Mike Ritter

As we sat down for Thanksgiving dinner, my six year old son said, "Let's hold hands." He then prayed our family blessing, "Dear God, thank you for our food. Thank you for our family. Thank you for our friends. We love you. Amen"

As we celebrate Thanksgiving here in The States I want to share Lincoln's Proclamation. It resonates with the contentious nature of our culture. www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/spee...

Judge indicates she will impose preliminary injunction on WordPress related to WPEngine lawsuit. WPE asks for return to status quo before Matt blocked them from .org

I still cannot believe Gwen cut Jose Luis last week! That is the biggest #voiceplayoffs disappointment of the season.

It seems like a lifetime ago that my wife and I started marriage in the middle of her blogging years. This blog captures her life before and after we were married and the struggles of being newly married to a person with disabilities. www.lovelikethislife.com

Docs This is where the learning begins and the veterans return for their references. This is the Statamic documentation.

Rebuilding my local web design site with statamic.dev and the process feels more intuitive from shoehorning into the big guy framework. Already picturing future starter packs for projects.

a man in a hat is saying here we go Alt: a man in a hat is saying here we go

Welcome to the jungle @comfortablysmug.bsky.social

I remember when JavaScript was gimmicky then as it became the whole enchilada. A number of frameworks grew into the backbone of most apps. Web components provides a standard, native toolset to build trustworthy apps. I use 11ty for static sites and think this course is the route to truly level up.

Beau Monde® A perfect balance of celery, onion and salt, with a touch of sweetness, Spice Islands® Beau Monde® seasoning enhances the flavor of virtually any savory dish and is great as a rub for roasted meats.

I'm the house spouse and regular cook around here, so I want to share a tip. Beau Monde from Spice Islands adds a great flavor similar to chicken ramen seasoning to your dishes. spiceislands.com/product/beau...

Chapter 15 - The Bureaucracy American Government 3e - OpenStax Audiobook · Episode

I found a great primer on the history of the US #bureaucracy on Spotify at open.spotify.com/episode/6EG8... . With the Trump administration incoming, its recap of the formation of the agencies and norms surrounding them is helpful.

Some friends ask how I stay up to date on international affairs. I have always been a news and politics nerd. The best resource for me is the Economist podcast. I highly recommend anyone interested in understanding international affairs subscribe subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plu...

What Is Small Business Saturday? Small Business Saturday is approaching fast. Learn about its history and what you can do to support your local community.

Have you heard of #smallbusinesssaturday? Shopping local for holiday gifts and hosting is a great way to support local small business owners. My mother-in-law owns a boutique baby store in OBX and she goes all out for this event. Consider this in your holiday budget. www.forbes.com/sites/johnha...

I changed Bluesky handle to my own domain. Check it out... it is really easy bsky.social/about/blog/4... #atproto #bluesky #handle

Living with a disability can be difficult. I've been paralyzed since high school. This summer was my 30th anniversary. In those years I have finished college, gotten married, have a son, and served in several organizations. I have learned to value my community all along the way.

I never realized this would become such a toxic cesspool. It was supposed to be the anti-Twitter and more enlightened than its predecessor but it is worse by far! I prefer X to this any day.

I absolutely understand how cults work! What you portray is not Christianity. I am not obsessed with death. I have hope for the afterlife but I also invested in living out the gospel on earth as it is in heaven. I enjoy life because I am a Christian. I love others because I am a Christian.

“love your neighbor as yourself”. “turn the other cheek”. “bless and do not curse”. “care for widows and orphans”. “humble yourselves”. “give”. this is Christianity. you guys are taking the worst examples and acting like these are standard. you’re only proving my point.

no

by no means!

that is not what I said. I said he commanded them to do some awful things. They were the instruments of judgment. Same as how military or police do things we would not otherwise condone. it teaches us there are even “necessary evils“. The gospel is revolutionary because it is based on grace.

The Lord ordered Israel to do some awful. Nobody who follows Christ will endorse that. Jesus himself overturned all of that.

Wait, you were talking about slavers and rapists who condemned gay people to be killed. Are you referring to before or after Christ? None of that is condoned or practiced. Paul even said the law was only to prove how wicked sin is.

it is unfair to judge any group of people by the worst examples of that group of people. It is no different than anyone else who people who disagree with. for 2000 years despite those who misuse the name, Christians have been beacons of light and hope in their communities.

it does not say slavery is great. paul implored for the freedom of onesimus and slavery is aa tool of oppression anywhere it is discussed in the bible. it even calls us “slaves to sin.” in demanding reparations for rape it actually acknowledges the value of women, even if it is as property.

they are only “backwards” from a postmodern progressive perspective. sure, the bible does describe things as sin that we embrace as normal, but also describe holiness from a world-changing perspective. when we do live our lives in light of sin and the gospel we live humbly with compassion.

Tragically you were traumatized by the worst of cultural evangelicalism. Culture wars polluted the gospel. The religion has suffered these power struggles even from the first century. This does not mean the pure gospel is irrelevant.

You do not understand Christianity then. Fair, many people claim to be Christians but live contrary to the gospel. Many are hateful and judgmental, especially in regard to sin in others instead of sharing the gospel in grace and love.

This is the failed ANC trying to legitimize their platform despite running into the ground the (arguably apartheid) government’s economy and public services they took over. ANC is finally reaping the consequences of their miserable mismanagement.

Yes, I am, as a follower of Christ. Forgiving those who hurt us and loving those who do not deserve it is fundamental to this walk. If we only love and forgive those we think deserve it we become bitter, lonely, self-serving people. Generosity and humility depend on love and grace.