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disneynerdpumpkin · 7 months

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Scriptures for if you're struggling with anxiety

Psalm 94:19"When anxiety is great within us, God's consolation brings us joy."

John 16:32"I am not alone, for my Father is with me."

Philippians 4:6-7“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."

Psalm 46:10"Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth!"

2 Timothy 1:7"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

1 Peter 5:7"We should cast all anxiety on God, because He cares for us."

Psalm 42:5"Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my savior and my God."

#jesus #disneynerdpumpkin #scripture #psalm 94:19 #john 16:32 #philippians 4:6-7 #psalm 46:10 #2 Timothy 1:7 #1 Peter 5:7 #Psalm 42:5 #scriptures for anxiety #enjoy these beautiful scriptures <3 #these are really good scriptures to remember :)#Again I apologize that the text isn't fully in color #Idk what's going on with it lol

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walkswithmyfather · 24 days

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“Five Good Things” by Our Daily Bread:

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” —Psalm 107:1

“According to research, people who are intentionally grateful for what they have report better sleep, fewer symptoms of illness, and more happiness. Those are impressive benefits. Psychologists even suggest keeping a “gratitude journal” to improve our well-being, writing down five things we’re grateful for each week.

Scripture has long promoted the practice of gratitude. From meals and marriage (1 Timothy 4:3-5) to the beauties of creation (Psalm 104), the Bible has called us to see such things as gifts and to thank the Giver for them. Psalm 107 lists five things Israel could be especially grateful for: their rescue from the desert (vv. 4-9), their release from captivity (vv. 10-16), healing from disease (vv. 18-22), safety at sea (vv. 23-32), and their flourishing in a barren land (vv. 33-42). “Give thanks to the Lord,” the psalm repeats, for these are all signs of God’s “unfailing love” (vv. 8, 15, 21, 31).

Do you have a notepad handy? Why not write down five good things you’re grateful for now? It might be the meal you just enjoyed, your marriage or, like Israel, God’s rescue points in your life to date. Give thanks for the birds singing outside, the smells from your kitchen, the comfort of your chair, the murmurs of loved ones. Each is a gift and a sign of God’s unfailing love.”

By: Sheridan Voysey

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blessedarethebinarybreakers · 2 months

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Due to flare ups, I’ve been thinking more about my relationship with my disabilities and my relationship with God — any good resources/book you can recommend?

Hey there, sending love and solidarity as you go through flare ups and as you explore all this <3

You came to the right place — disability theology is one of my great passions! Here are my recs for you. If anyone has more resources to add on or insights for anon, please share!

For starters...

First, you might enjoy wandering through my #disability theology tag over on my other blog, which includes excerpts from various disability theologians.

Or reading through / praying with the disability text prayers I shared here last July for Disability Pride Month, which were written by a variety of disabled folks.

Since it's Lent, Unbound's Disabling Lent: An Anti-Ableist Lenten Devotional is timely!

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Memoirs Exploring Christian Faith & Chronic Pain / Illness

My Body and Other Crumbling Empires, Lyndsey Medford (2023)

This memoir connects faith, chronic illness (especially autoimmune disorders), and the sickness at the heart of Western Empire / the Protestant work ethic.

How can we learn to work with instead of against our bodies? How can we rebuild our world to treat all bodies with the love and gentleness they deserve? .

This Here Flesh, Cole Arthur Riley (2022)

An incredibly beautiful book, poetic and searing...explores the goodness of embodied life and intersections between disability (particularly chronic illness), Blackness, queerness, womanhood, and more.

Each chapter focuses on a different emotion (anger, joy, lament, love...) to teach us how to honor and listen to what we feel in our bodies.

CW for accounts of sexual assault and other forms of and abuse and trauma, as well as accounts of antiblack racism. .

Everything Happens for a Reason and Other Lies I've Loved, Kate Bowler (2018)

If you've been steeped in any kind of prosperity gospel, "if you pray hard enough you'll be healed" type Christianity, I highly recommend this book.

Bowler writes with gentle honesty about how her chronic pain and then cancer compelled her to move away from that kind of harmful Christianity into a faith with room for doubt, grief, and a God that holds her in her suffering.

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Disability Theology — Books, Podcasts, Videos

Disability: The Inclusive Church Resource edited by Bob Callighan (2014)

If you're interested in the perspectives of various disabled Christians, I love the range of voices they brought into this text! A great intro to how theology and church life impact disabled persons and how our churches must re-form themselves with disabled persons at the center. .

My Disabled AND Blessed YouTube series

I've got multiple YouTube videos that draw from various disability theologians!

I especially recommend my introduction to reading the Bible with a disability lens — stressing how different biblical authors hold different views around disability; so what's God's overall message? — and my video on Luke 14's parable of the banquet!

If you have questions about or struggle with the Gospels' healing narratives, I also recommend my livestream on that topic. .

My friend Laura's Autistic Liberation Theology Podcast (you can listen wherever you get podcasts)

Laura explores scripture through the lens of an autistic trans person who uses a wheelchair and has multiple chronic & mental illnesses.

I especially recommend their episode on "the Gethsemane of things," which takes an honest look at pain and where God is in our suffering. (Most of Laura's eps don't have transcripts, but I shared an abridged version of this ep on my podcast and it has a transcript)

"I am not your ornamental prophet" is also a great episode for thinking about what pressures are put on disabled persons and how to construct boundaries for yourself .

The Mad and Crip Theology Podcast

This podcast interviews the authors who are published in the Mad and Crip Theology journal, which is really cool! You can watch episodes with captions on YouTube, or listen wherever you get podcasts.

A good starter episode: this one "on Queer and Crip Sexuality and the Disabled Christ" .

