#was gifted holy knowledge today

[theellipelli]

They have this conversation every single morning

#was gifted holy knowledge today #jing yuan and yanqing live together #hoyo told me themselves I promise #comic #art #fanart #digital art #hsr #honkai star rail #yanqing #jing yuan #hoyoverse

[ctitan98official]

Anonymous: So, I was thinking *hides behind Alcina's strong legs* if you'd be so kind as to do a Miranda Priestly/Reader/Alcina Dimitrescu in The Devil Wears Prada AU where Alcina is a celebrity and the Reader is a tailor *idk lol* and both Miranda and Alcina want the dress that Reader has made (like it's so beautiful and world-famous and everyone wants it but its only one). So Reader can't choose who to give the dress to so she makes another one, the exact replice of it. Maybe a little bit of "Mine" statements from Miranda? Thanks in advance.

Miranda Priestly AND Alcina Dimitrescu? Hell yes, please. Let’s get into it!

Miranda Priestly and Alcina Dimitrescu are both icons in their respective fields. Miranda, as the editor-in-chief of Runway magazine, commands the fashion industry with her keen eye for style and her sharp tongue. As a tailor, you look up to Miranda and trust her judgement when it comes to setting the latest trends.

Alcina, on the other hand, is a renowned celebrity and socialite known for her elegance and grace. She is a successful and gifted jazz vocalist. She’s your favorite singer.

You are a skilled tailor who has just gained overnight fame for creating a stunning dress that has taken the world by storm. The dress is in such high demand that everyone from Hollywood celebrities to European royalty has been talking about it.

Today, you’ve received two separate requests for the same dress – One from Miranda Priestly and the other from Alcina Dimitrescu… Holy shit. What? Both women are insistent on acquiring the dress, and you find yourself in a difficult position as you… Only created one. This is tough.

After much deliberation, you come up with a solution: You will just make an exact replica of the dress so that both women can have one. It’s not a foolproof fix, but it’s at least the best one you can think of. (Hopefully they won’t mind that the dress will not truly be unique any longer). You work tirelessly, pouring all of your skill and dedication into creating a duplicate that is just as beautiful as the original.

But, despite your effort to create a replica of the dress and satisfy them both, Miranda insists that the dress is hers and wants it to remain an exclusively one-of-a-kind piece. The powerful editor-in-chief of Runway refuses to believe that anyone else could possibly possess something as exquisite as this dress.

Funnily enough, Miranda has actually met Alcina quite a few times at various events. She respects her and knows the clout she has. If Alcina gets the dress… Miranda knows EVERYONE who follows her career is going to saturate the media and declare that this is an iconic look belonging only to her. While Miranda is a beloved, and sometimes controversial personality, she’s not in the spotlight quite like Alcina is. The knowledge that Alcina is also trying to obtain the dress, her dress, is somewhat worrisome.

Miranda keeps insisting that she was the first to request the dress, and thus, it should rightfully belong to her… That’s not true, though.

Once your dress started hitting social media, many other high-ranking fashion mavens had already been clamoring for it… You only cared about selling it when you learned that both Miranda and Alcina wanted it, however. Again, you have been a fan of their work seemingly all of your life. You also definitely have a major crush on both of them which is clouding your vision. It was an honor when you got both of their requests. And it makes you very fucking nervous.

After days of being bombarded with endless phone calls from both Miranda’s and Alcina’s personal assistants, you have had enough. Despite the financial gain that comes with creating dresses for two of the most influential women in the world, you realize that your sanity is more important than any amount of money.

In a bold move, you demand that you will only sell these pieces if you can meet Miranda and Alcina in person to work out the details. Either both of them get a chance to own the dresses or neither of them do. You explain that it’s important for you to understand the individual needs of each woman and to ensure that they are satisfied with the final product… But it’s really an excuse to get them to quit the bickering, and so you can actually meet them.

After some initial resistance, both personal assistants reluctantly agree to arrange the meeting. You feel a sense of relief knowing that you can take control of the situation and finally put an end to the many phone calls.

As you prepare to meet with Miranda and Alcina, you take a deep breath and remind yourself that your work is highly sought after for a reason, and that you have the power to create something truly remarkable for both of these women.

Finally, the day arrives when you present the dresses to Miranda and Alcina. As you go out to your lobby to bring them both back to your office, you are suddenly speechless. They’re even more gorgeous in person. Your heart thunders hard as they both look you over. Analyzing you.

Oh, man… Maybe this was a horrible idea.

Masterlist

#re8 #re8 village #alcina dimitrescu #re8 shitpost #lady dimitrescu #lady dimitrescu x reader #alcina dimitrescu x y/n #alcina dimitrescu x reader #lady dimitrescu x y/n #miranda priestly x reader #miranda priestly x y/n #miranda priestly #dwp #devil wears prada #the devil wears prada #crossover

[not-so-superheroine]

Happy Restoration Day! Here is my Book of Mormon Testimony

Blessings everyone, I am @not-so-superheroine, and this is my testimony of the Book of Mormon.

I am a convert to the restoration. So the Book of Mormon was new to me. I had heard about it. I had held one before that I saw in the drawer of a Marriot hotel room, I didn’t open it until I took an interest in the Restoration. 

At that time, I was sort of agnostic. I grew up in a mainline protestant denomination but had grown disillusioned. I was introduced to Mormonism through people who were deconstructing from the belief. Naturally, the first things I saw about it were debunking it’s location and historicity. But my mind was being opened to possibilities I hadn’t considered before. When I was younger, it didn’t make sense to me that there would be no more scripture from God. That the author of Revelations could say “that’s it.” for scripture, as I heard some argue. I wondered why God interacted so directly with those in ancient times and why such things wouldn’t occur with us now.  

Eventually, I was curious enough to acquire a Book of Mormon. I was admittedly cautious. I knew what the book said about a “skin of Blackness” and how that had lead to mistreatment of Black and Indigenous persons in different parts of the Latter Day Saint Movement. I was also fairly certain it was a 19th century text. I knew neither of these things discounted the Book as scripture. 

So I went into the scripture without the burden of historicity or author authenticity.  Not to see if the book was “true”, but to seek after the truths within. I approached the text and I looked for the presence of God. I prayed and asked God to guide me in my reading of the scriptures. Millions before me found these precious truths and Divine Inspiration in this book and I thought perhaps, if i went in openly, I could find it myself. 

And did I. And I am glad that I did. 

The Book of Mormon provides further light on issues the Christian community was facing at the time. It seeks to heal and to unify. A theme throughout the scripture and the bringing forth of the Book of Mormon speaks of Continuing Revelation. The heavens were open then and are open now. From what I learned, there is no reason why God wouldn’t provide us further light or would limit who God delivers Divine knowledge too. In fact, I learned that God does just that. It’s just up to us to ask, listen, and discern. 

The Book has also strengthened my relationship with my Creator. When I was a child, I thought deeply about, and questioned, the theology and doctrine I was taught in Sunday School. Sometimes this questioning was not always welcomed. I learned that for some, Ignorance is preferable to doubt. That doesn’t work for me. The Book of Mormon encourages me to be a diligent seeker. My time spent studying the Book of Mormon has been filled with questions. Questions without shame that I encourage to seek after God’s truth. 

Much like Nephi, I Was desirous also that I might see, and hear, and know of these things, by the power of the Holy Ghost, which is the gift of God to all those who diligently seek him, as well in times of old as in the time that he should manifest himself to the children of men; for he is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

(more from 1 Nephi 3) 29 For he that diligently seeks shall find; 30and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded to him by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in this time as in times of old; 31and as well in times of old as in times to come.

This scripture inspires me and shows me that God wants me to seek after God’s mysteries and the mysteries in the universe God created for us. That thought is absolutely liberating. We should not fear knowledge, God wants us to grow and understand. And my faith is stronger now with this understanding. Questioning and Seeking is needed for spiritual growth.

