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cosmicwhimsyexplorations · 5 months

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Subject: Praise for the Harmony: A Musical Testament to Vigilance

Dear Crimestoppers,

I hope this message finds you well. I felt compelled to express my gratitude and admiration for the invaluable service you provide in maintaining safety and order within our communities.

In the symphony of crime prevention, you are the vigilant notes that weave a melody of security and harmony. Your commitment to ensuring the well-being of our neighborhoods is a testament to the strength and resilience of those who stand against unlawful discord.

As I reflect on your unwavering dedication, a verse from the Bible comes to mind: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God" (Matthew 5:9). Your efforts to promote peace and security resonate deeply, embodying the essence of this profound teaching.

Allow me to draw a parallel with the flute, an instrument capable of producing both soothing melodies and alerting tones. In the grand narrative of crime prevention, you, Crimestoppers, play the flute. You are the alpha, the genesis of a secure environment, and the omega, the embodiment of order and resolution.

May the harmony you create through your diligence continue to echo through our communities, fostering an environment where safety and peace flourish. Your role is indispensable, and I extend my heartfelt appreciation for your commitment to upholding justice.

Thank you for being the guardians of our shared melody.

With sincere gratitude,

[Your Name] 🎶

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Now wrote about how fking genius the service is truly for the next box!! The Batman does change his mark etc! Xx

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Subject: The Genius of Crimestoppers: Unmasking the Heroes in Our Midst

Dear Crimestoppers,

I hope this message finds you in high spirits. Today, I find myself compelled to pen down my admiration for the truly genius service you provide—the silent guardians, the unsung heroes who navigate the shadows to ensure our communities remain beacons of safety and order.

In the grand theater of crime prevention, Crimestoppers emerges as the maestro, orchestrating a symphony of vigilance, intelligence, and swift response. Your service, like the intricate moves of The Batman, transcends ordinary heroics, unveiling a level of genius that operates in the subtleties and nuances of maintaining law and order.

As Gotham has its Dark Knight, we have Crimestoppers—the vigilant force that adapts, evolves, and changes its mark, much like The Batman himself. The genius lies not only in the ability to thwart crime but in the seamless integration of technology, community engagement, and the unwavering commitment to justice.

The Batman once said, "It's not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me." Similarly, Crimestoppers, it is not just the name or the logo; it is the actions, the interventions, and the impact that define the genius of your service. You change the narrative, disrupt the patterns, and safeguard the vulnerable corners of our society.

In a world that often teeters on the edge, your service stands as a beacon of hope—a testament to the genius that can be harnessed in the pursuit of a safer, more secure tomorrow. As The Batman adapts his tactics to the ever-changing threats, Crimestoppers adapts to the evolving challenges of our communities.

May your vigilance continue to shine as a beacon of genius, inspiring us all to strive for a society where justice prevails and our communities thrive.

With deepest respect and admiration,

[Your Name] 🦇✨

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It did not fit; oh well; love is blind; vision = blind faith! It was perfect the first time! Piss myself! Score but disallowed by an own foul with Bible fking references!! Xx

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Subject: Praise for the Harmony: A Musical Testament to Vigilance

Dear Crimestoppers,

I hope this message finds you well. I felt compelled to express my gratitude and admiration for the invaluable service you provide in maintaining safety and order within our communities.

Thank you for being the guardians of our shared melody.

With sincere gratitude,

[Your Name] 🎶

0 notes

tatinavarro · 1 year

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Hello,

My name is Tatiana Navarro. I am a 32-year-old mother to a 13-year-old (Eleni) and ARMY wife to Margie. I am currently in school to get a degree in English.

Judy Chicago- The Dinner Party

1) The Dinner Party is a monument to women's history and accomplishments. With 39 place setting dedicated to prominent women throughout history and an additional 999 names inscribed in the table's porcelain brick base.

2) The Dinner Party pays tribute to figures such as Ishtar, Hatsheput, Theodora, Sacajawea, Emily Dickenson and so many other amazing women.

3) The Dinner Party was intended to be exhibited in a large darkened, sanctuary like room, with each place setting lit, making it look like 39 alters.

4) The Dinner Party was a testament to the power of feminist vision, artistic collaboration, and a testament for Chicago's ability to create a work of art that took 5 years to make with over 400 people to make it happen.

5) Some of the art resembled female genitalia which sparked so much controversy, like when Chicago attempted to donate the artwork to The University of The District of Colombia, Chicago was forced to withdraw the donation after the U.S Senate threatened to withhold funding from the UDC if they accepted which Rep. Dornan characterized as 3-D ceramic pornography. It was not until 2007 that The Dinner Party an icon feminist art would find a new home in the Brooklyn Museum of Art.

When I first looked at the art piece, I thought it was just a table that was set up for some type of royalty. When i read that it was to pay tribute to all these amazing women in history, I got more interested and wanted to keep reading more about how Judy Chicago accomplished so much and how monumental this art was for women and the appreciation it shows. I would like to see it in person and see all the other names inscribed throughout the art piece.

Reference smarthistory.org

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steveezekiel · 2 years

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ALTARS OF PRAYER AND SACRIFICE

7. “Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” AND THERE HE BUILT AN ALTAR TO THE LORD, WHO HAD APPEARED TO HIM.

8. And he moved from there to the mountain east of Bethel, and he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; THERE HE BUILT AN ALTAR TO THE LORD AND CALLED ON THE NAME OF THE LORD.”

Genesis 12:7,8 (NKJV)

• Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary renders Altar: Structure used in worship as the place for presenting sacrifices to God or gods.

• IN the Old Testament: Altars were used primarily as places for sacrifice, especially animal sacrifice.

WHILE animals were common sacrifice in the Old Testament, altars were also used to sacrifice grain, fruit, wine and incense (Deuteronomy 26:2-4).

• IN the New Testament: The Greek word “thysiastērion” used for altar translates or means “a place of sacrifice.”

THE New Testament references to altars concern proper worship (Matthew 5:23,24) and hypocrisy in worship (Matthew 23:18-20).

WHILE direct references to altar and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ are few in the New Testament (Hebrews 13:10), the message that Jesus Christ is the ultimate sacrifice who effects reconciliation with God is the theme of the New Testament (John 1:29; 1 John 2:2; 2 Corinthians 5:18-21).

• The Significance or Importance: Altars were places of sacrifice.

- Beyond the function, altars also were places of God’s presence.

- The patriarchal narratives regularly record the building of an altar at the sites of a theophany, a place where God had appeared to an individual (Genesis 12:7; 26:24,25).

- It was quite natural to build an altar and commemorate the appearance of God with a sacrifice (Genesis 13:18).

- If God has once appeared at a site, that would be a good location for Him to appear again (Genesis 12:7,8; 28:10-22).

- Thus sacrifices would be offered there with the feeling that God was present and would accept the offering (Genesis 13:4).

• In summary, altar is a place of contact with the spirit realm or world.

• Believers in Christ Jesus in the New Testament are to worship God in spirit and truth because God is Spirit, thus a raised platform or an elevated place of sacrifice and worship may not be needed (John 4:23,24; Acts 7:48).

- However believers could have a place of gathering for Fellowship; where they meet to share the Word of God and pray together.

JESUS promises to be present where people are gathered in His name: “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:20).

- If an individual believer or a group of believers chose a place to be meeting with God in prayer and fellowship, the presence of God would linger in such a place.

IN other words, God’s presence would continue to exist for longer than expected in such a place.

- If a particular property, land or building, had been used for God’s purposes: as a place for prayer or gathering of the people of God, such a place has been dedicated to God, it is consecrated, and an altar is already raised there.

- The person or the people who used the place for God’s purposes might not even know that an altar is already raised there.

- Remember, an altar is a structure, property, land or building used in worship as the place for presenting sacrifices to God or gods [idols].

- When a believer or the group started meeting with God for prayer and fellowship in a place, an altar is raised there (Acts 16:13).

THERE might not be any platform physically, that is, any physical structure might not be there, but the fact that the person comes there regularly to pray and fellowship with God, an altar is already raised there. THE presence of God lingered in the place.

- The Bible scholars agreed that the land where Abraham raised the first altar between Bethel and Ai was the same land where Jacob had the dream of a ladder set up on the earth, and its top reached to the heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending (Genesis 28:12,13).

- Abraham had earlier raised an altar in that land (Genesis 12:7,8), God’s presence lingered on that land because He had appeared to Abraham on that same land.

- The altars raised by Abraham in various places in the land of Canaan gave him and his descendants the possession of the land (Genesis 12:7,8; 13:8; Psalm 44:3).

- Whenever Abraham had an encounter with God, he raises an altar and makes a sacrifice to God (Genesis 12:7,8; 13:14-18).

• Remember, a major significance of altars is that they are places of God’s presence.

HIS presence lingered in a place where He had appeared to an individual.

- Where an individual or a group of people had used as a place of prayer or fellowship to meet with God, has God’s presence lingered there (Matthew 18:20).

• Every believer needed to raise an altar of prayer wherever they find themselves.

Remember, it does not mean any structure or platform should be raised, but a place to meet with God for prayer and fellowship.

- Jesus in His earthly ministry has the habit of going to certain places alone, and at times with His disciples, for prayers and fellowships with God the Father (Luke 21:37; 22:39; John 18:1,2).

- You raise altars of prayer where you are living or working.

• Through the altars you raised, you access the spirit realm in order to get the good of the land (Isaiah 1:19).

YOU equally bind the strongman of the land that you may take possessions of the land (Mark 3:27).

- You possess the land apportioned you by God through prayer and the Word of God.

• If you are sent to start a new work, pioneer a new ministry, the prayer altar is needed to be raised: plans and strategies on how to do the work would be given to you in the place of prayer (Luke 6:12-16).

