#Share the gospel through social media

[mindfulldsliving]

Hearken, O Ye People: A Call to Repent and Return to the Lord

“Hearken, O ye people” isn’t just an invitation—it’s a command from the Lord. Doctrine and Covenants 1 is His call to review our hearts, repent, and recommit to His covenant. Given as the preface to the revelations of this dispensation, this section emphasizes the urgency of listening to His voice and aligning our lives with His will. It’s not just for the early Saints; it’s for all of us today.…

[thethief1996]

I can't stop thinking about the news out of Palestine. Israel is sieging al Shifa hospital. Videos of people's limbs being severed off are haunting (graphic video tw). The hospital has ran out of fuel and 39 babies in incubators are fending for their lives by themselves, because Israel has stationed snipers around the hospital and is shooting all medical crew that walks into their sight.

First, the narrative was Israel would never bomb hospitals. Now, the hospitals are Hamas bases. Then, we respect journalists. Now, we have a fucking kill list of journalists because they are Hamas collaborators. First, we are not letting fuel in until the hostages are released. Now, we are not accepting the hostages back because that would stop our ground invasion and let Hamas win. And I could go on about every single lie they're making up. If you look up "Hamas rape" on google, the first link leads to Times of Israel saying Israel has found no forensic evidence of sexual violence, and only one eyewitness testimony out of 3.5k people attending the rave. If you Google "Hamas beheaded babies" the top links say they have no evidence for the claim besides word of mouth from extremist soldiers. Israeli extremists think about the ugliest goriest scene they can make out in their sick heads, tell that to a international journalist and they run away with it like it's gospel.

And children are being killed in the name of these lies. Thousands are being displaced in images that remind me of the pictures of Tantura 75 years ago, with their hands up so the tanks don't shoot them. Amputees are leaving the hospitals in wheelchairs hours after their surgeries because they are being shot at. Elders who survived the Nakba on 48 are having to walk towards Southern Gaza on foot (imagine walking from one end of your city to the other on foot), displaced again. People are cheering for the haunting images of white phosphorus bombs being dropped over Gaza. Gazan workers who were arrested in the West Bank are being thrust back into the bombings wearing numbered labels.

This is not normal. We are seeing the early stages of the settler colonial genocide of an indigenous population. Native leaders who have visited Gaza say its refugee camps look eerily like reservations. We can stop this. For the first time we are able to see wide scale accounts from the hands of the people suffering the genocide, and Israel is so scared of it they have cut all communications in Gaza.

This is our litmus test. I think we have never seen more clearly, with Palestine, Armenia, Congo and Sudan how colonialism has made our world a rotten place to live in.

The South African apartheid collapsed due to boycotts. We have to do everything in our power to stop Israel's hegemony. Even talking to a group of friends about Palestine changes the status quo. There's no world where we can live peacefully if Israel accomplishes their goals.

Keep yourself updated and share Palestinian voices. Muna El-Kurd said every tweet is like a treasure to them, because their voices are repressed on social media and even on this very app. Make it your action item to share something about the Palestinian plight everyday. Here are some resources:

Al Jazeera, Anadolu Agency, Mondoweiss

Boycott Divest Sanction Movement

Palestinian Youth Movement is organizing protests and direct action against weapons factories across the US

Mohammed El-Kurd (twitter / instagram)

Muhammad Shehada (twitter)

Motaz Azaiza (instagram) - reporting directly from Gaza.

Hind Khudary - reporting directly from Gaza. Her husband and daughter moved South to run from the tanks but she stayed behind to record the genocide. The least we can do is not let her calls fall on deaf ears.

You can participate in boycotts wherever you are in the world, through BDS guidelines. Don't be overwhelmed by gigantic boycott lists. BDS explicitly targets only a few brands which have bigger impact. You can stop consuming from as many brands as you want, though, and by all means feel free to give a 1 star review to McDonalds, Papa John, Pizza Hut, Burger King and Starbucks. Right now, they are focusing on boycotting the following:

Carrefour, HP, Puma, Sabra, Sodastream, Ahava cosmetics, Israeli fruits and vegetables

Push for a cultural boycott - pressure your favorite artist to speak out on Palestine and cancel any upcoming performances on occupied territory (Lorde cancelled her gig in Israel because of this. It works.)

If you can, participate in direct action or donate.

Palestine Action works to shut down Israeli weapons factories in the UK and USA, and have successfully shut down one of their firms in London.Some of the activists are going on trial and are calling for mobilizing on court.

Palestinian Youth Movement is organizing direct actions to stop the shipping of wars to Israel. Follow them.

Educate yourself. Read into Palestinian history and the occupation. You can't common sense people out of decades of propaganda. If your arguments crumble when a zionist brings up the "disengagement of Gaza", you have to learn more.

Read Decolonize Palestine. They have 15 minute reads that concisely explain the occupation (and its colonial roots) and debunk popular myths, including pinkwashing.

Read on Palestine. Here's an amazing masterpost.

Verso Book Club is giving out free books on Palestine (I personally downloaded Ten Myths about Israel by Ilan Pappe. If you still believe in the two states solution, this book by an Israeli professor debunks it).

Call your representatives. The Labour Party in the UK had an emergency meeting after several councilors threatened to resign if they didn't condemn Israeli war crimes. Calling to show your complaints works, even more if you live in a country that funds genocide.

FOR PEOPLE IN THE USA: USCPR has developed this toolkit for calls, here's a document that autosends emails to your representatives and here's a toolkit by Ceasefire in Gaza NOW!