I find the Book of Mormon to be empowering in reminding me of my moral agency, encouraging me to grow my faith, and work with God to hone my Spiritual gifts to be used in service to the Divine and to my community. The Book of Mormon affirms the Living Christ, Christ’s love for all humankind, no matter where and who they are, and that people of all nations receive light from the Divine and are a part of God’s sacred story. And there is so much more. The Book of Mormon speaks to me about the effects of poverty and addressing wealth inequity. This matches with Christ’s mission to tend to the poor. The Book of Mormon goes into how we should live amongst each other and on building sacred community, on how to be Zion as a people. There are so many lessons packed in there that I believe God wants us to ponder on and to take action with. The Book of Mormon is responsible for changing the way I read and apply sacred scripture to my life. This has changed my life for the better and changed my life outlook. I see myself as an active part of God’s plan carrying out Christ’s mission. 

I thank God for the Restoration

I thank God for continuing revelation and the Book of Mormon

And I thank God for my community, the people of Zion

#BoM Testimony #book of mormon #tumblrstake #queerstake #latter day saint #restoration day

[jaarijani]

Käärijä Antwerp gig recap!!!

I HAVE THOUGHTS of course i do i dont shut the hell up ever you should know this about me by now

i arrived there at around 9 am bc of train delays but there were only 10 people there then and for the longest time it was just the 15 of us so 15 gang ily sm!!! i loved sitting and chatting with all of you you made those 10+ hours go by SO FAST ❤️❤️❤️

the tour bus arrived at around 12ish and we all stood around for a while until they finally came out

häärijä BEELINED to Ed, ignoring us completely, it was so funny

he was so sweet oh my god i love him 💛

while he distracted us Jere sneaked off the bus

as Jere walked back to the bus i saw him wave so i waved back and he came over to say hi!!! right in front of me!!! he was so sweet too 😭💚

you cannot comprehend how beautiful this man is irl oh my god

sidenote: he was SO surprised some of us woke up super early to travel all the way from the Netherlands

people started giving gifts and asking for pics and he said to form a line so we could all have a pic and he called himself santa claus lmao

i have the forbidden knowledge of Jeres height as he's exactly as tall as me 😈

OKAY THE ACTUAL GIG

it was so amazing???

his energy is so good and the audience matched him SO well today

he was CLEARLY feeling so much better today he was so happy and smiley and he seemed genuinely surprised by how crazy we were

we chanted käärijä after almost every song

VOITTAJA CHANT

i blacked out during hirttää kinni???? it was so good and its my fav at he moment and suddenly we were done??? no wait take me back

he talked about huhhahhei and said "when two guys go on a love boat together" paraphrasing but sIR!!!

AND THEN he did a whole bit about bojan again? he sang a little song wondering where he was and that he misses him and JERE PLEASE I CANT TAKE THIS ANYMORE

i have a video of this btw

Emilia fucking SLAPPED icip again holy shit she matched his energy perfectly

i feel like he didnt want to go again!!! he just stayed and talked about doing what you love and being true to youself WHILE the reggae mix was playing

it was so fun so good i had an amazing time 💚💚💚💚💚 and am low key considering going to finland next year

also shout out to Ed @submariini and his amazing Häärijadar bc we share the same birthday??!!!! october 29 babeyy

#käärijä #jere pöyhönen #antwerpen gig #also shout out to goose for hooking me up with a VERY last minute sleeping spot!!! i owe u my life #i dont know your tumblr tho i apologise #but everyone was genuinely so sweet and nice and the queue was great!!! #we wrote down numbers and emilia herded us like cattle it was great #there were some guys trying to cut the line but we just. werent having it. #no i did not wake up at 4 for you to just cut in line and take a spot #gtfo #also jere gives the best hugs :) #and jesse was SO DONE w/ our bullshit cheering for him hdbdbshd i am not sorry youre doing great sweetie ❤️ #im still hopped up on adrenaline but im going to try to get some sleep #i still cant believe this was real #good night yall it was great ❤️ #mine #mine*

[pearlofamphitrite]

Radioapple fanchild headcanons (bc I really wanna draw fanart and write fanfics about them) :

•Personally I’d want them to have twins (one boy [Oliver], one girl [Rosabelle]) but not twins that look too alike.

•Oliver has more of Lucifer’s personality in regards to obsessions and speech patterns, but he also has Alastor’s quiet observational skills and behaviour reading. He’s knowledgeable about niche things that not many other people care about.

•Rosabelle has Lucifer’s quick temper and protective traits, but Alastor’s quick-wits and skilled use of language to get herself out of bad situations. She’s also a little goofy like Lucifer.

•They both have an appreciation for songs that Alastor listens to, and for the creations Lucifer gives them. (Rosabelle has a pile of her dad’s gifts in the corner of her room, while Oliver lines them up neatly on his window sill)

•Oliver has a set of black feathered wings, and golden and red deer ears. Red scale-like patterns run down his spine. He also has heterochromia (one red sclera, one golden sclera)

•Rosabelle has Lucifer’s forked tongue and white antlers (in some species they aren’t limited to the males). Fawn-like markings spot her back and upper arms. Her eyes are both as red as Alastor’s, but with slit-like pupils like Lucifer’s

•Oliver can shape shift like Lucifer and has a similar “pure form” to that of Alastor’s (his wings also become enlarged and bent unnaturally)

•Rosabelle has Alastor’s shadow abilities, and Lucifer’s horns and tail when in full form

•Both can harness and utilise holy light (it’s a bit more challenging for them than it is for Lucifer). Both have spent enough time around Charlie for her optimism to rub off a little onto them (they’re not as naive as her when they grow older tho) and they do believe redemption is possible

•Rosabelle is a sadist like Alastor, but instead of embracing it like him, she feels ashamed of it

•Neither of them like television (this was instilled into them by Alastor and enforced by Lucifer)

•Neither of them like heaven

That’s all for today but if I think of anything else I’ll add it on

#radioapple fanchild #radioapple #alastor x lucifer #hazbin headcanons #radioapple fanchild headcanons #fandom oc

[grimoire-catechumen]

Importance of Silence in Ritual Magick

Every time I return to Agrippa, I am amazed by what I have forgotten and the knowledge which he provides in the Three Books of Occult Philosophy.

Having grown up with a Christocentric worldview from which I make sense of the mundane and magickal world, the idea of silence has always been prevalent. Note Matthew 7:6 specifically, which says: “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you." The word occult comes from the Latin verb celara meaning "to hide" or the adjective occultus meaning "hidden, concealed, or secret." In antiquity, the secrets provided to practitioners of the occult were considered valuable so much so that they were often disguised, shrouded in ways that only those holding a metaphorical key could understand the original meaning. To prevent the casting of this sacred spiritual knowledge before swine.

Agrippa expands on this idea in Ch. II of Book III where he notes five reasons for silence or circumspection.

Sharing holy matters with profane minds pollutes them. We see this even today when trying to share sacred, but secret truths granted to us by spirits with those who don't understand. Sayings like "mundane over magical" or a push for critical thought are used to lessen its influence or impact on our understanding. When we share these experiences, sometimes it can be to the detriment of the work the spirits are calling us to do. The shine of pearls is sullied by their environment.

Profane minds cannot grasp holy doctrine. Understanding is a gift to give a deeper insight and penetration of divine truths held by faith, not as a transitory enlightenment but as a permanent intuition. In Catholic dogma, this gift of understanding is granted by the Holy Spirit during Confirmation and assists in penetrating revealed truths, but also natural truths in so far as they related to a supernatural end. As St. Thomas Aquinas said, "In this very life, when the eye of the spirit is purified by the gift of understanding, one can ina a certain way see God." (Summa theologicae II-II, q. 69 a.2, ad.3).

The importance of understanding is further echoed in the Stobaei Hermetica: "But avoid converse with the many. Not that I wish you to grudge a benefit to others; my reason for this warning is rather that the many will think you one to be laughed at if you speak to them as I have spoken to you. Like welcomes like; but men that are unlike are never friends..."

