#spending time in prayer

[tom4jc]

In Jesus' Name (book review)

Title: In Jesus’ NameAuthor: Rick DubosePublisher: Chosen BooksDate: 2023Pages: 176 In Jesus’ Name (book review) The author, Rick Dubose, is currently the assistant general superintendent of the Assemblies of God and is a great man of God, whom I have known for many years. Along with being senior pastor of churches, he has also been a sectional leader, district leader and now a national leader.…

[novelconcepts]

I live in a neighborhood I generally regard as safe for queer people. I live in a city pretty well known for being progressive, liberal, open to minorities. I live in a place I actively chose because it felt safe for me, my wife, my queer siblings, my friends of color. A place where there are endless Love is Love placards, pro-science measures, pro-Gaza notices in public windows. A place I love dearly for all of these reasons.

There are still Trump signs here. There are still proud bigots, loudly announcing they’re going to vote for that piece of shit. Here. In my safe neighborhood, in my liberal city. Here, where I can’t not see them. Here, they are still trying like hell to take away democracy. My liberties. My safety. Everything I hold dear, every reason I moved here in the first place.

The polls don’t matter. The registration numbers only count if the registered actually come out when push comes to shove. Do not rest on your fucking “oh, it couldn’t happen again” laurels, do not get complacent. Do not let your guard down. Vote. It is more critical than ever.

[culminada]

I sat here scrolling Tumblr and then I heard my dad snoring on the other side of the wall.

And I've been making it a habit to consciously pay attention to the people I love, because I love them.

And so - I wasn't trying but this just came to me because of observations, and knowing, and perhaps the habit of it - I thought oh, that means he's sleeping.

Its the middle of the day. He does this sometimes. He's a very busy person, between two jobs, and 2-4 disabled kids. He takes power naps after lunch. He has a whole strategy. He's told it to me and I listened and I remembered because I love him.

He's also in burnout. My dad is burnt out and I understand because I am also burnt out. I wish I could help him but I am burnt out, and so all I can do is know him, is listen to him snoring and know that he is tired.

I get to listen to him snoring. He is tired. He is sleeping on the middle of the day because he is tired, from taking care of me, who am autistic, and my brother, with Prader-Willi Syndrome (shoutout to ppl with PWS), and his job 1 to pay the bills and job 2 to pay for the future and his wife and his other children and making sure we all get our enrichment.

And so he is snoring on the other side of the wall, and I can picture him tangled up in his blankets and sleeping because he is tired.

And so I get to listen to him snoring and think about all the things he does and how much he deserves rest, and how glad I am that he CAN rest, that he's worried and busy and anxious, but not too worried to sleep. Because he needs to sleep. And it's a blessing that he can do that.

And I'll sit here and appreciate him and all he does because I can hear him snoring (and it keeps everyone else up at night unless he uses his mouth guard, which we all call his snore-teeth, and I know this because I listen and I pay attention and I love him).

And he might never know that I sit here and think of him and love him and all he does, how grateful I am that he takes care of me when I'm his oldest and I'm autistic, and I don't feel overwhelmingly bad about that but I do wish I could help more than I do. Not be so big of a burden as I am. But all I can do is let him sleep.

He might never know that I take the time to listen to him snore. Maybe one of those days when he's feeling horrible I'll show it to him and say "you are loved and I see you and I am grateful for everything you do, I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you." Maybe I'll make bits of this post into my Father's Day letter. I've been wondering what to do for that because I've been more vocal lately about how much I love him and sometimes it feels like there's nothing left to put in a Father's Day letter that wouldn't just be the same.

There's something special in just the same, though. Like listening to snoring. There's time. And when you're sitting in the middle of time, in the quiet and the dark and listening to snoring, and wondering when the next snore is gonna come, and contemplating life and love and time - well, I'm not doing anything else. And I'm not getting any younger. And maybe right now I can't mentally DO anything else. But I can do this.

I can contemplate my father, who is wise and loving and who pours himself out constantly, fill my mind with MY DAD instead of something else, because I love him.

I lied. My first thought wasn't "oh, that means he's sleeping." Well, it was subconscious. But right after, I thought, "I wish I had someone to love this way," meaning that I want to get married and have someone to love.

But I do have someone to love. I have my father. I can love him. I DO love him. And why am I pining for something I can't have, or worse, for someONE I can't have, when my lovely beautiful Dad is right there loving me in his sleep, in his waking, in his working, in his eating, in his thoughts, in his research, in his everything. I have him? Why do I need anyone else?

