#Verse || God Brought Us Together For a Reason

[hittmeandtellmeyouremine]

𝙗𝙪𝙮 𝙢𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨

pairing: older bf!rafe x gf!reader

warnings: pure fluff, mentions of an age gap.

word count: 700+

summary: rafe has a surprise up his sleeve.

a/n: trying to get back into writing. i saw an edit to 'buy me presents' by sabrina on tt (specifically the second verse) and it got my gears going. i literally wrote this in an hour. i know christmas is over but lets just pretend!

"baby, come on! we got ten minutes to be out of the house!" rafe called from the bottom of the stairs.

"i can't find my shoes!" you yelled, stress evident in your tone.

you had a specific pair of heels in mind. you had been mentally assigning them the whole week, having your outfit planned two weeks in advance.

tonight was the country club's annual christmas eve party. rafe's dad used to make them go every year and the tradition just kind of stuck. here he was, years later, bringing you with him.

this wasn't your first time going. in fact, this would be your third time going as rafe's official girlfriend. you remember the first time like it was yesterday, being so nervous about what everyone would say about you two being together. rafe was a couple years older and had a reputation that preceded him, the town had their thoughts.

"i brought them downstairs for you!" he called.

you silently thanked god for him. he was always a few steps ahead of you, making your life easier when it seemed to be the opposite.

your feet padded their way through your bedroom as you shut the lights off and made your way downstairs. you expected your heels to be by the door but they weren't. neither was your boyfriend.

"babe?" you called out, turning the corner and looking for rafe.

"i'm over here baby" he said and your eyes found him sitting on the couch.

"there's my pretty girl" he cooed, smiling as his eyes ran over you in your red dress.

"hi" you blushed, making your way over and sitting next to him. his hand found its way to your thigh, softly running up it.

"see? you were all stressed out for nothing" he smiled, easing your nerves.

"i still can't find my shoes" you frowned a bit.

"oh, that's right. here" he feigned, pulling a wrapped box from behind him.

"what's this?" you questioned, taking the box in your hands. it was wrapped in gold wrapping paper with a pink ribbon tied around it, a bow sitting on top.

"open it" he encouraged.

you hesitated, savoring the pretty bow before your fingers pulled it undone. you found an edge and began to strip the gift of its wrapping paper.

you froze when your eyes landed on a black box with a white designer logo centered on it. you quickly realized what the gift was.

"you didn't" you said, a smile threatening to form.

"keep going princess" he urged.

you took the top of the box off and revealed the heels that you had been eyeing for months. the versace ones you gave up on getting because they had sold out everywhere. you were devastated. rafe was away on a business trip and you called him crying when you couldn't get them. he had calmed you down, told you maybe it just wasn't meant to be and you would get a different pair.

"oh my god! how did you get them?" you squealed, fingers running over the shoes.

"i made a few calls" he smiled, happy you loved them.

rafe knew you like the back of his hand. the second you mentioned the shoes he had made sure he got them in your size. he acted as if he was busy on his work trip, which he was but never too busy for his girl. he even took the liberty of making sure, for one reason or another, you couldn't get them yourself.

the same way he had waited until you were occupied earlier. once you were, he hid the heels he knew you planned on wearing tonight so he could surprise you with the ones you really wanted. everything went according to plan.

whatever his girl wants, she gets.

"thank you! thank you! thank you!" you squealed, throwing your arms around him happily and kissing him.

he gladly kissed you back, arms tightening around your waist and pulling you closer.

"come on, let me put them on you"

you nodded and he took one of your legs, pulling it over his lap. he slipped the heel on your foot and made sure the straps were secure. he repeated the process to the other. you watched him in adoration, falling even more in love with him if that was possible.

he tapped your thigh, signaling you when he was done so you could get up and walk around in them. you smiled wide, admiring the new heels on your feet.

"ugh, they're perfect! i love them rafey!" you smiled, looking at them in the mirror.

"they look nice baby" he smiled, getting up from his spot on the couch to stand behind you. even with the added height, he still towered over you.

his arm hooked around your waist, fingers rubbing your side contently. you loved rafe cameron and you always would.

-

[starshideurfics]

Captive, Captivating, part three

Part Two

into the steddie-verse, omegaverse, dubcon, breeding, we’re all in the same imperial rome/war prize gutter together, mdni 🔞

Geta watches as his betrothed is ushered away to prepare for their wedding, calming his need to growl with the fact that Stepan is wearing his clothes. That he is marked as belonging to Rome.

Belonging to Geta.

“Your grace?” Junius says from his side. “Are you certain of this mating? The emperor will not be pleased.”

“The only thing I could do to please Caracalla is drop dead.”

“Geta…”

“Better to be mated to an omega with no ties to Rome—with no ties to my brother—before he can force one upon me. This way I’m not married to one of his spies.” He’s not a fool. He has good reasons for making his offer.

But that is not his focus now.

Now he must prepare for his wedding.

At least Junius knows well enough to accept that answer without any further pushing. He simply purses his lips and follows Geta when he goes to finalize the official treaty with King Rikhardt.

Geta spends the early afternoon drinking with his betrothed’s father. Then he is brought to the temple, surrounded by statues of gods that are not his gods, but perhaps another version of them.

Stepan waits at the altar for him, still wearing the blue tunica, but his hair has been braided back, with tiny, white flowers woven into a crown that sits over his veil. His lips are dark, like he’s been biting them—the very picture of a nervous, virginal bride.

The priest joins their hands, binds them together with a strip of soft, woolen cloth, and pronounces them wed. Geta presses a suitably chaste kiss to Stepan’s lips, his omega frozen at his touch, but he relaxes when Geta interlaces their fingers to hold his hand. They are expected to keep their hands bound throughout the wedding feast, until they retire for the night. At least his sweet wife will become more acclimated to his touch.

King Rikhardt is clearly the type to look for opportunities to celebrate, to enjoy good food and drink, to have music and dancing, to have his queen in his lap and whisper in her ear to make her laugh. Geta appreciates the revelry, but his attention is pulled by his tablemates. Stepan is pressed tightly against his side, their hands joined and resting in his lap, but a young alpha woman and a boy who looks just past his first rut have claimed Stepan’s other side.

It’s easy enough to tell they are his siblings, the three of them whispering in their own language as they eat, and Geta wishes he could understand them. Then Stepan squeezes his hand, pulling his gaze directly to his warm eyes. “Husband, meet my sister and brother, Ravna and Torsten.”

Before he can say a word, Ravna asks, “Do you go on campaigns often?”

The implicit question is obvious: Will you ever bring my brother back home?

“No, not often,” Geta answers truthfully. He does not know when he will have a safe opportunity to leave Rome again once he returns.

“Oh…” She tugs her younger brother close, ruffles his curls as he stares at Geta with deep blue eyes.

“Stepan says you are leaving tomorrow,” Torsten says, both a question and a challenge.

“Yes, with our terms in place here it is time to move on. We shall be moving further east.”

“So, you will come back here on your way to Rome.”

Geta considers saying they will turn to the southwest at the end of the campaign, but it was clever to ask at all and he smiles. “We will come back this way when the campaign ends.” The boy grins back, and Geta whispers at Stepan’s ear, “I’m sure your father will appreciate throwing us another feast then.”

“As long as it is not too late in the year,” Stepan agrees, more worried about wasting resources than upsetting his father.

The promise and the whispers destroy the last bit of nerve the boy has, and Torsten asks question after question of Geta: about Rome, the places he’s traveled in the empire, his horse, and if he’s ever seen a lion up close. He’s happy to indulge the boy’s curiosity, but then there’s a great pounding, as all in attendance at the feast slap the tables and stomp their feet on the floor.

���It is time!” Rikhardt calls across the great hall. “For my eldest to go to his mating bed!” He raises his mead in a toast. “May their mating be a fruitful one!”

A cheer goes up throughout the room, and Geta laughs as he and his bride are forced to their feet and hoisted into the air. The small contingent—seemingly made up of members of the king’s council and guard—carry the couple off to a private room and deposit them in a nest of blankets and pillows, leaving as quickly as they’d come.

Geta almost asks if this is Stepan’s nest, but he quickly realizes the smell is wrong. These blankets lack his scent, and even as a prince, he likely slept in a shared room.

“We may as well get it over with,” Stepan murmurs, reaching for the hem of his tunica with his free hand.

“Get it over with?” Geta growls, leaning in close to scent at his neck. “There is no ‘over’ now, mellitus. You are mine. Your pleasure and pain are mine. Your neck and your cunt are mine. And I told you: I care for what is mine.”

He licks a slow stripe from Stepan’s mating gland up to his ear, nipping at the lobe. His omega shivers.

He’s meticulous as he removes the handfasting knot from their joined hands, is just as precise as he strips the tunica from him and pushes Stepan to lie back.

Kneeling, Geta forces his legs apart, revealing his red cunt and soft little cock. He rubs his hands over Stepan’s hairy thighs, and inhales deeply, desperate for his sweetness.

“You’ll be weeping with pleasure before I even get my teeth in your neck, do you understand?”

Stepan nods, jaw held tight.

“Good. And this is only the beginning.”

🌙🏛️🌿

Stepan is frozen, the pretty flower crown his mother made for him crushed beneath his head, veil trapped under his shoulders, as his husband bends down and takes his prick into his mouth.

A gasp punches from him at the sensation when Geta sucks, tongue cradling his small member, but his hips buck when a finger slips inside to push up against a spot that makes him see stars behind his eyelids. Not that he moves at all, Geta’s strong arm holding him in place.

His legs shake and he lets out a weak moan, fingers clutching at the blankets at his sides. Geta presses a second finger inside him, the pressure incessant until he goes taut as a bowstring, warm slick flowing from his cunt. But Geta does not stop, stroking and sucking while Stepan cries out.

His hands find their way into Geta’s hair, weakly pushing him away, the alpha chuckling as he does. “Too much?” he asks, dark eyes sparkling in the low light, daring him to speak, fingers still inside his cunt. He presses a slick-wet kiss to his inner thigh. “It’s important for you to peak, mellitus. To open your womb so my seed can take root.” Another kiss low on his belly and he pulls his fingers from Stepan. “Do you feel open now? Empty?”

He nods, tears in his eyes, hoping this will be enough. “Yes, Dominus,” Stepan whispers. “Please…”

“So good, my clever little omega.” He trails wet fingers along the crease of Stepan’s thigh, swirls the mess through the short curls around his sex. Nips at the soft skin at the bend in his knee. Swats lightly at his hip. “Up. On your hands and knees.”

