#i was thinking of what to get him so i prayed and the Holy Spirit said a playlist with a journal with all these Bible verses connected to th

[glorioustidalwavedefendor]

Did he encourage them?

So, I can't find teh bible verse with the ten thousad angels

But here is John 18:10,11,12

10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) 11 Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?” 12 Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him

I think the ten thousand angels are from a Bible commentary

Submitting, even as Jesus could have escaped the cross. When Peter drew the sword and began to strike out against the soldiers and the servants that had come to take Jesus, Jesus said to Peter, "Put away thy sword, Peter. Don't you realize that at this moment I could call ten thousand angels to deliver Me?" One angel went through the camp of the Assyrians and wiped out one hundred and eighty-five thousand in one night. Imagine what ten thousand could do. But Jesus was obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, submitting to the will of the Father for He prayed, "Father, not my will, thy will be done" ( Luke 22:42 ). And thus submitting Himself to the will of the Father, even as Isaac was submitting unto the will of his father Abraham.

The point is that he keeps Peter from defending him because he got the order to get crucefied by his father and that's what he's gonna do

Even though he COULD just ask daddy to smite them

But he deliberately chooses not to, becasue him ending on teh cross is part of the plan

-> Jesus had to die as an inocent man at teh cross to take on teh sins of everyone including original sin so no one goes to hell anymore, just to pergatory ... though I am not sure how that works with teh book of Life - -> anyone whos name is not written in teh book of life will not be allowed to life in gods perfect world after teh second comming ... But that just as an aside

Back to Jesus

He is the lamb that willingly and inocently goes to get slaughtered despit the fact that he could just use his godly powers ... or Gods godly powers (he is teh son the father and teh holy spirit) to get out of that situation

Very Aslan, he died inocently and that is why death didn't stick -> I mean technically Aslan is Jesus, like not symbolicall or as an alegory that is what according to Lewis Jesus just looks like in Narnia ...

He died for our sins was really realy dead for real (on good friday), was dead for three-ish days (good friday, easter/holy saturday, easter sunda) and then came back on easter sunday (don't count that on your fingers we are almost there) ... spend some more time on earth until 40 days after easter he ascents to heaven. But he apparently stil comes down to earth sometimes to apear on food *shrug*

TL;DR

Yes Jesus did kind of encourage them to kill him, but since he knew (or at least was pretty sure) he would come back I am not sure that counts as suecidal Of course he then left for heaven anyway so idk *shrug*

new rule you have to live to be 34. you cant kill yourself until you turn 34. jesus died at 33 you can do better

[not-so-superheroine]

Jesus is my older brother, not my dad.

other christians don't seem to feel the same?

am i missing something where he insists on such a thing except perhaps with actual little children?

[avatardoggo]

sooo i gave FG his birthday present 😭🫣🥹

[meo-eiru]

I apologize in advance for any mistakes (English is not my first language) BUT I JUST CAN'T! I can't stop thinking about how exactly the main character will end up completely dependent on Father Micah. If elves, dark magic, incubi and other creatures exist in this world, I would venture to suggest that possession by demons or other evil spirits is also a known phenomenon.

Just imagine a situation in which the main character is forced to attend church because she realizes that something is wrong with her perception of reality. It all starts small - insomnia, minor auditory hallucinations, which can easily be attributed to general fatigue from work or school. She can try to self-diagnose and self-medicate, but there is practically no effect.

Disjointed and disturbing dreams give way to nightmares, auditory hallucinations become more unbearable and are now accompanied by visual distortions as well. Any sane person in such situation will rush to a psychologist (more likely even a psychiatrist), but the treatment doesn't give the desired results. Her relatives are very worried and concerned; someone from a more devout background may advise turning to the clergy - and Father Micah is simply an excellent candidate to help this poor unfortunate soul. If she really feels better after each visit, then she'll come back again and again. Just to not lose her damn mind.

But what if Father Micah is the root cause of her condition? If he's not as pure and holy as he seems? What if he's the one who made a contract with the entity that is currently ruining her whole life?

He can't keep her in church by force unless there is a good reason, but even if she'll try to stay away, her condition will deteriorate so much that she WILL inevitably attack someone close to her at some point, mistaking them for Father Micah or that entity due to hallucinations. And SHE WILL have to return back if she doesn't want end up accidentally taking the life of someone from her inner circle. But even if she'll refuse to do so voluntarily, her dangerous condition is in any case a good reason to forcibly isolate her from the others.

And I doubt Father Micah is interested in fully exorcising her.

Oh god I love this scenario.

So I don't think Micah would actually make contracts with evil entities to curse you, but he would make you believe you were cursed. I can definitely seem him drugging you small dosages by giving you small snacks whenever you visit the church or run into him by "chance". He'd always play it off as a gift from the church or some leftovers from what they made for the orphans.

You wouldn't suspect him at all. Why would you? He's THE Father Micah. The beloved angel of the town since he was a kid. No human has seen him do evil deeds.

He would know exactly when the drugs kick in and when they are the most effective, and he would always be there at the right time. Talking to you, making you believe it's unnecessary to see a doctor for such mild sickness. Surely it'll get better if you pray.

It's not getting better even after praying? Maybe it was more serious than Micah expected, but worry not, he knows just the right thing to do. You just have to come to his house so he can bless you with his personal prayers. Why not at the church? Haha you wouldn't want to bother everyone there for such a trivial issue right? Don't worry, Micah will give you special treatment in his house, just trust him.

And trust you will, because everyone knows if there's someone you shouldn't fear it's Father Micah.

[potatoes83]

@quixotic-paladin Ach, had this one in drafts, hope it's not too stale. First off, prayers sent; when I was in RCIA, and my priest asked me what they could pray over me for, all I could think of was peace. Peace, because my mind goes a million miles a minute, and there's always at least 10 things to do. His story sounds very similar to mine. So prayers for peace, dona nobis pacem.

When I did RCIA, I had just been promoted at work, my first managerial role in the organization, a lot more work and responsibility. I was also going to school in the evenings working on my degree. Oh yeah, and proposing to my girlfriend and planning a wedding. And while my birthright background was Lutheran, so a lot of stuff I was already familiar with even though we didn't go to church or anything, the two other gentlemen were Pentecostal and Seventh-day Adventist, and let me tell you, there were some horror stories that they brought to the table about how they were raised in faith!

It was a lot. It wasn't easy. Obligations on top of obligations, it's not something you can exactly blow off. But at no time did I ever feel like it was the wrong decision, from the second I made that choice, I was drawn to it more forcefully than anything in my life. And it was so worth it in the end.

I hope things settle down for him, and I have faith that he'll get through/got through. Probably in one of those senses where you realize you did it, even though you can't remember exactly how it all worked out but you did it. The Holy Spirit works in us exactly when we need it to, even if we never notice it happening. 🥔

Say a prayer for my sister's boyfriend if you would please. He's going through RCIA and wants to become Catholic, but he's struggling with his past as a Jehovah's witness and all the family trauma that went with it. He's also just under a lot of stress with school and work and he's trying so hard to be "worthy" of marrying my sister, but he's burning himself out and needs to have more self-esteem and confidence.

