#small stuff

[lichenaday]

Cladonia ramulosa 

Oh go on, have a Cladonia.

images: source | source

[windycitydame]

The details in this antique store are just perfect, down to the price tags.

[upmala]

behold my beautiful son

[spookigoobi]

Klarion with a messy bun 👍✨

[momentsbeforemass]

Context makes all the difference

There are two basic kinds of choices in life – small stuff and life changers. Most of the time, whether a choice is small stuff or a life changer doesn’t have much to do with the actual choice itself. What we’re choosing to do, whether it’s hard or easy.

The difference between small stuff and life changers comes from where we are in life. Context makes all the difference.

Catching a life preserver that’s being thrown to you isn’t all that hard to do.

For someone treading water in a pond, a few feet from the shore, the choice to catch a life preserver is small stuff. It really doesn’t matter either way.

But for someone treading water in the ocean, with no land in sight, the choice to catch a life preserver is anything but small stuff.

Context makes all the difference. And it’s this dynamic that’s at the heart of today’s Gospel.

Loving someone who already loves you unconditionally isn’t all that hard to do.

What today’s Gospel makes clear is the context of that choice when it comes to Jesus. And for you and me, the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Our context? On our own, we’re separated from God. Not because we’ve done anything bad. That’s just our default state of existence in this fallen world. That’s where we start from.

The long-term consequences of doing nothing about our separation from God are horrifying to contemplate. Both in this life and in eternity.

The One who is the most upset about this? Is the One that made us. God loves us too much to abandon us.

Which is the whole point of the divine search and rescue mission that is the Incarnation.

That’s the backstory of today’s Gospel, John 3:16.

God isn’t asking us to do something that’s all that hard to do – to love Someone who already loves us unconditionally. Someone is willing to pay the ultimate price just for the chance that we would love Him back (see Good Friday for details).

But for you and me, given our context, the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Today’s Readings

[o0siomhawrites0o]

Past me: I'll have figured that bit of worldbuilding out by the time it becomes relevant Current me: Well well well if it isn't the consequences of my own inactions

[worldsofzzt]

Source “small stuff” by Zenith Nadir (2007) [smlstf.zzt] - “the virtual reality of living” Play This World Online

[mrtnvch]

back to regularly scheduled critters

[gailgoodwinnow]

The Dangers of People Pleasing

For much of my life, I felt guilty about setting personal boundaries—especially over the small things. Defining my limits around major issues was easier; my parents had taught me how to physically stand up for myself. But pleasing others was in my blood. I feared offending people.I didn’t want to leave anyone out.I didn’t want to cast them aside or make them feel inferior. I knew those emotions…

[chloesimaginationthings]

Poppy playtime got a guy worse than William Afton

[windycitydame]

I would go to this cat cafe in a heartbeat.

[upmala]

miniature library diorama by Small Stuff

[aforismosfraudulentos]

Inopportune.

[thetruearchmagos]

Deeply tempted to introduce some highly pedestrian magic into more of the 12 Worlds

[readitandreap]

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff... and it's all small stuff- Richard Carlson, PH. D.