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hieromonkcharbel · 6 months ago

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Do we celebrate the status quo or the birth of the crucified and risen Lord?

"By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?" Matthew 21:23

Forever Christ will be the crucified and risen King, and all his subjects, in order fully to share his life, will likewise have to undergo their Master’s destiny. Clearly, this manner of salvation will put a radical end to our previous way of life and its manifold compromises, accommodations, and plain chronic mediocrity. Such a Savior will not leave us unchanged in heart, mind, or body, and radical transformation has always been the ancestral enemy of any existence governed by blind instinct and having static survival as the supreme value. The Christ-principle is by definition the enemy of the religious and psychological status quo. To those who view faith and religion mainly as a comforting source of security, Jesus could repeat the words spoken by God to the Jews through Jeremiah: “Is not my word like fire, says the Lord, and like a hammer which breaks the rock in pieces?” (Jer 23:29).

CAN WE IMAGINE THE FOLLY of someone shaking his fist at the sun on a bright day and shouting angrily, ‘By what right are you shining your rays on me? By what right do you dare to make flowers grow?’ Yet these objections are precisely what the priests and elders are hurling at Jesus even in the face of the obvious wisdom and goodness of his deeds.

As witnesses of the Jewish leaders knee-jerk habit of opposing and maligning Jesus throughout the Gospel narrative, we cannot help but recall this lightning-like intuition of Pascal: Les hommes ont mépris pour la religion; ils en ont haine, de peur qu’elle soit vraie: “Human beings despise religion. They hate it out of fear that it might be true.” We fear that the truth of religion will wreak havoc with all the pseudo-truths on which we have constructed our life and world view. And the most efficient way of neutralizing true religion’s subversive character and lethal radioactivity is to encase it in a leaden shrine of well-behaved, conventional, observant religion that will create the mirage of dutiful piety and devotion. The greatest enemy of faith is not atheism but conventional religion, practiced by rote or out of a host of social, psychological, ethnic, and other factors wholly foreign to divine revelation.

The religious leaders can engage in “dialogue” only with those who already share their own prejudices, a fact that of course negates the possibility of any true dialogue with the Other, and that condemns them, in their obstinacy, to the perpetual aridity of the communal monologue. Expediency, and not truth, motivates such leaders. The supreme commandment they seem implicitly to be obeying is always to take the fullest advantage from the situation at hand so as to preserve the status quo they control. To them the extraordinary prophetic figure of John the Baptist, with the piercing eyes and a voice like an archangel’s, represents the merest abstract cipher in a social game of power. What do they, in fact, care whether or not the Baptist came to Israel and the world from God with the

most vital message of salvation? They only care to win the argument, to master the threatening situation. They weigh their options solely on the basis of social effect and usefulness. They know the game so well that they even anticipate being stabbed by a terrible further question by Jesus: “Then why did you not believe him?” The possibility of faith leading to conversion of heart instantly degenerates in their calculations into just one more negotiable concept, another pawn on their elaborate socio-theological chessboard. Their manner of playing with the holiest elements of true interior religion scandalizes us, of course. And yet, if we are honest, we will recognize in their ploys for self-assertion the genuine reflection of our own inevitable manner of swerving at a

heart’s flutter from the most intense desire to follow Jesus faithfully, wherever the path may take us, to the crassest impulses and maneuvers. These are precisely those attitudes which, if translated historically, would at once align us with the crucifiers rather than the Crucified. Jesus’ question then echoes piercingly in our own consciences, too: ‘You confessed that I came from God. Then why did you not believe me with your life?’ True sanctity must consist in no longer having to turn our lives, whether spiritual or social, into a chessboard we madly try to control.

Merikakis

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minyoonsgirl · 5 years ago

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Nabi - The Girl without a Name

Summary:You have no memories of your past, all you know is fear as you push your battered body to run faster as you try to escape those who pursue you. Who would have thought that room 205 would hold the key to seven men who would become your protectors. Who knew that it would lead you to uncovering your past and finding that your savior had already come to your rescue so many times before.

Genre: eventual Fluff, eventual Smut, eventual OT7 x reader

Warnings: Amnesia, themes of fear, implied kidnapping and adult themes. Themes of self deprecation and negative self talk. Trauma related PTSD - PTSD/Trauma induced panic attack. Things will probably be a lot more intense as this story goes on.

Word Count: 1,531

Chapter Five > < Chapter Seven

a/n: Hello lovelies ♡ This is chapter six of my yoongi x reader fic, eventual ot7 x reader fic. ♡ I really want to apologize for the length of time it has taken me to get to chapter six, I’ve had some personal things happen in my life that made writing difficult. Thanks for waiting for me ♡ Also, if you wanted to be tagged let me know! Any feedback is always welcomed, I really hope you’re enjoying the story ♡

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Chapter Six - The Girl with Love

You were laying on the couch with Taehyung a few hours later, the two of you were immersed in a movie called Howl’s Moving Castle. Taehyung had felt it was a shame that you didn’t know the wonders of “Studio Ghibli” and had made it his mission to educate you. The other boys surrounded the two of you, taking up spaces on the floor and other chairs in front of the TV.

You were excited because Sophie had finally figured out how to help Howl and you couldn’t wait for their love story to reach its resolution. You found yourself holding back tears as their love was displayed in front of you. Taehyung and Jungkook had no such reservations, both boys sniffling loudly as the movie ended. You made eye contact with Yoongi across the room, blushing slightly as he smiled softly at you.

Jimin rushed to start Spirited Away and Jin mentioned he’d be grabbing snacks for everyone. That wasn’t really surprising as it had been a few hours since you all had eaten dinner and Jin wasn’t one to let you go very long without food. As the new movie began to play you felt Taehyung’s fingers ghosting over your hip and side, softly caressing your skin as he pressed a gentle kiss to your neck. You could feel heat pooling in the pit of your stomach, as you felt his tongue trace softly over your shoulder, the tank top you were wearing giving him plenty of unobstructed access to your skin.

Your eyes were wide and when you looked up at Yoongi, you noticed his eyes seemed darker than normal but his expression remained unchanged. You felt the sting of tears behind your eyes and before you really knew what you were doing you were up and out of Tae’s arms. Feeding the boys the excuse that you were too tired to stay awake, you rushed to Yoongi’s bed before they could see you cry. If you had doubted it before, the fact that Yoongi had seen Taehyung kissing you so openly and intimately without it affecting him really sealed the fact that he didn’t care for you like you cared for him.

It was hard because you loved all of the boys, truly… you could see yourself falling for all of them, despite the inherent selfishness of that. You knew, or at least thought that to a degree that they might all feel that way about you, if the kisses and longing touches were anything to go by. Except Yoongi, it was hard to tell with the sometimes detached appearing man. Yoongi, however, was your one, your “if you had to choose”, and it absolutely broke your heart that he would never see you that way.

You worked to quiet your whimpers, and even out your breathing in an attempt to feign sleep as you heard the door to your room creak open. It shut with a click and in a moment you could feel the opposite side of the bed dip, warm hands on you a moment later. Quickly pulling you into an all too familiar chest, as your heart rate skyrocketed over the fear of being caught crying by the boy who you would least want to explain your tears too. Yoongi hummed softly as his hands brushed under your shirt and over your back, and you were putty instantly. You could get addicted to the feeling of his hands gliding over your skin, though you couldn’t pretend you hadn’t imagined his long, delicate fingers rubbing a very different part of you.

You tensed when you felt the press of lips on your shoulder, your breath hitching in your throat when you felt the warm, wetness of a tongue that followed a moment after.

“Nabi, you’re so pretty. Seeing Taehyungie kissing on you like that… you look so cute; blushing and wide eyed. Will you let me take care of you?” Yoongi spoke, his voice almost an octave deeper than normal and you could feel the vibrations all the way to your core. You flipped over, coming face to face with Yoongi. He looked exponentially more shy than he had sounded, his face dusted pink, and his teeth chewing on his bottom lip nervously. You placed your hand on his cheek, moving in to capture his lips between your own. You whimpered when his tongue brushed your bottom lip, begging for entrance which you quickly granted him. When you broke away, panting for air, you were quick to give him an answer.

“Please, I want you so badly,” you whispered, and Yoongi groaned. He lowered his head to capture your lips again, his hand moving down to cup your breast in his hand, his fingers quickly finding your nipple and pulling it to a stiff peak in moments. His lips left yours to trail down your jawline, and over your throat, alternating between pressing his lips to your skin and sucking marks along your neck. You whined as he slipped the strap of your camisole down, his lips finding the swell of your breast and sucking harshly. He switched breasts, ensuring equal attention to both, until your nipples were pink and swollen, glistening with his saliva.

Moving back up to your face, Yoongi moved so that his body rested atop yours. He pressed his hips down into you, his cock hard as it pushed down against your clothed cunt, gifting you the friction you were craving, small whimpers leaving your lips as you squirmed in an attempt to get closer to him. Yoongi stared down at you, a soft smile filled with adoration on his face,

“Nabi, I hope you know how much we love you. All of us, and while I know it’s probably confusing and you don’t have to rush about how you feel or what you want, we all want you to know that we love you and we’ll always take care of you. Whatever you need, we’ll do that for you,” Yoongi whispered. He captured your lips in his again and you sighed as he deepened it. When he broke away, he sat admiring you for a moment, his fingers gently caressing your face.

“I love all of you too. More than I could explain. I know I don’t know who I was, but you guys have given me who I am and a home and safety. I want this, forever.” You told him. You didn’t think Yoongi’s smile could get brighter but somehow it did. He moved down to kiss between your breasts, working his way to your center before looking up at you for permission to remove your shorts. Your nod was quick, your every nerve ending seemingly alight with anticipation. Yoongi made quick work of your shorts, tossing them somewhere across the room, and then his lips were on your clit and it was as if you had never really known pleasure. Sucking, licking, kissing, he attacked your cunt like a man possessed. It was as if Yoongi’s purpose in life was to leave you shaking and drowning in pleasure. He rolled his tongue over your swollen bud, and sank a finger into your heat, your back arching at the intrusion. You moaned, the sound strange and you clasped a hand over your mouth.

“Jagiya, let me hear you. I wanna know how good I’m making you feel, baby girl. You don’t ever have to be quiet with me, with any of us,” Yoongi said, and while you were still embarrassed and unsure you moved your hand to clutch at the sheets. Yoongi quickly went back to work, the sound of his fingers fucking into your dripping cunt quickly filling the room. You could feel the pressure in your stomach building, each thrust of Yoongi’s fingers or swirl of his tongue against your sensitive bud hurtling you towards a precipice. Your fingers found Yoongi’s hair, and he moaned against you as you tugged at it, the sound causing you to gush around his fingers.

“Yoongi- I’m gon-gonna co-come,” you whimpered,

“It’s okay, baby girl, come for me,” Yoongi replied before burying his head back between your thighs. It was as if you were waiting for the confirmation that it was okay to let go because moments later you were clenching around his fingers, your vision turning white from the pleasure filled haze you were tossed into. Yoongi continued to fuck his fingers into you, lapping at your juices until you came down from your high, stopping once you were whining from the stimulation.

You whined when Yoongi removed himself from between your legs and got up from the bed, your hands reaching for him. Yoongi chuckled softly, making his way to the bathroom, coming back moments later with a wet cloth. He was careful as he wiped your thighs and between your legs, but you still shied away when he reached your core.

Yoongi tossed the cloth towards the hamper at the corner of the room before he climbed back into the bed with you.He laid bedside you, pulling you back into his chest.

“What about you?” You questioned, feeling his length pressed firmly into your back.

“Tonight was about you, Nabi. I know you’re probably exhausted now, let’s sleep. We can all talk about where we go from here tomorrow.” Yoongi explained, nuzzling his face into the crook of your neck. You nodded, yawning deeply as your eyes fluttered closed. You didn’t know what tomorrow would bring, but you had a week with your boys to figure this out, you could only hope that you would have more nights like tonight in between that.

