Math poem valentine s day

I’ll keep this as short as I can. I’m UK based, age 31.
I have been a carpenter for the past 15 years and the past 6 of those I have ran my own business. The business is just myself however it’s fairly profitable, it’s turning over roughly £80,000 each year with around £30,000 profit. All of my tools are paid for, the only payments I have each month are the van (£220) and a bounce back loan from Covid (£257 which will be paid off in 2026).
My dilemma is;
The business is now essentially in autopilot, I haven’t advertised in a long time and the jobs are constantly coming in as I’ve built a respectable business with good reviews. Most jobs are a minimum of 4 days and some bigger ones can run for a few weeks (I mainly do kitchens, staircases and garden rooms). Things are great at the moment but I’m worried about my future.
I recently applied for and have been accepted into the police. Looking at the long run, the police has a great pension and I can retire early. I have been added to the holding pool because I’ve got a holiday coming up and I’ll miss two intakes, so it’s looking like January next year before I can go. (The business has enough funds to pay off all debt and close properly).
I don’t have a pension (I know, stupid) and that’s the main draw with the police, including the job security. I recently learned I can make fairly sizeable contributions to a personal pension through my business but I’m pretty clueless with that side of things.
I’m now in two minds, do I continue with my carpentry career and hopefully things work out in the end money wise, or do I follow the police path and get started next year? Do I just get a financial planner and figure out how to keep the business and my future intact? I don’t want to miss an opportunity as the police recruitment was gruelling but I am naturally a risk taker being in business and I am willing to put in the effort to make something work out.

Hi! I (28f, just discovered this group so I’m still learning the lingo) am two years into my diagnosis and my cycles have been pretty typical thus far I think. Remission for a couple months, 1-3 attacks a day lasting 20mins to an hour on the right side, occasionally woken up by them,sometimes go away on their own after several weeks but if not, I do the predisone taper etc. (I am popping WAY too many ibuprofen, doubt it does anything but makes me feel like I’m a little in control I guess)
The thing is, I usually get a shadow in my right eye/nose before the attack but lately I have been getting a more broad shadow before the attack? My left eye has started to really ache along with my right eye but stops once the attack gets further in motion and let’s the right eye do it’s thing. It’s a different pain then I’m used too? It just feels like my sinuses are are really effected this go around and I’m pissed because at this point I’m used to the routine and know what to expect but god what gives? I don’t have allergies but maybe I’m developing them and they’re irritated by the CH? I’m sorry if I didn’t make sense I’m just so frustrated and was wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience? I feel like my left eye joining in the fun kinda negates the criteria for CH but I honestly don’t know anymore lol

I had the HPV shot this past Wednesday. For context, I’m 17, 6’1, 220 lbs, not too much fat. On Thursday and Friday, I woke up with a sore right neck, though that was probably unrelated. Midday Friday, so for me about the end of 4th period. I attempted to hobble my way through the day, yet by the end of 6th period, I felt physically unable to do anything. The rest of the day Friday, symptoms seemed to improve a tiny bit, but ramped up twofold Saturday morning. Since then, I’ve been running a fluctuating fever that’s gotten up to 103.1 (yet has gone down a tiny bit), have been barely able to move, a tense headache, elevated heart rate, and worse brain fog then I’ve ever had. I’m worried I’m coming down with GBS.

I’ve been seeing a lot of opinions on Xaden using his second signet on Violet. It did eventually stop and there seems to be discourse on when exactly this happened. Many people believe she had a right to be upset about this. I can understand that. However if I were Xaden I would’ve done nothing differently. He has been assigned since childhood to protect the marked children, he has taken responsibility for them. He is a Duke of Aretia. He is the confidence and the leader that many many people depend on for hope that their people are going to survive. He is the son Fen Riorson who gave his life to the rebellion. All of this is a responsibility that he bears on his shoulders alone. It’s a very lonely and hard existence. It also comes with paranoia and trust issues when your second signet could get him killed. Xaden didn’t want to have feeling towards Violet and I don’t think he wanted to be in a relationship. He has to know that being in a relationship with him is hard. It’s the equivalent of being married to someone in the CIA who comes home and says his work is classified. He also has to make sacrifices for the greater good of the war, and he probably thinks the less people are attached to him the better in case the day comes he has to make the ultimate sacrifice. He didn’t know if he could trust Violet and considering his position in the war, he has to use all the advantages he has at his fingertips to make sure he’s keeping his people safe. I’m not excusing the behavior but logically it makes sense to me, and there was never a point where I was upset with him using it, only relieved that he finally shared something deeper about himself to her. He stopped doing it and no character is perfect.

