#and so for someone who’s power comes from wisdom and from faith hope conviction it makes Sense that it wasn’t just about battle for her.
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November 17
Deuteronomy 8:3 One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
2 Timothy 1:12 I am suffering … Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day.
Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.
1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.
Psalm 25:4-5 Show me Your ways, LORD, teach me Your paths. 5 Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long.
Deuteronomy 30:6 Moreover the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, in order that you may live.
May you not harbor resentment or hold on to long-standing grudges that prevent you from showing God's grace to others in their time of need, for God is just, faithfully measuring out to you, whether great or small, the same measurement you use for others, showing mercy to those who are merciful, and judging you with the same judgment you use on His people. Ezekiel 35
May you bear with others in their sorrows, sharing comfort in their distress, bringing encouragement to lift their head and strengthen their hands in the time of their trouble, for that which you choose to give to others is what you will receive from the hand of God. Ezekiel 35
May you know that though others turn from you or deride you as you go through God's discipline, not understanding His will or recognizing His purpose in cleansing, purging and purifying you to receive His power in love, His authority in mercy, and His strength in grace, the Lord will honor you in their eyes – not for your sake, but for His name's sake, and to test them, showing them what is in their heart, that they may repent and be renewed in forgiveness. Ezekiel 36
May you be ready to respond when the Lord calls you to Himself, for He will sprinkle you with clean water, cleansing you from all your impurities and distractions, giving you a new heart and putting a new spirit in you, removing from you your heart of stone and giving you a heart of flesh, for the Lord will put His Spirit in you, and move you to follow His decrees and be careful to walk in His ways so that He will be your God and you will be His child, having been saved by the Lord from all your uncleanness, knowing that He does all this for His name's sake. Ezekiel 36
May you consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance, endurance, patience, and steadfastness which, when finished, will prepare you perfectly and equip you completely, so that you will be lacking nothing. James 1
May you ask God whenever you need wisdom, for He gives generously to all without reproach or finding fault, but be sure your faith is in God alone, not doubting or wavering, for if your loyalty is divided, you will not be able to stay on course or receive anything from the Lord. James 1
May you rejoice in your seasons of want, for then God can strengthen your faith by being more visibly seen as your Source for all your needs; and may you rejoice in your times of plenty, for then you can loosen your grip on the world and grow in humility as you understand God's favor, and not your ability, brings it to pass. James 1
My child, what convinces you that I am the Lord?
Is it the love and compassion you feel when My Spirit makes My Word real to you and brings life to your spirit as you pray and draw close to Me?
Is it the awe and respectful fear that you experience when you see My power demonstrated in someone's life, delivering and healing them in a miraculous way?
Is it the weighty and sorrowful conviction of sin when My Spirit moves on your heart to bring cleansing and purifying to your life and your ways?
Is it the dreadful and terrible shaking you encounter when My judgment is executed against the enemy and those who choose to be influenced by him, even to those who call themselves by My Name, but whose hearts are far from Me?
It is your choice, My dear one. I am the Lord, and all mankind will know that I AM.
May you persevere under trial, for when you have stood the test, you will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him. James 1
May you not be deceived, but understand that every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, Who does not change like shifting shadows, but chooses to give you birth through the word of truth that you might be a kind of first-fruits of all He created. James 1
May you love the Lord for He hears your voice when you cry for mercy, and because He turns His ear to you, you know you can call on Him as long as you live. Psalm 116
May you call on the name of the Lord to save you when you are overcome by trouble and sorrow, and the cords of death entangle you as the anguish of the grave comes upon you, for the Lord is gracious and righteous, full of compassion, protecting the unwary and inexperienced, saving you in your great need. Psalm 116
May you be at rest once more for the Lord has been good to you, delivering your soul from death, your eyes from tears, and your feet from stumbling that you may walk before the Lord in the land of the living. Psalm 116
May you repay the Lord for all His goodness to you by lifting up the cup of salvation and calling on the name of the Lord as you fulfill your vows to the Lord in the presence of all His people. Psalm 116
May you truly serve the Lord, Who has freed you from your chains, for precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints. Psalm 116
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Week 21 A Study In Romans / Your Convictions Are Yours
August 17 2022 Wednesday
Week 21 A Study In Romans
Your Convictions Are Yours
Ephesians 1:15-23 NLT
'Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.’
Ephesians 3:14-21 NLT
'When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.'
This In Him Scripture Study Started On June 21 2021 Go Back And Listen From The Beginning…
The Study In Romans Started on March 30 2022 Go Back And Listen To This Study From The Beginning…
Matthew 11:28 Find Rest In Jesus Christ Your Lord and Savior…
Mark 10:29-30 100 Fold Return…
Psalm 37:4 God will give you the desires of your heart…
Romans 14:14 KJV/NLT/AMPC Don’t let them cause you to judge someone else…
Song of Solomon 2:15 The little things divide God’s Church…
Philippians 2:12 Work out your own Salvation…
Romans 10:9-10 KJV/NLT/AMPC Salvation…
Romans 13:8 Live in God’s Love…
Romans 8:16-17 Heirs of God and Joint Heirs with Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior…
Revelation 1:6 We are kings and priest in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior…
Romans 10:13 Call On The Name Of Jesus And Make Him Lord today…
The Biblical Definition Of Grace Is God’s Unmerited Favor…
Matthew 18:19-20 I will agree with you about your prayer request…
Acts 10:34 God is not a respecter of persons. He loves and cares for us all the same…
Romans 12:3 God has given us His Faith…
Biblical Hope Is A Confident Expectation…
Romans 5:5 God has given us His Love…
2 Corinthians 5:17 We are new creatures in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior…
2 Corinthians 5:21 We are the Righteousness of God in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior…
God’s Word Is True Above All Opinions…
Romans 12:2 Renew your mind to what God’s Word says…
Believe God’s Word Above All Opinion…
Philippians 4:13 We can do all things through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior…
Philippians 4:19 God will provide all your needs…
Romans 10:13 Call on Jesus’ Name and be Saved…
1 John 1:9 Confess your sins God Will Cleanse You…
John 3:3 You Must Be Born Again…
Luke 15:10 Heaven Rejoices Over One Person That Repents And Is Born Again…
John 3:16 Believe On The Lord Jesus Christ Your Lord And Savior…
1 Peter 2:24 Healing…
Mark 10:29-30 100 Fold Return…
Luke 6:38 Give and it will be given unto you…
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look i know we joke about cami leveling despite not going to the bridge but i do have actual emotions about it and i Am going to inflict them on everyone
#the thing is. no spell slots. 8 hp. out of hit dice and no way to be healed.#early cami would have gone anyways it wouldn’t have Mattered#but she spent that trip trying to be smart trying to make the right decision and. someone Had to live#so she gave auberon the one thing that’s always kept and she chose not to go. she did everything she cold#and trusted the others with the rest#what greater act of faith hope conviction is there than that?#she used everything she had to keep them safe with the hydra and with the keep fight. and it was enough for the others to continue on.#she tried So Hard and pushed herself and she made the wise choice. she grew.#and so for someone who’s power comes from wisdom and from faith hope conviction it makes Sense that it wasn’t just about battle for her.#and in the end she made the right choice. just in the nick of time. she got 20 wis and sending just as they lost sparrow.#and seperate spiral we already kinda had in the clerics chat but. now she’s the one who Has to be smart she Has to make the right choice.#20 wis. and she’s barely eighteen.#and she Knows she made the right choice because. she’s alive. and they got the extra week.#but still sparrow is dead. she’s dead and cami wasn’t There.#so now it’s All On Her.#anyways. hhhhh. crop.#dnd hours#crop#anyways the tdlr is she draws all her power from believing in people and that’s what she Did in a way she’d never had to before
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What Makes a King? - A Concept Overview & Analysis
By: Peggy Sue Wood | @peggyseditorial
Above is my favorite scene from the manhwa King’s Maker (from Season 1 Episode/chapter 14).
I love this scene because it perfectly embodies the ideal of what it takes to be a just or good leader in the fictional world of this particular story (not just seen as one publicly, but actually being one). It's an idea that relies heavily on the concept of noblesse oblige, which tends to pop-up in stories featuring nobles, royalty, or something similar. While also expanding on this idea of the necessity for chivalry that draws its definition and history from stories of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round. In modern-day stories, I would argue that much of our current interpretations and ideas of knightly/chivalric qualities come from Geoffrey of Monmouth’s stories of the king and his knights as well as the tales’ later retellings. [For those that don’t know noblesse oblige is the idea of inferred responsibility from privileged people to act with generosity and nobility toward those less privileged and chivalry is defined as a knightly system with its religious, moral, and social code. Geoffrey of Monmouth is the author of the first narrative account of King Arthur's life that we know of.]
You see, as someone who has studied literature in school, particularly Classical Antiquity and where we've gone from since, I've always been really interested in this idea of what makes a King, particularly in stories where we see a fight for the throne because it's hard to maintain these ideal qualities in what is often a bloody battle for power among people who have little to no qualms about committing vile acts to maintain what they have or gain more power, money, etc. This question of what makes a King? is a one I find myself asking often when I read fantasy stories that involve any question of a throne or it’s inheritance. However, I use the term "king" loosely to encompass the concept of a rightful ruler as defined by the set up an author gives in their individual stories.
In popular works like Game of Thrones, in which we see much of the darker sides to knighthood, oaths, nobility, royalty, and so on--we see the grim reality of Geoffrey of Monmouth's time. In fact, some argue that Geoffrey's account and the focus on the knighthood and Arthur's reign amid war and beyond was a subversive aim to inspire real change among the dark abuses of power that many members of the knightly class, nobility, and above, held. In a movie like The Knight's Tale, we see this too in which it is the common man that depicts the embodiment of a true knight's spirit--one that is loyal, protective, chivalrous, deserving of love and admiration, and so on--rather than the majority of the knights born to their status. Shakespeare, who features many noble and royal families in his tales, also marks some of these qualities--showing audiences both redeeming features and cruelty among the classes (a rare depiction that landed him, at times, in the hot seat).
These stories draw me in, as they do many others, and I think we can draw a conclusion on the trials a good or just king, knight, noble, or other must embody to achieve their "throne" by the end--one that is a bit more clear than The King Maker's summary above.
Each potential "king" must succeed in a trail depicting one or more of the seven knightly virtues (defined here: http://marktoci.weebly.com/7-knightly-virtues.html), those being:
“Courage. More than bravado or bluster, a knight must have the courage of the heart necessary to undertake tasks which are difficult, tedious or unglamorous, and to graciously accept the sacrifices involved.
Justice. A knight holds him- or herself to the highest standard of behavior, and knows that “fudging” on the little rules weakens the fabric of society for everyone.
Mercy. Words and attitudes can be painful weapons, which is why a knight exercises mercy in his or her dealings with others, creating a sense of peace and community, rather than engendering hostility and antagonism.
Generosity. Sharing what’s valuable in life means not just giving away material goods, but also time, attention, wisdom and energy - the things that create a strong, rich and diverse community.
Faith. In the code of chivalry, “faith” means trust and integrity, and a knight is always faithful to his or her promises, no matter how big or small they may be.
Nobility. Although this word is sometimes confused with “entitlement” or “snobbishness,” in the code of chivalry it conveys the importance of upholding one’s convictions at all times, especially when no one else is watching.
Hope. More than just a safety net in times of tragedy, hope is present every day in a knight’s positive outlook and cheerful demeanor - the ‘shining armor’ that shields him or her, and inspires people all around.”
Suppose one were to look to the code of chivalry defined in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. In that case, those virtuous qualities might instead be represented as friendship, generosity, chastity, courtesy, and piety/humility.
Failing to pass such trails, the potential "king" would instead display a knightly sin (defined here: https://chivalrytoday.com/knightly-sins/), and often, if not always, in a story suffers karma for such actions.
The idea of a Hero's Journey, a story form I'm sure everyone has heard defined many times before, includes these trails even though they are rarely explicitly spelled out in a summary of the form. This may be because many heroes rising, of which these "kings" are, already embody these virtues and only struggle with or require a trial against one of them.
As it stands, we can often see in advance a potential king's tragedy by understanding this idea. For example, we know that Wolfgang Goldenleonard, the prince seen above in The King's Maker excerpt I’ve provided, is going to be the King, birth order be damned. Will there be trails? Of course. And he passes them securing his crown at the end of Season 1; and continues to pass them thus maintaining his throne, which we can see currently in Season 2.
