So I got banned from Facebook.

Yep, the guy who posts nothing but pictures of grandkids and Bible verses. And no, I didn’t do anything offensive, nefarious, or otherwise. I just don’t do that.

So I was surprised when my account got deactivated suddenly for violating the Terms of Service for Facebook. And because of the connection between Facebook and Instagram, I lost access to that, also. Denied. Locked out. Gone.

All at once, I lost connections with family, friends, and ministry contacts. I had no idea how dependent I was on this platform for staying in touch with so many. Not to mention all of the pictures, videos, and memories that I had recorded since I first joined in 2005.

So, I needed to try again. After trying several different ways to get back in, I finally got a chance to disagree with their decision. And then I got this message:

Over two weeks after appealing my deactivation, I decided to try something creative. I bought a Facebook Portal from Amazon Warehouse Deals at a great price, used the serial number from my new device to be able to connect with their tech support by chat, and got my case escalated. Just a few days after I contacted them, Facebook finally let me back in. Success! I received an email from Facebook that my deactivation was a mistake (as if there was any doubt) and that all was restored.

So, if this happens to you (and I hope it doesn’t), you may want to try getting a Portal, or, if you want to spend the big bucks, an Oculus. Or create another account. Or, well, wait for Facebook to somehow get back to you.

Now, let me get back to posting about my grandkids…