The day I dreaded is here , my ex’s birthday. After spending the last 3 birthdays with her, today will be the first birthday not spent with her. I’m sticking to my no contact and not saying “happy birthday” or anything. I will remain in my no contact stay strong, and stay as a ghost. It bothers me knowing that me not even saying happy birthday won’t make a difference bc Ik she’s just gonna be focused on her rebound and getting drunk with her friends. I doubt she’ll even care. But I’ll stay strong and keep it pushing,it’s just any other day. I just wish my presence will be felt and after today the tables will start to turn but she has too many distractions around her to even realize. No contact continues….

Title+

Still want to get down to 150 but finally feel okay in my skin.
It took a year because of feeling helpless and unable to diet, feeling super triggered by even a mild calorie deficit.
I have a lot of muscle and continued to resistance train HEAVY af throughout so that’s why I still had good body comp at 170, but it was hard as hell getting some of this fluff off! I could not stop overeating!
What ended up working for me as a very hungry caterpillar type of girl who loves eating: -10k-12k steps a day, morning walks before work to achieve this -with my maint cals being around 2300-2500, never going below 1900-2100 for my deficit -actually volume eating instead of half assing it and complaining that it didn’t work -sitting and chewing my food and focusing on the taste without looking at my phone. Eating slower and savoring it. Which never worked at first- it’s a practice! Finally felt satisfied after meals. -eating dinner at 6 (prepped ingredients to cook quickly) and knowing I’m done eating after that time -accepting I can’t cut quickly and just chip away at it every day -something sweet daily! Taco Bell every other week. Kept me sane 🙈 tracked everything

i’m done working for the day and don’t have to do anything again till tomorrow. Hoping to make friends and find people to talk to you. So anyone that’s up for chatting and having some fun talks, love to hear from you. Hope to find some long-term friends as well if possible.

