#like oh you mean? me ? a sinner ? because I have a girlfriend and drink coffee??

[adrienschat]

*screaming on the top of my lungs* that’s not what Jesus would have wanted

(Venting in tags)

[dopescotlandwarrior]

Sinners & Saints-Chapter 6

                  My thanks to @statel for your help and guidance

Previous chapters at AO3

Chapter six (NSFW)

Jamie’s eyes were open with the sunrise, as always. He didn’t mind his early rise because it gave him time to think before the trials of the day buried him. He kissed Claire’s cheek lightly and struggled not to laugh at the coil curls that buried her. She had not changed. She still kept a hand on him all night, she still purred when he wrapped her in his arms. She was still amazing.

His first stop was the galley to make coffee and find some bread to toast. He was excited about all this boat had to offer them and inhaled his breakfast so he could explore. When he stepped out on the forward deck, he couldn’t believe his eyes. During the night, they arrived at the first island and the boat was moored safely offshore. The island of Santorini was waking up, shops were opening, food was cooking, and the colorful island just came alive. This couldn’t wait, he decided and ran downstairs to wake Claire.

She looked so sexy having kicked the covers off. His eyes followed the curves of her back and ample butt, long legs and that tan line was driving him nuts. Slowly, Santorini faded from his recent memory and he crept up on the beautiful one. He kissed the back of her thighs and the nearness to her honey was crippling him. He rolled her to her back and opened her legs giving him access to her secret garden. By the time she was fully awake she was just minutes from organism and Jamie pushed her into the erotic wind and scooted up the bed to hold her while he pulled his trunks off.

“Will you have me Sassenach?”

“I insist,” she breathed with her eyes still closed.

Jamie froze when her still undulating inner muscles held him like a hand. He moved slowly at first, kissing her awake while he took possession of her body. When he let himself go, he held her pelvis up to him and buried himself in her softness. After several minutes he dropped to the mattress and turned into the girl monster, much like the cookie monster with a taste for pretty girls. Claire laughed and tried to avoid his kisses making him redouble his effort to kiss every inch of her.

“I’m sorry for waking you love.”

“You can wake me any time, day or night. What a fantastic way to start the day.”

“I have a surprise for you, but you must get up to see it. It is worth it Sassenach.”

Claire sat up and pushed her hair away from her face while she yawned and pointed to a drawer, “pick one.”

Jamie laughed at how many bikinis were in the drawer and took his time picking his favorite. It was a leopard print, and no bigger than the one she wore yesterday. She slipped it on and looked for her brush in the bathroom, coming out in under five minutes with her hair tamed in a ponytail. Jamie was bursting at the seams with energy and bounced out to make her coffee, telling her to hurry.

With a steaming mug in hand Jamie led her out the forward deck and watched her mouth drop open and then smile.

“She opened a section of railing and said, “first things first, sweet Jamie,” and jumped overboard with Jamie right behind her. They played in the water and kissed and played some more before swimming to the rear deck to climb back on board.

Maia appeared wearing a suit much like Claire’s and announced breakfast whenever they were ready. The table was set with juice, waffles, omelets, bread pudding, fruit, fried potatoes, and delicious sides they didn’t recognize but ate with complete faith it would be delicious.

Darius came in and shook Jamie’s hand introducing himself. They were close in age and seemed to hit it off from the get-go.

“I’ll tender you to shore when you’re ready, just let me know, I have to see to a repair of the navigation system.”

Jamie looked at Claire, “if it means we’ll be lost somewhere in these beautiful islands then don’t fix it.”

Claire laughed and headed for the shower, Darius to his task, Maia to the galley and Jamie to the rear deck to look at Santorini. Each time he thought about the night before he chased it out of his mind. She would be hurt and angry if he told her now, or at the end of the trip. It wasn’t an easy decision.