FOR PEOPLE IN EUROPE: Here's a toolkit by Voices in Europe for Peace targeting the European Parliament and one specific for almost all countries in Europe, including Germany, Ireland, Poland, Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands, Greece, Norway, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Finland, Austria, Belgium Romania and Ukraine

FOR PEOPLE IN THE UK: Friends of Al-Aqsa UK and Palestine Solidarity UK have made toolkits for calls and emails

FOR PEOPLE IN AUSTRALIA: Here's a toolkit by Stand With Palestine

FOR PEOPLE IN CANADA: Here's a toolkit by Indepent Jewish Voices for Canada

Join a protest. Here's a constantly updating list of protests:

Global calendar

Another global calendar (go to the instragram of the organizers to confirm your protest)

USA calendar

Australia calendar

Feel free to add more.

[adviceformefromme]

💖TRUSTING YOUR INNER VOICE - 3 MONTHS UNTIL 2025 - GLOW UP SERIES [WEEK 12] - 💖

Your life can drastically change in three months, and this is coming from someone who started last October unexpectedly in hospital everyday for three weeks, to then leave London and move back home and share a ROOM with my mom due to space issues and by the end of the whirlwind I finally got to move into my dream ocean view apartment in Europe. ALL WITHIN 3 MONTHS. How did I transform my life? What remained consistent was my inner voice, leading me towards faith and not fear. Being able to hear God’s direction and having the courage to take a leap into the unknown at each twist and turn. So no matter where you start this October, trust and know that miracles are possible, and if you stay true to where you are being guided you will end up exactly where you need to be. 

UNDERSTANDING WHAT VOICE IS GUIDING YOU…

Are you leaning into fear or into faith? Each day, are you sticking to what you know or are you taking risks? Are you using your voice to speak up when you’re usually quiet? Are you still remaining true to your vision despite not seeing the results in the 3D? Are you trying to control situations feeling anxious and stuck, or are you remaining trusting and faithful to the visions God has placed in your heart? If you find fear is guiding your life, your TRANSFORMATION is going to a struggle, there is going to be friction, and this is where you need to get out of your own way. God wants to move you somewhere you’ve never been, you’ve been doing your vision boards, affirmations, praying, reading, trying your very best to LEVEL-TF-UP, and STILL feeling stuck…and this is because your inner voice is holding you hostage to what you’ve known, to the old version of you, the expired version. These next 12 weeks are for tuning into a different frequency, to locking into God’s direction and here are the steps…

1] You need to meditate to create space in your mind to hear the voice that wants to lead you to your highest potential. It’s always there waiting for you to listen, in order to HEAR you need SPACE.. and to get space you need to meditate. The aim is 20 mins per day, if you’re already comfortable with this aim for 1 hour. I know this might sound like a scary amount of time to sit in silence but think how easily you can spend 20 mins on social media doom scrolling…Do you want to GLOW-UP or do you want to stay stuck? This is what you need to ask yourself daily…But please walk before you run, here is 10 mins meditation that is simple and transformative and will 100% allow you mental space so you can slowly throughout the day start to hear your inner voice - God speaking to you. 

2] Tune out of negativity (the news, low vibration music, gossip, scrolling through peoples highlight reel) and tune into high vibes… Listening to high vibes is going to move you energetically into a new space. There will be more peace and positivity. The high vibes include, morning motivation on YouTube find one that empowers you, cleansing your social media accounts of anything negative or deleting it full stop while you’re on your glow up journey. Listening to binaural beats, gospel, or anything that has empowering lyrics that lift you up. 

3] Once you have removed the low vibes you also want SILENT vibes, this means going for a walk without your phone. Waking up and not checking your phone for 1 hour, having as many moments of silence as possible, and this is when you will start to hear. You might hear negativity in your mind at first, it might be overbearing, the voice might be telling you how stupid you are, how pathetic you are, but PERSEVERE. Get curious on why you have this negativity in your mind, journal on what was coming up for you, you want to clear out the negativity so you can hear the inner wisdom that is waiting to flow in. 

4] PRAY FOR GUIDANCE. If you don’t have the direction, you are wanting to transform your life and don’t know what the next steps are, I promise you the moment you start praying and asking is the moment you receive the answers. It will come in the form of conversations, YouTube content creators will appear in your feed, you will have thoughts, dreams, a book will fall of a shelf, there will be direction from above. God wants to help you, you just have to ask and listen clearly for the answers. They will appear.

A little story time of my 3 month transformation from last October - December and how I completely transformed my life in that time…

Until next week, stay in your faith, your journal and remain hopeful that this time things are going to be different. Your transformation is in progress.

[possiblyunhinged]

The mere mention of identity politics makes everyone’s spine stiffen—left, right, middle, whatever. Both sides argue that the other’s gripes are unfounded. Very helpful. Very progressive. Very… Twitter.

Much like the word "woke," identity politics has been kidnapped, beaten up by the right, dressed in clown shoes, and paraded around as a cautionary tale. The left, naturally, responds by shrieking louder, flailing its arms, and punching itself in the face. But here’s the kicker: you can’t understand systemic prejudice without looking through the lens of identity. Equally, looking at it without understanding how capitalism sustains that oppression is just as nonsensical.

Take Luigi Mangione. Some left-leaning commentators have decided he’s only being fawned over because he’s a handsome white guy. Sure, fair. Privilege is a hell of a drug. And let’s be honest—if he looked like Boris Johnson, would my friends and I be sharing pictures of him in that cunty orange jumpsuit? Absolutely not.