3. It allows the divine enlightenment of the doctrine to occur. Everybody has experiences whereby slowing down and listening we are given directions, instructions, or encouragement from the spirits. But by keeping silent about our work, we ensure our motivations are pure and that the intention is to commune with the divine. Too often I think we miss critical personal truths in favor of using magic for public success. As noted in the Corpus Hermeticum 13.8a, "And now, my son, speak not, but keep a solemn silence; so will the mercy come down on us from God."

4. The futility of attempting to express the inexpressible. Sometimes words are incapable of describing our supernatural experiences with spirits and when we do it comes out much less life-changing than it was. There is a reason occultists gather together in communities - just as any common worldview is the base of a religion, so to do our experiences bring us together and set us apart. Only those who have worked with the spirits can fully understand your own experiences.

5. Silence involves a proscription against translation of the doctrines into other languages because the words themselves are holy and embody power. Although this may be my least favorite reason as a grimoire magician eager to find translations of French and German transcripts, I think it holds true. This idea is noted in the Corpus Hermeticum 16.1b-2 as well: "Translation will greatly distort the sense of the writings, and cause much obscurity. Expressed in our native language, the teaching conveys its meaning clearly; for the very quality of sounds...; and when the Egyptian words are spoken, the force of the things signified works in them."

Furthermore, in academic publications such as Invoking Angels by Penn State University Press, there are entire discussions around how the illiterate laity copying down instructions from holy books led to mistakes in translations, a problem noted by translators such as Joseph Peterson, David Rankine, and Stephen Skinner in their meticulous grimoire translations. Exasperated by the enhanced access to manuscripts in the 16th and 17th centuries, you see books such as the Grimoire of Arthur Gauntlet or Book of Oberon with Greek, Latin, and Hebrew translation corrections along with corrections in figures of circles or talismans.

Outside of magick, even, biblical scholars note the loss of Scriptural understanding when reading the Bible in English compared to Greek or even Hebrew, noting minute differences that entirely change the meaning of a text or provide additional context.

Taken together, I think Agrippa makes a solid argument for why keeping silent is important. Do you agree?

#ceremonial magic #grimoire #grimoires #magick #solomonic magic #witchcraft #divination #occultism #heinrich cornelius agrippa #silence

[walkswithmyfather]

‭‭Romans‬ ‭5:1‭-‬6‬ ‭(NLT‬‬). “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2:8‭-‬9‬ ‭(ESV). “‬‬For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

“A Gift Already Given” By In Touch Ministries:

“We don’t have to strive for God’s favor; we just need to receive and believe.”

“In today’s passage, Paul uses beautiful language to describe the believer’s position in Christ: “We also have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand” (v. 2, emphasis added). This grace is no puddle that barely gets our toes wet. It’s a mighty ocean that stretches on forever. And it’s grander than we could ever fathom.

God’s grace is an essential concept for believers to understand. He freely offers His favor to mankind because Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross granted forgiveness and salvation to anyone who believes. However, many people think they are enjoying God’s kindness when what they are really trying to do is earn it. And the Lord is very clear that works cannot save us (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Serving God in order to gain favor or ensure that He continues to bless you diminishes the beauty of His grace. You can do nothing to deserve His kindness! He pours it upon believers freely. So receive it, beloved, and live free in the knowledge that while your efforts are welcomed and cherished by God, grace is a gift already given.”

[Photo by Benjamin Suter at Unsplash]

#‭‭romans‬ ‭5:1‭-‬6‬ #god forgives #god’s grace #god saves #salvation #god loves you #bible verses #bible truths #bible scriptures #bible quotes #bible study #studying the bible #the word of god #christian devotionals #daily devotions #bible #christian blog #god #belief in god #faith in god #jesus #belief in jesus #faith in jesus #christian prayer #christian life #christian living #christian faith #christian inspiration #christian encouragement #christian motivation

[spider-xan]

Addressing two issues I've seen brought up in the Dracula Daily tag today, and I am begging people to remember that even if you dislike a character, you still need to engage with the text and their actual actions:

Van Helsing is so incompetent! Why didn't he just secretly put a wild rose on Lucy's coffin instead of dragging the three suitors into everything?

Again, I want to stress that the popular idea of Van Helsing being an experienced vampire hunter is not true to the text, so the pop culture interpretation shouldn't be projected onto him when we're dealing with the novel. At the time of the Lucy incident, he only knew some folklore due to his open mind, but he was learning, researching, and experimenting at the same time he was trying to save her, which also meant relying on folklore and superstition that may be incomplete, or who knows what's true or not; Lucy getting staked, beheaded, garlicked, her coffin soldered, the holy weather caulking, etc. reads like he wanted to take as many precautions as possible bc who knows which one works - but at this point, his knowledge is still incomplete.

By his own admission, meeting the Harkers is when he really started to gain a fuller knowledge of vampires and Dracula himself. I know it's a long way back in the novel now, but wild rose as an anti-vampire measure was first mentioned by Jonathan as one of the gifts he received from the villagers; it's possible, but not and never confirmed, that this may be where Van Helsing acquired that knowledge, if he didn't know it earlier - but if he learned it from Jonathan, it would have been after he already had an idea for Lucy as proof he needed for his bigger plan.

Do we really need to go over why Van Helsing needed to show the suitors Lucy running around as a vampire right in front of their eyes as direct proof that vampires exist so that they would join the Dracula hunting team again?

The men are forcing Mina to be their secretary bc they are sexist! They should take turns being the ones to record the minutes!

I mean, yeah, there's a sexist idea that secretarial work is woman's work and therefore less valuable, but in this case, Mina is a highly skilled and trained secretary who knows how to use a typewriter - still a relatively new technology that requires learning and practice - and type quickly; transcribing the minutes quickly into an easily readable format is a valuable contribution to the team, and to act like secretarial work is just something anyone can do and not a real skill or specialized labour is ironically degrading that kind of work.

Pragmatically, why make someone else take handwritten notes that will have to be typed again later, or fumble around with a typewriter for the first time? No, they don't have time to learn right now, and yeah, maybe they should have been learning, but also, let Mina have a special and important skill set that no one else has, and that the team would be lost without.

#dracula #dracula daily

[ome-magical-ramblings]

Incense pt.3 , Blessings of Spirits.

First practical working with the Censer and I would like this to come out of the first and second sections that we did. Is that we make our own incense mix here. I will try to make it very simple and low on Ingredients. The reason I am starting with a blessing is that you want the censer to obtain blessing and virtue by blessing others.

Preparation for the Ritual is making the incense and we will work with: 1. one spoon of Sandalwood powder 2. one spoon of Brown Sugar or Arabic Gum 3. Add enough water to make a dough of the correct consistency 4. Few drops of olive oil. 5. 3 resin of frankincense and myrrh. You put all of them in a bowl and start making a "ball" and rolling all ingredient together until you get something pretty consistent and looks good to use and you let it dry some of the water covered in shrink wrap or something like that. You let it sit for 2 weeks or so and dry out. As you can see in the image below on the right it is the incense mix I made recently and on the right is the one I use after it dries out. Something you can do is put something to "help" the incense mix burn and you might need some testing and fidgeting with the stuff. It's not an easy process but at least you're not going through the route of making self-combusting incense.

The Ritual Proper

I have to emphasize that this isn’t a general offering and I don’t condone nor support the idea of “feeding spirits” randomly. That mean this whole ritual will be very specific in who you want you to give the offering or the blessing to, in the same logic of why you wouldn’t give money to random people in the street or you wouldn’t go to Facebook marketplace and say “FREE MONEY” and then put your location.

The Ritual Outline would be:

1) Prayer to God/Divine Creator. 2) Establishing “Overseers” of the offerings and boundaries. 3) Prayers to call the spirits. 4) Blessings and Thanksgiving. 5) Closure.