Hello all!
My family and I recently lost our elderly Yorkshire Terrier, and I’ve been researching the best breed for a future prospect. Our Yorkie was 10 when we got her, and lived to 18.
I’m a sighthound lover but I don’t think they’d be best for my family’s wants and needs- although possibly a whippet. Also interested in wire dachshunds.
Introduction
1) Will this be your first dog? If not, what experience do you have owning/training dogs? This will be my family’s second dog, but I have worked with dogs for years in daycare, rescue and now grooming. I have a dog first aid certificate and a dog behaviour qualification, I’m pretty savvy.
2) Do you have a preference for rescuing a dog vs. going through a reputable breeder Open to rescue, feel a scruffy terrier mix could work but as my family aren’t as savvy I’d prefer very little reactivity and fearfulness which is rife with rescue dogs near me. Also, if I was opting for a Dachshund for example, I’d want to be sure it was raised in ways that will lessen chances of IVDD, and socialised properly, neutered after 1yo etc etc. So may depend on breed.
3) Describe your ideal dog. We’d like a happy, sociable dog who’s pretty biddable, able to go off lead and interested in some trick learning. Good off switch, happy with 1-2 hours adventuring a day and snoozing in the evenings, preferably not overly intense or drivey, and minimal prey drive. Preferably not brachy or bully.
4) What breeds or types of dogs are you interested in and why? I’d love a whippet for the family, but they prey drive and recall might be a barrier, and my dad isn’t a huge fan of their looks. I think a wire Dachshund would tick most boxes, but the health issues worry me! Working cocker could work, but a LOT of dog there! Same with a JRT. A poodle (mini or toy) would be amazing but the grooming upkeep is a lot!
5) What sorts of things would you like to train your dog to do? Lots of functional training - loose leash, settle, not door dashing etc, plus lots of fun party tricks essentially. I really enjoy teaching ‘play dead’ and things of that nature. Would love to do agility.
6) Do you want to compete with your dog in a sport (e.g. agility, obedience, rally) or use your dog for a form of work (e.g. hunting, herding, livestock guarding)? If so, how much experience do you have with this work/sport? Not experienced but I’d be interested in agility, dock diving, Confo.
Care Commitments 7) How long do you want to devote to training, playing with, or otherwise interacting with your dog each day? Training could be 10-60 mins, play time and enrichment as needed really. My parents are retired and quite old but pretty active, and can be home most of the day, the dog is also welcome to join me at the grooming shop where dogs would be in and out all day.
8) How long can you exercise your dog each day, on average? What sorts of exercise are you planning to give your dog regularly and does that include using a dog park? 1-2ish hours daily, walking, possibly agility/ dock diving, in England ‘dog parks’ aren’t really a thing, but pup would be likely to run into off leash dogs on walks.
9) How much regular brushing are you willing to do? Are you open to trimming hair, cleaning ears, or doing other grooming at home? If not, would you be willing to pay a professional to do it regularly? No double coats please! I’d rather it not be a dog with long hair that needs brushing every day or two- would much prefer a smooth or wire coat.
Personal Preferences 10) What size dog are you looking for? X Small to Medium.
11) How much shedding, barking, and slobber can you handle? Minimal shedding, minimal barking, no slobber! 🙈
12) How important is being able to let your dog off-leash in an unfenced area? Like 7/10 important, would be heavily preferred.
Dog Personality and Behavior 13) Do you want a snuggly dog or one that prefers some personal space? Snuggly and pretty Velcro but happy to be left alone.
14) Would you prefer a dog that wants to do its own thing or one that's more eager-to-please? Eager to please is preferable.
15) How would you prefer your dog to respond to someone knocking on the door or entering your yard? Not really, but happy to work on this in training. Not a huge deal one way or the other.
How would you prefer your dog to greet strangers or visitors? Anything from aloof to friendly.
16) Are you willing to manage a dog that is aggressive to other dogs? No.
