Monday, July 27, 2015

SPAM?? - CAPTCHA GOTCHA


OK, so there's this verification thing on blogs.

It's called Captcha. 

But did you know it stands for this:  "Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart".

It's a way to screen out spam comments.

Usually, one only needs to check a box to confirm that you're not spam. (While trying not to be personally offended at the implication that you would ever be spam even if given the chance!  Totally kidding!!)

I don't know why I get all nervous waiting for the green check mark.  Or why I then get all excited when it appears.  (As if I was ever in doubt???)

But, sometimes the verification asks for a second step.

In this scenario, you are shown a photograph, and then asked to check off all the other photos that are in the same category.

OK, honestly, this is a difficult task when you are "reading-glass-challenged" like those of us who have reached…um…wonderful middle age.

I have found myself squinting to even see what the photos are!!

Then, the second challenge is the category itself.

I have been known to fail on my first attempt.

Once I was asked to check all the boxes that were sushi.  As I squinted, I checked off the boxes that I thought were photos of sushi.  Then I was informed that I had somehow failed.

Huh?

What did I do wrong?  

Did I mistakenly check off a spring roll, or a tiny hors d'oeuvre, or…what the heck WAS that anyway???

Or, how about the category of meat.

Don't "tiny bits of something white in a salad that look like chicken" count? Or, excuse me, should that have been considered for the incorrect salad category?

Sometimes, after encountering a few of these Captcha moments(which I am not fond of capturing) – I find myself inordinately hungry for really random food.

Not so great.

Especially when there's no sushi in the house.

Suffice it to say, that I also used to struggle with the verification method that asked you to type in the number you saw in a photograph.  Can't tell you how many times I looked, and scanned, and peered…and yes, squinted…trying to determine what the numbers actually were.

Is that an 8 or a 3?  A 1 or a 7?

Where's a magnifying glass when you need one?

Now, I have to admit that I did enjoy the old verification method of one or two words that you had to retype.  I had fun imagining what the gobbledygook words might mean.

Like gobbledygook.

And, I enjoyed the occasional actual word(s) that snuck in.

This was especially fun when the two words formed a rather funny phrase. Like *heroic lizard* or something else ridiculous – (I just made that up).

(By the way, what is a heroic lizard anyway?  One who keeps his tail?  Or one who burns his belly by refusing to do those funny lizard push-ups on hot cement?  Or what about the one that refuses to move when I scream??)

I digress.


But really, all this has got me thinking…

Two thoughts come to mind.

First of all, we are not spam to the Lord.

He has saved us, and we belong!

There is no need to add to His gift of salvation.  There is nothing we can ever do to make His love for us greater or less.  We are justified by our faith, and the verification is the presence of the Holy Spirit in our hearts.

What a comfort in a world that is becoming increasingly more impersonal, more dangerous.

It is an age of social media, where people "connect" but often never get beyond the surface of "look good, talk good" posturing.

It is an age of identity theft, when people try to "steal" who we are.

It is an age where many are bullied, many are persecuted, many are hatedjust because of misguided stereotypes and preconceived judgments.

It is an age where we can get *lost*…

No need.

For we are intimately connected to the Lord God Almighty.  

The One who knows all about us, way beyond our surface.  The One who promises that we are never in danger of losing our identity as His children. The One who is infinitely kind and compassionate to each and every one of us.

No more judgment, no more condemnation.

For we are held securely by Our Redeemer, the One who *verified* us when we opened the door of our hearts.

Green check mark completed!


The other thought I've had is that there is no confusion in Him.

Captcha has sometimes confused me with their numbers and their photos.  I find myself struggling to understand what I'm seeing.

And in this tired old world, with its many "mixed messages"it's easy to get confused.  We are constantly bombarded with conflicting viewpoints.  And how widely the meter of public opinion swings.

Sometimes humans can be so naïve, so gullible, so willing to follow…

Confusion could reign, if we were not given the sure beacon of Truth.

The Bible is the perfect antidote to a world gone mad.  

We are cautioned against listening to false teachers and untrue teaching.

And we do this by reading, studying, contemplating, memorizing, internalizing Scripture.  By making ourselves intimately familiar with it.

