#Thess has a weekend

[thessalian]

Thess vs Projects & Acquisitions

Well, today’s already been a pretty good day. I mean, I haven’t been awake for long, but ... y’know, that’s part of why it’s been a good day.

Since I had the day off, I had earlier-than-usual mini watch party of The Legend of Vox Machina. (I have thoughts. I’ll ramble about all that later.) Slept in. Woke up and did the online ordering portion of my big grocery shop. Which was good because some of the things I wanted and needed were on special offer - like, the good gluten-free bread, just for example. Also picked up a few ingredients for something I really wanted to try - see, I’m a little fed up at how expensive hot chocolate mix is, and the supermarket own-brand stuff is kind of crap, and I tripped over a video awhile ago about how to make your own. So I’m going to do that. Which meant I needed a couple of storage containers of the right size to store the finished product ... though I could just use the old jars, which I’ve saved. Hmm. Thoughts for later, but honestly, with everything I get up to, I could use storage jars. Also I needed to hit Amazon anyway because I needed a safer candy thermometer than the one I have if I’m going to be making hard candy. Even the steam from heating sugar to hard crack point can be seriously painful, and my candy thermometer requires leaning too close to the pot for my liking.

Anyway, after that, I fulfilled a promise to myself - a promise that this paycheque, on sale or not, I was going to get my Gilmore’s Glorious Bathrobe. It’s time to retire my old one, which looks like I skinned a polka-dotted Muppet to get it. It’s served me well, my old Muppet, but one of the pockets is ripped halfway off and it’s all battered. Best part is, it was still on sale - to the point where even when I sprang for DPD next-day delivery service, it was still cheaper than the base price would have been if I’d bought it while not on sale! Which means I should have it tomorrow! So I am of a squee. That’s even not taking into account that apparently my bestie is throwing the Trinket slippers at me as an early birthday gift.

Look, right now, with the way things are? Being able to stay warm without turning on the heating is a serious bonus. And ... well, the shark socks didn’t work out - they were cheap crap and the soles kept shifting in weird ways so they’re not really wearable - and my lovely super-thick fleece socks are great for warming up my feet when I’m curling up in bed for the night but they’re thick enough that I can’t throw a pair of shoes over them to step out onto the balcony. Thus, two pairs of moderately warm socks and slippers. I’ve been making do with thinner socks so I had my eye on more slippers anyway. I was just getting jazzed about the Trinket slippers hitting the UK shop and thinking I could buy slippers and robe at the same time, when all of a sudden, “I’m letting you know that I’m getting you the Trinket slippers, so you don’t go ahead and buy them first - happy early birthday”. My bestie knows me too well. ^_^

Right. It’s been a productive day but I’ve still got shit to do. Need to go out and pick up painkillers and at least some groceries (delivery’s tomorrow but food is still needed today). So not much shit to do, but some. Tomorrow’s going to be the day for Doing Things, though - fruit to run through the dehydrator, making my hot chocolate mix, and running D&D. And Sunday’s the big group session. Lots to prep for, but hey.

[tricitymonsters]

How would the boys react to a neurodivergent MC that has terrible sleep related sensory issues?

Like they need to sleep in a very specific pair of pants because if any of the skin on their thighs and knees are touching they can't sleep, the sheet has to pulled completely taught or they cant sleep, they need atleast 3 blankets to sleep even in the summer type shit?

Im totally not projecting thesse totally aren't my nightly sensory issues-

MOSTLY the boys would be pretty understanding! Mori drinks a lot, especially on weekends so he might not even be in the headspace to wonder why you need four blankets in 90 degree heat plus he like falls asleep in his jeans and shoes half the time or doesn't make it to the bed and sleeps in a pile of laundry, don't worry about him.

Amir is what I consider to be fairly neurotic with his sleep routine. Not only does he keep a tight schedule and work a hefty beauty regimen into this, if he's not in the Correct Sheets he will throw a tantrum. Where your sensory/comfort issues align, Amir is easy to deal with and very understanding of the issue. Where they compete... well... He's still very understanding but he might suggest two separate sleeping areas just so that you both have everything exactly the way you like it.

Akello is pretty laid back but his chief complaint is that he runs hot. If you can have your blankets separate from him having None (or like a light sheet) then he's easy going. He wants you both to be comfortable and doesn't find a gamut of nighttime sensory problems to be particularly onerous. Also he's creative and would be likely to find out of the box solutions to keep you both in the same bed.

[4thegloryofgodmosthigh]

1 Thess. 1:4,5

1 Thessalonians 1:4,5 “For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake.”

I am stuck on love right now. We watched a movie called I still believeover the weekend. It’s a beautiful story of a man…

[fruitcakecreatives]

It has been a long weekend. People r anxious.I dont know if u can read what I writre. My unedtied #dyslxia kicks in. Am I strong in diffrent old or new, contempary or not? I an sure I even understand how to use thess medunimes that r ment to asist me. I.think.I.need money to buy advetisng as wothout that how do u build up contacts. Like everyone who uses this space r we makeingg work for the space...or just giving away work fors free. Who feeds #starving #artists especailly as #Gallies hide behind windows and what they know. How do A artist get galleries. Sincen being on instergam galliers have approched me....all wanting me to pay them to exhibt me?? Surliy they make commmision ? @anartistsinfo When I left #slade there #dealers who paid u ?? Were has that route gone ? #artofthedaysac #galeriemagazine #aesthetic #artistsofinstagram #photographers #stilllifephotography #portraitphotography #dailylife #vegetarian #food #bestkebab https://www.instagram.com/p/B9gZM3Xl82O/?igshid=bi2mum4lpxxy

[mandagrams-blog]

Longing for Home

I met someone this weekend who recently spent six months hiking the Appalachian Trail, which extends for 2,200 miles between Georgia and Maine. When I asked what it was like I expected him to tell me how hard it was or to talk about the breathtaking scenery. He did say it was hard, but mostly he talked about how he loved it because it was like living in an alternate reality where instead of the “every man for himself” mentality that is prevalent in the “normal��� world he experienced an environment where “trail families” all wanted to help each other out. “Everyone was striving for a common goal...we all just wanted to help each other get to the end,” he said.