Darius tendered them ashore leaving them with a small walkie talkie to radio the yacht when ready. Jamie and Claire walked their feet off all morning and stopped for lunch at an outside grill. They decided to rent scooters to see more of the island and other than two almost crashes, Claire figured out how to ride the scooter. It was a dream day, and on the way back to the boat Claire fell asleep on Jaime’s shoulder. He looked at her and felt his heart squeeze.

Claire opened her eyes the next morning confused by the darkness of the bedroom and then she heard the mighty thunder overhead and jumped out of bed to dress. She loved thunderstorms and couldn’t wait to get to the deck.

She halted right before opening the glass door. Jamie stood on deck watching the storm come in. He was such a gorgeous man it was hard not to sigh each time he looked at her. He must have felt her stare and turned around to smile at her. He held his hand and she took it.

“Claire, I secured a new mooring on the other side of the island. If we stay here we take the front head-on. We weigh anchor in the next five minutes, okay?”

“Yes, whatever is best, do you need any help, Darius?”

He didn’t know what to make of that question at first, so he just smiled and said it was all under control. Claire wrapped her arms around Jamie’s waist and put her head on his shoulder. This was surreal. The beauty, the boat, the islands, the storm, and the man. Mostly the man.

The rain held off until they were securely moored on the other side of the island. The rain came with a vengeance as the wind blew the rain sideways. Maia and Claire ran around the yacht closing windows and bringing in lightweight items from both decks, so they didn’t blow away. They were soaked through in seconds, so Jamie had towels waiting for them. It was going to be an inside day and not one of them would be bored.

While the storm raged around them, Darius and Maia joined Jamie and Claire for charades, then broke out the board games and switched the teams throughout the afternoon. Claire and Maia served dinner just as the storm was moving out.

“Tomorrow should be beautiful.”

“Claire, we can cruise all night and be moored at Crete when you wake up.”

“Oh no, I wouldn’t expect you to stay up all night. Let’s set off at first light.”

Darius reluctantly agreed, still getting used to an owner with a heart. He and Maia cleaned up the living room and galley while Jamie and Claire found their way back to the top deck. It was the highest point on the boat offering a 360 view of the sky and a built-in double lounge for comfort. The air was fresh and cool after the rain and Jamie ran down for a quilt to snuggle under. They were so high above the water it felt like they could touch the stars in the black sky.

They talked until early morning, covering various topics, both eager to learn more about the other. The air warmed up with the retreating storm and Jamie removed a piece of Claire’s clothing about every fifteen minutes until she was naked and pulling him to her. It felt very risky to make love on the upper deck, adding erotic energy that raised the bar on explosive orgasms. They were exhausted and clinging to each other before sleep swept them away.

“Sassenach, you must wake up and dress to get downstairs.”

Claire could hear the edge in his voice and opened her eyes to a new dawn and mooring. “Jesus, there are people all around us!”

Jamie held the quilt up so she could slip into her suit while he chuckled. “On or off makes little difference Sassenach.”

They walked downstairs quietly and found the privacy of their bedroom where they could sleep the morning away before exploring Crete. Claire heard all about Lallybroch the previous evening, Jamie’s parents and his sister. The more she knew the better he became.

Every other day Darius would bring them to another island for exploration, snorkeling, eating and drinking. It was, by anyone’s definition, the perfect vacation. On their last night, Jamie pulled her up to the top deck for a much-needed conversation that Claire had thought out well in advance. She would give him anything he asked her for.

“I will miss this view Sassenach.”

“Me too, the stars are beautiful.”

“Oh, yes, the stars too. I have a concern about when I will see you next. I love you lass and don’t want to live without you.”

“I still have two months of summer vacation left. Maybe I should come to Scotland? Would you like that?”

“Aye, I would, when?”

She laughed at his anxious face and kissed him. “As soon as I wrap up the last of my semester projects. Maybe a week?”

“That is perfect, now I feel better, so what happens if I pull this string?”

Darius pulled up to the dock the next morning and they said their goodbyes. Claire hugged Darius so tight he laughed and blushed. She did the same to Maia adding a kiss and a thank you to both of them.

