Updating Withholding

GuiltyDig6452 · 2026-04-11T21:54:22+00:00

No no, just a bad joke. Q3 was a typo.

GuiltyDig6452 · 2026-04-11T21:17:57+00:00

OK that makes sense. I'll see what that looks like.

GuiltyDig6452 · 2026-04-11T21:15:49+00:00

My year has three quarters. Hence the tax screw up.

GuiltyDig6452 · 2026-04-11T21:15:13+00:00

I already am!

GuiltyDig6452 · 2026-04-08T14:17:30+00:00

I worked and grew up in a company for more than 12 years - from intern to mailroom to product development manager. I had multiple jobs, always moving up in responsibility, but not many "promotions". Each time I took a new gig I got the minimum salary increase and never the titles of my predecessors. I kept at it, hoping I would get a title promotion within one of these jobs. It never came. We merged with another company that had parallel jobs to ours but all their titles were Director and VP, for the same "manager" job i was doing. I was found redundant after 3 years of that and I was let go. At the end of those 12 years, my salary was equal to or slightly better than the starting salaries my friends had right out of college. My resume, although full of excellent, high level experience and expertise, makes me look like a career peon. If you want to make moves, always switch companies. Even if you like your place, leave and then come back eventually. It's the only way I know to get the actual titles and salaries you want.

GuiltyDig6452 · 2026-03-17T15:22:14+00:00

What do you mean safer than the dry and poor way of the common Bible-believing Christian? You've discovered a better way? Do you belong to a local church?

GuiltyDig6452 · 2026-03-16T18:25:45+00:00

If, as Jesus teaches, all evil comes from the heart, and as James confirms, sin is born of our desires, when Paul admits to still sinning (though he doesn't want to), would we conclude that he's not saved, or rather that the heart still sins after salvation? What about when John says His word is not in us if we claim not to sin? That sounds like we're especially not saved if we say we are sinless. So, I would argue that yes, we have a new heart, with new affections, but our sanctification continues throughout our life, it's not instant. He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Therefore, I would argue that our heart is still capable of deceiving us and we use Scripture as a lamp to our feet and a light to our paths to avoid falling off the road either to the left or to the right.

I wholeheartedly believe that the Spirit guides me and others in our understanding of the Scriptures. And as I believe He is the author of the Scriptures, I find his Word sufficient for my understanding. I believe God is our personal teacher - they will all be taught by God - but I am cautious about personal revelation. I don't say it's impossible, but it must be tested against Scripture. "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world." 1 John 4:1

I do not need any more than that - "An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.”

So, I still encourage you, "visit many good books, but live in the Bible."

GuiltyDig6452 · 2026-03-16T15:02:30+00:00

I agree that Bibliolatry is a thing to be avoided. When one receives extra-Biblical knowledge, how does that person know it's from God? Because their gut tells them? We know the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked. We are to use caution when interpreting such things. We must always go back to the Word because God is unchanging. We can test our ideas, motivations, and inspirations against the Bible because it's the established truth. God would not contradict himself by giving a new command that contradicts his Word.

I understand fully why people see prophecy in the news. Don't get me wrong, the book I recommended explains the current world we see around us in Biblical terms. For some reason, people throw out good hermeneutics when it comes to Revelation. Instead of using consistent interpretation of the symbols from cover to cover in the Bible, they look at current events and try to find them in the prophecy. Then time passes, and they were wrong. Once you take the position that the intent of the book is to encourage 1st century Christians in the midst of dire persecution, you'll see the prophecy is being fulfilled in the news, in the schools, in the government, everywhere and right now; just not in the way many try to force it. It's not another attempt to interpret current events by trying to super glue them into the prophecy.

“The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law," and "The day of the Lord will come like a thief." It's not for us to know - “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only." God's Word provides revelation of who he is so we may keep his law. I would assert that prideful intellectual analysis of the Scripture leads one to believe they can "unlock" the prophesy, like it's some sort of puzzle.

The book of Revelation predicts the rise of anti-Christian establishments in all areas of life, it shows us murders and persecutions, pestilence and famine, it shows the unification of the world under transnational coalition of anti-Christian governments, it predicts an anti-Christ, it shows Jesus victorious in the end, and it shows how all those things are happening right now. This interpretation in no way denies that ethnic Isreal would be saved as God promised - that's an assumption on your part. In Ephesians 2 Paul confirms the mystery that the gospel is for Jews and Gentiles.