Some eps of Blessed Are the Binary Breakers

While my own podcast largely centers trans perspectives, disability comes up frequently as well! Each ep has a transcript. These are the disability-focused ones:

"No End to Transphobia without Uprooting Ableism — exploring embedded forms of oppression"

"Our Pride Is Not a Sin — a Queer and Disabled Christian Lens"

"Goodness Embodied — an intersex, nonbinary first human and a disabled risen Christ"

"Marginalized Bodies as Spectacle and the good news in Jesus's disabling wounds"

"Eli and the prophet Elijah"

“Secular” books that helped shape my own theology

What Can a Body Do? How We Meet the Built World, Sara Hendren (2020)

Fantastic book digging into recent disability history, present, and future with focus on the “misfit” theory of disability where body and world interact with each other disharmoniously, and the creativity disabled people employ to make them more harmonious .

Exile and Pride, Eli Clare (1999)

One of my favorite books of all time. Connects disability, queerness, rural life, trauma, and more. Clare is one of the originators of the concept of the “bodymind” (though he talks about that more in one of his later books)

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Wanting even more resources? Here's my google doc with aaaaall the disability theology stuff — plus some helpful disability 101 stuff to share with loved ones!

Praying for comfort, wisdom, and community support for you as you journey! Please feel free to drop by again with any questions that come up or to share any insights you've gained any time <3

#disability theology #disabled AND blessed #disabled christians #faithfullydisabled #resources #recs #books #this reminds me i've been meaning to share more excerpts i've gathered from disability theology books...#anyone interested in that should go follow my other blog a-queer-seminarian and i'll start posting some in the coming days...

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nicosraf · 6 months

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Hey Rafa!!! Will God still be a character that we hear speak throughout a&m? Your depiction of Him is both terrifying and Almighty— and its so refreshing to see the way you approach His Omniscience. Especially because I often felt (growing up) both a fear and awe at the way God is written in The Scriptures. I really enjoy that you write him the way that you do.

I wonder how strained His relationship is to the angels in Heaven after Lucifer’s debacle. I’m particularly interested in how Michael handles his faith, and how this is reflected in his servitude towards God. Poor fellow </3.

Also— one more thing I wanted to add while I’m here. One of my favorite books is George Orwell’s 1984, because of the intense themes of personal identity, free will, and self expression in the face of totalitarianism. Reading your book was so cathartic in the way that it had a lot of overlap in these themes but on a religious level…. And as a queer narrative. Let me just tell you I was SHOOK. How you disguised a hauntingly bleak Orwellian plot with so much beautiful prose is honestly beyond me. I highly doubt I will ever write anything as incredible as what I’ve read from abm. I’m honestly so surprised you don’t have like. A million followers!!!

Hello! Of course! I love writing God, like genuinely I do. I feel really similarly that the God of the Bible really horrified me, but in some kind of awe-inspiring way – especially because, to me, a lot of the horror comes from God's omnipotent nature; he can do whatever he likes, and there is nothing you can do. I'm really glad some of that comes through in ABM itself!

There are less scenes with God being actively there in A&M given that most of the story takes place on Earth, but he's still very present. He's the one giving out orders, though Samyaza and Azazel might not understand what he's really up to. Coming up for a motivation for God for this book was incredibly fun.

I think one of the big "issues" with writing God is that since he knows everything, you have to give him a reason to allow for everything. (I do play around a little with the question of whether he really does know everything, whether he really is all-powerful, but I think regardless of the answer, he still knows much more than you/angels and has so much more power that he may as well be all-knowing and all-powerful). So, God is going to allow the Watcher thing to happen. But why? What is his end goal? Maybe, who is his end goal?

I love Michael in this book. His faith is strained but it's the only thing he has. It's like he's holding onto old ropes over a pit of fire. In simple words, the Michael of ABM is dead – the sweetheart, doting Michael. You might find him unrecognizable, at least initially. I don't want to say much, but he's gone through quite a bit — the immediate aftermath of ABM's ending and what God does with him afterward. He's changed really radically from who he was, but so has Lucifer, of course.

It's fun that you bring up 1984 and totalitarianism, since I get to touch on what becomes of angel society after the fall. This isn't a spoiler because it'll be on the back of A&M, but Heaven becomes oppressive and intolerant. In the aftermath of sin, the angels have to reckon with the now eternal threat of evil in society. How will they deal with this fear? Who will they blame?

I always think ABM Heaven is more of a Brave New World of dystopia fiction; they both even have an orgy at the end (both books involve sex/sexuality as a means of control for the authoritarian power, though so does 1984). The ABM angels love their servitude. When they revolt, it's not out of this feeling that they're all secretly being heavily oppressed. I mean, they have everything. They live in paradise. When Lucifer shouts about how they don't need God and how God is denying them certain love, they go ballistic. It's almost a spoiled rebellion – at least on the surface it is, but as the reader knows, there is something deeply sinister about God, his behavior, and what he's already done. And angels needed a release for grievances, their long, meaningless existence, etc

I think A&M gives me a little more room to work with a more 1984 type of angel society, but themes of hyper-centralized power and limits of self-expression are already there. I actually love to write about fascism sksksjd, nearly all of my WIPs talk about fascism. Even the final Angels book is (planned) to say a couple things about it pretty explicitly, if I can make it not sound silly. You know, one of my personal grievances with these famous utopia-dystopia books is that they're not gay! Not trans! Almost always white. Queers are policed because of their self-expression (limp wrists, deep or high-pitched voices, gender deviance) and sexual activity; you'd think queerness, at the very least, would be at the forefront of considering the policing of identity and self expression in totalitarianism. And yet !

(One final point on Brave New World and 1984 is that they both have their own takes on religion. BNW replaces Christianity with capitalism; 1984 basically replaces Christianity with the leader of the party. I think these are both good takes for their respective books, but Abrahamic religions (really, most monotheistic religions) are unique in that they introduce the idea of a single all-powerful ruler whose sin is, quite literally, "don't do what I tell you not to."

