#its about love not overcoming failure jesus christ
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Okay I don't really like what we constitute as Joel's failures. He didn't fail Ellie here in any way. He forced himself up with a knife wound barley healed, hunted men down and fought tooth and crawl to get to her.
Joel didn't fail by not getting to her. When should he have? When he was unconcious the first time she went out? When she put a knife in his hands and told him to fight before running away on horseback when he was barley concious? When he had to take time to learn where she was to get to her?
And by the time he did what NO ONE ELSE could, she had killed David just seconds before as he tried to assault her. That's not failure and there is no theme of Joels failure.
Joel sees his failures as such beacuse of trauma and guilt. You as the audience should not be agreeing with him, you do realize?
Joel was holding injured Sarah in both arms calmly reasoning with a soldier only to have both of them be shot for no reason. How is that Joel failing her?
Joel didn't hear the guy coming up beside him until the door kicked in beacuse behind the walls of a door and building his hearing wasn't as keen on that side. And Ellie chose to intervene instead of waiting for Joel to get the upperhand. How is that Joel failing her?
Ellie didn't tell Joel that Sam was infected and he was literally being held at gunpoint after being shot at by Henry when he went to save her when Sam inevitably attacked her. How is that Joel failing her?
Joel and Ellie being surrounded by people on horseback with guns when he was forced to put his down. And the dog sniffing Ellie but if Joel intervened he'd get shot and likely Ellie too. How is that Joel failing her?
Joel protected Ellie to the degree he didn't even feel himself being stabbed because he was so focused on her saftey.
Joels monologue to Tommy about failing her, both Sarah and Ellie is not what you should take away. Its Joels fear through trauma that he thinks everything is his fault because trauma induced guilt blinds the truth of your own nobility.
Joel didn't fail Ellie here, either. They are a team. She escapes David, and Joel finds her at the same time and saves her from falling into the pit of lonely traumatized despair such an event may have. As a r/sa/csa victim I can tell you that Joel didn't need to physically save her. His quiet and gentle love is exactly the opposite of failure.
Ellie does need Joel. Don't mistaken her being able to escape David and his men for not needing Joel. If Joel wasn't there in that moment? She would have been traumatized for life. But now she remembers that event ending in the arms of a father who actually loves her. That's not failure.
Joel does not have a theme of failure and thinking so is missing the point entierly. The theme is Joel's trauma has warped his sense of self and sees failure where there is none and that by letting Ellie in he understands the truth. Ellie doesn't "not need Joel sometimes". She does because Joel has never failed her. If you asked Ellie if thats what she got out of this situation, that she was okay without Joel's help and that he "failed" to get to her in time?
That little spitfire would tell you to go fuck yourself. This was long but I'm sorry all this mentality does is reduce Joel's trauma to "what a trauma victim thinks of themsleves is truth" and says that Ellie doesn't actually need Joel when the whole point of the fucking show is no.
No they need each other desperately and neither of them have failed the other.
#tlou spoilers#the last of us spoilers#this was long but im so done with ppl acting like joel did fail his girls#like way to reduce joel to a failure of a man#and elevate ellie to a badass lone girl archetype#when the point is ellies a fucking child who needs her dad beacuse joel had never failed her once#its about love not overcoming failure jesus christ
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INFLUENCING ETERNITY
Paul was not content to know he was going to inherit Heaven. He wanted to be a son of God and inherit the Kingdom on earth.
Philippians 3:12-14 - "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
God has called us to rule and reign with Him now while we are on earth and when we inherit Heaven, too. We are called to be the Bride of Christ.
1 Timothy 6:11-16 "...Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in His own time – God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To Him be honor and might forever. Amen."
Matthew 6:33 - "But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."
THE POWER TO INFLUENCE OTHER LIVES
Upon our death, the life we lived here on earth will influence eternity. Because of the Living Water flowing out of our life, our life affects the people around us..
Romans 14:7- "For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself."
We are called to complete the race, to subdue the earth, to take DOMINION, and rule and reign with Christ to fulfill the original commission that was given to Adam and Eve, the first man in Genesis.
Hebrews 12:1-2 - " Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us..."
Hebrews 12:22-23 - "But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the Church of the firstborn, whose names are written in Heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect."
Life is one test after another that prepares us for promotion.
Deuteronomy 8:15-17 - "He led you through the vast and dreadful desert, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known, to humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you."
The things we endure here on earth help to mold and make us into champions of God.
WE GO THROUGH TESTINGS
Jesus was able to handle rejection and disappointment without quitting and giving up. He had to go through the testings, trials and wilderness wanderings just like you and me in order to qualify for the power. He had a destiny and a call to prepare for.
God is preparing us to rule and reign with Him forever.
God uses the trials, tests, disappointments, sorrows, grief, and painful failures in life.
He stretches us to the breaking point time and time again so we are able to hold more of His essence, and overcoming power.
God uses pressure to cause us to expand and be strengthened.
Spiritual opposition enables us to learn to defeat the enemy through different warfare tactics.
The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but they are mighty through the Spirit of God.
We are called to stand up and fight and take the Kingdom by force.
Those that do not learn to war in the spirit and to use their spiritual weapons will not make it through the calamities and diseases that are coming on the earth.
We must learn to walk in the fullness of what God has given us (OUR CALLING IN CHRIST).
ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
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Overcoming Overthinking Biblically
Overcoming Overthinking: Transforming Fear, Perfectionism, and Shame Biblically
Overthinking, a silent and consuming companion familiar to many, is often more than a worry here and a fret there; it's a mindset rooted in the deepest fears, the desire for unattainable perfection, and a profound sense of unworthiness. In moments of quiet reflection, or in the thick of life's demands, overthinkers can find themselves tangled in a web of their thoughts—far from the peace that they crave.
For the Christian community, the burden of overthinking may feel particularly stark, with theological implications related to questioning God's promises, forgetting the power of prayer, and casting doubt on His very plan. But there is hope threaded through the fabric of our faith, designed to pierce through the fog of overthinking and lead us to a more secure and peaceful existence.
This guide, centered on biblical principles, aims to serve as a light in the darkness, offering a path to break free from the shackles of overthinking. Here are the skills to transform fear, perfectionism, and shame that you, as a seeker of peace and wisdom, can adopt to experience the freedom promised by the Word.
1. Recognizing the Signs of Overthinking
Before a cure can be formulated, it is essential to understand the ailment. Overthinking often begins as a response to life's uncertainties, a yearning for control that spirals into a whirlwind of incessant analysis of past choices, future outcomes, and the judgments of others. This unhealthy preoccupation can manifest in various ways:
Excessive Worry: Obsessing over potential issues or the worst-case scenarios with little or no evidence.
Indecisiveness: Struggling to make choices, fearing that a decision will be the wrong one.
Rumination: Replaying past events, conversations, or mistakes and wishing outcomes were different.
To identify if overthinking is a personal challenge, one must cultivate self-awareness, examining these patterns without judgment but with an observant eye. Here we must recall Matthew 6:34 which calls us not to worry. Each day has its own troubles, and entrusting our paths to God's hands allows room for His direction and timing.
2. Exploring the Causes of Overthinking
Fear, perfectionism, and shame are the common culprits festering beneath the surface of overthinking. Fear seeks to dictate our responses. Perfectionism sets unrealistic standards. And shame whispers that we are our mistakes and not His grace. These ingredients create an inner environment ripe for overthinking:
Fear: Unprecedented living motivated by the unknown results and outcomes of our day-to-day lives.
Perfectionism: A relentless pursuit of flawless performance, often leading to self-criticism and paralyzing doubt.
Shame: The belief that we are doomed, unredeemable, unable to receive love, grace, and acceptance.
Drawing parallels between personal experiences and biblical stories of heroes who walked through these emotions, such as Moses's fear of failure or Peter's shame at denying Christ, can offer insight and solace. Here lies an opportunity not to despair but to learn. Remember, it's our weakness that makes room for His strength (2 Corinthians 12:9–10).
3. Gaining Biblical Insight on Overthinking
The Scriptures are a treasure trove of wisdom and solace for the overthinker. With every turn of the page, a resounding truth punctuates the air: God is in control, His plan is perfect, and His love casts out all fear. Consider the following verses as testimonies:
Philippians 4:6-7: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
2 Timothy 1:7: "For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control" (sound mind).
Romans 8:38–39: "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."
These verses stand as fortresses for the mind, offering an alternative perspective on life's adversities, inviting us to lay our fears before the throne of the Almighty, and declaring our undying position within the shelter of His love.
4. Overcoming Overthinking Biblically
To overcome overthinking, we must reframe our thought process, rewire our neural pathways, and root ourselves in the unshakable foundation of faith. Here are practical, faith-based strategies to achieve this transformation:
Prayer and Meditation: Establish a rhythm of prayer and meditate on Scriptures daily. Pray not just for the cessation of overthinking but for a deeper revelation of God's character and promises in your life.
Cognitive Restructuring: Identify the lies of fear, perfectionism, and shame and replace them with the truths of the Bible. When intrusive thoughts bombard, wield the Word as your sword to cut through the deception.
Community and Mentorship: Isolate is often the soil which overthinking grows in. Engaging with supportive members of your Christian community or seeking mentorship can provide the encouragement and correction needed on the path to freedom from overthinking.
5. Developing an Action Plan
An action plan is your roadmap to transforming fear, perfectionism, and shame into faith, trust, and perseverance. It should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). Here's a broad structure to ensure your plan is comprehensive:
Step 1: Establish Your Goal
The focus here is to define what 'overcoming overthinking' means to you. It could be making more confident decisions, experiencing peace in daily life, or reducing mental clutter.
Step 2: Identify Triggers
What sets off your overthinking? Is it conflict, deadlines, or social gatherings? Pinpointing these triggers is paramount to addressing root causes.
Step 3: Combatting Triggers Biblically
How can you respond to your triggers in a manner that aligns with biblical principles? Perhaps a specific verse comes to mind in those tense moments; learn that verse and apply it as needed.
Step 4: Review Progress
On a set frequency, review your progress. Are you growing in trust, peace, and freedom? Celebrate the victories, learn from the stumbles, and adjust your approach as necessary.
7. Conclusion
Overthinking may be a familiar adversary, but it is not an unbeatable one. Through the insights of Scripture, prayer, community, and a proactive action plan, a life less burdened by fear, perfectionism, and shame is not only conceivable but biblically mandated. The next time your thoughts begin to spiral, remember that your Heavenly Father knows your needs before you even ask (Matthew 6:8).
Stand firm in His truths, and may His peace that surpasses all understanding settle in the depths of your soul. Each moment, each decision, is a step on the path to freedom. So let's take that first step today, and trust in the Lord with all our heart (Proverbs 3:5-6). He is faithful, and He will guide us towards a life free from overthinking.
Don't let your thoughts hold you back any longer. Embrace the abundant life God has promised us and live it to the fullest! Remember, we are not alone in this struggle, and together we can overcome through the power of Christ in us.
Let's continue to encourage and support one another on this journey towards freedom from overthinking. So go ahead, step out in faith and trust God to lead you towards a life filled with peace, joy, and purpose. It's time to break free from overthinking and live the life God has intended for us!
Join Our Community
As we continue on our paths, constantly uplifted by faith and the freeing power of God's love, remember that you don't have to walk this journey alone. Join our monthly membership or our vibrant online group coaching program. There you will find a community of like-hearted individuals all striving towards living lives filled with faith, purpose, and joy. Together, we can support each other, learn from each other, and grow stronger in our faith and in our daily lives. Visit Lessons for Life Membership to learn more and become a part of our growing community. Your next step towards a life of freedom from overthinking and full of God's promises is just one click away. Join us, and let's rise up together in faith and victory.