“Maybe you could borrow the yacht again, soon.”

Claire’s mind raced with different ways to answer that question and she fell back to her commitment to the truth.

“It’s my boat, Jamie. It’s part of my inheritance. I’m sorry I didn’t say that before, it just never came up.” A half-truth is better than no truth, she decided. It was actually payment for stealing two Degas paintings, one from London, the other from a private collection in Romania.

Jamie was quiet but smiling and Claire waited. “A girlfriend that is beautiful, sexy, fun, and she owns a yacht. I don’t think there’s a better treasure to be had in this life.” He stopped in the middle of the airport and kissed her, hoping it wasn’t the last time.

Claire clung to Jamie when it was time to board her flight. She didn’t want to leave him and there was nothing in Chicago she couldn’t replace, including her job. He pushed her curls behind her ear and studied her sad face.

Will you be in Scotland by next week lass? That’s a good girl and please let me know you are home safe. He kissed her again and she walked quickly to security and onto her gate.

“It’s like you take the oxygen with you when you go.” He said watching her walk away.

After the dream vacation of the past two weeks, Claire wasn’t looking forward to anything other than leaving for Scotland. Her building on campus was mostly empty and quiet, feeling kind of eerie as she approached her office. There was no Geillis running after her, verbalizing every topic in her head, and no students hanging around waiting to speak to her. That means no interruptions, she told herself and sat down to work.

She didn’t hear him approach, even though the building echoed when empty. When she looked up, there he was at her office door, asking for a moment of her time. He sat across from her in his three-piece suit and seemed to size her up before speaking.

“Doctor Beauchamp, I represent the coalition that is active in Frank Randall’s campaign for governor of Illinois. It is vital that he receive all the support necessary to be the best candidate and win the election. He was supposed to be married this summer, to you, and we are not happy the vows have been canceled. You and Frank have had a long, well known relationship that would look unstable if he was to marry someone else, so you have a large wedding to plan and make sure you sparkle on your big day. There will be hundreds of pictures taken that day I’m sure.”

Claire stared at the man completely mute. She was suddenly afraid and there was no one to hear her scream.

“Don’t be absurd. I have a restraining order on that man, so I’m hardly interested in marrying him.”

Claire stood up and reached for her briefcase running physically into the man when he stood to block her. He looked down at her and suggested she sit and continue the conversation. Now she was terrified.

“I will not marry that man so peddle your story to someone else.”

“I’m afraid you are the best candidate for the governor’s wife and in three years, the first lady. A professor of fine arts at the University of Chicago is exceptional. I suggest a romantic dinner this Friday at your new apartment on Michigan Avenue, number 1103, the view must be breathtaking from up there. Frank will agree and you will be married in September.”

“You’re not listening…”

“I don’t have to listen Doctor Beauchamp because it isn’t an offer or a choice. We are counting on eight years in the White House and after that you can run away with James Fraser if you want, we don’t care.”

“Last I checked it was illegal to force a person into marriage,” said through clenched teeth, she was seething.

“You won’t be forced, Claire, and I don’t bring a water pistol to a gunfight, I bring an Apache helicopter fully loaded.”

The man sent a text to someone and two minutes later he held the phone out for her to see a live stream of Jamie working on a barn. The camera zoomed in on his face and Claire gasped.

“I have a man at Fraser’s estate and your beloved is in his crosshairs. Go to the police, try to run, and Jamie dies. Now, let’s look at your godfather’s business, oh, he’s been breaking the law fencing stolen art and he’s moving millions per year. Too bad he wasn’t a better chef.”

Claire’s mind was racing trying to outthink this horrible man. He watched her for a minute and smiled.

“Give us eight years in the White House, and play nice so he doesn’t beat you to death, and all will be well…Casper.”

The man stood and moved to the door, and like he had an afterthought he turned toward her.

“Our candidate will look holier than the pope when he runs for governor and then president of the United States. It is unacceptable to have an ex-girlfriend reject him, but mourning over his dead love will provide a nice boost in ratings. We don’t need your permission, and you cannot bargain.”