God can kill, after all, so killing is fine, but only when he does it. Only he is allowed to be violent, or when you have his blessing. I can go on another tangent here on how Max Weber defines a state as having the monopoly on violence, and God, explicitly, has the monopoly on violence. So there's a really parallel allusion between the Christian God and states. It's interesting, isn't it !)

ANYWAY, thank you very much for liking ABM! I would take it down, frankly, if I got that many followers. That would be way too many people looking at me. Also don't say that you'll never write anything incredible. I think that you will, but you won't with that attitude!!!!! Good luck writing !!! sending u love and all

#<3 #mine #ask #sorry for the essay #i havent read 1984 and Brave New World in like 4 billion years but this is what i remember

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contentloadingandstuff · 1 year

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Can you do Parenting Hcs for Candace please? :3

Parenting HCs - Candace

A/N: Well hello there, dear Anon. Here you go. I wanted to include Barbara as well, but I just don't... feel her. I hope it's alright with you, anon-who-requested-her-earlier. Enjoy!

CW: Male!Reader, religious themes.

Candace

Candace is a very religious woman, and so she follows her duties. She desires to fulfill her role, described in the sacred books of Al-Ahmar, as both a wife and a mother.

But if you ask her personally? You’ll earn a chuckle from her as she wraps her arms around your waist. It’s the most beautiful thing to do in this world, she’ll say.

Candace is patient, and fully willing to wait until you’re comfortable with having kids with her.

She’ll slowly discuss the matter with you over a few months, making sure to cover every millimeter of the topic. The last thing she wants to do is half-ass parenthood.

Candace has read through the holy texts many times, and the image of a perfect family stuck to her. A son for you to take care of, and a daughter for her to teach would be just ideal. Even better if they’re twins.

After you do the necessary things, Candace is going to pray a lot. She will pray for fertility (yours as well), for the health of both hers and her offspring’s, and for their safety in the future. She served The Mournful King well throughout her entire life so far, and she’s willing to do so for the rest of it. The only thing she wants in return is these three blessings.

While you pick up her duties of protecting the village by force, Candace is going to be surrounded with only the best of care. Throughout her many years of service to Aaru Village, Candace has helped many female inhabitants with the entire process. They want to repay her in any way they can.

To make sure the children come into the world safely, Dehya will hire the best obstetricians from Sumeru. It’s the least she can do for her dear friend.

Speaking of Dehya, the bond between the two women will deepen. Dehya isn’t going to pass up an opportunity to protect Candace for once. There’s no way she’ll dodge the shopping expedition as well. It’s going to turn out to be quite a commercial spree, with them buying everything from jewelry to children’s clothing.

And when it comes to the little ones, Dehya is going to become their third favorite person. She’s going to take them on trips through the desert, just like she does with Dunyarzad. She won’t skip on the chance to teach them how to fight as well, just like her father had taught her before.

Deshret have mercy on those who happen to raise their hand on Candace, you or the kiddos - because Dehya certainly won’t. They’ll take a trip to the wilderness and never return, or a group of friendly Eremites will visit them one day, offering to go for ‘drinks’. Either way, they won’t get the chance to hurt any of you while Dehya is on guard.

As said before, Candace follows the family model displayed in her holy scriptures.

She’s going to pass down every tradition and every bit of culture she remembers onto her children. It’s only natural that she wants to preserve her people’s history. She’s going to encourage the kids to pray with her and attend ceremonies or sacrifices as well.

She’ll do most of the house work after having children. She knows that you can handle the fighting well enough, and caring for her little ones brings her the utmost of joys.

Even when she has to wake up in the middle of the night. It’s no problem most of the time, since life in the desert happens after dark. Sure, the little ones can be a handful, but just seeing them grow and develop makes all the trouble worth it.

While she leaves the son for you to guide and teach, the daughter will be hers. She’s going to teach all the important values she was taught at that age - family first and foremost. She’s going to show her how to do house chores, how to cook, but also how to defend herself.

Oh, and dancing. The two are going to dance a lot. Obviously, those won’t be the same types of dances Candace shows you behind closed doors.

When it comes to her male heir, the books suggest he take on the role of a warrior. But, as he got older and started coming back with more and more injuries, Candace started losing her confidence on that.

It’s just that… seeing her child hurt harmed her as well. Every time they winced while she was putting on dressings, every time they said that the injuries weren't that bad… her heart ached. So she’ll try to steer her son away from getting himself in danger, but ultimately it depends on whether he wants to fight or not.

10/10. Candace is spiritual, but she isn’t unwilling to skip the more… questionable passages and directives. That makes her a great mother, and ensures that her children won’t be immoral or uncultured. Whenever you need her, Dehya will also be backing you two up.

Thanks for reading!

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malaurymalfunctional · 1 month

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15 19 20 24 25 26 29 30 38

❤️

that is a long ask! <3

15: what do you think when you see "home"?

honestly, i don't really know. maybe it's because my first language, french, doesn't have the concept of "home" itself, having that meaning ascribed to "house" or "one's place", things like that. maybe it's because i don't feel at home in my own body, and so cannot think about home. i know how important of a concept it is, the idea of home, but it feels sort of. empty to me. don't know why

19: favorite thing about the day

i'd say the bright sky. be it the color of ash, of peach, of sapphire, it is always lovely. do you like the color of the sky? opalescent, cerulean, violet; from summer-dawn orange to winter-dusk marine blue.

20: favorite thing about the night

the peace and rest. the dark, and the stars it invites; the quasi-silence, and the serenity it brings; the slow veil of the gods of sleep and dream.

which is why i hate big cities. to quote myself, " ... the city that humms the eerie tune of 'sleep is for the weak and the world shall never stop', blinded by the concrete and the cars and the streetlights that scream of 'the dark is to be conquered, and we shall kill the night itself too'."