Turning onto his side is hard enough, limbs weak, and Geta lifts him around the middle. He tries not to go limp as he is manhandled into position, ass high, legs spread. Teeth bite into the meat of his buttocks and a strong hand squeezes his hip. “Such a lovely cunt.” A kiss over the bite. “So loose now, but I’ll still fill you to the brim.”

The blunt head of his cock notches at Stepan’s entrance, Geta gripping him at the waist as he pushes all the way inside. Somehow, he feels even bigger this time, reaching places so deep Stepan can’t get a full breath. All he can do is pant shallowly as Geta begins to move, picking up speed as he chases his pleasure, skin slapping against skin.

At least it doesn’t last long, Geta grunting as his knot swells and locks him in place, his hot spend filling every available crevice in Stepan’s very full cunt. They’ll be stuck here awhile, maybe even long enough to fall asleep, Stepan thinks. Hopes. Then they can hurry through trading bites in the morning…

“Mmm, perfect,” Geta hums, “Take me so well.” His hand slides down to rub his belly. “Gonna keep you nice and full tonight, omega. Have you peak on my knot.” That hand moves down to hold his soft prick, thumbing at the head, his other hand still gripping his hip and holding him in place.

It’s too much. Geta using his mouth on him was too much in the first place, and now he is too full and completely empty all at once, his body clenching down on the cock inside him, pulsing around the knot at his entrance. Each time the pressure sends a jolt of pleasure-pain through him, made more intense by the attention to his prick.

Stepan peaks again, a weak dribble of slick coming from his prick, his cunt locking hard around Geta’s knot, pushing the alpha over the edge with him and forcing him to spill more hot seed. “Please,” Stepan whimpers, “Dominus, I’m so-”

“Full?” Geta interrupts. “No, mellitus, you are nowhere near full enough.” He pets Stepan’s flank, leans down to kiss along his spine. “You’ll take at least two more knots tonight.” Geta spreads his hand wide over Stepan’s navel. “You’ll be full enough when you look like you’re carrying my pup.”

The very thought his husband can spill enough seed inside him to distend his belly is laughable, but it also heats Stepan’s cheeks. He may have given up much of what he wants for the good of his people and his pack, but he still desires motherhood. He wants the pups Geta keeps promising.

He also wants to lie down. His arms shake under him, and he sniffles as Geta holds him up. “I am tired, Dominus. Please.”

“Yes, of course. You need to keep up your strength,” Geta soothes as he guides them down onto their sides. He holds Stepan close, their bodies pressed together. He brings one hand up to cup a breast, but he does not tease or fondle, simply holds him and rubs a tiny circle with his thumb.

Soon enough, his knot shrinks, and Geta shifts his hips, his soft cock slipping free. “With how sweet you smell it shouldn’t take long for me to be ready again.” Geta kisses along Stepan’s shoulder, buries his nose against his neck. He squeezes the breast in his hand, presses his palm to the hard nipple, and Stepan sighs.

“I think there’s a better way to spend our time waiting.” Geta pushes himself up to sitting, smiling down at Stepan, his eyes so soft. “Get on your back, my sweet.”

Stepan rolls onto his back, stares up with unshed tears clinging to his lashes. Geta slots against his side, head resting on his chest. Then he turns just enough to take a nipple into his mouth, suckling gently, tongue flicking occasionally over the hard bud.

It feels good, so much less intense than attention to his prick, but it still makes his cunt clench. He feels bold. Wants to encourage this gentler pleasure from his alpha. Slowly, Stepan reaches for Geta’s hand where it rests on his waist, and brings it up to cover his other breast. Geta massages the soft flesh, moans around the tit in his mouth, his own arousal growing where he’s pressed to Stepan’s hip.

But he keeps suckling until each one of Stepan’s breaths ends with a hitch or gasp. Then he lifts himself off and settles between his legs. His thrusts start slow, hips rolling smoothly as his knot fills, leaving him rocking in place, body tensing as he spills and spills and spills.

Geta collapses on top of Stepan and mouths lazily at his neck. “You have to peak when I bite you,” he mumbles. “Our bond must be strong.”

Stepan does not know what to say. Geta sounds so desperate. So vulnerable. He simply strokes up and down his back, fingers trailing over his shoulders. Presses a single kiss to his forehead.

They lie together, subdued, as they wait for Geta’s knot to go down. All the teasing and bombast has cooled along with the sweat on their bodies.

Geta slips free of him again, but keeps their bodies close, tangling their legs together as he tugs Stepan to his chest. He nuzzles against his cheek, and Stepan isn’t sure whose tears he feels on his skin.

“Dominus?” he murmurs, “Are-”

Needy lips cut him off with a sharp kiss.

🌙🏛️🌿

Stepan does not know how to kiss, his mouth still as Geta holds him in place, sucks on his full lower lip. He tastes so sweet, every part of him, and Geta wants more.

Needs more.

He rolls on top, pins him down, eyes shut tight as he licks into Stepan’s mouth, his cheeks cradled in his hands. His omega is so warm. So sweet. But his attempts at kissing back are feeble, and Geta just wants to *feel* him.

Geta bites too hard at his lip, makes Stepan whimper, tries to soothe it with his tongue, and finally kisses his way down to his ear. Gentle hands hold his head in place, a pointed toe drags up his calf, and soft lips ghost against his forehead. He whines at the sweetness of it, aches with need for him.

He has never wanted so badly to worship a previous sexual partner; Geta has always been content to be fawned over, enjoyed an omega moaning or crying at being stretched on his knot.

With Stepan, he prefers his little gasps of surprise, the way his legs shake, his sighs of pleasure when Geta plays with his pretty tits. Which has him thinking of a babe suckling at one of those perfect tits instead, and a purr rumbles through him—at the thought of his pup in his mate’s arms.

But they are not mated yet.

He must bite first, have Stepan bite him. They both must peak, could peak together. A pair of bites to bind them to one another, taking the tie of a knotting and making it eternal. A fastening of not just their hands, but their souls.

Geta scrambles to get up, needs a moment to breathe. To sit alone.

“Dominus?” Stepan asks, cautiously sitting up across from him. His voice is so soft, with a rough edge, like his throat is dry.

Swallowing, Geta notices his own thirst, and glances around the room for something to slake it. He sees nothing, but knows his guards wait outside the door, and pushes himself up onto shaking legs of his own. Two quick words are all it takes for Geta to close the door again with a wineskin in hand.

He pulls the stopper, takes a sip, and hands it to Stepan as he sits beside him once more. His omega drinks, throat bobbing as he swallows, and he smiles as he hands it back to Geta. “Thank you, Dominus.”

“You shall never hunger or thirst as long as I draw breath. I told you-”

Stepan reaches out, grabs his wrist. “I know.” He raises onto his knees, shuffles forward to close the space between them, and straddles Geta’s lap. “Care for me now, Dominus,” he whispers, leaning their foreheads together, and guiding Geta’s fingers to his open cunt.

Slowly, he rubs at his sweet inner spot, gets him wet, and uses that wetness to stroke his prick. Stepan sighs, cunt fluttering around a single finger. “Please,” he begs, “Give me your bite, Dominus. Give me a pup.”

“Yes,” he moans. “Going to give you so many pups. Have you fat with twins before the year is out.” Geta reaches for his half-hard cock, fumbles to stroke himself without disturbing Stepan’s place on his lap.

Stepan nods. “Twins with your dark eyes.” He looks down between them, his hand covers Geta’s, adds more pressure, and when a pearly drop of pre-spend beads at the head, he swipes it up with his thumb and raises it to his lips.

Geta can’t help himself after that, crashing their mouths together as he gets his hands under Stepan’s thighs, raising his hips, and guiding him over his cock. Hands gripping his shoulders, Stepan builds a slow rhythm, raising and dropping as he clenches, panting open-mouthed as Geta sucks and nips at his lip.

They’re both too sensitive after all that has come before, and soon Stepan’s legs are shaking. He drops hard, grinds down as Geta’s knot begins to swell. They rock together, orgasms building, and Geta pinches a hard nipple. Stepan cries out as he cunt spasms, and Geta sets his teeth to his neck.

He bites fast, blood and sweet lymph on his tongue, and releases just as quickly. He hurries to get Stepan’s mouth in place as he cock jerks and spills.

Stepan takes longer to let go, moaning as he completes the bond, his tongue laving over his bite as he shudders through an extended aftershock, his peak cresting to match Geta’s. The bond settles as he pulls back just enough to press their temples together, breathing each other’s air.

“Let me see, mellitus,” Geta murmurs once he’s caught his breath again. “Need to make sure it is not too deep.” He thinks he did it right, that his bite on his mate’s neck should heal well once it is covered with the sacred herbs, but he needs to see for himself.

Stepan follows the order easily, tilting his head to show off the bite: a neat set of punctures in two curved lines. No torn and ragged flaps of skin, the bleeding already slowed to a sluggish pace. He drops a gentle kiss over it, then kisses up Stepan’s neck, and nuzzles at his cheek.

“We should try to rest, my sweet. I fear if we wait for my knot to release, we will not sleep tonight.”

Part 4

[scribeforchrist-blog]

Loving God 

MEMORY VERSE OF THE WEEK

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+ Romans 12:10 Love each other with genuine affection and take delight in honoring each other

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VERSE OF THE DAY 

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+ Exodus 34:5-6Then the Lord came down in a cloud and stood there with him; and he called out his own name, Yahweh. The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.

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

I AM FAITHFUL

I AM LOVING 

I AM LISTENING 

I AM PASSIONATE 

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READ TIME: 7 Minutes & 7 Seconds

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THOUGHTS:

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  We might feel the lord isn’t compassionate with what he does and that he's not merciful. Still, Moses knew very well he was ,God could’ve been angry with Moses about the Ten Commandments. Still, it says nowhere in the bible that he was because he knows we all make mistakes. Sometimes we make mistakes, probably not like this, but we make mistakes, and he's faithful and merciful in showing us love and how much he loves us. He goes to great lengths to show us this, and the word says in John 3:16, “16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

  See, he showed it to us by giving his son as a living sacrifice for us, and he died and rose on the third day so that we may be saved. Many of us don’t understand how great of love it must be for someone to give his son for us. I wouldn’t even give up my dog for someone because I love my dog too much, but he gave his human son up for us to feel and see his love. 

