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officialyourdailyinspiration · 1 year

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The Exiles who Returned with Ezra

1 These are the heads of the families, and this is the genealogy of those who went up with me during the rule of King Artaxerxes:

2 of the family of Phinehas, Gershom; of Ithamar, Daniel; of David, Hattush, 3 Shecaniah’s son; of Parosh, Zechariah and with him were registered 150 men;

4 of Pahath-moab, Eliehoenai, Zerahiah’s son and with him 200 men;

5 of Zattu, Shecaniah, Jahaziel’s son and with him 300 men;

6 of Adin, Ebed, Jonathan’s son and with him 50 men;

7 of Elam, Jeshaiah, Athaliah’s son and with him 70 men;

8 of Shephatiah, Zebadiah, Michael’s son and with him 80 men;

9 of Joab, Obadiah, Jehiel’s son and with him 218 men;

10 of Bani, Shelomith, Josiphiah’s son and with him 160 men;

11 of Bebai, Zechariah, Bebai’s son and with him 28 men;

12 of Azgad, Johanan, Hakkatan’s son and with him 110 men;

13 of the last of Adonikam, namely Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah and with them 60 men;

14 of Bigvai, Uthai and Zaccur and with them were 70 men.

Voyage to Jerusalem

15 I gathered them by the river that runs to Ahava, and there we camped for three days.

As I reviewed the people and the priests, I found no Levites there. 16 So I called for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, all leaders, together with Joiarib and Elnathan, who were wise. 17 I sent them to Iddo, the leader at the place named Casiphia, telling them what to say to Iddo and his colleagues the temple servants at Casiphia, namely, to send us ministers for God’s house. 18 Because we were favored by God, they brought us Sherebiah, a skillful man of the family of Mahli, Levi’s son and Israel’s grandson, together with his sons and relatives so that there were eighteen in total. 19 They also brought us Hashabiah and with him Jeshaiah of the family of Merari, together with his relatives and their sons so that there were twenty in total. 20 In addition, there were two hundred twenty temple servants whom David and the princes had appointed to serve the Levites. These were all recorded by name.

21 Then I called for a fast there at the Ahava River so that we might submit before our God and ask of him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our possessions. 22 I had been ashamed to ask the king for a group of soldiers and cavalry to help us in facing enemies on the way, because we had told the king, “The power of God favors all who seek him, but his fierce wrath is against all who abandon him.” 23 So we fasted and prayed to our God for this, and he responded to us.

24 Then I selected twelve of the leading priests, Sherebiah and Hashabiah and ten of their relatives with them. 25 I weighed out to them the silver and the gold and the equipment, the offering for the house of our God that the king, his counselors, his officials, and all Israel present there had offered. 26 I weighed out into their keeping six hundred fifty kikkars of silver, one hundred silver containers weighing a certain number of kikkars, one hundred kikkars of gold, 27 twenty gold bowls worth one thousand darics, and two containers of highly polished copper, which were as precious as gold. 28 I said to them, “You are holy to the Lord, and the equipment is holy; the silver and the gold are a spontaneous gift to the Lord, the God of your ancestors. 29 Guard them carefully until you weigh them out in Jerusalem before the officials of the priests, the Levites, and the heads of the families of Israel, within the rooms of the Lord’s house.” 30 So the priests and the Levites received the silver and the gold and the utensils as they were weighed out, in order to bring them to Jerusalem, to our God’s house.

31 Then we left the Ahava River on the twelfth day of the first month to go to Jerusalem. The power of our God was with us; he saved us from the power of the enemy and ambushes along the way.

Finishing the journey

32 After arriving in Jerusalem, we rested there three days. 33 On the fourth day, the silver and the gold and the equipment were weighed out in our God’s house into the care of the priest named Meremoth, Uriah’s son, together with Eleazar, Phinehas’ son; and the Levites, Jozabad, Jeshua’s son, and Noadiah, Binnui’s son. 34 Everything was counted and weighed, and the total weight was recorded.

35 At that time, those who had come from the captivity, the returned exiles, offered as entirely burned offerings to the God of Israel twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and twelve male goats as a purification offering. All this was an entirely burned offering to the Lord. 36 They also delivered the king’s orders to the royal chief administrators and governors of the province Beyond the River, who supported the people and God’s house. — Ezra 8 | Common English Bible (CEB) Common English Bible Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible. Cross References: Genesis 25:21; Exodus 35:29; Leviticus 16:29; Leviticus 22:2-3; Joshua 22:16; 1 Samuel 7:6; 1 Chronicles 3:21-22; 1 Chronicles 5:20; 1 Chronicles 9:2; 1 Chronicles 29:7; 2 Chronicles 15:2; Ezra 1:9; Ezra 2:1; Ezra 2:6; Ezra 2:13; Ezra 2:15; Ezra 2:43; Ezra 2:69; Ezra 4:7; Ezra 6:17; Ezra 7:6-7; Ezra 7:14.15 and 16; Ezra 7:28; Nehemiah 2:11; Nehemiah 3:4; Isaiah 66:14

#the exiles who returned with Ezra #fasting for protection #priests to guard the offerings #arrival in Jerusalem #Ezra 8 #Book of Ezra #Old Testament #CEB #Common English Bible

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bbnibini · 2 years

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MEMORIA 3/KEY 7: His Name Was Nathan

The coffee was bitter on her tongue, lingering there until the acidity started to kick in to give his clumsy brew some “sour notes”. But as Balthazar looked at her with anticipation, she couldn’t say a single insult—letting it simmer inside her like the milk for his latte; now boiled over and ruined. She had gotten used to the careless smile on his face at every mistake; the plasters on his fingers a silent mark of his hard work. However fruitless his efforts were at every empty table, he would always laugh it off and say that he can try again. Even Sera’s voice of reason did not shake him off from closing the whole café down. Witch’s Brew meant so much to him—she didn’t need any words of affirmation to know that. Which made her think her next thoughts out loud:

“Why do you try so hard?”