[mercuriians]

I feel like a fic about Atsumu, Oikawa, and Bokuto finding their s/o reading fanfic about them would be hilarious

(You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to <3)

Have a lovely day and thank you if you end up doing this request <33333

a fantasy world

content info — gender neutral! reader, fluffy hq!! drabbles with some crack & hurt/comfort (sounds weird but bear w it, all separate). a teeny tiny bit suggestive in atsumu's part cuz he's a little shit.

word count — 1.9k words.

author’s note — holy HELL this is so late 😭 anon i hope ur still here, i made this pretty long so that's my way of apologizing. im also praying that atsumu is in character because this is only the second time ive written him. anyway, tysm for requesting!! hope u all like this <3

MIYA ATSUMU

your eyes are obstinately glued to your phone, wholly transfixed by the words that were typed across the screen. not a single soul knew about your little hobby and quite frankly, it was likely better that they remained oblivious. you wouldn’t know how to react if anyone found out, but really, there was one particular person who absolutely had to stay unaware.

as it turns out, they were also the very subject of the story you’re currently reading—of course, none other than your sweet, beloved boyfriend, atsumu. not that the term ‘sweet’ was an especially fitting term for him. ooh, that was a sick burn.

now, obviously you loved the boy. atsumu was bold, intelligent, thoughtful, hardworking, and affectionate to the point where osamu and the rest of his team often complained about how shameless he was in front of them. his spirit burned bright with fiery ambition, glimmering red and orange and yellow, and he introduced a kind of light into your life that you had never quite experienced before. at first you were a little wary at first, a little blinded by how much he shone, but because you were just as stubborn as he was, you soon grew used to it.

if anything, you came to learn that atsumu was undoubtedly one of the most inspirational people out there. motivating his peers was like second-nature to him, and even if he didn’t consciously put in the effort to inspire them, he still ended up doing so anyway. his love for volleyball was blatant in its authenticity, in its obsession. so when coupled with his charisma, and, yes, his boyishly good looks, atsumu developed a serious kind of gravitational pull. it was no wonder so many people were drawn in—yourself included.

but, inevitably, something had to be sacrificed. your boyfriend’s devotion to the game often meant that you two didn’t get to spend much time together. if atsumu wasn’t practicing at the gym, then he was either thinking about doing it, on his way to doing it, or—this happens only under the direst of circumstances—recovering from doing it. he was, in every sense of the word, a workaholic.

you were fine with it for the most part, mostly because you had a busy schedule to deal with yourself. if you weren’t doing homework or studying for an upcoming exam for the sake of staying on top of your classes, then you were either fulfilling your duties as a student council member, playing your respective sport, or taking care of things at home.

regardless, there were still times when you wished atsumu was with you. it didn’t matter if he was spewing volleyball jargon, or forcing you to pepper with him, or anything like that. you just wanted to spend time with him, to actually see him and his stupid face and his stupid smile that you want to kiss so badly.

maybe that’s why you’re so zeroed in on the fanfiction you’re reading—to try and make up for what you’ve been deprived of for days on end. a very palpable twinge of sadness tugs at your heart. you push the unwanted sentiment to the depths of your mind, trying to focus on reading the story again.

god, what sentence were you even on? and why was the door suddenly opening—

“hey baby, did ya miss me?”

your soul leaves your body.

before you even have time to think, a shrill scream rips from your throat as you scramble to hide your phone underneath the covers. atsumu's jaw drops, completely and utterly befuddled by your behavior. after a moment he raises his hands in mock surrender. "jeez, darlin', it's just me. your boyfriend, remember?" atsumu says, brow raised. there's a mixture of emotions written across his face—slight concern, palpable amusement, even some suspicion. "what are ya hidin' there on your phone, anyway?"

finally, you seem to find your voice. "n-nothing important," you mumble, clearly and very intentionally avoiding the intensity of atsumu's hawk-like gaze. "i didn't even know you'd be visiting today.. thought you would be busy with practice again."

maybe it's because your boyfriend knows you so well by now, but he catches the hint of bitterness in your tone. his face softens, and he takes one, two, three steps toward you until he's taking up the space on your left. "coach called in sick, so mister perfect decided to just cancel practice for today," atsumu shrugs. you're still somewhat upset, but you can't help but smile at the setter's nickname for his captain—kita shinsuke, the closest embodiment of perfection that anyone's ever seen.

"i'm pretty sure i texted ya that i would be dropping by," your boyfriend adds, glancing over at you. cautiously, you pull out your phone again and open up the messages app. lo and behold, he did in fact text you, but you were too busy with your fanfiction to notice.

your face burns with the weight of your embarrassment.

a small chuckle escapes from atsumu's mouth. "wow, i haven't even done anything and you're already blushin' for me," he teases. you hit his chest halfheartedly, muttering about how mean he's being. you fail to notice the calculating glint in his eyes. you also fail to notice his hand wandering.

a second later, atsumu grins smugly, your phone held securely in his grip.

"what the hell, 'sumu?!" you screech, trying to retrieve the object in vain. "how did you even—"

"i'm good with my hands," he winks, and you don't even have time to scold him for the clear innuendo because he's typing in the password to your phone. all you can do is accept your fate as atsumu discovers the story you were reading.

as expected, he laughs. loudly. it's almost like the laugh he lets out whenever he wins a bet against osamu. you turn away, shame and humiliation gnawing at your chest. there's nothing more you want than to be swallowed by the floor beneath you.

however, when atsumu's laughter dies down a few moments later, you feel him wrapping an arm around your shoulder. "baby," he begins, voice still a little breathless from all his cackling, "why are ya reading this when ya got the real thing right here?"

you look up at him, a confusing mess of emotions swirling within your stomach. "because we don't seem to spend much time together anymore," you admit, lowering your eyes to the ground. "laugh all you want, but these stories are there for me whenever i need them. you probably think it's stupid, or pathetic, or whatever, but.. i miss you, 'sumu."

you close your eyes, preparing to hear another round of thunderous laughter. it never comes.

"open yer eyes for me, babe," atsumu's voice is unexpectedly soft, tender. hesitantly, you do, and your gaze meets his. your boyfriend reaches out, resting a calloused hand against your cheek. his touch is so familiar, so comforting, that you can't do anything else but lean in and welcome it. "i didn't know that ya were feelin' this way, and i'll admit that it's my fault for not noticing. but hey, you wanna know somethin'?"

"what is it?" you whisper.

"i miss ya too," your boyfriend confesses. he leans in, placing a soft kiss against your lips. "and tomorrow, i'm taking ya out on a date."

OIKAWA TOORU

"oh my god, this is so cute," you sigh dreamily, swinging your feet in satisfaction as you indulge yourself. it was fanfiction, for crying out loud—can you really be blamed? this particular story practically reeked of fluff. you had just received flowers from the male lead, with you two having confessed just a few days ago. now you were on the first date, entering the doorway to a beautiful relationship that made every reader jealous.

the fact that the male lead—the infamous setter of aoba johsai, fanboy of iwaizumi hajime, hater of ushijima wakatoshi—also happened to be your boyfriend was just a minor detail.

you continued reading, the outside world completely irrelevant as you immersed yourself in the story. soon another squeal leaves your lips as oikawa, the male lead, bends down to kiss your hand. he says something swoonworthy, causing you to giggle like a madman. "that's it, i'm marrying you," you say, as if he can hear you through the story.