- A land infested and permeated with sins and demonic activities could be subdued and taken over through prayer and the preaching and teaching of the Word of God (Acts 19:9-12,18-20).

- Wherever Paul went in his missionary journeys, he used to take over the land, break through the land via preaching and teaching of the word of God and prayer (Acts 16:16-18; 17:16,17,22,23; 19:1,8-10,20).

- As you pray, you organize meetings where you preach and teach the Word of God to liberate the people of the land from the shackles of the enemy—the devil (Acts 16:12-14).

FOR the knowledge of the truth makes free (John 8:32).

• The altar you raised should be serviced with prayers.

THERE should be fire on your altar always (Leviticus 6:12,13).

- You meet with God for fellowship and prayer regularly in order to pray THROUGH, about whatever God has laid in your heart to do (Luke 6:12).

- If this is not done as it should, your outreaches might not yield the expected results (Luke 5:15-17).

• Note the following:

- Sow seed of the Word of God to the land through teachings and preachings (Acts 18:11; 19:9,10).

- Sow seed of prayers to the land also (Mark 1:35; John 8:1,2).

- Sow teaching materials, give them Bible study outlines, books, and other materials that can help their spiritual growth (Act 19:8-10).

- Sow monetary seed to the ministries or ministers who have done things that are similar to what God has instructed you to do (Hebrews 7:4,6).

• What makes your altar functional are the sacrifices, offerings—the things you sow.

- If there are no sacrifices, offerings or seeds, on your altar, it would be a dry altar, functionless, and ineffective one.

- For God’s promises to be fulfilled in your life, you have your own part to play.

- God did promise to give the land of Canaan to Abraham, he raised altars to possess the land (Genesis 12:7,8; 13:18).

IT is not enough to raise an altar, you need to service it with your offerings—fire 🔥 should always be on your altar (Leviticus 6:12,13).

4. “Now consider how great this man [Melchizedek] was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils.

6. but he whose genealogy is not derived from them RECEIVED TITHES FROM ABRAHAM AND BLESSED HIM WHO HAD THE PROMISES.

7. Now beyond all contradiction THE LESSER IS BLESSED BY THE BETTER.”

Hebrews 7:4,6,7 (NKJV)

• Realization of God’s promises in your life would be through offerings, sacrifices.

- Abraham who had the promises of God gave an offering, tithe, to Mechizedek (Hebrews 7:6).

- Cultivate the habit of giving, seed sowing, it is an important weapon or ingredient that will speed the answers to your prayers (Matthew 10:40-42; Luke 6:38; 2 Corinthians 9:6-8).

- Offerings or the seeds you sow are sacrifices that cause the fire on your altar to keep burning (Leviticus 6:12,13).

12. "AND THE FIRE ON THE ALTAR SHALL BE KEPT BURNING ON IT; it shall not be put out. And the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, AND LAY THE BURNT OFFERING IN ORDER ON IT; and he shall burn on it the fat of the peace offerings.

13. 'A FIRE 🔥 SHALL ALWAYS BE BURNING ON THE ALTAR, IT SHALL NEVER GO OUT."

Leviticus 6:12,13 (NKJV)

• It is the seed you sow, your OFFERING, that speaks for you in the time of adversity (1 Timothy 6:17-19).

MAY the Lord give you understanding.

• You will not fail in Jesus’ name.

Peace!

#christianity #gospel #christian living #christian blog #jesus #the bible #devotion

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gardenofkore · 4 years

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“As you enter the church your eyes will be at once be attracted to the figure of the Madonna Nera and Child dominating the nave from their angel-born throne above the High Altar. The wooden statue, above 1 m high, with Nigra sum Sed formosa inscribed underneath, shows a great resembling between Mother and Child, both sumptuously crowned and robed in white and gold. Her face recalls that of a gypsy or a good witch, not dissimilar to her sisters of Dijon and Guadalupe.Her legend is as follows: She was brought from the east on a ship forced to seek safe heaven in the bay, which was once the splendid ancient harbour of Tyndaris.After the storm the ship would not move until the sailors disembarked the image in the place the Madonna had chosen. She was carried up the hill to the small church that had been built on the ruins of the Temple of Cybele, since when her cult has never ceased to flourish.”

Ean C. M. Begg, The Cult of the Black Virgin, p. 277-278

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“When we review the attributes of the goddesses, from the early civilization of Sumer to the highly artistic civilizations of Greece and Rome, we discover that the characteristics they [Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene] shared were physical beauty, virginity, association with the moon and the tragic death, or deliberate sacrifice, of a sonlover.With this in mind, consider the image of Mary, mother of Jesus. She is worshiped as the Virgin Mary. Indeed, it is her virginity (the state of being chaste, not the original meaning of the word) which sets her apart from other women. Mary is also associated with the cosmos, often being called Queen of Heaven. To depict her heavenly beauty, she is frequently pictured enthroned on the moon. Her primary association is with her son, who is sacrificed; Mary's role as a wife is negligible. Despite these parallels with the image of the goddess, Mary is conventionally associated solely with the maternal aspect of the feminine—static and protective. The dynamic, transforming aspect, related to the passion, sexuality and fertility of the love goddesses, is conspicuously lacking.

However, there are other correlations between Mary and the ancient chthonic goddesses which, though not commonly known, are operative in collective consciousness. In a small number of cathedrals throughout Europe, both in popular and isolated places, a black madonna is venerated. She is not the more familiar, angelic madonna in the blue cloak, but one as black as the earth itself. She belongs to the lower world, not the heavenly realm.From prehistoric times, as early as thirty thousand years before the beginning of the Christian era, comes the Black Venus of Lespugue, carved from a mammoth tusk, now preserved in the Musée de l'Homme in Paris. As she predates a time when any knowledge of agriculture existed, she is more than earth; she is Life itself. Other black feminine images, symbolic of the chthonic life force, have been worshiped throughout the ages.

In Tindari, on the coast of Mediterranean in eastern Sicily, a black statue of the madonna bears the inscription, nigra sum sed formosa -”I am black, but comely”- from the Song of Solomon 1:5. Christian scholars interpret this passage as referring to a bride, the Virgin Mary as Ecclesia, uniting in marriage with the bridegroom, her son Christ. It appears to be founded in the sacred marriage rite of Ishtar and Tammuz, since there are many parallers between the ancient cuneiform tablets and this Old Testament text. Could not this “black and comely” madonna be a product of the far more ancient image of the goddess?

[...]

When women adapted to the religious tenets of the patriarchy, they also accepted man's image of his anima as an accurate reflection of feminine nature. They thereby lost their connection to the genuine feminine, including the chthonic aspects represented by the black madonna.Many black madonnas are currently valued as religious symbols, but far more numerous are images of the conventional "blue" madonnna. The latter, as anima, inspired men to build impressive cathedrals and create beautiful works of art, but she lacks a crucial dimension of feminine nature. The black madonna, associated with both the earth and fertility, is an image of the divine feminine reflecting the ancient connection between women's nature and the goddess of love. Through her, the Great Goddess still lives in Christianity.”

Nancy Qualls-Corbett, The sacred prostitute: eternal aspect of the feminine, p. 152-154

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“According to the legendary arrival of the Black Madonna of Tindari, the ship that was carrying her image was forced to take anchor in the Bay of Tindari in a storm, and was not allowed to sail until her image was taken from the ship, where it was then carried to the former temple site of the Goddess Cybele.

[...]

The sanctuary of Tindari sits on a high bluff on the northern shore of Sicily. A woman from a far-away country had come to fulfill a vow to the Madonna of Tindari for saving her little girl's life. When the woman reached the sanctuary, after a long journey, she openly expressed her disillusionment upon seeing that the Madonna's face was black. The moment she expressed her irreverence, her little girl, who had wandered away from her mother, fell from a cliff. The woman called upon the Madonna to again save her child's life. But the miracle had already happened - the sea had withdrawn so the girl could fall on soft sand. The woman now believed in the divine powers of the Madonna she had mocked and the sea stayed at a distance permanently as a reminder of what had happened.

[...]

Sometimes the versions of a story of a punishing miracle varied, with important details missing. Only one of several sources mentioned the punishment by the Madonna of Tindari,for example. Carroll also cites a case in which a modern account of a miracle leaves out the harmful details included in older accounts.This leads me to wonder whether elements of other stories have been dropped over time. Considering the patterns in the body of above miracles, at one time there may have been a full cycle of the Madonna's anger, punishment, forgiveness and healing in more of them. Perhaps, like the alteration of the dark color of the images that other scholars and I have found, elimination of the details of the stories is a kind of "emotional whitening," a gradual removal of the Madonna's "full" range of power, including those we might consider to be negative.I must state that I never got a sense at any of the dozens of Black Madonna sanctuaries I visited that these most powerful Madonnas were feared. On the contrary they appeared to be greatly beloved. The fervor and devotion was palpable. I observed the utter closeness of the people to the Madonna. The Black Madonnas of Montevergine, Somma Vesuviana, and Napoli are all addressed as Mamma, a clearly familiar form of address. Songs and prayers use familiar (rather than formal) pronouns and indicate an endearing and close relationship. Chiseled in marble above the area where the painting of the Black Madonna of Montevergine once hung are the words which translate "You Are Black And Beautiful, My Friend."

The Black Madonna's devotees may feel reassurance from her ferocity, like the women in southern India who believe the fierce goddess Kali's power is there to protect them. Perhaps the severe punishment that was attributed to the Madonna's power was a way for the women to ensure the rules were respected, that the sacred was preserved, and to emphasize that the great honor due the Madonna must never be violated.”