  I remember being in the world, and I had never felt love. I tried to find it. I tried to make something go together that couldn’t, and no matter how hard I tried to make it fit, it wouldn’t, but when I gave my life to God, the first thing I felt was love. This love is so much greater than my love from my parents. This love runs so much deeper than that. 

    Still, it felt so good to be loved by Him and to feel his love so heavily in my life. I can tell you that I have never felt a love like this in my whole life. I felt like I had fallen in love, but nothing like this. This ran so deep, and it felt like it fit in my life. 

 

•           1 John 4:10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

•           Psalm 86:5 But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.

•           1 John 3:1 See what kind of love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so, we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

  See, his love runs so deep for us, and a lot of us never felt this love; it says all through scripture how much he loves us and how we are his children; a lot of people felt love like this, and I am here to tell you, you won't ever because what he can give you lasts a lifetime, and another thing God is, he's faithful I had had a lot of let downs in my life but never by him, he always there to take care of me when everyone else said no he says yes.

   Judges 2:11-12 Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals. They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the people around them. They aroused the Lord’s anger

   Even when the Israelites worshipped idols, he still forgave them and sent people to rescue them. He loved them this much even though they didn’t love him at all; the word tells us if we love him, we will obey him, and they didn’t; every chance they got, they defied him because they thought it was okay.

  Judges 2:16 Then the Lord raised up judges, who saved them out of the hands of these raiders.

  They showed they didn’t love him; we all have had people in our lives whom we would love so much and give so much of ourselves, and they didn’t do that back because they didn’t love us. God experienced this in so many ways with the Israelites.

  Verse 19: But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their ancestors, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.

   So many of us don’t know how to love and how to give ourselves to God, but we must do it every day: give ourselves to him and ask him to show us how to love him as he loves us; being faithful comes naturally when you love someone how much do you love Him? How much do you desire to please Him? 

   ***Today, we talked about God being faithful and loving and how if we make a mistake, he doesn’t get angry; he tries to show us the way, but we must be able to allow him to, we must be able to give the reigns of our life to God so that he can show us the way because we can’t walk in God and try to do everything in our way. 

    Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us

   Even while we were yet sinners, he still loved us with so much love, and he did not just forget us; he continued to love us despite our mistrust of him; what we must understand is that we can trust God with every aspect of our life and the more we do, the more we fall in love with him, because we realize he’s a God that wants to be all through our lives if you feel that you don’t know how to love or what to do ask the Holy Spirit to direct your steps.  ©Seer~ Prophetess Lee

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PRAYER

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Heavenly Father, we ask you to guide our lives and show us what to do; lord, we submit ourselves to you. Lord change us molds us , shows us how to go, and orders our steps. Lord, we give you our lives right now. Lord, as we read this lesson, please help us to apply this word to our lives to help us become better every day, in Jesus' Name, Amen 

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REFERENCES 

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+ Ephesians 2:4-5 But God was merciful! We were dead because of our sins, but God loved us so much that he made us alive with Christ, and God's gift of undeserved grace is what saves you

 

+ Ephesians 3:18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is

 

+ 1 John 4:11-12 Beloved, if God loved us, we should also love one another.  No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us, perfecting His love in us.

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FURTHER READINGS 

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 Proverbs 22

Psalm 70

Ecclesiastes 1

Isaiah 2

1 Kings 19

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[sidebaxolotl]

I have a question for you if you wouldn’t mind answering. I’m a lesbian and I’ve been considering turning to religion and being side b, but my main question is why would God want me to suffer this much? Why would He let me date my girlfriend for 3 years, all of which has been blissfully happy and feels totally right and good, if He really wants me to give it all up and break both of our hearts? It doesn’t feel like sin to me. We didn’t even sleep with each other until we’d been together for a year because I found it very hard to get over my shame and they waited for me the entire time. Isn’t there that verse about the fruit something brings? Being a lesbian has brought nothing but joy into my life. In fact, the only suffering it’s caused me is when I used to try to be side b. I don’t see why God would want that for me if He allowed me to be made a lesbian.

And to be honest, it seems like most of the side b people I know struggle a lot with being side b, like it doesn’t come naturally to them. I wonder how you reconcile that difficulty and pain with believing that a good God would want this for you. You could make the argument that Satan wants you to suffer and is causing your temptation, but if that’s the case why doesn’t God just fix it, if He’s all powerful? Maybe He wants me to have free will, but I’ve asked Him countless times to make me straight so it’s not like I want to be gay.

Anyway, sorry for the rant. I just find this sort of thing really hard to wrap my head around, but I want there to be a good answer that I can hold on to.

Hey friend! To be honest I do understand where you're coming from. My relationship with my ex was one of the most wonderful things ive ever felt, and it did feel right and very good, unlike a lot of the sin in my life. Even now I struggle sometimes to reconcile that and I know if things hadn't ended so badly I'd be in your situation right now. I also prayed many times that God would make me straight (and for a while I thought it worked lmao). For a long time after The Breakup I struggled really hard with what to do, i was struggling with lesbian erotica/fandom content, wondering what to do with my faith, wondering if I should force myself to marry a man, crying out to God to curse Him or blame Him for my situation, for taking her away from me, etc. I fell into a very deep depression and was very close to unaliving myself over it (and other things). I had to go on medication for an extended period of time because I did not want to live. It was a really rough time in my life and I'm glad despite all the things that I said and did out of grief that I made it out of that period of my life with my relationship to God in tact. Letting go of sin, particularly sexuality related sin can be really hard because sin doesn't always feel bad. A lot of sin does and has immediate consequences, which makes it particularly easy to avoid/stop doing but a lot of it doesn't. We live in a world where sin has permeated the deepest reaches of our universe and our own bodies. Our own judgement apart from Christ cannot always be trusted:

"The heart is deceitful above all things,     and desperately sick;     who can understand it?" Jeremiah 17:9

So it might not feel bad or wrong(it still doesn't feel that way to me personally), but we know God is objectively good and knows what is best, so if He says its bad, then its bad. There are reasons for this, but that's beyond the scope of this post so maybe another time. What I will also say though, is that the Christian life is hard in general and suffering is guaranteed. The apostles suffered--many of them endured gruesome deaths for the sake of the gospel, and even Jesus, the author and sustainer of our faith was abandoned by his friends and made to unjustly die on a cross with common criminals. If the son of God, the prince of peace, could not escape this fate then neither will we. This particular passage comes to mind:

"But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps" 1 Peter 2

The thing about Christian suffering is that none of it is meaningless. Because of God's grace and mercy He can use something that was never meant to exist (suffering and pain) and use it to bring us closer to Him and help build us into the people we should be, emulating God's character and love. These are some verses about suffering in regards to faith that I've found particularly helpful or enlightening:

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal" 2 Cor 4:16-18 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" James 1:2-4

And as Christians we know for sure our suffering is not eternal. When we shed this mortal coil we will never feel the sting of sin ever again. And when the New heavens and the New earth are brought to fruition we will experience life as it always was supposed to be. And even now my life isn't just suffering. I'm doing very well now. I'm no longer depressed, I'm off medication (with doctor approval). I genuinely love my life. I'm super satisfied with being single, i freaking love it honestly lol. And my relationship with God is stronger than its ever been. Being side b isn't always easy but it really is not a death sentence devoid of happiness either!

[krisseratops]

Hi cupcake! Anti-Venom and 2, 4 and 12 for the ask game?

Hi honeybun! Sorry for the delay, I was busy horsing around! And thank you so much for the ask, I will try to not spontaneously combust while talking about my fave! And you did ask about my fave, so you brought this on yourself! Here we go!

2. Favourite canon thing about this character?

Before I start, I have to let you know, I am Indecisive(TM). As fuck. Which means I often don't have favourites simply because I cannot choose which one to pick. And also there are so many things about him that I love. Like his design. I love all the symbiotes but there is just something about his face and the way he looks that scratches my brain just right and makes me go apeshit. And that he is a wet pathetic dumbass extraordinaire, worse than when he is Venom even though he desperately tries to pretend like he's got his shit together. Like, they were always idiots but I swear Symby took half the braincells in the divorce, and when he got Anti they had to split what was left. And of course the whole religious nut messiah complex is funny as hell. Also little things like the way using his healing powers leaves him conked out, and the way he grows tiny spikes all over when he gets agitated or upset. God I love his little spikes. And also the way he embodies the whole "If I cannot be wanted, I will be needed, and if I cannot be needed I will be used until there is nothing left". Aughhh.

4. If you could put this character in any other media, be it a book, a movie, anything, what would you put them in?

I actually don’t do a lot of crossovers between different media, as I usually prefer putting my blorbos in situations in their own universe, or completely off the shits headcanons. But remember that story idea about symbiotes disguising themselves while in the spider verse? Yeah, I've stuck him in the spider verse a number of times for shits and giggles. Also because the multiverse means unlimited potential for settings and situations for them all to get roped into. Otherwise I do like putting him in medieval or fantasy settings, usually in multiverse context, because symbiote dragons babey!

12. What's a headcanon you have for this character?

Oh my. There are SO MANY HEADCANONS swirling around my noggin. (Like, I use canon for cherry picking, then take that and bits and pieces of fanon and anything I can find that I like and put it in a blender, then fill the gaps with whatever headcanons I feel like. Just frankensteining together several versions of him in my head that are between 30-80% headcanon, I keep them on rotation for whatever fits the mood.) One of my main headcanons is that Anti-Venom survives the spider island event. Simply because I don’t want him to die, and for fanfic plot reasons so that he and Agent Venom get more fun times together ;). I have a few different takes on how exactly the symbiote lives on, but it's kinda similar to how Carnage had bonded so closely with its host that it never really left, and could regenerate itself over time from the smallest traces in his body. Bonus points are that the biblical similarities of Anti-Venom sacrificing itself to save the souls of the innocent by giving up its body, only to rise from the dead some time later would absolutely send Eddie's messiah complex into overdrive and make him even more insufferable. Oh, right, and I should probably also mention that I frequently headcanon Anti-Venom as sentient/sapient. Because I want to, and because it makes things a lot more interesting. But I won't go into more detail about that here or else this will turn into a dissertation.

Hope you enjoyed my ramblings! I think I need to go lie down now...

[psychewritesbs]

Food for thought but here's an interesting video about the psychology of the trinity and I'm curious as to what your thoughts on this and how Gege might be applying this in JJK considering the concept of threes is arguably prevalent in the series.

https://youtu.be/LAR6FPBPbmA?si=61IoNkA2M7w8dPIb

ohoho anon. I even made a little diagram about it that I just absolutely have to share because the brainrot was so good.