But let’s not skip over the fact that this might also be the first time in decades that people have collectively agreed the U.S. healthcare system is more criminal than your average cartel. Mangione’s case has sparked wider conversations about how shamelessly the media and politicians protect their billionaire donors—while the rest of us have to grin and bear the cost-of-living crisis and the slow-motion collapse of our quality of life. Elon Musk, for example, isn’t worried about solving world hunger—unless it’s the million children he’s fathered out of wedlock. Very traditional. Much man.

This is one of those rare moments when class consciousness kicked down the door, barged into the conversation, and shouted: “Where have you been, dickheads?” And we should be listening. Classism is the vessel of systemic prejudice. It’s the golden goose that keeps laying eggs for the rich while the rest of us scramble over the shells.

Mangione’s privilege? Sure, it’s skewing the narrative—no denying that. But suggesting it’s the only reason people empathise with him is reductive at best and utterly clueless at worst. Maybe folks are just sick of billionaires treating us like extras in their dystopian fanfiction. Just a thought.

In the UK, the top 20% owns 63% of the country’s wealth, while the bottom 20% owns a paltry 0.5%. That’s not even enough to fill a trolley at Lidl. And yet, middle-class progressives sip their oat lattes and wax lyrical about privilege as if they aren’t sitting on a cushy safety net. I was born into a working-class family that fell into poverty when I was ten. Watching white, middle-class folks treat identity politics like gospel while ignoring class is like watching someone lecture you on drowning while standing in a lifeboat.

Classism is why kids from disadvantaged backgrounds are 19 months behind their peers by the time they finish school. It’s why 3.6 million children lived in absolute poverty last year. And it’s why those problems remain immovable—because fixing them would mean looking in the mirror. And let’s face it, blaming the "other" is much easier than self-reflection.

Dreaming of abolishing capitalism in the UK feels delusional. Especially when billionaires like Elon Musk are playing the world’s loudest violin, painting progressivism as socialism to protect their wallets. Musk isn’t doing this because he’s a genius. He’s doing it because he’s a hollow man with a God complex and unresolved daddy issues. But I digress.

Capitalism thrives on division. Nothing oils the machine faster than convincing us to turn on each other. And look, I get it—understanding identity-based oppression is vital. But when it devolves into a pissy shouting match? It’s just white noise. No learning. No change. Just people screaming into the void.

Surviving as a working-class person in a capitalist economy is engineered to break you. Now add some self-important pundit on telly wagging their finger at you for not being progressive enough. What do you get? Rage. Exhaustion. Division. If I hadn’t been so socially disconnected from the kids I grew up with—thanks, undiagnosed autism—I might’ve followed the same far-right pipeline they did. Why? Because they had fuck-all, and society kept telling them they were the problem.

My single mum didn’t have time to be an activist. She was too busy working three jobs, clutching her mental health by the throat, and keeping a roof over our heads. That exhaustion is the whole point. The system is designed to keep you too knackered to fight back.

You can’t separate identity struggles from class struggles. But ignoring class entirely? That’s how we end up here, with riots in the streets and Farage clones stoking the flames. Those riots weren’t populated by middle-class Foxes or Robinsons. They were predominantly white, working-class people. Why? Because class disparities breed discontent, and that discontent gets weaponised by the rich to keep us fighting each other instead of them. It’s the oldest trick in the book.

If we addressed class disparities—if we dragged billionaires kicking and screaming out of politics—it’d become painfully clear how class has been the boot on everyone’s neck. Instead, we squabble and point fingers while the top 1% buys up everything, including your grandma’s bungalow. This is no accident.

Politicians haven’t failed us. They’ve done exactly what they were built to do: oppress the majority, enrich the ruling class, and keep the boot shiny. By cutting class consciousness out of discussions on racism, sexism, and transphobia, we’re missing the plot.

[livebloggingmydescentintomadness]

the cockles masterlist, part 6

now split in SIX parts for link limit reasons

WARNING: this post glitches and crashes on mobile. it’s recommended you view this on your desktop, or at least on your mobile browser rather than the app. if my desktop theme is hard on your eyes, try an extension such as Just Read or Reader View to customize the layout and colors.

if you’re still having trouble viewing, or if you don’t want to have to switch between the five posts, here’s all of the links compiled into a google doc.

welcome to the cockles masterpost, a labor of love/insomniac hyperfixation.

i recently wrote this cockles manifesto, but after it got a lot of notes and i kept adding more links to it, i decided i should just go through my 8 years of archives and compile all the cockles posts in a much more accessible and navigable way. after everything with the series finale and destielgate, i figured we could use some happiness, and it turns out there are a lot of people who’ve never heard the cockles gospel.

important disclaimer: yes, i do think that jensen and misha have a private romantic/sexual relationship, but no i do not, in any way, think that they have ever cheated on their wives. we think they are polyamorous, which is a real and valid thing, and misha is openly poly. some people love more than one person, and that’s okay. their families are close and we love and support all of them.

second important disclaimer: despite the amount of innuendo below, this is not about fantasizing about two hot guys fucking. cockles is about the joy of witnessing two people who love each other and make each other happy and are disgustingly cute together. we’re not fetishizing, we’re just appreciating what they publicly share with us.

third important disclaimer: because some of y’all don’t know, the cardinal rule of cockles is that we don’t talk to cockles about cockles. DO NOT leave any comments on their social media accounts implying anything. not even green and blue hearts. they know that we know, but it’s on us not to make it weird. if we’re too obvious and say too much, they might start sharing less. don’t say anything.

