#Jeremiah 4:18

[bojackson54]

Hide and Seek Can Be Fun; Just Don't Seek The Wrong Way

When my Grandchildren come over we love to play “hide and seek”. (The ones under 5 years old are not always super hard to find, by the way.) There is something delightful about having someone looking for you, isn’t there? There’s a sense of anticipation during the search, and there are screams of laughter when someone gets found. We may think that seeking someone is just a childish game, but…

[tricoufamily]

and brother, if you have the chance to pick me up

[walkswithmyfather]

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” —Colossians 4:2 (NIV)

“Be persistent and devoted to prayer, being alert and focused in your prayer life with an attitude of thanksgiving.” —Colossians 4:2 (AMP)

“Then you will call on Me and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear [your voice] and I will listen to you.” —Jeremiah 29:12 (AMP)

“The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him sincerely and in truth.” —Psalm 145:18 (AMPC)

“How To Study The Bible” (Foundations) Devotional By Faithspring.

Day 4 - “Great Bible Study is Bookended By Prayer:”

“To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” – Martin Luther

“One of my favorite meals is grilled marinated chicken. Last summer, I looked up the process of marination because I wanted to know what was happening to the food to make it taste so good. Here’s what I discovered.

When you marinate food, usually a protein like chicken, you cover it in an acidic liquid (like vinegar or lemon juice). The acidic liquid breaks down the outer layers of the meat so that the flavorful seasonings can work their way in deeper.

Marination takes time. You can’t just drop a chicken breast in a marinade for a few minutes and expect it to hold the flavor. You have to give the process time to work.

Prayer is Christian marination. Praying with and in the Bible allows us to sit in God’s truth for an extended period in such a way that allows it to break through our outer barriers and “flavor” us beyond what we were capable of becoming on our own.

With this in mind, let me share with you the prayer I say every time I pick up my Bible:

Lord, please open me up to your Word, and open up your Word to me.

This sets the stage in my mind and heart for something to happen during my daily habit. I want to be changed. I want the Holy Spirit to illuminate the Word. And I make these intentions clear by voicing this short prayer.

There are (quite literally) hundreds of ways to incorporate prayer into and around your Bible time. For now, I encourage you to try this short prayer and see what changes take place.

Pro-Tip: Do you find yourself frustrated in prayer because you don’t feel like God hears or answers you? Let me give you the advice my pastor gave me: lower your threshold. Most people think that hearing from God is a miraculous, life-altering event. In reality, God and the Holy Spirit are speaking to you every day (and even multiple times per day!). Lowering your threshold means (1) expecting God will speak to you and (2) actively looking for small ways in which He does. You don’t need a burning bush experience to encounter God; sometimes the right song on the radio can accomplish the same thing.”

[doulafaith]

Harmony

“He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the LORD and put their trust in him.” Psalm 40:3 I am sure many of us have witnessed two distinct ways of singing a song and playing an instrument; and one appears to be more of a gift or an acquired gift than the other. There is the soloist and musician who studies the notes and practices methodically until the…

[tabernacleheart]

How many times has God asked us to do something, and we have either not done it, or we have done it halfway? This is pride. This is us saying, “I am God, and I know what’s best for me in this situation.” Pride is running rampant in today’s world: pride in personal prestige, pride in income, pride in ability, pride in family, and so much more. This pride is turning us away from God and making us focus on ourselves and what we can accomplish.

In James 4:6-8, James states that God opposes the proud and shows favor to the humble. We need to humble ourselves in the face of the Lord to receive His favor. When we realize all we have and all we have accomplished is a blessing from the Lord, we have no room for pride. Proverbs 16:18 adds to the danger of pride by saying it is the precursor to destruction. Pride leads to destruction! [This is an inevitable outcome, for pride opposes God, and anything that goes against Him is doomed to downfall. Yet] if we know this to be true, why do we continue to harbor pride over insignificant things in our lives?

To live an overflowing life [of grace], we must rid ourselves of pride. If we want to be Spirit-filled, there is no room for it. 