The next day as I reflected on our conversation it occurred to me how profound it is that we all long for the same thing - a world where everyone is kind to each other and evil and suffering and selfishness and hatred and meanness don’t exist. We all feel the rub...that tension between how things are and how we know they’re supposed to be. It’s perplexing, yet it makes perfect sense, because the world in its current state is not how it was supposed to be. When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, the world changed and now reflects the consequences of their disobedience and of our own rebellious natures (Gen 3:14-19, Rom 5:12). For now, those who know him wait and watch and pray and suffer like everyone else, but persevere in faith with the assurance that it won’t be like this forever (Rom 2:7, Heb 10:36). Scripture tells us that one day Jesus is coming back to restore all creation (that includes us!) to its intended glory (1 Thess 4:16-17). There will be a new heaven and a new earth, we will receive brand new shiny resurrection bodies, and pain and suffering and general human nastiness will end forever (1 Cor 15:51-52, 2 Peter 3:10-13). Am I the only one who wants to shout “hallelujah!!” at that thought?! Christ’s coming Kingdom is the true home and family that we all long for. We all intrinsically know that human beings have value and that we should not have to suffer under the injustices and atrocities that we read about in the news everyday. Why do we feel that way? Because we do have value. Why? What makes us valuable? Because we are God’s image-bearers and chief among his creation (Gen 1:26-27). If we all simply emerged from the primordial muck, why do we have this unshakable sense deep down inside that human beings just shouldn’t suffer and die? That murder and mass genocide isn’t just unfortunate but wrong? Why not just write it off as natural selection “doing its thang” and be glad that the strongest of us get to stick around and reproduce even stronger subsequent generations?

Could it be that it’s because we are the most treasured creation of a loving God that purposed that his son should suffer and die in our place so that we can be forgiven and justified before that same Holy God who has been acting on behalf of his people since before the world existed and who is working out a perfect plan to make all things new and will return to dwell with His people in a place where we no longer suffer and die but live with him in Glory and one another in loving community for all eternity and become who we were really truly meant to be? Food for thought.

[jon-no-h]

Bonjour Guys!! @crossfit_iconic has thess new shirts in. #teamiconic is competing at @thewodapalooza this weekend. The fitness festival is well underway and #teamiconic is doing great. We still some Tshirts in stock buy one today or tomorrow and let’s all rock our sweet new shirt on Saturday #showupandshowout put the word out y’all Merci. . . @crossfit_iconic #community #likeminded #support #motivation #competition (at Iconic Fitness) https://www.instagram.com/p/BsyCOaIBjkG/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=a7ts9za08xr8

[christianmenatwork]