By extension, we can see the character's whose stories will end in failure based on how long it takes them to pass the knightly trails, if they even can pass them. For example, Richard III in Requiem of the Rose King, which is sure to end in tragedy--not simply because the Shakespearean plays the work draws on tend to end that way but because Richard’s character has changed from the loyal son/brother.
King, in this sense, could probably easily be replaced by the word hero or knight... but the idea stands that to make them worthy of their title they seem to need one or more of these qualities.
So as you read the next chapter of your favorite knight's tale, or a battle for the throne, or a rise to power--consider whether or not your hero/protagonist is capable of achieving these virtues. You will probably find that even the characters that seem villainous, like the self-ish Seo Joo-Heon from Tomb Raider King or Naofumi Iwatani from The Rising of The Shield Hero, pass the test we've defined here.
#King’s Maker#킹스메이커#The Rising of The Shield Hero#rising of the shield hero#tomb raider king#king#king maker#kings#Requiem of the Rose King#Richard iii#shakespeare#king arthur#knight#knights of the round#knights#chivalry#code of honor#knight's code#Noblesse oblige#hero's journey#hero#heroes#journey#story#write#writing#game of thrones#a knight's tale#Geoffrey of Monmouth#Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
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Fate and Phantasms #59: Jeanne d’Arc
Today on Fate and Phantasms, we’re finally finishing up the original roster of servants with The Maiden of Orleans, Jeanne d’Arc! As you might expect from the holy maiden, Jeanne is 100% a Cleric, protecting her soldiers as she leads the charge.
Check out the level-by-level breakdown below the cut, or the build summary over here!
I’d also like to thank everyone who likes or reblogs these posts; I thought this would be a really niche topic, but this blog now has more followers than my main! We’ve still got plenty of servants to go after this, so I hope you’ll continue to enjoy them.
Race and Background
Like most servants, Jeanne’s a Human. Rather, she’s a bundle of magical energy roughly based on the impact a human made on history, but that’s a mouthful, and also not a race, so we’ll stick with Human. This gives her +1 to all stats.
Jeanne’s your typical Folk Hero; came from humble beginnings, achieved great things through sheer determination, and died a fiery death at the hands of those she saved. That last part’s not typical, but it’s also not part of a person’s background. Being a folk hero gives you proficiency with Animal Handling and Survival. You grew up on a farm, so that’s not too wild.
Stats
You receive visions from a higher power, and know other servants’ True Names on sight. That’s pretty wise, so your Wisdom has to be pretty high. Despite having zero formal education, you can argue theology with the best of them through sheer conviction- that’s Charisma. Third is Constitution; you have a martyr complex, so it helps to have some health in the first place before you go throwing it away to save others. Fourth is Dexterity, because it’s just more helpful here. Your Strength isn’t great. I know canon Jeanne can fold street lamps like pretzels, but sacrifices had to be made somewhere. Finally, dump Intelligence. Remember that “zero formal education” thing from earlier? Yeah.
Class Levels
1. Being a Cleric is a given, but being a catholic complicated our choice of domain a bit. Since you’re a monotheist, God falls under every domain, but your personal power set fits best in the Protection domain from an Unearthed Arcana. First level clerics get Spells, which they cast and prepare using their Wisdom. Protection clerics also get a Shield of the Faithful, letting them react to stick a shield or arm between an attacking creature and their target within 5′ of you. This makes the target harder to hit, imposing disadvantage on the attack.
You also have proficiency in Wisdom and Charisma saves, as well as two cleric skills. You’re a part of History, and I’m sure God’ll fill in any blanks you need to know. Religion is an option, but you’re not educated, just really persistent. That’s Persuasion.
For cantrips, Light will help your dumb human eyes see in the dark and make your flag all glowy for your noble phantasms. Mending will help keep the soldiers’ uniforms in one piece while on campaign, and Spare the Dying will help keep the soldiers in one piece while on campaign.
Clerics prepare their spells, so your exact spell list isn’t a part of character creation, but I’ll still go over some to keep in mind. Compelled Duel and Protection from Evil and Good are part of your domain spell list, so you get them for free. The former can keep your squishier teammates safe by forcing an enemy to target you, while the latter can keep a key member safe from aberrations, celestials, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead. Given the number of golems you end up fighting most events, this is a good spell to keep on hand. Some other spells to keep in mind are Bless and Shield of Faith for combat support, and Healing Word to keep everyone on their feet.
Finally, the question of what weapons to use. The closest thing to a flagpole on the simple weapon list would probably be a Spear, used two-handed. However, your strength isn’t going to be great; you’ll mostly be using this to wave your banner around. You should also keep a Dagger on hand as well. I’d prefer a shortsword, but a dagger’s is the only simple finesse weapon, so it’s what we have to put up with.
2. At second level you can Channel Divinity once per short rest. As a protection cleric, you have two options to pick from.
Turn Undead forces a wisdom save on undead within 30′ of you or they have to run away for a minute or until it takes damage.
Radiant Defense channels holy energy into an ally within 30′ of you as an action. The first time they take damage in the next minute, that energy is released on the attacker, dealing 2d10+your level in radiant damage.
3. Third level clerics get second level spells, including your domain spells Aid and Protection from Poison. The former increases three creatures’ HP totals by five for eight hours, while the latter does exactly what the name describes. Some other spells to look at include Prayer of Healing for when you can’t quite take a short rest, Lesser Restoration for disease and conditions, and Augury to start getting some divine visions.
4. Use your first ASI to become a Heavy Armor Master. This reduces all nonmagical slashing, bludgeoning, and piercing damage by 3 while wearing heavy armor. Calling what you wear “heavy” armor is a bit generous, but you’re throwing yourself in front of the enemy with d8s for hit dice, you can be a bit generous with yourself.
You also get another cantrip this level. Resistance adds a d4 to an ally’s saving throw, for when you need to be sure Spartacus doesn’t get charmed.
5. At fifth level, your Turn Undead transforms into Destroy Undead. Now when undead of CR 1/2 or lower fail the save, they just die instantly.
You also get third level spells, including domain spells Protection from Energy and Slow. Sometimes an idiot lizard is throwing fire all over the place and you just don’t want to deal with it, and sometimes the DM gives you a maralith with seven extra attacks. These spells help protect the party from those situations. Some other spells to check out are Aura of Vitality for health regeneration, Beacon of Hope to give your party something to rally around, Daylight for the aesthetic, and Mass Healing Word for when your whole party plays barbarians.
6. You can now Channel Divinity twice between rests, and you are a Blessed Healer. Rather than just healing Brian Blessed, this means that whenever you cast a spell to heal someone else, you also gain life; 2+ the spell’s level, to be exact.
7. Seventh level clerics get fourth level spells. Your domain spells are Guardian of Faith and Otiluke’s Resilient Sphere. The former isn’t that in-character for you, but the latter gives a creature Invincibility at the cost of trapping them inside a hamster ball. Another spell to look over is Divination to ask the big man a question that burning you up inside.
8. Use your next ASI to become an Inspiring Leader. Give the party a 10 minute speech to give them temporary hit points equal to your level + your charisma modifier. You may not know anything about tactics, military history, who you’re fighting, or why you’re fighting, but you’ve got heart, dammit! And that counts for something!
Also, your Destroy Undead kills at CR 1, and you gain a Divine Strike. Once per turn, you can add 1d8 Radiant damage to an attack for some extra holy favor.
9. Ninth level clerics get fifth level spells, including your final domain spells Antilife Shell and Wall of Force. The former can protect you from other creatures, so long as they aren’t forced through the barrier. The latter creates a solid wall between your party and danger, and is likely the closest you’ll get to invincibility at this level. For other spells, Dawn creates a cylinder of radiant damage you can move around the battlefield, and Mass Cure Wounds cures massive amounts of wounds.
10. You learn to call upon Divine Intervention. You use your action to beg the DM for a literal Deus Ex Machina, and roll percentile dice. If you roll lower than your level, you get some help. You can use this feature once per long rest, but if you succeed you have to wait a week before you use it again.
You also get another cantrip. Guidance lets you back seat game with the help of God, giving a creature a d4 it can add to one ability check.
11. Your Destroy Undead cranks up to killing anything CR 2 or lower, and you can prepare 6th level spells. Find the Path is another form of your Revelation skill, letting you find the most direct route to a chosen location, as long as that location stays in one place on the same plane. You could also check out Heal for, you guessed it, more healing.
12. Use your next ASI to become a leader on the battlefield with Tandem Tactician. Now you can Help as a bonus action with a range of 10 feet, and you can help on two attacks if they’re aimed at the same enemy. You’re not that accurate, so why not help out the who are?
13. Thirteenth level clerics get a Divine Strike Improvement, adding an extra d8 of radiant damage when you use it. You also learn seventh level spells! Divine Word can cripple weakened enemies, and more importantly it forces extraplanar creatures back to their own world for 24 hours. Regenerate is even more healing that you won’t have to pay attention to.
14. Your Destroy Undead increases to affect CR 3 undead. Now Mummies and Wights will tremble before your might! ...Isn’t it weird how the other Channel Divinity option doesn’t get any stronger?
15. Fifteenth level clerics get eighth level spells. Holy Aura will protect your party from anything Wall of Force won’t, Antimagic Field will give you a command spell to counteract most of the nonsense the other servants might be using.
16. Use your ASI to bump up your Wisdom for stronger spell saves.
17. Your Destroy Undead now destroys undead of CR 4 or lower, letting you instantly banish any ghost that comes your way. You also gain an Indomitable Defense. At the end of short or long rests, you can resist two types of damage from the following: Bludgeoning, Necrotic, Piercing, Radiant, and Slashing. You can also use your action to pass these resistances to another creature, who’ll hold onto them until your next rest or until you spend a bonus action to take them back.
Finally, you get 9th level spells! Mass Heal and Power Word: Heal will maximize your healing powers to help the rest of your party stay not dead.
18. You can now Channel Divinity three times per short rest.
19. Use your last ASI to round up your Dexterity for more accuracy and better saves and Charisma for more rousing speeches.
20. At your capstone level, your Divine Intervention Improvement means your calls for some holy help are always successful.
Pros:
You can set up a very strong Defense, shutting down and blocking out enemy attacks and spells. You can impose disadvantage, physically block their advance, counter any magic within 30′ of you, or make their attacks blow up in their face with some Radiant Defense.
Whatever damage does go through won’t be a problem thanks to all your Healing, keeping the rest of the party on their feet until the battle’s won.
Intelligence might be your dump stat, but you’ve got a hotline to the one who knows all, so it’s not a big deal. Spells like Divination and Find the Path will help keep the party pointed in the right direction.
Cons:
You can’t really do all that much on your own, offensively speaking. Your highest attacking stat is a 14, and that will only help you swing a dagger around.
Your physical stats aren’t that good in general. 143 HP isn’t bad for a caster, but you want to be on the front lines, so it could be an issue. Aid is a great way to cover this weakness, but that does mean you’ll be spending spells to do so. Your low strength also means you’re stuck with the weakest heavy armor available, so your AC isn’t amazing.
You don’t need to worry about getting hit if the enemy has to shoot through a wall though, so stay on the defensive and pray your allies will take up arms with you.
Next up: Animal Abuse!
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✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ REVEAL WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DYING TO TELL US
Oh man, this is hard. So...let’s go for an early one. Back to chapter 6, “Death Is A Woman”.
I feel like that’s one of my better chapter/mission titles, and it comes from this line by Arthur: “Anyway, I’m sure Death’s gotta be a woman, Sister, cause seems even she won’t have me.” I feel like that was one of those lines I typed and just had that excitement you get when you’re early in a writing project and still feeling out the characters and you hit a moment that just feels super right and like you actually nailed it.
I really love this chapter because it’s things finally starting to settle from the frenzy of Sadie trying to get Arthur into a situation where his survival is even a possibility, even if a small hope. And mostly because of the interaction I got to write between Arthur and Sister Calderón.
For someone we see so briefly, she has a huge impact on him. For a High Honor Arthur she and Rains Fall become arguably his spiritual and emotional counselors as he’s facing his mortality and this crisis of faith. She’s the one who gives him such comfort and purpose at Emerald Station. And given she said she was going to Mexico, and once I realized I was likely having Sadie and Arthur go there rather than New Austin to help avoid the law for a while, I knew that they had to meet again. Them ending up in a TB sanatorium at Las Hermanas just made it inevitable.