We are promised that if we seek wisdom, it will be given to us.

Let's take God at His Word (literally!).


So, my friends, as we negotiate Blog Land, with all its idiosyncrasies, may we remember these two things…

We are not spam.

We need not be confused.


OK, one more thing…

We are eternally *verified* by The One who *captcha-ed* us and who has said forever…

"Gotcha."

Sorry.

The heroic lizard made me do it!! 





Hey!

I passed the test!


I got the green check mark.

 Thumb's up!! 



"Know that the LORD, he is God!  It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture." (Psalm 100:3, ESV)

"'My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they will never perish.  No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else.  No one can snatch them from the Father's hand." 
(John 10:27-29, NLT)

"If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord." (Romans 14:8, NIV)

"Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God's presence." (Ephesians 3:12, NLT)

"So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.  There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most." 
(Hebrews 4:16, NLT)

"You, therefore, dear friends, having been warned beforehand, must continually be on your guard so as not to be led astray by the false teaching of immoral men nor fall from your own steadfastness." 
(2 Peter 3:17, WEYMOUTH)

"Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit.  You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world." (1 John 1:4, NLT)

"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him." (James 1:5, ESV)

"By your words I can see where I’m going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path." (Psalm 119:105, MESSAGE)

"Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God's will in thought, purpose, and action), so that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17, AMP)

"You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13, ESV)



How does knowing you belong to God *straighten out the paths* of life?



Linked with:

SHARING HIS BEAUTY, PLAYDATES WITH GOD, MONDAY'S MUSINGS, MONDAYS AT SOUL SURVIVAL, MAKE A DIFFERENCE MONDAYS, SMALL WONDERGOOD MORNING MONDAYS, GRATEFUL HEART MONDAY, REFLECT LINKUP, MOM 2 MOM MONDAY, THE ART OF HOMEMAKING MONDAYS, WORDS OF COMFORT MONDAY, SOLI DEO GLORIA, TELL ME A TRUE STORY, TITUS 2 TUESDAY, LIFE GIVING LINKUP, TESTIMONY TUESDAY, TUESDAY TALK, TELL IT TO ME TUESDAYS, RA RA LINKUP, WOMEN HELPING WOMEN, INTENTIONAL TUESDAY, TELL HIS STORY, A LITTLE R & R WEDNESDAYS, WHOLEHEARTED WEDNESDAY, WISE WOMAN, COFFEE & CONVERSATION, WAITING ON WEDNESDAY,WORD FILLED WEDNESDAY, THREE WORD WEDNESDAY, COFFEE FOR YOUR HEART, WOMEN WITH INTENTION, JOYHOPELIVE LINKUP, THOUGHT-PROVOKING THURSDAY, FROM HOUSE TO HOME, LITTLE THINGS THURSDAY, THE (NOT JUST) HOMEMAKING PARTY, LIVE FREE THURSDAY, BELOVED BREWS, EVERYDAY JESUS, GRACE AT HOME, THOUGHTFUL THURSDAYS, SHINE, HEARTS FOR HOME, LOOKING UP LINKUP, THURSDAY FAVORITE THINGS, FRIENDSHIP FRIDAY, FELLOWSHIP FRIDAY, LIGHT FRIDAY HIT LIST, FAITH FILLED FRIDAY, SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS, COUNTING MY BLESSINGS, MAKE MY SATURDAY SWEET, FAITH & FELLOWSHIP, GRACE & TRUTH, DANCE WITH JESUS, SATURDAY SOIREE, STILL SATURDAY, TGI SATURDAYS, WEEKEND BREW, SUNDAY STILLNESS, GIVE ME GRACE



BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

39 comments:

  1. knowing I belong to Him, brings me much peace, and comfort. I love you sweet friend.

    ReplyDelete
  2. There sure are a lot of different things out there to make us prove we aren't robots when leaving comments on blogs :) Seems like you have gotten a few more interesting ones than I have too :) I am so glad we aren't spam to our Lord and that there is no confusion in him either. He's pretty direct with what his word says and he definitely always enjoys hearing from us and we don't end up in his spam folder indeed :)

    betty

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh my Sharon ... do I ever agree with this "spam" stuff and not being able to pass or read or get those photos (which half the time don't even show all of them so, of course I fail) and it does leave you feeling like a failure or spam ... but what a beautiful analogy and comparison you (once again) have composed on Our Sweet Savior! (and with the trademark of such a sense of humor, love it as I sit here reading and laughing). I definitely am not a robot nor robotic in my comments.