Good News and Bad News-Selah23-CMAW091

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Good News and Bad News -Start with bad news, if our heart isn't totally committed to Jesus Christ in a relationship vs. a religious spirit, we're a not a true follower of Jesus, anything less than total surrender to Jesus doesn't cut it, we understand this type of commitent is a necesary part of a marriage, God shows us how He wants our relationship to have that same, even higher commitmment, In Eph 5:25-33 he compares those 2 relationships, "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might [g]sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, [h]of His flesh and of His bones. 31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband" -Eph 5:25-33, "For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God" Exodus 20:5, In Revelation Jesus talks to John about 7 churches.  All of these churches did good things, but Jesus rebuked or corrected all of them, except 2, Smyrna called the Persecuted Church and Philadelphia called the Spiritual alive church, The Laodicean church called the Luke Warm church Jesus said he would spit them out of His mouth, in Matthew 5:28 Jesus says "But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." in this and other passages he shows that it's not enough to keep the Laws or commandments in terms of your actions you have to guard your heart and take captive all your thoughts to the obedience of Christ, the Psalmist understood this in Ps 139:22-24 "Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties;24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting." 1 Samuel 16:7 says "For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."  Jesus blasted the Pharisees for having good outward appearance while neglecting matters of the heart, Matthew 23:27 Jesus said "“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness",   Rom 8:6 "For to be [b]carnally minded is death" vs 7 says "Because the [c]carnal mind is enmity against God", notice Paul talks about our mind not what we do with our hands and mouth, my Pastor says a good way to think about our sin is 3 words: doing, thinking, saying, my pastor also spoke recently about racism that we've made great strides as a country at politically correct, i.e. we've gotten good at not doing and saying certain things when it comes to race, but being PC doesn't change the heart, I'll personally testify that doing the "right" things in marriage but having an angry, judgmental, non-loving and non-compassionate heart will lead to strife, bitterness, and pain, when it comes to our work if we do a "good job" at work but our heart is filled with discontent, envy, judgment and we're not in relationship with God while we're at work, we will be miserable in our job and will not prosper, here's another piece of bad news: good intentions are worthless, saying "I'm trying" or "I'll try to do better" if worth than doing nothing at all, let me be transparent with an example of this: I recently started carrying a small NT/Psalms Bible from the Gideons with me to work, I just realized and am ashamed to admit that I've been doing this for weeks and not once have I looked at it, are you now ready for some good news? Let me start with the First Light Devotion from Pastor Brian Biggers sent on July 9 - "I have always loved the twenty first chapter of John. It is the great story of Simon's restoration. It is also God speaking to you and me revealing what He is really like at heart. Perhaps no one in history has blown it with God like Simon. He was Jesus' dearest friend; the one Jesus took with Him everywhere. He was the one that Jesus confided in and looked to most often. As a side note, the fact that God chose a redneck, ignorant, uneducated fisherman to be His best friend brings me great hope! When told of Christ' impending arrest and murder Simon vowed that even if all abandoned Him, he would stick with Him. You know the story. In His greatest hour of need at a mockery of a trial, Simon told all present that He had never met the Man. When pressed about the issue he cursed and swore that he had no idea who Jesus was. Some friend! Far be it from me to look down my nose at the famous fisherman. My loyalty could be questioned at no few times. As often happens when a follower of Christ messes up very badly, Simon went back to his old life at sea assuming that his days in God's inner circle were over after His public failure. What a shock to look up from his nets early one morning and see Jesus standing on the shore! First time he had seen Jesus since he had cursed Him and watched as Jesus turned to gaze at him without speaking. What would He do? What does God do to people that betray Him and abandon Him? When Simon arrived at the shore Jesus invited him to eat breakfast that was prepared on a coal fire. As they sat around the fire not a word was spoken about the downfall. It was never mentioned again. Finally, after eating, Jesus looked at Simon and asked him, "do you love me"? He replied, no doubt with deep humility, "yes Lord, you know I love you". After his response Jesus simply said, "tend my sheep".  This is God. This is how He treats people that mess up. Big time. No revenge. He didn't even ask him if he thought he could do better from now on. With Him the question is never "can you behave". It’s always "do you love me"? He is immediately restored in his relationship with Christ and repositioned as the chief preacher in God's great movement. Who cannot love a God that forgives that freely and never gives up on His plans for you? How about you? Have you missed it with Him? Blown it big time? Here's the message of the Bible. If you're not dead, God's not done!

Father, I would have given up on me a long time ago. Your mercy makes no sense. Thank God!

Now I want to borrow from the message I heard from Pastor Adam Cook this morning about freedom, Adam and Eve were naked, content and connected, this was God's will all of use, by comparison now all who sin are marked by shame, striving and separation.  Think about that for a moment, how those 3 things describe aspects of your life, I don't have to think hard to think about how they apply to mine, think specifically about your work, shame shows up in awareness of the mistakes we make at work, not measuring up to our co-workers or to standards set by ourselves or our boss or both,, striving shows upo in feeling like we're working hard, seeing our work as boring or drudgery, being a perfectionist being prideful of of our work which only brings us misery as we judge others we see as not measuring up to our standards, separation shows up at work when when we feel lonely at work, disconnected from others and from God, waiting for church on Sunday to feel spiritual but otherwise feeling like we're just blending with the world while we're at work, working for the dollar or working for the weekend,, buy heart of Jesus in John 8:34-36 Jesus says "34 Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.", 1 Corinthians 32:17 NIV says "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom", Galatians 5:1 NIV says "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."  We just celebrated Independence Day in the U.S., in America value highly our freedom, you could say we worship it, when it comes to politics both sides have their own version of what freedom means, I'm realizing more and more that freedom by worldly standards is not true freedom, I like the definition of spiritual freedom that my Pastor Adam gave "the unhindered experience of the presence of God".  The curse that came from sin giving us shame, striving, and separation is reversed by Jesus if we walk in it. We can walk in the cool of the day with Jesus, as my Pastort said, it's like God is saying to us you can swing and miss but you can’t fail because you’re free in me, that is the abundant life that only comes from surrendering our lives to Jesus not just when we're born again but in our daily walk at work and everywhere else

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Grant Smith update

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1 Thess 4:11-12 NIV "11 and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, 12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody."

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9) Pray (before, during and after meeting)

Check out this episode!

[theprodigaldaughtersworld]

Hey girl. I hope you have had a blessed week. I would like to start out with a disclaimer. I am working on something right now so you will hear or read the word unpack a lot for a minute.

I want you to be free. I want you to he healed, healthy, and whole. I want you to be able to be grateful for everything God has done in your life. Especially those things that were meant to destroy you. I Thess 5:16-21. Whether you realize it or not your presence is illuminating to someone. You are essential to the kingdom of God. You are essential in exemplifying for another woman that God will never leave nor forsake you.

Before Covid19 we were beginning to dive into the familial patterns that shape or effect us. I really want to get into that when we meet again. This weekend I want you to sit down and write a letter to the younger you. To the you who experienced something you couldn't see yourself ever getting through. That thing you just knew would be the end of you. That thing that made you question God. Why God? Why me? How could you love me and let this happen? I want you to encourage her to let her know that she would get through it. That she would be closer to God than she ever imagined. Whatever the Holy Spirit places in your heart write it. We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the words of our testimony. Sometimes you need to remind yourself that YOU do have a testimony.

Love you.

Stay safe. Stay encouraged. Stay hopeful. Most of all remain blessed.