17) Are there any other behaviors you can't deal with or want to avoid? 🤔
Lifestyle 18) How often and how long will the dog be left alone? Mostly this won’t be necessary, but they should be able to be alone comfortably. At most it’d likely be 3/4 hours or so.
19) What are the dog-related preferences of other people in the house and what will be their involvement in caring for the dog? Mostly like scruffy ungroomed things. I prefer sighthounds but again, probably not the best fit for everyone! Two brothers who mostly just want a fuss sometimes, parents who will do most of the walking and me who will be more on the grooming, training, activities side. I’m the youngest and I’m 26.
20) Do you have other pets or are you planning on having other pets? What breed or type of animal = they? I have two guinea pigs, but they may not be here when this happens. They’re locked in my room at almost all times.
21) Will the dog be interacting with children regularly? No.
22) Do you rent or plan to rent in the future? If applicable, what breed or weight restrictions are on your current lease? House is owned.
23) What city or country do you live in and are you aware of any laws banning certain breeds? South East England, the banned breeds are bully breeds.
24) What is the average temperature of a typical summer and winter day where you live? Summer 25-30Cish, winter 0-7ish?

Placed a LMT SELL (take profit) for 100 shares, but got executed for 200 shares. Got it on screen recording. I don’t necessarily want the shares back, as it was a day trade, but is it something I should let them know? I did miss out on potentially-higher profit because of it, but I doubt that it’s anything that can be reimbursed. Has this happened to anyone before?

For a little context I 23F got with my 26M boyfriend almost a year ago now i knew he had a son under the age of 2 and he had recently “separated” from their mother. I told him i would never come in between him and his kid and i encourage him to go see them as much as possible as we both travel to work. about 5 months ago his Baby-mamma moved out his family home and got her own apartment right down the road from his place i’m talking like 5 minutes. she has not job and no degree in anything so my Bf has to financially help her and i told him that’s ok she has your babies but you can’t do it forever she needs to work on either getting her GED/degree then look for a job and that is what she is doing is and has recently just graduated and i’m happy for her, but i’ve recently noticed something we used to be able to cuddle and she would text him and he’d open them and i could read them as well but 🚩now when she texts and we are cuddling he won’t open it until i get up OR slightly turns his phone so his privacy screen protector makes it where im unable to read anything and when i’ve brought it to his attention he goes we are just talking about our kids and 🚩another when he goes to facetime his son or anything i’m silenced and not allowed to speak or do anything as if he’s trying to hide me from her. now when he goes home remember how i said she lived right down the road well when he goes over to visit he doesn’t stay at his place 🚩he goes over and stays at her place and i don’t think that’s normal when i’ve brought that up he says it’s because his son is so young and he doesn’t want to change his diaper if needed. 🚩he drives her car instead of his when he’s down there. he says he doesn’t love her anymore and he’s just trying to parent with his son.
When he got home the other day and he noticed my mood he asked what was wrong and tried to comfort but i pushed him away and told him it’s either her or me and brought up all the stuff he’s done and he turned it around on me. then said then just leave if you don’t like it. BOOM another blow to the heart, after our argument the next following week i havent been as loving as i used to be and he’s taken notice then asked me “do you even love me anymore” i told him i do but im not going to be his backup and he had promised he wouldn’t do it anymore and i thought that was that well earlier when we where on the phone i heard his seatbelt alarm go off well it wasn’t his alarm because the Kia alarm and his truck are not the same so i hung up and well here we are. what should i do i dont want to lose him but i dont want him to think im ok with this continuing in not trying to be in the way of his son and thats the only person i want coming infront of me.

