#How Jesus can help your counseling

[dkcdude]

Do You Want to Get Well?

In the fifth chapter of John’s gospel, we encounter a story of Jesus healing a paralytic man who had been waiting by the pool of Bethesda for 38 years to try to get healed. It’s easy to glide past this little narrative as another of Jesus’s healings or miracles in general. But instead of doing that, I’d like to pause to ponder the simple question Jesus asks the man before doing anything…

[potatobugxo]

Hello! I saw your requests are open and I also saw that you did Mike headcanons (which were AMAZING by the way) so I was wondering if you can do the same for William? Both sfw and nsfw if that's cool with you. Thanks in advance🩷🩷🩷

awww thank you so much!! im glad you liked the mike hcs <33

🦋william afton sfw+ nsfw hcs🦋

sfw

you must be a special little something if william thinks you're worth his time <3

god knows how you met him, though it was probably through potential unemployment and you needed career counseling

well good ol' mr. steve raglan is here to help!

you catch his eye immediately, specifically, maybe its your quirkiness who knows haha

and hes such a silly little guy, how could you not fall for him on the spot?

he decides not to send you into the deathtrap that is the pizzeria, and instead gives you a job that completely goes against your skillset

psst, little secret, he wants you to get fired so you'll keep coming back to him for help

why would he want you to make money when he could spoil you himself? sure it hurts his pockets a little, but he's insistent on treating you to coffee shops, restaurants, etc

finds every nickname in the world to call you

"baby, honey, sweet-face" and his favorite, "bunny"

even with how mentally fucked he is, there's a tiny bit of goodness in there sometimes and only you get to see it ok???

you WILL have a collection of rabbit-themed merchandise and there is nothing you can do about it <333

pretty gentlemanly actually in public, likes to link his arm with yours, will ALWAYS hold doors for you, and he'll do it all with the cutest lil smile on his face

nsfw

boy howdy

he's very experienced, and he loves to show you a fucked up good time

absolutely knows what he's doing and likes to think you dont <3

i hope you have a knife kink because jesus christ

loves to pin you by your neck, whether it be your throat or from behind while he absolutely demolishes you

favorite place to do the dirty is his work desk 🤭 does not care how much of a mess it makes, as long as you're a mess after hes done with you

for the love of god call him sir or mr. raglan/afton he will quite literally pass away on the spot

daddy kink ok??? daddy kink <333

please yank him around by his tie and he might choke you in return <3

likes to stick his fingers in your mouth, loves it when you bite them and draw blood too

very much a masochist and a sadist 😈

loves when he fucks you to tears, wants to hear you whimper and cryyy his name

you'll have bruises on your arms, hips, legs, wherever he can grab jesus does he have an iron grip

likes to bite and nibble your skin too

oh yeah, he'll fuck you in costume too, doesn't care how weird it is

the springlock suit stays ON during sex 😚

[j-nor]

Hello fellow tumbler user janot, I have a pure breed fool and he has found a plastic gun, when fired a red cloth flag pops out with "Bang" printed in black lettering. I am greatly concerned about him having this vile object, it is against my pure Christian family and household. I am considering selling him to a butcher do you have any recommendations?

Hello epicsadman, as per Galatians 5:12, it would be impermissible to sell a clown to a butcher as killing a clown is akin to killing a child. If you truly feel that strongly about the toy gun, I would suggest seeking out couple’s religious counseling with your clown. Perhaps you can work out your differences with the help of a spiritual adviser. However, to offer my perspective, if God didn’t want clowns to have little toy guns that go ‘bang’, he wouldn’t have made little toy guns that go ‘bang’ so much fun to play with. Just as how god wouldn’t have made pool noodles if he didn’t want us to hit our snotty little brothers with them. If you really can’t find a solution, perhaps try replacing the flag that says ‘bang’ with a flag that says ‘JESUS OF NAZARETH’

I wish you the best and god bless.

[rucbarthatbowtiesarecooldw]

Saturday Morning Session

Conducting: President Henry B Eyring

Press Forward Saints

Sustaining Vote

I Will Follow God’s Plan

Elder Niel L Anderson

Faith + Hope + Charity

Sacred and Eternal Hopes

Confident Expectations

Hope brightens the darkened room so we can see the glorious future

Hope is a precious blessing

If you have faith, then you have hope – faith is the substance of hope

Joy comes in Jesus Christ as we triumph over the challenges in this mortal life

Alma 32:21 – or just all of Alma 32

Nothing can darken our hope as we believe and hold tightly to our covenants

Every righteous person can receive every blessing

“The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives.” President Nelson Oct 2016

His Joy is constant

As you trust in the Lord His peace will come

Our Hope is the Savior Jesus Christ, He is our Hope and our Triumph

President Emily Bell Freeman YW General President

In order for an ordinance to manifest the power of God in our lives it must be done with authority from the Son of God

We don’t just make covenant promises, we must keep them

Do you recognize how God’s power works within you? D&C 25

Women can fully access the gift of God’s power through priesthood ordiances

Emma was given revelation about how priesthood ordiances would work in her life

Who she was, and whose she was – her place in His Kingdom

Invited to walk the paths of virtue

You are an essential participant in the Restoration

Set apart to expand scriptures and exhort the church

Daughter in the Kingdom-> elect Lady -> Queen

The restoration and the Lord’s counsel to Emma will guide and bless us

We all get a chance to witness and use God’s power. 😁

Times we get to participate in the ordinances of the Gospel

Sacrament

Passing the threshold of the temple

Power of Godliness is manifest

Elder Karl D Hirst 70

He feels Heavenly Fathers love through the love he feels for his children

It’s wonderful that at times we can feel so fully and personally loved and noticed

If Nephi can call Jesus “His Jesus” we can call Him that too

God’s love is where we all overlap on the circles of the Venn diagram

What circumstances help you to feel God’s love?

We’re all Jesus’s favorite and we should all be our parents’ favorite, each of us.

Broken people, perfect love

However misshapen we might feel His arms are not shortened.

You are not beyond the reach of God’s love – He will never stop loving us

When you can’t feel God’s love, we shouldn’t consider the possibility that it’s because God has stopped loving us until after the mountains and hills have gone.

There are different ways of feeling and receiving divine love.

Looking at the starts

Feeling the rain on your skin, or a breeze

Music

Keeping a journal

Ask people you trust to share how they feel divine connection

If you could choose a place for you and Jesus to meet – He may have already found you there.

If you are waiting for Him to come, He may already be there within reach

Hold onto God’s love as effectively as a sieve full of water. When you share it, this can help you feel joy.

Joy is our purpose not the gift of our circumstances.

How Firm a Foundation

Elder Dale G Renlund

The story of Nobel and nitroglycerin turning it into dynamite

Undiminished explosive power

The Gospel provides powerful and transformative benefits for us

The combination of Christ’s Gospel, and the Church of Jesus Christ

The church is not a location or a building – it’s the people

The church is an instrument

Keeping our covenants provides us access to God and transforms us

The church is special only if it is built on His gospel.

The church enables access to God’s power because it’s authorized by Him to teach His gospel and offer His ordinances

Jesus Christ wants nothing more than for us to repent and come unto Him so He can sanctify us. He is relentless and unwavering.

Immerse yourself more fully in the church and the gospel – this is God’s dynamite and with it He will transform us

Elder David P. Homer 70

We have a loving Father in heaven who will care for us wherever we are no matter the circumstances

The boundaries between right and wrong are not for us to define – they were already established by God

While some things may depend on context, not everything does.