"marrying who?"

you let out a defeated sigh as your boyfriend pops his head into your room. there's a pout on oikawa's face, his mocha eyes filled with mock betrayal. still there's a part of you that knows he actually is a little bit jealous; he just doesn't know that technically, he's jealous of himself. "who are you marrying, babe?" he asks you somewhat accusingly. "i think it's a bit too early for—"

"shut up please," you groan, a bit sad that your reading session got interrupted. "i'm reading this fanfiction of you, and in the story, you're actually nice to me."

you immediately hear an indignant gasp from your boyfriend. he puts a hand to his chest, his pout now even more prominent. "excuse me, i am nice to you," oikawa scoffs as he walks over, squinting at the story you're reading. "i'm way better than him!"

"you are him," you deadpan.

"exactly! why are you reading that when i'm right here? i'm hurt," oikawa says in disapproval, shaking his head at you. "now move over."

you blink—once, twice. "wait, what?"

"i wanna read too," oikawa says as if it's the most obvious thing in the world, "so i can list all the things they got wrong about me."

BOKUTO KOUTAROU

maybe reading fanfiction about your boyfriend wasn't the best idea. it's not that the story wasn't great because it really was—the characterization was on-point, the writing style was smooth and elegant, and the plot was creative. it's more about your boyfriend himself. particularly the way that he reacted when he found out.

"am i not good enough?" bokuto asked you quietly as he stared up at you. his golden eyes were absolutely despondent, his shoulders were slouched, and even his owlish hair looked like it was deflated. you didn't need akaashi to understand that those were all signs of an emo bokuto.

and it was all because of you.

man, the guilt was unbearable.

"koutarou," you say softly, reaching out to wrap your arms around his broad shoulders. "baby, you are more than enough for me. you're amazing, okay? you're my anchor, and you make me smile when no one else can. compared to you, this fanfiction means nothing." you pause, placing a tender kiss against his warm cheek. "seeing you sad makes me sad, you know?"

"i'm sorry," bokuto mumbles, burying his face in the crook of your shoulder. "i thought i'd let you down or something, like i wasn't being a good boyfriend. it scared me."

his words make your heart hurt even more. you pull away from the hug, letting your earnest gaze meet his. "from now on, you don't have to be scared," you tell him seriously. "i'll stop reading fanfiction, and every day, i'll remind you of how much you mean to me. is that fair, kou?"

bokuto nods, and it's at that moment that you start to see the gloomy aura around him disappear. "i love you," he says, and you can tell that he means it. he always does.

you pull him closer, your fingers combing through his hair soothingly. he hums quietly, enjoying the feeling. "i love you too, koutarou," you smile. "and no story will ever change that."

you let a few moments pass by, simply listening to the comforting sound of his heartbeat. slowly, you let your eyes close, your boyfriend's strong embrace lulling you to a light rest. after a few moments, though, bokuto's voice breaks through the silence. "can i ask you a question, babe?"

you open your eyes. "anything."

he pulls away, his expression completely serious as he looks at you. "can we get something to eat?"

[error4343]

Questions

CW: gore & blood It all will end where it began - at Snake Meadow Hill Church Love letter for @zzoupz John loves you AU

Don't be afraid, preacher. I hear His voice loud and clear now. He's welcoming you. And so do I. It's our last opportunity to talk before my Ascension. So ask, don't make Him wait

What you want to ask about?

John You don't recognise my face, Miller? I'm John Thomas Ward, a servant of His, just like you. I condemned myself to God since young age and, under guidance of father Garcia, learned true ways of preaching and serving His will. I was priest of false church before you, cowards, threw me away from God's home. But I hold no anger.

Snake Meadow Hill Church Too predictable, isn't it? Sentimental even. I was thinking the same when we moved here. Still, this place more fitting than anything: it's cradle of my own faith.

What you want to ask about?

Horned twins Ah, will-o-wisps. You're not the first whom they brought here. My apologize if they caused you any trouble. I couldn't deny them their fun.

"Him" I see. You forgot for whom you've been praying to. Don't be ashamed: you're not the first or last one to went astray. Recall: Him is above, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. If only you weren't so afraid, you would hear His voice though mine.

What you want to ask about?

Lisa Pearson Made not for caring His will on her shoulders, but for guide us towards it. A sinless lamb, iconographer, send to us long ago even before I knew my destiny. She was closer to absolute pureness that anyone of us could get. She was the one whom Initiation you interrupted, but it doesn't metter now. Everything went according to plan. She's with Him now, speaking with us from above.

The Ascension The Ascension isn't some bloody mess as you describe in church guidelines. It's delicate, precise process of hard work. And in the end - He grands His blessing. Firstly, one must clean themselves from any sin. For each sin there's way of redemption. Not just penance: for pride, lust and warth - mortification of flesh, for greed - poverty of monkhood, for envy - condemnation to another, for gluttony - everlasting fest, for sloth - work. Cleaning can take years… But you will know when you're ready.

Then comes the Ascension. No need to describe - you about to witness it. Participate, even.

Oh, how nice of you were to visit us today.

[mama-frog]

Rewatching NPMD so I decided to jot down all the biblical references in the show I find (at least that I think are relevant and not just super common phrases) and my thoughts about why they were included

Calling High School "Hell on Earth" at the beginning of High School is Killing Me

"Is God the one giving the test?" The morality test that starts the entire plot moving

"And we pray, and we pray" in Literal Monster. This is to set up Max's God complex

"I am only one man's girl, Max, and his name is Jesus Christ" First of all this is the funniest fucking line ever written. Second of all, girl he thinks he is God. You're just affirming what he already believes

"Forbidden Fruit, dickhole" Once again God complex

"You can watch as I rise" this man is likening himself to Jesus rising.

"I don't know what gave you the idea that you could break bread with Stephanie Lauter" Max gets to decide who is worthy of entering his house of worship

"I willed it into existence. I bring order to Hatchetfeild High. Light to Darkness. I'm your God" Ok the lighting change in this part is SICK the spotlight on Max really makes him feel so much bigger and scarier. but also the genesis reference is top tier on Max's part. He really makes it easy for anyone to understand his God complex

"Now on your knees, bitch. It's time to say your fucking prayers" Still just reinforcing the complex

The Chastity's "Amen" is comedic gold. Grace ending the prayer that Max started is lowkey symbolic of her ending his reign of terror later in the show

"I only believe in one ghost, the holy spirit that resides in all of our hearts" Papa Chastity my beloved

Max wearing a cross during Grace's sexual fantasy is so fucking funny, but also says a lot about the purity culture she grew up in

"I am expecting you to betray me" Grace later becomes the Judas to Max's Jesus when she has sex with him

"Dirty girl will you pray for me" Grace doesn't fully understand his God complex and has a savior complex of her own so this is how Max talks in her mind