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dailyaudiobible · 4 years ago

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02/06/2021 DAB Transcript

Exodus 23:14-25:40, Matthew 24:29-51, Psalms 30:1-12, Proverbs 7:24-27

Today is the 6th day of February welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I'm Brian it is a joy to be here with you today as we approach the end of another one of our weeks together. And when we conclude our reading for today, we will have completed nearly…nearly a full week of the month of February. So, it is exciting to be on this journey and take the next step forward, which will lead us back into the book of Exodus. And if we remember we are at the mountain of God. We are with the children of Israel surrounding Mount Sinai. God is speaking and beginning to lay out some of the principles and rituals and laws that He is integrating as He weaves together the tapestry of the Hebrew people. So, we’re reading from the Voice Translation this week, which is today. Exodus chapter 23 verse 14 to 25 verse 40.

Prayer:

Father we thank You for Your word. We thank You for another week and it. They’re just kind of…well. They’re moving by day by day step-by-step they’re moving by as they should but we’re recognizing that we’re moved into this new year. This is our year to live and You are instructing us. And we thank You for the word over this year, to “Mend”. This is this year of mending. And, so, we hear what was written in the Psalms today, the 30th chapter - “Eternal one, my true God, I cried out to You for help. You mended the shattered pieces of my life.” That is our prayer God. Some of us came into this new year unrecognizable completely shattered into a billion pieces and some of us feel that way right now. But this isn’t a matter of degree. It’s not like we’re trying to measure up to see whose more shattered here. We’re all broken, and we've all got shattered pieces in our lives, we have shattered pieces in our hearts. Life has dealt us some blows. It does this to everyone. And we are instructed to love You with our whole heart, and we confess that there are broken pieces of our hearts. Come as is in the Psalms. We cry out to You for help. You mend the shattered pieces of our lives. So, as we release this week as it becomes a part of our history, we look forward into the future for You to mend the shattered pieces of our lives. Come Holy Spirit we pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com that is home base, that is where you find out what's going on around here. And an alternative to that would be the Daily Audio Bible app, which you can also find out what’s going on around here. So, stay…stay connected.

Be aware of the Community section, be aware of the Prayer Wall. Visit the Prayer Wall. Be aware of the resources that are available in the Daily Audio Bible Shop.

And if you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible I…I can't thank you enough. I Can't thank you enough. We wouldn't be here if we were not in this together. I…I say that often say that often because it's the truth. So, thank you for your partnership. There is a link on the homepage. If you're using the app you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner, or the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

And, as always, if you've a prayer request or encouragement hit the Hotline button in the app. No matter where you are on this planet hit the Hotline button in the app and you can share from there 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:

Hi this is Renzo from Maryland. I just wanna pray for the girl on the other line. This is February 1st. I just want to pray for the other girl on the other line that said her mom was a drug addict and she was 13 years old. I just want to say that's amazing that you’re on here reading the gospel at 13 years old. Keep keep…doing that. That's amazing. And I just pray for your mom right now. Father God I just thank You for everything that You do for us and I just please pray God that her mom just recovers from this addiction God. I believe You can heal anybody's addiction God. You’ve healed mine. You’ve healed my addiction to porn God, and I thank You that You healed that for me, and I've been clean for almost two years now and I thank You God that You did that. And, so, please just help her to just get closer to You God and just forgive her of what she did. Sometimes it’s so hard for us to forgive and that's how it was for me God. I just thank You for You for everything that You do for us God and we love You in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. God bless you have a good rest of your day.

Hi this is Tiffany at first time caller from Cleveland OH. I've been listening every day this year and I pray with you daily. I feel so close to the DAB family and I thank you Brian for your love. Today I ask for prayer for my husband Tony and I. February 24th will be seven years since our daughter Janna's death. Our grief is difficult through this month as we remember our girl gone too soon. Grief also affects my ability to focus. Please pray for me to love my husband, to feel, to focus, and to be a good mom to my living children. Thank you in advance.

Good morning Daily Audio Bible this is Emily from Minnesota and actually this is my first year doing DAB. I started January 1st and I found it to be such a blessing. I have been hit with a bit of suffering the past couple of years period. It started with my son who died by suicide his freshman year of College in his dorm. And my family really wants…doesn't want to go to God for this. So, I am just simply embracing Jesus to carry me through. And then also my parents and my two brothers they've all been hit pretty hard. My mom was placed in memory care last year upstate when Covid hit in March and my dad is living independently but is showing strong signs of dementia and isn’t really willing to accept a lot of help. My younger brother lost his wife to cancer November 30th with a young family of four. And I have an older brother who appears to be struggling with addiction and homelessness. I just want to ask you all to lift up my family. I just do the best I can and rely on Jesus to carry me through each day each step. It's rough some days. And I know He has a plan and I know…I know God knows and I would just to ask for your support in my journey. Thank you.

Hey, my supportive DAB family this is Kingdom Seeker Daniel. Family, support is absolutely what I need right now. The short of it is I received a call from my ex-wife which is a miracle all by itself. She was very distraught and informed me that our son Daniel the 2nd, basically snapped and was admitted into a psych ward. And I guess they were trying to prescribe some meds to him, and he refused. But at any rate after several attempts to reach him I finally got a chance to talk with him and he did not sound like my son, did not sound like my son at all and I just need your prayers. I’m believing God to rescue my boy from this place that he's in. And, so, I'm asking if my family would come around Daniel Christopher young the 2nd? My ex-wife also informed me several years later that my…my youngest Hannah was assaulted twice. Why she chose not to tell me until eight years later I don't know but needless to say Hannah is in a bad place as well. My oldest Bianca is confused with her identity sexually. And, so, family will you please pray for my children. Bianca, and Daniel, and Hannah.

[singing starts] Oh, my Savior I am so grateful I'm Yours. Oh, my Savior I am so grateful I'm Yours. With every new sun that rises Your mercy it meets me there. Your faithfulness is unchangeable. You always love me and care. Oh, my Savior I am so grateful I'm Yours. Oh, my savior I am so grateful I'm yours. [singing stops] I lift this offering up to you Jesus and I ask Lord that you would cover the Daily Audio Bible family with your blood, that you would fill them to full and overflowing with your Holy Spirit, that you would protect them, keep them safe, bless them. And father God let us enter deeper into your presence. Great is your faithfulness. We love you so much. In Jesus’ name we ask these things. What a miracle. I love you Treasured Possession.

Well, hello everybody and congratulations you finished your first month listening to the DAB. Job well done. That is awesome. So, welcome all new listeners and of course us long time listeners this is Lori music the transplant from Chicago down to beautiful Hebrew Springs Arkansas. Lord I'm just coming to You and we’re thanking You for the people that do call in and share their stories and prayer requests and many of them just break my heart Father God, but I pray immediately for You all. But I'm calling today to come before the Lord with the unspoken prayer requests, the ones that people are too shy or timid to call in and request. So, Father You know these unspoken prayers Father God. You know our hearts You know our needs You know our wants and our desires Father. So, I'm asking a special blessing on those people that haven't called in yet and that You answer their prayers Father God. And Lord You know I've been out of a job since November, but I know that Your timing is perfect Father. So, every day when I wake up, I will say this is the day that the Lord has made I will rejoice and be glad in it. Oh wow, so, I'm starting my 11th year on DAB and my second year on Chronological. I pray for Brian and Jill and China, give them special blessing father. We love you all. Have a blessed day.

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littlemissrainhoe · 6 years ago

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it seems like years since it's been here

It’s late, but it’s here! Day 4 of @tododeku-week ! Theme: Scars. I fell asleep before I could finish this. On the plus side, I got more than 5 hours of sleep last night so that’s great. ^^

[AO3]

“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope.” — Helen Keller

Shouto closes his eyes, feeling the warmth of the sun and the gentle caress of the wind on his face. When was the last time he felt such peace?

Life at the palace had never been easy. His father, King Todoroki Enji, has always been an ill-tempered man. A knight who had fought through the ranks and became legendary for his many kills in battle, he was rewarded with the princess’ hand in marriage by the previous king right before he died. When he ascended the throne, his first decree was to expand the kingdom by sending his troops to the smaller kingdoms and subjugating them. Within only a year, his kingdom became far richer and stronger than ever before, and King Todoroki became someone to fear.

This was clear especially within the castle. It was clear from the start that Todoroki Enji, who only knew of violence and fury, was not a family man. Though he had four children with the queen, he only acknowledged her usefulness to give him heirs. From a very young age, had countless of tutors for them and personally trained his eldest, Touya, who would go to bed bruised and hurting. The king had no patience for incompetence, often pulling out the whip whenever he was displeased with them.

It got even worse when Touya ran away. Losing his heir apparent worsened the temper of the king, his anger reaching levels they had never seen before. He launched a countrywide search for his brother, even going so far as to have spies stationed in the neighboring kingdoms for the capture of his missing heir. But no one saw hide or hair of Touya ever again.

Enraged, the king had all evidence and traces of Touya removed from the castle. His portraits, his clothing, his books—all of them burned and thrown away until it was as if there had never been a Todoroki Touya that existed in the first place.

With his eldest brother gone and Fuyumi and Natsuo deemed incompetent for being born female and lacking intelligence respectively, Shouto was chosen to succeed him. If the king kept a close eye on Touya before, it’s nothing compared to how much he watched Shouto now. If he wasn’t being brutally beat-down by his father in training, he was bombarded with a parade of tutors on languages, mathematics and politics. He didn’t have any time for himself, an attendant barely leaving his side to guard his comings and goings. He was so isolated, he barely even saw the other members of his family or even ridden his horse or visit the gardens—activities his father considered a waste of time.

Once, he snuck over to his mother’s parlor, seeking for the comfort of her embrace after a particular rough sword training. Unaware of his mother’s growing instability, he guilelessly approached her and she poured her boiling tea on his face.

That was the last time he ever saw her. From what Shouto knew, his father had her sent away to be locked up somewhere, although he made sure that the village people did not know of this.

Remembering the stark fear and disgust in her mother’s eyes as she compared him to his father, Shouto vowed to one day disgrace Todoroki Enji in the face of the public as Shouto took over the throne from under his nose.

He began to rebel, running away from his security detail and talking back to the king; for despite the punishments he’d be given, he knew full well his worth in this kingdom. Without the queen to bear more heirs and his remaining siblings already dismissed for the throne, Todoroki Enji only had Shouto left—and he relished over the hold he had over his shitty father.

Years went by and the rage within him only grew. Like a dark, swirling vortex, it swallowed him whole—the hatred and anger: at his father, at the world, at himself. Entrenched in isolation, he let his heart grow as cold as a winter’s evening—carelessly cruel to the world around him.

It wasn’t until he met Midoriya Izuku that he got a complete revival.

Shouto met Midoriya one a fine spring day when the air was breezy, the flowers were blooming, and certainly not the time for an attempted kidnapping. Not that this was the first time it happened to him, but he’d had a rather trying day with his father and his advisors—all so eager to pawn him off to the highest bidder—that he completely missed the group of mercenaries following him until he got cornered like a novice. Of course, none of them were a match to his prowess of the sword, but six-to-one was still six-to-one and Shouto ended up on the wrong end of a particularly gnarly-looking thug’s sword.

Just as he thought he was done for, Shouto heard a thud and the thug fell face-first, out cold.

“Are you alright, sir? Are you hurt?” came a panicked voice before him.

Chaotic green hair and a smattering of freckles greeted him, electric green eyes peering at him in worry as the man dropped the brick he used to knock his kidnapper out. A commoner, by the looks of it. He probably saw the kidnappers and decided to step in at the last minute to receive gratitude from the king.

Well, Shouto thought derisively, unfortunately for him, that bastard is more likely to have him banished so that no one ever finds out that his heir was almost bested by a couple of thugs.

But that’s not what happened at all. Instead of useless simpering, his savior only continued to fuss over him—offering salves and bandages for his wounds. He did not ask for any favor—never mind that he didn’t even recognize Shouto, whose scarred face and bicolored hair weren’t spared by the villagers’ wagging tongues.

Wounded, lost and now lacking a horse, the man firmly insisted on taking care of him. On one hand, it was such a novel thing to be talked to this way—not as Prince Shouto, future king, but as just Shouto—that he couldn’t bring himself to say no. On the other, he realized he had no idea where he was. Shouto was so distracted by his annoyance at his father at the time that he didn’t even notice that he had reached the borders.

The man secured Shouto behind him, making sure he won’t fall off or aggravate his injuries, and once again he marvels at this man’s strange compassion. When was the last time I’ve seen someone so kind? Someone so pure and unmotivated by greed or power?