“An Apache, fully loaded.”

Claire was shaking from her head to her feet. When she stood, her legs threatened to give way so she held onto her desk, and then the walls, and then the door frame, another wall, and then the exit door. The first step without support was wobbly but she finally made it to her car and drove home.

She took inventory of her predicament once in her apartment where she had felt safe until an hour ago. They will kill Jamie, they will expose Javier, they know she is Casper, and he threatened to kill her if she didn’t marry the vilest man in history.

She wasn’t well versed in spy technology but she knew they would track her credit card expenditures, so she needed cash and a lot of it. They would tap her phone and have her watched and followed. She jumped up to write a message on her computer and run it through Tom. When her fingers touched the keyboard, she realized they would have a keystroke recorder and see everything she typed. She closed her eyes and tried to relax.

“I will take it, and I’ll need a quiet place and access to the secure internet for five minutes.” Claire handed her credit card to the clerk at Best Buy and followed his pointed finger to the back room where she found a hub to plug her new laptop in. She flew through creating a new email and wrote a warning letter to Javier.

‘I want spaghetti and meatballs, three times the meatballs please. I will find a way to update you until I’m there.’

Claire sent the file to Tom remotely and pulled it back once it was coded. She sent it to Javier and went to her next destination. The safety deposit box was placed on the table in the vault. She pulled the fake passports and credit cards out and scooped the gold into her purse. She signaled the bank manager that she was finished and handed him a note with an offshore account number.

“Do you have affiliates in Veneto Italy?”

“Yes, how may I help you?”

“Please arrange a checking account in Veneto, Edinburg, and Athens, if you would. Be a darling and transfer three million from the account on the paper to each bank. Also, transfer three million to my account here. I will be traveling and I will be heavily reliant on my credit cards. Burn the paper when you’re done.”

“No problem, anything else, Misses Dunn?”

She handed the man three hundred dollar bills and received his pledge in his expression. She had set up her account under her alternate identity and was known to these people as Mary Dunn. The real Mary Dunn was in a deep coma at her family’s estate in France. Her husband asked his friend Javier for help burying the story of her car accident and the problem was taken care of. Claire visited the family with Javier and sat with Mary for quite some time. She was a beautiful woman with three gorgeous sons and a husband who loved her. It seemed so unfair and her heart broke for the whole family. When she learned that Mary’s favorite artist was Gustave Courbet, she stole one of his paintings that was being reconditioned in the lower basement of the Louvre. Some flirting, some promises, and the painting was abandoned so the artist could meet and get lucky. Claire never had it so easy and a week later the painting was hung on the wall directly across from Mary’s bed. When Claire received her Ph.D. and a job in Chicago, Mary’s passport, license, and birth certificate were given as a gift with the provision they would not be used in the commission of a crime. It was a safe way out of town, or the country, if ever needed.

Claire made her way to see Geillis and put the crucial part of the plan into action. She needed a safe way out of town and prayed Geillis would help her.

Geillis read the paper Claire handed her and saw the stark terror in her friend’s eyes which was sinking into her bones too. She nodded her head and Claire left.

Geillis read the instructions and dialed the airline making a reservation to Paris for Mary Dunn leaving tonight and used her own credit card looking at the one thousand in cash Claire had left on the table. She dialed a friend and announced she needed a favor and was coming over.

Claire dropped her make up bag, passport, driver’s license, and credit cards into her largest shoulder purse. Her plan and Jamie’s life were in the balance and she prayed for enough luck to pull this off. She needed a head start because once the coalition knew she ran, it would turn into a hunt for blood.