Don’t be surprised if our personal views are not initially in harmony with the teachings of God’s prophets. – in time you will receive more spiritual clarity

If we heed God’s word, we will receive more. If we ignore God’s counsel, we will receive less and less until we have none. This does not mean that God’s will is wrong, just that we have lost the capacity to understand it.  

D&C 6:36

Look unto the Lord before acting; our faith will overcome our concerns.

Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith.

Don’t let doubt stop us from seeing God’s divine gifts in our lives.

God loves us wherever we are, whoever we are. In any circumstance you can cry out to Him “oh God, help thou mine unbelief”.

The submission of one’s will, is one of the only uniquely personal things we have to bring to Christ

Our agency is not diminished by staying with Christ it is magnified.

We can be of good cheer as we trust Them more than anyone

Elder Gregorio E Casillas 70

What does our Heavenly Father desire from us?

It is crucial for us to learn to be disciples of Jesus Christ

He uses us to help bring His children to Him

Service shows us charity

Story of the mother who had had chemotherapy the day before and so did not have the energy to take care of her disabled son

Your spiritual abilities are unique and personal

Follow the impressions of the Spirit – God will bless your life, he will bless your family, he will bless his children that you encounter

We have the privilege to watch over people who need a helping hand, and embrace a feeling of comfort, or simply for us to be with them in silence

The Savior always reminds us as oft as we repent and seek forgiveness with real  intent, we will be forgiven.

Get rid of destructive thinking. Keep hope!

Give someone hope enough to try once more ourselves.

Be the reason someone has hope in crappy situations

The Lord Jesus Christ is your savior and knows you personally

The Holy Spirit will revive us

God’s Gracious Love

President Dallin H Oaks

Come Follow Me

Following Christ is not a casual or an occasional practice

Obey what He defines as the great commandment in the Law: Love the Lord thy God with all they Heart, love thy neighbor

If you cut the string off a kite it will not fly. That string is our covenants – keeping them enables us to soar to celestial heights

Keep you connection to your celestial ties.

We covenant each Sabbath during the sacrament to always remember and keep His commandments

Faith, repentance, baptism, enduring, and becoming as a little child (trust the Lord)

Temporary commandments are for the needs of the Lords church to be set aside once the need has come to pass

Pioneers

While still in force these commandments are still to be obeyed

Law of Tithing

Needed re-emphasis

Proclamation to the Family needed re-emphasis recently

Avoid contention

Jesus’s doctrine is not one of contention

Matthew 5:44-45

Show unselfish love for all

Blessed are the peacemakers – true disciples of Jesus Christ are peacemakers

What are you going to choose? Contention or reconciliation?

Sermon on the Mount

Follow the golden rule

Love and do good to ALL

Does not mean to compromise our principles and priorities, but to STOP ATTACKING PEOPLE FOR THEIRS!!!!

Will you allow His voice to take priority above any other?

Let us seek to be holy like our Savior

While we advocate for our positions let us qualify for the blessings of Jesus Christ as peacemakers

Teach Me to Walk in the Light

[l8rs-gat0rs]

Okay I literally just found your account with your post talking about Billie in SWARM I WEN ABSOLUTELY FERAL YOU DONT UNDERSTAND SHE IS ETHREAL

…okay anyways I have a request

So what if you end at the group’s house and you get the counseling cause like you have bad anxiety and social anxiety and you just push everyone away and run from your problems so that’s essentially how you end up at the house. And then you end up wanting to leave like Dre did but it’s because you don’t think that they can help you. BUT Eva convinces you to stay and like you slowly fall in love…or something..maybe add some smut. Literally add anything you want I am just so excited to read it♥️

Save Me From Myself

Pairing: Eva x Female reader

Wow thank you so so much for this request! I actually have social anxiety so I am excited to write about it. Also trust me, I went feral too. She is definitely ethereal. The sexual tension she had with Dre was crazyyyy and she's such a good actress, the micro expressions and everything really got me. I didn't put smut into it only because it feels more like a soft fluff story that doesn't really need any smut, so I hope you're okay with that :)

Warning(s): angst, social anxiety, general anxiety, slow burn, y/n use

summary: You have social anxiety and Eva has been helping you with it. After messing up a game of Twister, you feel like you can't be helped so you decide to leave. Eva stops you from leaving, which leads to a confession...

Word count: 2k

Disclaimer: I have never talked to a therapist abt my anxiety or social anxiety at all, so If some things aren't accurate I apologize, but I'm just writing down what I have experienced and how I interpret it.