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February 24
Proverbs 19:20-21 Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end. 21 There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.
John 11:25 Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though they die.
Jeremiah 29:11-13 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.
Matthew 6:33-34 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Ephesians 5:2 Walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us…
Psalm 143:10 Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
May you be aware that those things which are not known to others are known to the Lord and that the struggles and the sins that are your own are covered by His blood and overcome by His Spirit as you acknowledge them and accept His guidance, as you are nourished from the Word of God and strengthened by the exercise of prayer, looking to Jesus, Who is the Author and Finisher of your faith. Leviticus 15
May you ever remember that you are flesh and have inherited sin and unrighteousness, and that you are called to come before God Who is spirit and dwells in righteousness and holiness. Never forget that your right standing with God is imputed to you, daily, regularly, continually, by the love that leads you to embrace His Son, Jesus Christ, Who has made you accepted before the Father. Leviticus 16
May you study the Word of God and learn the power therein so that you may distinguish by the Spirit the dead letter upon which man's traditions are built and the living, broken Bread which gives life and brings honor to the name of Christ as it demonstrates the compassion of the Father for others. Mark 7
May you be cleansed and made pure by all that comes from the heart of God, rather than polluted and unfit for God by all that comes from the heart of man. Mark 7
My child, know Me by seeking Me. Do not be preoccupied with doing good things, but by simply being with Me. Performing good deeds will not change you, My loved one, but you can not avoid being changed when you come into My presence.
Wait on Me, and when I send you, you will be effectual. Hear Me, not just in words, but in the flow of compassion and mercy, of gentle encouragement that reveals how I treasure you. I will then hear you when, using the same spirit and the same heart you have seen in Me, you ask for the needs of someone that I have sent you to.
Do not do charitable deeds out of your own heart. Many do so, but I did not send them and My love did not motivate them, and I will not recognize them.
Know Me, abide in Me, become lost in Me, make Me your focus, your goal, your purpose, the source of your strength, the motivation of your heart, the reason for your praise. Then, when I send you, you will be doing My will in My power for My kingdom as a testimony to My grace.
I do not look on the hands to see what they do, but I look on the heart to see why it is done. Make Me your “why.”
May you recognize your only hope is to be in the Lord's love and faithfulness, for without His tender mercies you perish from the problems far too big for you to solve, piled higher than your head, and your sins, too many to count, will cause you to be ashamed to look up as your heart quails within you. Psalm 40
May the Lord rescue you as He comes to help you by turning around all those who are trying to destroy you, confusing them and disgracing the scoffers as He sends them sprawling in utter failure. Psalm 40
May the joy of the Lord be given to everyone who loves Him and His salvation, who constantly exclaim, “How great God is!” Psalm 40
May the Lord, Who is thinking about you right now, come quickly and save you without delay, for though you are poor and weak, the Lord God is your Savior. Psalm 40
May you be as the wise man who holds his tongue, lest you find sorrow and trouble as a fool who blurts out everything he knows. Proverbs 10:14
May you be as a man with common sense who is admired as a counselor, lest you be beaten as a servant like those without it. Proverbs 10:13
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Mike
Overthinking, complicating, zoning in and out of passive manic thought, eventually being overcome with a paralyzing blankness of sorts. It’s the BPD. The comorbidity of my neurodivergencies.
Missed the bus. Mike approaches me. We start talking.
Mike tells me about life’s most brilliant mysteries. Talking more he says he was houseless by 17. Mentally ill, he was left to the streets. How he needs to quit smoking, so his heart can continue to beat properly
He asks, “Can I read to you some Christian poetry?”
I decline.
Sorry Mike. For if you didn’t know,
I am a nonbinary feminist, communist, leftist who’s too good to listen to some old rambling man’s prayers.
Too good to set aside my fears
Impart whatever “wisdom” you think you can provide my ears
I won’t be listening; I’ll judge too soon and write you off as being unclear.
But continue Mike.
He doesn’t let up, talks about how everyone needs to be kinder.
Enjoy what they can to make this small little life last longer. Reminds me that we all matter
“I’m still learning,” he says, “You’re still learning too, there’s an infinite amount of knowledge.”
Still learning I guess to
Make mistakes, to fall, to walk, to get dirty, to get clean of impurities, to listen to Mike and his ramblings.
Mike talks about love. Loving those in our lives and holding them close. He reminds me that it’s much too easy to let them go.
He talks about community. I interject with my Gen Z
Comment about capitalism,
Its ties to individualism,
My stupid bouts of activism
Look at all this altruism.
Mike knows these things firsthand without this tiktok bullshit jargon.
But still, Mike listens.
Mike then stands before me; he raises his hands above my head and heals me of my diseased spirit. He looks at his disciple and says, “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
And do unto others as you would have other do unto you.”
It’s modern-day Jesus Christ!
Mike didn’t say that.
But he very well could have. In fact,
He did.
He wants to be a preacher he says. He has some buddy who’s going to sponsor his book.
He’s working out the kinks, but he’s got a pretty good hook.
Mike, the perfect example of a systemic injustice, a systemic failure.
His existence within a system
That couldn’t care less about him.
Politicians that falsely promise him safe housing, clothes, food, good doctors as they continue to cut funding to social programs more slim,
So that maybe Mike can write a few more hymns.
And to just have some stranger go to their cushy $800 bedroom in a nice lil east end home
And write some sappy, wannabe prophetic, wannabe woke, wannabe poet, poetry about you.
I think we should all be more like Mike, Jesus, no Mike. Mike should be, no, is our Saviour.
There’s not a doubt I have about it.
I’ve moved. I’m on the bus now. Sinking into my seat filled with these warm indie movie like feelings. Over romanticizing my encounter with good ol’ Mike.
I fade in with the swarm of other bus goers, faither havers, faith doubters, casual (not as religious) encounters.
Eventually, I’m walking off to my job that fulfills little to no desires,
Having no mysterious wonders.
Eventually, like some lame working horse, I foundered.
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RHAPSODY OF REALITIES DAILY DEVOTIONAL ~ PASTOR CHRIS
YOUR IMPREGNABLE NATURE
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30TH
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith (1 John 5:4).
Asimilar verse to our opening scripture is 1 John 4:4; it says, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” We also read something just as inspiring and enthralling from Peter in his second epistle: “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Peter 1:4).
How about Paul? Read what he pens for us by the Spirit in Romans 8:35-39: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword…Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The apostles, in stating these truths, were affirming the life we have in Christ; a life of dominion over Satan, the world, and its systems. The Christian is unconquerable. You’re a victor in Christ Jesus; you rule and reign in life through Him. You could never fail. Hallelujah!
The Lord Jesus also spoke about your impregnable nature. He said, “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke 10:19). In Mark 16:18, He said you shall take up serpents; and if you drink any deadly thing, it’ll have no effect on you. When you lay hands on the sick, they shall recover. What a life!
You have overcome the world. Distressing situations may come from the enemy, but be unflustered; in Christ, you’ve already been made triumphant: “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ…” (2Corinthians 2:14). Train yourself in this consciousness.
CONFESSION
Blessed be God! I’m unconquerable, a victor in Christ Jesus; I rule and reign in life through Christ. I’ve overcome the world and its deception, failure, hatred, corruption, decadence and limitation. Christ reigns and rules in my life; that’s my assurance of a life of ever-increasing greatness, glory and grace, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY:
Romans 5:17; 1 John 5:4-5
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Anxiety keeps me off balance and fearful
Will the depression ever lift, the yelling ever stop, the pain ever leave? Will we ever see the sun again? We feel stuck, trapped, and predestined for failure. Will it ever end?
The peace of Christ can overrule anxiety if we seek to live in constant communion and abiding with Him. We are part of His body, the church, and He is present at all times. Colossians 3:15: “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”
David definitely experienced anxiety but declared God as his help. Psalm 3:1-4: “Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him. “But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high. I call out to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy mountain.”
David wrote many Psalms as he grappled with fear, frustration, and sin. He always came to the rock-solid understanding that the Lord was his deliverer, he had nothing to fear when he was in the hands and the will of God. Fearful events may have been swirling around him, but he chose to trust in the strength and sovereignty of God, knowing that his own future was safe and secure in the Lord’s hands. We trust in and love the same God! Lean on Him, trust Him and not what the world tries to condemn you with.
The apostle Paul gave us three helps against anxiety in Philippians 4:
Pray Persuasively: Philippians 4:6: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
Think Truthfully: Philippians 4:8: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
Live Obediently: Philippians 4:9:“Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”
In Romans 12:2, Paul instructs us, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” If you fill your mind with the words of God, you will push the lies of the enemy away because there is no more room for them. The Lord will transform your heart and thoughts when you learn what His Word says to you.
Reflection: Anxiety is a peace killer, but we can overcome anxiety every time it rears its ugly head by choosing to trust in and rest in Jesus Christ; believing in what His Word says about us rather than what the world says about us. He is the answer. As you develop a daily, regular habit of getting to know Him in His Word, you will find strength for every day.
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Dilf Deku Headcanons
Midoriya Izuku x GN!Reader
warnings: swearing, NSFW themes (nothing graphic just briefly mentioned),brief mention of bullying/scars, idk this is pretty tame nothing is really described... if u don't like dilfs then don't read this :)
a/n: okay! this is my first time writing/publishing anything on Tumblr so please go easy on me haha... I've had ridiculous Deku brain rot lately and I decided I had to jot a few thoughts down. I'm playing with the idea of turning this into a writing blog, but I am undecided! If anyone wants to thirst for one Izuku Midoriya please come talk to me please anyway without further ado here are some Dilf!Deku hcs.... I'm playing around with doing a NSFW version after this so if you would like to see that let me know!
w/c: 1,498
Okay everyone today I want to talk about Dilf!Izuku
This may be controversial but I personally believe that he has the most Dilf potential out of any of the class 1A boys and no I will not be taking criticism at this time
Sorry but even when he’s younger he has Dilf energy - he’s caring, considerate, takes your feelings into account like a dad he just wants to take care of his baby
oh fuck this man no no no
And listen, here me out on this one….. he has more dilf potential than Bakugo and allow me to tell you why
We can all agree that Bakugo has been confident his entire life, so of course he’s going to be confident when he’s older?? duh
But IZUKU is a different story altogether, he’s never felt confident in his life
His whole childhood he was looked down on for being quirkless, and bullied by someone he thought was his friend kachaan
THEN he got a quirk but oh every time he uses it it breaks all his fucking bones and leaves him with all these scars, and he appreciates them because of what they represent but also he’s young when he gets them, he’s already prone to insecurity and when he’s younger ESPECIALLY i think they just remind him of previous failures
He only started to gain a little bit of confidence in his UA days, but it takes time to rebuild yourself after you’ve been torn down for so long, so I honestly imagine he doesn’t even feel an inkling of confidence until his third year or later and even then, it’s new, it’s unfamiliar, he doesn’t totally know how to act
Because yes, by his third year, he’s starting to realize, oh wow okay, I have an incredible quirk and all these new abilities that I can control better, and wow people are paying attention for good reasons , because he’s tall and attractive, probably cuts his hair undercut Izuku supremacy and he’s made some solid friends who help boost his confidence too
But despite all this, deep down he still feels like that quirkless little kid who has to work three times as hard as anyone else and still doesn’t get the recognition he deserves
But OH BOY
DILF IZUKU??? This man is dripping with confidence
he’s older now. he’s overcome a lot. he’s gone to therapy, and worked his way through the pro hero ranks until he earned his number one spot fair and square, that’s something no one can take away from him
He’s loaded now (see below because I go on a whole tangent), he has nice tasteful style that can only come with age and experience
He knows he’s hot now, because its simply no longer something that can be denied, anyone with eyes can see how attractive he is
If he catches you staring at him, he doesn’t shy away. His cheeks might tint slightly, but he stares right back with the biggest smirk on his face. “See something you like, angel?”