So this actually isn’t that long after Emerald Station, just a bit over a month or so. And given in her last appearance Calderón tells us she had a husband, and did “bad things” herself in the past, it was a chance to flesh her character out a lot. We also know she cares deeply for children, and does a lot to try to help street kids.
So Beatriz Lopez de Morales, former outlaw, was born. I based the Tres Julios/Three Julios very loosely on the Five Joaquins. “Beatriz” was deliberate because yeah, Beatrice Morgan and the connection of Calderón becoming a mother figure (and this follows to the point that Beatrice May Griffith, Sadie and Arthur’s daughter, is named for both Arthur’s mother and Calderón’s birth name.) Given her particular care for children as a nun, it seemed possible she lost a child too, and like the Van Der Lindes, the Tres Julios came to an abrupt and violent end.
She can understand grief and guilt and a sense of penance from a life of violence. Given her particular focus on street kids, and her background as an outlaw, it seemed reasonable that she could recognize some of those hallmarks in Arthur as a street orphan.
And this talk is something Arthur really needs at this point. He’s struggling with his survival past his planned sacrifice, with the notion that if he fights off the TB, there’s a whole life that he doesn’t know what to do with, and a sense of atonement that feels impossible. Dying would have been easy in some ways.
And he’s telling her all this, and she’s giving him some of the answers he needs.
“I didn’t ask whether you thought you deserved to be saved either. None of us deserve it. We all sin. We all hurt people. We all have hate and anger.” She got one hand on his shoulder, the other reaching up and tugging down the kerchief from his face, pulling it back down around his neck. Her hand touched his cheek, palm warm and callused, and he almost flinched back from it, her so casually touching him like this, given the clinic’s fairly strict rules about contagion. She looked him right in the eyes. “Do you want to be saved?”
In that moment he felt an echo of that same power Dutch had woven into his words, the power of conviction. This little brown-skinned woman, former bandit queen and current nun, fighting for street brats, somehow didn’t want to let him go that easily. Not a question of deserving, only of wanting, and if he could be honest with himself, in his tired and aching heart, wasn’t this all he’d ever wanted? Someone to reach out and say there was some way out of the nightmare. He’d thought he’d had that in San Francisco those long years gone, but had he been just Dutch’s best and most versatile tool all along? It felt that way. “Yeah.” He barely managed it above a whisper, and then it was all too much, and everything overwhelmed him.
And it’s at this point Arthur just loses his shit and starts crying. That really cathartic full blown ugly crying. And he really, really needs it given the trauma he’s been through and kept bottled up, not just from the in-game events but so much pain throughout his whole life, and how scared he is about what’s ahead. I didn’t plan that but it was going to happen at some point, and it really made sense here when I started writing it. And it made a lot of sense that he can safely do that with Calderón, given he could confide in her earlier some pretty deep things, including how frightened he was. I didn’t want that to be a moment with Sadie, because she has enough burdens herself right then, and having only one person for your emotional support is...not great.
From this it became clear Calderón was going to continue to be an important figure, and she also quickly forms a bond with Sadie, who’s also lacking that kind of informed support. I think the angle of her adopting these two deeply traumatized ex-outlaws is a good and human thing for Calderón too rather than her just being a saintly nun making these two people her entire purpose (which for a WOC would be an issue). Sadie and Arthur can understand her and her losses and her past as well in a way that nobody has since she took her vows, and she can speak about it with them. So there’s an equal emotional support and companionship on both sides.
And, I love writing Calderón scenes even now, because she’s just such a lovely character with so much wisdom and humor and honesty. If I could find a reasonable way for her to end up in Canada after 1911, I swear...
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No wonder our communities seem organized to keep suffering at a distance
“The Interruptions are my work”
by Henri Nouwen
(Henri Nouwen—Turn My Mourning into Dancing, p. 5-11)
When I came to Daybreak, the community of ministry to disable people where I have been pastor, I was experiencing a great deal of personal pain. My many years in the world of academics, my travels among the poor in Central America, and later, my speaking around the world about what I had seen, left me deflated. My schedule kept me running hard and fast. Rather than providing an escape from my own inner conflicts, my scurrying from speaking engagement to speaking engagement only intensified my inner turmoil. And because of my schedule, I could not fully face my pain. I carried on with the illusion that I was in control, that I could avoid what I did not want to face within myself and in the world around me.
But when I arrived, I witnessed the enormous suffering of the mentally and physically handicapped persons living here. I came gradually to see my painful problems in a new light. I realised they formed part of a much larger suffering. And I found through that insight new energy to live amid my own hardship and pain.
I realised that healing begins with our taking our pain out of its diabolic isolation and seeing that whatever we suffer, we suffer it in communion with all of humanity, and yes, all of creation. In so doing, we become participants in the great battle against the powers of darkness. Our little lives participate in something larger.
I also found something else here: people asking not so much “How can I get rid of my suffering?” but “How can I make it an occasion for growth and insight?” Among these people, most of whom cannot read, many of whom cannot care for themselves, among men and women rejected by a world that values only the whole and bright and healthy, I saw people learning how to make the connection between human suffering and God’s suffering. They helped me to see how the way through suffering is not to deny it, but to live fully in the midst of it. They were asking how they could turn pain from a long interruption into an opportunity.
How do we make such connection ourselves? How do we make this shift from evading our pain to asking God to redeem and make good use of it?
An early step in the dance sounds very simple, though often will not come easily: We are called to grieve our losses. It seems paradoxical, but healing and dancing begin with looking squarely at what causes us pain. We face the secret losses that have paralysed us and kept us imprisoned in denial or shame or guilt. We do not nurse the illusion that we can hopscotch our way through difficulties. For by trying to hide parts of our story from God’s eye and our own consciousness, we become judges of our own past. We limit divine mercy to our human fears. Our efforts to disconnect ourselves from our own suffering, end up disconnecting our suffering from God’s suffering for us. The way out of our loss and hurt is in and through. When Jesus said, “For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners” (Matthew 9:13), He affirmed that only those who can face their wounded condition can be available for healing and enter a new way of living.
Sometimes we need to ask ourselves just what our losses are. Doing so reminds us how real the experience of loss is. Perhaps you know what it is to have a parent die. How well I remember the grief I felt after my mother’s illness and death. We may experience the death of a child or of friends. And we lose people, sometimes just as painfully, through misunderstanding, conflict, or anger. I may expect a friend to visit, but he does not come. I speak to a group and expect a warm reception but no one really seems to respond. Someone may take from us a job, a career, a good name.
We may watch hopes flicker through growing infirmity, or dreams vanish through the betrayal of someone we trusted for along time. A family member may walk out in anger and we wonder if we have failed. Sometimes our sense of loss feels large indeed: I read the newspaper and find things only worse than the day before. Our souls grow sad because of poverty or the destruction of so much natural beauty in our world. And we may lose meaning in our lives, not only because our hearts become tired, but also because someone ridicules long-cherished ways of thinking and praying. Our convictions suddenly seem old-fashioned, unnecessary. Even our faith seems shaky. Such are the potential disappointments of any life.
Typically we see such hardship as an obstacle to what we think we should be—healthy, good-looking, free of discomfort. We consider suffering as annoying at best, meaningless at worst. We strive to get rid of our pains in whatever way we can. A part of us prefers the illusion that our losses are not real, that they come only as temporary interruptions. We thereby expend much energy in denial. “They should not prevent us from holding on to the real thing,” we say to ourselves.
Several temptations feed this denial. Our incessant busyness, for example, becomes a way to escape what must some days be confronted. The world in which we live lies in the power of the Evil One, and the Evil One would prefer to distract us and fill every little space with things to do, people to meet, business to accomplish, products to be made. He does not allow any space for genuine grief and mourning. Our busyness becomes a curse, even while we think it provides us with relief from the pain inside. Our over packed lives serve only to keep us from facing the inevitable difficulty that we all, at some time or another, must face.
The voice of evil also tries to tempt us to put on an invincible front. Words such as vulnerability, letting go, surrendering, crying, mourning, and grief are not to be found in the devil’s dictionary. Someone once said to me, “Never show your weakness, for you will be used; never be vulnerable, for you will get hurt; never depend on others, for you will lose your freedom.” This might sound very wise, but it does not echo the voice of wisdom. It mimics a world that wants us to respect without question the social boundaries and compulsions that our society has defined for us.
Facing our losses also means avoiding a temptation to see life as an exercise in having needs met. We are needy people, of course: We want attention, affection, influence, power. And our needs seem never to be satisfied. Even altruistic actions can get tangled with these needs. Then, when people or circumstances do not fulfil all of our needs, we withdraw or lash out. We nurse our wounded spirits. And we become even needier. We crave easy assurances, ignoring anything that would suggest another way.
We also like easy victories: growth without crisis, healing without pains, the resurrection without the cross. No wonder we enjoy watching parades and shouting out to returning heroes, miracle workers, and record breakers. No wonder our communities seem organised to keep suffering at a distance: People are buried in ways that shroud death with euphemism and ornate furnishings. Institutions hide away the mentally ill and criminal offenders in a continuing denial that they belong to the human family. Even our daily customs lead us to cloak our feelings and speak politely through clenched teeth and prevent honest, healing confrontation. Friendships become superficial and temporary.
The way of Jesus looks very different. While Jesus brought great comfort and came with kind words and a healing touch, He did not come to take all our pains away. Jesus entered into Jerusalem in His last days on a donkey, like a clown at a parade. This was His way of reminding us that we fool ourselves when we insist on easy victories. When we think we can succeed in cloaking what ails us and our times in pleasantness. Much that is worthwhile comes only through confrontation.
The way from Palm Sunday to is the patient way, the suffering way. Indeed, our word patience comes from the ancient root patior, “to suffer.” To learn patience is not to rebel against every hardship. For if we insist on continuing to cover our pains with easy “Hosannas,” we run the risk of losing our patience. We are likely to become bitter and cynical or violent and aggressive when the shallowness of the easy way wears through.
Instead, Christ invites us to remain in touch with the many suffering of every day and to taste the beginning of hope and new life right there, where we live amid our hurts and pains and brokenness. By observing His life, His followers discover that when all of the crowd’s “Hosannas” had fallen silent, when disciples and friends had left Him, and after Jesus cried out, “My God, my God why have you forsaken Me?” then it was the Son of Man rose from death. Then He broke through the chains of death and became Saviour. That is the patient way, slowly leading me from easy triumph to the hard victory.
I am less likely to deny my suffering when I learn how God uses it to mould me and draw me closer to Him. I will be less likely to see my pains as interruptions to my plans and more able to see them as the means for God to make me ready to receive Him. I let Christ live near my hurts and distractions.
I remember an old priest who one day said to me, “I have always been complaining that my work was constantly interrupted; then I realised that the interruptions were my work.” The unpleasant things, the hard moments, the unexpected setbacks carry more potential than we usually realise. For the movement from Palm Sunday to Easter takes us from the easy victory built on small dreams and illusions to the hard victory offered by God who wants to purify us by His patient, caring hand.
As I learned from my friends at Daybreak, at the center of our Christian faith we perceive a God who took on Himself the burden of the entire world. Suffering invites us to place our hurts in larger hands. In Christ we see God suffering—for us. And calling us to share in God’s suffering love for a hurting world. The small and even overpowering pains of our lives are intimately connected with the greater pains of Christ. Our daily sorrows are anchored in a greater sorrow and therefore a larger hope. Absolutely nothing in our lives lies outside the realm of God’s judgement and mercy.
#henri nouwen#mourning#grief#pain#loss#covid#coronavirus#covid-19#pandemic#Christ#God#Jesus#love#suffering
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Best Motivational Quotes to Overcome Anxiety and Depression
Moving statements and motivational quotes to overcome anxiety and depression have a stunning capacity to change the manner in which we feel about existence. This is the reason I find them so intriguing and significant on our ways to progress.
So what's their mystery?
The manner in which you contemplate yourself, including your convictions and assumptions regarding what is workable for you, decides everything that transpires.