"The trinity is more than two" LeAvE rOoM fOr JeSuS

"I'm singing a sacred song. On your knees pray along" unknowingly playing into the God complex there while also feeding her savior complex

"He's more than a boy, he's an idea. One that strikes fear in the hearts of the meek" God complex once again

"I am Jägerman! I am God!" He spells it out for us so much

"It was an act of God" ...Grace no

Max dying and coming back to life is so Jesus coded of him (I hate that I just typed that phrase)

"Who will pray for me" Dear lord Max is making Richie a prayer

"Or is this the eternal dark without a dawn?" TBH I don't think this is biblical I just love this line

"Relax ye of little faith" Love how Grace's savior complex is starting to morph into Max's God complex so she can take his place as the ruler of the school at the end of the show

"We're at Hell's gate" more like the black and white but yeah

"GOD'S PLAN" Grace is so unintentionally funny

"The Devil has won" The Lords in Black are really speaking directly to Grace now

"YOU FUCKING JUDAS" see the irony is that Grace is his Judas

I am not transcribing the bible flirting...just know it's to feed the God complex

"I AM JÄGERMAN I AM GOD" We know, bitch

It took me to the bottom of the list to realize that Grace's savior complex was to set her up to be a priest of the church of the starry children. So in conclusion, Max has a God complex

[burningcheese-merchant]

Mythological Inspirations: Pepper Jack Cookie Edition

So, where did Pepper Jack come from?

Sex, you dumbass child ❌ (yes but actually no)

A witch's oven ❌ (yes but actually no)

Some spicy cheese, a mythical bird, and an elephant man ✅

Behold, the latest installment of "Merchant rants for 10 hours about how far they went designing some dumbass fankids" (also I fumbled coloring and shading his wings, I am deeply sorry for that)

Like I said before, I did some research into both Egyptian and Hindu mythology while thinking up these critters. Golden Cheese and Burning Spice take after some gods/myths themselves, so I thought "why not keep that sentiment up with their children?"

Golden takes after Ra, Egyptian god of the sun and leader of the Egyptian pantheon. With this in mind... Pepper Jack takes after the bennu bird, a godlike being that embodies the soul of Ra himself.

The bennu is/was most often depicted as a blue, gray and/or white heron (mostly blue). So, Jack's wings are likewise meant to be blue (with some gray and white mixed in)

The bennu bird is believed to have been the original phoenix, even predating the Greek one. It lights itself ablaze in the early morning and rises from its own ashes afterwards, thus symbolizing the dawn of a new day, as well as creation and rebirth in general. Jack can also light himself on fire, without the fire harming him at all. He can't control it very well when he's young, but he will have mastered it by the time he's an adult

One famous creation myth involves the bennu flying over the primordial waters of chaos, perching on a rock, and letting out a great cry - and with this cry, it determined what it and what isn't, and began the cycle of time and created the world itself. Mimicking this myth, I had Jack be born exactly at dawn, on a rock by the river (I also went ahead and added a Nile equivalent to the Golden Cheese Kingdom lol), with the sun rising immediately after he cried out for the first time. Almost like he summoned it personally...

A common funeral practice in Ancient Egypt was giving the deceased a heart-shaped amulet with the bennu's image engraved in it, as it was meant to be a protective charm to guide and guard the spirits of the dead; the bennu was considered a patron of death as well as life, and was invoked/prayed to to ensure safe passage through the afterlife for the deceased. Thus, Jack wears his own little protection amulet, tucked beneath his collar - a handcrafted, blessed gift from GCK clergy

(I FORGOT TO ADD THIS POINT LMAO) The bennu was often referred to as "lord of jubilees", referencing its association with the sun and resurrection (some festivals and rituals were referred to as "jubilees", including the one performed at dawn every day specifically meant to honor/invoke the bennu and its perpetual self-sacrifice and renewal). I let that be something High Priest Cheesenbird calls Jack, as a term of endearment. Jack is his "little lord of jubilees". Adoring Bird Grandpa lol

Spice is based on Shiva, Hindu god of destruction and part of a holy trinity (creation, preservation, destruction). Not only does he have a wife, Parvati (whom he's madly in love with and wholly devoted to), they have two children (which I did not know prior to creating the kids, that was a cool coincidence lol). Jack takes after Ganesha, elder son of Shiva, god of wisdom and good fortune.

Jack shares Ganesha's cleverness and love of knowledge, and similarly possesses a good amount of both (although Jack may not necessarily be wise, not as a child haha)

Ganesha is seen as a custodian of esoteric knowledge in particular, with a special knack for astrology. So, I gave Jack a hobby/interest in astrology and astronomy himself, which he pursues for fun on his own time (and that ended up making him a fantastic navigator, bar none; as long as he can see the sky, he'll never get lost)

Ganesha is celebrated as the remover of obstacles, literal and figurative. Jack... well, he's more of the sidestepper of obstacles lol. He works smart, not hard. If he can find a way around something using only his wits, he will

Ganesha has a sweet tooth, and his favorite food is modak (Indian sweet dumpling). So I gave Jack a sweet tooth, too, and likewise made his favorite food modak. (Jack is a fucking menace when it comes to modak. If any appear in his line of sight, expect it to vanish soon. He's like a crackhead with those things)

The Om symbol 🕉️, AKA the sacred sound/mantra that has a billion different meanings but is generally associated with universal harmony and consciousness, is also often associated with Ganesha (and Shiva, too!). So Jack is getting an Om tattoo on his wrist (or the back of his hand, idk haven't decided) when he's older.

Lots of jewelry in Indian culture and Hinduism, from what I've seen. So I took the liberty of giving Jack a little elephant pendant (gift from a Wild Spice artisan), meant to reference Ganesha idol pendants. It's also hanging from his neck and hidden under his collar, same as the amulet

Jack's beloved elephant toy, Pudding, is also supposed to be a nod to Ganesha lol

Sorry they look like ass, still a level 0 artist here lol. At least Pudding looks better here than he did before

Ok I'm done rambling. TL;DR I think way too hard about stuff. I will hopefully improve as an artist if I keep pushing myself no matter how much my doodles annoy me because they're amateurish at best. I will do Matar Paneer's inspirations post tomorrow probably. If you actually read through all of this, lol sucker thank you for coming to my TED Talk and eating my word salad

[m4rs-ex3]

trailer screaming part 1

say it with me now: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA ok

i was trying to see ezran being sad but then i saw fucking corvus. 170% seeing soren and running to him oh my god holy shit

oh yeah yeah that's that good shit.

the way we keep seeing the spirits of those cave fuckers i KNEW that those things were way too cool/horrifying to go to waste and apparently they knew it too. also i guess zym fucking killed them

well oh my god that's so coo

WHO NOW WHAT

oh hell yeah fuck shit up bestie!!

i'm very happy to be back at the banther lodge, and i assume this is an impromptu council meeting, but i can't get over the fact that this is literally the last supper. go ahead and tell me it's not

a) i am so happy that aanya is joining the ez and sorvus gang like hello they are a perfect group and b) dunno where tf they are but CRYSTAL CAVERNS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!@#!!!#W!!

