#UL does not bring me joy

[thecoiledserpent]

Hey I actually wanted to ask you something abt karmic relationships?? I just started with vedic astrology (love how much knowledge it contains its never ending🧘) but I found out that I do have a karmic one. Now I analysed my dk,my ul and both my d1 and d9(yogas and shadbala ) and overall my spouse/relationship surprisingly does look good despite it being karmic? Now I only wanted to ask what you think of it?? Can karmic ones actually be good or did I look wrong or mistaken something.. because everyone keeps saying how its bad,abusive,short and basically just meant for personal growth ( issues I do have noticed but they do seem minimal) i just wanted to know your opinion bc I do trust your word😭

Not asking for analyse just your overall opinion on the subject:)🪽🤍🌊🕯️

( i really appreciate questions and topics like these, so thank you for giving me the chance to talk about them! )

look, when it comes to people you've got to understand that no relationship ever will be perfectly favourable for you. even if, say, you have an exalted mars which would mean a loving and supportive brother, the same brother can be a cause of worry for you. and yk, spouse and children are the most karma heavy relationships in our life. we spend at most 20 years with our parents, of which at least 10-15 years are spent in a nearly useless childish state in which few things matter or are brought to light.

but we spend at least 50 years with our spouse, of which we are with them for like at least 12 hours every day yk? imagine the amount of joy or pain such a relationship can bring. so first i want to clear up that you should never have any lofty expectations when it comes to any relationships in life. every one is supposed to bring some amount of pain. the only reason we reincarnate IS to experience pain and finish our karmic account with other people, yk?

and besides, interpretation is never just about looking at something weak, malefic or bad, it's about looking at where exactly it is malefic. my chart for example shows that i'll fight a lot with my brother, but also manage to make up with him quick. so it's okay, it's nothing to worry about. someone's chart showed that they would fall in love with the right person, but situation would separate them. so that's bad now. another person's chart showed that they would fall for the wrong person but situation would turn their spouse into a better person. so that's good. both contained indicators that suggest a poor married life, but the difference is huge, isn't it?

so i just wanna say that the ifs and buts are really important here. and even if say, you can't find the person for yourself, don't fret. sometimes, loss is a greater endeavour to live for then absolute success. many a times you'll find that those who leave us leave a far greater impression on our minds and hearts than those who stay.

i wish you the best! i'm srsly honoured you take my words srsly haha, i'll definitely ensure accuracy to the best of my ability! thank you for your appreciation and support <3

[candymayvary]

will you come back to writing again? i really love your work and would like to see it again

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[white-poppie]

𝐖𝐞 could’ve had it 🅰🅻🅻

Part 1:  S♡ul-mate

Characters: Dabi x Gn! reader  

Genre: ANGST, Soulmate-au

Warnings: blood, death, family issue, gore, violence, vomiting

Writer: @ white-poppie  

A/N: Reader is a civilian, more specifically a medical student with a Claw-quirk. They have retractable claws like lion.

My Hero Academia (僕のヒーローアカデミア)  

They say even hell forgives those who turned due to  pain, but heaven doesn’t let them become the patron saint of someone’s demise. 

So they just linger, hauntingly, between the crevices and cracks of the earth. In places where the freaks rule, in places where people who never truly received love roam.

Dabi shared an uncanny appearance with his mother, he carried her tenderness and her insanity too. They both had the same eyes; exhausted, tired. But his rage, his mother never wore rage--it is something that he got from the wretched old man of his.

The anger that turned him into a monster, a walking morgue.

“Y/n,” he repeated the name like it was a chant. Skin burning where they had touched in the dream; his hands. Those scabbard and blood clad hands. Dream was a different thing, to see an abomination like him in real life? They would run away.

‘I don’t mind Dabi at all, he is just a product of this gangrenous society who failed to protect Touya.’

“Fuck,” he breathed out shakily, hands shivering from the burden of being so vulnerable with someone. 

He walked up to the lavatory, splashing water on his face, he stared at his dull reflection, tired and sleepless, for he was too scared to sleep and face you again, he would rather be awake. But now his body was begging him to rest, limbs straining under the weight of his misery.

He let out a growl and smashed his fist into the mirror. The shimmering shards fell down like cosmic dust in the dark, abandoned motel: his home.

Crimson blood stained his knuckles. He shook his hand and dried it with his towel and climbed in his bed. What is a little blood anyway? The last thing he heard was the sound of his heart palpating against his ribs as he fell into a deep slumber.

“Touya,” he heard his name being whispered like the most tender thing in the world. He could almost feel how their lips parted as they spoke the syllables.

His eyes slowly adjusted to the scene, the marbled background over his head. He was laying down. A presence was beside him, they sat next to him, a watery-smile etched on their face. A little melancholic, a little forced, a little painful.

He sat upright and looked at them, savoring the contour of their face. He wanted to remember all of it like it was something he would see everyday.

“Y/N,” he said, but a faint rasp, his hand automatically cupped their face, thumb rubbing circles on the apple of their cheek.

“You are killing me,” you choked out, “does it bring you joy to see me tormented?”

“No. No, never,” he gulped and shook his head, chest heaving up and down, ”I’m just scared y’know, not used to being so close to someone. To let my walls down.”

“You don’t have to act strong around me,” you pressed your forehead against his, “let your guard down for once, I promise I won’t let anyone hurt you--ever again.”

“Pretty big words coming from a doctor with a villain as a soulmate,” he laughed, his breath hitting your face like the warmth of cocoa on a winter day.

“Villains aren’t born Touya, they are made, and I won’t forgive anyone who did this to you,” you pulled away, but your touch lingered. Your eyes fell on his bloody hand and a gasp left your throat.

You cradled his much larger palm in yours, examining the bruise, “did you hit someone before falling asleep?”

“Something,” he corrected, “punched the mirror.”

You huffed and flicked his forehead, “Idiot, I told you that I would take care of you when others hurt you. Now I have to take care of you when you hurt yourself too.”

His cerulean eyes suddenly fell dead serious. Like gentle lapping of tides against the land, “Y/N..may I...kiss you?” The words felt bitter on his tongue. He was sure you would decline, it had been barely two days you had known him.

“Touya,” you laughed, “why’d you even ask?” His eyes widened in surprised.

“Even though we have known each other for the least time; our souls are entangled, we can never be unloved by each other,” you whispered.

It was euphoric how your lips interlocked perfectly, drawled and soft lingers like a whispered-curse echoing in your mind, making you crave for more. It was like all the circuits in your brain had fused and you were becoming putty under Dabi's gentle caresses.

When he pulled away you didn't feel breathless, it felt so natural that the kiss was supposedly like a gentle gust of air.

You felt the realm fading away, an indicator that your time was up

“I want to meet you in real life,” you answered, “when, Touya?”

“Tomorrow,” he said, “4 PM, near the twilight motel.” Were the last words you heard as you were forced into awareness.

You checked your outfit in the mirror for what seemed like the nth time, heart pulsing in your chest; you were beyond nervous or happy--you were petrified yet elated. Locking the door of your house behind you, you checked the time on your phone-- 3:35 PM, you had enough time to reach.

The abandoned building of twilight motel was a walking distance from your house, you just had to cross through the city centre. 

It was eerie how awfully quiet the area was. You could hear your breath echo from within the surrounding buildings. Where was everyone?

Before you could even let out a scream, you felt yourself being pushed into the glass of one of the buildings, a strangled gasp left your throat and eyes blurred while you tried to focus on what was in front of you.

A hero, oh no. You were caught up in a conflict with no escape. “Run!” the hero shouted just as he suffered another hit from the villain who payed no mind to you. 

Your legs were awfully numb as you tried crawling way from the fight. A little more, towards the main road, then you would be safe. You stood up and picked your pace, ears ringing in fear and desperation. You couldn’t hear the car honk that came towards you, flashing lights that danced in your vision as your eyes widened...

and

then

it 

felt

awfully

warm

Touya was beyond scared when you didn’t come even when it was around 5 PM. His mind revolted yet his legs were carrying him out at this point. This area was clad with lowly scums who would pounce on any docile prey such as yourself.

He checked around the alleys, to find nothing but rats. He went back to his room to get a jacket and covered himself up till his neck, he ran towards the city centre. Eyes meeting with a crowd of unruly passers, all gathered up whispering around something. His heart dropped to his stomach, sweat formed in his hands and yet he walked towards the people, shuffling a bit inside, apologizing for bumping into people.

As he reached the centre of the hoard, bile rose to his stomach and he felt like vomiting. He kept a hand on his mouth to avoid barfing, tremors ran throughout his body and his knees were close to buckling. 

To think the first time Dabi would have seen in you in real life would be the last time too.

People like him don’t deserve a soft epilogue. People like him drag everyone around them, down. Burn to dust. It was his fault, all his fault. He was going to make the heroes pay.

He walked away from the people and saw you being carried into a ambulance. Entering one of the alleys he puked into one of the dumpsters, eyes burning with rage and tears that streamed down. He slid down a wall, sobs echoing from between the walks, hands shivering and throat hoarse from screaming.

Guess some people are just born with tragedy in their blood.

My Hero Academia (僕のヒーローアカデミア)  

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[hqmillioncorn]

FFxivWrite: Day seven.......Pawn

‘If you were able, would you go change the past. Mend a faux pas with one last chance’?

on the even of leaving to find emet-selch and kick his butt to rescue g’raha tia , babycorn and her big little brother have a conversation about the past   and also get funny little nicknames

Babycorn watched as the older Cherrypit closed the curtains to their inn room. He stood there for quite a while, completely still until he let out a heavy sigh. Babycorn noticed that his hands were holding onto the curtain sheets in a tight grip, as if letting go meant he would suddenly fall down a deep and dark cliff.

But she would never let that happen. She would catch him before he passed the first ilms.

“How are you feeling?”

The buzzing of the light inside her almost drowned Cherrypit out. “Uh…Fine! I feel fine!” Babycorn answered. She didn’t realize it but it had taken her almost a minute to answer. The truth was she was far from fine. Her mind was still busy trying to process everything she and Cherry had found out inside the Crystal Tower.

Though it did explain why there was an older version of her baby brother running around.

The umbilicus had provided the answer to almost everything, courtesy of a vision from the echo. Babycorn and both Cherrypits had seen everything and to Babycorn’s surprise the older Cherrypit looked as if he just had the wind knocked out of him. Wouldn’t he already know about this? She wondered.

Babycorn felt the older Cherrypit sit down next to her on the bed. “You don’t look fine…” that particular comment was muttered under his breath.

Both siblings remained silent as Babycorn watched her baby brother playing with his older counterparts’ dolls. They were twirling and spinning together, all of them looked like they were having a good time despite the circumstances.

Cherrypit had been heartbroken that their surprise trip to the First meant that he wasn’t able to bring many of his friends with him. The very best he could do was try and have Feo Ul check up on them but because dolls don’t really dream all that often the task of making sure his friends weren’t lonely fell onto Centella and Monita.

‘Grwwowoollll Hey! Stop looking at me funny!!! BARK BARK BARK GRRFFF’

‘Hey!! Get that out of your mouth!!! Babycorn is going to kill us if she finds out you’re doing that!! If the dolls don’t kill us first!!’

Cherrypit was sure they were doing just fine.

“Hey, Cherry…?”

Both the older and perpetually young Cherrypit moved their heads to look at her.

For a brief second the younger of the two shot a stare at the older that could only be described as, jealous.

“Oh, that’s right you’re both Cherry…” There had to be some way around this. If they were going to confront Emet-Selch and save G’raha tia they couldn’t afford to spend valuable seconds second-guessing what Cherrypit someone meant when they simply just called out his name.