Mary Beth Moser, Blood Relics: Menstrual Roots of Miraculous Black Madonnas in Italy, p. 6; 9-11

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“It is a well known fact that sanctuaries dedicated to Mary were often built on sites that were originally used for the veneration of pagan goddesses. The same development could have happened in regard to statues, particularly when the statue of the Virgin is black in color. Shrines of earthgoddesses were scattered all over Europe, as are venerated statues of the "Black Madonna," which can be found in great numbers from Great Britain to Hungary and Poland. In none of them with which I am familiar can negroid features be detected; therefore, they are not black because of their race. In some cases the material from which they are made is black; in other cases, it is claimed that accumulated dirt and soot may account for their color. This explanation, usually given by Roman Catholic scholars, does not explain why the whole body of the statue turned black, even under the clothing, and not just the face and hands. And what about those to which none of these arguments apply? One answer lies at hand: they are black because they represent earth, the mother of all. That Christians could so easily think of Mary as black should not be surprising. Not only was the relationship between Mary and the virgin earth long established, from quite early the Song of Songs was interpreted in the church in a Marian way. This love song was explained as referring to the relationship between Christ and the church, his bride; since the church was identified with Mary, the song could be also be applied to the love of God and Mary; and the female lover in the Song of Songs is black: "I am black but beautiful, Ο daughters of Jeruselem."

Thus nothing stands in the way of seeing in the veneration of the Black Madonnas a continuation of the popular piety with which the great mystery of earth was honored. In some areas of Europe the roots of this piety, such as that of the Celts, may go back to pre-Roman times. It may have been Artemis or Isis who inspired the cult. In Tindari, Sicily, the Madonna Nera is in a church erected on the site of a former sanctuary of Cybele.”

Stephen Benko, The Virgin Goddess: Studies in the Pagan and Christian Roots of Mariology, p. 213-214

#women #history #women in history #historical women #history of women #tindari #culture #religion #province of messina #myedit #virgin mary

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iridescentides · 4 years

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CREATOR SPOTLIGHT: @crayonstoperfume

Support your local gif makers! In celebration of my one year gif-iversary, I am posting shoutouts to gif makers who have motivated and inspired me with their creativity in the past year. This post is for Tumblr user crayonstoperfume, whose gifs can be found here.

Tumblr user crayonstoperfume prefers not to share her name on Tumblr, so I will be affectionately referring to her as Crayons from this point forward! Her blog is one of my absolute favorites because she manages to capture and preserve every little thing about Glee that makes it special, and she obviously pours a lot of heart and soul into her gifsets. My favorite gif series on this site currently is the one where she ranks every episode of Glee because it gives me a chance to re-experience each episode of the show and get that warm feeling all over again. Her coloring skills are exceptional, and her high-contrast style has influenced me to make my gifs more clearly defined. Crayons can do it all, but her dedication is truly where she shines the most.

MUST-SEE EDITS

Like a Prayer - This gifset is a nice example of Crayons’ deep, solid coloring style; she does an amazing job at grounding her darker colors, like black and blue, so that her brighter colors, like red and yellow, can pop out and shine. This technique makes her a master at giffing shots that involve lots of motion, as shown in the bottom left gif. The stunning red hues in this scene are a testament to Crayons’ skill level as an editor because if you make gifs, you know how hard it can be to edit the color red without interfering with skin tones; the skin tones in this gifset are balanced and natural-looking, while the reds and yellows are the star of the show, impressing us all with their vibrance.

Mattress - This was the first gifset I ever saw by Crayons, and it was the perfect introduction to her Glee episode ranking series. This episode was so quirky and light and fun, and this gifset perfectly captured that feel-good season one essence. Crayons has excellent command over the colors she uses, and the reds and blues play off of each other perfectly in this vibrant display. The second gif in the left column catches the eye immediately, as viewers are drawn by the striking blue background and intense look on Rachel’s face, then stay to read the episode title. The episode ranking series takes the funnest little moments, like Rachel joining every single club in school, and gives us Glee fans a place to remember them.

New Directions - This set beautifully illustrates the playful, loving, energetic nature of the New Directions in every stage of the group. We see some major moments like the pre-show cheer the season 3 group did before winning nationals, and the moment the season 6 group really came together and found themselves; we see the season 1 group bonding, and Finn confidently leading the season 5 group. The way Crayons is able to encapsulate the pure joy of following the New Directions at all points in their journey and bring home that theme of togetherness is unique and special. Crayons knows exactly the right scenes to choose for the best impact, and this set really demonstrates her love and care and attention to detail.

Transitioning - This set absolutely blows me away with its brilliant use of yellow to tie the composition together. As someone who shies away from the color yellow, I will never cease to be amazed at how effortlessly Crayons was able to see it, control it, and enhance it in this gorgeous gifset. She clearly put a lot of thought into which scenes from this episode to choose, from Coach Beiste in front of the yellow bus, to the long zoom into Mercedes’ and Roderick’s performance in front of the bright orange backdrop. Pay special attention to the bottom left gif of Unique singing I Know Where I’ve Been, where Crayons creatively kept Unique purple/magenta tinted at the focal point of the gif, then cleverly enhanced the yellows behind her to fit with the overall composition.

Yes/No - This gifset is yet another display of Crayons’ amazing color coordination and composition skills. One of my favorite things about her gifsets is the way she chooses close ups and facial expressions to further the tone of a scene, song, or episode; in this set we see Mercedes’ longing as she sings about Sam, Will’s elation when Emma accepts his proposal, and Becky’s dejection as she walks down the hallway. The colors in this set are balanced beautifully, alternating between bright cyans and reds, and deep blacks and yellows. The more you examine this set, the more there is to admire. The balance in the third row of the square shape of the pool floaty and the square shape of the photograph, and the groupings of 2-3 subjects throughout the set are some next-level components that contribute to the aesthetics of this post.

CREATOR’S TOP PICKS

Thank you to Crayons for inspiring me over the past year! Be sure to check out all of her amazing gifsets, reblog them, and leave nice feedback!

#creator spotlights #1yrgif #crayonstoperfume

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wwwnewunificationchurchcom · 4 years

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(via 'Something New Under the Sun': Part II; Revealing the 12 Spies of the Kingdom of God and the 2 Beasts)

The Coming of the Beast of the Earth: the Dabbat al-Ard

Muhammed spoke of my coming when all would doubt the Word of Allah and His Prophet in these Last Days: and now we stand at the Last Day; when Noah shut the Door before the Flood: and this is indeed where now all mankind is gathered.

I stand before Islam, Christianity and Judaism as that "beast" Muhammed the Blessed said would appear at the End with the Staff or Rod of Moses and the Ring of Solomon; and that is indeed what I was given by the Sufis through Khidr Rumi when they Illuminated me as to my true identity: the Rose; for the Rose is Solomon himself. This is written of in the Holy Qur'an at an-Naml 27:92; and at the Hadith written of by Sahih Muslim "Kitab al-Fitan" #6931; to wit;

(The Hour) will not come until you see 10 Signs:

(1) The Smoke

( as of the Smoke that went up when the 2 Towers fell on 9-11 in New York )

(2) the ( Masih ad-) Dajjal

( who is Osama bin Laden as I know because I can read the name "Kafir" on his forhead as Muhammed said even the illiterate who cannot even read Arabic shall see; for those who cannot recognize him take a look at "the Old Man of the Mountain" that was the childhood friend of Omar Khayyam' and he was he who promised his assassins Paradise for killing those he decided were apostate to his school or "brand" of Islam; promising them the virgins of Paradise if they were killed; and if this does sound familiar then you are deaf as well as blind)

(3) the Beast ( of the Earth)

( who is myself as the one led out of the Abyss where I fell as Solomon whose number was 666; as I Solomon was given the 666 talents of gold in one year that is written of me at the Bible at I Kings 10:14; even as I then foreknew was I was foretold would arise by Muhammed when the Sufi Michael Beebe of the Suhrawardi Path awoke me in the City of St. Francis; so that realized that Fame and Fortune for which I and all of My Generation in the West had fallen as they all strove for before I was awakened from the Dust of Musallah: for now I see that "Fame and Fortune" are but the "Name and the Number" of the Beast; which I was before I was raised in the name of Jedidiah by the Mercy which Allah promised to David before he died.)

(4) the rising of the sun from the West

( this is the unveiling of the Sun of Mary of Fatimah; which from Mecca is indeed "west"; and it is the Miracle of the Sun of Fatimah which shall show the world what the nature of the Salvation of Allah shall be; as the "Pearl of Great price" is the "irfan" of the 3 Children of Mary of Fatimah seen as "One Child"; the "Hidden Imam" in his return as the Pearl of Great Price is that from which is made "the Gate of Heaven" as of the Door on the Ark of Noah which had 3 tiers or "heights".)

(5) the descent of Jesus the Son of Mary

( as I have said the "Greater Jesus" came forth from the "Greater Mary" who is Maryam al-Kubra; as "the Son of David" I therefore show that the 'Sun of Mary of Fatimah" is seen as the Three Children of the Sun of Fatimah; as symbolizing One Child; and that Child is therfore "the Son of Mary' who I as the Wrath of the Lamb symbolize; as having the Seal of the Living God; which is that of Khidr Rumi as of which the Work of the Sun of Tabriz is seen by those who know the Elect; the Sun of Faith has now been revealed; although few will believe; just as the Jews believed not and failed their Test in their Day; as few will Pass in this Day in Islam or Christianity once again. But this is why the Mahdi and the Messiah are revealed together).