[live4thelord]

On Forsaking Fear by Remaining Ready—A Homily for the 19th Sunday of the Year

In the Gospel for this weekend (Luke 12:32-40) the Lord Jesus presents a “recipe for readiness.” He gives it to us so that we can lay hold of His offer that we not be afraid. He is not simply saying, “Be not afraid.” He is explaining how we can battle fear by being ready.

Christians today are often uncertain about what is necessary in order to be ready to meet God. Many also make light of the Day of Judgment, considering it all but certain that most of humanity will be saved.

Jesus does not adopt this position. In fact, He teaches the opposite. He consistently warns of the need to be ready for our judgment. Jesus does not counsel a foolish fearlessness rooted in the deception that all or even most will be saved. Rather, He counsels a fearlessness based on solid preparation for the Day of Judgment. Jesus tells us to do at least five things in order to be ready and therefore not afraid.

If we do not make these sorts of preparations, Jesus warns that He will come when we least expect and take away all that we (wrongly) call our own. Jesus says, But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap (Lk 21:34). The apostolic tradition says this of the unprepared: disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin. And there will be no escape (1 Thess 5:3).

Thus, while Jesus begins by saying that we ought not to fear (for the Father wants to grant us His Kingdom), He also warns that being free of fear is contingent upon embracing and following the plan that He sets forth for our life.

Let’s look at this plan and see how we can forsake fear by becoming and remaining ready. Jesus gives us five specific things to do that will help to ready us for the time when the Lord calls us. It is not an exhaustive list, for no single passage of Scripture is the whole of Scripture, but these are some very practical and specific things to reflect upon and do.

I. Reassess your wealth. Jesus says, Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your belongings and give alms. Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.

In this passage, the Lord is giving us three teachings on wealth. He says that we ought to do these things:

Forgo Fear. In the end, it is fear that makes us greedy and worldly; we grab up the things of this world because we are afraid of not having enough for tomorrow. But what if we could receive the gift to trust God more and to know that He will give us our daily bread? He has given us the Kingdom; why wouldn’t He give us everything else? He may not give us everything we want, but He will give us what we really need. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these other things will be given unto to you (Matt 6:21). If we can just allow God to diminish our fear, we will be surprised at how easy it is to be generous with what we have rather than hoarding it.

Forward your Fortune. When we are generous to the needy and poor, we store up treasure for ourselves in Heaven. Treasure is not stored in Heaven by sending it up there in a rocket ship or a hot-air balloon. It is accomplished by generously distributing our wealth to others in wise and creative ways. I discussed this more fully in my homily last week (You Can’t Take It with You, but You Can Send It on Ahead). While it may not be appropriate to sell everything and go sleep on a park bench, the Lord is surely telling us to be less attached to and passionate about money and possessions, for they root us in this world. And where our treasure is, there also will our heart be.

Fix your focus. Our focus is misplaced because most of us have our treasure here in this world. Once we become less fearful and more generous, our obsession with worldly treasure subsides and our joy in heavenly treasure grows. This redirects our focus and puts our heart where our treasure really is and ought to be: in Heaven with God. Simplify! Be less rooted in this world; come to experience that your greatest treasure is God and the things awaiting you in Heaven.

Reassess your wealth. What is it and where is it? That will tell you a lot about your heart.

II. Ready yourself to work. The Lord says “Gird your loins,” which is the ancient equivalent of “roll up your sleeves.” The Lord has work for us to do and wants us to get to it.

Surely, the Lord has more than a worldly career in mind. He has in mind things like growing in holiness, pursuing justice, and raising children in godly fear. The Lord wants us to work in His Kingdom. We must commit to prayer, Sunday worship, the reception of the sacraments, obedience, and holiness.

The Lord has particular work for each of us based on our gifts. Some people are good teachers; others work well with senior citizens; some are entrepreneurs who can provide employment for others at a just wage. Some are skilled at medicine and the care of the sick; others are called to priesthood or the religious life. Some are called to suffer and to offer that suffering for the salvation of souls. Some serve in strength, others do so in weakness; but all are called to serve, to work.

Work with what the Lord gave you to advance His Kingdom. Part of being ready means doing your work.

III. Read the Word. The Lord says, light your lamps.

On one level, the phrase “light your lamps” is simply a symbol for readiness (e.g., the Wise and Foolish Virgins in Matt. 25:1-13).

But in another sense, a lamp is also a symbol for Scripture. For example, You Word, O Lord, is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path (Ps 119:105). We possess the prophetic message that is altogether reliable. You will do well to be attentive to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts (2 Peter 1:19).

The Lord is teaching us that an essential part of being ready is being rooted and immersed in the Scriptures and the teachings of the Church. That makes sense, of course. Too many in this increasingly secular world are hostile to the faith. How can we think that our mind is going to be anything but sullied if we are not reading Scripture every day? How will our minds be sober and clear if we are inebriated by the world?

Clearly, being ready means reading Scripture each day and basing our life on it.

IV. Remain watchful. The Lord says, And be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks. … Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour when the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.

There are different ways to watch and wait. There is the passive watching and waiting that we might do when waiting for a bus: we just sit there and look down the street. There is another kind that is more active. Consider a waiter: he waits and watches actively; he observes and delivers what is needed immediately and notes what will be needed soon so that he will be prepared when the time comes.

There is also the eager sort of waiting that is much like that of a child on Christmas Eve. The child does not wait in dread for Santa Claus but in hopeful expectation.

Watchful and eager waiting are what the Lord has in mind. It is like that active waiting we do when we have invited a guest to our home. We joyfully prepare and place all in order.