Balthazar looked taken aback. She saw him scramble over the mess he made at the countertop; his eyes glazed as if in deep thought. This happens sometimes—only, Lucifer’s often biting remarks were now absent at the seat next to hers. The new Lucifer was earnest, kind and eager—much like the more innocent side of him before adulthood had hardened him to face the real world. She had always longed to see that part of him, but not in that way.

“You don’t have to think so hard, Balthazar. It was an offhand remark.”

The barista shook his head. “I don’t mind. I…just drifted off, I suppose.” He paused, hesitating, before meeting her eyes again. “There was someone, but he’s gone now. I learned everything from him.”

“Someone?” She parroted.

Balthazar smiled warmly, reminiscing. “Someone very precious to me…”

How many had it been?

The bile rising up from his throat was an unpleasant bitter, lingering in his tongue even as he spewed it all out. The banquet for this evening had been rich and decadent—with all the luxuries his prosperous nation is basking from his wise rule. Even so, a beloved ruler isn’t without adversaries. What is to say the person bending down to his eye level, offering a cup of water wasn’t as well?

“Don’t look at me like that. I’m merely jesting. Thank you for your kind offer.”

Nathan sighed. “I understand your suspicions, Your Majesty. But as you had requested for this humble self to always be candid with you, I cannot hide my hurt.” Only at times like this did the straitlaced Nathan looked like the same little boy he had known from his distant childhood. The King, of course kept that thought to himself.

“Now, do you need assistance?” He offered his hand for his to hold and he accepted with gratitude. “If you are gone for too long, they would grow restless. I shall alert—”

“I’m hungry.”

His dramatic flair had been successful as the weary Nathan had finally put down his guard and laughed with him. He guided him to be seated next to him, was offered by what he had called kikkar, but the poor King's fight and flight response said otherwise. Even so, he took the entire thing from his hand and had a big bite of it. He gagged.

“I told you it’s terrible, Your Majesty.” Nathan looked apologetic. “Here, wash it down.”

The playful sovereign shook his head and instead took in more bites—one, two, three…until it was all gone.

“I told you I was hungry.”

Nathan shook his head. “To think our wise ruler partakes in my abominations. When your royal counsellors take wind of it, it would be the end of me!” Realisation dawned on him. “What would Nathan say?”

“Nathan,” The king’s tone was kind. “Your cooking is fine. I appreciate you taking the time off your priestly duties for my sake.”

It was far from fine. Even with his best efforts, Nathan’s cooking was barely decent. Despite that…

“Nathan?”

“Yes, Your Majesty?”

…despite that, it had what the rich and decadent meals on his table had lacked.

“Will you teach me how to make kikkar? Just in case I ever consider stepping down the throne.

I’m not saying it in earnest, of course. Please don’t despair.”

The crown felt heavy on his head—the name He had given him moreso. On restless nights like this, he couldn’t help but wish that he had no name at all. But what would they ever think of him when he would say such thoughts out loud?

A loved child would only remain lovable if he is without flaw—the straight and blinding path paved for him wasn’t meant to stray. The doubts lingering in his heart, bitter like bile were there merely because he was still far from the loved child he was meant to become.

Yet at moments which his doubtful heart would clamour for repose, he would come back to the times when he didn’t know any better. Nathan had been a bittersweet reminder of that. But he was right. To be truly wise meant to keep an open, discerning heart. He could only regale for a while longer. Even Nathan couldn’t save him from the glory he was destined for since birth.

"Compared to the luxurious meals they serve me every day, this is so much better. It’s lethal in a good way."

Just when Nathan would retort, the King cut him short, holding back laughter. "Thank you for working hard. You don't have to do this for me, but you still do. I appreciate it,

Nathan, my dearest brother. My only friend in this world."

For each life that passes, he offers a flower---it had been someone equally precious, equally irreplaceable who had taught him that. Flush in his hands, the reddest of Ixoras lay, with its nectar long lost, like the life who left it behind. There was no doubt in his mind; he had known where his dearest friend will go. Even his name had lost its meaning--betrayed by the loneliness his prophecy had bestowed upon him.

Silently, that lonely figure stood there, wondering if a single floret would suffice as an offering. His tongue was traitorous. His earnest promises became poison with time. Even so, he knew that if he voiced such thoughts to Nathan, he would only smile at him and say,

"Such a thing?"

And he wouldn't understand.

In fact, he didn't understand Nathan at all. Even as his wrinkled hands clasped with his own, the last words he had said to him were lost.

"Your Majesty...no--"

Lost like the warmth that disappeared from his hand--the weight of his words felt prickly in his eyes, as if Nathan had known what he had doubted all this time.

The silence Nathan had answered him those many nights ago finally made sense. But in cruel irony, he had only understood once he was no more.

"...eldest brother. Thank you."