It’s taken me some time to muster up the courage to post this. It is my sincere hope that my experience doesn’t come across as ego-driven, I’ve never believed or been told that I’m anything special but the dream included in my post may come across as such. I’ve only included it bc it ties into the other experiences, both dreaming and awake. I’d love for discussion about any other experiences with personal energy and what you’ve been shown you can do with it.
5.7 went stargazing in dark sky territory with a small group of people. At one point I felt compelled to look to a certain place in the sky. When I did, something flashed brightly at me twice- then disappeared. There was no star there before or after the flashes. I saw a few unexplainable things (at the time anyway, but I didn’t realize just how many satellites are up there now since I haven’t been true stargazing in like a decade) but that light that flashed at me gave me a kind of feeling, like it was meant for me to see, like it was saying hello. We had spent the evening pointing out everything cool we saw to each other, but when that happened I kept my mouth shut. I didn’t want to tell anyone and I’m still not sure why bc the people I was with are very open minded so I had no reason to feel like I couldn’t or shouldn’t say anything.
5.8 Short dream in which a loud, disembodied voice yelled SUNDAY at me, which woke me up. In the dream I was fitting two pieces of something back together and the voice came in right as I accomplished that task, so I thought it might be related to something clicking into place or coming together on Sunday.
5.12 (Sunday) Not really expecting anything to happen, but it’s been a curious last few days with the solar storms going on. I’m driving home from work and get this overwhelming feeling of anticipation or urgency, and that there’s something big near me, but I can’t see it. I keep myself alert and occasionally look up, but I don’t see anything. The last two times I was given this feeling and the compulsion to look up, I saw something, so I was expecting to see something again. But this time felt bigger, like huge. It’s hard to explain, but it was like an electricity in the air all around me. I stayed alert but never actually saw anything.
Once I’m on the interstate I’m suddenly hit with waves of what feels like buzzing or vibrations that move around my head and out the top, it feels like the top of my head is being forcefully pulled on. The feeling crescendos then stops, this lasts maybe 2-5 minutes. Nothing seen, nothing heard, only felt. I’ve had sensations like this before so I’m not overly concerned or questioning it, but I do note that it was stronger and lasted longer than usual. The rest of the day was uneventful.
5.14 mid-morning dream. I went to sleep last night with the thought on my mind that I would have a dream that would clear some things up for me. It wasn’t an intention, just a thought that pushed itself into my mind and stayed there. However, I barely slept bc I had taken a bad fall the previous day and messed myself up, the pain kept me up most of the night.
After taking my kids to school I decided to try and sleep again for an hour or so and go into work later in the day. That’s when I had the dream as follows:
We are in a room somewhere, it’s circular and big and has a high ceiling. There’s a small platform going along part of the wall with a metal pole barrier around it and curtains/screens lining the wall behind it. Beneath the platform there’s a giant golden ring with a golden disc inside it. It’s standing on its edge (kind of like in the movie stargate) and it needs to be opened, or activated, something like that. I’m standing in this room with my nonno (who died when I was young) he’s on the platform and positioned above the disc, there’s another man on the platform, then 3 other men and 2 women standing around the disc. My nonno and each person standing around the disc has to put their arm in a hole in the circle outlining the disc in order to get it to work. Next to each hole there is a different colored crystal inlaid into the disc itself. The man standing on the platform seems to be tasked with doing something with the screens. The groups asks him to operate as a stand-in since they don’t have enough people to operate the machine. He hesitantly agrees and they all put an arm in and try but it keeps failing and they’re starting to panic. There’s a sense of urgency about all of this.
Platform man says it’s not working bc of him, he’s not strong enough and they all know that, this isn’t his role. He points over to me and says that it has to be me, (I’ve just been standing there watching all of this happen) he tells them (in a tone like “obviously”) that I’m the most open, and I can most easily go into the mental space that’s needed to operate it.
I go and put my arm in and drop into a meditative state. It immediately starts working, I can feel energy in the top of my head, I can also see it as a green/yellow energy. The crystal next to the hole I’m using is purple. The others start cheering and talking excitedly to each other but it distracts me so I lose concentration. The power of the machine starts fluctuating in and out. The others then start to get mad and say “See we told you so! She doesn’t belong with us!” It doesn’t make me upset bc I understand that they don’t know me, don’t like me, don’t trust me. I’ve always stayed quiet and apart from everyone else. I lose even more focus and the machine almost shuts all the way down.
One man starts yelling back at them that they just don’t understand me and have never even tried. He tells them: “she only operates at 90% on this side, she doesn’t have the blessing of a full life like the rest of you, and it’s for the sole purpose of keeping one foot on the other side, for keeping that connection” and they need to remember that I was made this way for them so that they can stay connected, that they’ve always used my energy as a jump point, they just don’t want to admit it.
I don’t want to fail everyone so I get back into my zone and it starts working again. I realize that the entire machine is being powered with just myself and my nonno since everyone else was still arguing. I was number 6 in the wheel and my nonno (who remained quiet through this entire scenario) was number 7, at the top, above the other circles. I don’t remember what the result was since I woke up about right then.
The dream was obviously packed full of symbolism and made up of things I’ve seen in waking life, I’m not deluded enough to think that it actually happened. However, the thing that stood out most to me was the feeling of the energy in my head in the dream when I was powering the machine was exactly like the energy I felt while driving home this past Sunday.
Short note I made about a dream from a few months ago that ties into this one (I often have dreams where im one of three):
Again I’m shown that there are 3 of me. The one who made us has to keep me between here and there so it’s easier to get information through, so I’m not very solid.
Another recurring theme is the green/yellow energy. I’ve seen it during dreams/projections and during meditations. I’ve been told in a dream that the answer (answer to what- I don’t know) is where green and yellow meet. In one recent meditation there came a beautiful voice vocalizing a melody, and a golden yellow light went into the area around my sternum. It left and I came out of the meditation with more questions than answers lol. I was also once during a lucid dream given a Celtic shield knot type symbol that was green and yellow. I wasn’t told anything about it but it felt like I was being reassured that my children and I are protected.
If anyone has any insights or similar experiences or anything at all to add, I’d very much appreciate it!