Special thanks to @hereforthepoet for helping me with this fic :)

~~~~Happy Reading!~~~~

You lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling, replaying the story of how you ended up here over and over again in your head.

Eva had found you when you were a blushing, stuttering mess trying to speak to the waitress in a restaurant.

Were you blushing out of embarrassment? Yeah.

Anxiety? Yeah.

Because she was hot? Absolutely.

Eva smiled at you when you looked up from your head in your hands and made eye contact with her while she was sitting at a table facing you.

You groaned and shoved your face back into your hands because yet another hot woman had seen you embarrass yourself.

When you looked back up you jumped a little, seeing as Eva was now right in front of you.

The two of you had food together, Eva noticing your stuttering, rambling and fidgeting with your rings. The tell-tale signs of your anxiety.

You told her about how you managed to push everyone in your family away after your parents died, you were an only child so there weren't many people to push away, but still.

You lived by yourself in a tiny apartment, you were thinking about getting a cat, but then, Eva invited you back here with promises to help with your anxiety.

But here you were, in the bed, Eva had lent to you.

You felt like a lost cause, all the other girls in the group had shown major signs of progress over the course of a few weeks, but you were still here, holed up in your room because you could barely even talk to the girls, despite the fact it had been almost a month already and you have had numerous sessions with Eva.

You heard a knock on the door and you mustered a small "Come in."

You looked up and saw Eva walking through the door, causing your heart to race.

Come on y/n, don't embarrass yourself in front of her for the 10,000th time, please.

"Hey y/n, why aren't you out there with the rest of the girls, we're playing twister right now."

Don't stutter.

"Oh- uh, I don't know, I'm don't-

wait. I mean I don't-

I- I'm NOT feeling that great, I guess."

Jesus Christ.

She looked at you for a moment before walking closer to your bed and sitting down on the corner of it, by your thighs.

"Remember what I told you during our last session y/n?" Eva started, as she leaned over you, bracing herself up with one hand on the other side of your thighs, and using the other to check your temperature.

Your brain short-circuited as soon as you felt her skin against yours.

"I told you, the reason you stutter is that you either rehearse what you are going to say over and over in your head before saying it, or you think so fast that the words mess up when you try to say them out loud. Either way, you need to focus on what you want to say rather than thinking of all the ways you could say what you want to say."

"Yeah, I know..." Uou muttered.

"Well how can you be working on it when you don't even hang out with the rest of the girls?" Eva smiled patiently.

"I'm working on it, I just..." You trailed off, looking anywhere but Eva's eyes.

"Hey, eyes," Eva said, causing your eyes to immediately shoot to hers.

"Good girl. Now, why don't you come out of your room and join us." Eva got up from the bed and held her hand out for you to take it.

Your stomach turned at the Praise but you ignored it.

You took Eva's hand and picked yourself out of bed.

Eva didn't let go of your hand as she led you out to the living room. You willed your hand not to get sweaty.

"Hey guys, look who's here!" Eva announced to the group.

"Woooo y/n!" Cricket cheered while holding the spinner.

"Come, join us!" Isis urged, smiling at you from under Salem's arm.

You looked at Eva uncertainty, but she just gave you a patient smile and nodded, urging you to join them.

"Uhh, yeah, sure." You nodded, looking back at the pile of girls twisted around the mat.

Your heart started to beat rapidly.

Come on y/n, you cant be the one to fuck up the whole game.

Don't lose, don't lose, don't lose....

"Okay y/n, let's spin for you."

"Right leg green!"

You moved your right leg to the open green dot.

"Eva, want to join?" Cricket asked as she spun the spinner.

"Nah, I'm good. I like to watch" Eva said with a smirk.

You shivered at her words even though it was a normal comment.

Jesus Christ y/n get a grip. She's your mentor.

But she had also been the one holding your hand through the entire process of trying to get over your anxieties.

Did you have feelings for her?

"Left foot red" Cricket called out to Grace.

"Don't fuck it up!" Audrey laughed, balancing on one hand.

"Shut up!" Grace responded playfully, before carefully placing her foot down.

"Bam!" She cheered, causing the other girls to giggle.

You smiled a little but the tension would not leave your chest as the game continued.

The girls keep playing as normal, each taking their sweet time moving to their respective places while the others urge them to hurry up. You're trying to focus, to stay present, to participate...but all you can think of is the loud beating of your heart. How the girls' laughter fades and your consciousness seems to trade places with your subconscious; "They're only letting you play out of pity." "You need to leave before you embarrass yourself." "You look ridiculous standing like this and they know it, they're all thinking it." You vaguely hear directions for someone's turn being called but there's a water-like roaring in your ears and your palms are sweaty and-and-and-

"Y/n!? Right hand yellow?"

"What?"

You can't think slow enough, you can't move fast enough, your body is shaking and- 

Everyone's falling. A twisted mess of loud laughing bodies and you can't breathe.

"Y/n? Are you okay? Breathe!" You hear Eva say.

You shoot up from the pile of girls and suddenly the laughter has died and they're all looking at you with concerned expressions.

Staring.

They think you're pathetic.

You're so embarrassing.

"I can't do this anymore!" You suddenly shout through your heavy breathing.

"Woah, it's okay y/n-" Cricket starts, putting the twister spinner down.

"No, it's not! Look at all of you! You're getting better every day. But me? I'm hopeless. I can't even play a game of twister without fucking it up! I can't stay here any longer. I've overstayed my welcome and I can't be helped. I'm too broken." You said before turning away from them.

You heard the girls start to protest and get up but out of the corner of your eye you saw Eva shush them and make them sit back down. Tears started spilling from your eyes and you ran to your room.

When you got to your room, you took your suitcase out of your closet and opened it on your bed.

You started to pack when you heard Eva's hurried footsteps approach your door.

"Y/n, what are you doing?" She said sadly.

"I'm leaving. I can't stay here anymore" you were unable to look at her so you continued quickly packing.

"Hey. Stop." Eva said as she gently stopped you from going over to your suitcase with the clothes in your hand.

You stopped and looked down at the floor, still unable to look at her.

"Look at me. I wanna see those gorgeous eyes." She gently grabbed your chin and turned your face to look at her.

"Here, give me those," she took the clothes from your hands and put them on the other bed that was next to yours.

"Sit." She guided you to sit down next to where she left your clothes.

You sat down and took a shuddering breath in as tears continued to fall and your lip quivered as you silently cried.

"You're even gorgeous when you cry." Eva smiled, causing you to let out a choked laugh as you tried to halt your tears.

"You're just saying that" You felt your face heating up.

"No, I'm not. don't degrade yourself like that. You are truly beautiful, and I'll keep saying it till it gets through your pretty little head." She got on her knees in front of you and put her hands on your thighs.

You looked down at her hands on your thighs, hyper-aware of her touch.

"Y/n please don't leave." Eva spoke up somberly.

You looked back to her eyes before responding.

"I- I can't Eva. My thoughts are so confused a-and I can't be helped. I don't deserve to stay here." You sniffed as your tears subsided.

"That's not true! Everyone is able to be helped, some people just have a longer process than others. Also, even with all the facts considered, you're here because I want you to be, not because you're a patient or something." Eva explained.

"Yeah, I guess...but I'm still...c-confused." You internally cursed yourself for stuttering and you looked down back to her hands that were still on your thighs.

"About what?" She smiled softly.

You sighed heavily trying not to stutter.

But of course, you did.

"Y-" You sighed in annoyance as Eva looked at you expectantly.

"Y- You!" You managed to get out, causing Eva to let out a laugh.

"You're confused about me?" She asked with a smirk.

"Yes! Why is that funny!?" You huffed.

She laughed a little again before responding.

"It's not, it's not, Why are you confused about me?" She asked you curiously.

"Well, I- I don't know. Just...my feelings towards you..." You said more quietly.

Eva's hands rode a little higher on your thighs causing your eyes to widen for a second before you steeled your expression.

"And what are you currently feeling towards me?" Eva asked, staring down at your lips.

"Attraction" You breathed out, getting lost in the way she looked at your lips.

"And, that's a bad thing?" She smirked, her eyes looking back up to yours.

"I- I mean no! But like, you're my mentor or whatever. I shouldn't be feeling attracted to you. Right?" You backtracked.

"Who said that?" She laughed.

Wait, that's true...

"Uhhh, no one I guess. It just- I don't know I thought it might be wrong or something. You never dated anyone else here." You gestured to the door.

"Who says I didn't?" Eva smirked once again.

"O-Oh! I'm sorry I didn't mean to assume!" Your eyes widened.

"It's okay, don't worry about it." Eva smiled.

"S-so, who was it?" You said quietly after nodding.