...and once again, he too was no more.

"A name?"

"Mhm. A pseudonym, moreof. You'll need one now that you're a bona fide writer!"

"...."

"Haha. I understand. A name is important to us, after all. Taking your time to think of one is good as well."

"How did you come up with yours, Christopher?"

"Me? Well...it's quite embarrassing but...I didn't really put much thought into it. It's something I regret up to now. . . . . As a name will hold most of your power, make sure to think up of one that is easy to remember."

"An unforgettable name? Then--"

"Balthazar?"

"Ohhh...sorry. What was I saying?"

She looked concerned, but answered. "You said that someone was precious to you?"

Ah.

"Is something wrong?"

Balthazar shook his head.

For a moment, he wondered why that name he once borrowed sounded so vivid in his ears.

Family.

The name he kept close to his heart is his only one, and he had lost it. How dare he yearn for more when he couldn't even protect the one he had?

"I'm sorry. I seem to have forgotten what I was going to say. Anyway, since you're here, do you want to try some kikkar? On the house."

"No, thank you!"

[ "My dearest reader---the answer you will find here will be the key you will need to uncover a fragment of himself that he had hidden--one he has to face once more to truly be at peace with himself. Knowing my name would only spoil the excitement~! My existence is a hint in itself, and it will rob you off the opportunity of getting to know him through your own abilities. Now, before I segue any further, shall we start?

“How can a woman say to her son: ‘Your father is my father; your grandfather, my husband; you are my son, and I am your sister?’” (hint: the daughters of _______; one word; name; lowercase)

I know you can do it! Once you are sure of your answer, go back to this page and place your answer in the blank box after clicking[enter answer here]. What awaits you is another riddle! Only once you answer all four will you uncover what is hidden. Good luck~!" ]

💌masterlist

💌 tag request: @krussyfed, @lilliansstuff , @cupsof-tea

#psisly #hamartia series #obey me #obey me x reader #obey me fic #interactive fiction #obey me shall we date #obey me mammon #obey me mammon x reader #obey me satan #obey me satan x reader #obey me barbatos #obey me barbatos x reader #obey me lucifer #obey me lucifer x reader #obey me author #obey me author x reader #love letter #secret admirer

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jdgo51 · 18 days

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MAY 9, 2024

An Important Purpose

Steven Thompson (Iowa, USA)

From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will. - Ephesians 1:1 (CEB)

"In many of the apostle Paul’s greetings to the early churches, he stated that he was an apostle of Christ by the will of God. While Paul recognized his life’s purpose, often as believers we feel less assured of our purpose and wonder if God is using us in our present circumstances. Sure, God called great theologians like Paul to serve God. But we who work in factories, drive trucks, care for children, do clerical work, teach, farm, and live in all kinds of circumstances can also be used by God.

God has a purpose for each of us just as God had a purpose for the young servant girl we read about in 2 Kings 5. She served the wife of Naaman, army commander for the king of Aram. Her faith changed the course of Naaman’s life and helped alter his hostile view of Israel.

Many of us can’t fathom how God could use us, but God is continually working in and through our lives. We don’t have to be great theologians to be used mightily by God. We just need to trust that we have been called to follow God, whatever our circumstances. We can trust that God has a purpose for our lives." Seek your purpose from God and carry out whatever is needed to fulfill it.

TODAY'S PRAYER

"Faithful God, thank you for the ways you work in and through our lives. Help us to focus on how you might use us this very day."Amen.

2 Kings 5:1-14

"'1 Naaman, a general for the king of Aram, was a great man and highly regarded by his master, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. This man was a mighty warrior, but he had a skin disease. 2 Now Aramean raiding parties had gone out and captured a young girl from the land of Israel. She served Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “I wish that my master could come before the prophet who lives in Samaria. He would cure him of his skin disease.” 4 So Naaman went and told his master what the young girl from the land of Israel had said. 5 Then Aram’s king said, “Go ahead. I will send a letter to Israel’s king.” So Naaman left. He took along ten kikkars of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing. 6 He brought the letter to Israel’s king. It read, “Along with this letter I’m sending you my servant Naaman so you can cure him of his skin disease.” 7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he ripped his clothes. He said, “What? Am I God to hand out death and life? But this king writes me, asking me to cure someone of his skin disease! You must realize that he wants to start a fight with me.” 8 When Elisha the man of God heard that Israel’s king had ripped his clothes, he sent word to the king: “Why did you rip your clothes? Let the man come to me. Then he’ll know that there’s a prophet in Israel.” 9 Naaman arrived with his horses and chariots. He stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 Elisha sent out a messenger who said, “Go and wash seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored and become clean.” 11 But Naaman went away in anger. He said, “I thought for sure that he’d come out, stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the bad spot, and cure the skin disease. 12 Aren’t the rivers in Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than all Israel’s waters? Couldn’t I wash in them and get clean?” So he turned away and proceeded to leave in anger. 13 Naaman’s servants came up to him and spoke to him: “Our father, if the prophet had told you to do something difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? All he said to you was, ‘Wash and become clean.’” 14 So Naaman went down and bathed in the Jordan seven times, just as the man of God had said. His skin was restored like that of a young boy, and he became clean."' Have faith that whatever method God presents Himself, do follow the instructions. Follow them to the letter and great things will be done. Bless you all! Joe

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tankesus-skriveprosjekt · 4 months

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Å vere sjuk i Taiwan og Miljøkrisa i Norge

Eg sit på rommet mitt. I leilegheita eg leiger. I Taipei. I Taiwan. Eg er sjuk, men blir snart frisk. Eg var mest sjuk i går. Leilegheita eg leiger ligg rett ved ein av dei store vegane i byen. Ved strekningen utanfor er det fire køyrefelt i kvar retning, åtte felt totalt. Det dundrar trafikk omtrent heile døgnet rundt. Det er slitsamt å vere på rommet mitt på grunn av denne trafikken. Det er òg slitsamt av andre grunnar. Men dei vil eg ikkje snakke om.

