate to him more than if an older pastor/leader was preaching it. I have never read the book, but from what I know it's not all bad advice. Waiting until marriage for sex isn't a novel idea within religious communities... it just that some people take it too far and make it into a legal requirement. It became an idol within certain communities.

I do too. I was just tell my SIL about the time his wife, my daughter, came home with that book. I was disappointed but had no ammunition at the time. I just wasn't comfortable taking dating advice from a 20yr old (not even married at the time).

He's lived his whole life in a glass house. His parents were pioneers and prominent speakers in the early days of the homeschooling movement. Dad talked about his kids a lot in his lectures. Then he went to Cov Life and became the lead pastor...which always struck me as weird since he was so young. I assumed (rightly as it turned out) that he was basically a tool for CJ Mehany. When that ship started to sink fast, he stepped down and went off the seminary in Canada. I thought that was the best decision he could make. I wonder if its like he's finally living his young adult years where he can question what he's believed and wrestle with his faith - only he's doing it in public. At that time he left for sem I was hoping his studies would take him away from the rigid Evangelical Protestantism that he had grown up with and preached, and maybe move to a more historical and traditional tradition such as Anglicanism, Catholicism, Lutheran or Eastern Orthodox. I'm sad that both his marriage and his faith has fallen apart. I do agree that he's not real clear about what part of his beliefs make him feel he's not a Christian. But, in some sense it makes sense. I live a few miles down the street from Cov.Life. My kids and I have had lots of interactions with Cov Life families and I'm friends with a few. I have family members who are former and current members. But, my kids had mostly negative experiences because we didn't go to Cov. Life. The teens (friends, not family) would question my kids and say in surprise, "You're a Christian??? How can that be, you don't go to Cov. Life." This was even when we briefly went to the Baptist church... you can only imagine what they thought when they found out we were Orthodox. 🙄 The kids really did seem to think theirs was the only "true Christian" church in our area. It boggles the mind!! I'm not sure they actually taught this from the pulpit or classroom, but there was a long culture of "us vs them" within Cov. Life. They kept to themselves - even with extended family. So, I can see how, in his mind, he no longer follows that rigid theology...ergo he's no longer a Christian. I hope he continues to question and look... but, as a Christian, I do hope he circles back around to Christianity. I just wish he would do it quietly (I know, it's not a thing in our internet age).

sending prayers the get all the edges and recovery is simple.

I don't enjoy the beach either and with the parameters you've given I'd also choose Charleston. I have a friend with a dh who sounds similar to your dh. She often goes with friends or other family members. I've gone with her before. My dh likes to GO on vacation. It isn't restful for me at all. I enjoyed the time I went to DR with my friend above. It was so relaxing.

hugs. I get it. Although I don't have to deal with an emotional 12yr child anymore. I went away for 3 days last weekend to help care for my new granddaughter. Came home to a messy house. Granted, my kitchen is still unfinished, but *I* can keep it relatively organized.

what an interesting story, except it had involve your injuring yourself and going to the ER. What a bother. Hope the pain isn't too bad.

That is just awful. I would school her about what it means to take the Lord's name in vain.. And I would then say what Dawn wrote... then I'd consider legal action. What a piece of work.

I have a family member like this. It is amazing. Her kids have turned out fine. I don't know if they yell at their kids or not. I don't see them much anymore.

Especially when this happens at 3am. !!!!

Does it have to include a job??!! I dream often of moving to the coast of Cornwall (or Wales or Scotland!). Living by myself in a small cottage with my loom. As for job/career. It would involve investigating old things like in History Detectives. Or a curator at a museum. And...I've always wished I could write a good mystery series. Then I could live *by myself* somewhere off the coast of Cornwall (or Wales or Scotland) 🙂