for the sake of my sanity, these are in no particular order.

last updated: 3/8/23

🐚 denotes new content

part 1 (That’s Suspicious, mishananigans)

part 2 (#pray4jensen, gag reel hijinks, some posts i’ve written about cockles and rps)

part 3 (know your cockles history, the intimacy)

part 4 (the glory of jibcon)

part 5 (just for cute)

the glory of jibcon continued:

jib11 opening ceremony whispers and giggles

jensen turning his back as misha walks up to hug him | more gifs | video

"just swallow it" "he's always giving that advice" | video

"[danneel] does refer to misha as her boyfriend. which is funny, because so do i." | more gifs | video | fan discussion of this moment

misha sitting on the floor to watch jensen sing, jensen getting shy

jensen serenading misha with "angeles" | video angle 1 | video angle 2 | video of jensen looking at misha, getting flustered, and stopping suddenly | more gifs | photo | misha sitting on the floor watching | another misha photo | the significance of ‘angeles’

"i think you look nice and dapper" ... "then [jensen] went in for a kiss and i was like, whoa!" "hey, when in rome!"

the destiel song they improvised together | video | gifs minus lyrics

big dad angry machine

"i've been haunted by those bear underwear for some time"

jensen "woo!"ing when misha mentions gotham knights

jensen's face going soft when he looks from jared to misha | video

after misha says a unicorn toy is vibrating "for her pleasure", jensen pretends to sit on it | gif

misha moves his chair further away, jensen scoots his closer | video | “what are we doing? am i coming over?”

jensen spinning the wheel then staring at misha for ten seconds straight | video | photos

jensen tells everyone to stop cheering for misha to sing after misha makes it clear he doesn't want to | gifs + bonus “there goes jared with his job security” 👀

jensen winking at misha

jensen saying he's going to plan a big birthday party for misha's 50th, which is more than a year away | video

"you're my canary" | video

whispers and laughing (feat. misha's missing tooth) | photos

"i love those dishes" "you love those bitches??"

misha hyping jensen's new album | video

"my caretaker tells me i had a very nice birthday."

jensen staring at misha’s ass when he bends over

"this is our song"

roasting jared for bragging sam is tougher than dean | gifs

jensen staring at misha before making a birthday wish

riffing on “the european version of spn”: one, two, three, four

chatting about taking their families to amusement parks, jensen refers to misha as ‘daddy’

jensen’s nickname kink in full swing at jib11

12 years of jibcon secrets

head-leaning selfie with briana buckmaster | edit

2023 jibcon11 tag



just for cute (continued):

adorable photo ops: 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92   93 94

2012 spn wrap party photo

300th episode red carpet flirting

"misha decided jensen was the gift" photo op

hand measuring photo op

[luniibelieves]

Baby Steps to Big Steps

I just set my phone aside, reclined on my bed, and guess what? I was surrounded by screens – the TV stood right before me, my tablet mounted to the left, and my laptop perched on a stand to the right.

I put my phone down because the moment I logged onto TikTok, I encountered a video addressing lukewarm or carnal Christians. It explained that one cannot wield God's power to fend off the enemy if they are lukewarm in their faith. This made me reflect, "Wow, she's right. I had resolved to read the Bible and immerse myself in God's word, yet here I am, just two days later, having completely forgotten about it."

As I continued to scroll, I encountered a post about a man who devoted his life to Christ in 2005. He shared a story of praying with his wife and daughter before tucking his daughter into bed. Since his wife had already gone to sleep, he retreated to the living room to browse through Instagram and relax following a lengthy and tiring day. He came across an ad featuring a half-naked female and instantly had to avert his eyes and set his phone aside, yet the image lingered in his mind for those few seconds. He was deeply troubled by the unexpected appearance of such content during his browsing. The next day the Holy Spirit delivered a message to him while he was at the gym. He discussed our tendency to become engrossed in worldly matters, neglecting to make time for building a closer relationship with God, yet finding time for TV shows, social media scrolling, and the like. It's a hard truth that, as much as we may not want to acknowledge or accept it, holds validity.

About a month ago, I made the tough decision to deactivate my Facebook and Instagram accounts. Now, I use Tumblr for journaling and TikTok to express how God has influenced my journey. Yet, I'm still captivated by Asian dramas, and sometimes, explicit scenes tempt me towards old habits I've fought off with prayer. I believe that investing more time in Bible study could help me avoid these temptations.

It goes without saying that I still have much work to do to be fully right with God. I prayed before starting this post, and after finishing, I will turn to the Bible and delve into the gospel. For those on the same path, I understand it's a daily struggle. Yet, as long as we pray and act, darkness will not prevail, and we can all achieve eternal life with the Almighty who never lets us down.

1 John 2:15-17

"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever."

[momentsbeforemass]

Ignoring Jesus

Welcome to another episode of ignoring stuff that Jesus said.

Sometimes it seems like social media is little more than an outrage machine. Where everything you see is someone reacting negatively to something.

Whether it’s an obvious spittle-flecked rant. Or it’s done as a meme. Or it’s a joke that isn’t really a joke. The spirit behind it’s the same.

The reactions these things get? Either mindless shares. Or mocking.

Which just creates more outrage. Followed by more reactions. Like a machine that would go of itself.

While our current tech-driven version is relatively new, the outrage machine (and our love of it) is as old as humanity.

To our love of the outrage machine, Jesus has this to say, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.”