    What absolutely inspirational points on how we are not spam to Our Lord (Thank God) and "there is no confusion" who we are or to whom we belong (although many times I think we ourselves check this and question our worth or identity) Thank God once again that He doesn't and He gives us that "green check mark" of accepted through Jesus! And I love His GOTCHA (your captcha) and sure you blame the lizard ... I am ever so grateful that God gotcha means me too ... right there in His hand, thumbs up and green go ... in this age of social media and techie stuff, I'm so thankful I belong to Him and His media is all that matters to me. Thank you for rebooting my memory with those verses that tell me I am His and He is mine and we belong intimately together forever ... as I cling to His Vine more and more all the time. Blessings and love ~ (((hugs))) Peggy {good to see that you're recovering and healing well from your gum surgery and that they did not affect or take out any of your humor or gift of wisdom in writing and sharing God as always} :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. oh and I noticed 2 letters before your CAPTCHA ... it's reCaptcha!

      Delete
  4. :) I always appreciate your analogies, Sharon! And just so you know- even if you're not reading-glass-challenged, it's still hard to "beat" those chaptchas! haha! Great post!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh, you make me laugh! But you always get your point across so clearly! Just the thought that I'm verified by God makes my heart smile. We make it so hard, don't we? The Word tells us so clearly that it's not of "works" yet we keep trying to do more. It tells us our sins are forgiven and forgotten but we still think we should do something about them. Or we think the work of salvation isn't enough so we look for other ways to please God. This was just a great big ball of encouragement to me today!

    ReplyDelete
  6. This was so good. Thank you, neighbor, for making me smile. I so hear you. Blessings to you!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Love your humor! Yes I have been one of those who can't get that darn code right! So glad we have been approved by the creator himself! Stopping by from Reflect

    ReplyDelete
  8. Before my heart was converted, I searched out self help areas and that got very confusing! It made Captcha look like a game. I'm very grateful for God's Word revealing to me who I am and the Holy Spirit to counsel, defend and stand by me. Amen to the green check mark completed!!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I am so glad captcha has improved since first with the words I could hardly figure out. I like a box to check but recently I also failed the photo test 3 times. I am so glad we do not need to verify each time we come before our God. He accepts us and says come right on in to the Holy Throne Room. Thanks for another delightful story shared here at Tell me a Story. I was getting spam on a regular basis sometimes 7 to 10 a day, so I had to add the captcha. Hope it is the easy one.

    ReplyDelete
  10. You've weaved together a humorous tale of spam but oh so valuable message of how it relates to our spiritual lives. I do hate jumping through all the captcha hoops.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Excellent post, Sharon! Although I am a little disappointed that you didn't work in at least one spam joke. Just kidding. Word verification does drive me a bit nutty, and I don't need glasses, yet. The green check marks are fine, but those food shots are impossible!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Oh, my, I sat here and laughed so hard that Zach (who is reading a book across the room from me) had to look up and ask me what in the world was so funny! You ALWAYS lift my spirits so much...both here by your precious words, on my blog through your encouragement, and by way of our other communication. So very thankful to know you, sweet friend! Thank you for the laughs and the spiritual goodies, too! :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Makes me thankful (the older me and my eyes get) that faith is believing what we cannot see. lol Love it! I fail all the captchas and cringe when the gobbldygook words appear!! Confession: Sometimes I just erase my comment and keep moving along.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Sometimes I wonder if maybe I am indeed a robot when I fail the captcha tests. ha. Love that green checkmark too. :) And yes, so thankful that God accepts us and has captured our hearts! Thanks for making me smile and think, Sharon.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Great word today! I really can't stand trying to figure out what those crazy coptcha codes are saying. It usually takes me 2-3 times to get them right!

    So glad that prayer and my relationship with God are just a word or a cry away!