Det sug å vere sjuk. Det er som om du blir motvillig haldt tilbake. Verden dundrar på med alle planar og mål. Men du blir sittande heime, medan du kikkar på ein serie eller søv vekk dagane. Eg vil ikkje vere sjuk. Eg hatar å ligge som ein slapp fisk. Varm og kald samstundes. Med mykje vilje og mange ynskjer, men inga kraft. Og så skal eg vere sjuk i Taiwan òg. Av alle plassar eg skal vere sjuk så er det på rommet mitt i Taiwan. Rommet kvar eg ikkje orkar å sove utan ei pute over hovudet, for å dempe den forbanna trafikken som ikkje klarar å ta pause. Av alle tider eg skal bli sjuk så er det sjølvsagt i den helga kvar eg skulle på valvake for presidentvalet i Taiwan, på ekskursjon med taiwanske vener, og så på konsert som prikken over i-en. Eg hatar å vere sjuk. Òg eg hatar å vere sjuk i Taiwan.

Eg skal liksom oppleve så mykje i Taiwan. Eg er her tross alt berre i 9 månader. Eg skal meistre språket. Eg skal forstå kulturen. Eg skal bli ein ekspert. Men her ligg eg. Sjuk. Hadde det ikkje vore for dei støydempande hovudtelefonane mine hadde eg blitt drevet til vanvit av trafikken òg.

Eg vil gjere meir. Eg vil verkeleg føle eg meistrar språk og kultur i Taiwan. Eg vil meistre livet her. Vere nokon som kan sei at dei veit. Vere ein kjelde til informasjon og forståing. Men eg klarar jo ikkje å oppnå det når eg er sjuk. Når eg går glipp av ting eg ville gjere. I staden for var eg heime og sveitta senga våt medan eg såg på Bård Tufte Johansen utforske korleis det sto til med naturen i Norge i serien «Oppsynsmannen». Det var ein utruleg bra serie. Ein eg meiner alle i Norge har godt av å sjå. For Norge utviklar seg i ein grå og dyster retning. Me går feil framtid i møte.

Men klarar eg ikkje å oppnå forståing om Taiwan når eg er sjuk? Er det sant? Eller er eg eigentleg berre lat når eg ser på Bård traske rundt i Norge, når eg kunne sitt på noko på Mandarin. Kanskje Bård kan lære seg mandarin. Eg kjenner på denne tvilen. Eg kjente på det i Norge når eg tok ein bachelor i Kinesisk- med Kina-studium òg. Kvifor dukkar eg ikkje djupare inn i kulturen, i språket? Kvifor ser eg på denne norske filmen, kvifor les eg denne engelske boka? Eg må jo betre kinesisken min. Eg må vere på og jobbe heile tida. Eg hatar den tankegangen. Men eg slit med å bli kvitt den.

Mange snakkar om at det ikkje er godt med for mykje av noko. Alt i moderasjon. Det er bra å vere engasjert og på, berre ikkje gravlegg deg i negativ sjølvomtale om det pausar opp. Det er bra med økonomisk vekst og fleire vegar. Større vegar. Breiare vegar. Pisspreik. Du treng faen meg ikkje enda fleire monstervegar som brøytar seg igjennom alt me nordmenn likar med Norge. Politikarar og utbyggarar lev med tunellsyn. Det viktigaste er vekst. For vekst betyr auka velstand. På kva faens områder treng nordmenn auka velstand? Me er eit av dei mest velståande landa i verda. Me har velstand.

Ein er blitt blind av pengar. Me lev i eit pengegalt samfunn. Det er viktig med pengar seier ein. Pengar skapar moglegheiter for arbeidsplassar. Har ein fleire arbeidsplassar så kan fleire dele i velstanden. Då kan fleire gå på hytta. Fleire kan ta helgeferie i marka. Fleire kan reisa på bytur i ferien. Hadde me ikkje det for 20-30 pluss år si? Var det ikkje mogleg for folk å bu fint og flott, utan at ein skulle sprenge Lågendeltaet i to for å bråke av gårde med firefelts motorveg?

Sjukdommen siv ut av meg. Men trafikken blir. Eg er forbanna på meg og min eigen kropp for å bli sjuk når det var så mykje spennande som skulle skje. Eg vil oppleve så mykje meir. Eg vil bli smart på alt eg omringast av i dette ukjente landet. Men det går bra. Eg klarar meg overraskande bra, sjølv om eg har vore sjuk ei helg. Kanskje eg blir litt sakka ned mot målet mitt. Men det står ikkje på liv og død. Og på same måte som at det går fint for meg. For deg. Å bli sjuk ein gang i blant. Å ta ein pause frå køyret og presset frå samfunnet ein gang i blant. Så går det fint å ikkje alltid måtte bygge ut nye motorvegar og industriparkar og alt anna grått. Kanskje me kan ta ein pause i bygginga og kikke på litt andre meir berekraftige løysningar. Løysningar som ikkje krev at me riv grøn natur sundt for å bygge ‘grøn’ industri. Det er eit paradoks. Eit unødvendig paradoks.