“Oh!” the strange man said, turning back to Shouto with a big smile on his face. “My name is Midoriya Izuku! Pleased to make your acquaintance, sir!”

“Midoriya,” he said, the name falling from his lips, unbidden. “You can call me—”

“Shouto?”

At the call, he opens his eyes. This is not a dream, he tells himself, still incredulous about his luck. This is real.

Turning back, he sees the man he was just thinking about. Izuku still looks the same as he first saw him—eyes still wide and kind, smile as bright and pure as his heart. His body is a lot stronger than it was before, although perhaps that is a given when one is travelling distant lands to defeat great evil. (Also escaping his father’s knights adamant on taking their prince back—except for Iida, but only because he chose to join their party.)

It feels like such a long time ago, meeting in that deserted street as strangers. And now he’s here, with this brave, amazing man who has the heart of a hero—whose warmth has melted his frozen heart and taught him how to live again.

“Are you ready to go?” he asks.

Shouto looks behind him, the view atop the hill unchanged and as wondrous as ever in the light of day.

“Yes,” he replies, walking to the man he now calls his partner—his heart full of love and warmth and hope.

The sun shines bright as they walk towards the future.

#tododekuweek #tododeku #todoroki shouto #midoriya izuku #todoroki family #todoroki enji warnings apply #tododeku fantasy au #rain writes

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tormundjonthings · 6 years ago

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GOT Politics Thoughts! (I know, I’m not original)

So I’ve been thinking a lot about the last couple seasons again after reading the finale script last week, specifically about how Game of Thrones handled politics in it’s last few seasons. A lot has been written about how the characters or relationships or fantasy elements were bungled, but I’m interested in how they muddled the political end too. And not just the in universe politics, like conflicts between houses or the challenges of moving/feeding armies. Although...that also pretty much vanishes, outside of that stray line of Sansa’s from s8 about feeding Dany’s armies (which is mainly there so Dany can get in a sick line about how cool dragons are.)

No, I’m more interested in how the larger political questions / parallels to politics in the real world vanish or become so confused that any message is lost entirely.

Lets venture back a few seasons, say to like season 5, and look at some of the big political topics being addressed. (This got SUPER long, so more under the cut)

Political Question One: What are borders?

The storyline at the Wall was always one of the most interesting parts of the show to me, mostly because of the nature of the conflict between the Nights Watch and the Free Folk. The the Wall was always a foil to the pettier political games happening elsewhere in the series. That whole Mormont quote “when the dead rise, do you think it matters who sits on the Iron Throne?” Like they’ve got a big, giant existential disaster to deal with, makes all the squabbling between houses look pretty damn silly!

Yet they also participate in some of this political squabbling, which is very interesting to me! They spend several SEVERAL seasons dealing primarily not with the existential threat at hand, but trying to fight off people who largely just want to escape to safety.

The reason Jon Snow is one of my favorite characters in the series is that he’s one of the very few people who looks at an underlying bit of “common political wisdom” in Westeros, something that’s been unchanged for thousands of years regardless of who sits on the Iron Throne, and says, “Hey, this is both very wrong and very dumb.”

He meets the Wildlings, notes that they follow the same religion as the North, speak the same language, have a lot of the same customs, and most importantly notes that they’re just people trying to live their lives in safety.

Some of them raid and kill, yes. But lets be honest...plenty plenty plenty of people born and bred in the Seven Kingdoms do that too.

The division between people of the Seven Kingdoms is entirely arbitrary. Other people in the series have noted this (Benjen, Tyrion) but Jon actually tries to do something about it. He says they’re all the same, that the Free Folk are part of the realms of men, and manages to get many of them south of the Wall.

This is incredibly controversial; he’s broken a huge political taboo here. The northern Lords hate “Wildling invaders.” Many members of the Nights Watch don’t care much about the White Walkers and see the Free Folk as their primary enemy. This is so controversial that Jon is murdered for it.

Now, if you live in almost any part of the world right now, you’ll note that this has many, many parallels to real life events. Especially if you see White Walkers as Climate Change. People trying to escape to safety from disasters and the complete immorality of holding up largely arbitrary borders in the face of existential threats to humanity is already an enormous political issue, and likely to be more so in the years to come. This is a good thing, maybe an essential thing, to explore and talk about through fiction right now.

So how is it handled after Jon is resurrected? Well...it kind of isn’t really. Some of the northern Lords are pissed about it when Jon asks for support during the Battle of the Bastards, but Robb’s old mess-ups are generally more the issue there. Apparently all the Nights Watch members who were uncool with it get hung for treason and...no one else in the manned castles says anything. There are some pissed off northern Lords again who mention Wildling invaders once they’re back in Winterfell but its pretty much skated over and they still all crown Jon king like immediately. The focus on borders and arbitrary divisions, how harmful and damaging they can be, which was a big part of the Wall plotline for several seasons, is pretty much just dropped.

Political Question Two: What is a Revolutionary?

So this is pretty much the whole question surrounding Dany’s plotline. I do think, especially in her earlier seasons, that Dany genuinely felt sympathy for enslaved people in Slavers Bay and wanted to free them. Like, if Jon is one person who looks at the underlying nature of this world and sees injustice, the other person who does so is Dany (at least initially.) I do truly think she saw parallels to her own terrifying situation when Viserys sold her to Drogo, and she wanted to help.

The problem is, despite her dragons and her military power, she is absolutely the wrong type of person to lead a revolution.

This is actually a quote from my sister, we were talking and she said “Dany is the kind of person who believes in a better world, but can’t see that she’s not the one who can bring that world into being.”

Dany was raised by an insanely scary brother who constantly went off about his rightful claim to the throne and their noble family history. The only adults in her life were the kind of Targaryen loyalists who wanted to see the precious heirs safe, or else the kind of people who thought they could get something out of Viserys and repeated his own bullshit back to him.

This has all clearly sunk into Dany; despite the fact that she started the incredibly huge political project of ending slavery, something that will require years YEARS of work, she still constantly wants to go off to Westeros and rule because she believes it’s her right. She’s also got a huge self myth about herself as a queen, and what that means, versus an interest in being a leader.

I’m not a politician, I’m a queen.

She likes to command, demand, pull the whole fire and blood thing. This all comes from her upbringing, from her understanding of who the Targaryens were and what they conquered/deserved.

Her status as someone from an old Westerosi house also means that she has a tendency to trust the rich and well named, especially rich people from Westeros, waaaaay more than she should. Trusting Tyrion, for example, is a huge huge error. Especially, again, given that she’s attempting the truly revolutionary project of ending fucking slavery. Tyrion is part of an old rich house, part of an old rich system. He is from a culture that does not have slavery, but he is still from a culture with a HIGHLY stratified class system. Fundamentally, he’s got more in common with the slavers than the slaves. Which is why he listens to the slavers, why he comes up with the oh so reasonable compromise of phasing slavery out over several years, and why he gives the slavers HUMAN BEINGS as presents to seal the deal.

One of the most interesting scenes in the entire series for me is the bit directly after Tyrion makes this deal, when we see Missandei and Grey Worm’s reaction to it. They are horrified.

Because the ones with a real read on this situation, the ones Dany should let have more input, are absolutely Missandei and Grey Worm. They are the two people the former slaves look to most when they have questions. They are seen as leaders by Dany’s base in the city, the formerly enslaved peoples. They are the ones who have suffered under the hands of this system, who know that it is not wise to make “reasonable compromises” with the kind of people willing to own human beings. The kind of person willing to buy and sell people will always try to take advantage, there is nothing to which they won’t sink. You don’t use them, they use you.

Yet Missandei and Grey Worm’s power is largely often ceremonial. Dany makes a lot of her real big choices listening to people like Jorah, like Tyrion. People from old Westerosi houses. Because she’s been raised to value that kind of power.

Dany’s whole plotline; her freeing slaves quickly without a plan, then letting the slavers into her ear, letting them take back some control, and ultimately leaving the situation in a whole mess to gain more personal power, is a great example of why top-down revolutions, revolutions where a wealthy savior wants to free/help the less fortunate, do not generally work out.

For a revolution to stick, for it’s ideas to stick, it needs to be led by those from below, people who are fully invested, people who understand the monstrosities of the system. People like Missandei and Grey Worm.

That whole scene where Dany talks to Tyrion about breaking the wheel is also super interesting to me. Because...they are both part of the wheel. And as long as Dany’s goal is still to rule, and Tyrion’s goal is to help her, they aren’t going to break that thing. That wheel won’t break until monastic power, until rule by a few families, ends, and that’s not really Dany’s goal. Because she wants to rule. And her family is part of the wheel.

Again...all of these poltical questions are important. We live under a system where the few, the very rich, rule us. This power is often inherited (because money is often inherited.) Some of them say they want to help...but ultimately nothing really changes.

And there’s a pretty recent example in world history of slavery ending, but politicians failing to root the perpetrators of that system out of power. Letting those people stay in power, letting them use influence and take advantage, led to slavery essentially returning in a different form (hello 13th amendment of the US Constitution!) So it’s an important thing to explore through fiction.

I kind of thought all this was going to come to a head, especially with Missandei and Grey Worm. Dany clearly trusts them with some power, but she lets Westerosi advisors like Tyrion make more and more of her decisions. The whole plotline with Missendei and Grey Worm is them moving past their trauma and becoming more self-actualized people. I thought they’d start to challenge Dany. I thought maybe they’d take issue with Dany’s desire for power at any cost, especially use of the Dothraki, who famously take and sell slaves. I thought they’d take issue with Dany wanting to leave for Westeros at all, with leaving the slaves of Mereen in such a desperate, hopeless situation. I thought maybe the show would highlight how becoming more folded into the powers that be in Westeros and ignoring the downtrodden people she met in Essos led to her downfall. It certainly seemed to be heading that way.

But then...Missandei and Grey Worm were relegated fully to the background. They don’t differ with Dany on anything at all in the last half of the series. Issues were raised with how Dany was approaching power, but most of these were centered around her individually being a bad person, having the “Targaryen madness,” not with her being part of a system that sees rule by a few powerful families as just and right. It’s just all a problem of one person being insane and power hungry! Not a problem of systems!

And then a member of another house on the wheel takes control at the end, but he’s from the Good House...so it’s framed as a win!

Political Question Three: What happens when the rich ignore the poor / What happens when religious movements redirect class consciousness?

This is one I really really wanted the series to get more into. The smallfolk are often talked about and seen in the background as the true victims in the wars that tear through Westeros. They suffer and starve and die because of things they had absolutely no say in, so a few people they’ll never meet can have a little power. And this tension between the poor and the rich was building throughout the series; the smallfolk were getting pissed the fuck off. That riot in King’s Landing where the poor literally tear the septon to pieces still gives me chills.

And we finally, finally started to see this start to come to a head with the Sparrows. I think it’s really interesting that they chose to use a religious movement. Religious grifters often do swoop in during moments of desperation and steal the energy / direct people away from class consciousness to build their own power. And the poor are so desperate for something anything different that it becomes easy for these grifters to thrive.

And the High Sparrow is this kind of religious grifter to his bones. It’s very interesting to me that when we finally learn his backstory, he wasn’t truly poor. He was a merchant, and one doing pretty okay. If Westeros had an emerging middle class, he was part of it. He wasn’t the lowest of the low in Flea Bottom; Gendry for example was likely worse off. But the Sparrow presents himself as of the poor, part of the poor, truly one of the people, and because of this he is able to build a shitton of power very quickly from smallfolk who are fed up with all the bullshit and want to see something anything done about it.

And I was very interested in this! Again, this is a good political problem to discuss; religious movements and charismatic grifters build power all the time by telling people that really they’re unhappy because of “these sinners or outsiders” and not because of the larger systemic issues. A LOT OF THAT has been happening lately.

Like this was the moment that the political scheming of people like Cersei and her absolute lack of interest in helping the people she’d supposedly ruling should have come home to roost. I was interested to see what would happen; how that tension would be resolved, IF that tension could be resolved.

And then...Cersei just blows up the Sept of Baelor and apparently every single member of the reactionary religious movement was inside of it because it’s never really brought up again.

There are no riots, no anger from the smallfolk at her destroying both the major religious figures AND the major religious site for a large chunk of Westeros. People still gladly flock to Cersei when Dany shows up with dragons, even though they KNOW Cersei is very willing to blow people up. It’s just..all dropped. Cersei spends the next several seasons drinking wine and wearing spiky dresses.