“You both need nicknames. So we don’t get you two confused…” Babycorn smiled from ear to ear, “Doesn’t that sound cute?”

The older Cherrypit crossed his arms, turning away to avoid looking at his sister’s eyes. “I think confusing the two of us is the least of our problems right now.”

Babycorn rested her head on her hand and closed her eyes. “Hmm…What’s another cute nickname I can call you?” She tried to ignore the fact that she could still see the light even with her eyes closed tight.

There had been many small nicknames that Babycorn had called Cherrypit by when he was just a newborn and even before he was born. The name Cherrypit just happened to be the one that stuck the most and Cherry had just naturally broken off of it.

Babycorn tugged on the older Cherrypit’s oversized sleeve. “I got it…! You can be Cherry.” The half-second of joy on Cherry’s face was not lost on Babycorn, even when she couldn’t see too very well. “Cause cause-! It makes you happy when I call you that~!”

“N-No it doesn’t! I mean yes it does!! I mean-!” Cherrypit tried his best to hide between his sleeves and scratched his head in frustration, messing up his already messed up hair. He stopped and looked back up at Babycorn. “I…I really like that name. Thanks…Bebe.”

“Heh-heh!” Babycorn laughed to herself. It just went to show that underneath all that anger and layers of emotional detachment was the baby brother she’d known for years. Deep down it broke her heart that Cherry ended up just like she had acted at one point. Unable to let others in, refusing to let love into his heart again.  

Babycorn thought back to the vision they had seen earlier.

If all of it was true, then that meant she’d died. Her death was the cause of this. It was all because in one timeline she had left Cherrypit all alone forever. The one thing she promised never to do to him.

“I’m sorry, Cherry…”

“Huh? For what?”

Babycorn remembered the dolls Cherry had used back during their fight with Vauthry. She clearly remembered seeing a party of dolls composed of a black mage, a bard, a monk, a Dark Knight and an Astrologian. They were all themed after their friends. Her friends lived and existed in the present for Babycorn but for Cherry they were probably the last thing that remained of them, and even then…

“For leaving you alone for so long.”

“Oh…”

“Were you mad at me when we got back to the Crystarium?”

Cherry was caught off guard by the sudden shift in Babycorn’s question. He had been mad when he and the scions returned to the Crystarium but he was sure Babycorn was out cold for that part. Unless one of her friends had told her about how he had yelled at all of them for putting Babycorn in danger. And even though he wasn’t around to hear, Cherry had even yelled at the Crystal Exarch for betraying his trust after hundreds of years.

He wanted to make one thing clear. “I wasn’t mad at you. I was mad at everyone else I guess…Even when they saw the light was hurting you they still pushed you forward and told you to keep fighting…”

“They didn’t do that.” Sure, maybe some of the scions suspected something was wrong but in Babycorn’s opinion there was no way any of them would have known something like this would happen until it was too late.

“G’raha knew. He knew you would get hurt and he still tried to…And then he after all that he was just going to…d-die? ” Cherrypit cut himself off with a shaky sigh. “All this time he had this big plan to save you and he didn’t even tell me!” Had G’raha really been planning this whole thing since they first arrived in the First? Or had he come up with the plan along the way somehow? Either way it didn’t really matter.

It sure explained why G’raha hadn’t wanted him to follow Babycorn on her quest.

“Would you have helped him if he told you?”

“Of course not!” Cherrypit was almost mad that Babycorn would even think that. “If he had told me I…I would have helped him find out another solution! Another plan where nobody would get hurt! Not you! Not him! Not anyone!” All Cherrypit really wanted in the end was to stop losing people. For once in his life to finally be able to be with the people he loved.  

“I just don’t like being tricked…it sorta feels like that one thing that happened back in Ul'dah.”

“What thing?” Cherrypit couldn’t possibly be talking about what Babycorn thought he was. Could he?

Cherrypit absentmindedly tugged at his necklace, “You know, when we got accused of murdering Nanamo and they chased us out of Ul’dah.”

Babycorn’s eyes widened, there was a slight pain in her chest. Cherrypit must not have noticed how her hand flew up to grab onto her robe. “H-How do you even remember that? You were so small…” Technically he was still small, in one sense, but Babycorn always expected that Cherrypit wouldn’t remember their adventures on account of how young he still was.

Cherry shrugged, “I don’t know. I don’t remember a lot of things. But I do remember some things. Like the Nanamo thing, how you burned your tongue on the hot chocolate Haurchefant gave us and how sad everyone was. All I really knew is that someone tricked us and used us to do something bad…”

Babycorn frowned, bringing her legs closer and resting her head on them. “I guess my crying and thinking that I actually killed Nanamo didn’t help, did it?”

“You were just scared. It’s not your fault someone used us like that.”

Babycorn smiled and for a moment the light subsided enough for her to be able to clearly see Cherry since she last saw him on Mt.Gulg. He wasn’t wearing his big hat anymore, so she could see more of him. She laughed, Cherry still had the same cowlick her Cherrypit got whenever she let his hair down. “You’re really smart Cherry.” She was sure of it now. Cherry had grown up to be a kindhearted person.

Babycorn felt tears come down her cheeks.

“B-Bebe?!”

“I-I’m okay!” Babycorn tried to reassure him.

Cherry was taken aback, “Okay?! There’s light coming out of your eyes!” He reached out his hand to help her, only to recoil it back when he realized he couldn’t touch her, he couldn’t even get close.

“Oh.” Babycorn rubbed her eyes, Sure, enough there was some sort of light residue on the back of her hands. As worrying as that was-she didn’t want to panic anymore than she already had. She didn’t want to scare either of the Cherrys either. After wiping down her hands on the bed’s blanket she raised her hands for Cherry to see, “See? Everything's okay now!” she smiled as hard as she could.

Cherry frowned, he wasn’t convinced. Hopefully the scions would be ready to go soon.

“Bebe! Bebe!”

The younger Cherrypit came spinning in with different Calca and Brina dolls behind him. “Bebe okay?” He must have sensed something was wrong, that’s why he had come to his sister’s side as quickly as he could.

The older Cherry remained silent to let his sister answer instead. There was no point in telling his younger self the truth when he knew Babycorn would tell him the same thing she’d already been telling him.

“I’m fine Ch-Oh that’s right!! We still need a nickname for Cherry!” With everything she and the older Cherry had been talking about, it completely slipped her mind.

“Nickname? Nickname for me!” Cherrypit loved nicknames! He didn’t really understand but Cherrypit loved giving other people nicknames. Most of them were created solely because Cherrypit couldn't pronounce certain names.

“You can be Cherry…” Babycorn pointed at the older Cherrypit, then she pointed at her baby brother, “-And you can be Piff!”

“Piff???” The older Cherry had literally no idea where that particular nickname had come from or why Babycorn seemed to decide on it so quickly. Had someone called him that in the past?

“Piff! It’s the name I used to call you when you were in mama’s tummy!” Babycorn had just remembered it! Since she didn’t use it much after Cherrypit was born it had sort of faded in use. She had to dig deep to find a nickname that wasn’t just the last half of Cherrypit’s name.

Babycorn wanted to avoid reminding Cherrypit about the Himbo Hooter’s incident where Cherrypit thought he was going to be eaten for a week straight after Himbo mentioned he ate cherry pits.

Piff smiled and tapped his feet on the ground in excitement. “Piff! Piff! I’m Piff!” Piff rushed over to Babycorn and climbed onto the bed, wiggling himself into her arms. “Bebe called me Piff!” His hair was tickling her chin again.

Babycorn hugged him tightly. “Do you remember me calling you Piff?” She was curious.

Piff happily nodded. “Mhhm! Mhhm! I rember!”  

Cherry gave his younger self a skeptical look. “There is no way you remember that!”

“Oh come on, if you remember things when you were two, who’s to say Piff doesn’t remember that far?” Babycorn moved Piff’s arms forward and back then forward and back. Doing this always made him laugh.

Cherry scowled, “Maybe so.” was his only response to that question.

[toothpastecanyon]

Mauvana, Chapter 10

See most updated version on Archive of Our Own.

______________________________________________________________

    It was a cramped little space, this escape pod. Cramped with memories - maybe Mauvana should’ve mentioned this before she let Yly drop her off here.

    “Me n’ the family’ll be just upstairs if you need anything, okay?” She’d said, and then smiled. “Hopefully this’ll give you some space to think.”

    Family. Family. This felt like a family. She could feel so many different people here, people who’d used this place to store old clothes, children who’d played hide and seek, a young woman who liked to come down here and watch the stars go by in peace… all using it for an escape, in some way.

    Escape. Mauvana found it hard to focus on what she was drawing, but she found herself drawing something nonetheless. Up above her, she could hear the sounds of music, of laughter; she could still feel their thoughts pressing down on her, but a little distance took the edge off.

    They were happy thoughts. They were smiling, and she smiled too.

    She smiled. She smiled. Mauvana was… free, finally, from all of this. And she could see the stars. And she knew exactly what she wanted to do, now.

    A thought. A mind. Not her mind, and not Yly’s either.

    There were footsteps coming down the ladder, quiet ones. Mauvana looked up, and frowned when a lady peeked her head through.

    “Oh,” she said, surprised that Mauvana was already staring at her. “Uh, hi.”

    “Uh, hi.”

    “You remember me, right?” She tilted her head. “I’m-”

    “Viana.”

    It was Viana. Mauvana had been her thoughts for a time, had felt her years of crushing loneliness, had ran for her and kissed her in front of the family shop for so long it felt like eternity. It was Viana, and Viana nodded.

    “Yeah. And you’re Mauvana, right?”

    “Mauvana Seep.” She put down her pencil. “Intern with modest skill in writing and drawing… though I guess I’m not anymore? I think I’m a pirate.”

    A shiver passed through Viana’s mind at that. Before she had a chance to respond:

    “You don’t like pirates?”

    “What? Heh… it’s just, it’s maybe not a great thing to call yourself around these parts.” A nervous chuckle. “Don’t worry about it. It’s nice to meet you.”

    “It’s nice to meet you too. I didn’t think I’d see you without Yly.”

    “Yeah, she says you have a problem with crowds? She offered to come with, but I didn’t want you to be stressed out.”

    Stressed out? That probably wasn’t the best way to explain it, but Mauvana let it go.

    “I just wanted to… to say something to you.” Viana made like she wanted to hold her hands, but stopped short. “I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you, Mauvana. Thank you so much.”

    The lump in Viana’s throat matched the lump in her thoughts, filled with so many emotions she could hardly put into words. Mauvana felt herself tear up.

    “Yly… told me what happened, h-how long she spent… trying to get back… and h-how you, you finally got her out of there and I just…” She covered her mouth; her words came out now as a croak. “I-I d-don’t know how I-I can ever th-thank you enough.”

    Gratitude. The sheer amount of gratitude in her thoughts was overwhelming, like a whole crowd on its own. She could hardly see the page in front of her, but she felt herself drawing as she  tried to recompose herself.

    “I just… I… s-sorry, heh.” A shaky laugh. “T-told myself I-I wouldn’t cr-ry, b-but look at me.” A deep, deep breath: in, and out. “I just wanted… wanted to say that if you need anything, anything at all, I’m in your debt. Our whole family’s in your debt for… f-for bringing her home, just… just let us know what we can do.”

    A sniff. She wiped her eyes, and frowned.

    “Oh, no. I didn’t mean to-”

    “make you cry. It’s okay.”