Part 1

You Establish some connection to divinity with the ritual and start by asking for guidance, you can of course use the Hidden Stele instead of Aphorism 14 from Arbatel here:

O Lord of heaven and earth, Creator and Maker of all things visible and invisible; I, though unworthy, by thy assistance call upon thee, through thy onely begotten Son Jesus Christ our Lord, that thou wilt give unto me thy holy Spirit, to direct me in thy truth unto all good. Amen.

Because I earnestly desire perfectly to know the Arts of this life and such things as are necessary for us, which are so overwhelmed in darkness, and polluted with infinite humane opinions, that I of my own power can attain to no knowledge in them, unless thou teach it me: Grant me therefore one of thy spirits, who may teach me those things which thou wouldest have me to know and learn, to thy praise and glory, and the profit of our neighbour. Give me also an apt and teachable heart, that I may easily understand those things which thou shalt teach me, and may hide them in my understanding, that I may bring them forth as out of thy inexhaustible treasures, to all necessary uses. And give me grace, that I may use such thy gifts humbly, with fear and trembling, through our Lord Jesus Christ, with thy holy Spirit. Amen.

Part 2

You would put a little put of the incense you made now.

Calling the cardinal Archangels, I usually recommend that people approach this as prayers. You can use format or ask a different thing from each archangel and in any case here’s a format for sake convenience:

“Oh [Archangel name] I ask for your guidance and protection in my ritual today, help me reach those who need my prayers and guide my hand toward those who benefit the most of it. Surround my work in infinite purified divine light of God that no malicious or malevolent spirit may enter and partake in this work, I beseech thee by the blood of Jesus Christ that no deceitful spirit is allowed in this chamber and this blessing is given by the Light of the World our Lord Jesus Christ. “

NOTE: I have to emphasise that the wording that no other spirit comes except those who are coming in light or benevolent. You don’t want to skip this step, you can use whatever form of invocation and with whatever else spirits you usually work but I have to repeat don’t throw the invocation just as free money on the street.

Part 3

You would put a little more of the incense you made now.

Since I am going through this ritual with an elemental focus on mind, now is the time to work with the prayer of elementals. You can use the elemental prayers and walk around the circle calling each elemental kingdom to pray with you!

Part 4

Now the Blessing of the spirit is that you would use the 🖖🖖 gesture toward each direction, where the ritual in Sepher Yetzirah is about sealing the Depths then this ritual is about Blessing the depths. You face each direction and use Numbers 6:24-26

24 ‘“The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”

Each Direction you’re sending the blessings to the spirits, ancestors, angels, elementals, and so on who came to receive the blessings. East, South, West, North, East up, East Down. Then Stand there give it a bit, you don’t need to do anything right now and you can stand for a bit.

Part 5

Closure helps establish that the spirit who came on their ways and not have any lingering presence. I use Aphorism 21 from Arbatel to be honest:

Forasmuch as thou camest in peace, and quietly, and hast answered unto my petitions; I give thanks unto God, in whole Name thou camest: and now thou mayest depart in peace unto thy orders; and return to me again when I shall call thee by thy name, or by thy order, or by thy office, which is granted from the Creator. Amen.

 'Those that lower their voice in the presence of God's Apostle – their hearts has God tested for piety: for them is forgiveness and a great reward.'

#occult #magic #witchblr #ritual #magick #invocation #folk magic #witchcraft #spellwork #folk spellcraft #prayer #catholic #christianity #bible #ritual magic #incense #agrippa #astral #spirit work #lineage #traditional magick #ritual work #ritual witchcraft #tarotblr #divination #meditation #ceremonial magic #thuergy

[saras-devotionals]

Quiet Time 2/24

what am I feeling today?

Idk why but I’m just super tired and I can’t think of a real reason why I should be. I know that I have a lot of work ahead of me and a busy day and I think I just wanted a little more time to rest.

Campus Devo Notes

(at this devo we talked about the Pentecostal church/belief and all those who have emotional based experiences with God or base their belief on how they feel. These are just some scriptures and notes to offer insight)

how do you know a spiritual encounter is real?

If God/His word is behind the experience

Romans 10:1-4 NIV

“Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.”

About the church, the Pentecostal church is relatively new having been founded in 1901. They also have no hierarchy/structure (it’s not so how the people see fit in terms of operating and not all Pentecostal churches are the same)

What do they do right? Zeal/excitement/passion for God! + dedication to prayer

However, looking at this passage here we can see that even though they are zealous (which is a good thing) it is not based on knowledge and so they establish their own "righteousness" instead of submitting to God’s (Bible and what it says)

Acts 2:1-4 NIV

“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”

This passage is taken out of context (and it only happened twice in the Bible) -> there’s no way for this to be recreated in the modern age.

glossolalia -> speaking in tongues (not biblical) - will be covered by a later passage

baptizo - the original Greek meaning to be fully immersed (with the assumption that it’s in water)

everyone in the Bible who got baptized were done with water and were immersed. What baptism represents and why it needs to be immersion is covered by the following passage:

Romans 6:1-4 NIV

“What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”

This shows that baptism is the participation in the death, burial, and resurrection, and for that action to be possible, immersion needed to participate. Here’s a visual example:

Acts 2:36-38 NIV

‭‭ ““Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

‭‭Example of how upon receiving the good news, people should repent and be baptized and then they will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 14:6-12 NIV

“Now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction? Even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the pipe or harp, how will anyone know what tune is being played unless there is a distinction in the notes? Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle? So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air. Undoubtedly there are all sorts of languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning. If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and the speaker is a foreigner to me. So it is with you. Since you are eager for gifts of the Spirit, try to excel in those that build up the church.”

This is the passage that covers speaking in tongues. This is Paul writing to the church in Corinth. He says what is it to speak in tongues? “Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air. ” What people say must have meaning, it can’t just be random sounds or whatever covers out of your mouth.

Matthew 12:38-39 NIV

“Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.”

‭‭From my understanding, people of the Pentecostal background/those that practice their faith emotionally tend to have an execessive need for signs from the Holy Spirit but this can be seen as faithless. We’re not supposed to need signs, even Jesus states that a wicked and adulterous generation asks for signs? we should have firm faith without signs.

1 Corinthians 2:29-31, 13:8-13 NIV

“Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. And yet I will show you the most excellent way.”

‭‭ “Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

Paul mentions greater gifts in 12 and it’s answered in 13 which are faith, hope, and love with love being the greatest

Luke 3: 21-22 NIV

“When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.””

we get to see all three aspects of trinity here -Father, Son, Holy Spirit

2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 NIV

“The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.”

One more point to make, Satan can perform countefit "mirades". Let us focus on the details and investigate what we see. Decipher whether or not it is truly from God or a trick of the enemy.

Practicals/Instruction:

1) we have to teach everyone to respect God's word

Galatians 1:6-10 NIV: “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse! Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.”

some are ‭‭preaching things other than God's word, but we have to respect it. Why would you change His word?! How can we or anyone else on this earth have a better idea of what’s right than abiding to what God has already said and made clear.

2) context brings clarity!

One of the most popular verses is John 3:16 -> “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

‭‭but context is important! Jesus is talking to Nicodemus and beforehand he’s talking about baptism and afterwards also says that we must “live by the truth” which shows that faith alone is not what saves us as it could be interpreted if you just read the single verse instead of the whole chapter.

3) experience does not mean salvation

Matthew 17:21-23 -> ““Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”

‭‭we don’t want to be in this category, we don’t want to be people who say “Lord” but Jesus does not know us. Furthermore, the point trying to be made by this is just because you had an experience with God, does not mean you were saved. Think about instances in the Bible, the easiest being Judas. He walked with Jesus, he had spiritual gifts, but he was not saved.