"Isis, it wasn't very long though. We both decided we were better as friends" Eva shrugged.

"Oh, I see." You said, mulling over all the interaction you've seen Eva had with Isis.

"But back to your feelings?" Eva urged you to continue with her brows raised and a questioning tone.

"I guess, over my time here I've been slowly falling for you and...I've tried to suppress it, but I guess, the feelings have always been there, bubbling up,"

You sighed once again before continuing.

"I mean, I don't know... You're just so...." You started, before looking at Eva and feeling your face heat up.

"Go onnnn." Eva urged.

"Hot." You ended quietly.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you!" Eva said loudly.

"Oh shut u-"

Before you could finish your reflexive response, or even have time to be anxious about it, Eva pushed up off her knees and kissed you.

You were shocked at first but you quickly closed your eyes and melted into her lips.

You couldn't lie and say you hadn't thought of kissing her multiple times.

Once Eva pulled away she sat back onto her knees.

"I can't lie, I've thought about kissing you so many times." She let out a breathy laugh.

"Woah did you just read my mind?" You pulled back shocked.

"What?" She looked confused.

"Nevermind,"

You shook your head before continuing,

"Okay, back to kissing."

"I think..." You added shyly.

[traumacatholic]

Can you please pray for me im suffering too much and i am very suicidal. Thank you so so much. <3

Of course, may God bless you and have mercy on you. May He send you the comfort and strength that you need. Please also do try your best to reach out to people in your life about this, preferably a doctor if possible or look into a mental health support service that you can call or send an email to. It's always a good idea to have multiple forms of support that are aware of how you're currently feeling. And charitable mental health resources might be able to help you to engage with accessible resources and support. I know that at least here, some of them do offer workshops or free counselling and support that you can access.

I'm going to attach some prayers under the read more, hopefully some of them will be of help to you. Please also check my mental health tag, as I do share a lot of workbooks and other resources and apps that you might find beneficial to engage with. A lot of these resources are free.

Prayer against Depression: Prayer to the Mother of God

O my beloved Queen, my hope, O Mother of God, protector of orphans and protector of those who are hurt, the saviour of those who perish, and the consolation of all who are in distress: Thou seest my misery, thou seeset my sorrow and my loneliness. Help me; I am powerless. Give me strength. Thou knowest what I suffer, thou knowest my grief. Lend me thy hand, for who else can be my hope but thee, my protector and my intercessor before God? I have sinned before thee and before all people. Be thou my Mother, my consoler, my helper. Protect me and save me; chase grief away from me; chase away my lowness of heart and my despondency. Help me, O Mother of my God!

Prayer against Depression and Sorrow

O Greatly-merciful Master, Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me and cleanse me from every sadness and disturbance and cowardice. Drive away from me every spiritual choking and demonic sorrow, that I sense in my body and my soul. For You are our Joy, and the Hope of all the ends of the earth, and those far off at sea. Be merciful to me, O Master, upon my sins. Take from me the heavy burden of sin and despair. Drive far away from me every sadness and laziness. Confirm me in Your Love, and with unassailable hope and unshakable faith in You, through the intercessions of Your Spotless Mother, and all Your Saints. Amen.

Prayer for Mental Health

O Master, Lord my God, in Whose hands is my destiny: Help me according to Thy mercy, and leave me not to perish in my transgressions, nor allow me to follow them who place desires of the flesh over those of the spirit. I am Thy creation; disdain not the work of Thy hands. Turn not away; be compassionate and humiliate me not, neither scorn me, O Lord, as I am weak. I have fled unto Thee as my Protector and God. Heal my soul, for I have sinned against Thee. Save me for Thy mercy's sake, for I have cleaved unto Thee from my youth; let me who seeks Thee not be put to shame by being rejected by Thee for mine unclean actions, unseemly thoughts, and unprofitable remembrances. Drive away from me every filthy thing and excess of evil. For Thou alone art holy, alone mighty, and alone immortal, in all things having unexcelled might, which, through Thee, is given to all that strive against the devil and the might of his armies. For unto Thee is due all glory, honor and worship: To the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen (source)

Prayer to St. Anastasia the Greatmartyr

O holy saint Anastasia, healer and minister to captives, who did suffer greatly as a martyr while relieving the suffering of the poor and the sick, pray for us who are ill in soul and in body. Relieve us by your intercessions from the illnesses of our minds, from all evil temptation that seeks to disturb us, and from the suffering of our many afflictions. We ask these things boldly of you as you boldly approach the throne of our Lord Jesus Christ who alone is the Healer and Lover of Mankind. Amen.

Your lamb Anastasia, calls out to You, O Jesus, in a loud voice: ‘I love You, my Bridegroom, and in seeking You I endure suffering. In baptism, I was crucified so that I might reign in You, and I died so that I might live with You. Accept me as a pure sacrifice, for I have offered myself in love.’ Through her prayers save our souls, since You are merciful.

Prayers to Saint Dymphna (These can be said individually, or you could put them all together)

I turn to you, dear virgin and martyr, confident of your power with God and of your willingness to take my cause into your hands. I praise and bless the Lord for giving you to us as patron of the nervous and emotionally disturbed. I firmly hope that through your kind intercession He will restore my lost serenity and peace of mind. May He speak to my heart and reassure me: "My peace I give you. Let not your heart be troubled nor let it be afraid." Pray for me, dear St. Dymphna, that my nervous and emotional turmoil may cease, and that I may again know serenity and personal peace. Amen.

I appeal to you in my illness, dear St. Dymphna. I would be so grateful for a total and happy recovery, for the blessed gift of health in every fiber of my being. May the Lord Jesus, who mercifully healed the sick during His earthly days, have pity on me and make me well again. Ask Him to command sickness to depart and grant me a full measure of health, that I may rejoice in giving Him glory and praise. Amen.

Glorious St. Dymphna, you are the patron of the nervous and emotionally disturbed. I am certain, however, that your charity embraces everyone. I am certain that you lend a listening ear to any prayer offered for any special need. You will, I am sure, take my problem to heart and pray for me that it may be happily settled. (Here mention your special problem or difficulty.) You will plead for me and obtain the help I need. Already I offer you my sincere and grateful thanks, so great is my confidence that God will hear and answer your prayers. Amen. St. Dymphna, Virgin and Martyr, pray for us. St. Dymphna, patron of nervous and emotional illnesses, pray for us. St. Dymphna, crowned for the glory in heaven, pray for us. St. Dymphna, faithful to your covenant with Christ, pray for us. St. Dymphna, precious in the eyes of the Lord, pray for us. St. Dymphna, our helper in every need, pray for us. St. Dymphna, our friend at heave's court, pray for us.

[scribeforchrist-blog]

Having Mercy & Pity On Others

MEMORY VERSE OF THE WEEK

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+ Proverbs 14:16 One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless.

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VERSE OF THE DAY

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+ Philippians 2:3- 4 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others.

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** SAY THIS BEFORE YOU READ; HERE’S SOME CHRISTIAN TRUTHS **

I AM NOT SELFISH

I HAVE A CHRIST-LIKE MIND

I AM FOCUSED

I AM MINDFUL

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READ TIME: 8 Minutes & 25 Seconds

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THOUGHTS:

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  We were taught earlier in life to share what we have and not be selfish. I know many of us grew up hearing this, and as we grew up, we realized how rude it is to be selfish. Some of us grew up hearing this, and we refuse to change our ways, but what we must understand is that God wants us to share what we have; a lot of us find this odd, and we find it hard to do because we don’t want to give up our time, or things to help someone in need, some of us will say well if they don’t have it, not my fault or it’s not my job to give unto people that are in need.

• Philippians 2:3- 4 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others.

 

•1 Corinthians 10:24 Let no one seek his good, but the good of his neighbor.

 

•Galatians 6:2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

 

  These verses tell us that we shouldn't be selfish and that we have to count other people's needs more important than our own needs; we have to care about what other people have and don’t have, and we have to bear the burden of others that’s what Jesus did when he was here he bore everyone's burden he even healed the sick, he had counseling at night with Nicodemus, he even had a woman wash his feet when he was at someone’s home having dinner , he wanted people to understand who he was and that was someone that loved with the biggest heart and that care for people more then he cared about his self he wasn’t selfish.