[revenantghost]

I'm a blob of exhausted, stressed flesh with everything going on, but *knocks on wood* the doggos at least seem to be doing a bit better today

[kelpiemomma]

forgive the random idea, but I was thinking about how much I love stories about people with power and in power, able to destroy lives and countries without a thought, being immeasurably strong and deadly... Being so soft and gentle towards their child.

Ingo being a god, a god who's been around for millenia. He's seen nations rise and fall, people come into and out of power. He's been revered and feared and forgotten and renamed. He's lived inthe heavens and on the earth. He's been mortal as an immortal, living a human life before dying and returning to godhood. He is old and tired and powerful. He has caused forest fires and destroyed mountains. He has provided bountiful harvests and life saving rains.

And then one day a child is left on the floor of his temple. A pair of wanderers stayed the night, and with nothing else to their names they left their infant behind. Ingo has no idea who they were, barely noticed that they had lingered, but the disturbance of the child left behind - a taste of innocence that lingers on his tongue, like the breeze over a wheat field and the cleanliness of a newborn - has him going to see what was left.

He's never had a child left as an offering, as payment. Sacrifices? Yes. But this one is still alive. She is so small, her eyes so big, and she looks at him without fear. He can't remember the last time he was looked at without fear, without blind devotion. He hesitates to touch her, not sure how to be gentle, and she reaches out first. She grabs his finger and begins to chew on it.

And Ingo is lost.

[brown-little-robin]

I emailed one of my professors about the ridiculous amount of work being asked of me for homework in her class. please pray it works out and at least she's not offended

[borom1r]

I’m sorry if you don’t believe the gods care about us why are you trying to be a faith leader.

[againstthegrainphoto]

You ever stand over your father’s grave in tears and have your mom try to use him to make you believe in her fairy tales??

Truly think we’ve hit a new low.

Unfuckingbelievable.🥺

[siena-sevenwits]

Gushing about what I've learned on my deep dive on the Letter to the Romans to my brother as though it were fandom, and he's okay with it.

[faithfullyfound]

Happy New Year!!!

I pray that 2024 is full of blessings. I pray that in your season of isolation, you grow closer to God. I pray that in fasting, praying, grieving, and healing you grow closer to God. I pray that when you receive your blessing you bring it back to God. I pray you, your friends, your family grow closer to God. I pray you don't stop seeing the love Jesus has for you this year.

This year when things get tough pray.

This year when things go right pray.

Pray without ceasing. And prepare for the coming of Jesus. Prepare by increasing time spent with Jesus, spreading the Gospel, and obedience. In all, you do listen to God's voice and trust in the path he has for you. Do not be tempted by sin, write down your temptations and Bible verses to convict you in your notes app, and when you feel like you will sin read them. Create a truth mirror to surround yourself with Biblical truths. Affirm your religion and in everything you do show others the love Jesus has shown you.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances."

Matthew 4:19 " "And he said to them, "' Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.'"

What I have learned the most from 2023 is that there is nothing more rewarding than a relationship with Christ. There are so many people connected to your life, and your path and you never know how Jesus will use you in 2024, but spend time with Him so when He calls you in 2024 you can answer the call.

Amen.

[the-resurrection-3d]

elijah (according to daniel c matt) going from a self-interested curmudgeon to basically rabbi bugs bunny after God lets him cheat death is basically just the fantasy version of my dad healing most of his relationships with his adult children after starting to smoke weed

[feliz-navidad]

vent post in tags

[theinfinitedivides]

ykw f*ck my device and its ability to go frame by frame bc i was about to make a post about how Kalee looked too happy getting choked out by daddy!SRK/Vikram but i decided to screenshot and keep watching and what should i see. what should i see

threw him halfway across the room for some father-son binding time and here he is chilling. literally in position to spring back up when the camera cuts to him like his ex didn't just nearly f*ck up his spine i can't breathe rn that's how hard i'm laughing

[eruanna1875]

(Y'all please pray for my husband, who is on a trip with his dad across the country for something they've talked about since he was three, and for me, who is Not Doing Well because this is the first night we've been apart since before we got married)

[egglygreg]

6 days in with covid and I am still bedridden. Having fibro and cfs and therefore being sick all the rest of the time wasn't bad enough apparently, now I have to be sick x2. I am feeling deeply frustrated. And also bored and anxious. Christian friends please pray for me

[imissthembutitwasntadisaster]

I'm doing a group project for uni (probably) with a friend but also in it will be her other friends who tbh when they're all in a group together I find annoying and depressing (there's a lot of talking smack about people). If anyone could pray for me that I have patience and kindness regarding it I'd be thankful!