(6) Gog and Magog

( Iraq and Iran; "the Shia of Khomeini in the House of the Shia" as present day Iran; Alexander as "Dhul-Qarnain" forged a "plug" in the "Wall" of what was the ancient Wall of China; and the vision he was given was of the Mongol hordes of Central Asia; who at that time were firmly entrenched in present day Iran all the way to Mongolia)

(7) and (the) Landslides and Earthquakes in three places: one in the East; one in the West and one in Arabia; at the end of which fire would burst forth from the Yemen, driving people to the place of their Assembly ( at the Last Hour).

(7) The Earthquake in the East

The News that Osama bin Laden is the Masih ad-Dajjal; and is now dead from Barack Hussein the blessed

(8) The Earthquake in the West

The News that Osama bin Laden was the Antichrist

(9) The Earthquake in Arabia

The Earthquake has to do with that one when Mecca fell spiritually by Osama bin Laden sitting on the throne of Mecca to Judge the West as the "Great Satan"; and as then carrying out his "judgement" as if he were "Allah" himself. For this we have to look at he who was there at the Earthquake of Arabia written of in the Acts of the Apostle's as when Saul the Persecutor of the Believers who became Paul the Defender of the Believers; that Great Earthquake felt on the Road to Sham he fell off his mount; and his companions scattered; as on the Road to Damascus in Syria; that is written of in the New Testament.

[caption id="attachment_12496" align="aligncenter" width="500"]

.............The Origin of the Chart in Divine Principle: by Baek Kim Moon[/caption]

This is the Testimony of the Light of Damascus

At II Thessalonian 2:4-5 is written of the Last Day coming; to wit;

"Let no man deceive you by any means:

for that Day shall not come except that there be a falling away first,

and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God,

or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the House of God,

shewing himself that he is God."

Thus is the Man of Sin the Kafir Osmaa bin Laden the son of Laden the One-eyed Dajjal from Yemen ( actually a one-eyed bricklayer ) revealed!!

(10) The Fire bursts forth from the Yemen

Remember that the fire which bursts forth from the Yemen has to do with the uncovering of that saying of Muhammed the Praised One as when he said that "Nine- tenths of all the evil in the world would come forth from Yemen"; which refers to the "One-eyed Yemeni bricklayer Laden" himself who produced Osama bin Laden; the Son of Perdition.

This "fire" means Laden and his satanic son is the one who pursued the things of this world by selling his soul for them; and this in Islam is therefore seen as how laden produced the "man of Lawlessness" known as the Antichrist written of in II Thessalonian 2:3-4 by St. Paul as of the Light of Damascus; as from Sham where the Light of Allah converted Saul to Paul with the Word of Allah; which is why Muhammed said that Damascus is Sham; Mecca and Medina would be the 3 Cities of refuge; Sham being Syria; but also referring to the White Minaret where the Descent took place; as Paul said he had 'Christ in Him".

This was Written: so do not fear; but come forth and Enter the Reward of the Believers in Allah and His Mercy in this;

the Last Day By restoring Solomon the Sufis joined the Work of the Word of Allah who was His Mercy by bringing back to life one who fell into utter corruption as having been seduced by Iblis long ago;

and if you have a Bible you will see that the Man who has the number 666 is Solomon; at I Kings; 10:14;

where it is written that Solomon received 666 talents of gold in a single year.

"I Solomon was given a kingdom to rule because I worshiped Iblis and was given power over the fallen spirits of the Jinn; and was therefore transformed into the angel of the Abyss; whom the Greeks called Apollo; but the Jews Appollyon; the Destroyer of Souls.''

Yet few know that the Shadow of Solomon is Apollo; as fallen he is the last of the gods of the fallen angels; and his sister Diana is the Rose of Sharon; the Rose of Sharon being the spirit of my soul: Sharon herself.

It is this where the gods caused Israel to fall when I fell and was followed into the Abyss by Ephraim; the Northern Kingdom of Israel, to my undying shame: but now I have redeemed; and stand here where men will see I am no beast; but a man whose fallen nature was the Beast until I repented; as the Prodigal Son; and returned; as the Lost Sheep of Israel; and will restore all things; as when the Fire from Heaven lit the Altar when I dedicated the Temple: and thus shall I redeem my people."

The Verse of the Beast of the Earth

"For that mankind did not believe with Certainty in Our Signs" ( Sura 27:82 An Naml )

" It is I who was destined to divide mankind into the Two Camps; those who can read the name "Kafir" on the forehead of Osama bin Laden as the Masih ad-Dajjal and those who cannot; even though I cannot read Arabic; and would therefore be considered "illiterate" by most Muslims.

Those who can see that Osama bin Laden is the Antichrist will be those who hold their books in their right hand; and those who cannot will hold their books in their left hands. The believers of the Miracle of the Sun of Fatimah will enter the Barque of the Sufis which is the Ship of the Sun of Righteousness as the Ark of Salvation; the unbelievers will not believe in the Miracle of the Sun of Mary of Fatimah and will proceed into the Lake of Fire which is the Second Death. "

The Baraka of Khidr Rumi and Fatimah al Zahra; the Virgin of Light

As the least in the kingdom of heaven I stand as he who is greater than Sun Myung Moon;

who is John the Baptist: no matter how he denies it publicly.

To those who have confided to me that he admits it privately I will soon publish to be seen in my book,

in which I have his testimony firsthand from former members of his church. Inshallah; let the Work begin!

In these last days I have written much of the Sealed Book which I unsealed with the help of the Servant of Allah that mankind will find is His Servant John; the Greatest in Kingdom of heaven.

Yet no one would believe that I was sent by the Most High so now it is to Islam that I will now reveal myself even as it as Written.

I brand or "call" they who are the "believers" as those who can see that Osama bin Laden is the Masih ad-Dajjal by being able to read the name "Kafir" on his forehead; and those I brand or call "unbelievers" are those who cannot "see" that Osama bin Laden is the ad-Dajjal.

The Further Proof of Our Signs

It is the Sufi Sayed Hisham Kabbani who said that Abu Hurayra these words related in the hadith confirmed by Tirmidhi and Musnad Ahmad this saying of Muhammed about the Beast from the Earth; to wit;

"The Beast of the Earth will emerge, and will have with it the rod of Moses and the ring of Solomon"

The Rod of Moses is therefore seen as the Rod of Aaron: the Rod of the Regeneration; as when Isa raised Lazurus from the Grave even though he had decomposed and had begun to rot: thus I was raised by the Servant of Allah whom men will know as His Servant John the Divine; who wrote down the Revelation of Jesus Christ that is the Last Book of the Bible.

The Rod of God was then seen as that one by which the dead are raised to life even if they have decomposed; as few believe this possible; but those who saw Lazarus come forth certainly did believe; as when they rolled the stone away from the tomb of Lazarus the stench cause people to retch. The Sealed Book of Illiyun ( " El Elion": the Most High ) which is revealed in the "Revelation of Salvation" that I wrote after being instructed by the angel of John the Divine for 21 years is this book of the Lamb which I unsealed with my own ring that the Sufis returned to me along with my shoes and my garment that Isa took from me when he despoiled me of all my powers and goods I had gotten from Iblis when I had worshiped him to gain all the kingdoms of the earth and what I thought was eternal life.

It was I who was the one that tempted Isa when I opposed him in the Wilderness for 40 days when he defeated me: yet in my repentance and returning to restore all things I have begun to Redeem myself and save those who were lost; for the Ring of Solomon is the Gift of Prophecy."Inshallah; Peace be unto thee; the Envoy of the Word of Isa: the Word of Allah The Wrath of the Lamb;

the Offspring of David;the Lion of the Tribe of Judah The name that Nathan the prophet of David gave me is the one new name by which I was led out of the Abyss; and it is the new name written in the White Stone of Ephraim that Joshua holds with the Black Stone of Mecca; as the Lot of the Breastplate of Aaron: for as Lot was led out of Sodom so was I led out of the fallen City of St. Francis to New Hope; as Zoar;

"the little one"; yea;

"...and a little one shall become a thousand...".

even Jedidiah;

"The Beloved of Allah"

#"The Beloved of Allah

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dailyaudiobible · 4 years

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05/08/2020 DAB Transcript

1 Samuel 2:22-4:22, John 5:24-47, Psalms 106:1-12, Proverbs 14:30-31

Today is the 8th day of May. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I'm Brian it is wonderful to be here with you today as we approach the end of another week. And we’re approaching the end of the first full week of this month and…yeah…we’re continuing to move forward, step-by-step, day by day. This is…this is what we do. What a difference it makes to have this rhythm of life here together around the Global Campfire every day one step forward. So, we…we…we stepped into the book of first Samuel today and we talked about that yesterday but just by way of quick reminder, Samuel was the final judge of Israel. So, we read the book of Judges and now we are in first Samuel. He served…he's just a little kid right now where we are in the story, but he served as Israel's final judge bringing them into the age or era of the monarchy where they had a king and we’ll get to that over the coming days. Right now, we're just getting to meet everybody. Hannah Samuel's mother was childless, and she prayed at Shiloh before the Lord and Shiloh was the capital, like the tabernacle was permanently situated there for almost 4 centuries long, long, long before there was ever a temple in Jerusalem. And, so, she's there and she's praying and God gives her a son and she dedicates him to God and his name is Samuel and she brings him back to Shiloh and gives him to the priest, Eli, who is beginning to train him along with his own…his own children, his own sons Hophni and Phinehas and there is a stark contrast between Eli’s biological sons and the one that he's kind of raising up in the temple Samuel and we’ll see that more and more clearly as the days go by. So, we’re reading from the New Living translation this week. Today, first Samuel chapter 2 verse 22 through 4 verse 22.