Jeremiah Hosford

[touchofgoddotworld]

No Matter The Darkness In The World, God Still Has Plans For Those Who Call Him Lord (269) - October 26 2024

Choose your Podcast App to Play this episode For those who love the Lord [who hold Him in affectionate reverence, promptly obeying Him and gratefully recognizing the benefits He has bestowed], what eye has not seen and ear has not heard and has not entered into the heart of man, [all that] God has prepared (made and keeps ready) for them. This is what 1 Corinthians 2:9 speaks about. The believer…

[martyschoenleber]

Broken Hearts Do Not Repulse Him

[graceandpeacejoanne]

Revelation 18: Come Out, My People

The call of the angel to come out of Babylon echoes similar calls from Israel’s ancient prophets. #Revelation18 #ComeOutMyPeople #FallenisBabylon

Then I heard another voice out of the sky saying, “Come out, my people, out of her, in order that you all will not have fellowship in and partake of her sins, in order that you would not take hold of her wounds. “Because her sins have been following close to her as far as heaven, and the wrongs she has done have been recalled to God. “Render to her as she as she has herself rendered, and…

[macrolit]

The 100 Best Books of the 21st Century.

As voted on by 503 novelists, nonfiction writers, poets, critics and other book lovers — with a little help from the staff of The New York Times Book Review.

NYT Article.

*************

Q: How many of the 100 have you read? Q: Which ones did you love/hate? Q: What's missing?

Here's the full list.

100. Tree of Smoke, Denis Johnson 99. How to Be Both, Ali Smith 98. Bel Canto, Ann Patchett 97. Men We Reaped, Jesmyn Ward 96. Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments, Saidiya Hartman 95. Bring Up the Bodies, Hilary Mantel 94. On Beauty, Zadie Smith 93. Station Eleven, Emily St. John Mandel 92. The Days of Abandonment, Elena Ferrante 91. The Human Stain, Philip Roth 90. The Sympathizer, Viet Thanh Nguyen 89. The Return, Hisham Matar 88. The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis 87. Detransition, Baby, Torrey Peters 86. Frederick Douglass, David W. Blight 85. Pastoralia, George Saunders 84. The Emperor of All Maladies, Siddhartha Mukherjee 83. When We Cease to Understand the World, Benjamin Labutat 82. Hurricane Season, Fernanda Melchor 81. Pulphead, John Jeremiah Sullivan 80. The Story of the Lost Child, Elena Ferrante 79. A Manual for Cleaning Women, Lucia Berlin 78. Septology, Jon Fosse 77. An American Marriage, Tayari Jones 76. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, Gabrielle Zevin 75. Exit West, Mohsin Hamid 74. Olive Kitteridge, Elizabeth Strout 73. The Passage of Power, Robert Caro 72. Secondhand Time, Svetlana Alexievich 71. The Copenhagen Trilogy, Tove Ditlevsen 70. All Aunt Hagar's Children, Edward P. Jones 69. The New Jim Crow, Michelle Alexander 68. The Friend, Sigrid Nunez 67. Far From the Tree, Andrew Solomon 66. We the Animals, Justin Torres 65. The Plot Against America, Philip Roth 64. The Great Believers, Rebecca Makkai 63. Veronica, Mary Gaitskill 62. 10:04, Ben Lerner 61. Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver 60. Heavy, Kiese Laymon 59. Middlesex, Jeffrey Eugenides 58. Stay True, Hua Hsu 57. Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich 56. The Flamethrowers, Rachel Kushner 55. The Looming Tower, Lawrence Wright 54. Tenth of December, George Saunders 53. Runaway, Alice Munro 52. Train Dreams, Denis Johnson 51. Life After Life, Kate Atkinson 50. Trust, Hernan Diaz 49. The Vegetarian, Han Kang 48. Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi 47. A Mercy, Toni Morrison 46. The Goldfinch, Donna Tartt 45. The Argonauts, Maggie Nelson 44. The Fifth Season, N.K. Jemisin 43. Postwar, Tony Judt 42. A Brief History of Seven Killings, Marlon James 41. Small Things Like These, Claire Keegan 40. H Is for Hawk, Helen Macdonald 39. A Visit from the Goon Squad, Jennifer Egan 38. The Savage Detectives, Roberto Balano 37. The Years, Annie Ernaux 36. Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coates 35. Fun Home, Alison Bechdel 34. Citizen, Claudia Rankine 33. Salvage the Bones, Jesmyn Ward 32. The Lines of Beauty, Alan Hollinghurst 31. White Teeth, Zadie Smith 30. Sing, Unburied, Sing, Jesmyn Ward 29. The Last Samurai, Helen DeWitt 28. Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell 27. Americanah, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 26. Atonement, Ian McEwan 25. Random Family, Adrian Nicole LeBlanc 24. The Overstory, Richard Powers 23. Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage, Alice Munro 22. Behind the Beautiful Forevers, Katherine Boo 21. Evicted, Matthew Desmond 20. Erasure, Percival Everett 19. Say Nothing, Patrick Radden Keefe 18. Lincoln in the Bardo, George Saunders 17. The Sellout, Paul Beatty 16. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Michael Chabon 15. Pachinko, Min Jin Lee 14. Outline, Rachel Cusk 13. The Road, Cormac McCarthy 12. The Year of Magical Thinking, Joan Didion 11. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Junot Diaz 10. Gilead, Marilynne Robinson 9. Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro 8. Austerlitz, W.G. Sebald 7. The Underground Railroad, Colson Whitehead 6. 2666, Roberto Bolano 5. The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen 4. The Known World, Edward P. Jones 3. Wolf Hall, Hilary Mantel 2. The Warmth of Other Suns, Isabel Wilkerson 1. My Brilliant Friend, Elena Ferrante