This is the thing, maybe this amounts to something, maybe it doesn't, but these are the things my nerdy brain lives for in jjk. ESPECIALLY because they show Gege's level of metaphorical thinking.

I remember this one time this jjk anti told me "I am sure Gege does his research, but jjk is not that deep". Bro... this isn't research, this is deep understanding of the dynamics of the psyche.

Anyways, Analytical Psychology in jjk under the cut'o.

In fact... MBTI anon, this one might be for you... I'd be curious to read your thoughts.

God I missed using that meme.

First things first. Max Derrat! YES. I've only seen a few of his videos, but what I've seen has always been very, very interesting stuff. Guess how I found him?

Dun dun dun...

Jacob's Ladder.

I WILL NEVER SHUT UP ABOUT THIS MOVIE.

So, anyone reading this, go watch the movie and the yt video shared by anon if interested. The movie is a mindfuck, my favorite kind.

About the video...

TLDW; Max basically talks about why the number 3 is considered a sacred number in numerology. For example, Max argues that we often see Gods that come in triads (i.e. Zeus and his brothers Neptune and Hades), but argues that 4 is actually a number of wholeness.

I had rambled about numerology and the significance of 3 and 4 before here. But here's the text again (context: mind = body = soul in jjk as representing the 3 major clans):

Thing is, we are ideally meant to think of it as if this holy trinity (3) makes up one whole together (4). This "whole" is called the Self in Jungian terms, and it is thought to be the entirety of our existence (mind (includes the shadow) + body + soul). Also, from a numerology and esoteric standpoint, you also want to consider that four (the Self) symbolizes stability and order, where three (mind + body + soul) is harmonious but not balanced.

But I really like that Max brought up the Kabbalistic tree of life for his example of why 4 = wholeness. I'm not going to go into all that tho. Suffice it to say he brings up Jung's Answer to Job, which I have not finished reading, but I understand the book is basically Jung rambling about why God is basically an asshole.

Don't quote me on this.

Part of the conclusion that Jung came to is that if God (1) represents "good" then he is not omnipotent because there is an opposite energy to "good", and that is "evil", or Satan (2).

Now, Max talks about how the Holy Trinity (3) represents aspects of God (or something like that), but that Satan, who is on an equal level as God (because good vs evil are opposing energies), got pushed into the shadow (4).

Again, Max does a much better job at explaining how this works, but the whole thing totally reminded me of Jungian typology.

Excuse the chicken scratch.

In the diagram above, you can replace mind (spirit), body (the son), soul (the Father) and (?) with one of the functions from the MBTI.

Mind you, I haven't studied Jungian typology in depth, and I am totally not well-versed on MBTI typology. But the gist of it is that there's 4 functions thinking, feeling, sensation, and intuition. For one reason or another, one becomes dominant, two support the dominant one, and a 4th one is underdeveloped or pushed into the shadow.

You see the pattern?

This is where we come to jjk and the one who might "emerge from the darkness, blacker than darkness. [And] purify that which is impure."

Jujutsu Kaisen

Now. I don't have the most coherent thoughts on the topic tbh. Everything is kind of a bunch of ideas floating around that I'm having a hard time grounding.

But I think of particular interest is the idea of the bath's goal being "being near evil."

But in the original Japanese text, the kanji Ura Ume uses is the kanji for devil/demon, not evil. You know, the function that got pushed into the shadow.

魔

So there's defo something here pointing at the need for wholeness and for bringing the contents of the shadow into consciousness in order to achieve said wholeness.

And what is in the deepest depths of the shadow? The devil himself. Your own worst enemy.

If you haven't already, I recommend you read Ant's meta of Megumi's character (hi Ant). Of particular interest to this whole ramble, is the idea that at the core of individuation, Megumi is being tasked with merging with his shadow and how that has greater implications...

God I love Jujutsu Kaisen...

Anon. THANKS for this ask. I am spoiled with brainrot inducing asks and I am very grateful for it.

[mothgardens]

it is 2am and i am feeling so much sam winchester love rn so here is a list of taylor swift songs i think resonate with him:

1. Anti-Hero

I feel as tho all the lyrics work towards his character.

Mr. Samuel “It’s me, Hi, I’m the problem it’s me… everybody agrees,” Winchester

I should not be left to my own devices -> Dean constantly implies that Sam shouldn’t be left to figure things out on his own. He does this so much that Sam actually confronts him about it, multiple times.

I wake up screaming from dreaming -> Sam used to wake up from his visions freaked the hell out.

The second verse is also very fitting; he always felt like a freak or monster compared to everyone else.

2. Clean

DEMON BLOOD !!!!!!

I think it works really well for his addiction arc because the song is about toxic relationships (aka RUBY).

The drought being the worst -> Being locked in Bobby’s panic room.

The flowers that we grown together died of thirst -> The powers that grew and developed during his addiction and slowly disappeared when he was sobering.

I screamed so loud but no one heard a thing -> Sam was shouting and banging for hours down in the panic room and no one came to check on him until he was quiet.

Ten months older, I wont give in. Now that i’m clean, I’m never gonna risk it -> He never went back

3. Nothing New

Honestly, the whole reason this song is on the list is because of the lyric:

How can a person know everything at 18, but nothing at 22 -> Sam left for Stanford at 18. That was his first taste of freedom; it was his first time deciding something for himself. He was his own person. He had finally escaped. But, then at 22, Dean came and brought him back in. Jess dies. Everything feels lost again.

In general, I think Sam has lost of teenage girl vibes to him tho. This is probably self projection, but I think its true and this is MY analysis so <3.

4. My Tears Ricochet

This song is about Sam and John’s Stanford fight, and general dynamics that they share.

This one is going to get it’s own in depth, dedicated post <3 but some highlights are:

Even on my worst day, did i deserve, all the hell you gave me -> Sam was a child. No matter how arrogant or frustrating he could be, John should have never been so harsh on him. Telling your kid to never come back just because he wants to go to college is INSANE.

And I can go anywhere I want, just not home -> THIS LINE IS SO AHHHHHHH SAMMY.

Cursing my name, wishing i stayed -> John. John. John. Cursing Sam to never return, while simultaneously wishing he had never left.

Cause when I’d fight you used to tell me I was brave -> Parallel, John telling Sam he being brave on a hunt VS John condescendingly saying Sam was being brave for standing up to him.

You had to kill me, but it killed you just the same -> John realizing that Sam might have to die if nothing changes. John giving that responsibility to Dean by giving his life for Dean’s; selfless selfishness.

5. Mirrorball

Mr. Samuel “And when I break, it’s in a million pieces” Winchester

I’m still on that tightrope, I’m still trying everything to get you laughing at me -> Sam continuously tries to do his best under every circumstance. Even though most of the people around him have such little faith in him. He won’t stop trying.

And I’m still a believer, but I don’t know why -> His faith is God and the stereotypical Christian religion in general throughout the series fascinates me. He has very little reason to keep his faith, but he does. Even in later seasons, I think it was s11, when he prays and believes that Lucifer’s visions are actually messages from God.

I’ve never been a natural, all I do is try try try -> Sam doesn’t actually know what he is doing. He uses his training, but that only can get you so far in mental battles with Lucifer or physical battles with God. He does what he thinks is right. He just wants to help.

6. This Is Me Trying

This is also in the works of developing its own post. Highlights include:

I didn’t know if you’d care if i came back, i have a lot of regrets about that -> Sam never got to know if Dean wanted him back. All that time spent at Stanford he had to wonder if his father and brother actually missed him or not.

Could’ve followed my fears all the way down -> This just screams Lucifer trauma to me

THEY TOLD ME ALL MY CAGES WERE MENTAL, SO I GOT WASTED LIKE ALL MY POTENTIAL -> *violently screams and shakes* The visions, Demon blood, Hallucifer, literally anytime Sam is struggling it is brushed off as him being too worked up about it. Dean literally COMPLAINED to Bobby about how much work it was that Sam was mentally ill. LIKE DUDE.

AND MY WORDS SHOOT TO KILL WHEN IM MAD, I HAVE A LOT OF REGRETS ABOUT THAT -> Sam does say shit that is hurtful. He does shit that is bad. It’s usually out of frustration from someone else’s actions towards him. AKA it’s usually towards Dean, when Dean belittles him.

pouring out my heart to a stranger, BUT I DIDNT POUR THE WHISKEY -> Sam vs Dean (this is NOT me belittling Dean’s alcoholism bc i get he has an issue)

That this is me trying, AT LEAST IM TRYING -> Again, Sam is just doing his best.

And it’s hard to be at a party when I when i feel like an open wound -> Sam has to just behave and go through his life normally even when he is struggling with abandonment, addiction, 180 years of every abuse imaginable and unimaginable, guilt, and just so much suffering.

It ’s hard to be anywhere when all i want is you, you’re a flashback -> Sam’s feelings about Jess. I constantly think about that scene in the impala when he tells Dean that he still thinks about her. It had been like twelve or more years. Its so painful.

—

please excuse my typos

i am yet but just a girl

<3

[lethalitisms]

CANON POINT UPDATE PT 1: BEYOND VENOM

It's terrifying to think about. The whole world, resting on their shoulders. Eddie is just a man. Even with his symbiote, underneath it all, he is just a man. What makes him think he can face God?

The voices haunt him deeply. Sometimes, they get so loud he can't hear his other underneath all the noise. Like it's drowning, trapped within it. He knows the feeling. Eddie interlaces the fingers of both his hands, one formed in the black-ichor substance of the symbiote that lives beneath his skin. How many times have they done this song and dance? Separating, hating, reuniting?

Building, destroying, the endless cycles of their lives. Forever bonded in more than just the physical. It's terrifying. Feels like only a week ago they were fighting villains-of-the-day and living paycheck to paycheck ( if they got one at all ). Now they're on the frontlines at the end of the world. Nobody should have to bear this weight, not even Eddie with his bottomless pit of sins to atone for.

He can't stop thinking about it. About his family now. They have a family now. His son, his symbiote spawn, his symbiote partner, and his wife. God, his wife. Is that what she is, now? Is he allowed to call her that?

WHAT'S UP GUYS ! Time for a canon point update! Lots of things have happened between then and . . . now. But there's also one more canon point udpate to come later, for development reasons. It's a pretty big leap between now and there, so I've decided to split it up a bit. For fun and for angst. And also that plot-points list is a bit long already as it is. The new canon point right now takes place during Beyond Venom #5, after the defeat of the alternate-verse Codex but before the little timeskip. There's a lot to go through, so bare with me here.