To be successful, you have to use each day as an opportunity to grow, to find purpose in life, to be better, to get a little bit closer to your goals. It might sound like an impossible thing or a lot of work—and with a busy schedule, next to impractical. But the best part is, the more you get the results, the more you’ll want to work hard, the higher you’ll want to reach. So as long as you have the hunger for success, you will always have the power within you to achieve it.
You have full oversight over just a single thing known to mankind — your reasoning – and that is the place inspirational statements come in!
Everybody needs a little motivation now and again.
Regardless of whether you're experiencing a separation, you've recently lost your employment, or you just woke up feeling a little shaky toward the beginning of today—we've all had nowadays.
I've assembled a rundown of probably the best-overcome anxiety and depression quotes so you can begin the year by assuming responsibility for your considerations, thinking emphatically and defining new objectives.
Dont Forget to read the best Dalai Lama Quotes and Sayings to bring a positive change in your life.
“You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.” – Dr. Suess
Motivational and Inspirational Quotes
“I think being in love with life is a key to eternal youth.” —Doug Hutchison
"I’m a success today because I had a friend who believed in me and I didn’t have the heart to let him down.” – Abraham Lincoln
“The purpose of our lives is to be happy.” — Dalai Lama
“Feelings don’t try to kill you, even the painful ones. Anxiety is a feeling grown too large. A feeling grown aggressive and dangerous. You’re responsible for its consequences, you’re responsible for treating it. But…you’re not responsible for causing it. You’re not morally at fault for it. No more than you would be for a tumor.” ― Patrick Ness, The Rest of Us Just Live Here
“Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” — John Lennon
“Get busy living or get busy dying.” — Stephen King
“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” — Mae West
“Not how long, but how well you have lived is the main thing.” — Seneca
“If life were predictable it would cease to be life, and be without flavor.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
“How can a person deal with anxiety? You might try what one fellow did. He worried so much that he decided to hire someone to do his worrying for him. He found a man who agreed to be his hired worrier for a salary of $200,000 per year. After the man accepted the job, his first question to his boss was, “Where are you going to get $200,000 per year?” To which the man responded, “That’s your worry.” ― Max Lucado
���The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.” —Dolly Parton
“Do all the good you can, for all the people you can, in all the ways you can, as long as you can.” — Hillary Clinton
“Don’t settle for what life gives you; make life better and build something.” — Ashton Kutcher
“Everybody wants to be famous, but nobody wants to do the work. I live by that. You grind hard so you can play hard. At the end of the day, you put all the work in, and eventually it’ll pay off. It could be in a year, it could be in 30 years. Eventually, your hard work will pay off.” — Kevin Hart
“Everything negative – pressure, challenges – is all an opportunity for me to rise.” — Kobe Bryant
“I like criticism. It makes you strong.” — LeBron James
“You never really learn much from hearing yourself speak.” ― George Clooney
“Life imposes things on you that you can’t control, but you still have the choice of how you’re going to live through this.” — Celine Dion
“Life is never easy. There is work to be done and obligations to be met – obligations to truth, to justice, and to liberty.” — John F. Kennedy
“Live for each second without hesitation.” — Elton John
“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” — Albert Einstein
“Life is really simple, but men insist on making it complicated.” — Confucius
“Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.” — Helen Keller
“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.” — Steve Jobs
“My mama always said, life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” — Forrest Gump
“Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.”— Lao-Tze
“When we do the best we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life or the life of another.” — Helen Keller
“The healthiest response to life is joy.” — Deepak Chopra
“Life is like a coin. You can spend it any way you wish, but you only spend it once.” — Lillian Dickson
“The best portion of a good man’s life is his little nameless, unencumbered acts of kindness and of love.” — Wordsworth
“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: It goes on.” ― Robert Frost
“Life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to it.” — Charles Swindoll
“Keep calm and carry on.” — Winston Churchill
“Maybe that’s what life is… a wink of the eye and winking stars.” — Jack Kerouac
“Life is a flower of which love is the honey.” — Victor Hugo
“Keep smiling, because life is a beautiful thing and there’s so much to smile about.” — Marilyn Monroe
“Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship.” — Buddha
“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.” — Dr. Seuss
“Good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life.” — Mark Twain
“Life would be tragic if it weren’t funny.” — Stephen Hawking
“Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
“The greatest pleasure of life is love.” — Euripides
“Life is what we make it, always has been, always will be.” — Grandma Moses
“Life’s tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late.” — Benjamin Franklin
“Life is about making an impact, not making an income.” — Kevin Kruse
“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” – Michael Jordan
“Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.” – Babe Ruth
“I’ve spent most of my life and most of my friendships holding my breath and hoping that when people get close enough they won’t leave, and fearing that it’s a matter of time before they figure me out and go.” ― Shauna Niequist, Bittersweet: Thoughts on Change, Grace, and Learning the Hard Way
“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” – Mark Twain
“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” – Anais Nin
“When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.” – John Lennon
“Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears.” – Les Brown
“The whole secret of a successful life is to find out what is one’s destiny to do, and then do it.”– Henry Ford
“In order to write about life first you must live it.”– Ernest Hemingway
“The big lesson in life, baby, is never be scared of anyone or anything.”– Frank Sinatra
“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”– Thomas A. Edison
“If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.”– Albert Einstein
“Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.”– Babe Ruth
“Money and success don’t change people; they merely amplify what is already there.” — Will Smith
“Sing like no one’s listening, love like you’ve never been hurt, dance like nobody’s watching, and live like it’s heaven on earth.” – (Attributed to various sources)
“Curiosity about life in all of its aspects, I think, is still the secret of great creative people.” – Leo Burnett
“Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.”– Soren Kierkegaard
“To venture causes anxiety, but not to venture is to lose one’s self…. And to venture in the highest is precisely to be conscious of one’s self.” ― Søren Kierkegaard
“The unexamined life is not worth living.” — Socrates
“Turn your wounds into wisdom.” — Oprah Winfrey
“The more you pray, the less you’ll panic. The more you worship, the less you worry. You’ll feel more patient and less pressured.” ― Rick Warren, The Purpose of Christmas
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking.” – Steve Jobs
Thank you for giving your time to read these beautiful inspirational and motivational quotes about anxiety and depression. Stay connected for more.
Source: Best Motivational Quotes to Overcome Anxiety and Depression
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homily
“Now my soul is troubled. What shall I say: Father, save me from this hour? But it is for this very reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name!” “A voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again’.” Indeed, my dear brothers and sisters, if our soul is troubled or sad that our brother Lee Kuan Yew has left us, let it be clear that this sadness is on our part, not his. For Lee Kuan Yew, his departure is his liberation and, most of all, his time of reckoning; a time to be glorified by the Father. Although we mourn his passing, we are relieved that the suffering he experienced because of his illness and the loss of his beloved wife has come to an end.
In truth, we do not mourn for him as if we have lost someone. Rather, we are filled with thanksgiving for what we have gained. Ninety-one years of life on earth is a very long time. The bible considers 70 years as a blessed life already. Not many people are blessed with such a long life. But a blessed life is not determined by its length. It depends on whether we have lived it well. We should rejoice with him that he has completed his journey on earth. He had run the race and fought the good fight till the end. Thus, this Mass is celebrated not only in memory of him but as a thanksgiving for the gift of Mr Lee Kuan Yew to the nation, and to pray that his soul will find rest and peace in God. Indeed, our country has been blessed with a great, strong and visionary leader with foresight, wisdom and intelligence. Not only did he have a vision for Singapore but, just as importantly, he had fortitude. Otherwise, no vision is enough to see Singapore through without perseverance. Enthusiasm without commitment will not bring us very far. He came at a time when Singapore needed a strong leader. Like St Michael who defended the people of God during the “time of great distress, unparalleled since nations first came into existence”, so, too, Mr Lee defended Singapore at a time when the young nation was in danger of both internal and external threats.
In many ways, LKY is our founding father in a true sense of the word. He gave birth to Singapore. Without him Singapore would never have become a nation. Singapore was like his child. He sacrificed everything for the children of Singapore. He fought for them and at all cost, warded off those he perceived as enemies to the existence and progress of Singapore. As a father, he ensured that Singaporeans were provided with the basic needs, luxuries, amenities and infrastructure for living, such as a clean/green city, free education, affordable healthcare, an efficient public transport and decent housing. Economically, he ensured that Singaporeans have jobs by promoting free trade, making Singapore into one of the busiest seaports in the world, and Changi Airport and Singapore Airlines the best airport and airline in the world. In international affairs, he made Singapore known all over the world and earned his place as a respected statesman. Politically, he ensured that the government is clean, honest and accountable to the people. He ensured that there is political succession. Indeed, he transformed Singapore from a fishing village into a modern city. He has made us proud to be Singaporeans. We are grateful to God for sending us a great statesman at a time when Singapore needed a leader to lead us out of poverty, economic crisis and racial disharmony.
More than just a statesman, he lived an exemplary life. He did not simply talk but walked the talk. He was a man of great self-discipline. In all things, he would do his best and did it well. He upheld the fundamental virtues for governance, namely, honesty, integrity, equality, justice, diligence and meritocracy. He did not practise favouritism but ensured that the best man got the job. He could not tolerate corruption and the lack of integrity and discipline. He was also a nurturing person, sharing his learning experiences with others. He never stopped learning and he continued learning Mandarin even in later life. He was truly a public servant. Most of all, he was a dedicated father to his children, a devoted and faithful husband. He was truly a model of family life for many of us. Indeed, “the learned will shine as brightly as the vault of heaven, and those who have instructed many in virtue, as bright as stars for all eternity.”
In enumerating his positive and good qualities, let it be clear that we are not canonizing him. We all are very much aware that in spite of his many achievements and virtues, he was not perfect even if he tried to be a perfectionist. We might disagree with some of his policies with regard to family planning, stopping at two, abortion and eugenics. We might feel that he was too harsh towards his political opponents, especially those implicated in the infamous Marxist conspiracy. Yet, we know that it was done not out of personal gain but out of his conviction that that was needed to protect and ensure the survival of this small city state. If we were to fault him, it was his excessive desire to protect the children of Singapore. He had his imperfections and weaknesses but his virtues outshone them. He may not have got all the answers right all the time, but he did what his conscience led him to do for the good of the nation.
Today, we find consolation in the scripture reading, which tells us that God has no favourites. Just as He chose the pagan King Cyrus to free his people from exile, God chose Mr Lee to be His servant for Singapore. St Peter says, “The truth I have now come to realize is that God does not have favourites, but that anybody of any nationality who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to him.” In the light of what he has done and how he had lived his life, we can be confident of God’s justice and mercy for him. We too can hope that God in His merciful love will also grant him eternal rest and joy.
Although he professed to be an agnostic, he was a seeker after truth, life and love. Anyone who seeks the truth, life and love, is seeking for God or the ultimate ground of reality. Mr Lee, who is well known for his integrity and honesty, his transparency and objectivity, certainly is loved by God as well. His conscience was his God.
Explicit faith in God of course is a gift. But then Mr Lee respected the role of religions in the country. Although the country is secular, it is not secularized. He encouraged religions to play their role in building the people with strong moral values and to collaborate in building a nation of peace and harmony. What he could not tolerate was when people mixed politics with religion, or when religion is made used of for political purposes, or when religions seek to impose their beliefs on others, causing division and tension. Hence, he actively promoted inter-religious dialogue and collaboration among all religions. He understood the importance of religion for the well-being of the people. In the later part of his life, he began to take a serious interest in meditation. Whether he saw it as a means of relaxation or to find peace, yet his heart exemplified that of the psalmist who was thirsting for God. “Like the deer that yearns for running streams, so my soul is yearning for you, my God. My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life; when can I enter and see the face of God?” He certainly harboured hopes of everlasting love and eternal life; otherwise, it would not have made sense for him to will that his ashes be mixed with that of his late wife’s.
When all is said and done, we cannot but marvel at what Mr Lee had done for Singapore. We owe him much. What is the secret of Mr Lee’s success? It is his self-discipline, a life guided by a deep foundation in ethical and moral principles, devotion to his country and a deep love for the people of Singapore. Above all, he emptied his life for the people. As the gospel says, “Unless a wheat grain falls on the ground and dies, it remains only a single grain; but if it dies, it yields a rich harvest. Anyone who loves his life loses it; anyone who hates his life in this world will keep it for the eternal life.” Indeed, Mr Lee has put the interest of the nation before his own. His total devotion to the country has made Singapore a first world nation.