  Are you selfish? Do you just care about yourself and not for others? Even though David wanted water from this stream, it was near a gate in Bethlehem, and three men went and broke through the Philistine lines, drew water, and brought it back to David; he got precisely what he wanted. At that very moment, he could have drunk it and been done with it while everyone else suffered, but he didn’t he poured the water out, how many of us can say we will get what we need and say no because someone else doesn’t have . Through that difficult time or moment of having precisely what he wanted, he thought of others, and sometimes that’s hard to do, to think of others when we got exactly what we needed but to have the mind of Christ, we must think of others.

    1 Samuel 23:15-16 David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!  So, the three mighty warriors broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem, and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out before the Lord.

    Sometimes, we are selfish because it’s what we have been through. I was in this tough spot in my life, and I went without for a long time; no one would help me; everywhere I turned to said no, and I was comfortable with that, but when I finally got back up on my feet, and I had plenty to eat and plenty to drink, I had everything I needed. I had started carrying this selfishness about myself. The Holy Spirit came to me one day. He said lui, you must open your hands to give so that you can receive. I was afraid that if I gave what I had, what would I have? We must understand that we don’t have to worry about our sleeves when the Holy Spirit instructs us on how to give and who to give to.

 Romans 1:3 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Let us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.

   We must learn to please our neighbors, not look at what we have and look at what they have, because the more we do this, the more we close the door to our blessings. It's so easy to turn away from our neighbors, but when we are strong in God and strong in our walk with him, we must be there for the weak; it tells us Christ didn’t do what pleased him; he didn’t do what made him feel good all the time he did whatever he could to help others see, God is speaking to us to step out of selfishness into a life of pleasing others.

  David had a small moment of selfishness when he saw Bathsheba and wanted her in a way that wasn’t right. He went down this rabbit hole of getting back in good standing with God because he saw what he wanted; he didn’t take into account this woman belonged to someone else; he didn’t take into account his relationship with God, and this happens a lot to us when we set our mind on something or someone we make no regard on how this will taint our relationship with God because we let the enemy blind us, sometimes we must pray for God to take the blinders off our eyes so that we may see, how many of us aren’t seeing our selfish ways because we are too busy looking out for me myself and I , we must make time for others in our lives. 

***Today we talked about it being selfish and a lot of us don’t know where to even begin to remove this out of our lives the first step is prayer, we must go to God and pray that he change our ways and our thoughts process about loving others.

Luke 10:33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.

We have to have pity on others but we can’t get to pity until we deal with our rooted issues , we can’t take pity until we let God change your heart condition, some of us have conditions of the heart that can’t be change until we have God change our heart ,

Verse 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him.

He took the extra step and he bandaged and pour oil and wine on him he went the extra step to make sure this man was taken care of . Do you take the extra step to see about others , do you place your selfish ways to the side to take care of others . How often do we stop and see about even our neighbors .

Verse 37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

How much mercy can you give to someone in need ? How many times do we take pity and mercy on others , if we don’t feel any pity or any mercy we might need to ask God to remove whatever in our heart out the way so we can be like Christ even in our actions.

©Seer~ Prophetess Lee

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PRAYER

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Heavenly Father, please help us not be selfish but depend on you alone.  Help us not to look at what we have and not want to bless others; help us to desire to bless others regardless of what we think; help us to hear you when you speak, lord we give you every part of ourselves to change, lord we know we have parts of ourselves that need work but we ask you to continue to help us through our challenging time to see you lord we need more of you help us to make time for you in Jesus Name Amen

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REFERENCES

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+ Galatians 6:2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ

 

+ Hebrews 13:16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

 

+ Romans 8:2 But for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.

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FURTHER READINGS

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Proverbs 30

Leviticus 30

Mark 8

Exodus 2

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[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

God’s Design: From Creation to Salvation

Have you ever thought about the purposeful design in the world around you? Have you ever wondered about the meticulous orchestration behind the workings of the universe? Do you trust in the wisdom of God and His perfect plan?

In Him we were also chosen as God’s own, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything by the counsel of His will, — Ephesians 1:11

God's wisdom suggests a well-defined plan for the salvation of humanity. Think about it: Would creation be as wonderful without His design? Is there any creature on earth that came into existence merely by chance? Each intricate detail of every living thing--each bone, joint, muscle, gland, and blood vessel--manifests the presence of God. His design pervades every aspect of creation. Should not this design extend to grace as well?

Take a look at Providence, the divine governance of the universe. Do you not see that even a sparrow does not fall without the Father's knowledge? Even the number of hairs on your head is known to Him. God measures our grief and trials with utmost precision. Can there be a God in providence and not in grace?

He who orchestrates the vast cosmos also has a clear vision of the spiritual edifice He is building. He is aware of every 'stone' that He takes from the quarry of nature and polishes with His grace. He knows the exact placement of every single piece in this grand structure, from the foundation to the pinnacle. In the end, it will be evident that He did as He willed with His own. Every part of the work of grace will reflect His purpose, glorifying His name.

Father, may we find comfort in Your divine plan, May we embrace Your wisdom and trust Your design. May our hearts be receptive to Your grace Guiding us closer to Your divine love and light.

Questions for Reflection

How does the concept of God’s design in creation influence your understanding of your own life?

In what ways can you see God's wisdom reflected in your day-to-day life?

How does acknowledging God's omnipresence help you handle current challenges?

How can the idea of being 'chosen and polished by God's grace' change the way you see your life and struggles?

What does 'God's work of grace' mean to you personally?

How can you apply the understanding of 'God's design' to your relationships, career, and personal growth?

How does the imagery of a spiritual edifice inspire your faith and commitment to God's plan?

What practical steps can you take to acknowledge and incorporate 'God's counsel' in your life decisions?

How does the concept of being 'chosen as God's own' influence your sense of identity and purpose?

How can God's precision in managing the universe affect your trust in Him handling your life situations?

In what ways does God's role in the natural world connect with His role in the spiritual world?

Supporting Scriptures

Romans 8:28: And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:29-30: For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.

1 Corinthians 2:7: No, we speak of the mysterious and hidden wisdom of God, which He destined for our glory before time began.

2 Timothy 1:9: He has saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works, but by His own purpose and by the grace He granted us in Christ Jesus before time began.

Romans 9:23: What if He did this to make the riches of His glory known to the vessels of His mercy, whom He prepared in advance for glory—

Ephesians 3:11: according to the eternal purpose that He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians 2:10: For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.

[walkswithmyfather]

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” —Revelation 3:20

“What Is the Meaning of 'Behold I Stand at the Door and Knock' in Revelation 3?” By Clarence L. Haynes Jr.:

“In the book of Revelation Jesus gives messages to seven different churches. Some scholars would say these churches represent seven types of churches you may find or seven types of people you may find in the church today. One of the churches that received one of his strongest messages was the church of Laodicea. In light of this church and the challenges this church had, what is the meaning of 'behold I stand at the door and knock'?