I’ve been largely anti work for a minute, but benefit from a retail job with good pay and benefits that assist me with treating chronic illnesses.
I’ve recently had a lot of life stressors and flare ups of physical and mental health issues. So a manager helped me get the ball rolling for getting short term disability. I have 7-9 appointments per week for the next month or so for more intensive treatments and still manage to work full time.
But the job has been the cause of some of my flare ups lately. I’ve had friends suddenly come down with acute life threatening situations and been owed back pay from 10 weeks of checks. So I’m weary to continue that process and want to try and thug it out.
Today I just had to call out not because I feel sick, per say, but just because I’ve allowed the vitriol and discontentment build to the point where I’m sickened by the idea that I might be trapped in this state of working a job that is wearing on me physically and mentally, but is allowing me to get some vital help with my quality of life.
Ah I just realized this is probably one of those flare ups. I should probably just use my last sick day and try to build them back.
I have 10 sick hours in my PTO.
Enough for a day and a couple hours.
Does anyone else have a similar issue rn?
I know I didn’t share a lot of details for anonymity’s sake, but Im truly curious and receptive to anyone that wants to share.

The “disciple whom Jesus loved,” known as John, either John the brother of Zebedee (the Apostle), or John the Elder, was writing his recollections of his experiences with Jesus so that those who hear or read would believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and would find eternal life in His name (cf. John 20:31). He began by speaking of the Word of God, the Creator, the life and light of men, who took on flesh and dwelt among us as Jesus of Nazareth (John 1:1-18). He then described the calling of the first disciples, Jesus’ first sign at the wedding in Cana, the events which took place while Jesus was present at the Passover in Jerusalem, and Jesus’ return to Galilee via Samaria (John 1:19-4:54). John the Evangelist then set forth Jesus’ healing of a lame man at Bethesda and the storm of controversy it engendered, Jesus’ feeding of the five thousand, and His challenging description of Himself as the Bread of Life (John 5:1-6:71).
John the Evangelist has been relating narratives regarding Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles (or Feast of Booths; Sukkot) in Jerusalem, featuring Jesus’ instruction and the thoughts and feelings of the crowds and Jewish authorities, ultimately leading up to a desire to stone Jesus for blasphemy (John 7:1-52, 8:12-59). For many textual critical and literary reasons, we have reason to believe the pericope adulterae, the story of Jesus and the woman caught in adultery, of John 7:53-8:11 was not originally written by John, let alone would have taken place at this point in the Gospel narrative. We therefore conclude John the Evangelist wrote a continuous narrative of events at the Feast of Tabernacles in John 7:1-52 and John 8:12-10:21.
While we have a tendency to disconnect the narratives of John 9:1-41 and John 10:1-21 from the events of John 7:1-52, 8:12-59, and even disconnect them from each other, John the Evangelist presented them as all part of one continuous literary unit. In John’s narration, Jesus has gone back and forth with the Jewish people and religious authorities in John 7:1-52, 8:12-30 and then spoke specifically to the Jewish people who believed in Him in John 8:31-59; having miraculously escaped those who would have executed Him, Jesus left the Temple area with His disciples, and walked by a man who had been born blind (John 9:1). Jesus’ disciples asked who had sinned, he or his parents, which led to his blindness; Jesus responded it was so that the acts of God might be revealed through him (John 9:2-3). The disciples reflect the standard prejudice and presumption regarding disability deriving from specific sins; we should not develop a theology of disability from either Jesus’ disciples or, for that matter, Jesus’ specific response in this particular circumstance.
Jesus re-affirmed how He was the Light of the world and needed to do the works of God while the day remained (John 9:4-5; cf. John 8:12). He then spat on the ground, made mud, put it on the blind man’s eyes, and told him to wash in the pool of Siloam; the blind man did so and was able to see (John 9:6-7). The people responded, wondering if he indeed was the man who was blind and had formerly begged; some recognized him as such, but others did not think so; he did not shrink away from confessing who he was and had been (John 9:8-9). They asked him about what happened and he relayed the story (John 9:10-12).
The people decided to bring the man to stand before the Pharisees since an astonishing miracle had taken place (John 9:13). John the Evangelist then informed us this healing took place on a Sabbath (John 9:14); many of the Pharisees thus considered Jesus’ making mud on the ground as work and thus deemed Him a transgressor of God’s law, entirely missing the miraculous on account of this detail, but some did experience the cognitive dissonance and wondered how a sinner could do something like this (John 9:15-16). They asked the formerly blind man what he thought; he confessed Jesus as a prophet (John 9:17).
The Pharisees refused to believe his testimony and summoned his parents; they affirmed him as their son and that he was blind, but said nothing about how he gained sight (John 9:18-21). John the Evangelist explained their reticence: the Pharisees had agreed to put out of the synagogue anyone who confessed Jesus as the Christ (John 9:22-23). To be put out of the synagogue meant to be alienated and isolated from the Jewish community, and it would not be as if the Gentiles would welcome them with open arms. Many commentators believe John is retrojecting the situation of his later community onto this event; we have no reason to believe the religious authorities would not have thus leveraged their power at the time.