Not “If your brother sins against you, lash out in anger.”

Not “If your brother sins against you, mock him.”

Not even “If your brother sins against you, correct him in public.” Not at first.

Today’s Gospel tells us the steps to take, before ever correcting someone in public.

Most of us ignore those steps. And go right to the public part.

We dump the correction part. Because anger and mocking are a lot easier. And a lot more fun.

We like the rush of the outrage machine way too much to waste our time with all of that Jesus stuff.

But if the words of Jesus ever do get through to us? We’re pretty good at rationalizing them away.

“I’m just telling it like it is.”

Don’t kid yourself.

“I’m just doing it to see how people react.”

No, you’re not.

“It’s just somebody on the Internet.”

Just somebody made in the likeness and image of God. Just somebody who Jesus looks at and says, “even if you’re the only one who needs saving, Good Friday would still happen.”

Which gets us to the whole point of Jesus non-public spectacle approach. To why Jesus says, “If he listens to you, you have won over your brother.”

Jesus’ approach isn’t about being better or better informed than someone. Or even about being right. Much less the addictive pull of the outrage machine. And make no mistake, it is addictive.

Jesus’ approach is all about saving people. About restoring relationships.

About things that can never be achieved with anger or mockery. Things that the outrage machine can never give us.

Jesus’ approach is all about doing it the only way that ever works in the long run.

In the love of God.

Today’s Readings

[alwaysrememberjesus]

The Importance of Evangelism (2)

“The Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” Ac 2v47 NKJV

The church has only two options: evangelize or fossilize. When we fail to share our faith with those outside the church, we either end up in a holding pattern or in death throes.

The New Testament church’s growth is described in these words: “The Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” Not only did they influence every level of society, but their enemies said, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too” (Ac 17:6 NKJV).

Question: If your church closed its doors tomorrow, would anyone other than your congregation notice the difference?

Think about those early believers. Their assignment seemed geographically impossible; most people still believed the world was flat. They had no air travel, radio, television, printing presses, internet, social media, or any other modern means at their disposal for communicating the gospel. It seemed legally impossible; they were forbidden by the government authorities to speak in Jesus’ name. And it seemed socially impossible; after all, who would really listen to a bunch of Galileans, devoid of culture and class? Yet they were witnesses through the power of the Holy Spirit, and people did listen. They did so much with so little, and we seem to do so little with so much.

It’s said that if just 10 percent of the members in the average church got serious about evangelism, their church would double in one year. By the way, the word translated “witness” is the same word from which we get our English word martyr. These early believers reached the world for Christ because they were willing to lay down their lives for His cause. You must be too.

[healedbyhoney]

Short Rant/StoryTime

So tell me why I went from I’m gonna delete all my socials to, nah Ima keep them and just filter out what i do and do not wanna see. I made a very long message on my instagram story about how God will expose sinful nature to us through social media and the Devil will try to get us to shut ourselves out, isolate and be disconnected from the world whereas God wants us to see everything and discern him and his will from the work of the enemy and to use our social media to reach out, share our stories and share the gospel on our platforms.

So after i posted that video i noticed how little interaction it got and then I noticed how my instagram just stopped working altogether. I can no longer see peoples comments, my stories won’t post, i cant even see my highlights anymore. I dont know if this is because instagram literally wants to feed us negativity and get rid of anybody who is working for our savior (because as you know Instagram is toxic in A LOT of ways like TikTok, but TikTok is being banned so the only toxic intake we will have is from other social media platforms) or if the Devil is trying to stop me from fulfilling my potential and what God is calling me to do.

The reason I mainly believe its instagram because only CERTAIN christian things are seen when u search it up. And i do not see them on my homepage as much as the things I do not want to see. No matter how much i filter it out and unfollow tags and people, they will still show me things I do not want to see.

I will try again tomorrow.. and try to just post motivational scripture and words of praise and encouragement on my page instead of my story but i am side eyeing Instagram pretty hard right now… especially because this isnt the first time it has happened when I speak on God.. it’s making me wanna seriously delete it altogether.

I also notice that Christian influencers/creators often do not speak on Christ and the gospel on instagram. They use instagram to share their life, quotes, and spread awareness to their youtube or other platforms where they can OPENLY talk about our savior. Is there something that I am missing? Something that they know about instagram and facebook that I do not know?

What do u think?

[nodynasty4us]

From the December 12, 2023 opinion column:

But it does seem worthwhile to note that one Republican state lawmaker, Rep. Jon Dunwell of Newton, has been really taking it on the chin over this on the social media platform X. His mistake? Posting a thoughtful and accurate assessment of the situation. His remarks are worth taking a moment to read in full, but most saliently, he wrote, “I certainly find a display from the Satanic Temple objectionable. It stands in direct opposition to my faith and would be classified as evil." And he then went on to say: "I don’t want the state evaluating and making determinations about religions.” ... Dunwell wrote in a follow-up post: “I recognize I live in a pluralistic society that does not share my perspective on Jesus being the only Way. I am called to transform that world through the presentation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The passing of legislation can never accomplish what the presence of Christ in lives can do.”

[feedingtheflockministry]

One of the most disappointing things I see on social media is my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ declaring they are Christians in their bios, but when I scroll through their timelines I don't see the gospel message being shared but rather political cheerleading. The message of Christ should never take a backseat to worldly topics and discussions. We must return our focus to the righteous message of salvation today, and make our political views known when it counts at the voters booth.