What Does 'Behold I Stand at the Door and Knock' Mean? Are there any Laodicean spaces in your heart where you think you are doing fine, but you have shut Jesus out? Where you are neither hot nor cold so you are not good for anything. If there are then the same invitation extends to you as it did to this church. Behold he stands at the door and knocks. Will you let him in? The difference between experiencing all God’s best and settling for much less and much worse hinges on whether you decide to open the door. We often use this verse to talk to unbelievers but remember he was talking to the church. Let’s make sure we always have the door of our heart open to Jesus so that he is able to do everything he wants to do in our lives.

Why Did Jesus Say 'Behold I Stand at the Door and Knock' to the Church of Laodicea in Revelation 3? Jesus didn’t have anything positive to say about this church. Here are the strong words Jesus used to described the church in Laodicea.

“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.” – Rev. 3:15-18

Here are three characteristics of the church at Laodicea:

They were lukewarm. This was a church that was neither hot nor cold. Many people believe this lukewarm only means they were straddling the fence between the world and the church. What it really means is that they were good for nothing. They had no value they could offer. Laodicea was situated near two other cities, Hieropolis which was known for its hot springs that were good for healing and Colossae which was known for cold waters which provided refreshment. Because Laodicea was lukewarm the water they produced was not good for healing or refreshment and thus was not good for anything. As one scholar put it, you can drink hot tea or cold tea but warm tea is pretty much useless.

They were materialistic. This church was rich in material possessions which created a false sense of God’s blessing. This church is a reminder that you cannot equate the blessing of God to anything material, that is not a representation of spiritual maturity, or an indication God is pleased with your life.

They were spiritually poor. The worse part of this church is that they were spiritually bankrupt and they didn’t even realize it. If you would have asked them, they would tell you everything is alright, we are experiencing the blessing of God because look at all we have. Yet amid physical riches, they were lacking in any real spiritual blessings. Sad to say, many in churches today are unaware of their own spiritual lack.

How Does This Tie into Verse 20 ‘Behold I Stand at the Door and Knock’? Knowing what was happening in Laodicea helps you know the meaning of behold I stand at the door and knock. Let me point your attention to a few thoughts.”

[Read more here.]

[mmm-crackling]

The Green Creek pack meets New York’s Elite Pack

I just finished The Alpha’s Son by Penny Jessup and I had Thoughts. It hasn’t had great reviews, but I thought it was fun. Warning: possible spoilers?

Alpha Jericho of the Elite pack from New York sends his son and heir Jasper with a small delegation to Green Creek to meet with Ox and Joe, ostensibly on wolf business. To Jasper’s dismay, Alpha Jericho insisted that Max joins him as part of the Elite pack’s entourage.

When they arrive, Max is awed when he meets Ox. He’s heard so much about the Werewolf Jesus™ and he’s been nervous for the whole journey to Oregon knowing that he might get to meet him.

Max is super awkward when they arrive. He momentarily forgets how to address alphas so Max calls Ox “my lord” and “your majesty”, and curtsies to him awkwardly like Theresa May does.

Embarrassed and exasperated Jasper holds his face in his hands. The Bennett pack finds Max adorable but have to choke back their laughter.

Max loves all the Green Creek wolves and humans but immediately takes a shine to Robbie. Cubs and young wolves seem to have an affinity with Robbie, and Robbie always jumps at the opportunity to befriend a wolf from Back East. (I could never pin down the accent of audiobook Robbie - was that a Long Island accent?)

Gordo warns Robbie that Max isn’t a stray cub needing adoption—Max has his own alpha and pack, that Gordo is well past taking care of adolescent wolves, and doesn’t want to go through that again

Max and Jasper try to keep their being mated a secret (Jasper is still trying to push Max away—because he thinks Max will be safer if they’re not together) but of course the Green Creek wolves suss it out pretty quick. They notice the dreamy look Max always has on his face when he looks at Jasper or smells him in the room. Jasper tries to put on a steely calm and professional face because he’s on Official Wolf Business, but he can’t control his scent, and they can all smell it on him. They all simultaneously sniff their air, but the Bennett pack politely say nothing at first. Max goes beet red when realises what has just happened.

Robbie asks Max how Max and Jasper met and on hearing that the Blue Moon Festival had a big part in it, Joe snorts and calls it the ‘weird horny meat market thing’ the New York pack does. Everyone is like what? and then Joe tells them what he’s heard about it, about how its just a summer camp for unmated wolves and hooking up isn’t just encouraged but is the whole point of it. Joe: “have I got that right?” Max: “yeah pretty much”.  Kelly is horrified, “gross imagine how ripe that place would smell” Rico says he wishes he had been a New York wolf in his teens

Later, Carter pulls Max aside and says “I get it, right? I didn’t know I was into guys until a dude wolf happened to me too” Gavin: “Not dude. Stop calling me that” Carter: “Sorry dude” Gavin: “Stupid Carter”

Gavin cannot believe that Max never shuts up “Cub always talking. Never stops. Mouth moving but says nothing. All teenagers like this?” No, just twinks with two brain cells like Max.

But Gavin can’t help but ask Max what Jasper smells like to him: “mint and citrus and cherry blossom”

Ox puts on his Zen Alpha Bullshit™ and counsels Jasper about what it means to be alpha and that he doesn’t have to be like his father Alpha Jericho, he just needs to be true to himself, and Ox is all “my daddy said I’d get shit all my life” but the Bennett pack all roll their eyes

It turns out that the Official Wolf Business that Alpha Jericho has sent Jasper and Max on was pretty much a lie. The actual business was trivial and it could all have been done over Zoom. Jericho just wanted Jasper to meet and learn from Ox, and to see that an alpha and his male mate could work (Jericho thought that giving his blessing to Jasper and Max would fix everything but Jasper decided to be a martyr and push Max away—whats with these self-denying, self-sacrificing princeling wolves?). When Jasper realises this, he growls, mad. Ox says he didn’t know, but he can’t help his heart hitching.

They only stay a few days. Max begs Jasper to let them stay a little longer, but time’s up and they have to return to New York. Ox tells Jasper to give him a call if he ever needs anything.

Before they leave, the two packs run together in the forest, and Jasper brings Max the carcass of a recently hunted deer...

[brodinsons]

"Instead of highlighting the character's Jewish origins, 'Man of Steel' features a Randian Christ-figure who commits genocide against his entire race, then causes multiple mass casualty events."

I apologize in advance for the incoming rant but I am sick and tired of sitting quietly for this relentless bullshit and at some point, enough is enough. I'm not naming the individual I'm quoting because I'm not interested in starting fights. This is my space and I'm venting a collective decade of frustration and anger.

Noun. Randian (plural Randians) A follower of Ayn Rand.

God damn, y'all just can't help yourselves, can you? You just slurp up every bit of nonsense from all those puffed up "YouTube Essayists" with god complexes from 2015 and take it as fucking fact.

Not to mention, y'all cannot seem to let a random baseless accusation from a disgraced sexual predator go. That's him! He's the one who started it! The very one to fling the first scrap of "Zack Snyder is a Randian Objectivist who hates Superman and is poisoning the DCEU!" bait out into the twittersphere for the rest of the ravenous bloggers to jump on. I refuse to take anyone's treatise on the modern superhero myth seriously if this is the depth they'll stoop to in the middle of their piece.

Snyder made one single offhand comment about maybe adapting 'The Fountainhead' (for its aesthetics, mostly) years ago and now he's a sexist racist fascist objectivist and the root of all evil.

Objectivism: "The exceptional people among us have a divine right to decide our fate and we should not oppose them."

Does that sound like the message of any of his DC films? Movies that end with speeches about heroes wanting to be on the ground to do good in crises and how good humanity can be despite its faults? What about MoS specifically, where the ultimate immigrant allegory struggles to find his place in a world that does not accept him yet still fights for and protects humanity because this world is his chosen home?

Not to mention, where the fuck is this genocide-committing Jesus Superman? Clark t-poses out of the Black Zero one goddamn time while looking sadly back at his dad because Snyder is a visual filmmaker with a penchant for dramatic shots and everyone loses their fucking minds. He goes to the Lutheran church he presumably attended with Martha & Jonathan as a child to seek the counsel of Father Leone because Clark Kent is not canonically Jewish (may the memory of his Jewish creators be a blessing). There's stained glass iconography of Christ in the background at one point because it's a Christian church in middle America. Clark himself never once espouses any religious lines or strict beliefs. Nor does he position himself as a "Christ-figure", either through himself or via the story??????? He doesn't want the responsibility that comes with putting that suit and cape on. But he does it anyway because he understands the stakes when shit gets real and he refuses to let his adoptive world pay for unwittingly bringing the worst remnants of his old world here.