    “Wh- what?”

    “She means a lot to me. Yly.” Mauvana frowned. “Or you. I don’t know.”

    Confused thoughts - they were less intense than before. Mauvana - she was Mauvana - stared past her, to the very back of the escape pod.

    “I remember how many nights I used to spend down here.” She stared out, out into the sea of stars past that little window. “I used to come down here even before Yly went missing, when I couldn’t bear being with her family - they were lovely, but… they weren’t mine. I liked to think they were somewhere out there, somewhere far away. At least that’d mean they’d escaped the fucking UL.”

    Viana recoiled somewhat at her words. “What…?”

    “And then after Yly-” Mauvana swallowed hard. “The first week after she was meant to come back, I was watching for her ship. I didn’t move, I didn’t sleep, I didn’t stop staring out of th-this window; her mother had to bring me food. I couldn’t… couldn’t leave. Not while I still thought she’d come back to me.”

    Mauvana looked down. Brought her legs up to her chest, and buried her head in them.

    “A-and… I’m sorry, Yly. I’m so sorry I stopped coming down here. I’m sorry I stopped waiting for you.” She spoke, quietly. “I’m sorry I moved on.”

    And it was silent. Dead silent. Viana had gone clammy white; her mouth was opened wide, wordless. After a few moments, she stammered out,

    “Wh-what the hell are you?”

    “I’m not you.” Mauvana frowned. “No, I’m not you. I’m a pirate.”

    “How did you do that? Wha- how did… what?”

    “Head in the clouds.” She stared at Viana’s shocked face, scared thoughts, and made a face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be you.” A pause. “I have a problem with crowds.”

    “It’s… it’s okay,” Viana managed, weakly. She cleared her throat. “I’m sorry, I-I didn’t mean to be rude, I was just… that was…”

    “Personal.”

    “That’s a… yeah.” She sighed, and glanced out of the window. “Yeah… how did you know that?”

    “Head in the clouds.”

    “What does that mean?”

    She shrugged. “That’s what Jargon always said. I’m his intern - was his intern.”

    “Internship, huh?” Viana laughed, but her thoughts didn’t laugh with her. “I’m surprised there’s still jobs at all on that hunk of rock.”

    “There are in the military! I drew up tons of posters about enlisting.”

    “Oh, joy. You worked for the propaganda guys?”

    “Yeah! It was fun!” Mauvana gave a crooked smile. “Then I got shot. But then I met Yly! So it wasn’t all bad.”

    Viana chuckled. “Well, uh, glad you had fun… how long did you have that job?”

    “They said five years.”

    “And what did you do before that?”

    “Before… what? Before my internship?”

    “Yeah.”

    “Oh, I don’t know. Things, I guess, but… I don’t remember anything before my internship.” She shrugged. “I was just… so many people for a long time, it was a big city. I have a problem with crowds - they, they get in my head, you know? And then I don’t know who I am, I’m just… other people, and their thoughts.”

    “I see.” Viana’s thoughts were slow, apprehensive, full of growing dread. “You… really don’t remember anything but the last five years?”

    “No. Nothing.” She looked up at the window. She could see the stars, but she could also see her own reflection. Her own face, and the wrinkles in it, the whiteness of her hair, the age. “I… I missed a lot of my life. I’m old, aren’t I? Older than you.”

    She didn’t have to see Viana’s solemn nod to know her answer.

    “Yeah, that… that’s not good. That’s a right pickle.” A pause. “I know you want to hug me. You can do that.”

    Viana hesitated. She reached out, touched Mauvana’s shoulders, and then pulled her into a quiet hug. She squeezed tightly, and Mauvana noted the strange shirt she was wearing. It wasn’t a uniform; it was thicker, brighter, softer, warmer. She poked at it.

    “I’m so sorry this happened to you, Mauvana.”

    “I like your shirt.”

    “I- oh, thank you. I knitted it myself.”

    “Knitted?”

    “I made it myself.” Viana drew back a little, and smiled. “I can make you something too, if you like. Get you out of those UL rags.”

    “I’d like that a lot.” Mauvana kept feeling her sleeve. “And… you don’t have to feel bad for me. I missed a lot, but I know who I am now. Or, at least, I can find out. You can help me with that, right?”

    “Of course.”

    “Then… could you tell me who Alcor the Dreambender is?”

    “Alcor the- the demon?” Viana let out a startled laugh. “Sure, I know a bit… why?”

    “Because he’s with the Dread Pirate Mizar. And they’re important, I think. To me. I don’t know why, I want to know why.”

    “Ah, you’re talking about the - what’s it called - the Alcor-Mizar connection, right?” She nodded. “I’ve heard about that. Apparently it’s some big mystery in the field of demonology.”

    “Saulji. Yly said her aunt is a demonologist. Can I talk to her?” Mauvana felt her mood drop at that. “Oh, you’re sad now. Did I say something wrong?”

    Viana shook her head. “No, no, don’t- don’t worry about it, Yly didn’t know, but… she passed away three years ago. Accident at work.”

    There was a lot left unsaid in those words; Mauvana grimaced at the details popping up in her mind. “I’m sorry. That’s not good.”

    “No, it’s… a dangerous business, you know? I’m sure, heh, she’d’ve loved to talk your head off about this subject, but… yeah.” Viana paused for a moment, nodding to herself. “Yeah… I think I know where you could find your answers, though.”

    “Where?”

    “It’s on an ex-UL planet called Kepler 22-b. Called the, uh, Stanley Pines Memorial Library, it’s a hub for a lot of demonology research - Saul used to go there for conferences. You heard of it?”

    “No. Can I go there?” Mauvana gave a crooked smile. “I think I’m banned from the UL.”

    “It’s ex-UL, don’t worry. They broke away a long time ago, there’s no sympathisers there.”

    “That’s good. I want to go there now.”

    “Then I promise, we’ll take you there.” Viana smiled. “Give us a few days to get Yly settled in, but after that, we’ll go right there, and find you your answers. Does that sound good?”

    “That sounds good. Thank you, Viana.”

    “Thank you. Really.” She put a hand on Mauvana’s shoulder, and then chuckled. “I won’t, I’ll try not to get all teary again, I know you didn’t like that. Do you want me to leave you alone for a bit?”

    “I’d want that. I have a problem with crowds.”

    “Okay.” She squeezed her shoulder once, and then stood up. “I’ll leave you be, then. Yly’ll probably be down here in a bit to check up on you, and then…” She smiled. “I could come down here too, if you want. Hey, I could teach you a bit about how to knit.”

    “Oh, that’d be great! I love your shirt!”

    “Hah, yeah, we’ll do that then!” She grinned, and her aura felt warm. “It was really, really great to meet you, Mauvana. I’ll see you soon - good luck on your drawing!”

    “Thank you! I’ll see you soon too!”

    Viana waved as she stepped out. Mauvana could feel her footsteps down the corridor, up the ladder, her mind returning to the crowd upstairs like a drop to the ocean. If she concentrated, she could track her washing over to another mind that might be Yly… but she should stop, it was already making her head hurt.

    She looked down instead, down to the drawing in her hands.

    It was still… frustratingly rough. The lines were shaky; she could make out what it was, but it annoyed her nonetheless. It was of the view outside, of the moon and the planet, the sun and the stars, the stars so far beyond, full of answers and just waiting for her to come.

    Kepler 22-b. Mauvana looked from the drawing to the real thing, and knew that somewhere in that darkness, it was there, and she could go there.

    She could go there.

    Her reflection smiled back at her.

    It was good to be free. Even if it had taken a long time, it was good to be free.

[efrmellifer]

Egress

Morning came, and the generous farewell process began. Etien looked like the night had been rough on her, her hair a series of tangled filaments rather than curls, the covers tight around her like she’d been tossing and turning.

Aymeric smoothed back a few stray hairs from Etien’s forehead, followed by pressing his lips to the unobscured skin. “Etien? You have to get up. We both do.”

She startled, just a little, but settled into a sigh and a stretch as she woke more fully and recognized who it was speaking to her. “Already?” she asked, fingers curling and straightening. Even through the stretch, there was a tint of sadness in her tone.

“Unfortunately,” Aymeric confirmed. “But that means little now. I would see you properly prepared before you set off.”

Etien gave a little sigh. “I think I would appreciate that.”

She sat up, and Aymeric followed, the both of them trying to shake off the last vestiges of sleep.

“First things first,,” Aymeric said, reaching for a comb. “Come here, and let me get those little tangles out. Were you uncomfortable in your sleep?”

“Not that I can remember,” Etien replied, getting into a more comfortable position so she could sit still while Aymeric combed her hair.  She tipped her head back into his hands when the comb’s teeth hit her scalp, silently enjoying the gentle tug on her scalp as he worked.

“Well, if not, that is curious, because you look a mess. Still radiant, of course, but your hair--” he hit a particularly tight and complex knot, and Etien hissed-- “mine apologies, dearest. But your hair is in a state, and your clothing looked surprisingly rumpled. And not in a pleasant way.”

Etien laughed a little at the clarification, trying to straighten out her clothing. “Well, I’m sorry to worry you.”

“I would have worried regardless,” he sighed. “However, it is good to hear that you weren’t suffering in your sleep.”

When he was finished combing her hair, Aymeric left Etien so she could dress and gather her things, and he headed to the kitchen to make sure he could send her off with a good meal in her belly.

He was lost in the act of the cooking, not hearing or seeing Etien come into the kitchen, even when she stood, watching him with a keen and loving eye.

That is, he didn’t see her until he turned, jumping with the shock. “How long have you been there?” he demanded.

“Not long?” her ears flattened as her gaze left him. “I just like watching you. And I won’t get to look at you for a while…”

Aymeric sighed. “I take no issue with you watching me. I was merely surprised.” He kissed her forehead as he passed her with her plate. “Grab that cup for me, would you, dearest?”

She lifted the teacup, following him to the dining room.

When she sat, Aymeric slid the plate in front of her. “Finish it, if you can. I want to make sure that you’ve eaten plenty with this last opportunity I have to ensure it.”

She smiled up at him. “Thank you. I doubt I’ll have much of a problem plowing my way through this.”  With that, she lifted her fork, digging into the plate of food before her, broken up with sips of the tea.  

When she was finished, she pushed back from the table, sighing. “This was wonderful, just like it always is. But… I better not dawdle.”

“Is it better that way?” Aymeric asked, sadness coloring his voice more than he’d intended to.

Etien’s eyebrows lifted in a mix of amusement and something near heartache. “Darling. If I don’t go, I won’t go. If it makes you feel better, I don’t think it’s better.”

She came to his side, picking up his hand and kissing over the web of veins.

“It does, just a little,” he assured her. “But you are correct. Do what you must, and you shall have my support.”

“Please don’t think this doesn’t hurt,” she whispered. “I’m doing my best to imagine instead the joy we can feel when it ends.”

“Ever the optimist. If only I could be more like you.”

Etien laughed, leaning down just a touch to cup Aymeric’s cheeks and give him a kiss. “As though I don’t look up to you as a shining example.”

He rose from the table too, giving her several kisses in succession, each one placed between strings of words with which he was attempting to give her a proper goodbye.

“I shall think of you every day,” a kiss, “and write when I can,” another kiss, “—promise me you will too?” one more kiss, “until my pining for you is brought to—” a deeper kiss�� “its proper end.” He gave her one more kiss, cradling her entire body so they could lean into each other.

“I love you, Etien. Please remember that until I can say it to you directly again.”

“Of course I will,” she said, tears sliding along her lower eyelids. “Make sure you don’t forget how much I love you either, all right, darling?”