Granted, there were a few big political issues that D&D still tried to discuss through the end but uhh...I don’t think they did very well. For example -

They Tried! #1 - White Walkers = Climate Change and the Uselessness of the System as Usual in the Face of Existential Threats

So I do think D&D were kind of going for this a little bit, and it was certainly discussed a lot in all the blogs and meta posts leading up to season 8. And there was a lot of talk, especially in season 7, about how silly the petty political differences between Cersei and Dany were in the face of such a threat.

But the fact that the White Walkers were destroyed relatively easily all things considered, without fundamentally changing the existing power dynamic, without being forced to resolve the differences between Dany and Cersei...kind of ruins this whole parallel. Jon’s been saying throughout the whole series that they needed to fully unite to defeat the threat but uhh...they didn’t unite with Cersei and they still won so I guess it was all good!

Don’t worry guys, we don’t need to fundamentally approach politics differently to deal with climate change, lets just go to Antartica and stab the carbon emissions monster in the heart!

And the fact that ultimately the main battle of the series, the finale of the series, was focused on the various ruling houses opposing each other...kind of ends up saying that the most important thing really is the petty politics after all.

Well that’s a bad message!

They Tried! #2 - Dany the Imperialist

Now of all the political messages D&D were trying to get across in the series, I am absolutely 100% certain this one was intentional. They were trying to draw parallels between Dany and modern imperial regimes, specifically the US.

It’s all over that last script, explicitly. The dragons have frequently been portrayed as weapons of mass destruction, nuclear weapons, and in the script here there is an explicit connection between the destruction of King’s Landing and Hiroshima, an atrocity committed by the US. In the finale script, they also use the phrase “they burned the village in order to save it” which is a famous quote from a US general regarding the destruction of a Vietnamese village by American troops during the Vietnam War.

And Tyrion’s whole speech about Dany destroying evil men looking great from afar but horrible when you’re on the ground / closer to the reality of it has clear US parallels. The US often uses humanitarian justifications for war (taking out dictators, spreading democracy, etc) and does not much care about the atrocities the actual human beings who live in those countries face when their countries are torn apart by war (Afghanistan and Iraq are prime examples of this.)

They are very very clearly trying to make this parallel. To make a political point about how imperialism is bad. But Jesus Christ, it’s so muddled.

For one, it’s uhhh not great that the perpetrators of these atrocities are largely non-white and the victims are members of a culture that closely parallels western Europe. Given that the way the last several hundred years have played out...it’s usually been the other way around. This shows a lack of care in D&D’s part in truly wrestling with this topic, a lack of interest in really dealing with real world politics and history. Just no interest exploring how imperialism and white supremacy, how the idea that “we come from a ‘superior culture’ so clearly we know what’s best and can go around the world doing as we please” are INCREDIBLY linked.

For two...it’s mostly just Dany that’s the problem. Jon doesn’t want to destroy King’s Landing, Varys doesn’t, Tyrion doesn’t. Grey Worm does, but he’s barely a character at this point in the story. They all give her like, a million outs. Especially the bells. And those bells ring, the battle is won, but Dany decides to go on her murder rampage anyway.

The problem isn’t a system, it’s one person who has “the madness!” It’s one person being a psychotic dictator, and all the problems are solved when that person gets stabbed.

Which is absolutely not how it works in real life. We didn’t just go to war in Afghanistan in Iraq because George Bush was a bad person. If we had, we would have been out when Obama got into office. The US went to war in those countries because of a giant system of war and profit, a system that benefits many many people, that has been built over the past several generations. The US went to war in Afghanistan and Iraq, and stayed there, because weapons contractors wanted to be there so they could make money. Because oil companies and heavy mineral companies wanted the resources those countries had. Because the military itself has a huge amount influence over the government, and to justify their massive budget and continued influence they need to have things to do. The Afghanistan War continues loooong after the death of Osama Bin Laden because of a whole web of CEOs and lobbyists and generals and politicians, all of whom benefit from it. The problem is not one person. It’s a fundamental flaw in how the system is set up. How it rewards those who can buy influence.

And it’s so so clear to me that D&D do not understand this. Like...even a little. They don’t think in terms of systems, just good people and bad people. That’s why the end of the series, which is still a fucking monarchy, is framed positively. Because it’s not the system of power that’s the problem, it’s just that bad people were in charge! But now the good people are in charge, so it’s all good!

They like talking about the tragedy of war, like referencing historical atrocities in scripts, like talking about how deep it all is. They love to talk about how they wanted to create a fantasy series grounded not in magic, but political reality. But they have no understanding of political reality beyond the most basic basic shit. Like war is bad dontcha know! Yeah, no shit!

So these two messed up the characters, they messed up the fantasy, but they also messed up the part they claimed to care about most, the politics. Because they’re dumbshits.

Jesus this got long. If you read all this, thank you for listening to the ramblings I wrote while I should be working.

#got #got season 8 #game of thrones #anti game of thrones #anti d&d #holy shit why did i write so much #this is entirely just for me #no one else can be expected to read this

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alansparkshark · 6 years ago

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Alright, this hit me like a Boarbatusk. Or a truck. Same thing.

So, here I am, happily making some RWBY OCs. I get to their Semblances and think: "What can I give them that's useful and connected to their character?" Cuz, you know,

I don't quite get it from that explanation though, so my next thought is: "Well, let's look at the original cast, see what they got and how it pertains to their characters."

And yet the more I looked, the more a thought grew in me.

"There's aren't so much decided by their personalities as they are by their wishes."

Now, hear me out here. For most Semblances we've seen yet and have heard/seen the unlocking of, they seem to have appeared in a moment of need, a moment of physical or emotional stress.

And it always seems to pertain to certain desires the user has.

Alright, let's just start from somewhere. Let me explain my thought process.

I take a character who's Semblance we know of, then check their backstory and personality. Then I check if said backstory/personality could lead to a desire in said character. And finally, I try to see if that desire connects directly to the Semblance of the character in question.

Let's start with someone who's Semblance we not only know, but saw the moment they found it.

Lie Ren.

First off, we check their personality/backstory. Ren is a quiet, less emotionally expressive character. He seems to stay calm in every moment. As the story progresses, he grows more expressive - in current-day Kuroyuri, he is shown in a rage.

So far, it seems fitting that such a character gets a Semblance such as "Calmness", as I'll dub it.

But it's the moment that he unlocks it that makes it interesting.

Up until that point, we've seen Ren as an excitable little boy. He went from store to store, trying to find something to buy his father for his return. He shows a lot of emotions at that point. When the Nuckelavee attacks and his parents perish, he is panicked beyond belief and is hiding under an archway. He notices Nora a little ways away, in a similar state. He wants to help her. He wants to take action, but he's too panicked to move. He wants to calm down , he tries and tries and- his Semblance activates. His desire to calm down activated his unique ability - to instill calmness despite negative emotions. His wish was to do as his father and mother did - be brave and inspire others to feel the same.

In other words, his Semblance was unlocked by his desire to be calm so he could be reliable to those he cares about.

Alright, next big example - Jaune.

His Semblance was first hinted at in "Forever Fall, pt.2" as Cardin attempted to give Jaune the good ol' knuckle sandwich, only hurt his hand after a bright flash of light (This'll be of importance later). The next time we see it is alllll the way in "Vault of The Spring Maiden", and this time it was fully unlocked. His Semblance of Aura Amplification is one that I personally feel really fits his character - he doesn't want to protect his friends. He wants to do as Pyrrha did for him at Beacon - bring them up, assist them in achieving new heights but not doing it instead of them. Notice how I again used "wants". His desire to do as a good leader should, bring up his teammates, is the basis of his Semblance. It's the same with when he blocked Cardin's punch - he wanted to bring himself up from the pitiful state he was in at the time, not just protect himself from the pain but have the strength to overcome it.

Alright, next up on the list... is Raven, surprisingly.

She was one of the easiest to piece to this logic, as she and Qrow have an irony with their Semblances. But back to Raven.

Her Semblance is "Connection", as I'll call it. It's premise is relatively simple - she can create a portal to those she has a strong emotional connection to. The list so far includes Qrow (brother & teammate), Taiyang (lover & teammate), Yang (daughter) and Vernal (right-hand woman until her untimely demise). We know about Vernal due to process of elimination - unless you wanna imply she actually had a connection to Cinder or her companions. And yet, her whole story is how she abandoned her daughter and her husband. She told Qrow "they owed everything to the Branwen tribe", strongly implying, if not confirming she feels a sense of thankfulness to the people who raised her when she needed it. She admonished Qrow for deserting the clan. She feels a sense of duty towards them. And yet, her Semblance is based entirely on emotional connection - something I doubt is of great importance in a bandit clan composed of "killers and thieves", in Qrow's words. I'd hazard to guess that a childhood in a bandit clan would easily stir a desire to form lasting bonds - something easily achievable when you can make portals. Despite her sense of duty, she still desires a strong emotional bond, devoid of power dynamics and a sense of "we may die any day". Something she had with Taiyang and Yang. Something she had with Qrow and Vernal, despite the circumstances. Really adds a layer to her character if you put it like that.

Alright, who's next... hm, let's put Qrow on the dissection table now.

His Semblance of "Misfortune" seems awfully contradictory to his character, that of a caring man who can barely stand to hurt those close to him, even if they're not family and friends. Why would that be his Semblance?

Well, he obviously didn't have a great opinion of the Branwen tribe. Who knows, maybe what Raven saw as being saved, Qrow saw as being used. Maybe he wished that they'd be caught by bad luck, that the tribe would just collapse and disappear. But that spite evolved into his current Semblance - everyone around him suffers while he's only really left with emotional scars.

Welp. That was depressing. Who's up for getting at Nora next.

Now, this is gonna be pretty short this time. There's not a lot to talk about. She sees Ren as her emotional anchor, her savior. She wants to give back for what he does. She sees he's struggling on the physical side (he's pretty low on the endurance, as evident multiple times throughout the show), so she desires to be strength he's lacking in. And look where that got her - her Semblance, "Charging" makes her grow exponentially stronger the more electricity she absorbs. She can even channel it into objects, like Magnhild or an Ursa. I'd say mission successful, you funky little Thor ginger.

Let's finish up JNPR with their resident apology machine - Pyrrha.

So, we know she'd been in many tournaments. She's the Invincible Girl. The three-time Mistral regional battle tournament winner. She's honestly a gladiator. And what does a gladiator crave? Victory. That's where her overpowered (in comparison to others) Semblance appeared from. She simply wanted to beat her opponents more easily. Well, until she didn't want all the fame that came along with her power.

Alright, who do we mentally lay bare... Hm, Velvet seems simple enough.

What's there to say - a shy, bullied bunny. She's a second year in the first year's history class. I'd say that would do some things to your confidence. And what's her Semblance? Well it just so happens to be "Movement Copying". She can copy a person's physical movements, even if she has not seen them, as shown in "Heroes and Monsters". Makes sense - her desire to be as strong as those around her shows both in her Semblance and her weapon (which is basically a weapon-copying camera). She doesn't have confidence that she's strong, so she (quite literally) does as those around her.

Hm, who next... oooh, how about Yang?

"...basically a temper tantrum", I'd call it "Rise Up". This also can connect to a desire. Yang, being repeatedly battered by one damaging event after the other - her mother abandoning her, her stepmother dying, likely a depression in her father and mothering Ruby. The girl has likely been brought down more than once. But she desires to get stronger from it, so much so that the desire has become a characteristic. She shows so when she decides to find Ruby, when she decides to start training again. She has done it again and again and she'll continue doing it - her desire is now another part of her personality that won't break.

Alright, we put Yang here, how about we make a Bumbleby combo and go for Blake next.

"Shadows", now that's a name I can get behind. She "leaves an empty shell, a shadow to take the hit while she runs". It's, all things considered, a kind of cowardly Semblance. It's basically "here, beat on this while I dodge away and escape the attack". And with the recent events, we've seen she doesn't wanna run anymore - yet she retains her Semblance unchanged? Makes no sense if it's connected to a personality trait. But if it's connected to a desire, then it would make perfect sense. Firstly, she's a Faunus. We know for a fact that there's Faunus discrimination (seriously, if the Adam short and Adam's scar aren't enough proof for you...) and that she was fighting against it in protests. And if our world is anything to go by... yeah, it's easy to see how peaceful any counter-protests would be. Not to mention Adam himself. From all those factors collected, well, the thought process behind the desire her Semblance is founded on becomes obvious - she realised the racists only saw an animal, nothing of importance where Blake stood. So she gave them just that - an empty sandbag to hit while she runs. I'm not gonna get into Adam, as I'm simply sick of the topic.