PLOT POINTS:

So, God is coming. Family, amiright? Knull, god of the symbiotes, is coming down to Earth and it's, uh, quite intense. Eddie and the symbiote have worked together to fuck him up big time, but it cooked the symbiote in the process. So, for a while, it lost all of its "light", so to speak. Its personality, its sense of self. Eddie was fucking devastated.

There's also a Carnage cult ( again ). Carnage was one of the first symbiote spawns, bonded to Cletus Kassidy, and they sort of wreaked a lot of havoc until they were shot up in space to die. This cult believes they can resurrect him . . .

Eddie and the symbiote have . . . another kid! Dylan! When Anne bonded to the symbiote that one time a very long time ago, the symbiote had been preparing to have another spawn. But since it was bonded to Eddie for some time before her already, it had a piece of him ( quite literally, his semen ) with it. And so, Dylan was conceived. Dylan believed he was Eddie's little brother for a bit, but the cat got out of the bag at some point.

Here's where I do a little canon divergence. The Maker ( don't worry about him, some multiverse stuff ) helped Eddie to reveal that the symbiote was altering his memories. Well, I'm doing away with some of that because it doesn't really make a lot of sense, because I want to keep Mary Brock in the picture ( in a manner of speaking ). I am keeping is that the symbiote did manipulate him into believing that Mary died of cancer; she is still alive, and Eddie hasn't spoken to her in many years, which pokes a hole in the symbiote's false memories. How would he know if she or anybody that knew her wouldn't think to contact him?

Additionally, I'm omitting the car-crash backstory bits, because it removes a very pivotal moment in Eddie's life I feel matters to how I write him ( not by much if it's not brought up, mind you ). I used to want to keep it in, but the more I thought about it the less I liked it.

SPEAKING OF CATS. . . Sleeper ( the youngest of the symbrock family ) is back from their trip to space. Uh, they don't really touch on this much in the comics, but could be an interesting dynamic for anyone interested in bringing it up. Hehe.

So, the symbiote's "light" is back. But not without a few consequences. Carnage is also in there in his brain, so he went to a remote island he "vacationed" on a long time ago to take him down. He lost his left hand in the process, but he got back his symbiote! So that's a win.

You thought they completely killed Knull back there? Nuh-uh. Remember that Carnage cult I mentioned earlier? Well, they bonded Cletus' body with a piece of Knull, so he's kind of that god's prophet. And God is still gonna be heading over to earth and fucking shit up. Eddie and the symbiote are gonna have fun with nightmares for a while.

The symbiote curses for the first time. Not like it doesn't know what cursing is. It just never really found a reason to do so until they popped into an alternate dimension ( again ).

Eddie got to see Anne, his ex-wife, in an alternate dimension ( again, don't worry about it ). She'd died quite some time ago ( but she got the chance to divorce him before then ) and they somewhat rekindled the flame? It's complicated. The symbiote is chill with that.

He and the rest of the symbiote task force ( once again, don't worry about it ) have defeated Codex, the version of Dylan in this Anne's dimension, and things are all good. Now they gotta wait 5 years 1 year to get back to their home dimension . . .

And now they're here again.

NEW ABILITIES:

Spider-sense ( advanced ); the symbiote has inherited Spider-Man’s spider-sense, allowing it to feel when danger is imminent, and can warn the host ahead of time. However, after it’s reconnection to the Hive, it has been capable of sensing more things in the atmosphere. The symbiote can predict oncoming weather weeks or months in advance, as well as their general location, and whether or not someone is lying to them.

Filtered breathing; the symbiote has no need to breathe oxygen and is capable of storing it within their form. If a host is underwater, it can provide that oxygen directly into their lungs, allowing them to practically breathe underwater or avoid suffocation by other substances.

Dragon wings; the symbiote can allow its host to fly by sprouting dragon's wings.

Ok so these are ... less new abilities more like abilities I forgot to mention and were relevant a bit more in the new canon ( except for the dragon wings, that's new ).

OTHER CHANGES:

Eddie will seem a little more jumpy than usual. He's freaked out by the fact that the god of symbiotes kind of hates the hell out of him specifically.

Because he's Going Through It, Eddie will shave and cut his hair a lot less regularly. So sometimes he'll have longer hair, sometimes a beard or some scruff. The symbiote prefers him clean shaven. But, again, he's going through it rn.

During his time back on Venom Island ( yes, it's called that ), Eddie lost his left hand. So, when he's bonded with the symbiote, it will form a hand for him. When it's not, there's a stump that ends not too far from his wrist. I'm gonna go ahead and say I'm keeping it that way, even if they practically retcon this later, because I want him to feel pain.

Also? During his time battling with that Carnage manifestation, it carved big block letters into his back that reads "GOD IS COMING" and it never really gets mentioned again. But I'm saying it's staying there for a good long while, because that's a bit freaky.

I will not drop any threads currently ongoing! But I'll be more inclined to start new ones. Indie threads, we'll figure it out. Hold my hand and walk into the light with me . . . wait, is that an oncoming train? ( /j we can do whatever we want basically )

[a-god-in-ruins-rises]

continuing on the topic of jesus and early christianity. i said that he was executed for insurrection.

the narrative is something like this: second temple judaism is very theologically diverse. lots of revolutionary fervor. lots of messiah claimants and new cults/sects abounding. comparable to america's "great awakenings". jesus was one of these new preachers. he had unique and compelling ideas about the jewish religion and society.

he probably genuinely believed himself to be the messiah, the destined king of the jews who will gather the jews and restore israel as a fully sovereign kingdom before ushering in the kingdom of god. this idea is obviously insurrectionary, considering israel was currently under roman control.

and i think it was bart ehrman who i first saw point out that jesus never really publicly proclaims that he is the messiah. up until his trial, he only ever seems to mention that he's the messiah in private to his disciples. which obviously makes sense because, again, claiming to be the messiah would have been insurrectionary. he probably wanted to keep this shit on the down-low.

and i think this is why judas betrayed him. i think judas got spooked. i think he recognized how heavy this kind of talk is. i remember there is a verse where jesus tells his disciples (including judas btw) that after the son of man (jesus) sits on his throne they would sit on their own thrones to rule over the tribes of israel.

so imagine if you're judas. just some guy. following this preacher around. you guys got a little gang going. you roam around preaching together. then he reveals to you that he's not just an ordinary preacher; he's actually the messiah. but not only that. he tells you that once he has his kingdom he will essentially make you a prince.

that's a lot to take in. that's heavy stuff. judas' thought process was probably something like "whoa. is this guy delusional? is he really saying this shit? the romans crucify people for talking like this all the time! holy shit he's going to get us all killed. i need to get out of here fast. maybe i can be spared if i turn him in." and that's what he did.

the real historical judas probably did really betray the historical jesus. but the narrative was probably a bit different from how it's presented in the story. i mean, come on. the very first think pilate asks jesus when he's brought to him is "are you the king of the jews?" it's obviously that /someone/ informed him that jesus was going around claiming to be the messiah in private. he didn't come out and say "come on jesus. are you committing blasphemy against jewish law? you are? well i guess i'll kill you because i care so much about jewish blasphemy for some reason." no, pontius pilate gave two shits about that. but he gave a lot of shit about killing insurrectionists considering rome has had a lot of problems with judaean insurrections since they've taken over.

and of course jesus has been going around telling all of his followers that he was the messiah. and now they're all watching him, at the feet of roman power, being challenged over this claim. he couldn't really deny it because then he'd look like a coward or a liar in the eyes of his followers. so of course he owns it. and they kill him for it. and i don't think jesus really planned on it.

[superbeaverstan]

幸せのために生きているだけさ / Shiawase no Tame ni Ikiteiru dake sa / I Live for Happiness

Welp, I'm (not yet really) back from the dead just for this! It's been such a long time since I last posted here (and actually translated something HAHA) (edit: WOW MY LAST POST HERE WAS MORE THAN A YEAR AGO WHAT). I've been real busy with real life - work, work, and did I say work? :(( I miss having lots of time HAHA ;_; also, life update - I took the JLPT N4 exam last December and passed woo thus the inactivity here :))

ANYWAY, enough of me. Let's talk about this song. This song was so beautiful, so heartfelt, it brought me out of depression inactivity. God they did it again: Yanagi's lyrics, together with Buyan's emotional vocals in this song - just hit me so hard I was CRYING HARD after listening to this the first time :(( The words they used in the song may be mostly simple (and I love it so much because it makes translating relatively easier - but definitely STILL NOT EASY), but the message was so so so meaningful. Especially the whole second verse + second pre-chorus where they speak about how we try to understand ourselves and the people around us better. If we try to understand people without understanding/knowing ourselves first, then we're more likely to hurt the other people because we'd only be showing them someone who isn't the real us just to ~please~ them. We can't become someone else just to conform, but we are all beautifully unique, and no matter our differences, we all deserve the true happiness that we all strive for.