He almost laughed. “Naturally. Now, pray do not let me tempt you any longer.”

Etien nodded slowly, but gave in to one last temptation, her fist balling in Aymeric’s shirt to pull him down for one last kiss before she was out the door.

Il Mheg didn’t have the same feeling of home that Ishgard (and a few other places on the Source) did, but it did make her feel welcome and at ease.

Still, already the sting of being separated from her home and husband was setting in. She walked the petal-laden pathways with a slight sullenness, until a familiar streak of orange made its way into her line of sight.

“My precious sapling, you look so sad! Surely nothing so awful has happened now that there are no Lightwardens left to plague Norvrandt?”

Etien smiled, embarrassed. “It’s nothing so serious, Feo.”

“Then what has you so lost?”

With Feo Ul floating so near her eye level, Etien had to tell the truth. Or at least, part of it. “I just came back from the Source,” she told them, embarrassment only becoming more evident.

Feo Ul gave a knowing hum. “Fear not! No need for tears or listless wandering! I will of course faithfully carry your letters to and fro so it can be as though you never left each other’s company.”

Etien smiled more genuinely, perking up again. “Thank you, Feo. So much. You certainly are a generous king.”

“Only to support a couple so clearly in love,” they pressed with a giggle.

Etien’s blush returned. “I don’t know how to repay that.”

“Consider it a volunteer position to keep myself entertained,” they enthused, “or as thanks for the joy you bring to Il Mheg when you visit. The fae repay what is received, you know.”

Etien settled down in a patch of flowers, pulling out her stationery set with a laugh. “You ready for the first letter?”

[centralsaints]

im really just fucking sad. he used to be my favourite character. i remember him as kind and good friend, not an egoistic piece of whatever he is. even if he had problems he would always tell us about them in a calm way! not like this. and the way they talk about LITERAL cheating. “nothing wrong with flirting yeah. i decided to tell truth to my bf only because he almost fcking caught lmaooo” what kind of ass is that beemov

he used to be mine too but ul and ll are just........ like that. ruining every character in some kind of way i can’t even find the words to describes. i dont know if i’m gonna continue playing ll, it honestly doesnt spark joy

(also, about the cheating plot w alexy; it’s obviously shit ppl who cheat licherally what the fuck are they going, deserve to eat their socks until they find a good way to redempt themselves. but i’d say it’s? strangely in character. it is said in his bio, and introduced pretty early on in hsl that he is selfish, its in his personality. but like........THAT is not the way to explore a trait like that. idk. i feel like the cheating thing could be explored in some way that would get some character development, however beemov did no go down that route and are absolutely not handling it well or in a narratively satisfying way, or to make the characters grow. its just. idk. come at me if u want but lets also not forget that this is a game and u can’t cancel a fictional character. it all serves a plot, and the question is not “is it moral” it’s more “does it bring anything to the plot and does it gives character development” and the answer is no imo)

[islamicrays]

Salam aleikum what if my tahajjud prayer is not answered? I prayed to win a competition but I lost.. I know Allah (swt) does what is best for me.. but did I do something wrong? Ive just started praying properly, can that also be a reason? That I may be hypocritical? Thank you for answering may Allah guide you, bless you with abundance and grant you and your loved ones Jannat ul Firdous Ameen

Walaikum Assalaam

If we are asking Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala for the worldly things then He will give us what will be best for us. So while making dua trust Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala that He will give us that will be best for us. Take all the means to achieve your goal; try you best and leave the rest to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Don't get dishearted. Keep praying and ask for success.

Dua is the weapon of a believer and it helps us in strengthening our relationship with Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala. Our dua’s are always answered as narrated in hadith:

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Any Muslim who makes a supplication containing nothing which is sinful, or which involves breaking ties of relationship, will be given for it by Allah one of three things: He will give him swift answer, or store it up for him in the next world, or turn away from him an equivalent amount of evil.“ Those who heard it said they would then make many supplications and he (peace be upon him) replied that Allah was more ready to answer than they were to ask.

(Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2257)

Read this quotes

"Question: Why aren’t my prayers being answered?

Answer: May Allah reward you for asking such an honest question, and may He guide us towards the

truth. Ameen.

I think what happens in this type of situation is that we mix up our means and our ends. When we make du`a’ for a good husband, for example, is that strong marriage a means or an end? I think many people take it as an end, which explains much of the disillusionment and disappointment that often follows (ironically in both cases: whether we get it or we don’t). Like everything in this dunya, marriage is only a means—a means to reach Allah. So if we pray for it and we don’t get it, perhaps Allah has chosen another means for us—perhaps through hardship, the purification it may cause and the sabr it builds, to bring us to that end: Allah. It may be, as only Allah knows best, that had He given us that amazing husband we made du`a’ for, it would have made us heedless and therefore not achieve our end at all.

Instead of seeing it like this, however, I think the problem is, we are seeing things as just the opposite. The dunya (that great job, certain type of spouse, having a child, school, career, etc.) is our end and *Allah* is the means that we use to get there. We use that means, through making du`a’, to achieve our end (whatever it is that we’re making du`a’ for), and then get disappointed when our means (Allah) didn’t come through for us. We throw our hands up in the air and say our du`a’ are not being answered.

Our means just isn’t coming through for us! But, Allah isn’t a means. He is the end. The ultimate objective of even du`a’ itself is to build our connection to Allah. Through du`a’ we become closer to Him. So, I think the problem is that our focus is wrong. That’s why I love the du`a’ of istikhara so much. It’s just perfect because it acknowledges that Allah only knows best, and then asks for Him to bring what is best and take away what is not best. The focus of that du`a’ is not that which you are asking for. The focus is what is best in this life and next. This is not to say that we cannot make du`a’ for things specifically that we want. On the contrary, Allah loves for us to ask of Him. But it means that once we ask, do our part to the utmost, and put our trust in Allah, we are pleased with what Allah chooses for us. And we realize that Allah answers all du`a’ - but not always in the form we expect. And that is simply because our knowledge is limited, and His is unlimited. In His infinite knowledge He may send us what He knows to be better for us in achieving the ultimate end: the pleasure of Allah (swt)."

-Ustadha yasmin mogahed

 “Sometimes, I have a certain need that only Allāh can fulfil, so I call upon Him. Then, I find that the door of dialogue with Allāh opens up for me, and through it I taste the sweetness of discourse with Him and the joy of knowing Him that far surpasses the urgency of obtaining an answer to my prayer, and so I prefer for the answer to my prayer be delayed for fear of losing this connection once my need is fulfilled.”

-Ibn Taymiyah.

[Majmūʿ al-Fatāwa 10/333]

May Allah guide us to the straight path.

Allahumma Ameen

[nathanjhill]

Do you deserve a break?

Scripture: Nehemiah 13:15-22

On Wednesday night, I was sitting in a church meeting at our regional office. It was late. Past 9 PM. It had been a long day with a ton of stuff on my plate. So I tweeted out a mild complaint - “I’m stuck in a church meeting - someone get me out of here.” And one of my friends on Twitter, Jason Poon, replied:

"Someone preach the theology of Sabbath to these people!!!"

Like many of you, I live a hectic life. As your pastor, my schedule is crowded with meetings and demands. Sometimes, I stay late into the night here at the church in vital conversation with you about the future of our church and how our ministry can bring Christ’s compassion to our community. I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t love it and believe in the mission God has given us - but I am the first to admit that sometimes it wears me out. Sometimes, I get tired.

Our church is made up of full-time students, federal employees, Uber drivers, teachers, contractors, consultants, and professionals of all kinds - each of you who knows this struggle - doing something that pays the bills and brings you joy but also wears you down. And even for our retirees in our church, some of you are busier after you retired than when you were working full-time.

Work is a gift - but friends, on this Labor Day weekend when we reflect on the gift of getting things done and enjoy a long weekend, I want to ask a practical but theological question -

Do you deserve a break?

In our capitalistic culture, we are taught and encouraged to work hard from a young age.

However, when we talk about vacation and rest in our culture, too often we treat them as luxuries, something that you must earn. Not everyone deserves a day off. Vacation is accrued. We call them benefits. We’ll pay you to work here, and as a bonus we’ll let you take a couple of days off every so often. Of course, those higher up on the food chain tend to have all the benefits they desire.

Too many struggling families have to make life or death choices over what they dare risk missing work for. Too many individuals could use a day off to deal with trauma and pain in their lives but cannot afford to do so. Too many bosses see a worker taking a day off as an annoyance rather than the best thing they can provide.

The word I want to focus on in my question at the core of this sermon is “deserve”.

Do we deserve time away from the hard work and stress of life?

Do we deserve the dignity of being able to recharge and refresh ourselves?

Do we deserve opportunities for self-care and self-love?

Do we deserve a chance to free our bodies from catering to the demands of others and instead experience being with God?

Whether or not you deserve a break is a question and a value that God is adamantly concerned about throughout scripture.

In our reading this morning, we pick up in the middle of the memoirs of Nehemiah, a Jewish leader and reformer who was tasked with helping his people return from exile and rebuild Jerusalem and their beloved temple. Jerusalem and its temple were at the center of Jewish religious and political life. This was a monumental task to be undertaken with great care and hard work.

Stone by stone, gate by gate, building by building, Nehemiah helped the people begin to put back the pieces of their homeland, torn apart by conquering armies years before.

In the midst of their efforts, Nehemiah’s people discover a scroll hidden away behind a wall in the temple, stashed there for safekeeping when the invaders toppled the walls and pillaged their capital. The scroll is a book of law, containing instructions for how to live according to God’s way. When Nehemiah himself hears these words, he tears his clothes out of grief for how much the people had forgotten how to live as their Creator asked.

Among those ways of God that the people had let drift from being central to their lives was Sabbath.

Deuteronomy 5:12-15 reads:

Observe the sabbath day and keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. For six days you shall labour and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, or your son or your daughter, or your male or female slave, or your ox or your donkey, or any of your livestock, or the resident alien in your towns, so that your male and female slave may rest as well as you. Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the sabbath day.

The Sabbath day was meant to be holy, but as human beings do, we find loopholes in our rules and regulations. Some ancient Jews no doubt asked, “Work is prohibited on the Sabbath, but can’t I go shopping? Shopping isn’t work.” Or, “If we Jews aren’t doing the physical labor, isn’t it okay to assign the work to those foreigners over there?” In Jerusalem, Nehemiah discovered that on Sabbath the gates of the city were left open so that those foreign merchants, who maybe didn’t have to follow the rules like the Jews did, could come in with their food trucks, credit card offers, same day delivery, and fine boutiques to the delight of the residents.

Nehemiah in his effort to restore the glory of his beloved city knew that rebuilding the walls would be useless if the people did not rebuild their care for the life-giving ways of God - if they did not restore the respect for the holiness and sacredness of their lives. Sabbath was intended to be a distinctive practice that shaped the people apart from the ways of the world. Sabbath challenged them to worship God rather than money, consumption, and stuff.

So Nehemiah commanded the gates to be shut, shutting out the marketing, so that on Sabbath, his people might rest and take a day off from moneymaking and wealth generation and buying and selling and improving their status and filling their closets.

For one day a week, shut the gates, so that all people might join Creation in rest.

Sabbath was not just for human beings - but for everything:

In God’s Sabbath, even the livestock that provide us with meat and milk and eggs deserve a break.

In God’s Sabbath, even those who aren’t like you or those lower on the economic ladder - even those who were “slaves” of ancient Israel - and those who are victims of modern day slavery - or stuck in minimum wage jobs - even they deserve the dignity of a day of rest.