To set our house in order is to sweep clean our soul of sin and all unrighteousness (by God’s grace) and to remove all the clutter of worldliness from our life. Regular confession, daily repentance, simplifying our life, and freeing ourself from worldly attachments declutters the house of our soul.

Have you prepared the home of your soul for the Lord’s arrival? If not, you may experience Him as you would a thief. The Lord is not really a thief, for everything belongs to Him, but if we have not renounced our worldliness and greed and have not rid ourself of attachments to this world, then the Lord will come and take back what is His. He will seem like a thief only because we (wrongly) think things belong to us.

It’s never a good idea to call God, the Lord and owner of all, a thief!

V. Reflect on your reward. The Lord says, Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them. And should he come in the second or third watch and find them prepared in this way, blessed are those servants.

The Lord is clear that He has a reward for those who are found ready!

It is prefigured in the banquet of the Eucharist, in which the Lord prepares a meal and feeds us. He says, Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me (Rev 3:20). And I confer a kingdom on you, just as my Father has conferred one on me, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom (Luke 22:30). Today, food can be bought on the spur of the moment and eaten immediately, but in the ancient world one of life’s most pleasant things was a leisurely meal enjoyed in the company of good friends and family.

The Lord offers us the magnificent blessing of Heaven, where we will be with Him and those whom we love forever in unspeakable joy and peace.

Do you meditate often on Heaven and long for its rewards? One of the stranger things about people in the modern world, even some believers, is that they talk so little of Heaven. And while it is not a place any of us have ever been (so it’s hard to fully understand what it will be like), we should reflect often on the joy that awaits us there.

Part of being ready to go home to the Lord is to long for that day to come. When we want to do something, we prepare for it eagerly; we are motivated and we make sacrifices. We will more naturally do whatever is necessary.

These are five elements constituting a recipe for readiness. You’d better set your house in order ’cause He may be comin’ soon!

[paintmetara]

June 26, 2017

Good Morning! Happy Monday! Just as a heads up, I have decided that I won't be sending these emails on Saturday and Sunday. I might still send them here and there, but it won't be consistent depending on when I am on my computer. The spirit of this is not to be check something off of a list, but to genuinely share with you what God is teaching me that day. TRUTH: The past few days I have been reading 1 and 2 Thessalonians. As I reflect on the coming of the Lord, I am challenged to be purposeful with my days. "But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." 1 Thess 5: 8-11 "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thess 5:16-18 - How great is it that we CAN know the will of God. "But we out always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth." 2 Thess 2:13- Praising God for those of you He has saved! If you do not know the Lord, and you want to talk more, please email/call/text me! "May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ." 2 Thess 3:5 - I don't think I have ever noticed this specific prayer before but I love this. PRAYER: Please pray for my heart to trust in God's timing. I am particularly discouraged this morning about my roommates relationship with the Lord- my heart is breaking for her. And let us pray that last prayer together- may our hearts be directed to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ. THANKSGIVING: I am thankful for a productive yet restful weekend, for Sunday School yesterday, and for the opportunity to be in school. Please let me know how I can be praying for you! Have a great Monday! Also- go listen to some of the Psalms by Shane and Shane. Jesus loves you and so do I! Tara :)

[thessalian]

Thess vs Division of Labour

On the one hand, I am looking very forward to my upcoming week off. By which I mean, it's the only thing making the thought of having to work tomorrow somewhat bearable.

On the other hand, I am not looking forward to spending a week stressing over what the typing queue will look like when I get back. It's bad enough as it is, with Temp having been off this week and The Other Part-Timer having been off sick. (Though, to be fair, The Other Part-Timer is now full-time but she's not on typing anymore, so I guess either way we're kind of screwed in that regard.) But when I go off...

Look. I'll give it to Goblin - she pretty much pulls her weight. And Temp ... well, as long as you don't expect her to do anything long or complicated (because not having a high number of things typed makes her feel 'unproductive', which I guess is all right for the rest of us somehow), she gets shit done. But New Girl? Oh gods, New Girl.

Today, for instance. It was a hellish day. We were struggling to--

No. Sorry.

I was struggling to get things back on track given Temp being off and no longer having The Other Part-Timer typing, given a bunch of folks who came in to dictate on the weekend. We are finally to the point where we were actually doing some of today's typing today, as in we cleared all of yesterday's typing before close of play. But the mess of that... Two complicated placenta cases dictated by someone who's new to placenta cut-up. Three extensive breast cases by a new individual who isn't entirely sure of herself but has picked up enough from The Breast Guy to skip around in the dictation as it suits her. A grand total of eight messes by The Word Salad Guy. A few from lesser Word Salad Individuals. And a dozen by one of the ones who skirts annoyance territory because she does complicated ones while speaking very quickly, and often makes minor word salad without the excuse of "English is not her first language". Also another one who makes her dictations twice as long by dictating the lab numbers on every pot when we don't need to type that, and the one who dictates by block instead of doing a block key like normal people-- and this makes very little sense to anyone who isn't me, sorry. Suffice it to say that it was a mess.

New Girl got one of the new individual's breast cases and one of Word Salad Guy's cases - and that under duress because she'd picked out everything else that might qualify as easy before that even got looked at and I had other shit to do, so all the rest of hers were easier ones, and shorter ones. I had both placenta cases, the longest of the breast cases, seven of the eight messes from Word Salad Guy, everything from the one who skirts annoyance territory, and most of the rest of the Annoyances in general.