Aaahhhhhh idk I feel like this is a ~sequel~ to Shiawase HAHAHA this is now my second most fave song from Super Beaver fr fr :(((

ANYHOO TRANSLATION BELOW MAY OR MAY NOT BE ACCURATE WILL PROBABLY HAVE MISTAKES ALSO MOST OF THESE ARE BASED ON MY OWN UNDERSTANDING OF THE CONTEXT OF THE WHOLE SONG SO please do tell if misunderstood anything or whatever (I may have passed N4 but my Japanese is still wonky, especially my translation because whoooooo)

--

ありふれちゃいない ただひとりの　ただひとつの 孤独がある 涙隠して　それでも行く 自分だけが　理由を知る

明けない夜は無いとしても 明けないで欲しい夜もあると 涙まじりに　零れた声 無いものにはしたくないな

一つになれるなら　愛なんて　誰も謳いはしない

幸せのために生きているだけさ 幸せに捧ぐ　孤独で涙だ 歓ぶ顔見て　救われる心 夜を超えていく　理由もまた人 全てが繋がる　全てが始まる 幸せのために生きていくだけなのさ

ありふれちゃいない ただひとりの ただひとつの 過去を背負い 分かり合うほど 傷ついたり 分かり合えず 自分を知る

何者でもない ただ自分 他の誰にも成れないよ 何者かになるのではなく どんな自分に成れるだろう

一つになれるなら 愛なんて 誰も謳いはしない

幸せのために生きているだけさ

幸せのために生きているだけさ 幸せに捧ぐ 孤独で涙だ 歓ぶ顔見て 救われる心 夜を超えていく理由もまた人 全てが繋がる 全てが始まる 幸せのために生きていくだけさ 歓ぶあなたと生きていくだけさ 幸せのために生きていくだけなのさ

歓ぶ���に どれだけ救われてきただろう

ありふれちゃいない ただひとりを ただひとつを ともに謳う

--

Arifurechainai Tada hitori no tada hitotsu no Kodoku ga aru Namida kakushite sore demo iku Jibun dake ga riyuu wo shiru

Akenai yoru wa nai toshitemo Akenai de hoshii yoru mo aru to Namida majiri ni koboreta koe Naimono ni wa shitakunai na

Hitotsu ni nareru nara ai nante dare mo utai wa shinai

Shiawase no tame ni ikiteiru dake sa Shiawase ni sasagu kodoku de namida da Yorokobu kao mite sukuwareru kokoro Yoru wo koeteiku riyuu mo mata hito Subete ga tsunagaru subete ga hajimaru Shiawase no tame ni ikiteiku dake na no sa

Arifurechainai Tada hitori no tada hitotsu no Kako wo seoi Wakariau hodo kizutsuitari Wakariaezu jibun wo shiru

Nanimono demo nai tada jibun Hoka no dare ni mo narenai yo Nanimono ka ni naru no de wa naku Donna jibun ni nareru darou

Hitotsu ni nareru nara ai nante dare mo utai wa shinai

Shiawase no tame ni ikiteiru dake sa

Shiawase no tame ni ikiteiru dake sa Shiawase ni sasagu kodoku de namida da Yorokobu kao mite sukuwareru kokoro Yoru wo koeteiku riyuu mo mata hito Subete ga tsunagaru subete ga hajimaru Shiawase no tame ni ikiteiku dake sa Yorokobu anata to ikiteiku dake sa Shiawase no tame ni ikiteiku dake na no sa

Yorokobu sugata ni doredake sukuwaretekita darou

Arifurechainai Tada hitori wo tada hitotsu wo Tomo ni utau

--

It's not ordinary In each one of us, there's just one thing Just a single loneliness that exists We hide those tears, and then move forward Only the self knows the reason for that (loneliness)

Endless nights may not exist, but even then There are times I wish (some) nights won't end In between tears, a voice seeps out It's something I don't want to fade away

If I could become one thing, It's to be that person who'll shout of love when no one else will

I live just for the sake of happiness These tears caused by the loneliness, I give them up for happiness A heart saved just by seeing the face of someone full of joy That person's the reason why I can get through each night as well It brings everything together, all things begin from here I continue to live just for the sake of such happiness

It's not ordinary There's only one, just one A past that each of us bears on our own The more we (try to) understand each other, the more we get hurt Without understanding the other, we understand ourselves

May it be this or that (kind of person), it's still one's self That self can't become another person Because the self can't be someone else I wonder, what kind of self could it become?

If I could become one thing, It's to be that person who'll shout of love when no one else will

I live just for the sake of happiness

I live just for the sake of happiness These tears caused by the loneliness, I give them up for happiness A heart saved just by seeing the face of someone full of joy That person's the reason why I can get through each night as well It brings everything together, all things begin from here I continue to live just for the sake of happiness I continue to live just to be with you who's full of happiness I continue to live just for the sake of such happiness

I wonder how many times I've been saved by this kind of happiness?

It's not ordinary There's just one person, just one thing To shout aloud with you

[hellsgreatestshow]

Eden; God

This is lore for my muses built with the help of @hellsgreatestgame. We have carefully worked together to build and expand the Hella-Verse. All these ideas are mine and not to be used by anyone else without permission. A lot of time and effort went into every detail or my lore. Currently all world building can also be shared with @hellsgreatestperformance.

The next few post will be covering paradise and the fall from grace. Each post will cover a various view point of one of my muses that witness this and damage from the aftermath from it's devastation.

God was void brought to life allowing him to be the perfect being. He was everything and is everything. From him the universe sprang forth and he created the heavens first. From there he set forth a brilliant plan to create the tapestry of the perfect being.

Several clutches of angels began to come and he tasked this perfect beings to aid him for all eternity in his grand design.

He sculpted out universes, beings and monster beyond fathomable reason. Each was one step in his road to creating a perfect soul. One that not even he could control.

Finally he had formed it in the creation of man. From the dust on this marble in the heavens Eden was formed serving a link between paradise and heaven.

Eden was made to service the humans as God could observe these beings in harmony and learn from them. However his plan was imperfect. In his haste the tree of knowledge sprouted from the soil producing rotten fruit. This became to be forbidden from the humans because God knew that this fruit would led to something he could not bare.

The first humans, Lilith and Adam did not mind. The two had a blessed life. They were even more wonderful than God could have dreamed. With free will came mystery. For the first time in all of creation, the possibilities were endless. Humans could do or be anything.

In his folly, he fell to his own pride. With his obsession with the humans, he had forsaken the angels. He had been blinded to the strife he unknowingly caused.

In the confusion, he missed had not been able to stop or predict that Lilith and Lucifer had become dangerously entangled.

Feeling betrayed by his beloved star and his favorite creation, God confronted the two. He soon discovered the intimate affair between the two and with no other option knowing the pain these two would cause on Eden, he banished the two from Eden into a desolate oasis outside of the now gated Eden.

This punishment only pained those whom he sought to protect. Adam was forlorn without purpose and so he took a rib from him creating his perfect compliment. It is from them legends and the term soul mate.

Things begun once more but the happiness was shattered quickly as Lucifer had returned to Eden. He seduced Eve. She took a bite of the apple and thus brought calamity to Eden.

Paradise fell soiled by the betrayal. God had no choice but to further punish all involved. This happened on the sixth day.

With great pain he sent humans to Earth breaking the connection to heaven. Lucifer was cast into a world of his own pained creation with his love by his side while God made an effort to rebuild what he could.

On the seventh day god mourned the lost before he set forth new more strict laws placing a council in heaven ordained by the righteous and those holy enough to be placed as a virtue among the angels.

He spent many years trying to repair the damage however he never recovered and ultimately left heaven. Currently it is unknown his whereabouts.

[the-storyteller-and-her-soldiers]

Spidersona THE SEQUEL!

As mentioned previously I was able to see the new Spider-Verse movie AND IT WAS AWESOME!! I also have a ton of points that I need to scream about! If you need the basics that'll be here and if you want her origin that's here

Thoughts on the characters

Firstly, I saw the movie and really am in love with Miguel's character. Though no shame here, but X-readers who say he's sadistic did we watch the same movie? Talking about the same man?? Yes, he is rough and quick to temper with Miles BUT sadistic?? No, I can't see it but you do you!

I LOVE HOW THEY FLESHED OUT GWEN AND MILES! My baby siblings. My heart aches for them so bad

IF ANYTHING BAD HAPPENS TO PAVITR I SWEAR TO GOD!

I'm surprised but not displeased by the pronunciation of Hobie's name. All in all very cool guy!

PETER B AS A DAAAAAAAAAD WITH HIS WIFE MJ!!! AND MAYDAY ESP WITH MIGUEL MY BELOVEDS! (Platonically)

Spidersona Development (Spoiler Territory!)

Miles is the original anomaly, yes! BUT my s/i deals with Miguel first since all that he saw in their universe was too much to ignore.

That being said, where Miles was ignored, I was brought into Spider Society almost like an experiment since my 'canon' is so different.

For example, a Spider-person can't save the police commander they're close to. Rebecca doesn't have that. Her 'equivalent' was her dad being Military Captain who walked out on her a year into being Spider-Man. Yet Rebecca doesn't feel remorseful for not keeping him around. If anything, she resents him.

She also has a unique power as well. She can teleport. It's only when she feels threatened and when the threat isn't looking (IE Blinking, peripheral vision, stuff like that). She used to think it was only small distances but now is not sure. It does drain her though.

Yes, she is a little shit about it to Miguel.

She also has never glitched within other dimensions, even without Miguel's Multiverse Wristband.

She believes that this is because she got her powers from the Web-Weaver who may or may not have a hand in the Web of Life that connects all spider-people together. As she puts it to Miguel, "I got my powers from him and his purpose is to hunt me down! Wouldn't be fun for him if I got glitchy on the run... Not to mention things like the time-loop had to be a pocket-dimension."

Miguel has no reason not to believe it, given the evidence he's seen, but HATES it nonetheless since it can contradict all he believes in if the two discuss for too long.

Miguel makes her wear a wristband anyway. "Just so he can keep track of her" But Rebecca is sure while Jessica Drew, Lyla, and Peter B. know that there's another reason..!

She and Lyla are besties who try to get their leader to lighten up out of care for him.

Rebecca does joke about stealing Lyla away if the grumpiness ever gets too much for her.

Rebecca is always quick to try and defend Miles and the other teen spiders who get in Miguel's way.

In times during Across The Spider-Verse, Miguel has her working with him a lot. Even going as far as to trust her with certain things such as helping her hunt down Miles.

But she can understand where the kids are coming from and approaches Gwen, Hobie, and Pavitr to work with them since the Web of Life, Canon Events, and everything don't make sense to her. She believes she can't be the only exception to this. She also wants to keep families together and well since she knows the pain of a broken one.

This has led to a moment where Miguel lashes out as a confession and yells "YOU'RE THE EXCEPTION! To... to the Web of Life, to the Arachnoid Humanoid Poly-Multiverse, to ME!"

Rebecca is both flattered and softened since she knew he had feelings and she felt the same BUT SHE HATES being 'the exception'

Misc Stuff

When she first saw The Spot she low-key fangirled! He reminds her of the art style of one of her fave vocaloid songs music videos "Dramaturgy"

She pauses the fight so that she can show him if he's willing!

She wants to be his friend but also DON'T DESTROY THINGS PLEASE!!

She will try to hear out villains before just beating them up.

She can and has killed a villain since they were really into doing some beyond messed up shit. No qualms about it either...

She always has music on or is playing a game, sometimes both, in her downtime.

Miguel scolded her about it one time and she served him 3 doctor's notes. He can't say she isn't prepared.

She likes to use her webbing like a whip as her main form of combat style!

Her main goal is to make those around her days a little brighter. If she does so, then she's happy!

Gwen has her music, Miles has art, Rebecca has her writing!