The Pharisees brought the formerly blind man back in and chastised him: they knew Jesus was a sinner, and he should glorify God; they were Moses’ disciples, but he was a disciple of Jesus, and they do not know where He came from (John 9:24-25, 29). The formerly blind man stood against them sharply: God did not listen to sinners, but Jesus had done a miracle which had never before been done according to the witness of the Scriptures. If Jesus were not from God He could do nothing (John 9:26, 30-33). The Pharisees had no patience for such a rebuke: they denounced him as born entirely in his sins, and yet he would presume to teach them (John 9:34)? We will have reason in a moment to comment on the irony of this statement; sufficient for the moment is to recognize how the Pharisees have revealed who they are in their response.
The Pharisees cast the man out. Jesus found him and asked what he thought of the Son of Man (John 9:35). The man asked Jesus about who the Son of Man might be, and Jesus confessed Himself as the Son of Man (John 9:36-37). The formerly blind man confessed his belief and prostrated before Jesus; Jesus said He came into the world so the blind might see and those who see might become blind (John 9:38-39). The Pharisees, perceiving the challenge, asked Him if they were blind; He told them they would not be guilty of sin if they were blind, but because they presumed to see, their sin remained (John 9:40-41).
John the Evangelist laid the irony on thickly: the blind saw, but those who believed they saw proved blind. Those who were “born in sin” found forgiveness, but those who presumed themselves to be holy were in transgression. Appropriate critiques about making caricatures and strawmen out of the Pharisees are important and should be heeded; nevertheless, it is always a temptation of those with religious zeal to think too highly of their own righteousness and inappropriately prove sanctimonious toward those with less formal accreditation or standing.
We tend to end the story there, but John did not: in his narrative, Jesus immediately continued on by speaking of Himself parabolically as the Door of the sheepfold and the Good Shepherd of the sheep (John 10:1-21).
The world of shepherding and sheep would have been familiar to Jesus and to everyone in His audience. Sheep were important for their meat, milk, and wool; nevertheless, sheep are very dumb creatures. They require a lot of assistance, direction, maintenance, and protection. Shepherds would spend a lot of time with the sheep and would be dedicated to them. They would know their individual sheep. Sheep heed the specific voice and call of their shepherd; even when flocks are mixed, with a call or sound the sheep will appropriately separate out and follow their respective shepherds. Bears, lions, and wolves would find sheep an easy meal; other people might be tempted to steal sheep. Shepherds thus had to direct sheep to find appropriate pasturage and water, and would be kept in sheepfolds to provide some protection during the night. The shepherd would use the door (or gate) of the sheepfold; those who would come to rob and steal would try to enter another way.
Such was the story Jesus told about the sheep, the sheepfold, and the shepherd in John 10:1-18. The people would have understood the referents, but they did not understand what Jesus meant by it all (John 10:6). Jesus attempted to explain. He was the Door of the sheepfold, for the others who came and claimed to be the Messiah were really thieves and robbers, and the sheep, the people of God in Christ, did not listen to them. Those who go out through Jesus find salvation and “pasturage”; going after others leads to exploitation and oppression, but Jesus came to give abundant life. Jesus is the Good Shepherd of the sheep, who would lay down His life for the sheep. Hired hands would abandon the sheep if it proved too costly; the wolves, or the false Messiahs or religious authorities, would then come in to devour the sheep, God’s people. Jesus had sheep in other sheepfolds He would gather to Himself. But He knew His sheep, and they knew Him; He would lay down His life for them, and take it back up again, according to the commandment of His Father (John 10:1-18).
Jesus was by no means the first person to speak of Israel and leadership in terms of sheep and shepherding. Moses and David had been shepherds when God called them to lead His people (Exodus 3:1-6, 1 Samuel 6:11-13). The prophets would denounce the nobility and prophets of Israel as shepherds devouring the flock; yet YHWH promised He would return and personally shepherd Israel His sheep (cf. Ezekiel 34:1-31). We should definitely pick up on the textual association between Jesus, the I AM before Abraham, and Jesus the Good Shepherd, YHWH who had returned to personally shepherd His sheep (John 8:58, 10:11). How He would lay down His life for the sheep, and take it back up again, would become manifest in its good time.
The people did not quite know what to do with everything which had transpired (John 10:19). Some continued to be convinced Jesus was demon possessed and insane, and asked how anyone else could listen to Him (John 10:20; cf. John 8:48, 52). But others denied His words could come from a demon, and asked how anyone possessed by a demon could give sight to a blind man (John 10:21).
Thus John the Evangelist ended his narratives about Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles. As Israel celebrated the gifts of light, food, water, and life during the Feast of Tabernacles, thus Jesus demonstrated how He was the Light of the world, giving sight and wisdom, providing pasturage and fountains of living water for those who believe in Him. He proclaimed Himself the Son of Man and God the Son and made attestation by doing a thing no prophet before had ever done, but was prophesied regarding the Messiah: He gave sight to a blind man. The people remained as divided as ever: plenty found reason to dismiss Him as demon-possessed and insane, and while no one could make complete sense of what He was teaching, others could not dismiss Him so easily or glibly. May we well recognize Jesus as our Shepherd, the Light of the world, giving life through His sacrifice, and share in life in Him!
Ethan