*kissing noises*

a) yay astrid's here b) sorvus, pyrrah, astrid and rayla in lux aurea... yeah i don't even know what so think about that

my. fucking. GIRLS

from "my heart for xadia!" to "for ALL of xadia" oh you know she's including the human kingdoms in that now

"we all made mistakes" that's fair but i don't think i like you saying it

making a separate post for the rayllum scene don't you worry

what can i say except this is the sickest thing i've ever seen??

why's bro just fuckig standing 😭

FUCK SHIT UP!!!!!

HELL YES RUN FOR YOUR LIFE PLEASE LET THIS BE WHAT I THINK IT IS IVE BEEN WAITING FO RTHIS DAY

noo the bisexuals are fighting

ok but this syncs up pretty perfectly with the teaser image (based on both the sky + the layout of the banther lodge lot) as well as ez parting the guards so my guess is that runaan has been broken out of jail (probably not literally but who knows), soren is pissed and wants to fight about it, and ez comes to break it up

also the rayllum scene is once again at the lodge and with different lighting so it either takes place before or after and i pray it's after

1) slay 2) i have no fucking idea where she is. maybe i'm just stupid maybe not. duren perhaps? idk

he's not happy but honestly the charred ends are an absolute LOOK (i see he's taking a page out of claudia's "dyed tips" book)

to be continued~

[ff0und]

So this idea of a fanfic with Eli as a pastor has been sitting in my head like an unfulfilled wish from childhood.

I think if it was done without ridicule and in an organic way, it would be:

Eli is living a quiet life in his childhood town (something like "what would have happened if he hadn't killed his father"), doing this priestly thing, but one day a man in all black clothes shows up in town, whom Eli has never seen in church and doesn't see after a few weeks of meeting him. So he becomes curious about this person and tries to ask the church members about this man, and he finds out that he is a new doctor in practice (because Eli did not kill his father, he did not get into the university, so he did not meet Victor, but they are kindred spirits, so they should meet, and since the university incident did not occur, Victor graduated from the university). Eli deliberately starts a conversation with Victor asking him why he doesn't go to church, and Victor replies that he doesn't want to and doesn't believe in God at all, which puzzles Eli. So they start arguing (not aggressively) and after the conversation, Eli sets out to recruit Victor (after all, what kind of priest is he that he can't make a person believe in God). So they talk a couple more times and it starts to amuse Victor, and in turn he wants to sow doubt in Eli's mind and dispel his thoughts about believing in God. In any non-intrusive situation, they immediately start talking. So Eli begins to have "wrong" feelings about this doctor in practice and tries to purify his thoughts (praying until his knees and throat hurt, washing himself with holy water). All of this goes hand in hand with the development of the relationship between Eli and his father. Eli feels more and more dirty (and this is a plus with the doubts that Victor has planted in him). He stops treating his profession with the intuition he had. He starts to want to meet Victor (our little junkie) excessively and punishes himself for it. Anyway, he gets sick and whether he wants to or not, he goes to see Victor for an examination (we don't forget that Eli has these horrible scars on his back) so Victor sees them and makes the right guess that Eli is not such a perfectly morally pure angel-boy. So Victor also starts to take an overly curious interest in Eli. Maybe he comes to church for a service, which surprises Eli and he starts to get visibly nervous (+ it embarrasses the church members). So Eli starts to get more and more nervous and try to "cleanse" himself of all this, and Victor pushes him further and further (also learns about Eli's problem, directly about his father's abuse). Perhaps Victor comes to confession to Eli, and as a result, it is Eli who confesses and this makes him feel bad. Victor is interested in whether Eli can k1ll his abuser and pushes him to do so. Eli deteriorates like a rotten apple, he begins to hate his whole life, his father, his profession, the people around him, and God. He begins to meet Victor more and more often on any occasion, even though he hates himself for it. Victor begins to feel some empathy for Eli (in his own sense) and wants to help him get rid of his problems and discover this dark and evil side of him. Victor directly suggests k1ll1ng Eli's father (as a start) and offers his help (because he is a doctor). And Eli really thinks about it and his thoughts are divided into two and it k1lls him (not only because of this, but also because of his religion, his orientation and desires)

Huh! That was very long, I think I managed to get my point across (I don't know what kind of fanfic-maker bit me)

[casterousaudrey]

Healing Touch

Word Count: 2k

Pairing: Astarion/Cleric!Tav!reader

Theme: tooth rotting fluff, some religious themes due to reader being a cleric.

Note: I think I made the reader and Astarion too obsessed with each other.. but in a good way!! Also this was inspired by the time I gave offerings in the stromshore tabernacle and I just see the 'Astarion disapproves', what the flip man! Sorry to those who were waiting for this, It took a while because of my busy sched!

"I’m never going to accept any kind of healing that doesn't end with a kiss after"

Fighting with Astarion never escalated far. It was usually just small jabs at each other or teasing gone too far but then there are times like these when neither one of you would back down it just kept making the fight more heated.

"I bring you once. One time to the stormshore tabernacle, and you can't even hold your tongue when I'm trying to commune with my God!"

"I just thought that you weren't the type to bow down to anyone, my dear."

"I'm a cleric, Astarion! Yes, I'm a devoted worshiper to my God and they give me strength! Apparently, strength I need to deal with you!" 

Astarion sneers and crosses his arms at you. Worshipping another being doesn't exactly sit well with him, he feels that it controls you and makes you too dependent on them. It was probably due to how Cazador treated him but in his mind, any being asking for worship was self-admiring.

"You have your own strength, darling. So pardon me if I don't think you need some God for that."

"It's not that I don't trust my skills, Astarion. I worship my God because I choose to. Was it too much of me to ask my lover to respect that holy place? If not for the Gods then at least for me!"

At this point, you were screaming your lungs out not caring that the others in camp were glancing at the commotion. This wasn't the first Astarion had expressed his distaste for your faith, it never escalated this far because you tried to understand his situation with Cazador and all. But the constant disapproving stare and look of disgust, whenever you would pray to your God or gather some offerings to bring to the stormshore Tabernacle slowly, got to you.

After all the times you saved him from life-threatening wounds, you thought that maybe he'd warm up to your faith- but he remained unshaken. 

"I'm going to take a walk... It's better if you don't follow me for now....., dearest" Your heart jumps a little at the nickname but then anger eventually pops your lovesick bubble. Astarion gets up and leaves camp, his definition of laying off steam was to walk through the woods and terrorize whatever animal crosses his path. You were about to say something about how you were the one who was supposed to storm off but instead, you held your tongue and went back to your tent making sure to close the opening. 