She's always listening to something different and said music often contrasts her outfit (IE She has a pretty pink dress on with ribbons and frills? It's emo and punk-rock. She's wearing black, ripped pants, and her combat boots? It's cutesy-vocaloid and chill lofi on her phone)

Rarely ever wears her spider suit in Spider Society since she usually just pops in whenever.

She's into theater and musicals too! (So goodness help everyone)

She gets more injuries in her civilian life than she does as Spider-Girl

Taglist: @disneymarina @maskedanarchy-ships @floweringforgetfulness @singingdeepinme @violetsandmilk @nyandereneko @canongf @goldenworldsabound @wanderers-wife

[lovesongbracket]

Reminder: Vote based on the song, not the artist or specific recording! The tracks referenced are the original artist, aside from a few rare cases where a cover is the most widely known.

Lyrics, videos, info, and notable covers under the cut. (Spotify playlist available in pinned post)

When We Were Young

Written By: Tobias Jesso Jr. & Adele

Artist: Adele

Released: 2015

Newly-returned pop icon Adele worked with songwriter Tobias Jesso Jr. and producer Ariel Rechtshaid on the “‘70s styled shimmery disco ballad” “When We Were Young,” the second single from her album 25. She indicated in her Rolling Stone feature that the Elton John inspired ballad was her favorite on 25. The piano used on the recording belonged to iconic minimalist composer Philip Glass. The piano is in Jesso’s grandmother’s house. Adele explained, “It used to be this mad party house and for some reason [Glass’s] piano was there so we wrote the song on that.” In a town hall interview for SiriusXM’s The Spectrum, Adele described the setting of “When We Were Young” as a party with old friends and acquaintances, with “everyone that you’ve ever fallen out with, everyone that you’ve ever loved, everyone that you’ve never loved…And you’re all thrown together at this party when you’re like 50, and it doesn’t matter and you have so much fun and you feel like you’re 15 again.”

[Verse 1] Everybody loves the things you do From the way you talk to the way you move Everybody here is watching you 'Cause you feel like home, you're like a dream come true But if by chance you're here alone Can I have a moment before I go? 'Cause I've been by myself all night long Hoping you're someone I used to know [Pre-Chorus] You look like a movie You sound like a song My God, this reminds me Of when we were young [Chorus] Let me photograph you in this light In case it is the last time that we might Be exactly like we were before we realised We were sad of getting old, it made us restless It was just like a movie It was just like a song [Verse 2] I was so scared to face my fears Nobody told me that you'd be here And I swear you'd moved overseas That's what you said when you left me [Pre-Chorus] You still look like a movie You still sound like a song My God, this reminds me Of when we were young [Chorus] Let me photograph you in this light In case it is the last time that we might Be exactly like we were before we realised We were sad of getting old, it made us restless It was just like a movie It was just like a song [Refrain] (When we were young) (When we were young) (When we were young) (When we were young) [Bridge] It's hard to admit that everything just takes me back To when you were there, to when you were there And a part of me keeps holding on just in case it hasn't gone 'Cause I still care, do you still care? [Breakdown] It was just like a movie It was just like a song My God, this reminds me Of when we were young [Refrain] (When we were young) (When we were young) (When we were young) (When we were young) [Chorus] Let me photograph you in this light In case it is the last time that we might Be exactly like we were before we realised We were sad of getting old, it made us restless Oh, I'm so mad I'm getting old, it makes me reckless It was just like a movie It was just like a song When we were young

I Don't Want to Miss a Thing

Written By: Diane Warren

Artist: Aerosmith

Released: 1998

“I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” was Aerosmith’s first number one song. It was featured in the movie Armageddon, which starred Steven Tyler’s daughter, Liv Tyler. U2 was originally asked to perform this song for the movie—the idea for Aerosmith performing it only came after Liv was cast. Aerosmith’s guitarist Joe Perry explained to Classic Rock magazine in 2002: “At the time, we just didn’t have the time to settle down and do it. We were out on the road, so they brought us in to see the movie and said ‘here’s the song, this is where it fits into the movie, you can do it if you want.’ So we were in the studio within the next three days cutting it. And yeah, we do wish that we’d had a little more time, so that we could have had a shot at writing it, but it was perfect timing. The song was great, people loved it, and I don’t think people care that much who wrote it.” Spinner claims that songwriter Diane Warren intended the song to be for Celine Dion.

[Verse 1] I could stay awake just to hear you breathin' Watch you smile while you are sleeping While you're far away and dreaming I could spend my life in this sweet surrender I could stay lost in this moment forever Where every moment spent with you is a moment I treasure [Chorus] Don't wanna close my eyes I don't wanna fall asleep 'Cause I'd miss you, babe And I don't wanna miss a thing 'Cause even when I dream of you (Even when I dream) The sweetest dream would never do I'd still miss you, babe And I don't wanna miss a thing [Verse 2] Lying close to you, feeling your heart beating And I'm wondering what you're dreaming Wonderin' if it's me you're seeing Then I kiss your eyes and thank God we're together And I just wanna stay with you In this moment forever Forever and ever [Chorus] I don't wanna close my eyes I don't wanna fall asleep 'Cause I'd miss you, babe And I don't wanna miss a thing 'Cause even when I dream of you (Even when I dream) The sweetest dream would never do I'd still miss you, babe And I don't wanna miss a thing [Bridge] I don't wanna miss one smile I don't wanna miss one kiss Well, I just wanna be with you Right here with you, just like this I just wanna hold you close I feel your heart so close to mine And just stay here in this moment For all the rest of time Yeah (Yeah) Yeah (Yeah) Yeah! [Chorus] Don't wanna close my eyes Don't wanna fall asleep 'Cause I'd miss you, babe And I don't wanna miss a thing 'Cause even when I dream of you (Even when I dream) The sweetest dream would never do I'd still miss you, babe And I don't wanna miss a thing [Chorus] I don't wanna close my eyes I don't wanna fall asleep 'Cause I'd miss you, babe And I don't wanna miss a thing 'Cause even when I dream of you The sweetest dream would never do I'd still miss you, babe And I don't wanna miss a thing [Outro] Don't wanna close my eyes I don't wanna fall asleep, yeah I don't wanna miss a thing

[talenlee]

Who Rules You

I’m not trying to make every consideration of my fundamentalist history this year focus in some way on The Locked Tomb but it’s just very helpful, and since it’s what put it in my mind, I figure it’s what I’m going to be using as my lens. Particularly because as I engage with that fandom I hear people, totally normal and regular people, react to things in the book that reveal to me more ways in which my upbringing was in fact, completely and utterly horseradished.

Let me talk to you of John Gaius, the Emperor Eternal, God with a soft G, and his part in my upbringing.

John Gaius, Jod for short going forward, is a major character in the story of The Locked Tomb. It may constitute a spoiler to inform you that those books feature a character with that name and that title and that he’s, like, a dude who shows up in those books and is kinda a dick, but I don’t think that’s the kind of spoiler for a book series that merits a serious warning. However, in my effort to be nice to people who are big crybaby wenuses about this kind of thing, I will say, here and now, beyond this point, I’m going to talk about a character in a book. I’m going to imply that the guy who became the God-Emperor of Mankind and the Undying Necrolord may have done some fucked up shit.

You will cope.

When conversation about the world of the Locked Tomb turns to John Gaius, a few things come up pretty quickly. One, that the Emperor fucks, two that the Emperor looks like Taika Watiti and therefore, well, duh, and then three that God was a twitch streamer and how weird it is, how unexpected this is. For this end I’d like to let you know that cults form over communication networks in which you can isolate people, ideally without leaving them feeling like they’re being isolated. Cults have been formed over the radio, cults have been formed via pamphlets and newsletter. Cults have been constructed through every means of interface, and there are already multiple examples of cults being formed, via youtube and twitch.

I completely seriously mean this when I say that one of the major political parties of the United States is functionally, a cult that got its operation happening thanks to twitter.

This led to my first realisation: A lot of people don’t really realise they’ve seen a real bastard before. There’s I think an impetus for people who haven’t dealt with them up close to see the humanity in everyone, to see ways to forgive and be kind to a lot of people. This is usually brought up in the context of prison, as if prison is somehow a reasonable system for finding bad people, and it sort of white-washes together criminals and bad people, two groups that don’t really have that much overlap.

Our cult leader was, well, unremarkable. He was heavy set in the middle, bald, had glasses, a wife, a daughter, and a kinda-adopted daughter, I never got the long and short of that scenario. The dude could quote scripture and espouse ideas and present rhetorical frameworks that were consistently good at making you think he’d answered you, and then build over and over again on that impression such that you could very easily think that maybe you had gotten an answer and just not understood it. It wasn’t the kind of thing that would stand up to an inquisitive, concentrated and confrontational mind, but the good news is that cults select away from that kind of thing. Fundamentalists drive out those to whom critical thinking comes too easily because they can’t be happy under fundamentalism.

Our church signed onto a pledge that specifically stated its goal was to isolate us in our communities. The phrasing was different – it was that to defend our beliefs in the truth of the Bible, we had to do what the Bible said, and quoted a bunch of verses:

1. Separation from doctrinal schismatics and apostates;

a. “Mark them” (Philippians 3:17-18) b. “Avoid them” (Romans 16:1718) c. “Identity them” (I Timothy 1:20; II Timothy 1:15; 4:14) d. “From such turn away” (II Timothy 3:5) e. “Reprove them” (Ephesians 5:11) f. “Have no fellowship with them”(Ephesians 5:11) g. “Be not unequally yoked together with” (II Corinthians 6:14-16) h. “Come out from among them” (II Corinthians 6:17) i. “Reject” (Titus 3:10)

2. Separation from disobedient saints and appeasers;

a. “Note that man” (I Thessalonians 3:14) b. “Withdraw yourself”(II Thessalonians3:6) c. “Have no company with”(II Thessalonians 3:15) d. “Rebuke them sharply” (Titus 1:13) [20]  e. “Admonish him as a brother” (II Thessalonians 3:15) f. “Count him not an enemy” (II Thessalonians 3:15) g. “Keep not company” (I Corinthians 5:11) h. “With such an one not to eat” (I Corinthians 5:11)

And while adhering to this separatist position, that we “let brotherly love continue” (Hebrews 13:1)

Source

This was an isolation tactic, done to ensure that we in our churches saw any dissent from our fundamentalist worldview as being an attack on our faith. We had to drive away those people, because the Bible said we had to, as stated by our articles of faith that were written and drawn out by men.