The greatest honour we can give to Mr Lee is to continue the legacy and foundation he has laid down for us. It is not enough to be grateful to Mr Lee but we need to continue to safeguard the unity, peace and progress he had achieved for us. Many of these values are also enshrined in the gospel. Following him, we too must give up our life for public service and for the service of the nation and our fellowmen. No one must live for himself or herself alone. We must live for others. It behooves us to cultivate the right values and principles to guide us through in life; and to build faithful and loving marriages and families. We must imitate his virtues of perseverance, tenacity and courage in the face of adversity and challenges. He had taught us how we must not be overwhelmed by power and money, but to remain simple, devoted and faithful to one’s spouse and children. Finally, like him, we need to be active in mind and body. Even as we age, we must continue to help to nurture the next generation as mentor and not just to be “happy in retirement.”
When we live for others as he did, then Jesus will say to us, “If a man serves me, he must follow me; wherever I am my servant will be there too. If anyone serves me, my Father will honour him.” For a man who has given up his life completely for public service, a man who lived by his conscience, a man who lived a life of integrity and honesty, a man who lived for others, we can hope for God’s abundant mercy and that He will reward him with eternal life, for he has been a good and faithful servant of His people, discharging his responsibilities with total dedication. We pray that he will be united with the Lord and with his dearly beloved wife and share eternal happiness, life and love forever. Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord. May he rest in peace. Amen.
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my sister left Christianity a few years ago & i believe my mom is also turning away from God. im so worried about my family that it keeps me up at night and makes me sick to my stomach. i dont know how to help them because im not good at speaking or gathering my thoughts, and theyre both very stubborn against ideas they disagree with. how can i bring my family back to the Lord? im terrified of one of them passing without being saved. please pray for all of us.
Hi there,
I’m so sorry to hear that you’re going through this. I understand the pain and frustration of this, as my father has not accepted Christ.
Something that should bring you relief and take some weight off of your shoulders is recognizing that it’s not you who is responsible for bringing your mother and sister to the Lord. Christ told us that a person cannot come to faith in Him unless the Father draws that person:
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.” - John 6:44
We must always remember that the Lord is the one responsible for a person’s eyes opening to Him and becoming a new creation in Christ. It is not something we can accomplish by our own effort or power, no matter how many times we preach the truth of salvation through Christ alone and no matter how deeply we desire to see someone saved. It’s absolutely necessary that God’s hand is in it. Our role in this is for us to submit to His will and timing, serving as willing instruments for Him to use in the process of opening blinded eyes and softening stone hearts. When we submit to Him and follow His leading, we allow Him to use us to speak in love and truth about Him to those who need to hear it. If we try to force things in our own power and timing, we will find ourselves facing a brick wall. But if we trust Him, follow His leading, speak as He directs us, and go according to His timing, that’s when stubborn hearts get shaken and brick walls start to fall down.
We also have to keep in mind that God doesn’t necessarily use only one person as an instrument to open a person’s eyes to Him. We could be one of many used in the process. Our role in a certain situation may be to plant seeds that will then be watered by someone else He uses such that those seeds will flourish at a later point. We can’t become hopeless if we don’t instantly see the spiritual transformation we desire to see in someone. The effects of the role a person played in someone being born again may not be observed in certain situations until much later or maybe not even until after one is done with this life and He shows that person the impact they had by carrying out their role.
The point I’m hoping to drive home here is that God is in control and His ways are perfect. We have a tendency of wanting to orchestrate things in a way and at a pace we deem ideal, especially when it comes to desiring to see people come to faith in Christ. But His perfect plans and timing may look very different from what we think is the “ideal” way things should unfold from our limited and flawed perspective. We can’t allow ourselves to be overcome with fear, dread, and doubt because things may seem hopeless in the moment with regards to unsaved loved ones. I say this because it’s clear from your words that you’re being consumed with fear over your mom and sister, and I understand why - you love them deeply and want nothing more than for them to have eternal life. But it’s vital that you give this fear over to your Heavenly Father and trust Him in this.
“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” - 2 Timothy 1:7
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” - Hebrews 11:1
Ask the Father in Jesus’ name for your mother and sister to be drawn to Him. Ask that their blinded eyes open and their hearts of stone be turned into hearts of flesh. Make your request known to Him in prayer that if it is His will, you want to be used by Him to help them wake up to their need for Him. Ask Him to orchestrate the right timing for opportunities to speak with them and ask Him to provide you with the right words they need to hear - His words. Also ask that He brings others into their paths that can be used to help wake them up if this is according to His will and plan.
I understand the feeling of thinking that you aren’t good enough at speaking or gathering your thoughts. But once again, recognizing that witnessing for Christ isn’t something you are meant to do in your own power helps to alleviate this worry. It’s not about your own ability to be a great speaker or having every thought organized perfectly, and thank goodness for that! I can tell you from personal experience that when you rely on Him and give Him control, He will guide you and provide you with what you need to say. It’s a big relief to realize that you don’t need to have a memorized script of what you’re going to say ahead of time or a detailed plan of how the conversation will go. On the contrary, I’ve found in these situations that ideas I may have had about how the conversation should go, exactly what I should say, and how I would like to say it tend to fly out the window when you give Him the control. And you’ll be amazed at words you find are effortlessly flowing out of your mouth. The Word confirms that He guides us in this way:
“And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” - Luke 12:11-12
“Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict.” - Luke 21:14-15
“Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” - Exodus 4:12
I have a tag on the topic of witnessing for Christ, here it is in case you wanted to take a look through it.
I hope you found this helpful.. I will pray for you and your family.
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WITCHES’ SAMHAIN TAROT READING 🍂🔮💫 // 01.11.18
i. BANISHMENT: WHAT CAN BE BANISHED FROM MY LIFE?
THE WORLD RX
*Keyword:*
Laziness, lacking in goals, lack of will, delay, frustration, inertia, stagnation, permanence.
i must learn how to best utilize my work ethic’s energy so as to apply myself in the best way to evade failure. i need to conquer my stagnation and lethargy and carve clearer visions for myself. look for and implement different ways to heal.
ii. CROSSROADS: SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO CHANGE IN MY LIFE
THE DEVIL
*KEYWORDS:*
Tied to a situation, discontent, anger, resentment, helplessness, depression, materialism, self-indulgence, obsession, illness, material success, compulsions, temptations, fear and illusion, lust, repression, violence, force, failure, disaster, death, ominous events, lies, slavery, bondage.
work with my shadow self; live in moderation. break the restricting self-perpetuated bonds of the mind— listen to eckhart tolle. don’t lose ambition and i am to follow my intuition and inner wisdom.
iii. SÉANCE: A MESSAGE FROM MY ANCESTORS
JUDGEMENT RX
*REVERSED MEANING:*
*Keywords:*
Loneliness, self-pity, negative attitudes, delays, confrontations, delays, postponements, hasty judgments, weakness, indecision, disputes, regrets, remorse, dissatisfaction, a fear of letting go, imbalance and imprisonment.
“become more grounded. confront your reality and be honest with yourself. we are watching from above. we are here to lend a helping hand. accept your past but don’t let it rule over you.”
iv. RITUAL: YOUR MAGICKAL POWER & HOW TO ENHANCE YOUR SPIRITUALITY
ACE OF CUPS
*KEYWORDS:*
Openness, contentment, happiness within the home, good health and wellbeing, love, emotion, growth, joy, contentment, nourishment, positive abundance, fertility, spiritual fulfilment, enlightenment, supreme unconditional love, success, blessedness, affection, intimacy, deep feelings, compassion.
pay attention to potential windows of opportunity. see how you might take advantage of whatever comes your way because you will have the chance to make real and important changes in your life. “when the Ace of Cups appears it is indicating that new spiritual insights and sensitivities are developing within you. it also tells of making a new start with something important of a personal nature.”
v. LOVE SPELL: FORECAST FOR LOVE LIFE
THE HIEROPHANT RX
*Keywords:*
Misinformation, bad advice, rebellion, weakness, gullibility, the need for self-discipline and tolerance.
be cautious of negative impulses and thoughts. do not partake in gossip for the consequences will find you. do not give any love advice. have faith in your convictions as new vibrations are due to come within your life; and with this intake positive opportunities will open themselves up to you for the manifestation.
vii. SCRYING: FORECAST OF BEST EVENTS FOR UPCOMING YEAR
THE STAR RX
*Keywords:*
Delay, prolongation, loss, impotence, lack of success.
welcome the positive energies of the star into your life in order to work towards bringing your goals to fruition; which may not happen just yet as the star reversed warns. put things into perspective. “The Star appearing reversed can indicate the opportunity for rest, repair and recuperation. It also tells of an opportunity which is yet to materialize so is therefore a sign of hope and encouragement for someone who may be feeling anxious and/or suffering from self-doubt at this time.” find your own north star behind the clouds in order to invoke the good things of the star when upright.
(i think the tarot is telling me that if i want the potential best things to come, i need to work for it and heed the world and the devil’s earlier messages.)
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Hey, I’m not trying to start anything- I just had a question I guess? So I was taught that God hates sin because sin hurts people, which makes sense to me- lying, stealing, cheating, and so on, have the potential to hurt people. But if being gay or bi or trans doesn’t hurt anyone, why would god hate it & why would it be a sin? Again, not trying to fight, just want to know if I’m not understanding something correctly & be the best follower of Christ I can me, sorry if it comes off the wrong way
Not at all. :) I would probably have the same question if I didn’t already understand. There are many sins that don’t seem like they hurt others, such as idolizing people like celebrities, giving in to temptation by eating foods you know you shouldn’t be eating especially when you prayed to God to make you healthier, secretly judging people, putting aside God’s convictions (ignoring that still voice that speaks His truth), smoking pot for recreational purposes even though you’re doing it in the privacy of your own home, habitually swearing even if it’s just around people who most likely have the same habit, procrastinating, masturbating, watching porn, the list goes on…
What all these sins have in common and more including the ones that hurt people is that there’s zero obedience. There’s a lack of discipline, there is no self-control. These sins are a result of giving in to the flesh, living in your own terms, pleasing your own nature, and basically choosing what you want and not what God wants for you. This world is sinful but God knew we needed grace, that’s why He sent His Son, Jesus. By accepting Christ as our Savior, we also accept discipline into our lives. But people forget that. They think it’s a one and done deal, that if you accept Christ or get baptized, you have a guaranteed spot in heaven, which is religious thinking. And they go on living as they please, basically wasting His grace. The awesome thing about growing in Christ is over the years you mature. Christian or not we will continue to sin until we die. In this case the difference between a mature Christian and a new Christian or someone who is not Christian at all is the mature Christian should sin relatively less, which means they’ll also receive more blessings from God. If they still sin as much as they did in the past before they gave their life to Christ, then either they are probably lukewarm Christians or they gave up altogether and are content with their old ways. They have become stagnant in their spiritual walk, the vision they once had and were passionate about serving the LORD is no longer as clear as before. Their purpose is blurred, so they go on to find happiness in the wrong things, from materialistic things, to drugs, to relationships, to work….We forget that accepting Christ is everyday, which means we need discipline everyday. Discipline comes from the word disciple. A follower and believer of Christ must practice it everyday if they are truly disciples of His.
I had a potential to be gay. I kid you not. If I didn’t discipline myself to stop certain thoughts and stop entertaining myself with the possibility then I would’ve continued pleasing the flesh, and would’ve eventually identified as bisexual or lesbian. But because of the positive influence I was around growing up, from church, youth group, summer camps and winter camps, the Christian club I had in my school, and just being around other Christians who didn’t necessarily have a one on one talk with me, but what I learned was ingrained in my head as wisdom. Even though I didn’t have a day to day relationship with God, I had enough positive reinforcement to listen carefully to my convictions and obey Him. Had I not, I would’ve continued to be mesmerized with the idea of same-sex relationships, I would’ve delved deeper into the possibilities by exploring my alter-ego. I wouldn’t know about the importance of humility and I would’ve continued to be proud. It is actually a sin to be proud (Proverbs 16:5).