She started at 10:00, took an hour lunch (where she dumped more complicated ones she hadn't got around to back into the queue so someone else would do them while she was away), and left at 16:00 or so. Total reports typed: 39.

I started at 11:00, had a few microbreaks so I didn't start spasming, finished at 17:30, and got far more of the complicated and longer ones than she did. Total reports typed: 93.

I'd ask if anyone else was seeing the issue here, but as @mxlabradorite said to me recently, that's been my professional life for over twenty years now.

Honestly, I'm kind of glad that we had to cancel Saturday D&D shenanigans this week. I am so tired, and I hurt so much, and I need to recover. I have no idea how the fuck I'm going to manage to get through tomorrow at this point. Worst of all, though, is that I'm going to end up stressing for at least part of my much-needed, well-deserved week off about how those yahoos I work with are just going to go at their usual slow-to-middling pace while I'm gone because "it's just a job". For fuck's sake, am I the only person in that damned virtual office that remembers that there's a patient waiting to find out if they have cancer attached to those names and lab numbers?!?

(Answer: yes. Either that or they don't care. Fuck that; knowing that I'm sometimes the difference between life and death for some of these patients is what keeps me going half the time. And given my work in various stages of oncology, no, I am not exaggerating, or at least not by much. The earlier you catch something like that, the earlier you get treatment and the better the odds of forcing it into remission. At worst, I'm giving someone desperately needed reassurance that they don't have something life-threatening. That's worth a lot.)

Oh, and Scruffman hasn't said a damn word about performance reviews. I figure that'll be sprung on me on short notice either tomorrow or once I get back. Or maybe Scruffman will have a well-timed attack of good sense and wait for the week after I get back, as I'll be busting my ass dealing with the backlog those dipshits leave me while I'm gone.

...Don't worry too much. I'll have some things to keep me occupied so work worries aren't eating my head all the time. Sunday D&D is still a thing and it's getting spicy for these guys. Silent Hill 2 drops in early access then too, so if I'm really feeling better, I can do a lovely spooky all-nighter and either way, I'll have James Sunderland's emotional issues made manifest in eldritch ways to distract me.

(Please, Bloober Team, don't have fucked this up...)

[christianitywithouttheinsanity]

1 Kings 5; 2 Chr 2; 2 Thess 3

Discuss in the comments section.

The following text is from the English Standard Version.

1 Kings 5

5:1  Now Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon when he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father, for Hiram always loved David. 2 And Solomon sent word to Hiram, 3 “You know that David my father could not build a house for the name of the Lord his God because of the warfare with which his enemies surrounded him, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet. 4 But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side. There is neither adversary nor misfortune. 5 And so I intend to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord said to David my father, ‘Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, shall build the house for my name.’ 6 Now therefore command that cedars of Lebanon be cut for me. And my servants will join your servants, and I will pay you for your servants such wages as you set, for you know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.”

7 As soon as Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced greatly and said, “Blessed be the Lord this day, who has given to David a wise son to be over this great people.” 8 And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, “I have heard the message that you have sent to me. I am ready to do all you desire in the matter of cedar and cypress timber. 9 My servants shall bring it down to the sea from Lebanon, and I will make it into rafts to go by sea to the place you direct. And I will have them broken up there, and you shall receive it. And you shall meet my wishes by providing food for my household.” 10 So Hiram supplied Solomon with all the timber of cedar and cypress that he desired, 11 while Solomon gave Hiram 20,000 cors of wheat as food for his household, and 20,000 cors of beaten oil. Solomon gave this to Hiram year by year. 12 And the Lord gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him. And there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty.

13 King Solomon drafted forced labor out of all Israel, and the draft numbered 30,000 men. 14 And he sent them to Lebanon, 10,000 a month in shifts. They would be a month in Lebanon and two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of the draft. 15 Solomon also had 70,000 burden-bearers and 80,000 stonecutters in the hill country, 16 besides Solomon's 3,300 chief officers who were over the work, who had charge of the people who carried on the work. 17 At the king's command they quarried out great, costly stones in order to lay the foundation of the house with dressed stones. 18 So Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders and the men of Gebal did the cutting and prepared the timber and the stone to build the house. (ESV)

2 Chr 2

2:1  Now Solomon purposed to build a temple for the name of the Lord, and a royal palace for himself. 2  And Solomon assigned 70,000 men to bear burdens and 80,000 to quarry in the hill country, and 3,600 to oversee them. 3 And Solomon sent word to Hiram the king of Tyre: “As you dealt with David my father and sent him cedar to build himself a house to dwell in, so deal with me. 4 Behold, I am about to build a house for the name of the Lord my God and dedicate it to him for the burning of incense of sweet spices before him, and for the regular arrangement of the showbread, and for burnt offerings morning and evening, on the Sabbaths and the new moons and the appointed feasts of the Lord our God, as ordained forever for Israel. 5 The house that I am to build will be great, for our God is greater than all gods. 6 But who is able to build him a house, since heaven, even highest heaven, cannot contain him? Who am I to build a house for him, except as a place to make offerings before him? 7 So now send me a man skilled to work in gold, silver, bronze, and iron, and in purple, crimson, and blue fabrics, trained also in engraving, to be with the skilled workers who are with me in Judah and Jerusalem, whom David my father provided. 8 Send me also cedar, cypress, and algum timber from Lebanon, for I know that your servants know how to cut timber in Lebanon. And my servants will be with your servants, 9 to prepare timber for me in abundance, for the house I am to build will be great and wonderful. 10 I will give for your servants, the woodsmen who cut timber, 20,000 cors of crushed wheat, 20,000 cors of barley, 20,000 baths of wine, and 20,000 baths of oil.”