You loved Astarion- and there is no doubt in your heart that he loves you too, but you didn't want to have to choose between faith and love because you believed that they are the main pillars that keep your spirit strong.

~~~

As Astarion was walking through the woods he reminisced about the argument you both had, he couldn't understand why anyone would worship a being without being sure that they'd get a reward in return. The only thing close to God he had in his life was Cazador- oh and how much he wanted to rip his face apart.

Astarion ponders all of this unaware he is dangerously close to enemy territory and suddenly senses another presence- maybe four around the trees. "If you're going to spy on me all day at least make it less obvious" Just then two goblins jump down from the tree, their weapons craving for blood. 

"Hells, there must be quite a bounty on my head" Astarion smiles as he brings his weapons out. He strikes at the first goblin. "You fiends are making this stress reliever way easier for me. I can do this all day!" Astarion did occasionally love the thrill of the hunt, especially when he gets something in return. A thought comes across his mind that he feels rather... alone in this fight, although he could handle this on his own he couldn't help but crave your helping hand and your smile that shines when he saves you from danger. 

Unfortunately, Astarion didn't realize how distracted he was until one of the goblins blew a horn, a signal for backup.

 "Well, shit.."

Astarion killed the first two goblins but he sees backup quickly replacing them. The grip on his dagger tightened, this was supposed to be a nice relaxing walk to calm down or even hunt for other creatures. He guesses that trouble always did find a way to follow him. 

The goblins fall one by one but not after Astarion gets injured by their bows, axes, and maces. As the last goblin loses, Astarion clutches his side. He was hurt and it's been so long since he's felt hurt in combat, his mind jumps again to your hands that always healed him at an instant or your ability to heal the entire team within seconds. God, he really missed you- he didn't even feel angry anymore, he just wanted to be in your arms as you kiss every part of his injuries after you healed it. 

Just then he hears a footstep, and he groans in annoyance, more of this and he'd actually collapse- either from his injuries or his need to hold you again, he isn't sure. 

"Look if you're looking for gold, you're out of luck..."

"Oh Gods.. what happened?"

He quickly glances to his side where the figure had approached from where he was sitting. Astarion half expected it to be you, The thought of you running after him made him smile but then it quickly disappeared when he realized the fact that the female human in front of him may be a cleric but it wasn't his beloved cleric.

"We should get you back to the church! They'll help heal your wounds!"

"As kind as your offer is, I'm afraid I have to decline. I can't these injuries for myse-" Just as Astarion tries to stand up, he feels pain in his side. He now just felt annoyed that he was displaying this kind of weakness to some stranger.

"Nonsense! I'll help bring you there!" The cleric smiles as she wraps Astarions arm across her shoulder. Astarion couldn't protest as much because of his condition but he'd be damned if he'll let himself get healed by some cleric.

~~~

The sun was about to set and Astarion still hadn't come back to camp. You were getting worried, you weren't even mad at him anymore you just wanted him safe and back in your arms. You really did fall hard for this man. 

"Hey soldier... are you okay?" Karlach has seen you pacing back and forth all over camp, fiddling your weapon nervously, and even stress-eating your favorite sweets. 

"Yeah, sorry if I'm being all jittery today it's just.."

"Astarion, yeah I know how much you care about each other. I'm sure he'll come back safe!"

"Thank you, Karlach. You're the best" 

You softly smile at her as she waves and walks back to her tent. Just then you hear Gale laughing walking towards you, he just came back from town to fetch new ingredients for tonight's meal. He always loved cooking for the group.

"Ok you won't believe what happened"

"Spit it out, Gale. What's gotten into you?"

"Ok, so I was walking around the city and I stopped by the church. Guess who I saw there sneering at every cleric on-site..."

"No..."

"Astarion! Gods, if you saw the furrowed brows of the clerics trying to help him you'd laugh too"

"He's hurt?!"

"Not badly, I came to tell you about it. Figured the only cleric he'd let touch him was you"

You started to flush but quickly remembered that your partner was hurt. "Oh Gods, I need to go there Gale before he loses his mind. We'll be back for dinner!" You grabbed a few of your belongings, as well as some healing ingredients, and sprinted out. You wave quickly at the others before reaching the path to the church.

You have no idea why you were nervous to see Astarion, you see each other every day and sometimes even every night. You were scared if you got there and he was still mad at you. You push those thoughts away because all you wanted was to see and help him (maybe to also give him a little smooch but you won't tell him that).

As you open the door you hear the clatter of equipment being thrown to the ground, You greet the other people you know at church as you hear another glass breaking. You already know who would be acting hysterical in a church so you followed the sound and opened the door to reveal your one and only lover sitting up on a bed and a cleric who had been trying to help him.

"Oh sorry ma'am but this section is strictly forbidden to outsiders"

"It's ok I'm a cleric, and he's my husband"

"Oh well... if that's the case I can hand his case to you!"

The female cleric quickly picked up her equipment and left the room, she seemed a little too eager to finally leave. You turn to face Astarion whose eyes are already on you, his lips curled to a smile- at least you know he isn't mad.

"Husband? You could at least take me out for dinner first, darling"

"Oh hush, that was one of the only peaceful to get her to leave us alone"

The other beds in the room were surprisingly empty, leaving the both of you alone. You walked towards his bed as you set your bag on the side table. You place yourself in between his legs as you softly caress his face with your hands.

"How's my favorite vampire doing"

"Better now that you're here.... look darling, I just wanted to apologize for my actions earlier. It was completely uncalled for. The closest thing to a God I knew was Cazador... you saw firsthand how much I hate the beast.. but I also understand that it wasn't like that for you, I can live with you being faithful to a God and it also makes you kind, sometimes too kind"

"Too kind, eh? Maybe I should just leave your injuries unattended then"

"I would appreciate it if you won't"

You laugh softly at him as you place a kiss on his lips and at his lashes. You've always loved his eyes and how easily you could get lost in them. Astarions hands were on your waist as you lifted his shirt to finally tend to his wounds.

"I'm also sorry for screaming at you. Wasn't very kind of me to do... but also you were an ass"

"What an apology, my dear"

"Only the best for you"

Still in his hold, you grab a few medicines in your bag and quickly healed him with your magic. In no time Astarion was all healed, all that was left was to clean his bloodied clothing. You loved times like this- intimate and calm, You thank your God for the power to help him because he does get into trouble quite often.

"And there, you're all set. We can go back to camp now if you want"

"It still hurts right here, love" 

You glanced at where his fingers were pointing only for it to be pointed at his lips. "Want me to kiss it better?"

"I wouldn't want nothing more, my sweet"

You chuckle as you kiss him on his lips. Even before you got together he always had this flirtatious attitude, you could argue that it only became more frequent when you got together. Always the charmer.

"Now let's go home before the others get worried" He released his hold on your hips as he stood up and stretched a bit. "Anything you say, darling"

"Why didn't you want to get healed by the other clerics?"

"Oh well they aren't as attractive, strong, smart, and quick-witted as you.... besides"

Astarion turns to you holding both of your hands in his as you look him in the eye. 

"You're my one and only cleric. I’m never going to accept any kind of healing that doesn't end with a kiss after"

"You could ask Shadowheart next time"

"Ughh don't even get me started, I was trying to be romantic..."

Taglist: @severusminerva, @sarahskywalker-amadala, @ghostinvenus, @veethewriter. Hope you guys enjoyed this!! xoxo

[harusaki-hugo]

Hello! I uhm wanted to ask you if we can get another part of being like takemitches twin? Like specifically how the other gangs would react to you fighting and being a girl? Thank you 🫶💗

Fandom; Tokyo Revengers

Hcs; What's it's like to be Tokyo Revengers younger/older siblings .

