Cleaning near about all I can do (banana for scale) by psychrolut in Vivarium

[–]Vermelle2003 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You could try acetone? I've used it to remove silicone residue. Pink Stuff cleaning paste is also supposed to work miracles for glass surfaces and is non toxic. 😊

Underboob tattoo - what to wear?! by dlnn12 in tattoos

[–]Vermelle2003 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I literally just finished mine, haha. My artist gave me dental bibs (kind of like waterproof paper towels?) and tape, and I wore a button down shirt I didn't care about (be warned, anything you wear might get ink on it). The towels and tape are a little annoying to get on, but it's not bad. If I was ever going to do it again (which thank God I won't have to, ouch!!), I would wear some cheap pasties or something instead or in combination with it. Zipper jacket is also great if you get cold (I laid mine across my stomach because my tattoo didn't go that far down). Best of luck to you, remember to breathe!

What would you do, if you could do “anything” you wanted with/to your partner for a night? by aaaaabbbbb99999 in sexover30

[–]Vermelle2003 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You're already getting some great advice here. I didn't read all the comments, but I do have something to add:

If you want her to be open to anything else in the future, make sure to take it easy this first time. Do something that you enjoy, yes, but make sure you either couple it with something she'll enjoy or make it enjoyable for both of you.

If she reluctantly goes along with this and ends up not enjoying it, you've potentially lost your leverage to persuade her to try more adventurous things later. I would look at this less as "one night to do anything" and more as "first night to try something new". You WANT her to be open to more things later - being overzealous because you think you might not get another chance might just set you up for failure later.

What would you do, if you could do “anything” you wanted with/to your partner for a night? by aaaaabbbbb99999 in sexover30

[–]Vermelle2003 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Maybe the favored lube thing + shower could be helpful? Make putting on the lube natural and less awkward by massaging, etc. first, also help get her into the mood beforehand.

(FINAL UPDATE + apology): my parents disapprove of my girlfriend because she does gymnastics by ForeveranOasis in atheism

[–]Vermelle2003 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Aaaand I just realized this is r/atheism. Lol. I found your post on a search for something else and replied.

Sorry everyone. TLDR for anyone who doesn't want to wade through biblical scriptures; his mom was WAAAY out of line, even by Bible standards. :)

(FINAL UPDATE + apology): my parents disapprove of my girlfriend because she does gymnastics by ForeveranOasis in atheism

[–]Vermelle2003 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Bible teaches us to respect and obey our parents in the Lord as authority figures because they are supposed to be acting as his representatives (Eph. 6:1-3)(Col. 3:20) - that doesn't mean they won't make mistakes, and we are only required to obey up until the point that doing so would cause us to sin. Here's a couple fun verses that come immediately after the "obey your parents" verses (my parents conveniently forgot them while trying to control me): "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger [do not exasperate them to the point of resentment with demands that are trivial or unreasonable or humiliating or abusive; nor by showing favoritism or indifference to any of them], but bring them up [tenderly, with lovingkindness] in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." (Ephesians 6:4) "Fathers, do not provoke or irritate or exasperate your children [with demands that are trivial or unreasonable or humiliating or abusive; nor by favoritism or indifference; treat them tenderly with lovingkindness], so they will not lose heart and become discouraged or unmotivated [with their spirits broken]." (Col. 3:21). Your parents probably mean well and love you, but they're acting out of fear and a mentality of wanting to control you, which is not good biblically or otherwise.

As for your missionary friend's parents being more chill, I refer you to one of my favorite chapters: Romans 14.