11 Then Hiram the king of Tyre answered in a letter that he sent to Solomon, “Because the Lord loves his people, he has made you king over them.” 12 Hiram also said, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who made heaven and earth, who has given King David a wise son, who has discretion and understanding, who will build a temple for the Lord and a royal palace for himself.

13 “Now I have sent a skilled man, who has understanding, Huram-abi, 14 the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre. He is trained to work in gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood, and in purple, blue, and crimson fabrics and fine linen, and to do all sorts of engraving and execute any design that may be assigned him, with your craftsmen, the craftsmen of my lord, David your father. 15 Now therefore the wheat and barley, oil and wine, of which my lord has spoken, let him send to his servants. 16 And we will cut whatever timber you need from Lebanon and bring it to you in rafts by sea to Joppa, so that you may take it up to Jerusalem.”

17 Then Solomon counted all the resident aliens who were in the land of Israel, after the census of them that David his father had taken, and there were found 153,600. 18 Seventy thousand of them he assigned to bear burdens, 80,000 to quarry in the hill country, and 3,600 as overseers to make the people work. (ESV)

2 Thess 3

3:1 Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, 2 and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. 4 And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. 5 May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.

6 Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, 8 nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. 9 It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. 10 For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. 11 For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. 12 Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.

13 As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good. 14 If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. 15 Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.

16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.

17 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. This is the sign of genuineness in every letter of mine; it is the way I write. 18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. (ESV)

The reading plan I’ve chosen is from Bible Class Material and it’s a 5 day plan, with weekend days to catch up or get ahead or just take a break!

http://ift.tt/2hfNLzf

[thessalian]

Thess vs More Unexpected Absences

Well, Temp is back at least, but I swear, nobody gives anybody any notice for anything anymore and I am fed the fuck up.

See, we get an update of what's going on with the schedule every week, mostly because with some of us working from home, it's about the only way to keep up with the schedule. So today we got, "Temp is back; Goblin's got an appointment in the morning but she'll be back in the afternoon". We're not quite as badly swamped as we were, but ... it's still pretty unfortunate. Especially since the cherry-picking of the typing has got so bad it's untrue. I mean, every. Single. Annoyance, just ... left sitting there for me. And I'm still exhausted by a weekend where I didn't get enough rest and a recurring fucking migraine. But I figured, hey, at least Goblin will be back later, and Milady usually steps in from time to time and she's not too scared of the longer ones...

So today at lunchtime, we get an email: "So actually, Goblin's going to be off the entire day now, and Milady's leaving early".

.........I mean, I hope everyone's okay and everything, but why the fuck did we not get told that there was a possibility that Goblin's appointment might run long?!? And that Milady might have to take off early?

Sometimes I'm just so fed the fuck up of being the reliable one. I woke up far too early because my body was betraying me, I keep having vertigo moments, I probably should not in any way be working, but ... there it is and there I am, because unexpected absences. And of course, the cherry-picking. So while I'm having pain, vertigo, and brain-fog, I have to fight through the Annoyances while they just dawdle through the nice easy ones.

And it's still three weeks or so until I get time off.

Also, Phineas decided to throw a wobble for no apparent reason this morning after I had to restart my computer for updates (but I just installed your bullshit Windows 11; why the fuck now?!?). It just kept switching on and off at random. Thank the gods for my phone; I Googled and found out that people with this issue have luck resolving it by reseating the RAM sticks. Which I did, and it worked, so ... I mean, okay?

It's been way too rough a day, and I've still got three hours of it to go before I can, like, relax, or lie down, or something. So back I go to the grind. I hurt and I hate more or less everything right now, but it's the job. And I can't even clock off early because I'm scared of what it'll look like tomorrow. Plus I hesitate to call in sick because I'm scared of what the workload will look like after a day of me not doing it.

This was such a great job once.

[thessalian]

Thess vs Self-Care

Well, this has been ... a week. The things I managed to do with a nagging migraine and the stress of "my co-workers are idiots" causing pain spikes is kind of remarkable. Finally got the typing queue down to somewhere in the double digits from 300-odd, though I paid for that in pain. Thankfully next week shouldn't be too bad because it's the August bank holiday on Monday so shorter week and less mess. Unless people come in on the bank holiday and/or the weekend, but I can hope...

Anyway, point is that after the last week, it's migraine, residual pain flare, and fatigue. I hate this particular combo pack of symptoms. I wanted to get myself some treats but between how I felt and the large number of evangelicals in bright yellow T-shirts preaching hellfire and damnation at people every fifty feet or so on the main roads, I kind of had to stick with just a quick stop at the pharmacy for pain meds and mouthwash. At least I missed the worst of the rain. That's something.

Thing is ... part of me wants to go play some Baldur's Gate 3 because I have been starved of fun this week because of complete exhaustion. But most of me just wants to go back to bed because fuck today, entirely. Probably going to either do the latter, or split the difference and curl up on the sofa for awhile. Maybe I'll get enough energy to actually do something fun later.

Or I could have soup. Soup might make things a bit better.

Either way, I am going to recover by tomorrow. I have to run a big ol' vampire fight tomorrow and that will require energy and brainpower.

I cannot begin to tell you how much it sucks on days when even sitting upright in a chair is too much effort.

[thessalian]

Thess vs Staffing Inbalances

Work's becoming a bigger mess.