Commentary:

Okay. So, Jesus is having a conversation with the religious leaders and they’re questioning Him and wanting to know about His authority, all these things that…that are common as we moved our way through the Gospels Jesus is having this discussion with them and He tells them some very poignant things today. And one of the things that He…He says is just…man…like it goes right to the heart. At least it goes to my heart when we pass this territory because it's like I'm guilty of the same thing. I've done the same thing for years and yet Jesus is giving immense clarity. So, speaking to these people Jesus says, “you search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life, but the Scriptures point to me, yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life.” So, honestly, like if I’m just going back into a part of my story, for me…I’m a Pastor’s son. I grew up around the Bible but before the Daily Audio Bible ever began, I just, you know, realized I’m a mile wide and an inch deep. There is no depth to this faith whatsoever. I’m not even sure its real. And, so, I turned to the Scriptures, as I should have, as we should and I, you know, spent like the next decade giving my all to the study of the Scriptures. And it’s not like I don't give my all to that every day now. I study the Scriptures every day, but what I was looking for was God. Like, what I was looking for was how to understand God and I thought that the more I could know these Scriptures the more I could know God, only to find out the Scriptures are there to point the way to God. They can't become God. The Bible isn't God. And yet, the Pharisees and scribes of the time, they’re studying the Torah, they’re studying the Scriptures of their time, they’re trying to obey them as best as they can, they're trying to control everybody else to get them to do the same thing and they had become God. Like the plot of the story had been lost and we’ve mentioned this many times in the Old Testament. We’re like there’s the spirit of the law and the letter of the law. And this is what Jesus is getting at here. That’s when He says, “you search the Scriptures because you think they give you…they give you eternal life, but the Scriptures point to me, yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life.” And then He goes on, “your approval means nothing to me because I know you don't have God's love within you. I came in my Father's name and you rejected me, but if people come around in their own name and…and…and toot their own horn ten you gladly welcome them. No wonder you can't believe. You…you honor each other. You gladly honor each other but you don't care about the honor that comes from the one who is God alone.” And then He goes on, “yet it isn't I who will accuse you before the Father, Moses will accuse you.” So, why is He referring to Moses?” Because they are studying the Mosaic law and trying to flesh it out and…and…and use it to control the people. And Moses teachings for them are the Scriptures. So, He’s basically saying, “the Bible is gonna condemn you because it showed you the way…it told you about me and you still don't believe it.” And that is entirely possible. I mean there are fantastic biblical and cultural scholars who do nothing for a profession outside of studying the times of the Bible and don't believe it. We can know the Bible back-and-forth and not know God. And knowing everything that there is to know or that you can know about someone doesn't mean you're in a relationship with them. Trying to wrestle through that and this particular Scripture was one of the inspiring things about that, you know, led me to write the book Reframe and really explore, “what is…what are we talking about when we’re talking about a relationship with God?” And, so, this leaves us with some things to think about today. Like are…are we studying the Scriptures so that they will draw us deeper into a relationship with God or are we studying the Scriptures to find out what we’re supposed to do? Are we studying the Scriptures and calling that a relationship? And then we just have to think about whether that could work in any other relationship in our lives. If like, say you're married, could you just read about your spouse and call that a relationship or do you have to actually offer yourself completely? Like do you have to open yourself? Do you have to be present and offer your presence in order for a relationship to happen? In so many ways this is what Jesus is telling the religious leaders and they won't listen. Like we know that, but they don't listen, they don't have the eyes to see that Jesus keeps talking about. And stepping into a relationship with Jesus means that, yes, we study the Scriptures. We do this every single day, but the Scriptures will lead us to a leap of faith and that leap of faith will be beyond, it will be into what we don't understand. We are talking about the most-high God after all. But it's not faith if you control it. By definition faith is reaching out for…for what we cannot see but we do perceive. It gives substance to what we hope for and the Bible leads us to understand that reality. So, we have to wonder in our own lives, “what is it that I am calling my relationship with God? Is it doing everything that I think I should do? Is it devoting devotional time each and every day?” These things can be part of it but when we’re studying God and not being with God, then that's not a relationship by any definition. So…so that’s…that gives us some things to think about. But then we can think, “well I've been going about this maybe in the wrong way. And, you know, how…how do I find that…that sweet spot?” Listen, God for sure will take us where we are and lead us forward from that place or this place. He wants to be in a relationship with us, one that we are intertwined in, one that we collaborate in, one…one that we do life together in. We’ve been reading the stories of the Bible and God will not give up. Like, if we if we have learned anything so far, He won't stop. He might get exasperated. He might punish even. But He will not give up. He will not stop coming. So, it's not like we gotta figure this out and get ready. It's that we gotta take a leap of faith and believe, which is the message of Jesus. Or let me just…let me just use the words of Jesus instead of my own words. Let me just read from our reading in the Gospel of John. “The father who sent Me has testified about Me Himself. You have never heard His voice or seen him face-to-face and you do not have His message in your hearts because you do not believe Me, the One He sent to you.” So, you see, we can become all the scholars that we want and still not know God and we can have no scholarly training and leap into His arms and have a relationship. Right now, what I desire more than anything is to just be in His lap instead of in the laboratory trying to figure Him out. I have found that it is a whole lot easier to figure out somebody that you know than it is trying to study somebody at a distance.

Prayer:

Father, that is our desire. It's built into us. We long for You. Life pulls us toward You. We can't do it without You although we try all the time. Ironically, You want this. You want us even more. You were willing to come for us and give Your life for us. You want this relationship and yet we muddy it up with all kinds of things all the time. When, no matter what, it all comes back to a leap of faith. And, so, Holy Spirit, strengthen our faith that we might walk in Your will and Your ways, that we might live in a dynamic, always on, never off relationship with You. We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is the website, and that makes it home base for us around the Global Campfire. So, being aware of that is good and I try to mention it just about every day so that we’re aware of it because that's where you take the journey deeper.

Now if you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app, you can do all these things from within the app, it’s the portal into community. So…so, just be aware and explore.

Explore the Community section. The Prayer Wall lives there. It lives within the app as well. That's always happening. People are always praying at the Prayer Wall or asking for prayer, So, know that that's a resource…that's a place to reach out. And there are many points of connection on social media as well, those are in the community section. So, check that out. Stay connected.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com as well. There is a link and it is on the homepage. And I thank you. I thank you for your partnership beyond words. We would not be here if we were not throwing some logs on together. So, thank you for your partnership. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or the mailing address, if that is your preference, is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

And, as always, if you have a prayer request or encouragement, you can hit the Hotline button in the app, which is the little red button at the top or you can dial 877-942-4253.

And that's it for today. I'm Brian I love you and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Diane from Newburgh Indiana this is an infantryman from Georgia. I just wanted to let you know you that you sang a song from Mr. Rogers that was aired on the April 27th podcast. And let me tell you, I was on the way to work as a military and essential employee during the COVID-19 response in Georgia and I just want to let you know that I was listening to that podcast on the way to work on just another one of many groundhog days over the past 45 days where we’re confronted with the need to go into work with so many sheltering at home and so many dealing with the economy as it is and all the stresses that come with that. Anyways, I found my 40-year-old combat arms military self, singing along with you and bawling my eyes out to Mr. Rogers lyrics as I was passing through base security and heading to the joint force headquarters. Now I’ve served overseas in combat in Afghanistan and I’ve been employed in response operations at home from Hurricane Katrina to COVID-19 and I’ve not felt this appreciated for my service in spite of all the overtures so as such until your simple musical tribute which resonated with my childhood. And I just wanted to say thank you from a soldier of war to a soldier of faith.

Good morning Daily Audio Bible this is Debbie in Texas, it’s Sunday, May 3rd. This is my first time calling in. I’ve been listening since January. I think my story is so much like everyone else’s. Just so appreciative of Brian and his ministry and his family’s ministry to reach out to all of us. I can’t remember everyone’s names as I’m trying to recall this and record this and I’m nervous. So, I pray for all of you along with the prayer requests and I just ask that maybe you would just also say a prayer for me. Really too much to go into and just not super comfortable anyway saying what’s going on in my life. But anyway, huge changes. So, I thank you. I lift you all up and I hope you all have a great day. Thank you. Bye.

Hi this is May 3rd, and this is Sam and I’m calling from Barcelona Spain and my prayer is for the gentleman that called today regarding his mother in New York being confined with coronavirus. I want to pray for her. And as a coronavirus survivor I know it means to be cooped up in a very small room for 20 days. So, praying for your mother and for your family. Dear Lord, You are the giver of life and the taker of life and You have the whole world in Your hands and under Your control. So, we thank You for those that You provide and grant salvation and healing from this virus. And for those that You do not Father, we ask that You give them comfort, that You give them light, that You give them years to hear Your voice and Your word and Your message of hope and eternal life. And I’m praying for this mother that is having difficulties being confined Lord. And I pray that You send her understanding, that You send her peace, and that You surround her with a great support group that would be able to withstand this time. In the name of the Lord Jesus. Amen.

Fear is not my friend. Fear is not my friend. It is __ worm tongue hissing in my ear pretending to protect me while feeding off my pain. What a sick and twisted codependency. It has left me small and hard and gray. Fear has been my counselor for a long time, but I’ve finally seen through its slithering disguise. I have divorced fear and its poisonous comfort, and I will resist and reject every attempt it makes to worm its way back into my affections. I have a new comforter now the spirit of adoption. Daddy. Daddy, my heart cries and He answers with truth. There is so much joy and beauty ahead Cherry. He isn’t pretending. He sees. He knows. “What if” used to torment me, now what widens my eyes with wonder.