Probably finds reasons to show off slightly but he’s Dilf!Izuku so it’s subtle, it’s meant just for you and god does it drive you crazy
The way he’ll reach for and grab at things when he’s around you because he knows you like his hands (he wants to hold your bags and please let him he just wants to feel needed)
They way he stands behind you while you cook, or work, or read…. He sees you sitting or standing so peacefully and he’ll come up behind you to check out what it is you’re doing. He’ll lean down slowly, quietly, stopping when his breath is on your neck and your nose is filled with his scent, and take a quick peek at whatever it is you’re working on. It takes you a moment to turn around, your heart starting to beat faster in your chest due to his looming presence behind you (I DON’T KNOW WHY THIS IS HOT TO ME IT JUST IS OKAY). When you finally turn to face him, his face breaks into a small smile of victory as his strong hand catches your jaw in a gentle grip and he places an achingly soft kiss to your lips before saying “You look so cute when you’re concentrating,”. As you’re about to go in for another, he lets you go and stands up again, his eyes twinkling. “No no, you’re working so hard baby, don’t let me distract you,” WHEN ALL HE WANTED WAS TO DISTRACT YOU and he succeeded and now you’re all hot and bothered, with no hope of resuming what you were doing
Dilf Deku is a tease I know he is but it’s okay he’ll make it up to you later ;)
He’s got shorter, slightly more cropped hair with grey mixed in with the green, his face more lean and angular… not to mention years of pro hero work have toned his body into an absolute work of art I’m gonna pass out just thinking about it
Freckles splashed across his skin like hundreds of little constellations, accented by scars and marks from old wounds (which he’s come to appreciate - they show how hard he’s worked, how much he’s sacrificed to get to where he is now) he’s muscular but I don’t think he’s quite as big as All Might (his fighting style is a lot different so of course he would build muscle in different places) so this means LEGS LEGS LEGS
LEG MUSCLES FOR DAYS
THICK FUCKING THIGHS oh my god
And holy shit his back muscles too WHEW sometimes in the morning when he gets up before you, you watch him sit on the edge of the bed and flex his shoulders and arms to stretch out in the hazy morning light and Jesus Christ
Dilf Deku is older now, he’s spent his entire life working himself too hard and he missed out on a lot of the fun, impulsive, chaotic things young people do, so I think he wants to let loose a little in his older age, have some fun for once
And what’s more perfect than sweet, youthful, tantalizing little you to indulge in ?
He’s so doting, just wants to make you feel special and cared for
And on that note, if you will indulge me for a moment
he’s fucking RICH like
He’s the number one pro hero, he has brand deals on brand deals on brand deals
And I don’t mean to slander All Might and Endeavor, but in terms of a hot, fuckable number one pro hero, Deku has them beat by a landslide so I imagine he has a wider range of brand deals too, because he can sell the sex appeal angle
I mean can you imagine him in interviews? Interacting with fans? Confident yes, but still soft spoken and kind, almost gentle but anyone can tell he’s completely in control, of himself, of the interview, of the audience, this man has the entire country world wrapped around his little finger
All this to say he’s DRIPPING WITH MONEY
he’s like the guy that overtips an OBSCENE amount like if the waiter is really nice he’ll tip like $300 dollars and won’t even blink (I know they don’t tip at restaurants in Japan but this is more for vibes yk)
sugar daddy deku isn’t a stretch it’s a REALITY
Y’all can be officially together or not, either way Deku loves to spoil his precious little y/n
All you have to do is smile sweetly and ask, and he’s absolute putty in your hands
Complies with even the most egregious of your demands, because hey, he has the money to spare, and how could he say no when you look so cute asking so politely?
GOOD TASTE too like he has a lot of money but he knows how to spend it 😏
Additionally he’s, ya know, him, so he’s insanely charitable and donates to charities, go fund me, personal Venmo accounts of fans that need it
if a fan has like a go fund me for some reason that catches his eye, he’s going to donate and he’s going to donate a lot (A LOT)
he doesn’t even do it for the press, he does it bc he’s a good person but my GOD the press eats it up and so do the fans
These hc’s are so self indulgent but all this to say
Dilf!Deku gets what he wants when he wants it and no one is standing in his way
So when he decides it’s you he wants? Well then it’s you he’s going to get!
#bnha#bnha x reader#bnha headcanons#bnha x y/n#mha hcs#mha x reader#dilf izuku#izuku midoriya headcanons#deku#dilf deku#deku x reader#deku x y/n#mha#mha x y/n#izuku midoriya x reader#izuku midoriya x y/n#izuku
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Caesar’s Legion and Christianity
Been thinking a lot about how incompetent Edward Sallow is in any way that matters, and how the Legion’s strange relationship with Christianity is emblematic of his failures.
The Legion are primarily oriented around the veneration of Mars, the Roman god of war. The first clue we get that this particular cult of Mars is heavily influenced by Christianity is that according to Arcade, various members of the Legion, and the Game Guide, Sallow is marketing himself as the literal son of God.
True, Caesar is the perfect man. But he is not just a man: he is the Son of Mars, ordained by the god of war to conquer all Earth.
The historical Julius Caesar also claimed descent from Mars, but never pretended to be his son. According to him, his ancestors included both the mythical hero Aeneas, a son of Venus, and Ancius Marcus, the legendary fourth king of Rome and a descendant of Mars. His links to the gods were present enough to support his deification, but stretched back generations to legendary figures. “Divi filius,” the way emperors were sometimes described, is distinct from “dei filius,” the descriptor applied to Jesus. The former implies you're descended from someone with divine qualities or heritage; the latter, that you’re the direct and literal son of the only god around.
And claiming patrimony from the divine isn’t the only way Sallow draws from Christianity rather than Rome if it suits him. Roman society has a hedonistic, socially progressive reputation, and while that’s variable based on time period and exaggerated depending on the source, it’s not wholly inaccurate. While built on patriarchal foundations, it was a sexually permissive environment for men, allowed a variety of smaller cults to flourish, and reserved some religious and social roles exclusively for women. Sallow preserves none of this: the values he’s imposed upon the Legion hold women as inherently lesser in all respects, homosexuality as degenerate, and the use of intoxicants as a sin punishable by death. Hmmm, where might he have gotten those ideas?
The ban on drugs and alcohol is the most specific link here because that’s not something that exists in most religious mainstreams. Many faiths ban intoxicants, but most of their popular, contemporary versions take a laxer approach because it’s hard to get an entire people not to drink. A notable exception is Mormonism, the faith in which Joshua Graham was raised. Not only does Sallow adopt the Mormon perspective on intoxicants, but his government takes an equally dim view of homosexuality and women - the LDS, particularly its earlier incarnations, viewed women as naturally subject to male dominion, and it still paints homosexuality as a “struggle” to be “overcome”.
Not that Sallow actually believes any of that stuff. What’s important to him is that his society has an ideal, a culture that’s strong enough to hold together hundreds of people with different origins, outlooks, and prior loyalties. The specifics are irrelevant so long as they serve his ideal state, outlined here:
It dedicated its citizens to something higher than themselves - to the idea of Rome itself... It means a nationalist, imperialist, totalitarian, homogeneous culture that obliterates the identity of every group it conquers.
Because of that myopic focus on the immediate utility of details over the broader meaning of entire worldviews, he’s placed himself in a bizarre situation where he’s adopted bits and pieces of Christian doctrine but is LARPing as a man who contributed to the death of Christ, the leader of a state that was morally incompatible with his teachings. Caesar Augustus and Caesar Tiberius appear in the Bible specifically as a way to criticize rulers who attempt to paint themselves as gods. Which is exactly what Edward Sallow is doing.
But they cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him.” Pilate saith unto them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” John 19:15
The most durable, historically significant elements of Christianity are the parts that deal with resilience in the face of hardship, the yearning for freedom, love for your fellow man, struggle against tyrants, etc. Those bits were born in the crucibles of Babylon, Egypt, and Rome. They formed the basis of many later strains of radical resistance here in the U.S. Caesar wants the symbolic power of Christ without embodying any of what made him important, instead aping the behavior of the men who ordered his crucifixion - all while crucifying his own political opponents with such frequency and abandon that he’s basically begging for a Jesus 2.0.
The Legion is doomed to fail for a variety of reasons, and its religious orientation underlines the flaws that are tearing it apart. Sallow is peddling a gutted, twisted perversion of Christian doctrine, historical Roman values, and Hegelian philosophy that preserves none of the things that make them attractive or meaningful in exclusion. What he ends up with is a nonsensical, cynical corruption of these disparate influences, a distillation of their worst bits, wholly devoid of hope or spiritual value, and that’s a running theme of his reign: when you get right down to it, Sallow has no vision. He’s ostensibly created the Legion as “a society that could and would survive,” one that’s devoted to “long-term stability at all costs,” but it offers no future. Christianity tries to build symbols that endure after death, but Sallow’s symbols die with him.
#fnv#fallout meta#fallout new vegas#caesar's legion#edward sallow#long post#Again: I'm not Christian so this is an outsider's perspective#I'm trying to be charitable here because I do respect the value of faith but this isn't intended to be a defense of the doctrines/histories#of ‘Christendom.’ Which obv have been and are disastrous for many peoples
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While Europe Slept, 15 Years Later - a new preface
Bruce Bawer has updated his book While Europe Slept - detailing the destruction of the West by Islam (practitioners of Islam actually, aka Muslims) - with a new and much needed preface. Excerpts below.
Note: My book While Europe Slept was first published by Doubleday in 2006. Now the Stapis publishing house has put out a Polish edition, translated by Tadeusz Skrzyszowski. Given that the book is fifteen years old, Stapis asked for a new preface. Here it is.
This book, which appeared first in English, has already been translated into several other languages, but it is a special pleasure to see it published in Polish. My father’s parents were both Polish...
When I wrote this book, I used such terms as “radical Islam” and “Muslim extremist.” Indeed, the book’s original English subtitle was How Radical Islam Is Destroying the West from Within. I have asked my Polish publishers to remove the word “radical” from the subtitle of this edition. I no longer use such terms in connection with Islam, for I have recognized that Islam itself is radical and extreme; people who call themselves “moderate” or “liberal” Muslims are people who have exchanged key elements of their faith for Western Enlightenment values.
In the same way, I no longer speak of “Islamic fundamentalism.” This expression came naturally to me because prior to writing While Europe Slept I had published the book Stealing Jesus, about Protestant fundamentalism in the U.S. Fundamentalism is a legitimate word to use in connection with certain varieties of Christianity that uphold an untenable Biblical literalism and preach a harsh legalism derived largely from the Old Testament book of Leviticus while losing sight of the forgiving, all-encompassing love that Jesus Christ preached in the gospels.
But Islam is fundamentalist – it insists that every word of the Koran be taken literally, that every commandment in that book be followed, that Muslim men look upon Muhammed (a bloodthirsty warrior who married a little girl) as the perfect role model in every possible respect, and that women accept their role as household chattel whose lives may someday need to be sacrificed in so-called “honor killings” in order to preserve their families’ reputations. I have long since ceased, then, to speak of “Islamic fundamentalism.”
