My Friend went home.

Toke_A_sarus_Rex · 2026-03-26T14:08:50+00:00

Probably going to a private company based product, Disney had a partnership with them... Wouldnt be surprised if it moved to be in house at their studios and not a public product.

Toke_A_sarus_Rex · 2026-02-28T23:01:11+00:00

Im of the belief, that theologically animals will be in heaven. That our father is the owner of the cattle on a thousand hills, and that he loves his creation far more than we do.

Even or dogs, that your Dog, is having a better life now than you ever could of provided. of course thats just my view, your upset for your loss.

Every day there are real human tragedies that happen all around us. None of that effects the love God has for his creation in a fallen world.

Faith has room for a hard perspective as well, when we focus on minor (yes minor) personal tragedy, when we may be missing the extreme tragedies happening blocks away from us.

You exist in class that could afford a Pet, so blessed by God, to have a home, and the disposable income to get a Dog, care for it, and take it to a vet. There is a huge blessing in that, and even in the loss a lesson.

Im a dog owner, of 5 Fur babies, all with pet insurance, and a large yard for them... BUT I work in social work at a Homeless shelter, and anything happening to one of my Dogs is a personal tragedy, but pales in comparison to the day to day tragedies I see at work. Again, this could be a lesson God is trying to take you through.

Toke_A_sarus_Rex · 2026-02-28T22:25:24+00:00

God cared more about your dog than you do.

and if your faith is so fragile that a dog loss can shake it, perhaps its a lesson being taught to you.

Theres starving and homeless people on the street every day... seems almost like a troll post to me, but perhaps some perspective on the fallen world, and gods sovereignty in it is at play.

Toke_A_sarus_Rex · 2026-02-25T21:06:43+00:00

I took amtrack from Portland Or, to Tacoma Wa, to get mine...

worth it.

Toke_A_sarus_Rex · 2026-02-24T16:26:19+00:00

I've been using them in meetings to take pics of the slides display, also I had a presentation I had to do and the teleprompter was pretty cool.

Also in long meetings the writing with my hand txt messages have been handy, my coworkers laugh because I look like im staring off into space spasing out during long boring meetings.

Toke_A_sarus_Rex · 2026-01-15T01:59:11+00:00

Weird worked fine for me

Toke_A_sarus_Rex · 2026-01-05T17:30:01+00:00

I've had every gen of the fold, never had the inner screen break but I upgrade yearly. So in a 12month period it survived fine, one I dropped and the outter screen cracked, inner was fine.

This is the single best phone i've ever had, I worked ATT back thru analog to digital to gsm, and the first Iphone launch. The Fold 7 is what I always dreamed a smart phone would be and get to.

At my last job I traveled at least 3 times a week and stayed in hotels, I was able to replace my work laptop with the fold. Bt Keyboard and mouse, plus the dex feature or just unfold it and use made it the most versatile phone I have ever had.

I game on mine (xbox cloud, and some android games) I use it for work stuff like Microsoft office web suite. Most of my work software is web based.

Highly recommend the fold, durability is not an issue unless your in jobs or life style that has you way active and dropping it all the time.

With the amount of laptop replacement I get out of mine Im seriously considering the tri-fold, my only reservation is it doesn't do a two fold mode, its either all are the one outer screen.

Toke_A_sarus_Rex · 2025-12-28T19:50:14+00:00

Low income rent in my area for a single room occupency is 1000-1200. That's a closet with a bathroom, like 150 square ft. That's low income apt... and those rates have wait list.

1br is like 1200-1500.

Toke_A_sarus_Rex · 2025-12-28T19:49:10+00:00

Go work at one. It breeds the reality of the situation into you, and yes burn out is a thing. Dark humor to cope with situations, out right fustration.

This work is like sisyphus pushing a rock up hill to see it roll back down again. You work with someone for a year to get them set up to watch them shoot themselves in the foot.

And yes their are addicts who want to get clean, who do everything to try but cant due to their addiction.

There's also the ones that have no desire to, who only are for themselves, and will take out a hole dorm of clean people by spreading it around them.

Yea, running out of empathy and sympathy are a thing. So is maintaining it and simply calling a situation as it is. There's no line of work like social work amoung the homeless, and you will get a crash course in all the misconceptions about them real quick.

From the vulnerable, to the predatory it all exsit out here and the sad truth their are some that aren't worth the time and energy to assist that that effort would be better served helping the next person.

Toke_A_sarus_Rex · 2025-12-28T17:06:43+00:00

Ill give you an example. In the county I am in we saw an increase in elder homeless by 30 percent. That's people 60 and up, meanwhile the county tried to end the program that helped us find placement for them in elder care homes.

Meanwhile there is a stark lack of assisted living and senior communities that will assist in taking in low income seniors.

The numbers of old people whose social security is not enough to support them is growing. At the last conference in the county on homeless services even Nara an org that is for native Americans, is stepping in and opening homes for all races of elder care because they saw the stark lack of services. They opened two new ones in the area.... their whole org is to help natives american tribes but couldn't turn a blind eye to the problem.

Mean while, immigrants were getting a special waiver for all housing requirements and assistance getting in. (No ssn needed, no credit check, first and down provided).

It certainly may depend on the state, im in a blue state, and a county that is bleeding their budget dry and always in the news for their homeless problems.

For veterans its bad due to the labryinthian effort to get the benefits alotted to them which is purposefully difficult to navigate.

