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Good Friday

This is where it was heading.

Remember all of the wonderful stuff at Christmas? Angels, shepherds, wisemen, a newborn king?

This is where it was going the whole time. Good Friday.

All that “God with us” stuff? It sounded so sentimental, so warm and fuzzy back then.

This is what it really means.

God with us, when we can’t see a way out.

God with us, when we did it to ourselves.

God with us, at our worst.

God with us.

God with us, carrying our load.

God with us, though we don’t deserve it.

God with us, doing what we could never do on our own.

In everything, especially the worst things, we are never alone. God will never abandon us.

Even if we can’t feel it in the moment. Even when it hurts too much to feel much of anything. Even when we’re angry with God. Even when we doubt God.

That changes nothing.

God loves us too much to abandon us.

There’s this idea that too many of us have, that Faith means nothing ever goes wrong. That if you believe hard enough. That if you’re good enough. That if you’re holy enough, nothing bad will happen to you.

I don’t know where that idea comes from. It certainly wasn’t Good Friday.

Because today, we see the perfect person. Sinless. Someone who raises the dead, heals the sick. Fully God and fully man. Someone who is literally as good as it gets, as holy as it gets.

Murdered. In the public spectacle of a government-sponsored torture killing.

And here’s the thing – being fully God and being aware that all of that was going to happen. Being fully human and being terrified by all of the suffering that would entail.

He went through with it anyway.

This is why I say, this is how I know that God loves us too much to abandon us.

One more thing.

All of this is personal. He did this just for me. He did this just for you.

If everyone else was sinless. If you or I were the only person who ever needed saving in all of history.

Good Friday would still have happened.

Because God loves you too much to abandon you.

Today’s Readings

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“I have a right to…”

(for someone who’s frozen)

“I have a right to…”

Whenever we start…anything this way, it’s a red flag.

Let me be clear, I’m not talking about the truth of what comes next. The validity of the feeling, or the perspective, or the principle, or whatever it is we’re leading up to – that isn’t the problem.

The problem is the “I have a right to…” set up. Not the words. But what it signals.

Because “I have a right to…” signals that we’re setting up a fortress around what comes next.

And whatever we put in that fortress cannot be questioned.

Because we have a right to it.

Without really meaning to, we’re walling off whatever it is. Freezing it into an unchangeable object. Protecting it from everything, even the good and the needful.

We won’t let go of anything, if we feel like we have a right to it. That’s just how we are.

If it’s an event that hurt us deeply? Once it’s frozen in the fortress, we’ll relive it, let it hurt us again and again. But we won’t process it. We won’t let go of it.

Because we have a right to it.

If it’s a wound that hasn’t healed? Once it’s frozen in the fortress, we’ll experience the pain again and again. But we won’t heal it. We won’t let go of it.

Because we have a right to it.

This is why Jesus tells us in today’s Gospel to settle our grievances quickly.

If we’re holding on to our hurts, our wounds. Because we (legitimately) feel entitled to have those wrong righted. No matter how legitimate our grievance is. There’s a danger.

There’s a danger that we’ll set up a fortress around it. That we’ll turn it into an object. Reliving it over and over without resolution, without healing.

Because we have a right to it.

The danger is so great, that Jesus says it’s better to drop our grievance. To settle quickly. Why?

Once our grievance becomes an object, it’s on its way to becoming an object of worship.

This is why Jesus says it’s better to drop our grievance. To settle quickly. Before it can take root.

Before the grievance replaces the God who loves you.

Because there’s only room for one God in your life.

Today’s Readings

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All the yes!

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Ian Schwartz

Beautiful! Wild horses in Arizona’s White Mountains moving through the misty forest. From Oct. ‘15 from White Mountain Wild Horses

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Basically

"Why do you watch kid shows rather than stuff for adults?"

Because kids shows have:

Clean humor that won't make me uncomfortable

Jokes that aren't related to sex, drugs, death or politics

Almost no mention of current events and things that I would like to avoid hearing about in my leisure time

Characters that like each other and treat each other kindly

Plots that hold morals, determination, teamwork and love in high regard, rather than being nihilistic about everything

Interesting and emotional plots that aren't slice of life or sitcom-based

Or drama that relies on real emotion and arcs rather than overdone melodrama and 'who's sleeping with who'

And creative settings and concepts that adult shows would be afraid to use for fear of seeming juvenile.

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AWWWW!! BLESS!

Lemme bless y’all with this video

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A good art! =D

“Painted Stripes”

Super late painting for last month’s #faunafocus challenge.

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God watch over them

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If you pray for something, and you don’t get what you want, or even the exact opposite, it could mean that it is part of the process of God providing what you need.

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Beauty around you and within you.

yeswe_travel

Look how littel I am, next to this massive mountain..

Can you see the beauty around me ✨ .

DE)

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I decided to draw Stitch on my new tablet! I love stitch a lot still and need to draw him more. He’s such a fun character!

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The Drowsy episode in Lilo & Stitch: The Series  featured a special guest appearance by Regis Philbin as himself in animated form visiting Hawaii.  Sadly today, he died at the age of 88, here’s the link to the news story: https://wdwnt.com/2020/07/regis-philbin-passes-away-at-88-years-old/

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Wild horses enjoy the ocean 

(Source)

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also celebrate George Floyd’s life. he was truly a beautiful, kind, and caring individual. i wish his family so much healing and that they get the justice they deserve.

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Archie and Lexi want to remind you that April is Autism Acceptance Month! #RED Instead

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I love this

Archibald Asparagus aesthetic board

I have lost control of my life, I know

✿ Credits in the captions! ✿

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The vegetable, the myth, the LEGEND….TWIPPO! VeggieTeen style, of course.