In this book I blame the failure of Muslims to assimilate into European society in part, at least, on the fact that Europeans, while welcoming – and housing and feeding and clothing – Muslim immigrants prefer that they live apart, in their own enclaves, rather than blend into mainstream society, and prefer to give them welfare handout rather than jobs. I now feel that I put too much blame for this situation on Europeans; after all, Hindus and Sikhs and other such minorities have faced similar obstacles in Europe but have overcome them. (In Britain, the average Hindu earns more than the average British native.)
I also suggest in the book that America, historically a “melting pot” of people from all over the world, will be more successful than Europe at turning Muslims into happy, productive, and patriotic citizens. I now realize that I was mistaken. If Muslims in America do indeed seem somewhat more likely to be well integrated, law-abiding job-holders than are their coreligionists in Europe, this has a lot to do with the fact that many Muslim immigrants to America are educated professionals from largely Westernized cities, while many Muslims who emigrate to Europe are illiterate rural villagers. Yet even the most privileged Muslim families in the U.S. manage to breed terrorists. What I failed to realize when I wrote this book was that while the American “melting pot” may indeed work wonders on people from a great many parts of the globe, Islam, when truly believed in, is a force that powerfully repels other loyalties.
In this book I describe the 2005 election of “pro-American, reform-minded Angela Merkel” to the office of German chancellor as a “hopeful sign,” and applaud her for insisting that a 2006 Berlin staging of Mozart’s opera Idomeneo go forward in the face of Muslim outrage. This is also the woman who in 2010 famously – and admirably – admitted that German multiculturalism had “utterly failed.” Who would have expected, then, that she would later open her country’s floodgates to a tsunami of Muslim immigrants – hundreds of whom sexually assaulted German women on New Year’s Eve 2015/16 – and would turn violently against the U.S., describing it as the moral equivalent of Putin’s Russia and Communist China? This woman whom I thought so well of in 2006 has turned out to be the scariest German chancellor since – hmm, what was his name again?
The U.S. invasion of Iraq posed a particular problem to me while I was writing this book. On the one hand, I knew enough about Islam to doubt strongly that Iraqis, once freed from the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein, would institute something in their country resembling Jeffersonian democracy. On the other hand, I had never set foot in the Muslim world, so I hardly felt I was in a position to question “experts” many of whom had spent decades there. Besides, my country was at war, and I didn’t want to join in the pile-on against my president, however ill-advised I thought he was. So it is that while acknowledging that “there were sensible arguments against invading Iraq” and making clear my conviction that Islam, as currently constituted, is not “compatible with democracy,” I didn’t explicitly support or oppose the Iraq War in these pages, and instead focused on what to me, in any case, was the most relevant issue related to it: the truly vile tendency of many commentators in both the U.S. and Europe to equate Bush with Saddam and to attribute unworthy motives to decent Americans who, however misguided, truly thought they were engaged, as in World War II, in a struggle for other people’s freedom.
This book first came out in 2006; the paperback was published a year later with an afterword that is included here and that brought my account up to date. In the thirteen years since, needless to say, there have been a great many developments in the ongoing story of Islam in Europe. The continent’s Muslim population has continued to mount, creating more “no-go zones” and increasing the incidence of rape and other violent crimes by Muslim youth gangs. There have been major acts of jihadist terror in Paris, Brussels, Berlin, Barcelona, and many other places.
Meanwhile, in the U.S., major terrorist acts have occurred in Boston, Orlando, San Bernardino, and elsewhere. In 2018, Ilhan Omar, a hijab-clad Muslim woman who is virulently antisemitic and openly contemptuous of America, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from a largely Muslim district in Minnesota. Another hijab-wearing Jew-hater, Linda Sarsour, enjoys the respect of many leading U.S. politicians, who take seriously her claim to be a feminist.
In Europe, Canada, and elsewhere, though (thanks to the First Amendment) not yet in the United States, critics of Islam have been prosecuted. Throughout the West, such critics have been censored or have engaged in self-censorship, resulting in an alarming decline in freedom of speech. (This was the subject of my 2009 book Surrender.) As I write these words, Turkey, a member of NATO whose reputation as an exemplarily civilized and tolerant Muslim country has been destroyed by its current leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was encouraging tens of thousands of military-age men from around the Muslim world to force their way across the Greek border and flood into Europe.
When I wrote this book, I lived in Oslo; I now live in a small town in the mountains of Norway, a two-hour drive from the capital. If you had told me in 2006 that the Muslim population of Oslo would increase dramatically by the year 2020 (as it has), I’d have believed you; if you had told me that by 2020 women in hijab and even niqab – which covers everything but the eyes – would be a familiar sight in the small town where I now live (which it is), I’d have been surprised.
The subject of this book, then, is more urgent than ever. Yet there is nothing new under the sun; despite everything that has happened on the Islam front in the years since this book was published, all of these developments come under the heading of “more of the same.” Hence, I believe, this book continues to be, as it was in 2006, a useful introduction and overview of its subject – a subject about which every responsible citizen of a free country, and every loving parent of a free child, should be seriously knowledgeable.
#Islam#Muslim#Sharia#Jihad#Legal#Law#News#Media#Politics#Religion#Immigration#Travel#Terror#Europe#Life
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SUN IN CAPRICORN.
Capricorn: Cardinal Earth
Ruler: Saturn
Keywords: Authority, Mastery, Completion, Organization
Functional Expression: Capable, hard-working, serious, practical, prudent, trustworthy, fun.
Dysfunctional Expression: Miserly, restrictive, cold, unsympathetic, reckless ambition, fearful.
Ambitious or Not?
When the Sun is found in Capricorn, the journey involves taking action to master material resources. As an Earth sign, Capricorn is concerned with the tangible aspects of life – what can be seen, heard, smelt, touched or tasted.As a Cardinal sign, its expression is action. Practicality and an action-orientation merge to put a focus on actual achievements.
For these reasons, those with the Sun in Capricorn are often noted for their hard work and perseverance. This is considered the most ambitious Zodiac sign. Understanding how to “reach the top of the mountain peak” is of major importance.
Yet not all Capricorns identify with the need to achieve. More specifically, Capricorns feel a sense of responsibility to make the most of what they have. They concern themselves with making the best use of whatever is available, whether this is money, education or the chance to have fun.
With the Sun in Capricorn, their journey involves learning lessons around patience and endurance. Things don’t come easy. They come through hard work. Sun in Capricorn gives the drive needed to reach the top of the mountain, whilst their ruler Saturn provides the necessary committment and restraint to achieve eventual success, overcoming every obstacle along the way.
First and foremost, the Capricorn journey involves learning lessons around responsibility. Capricorns are here to understand what it means to fulfil obligations – to live up to be the best that they can be. With a keen awareness of the resources available, they focus on pragmatic, achievable outcomes.
Generally speaking they are realists and organizers. Yet just as much as they can be hard workers and diligent managers, they can also be great fun. Sun in Capricorn is known for having a wonderful sense of humour, and finding irony in even the most adverse situation.
Often born with ‘old heads on young shoulders’, they tend to find life a challenge until they accept that responsibility is their game. As children they can be very serious, but relax more as they age. Capricorns willingly step up to situations where they can make decisions and follow through. Achievement comes through demonstration, by navigating life’s ups and downs.Along the way Capricorns develop an appreciation for life’s absurdities. When they trust their own ability to accomplish what they intend, they relax enough to laugh and play.
Exercising Responsibility.
As a Cardinal Earth sign, Capricorn represents the need to demonstrate executive or managerial abilities. This opportunity usually happens through their professional life, but can manifest anywhere.
Capricorns expect themselves to reach a certain standard. They won’t rest until they feel this is achieved. Typically the urge to meet standards will involve aiming for management positions. They usually have clear ideas about what they expect of themselves, and others. Accordingly they suit executive positions, aiming for greater responsibility and the associated achievement that comes through exercising authority.
With the Sun in Capricorn the top of their chosen mountain peak can be home, in the schoolyard, the office or community. They may be driven to work long hours with the thought of tomorrow. Whatever they see their ultimate end they can work tirelessly to achieve it.
Capricorn is also associated with tradition, convention and maintaining the status-quo. This sign is known as conservative because they aware of the need to maintain what has already been gained. Why take risks with the unknown when a proven path has been laid?
Even the most fun-loving and exuberant Capricorn will carry an inner sense of what really needs to be done. As an Earth sign concerned with material resources, they will favour the tangible and concrete over the aspirational or ideal.
Because of this awareness, Capricorns tend to hate waste. Dispersion usually represents a failure to make the best use of whatever is available. Whatever the resources are, Capricorns have a strong aversion to behaviour that dissipates potential. “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush” as far as Sun in Capricorn is concerned.
Capricorns are also likely to be reserved, dignified and proud, aware at all times of the impression they make on others. As Capricorn is a sign associated with reputation, they will not do anything publicly unless they know they can do it well. In this way, Sun in Capricorn teaches others the value of a good reputation, building solid structures which endure the test of time.
Achievement Over Time.
Latent within all of this focus on achievement and tangible results lies the seeds of failure and doubt, for Sun in Capricorn often find that their road to the top is plagued by false starts and limitations . They can that feel like Life is holding them back.
They are here to learn what it means to achieve, and must do this through challenge and endurance. Sometimes, resentment around not receiving their perceived due generates inner tension. Capricorns can be very hard on themselves as well as others.
They can become quite severe in the attempt to control outcomes and get to the top. They may also can become bitter if they cannot find a useful reason for all the obstacles in their lives. But the stern hand of experience can become an even sterner task-master if they do not give themselves a break.
It is important with the Sun in Capricorn to see themeless as a work in progress and therefore allowed to stumble and fall. Along the way to mastery they must know what it means to fail.
When they recognize that achievement is a process they are less likely to be consumed with self-doubt. By accepting their need to master and take responsibility they can take the time required to do things properly, whilst allowing other people to fulfill their obligations in their own way.
Not everyone has a defined goal to strive for, and Capricorns need to accept that others may not have the same end-game as they do.
Often, Capricorns find that real “success” only begins to show after the mid-30’s. It may seem like they have to work twice as hard as those around them when young, especially when others seem to leap-frog effortlessly into positions of prominence.
Yet this is also a learning opportunity. Nothing worthwhile is achieved unless it is done step by step. Although their efforts may take longer to pay off, in the end Sun in Capricorn can feel secure because no-one can take their experience or expertise away.
Capricorns usually achieve what they want through perseverance and application. In this way, they master their chosen realms. Then they can go on enjoying all the benefits that mastery involves – such as inner certainty, conviction, wisdom, moral fortitude and importantly, the ability to mentor others in their turn.
Capricorn is a sign connected with material benevolence. The desire to build strong families, communities or companies through mentorship often emerges once they feel satisfied with their lot.
Hard work pays off when they see the benefits accrued flowing down to children, employees or community projects they have become involved with. At the end of it all, they are often very willing to assist others with their practical wisdom and material strength.
Spiritual Wisdom.
Another dimension of this sign is spiritual wisdom. An ancient symbol for Capricorn is the Mer-Goat, a half-goat / half-fish creature that derives its wisdom from both intuitive and physical realms. For some Capricorns, there is a pronounced desire to explore the spiritual dimensions of life, in very practical ways.
Capricorns take wisdom seriously, and are often prepared to face their faults candidly. This allows them to liberate themselves from the many binds of the ego. They learn how to transcend the physical by accepting it for what it is.
Many spiritual teachers, including Jesus Christ and Dr. Martin Luther King, are associated with Capricorn. This sign has long been seen as one of great mystery and depth. Some esoteric astrologers call this the sign of the Initiate, who achieves mastery over the physical before offering transpersonal service.
Sun in Capricorn can teach the lesson of practical spirituality and its application to the everyday. Furthermore, this sign relates to institutions and civil society. In fact, civilization itself is symbolized by Capricorn. For cohesive structures to endure, there must be a Will-to-Good that pervades society. Capricorn represents longevity and the endurance of the human spirit through developing spiritual wisdom.
Fun and Physical.
On another level, Capricorn is a very sensual and physical sign. They can be very indulgent at times.
Although they may be reserved in public, when the door is closed and curtains pulled, another story unfolds. Capricorns often have a highly developed sensuality that needs to be expressed.
Honouring the body through exercise and play is essential. If work and ambition becomes all-consuming, their best bet is to schedule time away from it all so they can enjoy themselves to full advantage.
Many Capricorns have a powerful sex drive that needs an outlet, and have a way of making up in the bedroom for all the straight-laced behaviours they may show on the outside. Sun in Capricorn can be the literal party-animal, knowing how and when to have a good time by making the most of whatever is available.
As much as Capricorn is a sign of hard work and endurance, it is also a sign of celebration, showing others how to enjoy in the pleasures of life. In ancient times, the festival of Saturnalia – a celebration of wild abandon – was celebrated during Capricorn time. Now Christmas and New Year is a time to celebrate the gifts of life.
Sun in Capricorn: Your Solar Journey.
Born with the Sun in Capricorn, you bring the gift of practical wisdom achieved through mastering material resources. Although life will place its fair share of obstacles along your way, you can triumph in the end through patience and consistency. Your journey involves demonstrating a level of accomplishment that can only be gained through perseverance and a thorough understanding of whatever task is at hand. If success is yours, you will have earned it, and as you get closer to the top of your chosen mountain top you will experience the inner satisfaction of knowing you have mastered every step along the way.
The secrets of endurance are in fact the stuff upon which civilizations and spirituality are founded. Your sign is one of longevity, teaching others how to live well in the physical through accepting responsibility and enjoying the rewards that come. Accept your serious mindedness and plan for the long-term. Then the challenge you face in the moment becomes just another step along the way.
#astroworld#astrology#astrotips#aries sign#taurus#gemini#cancer sign#leo#virgo zodiac#libra#scorpio#sagittarius#capricorn#aquarius#pisces
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COMMITMENT TO OTHERS
"Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow COLD" (Matthew 24:12). A major area of spiritual warfare that has come against the Church is the sphere of church relationships.
There is no such thing as love without COMMITMENT. The measure of one's love is found in the depth of his or her commitment to others.
When someone withdraws his commitment to a relationship, he is withdrawing his love. It is not one's commitment that grows cold; it is their love. It may not seem like they have become COLD—they may still attend church, sing and look "Christian"—but inside they have become hard and separated from others. They have withdrawn from love. Because their commitment is shallow, they will be easily offended.
STUMBLING BLOCKS TO THE LOVE OF JESUS IN OUR HEARTS
Jesus said, "It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come" (Matthew 18:7).
To preserve the quality of love in your heart, you must forgive those who have caused you to stumble.
Every time you refuse to forgive or fail to overlook a weakness in another, your heart not only hardens toward them, it hardens toward God. You cannot form a negative opinion of someone (even though you think they may deserve it!) and allow that opinion to crystallize into an attitude; for every time you do, an aspect of your heart will cool toward God. You may still think you are open to God, but the Scriptures are clear:
"The one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen" (1 John 4:20).
You may not like what someone has done, but you do not have an option to stop loving them. Love is your only choice.
We each need people who love us, who are COMMITTED to us in spite of our imperfections. Many people will stumble over little faults and human weaknesses. These minor things are quickly pumped up by the enemy into great big problems. Oh, how frail are the excuses people use to justify withdrawing from others. In reality, these problems, often with a church or pastor, are a smokescreen which masks the person's lack of love.
We need to overcome our hang-ups about commitment, for no one will attain the fullness of God's purposes on earth without being COMMITTED to imperfect people along the way.
To those whose attitude is, "I am content with just Jesus and me," I say it is wonderful you found Jesus. But you cannot truly have Jesus and simultaneously not do what He says. The outgrowth of love and faith in Christ is love and faith like Christ's, which means we are committed, even as He is, to His people.
The Kingdom of God is most perfectly revealed in our relationships with one another. We are being perfected into a unit (see John 17). To have the Kingdom, we must be committed to one another as individuals and as churches. If Christ accepts us while we are still imperfect, we must also accept one another.
OUR SPIRITUAL NEED TO PERSONALLY DISCIPLE OTHER BELIEVERS
The people who possess the Kingdom of God in its reality are people who overcome the obstacles of each other's faults. They DISCIPLE others into becoming what God has called them to be: the living Body of Jesus Christ. The Christian life is more than just commitment to Christ; it includes a commitment to other Christians. The failure of ministries to equip the saints (train believers to DISCIPLE other believers) so that every individual part of the Body of Christ is functioning is a primary reason for the overall ineffectiveness of the church.
"You should teach people who you can trust the things you and many other have heard me say. Then they will be able to teach others." - 2 Timothy 2:2
"We understand what love is when we realize that Christ gave His life for us. That means we must give our lives for other believers." - 1John 3:16
One of the unique things about the Church of the New Covenant is that God has authorized and commanded EVERY BELIEVER to do the work of the MINISTRY! God wants an entire army of workers out doing the vital work of DISCIPLESHIP of the saints into their Christ identity so they can effectively bear fruit that remains for His Kingdom.
ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
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Overcoming anxiety by learning how to love yourself
Rob Liu
Oct 25, 2019
Tell me if this sounds familiar?
You get social anxiety when you’re around certain people. That anxiety cripples you and you start wondering why you’re so anxious. Now you’re becoming anxious about being anxious. Oh no! Doubly anxious! Now you’re anxious about your social anxiety, which is causing more anxiety. Quick, where’s the whiskey?
Or you’re so worried about doing the right thing all the time that you become worried about how much you’re worrying. Or you feel so guilty for every mistake you make that you begin to feel guilty about how guilty you’re feeling. Or you get sad and alone so often that it makes you feel even more sad and alone just thinking about it – Adapted from Mark Manson
I call this the “thought loop of despair”
I get trapped in the thought loop of despair often.
So I am at this party with the confident crowd. I look around and all I see are smiling faces chatting to each other.
Why does everyone look like they’re having so much fun?
I’m just not feeling it. It’s been a long day at work and my mind is fried. There’s a pit in my stomach. I’m looking around trying to find my confidence. But the more I look the deeper the pit gets.
I force myself to sound confident. I go up and say hello to a few people. My voice starts out strong, but then it starts to waver. Everything I say sounds like a question. Hi? How are you? I’m good? Great party?…
I see this cute girl, and decide stuff it, I’ll go talk to her
Before I finish my sentence Cute Girl turns away to talk to Hot Friend. Hot girl conversation is a special language that is incomprehensible to computer geeks such as myself.
I hear something about Japan.
Me: Oh I just got back from Japan, it was epic.
“Oh awesome” Cute Girl replies, before immediately turning back to Hot Friend.”So anyway blah blah blah xoxoxo blah blah blah.”
I nod along stupidly for a few minutes and then leave. I don’t say goodbye to anyone. I don’t want to be seen. I am a ghost. I shall go home and hang my head in shame.
Beating myself up
After the party I go home and this is when I feel the worst. I start beating myself up. Cue thought loop of despair.
Nobody abuses us more than we abuse ourselves. We pay for our mistakes thousands of times. We make a mistake, we punish ourselves. And you’d think that would be enough, but every time we remember, we punish ourselves again, and again. – Adapted from Don Miguel Ruiz
The anxiety I feel at the party isn’t even that bad. What is 10 times worse is me beating myself up after.
So why am I beating myself up? How do I stop?
My unrealistic self image.
I’ve created this self image that I need to be a confident, charismatic guy all the time, and that if I don’t act confident, no one will like me. No one likes weak people.
The slight problem with this is that no one is confident all the time. And when I inevitably fail to live up to my own expectations, it causes me to question the foundations of my identity. Am I really a cool guy? or am I some loser who doesn’t know how to socialize? I hate weak people, and I hate myself when I am weak. I am only worthy of love when I meet my own standards.
So why did I feel like I need to act confident all the time?
This was ingrained in me from when I was a kid.
My family immigrated to Australia when I was five. I couldn’t speak a word of English. The other kids in school teased me. I learned from an early age that I needed to be confident and defend myself.
Also my parents were very critical.
Father would tell me:
You are selfish.
You are lazy.
Why are you so stupid?
And that I needed to study harder, speak confidently and above all: respect your father.
Father didn’t believe in praise. “If you’re already doing something well, there’s no need to point it out. I am here to point out all the things you are doing wrong, so you can improve”.
I grew up in a Chinese household with strong Confucian values. Confucius says you should criticize yourself in order to keep yourself in line – focusing on meeting the needs of others, instead of your own.
Because of all this criticism I learned from a young age that I am so bad and flawed that I have no right to be accepted for who I am. Only by being smart, considerate, and confident will I be loved.
But things are too complicated for us to be able to fully control either our external circumstances or our internal responses to them. Given that perfection is impossible, I come to expect that rejection is inevitable. – adapted from Kristen Neff
I slowly realize:
What if I don’t need to do anything in order to be loved?
What if:
We are perfect just the way we are
Zen master Seng-tsan taught that “true freedom is being without anxiety about imperfection.”
I gradually begin to accept that: sometimes I act awkward, other times I’m confident. There’s parts of my personality that I like, parts that I don’t like. But, at the end of the day I’m human, a unique individual. And I am learning to love and accept all parts of myself.
At this present moment: I feel a little anxious, a little depressed.
But hey I am still alive. Isn’t that wondrous?
How is it that I can see, hear and feel?
How is it that I’m conscious?
What magic runs this universe?
It may be luck? fate? god’s will?
Somehow the universe has aligned to gift me this experience of life.
What a miracle that is.
All the shit that goes on in my life is petty compared to the fact that:
I am alive
There is a life force that runs through all living things. Some people call it god. It is the creator, the enabler of life. It runs through all of us. God runs through us. We are life. We are god. We don’t need to do anything or achieve anything. We are already perfect. We are already worthy of love. Because love is the very essence of the life that runs through us. We are love.
Philosopher Alan Watts talks about how:
You are an aperture through which the universe is looking at and exploring itself
How is it possible that a being with such sensitive jewels as the eyes, such enchanted musical instruments as the ears, and such fabulous arabesque of nerves as the brain can experience itself anything less than a god?
Jesus Christ knew he was God. So wake up and find out who you really are. In our culture they’ll say you’re crazy and you’re blasphemous, and they’ll either put you in jail or in a nut house. However, if you wake up in India and tell your friends and relatives, ‘My goodness, I’ve just discovered that I’m God,’ they’ll laugh and say, ‘Oh, congratulations, at last you found out.’
Alan Watts describes how: we are God, we are already perfect. There’s no need to “achieve something beyond ourselves.”
The meaning of life is just to be alive. It is so plain and so obvious and so simple. And yet, everybody rushes around in a great panic as if it were necessary to achieve something beyond themselves.
We over analyze things and judge ourselves too harshly. This does not help us.
We really should stop judging ourselves since:
Things are as they are. Looking out into the universe at night, we make no comparisons between right and wrong stars, nor between well and badly arranged constellations.
Embracing imperfection
Psychologist Dr Kristen Neff talks about how:
There isn’t anything wrong with the imperfection of life as long as we don’t expect it to be other than it is.
Our successes and failures come and go – they neither define us, nor do they determine our worthiness.
Happiness is not dependent on circumstances being exactly as we want them to be, or on ourselves being exactly as we’d like to be. Rather, happiness stems from loving ourselves and our lives exactly as they are, knowing that joy and pain, strength and weakness, glory and failure are all essential to the full human experience.”
Carl Jung once wrote: “Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word happy would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness.”
The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change. -Carl Rogers, On Becoming a Person
Back to the party
A few months later, I got invited to another party by the same crowd. Part of me didn’t feel like going. But part of me doesn’t want to shy away from things that scare me. I like facing challenges, so I go.
As I’m driving over, the same feelings of nervousness and anxiety begin to fill my body. My lips are dry and my throat is stuck.
But unlike last time, I don’t feel like I need to act confident. I just let myself feel nervous. I’m not trying to impress anyone.
I get to the party. Everyone’s already chatting and no one notices me.
This time though, I don’t push myself to talk to people. I’m content being a ghost, moving through the crowd.
There’s that familiar sinking feeling in my stomach.
Staying present to the physical sensations of our emotions
I focus my attention on how my feelings feel and where they are in my body. I allow myself to experience my nervousness fully.
I notice how the heaviness in my belly rises and lifts with my breath. I notice the tightness in my throat extending to my eyes, surrounding them with tension like a clenched fist. I stay with the feeling around my eyes. They feel a little tired, heavy.
And then I realize that:
“Anxiety” doesn’t exist
It is just a word that humans make up. All that exists are physical sensations. Humans make up all the meaning in the world.
If we stop labeling emotions as positive or negative and just feel the physical sensations, we’d realize that they are not so bad after all. I don’t know about you, but “there’s some tightness in my throat” sounds a lot better than “I’m having a panic attack!”
Tara Brach talks about how:
Suffering = Pain*Resistance
The pain I’m feeling isn’t that bad, it’s just some tightness, and a sinking feeling. What’s causing me to suffer is the resistance that my mind puts up.
It’s not just the physicality of pain, it’s what our mind does with it. -Tara Brach.
Pain is like a gaseous substance. If you allow it to just be there, freely, it will eventually dissipate on its own. If you fight and resist the pain, however, walling it into a confined space, the pressure will grow and grow until there is an explosion. -Kristin Neff.
One is a great deal less anxious if one feels perfectly free to be anxious, and the same may be said of guilt. -Alan Watts.
So I am standing in the corner of the party awkwardly smiling. I try to get comfortable with my social anxiety. I stop resisting.
“It’s ok to be nervous,” I tell myself.
Self compassion mantra
I repeat to myself a mantra that Kristen Neff uses:
This is a moment of suffering.
Suffering is part of life.
May I be kind to myself in this moment.
May I give myself the compassion I need.
Dr Neff explains:
Self-kindness involves more than stopping the constant self-judgement. It involves actively comforting ourselves.
It means we stop to say:
“This is really difficult right now. How can I care for and comfort myself in this moment?”
No matter how difficult things get, we can always wrap our torn and tattered selves in our own soft embrace. We can soothe our own pain.
We don’t need others to give us the care we crave. Because at the end of the day, who is the only person in your life who knows exactly how you feel? Knows your fears? Knows what you need most? And is available 24/7 to provide you with kindness? You.
I wrap my arms around my chest and embrace myself.
It’s ok to be nervous
Everyone gets nervous at times
No one is judging, and if they are, their opinion doesn’t matter
We are not in control of our emotions
I realize 4 that I can’t stop myself from feeling nervous. If I was in control of my emotions, then I would have already gotten rid of the neurotic, anxious and dark aspects of my personality and become a happy, cool jesus.
Clearly I am not in control, so there’s no need to judge myself so harshly.
Dr Jonathan Haidt describes us as a rider on the back of an elephant. The rider is our rational self; the elephant our emotional self.
Sitting on top of the Elephant, it seems like the Rider is the leader. But the Rider is in control only when the Elephant doesn’t have desires of its own.
The Elephant is way bigger than the Rider. So anytime the Elephant and the Rider disagree about which direction to go, the Rider is going to lose.
Here’s another analogy that explains how we’re not in full control of our minds:
Our subconscious mind is like a raging river with powerful currents. Our conscious mind is merely a little kayak on this river.
We can paddle hard against the current, but eventually we will end up getting swept to wherever the emotional currents take us.
I can try really hard to act confident. Fake it until I make it. But no matter how hard I try, underneath it all I’m still nervous, and people can sense that I am faking it. Eventually I will burn out and act all nervous again.
Accept our emotions
We can’t fight the current, so why try? just relax and go with it.
When we stop fighting the current and accept our emotions, we can learn to steer and ride the waves.
Trust yourself
Alan Watts describes how we need to trust our subconscious mind, and accept our emotions. If we don’t trust ourselves we’ll be paralyzed:
To have faith is to trust yourself to the water. When you swim you don’t grab hold of the water, because if you do you will sink and drown. Instead you relax, and float.
If you cannot trust yourself, you cannot even trust your mistrust of yourself – so that without this underlying trust in the whole system of nature you are simply paralyzed.
Taking action
So I’ve been standing in the corner of the party fidgeting with a paper cup for 30 minutes now. I come to accept my social anxiety and I realize something:
I can take action despite feeling nervous. I don’t need to feel confident in order to socialize. Confidence is overrated.
I go up to the closest guy:
My voice cracks and sounds squeaky. But I stop giving a damn.
Anxiety accepted. Nobody cares.
George responds warmly and we chat for a while.
Be genuinely interested in other people
I try to really listen to George as he speaks. I focus on being interested in him, instead of what he thinks of me. What’s George like? What’s his life story?
Hey I didn’t feel so nervous. I was too busy being interested in George.
I think people can sense it when we’re genuinely interested in them. It comes through in our vibe.
And being interested people is attractive. It is a lot more attractive than trying to act confident in order to impress people. Because it’s real.
Taking it easy
I continue going around the party talking to people.
I am learning to be gentle with myself. I set very low expectations. No need to be confident or have amazing conversations.
When I say hi to people, it doesn’t matter if they respond or not. If I say hi, then it’s mission accomplished. I win.
I imagined that I’m a bubble.
I want to gently and lovingly nudge myself into socializing.
I don’t want to try too hard because otherwise I will pop.
As I’m talking to people a curious thing happens.
Initially, I only feel comfortable making brief comments.
But soon after I get into a super interesting conversation with this girl, Lily:
The further I get into this conversation, the more I relax. The veil of anxiety starts to lift. Tightness in my throat loosens. The sinking feeling in my stomach goes away. It’s replaced by a calm buzz. I feel like a sports car that’s about to start a race, engines humming and ready to go a million miles.
As my confidence grows, it becomes easier for me to socialize. When I first arrived at the party, I felt stifled and restricted. I was too anxious to speak at length and struggled to find conversation topics. But now I feel at ease to say and do whatever I want. I let out my quirky side:
The conversation gets really good! Turns out, we have so much in common. We’re hanging off each others’ words and finishing each other’s sentences. It feels like we’re communicating telepathically, like voices in each other’s heads.
Lily and I walk around the room and she introduces me to some of her friends.
Seeing the social matrix
As I speak to Lily’s friends, I feel present. Nothing’s going on in my head. My awareness is focused solely on the present moment. I’m hyper aware of all my senses.
I feel like Neo in The Matrix. I can see the social matrix and bend it.
I can see the rhythm in the social interaction and jam to it. I’m coming up with perfect comments at just the right time, cracking jokes, laughing.
Words are just flowing out of my mouth. I am not producing the words. I’m like a fountain, the words are just arising and coming out of me.
Later, I don’t even remember what I talked about, all I remember is laughter and good vibes.
Socializing is like music
The tone of an interaction matters more than the words being said. It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it. The tone of voice, the body language. That’s why people with good energy can get away with saying almost anything. People love good vibes. It’s why Justin Bieber songs sound good even though his lyrics are terrible.
And singers don’t sound good straight away. They need to warm up. It’s just like how when we start socializing we feel anxious and stifled. But we warm up.
We start with some small talk. We feel more confident. We begin to relax, open up. And sooner or later we’re feeling the social rhythm. We’re harmonizing with everyone else, sharing the good vibes. We feel even more confident, become the life of the party, and take the melody to new heights.
I like to call this process of warming up:
The action loop of glory
The action loop only works when:
we accept our current emotions
we have no expectations.
If I started thinking How come I’m not confident yet? this will drive me to start worrying. Why am I not confident yet? I need to be confident and this starts the thought loop of despair.
If we accept how we feel and don’t have any expectations then we won’t have anything to worry about. The key is to keep acting and not get stuck in our heads.
And it doesn’t work all the time. Not everyone will respond well to us, and sometimes we won’t build up enough confidence to be completely free and expressive. But that’s okay. We don’t need to feel 100% confident all the time. Because:
Thank you, Creator of the Universe, for the gift of life you have given me. Thank you for giving me everything that I have ever truly needed. Thank you for the opportunity to experience this beautiful body and this wonderful mind. Thank you for living inside me with all your love, with your pure and boundless spirit, with your warm and radiant light. Thank you for using my words, for using my eyes, for using my heart to share your love wherever I go. I love you just the way you are, and because I am your creation, I love myself just the way I am. Help me to keep the love and the peace in my heart and to make that love a new way of life, that I may live in love the rest of my life. Amen. -Don Miguel Ruiz
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Women’s Session
As Zions Youth in Latter Days
Sister Sharon Eubank – RS 1st counselor
Have mercy
Be free with your mercy that they may be rich
I will keep your name safe, see you as you are at your best, and lift you
The nearer we get to our heavenly father the more we look with compassion on perishing souls
If you would have God have mercy on you, have mercy on one another
make your boat swing
With every aspect of the world stacked against you God will help you
There is a thing that sometimes happens in rowing that is hard to achieve and hard to define… It’s called ‘swing.’ It only happens when all eight oarsmen are rowing in such perfect unison that no single action by any one is out of synch with those of all the others.
clear away the bad as fast as the good can grow
It takes work and its messy
We all beg for mercy for our sins and failures – he freely gives it and asks us to show that same mercy to others
We may not be where we want to be and we are not now where we will be
We have broad influence – we have power to remove prejudice and build unity
We are all in the same boat – we just need to row and find our swing
We have unlimited potential to change society
Sister Rebecca M. Craven – YW 2nd counselor
Through his atonement he provides a way for us to be redeemed from sin and debt
He gives us much much more than the value of what we can give to him
We can give him our change
Thought, habit, direction we are headed
He asks us for a change of heart . . . for our benefit
He wants us to keep the change
Combining our effort with the Saviors ability to change us we become free
Faith and repentance bringeth a change of heart.
Enduring to the end means changing to the end
We are not starting over when we continue through a failed attempt
It’s not like shoots and ladders where you land on the one space that takes you all the way back to the beginning from the end. Instead it is always a continual process.
Our choices may help or hinder our progress
Do not become discouraged – change is a lifelong process
The Holy Ghost will help and guide us to make change
We need to help others who may not be able to come back on their own
The Savior can help you heal and change while surrounded by those who love you
How do I hope I have changed??
AS we travel the covenant path we sometimes pick up stones in our shoes in the form of sins, bad habits, or bad attitudes.
Maintaining change requires effort
Because of Christ we can change, adjust our habits, etc. And we can keep the change
The nearer we get to our Heavenly Father, the nearer we get to looking on others with compassion
Sister Cristina B. Franco – Primary 2nd counselor
Once the wood is broken it can never sound the same
As we come unto Christ we can be healed
To heal our brokenness when we come unto Him we need to have faith in Jesus Christ
He has experienced all of our pains and afflictions
Doubt not, fear not. (D&C 6:34,36)
The savior possesses the power to comfort those that mourn.
I am a Child of God 1st and 3rd
Henry B. Eyring
Talking about second coming and what will happen before that
Righteousness from heaven and truth from the earth
will sweep the earth and gather God’s people
We will be at the heart of creating the society of people who will join God in that place
If you live up to your privileges the angels themselves cannot refrain from meeting with you
Sisters do not hold a second place in God’s plan – they are essential, without us the plan would not function
This dispensation is distinct because the lord will lead us to become like the city of enoch
His daughters will be more than half of those who meet Him when He comes
Heavenly Fathers daughters have a gift to belay contention
Charity Never Faileth
It is no coincidence that this is the RS motto
Love by the Lord and those you have blessed
He sent you with unique gifts to use to bless others
Dallin H. Oaks
In the world ye shall have tribulation – but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world (John 16:33)
We need that same message now
The Lord has special love and concern for His daughters. His knowns of your wants, needs, and fears
The purposes of God cannot be frustrated.
The Lord is all powerful. Trust Him.
D&C 68:5-6
In the midst of hardships the message is always be of good cheer and I shall lead you along
This happens by following prophetic guidance
He will disperse the powers of darkness before you
Be not weary in well doing for ye are laying the foundation of a great work and from small things cometh that which is great.
It was intended that life be a challenge, not so that you could fail but so that you could succeed
My Heavenly Father Loves Me
President Russell M. Nelson
We are 8 million strong and have not only the numbers but the faith to change the world
We are the hope of Israel
We have irreplaceable influence in the Lord’s plan
Are you closer to the Lord or have you moved farther away from Him? How do you feel about the future
If ye are prepared ye shall not fear. (D&C 38:30)
“Are you talking about food storage or your testimony?” “Yes” (haha me too girl)
1 create places of security
We need places that are safe both physically and spiritually
Your home can become a 1st place of defense
2 he prepared the minds of the people to be faithful unto the Lord
Our spiritual foundations must be as solid as the foundations of the Temple so that when spiritual storms arise we are steadfast and immovable
We need to strengthen our faith through study
Our faith increases every time we exercise our faith in him
BofM is our latter day survival guide
Ultimate security comes when we yoke ourselves with Jesus Christ
Life without God is a life filled with fear. Life with God is a life filled with peace
3 he never stopped preparing his people even when things went well
The more prepared we are mentally and spiritually, the more prepared we are to prevent satans attacks on us. The adversary never stops attacking, so we can never stop preparing.
He knew we would grasp the grandeur of His work and do anything to bring it to pass
Not saying the future will be easy, but it will be worth it
Let us not just endure the current season, let us move forward with faith
Our influence can be much more penetrating than in calmer times.
He will deliver us, speak peace to our souls, and grant us great faith
These promises will be yours
The Prophet is confident in us!!!
More Holiness Give Me
#ldsconf#tumblrstake#generalconference#general conference#genconf#church of jesus christ of latter-day saints
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HOMILY for 23rd Sunday after Pentecost
Phil 3:17-21, 4:1-3; Matt 9:18-26
The word science comes from scientia which means knowledge. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Prime Minister of this country has been saying that he’s “following the science”. But the problem with human knowledge and thus human science is that we learn discursively, imperfectly, and fallibly. Hence there is much disagreement about the science behind the virus, and how to best supposedly control the virus, and we’re all acting on very limited knowledge. However even if we had all the knowledge, all the science available to us human beings, we might still lack wisdom, which leads to our fullest human flourishing. For the internet might be said to have lots of knowledge, but wisdom is less in evidence online, and lacking in the prudential decisions behind some of the Regulations that now restrict our lives and our movements. Hence Pope Francis rightly observed in Fratelli tutti, “The flood of information at our fingertips does not make for greater wisdom. Wisdom is not born of quick searches on the internet nor is it a mass of unverified data. That is not the way to mature in the encounter with truth.”
Rather, Truth is a person, the living God, who we, as frail mortal human beings must first have the humility to encounter and worship and adore. And it seems that all the science and all the technical knowledge and know-how of our time amounts to very little if we do not recognise this basic fact: That our science, our medical knowledge, our Government Guidelines, our NHS, our economic packages, our human accomplishments ultimately cannot save us. This is not to say that these human goods cannot help us, and indeed, they can prolong our time on this earth and extend us some time. But, ultimately, none of this scientia amounts to sapientia, wisdom. And yet, we’re meant to be homo sapiens, the wise man. How grandiose that name is, how full of promise, and yet how unrealised. For as Proverbs says: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Prov 9:10), and yet, rather than to fear the invisible God, the Lord of life and death and the source of all existence, so many have, instead, fear for the invisible virus. Perhaps the sad truth is that we have tamed God, domesticated God, and made him manageable, and even, accountable to us.
Hence Pope Francis observed in March when the first wave of the pandemic hit Italy: “The tempest lays bare all our prepackaged ideas and forgetfulness of what nourishes our people’s souls; all those attempts that anesthetize us with ways of thinking and acting that supposedly “save” us, but instead prove incapable of putting us in touch with our roots and keeping alive the memory of those who have gone before us. We deprive ourselves of the antibodies we need to confront adversity.”
And so, as we largely sit and wait in our homes now, as we are confronted by the foolishness of our age, and the folly of our leaders, and, often too, our own lack of wisdom, let us listen again to what the Holy Father said then. “‘Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?’ Lord, you are calling to us, calling us to faith. Which is not so much believing that you exist, but coming to you and trusting in you… ‘Why are you afraid? Have you no faith’? Faith begins when we realise we are in need of salvation. We are not self-sufficient; by ourselves we founder: we need the Lord, like ancient navigators needed the stars. Let us invite Jesus into the boats of our lives. Let us hand over our fears to him so that he can conquer them.”
All the knowledge we have will not help us nor save us unless they lead first of all to this realisation: Man needs God, and without him we are literally nothing. Hence we must fear the Lord, that is to say, reverence him, acknowledge his sovereignty, and worship him with filial love. Our holy sister St Catherine of Siena, whose ardour for God was passionate and child-like, and who lived through a great plague that wiped out a third of Siena’s population and ten members of her immediate family, thus said with great wisdom “Let your will, not mine, be done in all things, Lord [Jesus]. For I am darkness and you are light; I am not, whereas you are He who is; I most ignorant, and you the wisdom of God the Father.”
If we seek wisdom, sapientia therefore, and would rise above the fray of mere human scientia, then we have to seek Christ and humble ourselves before him. In today’s Gospel, therefore, we find a ruler, that is to say, the political leader of a local community, one who is in the elite core going to Jesus. Another, who is at the very margins of the community, ostracized by society because she suffered the flow of blood, haemorrhaging for the past 12 years, also goes to Jesus; one a man, another a woman; both go to Jesus for help. They thus represent all of humanity, both the powerful and the dispossessed, male and female, young and old. And they go to Jesus bearing the conditions that are common to us all: our human mortality. The woman goes to Jesus suffering from a debilitating illness; the man goes to Jesus on behalf of his child who has suffered the last and greatest illness that afflicts Mankind, death itself.
Almost invariably, it is sickness and death that challenges and tests our faith. Confronted with our mortal limitations, we are tempted by the Enemy to doubt God. These two characters in today’s Gospel thus represent all of humanity, who are prone to the suffering that they have, who sorrow and grieve even as the father does for his dead daughter. So, what are we to do when we endure these mortal pains? Go to Jesus.
But this takes courage. People who cling to the supposed certitude of scientific knowledge and who scorn religions and the faithful think that we are cowardly, needing the opiate or the crutch of religion. However, as we know from our own experience, faith, especially in a society that is toxic to faith and belief in God, requires courage. So, in the Gospel, Jesus says to the woman, "Take heart" or in other translations, simply "Courage!". The same Greek word, in fact, is used later on in St Matthew's Gospel when there is a storm at sea and the apostles cry out in fear. Jesus appears to them, walking on the sea in the midst of the storm, and he says: "Take heart, courage, it is I; have no fear" (Mt 14:27). The storms of the human life are its trials and sufferings: illness, grief, death. These stir us up. But God is Lord of the storms, he is able to reach out in the midst of them, and he comes to us, calling out to us to go to him in faith and hope and trust. He is calling out to you now, even in the isolation of your own homes, in the turmoil of 2020 and even through the fog of anxiety. Jesus is calling out to us, to go to him, to trust him, to have faith that he is with us to help us. And this faith takes courage.
The woman who is not allowed to come into the city had to overcome her fear of social conventions and customs, of public disapproval and even violence (if she were caught) to approach Jesus. But, even so, she reaches out to just touch the tassels of his garment from behind, not daring to be seen by others. But this is enough. She has done a very brave thing, risking further social exclusion and harm just to touch his garment. And the man who had rushed out to find Jesus when his daughter had died – he must have risked humiliation and the fear of failure. For if the crowd laughed at Jesus, they would also have ridiculed the father of the dead girl for going to Jesus to seek a cure for death. So, he too has done a brave thing, risking reputation and public esteem and even risking his hopes in order to go to Christ and seek help. They go – perhaps because they're desperate, but hope often springs from such difficult conditions – but nevertheless they go because, ultimately, they believe. They believe that Jesus can and will and does help them. Do we?
Pope Francis mentioned that merely amassing information online wasn’t the “mature way to encounter truth”. What is the mature way to encounter truth? It is to live with the basic truth of our mortality, of the finitude of this life, of the mysteriousness of God and his created order, both of which we can never control nor manipulate for our own comfort and convenience and pleasure. Rather, God is to be feared and adored, loved as a Father and yet approached with awe. Thus the man in the Gospel approaches Jesus on his knees. We approach truth with maturity when we do so with courage and hope; with expectation but without presumption; and thus we come to God and allow him to be God, to do as he wills with us, trusting in his fundamental love for us. And love doesn’t mean that God gives us what we want but rather what our Father knows is best for us at this time. St Catherine of Siena thus affirmed that Jesus said to her: “You must not be anxious or afraid for I shall always be with you.” Indeed, God loves us, and he never abandons us, and in him is eternal life and beatitude. To know this is to possess wisdom.
At this time of the pandemic, many might think that what our human community needs now is health. Indeed, the man and woman in the Gospel go to Jesus in search of health and well-being–knowing that Jesus heals, it makes sense to do this. But this is mere knowledge. For Jesus not only heals us of our bodily ailments, but he cures us of death itself by, finally, raising us from the dead to share in the divine life. Believing this is wisdom. The fullness of life, ultimately, is why we need to go to Christ; go to the Living God; cling to him, with faith and love. For what we want, fundamentally, is salus, a word which in Latin means ‘health’, but the fullness of heath for a human being consists not only in the good of the body but also the good of the soul. Hence salus also translates as ‘salvation’. For us human beings, homo sapiens, who are a unity of body and soul, it would be wise to pay attention to this so that if any person desires to truly ‘stay safe’ then let him truly stay close to Jesus Christ in whom alone is Man’s salus: our health, our well-being, and our salvation! Because, as Pope Francis put it, “with God life never dies”!
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Shattered
Tom was doing his level best not to be overcome with his irritability, but honestly, Cara was just being unreasonable now.
Granted, he was the one who had been irascible on their last video call, but he was tired. Cara was refusing to open up (as usual) and passing off her unwillingness to talk about whatever was bothering her as feeling unwell (far be it from him to be less than sympathetic about that time of the month but he had to drag even that much out of her, which was absurd).