Hmm, who's left... Well, Weiss has a familial Semblances. The Schnee Glyphs aren't so much unique as the summons included. Really, the only thing unique about her Semblance is who she summons, as we've seen a Queen Lancer, a Boarbatusk and the Arma Gigas, unlike Winter, who we've seen with a flock of tiny Nevermores and a Beowolf. The show says the Schnee family Semblance is a very rare thing, a passed-down-by-blood power. So it's an understandable outlier.

Let's look at Ruby next... Well, she seems to be a very big outlier to this theory of mine. Her silver eyes have more to do with her desires than her Speed. Maybe she has a desire we have yet to see? Anyways, I don't quite have an explanation for Ruby, so I'll leave her aside.

Let's clean our palates with Sun, then.

His Semblance, "Kage Bunshin No Jutsu" (I know it's called "Via Sun", but I wanted to make an unoriginal joke), actually seems to fit my theory. We don't have much, if any, backstory, but in this case we need none. His desire, as we've seen many times throughout the series and which was twisted in Volume 4 & 5, is to help people. He wants to be there for those he cares about, like Blake and his team, but he realises he can't do it alone. So his desire turned into his Semblance, "One Monkey Army" - a way for him to help even if he's alone to do so. You can't tell me he hasn't used his Semblance to fetch something for someone at least once.

Hm, few people left. Let's go with Emerald.

Her "Hallucinations" are a nod to her growing up on the streets. A place you'd be begging people not to pay attention to you. Her Semblance, then, is born from the obvious desire to fool prey and predators alike.

Neo... We don't know much about her. No backstory, some personality, but honestly? The only idea I have at this moment is more of a headcannon. But I CAN connect her Semblance's evolution. So, before V6, her Semblance is simply making physical illusions. It's honestly similar to Blake's "Shadows", in some uses, but it's definitely a lot more of a multi-use tool. It can be used to make her look different, if not outright invisible. But it always shatters upon being hit. Fast forward to V6 and her fight against Cinder, and suddenly she can use the illusions as straight up puppets to fight for her. Her Semblance grew, to put it bluntly. But why in such a manner? Her illusions were fragile and immobile before, now they're tougher and mobile to the point of being straight up weapons. But why in that direction? Well, they can move and touch things without them breaking now. Guess who's started to get more headpats from her partner.

Alright, Hazel is up for the mental strip.

Honestly, despite our lack of major backstory here, his Semblance is pretty easy to trace back. Nobody likes pain, outside of masochists, so it's easy to understandable he'd have a Semblance that removes the feeling of pain.

Adam. Adam Adam Adam. He's surprisingly more similar to Hazel than Yang in terms of Semblance. Yeah, you heard that right. "He gets to dish out damage and not feel it". His Semblance is basically a self-loading gun - he can use the power of strikes to charge it, only to the unleash various empowered slashes. He refuses to feel pain, just like Hazel, but unlike him, he also desired to return what was meant for him straight back at his attackers. Hazel is relatively peaceful when the situation doesn't include Ozpin, but Adam? He's aggressive, always bloodthirsty. His desire was simple - feed his thirst for vengeance. A perfect Semblance for that wish, no?

Hm, well we only have Glynda left. I got nothing. I don't see how I'd understand her desire to have telekinesis without a backstory I doubt we'll get.

Well, that's it for that! I feel like I'm onto something.

#rwby #ruby rose #blake belladonna #yang xiao long #qrow branwen #weiss schnee #jaune arc #nora valkryie #lie ren #pyrrha nikos #raven branwen #emerald sustrai #rwby neo #hazel rainart #adam taurus #velvet scarlatina #sun wukong #glynda goodwitch

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arcadianambivalence · 6 years ago

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History is a Wheel: GOT 8x05

*steps up to the podium and adjusts the microphone*

I…liked it.

*cue the Flynn Rider surrounded by swords gif*

Hear me out.

I could say wisdom is learning from other people’s mistakes and that wisdom is sorely lacking in this situation. I could say history is like a wheel, for the nature of man is fundamentally unchanging. I could say that everything you’re about to see is like something you’ve seen before.

And it’s true. That is what this episode was all about: no matter how people try, tragedy will echo and echo throughout time. Because not everyone will learn from the past, and some that do will find themselves unable to do anything until it’s too late.

Varys begins the episode playing the role Ned Stark did all the way back in season one. Realizing the danger of one upcoming ruler, he tries to push for a legitimate heir, one who is more militant and dutiful. But that quickly backfires. Betrayed by a “friend,” he is executed by the very ruler he attempted to stop…and the tragedy he wanted to avoid happened anyway.

Tyrion spent much of Joffrey’s reign from a position of privilege. Until late in the reign, he was able to talk back to Joffrey without risk to his person. Now the tables have turned, and Tyrion cannot hide behind his status as uncle or son of a powerful lord. To make matters more complicated, he plays the role of Catelyn Stark this episode: releasing Jaime (prisoner yet again) to King’s Landing to bargain for the lives of innocents.

During the Battle of the Blackwater, Cersei was prepared to poison, if not herself, then her son. Why? Not because she wanted to control him to the last, but because she knew what would happen to him: the same massacre that Elia Martell, Rhaenys, and Aegon died of. She would fight to very end to keep that from happening to her family. And she did.

Jaime’s defining moment was his murder of Aerys (and saving half a million people). And what is his fatal wound? A stab in the back by another king. Talk about poetic irony! He spent his entire arc questioning: where is my role in the present? Do I serve House Lannister? Do I follow Lady Catelyn’s wishes? Do I build a future with Brienne? With Cersei?

In the end, there is no future for him. Jaime went back for Cersei because of his story arc. Because he’s remembered that as a knight, he swore to protect people. He couldn’t protect Elia Martell during the Sack or Queen Rhaella from Aerys. Ultimately, his attempt to save another queen leads to her death. Trapped on all sides by debris from Rhaegar’s little sister and her dragon, the two die together as Cersei always said they would.

Speaking of living in the past, Sandor once again leaves behind a chance to start over. Revenge is greater than mercy, or even life itself. It’s a horrible, horrible irony that the trauma stemming from burning alive culminates in burning Gregor alive…and Sandor too. Revenge is a fire that consumes you. A very obvious metaphor, but apt nevertheless.

But before he dives headfirst into revenge, Sandor pushes Arya back. She still has a future if she gives up revenge. If she does not become like him. And this saves her to witness ash raining down on the survivors of King’s Landing. Time and time again, she tries to help the mother and daughter (a representation of her own mother and her innocent self), and every time she fails. Mercy and compassion are torn apart by fire again and again. And when Arya leaves King’s Landing, it looks like Harrenhal. Covered in blood and ash, she looks like a ghost.

Maybe some part of her is.

You can see traces of our history, too. Arya’s flight through the ashen streets of King’s Landing is a nightmarish peek into the final moments of Pompeii. At one point, she stumbles upon a group of mothers cradling their children. The staging of the scene is a direct reference to remains found in the ruins of Pompeii.

And all this could have been avoided.

No, not avoided. Post-poned.

Daenerys was always going to do this.

Daenerys is her father’s daughter, the dragon’s daughter, the blood of old Valyria. But family history is not family future. She chose the conquering path. She chose fire and blood and not patience or mercy.

Joffrey called for Ned’s execution. He called it mercy, too.

And like Joffrey, she was always going to do this.

As she told the Thirteen of Qarth in season two, “We will lay waste to armies and burn cities to the ground.”

As she told Hizdar in season five, “One day, your city will return to the dirt, as well.” “At your command?” “If need be.”

As she told Tyrion in season seven, “I have three large dragons. I’m going to fly them to the Red Keep.”

She’s told Jon and Tyrion and Grey Worm and Davos and Jorah and anyone who would listen who she is the entire time. And she’s told the audience. If the audience did not listen to history, then like Jon, they too followed in fear or stood behind a title and a savior, a dream of restoration and peace from someone who always said she would take it with fire and blood.

And she did.

Is it too late to learn from the past now?

#got spoilers #got meta #got s8 spoilers #got s8 #my meta #got 8x05

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posh-taco · 2 years ago

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Overcommitted and overwhelmed. Hurried and harried. Racing at warp speed and running on empty. Out of breath and on edge. Can't keep up and can't slow down. Expended and exhausted. Wrung out and worn out. Depleted and defeated. Stretched and stressed. Anxious and restless. Sound familiar? This is what I often sense when I look into the eyes and hearts of my Christian sisters. All too often, it's what I see when I slow down long enough to consider what's going on in my own soul. And based on what Shaunti has written in these sixty short devotional readings, I'd say she's no stranger to this same breathless-on-the-treadmill-of-life sort of experience. Yet she understands, and she wants us to understand, that the gospel (and this is Good News indeed calls us to another way. God's Word promises us green pastures and still waters, times of refreshing rivers of living water flowing from within. So from one needy pilgrim to another, I invite you to push pause, step into these pages, let your mind be renewed, and let your racing heart slow down. Mostly I invite you come to Christ. And in Him, find: Grace and gratitude. Contentment and courage. Peace and perspective. Dependence and delight. Trust and thriving. Strength and sanity. A slower pulse and steady praise. Worship and wonder. Restoration and refreshing. In a word, rest. Our Savior beckons to you and to me: "Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls." - Jeremiah 6:16 Stop your running, He says. Stand still. Look at the way you're heading. Ask for directions to a new and different place (actually an ancient place). Walk in that good way- His way, the paths walked by those who have gone before us. Find rest for your soul.

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Think of a decision (small or large) that is causing you stress, that you need to make in the coming days. What temporary things might you be looking to for a sense of direction? (For example, the path of least resistance at the moment, or what your colleagues are suggesting you do...) What unchanging truth can you look to instead? Finding Your Good Way When I moved to New York City in 1994, I spent a lot of time on the subway. Always busy, I enjoyed speeding under the gridlocked traffic to quickly reach my destination. Most of Manhattan is laid out in a clear grid pattern with numbered streets, so getting around is easy. As long as you know where you are, you know exactly where to go. I'm at 32nd and Park, so I just need to head north two blocks and turn right on 34th street. There is just one hitch: When you come off the subway at an unfamiliar stop, how do you know where you are? Surrounded by tall buildings, you have no sense of direction. In those days, there was an easy solution: we would turn in a circle until we spotted the Twin Towers, which were clearly visible at the southern tip of Manhattan. We knew that was south, so we could use that landmark to determine where we were and where to go. We based our sense of direction on the Twin Towers because they were fixed and unmoving. Until they weren't. On September 11, 2001, every New Yorker-and every person on the planet, really-saw the truth that all man-made things are temporary. In our crazy, modern lives, each of us is looking for direction: how do we get to that life of peace and joy we want, rather than the stressed and frazzled life we have? All too often, we base our decisions on things that loom large in our eyes convenience, the advice of friends, whether it avoids pain or brings pleasure. But those factors are a fickle guide. We are stressed and frazzled because we have followed temporary directional signals that do not lead to peace (the "good way," as the prophet Jeremiah put it). Jesus quoted the prophet Jeremiah when he said there is only one way to find that good way: taking on His yoke and learning from Him. (Matthew 11:29). We must stop looking to temporary signals for a sense of direction. We must look to the One who both never changes and is gentle with our human, frazzled state. As we will see on Day 2, His yoke (guiding force) will never pull us astray. "WHEN I UNDERSTAND THAT EVERYTHING HAPPENING TO ME IS TO MAKE ME MORE CHRISTLIKE, IT RESOLVES A GREAT DEAL OF ANKIETY." -A.W. Tozer

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jdgo51 · 2 years ago

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A Prayer for When You Need Encouragement

Today's inspiration comes from:

When You Don’t Know What to Pray

by Charles F. Stanley

"This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. The Lord’s loving kindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness." — Lamenations 3:21-23

"Father, I feel discouraged. Sorrow wells up in me because of disappointments, losses, deep needs, and unmet expectations. Of course, You understand my sadness even more than I do. You see what is truly causing this deep hurt and making me feel hopeless. But, Lord, I realize that when I focus on what I don’t have, my problems, or my regrets, they will always overwhelm me. They will always be bigger than they really are. So, Jesus, I will set my focus on You. Encourage and comfort me, my Lord and Savior.