Sabbath speaks directly to the reality that human beings too often treat each other as livestock. We treat fellow human beings no different or worse than we treat the animals. We treat each other as animals of burden to help us achieve what we want, creatures to be loaded up and worked to the bone until we can replace them with the next low-skilled laborer in line.

Sabbath is resistance to that - Sabbath affirms the value of all human beings and the value of all living things in Creation.

And when we begin to practice Sabbath, we might begin to imagine a world where there is no more slavery and economic ladders and rat race and debt.

The good news of God is that we all deserve a break, a day off, a time to relax, refresh ourselves, and feed our souls.

Nehemiah shut the gates of the city to create that possibility for the people of Jerusalem -

Will we shut the gates in our lives so that we may return to a cycle of rest with God and all of Creation?

What are some ways we can do this?

We can take a break from success. Our society teaches us to crave success. If we aren’t climbing the ladder, then we are going nowhere. Success is wonderful, but God is far more interested in our faithfulness. We must shut the gate to the idea that we are only worth what we do and achieve in life. We are more than our accomplishments and our failures. We are God’s beloved, and that is enough for today.

We can receive mental health care. All of us will experience times in our lives when it is life-giving and sacred to get help to deal with the stress, anxiety, and pain we carry. I am always happy to meet with you as your pastor and do my best to listen and pray together, but a trained licensed professional can help any of us sort through the burdens we carry so that our bodies, minds, and souls may rest. It is never a shameful thing to seek help. And if you don’t need it, maybe you will encounter someone this week who does. Here are two numbers to remember - National Suicide Hotline - 1-800-273-8255, UMD Counseling Center - (301) 314-7651

We deserve to be with our people. This may be family, this may be a circle of friends, this may be people who know your journey best and can understand you better than anyone else. Sometimes, this is your church family - but sometimes, even your church family can’t be this for you. We all deserve space where we don’t have to perform for each other. Where we can be who we are just as we are. Where we can shut our walls and be who God created us to be. Do you have people like that in your life? Do you have space like this in your life? If not, you truly deserve it.

We deserve no more church meetings that go past 9 PM. (Haha)

Black feminist author Audrey Lorde wrote, “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” Our Sabbath practice as Christians is resistance to a world and society that often seeks to devalue and degrade our human dignity - some more than others. In God, our humanity and our bodies are celebrated as temples where God’s Spirit dwells.

Yes, we deserve a break.

May we work for a world where all living things experience rest. May we care for ourselves and each other. May we take a break along with Creation

[hieromonkcharbel]

“If people could behold in what glory a priest celebrates the Divine Office they would swoon at the sight; and if the priest could see himself, could see the celestial glory surrounding him as he officiates, he would become a great warrior and devote himself to feats of spiritual endurance, that he might not offend in any way the grace of the Holy Spirit living in him.

As I pencil these lines my spirit rejoices that our pastors are in the likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ. But we, the flock, though we have grace but in small measure – we, too, are in the likeness of the Lord. Men ignore this mystery but St. John the Divine told us clearly: “We shall be like him”, (1 John iii:2) and this not only after death but even here and now, for the merciful Lord has given the Holy Spirit on earth, and the Holy Spirit lives in our Church, lives in all virtuous pastors; lives in the heart of the faithful. The Holy Spirit teaches the soul to fight the good fight; gives the strength necessary to fulfill the commandments of the Lord; stablishes us in all truth; and has so adorned man that he has become like unto the Lord.

We must always bear in mind that a father-confessor performs the duties of his office in the Holy Spirit, wherefore we must venerate him. Know this, brethren, that if anyone should die with his confessor present, and, dying, say to him: ‘O holy father, give me the blessing that I may behold the Lord in the Kingdom of Heaven,’ and the confessor should answer, ‘Go, child, and look upon the Lord,’ it would be with him according to the confessor’s blessing, for the Holy Spirit both in heaven and on earth is one and the same.

Great power lies in the prayers of a spiritual father. For my pride I suffered much from devils but the Lord humbled me and had mercy on me because of my spiritual father’s prayers, and now the Lord has revealed to me that the Holy Spirit dwells in our father-confessors, wherefore I hold them in deep respect. Because of their prayers we receive the grace of the Holy Spirit, and joy in the Lord, Who loves us and has given us all things needful for our soul’s salvation.

If a man does not open his heart to his confessor, his will be a crooked path that leads not to salvation; whereas he who keeps nothing back will go straightway to the Kingdom of Heaven (…)

Whoever would pray without ceasing must have fortitude and be wise, and in all things consult his confessor. And if your father-confessor has not himself trodden the path of prayer, nevertheless seek counsel of him, and because of your humility the Lord will have mercy on you, and keep you from all wrong. But if you think to yourself, ‘My confessor lacks experience and is occupied with vain things, I will be my own guide with the help of books,’ your foot is set on a perilous path and you are not far from being beguiled and going astray. I know many such who reasoned thus and so deceived themselves, and they did not thrive because they despised their confessors. They forgot that the saving grace of the Holy Spirit is at work in the sacrament of confession. In such wise does the enemy delude those who fight the good fight – the enemy would have no men of prayer – while the Holy Spirit gives good counsel to the soul when we harken to the advice of our pastors.

Through the father-confessor the Holy Spirit operates in the sacrament (of confession), and this is why the soul, on leaving her confessor, feels renewed through peace and love for her neighbour. But if you are troubled when you leave your confessor, it means that you have not made a clean confession of your sins, and have not in your soul forgiven your brother his transgressions.

A confessor should rejoice when the Lord brings him a soul for repentance, and according to the grace given to him he should heal that soul, wherefore he will receive great mercy from God, as a good sheperd of his sheep.”

St. Silouan the Athonite

[diakonosmd]

The Annual Pagan Origin Debate over Christmas

I once watched what I thought was a really good movie about this exact matter. The movie was made by Kirk Cameron, and was titled "Saving Christmas." Now this movie is not the backbone of this article. I wanted to share what I have said online in this facebook group because I felt very God-inspired when I wrote it. Recently on a Christian Group on Facebook (intentionally kept nameless), I commented in on a heated debate over the origins of Christmas. There was a large portion of people arguing that we should not participate in Christmas Festivities because they are of Pagan Origin and therefore against God. Some of the aspects of these group's conversations identified Santa Claus as Satan and nit-picked the secular and cultural inclusions of the Christmas Season. .ugb-a9dc9b5 .ugb-a9dc9b5-wrapper.ugb-container__wrapper{background-color:#eeeeee !important}.ugb-a9dc9b5 .ugb-a9dc9b5-wrapper.ugb-container__wrapper:before{background-color:#eeeeee !important}.ugb-a9dc9b5 .ugb-a9dc9b5-content-wrapper > h1,.ugb-a9dc9b5 .ugb-a9dc9b5-content-wrapper > h2,.ugb-a9dc9b5 .ugb-a9dc9b5-content-wrapper > h3,.ugb-a9dc9b5 .ugb-a9dc9b5-content-wrapper > h4,.ugb-a9dc9b5 .ugb-a9dc9b5-content-wrapper > h5,.ugb-a9dc9b5 .ugb-a9dc9b5-content-wrapper > h6{color:#222222}.ugb-a9dc9b5 .ugb-a9dc9b5-content-wrapper > p,.ugb-a9dc9b5 .ugb-a9dc9b5-content-wrapper > ol li,.ugb-a9dc9b5 .ugb-a9dc9b5-content-wrapper > ul li{color:#222222}.ugb-a9dc9b5.ugb-container{z-index:0 !important;margin-top:-10px !important;padding-top:0px !important} Steven Hofmeister Who cares what day it is on. We are celebrating the birth of the Messiah, the arrival of our savior. The confusion debate and arguing of pagan not pagan, santa worship, and other madness is all part of the confusion of false teaching and other distraction that has been mentioned all through the bible. Celebrate the King, enjoy the festivities and community spirit, the lost sheep may missing the point but that doesn't mean you don't stand in the field with the flock. Saint Nicolas (Santa Clause) historically was a very Christian man who was not afraid to confront false teachers and phoney prophets, sometimes jerking them right up out their seat to stop them. From my reading he was a large man similar to the imagery of Santa Clause and loved children and commonly rewarded good deeds and behavior with small gifts. Please tell me why that does not make him a rockstar of Christianity. We are not worshiping him, we are just recognizing the good works of a good Christian man while paying tribute the the Almighty King. Every King has his Knights, I guess that would make Nicolas the Knight before Christmas.... 😁 Posted on a Facebook Group - Group name removed out of respect to the group. I prefer using this scripture to explain this kind of thing. The Scripture is talking about matters such as circumcision as a requirement for being saved as false teaching, but the Apostle Paul's statement in this scripture rings true for this as well. .ugb-631b064 .ugb-631b064-wrapper.ugb-container__wrapper{background-color:#eeeeee !important}.ugb-631b064 .ugb-631b064-wrapper.ugb-container__wrapper:before{background-color:#eeeeee !important}.ugb-631b064 .ugb-631b064-content-wrapper > h1,.ugb-631b064 .ugb-631b064-content-wrapper > h2,.ugb-631b064 .ugb-631b064-content-wrapper > h3,.ugb-631b064 .ugb-631b064-content-wrapper > h4,.ugb-631b064 .ugb-631b064-content-wrapper > h5,.ugb-631b064 .ugb-631b064-content-wrapper > h6{color:#222222}.ugb-631b064 .ugb-631b064-content-wrapper > p,.ugb-631b064 .ugb-631b064-content-wrapper > ol li,.ugb-631b064 .ugb-631b064-content-wrapper > ul li{color:#222222}.ugb-631b064.ugb-container{margin-top:0px !important} But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us. 6 For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love. 7 You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth? 8 It certainly isn’t God, for he is the one who called you to freedom. 9 This false teaching is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough! Galatians 5:5-9 (NLT) It is my perspective from my studies that God does not want his followers to quibble over such little details. Where it is true that some of the secular traditions that have developed from old Pagan festivals and other sources, so have many of the family and cultural differences that we share as humans came from sources other the Christian roots. Though there are aspects of Christianity that require a deep seriousness and understanding of the final coming of the King, Christmas is meant for us to be joyous, thankful, and celebrate the arrival of the Messiah. Another one of Paul's teaching in 1 Timothy I find to be relevant to this is in his instruction to Timothy on False Teaching and True Riches. .ugb-94db13a .ugb-94db13a-wrapper.ugb-container__wrapper{background-color:#eeeeee !important}.ugb-94db13a .ugb-94db13a-wrapper.ugb-container__wrapper:before{background-color:#eeeeee !important}.ugb-94db13a .ugb-94db13a-content-wrapper > h1,.ugb-94db13a .ugb-94db13a-content-wrapper > h2,.ugb-94db13a .ugb-94db13a-content-wrapper > h3,.ugb-94db13a .ugb-94db13a-content-wrapper > h4,.ugb-94db13a .ugb-94db13a-content-wrapper > h5,.ugb-94db13a .ugb-94db13a-content-wrapper > h6{color:#222222}.ugb-94db13a .ugb-94db13a-content-wrapper > p,.ugb-94db13a .ugb-94db13a-content-wrapper > ol li,.ugb-94db13a .ugb-94db13a-content-wrapper > ul li{color:#222222}.ugb-94db13a.ugb-container{margin-top:-88px !important} Teach these things, Timothy, and encourage everyone to obey them. 3 Some people may contradict our teaching, but these are the wholesome teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. These teachings promote a godly life. 4 Anyone who teaches something different is arrogant and lacks understanding. Such a person has an unhealthy desire to quibble over the meaning of words. This stirs up arguments ending in jealousy, division, slander, and evil suspicions. 5 These people always cause trouble. Their minds are corrupt, and they have turned their backs on the truth. To them, a show of godliness is just a way to become wealthy. 6 Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. 7 After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. 8 So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. 9 But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. 1 Timothy 6:2-10 (NLT) Let's not argue over such small things, ignore false teachings and enjoy the community, joy, and fellowship of the season. Use the season to share the wonders and grace of Jesus Christ, Love your Neighbor, learn from each other's cultural differences, you may just find that they are not much different than your own when you get to the bottom of it. May God Bless you and your family this wonderful Christmas Season. Let's bring Christ's Glory to the world in the new year. - Pastor Steve

Rev. Steven D. Hofmeister, CPO Pastor Steven D. Hofmeister, CPO is the Lead Pastor, Founder, and Executive Officer of Diakonos Independent Ministries of Maryland. Pastor Steve is an ordained Independent Non-Denominational Christian Officiant Minister through the Christian Leaders Alliance. Pastor Steve has over 10+ years of experience in commercial private security and event security.  He has served as uniformed/and plain-clothes security for houses of worship throughout the Greater Baltimore, Maryland area.  Pastor Steve's Profile Read the full article

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Bible quotes continue

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:32.