24: one thing you're proud of about yourself

giving myself time. i don't have much to be proud of yet, and it's fine. i'm giving myself the time to heal and to grow properly, not rushing, not pushing myself, not being ashamed or angry at the fact i'm getting better very slowly. beside, i'm only 18. i'm just a baby

25: favorite season and why

i'm spring/fall team. summer is always way too hot, but the barrenness of winter isn't very fun, nor good for the spirit. spring is the best because we have flowers and trees springing to life, we have the sun but with fresh, moving air. it is the rebirth of the cycle of life. not that autumn isn't nice too

26: favorite color and why

that's the good stuff!! #9153ff. this

not purple. not violet. not perrywinkle or whatever. this. to the tee. changing the rgb values just a bit makes it worse, in every case.

i discovered it with the game "tomorrow won't come for those without ⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️", made by etherane, the person who also made Hello Charlotte, which lives rent free in my head. it is the most perfect, most beautiful shade of purple. hue of the gods, truly.

29: what do you do when you're sad?

honestly, i kinda just crumble. my coping mechanisms are centered around NOT feeling the sadness (i know it's not healthy, i'm trying okay? T-T) so when i DO feel the bad emotions it's closer to a dam breaking over your head than being rained on. i just sort of get splattered on the ground for a while and then i get back to business as usual. in these moments i have zero energy and zero wants so i don't. really DO anything

30: one thing that never fails to make you happier

talking to people. it came as a surprise at first; i'm not really a people person, whole neuridivergent stuff and all. but when i talk with people with whom the communication struggles can be overcome, or people in the same situation as me, social interaction can feel nice. if i enjoy someone's presence, just exchanging a few words can turn my "everything is bad and everything hurts and i don't want anything or anyone, not even myself"s into "actually i love people and all of it is worth it and the whole world is scripture"s

38: favorite song at the moment

i don't really have any one song i listen to on repeat rn. i could say Sdorica-The Story Unfolds. less recently it's been Zoltraak, from the anime Frieren

#ask game

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jakedailyart · 8 months

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The Covenant of Marriage: A Christian Perspective on Sustaining Lifelong Love

In the Christian faith, marriage isn't just a legal or social arrangement but a holy covenant that reflects the spiritual union between Christ and the Church. It is a God-ordained institution designed for mutual growth, love, and support. So, how does one navigate the intricacies of marital life while keeping Christ at the center? Let's delve into some valuable Christian-based marriage advice that aims to uphold the sanctity and joy of this divine partnership.

Forge a Strong Spiritual Bond

Shared Spiritual Goals: Working towards common spiritual objectives, like mission work or raising children in the faith, can help focus your marriage on higher purposes.

Daily Devotionals: Spending time together in God’s Word not only nourishes your individual spirits but also fortifies the spiritual foundation of your marriage.

The Language of Love and Respect

Appreciate Individual Love Languages: While the Bible commands us to love unconditionally, understanding each other’s love languages can help make that love tangible.

Respect as a Two-Way Street: In Ephesians 5:33, husbands are called to love their wives, and wives are told to respect their husbands. Both love and respect should be mutual to foster a harmonious relationship.

Money Matters: Stewardship and Generosity

Joint Financial Decisions: Proverbs 21:5 advises diligent planning and hard work lead to prosperity. Jointly planning your finances can bring about unity and growth.

Open-handed Living: Reflecting God’s generosity in your financial decisions can deepen your trust in Him and each other.

Emotional and Physical Intimacy

Cultivate Emotional Intimacy: Vulnerability can be challenging but is essential for emotional closeness. James 5:16 encourages us to confess our faults to one another to foster a healing environment.

Celebrate Physical Intimacy: The Song of Solomon celebrates sexual love within marriage. This intimacy is God’s gift and should be enjoyed respectfully and lovingly within the bounds of marriage.

Navigating Challenges Through Forgiveness and Humility

Be Quick to Forgive: Christ’s parable of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18:21-35 is a strong reminder to forgive as we have been forgiven by God.

Embrace Humility: Philippians 2:3-4 advises us to consider others better than ourselves. In marriage, this means putting your spouse's needs above your own.

Effective Communication: More Than Words

Non-Verbal Cues: Paying attention to body language and tone can often tell you more than words can.

Speak Softly: Proverbs 15:1 says, "A gentle answer turns away wrath." Choose your words carefully, especially in heated moments, to maintain peace.

Conclusion

Marriage is a divine covenant that requires constant effort, eternal love, and Christ-like humility. It’s a journey that promises great joy but also inevitable challenges. By relying on scriptural principles and God's grace, you can build a strong, fulfilling marriage that not only brings you and your spouse happiness but also honors the One who brought you together.

May your marriage be a beautiful testimony of God’s enduring love and faithfulness. Amen.

#ChristianMarriage #FaithAndFamily #MarriageAdvice #CovenantLove #SpiritualGrowth #GodCenteredRelationship #MaritalCommunication #FinancialStewardship #EmotionalIntimacy #ScripturalPrinciples #ForgivenessAndGrace #LoveAndRespect #BiblicalWisdom #ChristianLiving #LifelongCommitment

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bazzdu-firelight · 9 months

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Summer Madness - Part 1?