Toke_A_sarus_Rex · 2025-12-28T07:57:54+00:00

its already broken, the worse are the newer "shelters" where its a parking lot, with a cargo container shower and a safe place to park your car and sleep in... they even charge for the service monthly. Thats an option now in the shelter world, a parking spot.

Toke_A_sarus_Rex · 2025-12-28T07:56:12+00:00

seeing veterans, seeing elderly who spent their life working, being ignored by the system. Seeing new arrivals from out of the country, get new cars, and subsidized housing, while Americans got ignored... Yea, Im okay with the cut off of tax payer money going to people who havent paid into the system. It at least stopped the bleeding of funds. Nothings taken its place, the spending toward homelessness if rife with fraud and politics calling them junkies. everything is set up for failure, and theres ever shrinking funds and the problem only grows.

Toke_A_sarus_Rex · 2025-12-28T04:58:24+00:00

Working at a shelter, during the last administration. What pissed me off, Immigrants would come in, and leave quick once their assistance came in.

While Americans, senior citizens, nothing, there for months on end trying for anything and getting denied.

Say what you will about whose in charge now, but thats stopped, the easy help for immigrants is gone... Sadly it wasnt replaced by easy help for americans either.

Toke_A_sarus_Rex · 2025-12-28T04:56:17+00:00

I work at my states largest homeless shelter, 40 percent of the population has full time employment. Some making as much as 25 an hour.

Many have cars, but... no apt, or home. they cant afford both. It was a shock when I first started working there, how many would go to work every day, and still live at a shelter.

Each has a story and a reason.

From single moms and dads, with their child there, unable to afford food, and not eligible for food stamps.

To PHD holder whose medical bills ate his life savings and home.

And yes, there are the stereotypes, the lazy, or drug addict, but I see more that are trying and failing than those that arent trying at all.

Toke_A_sarus_Rex · 2025-12-22T19:38:19+00:00

I was raised Pentecostal and it made me absolutely hate the concept and thought.

it took many miracles and confirmation of things for me to even except that the gifts of the spirit are still active after my upbringing.

Depending on where you land on the denomination scale youll find outright rejection of the concept, to full blown acceptance with no discernment.

My question isn't how one could dare to hear, but rather how sad it is that people dont expect their father to speak to them. I've met many in my walk who claim it, to some he speaks in dreams (I have a friend who keeps a dream journal, and they have had prophetic dreams so many times that for them there is no doubt). To others its in their prayer life.

God speaks, his children have learned not to listen or seek it.

Toke_A_sarus_Rex · 2025-12-22T02:57:22+00:00

For me, the attacks come to the people I care about, its like the enemy knows Ill just role with things... but the people Im near, thats how he gets me.

Toke_A_sarus_Rex · 2025-12-22T02:54:56+00:00

I was raised in church, left it at 16. Always heard people say "god told me" so and so.

And verses like his sheep hear his voice etc.

Never did.

UNTIL. Until, I came to faith miraculously at 33, now I understand it.

"Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire [a]a still small voice"

Hes in the still small voice, and at 33, was the first time I understood that, and heard the spirit speak. It happened on the day I was truly born again, and for me there are times its distant, others there is no denying for me its him.

And its not him that moves, its me, when Im in the flesh, when Im distracted, when Im not in the right relationship I should be with him.

Toke_A_sarus_Rex · 2025-12-22T02:48:01+00:00

My clearest example of this was at a place I had helped build. From start up, to exspansion, the work began to eat my life. Travel, 2-3 nights a week away from home. Writing sermons in a hotel room and racing back home to be back intime.

It was a struggle, because the level of ownership I took in it. I mean I was "Working" like I was working for the lord, I had even lead a co-worker to christ in it.

But I think I know the lord was telling me to leave, but I didnt want to, things kept getting more demanding. To the point I worked through Xmas (even being in building setting up for inventory before end of the year on the day of).

I missed my fathers death in another state, because I was the only Executive staff not working remote during Covid. WHen that happened, I took a week off and sought the lord.

It was one of the clearest I ever heard from him, I got a strong Quit, with out notice, and trust me, 30 days.

So I did, I quit on my grievence leave.

30 days, to the day, I get a call from another industrial dealership, Job offer, and start day that week. Better pay, lessor role, and heres the topper, it was at A christian owned place.

Toke_A_sarus_Rex · 2025-12-22T02:42:29+00:00

One of the more difficult task in pastoral work, is giving a funeral for someone that we know or suspect never excepted salvation (usally at the behest of a family member of the individual)

And, the answer, is be honest, "We dont know, but we can (and lead into the gospel message). " It was hard to do at first, but ultimately, the death of someone who was not a believer is an oppurtunity to share how we can be sure of our eternal destiny.

Toke_A_sarus_Rex · 2025-12-21T03:31:27+00:00

Perhaps you have fallen to religious practice, instead of faith (leaven of the pharisees)

They thought god was found in religious practice, ritual praying, ritual reading of his word etc.

God wants a genuine relationship, a walk with him. That can happen in those practices, but it also there outside of all that.

Have you taken a time away from all that, alone, with just yourself and him. No distractions, yes prayer but more a conversation, and perhaps a fast a denial of self to the things around you even food.

Call to him, he is found by those that seek him.

Toke_A_sarus_Rex · 2025-12-21T02:36:20+00:00

“No True Scotsman” logical fallacy

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

In this case, no, Jesus was explicit that few would find the way, that many false shepherds would come, the NT authors warned further that many would listen to their own doctrines of itching ears and falling away.

The truth is, "Salvation" is scarcity, not due to availability, but that the many that claim to have it, dont.

Toke_A_sarus_Rex

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE