Recruiting Forum Football Talk IX

#137,736
#137,736
DD4ME said:
Happy Friday — May 1, 2026
Scripture — Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”

Reflection:
This verse doesn’t say God is impressed by perfection, talent, or outward strength.
It says faith matters.
Not polished faith.
Not loud faith.
Not faith that has every answer.
Just real faith that moves toward God.

Notice the two parts:
First—believe that He exists.
That sounds simple, but in daily life it means living as though God is actually present… in your work, your decisions, your conversations, your frustrations, your victories.

Second—believe that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.
Seeking God isn’t checking a spiritual box. It’s pursuit.
It’s opening His Word when life is busy.
It’s praying when answers feel delayed.
It’s obeying when outcomes aren’t visible yet.
Faith often grows strongest not when everything makes sense… but when you keep walking anyway.


Prayer:
Lord, grow in me the kind of faith that seeks You sincerely. When life feels uncertain, help me trust Your character even before I see the outcome. Keep me from drifting into routine or self-reliance. Teach me to pursue You with consistency, humility, and expectation. Strengthen my heart to believe that You are near, that You are working, and that no step of faithful obedience goes unseen. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Click to expand...
Amen
 
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#137,737
#137,737
PlanetVolunteer said:
What gets me is finally getting my password right and they still send me A GOSH DARN CODE

DOWN WITH THE CLANKERS
Click to expand...
This stem-to-stern corporate and government surveillance is worthy of our reflection and appreciation.

Have you ever seen the 2007 Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Film called “The Lives of Others?” It’s based on the historical operations of East German’s Ministry for State Security (Stasi) under the former Marxist regime run by the Socialist Unity Party (1949-1990). The film award was presented 6 years after 9/11.

Every time I think about that movie and Stasi’s scant and primitive ways, I just about cry realizing how fervently the East Germans and Soviets would have longed for our present omnipresent surveillance. They would have given anything for it. And they would have burned with shame at how relatively innocuous, small-scaled, and full of holes their “great” achievement was and is by comparison. It was said to be one of the most pervasive secret police forces in history in its time.

Scale of Surveillance: At its peak, the Stasi had roughly 1 in 6.5 East Germans (15%) under some form of monitoring. You’ll love the scenes where the evil commies tapped this guy’s phone! Horrible.

Techniques: Beyond standard wiretapping and bugging, the Stasi opened 90,000 letters daily on that 15%, and even kept "scent jars" containing pieces of cloth with citizens' body odors for tracking by dogs on the ones they considered the biggest threats.

Psychological Impact: The goal was to "know everything about everyone," creating a culture of deep mistrust where family members, co-workers, teachers and students, and rivals often spied on one another.

Legacy: After the fall of the Berlin Wall, millions of pages of meticulous records were recovered. Today, the Stasi Museum in Berlin is located in the agency's former headquarters, preserving these methods as a cautionary tale! I’ve been there and to the DDR Museum. I recommend them.

Now consider that 5.5 of every 6.5 people (84.6%) were NOT surveilled. A major flaw. That an unlucky 15% of citizens (discrimination!) had letters opened and some phone lines were tapped, But every document and app on every computer anywhere, every site, and every phone communication were not stored, and no surveillance cameras and location tracking except under special situations that required a multitude of agents to do the footwork. Very inefficient, but consider the DDR! And (how embarrassing!) the search and data handling and AI to assemble complete profiles from all these sources including all associated people was not available to the DDR. Nor was DNA. Imagine the time and man-hours it must have needed to read one person’s file! You’ll notice it in the movie.

Not that I am aggrieved by the advancements in any way. I am thankful. Our surveillance is only a threat to bad actors and improper thinkers. And really is a free service of our government and corporations. This makes me feel safe and grateful for my safety and privacy — and also for the added convenience when I want to buy anything or might just want to see the kinds of things available through advertisements. The movie will show you how bad the DDR and Socialist Unity Party really were. If you re-watch it, it will blow your mind. 🤯
 
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#137,739
#137,739
Clemson vs BC

Clemson (6-16 ACC) sucks this year and BC (17-8 ACC) is pretty good

It’s 9-0 Clemson lead in the 1st and BC’s SP has still recorded only 1 out

**a pitcher that had a 2.58 ERA in 9 starts, 46.1 IP coming in
 
#137,742
#137,742
MarcoVol said:
Clemson vs BC

Clemson (6-16 ACC) sucks this year and BC (17-8 ACC) is pretty good

It’s 9-0 Clemson lead in the 1st and BC’s SP has still recorded only 1 out

**a pitcher that had a 2.58 ERA in 9 starts, 46.1 IP coming in
Click to expand...

New pitcher. Solo shot.

10-0 B1 Clemson leads. BC still only recorded 1 out.
 
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#137,746
#137,746
vols 30 said:
Could never get into it. Don't know why for sure. I’ve watched 1 game and that was the VoL WS final.

Love MLB though. Been watching the Braves regularly since 1982
Click to expand...

I enjoy college ball more. Obviously not bc of skill 😂.

I think it’s the variability that I actually like. A team can look like the best team that’s ever stepped on the diamond one game and in the very next look like they’ve never played at the college level. So you get some crazy swings of momentum.
 
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