Trying my best and I hope you enjoy! May or may not have a Part 2

**Poll was accidental and did not know how to delete ;-; So using it this way!

**Edit: Part 2 I mean X3 Barely noticed

Bazz B

Bazz B would take a dip in the pool, he already feels the heat each and every single day so why not a change

He would surf and compete against Candice to see who can withstand the wave (Bazz B would probably try and drown her)

Most likely end up with a water gun and disrupting the other Sternritters

Most likely punished by being placed in the sun due to him disturbing others

His reward... Uses Cang Du, the Iron to cool off

Wears shorts

Cang Du

Would be the one supervising for any disturbances

Will catch Bazz B in the act and will be the one to vote for Bazz to stay under the sun

Will not be surprised if Bazz B used him to cool off (Translation, will be dipped in water and hugged for a long hour)

In his time off from taking turns in keeping an eye out, he would use his wolverine claws to cut fruit and arrange it in the most beautiful scriptures (he is bored)

Wears a tank top and shorts

Askin

Will be under the shade of a palm tree, laying there and relaxing

Will be drinking coconut water out of a coconut with a straw and a small umbrella, saying that coconut water tastes better

He would wear an unbuttoned shirt with small palm tree prints and shorts

Most likely to be buried by Gremmy

As Nodt

Even though he was looking scary, he would be one of the sweetest and timid of all Sternritters (If not evil)

He would build sand castles and would try to enter a competition of sand castles (Wins)

Would avoid the water, due to being afraid of being taken away by it's strong currents

Most likely to help Gremmy burry Askin

Wears a black face mask, shorts and a t shirt

:3

#askin nakk le vaar #cang du #bazz b #as nodt #bleach #sternritter #sternritters

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ultrajustjo · 11 months

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Welcome!

Choir screen from the Cathedral of Valladolid, ca. 1763-64, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Photo taken June 4, 2023.

Visio divina

For my Summer 2023 formation for ministry class, I am employing the prayer practice Visio divina on a weekly basis by contemplating art (and the art found in Creation) and scripture through meditation/prayer. Prayer, art, nature, and travel? Yes, please!

I've chosen the choir gate as the art for week 1. The gate is a massive piece that spans the gallery at the Met, dwarfing everything around it. Its history is shown in a photo below.

How did I end up at the Met? My son and his fiance took the train up to NYC from Baltimore and asked us to meet them before flying out to OK and China, respectively. Of course, we had to meet up at the Yale Club (that serves Yale, UVA, and maybe Dartmouth alumni). It's quite frou frou and very fun, but we were too late for brunch -- the room was being used for a Drag Queen Brunch. The sounds from that party that floated up to the library were awesome, and I did step out onto the floor and try to crash the party, but my son dragged me back into the elevator. Shame.

No cameras allowed at the Yale Club, but you had to use your camera to see the rules, so...yeah, I took a pic cuz I'm a smartass.

(Duke, Notre Dame, Cornell, and Brown alums who like the idea of the Yale Club can actually join the Cornell Club in NYC -- I'd look into it but I've managed without it this long (Go Irish!) so I doubt I'll join after my time at Duke. As I'm continuing in ministry, I also doubt that I'd want to fork over the dough for it, but a girl can dream. I do like nice things, and the Yale Club is fun!)

We weren't going to sit around a club all day, nice as the library was, so we headed to the Met hoping for art, public restrooms, and a rooftop view of Central Park. Two out of three: the line for the single elevator to the roof snaked all around one gallery and none of us had patience for it. As we headed for Egypt, we ran smack into a beautiful collection of religious art not housed at the Cloisters. I didn't actually smack into the gate, but I felt quite gobsmacked and a little dizzy leaning all the way back to look at its height.

Navigate to this page and click on the LISTEN button to hear more about the gate and its history. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/201926

The verses

I've selected II Peter 1:11 (LB) for my meditation on this choir gate:

"And God will open wide the gates of heaven for you to enter into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

That's good stuff on its own, but just look below at the treasure trove of faith declarations that precede it!

II Peter 1:1-11:

"The faith I speak of is the kind that Jesus Christ our God and Savior gives to us. How precious it is, and how just and good he is to give this same faith to each of us.

2 Do you want more and more of God’s kindness and peace? Then learn to know him better and better. 3 For as you know him better, he will give you, through his great power, everything you need for living a truly good life: he even shares his own glory and his own goodness with us! 4 And by that same mighty power he has given us all the other rich and wonderful blessings he promised; for instance, the promise to save us from the lust and rottenness all around us, and to give us his own character.

5 But to obtain these gifts, you need more than faith; you must also work hard to be good, and even that is not enough. For then you must learn to know God better and discover what he wants you to do. 6 Next, learn to put aside your own desires so that you will become patient and godly, gladly letting God have his way with you. 7 This will make possible the next step, which is for you to enjoy other people and to like them, and finally you will grow to love them deeply. 8 The more you go on in this way, the more you will grow strong spiritually and become fruitful and useful to our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But anyone who fails to go after these additions to faith is blind indeed, or at least very shortsighted and has forgotten that God delivered him from the old life of sin so that now he can live a strong, good life for the Lord.

10 So, dear brothers, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen, and then you will never stumble or fall away. 11 And God will open wide the gates of heaven for you to enter into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The meditation

Ready to join me? Reread the passage (I prefer the NLT for more inclusive language and clear phrasing -- the LB used the phrase "gates of Heaven," so I felt obliged to use it.) Scroll up to the picture of the gate, examine the art at your leisure, and let the words of the scripture lead your thoughts as you settle into prayer with God. How does the iron relate to the Word? What about the piece grabs your attention? Why did the artists use this design? How does its use in a church relate to the scripture passage? How does viewing the gate affect the way you feel about God today?

What words stuck with you when you read the passage? What phrases do you keep coming back to? How do you feel about them? Do they inspire you? Anger you? Confuse you? Are you ok with this?

After you think your thoughts, be still and let God speak to you.

(See, prof? I was paying attention! Thanks for leading me.)

Info and photos for perspective. Note how the first cross section of the gate doesn't even make it into the shot. Massive, beautiful, skilled work that functioned in a religious setting. Amazing! God is good in this crazy life!

#duke divinity #art #history

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thoughtfulfoxllama · 1 year

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What is Zion?