Last point to make, let us be more stubborn about the truth (which is the word of God)

#bible #quiet time #bible quote #bible scripture #bible study #bible verse #christian blog #christian faith #christian living #christianity #devo #daily devotional #devotional group #disciple of christ #devotional #discipleship #campus devotional #campus ministry #pentecostal #faith in jesus #jesus saves #jesus #faith in god #faith #saras devotionals #2/24

[reallyromealone]

Remember this miniseries with Dustin and steddie is modern au

X

Saturday came and little (name) was hype as he had his little brown paper bag he decorated in daycare for his grandpa filled with the Halloween candy he set aside for him, dressed in his little jacket and toddler sized safety boots (name) was ready to spend the day with grandpa Wayne.

Eddie didn't bother correcting his kids about it and Wayne kind of loved being called grandpa so it worked out for both parties.

"So what are you and grandpa making?" Steve asked the tot who was in his car seat, practically vibrating with excitement "grampas fend wanna desk!" (Name) said excitedly and Steve chuckled at his kids excitement "really? And you're helping him?"

"Yeah!"

"What a big boy you are bud! Helping grandpa" Steve always made sure to tell his kids how proud he was of them, wanting them to feel cherished and valued unlike himself as a kid.

He never wanted them to feel that unloved.

Ever.

"Well you be good and listen to everything grandpa says alright?"

"Ok daddy" (name) said softly as they parked infront of Wayne's trailer, once freed and set down (name) hugged his dad's leg "bye-bye daddy!" He said loudly and happily before running off with his little paper bag for Grandpa, by time he got to the steps Wayne had opened the door "there's my little man!"

"Grampa!" (Name) squealed and Steve watched in with a warm heart before waving them off and driving off.

"We build today?" (Name) asked sweetly and Wayne nodded "that we are bud, you ready to finish that desk!"

Today was the final steps, sanding, varnish and then waxing it.

(Name) wore protective gear along with Wayne as the two sanded it, (name)s portions took much longer but it eventually got done and after a small break the two painted the varnish on and (name) made sure to follow his grandpa's words "slowly bud, we don't want it uneven right?"

"Ok grampa"

When they finished it was the last step, the two rubbing the bees wax into the wood with a cloth and the two generations of Munsons were very focused and before they knew it; they had one nice looking desk.

"We did it!" (Name) said excitedly and Wayne chuckled at his enthusiasm "we sure did bud and I think you earned this" Wayne them handed little (name) 100 dollars in 20s "here's your payment bud, spend it wisely "

"Thank you grampa" (name) said in awe and though Wayne got payed 300, it didn't feel right not paying his little helper "fruits of your labor bud"

"What fruit?"

"It's a figure of speech kid"

"Oh"

The two went inside and did what they did every time, ate pizza and watched old movies together until (name) passed out at around seven and then get driven home by grandpa.

Saturday's were (name)s favorite days because he got to hang with the coolest grandpa.

The next morning (name) woke up over the moon and ran out once Dustin helped him get dressed.

"PAPA! I GOT PAY!" (Name) said excitedly the next morning and the metalhead was expecting Wayne to pay the tyke like 10 bucks but not 100 dollars "holy--" "language!" Steve cut in as he made breakfast for the family "well what are you gonna do with your earnings, working man?"

"I dunno" (name) shrugged and just shoved the bills into his overall pockets "daddy say save"

"That is a good habit to build bud"

"Ok papa, then I save!"

The family enjoyed their breakfast, a slow Sunday morning before Dustin went out to hang with his friends and Eddie and Steve helped (name) put the money in his special piggy bank that was Eddie got as a gag gift from Steve back in their dating days, a tacky Metallica themed piggy bank.

But (name) loved it.

Sundays were grocery day in the Harrington-Munson household and today was Steve's turn as Eddie had to go to his shop and give a "we don't grill girls over their knowledge of a band or game" speech because apparently one of his employees did that and Eddie didn't tolerate such bullshit.

Putting (name) in the little seat in the cart, the two began their shopping while talking about various things "so you excited for turkey day bud?" Steve ask and (name) smiled "we wash bowl"

"Yeah bud we watch the Superbowl, I even got you a real good colts jersey bud!" Steve said as he put things into the cart, school snacks and stuff for dinner "we match?"

"Yeah bud were gonna match" (name) really likes matching with his parents lately, neither parent minding and Eddie even getting his munchkin a tiny Metallica shirt to match with him on days when he couldn't go to daycare and had to go to the shop.

"We get roos?"

"You want dunkaroos? Didn't we just get you some?"

"Papa ated them again"

"We will hide them from him this time" Steve said, ready to give his husband a stern talking to when they get home for eating his toddler sons favourite snack.

When they finished they did their tradition of getting (American fast food) and chowing down in the car, Steve always found how his toddler ate was the cutest thing; eyes wide and glancing at something that distracted him as he had his mouth as open as possible to eat his food Steve broke into smaller bits for the boy to eat.

He really looked like Eddie when he ate.

When they got home (name) helped put groceries away and they hid the dunkaroos in a super secret spot aka the empty cupboard above the stove and the two began doing house hold chores, Dustin having done his this morning which revolved around dishes, making his bed and taking out the trash.

Around noon it was (name)s naptime, the one time Steve could sit in silence and watch a not Micky mouse or one of Dustin and eddies cartoons and just relax.

He loved his family but he just wanted to watch his crime shows!

They had to stop letting (name) watch after he kept trying to recreate toy versions of the crime scenes and Eddie didn't want to make a tiny murderer.

"We can take him now but when he's older" were Eddie's words and after that no more crime shows.

Steve's parents disowned him when Dustin was born through he surrogate, they pretended like be wasn't married to Eddie for years but when they had a kid, that was the last staw apparently.

Well they are missing out on their grandkids lives and the kids had an awesome grandpa and found relatives not to mention god parents.

Nancy and Johnathan were Dustin's and Vicky and Robin were (name)s, the god parents went to those kids events and everything and were far more involved than his parents could ever dream to be.

When Steve told Eddie he wanted a big happy family he wasn't expecting the other man to be on board the way he was, sharing the lonliness of being a single child and made sure that their kids were never lonely, and though they had a considerable age gap, the two were close as ever.

Dustin even willingly gave (name) his older toys to play with.

Steve looked at the time and realized an hour and a half passed and he should probably wake (name) and start dinner.

Getting up he went and woke up (name) who slept full starfish like Eddie and like a corpse "hey bud time to get up" Steve said gently and the tiny boy grunted before cracking his eyes open with a slight crown "time to make dinner"

"I help?"

"Well daddy needs his sous chef to help him cook right?"

When (name) got to pick tonight's dinner he picked his favorite, Steve obviously handling all the dangerous things but he let his son do all the not possibly life threatening to a toddler jobs.

When Eddie and Dustin came home for dinner, the family talked away and Dustin and Eddie talking at length about their dnd stuff and (name) talked about the desk and how he was a working man now and Steve couldnt stop grinning at this family he made while cleaning the tots face as he ate like his papa aka a gremlin.

#eddie munson x male reader #stranger things x reader #stranger things x male reader #male reader #eddie munson x reader #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington x male reader #dustin henderson #dustin henderson x reader

[angeltreasure]

When you pray it seems to work so can you please pray that chronic wasting disease doesn't spread from deer and other animals to humans. It's a really horrible neurological disease and I'm really sort of scared it might spread to humans

Prayer of Protection by the Precious Blood

Lord Jesus, by faith in Your merits, I now take Your Precious Blood and sprinkle it over myself and my family and the dear animals right from the crown of my head to the very soles of my feet.

I claim total and complete protection for my life and my family and these dear animals. Lord Jesus, keep me free today from evil, sin, temptation, Satan’s attacks and afflictions, fear of darkness, fear of man, sickness, diseases, doubts, anger, all calamities and from all that is not of Thy Kingdom.

Fill me Lord Jesus with gift of Your Holy Spirit and grant me the gift of wisdom, knowledge, understanding and discernment so that I will live today in Your glory by doing that which is right. Praise You Jesus. Thank You Jesus.