Also, Clark only kills one person: Zod. The U.S. military "bombs" the Black Zero with the starcraft that brought Clark to earth in order to re-open the Phantom Zone and send Zod's forces (the pack of militaristic extremists known as the Sword of Rao) into it. Given what we know of the Phantom Zone in various canons, that's a fate almost worse than death. Then, after being given an ultimatum that either he dies or Zod will, he makes the impossible choice that will haunt him the rest of his life to save a human family moments from being obliterated by Zod's heat vision and kills the general. Nowhere in this catastrophic battle did he "commit genocide against his entire race" (did everyone forget that he himself is the Codex's host and therefore the living possibility of Krypton's rebirth?) or "cause multiple mass casualty events".

I understand that the scale of fictional damage was perhaps a touch more realistic than the near identical scale featured in all of the Avengers movies. It's fine if it's not your thing. Move along. That discomfort still doesn't give you enough leeway to point the finger at a rookie Superman on his first day on the job and say "all that destruction and death was his fault". He tried to take it out of the city! Zod—a vastly more experienced military leader with blind genetic fanaticism on his side, by contrast—refused to allow it. His goal was the annihilation of earth and as much collateral damage as possible (preferably the entire human race). Clark had to stand between humanity and that with zero combat experience and no clue he'd be forced into a no-win scenario to stop the carnage.

I'm tired. It has been ten years. I'm so fucking tired. Can you people give it a rest? None of you are the ultimate authority on superheroes and positioning yourselves as something dangerously close to that with these twitter threads and blog treatises and reviews full of big words in nerd outlets only poisons the fandom well further.

You are allowed to dislike things. You aren't even required to justify that dislike. What you aren't allowed to do is declare something objectively bad based on nothing but your own subjective reaction to it, then invent criticisms that aren't even applicable to the thing in question.

The day we lost the ability to differentiate between "I did not enjoy this media so I guess it wasn't for me" and "I did not enjoy this media and therefore NO ONE SHOULD BECAUSE REASONS I WILL INVENT FROM SECONDHAND HEARSAY" is the day media literacy ceased to exist in pop culture.

[probablyasocialecologist]

It’s worth reminding ourselves just how often and insistently the New Testament hammers home its anti-wealth message.

Notoriously, the sayings of Jesus himself include some of the strongest language. He urges unstinting giving to anyone who asks (Matt. 5:42), forbids storing up wealth (6:19), discourages caring for the next day’s food and clothing (6:31), and warns that to serve both God and money is impossible (6:24). He pronounces blessings on the poor and woes on the wealthy (Luke 6:20–26). His counsel to the rich young ruler to “sell all” is thus of a piece with a broader agenda, which draws on the Hebrew prophets. Although it’s often noted that in this particular case Jesus’ call to total renunciation applies to just one individual, in Luke’s Gospel he addresses almost identical words to all his disciples (he uses second-person-plural verb forms): “Sell your possessions, and give alms … and you shall have treasure in heaven” (Luke 12:33–34). Two chapters later, he doubles down with an even more categorical statement: “None of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions” (Luke 14:33).

How were his followers to put such teachings into practice? Luke suggests the answer in the sequel to his Gospel, the Book of Acts, when he describes the founding of the first church in Jerusalem after Pentecost. Here, at the very moment of the Christian movement’s birth, common ownership of wealth figures as an original mark of the church:

All who believed were together and had all things in common; and they sold their possessions and goods and distributed them to all, as any had need. (Acts 2:44–45)

Now the company of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had everything in common. … There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles’ feet; and distribution was made to each as any had need. (Acts 4:32–35)

As the theologian David Bentley Hart sums up: “Simply said, the earliest Christians were communists … not as an accident of history but as an imperative of the faith.” This was a communism arising voluntarily from mutual love, not from state-enforced conformity. Even for believers, it’s presented as an exemplary model, not a legalistic rule. All the same, this “communism” is hardly just a spiritualized ideal, but rather a practical economic reality. The apostle Paul strikes similar notes in his repeated exhortations to the Gentile churches to practice koinonia – the generous sharing, including economic sharing, that for Paul is central to the Christian way (2 Cor. 8:13–15).

This anti-wealth message didn’t disappear from Christianity after the faith was legalized by Constantine. On the contrary, as Charles Avila shows in his 1983 study Ownership: Early Christian Teaching, bishops of the fourth and fifth centuries – notably Clement of Alexandria, Ambrose of Milan, John Chrysostom, Basil of Caesarea, and Augustine of Hippo – preached fiercely and often on these very scriptural passages. The church fathers went on to root the New Testament’s teachings in nature itself. As Ambrose put it:

Nature has brought forth all things for all in common. Thus God has created everything in such a way that all things be possessed in common. Nature therefore is the mother of common right, usurpation of private right.

The Milanese bishop seems to have anticipated by fifteen hundred years Proudhon’s maxim, “Private property is theft.”

All this helps explain why in Pinianus and Melania’s day, there had been no “Constantinian shift” on wealth, no abrupt relaxation of primitive rigor. (By contrast, in those same years the church jettisoned another of its once-widely-held convictions – that Christians may not kill – rather more rapidly and thoroughly.) Long after Christianity had become a majority faith, as McCarraher observes, “a barely repressed desire for communism … lurked as the political unconscious of medieval Christendom.”

[itsyourchoicedevotionals]

Got Sloppy

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;” Psalm 1:1ESV

Wow! How did our nation ever become so wicked? I learned more about corruption in our government than I ever wanted to know during the past four years. The more I prayed for God to expose corruption and darkness, the more darkness was unveiled. Greed, sexual deviates, murder and mutilation of children, racial hatred, the list goes on and on.

Our origins were groups of people searching for a place to worship the Lord without being hindered in any way. Covenants were made by those worshippers, even by President Washington dedicating the US to serving the Lord.

How did we get so far off? I believe our nation got spiritually sloppy without realizing it. Lying to ourselves about the danger, we began walking with the devil. It was the easier way to go.

Our text describes the pathway to sin. First, we’re instructed to avoid walking alongside the sinners. Amos 3:3KJV “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” While I was working, it was easy to pick up the language of co-workers; laugh at their jokes; gossip about someone absent. Not just taking their traits, it became easier to not be faithful in prayer.

Secondly, we’re instructed to not take advice from sinners. No matter how well intentioned a person may be, the sinner will never be able to advise in God’s way. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6NIV. “To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are His.” Job 12:13NIV. This counsel is only found in studying God’s Word and prayer.

Third, while walking with sinners, it’s easy to stop and converse with them, start studying what they’re doing. Standing with sinners desensitizes us to the wickedness of their surroundings, no matter how innocent it appears at first. “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?” 2Corinthians 6:14ESV.

Lastly, from the natural progression of walking, counseling, and standing with sinners— so is sitting with them. The older I’ve become, the easier I’ve found it is to sit down in any available chair. When I’m excessively tired, I go beyond sitting and doze off in that chair.

This same sort of sleepiness is exactly what happened to our well-intentioned national ancestors. They fell asleep in the lap of evil people. Trust was placed in the evil-doers without prayer for discernment and wisdom to avoid pitfalls— they got sloppy. Now, we have a totally corrupt government. We are groggily awake but are we smarter than those ancestors?

We’ve found that exactly like no one is lured off the road of salvation to wantonly have an adulterous affair or obtain an abortion, we weren’t aware of the bigger sins following behind the tiny choice of walking. Always, the beginning starts with something very naive, seemingly harmless.

Just as our nation started off with good intentions, their focus became skewed. Our only salvation for this nation will be praying. Constant and consistent praying for Trump, the Cabinet and Advisors he selects: the Congress and Senate. That uni-party of corruption must be broken apart. We must pray using our authority as believers, children of God. Will we travel the corruption road of our predecessors? Or, will you avoid walking with the wicked because your prayers are a wall about us? It’s your choice. You choose.

LET’S PRAY: Lord God, we pray for forgiveness for our passivity, and lack of prayer. Deliver us from darkness— the wicked paths— and help us to overcome the tiredness of the fight. Keep us faithful in prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ I pray.