According to Moses 7:18, it is those who are One in Heart & Mind, Righteous, and with no Poor. We only have 3 examples of a Zion Society: Enoch's City, Melchizedek's Salem, and Post-Resurrection Lehite Society. In this dispensation, we have tried to set up this Society, but we have failed, and so we set up Zion in our own lives, in our homes

But, what does Zion look like? Hugh Nibley paints it in "Approaching Zion" as a rather bleak place. Only the basics, no rich foods, no fine clothing, and no dentists (seriously, he has a grudge against most jobs in general, but his thing about dentists is weird). I am a fan of Nibley, but I disagree with this view. In the Scriptures, we don't see Zion in bleakness but beauty. Streets of Gold, Delicious Foods, Gardens, Meadows, Theatres, and all sorts of things. Zion is allowed to be beautiful because Zionites will not cleave to cleave these things but still enjoy them. Everyone will be able to do what they desire to build it up, be it Academics, Agriculture, Medicine, Construction, or anything else.

In Kahleenos, there is a word: "Beth." It means delight. An example can be a good meal. It might taste delightful, but it also smells, looks, feels, and even sounds delightful as well. Such a meal is purely "beth." This is Zion, where every sense is delighted, where joy is found, where all things good & delightful are given, and gratitude abounds for them

#tumblrstake #lds #mormon #queerstake #zion #nibley #utopía #kahleenos

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thelionessandmedusa · 1 year

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For anyone else who might be going through it or if you’re going through a hard time in the future I recommend Thomas Aquinas’s 5 cures for sadness. This is from Matt Fradd’s Pints with Aquinas podcast.

1. Pleasure

Sometimes your sorrow is so great that you struggle to enjoy the pleasures of life. However, wholesome pleasures have a powerful healing effect on the soul.

Enjoy a good meal. Go for a walk. Read a book. Don’t let pain give you a cynical view of life. While we rightly decry the materialism of our age, we can use these God-given pleasures to increase our joy and peace.

2. Weeping

Because they know its healing effect, some people have an easier time weeping. Others hold it in. We’re especially looking at guys who think it’s “unmanly” to weep. Remember that the Bible records Christ Himself weeping.

Weeping cleanses our souls and helps us start afresh. While not every sad situation calls for weeping, don’t completely inhibit your tears.

3. The sympathy of friends

When you’re grieving, one of the greatest dangers is shutting yourself off from those who care about you. Granted, we all need some time to ourselves. Just don’t let it last too long. Otherwise, you’ll be left alone with your sad thoughts and God doesn’t want that!

4. Contemplating the truth

Thinking about the goodness and beauty of reality reminds you that sorrow doesn’t have the last word. Creation reveals God and His love. Christ took on our human nature to share His amazing plan of salvation.

Reading Scripture (especially the Psalms) and contemplating the great truths of our faith help us put our sadness in perspective.

5. A good bath and sleep

You thought St. Thomas was going to only give philosophical answers, didn’t you? For all his learning, he was a practical man. He wrote, “Sorrow, by reason of its specific nature, is repugnant to the vital movement of the body; and consequently whatever restores the bodily nature to its due state of vital movement, is opposed to sorrow and assuages it.” He then mentions a bath and sleep as great ways to alleviate sorrow.

Although they won’t banish all sorrow from your life, these remedies will help you manage it better, so you can live in the joy and love that God calls you to.

#personally I like a good cry a shower tea and a book #have a happy day #thomas aquinas #Thomas aquinas’s cure for sadness

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shammah8 · 1 year

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RHAPSODY OF REALITIES

THURSDAY, 15TH DECEMBER 2022

PASTOR CHRIS

HIS GREATNESS IS FOR OUR ADVANTAGE

By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name (Hebrews 13:15).

Our opening scripture is referring to the Lord, Jesus Christ. By Him, we’re to continually offer spiritual sacrifices to God in praise. Praise is thanksgiving: thanking and extolling God’s Majesty and greatness; acknowledging Him in His acts of kindness, for which you’re grateful and thankful.

But here’s the beautiful thing: in praising Him, in acknowledging His greatness, we’re thankful that His greatness is directed towards us for our advantage, in loving us, taking care of us, blessing us and all the numerous things He’s done for us.

The Spirit’s prayer through Paul in Ephesians 1:19 further explains it. It says, “And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power.” For example, when God demonstrated that great power in raising Jesus from the dead, He raised us up together with Him. Hallelujah!

Everything He’s revealed to us about His power and His greatness is all about blessing us. He created all things: the stars, the moons, the sun, all the planets, the things we know and don't know, and the ones we see and don't see; they’re all for us.

No wonder the Bible says in 1 Timothy 6:17 that He gives us all things richly to enjoy. He shared all of what He's got with us! 2 Peter 1:3 says, “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things….” Think about that! Then He said in 1 Corinthians 3:21, “…all things are yours.” Blessed be God!

Prayer

Thank you, blessed Father, for the immeasurable, limitless, surpassing riches of your grace in your kindness and goodness of heart directed toward me in Christ Jesus. You’re the only true and wise God, who reigns and rules in the affairs of men; the One who is the blessed and only Sovereign. To you, Lord, be all glory, honour, majesty, dominion and praise, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

FURTHER STUDY:

Ephesians 2:4-7;

Hosea 14:2;

Hebrews 13:15

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walkswithmyfather · 2 months

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‭‭Hebrews 11:23-29 (NASB‬‬). “By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the temporary pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he persevered, as though seeing Him who is unseen. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch them. By faith they passed through the Red Sea as through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned.”

“Facing Life’s Unknowns” by In Touch Ministries:

“When we know and trust the Lord, we don't have to fear change and uncertainty.”

“Moses knew what it was to live with uncertainty. He was born in Egypt at a time when the growing Hebrew population was seen as a threat. So to protect Moses, his family let others raise him. But then, as an adult, he had to flee his homeland.

Later, in a personal encounter with the Lord, Moses learned that he was God’s choice to be the Israelites’ leader. In this new role—one for which he felt woefully ill-equipped—he had to stand before Pharaoh and demand his people’s release. And as if that weren’t enough, he had to lead more than a million slaves—each of them depending on him—to the Promised Land.