Repentance, confession, and restitution are all required. But these cannot atone for the sin, for God has been wronged in the person of His saints. The Lord Jesus alone is able to atone for sin, by the application of His blood, shed for the guilt of the sinner. His blood cleanses from all sin. —Manuscript 47, April 2, 1902, “Lessons From the Eighteenth of Matthew.” UL 106.6

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2

The faith that is unto salvation is not a mere intellectual assent to the truth. He who waits for entire knowledge before he will exercise faith, cannot receive blessing from God. It is not enough to believe about Christ; we must believe in Him. The only faith that will benefit us is that which embraces Him as a personal Saviour; which appropriates His merits to ourselves. Many hold faith as an opinion. Saving faith is a transaction by which those who receive Christ join themselves in covenant relation with God. Genuine faith is life. A living faith means an increase of vigor, a confiding trust, by which the soul becomes a conquering power. DA 347.1

Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors is hard.” KJV — Proverbs 13:15

Yet do not therefore conclude that the upward path is the hard and the downward road the easy way. All along the road that leads to death there are pains and penalties, there are sorrows and disappointments, there are warnings not to go on. God's love has made it hard for the heedless and headstrong to destroy themselves. It is true that Satan's path is made to appear attractive, but it is all a deception; in the way of evil there are bitter remorse and cankering care. We may think it pleasant to follow pride and worldly ambition, but the end is pain and sorrow. Selfish plans may present flattering promises and hold out the hope of enjoyment, but we shall find that our happiness is poisoned and our life embittered by hopes that center in self. In the downward road the gateway may be bright with flowers, but thorns are in the path. The light of hope which shines from its entrance fades into the darkness of despair, and the soul who follows that path descends into the shadows of unending night. MB 139.1

Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?” Matthew 6:27

“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

The truth of God received into the heart is able to make you wise unto salvation. In believing and obeying it you will receive grace sufficient for the duties and trials of today. Grace for tomorrow you do not need. You should feel that you have only to do with today. Overcome for today; deny self for today; watch and pray for today; obtain victories in God for today. Our circumstances and surroundings, the changes daily transpiring around us, and the written word of God which discerns and proves all things—these are sufficient to teach us our duty and just what we ought to do, day by day. 3T 333.1

 Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister:” Mark 10:42-43

In the kingdoms of the world, position meant self-aggrandizement. The people were supposed to exist for the benefit of the ruling classes. Influence, wealth, education, were so many means of gaining control of the masses for the use of the leaders. The higher classes were to think, decide, enjoy, and rule; the lower were to obey and serve. Religion, like all things else, was a matter of authority. The people were expected to believe and practice as their superiors directed. The right of man as man, to think and act for himself, was wholly unrecognized. Christ was establishing a kingdom on different principles. He called men, not to authority, but to service, the strong to bear the infirmities of the weak. Power, position, talent, education, placed their possessor under the greater obligation to serve his fellows. To even the lowliest of Christ's disciples it is said, “All things are for your sakes.” 2 Corinthians 4:15. DA 550

“For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” Hebrews 9:24-27

The great plan of redemption, as revealed in the closing work of these last days, should receive close examination. The scenes connected with the sanctuary above should make such an impression upon the minds and hearts of all that they may be able to impress others. All need to become more intelligent in regard to the work of the atonement, which is going on in the sanctuary above. When this grand truth is seen and understood, those who hold it will work in harmony with Christ to prepare a people to stand in the great day of God, and their efforts will be successful. By study, contemplation, and prayer God's people will be elevated above common, earthly thoughts and feelings, and will be brought into harmony with Christ and His great work of cleansing the sanctuary above from the sins of the people. Their faith will go with Him into the sanctuary, and the worshipers on earth will be carefully reviewing their lives and comparing their characters with the great standard of righteousness. They will see their own defects; they will also see that they must have the aid of the Spirit of God if they would become qualified for the great and solemn work for this time which is laid upon God's ambassadors. 5T 575.1

https://m.egwwritings.org/en/book/113.2804?ss=eyJwYXJhbXMiOnsicXVlcnkiOiI1VCA1NzUuMSIsImxhbmciOiJlbiJ9LCJzZ19pbmRleCI6IjAifQ%3D%3D#2813

“Then saith the damsel that kept the door unto Peter, Art not thou also one of this man's disciples? He saith, I am not.” John 18:17

Many who do not shrink from active warfare for their Lord are driven by ridicule to deny their faith. By associating with those whom they should avoid, they place themselves in the way of temptation. They invite the enemy to tempt them, and are led to say and do that of which under other circumstances they would never have been guilty. The disciple of Christ who in our day disguises his faith through dread of suffering or reproach denies his Lord as really as did Peter in the judgment hall. DA 712.1712.1https://m.egwwritings.org/en/book/130.3419

“Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.” John 16:24

God is too wise to err, and too good to withhold any good thing from His saints that walk uprightly. Man is erring, and although his petitions are sent up from an honest heart, he does not always ask for the things that are good for himself, or that will glorify God. When this is so, our wise and good Father hears our prayers, and will answer, sometimes immediately; but He gives us the things that are for our best good and His own glory. 1T 120.2_120.2_https://m.egwwritings.org/en/book/116.616#618

“Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” 2Corinthians 12:10

Men of power are those who have been opposed, baffled, and thwarted. By calling their energies into action, the obstacles they meet prove to them positive blessings. They gain self-reliance. Conflict and perplexity call for the exercise of trust in God and for that firmness which develops power.

MH 500.3_500.3_https://m.egwwritings.org/en/book/135.2620#2638

Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.” Psalm 55:17

It is necessary to maintain a living connection with heaven, seeking as often as did Daniel—three times a day—for divine grace to resist appetite and passion. Wrestling with appetite and passion unaided by divine power will be unsuccessful; but make Christ your stronghold, and the language of your soul will be, “In all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us” (Romans 8:37). Said the apostle Paul, “I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway” (1 Corinthians 9:27). AG 111.4 ..https://m.egwwritings.org/en/book/33.770#774

And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.” Luke 19:8-9

When the rich young ruler had turned away from Jesus, the disciples had marveled at their Master's saying, “How hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!” They had exclaimed one to another, “Who then can be saved?” Now they had a demonstration of the truth of Christ's words, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” Mark 10:24, 26; Luke 18:27. They saw how, through the grace of God, a rich man could enter into the kingdom. DA 555.3.555.3.https://m.egwwritings.org/en/book/130.2686#2704

 “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Galatians 6:9

The consciousness of rightdoing is the best medicine for diseased bodies and minds. The special blessing of God resting upon the receiver is health and strength. A person whose mind is quiet and satisfied in God is in the pathway to health.... 2MCP 407.4_407.4_https://egwwritings.org/?ref=en_2MCP.407.4¶=78.201

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Cute, Fantastic Good Morning SMS Collection

Namskar: Subah Zee Samachar mein apka swagat H. Mukhya Samachar : Good morning & Hv a Great Day Taapmaan : Aaj b Sms-Msgs ki barish jari rahegi. Yadon k badal chaye rhenge

“Morning” is a gud time to “Remember” all d sweet things & all swt. persons in ur “Life so Wake Up with ur “SWEET MEMORIES To See This Beautiful Mrng.gd mrng tho! Yeh Koi Sone Ka time Hai? Jab Dekho Sote Rehte Ho! Sari Umar So-So K Bitani H Kya? Ab Utth Jao Aur Reply Mat Karna! Bcz I AM SLEEPING

I am Yaad you Very Zyada. You Bhi Yaad me Bohot Much. You are very Zyada good Dost of me.

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I think I’m bhi Acha Friend of you. So plz Don’t Bhoolna me. Main also Kabhi b Nahin forget You. Good Morning

The first person that you think of in the morning and the last person you think of in the night is either the cause of your happiness or the cause of your pain.

The key is to company only with people Who Uplift You whose presence calls forth Your best.

TWO THINGS PREVENT US FROM HAPPINESS living in the past & observing others SO STOP OBSERVING AND LIVE YOUR PRESENT TO THE FULLEST . Good Morning

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Punjabi Dosti Shayari Facebook Bio Status Attitude Whatsapp Status Punjabi Birthday SMS Happy Birthday Wishes in Punjabi I Miss You SMS punjabi status for whatsapp Punjabi Love Shayari Brother Status for Whatsapp in English Sad Status in Punjabi

Sunrise always wins over night and hope always wins over despair. I hope that you will defeat every night to make your future full of glorious rays of the sun. Good Morning Friends

After waking up in the morning think about the brand new day you are getting with 24 hours to spend. Use these hours fruitfully and you will know success. Good Morning

Life is a great mirror. If your face is happy the mirror also shows you a happy face. In this you if you approach to life with full of happiness, your life will also show you only happiness. Good morning to you from your friend!

Waking up in your arms again. That’s what I call a good morning! It’s too early for good mornings, but you’re already on my mind. So, “Good morning!”.

A new day brings fresh thoughts and new level of energy. Use these gifts to propel your journey to success. Good Morning

Good morning today is a brand new day. One that we’ve never lifed before. Let’s make it an awesome day! Good Morning Shayari

Good Morning SMS

Its purity of heart that matters, Not the external appearance. Because helping hands are always Better than praying lips…! GOOD MORNING!!!

Rishton Ko Kuch Is Tarha Bacha Liya Kero.. Kabhi Maan Jaya Kero,, Kabhi Mana Liya Kero..! Good Morning.. Have A Nice Day..

One of the joys in life is waking up each day with thoughts that somewhere, Someone cares enough to send a warm morning greeting! Good morning and enjoy the day!

BIN SAWAN BARSAT NAHI HOTI, SURAJ DOBEY BINA RAAT NAHI HOTI, KYA KARE AB KUCH AYSE HALAAT HAIN, APKI YAD AAYE BINA DIN KI SHERUAT NAHI HOTI. GOOD MORNING… HAVE A NICE DAY

Life begins With our cry Life ends With others cry Fill this gap With as much laugh as possible Always be Happy and Make Others Too Good Morning

Attention Please All D Passengers, Who R Travelling In D Dreams, Are Requested 2 Open Their Eyes, V Have Landed Safely In A Beautiful Day. Good Morning!