[aestariiwilderness]

Abortion is Murder & Unbiblical

The Bible does not use the word abortion. How could it? The term itself as a procedure wasn't invented yet! However, the Bible does cover: 

Humanity's inherent value and rights as (uniquely among creation) made in the image of God

Murder

Child/infant murder as something abhorrent to God

Life's beginnings, indirectly (although that also has biological support) 

Legal ramifications of killing a child in the womb 

How God sees and interacts with children in the womb 

How we as His followers are meant to treat children 

What He expects us to do for the defenseless and vulnerable (i.e., the most defenseless and vulnerable human imaginable is the one in the womb) 

And how the question of following Him and His Word is what makes or breaks the difference between a Christian and someone who claims the name but is tragically unsaved  Below are some verses and some additional explication (partial credit: @glowsticks-and-jesus)  

Proverbs 31:8 

Luke 1:44 

2nd Kings 17:17 

Jeremiah 19:5 

Genesis 9:6 

Exodus 21:22-25 

Matthew 7:20 - 23 

John 15:14 

1st John 1:5-10, 2:3-6 

Exodus 20:13 

Mark 10:13-15 Leviticus 20:3-5 (https://biblehub.com/hebrew/mizzaro_2233.htm) 

Matthew 18:10, 14

Psalm 22:10

Jacob & Esau, John the Baptist, Samson, etc. 

Judges 16:17  Glowsticks-and-Jesus Collection:

"Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 'Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you were born, I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.'"Jeremiah 1:4-5

"The Lord called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name."Isaiah 49:1

John the Baptist leaped in Elizabeth’s womb when Mary greeted her cousin (Luke 1:39-45), an example that babies in utero are responsive human beings already aware of the outside world.

The righteous Hebrew midwives at the time of Moses pleased God by saving babies deemed unworthy of life by the authorities of their day (Ex. 1:15-21).

 As an additional note -- these references are included above, but worth a second mention -- it's plain that child sacrifice - child murder - is something that God abhors and explicitly does not command. I'd look here (https://biblehub.com/jeremiah/19-5.htm) and here (https://biblehub.com/2_kings/17-17.htm) and check out the cross-references as well. Likewise, there is direct support for laws against murder and the protection of the unborn (up to capital punishment) in the Bible (Genesis 9:6; Exodus 21:22-25  -- an additional reference here included about the common misunderstanding of the latter verses: https://www.str.org/w/what-exodus-21-22-says-about-abortion).

In summary -- it's possible (although, I believe, it does deprive its proponents of a foundational basis for the value of life) to be both secular and anti-abortion. But it is not possible for a Christian who truly understands their faith, their God, and His Word to be pro-abortion.

[darkeralmond]

cam cameron and the readers first time?

THANK YOU FOR THE REQUEST I LOVE U BAE!!

First Time

Cam Cameron x fem! Reader

synopsis: after your date with cam, things escalate when he decides to stay with you at your house

warnings: 18+, smut, first time sex, fingering

word count: 1.3k

a/n: I LOVE CAM SO MUCH!! i’m gonna need AE to come out with team cam shirts ASAP!! also spoiler alert for season 2 episode 4 BUT HAVE U SEEN JEREMIAH AND BELLY OH MY GOD THE HAND HOLDING CAUSED ME TO SCREAMMMM. TEAM JEREMIAH!! mark smut coming out soon!! (i hope)

masterlist | request info

“I can’t believe you beat me in ski ball,” you giggled as you looked over at Cam. “I’m like the reigning champion.”