Eg håpar fleire folk sluttar å tenke som i Stanley Jakobsen sin kjende song, «I morgon, i morgon, men ikkje i dag». Det hjelp ikkje med evig utsetting. Naturen ventar ikkje. Den døyr ein sakte død.

Inspirasjon for denne gangs skrivesus:

Å vere sjuk i Taiwan

Bård Tufte Johansen sin nye serie i NRK, Oppsynsmannen. https://tv.nrk.no/serie/oppsynsmannen

NRK sin avsløring om kor mykje natur som har blitt øydelagt i Norge sidan 2017. https://www.nrk.no/dokumentar/xl/nrk-avslorer_-44.000-inngrep-i-norsk-natur-pa-fem-ar-1.16573560

#NRK #nynorsk #sjuk #miljø #Taiwan

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amitapaul · 1 year

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25/19

#23GloPoWriMo

Year 2023 Month April Day 19

Prompt Dated 19/4/23

Response No : 1

Poem No : 25

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Prompt : For this challenge, start by reading Marlanda Dekine’s poem “My Grandma Told Stories or Cautionary Tales.”

*****

My Grandma Told Stories or Cautionary Tales

BY MARLANDA DEKINE

Grandma Thelma told me if I slept on my back

a hag would ride me and I’d never return, so I trained

my body to sleep on my stomach. Even now,

if I wake up cold, I open my mouth

and repeat the 23rd Psalm.

Grandma Thelma told me I might see a plat-eye

when I was seven years old. I could imagine

cypress knees growing full bodies

to walk the hungry road, an entire body

of eye nicknamed Plat.

Grandma Thelma told me I’d feel welcomed by the eye.

I’d be made to feel safe and loved,

but if I looked directly into that big white-bodied cornea,

I’d forget where I came from.

I’d be disappeared.

****

One common feature of childhood is the monsters. The ones under the bed or in the closet; the odd local monsters that other kids swear roam the creek at night, or that parents say wait to steal away naughty children that don’t go to bed on time.

Now, cast your mind back to your own childhood and write a poem about something that scared you – or was used to scare you – and which still haunts you (if only a little bit) today.

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Poem Title :

The Trembling Woman Monster of Bhatinda

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Rationalists, they were, my Professor parents,

And amateur child psychologists

And my little brother and I were the beneficiaries

And victims , the living objects of their of their experimentation

In child rearing : hence no monsters

Were allowed to scare us , and all those in stories

Were carefully and rationally explained away.

We were absolute nuisances

For our neighbours and their children

And teachers and other children in school

Disputing their mythological stories

And fairy tales with our parent - taught logic

Like little nerds. No Papa Christmas and no fairies for us

We played with birds and insects, mud and leaves ,

Flowers and mechanical toys .

My grandma never told cautionary tales.

But children, being children , and longing for acceptance

Among playmates, we found another locus for our collective local child- terror

Which come to think about it was much worse in human terms

Than imaginary monsters.

We lived by dusty sand dunes in Bhatinda

Overgrown with small thorny trees and bushes

Cacti and mesquite, ghaf , acacia, and capparis

Giant milkweed and bush morning glory

What we called kikkar, akk, jand, and kareer,

Where sheep and goats were often left to graze :

Those were our favourite playgrounds

Our escapes into the wild.

A woman, pale as a ghost, dressed in pastel shades

Clothes old but clean, an acacia stick in hand ,

A roomy cotton bag slung from one shoulder

Trembling and shaking with what we called ague

Would sometimes cross our sights, then float way

Chasing her flock of sheep and a few goats

Shaking and shaking silently the while

“ Kambann Waali Maayi “ we whispered

“ The Old Mother who Trembles” was her name

From where she came we never came to know

Nor where she vanished, what was in her bag.

Some of us tried to throw stones at her or twigs

Out of fear mixed with childish mischief and unconscious cruelty

As we would at stray dogs or at bush snakes or wild mongooses

And then she would grow angry muttering trembling words

That we could never understand for they were more like grunts

And she would raise her thorny stick and chase us

Till we ran off in fear, fast as we could

Some never stopping till they had reached home.

She was our ghost, our witch, our human monster

Our child- lifter, our baby - snatcher , bête noire

Until one day my brother running home

From one such sad encounter was asked questions

And then I too , and Bibiji, my old wrinkled grandmother

Insisted she wanted to meet the Maayi.

Next time we saw her, we faithfully ran

And told our father who took out his car

And drove us back, and spoke to the old woman

In gentle tones , we took her to our home

She trembling all the while and in her bag

Her tiffin rattling and some old chapatis

Falling out of it , scattered here and there.

She sat on a small chair next to Bibiji

And slowly tremblingly sipped some water

And then some milky tea from Granny’s tumbler.

They smiled at one another and then Granny

Took her cold trembling hand , put it in mine

( my brother ran away, hid behind mother )

And lo the monster- ghost- witch smiled at me

Then she grunted and gestured a bit wildly

We took her back to her own sheep and goats.