Claire and Geillis arrived at Ravinia and enjoyed the outdoor show, a trending jazz band that was very entertaining. Claire pounded three cans of beer and giggled to the restroom. Geillis moved her feet to avoid the puddle of beer on the grass and said a silent prayer. Claire wore a floppy, stylish hat with a huge brim to keep the afternoon sun out of her eyes. When she entered the restroom she looked at their friend who was waiting for her. Claire threw her clothes over the lavatory door and grabbed the woman’s clothes, holding her breath they would fit. They did and she let out a sigh of relief. She handed the hat to the woman along with three hundred dollar bills and hugged her tightly, thanking her. The woman walked back to Geillis looking a bit unsteady on her feet. Claire waited ten minutes and left in the other direction.

The most vulnerable time was waiting for a city bus to the airport and she tried to calm her ramming heart as she climbed on board and took a dirty seat next to a window. She wore a blond wig cut in a bob at her jawline, like the picture on her passport and license. She thought about the live stream of Jamie in that man’s hands and prayed he was alright.

If she was very lucky, the woman impersonating her would get dropped at Claire’s apartment building and lock herself inside. Geillis gave her the passwords to Claire’s computer so she could send an invitation to Frank for dinner Friday night. Tom was completely cloaked on Claire’s computer so there was no worry their friend would find it. She spent hours surfing the web for wedding planners, wedding venues, dresses, bride’s maid dresses, and poured over pictures of recent celebrity weddings. She didn’t mind, she loved Claire and was happy to burrow in this luxury apartment to give her a couple of days head start. From what she had no idea.

The security technicians reported back to the coalition that the subject has not left the apartment and Frank has accepted the invitation to dinner, all other activities were wedding related. The tall man read the report and smiled. “That’s a good girl.”

It was morning when Claire left the airport in Paris and started walking. She punched the numbers of Javier’s burner phones and heard a ring on the fourth try.

“Bear!”

“Send Joseph please.”

The line went dead and Javier motioned for Joseph to go get her. She might be a short-haired blonde at the moment, but Joseph would know Claire’s walk anywhere. He pulled up to the curb and she gratefully got into the front seat.

“I am racing the clock Joseph, Jamie Fraser is in danger, they are using him to force me to marry Frank. They want me with him for the next eleven years from governor to the White House.” Claire took a deep breath, “they know about Javier and they know I am Casper.”

Joseph was freaking out inside but patted her hand and promised all would be well.

“Or, Jamie is shot in the head for leverage, I am forced to marry a monster, and Javier goes to prison. You too I might add.”

“I get it Bear, all those things are possible, you must have faith in Javier. He is ready for this.”

Claire felt the hair stand up on the back of her neck. What did he mean ready for this? When they were safely back at the mansion Javier listened to every detail and hugged his goddaughter like they had all the time in the world. When he stood up the smile disappeared and he strode into the outer office where his men were given specific instructions for moving the art, and every piece of paper in his office and restaurant. He twisted the dial on his wall safe and left it open so they could remove the money, gold, and treasures inside.

Javier picked up his burner phone and called his man in Scotland, explaining he was to find Jamie at Lallybroch and tell him to get out of the country before these men made an example out of him to put more pressure on Claire.

“Make it convincing my friend, or share the same fate as Fraser.”

There was much to do but Javier watched the men, looking for one in particular who had not shown up in almost a week after winning a weekend getaway at a luxury resort somewhere in France.

The corpse of a once loyal servant was buried in a landfill on the outskirts of Paris. His fingers were burned down to the second knuckle, one eye was gouged out, and his naked body was full of wounds from the sustained use of a cattle prod. When he cracked, he was delirious and near death. They got him to divulge Javier’s secrets by offering a drop of liquid pain killer into his mouth. They buried him alive in garbage where the tortured man lived another twelve hours in extreme pain.

Jamie grabbed a wrench next to the tractor he was under and started to line it up with a stubborn bolt. He could hear a car in the driveway and peaked out at a small man running toward him.

“I have your order Mister Fraser. Please show me where to set up lunch.”

Jamie looked up at the weird man who seemed about ready to shake himself out of his boots. When Jamie didn’t move the man quietly said it’s from Claire and they must go inside. Jamie walked the man back to the house and read the note he was given, then he looked at the stack of money and fake identification. The little man handed Jamie a ticket to Venice, Italy, and a note with an address in Veneto.