#prayer request #asks

[rucbarthatbowtiesarecooldw]

Saturday Afternoon Session

O Thou Rock of Our Salvation

Conducting Dallin H. Oaks

Henry B Eyring

Sustaining votes

Jesus Once of Humble Birth

Niel L. Andersen

Venezuela story about a bakery being saved in natural disasters

Tithing can sometimes bring miracles.

Put others first and

trust in the Lord – the blessings of Heaven will follow

My time is not mine – it is the Lord’s to whom I have consecrated it

Tithing is not measured by the amount you contribute – the power comes from placing trust in the Lord

Jan E. Newman 2nd counselor Sunday school

Jesus commanding the little children to come up to Him one by one

Help children find the Savior in the scriptures and build their foundation on Him

When we dig we have to dig deep – remember to dig as if for placing cement in the ground, because if you just dig normally and the ground is smooth at the bottom the cement will not adhere properly and the foundation will become unstable. You have to hit the jagged bedrock to have a fully set foundation

Folow the example of Nephi

Talk of Christ, Rejoice in Christ etc

What does this look like? Whatever looks best for you

You may feel inaudequate, but you should never feel alone

Joaquin E. Costa 70

The source of that strength is Jesus Christ

How do you show and exercise faith every day?

Keeping covenants and following commandments are not transactional, they are transformational

Come to Jesus to fix your life, don’t wait until your life is fixed to seek Him

We don’t come to Jesus because we are perfect, we come to Him because we are flawed

There is Sunshine in My Soul today

Gary E Stevenson

God given gifts – spiritual and otherwise

Holy ghost, heal and be healed, miracles, wisdom, knowledge

Sports/athleticism, art, photography, music etc

Seek spiritual gifts to share with others

There is a learning curve to spiritual gifts; keeping commandments, taking the sacrament, scripture study, prayer

Stand in Holy Places

Stand with holy people

Testify of Holy Truths

Listen to the Holy Spirit

If you hope to feel the spirit, be with people whom the spirit may freely dwell

Spiritual matters cannot be forced and you cannot dictate that for other people or yourself – they are not given for you to counsel others (unless you are a patriarch set apart by proper authority).

Reminder that once you move out of your parents house they no longer have full impressions for you. They can still feel some for you as your parents, however after you move out YOU are the head of your household so they

Yoon Hwan Choi 70

1 Do you want to be happy?

Sacred covenants that connect us fully to Heavenly Father help us be happy

2 are you on the covenant path?

3 how can keeping covenants with God keep you happy?

Alan T. Phillips 70

Don’t leave your kids at service stations

Lost sheep, lost coin, lost son

Do not misunderstand or devalue how much meaning your life has to your Father in Heaven.

True religion is the tie that binds us to God and to each other

Our journey to God is often found together

1 (no idea, had a hard time focusing this afternoon!)

2 the redemptive power of Jesus Christ

Make no mistake Christ is our rescuer and the healer of our souls

The Savior is beckoning us to rely upon and call upon Him

Heavenly Father’s love - perfect, glorified love for each one of us

You do not have to do this alone. He can provide the strength and healing needed to face the road ahead. He will provide the shelter from the storm

God’s plan of happiness is all about you, you are His child of great worth and He loves you

Ronald A. Rasband

Nothing else compares in majesty or magnitude – the gathering of israel

Always ask the Lord if the time is right to serve a mission – going on a mission, weather single or as a couple, if you are being forced into the decision, is never a good idea.

The field is the world

Senior missionaries change the very landscape with their testimonies of the Savior

Take your knowhow plus your time honored testimonies

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty

#genconf #tumblrstake #ldsconf #general conference #church of jesus christ of latter day saints #saturday afternoon session

[marta-bee]

Some caveats: I'm nursing a headcold today, so taking off work and more than a bit confuzzled from decongestants. I also 100% recognize what I'm about to say probably wasn't what Neil and P-Terry had in mind. But what is the internet for if not sharing our theories and thoughts just because we can?

So with that rather large grain of salt in mind, I want to talk about Good Omens (obviously), and medieval philosophy (equally obviously from me), and specifically what might have driven Aziraphale's fall. I'm using that term with a bunch of caution flags in my mind, because I don't think it's wholly accurate for angels, but there's definitely something going on with Aziraphale's character because he's changing and growing. Theologically, angels are supposed to start out good and stay that way, so any change can only be a step away from that ideal.

That's the standard view in most medieval Christian philosophy. I don't actually agree and think the possibility of change is what makes life worthwhile. (How boring, to be perfect with nowhere to go!) But my point is if the Aziraphale we meet in Eden is different from the one who says "after you!" outside a bookshop in Soho, that's .... not management-approved angel behavior, to put it mildly. Whatever he's changing into.

(I should probably add a third caveat: I've still not seen the second season, so I'm thinking mainly in terms of Good Omens the book and the first series storyline, and what little of the second series I've gleaned from the Tumblr ecosystem.)

Here's the part that fascinates me. Crowley's fall is a very familiar story if you grew up around Protestant Christianity, even culturally. Humans first sinned when they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; when they lost their innocence and understood morality. And Crowley fell because he was just asking questions. That either means he's trying to understand things he should have just accepted, or he's questioning if they really should be that way, or both. In either case it's a very knowledge-based form of falling.

I don't get that vibe from Aziraphale. If anything, what drives him to change is he loves too extravagantly. I'm reminded of this bit from Augustine's On Christian Doctrine:

But living a just and holy life requires one to be capable of an objective and impartial evaluation of things: to love things, that is to say, in the right order, so that you do not love what is not to be loved, or fail to love what is to be loved, or have a greater love for what should be loved less, or an equal love for things that should be loved less or more, or a lesser or greater love for things that should be loved equally.

Put more simply, we're supposed to love things that are good, and love them in proportion to how good they are. Love God unconditionally and without restraint; love other things as a reflection of God, to the extent they reflect Him. It all reminds me of nothing so much of Othello's famous description of himself: "one that loved not wisely, but too well."

And if that's not Aziraphale to a tee. It's not just that (if I may be allowed my shipper's goggles), is head over heels in love with an actual demon. He also loves the niceties of the created world so durned much: sushi, and crepes, and music that's not The Sound of Music, and all the rest. He loves it so much he'll do nearly anything to protect it, to keep it in existence, even if it means toeing the line over what God Herself actually wants. And loving the created thing so much we value it even above God, which Aziraphale is getting very close to doing, in spirit even if he keeps finding clever ways to avoid actually crossing the line? That's one of the ways Augustine actually defines sin. From The City of God:

These are thy gifts; they are good, for thou in thy goodness has made them. Nothing in them is from us, save for sin when, neglectful of order, We fix our love on the creature, instead of on thee, the Creator.

There's something delightfully queer about all this, or at least something I suspect resonates with a lot of queer peoples' experience. It's not that Aziraphale loves a male-presenting character, or even a demon, but that he loves so carelessly, so extravagantly, he loves everything and not just the things he's been told he should love. And that's enough to stop the apocalypse. To catapult him firmly past your or my side to ours.

And if that's not a delicious and true-to-character way to start his fall, I don't know what is.

#theology #marta blathers #good omens #aziraphale #philosophy #really this should all be taken with a large grain of thought and i can't promise I'll hold to any of this tomorrow #still the thought is an intriguing one

[childofchrist1983]

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him. - 1 Peter 3:18-22 KJV

Have you been treated unfairly? Have you ever been treated unjustly because of your Christian faith? If so, take heart! The Holy Bible reminds us that as Christians, we will be persecuted. It also reminds us that Jesus Christ also suffered unjustly. He was sinless and blameless, yet He suffered because of our sins. He did not simply suffer – He died for our sins. He did this so that we might come to know God and be saved. Yet, in the death of His human flesh, He was still triumphant! This act of mercy and grace is more than we can comprehend, but we are eternally grateful for it. When we suffer for Christ's sake, may we be reminded of Him, who suffered infinitely more than we ever will in order to draw people to God and be gifted eternal salvation and eternal life in Heaven. May Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ help us to share the Gospel Truth of His death and resurrection with the world. And when we are treated unfairly because of our faith and spiritual rebirth in Him, may we continue to press on, because we know that He also suffered and He loves us beyond measure and all we endure will be worth it in the end.