From that day on no child troubled the Lady

The Trembling Lady of Bhatinda’s Sand Dunes

And she would smile and wave if ever we saw her

And we would wave back , still a little frightened

Not by her but by the monster we had made

Of her in our childish imaginations

Slowly my parents found out her back story

A woman whose one child had proved still born

She turned dumb on that day and began shaking

And never was her old self from that day.

A farmer’s family, husband remarried,

The new wife would send out the old all day

To graze the sheep and goats , with some food she could eat

With that The Trembling Woman was content.

I think of her, whose name I never knew

I think of the stone- coldness of her hand

I think of her sad life and her sad story

And even now , a chill runs down my spine .

Years later I began my work of helping

Women like her whom people made outcastes

Treated as monsters, witches and at risk

Of stone- pelting and mob- lynching by hordes

Of ignorant folk, who need an education.

She gave me quite an education herself

“ The Trembling Woman Monster of Bhatinda “.

%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^

Poet : Amita Sarjit Ahluwalia

Poem 25 / 19 th Day

%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^

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bubskino · 2 years

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Moonfall

Kuu on luisunut pois omasta slotistaan ja lähestyy suoraan maata kohti vitun nopee. Pari astronauttia ja yks pullukka suuntaa avaruuteen tehdäkseen korjaavia liikkeitä. Selviää, että kuussahan on, saatana, jonkinlaista epämääräistä ja vihamielistä elämää. Tiukkoja paikkoja tiedossa.

Paskinta avaruus-paskaa, täysin överiksi vedetty scifi-kikkare.

1/5

#2022 #1/5 #Halle Berry #Patrick Wilson #John Bradley #Charlie Plummer #Michael Pena #Donald Sutherland

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mharatv · 4 years

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KIKKAR (Full Video) a New Haryanvi Songs Haryanavi 2020. Kikkar ke ped pe haryanvi song sung by Surender Romio & Anu Kadyan (AK Jatti). This superhit haryanvi dj folk song's starring with MK Chaudhary, Anamika Bawa (Anney Bee) & Anu Kadyan (AK Jatti). Music given by GR Music and Lyrics by Andy Dahiya. This video directed by Kuldeep Rathee. Music Label by Mhara Tv.

#kikkar #Surender Romio #Anu Kadyan #MK Chaudhary #Anamika Bawa #GR Music #Andy Dahiya #mhara tv #haryanvi song #navi baadliwal

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reneeissancefool · 6 years

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🗑

#tyhmimmät erimielisyyden aiheet ryhmätöissä: mihin laittaa pelin päävalikossa asetusnappi #sitte ku mie ja miun paljon pelaava kaveri sanotaan et näin tää on #niin sitten ihminen jonka pelikokemus on tasoa vain ja ainoastaan pokemon go #rupee päteen et eiku näin #niin voi jeesus että ärsyttää #oon nyt kyselly kaikilta kavereilta mielipiteitä siitä et miltä sen pitäis näyttää #(koska oon pätevä ja teen käyttäjätutkimusta ku oon petty)#JA KAIKKI ON SITÄ MIELTÄ ET MIUN JA KAMUN IDEA ON SE MITEN SEN PITÄIS OLLA #ku miusta on ihan okei esittää omia näkemyksiä #miusta ei oo okei jos minua ei kuunnella #ja sit (koska oon petty af) menin googlaamaan et miltä näyttää mobiilipelien valikot #arvaa #arvaa kuka on oikeessa #arvaa :)#no ei ainakaan se vitun kikkare joka on sitä mieltä et laitetaan asetukset jonnekki vitun alakulmaan tai johki muualle #'mutkumutku asetukset ei oo päätaski'#voi vittu kun ne vitun asetukset on aika helkkarin relevanttia sen suhteen et VOIKO NIITÄ PÄÄTASKEJA YLIPÄÄTÄÄN TEHÄ #koska raskas peli ja kaikki grafiikka-asetukset yms #ja kyselyyn henkilötiedot #vitun kikkarepää :D #mystuff #(oon maailman rasittavin väittelykumppani kun tiedän satavarmasti olevani oikeassa)

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margaretfjerde · 5 years

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23.06.2019 - St.Hans-kveld 20.30

#uten bål #kjølig men sola kikkar fram #grethe var her #hos mamma

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ettomdagen6 · 3 years

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26.09.2021 - Sola kikkar inn

#påeinstortsettgråsundag

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sciencespies · 3 years

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A Massive Meteor May Have Destroyed The Biblical City Of Sodom

https://sciencespies.com/news/a-massive-meteor-may-have-destroyed-the-biblical-city-of-sodom/

A Massive Meteor May Have Destroyed The Biblical City Of Sodom

The story of the destruction of Sodom is detailed in both the Bible and the Koran. The destruction was rapid and intense.

“And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.” – Genesis 19:28

Is it possible that this story has roots in historical reality? Recent archeological findings published in Nature by researchers of the Comet Research Group indicate that a large meteor may have destroyed the ancient city of Tall el-Hammam, and that this destruction may have gone on to form the basis of the Biblical story of the destruction of Sodom.

Clues within Ruins of Destruction

Walking through the excavation of Tall el-Hammam is a fascinating, yet haunting, voyage. Puzzling findings indicate that the city was destroyed rapidly in a scorching fireball which is hard to explain. Pottery and mudbricks were melted. People were ripped limb from limb, and their bones are found smashed and scattered, buried in layers of ash, charcoal, and pulverized mudbricks. As archeologists dig through the ancient rock, they uncover a tell-tale blackened layer, where the rocks themselves tell the story of intense and widespread fires.