I call Your faithfulness to mind, and therefore have hope. Thank You, Father, that You will always fulfill what You’ve promised. You have vowed to give me hope and a future. You have guaranteed that You will never leave or forsake me. You have assured me that You will walk with me on the mountains and in the valleys of life. I praise You because You are reliable, steadfast, unfailing, unwavering, constant, and trustworthy. You never forget, never falter, and You never fail.

You are always unswervingly faithful in all things.

This is because You, Lord God, are omniscient — You know everything and, therefore, understand how to prepare, mature, and lead me in every changing season of life. You are omnipotent — You have the power to do anything and aren’t hindered by any force on earth or in Heaven. You are omnipresent — I am always within the reach of Your strong and loving hand. And You are unchanging — Your faithfulness endures forever. You can be trusted to keep Your promises in all things and at all times.

Surely, knowing You are with me encourages my heart and helps me to continue forward. You work all things together for my edification, and even the trials I experience are for my good and Your glory. Your precious Word gives me assurance, directs me through the changing seasons of life, and reminds me that no matter what I face, I can do so with absolute confidence. You have delivered me through many trials and will continue to do so. You have set me free from bondage and persistently work in me so I can walk in Your liberty. Your loving, faithful presence will be with me today and will accompany me in all my tomorrows.

There is no reason for my soul to be downcast, because I can put my hope in You — the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, my Great High Priest, Redeemer, Defender, and Provider. I praise You for how awesome, loving, and encouraging You are.

Thank You for encouraging me and comforting me, Father. Thank You for forgiving my sins and teaching me to walk in Your truth. Thank You that nothing is impossible for You. Thank You for the precious promises You bring to mind and Your presence, Your power, Your compassion, and Your loving-kindness toward me. I will put all my hope in You.

In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen."

Excerpted with permission from When You Don’t Know What to Pray by Charles F. Stanley, copyright Charles F. Stanley.

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pamphletstoinspire · 7 years ago

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A Novena For Justice And Healing In The Church

Recited On Any 9 Consecutive Days

The Church is suffering. Victims are suffering. Faithful priests and Bishops are suffering. The laity are suffering. All of this suffering comes through sin, unbelief, and injustice. The answer to this crisis – the solution that every Catholic can participate in, that you can participate in, is to be a conduit of grace through prayer.

God has ordained that His grace and healing come through the prayers of His people. If we pray, that grace will pour out as a torrent of God’s love and healing on the Church. If we do not pray, that grace will not come – healing will be hindered – justice will be thwarted – renewal will never emerge. Please join us in a novena to St. Thérèse of Lisieux for the healing of our Church?

“Each time that my enemy would provoke me to fight I behave like a brave soldier. I know that a duel is an act of cowardice, and so, without once looking him in the face, I turn my back on the foe, hasten to my Savior, and vow that I am ready to shed my blood in witness of my belief in Heaven.” ~ St. Thérèse of Lisieux

We must first turn to our Lord and Savior when the enemy provokes us to fight. We must rely upon His strength, His wisdom, His leading, His power.

“From afar it seems easy to do good to souls, to make them love God more, to mold them according to our own ideas and views. But coming closer we find, on the contrary, that to do good without God’s help is as impossible as to make the sun shine at night.” ~ St. Thérèse of Lisieux

As you join us in this fight that begins and ends on our knees in prayer, please offer these intentions with us for the Church and:

That all victims would find healing and peace. That all perpetrators of sin and deception in the Church, and their enablers, would be brought to justice.

Little Flower Novena

Prayers to be said each day:

Come Holy Spirit and fill the hearts of the faithful, and kindle in them the fire of divine love.

V. Send forth Your Spirit and they shall be created.

R. And You shall renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray: O God, who have instructed the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit; grant that by the gift of the same Spirit, we may be ever truly wise and rejoice in His consolation, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Acts of Faith, Hope, and Love: O my God! I believe in Thee: strengthen my faith. All my hopes are in Thee: do Thou secure them. I love Thee: teach me to love Thee daily more and more.

The Act of Contrition: O my God! I am heartily sorry for having offended You, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell, but most of all because they offend You, my God, who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Your grace, to confess my sins, to do penance , and to amend my life. Amen.

Concluding Prayer Prayed Each Day:

O Lord, You have said that unless we become as little children we shall not enter the kingdom of heaven; grant us, we beg You, so to follow, in humility and simplicity of heart, the footsteps of the Virgin Saint Thérèse, that we may attain to an everlasting reward. Amen.

Special Prayers for Each Day:

First Day

St. Thérèse, privileged Little Flower of Jesus and Mary, I approach you with childlike confidence and deep humility. I lay before you my desires, and beg that through your intercession they may be realized. Did you not promise to spend your heaven doing good upon earth? Grant me according to this promise the favors I am asking from you.

Intercede for us all the days of our life, but specially during this Novena and obtain for us from God the graces and favors we ask through your intercession. Amen.

Reflection for the day: Confidence in God. We can never have too much confidence in the good God who is so powerful and so merciful. We obtain from Him as much as we hope for.

If you are nothing, do you forget that Jesus is everything? You have only to lose your nothingness in His Infinity and think only of loving Him.

Concluding Prayer (As above)

Second Day

O dear little Saint, now that you see the crucified Jesus in heaven, still bearing the wounds caused by sin, you know still more clearly than you did upon earth the value of souls, and the priceless worth of that Precious Blood which He shed to save them. As I am one of those children for whom Christ died, obtain for me all the graces I need in order to profit by that Precious Blood. Use your great power with our divine Lord and pray for me.

Intercede for us all the days of our life, but especially during this Novena and obtain for us from God the graces and favors we ask through your intercession. Amen.

Reflection for the day: Sin. The only grace I ask, O Jesus, is never to offend Thee.

By love and not by fear, does a soul avoid committing the least fault.

Yes, even if I have on my conscience every possible crime, I should lose none of my confidence; my heart breaking with sorrow, I should go and throw myself into the arms of my Savior.

The remembrance of my faults humbles me and makes me afraid to rely on my own strength, which is nothing but weakness.

Concluding Prayer (As above)

Third Day

Dear Little Flower, make all things lead me to heaven and God, Whether I look at the sun, the moon, the stars and the vast expanse in which they float, or whether I look at the flowers of the field, the trees of the forest, the beauties of the earth so full of color and so glorious, may they speak to me of the love and power of God; may they all sing His praises in my ear. Like you may I daily love Him more and more in return for His gifts. Teach me often to deny myself in my dealings with others, that I may offer to Jesus many little sacrifices.

Intercede for us all the days of our life, but especially during this Novena and obtain for us from God the graces and favors we ask through your intercession. Amen.

Reflection for the day: The Use of God’s Gifts. How much benefit have I received from the beauties of nature, bestowed in such abundance. How they raise me to Him who placed such wonders in this land of exile which is only to last a day.

O sparkling nature, if I did not see God in you, you would be naught but a great tomb.

With your little hand which caresses Mary, You sustain the universe and bestow life; and You think of me, O Jesus my little King.

I do not wish creatures to have one atom of my love. I wish to give all to Jesus, since He has shown me that He alone is perfect happiness.

Concluding Prayer (As above)

Fourth Day

Dear Little Flower of Carmel, bearing so patiently the disappointments and delays allowed by God, and preserving in the depths of your soul an unchanging peace because you sought only God’s will, ask for me complete conformity to that adorable Will in all the trials and disappointments of life. If the favors I am asking during this Novena are pleasing to God, obtain them for me. If not, it is true I shall feel the refusal keenly, but I too wish only God’s Will, and pray in the words you used, that I “may ever be perfectly fulfilled in me.”

Intercede for us all the days of our life, but especially during this Novena and obtain for us from God the graces and favors we ask through your intercession. Amen.

Reflection for the day: Abandonment to God. I fear only one thing — to keep my own will; take it, my God, for I choose all that You choose.

The only happiness here below is to strive to be always content with what Jesus gives us.

I can demand nothing with fervor, except the perfect accomplishment of God’s will in my soul.

O my Beloved, I offer myself to You, that You may perfectly accomplish in me Your holy designs, and I will not allow anything created to be an obstacle in their path.

Concluding Prayer (As above)

Fifth Day

Little Flower of Jesus, from the very first moment of your religious life you thought only of denying yourself in all things so as to follow Jesus more perfectly; help me to bear patiently the trials of my daily life. Teach me to make use of the trials, the sufferings, the humiliations, that come my way, to learn to know myself better and to love God more.

Intercede for us all the days of our life, but especially during this Novena and obtain for us from God the graces and favors we ask through your intercession. Amen.

Reflection for the day: Patience in Sufferings. I do not fear trials sent by Jesus, for even in the most bitter suffering we can see that it is His loving hand which causes it.

When we are expecting nothing but suffering, we are quite surprised at the least joy; but then suffering itself becomes the greatest of joys when we seek it as a precious treasure.

Far from resembling those beautiful saints who practiced all sorts of austerities from childhood, my penance consisted in breaking my self-will, in keeping back a sharp reply, in doing little kindnesses to those about me, but considering these deeds as nothing.

Concluding Prayer (As above)

Sixth Day

St. Thérèse, Patroness of the Missions, be a great missionary throughout the world to the end of time. Remind our Master of His own words, “The harvest is great, but the laborers are few.” Your zeal for souls was so great, obtain a like zeal for those now working for souls, and beg God to multiply their numbers, that the millions to whom Jesus is yet unknown may be brought to know, love and follow Him.

Intercede for us all the days of our life, but especially during this Novena and obtain for us from God the graces and favors we ask through your intercession. Amen.

Reflection for the day: Zeal for souls. Let us work together for the salvation of souls. We have only the day of this life to save souls and to give them to the Lord as proofs of our love.

I tell Jesus that I am glad not to be able to see, with the eyes of my soul, this beautiful heaven which awaits me, in order that He may vouchsafe to open it forever to poor unbelievers.

I cannot perform brilliant works; I cannot preach the Gospel or shed my blood. But what matter? My brothers work in place of me, and I a little child, keep very close to the royal throne. I love for those who are carrying on the warfare.

My deeds, my little sufferings, can make God loved all over the world.

Concluding Prayer (As above)

Seventh Day

O little martyr of Love, you know now even better than in the days of your pilgrimage that Love embraces all vocations; that it is Love alone which counts, which unites us perfectly to God and conforms our will with His. All you sought on earth was love; to love Jesus as He had never yet been loved. Use your power in heaven to make us love Him. If only we love Him we shall desire to make Him loved by others; we shall pray much for souls. We shall no longer fear death, for it will unite us to Him forever. Obtain for us the grace to do all for the love of God, to give Him pleasure, to love Him so well that He may be pleased with us as He was with you.

Intercede for us all the days of our life, but especially during this Novena and obtain for us from God the graces and favors we ask through your intercession. Amen.

Reflection for the day: Love of God. I will love God alone and will not have the misfortune of attaching myself to creatures, now that my heart perceive what He has in store for those who love Him.

What attracts me to the kingdom of Heaven is the call of our Lord, the hope of loving Him as I have so desired and the thought that I shall be able to make Him loved by a great number of souls who will bless Him forever.

When Christ said, “Give Me a Drink,” it was the love of His poor creatures that He, the Creator of all things, desired. He thirsted for love.

Remember that the dear Jesus is there in the tabernacle expressly for you, for you alone. Remember that He is consumed with a desire to come into your heart.

Concluding Prayer (As above)

Eighth Day

Dear St. Thérèse, like you I have to die one day. I beseech you, obtain from God, by reminding Him of your own precious death, that I may have a holy death, strengthened by the Sacraments of the Church, entirely resigned to the most holy Will of God, and burning with love for Him. May my last words on earth be, “My God. I love You.”

Intercede for us all the days of our life, but especially during this Novena and obtain for us from God the graces and favors we ask through your intercession. Amen.

Reflection for the day: Death. It says in the catechism that death is nothing but the separation of the soul and body. Well, I have no fear of a separation which will unite me forever with the good God.