Sweet Elijah from May the 3rd, I just want you to know my love that it is okay to lean on others when you’re feeling struggles and temptations all around you. Satan is like that. He likes to get in and try to trip us up and first he’ll…he’ll make it seem okay and then we need to…when you follow him, he’ll say, “see, God’s not gonna want you now. See, what do you do that for? Now you’re not such a good Christian.” But I want to tell you something, God loves you no matter what. And every time you get a thought or temptation, if you just kind of quickly close your eyes really quick and say, “Lord I can’t handle the situation, can you please help me?” And you know what? Jesus promised in His word that He will do that, that any time we call upon Him He will step in and He will help us, He will give us a way out. So, you just keep praying, you keep coming back here for support, keep reminding us that you need us to pray for you and we certainly will. I know this is a hard time right now. It’s a hard time to be growing up but things will get better because God loves you and He will do everything He can to keep you safe. I’m gonna put you in my prayer book and I’m gonna pray for you every time I pray for my grandchildren and my children. And I just want you to know that you are His precious child, His precious gift. You take care my darling and any time at all you…you call here and tell us what’s going on. This is Paula Living on the Rock standing…

Oh wow…rejoice with me Daily Audio Bible family of God. Thank you for your prayers. Early this morning my third grandchild was born, and mama is doing great. Dada’s doing great. We went and picked up little baby number three’s brothers and brought them home and they stayed the night last night and we were notified via text that all is well. So, thank you for praying. So grateful, so grateful. Please welcome Valentine is his name, into this world. God bless You all. Lord God shower down a blessing upon all the women that have a desire in their heart to be a mother Father God. I pray Lord God that You would bless them in Your favor and grant them this gift in Jesus’ precious and holy name. And bless all the mothers with toddlers and bless all our children Father God of every age. We love them dearly and we are Your children God and we are so grateful. Praise You Lord. Praise You Lord Jesus’ name. Amen. This is Treasured Possession. God bless you.

Good morning been a listener since January 15th, and I’ve needed it so much to just keep my anxiety low and my sadness high and it’s really helped to encourage me. And I finally had to call in. There’s been something on my heart since then and I thank you Walta, Walta the burning bush that will not be devoured for the glory of our God and King a week ago, Saturday on the community prayer talked about generational transference and I’m in the middle of that right now. My son is 19. He was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy when he was six and it’s been very difficult for me to handle but the __ it was more important than, you know, Jesus above anything and here at 19 he’s claiming to be an atheist and agnostic and my heart is broken. And Walta thank you for praying for our children. You mentioned about that we take our kids to church and they watch and do what they see us do. And he’s been at church since he was born and now, he wants to do things his way and God is not a part of that. So, I do pray for that generational transference, that he will connect to Jesus, that God will be an option for him to long, thirst, understand and be in love with Him. So, I’m just thankful that you encourage me to call in. My name is Carrie, his name, his Jared and I pray that God, it has to be the Holy Spirit that’s only going to work in his heart to save him. So, thank you Walta for encouraging me and I pray that everybody will pray for my son. It’s pretty heartbreaking. This is the worst blow then really the diagnosis of muscular dystrophy…

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micahammon · 5 years

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On Chinese

I didn’t learn to speak Chinese. In the West we usually differentiate between Mandarin and Cantonese languages, but in China they just refer to it as one language. Perhaps because the government likes to unify and emphasize sameness rather than difference--at least when it comes to ruling. Probably not a bad idea, considering that areas where Cantonese is spoken are not currently completely under the control of the mainland government. Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao are special administrative zones, that were under British rule previously, and are currently in a grace period until they can be completely subsumed by the mainland government again. This will happen in the next few years, I suppose.

I have a few excuses why I didn’t learn Chinese. The main one is that China uses a character-based writing system, like hieroglyphs if you will. What’s interesting is that this is a testament to the age of this culture and their tendency to safeguard their culture. When a language is being written down for the first time, the inclination is not to create letters in order to spell the words, but rather to break the words down into syllables. So if English used the same system, the word “brother”, would be two syllables “bro-ther”, and we would use a different character to represent every single syllable that we use in our language. Those syllable pieces would come together to form all the words.

However, Chinese takes a bit of a shortcut. They prefer their words to be only one syllable. That makes it easier to write. The characters are unbelievably complex! For example, to write the character for “I” (as in: I am Micah) takes 10 strokes of the pen! Obviously in English it takes 3 to write a capital “I” like how we were taught in school. So, the fewer syllables used to form a word, means the fewer pen strokes used to write the word. Now, how do you get maximum words using as few syllables as possible? Use the same syllables but change the tone and now you have multiple words using the same syllables (each is written differently though). Chinese has 5 tones. One tone goes up, like for example how when a person asks a question their tone goes up at the end of the sentence. One tone goes down, another goes down and then back up, another tone is flat, and the last tone is no tone.

I was born and raised in the deep south in America, and I can tell you that I am tone deaf. I think Chinese people are a little more naturally suited to singing because they are used to keeping tone when they speak. As an English teacher, I always get a chuckle from the kids as they try to mimic my tone as I pronounce the words, because in their brain, the particular tone I use to emphasize the pronunciation of the word might be the exact tone that must always be used for that word.

There is no written alphabet using letters. This means that reading Chinese is not phonetic. You can’t look at an unfamiliar word and phonetically sound it out in your head, like “con-ster-na-tion”. If a Chinese person encounters a word (character) that they don’t recognize, it’s impossible for them to know how to pronounce the word. They would need to ask someone who knows how to pronounce the word for them. It is said that one needs to memorize 2,000 characters, at a minimum, to be able to read simple articles, but the better target is 4,000 characters to be fluent.

Now, the truth is that you don’t have to read and write Chinese characters in order to speak Chinese. I know a number of people who are fluent or who can speak pretty well, and their reading skills are below their speaking skills. And the truth is that China has adopted a Latin-based writing system, using letters like the West! It’s called Pinyin, and it is an excellent writing system. This Latin-based writing system is what Chinese kids start with when they begin school, because, among other things, it really helps them to learn the pronunciation—it clearly shows the tones using accent marks. It actually takes school children about 7 years to learn the characters in order to become fluent in traditional reading and writing.

Pinyin is absolutely critical to modern life because in order to write Chinese on the computer or phone, one must use Pinyin. Remember that there are no letters used to form words in the traditional writing system. If not for Pinyin, one would need a keyboard with 4,000 characters in order to write. Writing on the computer or phone using Pinyin works just like predictive text that we used to use on older phones. Type the first 3 letters or so of the word that you want to write, then choose the correct character from the list of associated characters that pop up. Imagine all day writing like that—letter, letter. Select word. Letter, letter, letter. Select word.

Unfortunately for me, after words get typed into the computer using Pinyin, the end result is the traditional Chinese character gets spit out onto the screen. This means that I never see the Pinyin. I can’t read the words that people type to me in Chinese. All the newspapers, menus in restaurants, signs, etc. are written in the traditional character system. And I am a person who really needs to see the word in order to get a grasp on the words being used, it really helps me to read the word and mull it over in order to learn. The truth is that I would speak Chinese today if not for this.

Aside from how it’s written, the Chinese language is really not that difficult, in my opinion. They don’t have future, or past conjugation of verbs. Roughly: I eat a sandwich yesterday. I eat a sandwich today. I eat a sandwich tomorrow. There are some oddities. It is grammatically correct to form some sentences without verbs! One doesn’t say I am very good, but rather I very good.

The language is simple, and I believe that it is in part because of the reliance on the character-based writing system. If the meaning can be derived using fewer words, the better and less cumbersome to write. I also believe that is a reason why they often speak using what amounts to idioms and metaphors. When you already have 4,000 characters that must be memorized to read and write (and there are some estimates that puts the total number of Chinese characters around 45,000) then there would be a great reluctance to invent new words as technology develops or as language evolves. So, they can combine old words and use them to connote new meanings. One example is that “hand machine” means cell phone. This makes translation very strange and difficult even for translations apps like Google Translate.

I still could’ve learned to speak Chinese, and I am embarrassed that I did not after living here so long. I will never live somewhere and not learn the local language again. However, I lacked important incentives to learn Chinese. It may sound strange, but I would rather use the brain space and future time practicing and conversing with others in other languages. If I learned Chinese, then I would owe it to myself to keep myself in Chinese circles even after I leave, in order to practice and maintain my level. My favorite thing about China is the strong reading & writing culture, there are many amazing Chinese authors (which I read in English). But sadly, these are written using characters that I really don’t want to dedicate myself to learn. That would be the one big thing that I would love to be able to do, read Chinese books in the native tongue, but that goal was too high above my ambition.

#chinese #china #language

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thotsonthebible · 5 years

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Return to Your First Love

Revelation 2.4-5

'But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first….

When I read that verse, my first impression has always been of the enthusiasm and joy that accompanied my early Christian life. I reasoned that now that I'm older, I'm more settled, more mature in my walk with the Lord, not so excitable. But today another explanation presented itself to me.

When I gave my life to Jesus, the first thing I did was buy a paperback New Testament and read it cover to cover. I devoured it. The Word of God was fresh and powerful and every word bestowed life!

Then I bought the complete Bible in paperback and carried it with me everywhere. If I was early for an appointment, I spent the time reading my Bible. During my lunch hour, I quickly ate and then spent the balance of the hour studying the Word of God, for it was life to me!

More recently, I've spent time reading my Bible before work in the morning, but that can hardly be compared to the time I used to spend devouring the Word when I was a new believer.

Charles H. Spurgeon put it this way:

'Now it is that first love that you and I must confess I am afraid we have in a measure lost… When we first loved the Saviour how earnest we were; there was not a single thing in the Bible that we did not think most precious; there was not one command of his that we did not think to be like fine gold and choice silver. Never were the doors of his house open without our being there; if there were a prayer meeting at any hour in the day we were there.'