He shrugged. “Turns out working at an arcade does come in hand sometimes.” You cracked a smile before letting out a snicker.

You were a debutante last year which is where you met Cameron. Both your guys' moms worked at the country club that hosted the ball. You would run into him often because of this. After a while, you developed a little crush on him and had asked him to be your escort since you didn’t have one.

It wasn’t until this year you actually decided to pursue something with him. You finally asked him out on a date and he picked the location, which was the arcade he worked at since he got a discount.

Cam had just dropped you off at your house and refused to let you walk up to your front door alone. He was truly a gentleman who was adorable and he knew it.

You grabbed your key out of your pocket and unlocked the door. “Can I come in and say hi to your mom?” he asked, peeking his head through the open door.

You giggled and looked back at him again. “No, my parents aren’t home.”

“Oh.” He then looked down at his phone, presumably checking the time before tucking it back into his pocket. “You sure you don’t want to come back to my house? I don’t want you to be here alone.”

You shook your head. “No, my dad wouldn’t like me going over to a boy’s house at night.” He nodded his head and flashed a quick smile, agreeing with you. “But you can stay here and keep me company!”

You didn’t even think twice about the offer, you just said it. His eyebrows raised slightly as his cheeks dusted a red tint. “Okay,” he gushed.

You let him into the house before shutting the door behind you two and locking the door. You watched as he admired the interior of the house, his mouth slightly hung open. “What?” you laughed.

“Nothing!” he said as he looked back at you. “Your house just looks like a beach house.”

“Well it is on the beach.” This won a chuckle out of him as he continued looking around. “You want a tour?” you asked as you walked up to him.

“Sure!” he answered as he nodded his head.

You grabbed his hand and led him around the entire downstairs. According to him, his favorite room was the living room due to the fireplace. You then led him upstairs and showed him every other room before leading him to your own room.

You opened the door and led him in. “Here’s my room. Sorry, it’s a little messy.” There was a t-shirt and a pair of socks lying on your unmade bed. You quickly took those off and threw them in your laundry basket.

At least your room smelled good because of the essential oils you had just purchased. “I like the vines on the wall,” he commented as he pointed at them.

You giggled, “Put them up myself.” You then plopped down on the bed and looked at him as he took in every corner of your room. “You wanna watch something? I can pull something up on my Mac.”

He nodded his head and sat down on the bed next to you.

…

You weren’t sure how it happened, but one thing led to another and now you were on top of him making out. You pulled away and looked down at him as his chest rose and fell with his heavy breaths.

“Have you done this before?” he asked. His eyes reminded you of a puppy. There was so much innocence in them and his lashes gave his eyes a more doe look.

You were tempted to lie and said you had, but staring into his eyes just poured the truth out of you. “Uh… no,” you answered. “Have you?”

“Nuh uh,” he said. You licked your lips and looked off to the side. “Do you… uh… want to?”

You looked back at him and hesitantly nodded your head. You could hear the beating of your heart in your ear, the silence between you two was deafening.

“Okay,” he breathed out. His hand met the side of your face before tucking loose strands of your hair behind your ear.

He smiled at you and gently leaned forward to capture your lips in his once more. You sighed against his lips, his touch sending chills down your spine.

Your hands slid up his shirt causing a groan to escape from his lips. He kissed you harder and deeper this time. You could feel his tongue poking at your bottom lip, hoping to meet yours. You let him do so, his tongue danced with his.

You felt his hands run up your shirt, his hands felt cold against your heated skin. It made you shiver a bit but you enjoyed every second of it.

You pulled away again and let him take off your shirt. He stared at your topless body, drooling over your figure.

You gasped softly, your breath hitching when his fingers brushed across your breasts. Your hips jolted as your nipples hardened beneath your bra.

“Fuck,” you whispered.

He noticed your reaction and stopped what he was doing. “Is this okay?” he asked. You nodded your head, leading him to cup your breasts again.

Him touching you felt nice, but you wanted to do more than that. You were just too nervous to ask. You didn’t want to obviously have full on sex, but you at least wanted him to do more.

Your face must’ve given that away because he asked, “What do you want me to do?”

“Uh,” you thought about it for a minute. “Can you… uh…” Your face turned bright red as embarrassment washed over you. “Finger me?”