I am happy to die because I shall be able to help souls who are dear to me, far more than I can here below.

Life is not sad; it is very joyous. If you say, “This exile is sad,” I understand you. We are wrong to give the name “life” to something which will end; it is only to the things of Heaven that we should apply this beautiful name.

Concluding Prayer (As above)

Ninth Day

Dear Little St. Thérèse, by love and suffering while you were on earth, you won the power with God which you now enjoy in heaven. Since your life there began, you have showered down countless blessings on this poor world; you have been an instrument made use of by your divine Spouse to work countless miracles. I beg of you to remember all my wants. Sufferings must come to me also, may I use them to love God more, and follow my Jesus better. You are especially the little missionary of love. Make me love Jesus more, and all others for His sake. With all my heart I thank the most Holy Trinity for the wonderful blessings conferred on you, and upon the world through you.

Intercede for us all the days of our life, but especially during this Novena and obtain for us from God the graces and favors we ask through your intercession. Amen.

Reflection for the day: The Mission of the Little Flower. I do not intend to remain inactive in Heaven. I want to work for the Church and for souls. I have asked this of God and I am certain that He will grant my request.

I will spend my Heaven doing good upon earth. This is not impossible, since the angels though always enjoying the beatific vision, watch over us. No, I cannot be at rest until the end of the world.

I beseech Thee, O Jesus, to cast Thy divine glance on a great number of little souls. I beg of Thee to choose in this world a legion of little victims, worthy of Thy Love.

Concluding Prayer (As above)

O Lord, You have said: Unless you become as little children you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven; grant us, we beg You, so to follow, in humility and simplicity of heart, the footsteps of the Virgin blessed Thérèse, that we may attain to an everlasting reward. Amen.

#novena for healing in the church

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hieromonkcharbel · 5 years ago

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Do we celebrate the status quo or the birth of the crucified and risen Lord?

"By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?" Matthew 21:23

Merikakis

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stpaullutheranchurch · 3 years ago

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June 5 2022

Pentecost Sunday June 5th 2022

Old Testament: Genesis 11:1-9

Psalm: Psalm 143

Epistle: Acts 2:1-21

Gospel: John 14:23-31

Sermon Text: John 14:23-31

Sermon Title:

Grace to you and peace, from God the Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

“The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you”. (John 14:26)

“I believe in the Holy Spirit … ! What does this mean? I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength, believe in my Lord Jesus Christ, or come to Him, but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, and sanctified and kept me in the one true faith. In the same way, He calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith”. (Third Article, Luther’s Small Catechism)

But before we unpack this and briefly review the events of this first Day of Pentecost; maybe we should first state what “I believe in the Holy Spirit” doesn’t mean. After all, part of the pastor’s job is to point out and warn against false teachings/doctrines; and there are many of them regarding the person and work of the Holy Spirit; the third person of the Holy Trinity, which we will speak more of next Sunday.

Prior to going to seminary, I was told by a Pentecostal preacher that I would never be a legitimate preacher, if I didn’t speak in tongues. Others (in those church bodies) go so far as to say that one cannot even be a Christian if they do not speak in tongues. And by tongues, they mean spiritual or other worldly languages; not other earthly languages; which is what the book of Acts describes; “we hear each of us in our own native language”. (Acts 2:8b)

In a similar way, many in the evangelical churches, emphasize other “so called” dynamic works of the Spirit, such as miracles of healing; or other earthly successes; again often saying that if you do not receive these things you either have weak faith or perhaps no faith at all. The Holy Spirit is also said by these same groups to give direct and private revelation of God’s will; apart from Scripture; we have many in basing their faith not on Christ Jesus, but on their personal experiences, emotions, feelings, or dreams.

None of these ways of thinking about the work of the Holy Spirit is fully biblical and often totally contradicts Scripture; both of which can lead to great spiritual harm. For example, someone can claim a direct revelation from God that goes against clear Scriptural teaching; defending sins such as adultery or homosexual behavior or abortion or greed or racism. These imagined revelations result in divisions among Christians; leading to confusion, doubt of God’s Word, and further sin. If you put your trust in these things; miracles, feelings, etc, and then you do not experience them; it often leads to losing faith.

The main reason to be skeptical of all of these things is that the Holy Spirit does not promise to work or be present in our lives in these ways. The work of the Holy Spirit is always bound up with the revelation of the incarnate Christ, who lived, suffered, died and rose again from the dead for us. The Holy Spirit is not some ��force” to experience, but rather the third person of the Triune God, who speaks to us an unchanging, consistent message; the eternal Gospel of Jesus Christ our crucified Lord and risen Savior.

The Holy Spirit does not play to our emotions, experiences, and feelings, but rather stubbornly points us to Christ Jesus, through the means of grace that God has established; Confession and Absolution, The Lord’s Supper, Holy Baptism, and of course the Word of God; for the Word of God is included in all the other means of grace.

As Jesus said in the Gospel text, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My Word, and My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love Me, does not keep My words … These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper (Comforter), the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you”. (John 14:23b-26) “He will take what is mine and declare it to you”. (John 16:14b)

This is what happened on the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit caused those gathered in Jerusalem to “speak in other tongues (other human languages) … to hear them telling in our own tongues, the mighty works of God” (Acts 2:8b, 11b) in Christ Jesus our Lord. Even though they were mocked as being drunk early in the morning, the disciples, led by Peter continued to preach the Gospel saying, “everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved”. (Acts 2:21)

Therefore, we confess again, “I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, or come to Him, but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the one true faith. In the same way, He calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith … this is most certainly true”. (Small Catechism, Third Article, explanation.)

To review, the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Holy Trinity; true God along with the Father and the Son. We know the Holy Spirit is God because He is given divine names in Holy Scripture and divine attributes are also attributed to Him; such as omniscience and omnipresence. (The Spirit knows all things and is present everywhere.) In the Bible, the Holy Spirit also receives divine honor and glory and does divine works. (Small Catechism, Third Article, Questions # 154-155)

“What is the special divine work of the Holy Spirit? The Spirit calls us by the Gospel to faith in Jesus Christ; through water and the Word. We need the work of the Holy Spirit, because nobody can come to faith in Christ on their own strength or will or decision. The Apostle Paul writes repeatedly that we “were dead in trespasses and sins … children of wrath like the rest of mankind”. (Ephesians 2:1, 3) “The natural person cannot accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him”. (1st Corinthians 2:14a)

That is why the Holy Spirit must draw people to faith in Christ through the Gospel; “which is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes”. (Romans 1:16a) By this Gospel, the Word of Christ; the Holy Spirit has enlightened us with His gifts, us and sanctifies and keeps us in the one true faith. And “faith comes from hearing and hearing through the Word of Christ”. (Romans 10:17)

Any so called “spirit” that would try to keep us from hearing this Word or who openly contradicts it, as many of our churches do today, is of the devil. As Jesus said, “whoever does not love Me, does not keep My Word; for the Word that you hear is not My Word, but the Father’s who sent Me”. (John 14:24) To reject the Word of God, which testifies of the only Savior of the world; is to reject Christ Himself who has died to atone for the sins of the world and was raised bodily on the third day. To reject the Word of God is also to reject the Holy Spirt as Stephen declared, “you always resist the Holy Spirit” (Acts 7:51b).

The Holy Spirit, who desires to draw all people to faith, points us to the saving work of Christ on the cross and to the means by which we receive His grace; through Word and Sacrament. He enlightens their/our dead, stony hearts and blinded eyes to recognize and believe in Jesus as their Savior from sin, death, and the devil. The Holy Spirit gathers all believers into one holy Christian and apostolic church; the communion of saints; the body of Christ.

As Luther said, “neither you nor I could know anything about Christ, or believe in Him and receive Him as Lord, unless these were offered and bestowed upon our hearts through the preaching of the Gospel by the Holy Spirit “. (Large Catechism, Third Article, par. 38) The Spirit does this through the Christian church; the proclamation of the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting; through the “word of God, which the Holy Spirit reveals and proclaims, through which He illuminates and inflames our hearts, so that they grasp and accept it, cling to it and persevere in it”. (Par. 42) For, “the word of God … is at work in you believers”. (1st Thessalonians 2:13)

The Holy Spirit also sanctifies us; He makes us holy. The Spirit does this first by bringing us to saving faith in Christ, since we cannot do a single holy work in God’s sight apart from faith in the Gospel. The writer of Hebrews declared, “Without faith, it is impossible to please God”. (Hebrews 11:6) And Jesus’ words, “Apart from Me, you can do nothing”. (John 15:5b)

After we come to faith, the Spirit directs and empowers the Christian to lead a godly, pious life. This too is accomplished by the receiving of God’s gifts in Word and Sacrament, causing us to strive to overcome sin and do good works in our lives. “For, we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them”. (Ephesians 2:10) So, we regularly confess our sins and pray “create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).

Finally, the Holy Spirit’s work is evident in the Divine Service, the Liturgy. In the invocation, the Holy Spirit reminds us of our baptism into Christ, in which our “old self was crucified with Him” and by which we are raised to new life in Christ. The Spirit also works through the Word of Law and Gospel, which is proclaimed beginning with the Confession and Absolution, through the Scripture readings and sermon, creating contrition and repentance, forgiveness of sins and faith in the crucified and resurrected Savior Jesus; so that we boldly confess the Creeds and confidently offer our prayers to our Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Then in the Lord’s Supper, we receive from the Holy Spirit, pardon and peace and forgiveness of sins; strengthening of our faith towards God and love for neighbor. Finally in the Benediction, the Lord pronounces His blessing upon us as we leave this place.

Throughout the Divine Service, we may have a variety of feelings and emotions, but this does not change the reality of what is going on. The Holy Spirit is here; present among us, working where He has promised to be; giving us His divine gifts in the Word and Sacrament; that we may “depart in peace, according to His Word”. (Luke 2:29b) Amen.

The peace of God …

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03/26/2020 DAB Transcript

Deuteronomy 5:1-6:25, Luke 7:11-35, Psalms 68:19-35, Proverbs 11:29-31

Today is the 26th day of March, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I’m Brian it is great to be here with you moving…moving rapidly toward the end of another month, but I’m super excited that we can spend today and everyday step-by-step one day at a time. One step forward each and every day leads us on this journey and what a journey it has been so far. And man, what a journey it's going to be. There’s so much out in front of us to see. So, I'm excited that we can be here together around the Global Campfire taking the next step forward. We’re reading from the New Living Translation this week. Deuteronomy 5 and 6 today. And as I’ve mentioned a couple times, Deuteronomy’s three discourses, the final words of Moses and we read the first one, we concluded it and began the second talk today. And, so, that's where we’re picking up. Deuteronomy 5 and 6.