Note; i didn't expect it to be this popular lmao. Also. warning might contain some spoiler for those who just start the anime. i thought about putting brahman too but it's still not out in anime yet. Also, you can my favorite and my least favorite here XD.

Being Takemichi twin sister part two:-

Black Dragon:

You just want to have one day without you being drag into Takemichi problem but no, you got a call from Takuya saying Takemichi got his ass beaten in church.

Just one day, but no, seem like holy spirit want to see you suffering because your mom told you to drag Takemichi back home so you guys can have dinner together.

So here you are, ignoring the fight happening around you as you go straight to the church. Yamagishi about to cheer your name when he sees the pissed expression on your face, and he start praying for taiju.

Imagine Taiju who about to punch Yuzuha stop when someone push the door open and yell out, "Hanagaki Takemichi!!" and Takemichi like, "Oh shit, full name. I f*ck up."

Inui already know who you are, he sees you dragging Takemichi back home one day by ear. See, he once tries to stop you since he wants to talk to Takemichi but you kick him between his legs, so he politely steps aside to avoid not able to produce heir anymore.

But Taiju is another story, he sneers at you and stop you from taking another step, "who the hell are you, can you see that-"

Just before he can say anything, you rush toward him, Taiju let out a small gasp not expecting you to rush head on. He throws a right punch, but you slip underneath him, clenching your left fist you aim for his family jewel and punch it hard that all male in the church share the same pain.

Taiju falls on the ground holding his crotch, he lifts his head up to yell at you, but you already pull your arm back, without any mercy you start repeatedly punching Taiju in the face, not giving him a chance to recover.

Inui now start thinking whether he should just join toman as he stares at you beating the shit out of Taiju, Kokonoi have a second thought about this event. And Taiju, he, well might need a ride to hospital.

"Takemichi sister is stronger than him." Inui say as he looks at you drag your brother away, " Wait, what?" Koko look at Inui with a wide eye, "Oh right, that's [name], takemichi twin sister." Yuzuha looks at the unconscious Taiju, "Well, damn. I think i like her more now."

Overal: Yuzuha now has a girl crush, Inui start planning on calling takemichi brother-in-law, Kokonoi will literally buy you anything because Inui like you, Taiju has a second thought; wondering if his siblings as strong as you will he end up in hospital sooner?

Bonus: Mikey who about to help the other stare in confusion when he sees you dragging Takemichi out by an ear, yelling and scolding him. He peeks inside the church and see Taiju laying on the floor, beaten up to pulp. "Gotta marry her someday." He thought.

Tenjiku:

Izana knows about you because Mikey like you, so he thought about, why don't we have a chat with you for a bit.

On your way back home from school, you see a group of males hogging around in front of your house. Curious you step closer to them and ask why they here.

Haitani brothers point out at how similar you are to Takemichi, which you answer with duh, obviously. But then you see Kakucho and you recognize him, you greet him saying it's been long time since last you see him. kakucho can't help but blush when you step closer to him because he *cough*haveacrushonyouonce*cough*.

Izana notice this obviously want the best for his servant and take the lead, he asks you a few questions. Mostly about your relationship with Mikey. Which the answers are no.

You sigh and tell them to leave you alone since you are not really an official member of Toman. You about to walk away when Ran stop you, without much thought you flip Ran over your shoulder making him crash on the ground.

Silence. Pure silence.

Izana being curious piece of art he is wanted to test your strength because why not? When you busy apologize to stunned Ran, Izana throws a fake punch at you, but you dodge it by reflex. Oh, now he really interested.

You two start fighting, well, more like you dodging and he is attacking. Much to the other surprise you manage to dodge every single one of it.

"What are you guys doing?" Takemichi who just come back from meeting Mikey look at you guys confusedly and worryingly.

You two stop the fight because Takemichi ruin the fun, izana word not you. Izana whisper something toward you before he walks away with the other following him.

'If Mikey want you then i want you too.' is what he whispers and you like, wtf? aren't you like eighteen? red flags much?

"[Name] never change. She still looks like her brother." Kakucho said out loud making them all look at him. "...That's a girl?" Izana asks, "Yeah? Don't you see she wear girl uniform?"-"...Well, damn!"

Overall: stay away from izana if you want to survive, kakucho want to see you again and maybe you two can get a drink together, Ran is intrigue and wonder if you are stronger than you look and Rindou wonder if you willing to go out with him.

[jackassbrainrot]

confession [knoxville x gn!reader]

a/n: day 2 - priest kink, inspired by his iconic 2004 driver license and by fleabag of course. it's a very cliche priest kink fic scenario but let me be

warnings: sacrilege, oral sex (m!receiving)

word count: 712

"Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned." You said as you sat down in the confessional, trembling slightly for the first time since your first confession as a child. The little screen separating you wasn't enough to ease your anxiety, knowing you were so close to him. "It's been 6 months since my last confession." Six months since he came to your church. Six months since your mind got overtaken by thoughts of him.

"These are my sins." And with that, you took a deep breath, followed by a beat of silence as you collected your thoughts. You listed off the usual, everyday sins, but when it came time to confess what you really came for, you couldn't find the strength to say it. You shifted in your seat, taking another deep breath before speaking.

"I've been having lustful thoughts, Father." An understanding hum was heard from the other side of the confessional. "About... a priest." You could've sworn you heard him chuckle and you felt more exposed than ever in your life, even behind the screen.

"And what is it that you've been thinking about?" The smirk in his voice was apparent, almost taunting. It felt like the words were being pulled out of you by an invisible force, detailing all the late night thoughts of him taking you in various positions and various places in the church.

There was another moment of silence and your anxiety spiked, thinking you'd gone too far, offended him, disgusted him even. But just as your thoughts started racing, the door of the confessional opened, his lean figure standing over you, looking down with darkened eyes.

"Kneel." Was all he said, and you did, falling to your knees in front of him, eyes never leaving his. His fingers threaded through your hair as he unbuttoned his slacks and you came face to face with the subject of your late night fantasies. You opened your mouth expectantly and another chuckle left his mouth, running the tip against your lips before pushing in.

His dick hit the back of your throat, making you gag around it which pulled a low groan from his chest. He let you do the work, bobbing your head up and down rhythmically, almost in a daze, taking what you were given gratefully. You whined when he pulled his dick out of your mouth, keeping your head in place by your hair as you tried to chase the contact.

"Continue your confession." He all but growled, his usually warm eyes filled with lust, stroking his dick mere inches from your face. And so you did as he said, looking up at him with desperate eyes.

"My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good, I have sinned against You whom I should love above all things. I firmly intend, with Your help, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin. Our Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for us. In his name, my God, have mercy."

As soon as the last word of the prayer left your, his dick was hitting the back of your throat again. He fucked your mouth mercilessly as he prayed: "God, the Father of mercies, through the death and the resurrection of His Son has reconciled the world to Himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins."

His words were getting breathier, his movement sloppier. "Through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father" thrust "and of the Son" thrust "and of the Holy Spirit."

And with the last word, he came, painting the inside of your throat white. You swallowed gratefully, feeling closer to God than during any eucharist of your life. "Amen." You said as you wiped your spit slicked lips, getting up and watching Father Johnny straighten himself out.