If anyone calls themselves Christian but choose to believe they have this side that is uncontrollable, that is not of God. Recognize its desire to be independent and free, don’t continually feed it’s wants. Starve it. It is not of God. Once a person is sold to God, they become a bondservant of Christ; they have accepted that they are identified with Christ, and there is no such thing as a second self in you as a whole. There is the life of Christ in you, but when you identify with Him, you become one with God. I believe the acceptance of a second self, an alter-ego, is where developed personality disorders come from. The more a person is identified with things, ideas, persons, and not solely on God, the more anxiety welcomes itself into their life. If you are a Christian, it means you acknowledge and agree as being one with God. You must strive to have the characteristics of Christ, to love like Him and think like Him. Period. He was sent to serve as the greatest example for all humans. Daily, each person must put to death their old selves along with their sins through surrender and be resurrected and reborn with the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God.
Personality type tests, astrology/zodiac signs, opinions of others you have made become your reality….anything that you have ever believed in about who you are without truth from the Bible has the potential to divide your heart and soul. But identifying yourself with Christ alone and not the things of this world assures you that He will protect your integrity, where you remain whole and complete in God. The more a person entertains said truths about themselves apart from what God says about them in the Bible, is essentially a way of worship. Whatever has a higher importance than God to you (anything that doesn’t have Him as the purpose behind your intentions), by entertaining those thoughts, they become your god. Pay attention and make sure you are worshipping God and not other gods. In homosexuality’s case, it is the desires that come with it that are put before God, which makes them a slave to themselves and the rest of the world. There is no obedience there when it comes to honoring Him with the mind and body they were given. Christian homosexuality hurts families and loved ones, it hurts the life of Christ inside them when they allow their minds and bodies to be enticed in such a way. There’s gay porn and that hurts people, but we don’t hear about it. It may even tear heterosexual relationships apart. It hurts the soul of the one who identifies themselves as gay and proud. God has so much better for them if they just surrender and obey. Our lack of obedience leads to more sins, which bites us in the butt sooner or later. He wants our obedience no matter what, wether you’re gay or not because there is a lot of evil in this world, and He only wants what’s best for us. We don’t even know what’s best for us a lot of the times, but our Creator does. I believe that discipline leads to obedience, and obedience to trusting God more, and trust to more faith, and more faith to more peace and joy, to more wisdom/growth/maturity.
I remember listening to a guest speaker on Focus On The Family. I forgot her name, but her story was really interesting. She said since the day she could remember, she has always had an attraction towards the same sex and didn’t understand it, but knew it was wrong. I forget if she ever had relations with other women, but anyway, she started going to church after she was invited by a friend…she felt so welcomed and no one condemned or judged her. She made genuine friends who became her prayer partners, and eventually her relationship with God led her to have stronger convictions, and although it was a long process, one day it became clear to her that she no longer had these gay thoughts and feelings. She felt a joy and peace she had never encountered before. She started dating Christian men, and now she and her man are happily married. There are more true stories like this that we don’t hear about. Often we think it’s impossible to convert anyone from gay to straight. That’s true because it’s not our job. Only God has the power to do that. But imagine if the Christians she got to know judged her or easily gave up on her?…she would not have changed her sexual identity, but more importantly she would not have truly gotten to know Jesus Christ, her Savior, and she would not have completely identified her life to His. Check out these posts Homosexuality: Real Hope and Real Change. Thank you! I hope this helped. God bless! :)
James 4:12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?
1 Timothy 1:8-11 We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Proverbs 11:2 The LORD Almighty planned it, to bring down her pride in all her splendor and to humble all who are renowned on the earth.
James 4:6 But He gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
Philippians 2:1-2 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.
Philippians Chapter 2 - Imitating Christ’s Humility
By His Grace, Sheela (Via godfirstgodalways)
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This Beast That Rends Me: 23 Apr
Hey, I hope you liked the Warriors of Darkness arc, because I really liked the Warriors of Darkness arc.
(My second time through. My first time through was at the speed of patch release, and it was hard to keep all the cosmology shit in my mind after months. After an “archive reader” playthrough, where it was all available to me at once, it’s one of my favorite bits of the game.)
Previously: Week One, Week Two, Week Three
Previously: 22 Apr
Chapter Eleven
The rain continued throughout the morning, sheeting over the skylight windows overhead. Zenos had bathed and dressed, though he hadn’t bothered to do up more than half the buttons on his collared shirt. His casual dishabille suited the mood of the lazy, rainy day, playing a few rounds of cards and reading.
“Why did you do it?” Shasi asked, idly, turning a page in her book. It was the vague sort of question that demanded no answer. “Resonance. You’ve told me already that you tested yourself afterward and found no notable ability with magic imparted.”
“That was never the goal of the project,” Zenos said, and she looked up to see him sorting cards atop the table.
“Then the Echo was always your intent?”
“It was,” he agreed.
She pushed herself up from where she had draped herself lazily over the recamier into a more proper sitting posture. “Why?” she wondered. “Nobody should be able to pass the barrier of another’s soul.”
He looked over at her, propping his chin against the heel of his hand, fingers splayed against his cheek. “You do,” he said simply.
“Not by choice,” Shasi murmured. “If I had been asked if I wanted this gift, I would have refused.”
“And you would have been lost at the Bowl of Embers, where your name was made,” he said. “As your squadmates were lost. That was the power of the eikons, and the root of my great-grandfather’s edict. But you had nothing to fear from his tempering flame.”
“Not from that,” Shasi agreed.
“I did it, I suppose, because Nael van Darnus saw a city destroyed and pulled the moon from orbit under the thumb of a god. Our aetherial deficiency is no shield against the influence of eikons, and so, there being but one aegis to adopt, we set forth.”
“What would you have done?” Shasi wondered. “Been their Warrior of Light? It is a weightier task than you know.” She could hear the tremble in her voice, and wished she had not spoken.
He came to sit at her feet. “Why?” he said.
“The duty of the Warrior of Light is to live,” she said. “For that reason alone I had not thought you would want it. To live, while others die for you. I had not thought it, in my youth, but that was naive of me. My mother died for them, after all.”
He swung his leg over the bench, reclining back against the opposite arm of the sofa to regard her. “At Carteneau,” he said. “Where first you glimpsed the Archons. You were not among them, then?”
“No,” Shasi said. “Not yet. I came to them later, at Thancred’s invitation, when he noticed what I was.”
“How did you not realize what you were?”
Shasi lifted her shoulders. “The visions came only afterward. In a trading city it was not entirely unusual I might pick up some snatches of language I had no call to know otherwise, and if I dreamed of crystals and fireworks, well … they were only dreams, after all.” She looked at him, tilting her head curiously. “Do you get those, by the way?”
“No,” he admitted. “I rarely dream, and can recall none like you have described.”
“Perhaps you struck the better bargain,” Shasi said, bitterly.
“And here I thought you shared your comrades’ distaste for my methods,” he said.
“I do,” she said, “but I can’t pretend I’m any better. Not after I put my own men to the sword; not after everything. As soon I’d closed them up in those little pods myself and killed them.”
“You don’t mean that,” Zenos said.
“I might!” Shasi snapped back. “Enough have died for me without me numbering those I’ve killed, pursuing the righteousness of my cause—a cause I have been misled in service of before. Ilberd was a murderer and a madman, but he was right about that. He was right about that at least.”
“I know what it is to be someone else’s weapon,” he reminded her. “You do not have to be that thing, if you do not wish it.”
“I do,” Shasi said. “I do, and I must, and I cannot allow it to be someone else. It has to be me.”
“You are ever sure your path is the only way, aren’t you?” he asked.
“No,” Shasi admitted. “I doubt, as do many others. When someone breathes their last so that I may walk from the battlefield, I doubt. When I sat in the Vault, feeling Haurchefant’s hand grow cold in my own, I doubted. It must be me, because it hurts too much to wish it on another.”
He lifted a hand, offering it to her. “From your vehemence, either you speak of this often, or never at all.”
She took it, gingerly. He folded his fingers around her hand, dwarfing it, engulfing it. “I don’t know why I’m telling you,” she said.
“Because I have told you enough that you think I might listen,” Zenos said.
“If that were enough, I might have made mention of it to the Scions,” Shasi admitted. “No. I might have told Haurchefant, or Ysayle, but both of them are lost to me, gone beyond where they might hear me mourn them, and those who died after.”
“Did you love him?” Zenos wondered.
She looked up at his face, finding only concern there. “Yes,” she said simply. “I loved him. Not in the way you are likely imagining—we were never lovers, but we might have been soulmates. I loved him beyond reason. I would have done anything he asked, had he ever asked anything of me.”
“How did you deal with that?” Zenos wondered.
“I slew his murderer.”
“Was that enough?”
“No,” she laughed bitterly, “but it was all there was time for, with Nidhogg returned. Crises followed crises. I never even saw his gravestone until we had resolved to come here, because I refused to commit to the advance beyond the wall with that bit of business undone. I thought, at the time, it was enough.”
“Was it not?”
“You’re alive, so I suppose it wasn’t.” She looked down at their joined hands.
“I don’t understand.”
“I don’t know how to explain this,” she said. “I’ve never had to before. I saved your life because you told me that you thought we could be friends. I have not had a friend since a knight of the Heavens’ Ward threw a spear of aether through Haurchefant Greystone de Fortemps’s chest.”
He skimmed his thumb over the knuckles of her hand. “You say ‘never had to,’” he murmured. “I think what you mean is ‘never got to.’”
“How could I?” she asked.
“The Scions—”
“The Scions are my family, yes, but I look after them. I protect them. I cannot ask them to see to my weaknesses when they have need of my strength.”
“Consider it,” he said. “I do not think there is a conservatory awaiting you.”
“Who would be my keeper there?” Shasi wondered. “Elidibus?”
“Is that why you fear him?” Zenos murmured. “Because he might understand you?”
Shasi shook her head violently. “The last thing I want is for he and I to understand one another.”
Zenos laughed softly, and gave her arm a tug. “You are a mess of contradictions, Shasi,” he said. “How keenly you desire that I should feel again, feel as you do, and how swiftly you bury your own feelings. How tirelessly you work toward an understanding of others; how stalwartly you resist being understood.”
He touched her cheek, pulling her in against his chest. Shasi, he had called her, not for the first time. She should have protested at that—it was too intimate, but there was something comforting about it. “If I let them see my doubts,” Shasi said, “their faith in me will crumble.”
“Do you think that is what is happening now?” Zenos asked. He folded his arms around her.
“It ought to be,” she protested, turning about in his grasp. But when she settled, it was against him, back to chest, the warmth and weight of his arms around her a comforting reminder of the boundary of her skin against his. “You want to feel, and you are accepting the tutelage of a woman who wants not to. You don’t question the wisdom in that?”
“You don’t want not to feel,” he murmured. “You want not to be rejected. You did not deny me, when you might have, and I will not deny you now. Is this not the crux of the matter, in caring for another? Acceptance?”
“Yes, but ...”
“Then I accept you. I admired the conviction that Gaius van Baelsar wrote of, when he wrote of you, but I can compass your doubts.”
“It’s hard.”
“So you have said, but you have done the impossible.”
“What if the impossible is not enough?” Shasi asked a moment later.
She felt his chin settle against the crown of her hair. “It has been enough so far,” he said.
“It hasn’t,” Shasi says. “What do you think became of the Antecedent?”
“I don’t know,” Zenos admitted. “Frumentarium has no idea. There have been no reports since the Scions fled Ul’dah.”
“That would be because she stopped existing around that time,” Shasi said.
“She died?” Zenos asked.
“Nothing so pedestrian as that,” Shasi murmured. She let her head fall back against his shoulder.
“There are truths at the heart of this star that have not been revealed to its inhabitants,” she said. “Among them is this: there are reflections of this world scattered by the sundering of light from darkness. Seven of them have been lost already, rejoined to this world in the moments of Calamity. The last of them fell to darkness before ever a Warrior of Light arose, and is whence the Voidsent come. The first had for its guardians a capable team of valiant warriors, who defeated their foes and saved their people, but the flood of light that came after erased all life in their world.”
“How do you know?”
“I have met the heroes from both these worlds,” Shasi said. “Elidibus brought them here. Perhaps you begin to see why I fear understanding him: it was enough to know I could not let this world fall to darkness without having met the orphaned child whose world was lost to it for want of his intervention, but to be told that I might succeed and still destroy all that I hold dear ...”
“A child?” Zenos asked.
“The Echo-blessed awaken in times of Calamity to try to avert the destruction of their world. He was too young when the Ardor quickened, and so he awakened and could not fight.”