His cheeks flushed crimson and his eyes widened. He pulled his finger away as he nodded. “Yeah,” he answered. You hopped off of him and laid down on the bed next to him.

His gaze softened and you gave him an encouraging grin. He swallowed hard before he slid his hand down your shorts.

Your breaths hitched as your eyes fluttered close. His fingers moved in a circular motion around your clit. You opened your eyes as you held back any sounds that may escape your lips.

He pulled you back into a kiss, it tasted like vanilla ice cream and mint toothpaste. He moved a little faster, rubbing your clit with his ring and middle fingers until you let a moan slip in his mouth.

He then inserted his fingers inside you, your wetness made it easier for him. Your back arched as you let out a louder moan.

His kisses became more frantic, almost desperate. Every time he moved his fingers or thrust into your depths you would squirm. A small whine left your mouth as your hips bucked upwards.

You finally pulled away since you needed to catch your breath. His fingers sent a wave of pleasure through you. “Cam,” you whimpered. His wet fingers pulled out of you and continued to massage your clit until you finally came undone.

Your whole body felt drowsy but still buzzing with excitement. When your orgasm had passed and your breathing returned to normal you rolled onto your side. “Do you want to do it again?” you asked him with a grin.

He nodded and crawled back on top of you, but before anything could escalate, the sound of jingling keys and the front door opened echoed through the house

“Fuck,” you mumbled. “My parents.” You rolled your eyes.

He chuckled, “Now I can say hi to your mom.” You rolled your eyes and pushed him off you.

[rose-tinted-kalopsia]

Love & Deepspace Masterlist; organized alphabetically by character and fic type.

★ = personal fave/recommended. ◆ = request WIP.

oneshot = ≤1.5k words ; short fic = <1.5k words

sign up for taglist: here!

to you who shines the brightest (i'll give you everything) : a kieran x mc!reader series. coming soon.

youtiful : on your darker days, the love & deepspace boys soothe you through your anxieties. [3/5 ; caleb, rafayel, sylus, xavier, zayne]

nsfw alphabet : caleb, jenna, jeremiah, luke & kieran, thomas [incomplete]

::: oneshots

Treacherous

This Love Is Ours (Kinktober 2024 - Nipple Play)

::: drabbles/short fics

Got me thinkin' Nonsense

Only bought this dress so you could take it off (Kinktober 2024 - Suspension) ◆

::: caleb braindumps

the hope there is in ending

::: oneshots

i'll do anything you say, if you say it with your hands ★

Muse

Breathe ◆

::: drabbles/short fics

your eyes

sit still (Kinktober 2024 - Deepthroating)

moonlit waves (Kinktober 2024 - Body Worship) ◆

::: oneshots

-

::: drabbles/short fics

Don't Make Me Bad (Addicted to You) [Kinktober 2024 - scent kink] ◆

Once Upon A December

::: sylus braindumps

predebut sylus thoughts

::: oneshots

Candy ★

Every word feels like a shooting star ★

Have we met before?

Pretty Little Mess

Red Lights

to love you more (Kinktober 2024 - Praise) [Lumiere]

the stars are jealous knowing you're by my side (Kinktober 2024 - Cum Play)

Your Highness, Believe Me. (Kinktober 2024 - Master/Servant) [Prince!Xavier] ★

::: drabbles/short fics

Behave ◆

Sweet Nothing ◆

::: xavier braindumps

lumiere

21 days

"i love you in every universe"

blobbu event (1) (2)

hualian agenda (tag) (long post)

no restraint

floral blessings

::: oneshots

Labyrinth ◆

to the end of happiness

you look wonderful tonight

if i can have you (Kinktober 2024 - Breeding Kink) [Dawnbreaker]

::: drabbles/short fics

Pulse (Kinktober 2024 - Cardiophilia)

::: oneshots

Begin Again ; Jeremiah ★

Don't Let Me Love You ; Kieran ★

I Like It ; Luke

pretty girl ; Luke & Kieran (Kinktober 2024 - Somnophilia)

So it goes... ; Jeremiah

::: drabbles/short fics

Allow Me ; Greyson (Kinktober 2024 - Facesitting)

lock me in this dream ; Luke (Kinktober 2024 - Cuddlefucking)

kiss me or leave me ; Kieran (Kinktober 2024 - Dry Humping)

Pick me up, no headlights ; Caleb, Rafayel, Xavier, Zayne

::: headcanons

69 hcs (xavier)

Awkward moments during sex (caleb, rafayel, xavier, zayne)