“Wait a minute! What the hell is this all about?”

“There is a sniper in the woods across from your estate. When he gets the call, he will shoot you in the head. Find a way to the airport without being seen or die in the attempt. She will meet you in Italy. Good luck Mister Fraser.”

The man left the house and drove away. The sniper in the woods was sound asleep and missed the whole episode.

Jamie sat down in the kitchen wondering what the hell happened to cause these preparations. It was unnerving to think Claire was in trouble and he couldn’t reach out to her. He started planning his escape when his cell phone buzzed for an incoming message. One of the men on his team sent twelve fuzzy pictures recovered from the close circuit hard drive at Sotheby’s. His team had no idea he pulled from prison and was now going back. The pictures were absolutely useless, but Jamie looked through them a few times to give his body some time to normalize after the shock. He squinted at one picture that seemed indiscernible at first glance but there was something there that he needed to see. He downloaded the jpeg to his graphics program and sharpened the image before making a copy with higher resolution, he used other filters to clean up the image and then enlarged it gradually, making a copy with higher resolution each time. When he had the image at 300 dpi, he enlarged it and hit print. He pulled the picture out of the printer and stared at it, moved to the light of a window, and finally turned it upside down. There it was.

Jamie threw his gear in a backpack and came downstairs in time to see Angus sneaking in the front door. Jamie slapped him on the back and Angus looked into his friend’s worried eyes. They waited in silence until they heard Rupert coming into the driveway, revving his engine and honking his horn.

“Good luck Jamie.”

Angus pulled Jamie’s jacket on and kept his head down as he ran to the truck. It was too dark to see much more than a hunched shape get into the truck and head for the fields to spin donuts and generally be loud, obnoxious, and attention-grabbing.

Jamie went out the other side of the house and ran a half a mile to find Angus’s motorcycle parked under a weeping willow that had been a rendezvous spot since they were kids. He jumped on the bike and made for the airport in Edinburgh. Angus would pick the bike up tomorrow in the underground parking.

Javier hugged Claire and then held her hands. She was in a lot of trouble, no doubt about that and he would help all he could, starting with research on the coalition.

“You stay ahead of them Bear, just don’t let them catch you. I need time to find their weaknesses and we will play the same deadly game with them.”

“Javier I am so worried about you, once they know I’ve bailed they will come here looking for you.”

“I am too old to fight so thank God we won’t be here. The men have been scattered far and wide for their own protection. Joseph and I are going underground. Please touch base once a week or this old man will worry himself to death.”

Joseph gave her a warm hug even though he was driving her to the airport. Claire walked backward so she could keep Javier in sight and blew him a kiss before she went through the door.

Joseph watched her walk into the airport with nothing but the clothes on her back, heading for a place she has never been, to meet a man that might already be dead.

“God speed, Bear.”

[firesoulstuff]

Lance-Start Family Christmas

Ok so technically I’m nine minutes late with this but here’s my day 5 for #ccweek2018.

Read on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15585093

“Are you sure your mom won’t mind Lisa coming?” Leonard asks as he pulls on his sweater. It’s Christmas and so The Legends have returned to 2018 to celebrate the holidays.

“Please,” Sara snorts, still brushing her hair. “My mom may as well have adopted Lisa at this point.”

Right, he knows that, but he had still wanted to make sure.

It’s been almost two years since the team rescued him from The Legion of Doom’s brainwashing. Upon returning to the land of the living, as Mick had put it, he discovered that a lot had changed in the year he’d been “gone”. Sara had become Captain for starters, and the team had lost three Legends whilst adding two. Then they all discovered that in defeating the Legion they broke time and Rip promptly confiscated The Waverider and fired them all. It was on the way back to Central City that he learned Sara had gone with Mick a year ago to tell Lisa about his sacrifice. This was on top of learning for herself that her sister had died in the time she’d been away, so she’d also stopped by her mother’s loft apartment in Central. He still isn’t clear if Lisa had followed on her own or if Sara had asked her to go along, but either way his sister had somehow ended up with Sara in the loft and now every time that Sara talked to her mother the women had something to report about Lisa.