“But you were not with the Archons as their companion when Dalamud fell.”
“No,” Shasi said. “Minfilia was awakened by then, as was the Warrior of Light who disappeared thereafter, but not I. Not ’til later, which would seem to portend something yet to come. Or perhaps I was meant only as a replacement, as both of them are gone.”
“Where?” he asked, his breath feathering through her hair.
Shasi sighed. “Minfilia was called unto the aetherial sea by the Mothercrystal who empowered us, and they are now a single entity. I have spoken to her twice, and I could not say what remains of the Antecedent in the being known as the Word of the Mother, but it’s little enough.”
“Twice?”
“Once when we went looking for Minfilia and discovered what she had become, and once more when the Warriors of the First came to plead the case for their world.”
“Why would you listen to them if they came at your enemy’s behest?”
“Urianger interceded for them,” Shasi said. “Actually, it was more strident than that. Urianger manipulated events to bring them before the Word of the Mother.”
“And you trust Urianger despite this?”
“As much as I hope the others will trust me going forward,” Shasi said. “He had his own grief to deal with. At least he managed to save lives by it.”
“How so?”
“I was not the only one to suffer by the deaths I have witnessed, and Urianger has been nevermore the same since the death of his friend Moenbryda. After the audience he arranged, the Warriors of the First left with the Word to reabsorb the light flooding their before all was entirely lost. I wish I had been given more time to speak with them, but it was not to be.”
“And she did this for charity’s sake? Why not intervene sooner?”
Shasi chewed her lip. “Hydaelyn has been weak, since the activation of the Ultima Weapon. She shielded me in that battle, and aided me in the defeat of the Ascian Lahabrea. She has been silent since, but for my audiences with the Word. It taxes her, to speak with me.”
“A weakness that an infusion of aether might help her overcome.”
“I suppose so.”
“A parent in truth, then, your Mothercrystal.”
“What?” Shasi asked, sitting up slightly.
Zenos sighed, stroking his fingers over her bicep. “Parents don’t always want what’s best for you,” he murmured. “Only what they think best.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You will.”
“I suppose that’s what I’m afraid of,” Shasi admitted. “Bad enough the notion that I am the pale replacement for someone gone before me, his job half-undone. Worse to think I might follow him into anonymity, or Minfilia into heteronomy.”
“Pale you might be,” he teased, stroking his fingers through her hair, “but no substitute. What was it your predecessor left undone?” Zenos asked.
“Bahamut,” she said. “Matters were less resolved there than might have been surmised. Nael was not simply tempered, but subsumed, at times. I suppose that is what I fear.”
“But no primal can influence you.”
“Ifrit had it otherwise: that he could not claim me, for another already had; I think he meant Her, and She called Minfilia to her as Bahamut called to Nael. Until Bahamut abandoned her.”
“Abandoned her?” Zenos repeated, intrigued.
Shasi nodded, the softness of his shirt brushing against her cheek. “Just before Nael died, in truth and at last, the power that Bahamut had thrust upon her dissipated, as did its influence. But … I do not think Hydaelyn will relinquish Her blessing upon me in such a way.”
“You must find then some way to make it easier to bear,” Zenos said. “I could not, thinking myself peerless, and I have seen all too clearly what that made me.”
“I cannot ask another to carry that weight.”
“You are afraid your feelings are your weakness, are a burden on those you bear them toward. Were I in their position, I would accept you gladly, and you have told me already that you did not outmatch me because you were empty, but because you are full. You could make them your strength.”
“I can’t teach you what I don’t know,” Shasi said.
“Then don’t be my teacher,” he said, laying his cheek atop her head. “Be my friend. It is what I suggested we be.”
#TBTRM#x'shasi#zenos yae galvus#wol/zenos#original content#starcunning writes#thanks for coming to my ted talk
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we share differences, but are part of the same Body of faith and hope in Love
and so we should strive to get along.
Today’s reading of the Scriptures from the New Testament is the 14th chapter of the Letter of Romans:
Offer an open hand of fellowship to welcome every true believer, even though their faith may be weak and immature. And refuse to engage in debates with them concerning nothing more than opinions.
For example, one believer has no problem with eating all kinds of food, but another with weaker faith will eat only vegetables. The one who eats freely shouldn’t judge and look down on the one who eats only vegetables. And the vegetarian must not judge and look down on the one who eats everything. Remember, God has welcomed him and taken him as his partner.
Who do you think you are to sit in judgment of someone else’s household servant? His own master is the one to evaluate whether he succeeds or fails. And God’s servants will succeed, for God’s power supports them and enables them to stand.
In the same way, one person regards a certain day as more sacred than another, and another person regards them all alike. There is nothing wrong with having different personal convictions about such matters. For the person who observes one day as especially sacred does it to honor the Lord. And the same is true regarding what a person eats. The one who eats everything eats to honor the Lord, because he gives thanks to God, and the one who has a special diet does it to honor the Lord, and he also gives thanks to God.
No one lives to himself and no one dies to himself. While we live, we must live for our Master, and in death we must bring honor to him. So dead or alive we belong to our Master. For this very reason the Anointed One died and was brought back to life again, so that he would become the Lord God over both the dead and the living.
Why would you judge your brothers or sisters because of their diet, despising them for what they eat or don’t eat? For we each will have our turn to stand before God’s judgment seat. Just as it is written:
“As surely as I am the Living God, I tell you:
‘Every knee will bow before me
and every tongue will confess the truth
and glorify me!’ ”
Therefore, each one must answer for himself and give a personal account of his own life before God.
So stop being critical and condemning of other believers, but instead determine to never deliberately cause a brother or sister to stumble and fall because of your actions.
I know and am convinced by personal revelation from the Lord Jesus that there is nothing wrong with eating any food. But to the one who considers it to be unclean, it is unacceptable. If your brother or sister is offended because you insist on eating what you want, it is no longer love that rules your conduct. Why would you wound someone for whom the Messiah gave his life, just so you can eat what you want? So don’t give people the opportunity to slander what you know to be good. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of rules about food and drink, but is in the realm of the Holy Spirit, filled with righteousness, peace, and joy. Serving the Anointed One by walking in these kingdom realities pleases God and earns the respect of others.
So then, make it your top priority to live a life of peace with harmony in your relationships, eagerly seeking to strengthen and encourage one another. Stop ruining the work of God by insisting on your own opinions about food. You can eat anything you want, but it is wrong to deliberately cause someone to be offended over what you eat. Consider it an act of love to refrain from eating meat or drinking wine or doing anything else that would cause a fellow believer to be offended or tempted to be weakened in his faith. Keep the convictions you have about these matters between yourself and God, and don’t impose them upon others. You’ll be happy when you don’t judge yourself in doing what your conscience approves. But the one who has misgivings feels miserable if he eats meat, because he doubts and doesn’t eat in faith. For anything we do that doesn’t spring from faith is, by definition, sinful.
The Letter of Romans, Chapter 14 (The Passion Translation)
Today’s paired chapter of the Testaments is the 33rd chapter (the halfway point) of the book (scroll) of Isaiah that points to a cleansing of sin:
Oh, how bad it will be for the one who ruins and is not yet ruined,
who lies, cheats, and steals without experiencing the same in return.
It will come back to you. When you’ve exhausted your destroying,
you will find yourself destroyed,
And your treachery will come back to haunt you at the treacherous hands of others.
We’ve been waiting for you, Eternal One, to come and shower us with grace.
In the morning, be our strength; in times of trouble, be what saves us.
People flee when they hear the crashing thunder of Your voice;
nations scatter when You arise.
The spoil of the nations is gathered—swiftly and decisively—
as a hungry locust gathers, as a swarm of locusts rushes to strip the land.
The Eternal One is high above it all; for that is where He lives;
He will fill Zion (that heaven on earth) with justice and all manner of doing right.
God will be what holds things together,
fast and firm during these times.
He will be boundless salvation,
the roots and fruits of wisdom and knowledge.
Zion’s most precious possession
is the people’s awe-filled respect of the Eternal.
Look, their stoutest men run screaming in the streets;
their messengers of peace have broken down in bitter tears.
The roads are empty; no one ventures out.
The Assyrians have broken their treaty,
Disavowing the promises they made before witnesses.
They show no respect for anyone.
The land itself, like a new widow, grieves and wastes away.
Lush Lebanon decays, once-rose-covered Sharon looks like a desert,
And the tree-topped mountains of Bashan and Carmel
are completely denuded.
Eternal One: Now’s the time for action. I will arise.
People will esteem Me and recognize My greatness.
For you have produced nothing but chaff and worthless stubble.
Your breath is a fire that will sweep back and consume you.
Your people will be burned to ashes
like thornbushes cut down and burned up in the fire.
Listen well, wherever you are; make sure you know
that I have accomplished this.
Near and far, you’d better take note of My incomparable strength.
Those who do wrong, the guilty and criminal in Zion, are terrified;
in the presence and power of God, the godless tremble.
They ask themselves,
“Who could possibly survive this all-consuming conflagration?
Who can live through the unrelenting heat, the flames, the smoke?”
I will tell you who: the one who goes through life with integrity and
speaks truth with conviction, refusing to take part in fraud and abuse,
Whose hands are free of bribes, whose ears are covered to violent schemes,
and whose eyes are shut to the temptations of evil.
That one will survive and prosper on the heights of Zion
and take comfort in the shelter of rock fortresses,
And never be hungry, never thirsty.
Ah, you will see for yourself the beauty of the One who rules over all.
Your eyes will take in a land that stretches far beyond the horizon.
You will think back on the terror you experienced:
“Where is the officer who counted the plunder, weighed out our taxes, and calculated our defenses?”
You will no longer see rude and arrogant people in charge of the city,
and you will no longer have to listen to their strange babbling and incomprehensible muttering.
Ah, just look at Zion! The city where we celebrate,
where we make our God-appointed feasts.
You’ll see a Jerusalem at peace, untroubled, undisturbed,
like a permanent tent with stakes driven deep and ropes that never break.
There, the Eternal, so splendid and regal,
will be for us a place of broad rivers and wide canals.
No large boats will pass through them—
no mighty ships will sail their waters.
For the Eternal One is our Judge; He has prescribed our laws;
He rules over us, and He is the One who will save us.
You who try to sail in will be unable,
as if your lines are limp, your mast is wobbly, and your sails are furled.
The spoils in your hold will be divided among the deserving.
Even those who can hardly walk will take what you had taken.
And nobody who lives in God’s city will say he doesn’t feel well.
For everyone will be washed clean and forgiven for their wrongdoing.
The Book (Scroll) of Isaiah, Chapter 33 (The Voice)
A link to my personal reading of the Scriptures for Sunday, july 11 of 2021 with a paired chapter from each Testament of the Bible along with Today’s Proverbs and Psalms
A post by John Parsons that looks into the sacred space of the heart:
During his lectures on Jewish values, Joseph Telushkin used to ask his audience if they could go 24 hours without saying any unkind words about, or to, anybody. Most people said no, they couldn’t. Rabbi Telushkin then commended them for their honesty, but pointed out that if he had asked them if they could go 24 hours without drinking alcohol and they likewise said they couldn't, wouldn't that mean they have a serious drinking problem? (Words that Hurt). His point was that if you can't go 24 hours without saying unkind words about others (or raging at the world!), you have lost control of your tongue. As Yeshua explained, words express the condition of the heart, since "from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45). Therefore the root issue concerns the heart (לֵב), the “midst of the self” that wills, desires, and chooses how to interpret and describe the world. If we choose to see from a heart of fear, we will tend to use our words as a weapon; but if we see with a heart of faith, we will seek to build others up....
In the Book of Proverbs we read, “Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and one with a cool spirit is a person of understanding" (Prov. 17:27). The Chofetz Chaim comments: "When people are preparing a telegram, notice how carefully they consider each word before they put it down. That is how careful we must be when we speak." As James admonishes us: "Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger" (James 1:19). Friends, let us earnestly pray to be delivered from agitated passions and hurtful words we sometimes say... May God give us hearts of peace that are restrained by the Spirit of God. Amen, and Shabbat Shalom and Chodesh Tov, chaverim. [Hebrew for Christians]
7.9.21 • Facebook
Today’s message (Days of Praise) from the Institute for Creation Research
July 11, 2021
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear.” (Psalm 46:1-2)
Martin Luther’s journal entries inform us of his continual battle against evil forces and that Psalm 46 was a great comfort to him. As he meditated on the words of our text, the thrust of a mighty song was born that openly declared victory in the great battle: “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.”