Corruption kink hcs (xavier)

Eating you out (caleb, rafayel, xavier, zayne, jeremiah)

Giving him a blowjob (caleb, rafayel, xavier, zayne)

How he acts in bed (caleb, rafayel, xavier, zayne)

How he teases you (caleb, rafayel, xavier, zayne)

Lacy Lingerie; somnophilia hcs (caleb, rafayel, xavier, zayne)

Praising you (caleb, rafayel, sylus, xavier, zayne, jeremiah, luke and kieran)

Soft and slow vs. rough and fast (rafayel, sylus, xavier, zayne)

::: misc

luke & kieran analyses— (1) (2)

ask brainrots— (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) (13) (14) (15) (16) (17) (18) (19) (20) (21) (22) (23) (24) (25) (26) (27) (28) (29) (30) (31) (32) (33) (34) (35)

old lndrp threads— (1) (2)

[yourminecraftboyfriend]

some facts about gotham (2014)

jeremiah valeska was the engineer behind wayne plaza and was personally visited by thomas wayne before its construction

he confirms this in late season 4 which takes place roughly 6 years after the start of the show

we know this because bruce is 12 years when his parents are murdered but celebrated his 18th birthday roughly around the same time that jeremiah is introduced

jeremiah says that after he left the circus he was enrolled at st ignatius for some amount of time then went to college for four years

he also says that he started construction on the maze 4 years after graduation and it's been finished for 6 years prior to his meeting bruce. this timeline doesn't actually make any sense because--

in s2 during the maniax arc, when jim is putting the bolo on jerome he says that he's 18 years old (so jeremiah would be too)

at the time bruce is about 14 years old so there's a four year age difference between them

that makes jeremiah about 22 when he's introduced

so at the start of the show at the time of the wayne killings, both valeska siblings would've been 16 years old

therefore

(factoring in the minimal amount of time for construction) jeremiah would've been 15 at the oldest when thomas wayne came to see him

thomas wayne hired a 15 year old to make one of his buildings

lmao

[girlbloggercher]

how to read the Bible

this is in order!

1. John

2. Mark

3. Matthew

4. Luke

5. Genesis

6. Exodus

7. Leviticus

8. Numbers

9. Dueteronomy

10. Romans

11. Galatians

12. Colossians

13. Proverbs

14. Ecclesiastes

15. Job

16. 1 Peter

17. 1 Corinthians

18. 2 Corinthians

19. Ephesians

20. Philippians

21. 1 Thessalonians

22. 2 Thessalonians

23. 1 Timothy

24. 2 Timothy

25. James

26. 2 Peter

27. 1 John

28. 2 John

29. 3 John

30. Jude

31. Psalms

32. Joshua

33. Judges

34. 1 Samuel

35. 2 Samuel

36. 1 Kings

37. 2 Kings

38. 1 Chronicles

39. 2 Chronicles

40. Ezra

41. Nehemiah

42. Jeremiah

43. Lamentations

44. Ezekiel

45. Joel

46. Amos

47. Obadiah

48. Nahum

49. Habakkuk

50. Zephaniah

51. Haggai

52. Zechariah

53. Malachi

54. Micah

55. Hosea

56. Luke

57. Esther

58. Jonah

59. Song of Solomon

60. Acts

61. Titus

62. Philemon

63. Hebrew

64. Isaiah

65. Daniel

66. Revelation

[anamericangirl]

What’s a good reason to not take my own life? I’ve been feeling this way for years. Been to multiple treatment programs. Seen by several different therapists. Anti-depressants. I frequently go outdoors to exercise. Try to fill up my life with being optimistic about my (admittedly nice) job, hobbies, travel, and volunteering. And yet I’m still no better than I was 5 years ago and I have no hope about a happy future. “Your family will miss you.” Ok, and? I think it’s selfish to tell people in pain to continue living like that because some people might temporarily feel sad. They’ll eventually move on. My friends too, especially the ones who are happily married “to their best friends” and having babies and are so happy that they forget I exist.

Hey anon I hope I am not too late! I am just getting out of a hurricane and was without internet access for several days so i apologize for the delay.

But there are so many reasons not to take your own life. In fact, I can’t think of a single reason why you should.

I know it’s tough right now and trust me, I know that depression makes it all feel pointless and worthless and can plague you for years but even though if feels like forever I promise you these feelings and this depression and your circumstances are TEMPORARY. And it would be a tragedy for you to take your life over temporary circumstances and not see what is possible on the other side.