Yet Moses steadfastly carried on. Scripture tells us he was able to persevere because of faith, which Hebrews 11:1 defines as “confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (NIV). Moses had learned how to see “Him who is unseen” (Heb. 11:27). As a result, he was able to grasp the reality of the Lord’s character and promises. After encountering the Lord at the burning bush (Exodus 3:2), he understood his purpose was to rely on God and follow His plan.

Though Moses wasn’t perfect, the Scriptures commend him for walking by faith. From his example, we can learn how to persevere through life’s unknowns with the help of the Holy Spirit.”

(Photo by Vladislav Babienko at Unsplash)

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rinbowaman · 11 months

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unpopular opinion i think !! but i kinda like hee more than ethan... a bit , i cant exactly tell why but i guess thats just me dont get me wrong tho i love ethan but i kinda enjoy the more sincere moments between heeyn - their interaction always have me melting on the spot!! i guess im more of a sofie ^^ cant wait to see what ethan and eden are up to in chapter 14 part 2 tho :)) it siunds like its gonna be wild

btw also i looved the sentences that were engraved into those two rings!!! i really liked that detail!!! i was so impresed the first time i read it :OO it was amazing <3

actually, i have seen alot of anon asks that expressed the same thing love, so you're not alone. and honestly, i love them both and i can totally understand. It's really based off preference, ya know? that's whats good about his character, and I believe in the earlier chapters of HHP or maybe in MRE, reader expresses how she never has a dull moment around him because he can be so sweet and soft, then theres moments where he is dark, twisted, and rough but the love is still there. and he feels the same way because while he and his alter ego fell in love with the reader (all expressed in earlier chapter of HHP) the birth of Eden (MGR, but is not described until MRE) just made it better for him...like an added bonus or something if you will.

THere's literally days where i'm feeling for Heeseung...and then there's days i'm feeling for Ethan, so it's like..you can pick or choose or equally love both (like me lol) but that's the beauty of it love ;)

The next parts of the chapter...oh love...you have no idea. be ready, and please read the warnings. it's beyond wild....um....yeah. lets just say for chapter 15, i'm going to have to tone it down a bit to balance it out...maybe make it a heeseung chapter lol (non angry heeseung...you'll see why in the next part).

and thank you! for the rings, i thought so hard for a riddle type of scripture to outline, and that was what i came up with, which at first i was like....meh. but after reading the chapter i was like "you know what? it works." so i'm super thrilled to hear how much you liked that detail, you're the first to point that out and it's tickling my heart. Thank you! <3

#lovely anon #anon answered #anon ask

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larsenlatest · 8 days

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General Authority Visit and the Semester Winds Down

Well this week is the final week of classes at the Institute. Things will start to get more quiet after that and then we will start up Summer classes and activities mid May. We have really enjoyed studying for and teaching our 4 classes a week: Foundations of the Restoration, Mission Prep, Teachings of Pres. Nelson, and Church History. Our class in Colfax (Foundations of the Restoration) will just continue on most likely. The Summer schedule will have us teaching a class every Thursday evening - Foundations of a Faithful Life. It will be based on a bunch of specific talks directed at Young Adults. We will probably continue a Mission Prep class as well.

A couple of weeks ago the YSA Ward had a fun "Fairy Tale Murder Mystery". Shirl ended up being Rumpelstiltskin. One of the girls wrote up the whole thing after people signed up for characters. Wendy Darling actually was the murderer! Shock Shock! It was pretty fun. I just watched and laughed a lot.

We have been able to go to a band concert and a guitar concert in support of some of our students. We enjoyed both of them.

Our Teachings of President Nelson class has kind of turned into a class that new members and investigating friends and the missionaries have been attending. We have been able to answer a lot of questions and clear up a few things for them. Lots of good participation for sure.

Shirl has the rolling kiosk just about finished. Hopefully it will be put to good use. It will have a TV in it. The doors open up and are like a white board on the inside. It will be used right outside the building and hopefully the missionaries will be taking it to other places on campus.

Real close to us here is an interesting barn. It is on the old road from Pullman to Moscow. It's called the T.A. Leonard Barn. We took a picture of it. As you can see, things are getting really green around here!

Saturday (4-21) we were able to take 5 students up with us to Post Falls ID (East of Spokane) to a special 6 stake devotional. Elder Ojediran of the Seventy was presiding. The Spokane Temple President and Matron spoke about the importance of the Temple and were very inspiring. Elder Ojediran was very engaging. He had us getting into our scriptures and really looking for things. He spoke about the 3 D's that Satan uses on us: Deception, Distraction, Discouragement. He also challenged us to study D&C 109, as did President Nelson at the last Conference, and write down every blessing we receive from worshiping in the temple. I did that the next morning and had over 3 and a half pages of promises! I couldn't believe it!

Sunday (4-22) we had a special Stake Conference. Elder Gong and his wife came and spoke to us. I was in charge of the Stake YSA Choir which sang for the meeting. We did "True to the Faith" pretty much out of the hymnbook with an ending that I wrote. Sister Mabbot (Senior Missionary at the Moscow Institute) accompanied on the organ. Shirl sang with the choir. We had about 40 singers. It went very well. In fact, right after we finished singing, Elder Gong said, "Beautiful. Nicely done!"

Sister Gong spoke about gratitude and how it is the gateway to all virtues. Elder Gong spoke about how we are all loved and how we can include, love and protect each other. One fun part of his talk was when he spoke to the children. He told about penguins and how they will all go into the water at the same time so that the splash will frighten the sea leopards beneath the water that want to eat them. That way they can protect each other, especially the younger penguins. But the fun part was that he impersonated the penguins while he told the story!

It was such a great experience for many of our Young Adults to be able to meet Elder Gong and shake his hand. Here is one of our students Carissa doing just that.

That afternoon we had a baptism! This young man, Treyvon, has come to one of our classes. It sounds like there will be another baptism this week as well! We are excited about the missionary work being done here.