Three layers within the archeological dig indicate that something drastic happened here. The bottom layer is made of pulverized bricks, melted roof clay, charcoal, burned seeds, and scraps of burnt clothing. Above this is a windblown layer of small bits of plaster, charcoal, and limestone spherules. Topping it off is a dark, almost black, layer of ash and charcoal.

The destruction of Sodom by fire and brimstone. Lot’s wife is turned to a pillar of salt (Genesis … [+] chapters XVIII and XIX), illustration by Gustave Dor (1832 Ð 1883) (Photo by Culture Club/Getty Images)

Getty Images

Perhaps most puzzling are the melted objects found in the ruins of Tall el-Hammam. Melted pottery shards, which melt at temperatures above 1500C. Mudbricks, that melt above 1400C. A host of melted elements and minerals, such as platinum, iridium, and quartz.

There are also clues at the microscopic level. Archeologists also found carbon, likely originating from wood or plants, shocked to form structures like microscopic diamonds.

Almost as if it is peaking out of a layer of ancient pulverized mudbricks, the top of a skull emerges from the rock. It’s buried up to the bridge of its nose – the rest is embedded within a matrix of melted mudbricks. Stained with ash, it now has a brick-red tinge. The right eye socket has been crushed. Around it is a constellation of tiny bone fragments, which show the scar of high temperatures. Most of them are smaller than a penny.

There is more. Archeologists found that the massively thick walls of the city were sheared off. Millions of the mudbricks that made the city simply disappeared, potentially pulverized to microscopic pieces. Another piece of the puzzle – debris, whether it be shards of pottery or melted bricks, always seemed to point to the northeast.

In the cosmic airburst of Tunguska in 1908, fallen trees all lay in the same direction. This … [+] directionality was also seen in the debris in Tall el-Hammam. (Photo by: Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Universal Images Group via Getty Images

The spherules, tiny sand-sized balls of melted material, are particularly interesting. Some of these consist of calcium carbonate. “Extreme high temperatures (>1500 C) melted limestone plaster applied to the walls (mainly in the Palace area),” says Dr. Christopher Moore, a scientist at the Savannah River Archaeological Research Program at the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology and author on the study. He goes on to explain how these spherules were formed. “Vaporized limestone plaster then quickly cooled in the air to form the numerous calcium carbonate spherules.” Other spherules found were formed of iron or silica.

What could have caused this level of destruction?

Root of Destruction

3,600 years ago, the city of Tall el-Hammam was a bustling metropolis. With a population of about 8,000 people, it was the largest city in the region.

But around 1650 B.C.E, that came to an end.

The researchers of the study looked at several things that could account for the destruction. Warfare seemed unlikely, as there was no other archeological evidence of spearpoints or other weapons. Tornadoes are rare in the area, and it would be difficult to imagine how a tornado could cause the extent of damage seen in human bones. Earthquakes could have led to fires, but could not explain the high-temperature melting of minerals. The authors looked at all sorts of natural disasters, from widespread city fires to volcanism to lightning. Of the 17 types of observations they made, there was only one event that fit all the data – a meteor.

A meteor – either an impact or an airburst, fit the data at Tall el-Hammam.

getty

This meteor could have hit the city itself or nearby, or could have exploded in the air, like the Tunguska meteor in 1908 over Siberia. Either one could cause the level of destruction seen.

The authors used the online Impact Calculator to simulate a meteor approaching Tall el-Hammam. This meteor likely would have been between 60 and 75 m across, putting it at potentially larger than the bolide that exploded in the Tunguska event. It is unlikely to be much larger than this though, Dr. Allen West of the Comet Research Group, one of the authors of the study, explains. “Otherwise, the object would have hit the ground and created a large crater like Meteor Crater in Arizona.”

Nearby Ruins

Tall el-Hammam was not the only city to be destroyed that day.

22 km to the west lay the city of Jericho. This city was destroyed on a similar timescale as Tall el-Hammam. The city walls, along with buildings, tumbled, and the city burnt to the ground. Storerooms caught fire, causing pottery to burst. Human bones were found shattered and mixed in with the ruin. The main fortification of the city, in the direction of Tall el-Hammam, collapsed. However, no evidence of extremely high temperatures (>1200C), like melted pottery or mudbricks, was found.

Buried in Salt

The entire ancient city had another strange characteristic. It was covered in salt.

“After the excavators would finish for the day, dew would often condense in the excavated walls overnight,” West told me. “When they returned in the morning, the destruction layer often was marked by a white crust of salt that had leached out overnight.”

Where did this salt come from? It seems that the sheer amount of salt is most likely tied to the meteor impact. “Perhaps the impact landed in shallow water of the Dead Sea, which is greater than about 30% salt, and splashed across the valley.” West explains.

Salt from the Dead Sea was scattered over the surrounding area after the impact, rendering it … [+] infertile for 600 years.

getty

This salt took the once fertile land and potentially made it sterile, making it near impossible to grow wheat and barley, two of the most important crops of the era. In fact, the entire area was then unoccupied for up to 600 years.

Ties to Sodom?

Is it possible that the destruction of Tall el-Hammam was the historical basis that became the story of Sodom?