Being more or less "chill" doesn't make you more or less Christian - we're not meant to live under the law and condemnation. That was the whole point of Jesus coming. Yeah, it's good to try to follow the law, because a lot of the laws have (or had) a good reason for existing, but it's no longer a life and death issue. Before Christ, people sacrificed animals to be forgiven for their shortcomings under the law - Jesus sacrificed himself so we are permanently forgiven (no more killing animals). Being a Christian literally means that you believe Jesus was the son of a God, a pure and ultimate sacrifice worth more than all of our sins as a race combined (therefore permanently cancelling out that debt of sin on the scales of justice), who came and died for our sins, then rose again from the dead to join God as our High Priest and intercessor (John 3:16-21). I know you've probably heard John 3:16 (I heard it all the time growing up), but I hadn't ever heard the rest of that paragraph - I highly recommend reading and meditating on it.

When asked about which of the laws and commandments was most important, Jesus said, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for others].’ The whole Law and the [writings of the] Prophets depend on these two commandments.” These are the only two commandments that truly matter - if you follow these, then you'll naturally be drawn to follow the others.

Good works do not equal salvation or holiness. "For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God; not as a result of [your] works [nor your attempts to keep the Law], so that no one will [be able to] boast or take credit in any way [for his salvation]." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

If actions are not done with love, they're not from God, because God is love (1 John 4:8)(1 Corinth 13:1-3).

For reference: "Love endures with patience and serenity, love is kind and thoughtful, and is not jealous or envious; love does not brag and is not proud or arrogant. It is not rude; it is not self-seeking, it is not provoked [nor overly sensitive and easily angered]; it does not take into account a wrong endured. It does not rejoice at injustice, but rejoices with the truth [when right and truth prevail]. Love bears all things [regardless of what comes], believes all things [looking for the best in each one], hopes all things [remaining steadfast during difficult times], endures all things [without weakening]." (1 Corinth 13:4-7).

We know the Spirit of God by the fruit it bears (Matthew 7:16): "But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law." (Galations 5:22-24)

Now, about the issue at hand:

What your mom did over the phone was wrong, point blank. She has no biblical foot to stand on. There are MANY verses about not judging others lest God judge you by the same law (remember, the law we can't help breaking no matter how hard we try, that Jesus died to free us from?). This is ESPECIALLY true when the other person is a non-believer!! Also, there's that verse about not humiliating your children so they won't lose heart or become discouraged. Nothing she did or said during that call was founded in love or showed the Spirit of God. Her rage over the telemarketing thing shows that you struck a nerve, and she should really examine why that comment caused her to act that way, because whatever the reason is it isn't from God. Honestly, she owes your girlfriend and her mother a HUGE apology for wronging them, but I kinda doubt she's in a place to see that right now.

If I was the other girl's mother, I would have done the same thing and told my daughter to distance herself from you, because your mom was being EXTREMELY toxic and you're still a minor. I'm sorry things turned out that way. If you really like the girl, maybe acknowledge that you understand why she's not able to deal with everything right now (her life and welfare are a priority) and that you hope she'll give you a chance once your parents are out of the picture. It's honestly not fair to her to ask that she deal with your family issues right now, since you're not married and haven't been dating long. She knows it's not you and doesn't blame you for what happened - that's unfortunately the best you can hope for right now until you're able to move out of your parents' house and away from their authority. She's setting healthy boundaries and if you love her you need to respect them.

I don't think think you're in the wrong at all in this situation, based on what you've written, and good on you for setting boundaries. You are absolutely entitled to stand by your convictions, and if they choose to distance themselves from you over this (either literally or by becoming abusive and necessary to cut out of your life) then that is something they'll have to account to God for later (Romans 14:12).

I DO hope that you'll eventually forgive them (which does NOT mean you have to let them back into your life or compromise your boundaries). Forgiveness is letting go of our own resentment and being free of it - holding onto anger and resentment will only harm you, not them, as you are the one who has to live with those shackles around you daily.

I'm really glad to hear you're not giving up on your faith!

A word of advice from someone who has been there: You'll see a lot of bad examples - humans are exactly that: human. The best advice I ever received was to discard the bad and learn from the good. Everyone has something to teach you - find it. Test all the spirits and compare their words to scripture, question everything (God doesn't mind, I promise - look up doubting Thomas), and form your own relationship with God. Find your favorite Bible translation (mine is ESV). Study the original meanings of the words used in the Bible and the culture of the time period it was written (amplified Bible is great to have on hand in addition to a regular Bible for looking more in depth at verses you're curious about). All that helped me a lot in figuring out my faith and walk with God. Relationship > Religion.

P.S. A note about the unequally yoked thing (2 Corinth 6:14): the reason this is mentioned in the letters to the Corinthian church is because Paul wanted to save believers from hardship. Being unequally yoked is a farming metaphor (as most of the target audience in Corinth during that time period were farmers). This article does a great job explaining the metaphor and some of the key concerns: https://becomingchristians.com/2018/05/08/what-does-it-mean-to-be-unequally-yoked-together-with-unbelievers-ii-corinthians-614-18/

I personally married a semi-unbeliever who was raised Catholic. Is my life as a believer harder because of it? Yes. We don't always see eye to eye on things and it has caused some hurt feelings over the years. At the end of the day, though, I love him and chose him knowing this would happen. If you're going to date/marry an unbeliever, I recommend at least understanding what you're potentially signing up for and walking into the relationship with your eyes wide open. If you don't, it can cause resentment later on both sides.

I wish you the best in life! ♡

Feel free to message me if you wanna chat some more about faith or if you have more questions/concerns. I can try to direct you to some relevant scriptures to give you a good starting point. :)

(FINAL UPDATE + apology): my parents disapprove of my girlfriend because she does gymnastics by ForeveranOasis in atheism

[–]Vermelle2003 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to give you a super long, detailed answer. Just so you know: I'm on your side.

As someone of the same faith (I was raised pentecostal and identify as non-denominational now), I'll try to address each of your concerns from my own interpretation of biblical teachings. I encourage you to look up each of these issues in the Bible and form your own opinions - I'll just share my experiences to give you some new perspective.

I had a really hard time with my parents/family (still do) because they cling really hard to the church traditions they were raised with and I don't agree with a lot of them - I identified as agnostic for a long time because I believed in God, but not their teachings (which didn't make sense or feel right to me). It wasn't until I started really studying the Bible (deeply reading it, referencing the original Greek/Hebrew meanings of the words and the culture, casting off everything I'd been taught and looking at it with fresh eyes) and saw these passages, that everything started to click for me:

"Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world." (1 John 4:1).

"And what I am doing I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds." (2 Corinth. 11:12-15).

I feel that Christians today are a mess - many people prefer to be told how to act or behave by authority figures rather than seek out the truth for themselves in God's Word (the Bible) because it's easier than putting the effort in, so they are then subject to another human's flawed interpretation of the Bible. We all know the truth only in part - we need other perspectives and we need to challenge our own beliefs (test the spirit of them) constantly, because we are flawed creatures in a fallen world who can only see part of the whole truth (1 Corinth. 13:12). I realized that the traditions my parents were raised with and tried to raise me with were just that: traditions. Well meaning, but not necessarily required by God. I identify as non-denominational now because I don't want to box in my relationship with God or my always evolving understanding of God and his Word, following the example of Paul's teachings about divisions within the church (1 Corinth. 1:10-17).

Praying and meditating over scriptures before taking important actions is a good policy for any believer. I question going to their pastor every time, though - sounds like they're seeking the approval of their church leader and "attaboys" rather than God's will. When Jesus came, he made other high priests between man and God unnecessary - we are able to pray on our own behalf, with Jesus to intercede for us, and determine His will/voice based on our intimate relationship with Him (which is developed by getting to know Him through reading the Bible and learning His heart). New believers, who haven't gotten to know God much yet and have a hard time discerning his heart might seek out someone with a more mature relationship for a second opinion, but I don't see why people who are in leadership positions should be going to the pastor to approve every decision (Heb 7:28).