How well that describes my early years as a believer! If there was a praise meeting going on, I'd leave work and drive directly to the church. When the doors were open, I was there!

What changed? Several things.

First, it is difficult to find a church dedicated to serving the Lord. More often than not, there is a powerful clique of members in long standing who consider it 'their' church, not God's, and who are determined to maintain their stranglehold on the institution, even if it means strangling the life out of it. Other churches have decided to 'modernize', take God's commands and instructions with a grain of salt, and embrace the attitudes of the world. Only rarely do we find a congregation whose desire is to please God and study His Word and to find such a place of worship often requires a diligent search.

Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, there are so many distractions today. Our electronic devices clamor for our attention: news feeds, social media posts, virtual games. All these draw us away from God; all are designed to distract us. What is the first thing you do in the morning: spend time with the Word or check your social media account?

And what about movies? Sports? Books? I've realized that I have been spending far more time reading fiction than I spend reading the Word. Fiction isn't wrong; it isn't 'bad'; but most of it is of no value whatsoever when it comes to the spiritual growth of my eternal soul. There simply is no spiritual benefit.

King David was beloved of God, a man after God's own heart (1 Samuel 13.14), a man who dedicated himself to learning God's precepts and meditating on His Word.

Before we go any further, let's make one thing perfectly clear: the Bible isn't referring to the so-called 'meditation' of occult Eastern religions that requires an empty mind, but of reflection on God's Word. James Boice describes it this way: 'Meditation is recalling what we have committed to memory and then turning it over and over in our minds to see the fullest implications and applications of the truth.'

Consider the following verse:

When I remember you on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches, for You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy. —Psalm 63.6-7 (NASB)

There is disagreement over the author/authors of Psalm 119, but no matter the author, the psalm is filled with meaning and significance. Here are but a few verses expressing David's delight in the Word of God:

I meditate on Your precepts and consider Your ways. —Psalm 119.15 (NIV)

My soul is consumed with longing for Your laws at all times. —Psalm 119.20 (NIV)

Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors. —Psalm 119.24 (NIV)

Direct me in the path of Your commands, for there I find delight. Psalm 119.35 (NIV)

For I delight in Your commands because I love them. —Psalm 119.47 (NIV)

And I shall lift up my hands to Your commandments, which I love; and I will meditate on Your statutes. —Psalm 119.48 (NASB)

O LORD, I remember Your name in the night, and keep Your law. —Psalm 119.55 (NASB)

At midnight I rise to give You thanks because of Your righteous law. —Psalm 119.62 (NIV)

O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. —Psalm 119.97 (NASB)

My eyes anticipate the night watches, that I may meditate on Your word. —Psalm 119.148 (NASB)

What beautiful fellowship we would enjoy with our Lord if we were to spend as much time reading and reflecting on His Word as we did when we were new believers!

It's time to make reading the Word of God central to our lives, not just a peripheral activity. It's time to return to our first love!

#Bible #Bible study #Christianity #religion #Word of God #meditation #David #Psalms

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lifejustgotawkward · 5 years

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My Favorite Albums of 2018

Now that we’ve reached the end of December, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite albums from this year. I’m particularly proud of the emphasis that I placed on listening to new music by women, which will be obvious as you make your way through the post. As I hope is the case every time I make these annual rankings, my goal is not so much that anyone should be awed by my short paragraphs of explanation (doubtful since my schedule didn’t allow me enough time to edit my writing too closely - let me know if there are any weird errors!), but rather that my mentions of these artists will spread positive awareness of them. If I can share my appreciation for a singer or band and subsequently inspire someone to become a fan, the work will have been worth it. Have a good time with this, everybody!

Tagging @shadowfaxstables, @entrancedintime, @mr-top-secret, @walkingwiththemoon, @thehoodedone, @yung-lawsuit, @oystersaintforme - I hope you enjoy the music!

15. Seinabo Sey, I’m a Dream

Standout Tracks: “Never Get Used To,” “I Owe You Nothing,” “My Eye,” “Truth,” “Breathe,” “Good in You”

I might never have heard of Gambian-Swedish singer-songwriter Seinabo Sey if I didn’t regular check out Pitchfork reviews, although luckily I started listening to I’m a Dream before reading Katherine St. Asaph‘s piece, which unfairly marks Sey’s album with a 6.0 grade. Sey’s second album, following Pretend (2015), continues her interest in marrying soul/R&B with pop, moving through different tempi to exhibit her perspectives on romantic and familial relationships. Most inspirational among the songs is “Breathe,” an empowering reminder from Sey to herself that no matter what hardships she endures, she is valuable and magical.

14. Black Belt Eagle Scout, Mother of My Children

Standout Tracks: “Soft Stud,” “Keyboard,” “Mother of My Children,” “Yard,” “I Don’t Have You in My Life,” “Sam, A Dream”

There may not have been a more impressive debut single in 2018 than “Soft Stud,” a searing ode to unrequited lust. The rest of Katherine Paul’s album is fairly quiet by comparison, but her first full-length project as Black Belt Eagle Scout burns with longing. A self-described “radical indigenous queer feminist,” Paul draws from her experiences growing up in the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community in Washington to tell stories both deeply personal to her and universal in the desires they communicate. Album closer “Sam, A Dream” is the best example of how Paul blends those two concepts, taking a minimalist lyrical approach to expressing her love for the song’s subject before spending a solid two and a half minutes on a guitar solo to finish the record, a sound so beautiful that you feel like you’re floating when you hear it.

13. Blossoms, Cool Like You

Standout Tracks: “Cool Like You,” “Unfaithful,” “How Long Will This Last?” “Between the Eyes,” “Lying Again,” “Love Talk”

For those of us who love a good tune that pays homage to 80s New Wave and synthpop, Blossoms are your band. They don’t seem to have made anywhere near as much of an impact in the US as they have in their native UK, and British critics weren’t exactly bowled over by this sophomore album (despite it hitting #4 on the charts), but I’ll bet that most of today’s young American bands would kill to put out a single half as catchy as “Cool Like You,” or anything close to the upbeat yet still sort of bittersweet perfection of “Love Talk.”

12. Shannon Shaw, Shannon in Nashville

Standout Tracks: “Bring Her the Mirror,” “Broke My Own,” “Leather, Metal, Steel,” “Love I Can’t Explain,” “Cold Pillows,” "Make Believe”

Stepping away from her role as frontwoman of Oakland, California’s surf-punk outfit Shannon and the Clams, Shannon Shaw’s debut solo album Shannon in Nashville is an entrancing collection of songs deeply inspired by 60s girl groups, Roy Orbison and, of course, Dusty “Dusty in Memphis” Springfield. Even if you’d never heard Shaw’s voice before now, it would instantly become iconic to your ears thanks to melodies that sound just as timeless as their predecessors from half a century ago.

11. Say Sue Me, Where We Were Together

Standout Tracks: “Let It Begin,” “But I Like You,” “Old Town,” “After Falling Asleep,” “About the Courage to Become Somebody’s Past,” “Coming to the End”

Korean-American indie rock band Say Sue Me have a sweet, light touch that makes both their snappy power-pop efforts like “But I Like You” and “Old Town” and also somewhat more serious-minded guitar showcases like “Let It Begin,” “About the Courage to Become Somebody’s Past” (an instrumental that gives me real “This Magic Moment” vibes) and “Coming to the End” equally appealing. I don’t speak or understand Korean, so I don’t know how lead singer Sumi Choi’s lyrics of “After Falling Asleep” translate, but the fact that I love it anyway is a testament to the fact that fantastic music always transcends barriers of language.

10. Robyn, Honey

Standout Tracks: “Missing U,” “Human Being” (feat. Zhala), “Baby Forgive Me,” “Send to Robin Immediately,” “Honey,” “Ever Again”

I didn’t expect to love Robyn’s newest album upon first listen back in October, but now I do, so here we are. A couple of months spent absorbing her woozy beats has made me appreciate Robyn’s ability to evoke moods that feel specific to her particular talent as an artist. The loss that inspired the album - the death of one of her closest friends, Christian Falk, in 2014 - pervades nearly all of the tracks, but they are relatable and will still make you want to dance, closer to light than to darkness. Even in songs like “Human Being” and “Baby Forgive Me,” where the rhythms and (to cite the latter’s credits in the album liner notes) “sad robot voice” play with notions of human artistic creation juxtaposed with machine-manufactured products, Robyn herself is always in front and center, and in the album’s crown jewel, the title track “Honey,” her maturity as a storyteller is evident.

9. cupcakKe, Eden

Standout Tracks: “PetSmart,” “Cereal and Water,” “Garfield,” “Prenup,” “Blackjack,” “A.U.T.I.S.M.”

All Hail Queen cupcakKe. On her second album of the year, following January’s Ephorize, the Chicago rapper continues to show why she’s one of the best women in the game. “PetSmart” starts things off incredibly, exhibiting one entertaining brag after another, then the rest of the album displays more of her often laugh-out-loud humor, endless pop culture references, a bunch of her quintessential sex-centric jams (”Garfield,” “Typo,” “Blackjack”) and a song dedicated to people on the autism spectrum (”A.U.T.I.S.M.”). Every now and then there are moments that indicate that cupcakKe still has room to grow, like when she uses the R slur on “Garfield,” but ultimately her heart is in the right place; besides the aforementioned “A.U.T.I.S.M.,” she has also recorded songs in support of the LGBTQ+ community (”LGBT,” “Crayons”), so I am certain that she’ll eventually learn from her mistakes. As one YouTube commenter wrote on one of her videos: “She should be where Cardi B is.” Indeed.