Notice though, the framing? Check out there, one of those quotes: “Mark Them.” Phillippians 3:17-18. How the fuck is that one two-word phrase in two verses? Does one end with ‘mark’ and the other begin with ‘them?’

The full quote is this:

17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark those who so walk, as ye have us for an example.

18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often and now tell you even with weeping, as the enemies of the cross of Christ.

Notice the phrase ‘mark them’ is used to evoke the idea of eschewing contact with the apostate. This is not what these verses present. These verses literally say ‘follow together with me and mark those who so walk.’ It’s talking about who you include, not who you exclude. Adding on verse 18 says that there are people who walk as enemies of the faith, but that’s not saying anything about what to do with them. And this is just one grabbed citation at random, where any of the others are almost certainly just as mis-handled.

Jod is a bad person. You can tell, because of all the bad things he’s done. You can really tell because of how he frames doing the bad things he’s done as inevitable, or necessary, or the responsibility of the people who drove him to do it. This led to a second realisation: People aren’t used to being lied to. Our pastor told families in the church he was approaching them in secret for help with his money problems from his pyramid scheme, and he didn’t call it that, but that’s what it was, and every single one of them wound up signing up and giving him giant chunks of money in the name of the church because he was their pastor.

When he told us that he’d been doing it, and that he couldn’t pay, and he was leaving, he didn’t set up anything. He didn’t apologise. He just… left.

Just fucked off.

The person telling you the story is a person telling you a story. Jod in the Locked Tomb tells an extensive narrative about what he did and why he did it, but you gotta remember he’s the one telling you that story, he is literally giving you a version of events that he gets to shape. There’s stuff he leaves out and stuff that’s inconsistent and such a focus on things that build empathy like his frustration and his sadness and his need for vengeance that all are explicitly trying to manipulate his audience which includes you.

The third realisation, which makes sense to me because Muir has mentioned cult upbringing too, is that even if our experiences differ, cult experiences fuck you up in ways that rhyme because they’re all fundamentally about environments of control. I was not a subject, directly to our pastor. I was a kid a few steps removed; my mother was directly important, my dad secondarily important so me and my sister were tertiarilly important and we could be used to turn those other gears.

Jod is a great character. Really well written. Very authentic, very true to life. He’s not unique. He’s not singular. He’s a shithead of a type that exists, in the world, today, and who is probably just looking for the right way to put people he wants under his control.

Study him and study the ways he thinks he can fool you.

Check it out on PRESS.exe to see it with images and links!

[tiffanylamps]

Top 5 movies and top 5 paramore songs! :^D

oooooh, these are very good, but also, very hard 😂

top 5

top 5 movies*: Pride and Prejudice (dir. Joe Wright, 2005) CINEMATOGRAPHY! The display of love and chemistry! Familial love is fully on display!! Yes, I know it's not a faithful adaptation and it softens a lot of the important themes of the novel annnnd Wright changed the time period because he doesn't like the fashion of the Regency era (which is super lame) and the hair was not great, buuuuuuut he also gave us the hand flex, that ballroom scene, that proposal, also one of my favourite sequences ever in cinema history (i.e, the oneshot take of lizzy being embarrassed by her family at the Netherfield Ball). Snatch (dir. Guy Richie, 2000) This film is hilarious, witty, and just soooo good. It means a lot to me for tmi reasons- but still, I recommend it as it's a stellar example of the heist genre. Everything Everywhere All At Once (dir. Daniel Kwan + Daniel Scheinert, 2022) Doesn't need explaining. Hot Fuzz (dir. Edgar Wright, 2007) One of the best films ever made by one of my favourite directors in one of my favourite trilogies brought together by one of my favourite trio of collaborators. Plus, there are BE similarities, which I find assuming. The Merciless (dir. Bung Sung Hyun, 2017) Thank you for convincing me to watch this film, I love it sooo much! It's fantastic! Everyone should watch it!!! (I recommend you watch Dear Ex. It made me cry, even though the ending is a little cheesy) *I found this almost impossible to answer. These are not a be-all-end-all top 5 for me, but they are the movies that came to mind.

top 5 paramore songs**: i can't decide, so this is a very hesitant list. i'm only linking live performances (if I can) because they're fantastic live (one of the best, imo)

Future The lyrics to this song!!!! 😩😩😩 for the longest time I wanted to get a tattoo of them, especially the last verse. I'm semi-glad I didn't, even though I love them, I don't know how I would feel having them now You First I know I've already sent this to you, but it's a super fun song and I looove it!!! Their latest album is just so perfect No Friend Not the most conventional answer, as most people don't like this song. But I don't care! I think it's one of their most experimental and beautiful songs, especially when paired with Idle Worship (which is basically its part 1). It is the only song not sung by Hayley, as its lyrics are written and performed by Aaron Weiss of mewithoutyou (WHO ARE BRILLIANT LIVE, BY THE WAY). Honestly, I've been lucky enough to see them perform this song and it was memorising. (the performance I linked is not the best out there but it is the performance I saw) Part II Let The Flames Begin and Part II are such cool songs and I love that they exist. The video I linked is of their Reading performance and even though Hayley was super sick (from what I can remember, she had laryngitis and had to cancel some of their tour to prepare for the Reading + Leeds festival), so she doesn't sound her best but she still gives it her all. Careful THE DRUMS. THE VOCALS. Honourable mentions: All We Know, Never Let This Go, Here We Go Again, Conspiracy, Emergency, When It Rains, Fences, Stop This Song (Love Sick Melody), We Are Broken, Hallelujah, When It Rains, Miracle, For A Pessimist, I'm Pretty Optimistic, the new version of Crush Crush Crush, All I Wanted, Feeling Sorry, Turn It Off, My Heart, Anklebiters, Now, Interlude: Moving On, Idle Worship, Pool, Rose-Colored Boy, 26, Caught in the Middle, Forgiveness, Monster, Playing God, Decode, Thick Skull, Figure 8, Crave (especially with the live outro), The News, Running Out Of Time, C'est comme ça, Renegade, IGNORANCE, I CAUGHT MYSELF (especially live), Oh Star, TELL ME IT'S OKAY special shoutout to Daydreaming because I was there when they filmed the music video (the live parts)

** this was especially difficult to do 😂

This took me forever to compile together- oops, i guess lol. Thank you for sending me this ask 💛💛

[questionsonislam]

Hello, I'm a Christian lady who has been dating a Muslim for the previous 2 years. We love each other and have hopes for that one day we could be together and have a family. Although I'm open minded to conversion I have not done enough research to make such a decision and it would be wrong to do it just for my partner. (converting to Islam) His family has now asked him to choose between me or his family seeing as how they don't accept the fact I am a Christian. Isn't it wrong for a Muslim to turn me away because of my faith?

The verse 221 of the Surah al-Baqara clearly and apparently tells us that marriages between polytheists and Muslims are forbidden regardless of gender. A polytheist is a person who associates partners with Allah and who believes that there are other gods and who worships them. As for the People of the Scripture (Book), according to Islam, it means the people who had got further away and deviated from their original religions in terms of belief and worship when Islam emerged, who believed in a prophet and the religion he brought even if they lost their original books and who regarded their religion as the true religion although it was distorted according to Islam. When looked at closely, it can be seen that there are some polytheistic elements within faiths of the People of the Scripture, at least in some of them; they think that some created people like Jesus and Mary have some features special to Allah and worship them. For that reason, the faith of the People of the Scripture cannot save them from Hell unless they clear their faith from the polytheistic components. Despite this, since Christians and Jews have had some beliefs and applications based on revelation even if in part and are probably more inclined to believe in the Right Religion, they have been given some privileges and they have been made exempt from some of the laws peculiar to unbelievers. One of those exceptions relevant to our issue is that “Muslim men are allowed to marry women of the People of the Book”.

In the verse 5 of the Surah al-Maeda, after it is expressed that Muslim men and women can eat foods of the People of the Book (if offered), it is said that just Muslim men can marry women from the People of the Book; it is not stated that a Muslim woman can marry a man from the People of the Book. As there is nothing about it, we need to arrive at a decision based on the applications of the Prophet (pbuh); if there is not such an application, then we need to come to a decision by making comparison. Since women and men are subject to different rules about marriage, it is not possible to apply a rule about one gender for the other. Therefore, a comparison was not made about the issue. As a matter of fact, before comparison, there is Sunnah. Some Sahabah and mujtahids who bring a different comment on the verse, said that even marriages between Muslim men and woman from the People of the Scripture is not halal (permitted) after the death of the Prophet. As for the issue about a Muslim woman’s marriage to a man from the People of the Scripture, they did not even make it a matter of discussion. There were men from the People of the Scripture in places where Muslim women lived in the time of our Prophet but there was not an example of such a marriage; there has been a consensus about that it is not halal. Fiqh scholars accepting that judgment as a rule based their views on this verse of the Quran about women who migrated from the country of unbelievers to a Muslim country in addition to the evidences mentioned above “O ye who believe ! When believing women come to you as Refugees, examine them. Allah knows best their faith. Then if you find them true believers, send them not back to the unbelievers.” Being supported by some other evidences, it was concluded that that the word “unbeliever” mentioned above included the People of the Scripture and that a Muslim woman could not get married to a man from the People of the Scripture or could not maintain her marriage ( al-Baqara 2/212). Most of the Fiqh scholars did not see a difference between marriages that continued and new marriages and some Fiqh scholars paying attention especially to some applications in the time of our Prophet and Umar said that it was not permissible to get married but that the marriage would not be invalid if one of the spouses became a Muslim ( Ibn Qayyim, Ahkam'u Ahli'z-Zimma, Damascus 1961, , 317 et al. , 340 et al.). Qardavi, one of contemporary scholars, also accepted that judgment.

It is natural that Islam wants to be spread and be accepted by people. A more natural outcome of it is to maintain the religion of the people and the following generations that believe in it. Maintaining it becomes possible through education and the most important means of education is family. If there are two religions in a family, it will affect the children and will pose a serious risk for them. For this reason, the ideal one is that Muslims get married to Muslims and start a family. If there is not a compulsory reason for it, a Muslim man should get married to a Muslim woman. It is more important that the husband of a Muslim woman should be a Muslim in terms of protection, education, and influence. In some matters like the continuation of the lineage, heritage, and guardianship, if the father is not a Muslim, there will be a series of problems. We can easily understand why it is not permissible for a Muslim woman to get married to a non-Muslim man when all those reasons are taken into consideration.