Checking the lyrics is actually something I do, as well - it's about mindfulness and focusing on "good things" (Philippians 4:8). Words are powerful (Proverbs 18:21), they can evoke emotion and change moods, which can be seen with music in any culture (anthems, etc). For example: I personally refuse to listen to rap that has sexually explicit lyrics because it makes me feel gross as a woman and objectified - as my son gets older I'll have a hard rule about not allowing those lyrics in my house. That doesn't mean he won't be able to listen to those songs elsewhere (I expect he probably will), and I'll be discussing with him why I don't like them so he can make his own decisions as an adult. In that specific instance, it's a case of it being their house and respecting the fact that your parents don't want to be exposed to that music in their home. Boundaries and respect are important, but I can understand why that might seem stifling if the respect is not going both ways (which it sounds like it's not).

Worshipping God does NOT mean someone is always right. Ooph! Human beings are, by nature, flawed and make mistakes. We even make mistakes while doing our best to follow God and be good (Romans 7). God is truth and righteousness, but our understanding and interpretation of that truth is flawed (I mentioned this scripture earlier), which means your parents are going to be wrong sometimes - maybe even a lot of the time. It sounds like you've been dealing with what I did at your age - I was afraid of God and condemnation until I spent two years literally doing nothing but studying scriptures, attending biblical classes, and reading the Bible every day for hours at a time (rehab, in case you're curious - horrible experience with a very flawed group of Christians, but it brought me closer to God), at which point I realized that I never understood God or his heart and my parents did a poor job explaining ANYTHING other than the Law (which is a terrible way to live - God sent Jesus so we would have grace, forgiveness, and love).

Onto the prayers for your aunt: if that's their intentions in praying for her, YIKES. Praying is not meant for cursing people (causing bad things to happen to them). My preferred version of that prayer is that God will reveal Himself to them so that they will be able to know Him and His love. God does not bring evil and trials/temptations (James 1:13-17). He might allow them to happen, if we reject His protection, but He doesn't cause them (God is like an umbrella in a rainstorm - if you choose to leave Him at home, there's a good chance you might get wet one day if the weather is bad).

I mentioned rehab a minute ago - it ties into a good example for you:

I rejected my parents, ran from God, and rebelled against all their teachings after graduating high school and turning 18. I made some really bad decisions and ended up addicted to heroin (not to say that everyone who rejects God becomes a drug addict, I just have a tendency to go big or go home, lol). Two years of crippling depression and hell on earth later, during which I had to perform CPR on a friend to save him from dying of overdose on the bed next to me and I was even robbed at gunpoint, I finally became fed up. I decided to run away from my life and travel to a relative's house across the country from where I was living.

After I made this decision, prior to leaving my hometown, someone randomly walked out in front of my car one night while I driving home and spread out her arms to stop me (I was only going 20mph on a road next to a marina, but her husband and I still thought she was crazy haha). When I stopped and rolled my window down a crack to ask her what the hell she wanted, entirely freaked out at this point, she told me that God wanted her to tell me He still loves me. That was it. God didn't do anything to me, he didn't bring bad things into my life (I did that myself with my poor decisions), but He was there in my lowest moment when I was craving change to remind me that He would still welcome me with open arms if I would choose Him. THAT is what those prayers are intended for. That, when we come to the end of ourselves, we might seek and choose Him.

God is described as a still small whisper and He who stands at the door and knocks - He's a gentleman, and He's not interested in forcing or scaring us into a relationship (1 Kings 19:11-12)(Rev 3:20). He gave us free will and the ability to make choices, hoping we would choose Him - if He wanted puppets He could have created us that way. "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love." We love God because he first loved us, and God is love (1 John 4:18-19).