[apostlewill]

As I was meditating on the Word of God this afternoon, and on my way home from work, and I will challenge ANY preacher’s theology on this: The challenge we face in the Church today is to become channels through which God’s divine healing power can flow unhindered. I am convinced that BEFORE Christ returns the Church will move into a dimension and manifestation of His power and glory that is greater than anything we have EVER seen or experienced. Manifestations of healing, deliverance and other miracles will accompany AND affirm the spoken Word of the Gospel as a witness to the world.

God’s healing power WILL BE released—not just through WELL-KNOWN evangelists, ministers and Christians we all like, share, and comment on social media, but like a mighty rushing river, it WILL once again flow through laypeople—men and women who people that ARE NOT popular on social media and those who EVERYONE overlook and laugh at; those who have submitted to the WILL of God. These will rise up in faith and power of the Lord to claim healing as their spiritual inheritance and flow in the gift of healing and working of miracles. *****ONCE AGAIN, I WILL CHALLENGE ANY PREACHER’S THEOLOGY*****

[benetnvsch]

PALESTINE SCAMMING PSA

I don't know who else is getting these asks:

But I wanted to make a general guide on how to detect scammers and what to keep an eye out for! Inspired by this scam account: @janeursural who sent me an ask earlier for donations and inspired this all. Please block and report them for scamming ;; Thanks!

Text- This is a very easy way to detect scams, copied and pasted messages from OTHER campaigns/gofundmes, etc. Take a chunk of the text, paste in a browser with non-name parts between quotes "like this" to see any exact matches. If you see other gofundmes or messages from other accounts that are the EXACT same but lead to the DIFFERENT donation sites, it's could be a scam

Images - Reverse image search images!! This point is important and ultimately lead me to realize the account mentioned above is a scam as they had images shared from another person's GoFundMe from months before their account even existed. Please reverse image search, see if the images existed before and who they belong to. Do they match with people and settings claimed?

People/story- A lot of times these scam account will appear out of nowhere, never posting and then suddenly asking for a lot of money. While many Palestinians might create new accounts to fundraise, one way to tell a person is legit is by seeing if they a past social media presence that lines up with what they say. Are they the same person they claim to be in old posts? Are old images located in Gaza?

Vetted Status- Fundraisers vetted by others tend to be spread more since people assume they're legit. But please check who vetted the campaign and why. Sometimes these scam accounts will claim they've been vetted but then lead to dead links, or nonexistent account- the account above was one of these and blocked people inquiring for more info about the status.

Payment Method - Fundraisers are primarily through GoFundMe. Most Palestinians will not have access to PayPal funds. The only organizations that really use paypal would be ones that provide resources bought from other sources to help (such as Care for Gaza on twitter) and not individual people. If they are collecting donations through PayPal (not accessible/hard to refund) please be weary. If it is PayPal, check what currency the fundraiser is in too. Why would a Palestine fundraiser be trying to collect USD when PayPal allows currency conversions?

Hiding Comments/Blocking People- If a post has a bunch / all hidden comments, be wary. A lot of these scammers will hide comments/block accounts that are calling them out/trying to spread awareness. Do they block people who ask them questions about the campaign (like the above account did to several people asking vetting status).

Search Account Name- Search for the account name. On Tumblr, search it to see if other accounts have replied to the user/called them out for scamming. Search on google to see if there's a campaign/efforts to fundraise for that specific one outside of Tumblr. While this is not a guarantee, on top of everything else, it definitely should raise a red flag

Post History/Following - Smaller one and definitely specific to Tumblr but please check the following / post history if able. Are they following a bunch of blogs that appear to be from the same social circle (Ex. the same fandom). Do they have random weblogs of certain fandom posts? AKA: were they behaving like a bot before suddenly switching over to fundraising? Very high chance they're a scam.

Of course, this list isn't gospel and shouldn't be treated like the truth. A post can fail some of these checks and still be legitimate, I just want to raise awareness to what common red flags to look after.

Please PLEASE do your research before donating. Every dollar sent to one of these scammers is one that could have gone to an actual Palestinian family in need! Thank you!

[jayceter]

Statement of Purpose and Theory of Sadness

Is social media itself the main issue driving teen unhappiness, or is it coming to social awareness of injustices in the world? While social media can have negative effects in other manners, there will always be a group of teens who are sad about injustice in the world. Along with the question of whether this is the first time that an aesthetic has been born out of social awakening amongst youth? I am hoping to approach the idea of sadness through a wide lens. Of course, there will be people who experience sadness at a higher rate, or more intense than others and that is okay because it waxes and wanes. I also feel that sadness can be passed on from person to person. There is also a misconception that sadness is always negative, but I feel like there are times when it can be healing and cathartic to feel it. The problem comes if you relish in it, as well as keep yourself in that sadness and isolation. Now to try and think about these ideas with the perspective of sad g*rl and other aesthetics that were created by counter-culture. When thinking about the origins of sad g*rl in chola circles as the originators of this concept and aesthetic I find this fascinating. Having a of people experiencing the same thing and finding ways to bring each other together through makeup and sometimes art. We have seen this time and time again, from punk to goth to emo and then sad g*rl. These movements start out as people sharing their personal experiences that all relate to each other, then creating communities around them. From there typically a style is formed and music gets created. Within politics was the main force for punk to be created!  The value of my project is to help open people's eyes to the injustice around them that has been happening for decades. By looking at different subcultures that have a focus on general unhappiness (A range of emotions that do not align with happiness in most ways) will continue to happen if we keep living under flawed and oppressive systems. I am letting my own beliefs influence my writing because in my eyes activism will always lead to discomfort. I also am hoping that this will make people think about the world around them a little more connected than they may be. When we look at the world around us we typically only see one cause of the problem and then try to focus on that thinking that it will solve the problem, but in reality, there are likely many factors both systemic and not at play. I also hope that this will allow people to have more empathy for those who are only ever seen as “sad” “helpless” and “odd”. I am also hoping that these ideas and topics can radicalize people who need them. Such as people who are in places with no resources dedicated to trying to better their community. I want there to be more social support for those who need it, those at risk. The idea of also breaking preconceived notions that my specific subcultures only have destructive behaviors. My materials are minimal so far but I plan on trying to get more media from these subcultures to show a different side of them that is not normally perceived! I am coming from an insider perspective on this project from all fronts. Being in most of the communities I am talking about allows me to find sources that are not as biased because I have heard so many assumptions about them. My audience needs to understand the history of these subcultures to see why they started (Injustice) and why they have grown. The audience also needs to make their own connections with things within their life so they can have a personal reference! (Like rap also started mainly because of injustice, gospel music as a way of black resistance *see a theme here*) 