Leaning on Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ through prayer and His Holy Word and Spirit strengthens us and our knowledge and wisdom about God and His Gospel Truth, exposing these imposters. May God help us to seek and lean on Him daily to gain the strength, wisdom and spiritual discernment needed to expose Satan and his imposters who seek to destroy us and God's ultimate Truth. Everyday, we must remember to share Jesus Christ's Gospel Truth with the world and to thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for the grace that He poured out for us on the cross at Calvary. He has freed us from the burdens of sin and from the eternal damnation of Hell. In all we say and do, may all praise, honor and glory always be given to Him and His Kingdom of Heaven.

With renewed minds, hearts and wills, let us serve Him humbly and faithfully out of pure love and grateful rejoicing. May He remind us of His presence and to remain at peace, fully knowing that all will be well because He is always with us. Let us seek Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ today and everyday with all our heart and being, looking for His love, light and will for our lives with each step we take. Let us seek to please Him with our thoughts, words, and deeds and seek to advance His Kingdom of Heaven and His glory with our lives. Let us seek Him from a pure and humble heart, and when we so seek, we believe Him and His promise that we will find. May He help us all to be more sensitive to the teaching ministry of His Holy Word and Spirit, relying on Him and allowing Him to speak to us and guide us every step of our Christian journey.

God gave us the Holy Bible - His living and Holy Word - to let us know of Him and His abiding love and care as well as guide and prepare us for all our lives. May He help us encourage one another as we continue our walk with Him and our duty to Him daily. Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for being present for all our new beginnings and all our lives. May He redirect any anxiety we feel as He provides countless opportunities for growth and change. May we humble ourselves before God always, asking Him to forgive our sins and make our hearts and lives anew through His Holy Word and Spirit. May He help us make Him and His Holy Word top priority, so we can grow spiritually and grow in our relationship with Him as we apply it to our daily lives. Thank God that we can focus on Him and everything about Him, for that is what keeps us sane and at peace. May our words and actions always be a reflection of Him and His Holy Word and Spirit and will.

May He help us to always walk in His grace and Holy Spirit, not by our own measure. May He give us the humble humility to know that our freedom and eternal salvation is found only in Him, so that His grace may sustain us, and we may never lose sight of His love and light and mercy. Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for calling us to Him and to serve Him. May He equip us to do all that He has called us to do so that as He works through us, He may use us to produce fruit, to reach others, and to encourage all brothers and sisters in Christ. May He work all of these things in us and through us for His Kingdom and His glory. Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for all His creation, for His miraculous ways and for everything He does and has done for us! Keep the faith and keep moving forward in your walk with Jesus! He loves us and He knows what is best for us. Seek, follow and trust in Him - Always!

Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for His Holy Word and for sending His Holy Spirit so that we might have His grace, not only to awaken us and transform our hearts in our spiritual rebirth and guarantee our eternity with Him, but to also call upon Him whenever we are in need. Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for all the reminders of His love and mercy and faithfulness within His Holy Word. He is bigger than any challenge or circumstance in our lives. Knowing this within our minds and our hearts, nothing can deter our faith in Him and His Truth. May we all accept Him and His eternal gift of salvation and ask that He would transform our hearts and lives according to His will and ways. Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for His Holy Spirit who saves, seals and leads us. May we always thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for His almighty power and saving grace. For He is our strength, and He alone is able to save us, forgive our sins and gift us eternal salvation and entry into His Kingdom of Heaven.

May we make sure that we give our hearts and lives to God and take time to seek and praise Him and share His Truth with the world daily. May the LORD our God and Father in Heaven help us to stay diligent and obedient and help us to guard our hearts in Him and His Holy Word daily. May He help us to remain faithful and full of excitement to do our duty to Him and for His glorious return and our reunion in Heaven as well as all that awaits us there. May we never forget to thank the LORD our God and our Creator and Father in Heaven for all this and everything He does and has done for us! May we never forget who He is, nor forget who we are in Christ and that God is always with us! What a mighty God we serve! What a Savior this is! What a wonderful LORD, God, Savior and King we have in Jesus Christ! What a loving Father we have found in Almighty God! What a wonderful God we serve! His will be done!

Thanks and glory be to God! Blessed be the name of the LORD! Hallelujah and Amen!

[vixenpen]

Our Year (Eddie Munson x Black Fem Reader)

((Pt. 2)) Letting yourself into the Munson household wasn’t an unusual occurrence ever since Eddie had given you a key to the trailer.

The two of you had been going steady for a year now. For your one year anniversary Eddie had presented you with a house key and one half of a broken heart charm on a silver chain. He wore the other half on a chain of his own.

Uncle Wayne (affectionately called “unc”) approved of the gift claiming: “Someone needs to be sure the boy doesn’t burn the house down, and it can’t always be me!”

You could see from the missing pick up that Unc was still at work, probably pulling a late nighter at the shop, but Eddie’s van was parked beside the trailer.

If you had to guess, he was probably watching MTV right now.

The minute you crept into the house, the faint smell of bacon and weed greeted you. Muffled rock music blasted from Eddies’s room.

Yup. MTV.

You tiptoed to a door plastered in caution tape and knocked.

“Oh shit!” Your boyfriend coughed on the other end.

The bed squeaked under his hasty movements as you heard him getting up.

Rolling your eyes, you couldn’t help but giggle. He was obviously smoking; which was something his uncle didn’t outright object to, but wasn’t too fond of either.

“Hey, Unc, I-I didn’t hear you pull up! I thought you were pullin a late night—oh…” Eddie trailed off the minute his hazy brown eyes landed on you.

“Relax, Munson,” You smirked, pushing past your stoned, shirtless boyfriend. “I’m neither “the man” nor your uncle.”

“Well, good.” Eddie’s arm slithered around your waist.

You giggled as he pecked your cheek.

“Because it would suck to let a good joint and fresh sheets go to waste.”

Your boyfriend’s lips traveled down your neck, and warmth bloomed in your brown cheeks—among other places.

“Ah, ah, ah,” you brushed off his affections. “Slow ya roll, Speed Racer.”

“Aww man,” Eddie pouted, “wha’d I do now? Cuz before you rip me a new one, I’ma be honest,” he held up his hands, “there’s, like, a ninety-five percent chance I was stoned out of my mind. In which case, I am not completely liable for whatever I did.”

“Oh god, Eddie, shut up!” You giggled, rolling your eyes. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I just have a surprise for you.”

“Oh?” He cocked a brow. Then he eyed the oversized Metallica hoodie draping your frame. A prized possession of his that you had…liberated. A wicked smirk crept its way onto his face. “Don’t tell me you’re naked under that?”

“No, you perv!” You snapped, tossing a pillow at his laughing face.

With a dramatic flourish, you unzipped the jacket, revealing a green and gold uniform.

“You are looking at the newest member of the Hawkins High Varsity cheer squad!” You gushed, grinning proudly.

“Holy shit!” Eddie’s face brightened. “Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit! I totally forgot try outs were today.” He swept you into a gravity defying hug, spinning you off your feet as you laughed. “Babe, that’s great!”

You squirmed happily in his grip, giggling at his excitement.“ I wanted you to be the first one to know.” You explained as Eddie settled you back on the ground.

You had been captain at your old school, sophomore year, so joining the cheer squad had appealed to you ever since starting at HHS last year. You finally decided to go for it this year, but Eddie had encouraged you try out from the beginning.

“Babe, I knew you could do it.” Eddie tapped your nose. “And you know what?” He paced towards the dresser at the far end of the room, and began ruffling through the drawers. “This,” he raised a finger in the air, “this, m’lady, calls for a celebration. Let’s paint this shitty little town of ours red.”