Yes your family and friends will miss you but you should stay because your life has purpose and meaning! Therapy and anti-depressants are good and I’m glad you’ve been trying those things because that means you don’t actually want to die - you just want the pain to stop. And that’s completely understandable and also manageable!

It’s great that you’ve been continuing to exercise and do volunteer work because those things can definitely impact your mood, but they aren’t the source of true joy, peace and happiness. Now I’m a Christian so I’m sure it won’t surprise you for me to say this, but what you are looking for and what you need can only come from God. I urge you to put your faith and trust in him and give him your burdens.

The devil has a hold on you right now, don’t let him win!

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” - Isaiah 41:10

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. - Jeremiah 29:11

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” - John 10:10

“Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.” - psalm 55:22

“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. The righteous person may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all.” - psalm 34:18-19

But now that I’ve gone on my spiel, here are some reasons I think it’s good to keep living. Not all my original thoughts but ones i agree with.

1. You matter

2. No one else is you.

3. Your younger self

4. Your next favorite song.

5. Warm blankets.

6. Thunderstorms

7. The fact that you’re in control of your future.

8. Experiencing new cultures.

9. Making new friends.

10. Road trips.

11. Sunsets and sunrises.

12. Reading good books.

13. Learning a new language.

14. Adopting a pet.

15. Fresh baked bread and cookies.

16. Getting packages in the mail.

17. Autumn.

18. Pumpkin spice.

19. Drinking coffee in the morning.

20. Beaches and being able to sink your toes into the sand.

21. Stepping on crunchy leaves.

22. Recovery.

23. Falling in love.

24. Rain.

25. Petting puppies and kittens.

26. Drinking water.

27. Trying something new and loving it.

28. Your favorite artist putting out new music.

29. A new season on your favorite TV show.

30. Planting a garden and growing your own vegetables.

31. Farmers Markets.

32. Trying out the newest local coffee shop or restaurant.

33. Karaoke

34. All of the people you have yet to meet.

35. Horseback riding

36. Stars.

37. Ice cream.

38. Ice tea.

39. Scented candles.

40. Learning something new.

41. Museums.

42. Going to the movies.

43. Hearing your favorite song come on the radio.

44. Learning to make a new recipe.

45. Your life is precious.

46. You are enough.

47. Random acts of kindness.

48. God looked at the world and thought it needed you.

49. Your story could save someone else.

50. Looking back on this time in 10 years and realizing you made it.

There’s an endless amount of reasons to stay alive and I hope some of them resonate with you.

But if you are desperate please reach out to the suicide prevention hotline at 988. If you are outside the US then you can find the number for your location here.

Please know that I am praying for you and please reach out to me again if you want to. I would love to keep up with how you are doing 💜

[artandthebible]

The Masacre of the Innocents

Artist: Cornelis Cornelisz van Haarlem (Dutch, 1562-1638)

Date: 1591

Medium: Oil on Canvas

Collection: The Mauritshuis, The Hague, Netherlands

The Masacre of the Innocents

Shortly after the time of Christ’s birth, King Herod the Great made an unsuccessful attempt to destroy the infant Jesus by ordering the slaughter of all male children age two and younger. The ecclesiastical name given to this killing of babies in Bethlehem and its surrounding regions is the Massacre of the Innocents.

The event is recorded in Matthew 2:16–18: “Herod... gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: ‘A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.’”

At the sign of the star, Magi from the East had come to Jerusalem asking for “the one who has been born king of the Jews” (Matthew 2:2). Consulting with the Jewish priests and scribes, Herod sent the Magi to Bethlehem, the prophesied birthplace of the Messiah (verses 4–5). Feigning a desire to worship the new king, he instructed them to return to Jerusalem and give him the exact location of the newborn king. When it became apparent that the Magi had ignored his directive, Herod put his heinous plan into action, ordering the Massacre of the Innocents.

The Massacre of the Innocents was the result of King Herod’s extreme paranoia and cruelty. Herod would do anything to protect his own interests, including murdering all the little boys in Bethlehem. The wise men had alerted Herod to the arrival of a new king in Bethlehem. In his fear and morbid suspicion, Herod could not allow a rival king to live. Not knowing how old Jesus was, but certain the wise men had said they’d first seen the star less than two years before their visit, Herod took no chances and had all male children under two in Bethlehem killed.