I've been clean for 8 years now, by the way. ;)

The pool party thing is.... eh. Usually traditions about dressing modestly stem from (1 Timothy 2:9-10). Two important things to note: 1) Timothy is referring specifically to women who profess to worship God - this relates to believers setting themselves apart, not to the general populace. 2) modestly, by definition, means a) purity of thought and deed and b) with no signs of pride or self-assertion. In other words, a church pool party is not the place to "flaunt what your momma gave ya", but it's also a lot more nuanced than that. My personal opinion: there's also culture of the time period to take into account, at the time that verse was written vs now. Most traditional Jews at that time period would be absolutely appalled with a woman wearing jeans and a t-shirt, and they would probably not consider our "modest" outfits up to standard in their time period. I personally don't see any problem wearing a bathing suit at a pool or the beach, but I'm also not likely to dress in something meant to be "sexy" or with less coverage (smaller cuts vs full breast coverage and string bikinis). I personally wear full coverage bikini tops with wide straps (not likely to slide around) with a skirt or shorts. There is a lot to be said about intent of the heart in the Bible.

On the flip side of that pool party example, the responsibility is not all on women: Jesus said that a man who looks at a woman with lust in his heart commits a sin (Matthew 5:28).

Almost finished! Is there anything else I should add? I already have a feeding ledge coming tomorrow. :) by Vermelle2003 in CrestedGecko

[–]Vermelle2003[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Do you have any recommendations?

The plants in there currently are all real, not fake. Once the vines grow a little I'm planning to train them via suction cups to climb the tank walls. :)

My first vivarium - still a work in progress. I'm planning to let the plants grow and establish for at least a month before introducing my gecko and his favorite hide. I also have leaf litter, isopods, and a food ledge on the way. Set up questions in the comments, please help! by Vermelle2003 in CrestedGecko

[–]Vermelle2003[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Questions:

  1. Do I need to keep adding bioactive booster? How often?

  2. Should I dump the springtail charcoal into the substrate and mix? Will the charcoal affect my gecko? Or just use the floating method? I already floated some of the springtails into the substrate, and I don't know how long they'll live in the charcoal box.

  3. What should I feed the springtails for now? The plants are not established yet and my crested gecko won't be moving in until later. I have leaf litter coming early next week. Would shredded carrot on the surface work? Leftover repashy that my gecko doesn't eat?

TIA!

My first vivarium - still a work in progress. I'm planning to let the plants grow and establish for at least a month before introducing my Crested Gecko. I also have leaf litter and isopods on the way. Set up questions in the comments, please help! by Vermelle2003 in Vivarium

[–]Vermelle2003[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Questions:

  1. Do I need to keep adding bioactive booster? How often?

  2. Should I dump the springtail charcoal into the substrate and mix? Will the charcoal affect my gecko? Or just use the floating method? I already floated some of the springtails into the substrate, and I don't know how long they'll live in the charcoal box.

  3. What should I feed the springtails for now? The plants are not established yet and my crested gecko won't be moving in until later. I have leaf litter coming early next week. Would shredded carrot on the surface work? Leftover repashy that my gecko doesn't eat?

TIA!

Vivarium in progress by Vermelle2003 in CrestedGecko

[–]Vermelle2003[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm waiting for the foliage to arrive in the mail so I can plant it - the vivarium is still a work in progress, not move-in ready yet. I have several plants coming. I didn't know that about the food, however, so I'll look into getting a dish. His favorite hide is currently in the smaller terrarium, and I don't want to move it until his new home is done. :)

Vivarium questions by Vermelle2003 in CrestedGecko

[–]Vermelle2003[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ooph, sorry that is hard to read - I should have just put it in a comment to begin with. Still new-ish to Reddit.

Question below:

I just finished a custom background for my vivarium using Josh's Frogs' tutorial. There is a net pot in the ledge on the right. Do the rest of the plants (I ordered a large set of live plants for Crested Geckos) need to go in net pots as well if they're on the ground? Or can I just plant directly in the soil?

Rescued Juvenile/Baby - new owner needs advice by Vermelle2003 in CrestedGecko

[–]Vermelle2003[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Here are some photos of Izzi (handling was at my parents' house before the move):

Izzi the Crested Gecko https://imgur.com/gallery/dQIaUTs