“Paint the own red?” You wrinkled your nose in amusement. “Who are you? Clark Gable?”

“Frankly my dear,” Eddie grinned at you over his shoulder, “maybe I am.”

Your heart fluttered and you almost squealed. That was what you loved about your boyfriend. His random, nerdy knowledge on things like old movies his quirkiness and fun loving spirit.

“Oh! Speaking of movies,” he grabbed a shirt from the drawer and sniffed the pits, “anything out you wanna see in particular? A drive-in, mayhaps?”

“And ice cream.” You confirmed with a nod.

“Whatever the lady wants.”

“And burgers?”

“Nothing but the finest for a Hawkins High cheerleader.” He chuckled, pulling the long sleeved Ralph Lauren shirt you bought him over his head.

You flopped down on the edge of his bed and picked up the dwindling joint from the nightstand.

“Oooh, breaking out the polo and the jeans with no holes? You really are bringin’ out all the stops aren’t you, Eddie Munson?”

Eddie shot you a soft smile while slipping on his silver rings.

“Yeah, well, can’t look like a complete slouch with a cheerleader on my arm.”

You pushed off the bed with a little huff of laughter.

“This is true.”

You joined Eddie’s sighed, puckering your lips to blow him a shotgun. He exhaled the smoke and planted a kiss on your pouting lips.

“Celebratory bong rip?” He offered

“Just one for the road.” You nodded.

“We got an audience.” Eddie mumbled through a mouthful of fries.

“What else is new?” You rolled your eyes and rattled your half empty cup.

“Well, they are your new cheer buddies.”

“Babe, ‘buddies’ is both a strong word and an inaccurate one. They’re more like a group of coworkers.” You paused in thought for a minute. “Or, like, bitchy unpaid interns at worst.”

Eddie chuckled.

The two of you had known what expect the minute the group of Hawkins High cheerleaders had shown up to the same diner as you.

In a silent agreement you both decided to ignore the questioning stares and giggly whispers the girls.

“No one has ever gotten ‘us’ together as a thing.” Eddie observed, pointing a finger between the two of you.

“Good. We’re not for them to get.”

You had always been a bit of an enigma to people. You marched to the beat of your own drum. Literally. Being a marching band member the first two years of high school only to pívot and pick up cheerleading the next. You didn’t believe in cliques and labels, so outside of cheer practice, you were right back in the band room hanging with your old friends.

Never the “it” girl, you were also not quite a loser. You were just y/n. The girl who did what you wanted with who you wanted. The black girl who liked hip hop, rap, rock, and oldies.

While your old classmates had come to accept this; Hawkins High, with its rigid social hierarchy, was still a bit baffled by you.

“Remember when we first met?” You grinned.

Eddie grinned back, his brown eyes sparkling fondly.

“Like I could ever forget.”

The only reason your parents had agreed to let you out of the house was because you had been complaining non stop about changing schools with just two years left in the year.

They let you have the old car for the night with the rule that you be back before midnight.

Cool.

So you found a random bar and took your chances. The place didn’t look too rowdy and with your fake ID on deck, you had no problem getting in.

It was smokey with a crowd around the median age of 25-35.

You sat at the bar and ordered a Long Island iced tea.

The tables in the club were pushed out of the way to make some semblance of a dance floor along with a clear path to the bathroom. At the back of the bar, there were dart boards, and at the front, a small, elevated stage.

The stage piqued your interest. Especially when the cute shaggy haired boy took the stage along with a couple other guys.

There was a boyish glee undercut with a relaxed confidence in his demeanor. He strummed his guitar while chatting happily with his band mates. After giving a few instructions to the guys, he took the mic.

“How’re you drunk fucks doin’ tonight?” He yelled.

A shocked laugh escaped you, but the crowd didn’t seem the least bit offended and a few people even cheered in response.

“Oh good, some of you are still conscious.” He flashed a half smile at the crowd, earning a laugh in response.

“Well, I’m-“

“We know who you are, Eddie!” Someone heckled from the crowd.

“Well, they do now thanks to you, bud. Ah, but for those of you who don’t know, we’re Corroded Coffin. We’ve, uhh, got some new material for you guys tonight. So, please, Enjoy.”

A curly haired drummer counted them in, and you perked up when they started. Elements of funk creeped through the garage punk sound.

The lead guitarist, Eddie, nodded his head to the melody, making his shaggy hair dance around his face. The band’s set included interesting tidbits of funk and soul along with metal. These guys clearly knew their stuff and didn’t mind experimenting.

Soon you were bobbing along and dancing in your chair to the music. After five songs, Eddie announced they were taking a break. He also insisted drinks were welcome in place of tips if one couldn’t spare cash.

You were on your second drink when you watched Eddie slink through the crowd, joking with a few regulars on the way. He took a seat at the far end of the bar and ordered something. Now was your chance. He was all alone!

Finishing your own drink, you slinked off toward him and leaned over his shoulder.

“What’re ya drinkin?”

The boy startled a bit, spinning on the stool to face you. When he did, his eyes widened.

“Oh, I uhh,” blushing, he ran his fingers through his hair. “I just kinda just say that as a joke with the audience. I really don’t drink between sets.” He held up his glass. “Water with lemons.”

“Dedicated musician, I see. I respect that.” You nodded. “Well, can I at least buy you a coke? Or would you guys prefer the three bucks?”

Eddie chuckled. “I’ll take the coke. I think the guys will understand.”

“I hope so.” You grinned, flagging down a waiter.

Afterwards you turned to the cutie. He was in a jean vest with the sleeves cut off layered over plaid shirt and a pair of ripped jeans. Beat up high tops completed the look. He was cute in the way that boys who didn’t know or care they’re cute were.

“I loved your set. You’re a Boosie Collins fan, I see.”

“You heard the Boosie inspiration?” Eddie perked up.

“Don’t insult me.” You feigned offense. “I heard Boosie, James Brown, Led Zeppelin, and you’re clearly a Black Sheep fan.”

“Wow...” He breathed. “Well, that answers that question.”

“What question?” You cocked your head.

“If there’s brains behind the beauty.”

You laughed.

He smiled.

“I’m Eddie.” He stuck out a hand. “Eddie Munson.”

“Y/n.”

He gave you a shy once over. Clearly trying not to be rude about it.

“I’ve never seen you around the bar before, y/n. Are you new? Or…”

“I’m new in town. Just blew in a month ago.“

“Thank god, for a second I thought you might just be visiting.” He slapped a hand over his mouth in embarrassment. “Fuck. Did I just…say that out loud?”

“You did, but I won’t mention it if you don’t.” You grinned.

“Good. Now, about your knowledge on Black Sheep, what’s your favorite song off Trouble in the Streets?”

“The Day of the Kids is beautiful. I also love their rendition of Stop in the Name of Love.”

“Right?! They totally transformed the song, but, like, not to the point it was unrecognizable.”

“And how bout the guitars on Love Warrior?”

“The guitars, the bass, the drum. The whole arrangement kicks ass!”

By the end of the night the two of you had exchanged numbers and for the remainder of that summer, you two were inseparable.

“You were the best thing to ever happen to this shitty little town.” Eddie said.

“You were the best thing to happen to me in this shitty little town, Eddie bear.”

Your boyfriend lit up like a Christmas tree.

“C’mon, y/n, not in public!” He whispered, but his huge grin gave him away. He loved that dorky little nick name. Loved it so much, he almost hated it.

“Eddie beeear~” you sang. Then you leaned across the table, making Eskimo kisses at him. “Eddie bear, Eddie bear, Eddie bear.”

“Baaabe!” He chuckled, but he didn’t pull away.

The minute your lips locked on to Eddie’s everything else faded away. The diner, the chatter, the Hawkins high cheerleaders. There was only the two of you.

(((Pt.2)))

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