A mighty fortress is our God, A bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood Of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe Doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great,
And, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.
The battle to be fought is “not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12). Satan, along with his henchmen, is an ancient foe, “a roaring lion,” as it were, “seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). But there is no need for alarm, “the LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge” (Psalm 46:11). He “is our refuge and strength” (today’s text), a bulwark never failing. “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8).
Only God could accomplish this victory, for Satan is “the prince of this world” (John 14:30), “the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2). No man on Earth is his equal.
But how did the Son of God gain the victory? By taking on Himself “flesh and blood” and dying a substitutionary death, “that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Hebrews 2:14). JDM
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Reflecting on 1 Cor 12-14
My paraphrase of 1 Cor 12-14, and reflections upon it.
1 Corinthians 12: In response to pastoral questions, Paul stresses that the living, revealing God has given varied spiritual gifts to the church for their good
“Okay you guys brought up spiritual gifts, so let’s make it clear (v1). Your God is a speaking God, not a mute idol who does not speak (v2). In fact, as He speaks, He only ever exalts His Son, and never blasphemes Him — that’s what He does with His words and it’s a good litmus test to know God’s voice (v3).
However, we should not be thrown off by the varieties of ways that the God who speaks manifests His activities — there may be different types of gifts but One God, you see (v4-6). The key is that He does so for each one for the purpose of the common good (v7). Here’s a list: utterance of wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, distinguishing spirits, tongues, and interpretation of tongues (v8-10). Let’s be clear that all these are empowered by God who has a purpose and a plan for giving what He gives to whomever He gives it (v11).
The body is a good analogy for Christ — with many members yet sharing oneness (v12). This oneness comes through the baptism of the Holy Spirit shared by people of different ethnicities and social classes (v13). It would be madness to speak of a single-membered body (v14). It’s also madness for the members to reject one another in one body (v15-17). This is after all, God’s sovereign choice and sovereign arrangement — that is how it is (v18-20). Furthermore, we are indispensable to one another and actually depend on one another (v21), even those who seem weaker and less useful — there’s a special role for them according to God’s great design (v22-24). This is why we must have care for each other, and share in suffering and joy together (v25-26).
What does look like in the church? Here are some gifts God has given, in an order: apostles, prophets, teachers, miracles, healing, helping, administrating and tongues of different kinds (v27-28). No one of you can have all these gifts since God has spread them out in the body (v29). You should always want greater gifts, which are those for building up others. Let me elaborate (V31).”
1 Corinthians 13: But spiritual gifts, which are temporal, must not to be preferred over the priority of love, which is superior and eternal
“None of these gifts — tongues, prophecy, faith or generosity of giving — mean anything if you’re thinking, acting or hoping to profit selfishly without love for others (v1-3). Love is patient with others, kind to others, not envious of others, never boastful over others or is arrogant or rude with others, insisting on one’s way, or is irritable with others, resentful of others, delighting in wrong or tolerant of half-truths and falsehoods. No — love bears, believes, hopes in and endures all things (v4-7).
Love will always be with us — even when prophecies and tongues fade away, love will not (v8). Prophecies and the like anyway are all temporary and imperfect, a function of what we know and do as children. But when we are mature, when we know the better ways and can see more clearly, we’ll leave all these ways behind us (v9-12). For now, we live in faith, with hope and in love. But one day, faith and hope will pass away and love will be everything (v13).”
1 Corinthians 14: On the detailed matters of prophecy and tongues — prefer the former, permit the latter but worship must always be orderly.
“So make love your pursuit as you use your gifts, especially spiritual gifts like prophecy (v1). When you speak in tongues you may not understand what you’re saying but in prophecy, you’re building others up (v2-3). It may feel great to be able to speak foreign languages you don’t understand but the one prophesying builds up the church so I don’t mind the former but I prefer the latter. The exception is when someone speaks in tongues and someone can interpret because then our faith is all built up collectively (v4-5).
What do I mean? If I speak in tongues and you don’t understand the content of my communication, then what good is it? (V6) It would be like music without distinct notes or a warning blast that has no distinct, meaningful sound (v7-8). It’s the same with speech that cannot be understood (v9). There are plenty of languages in the world and their ability to be understood is what separates a foreigner from a speaker, but none of those languages are without understandable content (v10-11). So since you want to experience the Spirit’s manifestation in you, you should really want to optimise your gifts for building up the church (v12).
What does the look like? Tongue speakers should pray for interpretation to be understandable so that others can be built up (v13). If I’m praying in a tongue and my spirit is working but my mind is not, that’s not great. I want to be active both in my spirit and my mind. I want to sing with my spirit and my mind — that’s best (V14-15). I want to be able to be intelligible to others in prayer and praise so that others can say “Amen” when I’m giving thanks (v16)! Even if you’re giving thanks, no one else understands and thus no one is edified even if you are (v17). Now don’t be skeptical — I think I know what I’m talking about when it comes to tongues (v18) but I prefer to be active with my mind to instruct than to speak in tongues at all (v19).
So don’t be childish in how you think unless you’re talking about evil ways — then be childish and innocent to that — but otherwise think maturely (v20). Is 28 and Deut 28 say that God will speak to us through the lips of “strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners” but there too we will not believe Him (v21). So let’s be clear — tongues are meant to be evangelistically, not within the church! Prophecy, on the other hand is for the body of Christ and not for outsiders (v22). Can you imagine if everyone in the church spoke in tongues together? Unbelievers whom you’ve invited to your gatherings will freak out (v23). On the other hand, if they hear a word from the Lord, proclaimed to their heart in conviction, which they can understand, then they will be exposed before God and have to confess that the living God is truly in your congregation, and he will worship God with you (v24-25).
So brothers, let all the spiritual manifestations and activities in your congregation be done with the purpose of building others up always (v26). If you want to speak in a foreign language of tongue, then just a few will do, and always someone must interpret or don’t do it. It’s okay to speak quietly in your head to the Lord (v27-28)! When people want to share what the Lord has convicted them of, let it be followed by time of reflection and consideration. Take turns to speak and be silent so it’s orderly and edifying. You should always have the ability to exert self-control over the spiritual impulse within you (v29-32). This all bears witness to God’s character — He is a God of peace and order, not confusion (v33).
That peace and order should be reflected in our gender roles too according to the Law of Moses (v34). We should not see the disorderliness of the culture and its prophetesses who are loud, disorderly and contentious especially in judging prophecies. Do not permit this to happen in your gatherings. This brings shame on themselves, their families and the church (v35).
Don’t be arrogant in thinking that you must have your way (v36). As an apostle bringing you God’s commands, I challenge those who claim to be prophets or spiritually minded to see the truth in what I’m saying. (v37). If you don’t, I doubt your your legitimacy (v38). In summary brothers, on the matters you raised with me: prefer prophesy, don’t forbid speaking in tongues, but remember to have peace and good order in your gatherings (v39-40).”
What does this mean for us?
We should expect God’s Spirit to be active in His people to fill us for service and good works.
We should prize love over gifts, maturity over immaturity, building up over personal edification — everything must find its proper place.
Cessationists argue that this text teaches us to expect a continuum and that some gifts will eventually wane and cease as we grow and mature, especially since the era of apostleship has ended. Continuationists insist that since the ”perfect” has not yet come we must still be in this era.
In exercising any gift, we must always ask how we are building others up.
We should seek for the Lord’s word to be proclaimed prophetically and be open to the means for the nations to hear the word of the Lord in power and verifiable witness.
We must hold to the peace and good order that Paul insists in the worship of the church, both in keeping with God’s character, the apostles’ teaching and the purpose of mission.
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Please Pray with us for the Presence of God in all our Marriages
Therefore I tell You, whatever You ask in prayer, believe that You have received it, and it will be Yours. – Mark 11:24
Will You pray this prayer with us for God’s presence in Your marriage?
My Dear Wonderful Father, marriage is truly a gift from You, meant to bring You glory and point others to You as the family that is created when a man and a women become One with You and bear good fruits. Like any other relationship, marriage can be challenging, but since marriage is a unique picture of Your relationship to the Church, we know that You want to work miracles in and through us and our marriage relationship. We know You are able!
I pray that our focus would be You alone my God and that we would be careful in how we speak about our spouses, even when we are going through difficult times in our marriage, letting our speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt (Colossians 4) and may I show myself in all respects to be a model of good work… show integrity, dignity, honesty and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. (Titus 2)
I pray that we would turn to You Holy Spirit before we turn to any person, becoming totally reliant on You my God to meet our every need in a way that only You can do, seeking Your kingdom and Your Righteousness first and foremost… (Matthew 6) seeking You, Your understanding, wisdom, love, strength, and Your presence continually in our lives, marriage and family unit!
I pray we would never forget that our accountability is ultimately to You, an all-powerful God who is ever-present and all-knowing; each of us will give an account of ourselves to You (Romans 14). We know we will give account for every careless deed and word we speak, so let us speak words of tenderness, faithfulness, humbleness, sincerity, and love; and do right by You and our spouses.
Help us to remember that our first and most important responsibility is to pour out our hearts to You before we pour out our hearts to a person or group of people. To seek Your face before we call a family or friend. To know Your word, to fellowship with You, and to allow You to renovate our hearts, rejuvenate our souls and renew our minds.
As we are in Your Word please, renew our minds. Change us from the inside out. We are desperate for You and Your presence. I know that we will only see our spouses through eyes of grace if we have taken the time to know Your heart, asking You to give us the eyes to see our spouses in that same way.
Help us to know You so well, that we go out into our day with our expectations focused on You and not on our precious, flesh and blood spouses.
Please cause us to cherish each other in a way we never imagined and knit us together from the heart in a way that only You can knit two people together. Please grow in us a loving relationship that will weather the storms that come as we continue to learn how to walk this marriage journey together.
Please change me on the inside. I never want to be set in my ways. I want to be constantly changing, growing, being renewed, and becoming more like You Jesus. Being transformed by the renewal of my mind (Romans 12).
Help me not grow cold or to take my spouse for granted. With that in mind, help us to see ways to connect and grow closer in our marriage relationship remembering not just when love started and bloomed but the hope and promises of tomorrow together. Allow us to see each other as the beautiful souls that we are and look beyond the extra weight, loss of hair or figure or anything else that physically changes our appearances on the outside as we grow old and ailments or things happen to our bodies.
Please enable me to see my blind spots, show me what I need to see. Cause me to be convicted and grieved by any sinful habits, attitudes, and responses that grieve You. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me…and see if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139). And as those habits and attitudes that don’t glorify You are exposed, I am asking You to change me. Help me to grow in practicing being in Your presence and cause my marriage to become more God-centered and flourish into what You’d have it to be.
We know Satan is on a mission to Kill, Steal and Destroy marriages and that His attacks are constant us, we are Not defeated thanks to You.
I pray that I would be sober-minded and watchful. Because “my adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). He wants to cause confusion, division, and conflict. I know our only hope is found as we sit in Your presence, interrupting Satan’s attacks, and allowing You to flood us with Your perspective, grace, and love for our spouse.
I pray that we will bring You into all of our marriage’s ups and downs, no matter how big or how small, and that we will purpose to bring You into our everyday lives as a couple, taking the time to stop and acknowledge Your presence to each other.
Remind us to come to You before we picked up the latest marriage book. Please change our defensive, prideful, stubborn, and easily offended hearts as we come into Your presence, my Almighty God!
We want You to be the center of our marriage. Help us to choose to do what it takes and turn to You throughout the day. Not just at the beginning or end of the day – but moment by moment, with every task and interaction. Help us to remember that You are with us every second and are present as we live out Your calling as married folks.
Never let us forget how very desperate we are for You and how needful of keeping Your presence central we are! As we practice and experience Your presence, cause us to hear Your voice leading us through the daily life we have been given, and cause us to trust that You are working in our lives. Enable us to experience that intimacy with You, and with our spouses, that can only happen when we practice being in Your presence in all that we do. Let us be readers, hearers and doers of Your Word to be in Your likeness and reflect Your image to each other and everyone.
In Jesus’ Magnanimous, Magnificent, Marvelous and Miraculous Name, we pray,
Amen.
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