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Yoga Status for Whatsapp in English Fathers Day Status and Quotes EID SMS Ramdan Laylat al Qadr Eid Ul Fitr Wish Facebook Status

MORNING Greetings does not only mean saying good MORNING. It has a silent message saying. I remember you, when I wake up. Have a nice day

Her Subha Chai K Cup Se Nikalti Bhaap Me Hamen Aap Ki tasveer Nazar Ati Hai.. Sirf Aap Ko Dekhny K Chakkar Me Aye Jana.. Hamari Chai Roz Thandi Ho Jati Hai.. :-D Good Morning..

“Morning” is a good time to “Remember” all d sweet things & all sweet. persons in your “Life so Wake Up with your “SWEET MEMORIES To See This Beautiful Morning

Its purity of heart that matters, Not the external appearance. Because helping hands are always Better than praying lips…! GOOD MORNING!!!

Sochta hoon agar tu mil jaye, sham dhal jayen meri subhu mein, Good Morning.

Don’t get a person’s character on his present situation, Because time has the power to change an ordinary coal, Into a precious diamond. Good Morning

Mushkil Waqt Sabhi Per Aata Hai.. Koi Bikhar Jata Hai.. Koi Nikhar Jata Hai..! Good Morning

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**Beautiful Islamic Quotes About Life**

I said to Allah, “I hate life.” He replied, “Who asked you to love life? Just love me and life will beautiful.

Men and women have equal rewards for their deeds. Quran 3:195

“O ye who believe! Avoid suspicion as much (as possible): for suspicion in some cases is a sin: And spy not on each other behind their backs. ” {Quran 49:12}

If you are in doubt ask ALLAH. Perform Salatul Istikhara

There is no doubt that Allah (Subhanahu Wa ta’ala) has sent thousands of Quran Verses and millions of Hadith “Sayings and Teachings of Prophet Muhammad (??? ???? ???? ? ???)” for mankind. No matter what situation you’re going through. There are solutions and guidance by Allah (Azzawajal).

Once I was amazed to see that my non-Muslim friends on facebook and twitter are posting Islamic Quotes and verses from Quran. I was even more amazed when their positive behavior toward Muslims reminded that there are many Verses in Quran about non-believers as ALLAH says in Quran “The Quran, is a guidance for mankind – (2:185)“.

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Islamic Quotes In English Islamic Whatsapp Status Best Islamic Quotes Islamic Quotes In English Eid-Ul-Adha-Mubarak

I said to Allah, “I hate life.” He replied, “Who asked you to love life? Just love me and life will beautiful.”

Men and women have equal rewards for their deeds. Quran 3:195

“O ye who believe! Avoid suspicion as much (as possible): for suspicion in some cases is a sin: And spy not on each other behind their backs. ” {Quran 49:12}

If you are in doubt ask ALLAH. Perform Salatul Istikhara

When things are too hard to handle, retreat & count your blessings instead.

“Severing your parents in their old age is as good as opening the doors of PARADISE, so don’t miss out.”

“When we repair our relationship with Allah, He repairs everything else for us.”

“You Cannot Delete you internet history from ALLAH.”

“Take everyday as a chance to become a better Muslim.”

“Only in ISLAM do the king and peasant bow down together side by side proclaiming God’s greatness.”

“Happiness will never come to those who fail to appreciate the blessings they already have. Say Alhamdulillah every moment of life.”

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EID SMS Islamic Quotes Shab-e-Barat Muabrak SMS wishes Ramdan Laylat al Qadr Eid Ul Fitr Wish Facebook Status

“Born from different mothers skins of all colours come together as brothers . that’s the beauty of Islam.”

“Allah made you muslim because he wants to see you in JANNAH. All you have to do is prove that you’re worthy of it.”

“So What if this life isn’t perfect? it’s not jannah. Nouman Ali Khan.”

“The Worst of our faults is our interest in other people’s Faults. – Ali Ibn Abi Talib”

“A Knife din’t kill Ismail (Alaihi salam), The fire Din’t Burn Ibrahim (Alaihi salam), A whale Din’t Eat Younus (Alaihi salam), The sea din’t Drown Musa (Alaihi salam). Be with ALLAH, and ALLAH will protect you.”

“If you don’t intend to marry her” Keep your hands off another mans Future wife.

If you do Intend to marry her. Keep your hands off until she is your wife”

“I only complain of my Sorrow and my sadness to ALLAH.”

“Beware of being found where Allah prohibited you from. and beware of being absent from where Allah commanded you to be.”

“When you feel low or sad look around you. Who are you friends? Surround yourself with those who remind you of Allah and become happy.”

“Trust Allah when things don’t work out the way you wanted. Allah has something better planned for you.”

“The overly jealous seek to harm and hurt other, but in the end only harm themselves”

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“Fear Allah because of his punishment. Love Allah because he is full of mercy – Islamic Quotes & Sayings”

“Practicing Islam beautifies once character. if it’s making you intolerable, impatient and grumpy then you’re doing it wrong.”

inspirational-and-beautiful-islamic-quotes

“If you want to destroy any nation without war, make adultery & nudity common in the next generation. – Salahuddin Ayyubi”

“Worries End When SALAH Begins”

“Rather than stressing about things we cannot control, pray to The One in control and find relief.”

inspirational-islamic-quotes

“What is Jihad? smiling in Tough moment is Jihad. keeping Patience in hard times is Jihad. Struggling for good deed is jihad. talking care of old parents in a loving way is jihad. forgiving is jihad. Jihad is not what the media shows but what the Quran Says to strive and to Struggle!”

“Balance Your Dunya (world) around your deen (faith), its all a matter of priorities.”

“Bad things in life open your eyes to those things your weren’t paying much attention to before. That’s a blessing from Allah Too!”

inspirational-islamic-quotes-3

“Trust Allah when things don’t work out the way you wanted. Allah has something better planned for you.”

“The Shortest distance between a problem and it’s solution is the distance between your knees and the floor.”

inspirational-islamic-quotes-about-life

“Suicide Booming is not from Islam.

Messenger of Allah said:

Indeed whoever (intentionally) kills himself, then certainly he will be punished in the fire of Hell, wherein he shall dwell forever. (Bukharee – 5778)”

inspirational-islamic-quotes-anti-suicide-bombing-quote

“Your Interview with ALLAH is Coming”

inspirational-islamic-saying

“Fill your heart with Eemaan and it will become the post peaceful place on earth.”

“Peoples of ALHAMDULILLAH” Don’t Have to Complain”

Sahih Bukhari – “Do not wish to be like anyone, except in two cases: (1) A man whom Allah has given wealth and he spends it righteously. (2) A man whom Allah has given wisdom (knowledge of the Qur’an and the Hadith) and he acts according to it and teaches it to others.”

Bukhari – “If one has good manners, one may attain the same level of merit as those who spend their nights in prayer.”

“Indeed, ALLAH does not wrong the people at all, but it is the people who are wronging themselves.”

islamic-image-with-quote

“Faith is Trusting GOD even when you don’t understand his plan.”

“If the heart becomes hardend, the eye becomes dry. Ibn Qayyim”

“The Quran is for ourselves, not our Shelves.”

“Pyayer isn’t For Allah, It’s for you. He doesn’t need us But we need him.”

“The Greatest thing a Friend can do for you is bring you closer to ALLAH.”

“When Someone is behaving unjustly to you, find peace in the truth of the situation, knowing that Allah is enough as a witness.”

“Never think that any request you have is too much for ALLAH”

He says:

“BE”

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And it is.

“Rasulullah SAW said: The greatest Jihad is to battle your own soul. to fight the evil within yourself.”

“ALLAH makes the impossible Possible”

“Guilt is a gift from ALLAH warning you that what you are doing is violating your soul” – Nauman Ali Khan

“Your prefer the life of this world, while the hereafter is better & more lasting.” Quran

“No one besides ALLAH can rescue a sould from Hardship” Quran 53 : 58

“Be Patient – For what was written for you was written by the greatest of writers”

“There are days when you don’t feel like praying. When your soul feels dark and your heart feels down. Those are the days when you need to pray. Those are the days when you need it most. And if you find the straight to Bow before your Lord in those day. You have defeated a big part of your nafs (inner self) and taken a huge step towards your Lord. So pray no matter what. Lead your heart to prayer and one day your heart will Lead you to Prayer.”

“There is reward for Kindness to every living thing.” Prophet Muhamad (SAAW)

“Be somebody in the eyes of ALLAH, even if you are nobody in the eyes of people.”

Note to self: “Before going to sleep every night Forgive everyone and sleep with Clean Heart”

“Always leave loved onces with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.” Mufti Ismail Menk

“Stay close to anything that reminds you of ALLAH”

“If you don’t want your kids to hurt others, don’t show them how to do it”

“No matter how hurt you are, You will always find comfort with ALLAH”

“Why wish upon a star? when you cam pray to the one who created it”

“Being a Muslim is about changing yourself, Not changing Islam.”

“O ye who belivee! Avoid suspicion as much (as possible): for suspicion in some cases is a sin: And spy not on each other behid their backs.” Quran 49:12

“When Love is for the sake of ALLAH, It never dies.”

“There is no moving creature on earth but its sustenance depends on God. And He knows where it lives and where it rests. Everything is in a Clear Book.”

“Be embarrassed to sin in public, don’t be shy to show your faith.”

“Every new breath that ALLAH allows you to take is not just a blessing but also a responsibility.”

“There is no Islam without unity, no unity without leadership, and no leadership without obedience. ” — Umar ibn al-Khattab (??? ???? ???)

“They plan, and ALLAH plans & ALLAH is The Best of Planners.”

“Dua Heals All Negativity, Hurt, Anger, Worries and Depression. Pray to ALLAH Daily.”

“Men and Women have equal rewards for Their deeds. Quran 3:195”

“Dear ALLAH i pray that whoever reads this message shall have your comfort, joy, peace, love and guidance. I may not know their troubles, but you do please keep protecting us. Ameen”

“Every test is a blessing every blessing is a Test.”

islam-quote islam-quote-2

“Anas bin Malik (radi Allahu anhu) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “There shall come upon the people a time in which the one who is steadfast upon his religion will be like the one holding onto a burning ember.” (Hasan) [Chapters on Al-Fitan: Jami At-Tirmidhi]”

“Many skin colors. One Ummah. No Racism is ISLAM.”

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“He Knows what is in every Heart – Surah Mulk {67:13}”

Every Secret in your mind and heart Allah knows it all and nothing you can hide from Allah. “yes, I am Muslim. no, I don’t hate jews and christains.”

“Stop asking me why I’m still single. I don’t ask you how you are still married.”

The Prophet (Peace be upon him) Said: ‘Leave that  which doesn’t concern you.‘

“Being Muslim is for all day, Not just 5 time a day.”

“Who can help you get through your problems But ALLAH”

“Don’t waste your tears on a broken relationship with someone you once loved. Invest your tears to strengthen your relationship with ALLAH.”

“ALLAH still loves and shows mercy to those who disobey Him, so imagine how much He loves those who obey Him.”

“Being a Muslim is more than just going to the masjid (mosque). Allah wants your ‘attention’ not just your ‘attendance‘

“The Dunya (World) is not the resting place, it is the testing place.”

“Kindness is a mark of faith, and whoever is not kind has not faith.”

The Prophet of Mercy said: Beware! Whosoever oppresses a Muahid (i.e. Non-Muslim living in Muslim land with agreement) or snatches (any of) his rights or causes him pain which he cannot bear, or takes anything from him without his permission, Then “I WILL FIGHT AGAINST SUCH A (MUSLIM) ON THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT”[Sunnan Abu Dawud, Volume No. 3, Page No. 170, Hadith No. 3052]

“Someone, somewhere, right now, is fighting for his or her life. You still have yours, so be thankful and spend it in the obedience of Allah.”