Just as you were about to leave, squeezing past him through the confessional door, he grabbed your hand, stopping you in your tracks. He flashed you his signature smile, all teeth and southern charm.

"I hope to see you at confession again next week."

[redbecomesher]

GRACE UPON GRACE E:7

Hearing Gods Voice

Hii y’all, today’s subject is about hearing and identifying an issue as Christian’s we come across, “is it Gods voice,or mine?” Remember, Gods always speaking,but we just need to learn how to listen. So today I’m going to speak about 1. Ways God Speaks To You 2. How To Discern If It’s Really God Speaking and 3. If You’re Struggling To Hear Him:)

Ways God Speaks To Us:

1. Through His Word (the Bible): Gods voice will never contradict Scripture. If you want to hear Him, read your Bible regularly. Before reading your Bible, ask Him to open your ears and eyes, to speak to you while reading,also to be in His presence. Reading our Bible without stopping (for days,our even weeks) is a big way for us to feel Gods presence every day,hear Him,and not to feel distant. I recommend asking God to control your hands and Bible,so he can control what page or passage you read. It’s a good way to let God speak to you and show you what he wants to say/show you:)

2. Through The Holy Spirit:

Sometimes, we get a strong conviction, peace, or warning about something. That’s the Holy Spirit guiding us. God,of course is the Holy Spirit so that can be a way He can warn us about certain events and how we should act before it even happens. You may have felt the Holy Spirit while dancing and singing to worship music<33 The Holy Spirit can convict us sometimes, like feeling bad about an action we made that wasn’t in the spirit of Christ!

3. Through prayer:

Prayer isn’t just talking to God,it’s also about listening. Be still and give Him space to respond. Sometimes, we can pray in a rush, only getting our small talk out to God and He doesn’t get to speak or have a full conversation with us. We need to stop forgetting to pray or rushing it, to have a relationship with God, it starts with speaking to Him (think about how your friendships started).

4. Through other people:

God can use pastors, friends, or even strangers to confirm something to you. Be open to His message. Like we read in our Bibles, we also can experience prophets like e.g. Moses or Samuel speaking to us because God told them something we need to hear like e.g. reassurance.

5. Through Dreams & Visions:

God has used dreams to communicate throughout the Bible. Pay attention if something feels spiritually significant. Dreams or visions can be Gods way of showing you his future/plan for you especially if you have surrendered it to Him.

How To Discern If It’s Really God Speaking:

• Does it align with Scripture? - If it doesn’t, it isn’t Him, He doesn’t contradict Himself<3

• Does it bring peace, not confusion? - God is not the God of confusion but peace.

• Does it lead you closer to God? - If it leads you pulling away from God, GIRL it ain’t your Heavenly Father. Our father speaking to us, is going to make us closer.

• Have you prayed for confirmation? - If you have prayer for confirmation on a certain subject etc. then it is most likely Him answering:)

If You’re Struggling To Hear Him:

1. Remove distractions: Spend quiet private time with God, away from social media and noise. Turn your phone off, open your Bible, pray, or meditate with Him. Never speak about Jesus,more than spending time with Him.

2. Check Your heart: Are you truly seeking Him, or just looking for an answer you want? Remember, God isn’t just a genie there to make all our wishes come true like money, that’s why I encourage you to surrender all your dreams to our Heavenly Father, so you can stop idolising them instead of Him. He will make them happen in His own special way and time, it’s not for you to control or worry about!

3. Be patient: Sometimes God is silent because He wants us to trust Him. God isn’t always going to say “Samuel,Samuel” like he did to Samuel in 1 Samuel 3:10, it would be easy for us to trust in Him if he always spoke and told us His answer, but Him being silent, is Him wanting you to trust Him even in times when you feel discouraged.

Hi guys, thank you for reading, I hope you learnt a thing or two from this subject, read your bibles and go seek Gods voice. Remember God loves you, and wants to hear from you. God bless.🤍

JOHN 10:27-

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”

PSALM 46:10-

“Be still, and know that I am God.”

ISAIAH 30:21-

“And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, ‘This is the way, walk ye in it, ‘ when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.”

Here’s the 1 Samuel 3:10 verse by the way<33:

1 SAMUEL 3:10:

“The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ Then Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’”

[orthodoxchristianity]

The art of patience, gratitude and comparison

Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret—it only causes harm.

For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the Lord, They shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, But it shall be no more.

Psalm 37:7-10, NKJV

While praying today, the Holy Spirit gave me a few different revelations and I wanted to share it with you all (hopefully might help someone). If you have anything to add or anything personal to say please do let me know I would love to hear it :) God-bless!

We live in a very hectic world, constantly moving and moving and never standing still. This is why prayer time is increasingly becoming more important, in my opinion, since we all need to hear God's word but we can only do so in times of stillness. I feel like we never have proper rest. If you are like me, an overthinker and an anxious person, your mind is never fully at rest - always thinking okay what do i have to do next, or, why did I do this in the past? This is why, I believe, so many of us struggle with patience. I do sometimes feel like a spoilt child always asking God for something rather than just sitting with gratitude.

I know there are others like me, who also find it hard to not compare. Even from social media, we are constantly surrounded by people who seem to 'have everything' - houses, planes, perfect relationships, successful businesses... the list goes on. I feel like even if not intentionally, when you constantly consume this type of media, your brain becomes programmed to look for it and start to compare it to your life. For example, I went through a few situationships and a break-up which affected my mental health. I kept trying and trying to understand or at least let it go, but I really struggled - especially when I saw people around me in happy relationships. Of course I wish the best for them, but it was something that seemed to struck a nerve in me. Hence, not too long ago I fell back into some old habits and felt incredibly ashamed. Thus, I distanced myself from the Lord because I was embarrassed and foolishly thought I could do things myself. So I spent about a week or a bit more trying to do things myself but that was an incredibly hectic and stressful week. Which led me to further fall into bad habits and terrible sleep schedule until one day the Lord brought me out of this. I think it was a reel I saw on instagram about how the Lord is always waiting with open arms, we just need to accept him back. I finally took a step back and evaluated the whirlpool of emotions and things going on and opened up my Bible and my heart.

I went off on a little tangent, but the main message I wanted to say is that I, for one, constantly feel like I am in pursuit of something like either okay get an internship or okay get a boyfriend. But what then? When I get those things what happens? Do I constantly have to be yearning for something? Can I not just sit in peace with gratitude in all I already have in my life? I realised personally putting things on a pedestal is really bad. Always looking up to acquiring something or a certain relationship is negatively affecting a lot of people around me and I do think it circles back to comparison and a lack of patience. Always thinking okay by 20 I have to do this or by 25 I have to have this. When we all have our own lives, our own circumstances and our own blessings.

The Lord has a plan for each and every one of us. Sometimes we all get wound up in comparison but I think it's so important for us all to remain rooted in biblical teachings and surround ourselves with communities (from Church or even online on Tumblr). We all should help each other learn and grow by sharing our own testimonies and stories. If you are still reading I hope this helped or made you think a bit deeper about something personal to you.

Lots of love!