by Debbie Veilleux Copyright 2024 You have my permission to reblog this devotional for others. Please keep my name with this devotional as author. Thank you.

[rucbarthatbowtiesarecooldw]

Saturday Afternoon Session

O Thou Rock of Our Salvation

Conducting Dallin H. Oaks

Henry B Eyring

Sustaining votes

Jesus Once of Humble Birth

Niel L. Andersen

Venezuela story about a bakery being saved in natural disasters

Tithing can sometimes bring miracles.

Put others first and

trust in the Lord – the blessings of Heaven will follow

My time is not mine – it is the Lord’s to whom I have consecrated it

Tithing is not measured by the amount you contribute – the power comes from placing trust in the Lord

Jan E. Newman 2nd counselor Sunday school

Jesus commanding the little children to come up to Him one by one

Help children find the Savior in the scriptures and build their foundation on Him

When we dig we have to dig deep – remember to dig as if for placing cement in the ground, because if you just dig normally and the ground is smooth at the bottom the cement will not adhere properly and the foundation will become unstable. You have to hit the jagged bedrock to have a fully set foundation

Folow the example of Nephi

Talk of Christ, Rejoice in Christ etc

What does this look like? Whatever looks best for you

You may feel inaudequate, but you should never feel alone

Joaquin E. Costa 70

The source of that strength is Jesus Christ

How do you show and exercise faith every day?

Keeping covenants and following commandments are not transactional, they are transformational

Come to Jesus to fix your life, don’t wait until your life is fixed to seek Him

We don’t come to Jesus because we are perfect, we come to Him because we are flawed

There is Sunshine in My Soul today

Gary E Stevenson

God given gifts – spiritual and otherwise

Holy ghost, heal and be healed, miracles, wisdom, knowledge

Sports/athleticism, art, photography, music etc

Seek spiritual gifts to share with others

There is a learning curve to spiritual gifts; keeping commandments, taking the sacrament, scripture study, prayer

Stand in Holy Places

Stand with holy people

Testify of Holy Truths

Listen to the Holy Spirit

If you hope to feel the spirit, be with people whom the spirit may freely dwell

Spiritual matters cannot be forced and you cannot dictate that for other people or yourself – they are not given for you to counsel others (unless you are a patriarch set apart by proper authority).

Reminder that once you move out of your parents house they no longer have full impressions for you. They can still feel some for you as your parents, however after you move out YOU are the head of your household so they

Yoon Hwan Choi 70

1 Do you want to be happy?

Sacred covenants that connect us fully to Heavenly Father help us be happy

2 are you on the covenant path?

3 how can keeping covenants with God keep you happy?

Alan T. Phillips 70

Don’t leave your kids at service stations

Lost sheep, lost coin, lost son

Do not misunderstand or devalue how much meaning your life has to your Father in Heaven.

True religion is the tie that binds us to God and to each other

Our journey to God is often found together

1 (no idea, had a hard time focusing this afternoon!)

2 the redemptive power of Jesus Christ

Make no mistake Christ is our rescuer and the healer of our souls

The Savior is beckoning us to rely upon and call upon Him

Heavenly Father’s love - perfect, glorified love for each one of us

You do not have to do this alone. He can provide the strength and healing needed to face the road ahead. He will provide the shelter from the storm

God’s plan of happiness is all about you, you are His child of great worth and He loves you

Ronald A. Rasband

Nothing else compares in majesty or magnitude – the gathering of israel

Always ask the Lord if the time is right to serve a mission – going on a mission, weather single or as a couple, if you are being forced into the decision, is never a good idea.

The field is the world

Senior missionaries change the very landscape with their testimonies of the Savior

Take your knowhow plus your time honored testimonies

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty

[generative-sorcery]

God, i'd do so well as the protagonist of the inn sanity game.

"Robin, I know we aren't supposed to be trusting anyone, but, you know, the old man nextdoor is completely chill, how about we invite him over? I know, food supply is already low, but you know just as well as me that we can survive without even for a week! And it's not like we won't have any food at all, have you seen how many supplies i found? We can't just let him rot in there i'm certain he'll start getting famished if we don't share, c'mon let's go"

"Hey, ghost lovely white lady my wife? I know we're in a rough position right now, me not remembering anything about you, but... can you maybe, please, tone down on the killing aspect? Don't you remember how much time we spent together on couple counseling trying to get you over murdering and me over my disgust for human corpses? we were both doing astonishingly good, that's what the therapist said! What do you mean you don't remember? What about the priest? Don't you remember that one evening after the sermon where... we... invited him for dinner, and he told the joke about... how jesus couldn't heal lazarus and had to resurrect him once he died because jesus was God born as man, and not a doctor? Wait... doesn't it mean that both of us have amneisia about ourselves? Oh, how wonderful it is that our love for one another has stayed! But please, can you not kill that priest guy, or can you maybe even help him with survival? He was always such a great friend to both of us, we can't just let him die!"

"My lovely ghost wife, i have wonderful news! I've just found out that our long-lost daughter, she... she's alive! Yes, i also didn't remember i had a daughter at first, but... just... just look at her! She has your... body curvature, yes! She said that i look just like her father, who she doesn't remember very well, since i left you... i'll tell you both about why i've done this, just... not yet, okay? I'm... i'm just so happy that you both are here, this is the greatest day of my life! All that trouble which caused me to leave, it's all over now, we can finally live like a normal family again! You, my amnesiac ghost wife, our astranged daugher, and me!"

(In case you think the protag couldn't bullshit to this degree, trust me, i fooled actual people who are not demented and stupid ghosts into thinking that i remember them and that i'm super glad to see them)

(As for the pale beast- well, the priest has a gun, right? If we gather our forces, there's four living people and a ghost who is at least not a hallucination that only a single person has, at least one spear can be fashioned out of chair legs, the razor and the duct tape found in the hikers' room, it might have supernatural strength and intense bloodlust but c'mon we used to be able to fell fucking mammoths wirh nothing but pointy rocks on long sticks don't you remember?)

[eyes-on-jesus]

i am married to an unbeliever and really struggling. i don’t know how to keep going. it’s so hard.

I am actually married to an unbeliever too and my marriage is going great, so this is actually something I know a lot about. Let me give you some advice:

1.) Stop discussing faith all the time, since it will only trigger both of you and result in arguments. The bible even sais to stop doing this, as it pushes people even further away from Christ. Instead, you are to be an example for Christs love by serving, loving and connecting with your spouse and giving them unconditional love like Jesus would. So no more fighting and nagging and talking about faith.

2.) The bible sais clearly to not divorce an unbelieving spouse for their lack of faith except if they are the one who wants to leave. Jesus does not want you to abandon your family and He does not look down on your marriage either, He wants you guys to be happy and in love. Every marriage is sacred.

3.) If people in your church or community are making a big deal out of you guys being unequally yolked, that can feel very bad for your spouse and make them resent christianity. Instead, change the way you speakt TO your spouse and ABOUT your spouse. Don't make anyone (your spouse included) think that you perceive your spouse as less or as deficiant because they are an unbeliever. Talk to people about how great they are and about the happy things. Show people that it's ok.

4.) Focus on healing your marriage, having intimate moments and making happy memories. Make happiness in your marriage a focus, because Jesus wants you guys to be one flesh, for you guys to work together and be close emotionally. Focus on being nice to your spouse and making them feel loved and accepted and safe.

5.) Apologize to your spouse. Say that you're sorry for being pushy, making them feel like they are not good enough or like you want them to be different. Say sorry for pushing them away, for creating fights and for constant accusations. Tell them things are gonna be different from now on and that you will accept them as they are. That you won't attack them anymore.

6.) If you can afford it, look into couples therapy or counseling from a neutral therapist that isn't super christian because then your spouse won't go or feel even more attacked which could make things worse. My husband and I did counseling for years and it helped us so so much.

7.) People tell you to pray hard for your spouse to turn to God but I am gonna tell you: Pray that you accept that they are an unbeliever. Pray that if God wants to, He can call your spouse, but that you will accept them and stop suffering because you guys are not the same. Pray that you will connect with your spouse like never before and that your marriage will be happy and loving.