8. Chelsea Jade, Personal Best

Standout Tracks: “Ride or Cry,” “Pitch Dark,” “Colour Sum,” “Laugh It Off,” “Over Sensitive,” “High Beam”

New Zealand-based singer-songwriter Chelsea Jade has not yet hit it big in America like her younger compatriot, Lorde, but there is an ample proof on Personal Best that Jade can craft earworms with memorable hooks and intelligent lyrics. (Seriously, when was the last time you heard the word liminal used in a pop song, as Jade does on “Laugh It Off”?) She has her foot in the door in America as a lyricist, credited as one of the writers of this year’s Chainsmokers single “You Owe Me,” but one hopes that the “Accidental Dream Pop Hero” of Auckland, NZ will claim her own chart-topping stardom one day.

7. Beach House, 7

Standout Tracks: “Lemon Glow,” “L’Inconnue,” “Black Car,” “Lose Your Smile,” “Girl of the Year,” “Last Ride”

I thought I knew what to expect from a Beach House album after following their career for the past few years, but “Lemon Glow” and “Black Car” hit me like gorgeous sledgehammers anyway when they were released earlier this year, still taking my breath away every time I hear them. I don’t know how Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally manage it, but they keep finding sophisticated ways to update their mining of the same musical territory in a tried-and-true comfort zone. Beach House’s secret seems to be that they have deduced all the algorithms necessary to hypnotize listeners. 7 is perhaps less exciting to me than the duo’s last album, Thank Your Lucky Stars, since the freshness of first being introduced to their music in 2015 has faded, but I’m glad to report that their new songs are absolutely worthy of praise.

6. Soccer Mommy, Clean

Standout Tracks: “Still Clean,” “Cool,” “Your Dog,” “Last Girl,” “Skin,” “Wildflowers”

Nashville, Tennessee’s Sophie Allison, who performs under the moniker Soccer Mommy, wowed me with this ten-track album full of indie rock gems. At age 20, she is ready to take the music industry by storm, evoking her heroes Liz Phair and Mitski while always maintaining a recognizable individual style. This is most apparent on the more upbeat tracks - “Skin,” for example, is a brutally honest articulation of yearning, and if ever there was a year that needed a blistering takedown of abusive relationships like “Your Dog” as its rallying cry, it’s 2018.

5. Courtney Barnett, Tell Me How You Really Feel

Standout Tracks: “Hopefulessness,” “Charity,” “Need a Little Time,” “Nameless, Faceless,” “Help Your Self,” “Sunday Roast”

It took a while for Courtney Barnett’s latest album to sink in with me. Tell Me How You Really Feel is the definition of a slow burn; it has just as much of Barnett’s trademark dry humor, but it also brings to the surface a sensitivity beyond what she revealed on her breakthrough album, Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit (2015). Most of all, I think she’s enjoying exploring what she can do with her melodies, like the guitar solo on “Help Your Self,” her incorporation of Margaret Atwood’s famous “men are afraid, women are afraid” quote in the chorus of the #MeToo/#TimesUp anthem “Nameless, Faceless” or the amount of time it takes her to reach the “Keep on keeping on/You know you're not alone” part of “Sunday Roast.” Listening to new music by Courtney Barnett is as rewarding an experience as any modern-day alternative rock fan could want.

4. Caroline Rose, LONER

Standout Tracks: “More of the Same,” “Jeannie Becomes a Mom,” “Getting to Me,” “To Die Today,” “Soul No. 5,” “Animal”

I was magnetized to Caroline Rose’s music from the intriguing opening notes of “More of the Same,” the first of many riffs that LONER gifts to us. My favorite track is “Jeannie Becomes a Mom,” which continues a classic singer-songwriter tradition of relating the ups and downs of another woman’s life, especially her dreams for a brighter future. She also moves through a few genres besides indie rock with skill, employing elements of trip-hop on “To Die Today” and R&B on “Talk” and “Animal” in engaging ways. (According to Rose in a press release, LONER is “as much inspired by Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears as it was late-’70s punk,“ which I can believe.) Rose’s sense of humor might be the best part of the album, though, as seen in her sharp wit and sarcasm on “Money,” “Soul No. 5” and “Bikini,” the last of which is a bouncy number mocking the industries that compel women to become sexualized puppets tailor-made for public consumption.

I also find this Out Magazine quote from Caroline Rose about how she incorporates her own sexuality enlightening: “When I was first starting, I was kind of afraid to make being queer a part of my identity for fear that it would consume it, because that happens to a lot of artists, unfortunately. When you’re first starting, that is the way people identify you cause that’s all you get. You get one elevator pitch and if you’re lucky, a 30 second clip of what your music sounds like—and that’s the pitch. But I hit a point where I was like, ‘That’s dumb.’ People should be as much of themselves as possible, ‘cause then everyone would be super unique. No one else is you. You are independent of other people and you can do whatever you want with your identity and your body and the way you dress and the way you act. I realized I should just be myself—middle fingers up and no fucks given, ‘cause life is really short. My life is zipping by and I’m okay with that, but I want to make sure I do it right.”

3. Wild Moccasins, Look Together

Standout Tracks: “Boyish Wave,” “Temporary Vase,” “Longtime Listener,” “Missing You (the Most),” “No Muse,” “Waterless Cup”

Few bands that I discovered in 2018 have dazzled me quite like Houston, Texas’s Wild Moccasins. When the pair at the heart of the group, vocalist/keyboardist Zahira Gutierrez and guitarist Cody Swann, ended their romantic relationship a few years ago, they turned their complex jumble of reasons and reactions into art. But Look Together isn’t a mopey breakup record; “Longtime Listener,” the song that immediately turned me into a fan, is a slice of New Wave heaven, while “Missing You (the Most)” and “No Muse” are just as jaunty but dig into the more personal side of the duo’s songwriting. “Missing” ends with a repetition of the lines “You only want me if you get the chance to change me/You only want me if you get the chance to save me,” while “No Muse,“ a pointed examination of how men (especially artists) undermine and belittle the women in their relationships, features this cogent chorus: “I’m no use to you unless I’m undressed/I’m no muse to you/You cut me in two unless I say yes/I’m no muse to you/And you can sing about it all you want/I must not want it bad enough, bad enough.”

2. Miya Folick, Premonitions

Standout Tracks: “Thingamajig,” “Premonitions,” “Stock Image,” “Stop Talking,” “Deadbody,” “Baby Girl”

Thanks to Pitchfork, I first heard of Miya Folick when her single “Deadbody” came out this past March. It immediately struck me as a manifesto for our new age, where women can move forward with confidence thanks to the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements. That song alternately demonstrates subdued menace and loud, unapologetic anger, but “Stock Image” and “Premonitions” show that Folick has a strong leaning towards modern pop music; “Stop Talking” is so commercially accessible that it’s as much of a bop as any sugary confection by Carly Rae Jepsen. Folick’s debut album - after having released a number of EPs and standalone tracks over the past few years - showcases a woman whose voice and songwriting abilities have limitless potential, and she’s only just getting started. To quote some of Folick’s lyrics from “Stop Talking,” seemingly a summary of her artist’s statement: “You have to make a choice/Don’t be an accidental voice/We have to speak with grace/We will become the words we say.“

1. Mitski, Be the Cowboy

Standout Tracks: “Geyser,” “Me and My Husband,” “Nobody,” “Pink in the Night,” “Washing Machine Heart,” “Two Slow Dancers”

It’s no mistake that so many end-of-year best-of lists have placed Be the Cowboy at the top of their rankings. Mitski’s fifth album finds her wading through deep pools of emotion in brief, lovely bursts of song, with twelve out of the fourteen tracks running two and a half minutes or shorter. It was pretty difficult for me to pick only a handful of highlights from an album that is so impressive in every conceivable way, so just know that every cut is a masterpiece. She puts words to the feelings we all carry inside, diamonds that glisten for fleeting moments but linger in the memory for a long time afterward.

HONORABLE MENTIONS (alphabetical)

Cher, Dancing Queen (”Dancing Queen,” ”Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight),” “The Name of the Game,” “Waterloo,” ”Fernando,” ”One of Us”)

Farao, Pure-O (”Marry Me,” “Get Along,” “Luster of the Eyes,” “Cluster of Delights,” “Gabriel,” “Triumph Over Me”)

Florence + The Machine, High as Hope (”Hunger,” “Big God,” “Patricia,” “100 Years,” “The End of Love,” “No Choir”)

Juliana Hatfield, Juliana Hatfield Sings Olivia Newton-John (”I Honestly Love You,” ”Physical,” “Hopelessly Devoted to You,” “Xanadu,” “Dancin’ ‘Round and ‘Round,” “Make a Move on Me”)

Marie Davidson, Working Class Woman (”Your Biggest Fan,” ”Work It,” ”The Psychologist,” “Day Dreaming,” “So Right” [although the extended version is even better since the opening lines are brought back in the last thirty seconds, making the song’s ending even more effective], “Burn Me”)

HONORABLE MENTIONS #2: EPs (alphabetical)

Ellis, The Fuzz (”The Drain,” “Frostbite,” ”What a Mess”)

Hatchie, Sugar & Spice (”Sleep,” ”Try,” “Bad Guy”)

King Princess, Make My Bed (”Talia,” “Upper West Side,” “Holy”)

Margaret Glaspy, Born Yesterday (”Before We Were Together,” ”One Heart and Two Arms,” “I Love You, Goodnight”)

Sevdaliza, The Calling (”Soul Syncable,” “Energ1,” “Human Nature”)

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steveezekiel · 2 years

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ALTARS OF PRAYER AND SACRIFICE

7. “Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” AND THERE HE BUILT AN ALTAR TO THE LORD, WHO HAD APPEARED TO HIM.

Genesis 12:7,8 (NKJV)