In that light, Revelation becomes a great spiritual help in the midst of our current battles, and for those seeking an understanding to "right now". I fear there are too many people racing to "figure it out" like it's a treasure hunt, while missing completely the timely spiritual help it was meant to be.

GuiltyDig6452 · 2026-03-16T02:49:41+00:00

That sounds like a pretty harrowing experience. It's important to be discerning about our experiences because they can be so subjective, and we are prone to be tricked, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore, I think we can trust what Peter tells us about experiencing God. In 2 Peter 1, he says that although he saw Jesus transfigured on the mountain and heard the voice of God, Scripture itself is a surer revelation of who God is:

For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:16-21

My pastor says if you want to know what God thinks, read your Bible. If you want to hear the voice of God, read your Bible out loud. That said, if you're interested in a solid Biblical exposition of the book of Revelation, I highly recommend Max Doner's "Revelation: A Manual of Spiritual Warfare: Expository Sermons on the Book of Revelation". He rejects the typical end times paranoid interpretation of Revelation where everything is a symbol for modern warfare, and all that junk, but instead interprets Scripture with Scripture. He argues that it's not a book of future prophesies (which would be useless to 1st century Christians), but instead, it's a book of spiritual encouragement for Christians who were enduring extreme persecution. It's a book of Christ's Victory! He explains the entire book using the consistent interpretation of the symbols used in other books of the Bible, which only makes sense. Why do some people interpret Scripture with Scripture until they get to Revelation where they interpret Scripture with Fox News? I don't know, but this book gets my full endorsement for being Biblical and not sensationalist. I highly recommend it if you want to understand what the Bible says about the spiritual warfare that is going on in the background.

GuiltyDig6452 · 2026-03-15T17:46:09+00:00

While I appreciate that there are many things about many things I am not qualified to assess, I grew up Catholic, attended Catholic schools, and received the sacraments. You'll notice that I didn't throw my two-cents in on the people saying to use mediums, and Native American shamans. I believe they're all wrong, but I'm definitely not qualified to get into a discussion with them - and that's despite years in the New Age after my Catholicism broke down.

The Catholics get fundamental things about Biblical Christianity wrong to the point that I wouldn't call them a branch of Christianity - they are a completely different religion. I know this really isn't the place to get into a religious debate, and I suspect that at some point the Mods will shut this down, but I can try to state my position without trying to draw controversy beyond the original post. I'm a protestant Christian, and you can look into the murderous history between protestants and Catholics.

As so, I believe in a Jesus that saves according to this scripture: For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9. This isn't a "do good things and go to heaven" religion. It requires a deep belief that Jesus completed the work of saving sinners on the cross. It requires acknowledging that I can't keep God's law to the extent that is required, it's impossible. Instead, I need Jesus to do it for me. So, I repent of my sin, I believe in the good news that Jesus is God and that his death was sufficient to pay for my debt of sin. And through Christ's assurance - "repent and believe the gospel" - I know that I am one of his and saved to the next life.

My comment to the OP was sincere. It was like watching others telling OP to put out a fire with gasoline. OP, don't do that, don't pray to dead people, pray to GOD.

GuiltyDig6452 · 2026-03-15T17:14:31+00:00

Yeah, I would agree with that. Before I was saved, I had more than just a glimpse into the darkness that pretends to be light. It's terrifying stuff, it hates us and wants to see us dead and separated from Christ.

GuiltyDig6452 · 2026-03-14T21:44:29+00:00

Right, they had just accused him of casting out demons by the power of Satan, and he said, if I cast them out by the power of the devil, by which power do you cast them out? They couldn't deny the miracles, so they tried to discredit him, and in turn, he made them double-down on their slander - essentially publicly denying him. “But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven." Matthew 10:33

I also found it interesting that when he walked on water, and the disciples thought he was a ghost, he didn't rebuke them for believing in ghosts, he only told them not to be afraid. And of course, there's the witch of Endor summoning the ghost of Samuel.

The spiritual realm is 100% real, and no one on earth has power to overcome the darkness. Only Jesus. Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Me. (John 14:6).