Tom loved Cara. He did, and she knew it, and he knew she knew it. They had been together for over a year now. Everyone had predicted the relationship was doomed from the beginning, from Luke to Ben to even his own mother. Not because Cara was playing him for a fool, using him for her own advantage, hoping to further her own career. Cara was a successful woman in her own right, a freelance author whose short stories had won numerous awards and was published in a variety of publications around the world and in several languages. She now had two separate anthologies that enjoyed critical acclaim.
The problem, as they saw it, was that Cara was so quiet. They attributed it to almost painful shyness. They all said she would never be able to cope with the demands of Tom’s career, and she would ultimately crack under the pressure, and drag him down. When Ben spoke with Tom about it, he was gentle, but firm.
“Look, mate. Even if she was never to step foot with you on a red carpet, she would still have to be able to cope with the constant pressure of the media hounding your every move...and that would be unfair to you both. You deserve to be supported, Tom. I simply don’t see this relationship ending well. You need more than she can give. There is nothing wrong with that. It is unfair to ask her for more than she can give.”
Tom had just shaken his head. They didn’t know Cara like he did. They didn’t see the way she made him laugh until he was holding his sides, tears coming from his eyes and his face and abdominal muscles aching with joyful torment. They definitely didn’t see the passionate woman who could set him aflame with a single look, a touch. No one had ever affected him the way Cara did. She was beautiful and brilliant and sexy and maddening and yes sometimes there was friction between the two of them...
...like now...
Cara’s quietness wasn’t a figment of others’ imaginations. Tom knew it was due to her unhappy childhood (no, he amended, her abusive childhood, calling it anything less was a failure to acknowledge her bravery, her survival) which made her very slow to trust. He quickly learned she still feared angry voices, and sudden movements made her flinch. She couldn’t help it. It was part of her deeply ingrained survival mechanisms. Initially he was deeply saddened. Then he was frustrated, surely she must know by now he meant her no harm? Finally, he recognized they were simply reflexive, and did not take them personally, but tried to adapt his behaviors to keep his beloved more at peace.
It was her emotional barriers that gave him the most difficulty. There were so many things Cara struggled to share with him. Her love was not one of them, nor was her passion, but her fears, her insecurities, her pains, she kept under tight lock and key. Tom’s emotions were as free flowing as a river in flood. Cara could handle all that Tom flung at her, his joys, sorrows, even his angers, as rare as they were...but her inability to reciprocate was a constant sore spot.
Hence Tom’s current mood.
Yes. He was short with her. He was tired and wanted nothing more than return home to London and be done with this interminable press tour. His current film hadn’t even been released yet and he was already tired of promoting it, which was a bad sign. It wasn’t the work, he was simply exhausted, he had been pushing himself for years on end, and he was feeling like he was finally reaching the end of his tether. He needed a few weeks (months) to regain his usual joie de vivre.
He was missing Cara, badly.
When he contacted her, she was subdued. She listened to him vent about the usual mishaps and frustrations about being on tour, and responded lovingly, but Tom could sense she wasn’t fully engaged, and called her on it. She flushed, and apologized, simply saying that she wasn’t feeling her best. Tom had to badger her (so he felt) before she would admit she had cramps. At this admission, he had exploded.
“Cara, why do I have to pull every single thing out of you? Jesus, woman! If you’re on your period, all you have to do is say so...! Oh, God, and now you’re embarrassed? You think I don’t know what a period is, for Christ’s sake?”
“Tom, why are you yelling at me? All I said was...”
“It’s what you didn’t say, it’s what you never say!”
Predictably, she was silent for a few moments, before she sighed, “Tom, you are obviously upset, so I am trying to listen to you. Telling you I am feeling unwell, when there is nothing you can do about it, will not help you. I am doing my best, but you are still upset with me. I don’t know what the right thing to do is.”
Tom’s lips thinned in frustration. “Never mind...I’ll see you in a few days.”
He ended the call without the usual exchange of “I love you.” He felt guilty about this later, but he was so exasperated, after all.
Then, of all things, Cara pulled this unexpected tantrum. After the video call, she stopped responding to him. No texts, no emails. It was most unlike her, but considering how difficult it was to get her to be open when she was upset, Tom was not overly surprised. It was their first real fight, and it was when he was away in the bargain.
So unreasonable, though.
It tainted his happiness at his return home, knowing he was coming back to a row. He and Cara still lived separately, which niggled at the back of his head. Something kept him from asking her to move in with him, and he didn’t know what it was. Was it her reticence to open up to him? Was it her pride in having her own place, an overt symbol of her own success both personally and professionally? Was it something less attractive, like the fact her house was only two blocks away, allowing him to maintain his status quo just as he liked it, without having to adapt or change?
As he stalked towards her home, the last option began to feel more and more likely, even though he was still annoyed, and he tamped down his shame. Thoughts of the many times Cara stayed the night at his home when he was feeling ill, out of sorts, or otherwise in need vastly outweighed the times he slept in her bed for the night, even though it was just as comfortable...and yet he wondered why she might be slow to ask for assistance...
He resolved to do better even as he reminded himself the current grievance was his, and just, as he walked up to her gate, and unlatched it.
The first sign that things might not be as they appeared on the surface was the full mailbox, and papers still sitting on the front step. Her car was sitting on the drive. Once more, Tom dialed her number, and once more, it went straight to voicemail. He gritted his teeth as he tried texting her, with no reply.
“God damn it, Cara, this is so petty,” he hissed, even as he looked at the mail. True, sometimes she did get so caught up in her work that she forgot the world outside, but this would be a first...well, so be it. She drove him to it.
He used the key he knew she had hidden under a planter and let himself inside.
“Cara? Cara, it’s Tom...I know you’re here...it’s beneath you to keep ignoring me, you know...”
The house was utterly still, and silent. The very air felt stationary. Tom looked into the kitchen, and saw an empty glass tipped over on its side.
That was not normal.
“Cara? Cara, where are you? Are you all right?”
He looked around and then quickly went up the stairs, taking two at a time.
He headed straight for her bedroom, and the first thing he spotted her her phone, lying shattered on the floor by the side of her bed.
The second was Cara herself, lying in a fetal position in the center of it, covered in a mountain of duvets and blankets.
“Cara?”
He rushed to her, and saw her slowly open her eyes.
“Oh thank God, darling, you frightened me...”
Her voice was very, very soft. “Tom? Is it really you?”
Her response frightened him anew and he sat besides her to stroke her face, and almost recoiled. “Cara, you’re freezing...” He reached for her hand, which was, impossibly, even colder. Her face was almost grey, her lips had a bluish cast, and her eyes seemed hazy, as though she was fighting to focus on him. He fumbled for his mobile and immediately dialed 999. “I need an ambulance, right away...”
As soon as he gave her address, she sighed, “I was so hoping to see you again...”
He paused, sliding the phone away from his mouth. “Of course you were going to see me again, sweetheart, it was a little tiff, that’s all it was, and I was being a right tit...Yes, please God hurry, she’s frightfully pale, very disoriented, her skin is like ice...”
“Tom...” her voice was barely audible now. “Tom...I can’t...can’t breathe, Tom...”
He dropped the phone completely, one hand gripping hers tightly, the other cupping her face to force her to focus on his eyes. “Cara. Cara, look at me. Focus on me, love. That’s it...now, breathe with me...look at me, keep your eyes open, Cara, Cara, look at me...in...and out...that’s right...in...and out...Cara, open your eyes! In...and out...do you hear the sirens, love? Help is coming...in...and out...Cara, look at me...”
There was the crashing of the emergency responders, Tom quickly moved to the other side of the bed, grabbing his phone as the paramedics pulled the duvets and blankets away...and then he cried out at the unhappy discovery at what was underneath.
He sat right by her head in the ambulance, saying nothing, but kept his eyes locked on hers the entire way, stroking her hair. She was going to be fine, she had an oxygen mask on, the paramedics had already hung up a unit of blood, and clearly they knew what they were about. Cara never once closed her eyes, but looked at him the entire way.
“What? What do you mean, it’s too late, that’s absurd, you identified the problem, you’re replacing the blood lost, so why aren’t you prepping her for surgery to correct the issue?”
“Mr. Hiddleston, you aren’t listening to me. She has lost too much blood. She would never survive the surgery.”
“Then can’t you continue the transfusions until...”
“Her organs are already shutting down. I’m very sorry.”
“That’s not good enough! She was conscious when I got there, she was conscious all the way to the hospital...!”
“And quite frankly I don’t understand how she was. Mr. Hiddleston, you have to prepare yourself. She only has a short amount of time left. I suggest to pull yourself together so you can say your goodbyes to her.”
“No. No. This is not...” Tom stopped, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Is...is she in any pain?”
“We are keeping her as comfortable as we possibly can.”
“Does...does she know?” Tom’s voice was choked as the reality of the situation began to sink in...Cara hadn’t been ignoring him, she had been too ill to respond. He was castigating her all the while she was lying in her bed, under as many blankets as she could gather, undoubtedly thinking she was going to improve on her own until she realized she was getting beyond that, she reached for her phone and in her weakness, dropped it. Tom never once thought to send someone to check on her.
“Yes. Her first concern was for you. She seemed to have recognized the severity of her situation awhile ago. Is there anyone else we should contact?”
Tom didn’t answer, just left the so-called “Quiet Room” and headed straight for Cara.
She was propped at a slight angle, with an oxygen cannula and quiet heart rate monitor in the room. Her eyes were closed, but opened slightly when Tom entered.
“Cara.”
“Tom.”
He noticed she was shivering. He looked scornfully at the thin sheet and blanket she was covered with, of course she was shivering, lying on that wretched hospital mattress. He toed off his shoes, and lowered a side railing so he could slide onto it and gather her into his arms on the bed. She sighed in relief as the warmth of his embrace and body quickly eased the shuddering.
“There, now,” he murmured. She was still under the poor excuse of a blanket as he wrapped it snugly around her, but she was in her favorite position, with her head cradled in the crook of his shoulder and his arm around her, one of his legs wrapped about her body. “Better?”
She nodded. Tom noticed her chest was moving in shallow, rapid flutters, and she was almost gasping. He caressed her cheek. “Easy, Cara. I have you.”
He then kissed her temple and whispered, “I love you, so very much.”
Cara struggled to take a breath deep enough to say, “I’m so sorry, Tom.”
“Sorry? You have nothing to be sorry for...”
She shook her head feebly. “I had...a gift...to give you...”
“You already did. You always did...Cara, didn’t you know? Every day with you was a gift...no one’s ever made me happy like you do.” He stroked her hair and fiercely willed himself not to cry, to keep his voice tender and warm and steady.
A smile crossed her face even as her eyes began to droop. “Made...you...happy?”
“Darling, do you need to ask? After all the laughter, conversations, and the joy I found in your arms? Yes, sweetheart. You made me very happy.”
Her eyes opened suddenly and she spoke as clearly as she did the first day she met him. “I don’t want to leave you, Tom. I love you, with all my heart.”
“I don’t want you to go, Cara. I will always love you. Always.”
He could tell she used the last bit of energy, last bit of life, to speak to him so. He felt her sink into his arms, nestling her head into the nape of his neck as she had done so many times before, and relax. He rocked her gently, and spoke softly to her, “I love you, Cara. I’ve got you, darling. I love you so. Be at peace, sweetheart. You are loved. I have you, Cara, I have you.” His cadence never faltered even as the tears ran down his face, the dam broken.
He didn’t need to hear the heart monitor become silent to know when her heart stopped and his shattered. He knew when he was the only person left in the room.
#tom hiddleston#tom hiddleston rpf#tom hiddleston x ofc#tom hiddleston x oc#tom hiddleston angst#tom hiddleston original character#tom hiddleston original female character#look Christine I did a thing#Nonsensical Writes
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