Commentary:

Okay. Let's look at what Jesus was talking about today in the gospel of Luke but let's start at the end of what He was saying and just kind of work our way backwards and look at this. The final thing that Jesus spoke in our reading today is this, “but wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it.” And we’ve spent time on our journey this year talking about wisdom, wisdom from the book of Proverbs, this voice, the feminine voice that tells us that she's a companion of God and was there from the…from the very beginning of creation and was delighted at all God had made. And we’ve also explored Jesus and some of the different ways that He was known. Like, He's our Savior, like we look at him a certain way because we have an understanding of Him, but as He was just coming into His ministry and moving around the countryside, how did people look at Him? They looked at Him as a prophet, which we saw in our reading today, like a major prophet as well as John. Like, God was speaking to them again. But He was also known as a wisdom teacher. And we talked about that and it's borne out in the way that He uses parables to sort of get around the façade of things, like to strip away the mask of a thing so that what’s really happening can be revealed. So, what’s happening today is Jesus is talking specifically about wisdom. “Wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it.” In other words, if you’re gonna walk the path of wisdom then that’s gonna be borne out in your life. You’re gonna become wise, which would change the way you do things. Why did Jesus make that statement though? Working backwards, He was commenting on the generation that was around Him. “How do I describe this generation? How do I describe the state of the world that I am in? They’re like children playing a game in the public square. They complain to their friends. We played wedding songs you didn't dance, we played funeral songs you didn’t weep. John comes and he doesn't eat bread or drink wine and then you'd call him demon possessed. I come and I feast, and I drink, and you say I'm a glutton and a drunkard and a friend of tax collectors and sinners. But wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it.” Jesus is in effect making the commentary on the generation saying, “you are never satisfied.” John comes looking like a prophet of old. He's the right clothes. Like the whole nine. He looks the part. You think he might be a prophet but then you're not happy with that because he's crazy and you call him demon possessed. So, then I come looking much more normal and you kinda…you’re not happy either with that. God's coming to you and you're missing it because you’re never happy with what you have. That’s kinda Jesus commentary on the generation of His time, but…but how different, how different is this time? Like we have an incredible amount of technology and knowledge and awareness and the ability to move about the earth and transport our…like we can do things that they…they wouldn't have been able to get their minds around. But is it any different? We’re never satisfied. But why was He saying all that? Working backwards, it was because John's disciples came to Him, sent by John asking Jesus if He's the one or not. That's why He comments on the generation and that's why He speaks of wisdom because He's basically like what kind of a question are you asking me? Am I the one or should you be looking for someone else? “Don't you…like are you unclear about what's happening here? The blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured. The deaf hear, the dead are raised to life and the good news is being preached to the poor.” So, basically, it's like, what else do you need to know? This is exactly what the prophets said would happen. This is exactly what's being fulfilled. What kind of question is it? Are you the one or should we be looking for someone else? They wanted somebody to come along and defeat the Roman empire by a mighty act of God. Instead, God came and said there's a way to be in this world no matter what is going on, no matter how oppressed you might feel. There is a whole world within you. It's called the kingdom of God. That's where it is and when it's within you. It can't help but spill out of you, but you’re never satisfied. You got it backwards. Your hearing the wedding song but you're not dancing. You're questioning everything, even though it's right in front of your face, but wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those follow it.

Prayer:

So, Jesus we invite You into that. It…it's…it's at times when You can see it, You can see that the heart of man is kind of an unchanging thing and that we’re just wearing different clothes now, but our dissatisfaction and our unrest is the same. And, so, You may say of the generation that we are living in now the same things that You would…that You spoke of the generation when You were ministering here. One of the things that You continually…continually reveal in the Gospels is that it's all right here if You have eyes to see. Like, it’s all here. What we need to move about the world and navigate in collaboration and confident with You, we have it. We just keep thinking that we don't, but we do, and wisdom shows that path to us. And we acknowledge once again that she's at every crossroads. And so often we are just blowing through every choice just dissatisfied in everything, that we’re missing that You are indeed at work in us. It is a slow process. It's called sanctification. It's a process and the process isn't really gonna build up anything without a solid foundation. And so often we’re trying to put the roof on without the foundation of our lives. So, come Holy Spirit. We hear Your words as if they were spoken to John, like “look at what I'm doing in the world. Look at what You are seeing. If you’ll have eyes to see you can see that this is going on and it has always been going on. So, come Holy Spirit and give us eyes to see and ears to hear. And I don't know how many times we've asked for that. And I don't how many times we will ask that. We’ll keep asking, we’ll keep knocking, we’ll keep seeking. Give us eyes to see this kingdom within and among us we pray in Your mighty and holy name. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is the website, its home base, it is indeed where you find out what’s going on around here.

And it's…I mean what's going on around here in the world can be scary but what's going on around here around the Global Campfire, this is exciting because for the next little…little over a week there’s an additional program along with the Daily Audio Bible. So, the Daily Audio Bible is here nonstop every day, seven days a week, but as a gift from my…my publisher NAV Press, as a gift from myself, as a gift from the Daily Audio Bible from which all of this sprang we are releasing the book Sneezing Jesus free, the audio edition of the book free one chapter a day as we go through this time because there is plenty of overwhelming scary news. This is the good news. It’s an exploration of Jesus life and the awareness that this kingdom, the good news that…that we take for granted, it…it spread like a virus. It spreads from person to person. So, it’s poignant for these times. So, we started yesterday and kinda went through the prologue, the premise of everything and the chapter called Advent, this beginning story of why Jesus came and how Jesus came. Today we’re releasing a chapter called Backward, which in many ways uses the Sermon on the Mount as a backdrop for what Jesus was sharing, like this…this idea of eyes to see and ears to hear that we’ve been talking about all year because Jesus says it all of the time is ultimately an invitation to open your eyes and realize that your living almost backward to how you are created. Like the whole world is almost backward to the way it was intended to be. So, that is available, right along with your feed, right where you get the Daily Audio Bible, right in the Daily Audio Bible app. It's there for your encouragement. And I…I have found encouragement. I mean, it’s been a while since I wrote that book, so it's been a while since I read the book but when you write a book you read that book like 150 times. So, it's been, you know, some time has passed since then. And, so, to reacquaint myself with these themes and these messages, especially now, as even encouraged…I've encouraged myself…not because of the way I wrote things, but because of what was said. And we’re making it available, giving it to you that you might find encouragement in this time. So, take advantage of that. And my prayers are that God would ignite the…I mean this book was published…we talked about it like the sneeze heard around the world. And man is that appropriate for now? So, check that out.

If you want partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com. There's a link on the homepage and it just lives there. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or, if you prefer, the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

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

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

Community Prayer and Praise:

This message is for Travis. Travis my name is Qu Annie Cotton. I’m actually calling into our DAB family in regards to your son Brady. I understand that Brady is dealing with some seizures. I want to let you know that as a mom of a son that is now nine but from the years of 1 to 4 our son had been dealing with several different stages or different types of seizures and no one could pinpoint or tell us why our son was dealing with those seizures. Our son was in and out of the hospital weeks at a time to the point where the hospital knew us and who we were, but they took very good care of my son when he was in the hospital. Travis, I want to let you know that God is a healer. Our son has been seizure free for the past five years. He has not been on medication. He has not had any signs of any seizures in any of those seizures that he’s dealt with and it’s only by the grace of God. So, Travis I just want to let you know that God is able, God can heal, God is amazing. God is so amazing for the things that He can do. If you hear in the background, that’s my son. He’s on his game. But I just want to tell you right now to trust God. Continue to keep praying, continue to keep trusting God. And when the doctors want to continue to keep medicating Brady or putting him on different medications, ask questions, even get a second opinion because that’s what we did as well. So, Travis I want to let you know that my family will be praying and continuously praying for your family as well as Brady’s family…as for well as Brady, that God would heal him, that God would definitely touch his body, and that God will deliver him, set free of this this…this…this disease. We’re praying for you. We love you. God bless.

I’m calling in response to Asia who called in on the March 22nd Sunday edition. Asia, I love you sister. I feel so bad hearing you talk about feeling scared or upset about people looking at you because your Asian during this coronavirus. I don’t understand the racism going around right now. I don’t see Asian people as being the reason for this virus. I think that’s just ignorant. We were in McDonald’s a week ago and there was one lady up at the counter as I was passing by getting my husband drunk and she was Asian decent of some kind and she was talking on her phone and she wasn’t talking English but you know I just wanted to give her a big hug and I was afraid to do so because, one she was already on the phone, and two I thought I’d scare her. But I just inside my heart I just wanted to give her a big hug because I know that there is bad things going around right now with everybody and this virus. And I had already seen online that there are many young Asian men who’ve been beat up over this. And I just feel for everybody who is Asian regardless whether Chinese or Vietnamese or Taiwanese or Japanese, whatever. There’s no need for this. So, please hang in there and know that we have your back. We love you sister and I hope first off that this virus is soon gone. We all need to pray. All of us Christians need to stand together. And my time is almost up, and I just wanted to call and let you know I love you. This is Kiki in Arizona otherwise known as Lola Marie. Bye.

Hello this is Duncan from Fredericksburg Texas and I just feel like praying. Abba Father right now there is a lot of blame going around. I hear the major media blaming the president. I hear people blaming others because they’re…they are Asian – Chinese, Korean, whatever. I hear others blaming the virus on this and that. And yet blaming does not solve anything Jesus, it only creates more anger and panic. And then I hear the news and I get sick of all of that negative news and I have decided I am not going to hear but one maybe newscast a day until there is hope on the horizon and a breakthrough. And that’s what we’re praying for the Lord, a breakthrough. And am praying for Lord that people will quiet down and stop blaming and start trusting in You. Lord Jesus I am totally of blind, I’m a widower right now and I deal with being in my own apartment, but I thank You for a church family Father. And yet I pray also Lord that this…that there will come when we can handshake and a hug again because this healing power in the hug and a handshake. Lord Jesus I thank You for online church, I thank You Lord for people who give …get groceries for us. And Lord but there’s also the impact that is…that all of this has had his work. I’m a musician. I’m a pianist and I play at various local places and their closed and nursing homes won’t let me in and they’re…they’re off limits. Father, we need work. And Father I just come to You. Yes, You meet our needs and I thank You for that, but Lord I am praying Lord for this scourge to be lifted only so that people can have their lives back again. And for others to come to trust You Jesus. I come to You now. Thank You, Lord. In Your precious name. And we kneel in it heavily Jesus.

DAB family this is Linda from Ontario Canada. I am a first-time caller, but my husband Andrew and I have been listening since 2006 after being introduced by a good friend’s. Shout out to Rob and Kiersten. All your voices old and new are precious. Brian, thank you. No one reads the Bible like you do and your commentaries and insights are ever so helpful. Family my sweet love Andrew went home on September 30th. It’s been almost 6 months now that my heart has been morning. And I must say dear Jesus is victorious over death. My family friends and community have been covering me with prayer and support and it’s been incredibly overwhelming how our father’s hand has been holding me up. He is so faithful. Family, you too have been instrumental in his love. You’ve supported me without even knowing I’m here. I listen every day multiple times some days as I fall asleep or can’t sleep or wake up through the early hours. My family is always there with encouragement and hope. Thank you, Jesus. I’ve been hiding in the sidelines but there is a mission ahead. I’m not a widow of a warrior. And warriors are on the frontline. Dabbers Jesus has already one, but we need to join collectively as warriors must. We need to fight for the things that touch each of us individually but most importantly now we need to come together and fight for our nonbelieving family members, friends, neighbors, countries, nations, governments the entire world. Let’s join together this worldwide community and pray for all eyes to see and hearts it will turn to Jesus. Second Chronicles 7:14 if my people who are called by My name would humble themselves, pray and seek My face, turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven will forgive their sins and heal their land. Thank You, Jesus. My DABber family I love you. Brenda from Ontario Canada.

Hey, DABbers this is Gavin from __ Canada. Today is Saturday, March the 21st I want you guys to pray for my brother especially and the rest of our family. My sister-in-law passed away this morning very unexpectedly. We have no idea what happened. She was only 27 years old. My brother…I’m a firm believer ion praying for others my name. My brother Derik is now left the single father of three. He has a six-year-old named Elvis who is really going to need prayer with this. He has a two-year-old named Clarissa and a one-year-old named Elvis…I’m sorry one-year-old named Zekia. It is a very hard time for them. My brother feels very empty right now and he’s told our pastor that he feels hopeless and feels like he’s just doing lip service to his son. He’s afraid that that’s gonna trickle down. And he really is afraid that it’s not going away. So, praying that the Lord will give the family comfort and he…my brother will speak these words that he knows to be true with conviction and just not feel they are lip service. Thank you very much DABbers. Your support is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Blessed are You oh Lord our God King of the universe who forms light and creates darkness who makes peace and creates all things. Father You are sovereign, and we praise You and we bless You and we thank You for the blessings that You give us Lord. We thank You that Your sovereignty also includes Your grace, Your mercy, Your love, Your peace, Your hope Lord God. Father these are just interesting times to say the least. Lord I just want to lift up all of our shepherds that You have given us. Lord may You continue to bless them as they lead us, as they…as they protect us Lord, as a shepherd does as they protect us from the wolves oh Lord our God by giving us Your word. Father we thank You for Your teachers. We thank You for those You have set in government, for no man is in government that You haven’t put their Lord and we just pray that You give them supernatural wisdom during this time oh Lord my God. Father, I lift up of those who are suffering in this time. I think of a caller who said that she was Asian Lord. Forgive us for the behaviors that we exhibit to our fellow man. Father I just lift up all those who are struggling with mental illness at this time. Father give us clarity and remind us that fear in You is the beginning of all wisdom Lord. And remind…thank You for reminding us that fearing You is knowing and resting that You are loving, kind, and merciful. Father, we just….

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