I 22M have been working at my Sephora for 2 years since February. Recently I got on a new medication that makes me dehydrated so I’m constantly needing to go to the back and get water (because we can’t keep water on stage🤷) and, in turn, I have to go to the bathroom a lot approximately once every 1-2 hours throughout my 8 hr shifts. I have told my store manager and 3 other members of leadership. I also have maintained the top sales tier and have been ranked #3 in sales in my store.
The other day I was working with a new manager that had been working with me since I was hired but was recently promoted to leadership. During her CEL slot I asked to grab water, during this water break she went over the walkie to ask how it was going and I said “great” and went back out on the floor. I didn’t think anything of that interaction I just assumed they needed me on the floor, but when I came back out the store was relatively empty. An hour passes and I need to use the restroom. (Unfortunately for the reader I must preface that this was a number 2 and my stomach was going through it this day) I go to the bathroom and I’m doing what needs to be done and after a couple minutes go by, the CEL (different one because there’s been a zone change) asks if I can grab something from back stock when I’m done. I said yes once I finish up using the restroom. Then, I hear the loudest bangs (approx 5) on the door with nothing verbal following. I said hello? Very confused. And when I say it was loud it was heard on the floor by my co workers and I assume the 5-10 clients in the store.
I left the bathroom and went up to the first CEL who has now shifted back to skincare for the remainder of the hour and asked if she knocked on the door of the bathroom. I didn’t accuse her of doing it, I didn’t show any attitude, I was honestly in shock that it even happened still and just wanted some information or at least to tell her that someone just banged on the door. She looks and me and I can tell she’s very upset and said “yes I did” I asked why and she said I was being selfish and many members of my team have noticed that I keep taking water breaks and going to the bathroom. I told her I was having stomach problems this day because I didn’t want to look her in her eyes on the SALES FLOOR and tell her I was shitting my brains out. She said “do you need to go home?” In a threatening way so I asked why she was being so hostile🤭. Because up till this point I was very polite but now she’s trying to assert dominance and I’m a gay man raised in the south with a very quick mouth, so I wasn’t gonna let her get away with this. She asked if we needed to go talk to our store manager and I asked “do we?”. She walked away as did I.
A couple minutes pass and I’m still a little shaken up by being disturbed in the bathroom and I just feel like the issue isn’t resolved so I went to my store managers office to tell her about what just happened to get her opinion. After getting in the office the other manager walks in and sits with us. (Idgaf) I’ll say everything I’m about to to her face, I just didn’t want the environment to be hostile. I explain what happened and just said that the bottom line is that banging on the door while I was in the restroom was inappropriate and I wanted to make sure that that’s not something they stand by and it won’t happen again. Idgaf about anyone gettting written up, calling hr, getting someone fired. I just simply don’t care enough for any of that to happen. I do care about being comfortable when I need to shit. It gets worse.
The manager then tells my boss that when I took my water break earlier in the day she timed me and said it took me 10mins…10 mins is a very long time, if she would’ve said 5mins I would’ve been shocked but when she said 10 I was so taken a back because it’s a flat out lie and now I’m defending myself over that, and shocker my store manager believed her over me. Then she brought up how she asked me how my water break was going and she said that when I replied with “great” after 10mins that that was extremely disrespectful and childish…THEN she told me that she was LISTENING TO ME IN THE BATHROOM AND SHE HEARD ME SPEAKING. Keep in mind the only time I spoke was when I went over the walky to tell the 2nd CEL that I could grab the item once I’m done. (I’m assuming my manager didn’t have her walky on and thought I was on my phone speaking????) now my store manager is completely on her side and we’re not even discussing how inappropriate it is to bang on the bathroom door. I’m starting to get pretty uncomfortable now just because I know she was listening to me shit.
At this point it’s my store manager and my manager against me. They’re threatening to write me up (idgaf) for insubordination because I brought up the issue on the sales floor. I switch up and I say what needs to be said to get out of this situation because I know I’m not gonna win this battle. I apologize to both of them (very convincingly I might add) and told them I apologize for being so disrespectful and in the future I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again. (Idgaf) After, it was time to get to work (in more ways than one🤭). I basically tell every one of my coworkers the situation stating the facts and being unbiased because I still had a voice in the back of my head telling me I was wrong and they were right, but many of my coworkers over heard the whole interaction and they felt that I was right and they were just trying to cover their asses so I don’t go to HR. Even tho idgaf enough to do that.
Now, things are very awkward between me and that manager. Me and my store manager are chill bc I know she was being influenced. At the end of the day I decided to let it go. I was in my feels too because me and my manager have been really close up till this point and it suprises me how angry she got. Like I could tell she’s been wanting to say these things to me for a long time. I’ve realized that when someone has an issue with you at Sephora their not gonna tell you, their gonna suppress it until it builds up and they explode on you bc they’re all fake. And if you work here you know what I mean, the language, the way we have to talk, the way we interact on the walky is very phony and I’m just not like that. Idk I still love my job and the drama keeps it interesting, but am I the asshole?

Songkran in Chiang Mai and a few pics from Koh Chang and Bangkok