See, every once in awhile, we get new trainees. We just got new trainees. We got a lot of new trainees. Which means we're generating more typing. We were barely managing as it was and now we're getting more typing per day and we're not going to be able to keep up for long.

Look, here's the situation.

We have ... approximately five typists, though technically only the man-hours of four. (Two of us are part-time, but the other one only does, like, two days a week.) The full-timers are mostly 9:00-17:00 with an hour for lunch, though Goblin tends to be a little more 10:00-17:30 with a half-hour for lunch because she works from home same as I do. I personally work 11:00-17:00 (Tuesdays and Wednesdays) or 11:00-17:30 (Thursdays and Fridays). So the last of us has generally speaking logged off for the day by 17:30, and it's only really Scruffman, our manager, who's logged on at 8:00.

The doctors, on the other hand, start dictating reports at about 7:45 and if we're lucky, they finish at 18:00. And there are a lot more than five of them. Now, keeping in mind that they're dictating stuff in between cutting bits of medical specimen into bits and examining said bits, we can theoretically get a report typed faster than they can dictate one. Not always, because some are into the word salad, but mostly, yeah. Still. There are more of them than there are us, and their shifts overlap in such a way that those "more of them" are working a longer day than we do, so we're coming to the end of the shift with the queue getting longer by great leaps and bounds by doctors trying to cram in a few more reports before close of play.

The typists' primary objective is to at least get the previous business day's typing cleared and hopefully make a start on that day's typing before close of play on any given day. We've been managing. Barely. I don't think we'll be managing as of next week. There are two reasons for this:

The last few days, the doctors have been generating about 200-250 reports per day, on average. Today? Nearly four hundred. In this, I am only counting the 326 reports that were in the queue when I logged off for the day, the forty-odd reports that I typed over the course of the day (a little over half of those being urgents, because urgents take priority), and the few that Goblin deigned to pick up. And they were still working when we logged off.

There was an email from Scruffman today. Temp wasn't in today, and our other part-timer was only working half her usual hours, and since she's on short hours anyway... We were understaffed. So badly understaffed.

Because of both of those things, I pushed it way harder than I should have. I mean, significantly. I did over 100 reports today, and a lot of them were ... not short. No eighteen minute long monstrosities, but New Girl and Goblin had taken all the shorter ones and were apparently dawdling over those so I ended up with the 5-10 minute word salads and the fiddly and annoying placenta cut-ups and even the shorter ones I typed were by and large by the Annoyances. And despite the typing queue being stuck at 300+ for most of the day, New Girl and Goblin still fucking dawdled. I got two or more of the word salads done between each and every one of their reports - I checked.

But pushing myself past my limits has consequences. And worst of all, I had to go out to the shops after all that. So I am in a stupendous amount of pain right now. And next week looks like it's going to be a horror show. For fuck's sake, we should not fall apart like this when we have an absence! But they're hiring badly right now - they want all the reports done, so they get a whole bunch of new trainee doctors to get them all dictated, but they don't stop to think about the people who have to type the fucking things.

If I can even halfway recover from today over the course of the weekend, it'll be a fucking miracle.

[thessalian]

Thess vs Curiosity Catnip

Well, something was going on in my borough this afternoon...

Okay, let's start with the simple, the normal, the fucking annoying.

Typing queue's back up in the mid 300s. I have not been asked to do overtime yet. I figure it's coming, though. Doesn't help that my colleagues are working mega-slow (except Temp, who's on her third week of annual leave; it's bad enough the rest of the shit she does, but she can't even be bothered to stagger her leave days?), but honestly it's mostly that we had so many doctors in generating like 400 reports over the course of today, and we couldn't even get through all of yesterday's, which suggests that someone was in over the weekend again. Yeesh.

Stepfather came in to check out my intercom whosit. Turns out it was a simple fix, and entirely down to cheap, lackadasical installation. See, we had a different intercom box before, and the screw placement to mount the old one to the wall was different than what was needed in the new one. So instead of doing some measurements and drilling things properly, they just kind of threw a screw in and got it as far into the wall as they could. Which meant that a screw head was sticking up into the wiring and eventually things jostled just enough to have it nudge a wire and disconnect something vital. So my stepfather took the screw out, reassured me that the intercom will be fine hanging on the wall with the two screws it has, tested the whole thing (I can buzz the door open again! I can accept deliveries without hobbling down the stairs! HUZZAH!), took the good-sized chunk of banana bread I cut for him (and some of my snickerdoodles, because I am not a monster), and left. So something good happened today.

Anyway. Then came the bit I'm going to be wondering about for days.

See, after work, I had to pop down to the corner shop for a couple of items, and as I'm walking down the road, the following comes zooming past me at high speed:

White transit van

Totally Nondescript Car with a police light bubble flashing on the roof and sirens blazing, riding the white transit van's bumper

A police motorcycle, also lights and sirens, following at a halfway safe distance

This little conga line roars up the nearby hill and disappears around a corner. And then not two minutes later, police car with sirens and lights going turns up from a cross-street and right up the same way as the other speeding vehicles.

I should mention that this area has a speed limit of about 20mph, partially because it's a stone's throw from two schools, three parks, and a residential home for blind people.

And then I notice another noise and look up. That's helicopters. Multiple. Hovering over my little section of London.

And I'm going to spend days wondering what the fuck Mr Transit Van did. And hope that none of the speeding vehicles in my neighbourhood - criminal or police - hit anybody.