[blessedkidwes]

Blessed Kid Wes: A Rising Star in Christian Rap

Blessed Kid Wes is a 21-year-old Christian rapper from Baytown, Texas, who is making waves in the rap scene with his catchy and meaningful songs. He started rapping at the age of 15, inspired by his faith and his passion for music. He describes his style as “a mix of old school and new school, with a touch of gospel and soul”.

Blessed Kid Wes has released several singles and albums, such as Lookin 4 God, Letters to God, and God’s Plan. His songs tackle topics like grace, hope, love, and justice, as well as his personal testimony and struggles. He says he wants to use his music to glorify God and spread His message to the world.

Blessed Kid Wes is also active on social media platforms, such as TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, where he shares his music and his faith with his fans. He also does some fun and creative challenges, collaborations, and reactions. He says he enjoys interacting with his fans and hearing their feedback and stories.

Blessed Kid Wes discovered his passion for music when he was 13, but he didn’t start making music until he was 19. He grew up in Deer Park, Texas, where he had a lot of memories and experiences that shaped him as a person and an artist. He recalls freestyling in the backyard on Jackson Street, working at McDonald’s, and fishing with his grandpa. He credits his grandpa for teaching him the value of hard work and Jesus for giving him a moral code and a purpose.

Blessed Kid Wes has a lot of passion and vision as an artist. He also wanted to be a therapist at one point in time, but he realized that he can help people in general through his music and glorifying God. He balances his music career and his personal life by treating them as activities that he enjoys and that bring him happiness in Christ. He has aspirations as an artist to reach people’s hearts by including Jesus in his conversations.

Blessed Kid Wes has faced some challenges as a Christian artist, such as separating from anything remotely worldly and avoiding legalism. He struggles a lot with moral scrupulosity, which is a form of OCD that involves excessive concern about right and wrong1. He says he spends hours and hours getting caught up in his mind, trying so hard to be perfect. He says he looks at it more like looking at the world differently, rather than as a condition. He copes with his struggles by relying on his faith, his music, and his support system.

Blessed Kid Wes is a talented and inspiring artist who is not afraid to express himself through rap. He is a rising star in the Christian rap genre, and he has a bright future ahead of him. If you are looking for some fresh and uplifting Christian rap, you should definitely check out his music and follow his journey. You won’t regret it!

[linkingdotts]

Effective Branding Techniques for a Stronger Brand Presence

When people think of the type of goods or services you offer, people should immediately think of your brand. They already know who you are so you can get your message across more easily through visual mediums like pictures and brief videos on social media.

Getting people familiar with your business is the first stage in earning loyalty. After all, building brand awareness is the first step toward gaining client devotion. Compare it to the quality of Coke versus the cheap soda sold in stores. Nobody is sporting a tee proclaiming their undying devotion to cheap soda. Yes, it sells because it’s the least expensive choice. However, nobody seems to be preaching the gospel of the store name.

Generally, the most expensive companies also tend to be the most well-known. There is no more expensive clothing name than Nike. Apple dominates in the realm of commercial electronics. And, sure, Coca-Cola is the best soft drink on the market.

You can become smaller than these businesses to reap the benefits of name recognition, but you can learn a lot from how they did it.

How To Build Brand Awareness

Getting people to recognize your brand in their everyday lives takes time. It also isn’t the result of some casual marketing effort.

Creating widespread familiarity with a brand takes more than just marketing to current buyers.

Advertising a small number of products on Facebook won’t do much to increase company recognition. Not only will the customer be thinking only about the product (and not the company), but the advertisement will have no effect beyond the immediate goal of making a transaction.

Here are some tried-and-true methods for building a loyal following and spreading the word about your brand:

Be An Individual, Not A Company

What do you like to learn about a new acquaintance as you get to know them better? I enjoy hearing about other people’s interests, emotions, loves, and dislikes. We also regard their manner of speech, topics of interest, and interests.

These are the characteristics that your company should emphasize. You need to be more than just a storefront for your products if you want to make an impression on your customers. Give me another way that you could describe yourself. How would you explain your company to a new acquaintance?

Talk To People

Whether you identify as an introvert, an extrovert, or somewhere in between, you will profit from interacting with others. It’s how we keep in touch, expand our knowledge, and introduce ourselves to new people.

Your company is in the same boat. You will be seen as nothing more than a faceless corporation whose only interest is making a profit or gaining support if you only reach out to people when you need something. (and the same goes for a person).