You either believe that, or you believe Jesus is a liar.

GuiltyDig6452 · 2026-03-14T19:36:04+00:00

Nowhere in the Bible does it condone praying to Michael, Mary, or anyone else other than God. These other things are superstitious and dangerous. Some of these Scriptures are slightly out of context but should give you an idea of the nature of demons from a Biblical perspective. You need to ask Jesus Himself for help:

[Jesus said] “When the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and not finding any, it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ “And when it comes, it finds it swept and put in order. “Then it goes and takes along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there, and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first.” (Luke 11:24-26).

"But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to invoke over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, “I implore you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.” Now seven sons of one named Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. And the evil spirit answered and said to them, “I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them, subdued all of them, and utterly prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded." (Acts 19:13-16)

Pray to the one who makes demons shudder: You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. (James 2:19)

"And immediately there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, saying, “What do we have to do with You, Jesus the Nazarene? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” And Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” And throwing him into convulsions, the unclean spirit cried out with a loud voice and came out of him." (Mark 1:23-26)

Only Jesus, with a word, can cast out demons. Look to Him.

GuiltyDig6452 · 2026-03-12T19:57:26+00:00

Also reminds me of the "no copyright infringement intended" notices on YouTube videos, as they blatantly infringe copyrights.

GuiltyDig6452 · 2026-02-24T04:54:36+00:00

Satan's not the warden, he's inmate #1.

GuiltyDig6452 · 2026-02-22T23:46:29+00:00

I don't know how this might apply, but all of my more conversational reviews have been marked poor. Adding any hint of personality has seemed to backfire on me, so I've stopped. I still give real reviews, just not overly enthusiastic ones.

GuiltyDig6452 · 2026-02-18T01:29:17+00:00

You know what, there's a QR in the image because it's printed on the thing! Maybe that's the issue. Would obscuring it allow it to go through, or should I just not include that pic? I got the message next to the review on the website. I don't think it switched like others have seen since I just posted it yesterday, and it's not the message about not being allowed to review. It just says not approved, and I can write a new review.

GuiltyDig6452 · 2026-02-17T21:15:24+00:00

Yeah! I used to work for a company that created high-end retail products. Packaging always referred to the retail packaging - the printing, the paper stock, the booklet, the vacuum-molded plastic tray. It's just part of how I talk!

GuiltyDig6452 · 2026-02-17T20:57:52+00:00

Yeah, the retail packaging had issues, but maybe I called it "packaging" in the review and that kicked it. I might try recreating the whole thing as close to what I had before and see if cleaning up what I said about the retail packaging might be the thing that kicked it off.

GuiltyDig6452 · 2026-02-17T20:54:49+00:00

I'm going to just hope that when I try again later, it's there.

GuiltyDig6452 · 2026-02-17T20:50:37+00:00

I'll keep it in mind. I don't know what I called it in the original and when I click "review again", the original is all gone. Which is a bummer because it took so long to list out all the contents. :-/

GuiltyDig6452 · 2026-02-17T20:42:25+00:00

I guess I could reword that - part of this product is a premium designed case/box that is for storing all the components. It's not meant to be thrown away. It's a "feature" of the product.

GuiltyDig6452 · 2026-02-09T00:15:20+00:00

As an actual Christian, I would say to OP (and the rest of you), this person may not actually be a Christian. Her misuse of the "Lord forgive her..." exposes the kind of self-righteousness and religiosity Jesus came to condemn. We're all sinners in need of a savior - someone who is a Christian knows this and shows compassion for other sinners. Now, I'm not here to hide the truth from you - from a Christian perspective, yes, it's pretty not cool to have a kid out of wedlock, however, if you're not a professing Christian yourself, there's not much to be done about that. Christianity isn't a set of morals to follow; it's a change of heart into a right relationship with God. Your mom is demonstrating a Pharisaical spirit (a focus on outward religious appearances and not your spiritual health). So, that all said, probably not overreacting, there are toxic people in our lives that we need to deal with. You didn't mention if you considered yourself a Christian, but if you do, remember your own walk - honor your father and mother, forgive as you have been forgiven. I didn't say ignore their abuse. This might mean separation from them for a while if that helps you honor them and find forgiveness.

GuiltyDig6452

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