We just found out this week that Adrie Cox from our home stake is coming to this mission in July! We are excited to have her here with us. We feel very blessed to be here having these experiences. It is so great to be concentrating on the work of the Lord. We feel like we are learning and growing.

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jdgo51 · 22 days

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Outserve Each Other

Today's inspiration comes from:

Praying the Scriptures for Your Marriage

by Jodie Berndt

"Married life is waking up early to preheat your spouse’s car in the winter (and then taking ten dollars out of their wallet as a tip for your services)."

“'Be ready to do whatever is good.” “Use whatever gift you have received to serve others.” “Serve one another humbly in love.”'1

"'Our contemporary culture holds a dim view of service — we’d rather be served than serve — but

at some gut-instinct level, we know that putting our spouse’s needs ahead of our own makes for a healthy and enjoyable marriage. Paul’s counsel to husbands and wives to “submit to one another” sounds like the right thing to do.2 But knowing the right thing to do and actually doing it are two different things. Which is why, just a few verses earlier, Paul gives us the critical how-to: “Be filled with the Spirit.”

Being filled with the Spirit allows us to love others in ways that don’t always come naturally. It empowers us to let go of our self-centered desires and live lives marked by things like patience, goodness, gentleness, and self-control.3 And it marks us with the same self-sacrificing humility that Jesus displayed, whether He was washing His disciples’ dirty feet or, as Philippians 2:8 puts it, humbling Himself and becoming “obedient to death — even death on a cross!”

This Philippians passage, with its call to “have the same mindset as Christ Jesus” (2:5) — loving as He did, pursuing unity as He did, putting others first as He did — offers a template for our relationships.4 Early in our marriage, Robbie and I heard Dr. Tony Evans talk about what this pattern looked like in his own marriage. Having purposed to value each other’s interests ahead of their own, Evans and his wife began going out of their way to help each other. At some point, Evans said, it became a contest — one he found himself losing.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Evans said with a laugh. “She was out serving me. I had to figure out how to catch up!”

Evans’s message took hold in our hearts, and Robbie and I began looking for opportunities to honor each other. Robbie likes things tidy, and while I knew I couldn’t match his mother’s “get the dust off the top of the refrigerator” talent, the kids and I began playing “beat the buzzer” every night before he came home. I’d set the kitchen timer and we’d scramble to pick up toys and clean the counters. On my good days, I’d even rummage in my purse to find the lip gloss as Robbie’s car pulled into the driveway. (And if I just lost half of the women readers, I’m sorry. But never once did I feel like I was caught in some 1950s time warp. Instead, I saw these little acts of service — and my lips, on some days — as, to use our friend Davis’s word, “beautiful.”)

For his part, Robbie began doing things like vacuuming my (dog-hair-and-Cheerios-infested) car or bringing me coffee — sometimes from an actual coffee shop, which he knows is my love language and counts double on the service scale, since a little part of him dies inside every time he pays for something we can get for free at home.

Serve your spouse. Cherishing them as precious.

Somewhere along the way — we can’t pinpoint when — something shifted inside us. We began to truly enjoy these tangible ways to show love and respect. It became, like our friend Lisa says, a “pleasure and a delight.” And although I don’t feel deserving of Robbie’s tenderness, the word he uses for the way he regards me is cherish, and when I noticed that a book by that title had been published, I grabbed it.

“Millions of couples,” writes author Gary Thomas, “have pledged ‘to love and to cherish, till death do us part.’” Most of us understand the love part and the implied vow to serve and commit to one another, but it is the act of cherishing, Thomas says, that “turns marriage from an obligation into a delight. It lifts marriage above a commitment to a precious priority.”5

Serving your spouse — cherishing them as precious — looks different in every marriage. Bob took his children to garage sales on Saturday mornings, not because they needed more stuff, but because it gave his wife, Anne, a chance to have the house to herself at the start of the weekend. Whit turns the bed down every night and puts his wife, Susan’s, iPad on her pillow, since he knows she loves to read. I stopped wearing ruffles (after having an umpteen hundred of them on my puffball of a wedding dress) when I learned (later) that they don’t appeal to Robbie.

None of these things are “grand” gestures. They may go unmarked by everyone but our spouse. And yet

in a social media age when everyone wants to be seen and noticed, it is exactly these little gifts of time, these self-sacrificing kindnesses, that kindle lasting love in a marriage. “Real romance,” writes Ann Voskamp, “isn’t measured by how viral any wedding proposal goes — and viral is closely associated with sickness — but it’s the moments of self-forgetfulness: Setting the table at the end of a long day and rustling up some hearty dish for those who have your heart, and then — without any cameras rolling or soundtracks playing — clearing the plates to make your own love perfectly clear — this is the way of robust romance.”6

Robust romance. Isn’t that what we all want? The way to get there isn’t through grasping; it is through yielding. Yielding our plans, our desires, our very self — and submitting out of reverence for the One who is Love Himself to the one whom we cherish.

Remember

Serve one another humbly in love. — Galatians 5:13

Reflect

We love because God first loved us. The more we soak up this truth, the more our love will increase and overflow for our spouse. Think about your own awareness of God’s love for you. Do you sense His delight? Do you feel forgiven? Can you trace a link between your relationship with the Lord and your desire to serve and honor your spouse?"'

Titus 3:1; 1 Peter 4:10; Galatians 5:13. Ephesians 5:18. These traits and the other fruit of the Spirit are listed in Galatians 5:22–23 (ESV). Philippians 2:5. Gary Thomas, Cherish: The One Word That Changes Everything for Your Marriage (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2017), 17. Ann Voskamp, Waymaker: Finding the Way to the Life You’ve Always Dreamed Of (Nashville: W Publishing, 2022), 71. Excerpted with permission from Praying the Scriptures for Your Marriage by Jodie & Robbie Berndt, copyright Jodie Berndt.

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