“Sometimes the blessings are not in what he gives, but in what he takes away!”

“Do not force the religion on your family. show them the beauty of the religion through your own practice. – Nouman Ali khan”

“If Jannah is your dream, HOLD TIGHT to your deen!”

“Take Account of yourselves before you are taken to account. Weigh your deeds before they are weighed. Umar ibn Al-Khattab.”

[birthdaysms24-blog]

**Beautiful Islamic Quotes About Life**

I said to Allah, “I hate life.” He replied, “Who asked you to love life? Just love me and life will beautiful.

Men and women have equal rewards for their deeds. Quran 3:195

“O ye who believe! Avoid suspicion as much (as possible): for suspicion in some cases is a sin: And spy not on each other behind their backs. ” {Quran 49:12}

If you are in doubt ask ALLAH. Perform Salatul Istikhara

There is no doubt that Allah (Subhanahu Wa ta’ala) has sent thousands of Quran Verses and millions of Hadith “Sayings and Teachings of Prophet Muhammad (??? ???? ???? ? ???)” for mankind. No matter what situation you’re going through. There are solutions and guidance by Allah (Azzawajal).

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Once I was amazed to see that my non-Muslim friends on facebook and twitter are posting Islamic Quotes and verses from Quran. I was even more amazed when their positive behavior toward Muslims reminded that there are many Verses in Quran about non-believers as ALLAH says in Quran “The Quran, is a guidance for mankind – (2:185)“.

I said to Allah, “I hate life.” He replied, “Who asked you to love life? Just love me and life will beautiful.”

Men and women have equal rewards for their deeds. Quran 3:195

“O ye who believe! Avoid suspicion as much (as possible): for suspicion in some cases is a sin: And spy not on each other behind their backs. ” {Quran 49:12}

If you are in doubt ask ALLAH. Perform Salatul Istikhara

When things are too hard to handle, retreat & count your blessings instead.

“Severing your parents in their old age is as good as opening the doors of PARADISE, so don’t miss out.”

“When we repair our relationship with Allah, He repairs everything else for us.”

“You Cannot Delete you internet history from ALLAH.”

“Take everyday as a chance to become a better Muslim.”

“Only in ISLAM do the king and peasant bow down together side by side proclaiming God’s greatness.”

“Happiness will never come to those who fail to appreciate the blessings they already have. Say Alhamdulillah every moment of life.” best-islamic-quotes-2

“Born from different mothers skins of all colours come together as brothers . that’s the beauty of Islam.”

“Allah made you muslim because he wants to see you in JANNAH. All you have to do is prove that you’re worthy of it.”

“So What if this life isn’t perfect? it’s not jannah. Nouman Ali Khan.”

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“The Worst of our faults is our interest in other people’s Faults. – Ali Ibn Abi Talib”

“A Knife din’t kill Ismail (Alaihi salam), The fire Din’t Burn Ibrahim (Alaihi salam), A whale Din’t Eat Younus (Alaihi salam), The sea din’t Drown Musa (Alaihi salam). Be with ALLAH, and ALLAH will protect you.”

“If you don’t intend to marry her” Keep your hands off another mans Future wife.

If you do Intend to marry her. Keep your hands off until she is your wife”

“I only complain of my Sorrow and my sadness to ALLAH.”

“Beware of being found where Allah prohibited you from. and beware of being absent from where Allah commanded you to be.”

“When you feel low or sad look around you. Who are you friends? Surround yourself with those who remind you of Allah and become happy.”

“Trust Allah when things don’t work out the way you wanted. Allah has something better planned for you.”

“The overly jealous seek to harm and hurt other, but in the end only harm themselves”

“Fear Allah because of his punishment. Love Allah because he is full of mercy – Islamic Quotes & Sayings”

“Practicing Islam beautifies once character. if it’s making you intolerable, impatient and grumpy then you’re doing it wrong.”

inspirational-and-beautiful-islamic-quotes

“If you want to destroy any nation without war, make adultery & nudity common in the next generation. – Salahuddin Ayyubi”

“Worries End When SALAH Begins”

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“Rather than stressing about things we cannot control, pray to The One in control and find relief.”

inspirational-islamic-quotes

“What is Jihad? smiling in Tough moment is Jihad. keeping Patience in hard times is Jihad. Struggling for good deed is jihad. talking care of old parents in a loving way is jihad. forgiving is jihad. Jihad is not what the media shows but what the Quran Says to strive and to Struggle!”

“Balance Your Dunya (world) around your deen (faith), its all a matter of priorities.”

“Bad things in life open your eyes to those things your weren’t paying much attention to before. That’s a blessing from Allah Too!”

inspirational-islamic-quotes-3

“Trust Allah when things don’t work out the way you wanted. Allah has something better planned for you.”

“The Shortest distance between a problem and it’s solution is the distance between your knees and the floor.”

inspirational-islamic-quotes-about-life

“Suicide Booming is not from Islam.

Messenger of Allah said:

Indeed whoever (intentionally) kills himself, then certainly he will be punished in the fire of Hell, wherein he shall dwell forever. (Bukharee – 5778)”

inspirational-islamic-quotes-anti-suicide-bombing-quote

“Your Interview with ALLAH is Coming”

inspirational-islamic-saying

“Fill your heart with Eemaan and it will become the post peaceful place on earth.”

“Peoples of ALHAMDULILLAH” Don’t Have to Complain”

Sahih Bukhari – “Do not wish to be like anyone, except in two cases: (1) A man whom Allah has given wealth and he spends it righteously. (2) A man whom Allah has given wisdom (knowledge of the Qur’an and the Hadith) and he acts according to it and teaches it to others.”

Bukhari – “If one has good manners, one may attain the same level of merit as those who spend their nights in prayer.”

“Indeed, ALLAH does not wrong the people at all, but it is the people who are wronging themselves.”

islamic-image-with-quote

“Faith is Trusting GOD even when you don’t understand his plan.”

“If the heart becomes hardend, the eye becomes dry. Ibn Qayyim”

“The Quran is for ourselves, not our Shelves.”

“Pyayer isn’t For Allah, It’s for you. He doesn’t need us But we need him.”

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“The Greatest thing a Friend can do for you is bring you closer to ALLAH.”

“When Someone is behaving unjustly to you, find peace in the truth of the situation, knowing that Allah is enough as a witness.”

“Never think that any request you have is too much for ALLAH”

He says:

“BE”

And it is.

“Rasulullah SAW said: The greatest Jihad is to battle your own soul. to fight the evil within yourself.”

“ALLAH makes the impossible Possible”

“Guilt is a gift from ALLAH warning you that what you are doing is violating your soul” – Nauman Ali Khan

“Your prefer the life of this world, while the hereafter is better & more lasting.” Quran

“No one besides ALLAH can rescue a sould from Hardship” Quran 53 : 58

“Be Patient – For what was written for you was written by the greatest of writers”

“There are days when you don’t feel like praying. When your soul feels dark and your heart feels down. Those are the days when you need to pray. Those are the days when you need it most. And if you find the straight to Bow before your Lord in those day. You have defeated a big part of your nafs (inner self) and taken a huge step towards your Lord. So pray no matter what. Lead your heart to prayer and one day your heart will Lead you to Prayer.”

“There is reward for Kindness to every living thing.” Prophet Muhamad (SAAW)

“Be somebody in the eyes of ALLAH, even if you are nobody in the eyes of people.”

Note to self: “Before going to sleep every night Forgive everyone and sleep with Clean Heart”

“Always leave loved onces with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.” Mufti Ismail Menk

“Stay close to anything that reminds you of ALLAH”

“If you don’t want your kids to hurt others, don’t show them how to do it”

“No matter how hurt you are, You will always find comfort with ALLAH”

“Why wish upon a star? when you cam pray to the one who created it”

“Being a Muslim is about changing yourself, Not changing Islam.”

“O ye who belivee! Avoid suspicion as much (as possible): for suspicion in some cases is a sin: And spy not on each other behid their backs.” Quran 49:12

“When Love is for the sake of ALLAH, It never dies.”

“There is no moving creature on earth but its sustenance depends on God. And He knows where it lives and where it rests. Everything is in a Clear Book.”

“Be embarrassed to sin in public, don’t be shy to show your faith.”

“Every new breath that ALLAH allows you to take is not just a blessing but also a responsibility.”

“There is no Islam without unity, no unity without leadership, and no leadership without obedience. ” — Umar ibn al-Khattab (??? ???? ???)

“They plan, and ALLAH plans & ALLAH is The Best of Planners.”

“Dua Heals All Negativity, Hurt, Anger, Worries and Depression. Pray to ALLAH Daily.”

“Men and Women have equal rewards for Their deeds. Quran 3:195”

“Dear ALLAH i pray that whoever reads this message shall have your comfort, joy, peace, love and guidance. I may not know their troubles, but you do please keep protecting us. Ameen”

“Every test is a blessing every blessing is a Test.”

islam-quote islam-quote-2

“Anas bin Malik (radi Allahu anhu) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “There shall come upon the people a time in which the one who is steadfast upon his religion will be like the one holding onto a burning ember.” (Hasan) [Chapters on Al-Fitan: Jami At-Tirmidhi]”

“Many skin colors. One Ummah. No Racism is ISLAM.”

“He Knows what is in every Heart – Surah Mulk {67:13}”

Every Secret in your mind and heart Allah knows it all and nothing you can hide from Allah. “yes, I am Muslim. no, I don’t hate jews and christains.”

“Stop asking me why I’m still single. I don’t ask you how you are still married.”

The Prophet (Peace be upon him) Said: ‘Leave that  which doesn’t concern you.‘

“Being Muslim is for all day, Not just 5 time a day.”

“Who can help you get through your problems But ALLAH”

“Don’t waste your tears on a broken relationship with someone you once loved. Invest your tears to strengthen your relationship with ALLAH.”

“ALLAH still loves and shows mercy to those who disobey Him, so imagine how much He loves those who obey Him.”

“Being a Muslim is more than just going to the masjid (mosque). Allah wants your ‘attention’ not just your ‘attendance‘

“The Dunya (World) is not the resting place, it is the testing place.”

“Kindness is a mark of faith, and whoever is not kind has not faith.”

The Prophet of Mercy said: Beware! Whosoever oppresses a Muahid (i.e. Non-Muslim living in Muslim land with agreement) or snatches (any of) his rights or causes him pain which he cannot bear, or takes anything from him without his permission, Then “I WILL FIGHT AGAINST SUCH A (MUSLIM) ON THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT”[Sunnan Abu Dawud, Volume No. 3, Page No. 170, Hadith No. 3052]

“Someone, somewhere, right now, is fighting for his or her life. You still have yours, so be thankful and spend it in the obedience of Allah.”

“Sometimes the blessings are not in what he gives, but in what he takes away!”

“Do not force the religion on your family. show them the beauty of the religion through your own practice. – Nouman Ali khan”

“If Jannah is your dream, HOLD TIGHT to your deen!”

“Take Account of yourselves before you are taken to account. Weigh your deeds before they are weighed. Umar ibn Al-Khattab.”

[centralsaints]

currently stuck between wanting to advance in ul bc i love completing stuff and its irking me to see my ul side being so low but also. ul Does Not Bring Me Joy. so i also want to replay some hsl episodes with other routes but idk which ones :(