    Love this comparison~

    Came over on Tuesday Talk.
    Hope you have a blessed day~
    Melanie

    ReplyDelete
  16. Sharon, you are just too darn cute. I may never look at Captcha the same again.
    What a relief it is knowing that I don't have to pass a test with my Lord.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Honestly, I didn't know that's what captcha means until now. :P
    We are indeed not a spam to God. We don't need to validate anything for Him to accept us.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Poignant and entertaining post! I especially liked "We are eternally *verified* by The One who *captcha-ed* us and who has said forever…"

    ReplyDelete
  19. really liked this Sharon. Happy Wed.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Thanks for sharing...I so enjoyed this. Puts us right in the place where we belong, huh? God is good!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Amen, We are eternally *verified*!!!! Such a great analogy thanks for the humor to start my morning and some good reminders too. Blessings, stopping by from Women with Intention

    ReplyDelete
  22. Great analogy. Thanks for sharing the real meaning of captcha. They are hard to read but such a necessity in the fight against spam. Happy to be eternally verified by the One who captcha-ed us. :) Have a wonderful day! Visiting from #JoyHopeLive

    ReplyDelete
  23. Thank you for encouraging others. Thanks for linking up with the #RaRaLinkup via Purposeful Faith.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I always so appreciate your analogies and comparisons that bring life back into perfect focus since you always point to the Truth of our Father's grace. Mind boggling that all of us are that loved by the Creator.

    Sending blessings your way, sister.

    I've got more than my fair share of lizards living in my backyard... I'm gonna have to keep a closer eye on them and see if they attempt anything that I can construe as heroic!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Love this.... I can't make out half of those pictures either! And I am not spam in God's eyes. Hallelujah!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Wonderful post! Thank you!! I especially, liked, "For we are held securely by Our Redeemer, the One who *verified* us when we opened the door of our hearts." Have a grand day!

    ReplyDelete
  27. A wonderful, light-hearted post. Thank you. Thankful were not spam to God! Following you at #livefreeThursday.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Great post! Always enjoy your wonderful sense of humor and love of God's word...a perfect combination...many blessings to you!

    ReplyDelete
  29. Oh I can't stand the food thing....honestly, if i have to go through that much trouble i often just click out without commenting. This is why I use comment verification. People don't have to go through all that trouble to post a comment on my blog. And, aren't you glad that God knows we are not spam.

    ReplyDelete
  30. This post gets 2 thumbs up and a million green check marks. Love you, Sharon. :)

    ReplyDelete
  31. Great analogy and affirmation of to whom we belong. Thanks for linking up at #ThreeWordWednesday.

    ReplyDelete
  32. "Eternally verified" -- I love that, Sharon. I too struggle with discerning those little letters and numbers. Where's the big bold font when you need it? Thank you, Sharon, for sharing your heart at #IntentionallyTuesday on Intentionally Pursuing. : )

    ReplyDelete
  33. Well, I never knew what it stood for only that it could be a very annoying but necessary evil in the blog world!

    ReplyDelete
  34. Thanks for sharing on #JoyHopeLive!

    ReplyDelete
  35. 1. You are so my favorite.
    2. When we meet IRL, we must get sushi.
    3. I seriously had NO IDEA that is what CAPTCHA meant. I feel educated now.
    4. Did I mention you are my favorite?

    ReplyDelete
  36. This is so clever - I love it! "We are not spam" is my fave line. It's something we should remember about everyone we meet too. We're not spam...and neither are they. So we should treat everyone with love and respect! Thanks for sharing this with us for Tuesday Talk! -Jess, Sweet Little Ones

    ReplyDelete
  37. I couldn't love this any more than I do right now. I get so frustrated with Captcha at times that I took it off of my blog. Now, all one has to do is have one approved comment and you're in. Thank you for the humorous way you weave God's word into real life challenges.

    ReplyDelete

"So [I] have been greatly encouraged in the midst of [my] troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters, because you have remained strong in your faith. It gives [me] new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord. How [I] thank God for you!" (1 Thessalonians 3:7-9)

Thanks for your comments - it is such a joy to be sharing my journey with friends like YOU!

(NOTE: Anonymous comments will be removed. Thank you for understanding.)