Surely, the destruction of Tall el-Hammam would have been memorable. For the unlucky people who lived within the city, it is likely that no one survived. Malcolm A. LeCompte, a researcher on the study from the Center of Excellence in Remote Sensing Education and Research, points out that it is possible that tribesmen, women, and shepherds in nearby fields may have lived to tell the tale, although they may have been blinded or deafened by the explosion. In addition, there may have been some survivors within Jericho.

What about the timing? For now, the timing of the story of Sodom and the destruction of Tall el-Hammam seem to agree. “We can say with a high degree of confidence that the simultaneous destruction of Tall el-Hammam and every other city, town, and village in the Kikkar occurred ca 1650 BCE +/- 30 years,” says Dr. Phil Silvia, an author on the study from Trinity Southwest University, “which is the time of Abraham and Lot.”

“Abraham got up early in the morning and went to the place where he had stood before the Lord. He … [+] looked out toward Sodom and Gomorrah and all the land of that region. As he did so, he saw the smoke rising up from the land like smoke from a furnace.” (Genesis, Chapter 19, 27-28). Woodcut after a drawing by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld (German painter, 1794 – 1872) from my archive, published in 1877.”

getty

The idea that Tall el-Hammam might have been Sodom goes back to the 18th or 19th centuries. It had fallen out of favor, but is once again slowly gaining steam. Silvia was the one who hypothesized in 2018 that a meteor may have been the culprit.

“The Bible mentions only one eyewitness—Abraham,” Silvia explains to me. “He went up [to the top] and looked down upon Sodom and saw smoke rising from the whole plain like smoke from a furnace…. he probably saw the flash of the airburst the evening before, but it was to dangerous to venture out at night, so he waited until the next morning to investigate.”

#News

#09-2021 Science News #2021 Science News #acts of science #Earth Environment #earth science #Environment and Nature #Nature Science #News Science Spies #Our Nature #planetary science #Science #Science Channel #science documentary #Science News #Science Spies #Science Spies News #Space Physics & Nature #Space Science #News

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rbfpharma · 3 years

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jdgo51 · 2 years

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR AUGUST 25, 2022

Out of the Ordinary

By Amber Marie Followell (Arkansas, USA)

READ 2 KINGS 5:1-14

Naaman’s servants came up to him and spoke to him: “Our father, if the prophet had told you to do something difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? All he said to you was, ‘Wash and become clean.’”

2 KINGS 5:13 (CEB)

"When Elisha, the man of God, told Naaman what to do to be healed, Naaman initially refused to do it because it seemed so common. He was expecting an extraordinary healing and almost missed a miracle because the road to the miracle seemed unremarkable.

I know there have been times where I have missed out on positive changes because I didn’t want to do the ordinary things to make the extraordinary changes possible. I wanted healing in my physical health, but I didn’t want to eat less and exercise more. I wanted advancement at work, but I didn’t really want to put in the extra time to make myself stand out. I wanted a better relationship with my children, but I didn’t want to give up any of my time to make that happen. So many times I’ve failed to do the things God has called me to do because I was waiting for a miraculous proclamation. I have learned, however, that things won’t get better as a result of grand gestures but rather with the dedicated daily efforts of Christians who refuse to give up the faith." The most remarkable things often happen as ordinary situations. In the familiarity of everyday, God works His magic in our lives.

TODAY'S PRAYER

"Dear Lord, teach us to do the ordinary things so we can lead the extraordinary lives you have given us. Amen."

2 Kings 5:1-14

"'1 Naaman, a general for the king of Aram, was a great man and highly regarded by his master, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. This man was a mighty warrior, but he had a skin disease. 2 Now Aramean raiding parties had gone out and captured a young girl from the land of Israel. She served Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “I wish that my master could come before the prophet who lives in Samaria. He would cure him of his skin disease.” 4 So Naaman went and told his master what the young girl from the land of Israel had said. 5 Then Aram’s king said, “Go ahead. I will send a letter to Israel’s king.” So Naaman left. He took along ten kikkars of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing. 6 He brought the letter to Israel’s king. It read, “Along with this letter I’m sending you my servant Naaman so you can cure him of his skin disease.” 7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he ripped his clothes. He said, “What? Am I God to hand out death and life? But this king writes me, asking me to cure someone of his skin disease! You must realize that he wants to start a fight with me.” 8 When Elisha the man of God heard that Israel’s king had ripped his clothes, he sent word to the king: “Why did you rip your clothes? Let the man come to me. Then he’ll know that there’s a prophet in Israel.” 9 Naaman arrived with his horses and chariots. He stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 Elisha sent out a messenger who said, “Go and wash seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored and become clean.” 11 But Naaman went away in anger. He said, “I thought for sure that he’d come out, stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the bad spot, and cure the skin disease. 12 Aren’t the rivers in Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than all Israel’s waters? Couldn’t I wash in them and get clean?” So he turned away and proceeded to leave in anger. 13 Naaman’s servants came up to him and spoke to him: “Our father, if the prophet had told you to do something difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? All he said to you was, ‘Wash and become clean.’” 14 So Naaman went down and bathed in the Jordan seven times, just as the man of God had said. His skin was restored like that of a young boy, and he became clean."' Naaman expected a spectacular moment of healing; but Elisha gave a simple instruction. "Wash and be restored." When Naaman humbled himself to do as instructed the healing took place. We should never expect the spectacular, rather just ordinary instruction for anything we seek help with. The blessing and results are yours. Obey instruction that comes from God. Joe

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