You need to be active if you want to increase company recognition. Share content on social media that has nothing to do with your company’s offerings. Engage your followers by posing queries, commenting, and sharing posts you like. Don’t use your social media profiles as a promotional tool; treat them like you would a personal profile.

Over half of a company’s image can be attributed to internet interaction, according to studies. The more you interact with others, the more you learn about the world around you.

What Marketing Strategies You Can Use To Raise For Your Brand Recognition?

1. Create A Name For Yourself In The Market.

Developing a recognizable brand name is the first stage in increasing product exposure. That means you need to know exactly what your company stands for. How does your company’s logo look? That right? refer to?

A memorable company should have the following features:

Marketing Message

In what manner do you usually speak? What’s your dress code like? To joke or not to joke? Serious or humorous?

The tone you use in one medium can differ from that in another. The tone of your brand’s social media presence may be more casual and playful than that of your paper advertisements. You’ll change your style slightly as you transition from Facebook to TikTok.

However, your brand’s voice and product descriptions should be consistent regardless of the medium. Pick a few anchor terms and sentences that will guide you, and stick to them.

Style Of The Brand

Building a name for yourself in the market requires constant promotion. That applies to both your outward appearance and what you say.

The colors of your business are ___. Fonts? How would you describe your general appearance on social media sites like Instagram and TikTok?

Take a peek at these photos from Old Navy, Banana Republic, and The Gap on Instagram to see what I mean. The same business owns all three companies, but each caters to a different customer base by adopting a distinctive societal ethos.

Brand’s Value

We’ve spent some time discussing the characteristics that make you, you. However, corporate principles reveal the nature of a company. Establishing the company’s beliefs is one of the most crucial aspects of creating a successful brand.

Let go of your preconceived notions of what good ideals must be. It’s not just about giving money or time to nonprofits. (although those can certainly be aspects of how you live your brand values). This is more about articulating your brand’s values and then living them out in everything you do, from customer service to hiring practices.

Verify that the ideals you represent as a business are shared by your intended consumers. The Edelman Trust Barometer found that 60% of workers use views and values when choosing a workplace, and 58% of customers do the same when making purchases or advocating for companies.

This is not a situation for empty words. The actions you take are just as significant as the words you use.

Branding and slogan

They already form part of the tone and style of your business, but they are so crucial that they need to be highlighted individually. These are the icons that people will use to identify your business.

Everyone knows they’re gazing at a Nike ad or merchandise when they see the slogan “Just Do It” or the distinctive swoosh design trademark. What do you get from a Red Bull? (Say it with me now: Wings.) Think carefully about these elements, as they will become your brand’s money.

2. Share Your Brand’s Backstory

This relates to what we’ve discussed so far, but it extends beyond your brand’s beliefs and tone of speech. Your brand’s backstory is how your company came to be.

An entrepreneur’s brand story could be that they were inspired to create their product after realizing an issue existed in their daily employment. A company’s brand narrative can be a compilation of its goal statement and background.

There is a backstory to every successful business. However, telling that narrative is essential for building brand recognition. Tell your brand’s tale through storytelling to highlight your company’s achievements and attract new customers.

3. Make You’re Offering More Than Just A Commodity.

Making your business known for more than just what you sell is essential if you want it to stick around. Try to incorporate some educational or entertaining elements.

Do you or your group possess any niche skills? Let it out into the open! Start a magazine, blog, or podcast with your expertise.

Making a straight profit is not the goal here. Instead, this audience-building and brand-awareness strategy opens up more doors for people to interact with your company.

4. Develop Sharable Content

There is some duplication with the previous two points, but the emphasis is on making simple material to distribute. Although it’s difficult to foresee what will go viral, there are methods to increase your content’s chances of being found and shared.

The first step in optimizing your social media presence is to adhere to established standards, such as maintaining a regular publishing schedule.

But you should also make the material your fans will want to discuss. This fits in with giving something worth away in your material rather than constantly pushing a sales pitch. You could add a call to action that prompts people to name friends or share content.

5. Give Back To Your Neighborhood.

Branding is not only offline. Raising your company’s profile in the public eye can be accomplished through tangible acts of service, such as event sponsorship, charitable contributions, and encouraging employee volunteerism.

6. Offer Freebies

Free stuff is always appreciated. Freebies are a great way to win over hesitant consumers who might never test your product. It has the potential to increase internet company awareness.

Offering something for free increases foot traffic and promotes brand recognition, whether through a free trial, free sample, or “freemium” pricing structure.

What are the key differences when comparing a free sample and a premium?

Offering your standard product or service for free for a set period (7, 14, or 30 days) is called a free sample. With the freemium approach, you give away an infinitely usable edition of your product in exchange for an email address or other identifying information.

7. Conduct Competitions On Social Media.

Making it simple for potential customers to test out your product is crucial for establishing your brand’s legitimacy. Again, we’re talking about freebies, but this time in the context of promoting your business online.

Social competitions that require participants to “tag a friend” are an excellent way to attract new followers and spread the word about your business. The possible size of your unique audience will grow even more significantly if you team up with another company or content producer.

Conclusion

Awareness of your brand is a powerful (albeit nebulous) concept that can significantly influence the success of your marketing efforts, the way consumers view your product, and the amount of money you make.

Follow these strategies for establishing and developing recognition for your brand. You will find that you have a loyal audience that recognizes your brand among your competitors, chooses your products repeatedly, and recommends that their friends and family do the same thing.