It warms Leonard’s heart, in all honesty, considering Lisa never got the chance to know their mother.

(Which is just fine by him, because a woman willing to just walk out on her two children and leave them with Lewis is not a woman he would’ve wanted his sister knowing.)

Anyway, when he says report he doesn’t mean that the former Mrs. Lance, a name she still uses despite her divorce, is simply keeping tabs on Lisa for them. Oh no, during those five months after they had been fired from being Legends Sara was living with her mother and that was how they learned Lisa stops by to visit the older woman at least twice a week, if not more. Supposedly it started as meeting up for coffee but at this point it’s progressed into hanging out and, like Sara said, it’s probably a safe bet that Dinah has all but adopted Lisa by now.

“Right,” Len says, grabbing Sara’s jacket and holding it open for her two slip her arms into. “Just making sure.”

When they get to Dinah’s apartment Lisa is already there, and so are Mick and Amaya.

“What are you two doing here?” Len asks upon seeing his best friend and his should-be-girlfriend.

“Lisa found us,” Mick grunts, “Went down to Saints and Sinners, were barely there five minutes before Lisa came and told us to come here.”

He raises an eyebrow at his sister, about to ask why she thought it would be a good idea to bring Mick to Sara’s mother’s place, or why she thought it was even appropriate to ask.

But, as she opens up the coat closet and takes Sara’s jacket, Dinah explains before he can fault Lisa.

“I asked her if she knew what the others on your team were doing. She told me these two would probably just end up at the bar so I told her to go get them and bring them back here.” She explains, “I tried to call and ask Sara but I don’t think your ship gets all of my calls.”

“Sorry mom,” Sara apologizes with a roll of her eyes, “Service can be a little spotty in 1793.”

Dinah rolls her own eyes and then beckons them further inside, talking almost a million miles a minute as she asks Sara what it is they’ve been up to.

Whilst Sara is tugged into the room by her mother Lisa comes up and gives him a hug, which he returns gratefully. Her grip is a little firmer than usual but he can’t blame her for it, as this is the first time she’s seen him since the Legends got back together.

“So, no stupid self-sacrifices this time around?” She asks, a teasing glint in her eyes, and he smirks at her.

“Not yet,” he promises, and with smirk Lisa brings him further into the room.

Sara can’t help but to smile to herself as she and Lisa clean up after dinner so that her mother doesn’t have to, a sort of thank you for having them all over for Christmas. It doesn’t surprise her that Lisa knows where everything belongs around the kitchen, even things Sara doesn’t know herself.

“How long are you guys home for?” The younger of the Snart siblings asks, pulling Sara from her thoughts as she rinses off the tray her mom had the ham on.

“So long as nobody blows up the timeline, we’re hoping to stay until after New Years.” She replies and Lisa smiles.

“You going to the party at Star Labs?” She asks almost excitedly and Sara sighs, though she can’t help but to smile.

“Probably, is my mom going?” She questions, not a doubt in her mind that Lisa will have an answer for her, and sure enough the brunette shakes her head.

“I’m trying to convince her to go but she keeps saying she doesn’t want to ‘step in on the kids’ fun’, her words not mine.”

“Please,” Sara laughs, “I’m sure Joe and Cecil are going. But hey, if she prefers to ring in the New Year drinking wine with Clarissa, it isn’t the worst way to go.”

Lisa smirks in agreement but refrains from saying anything, as just in that moment their topic of conversation walks through the door.

“Lisa honey, do you remember where I put that photo album I had the other day? I had it all out and ready and-”

“In your office.” Lisa supplies before Dinah can finish, not that Sara even wants to know what photo album her mother is referring to, never mind what she could possibly be doing with it.

“Thank you,” Dinah breathes in relief, then turns back on her heel and marches back out towards the living room.

Sara chuckles as she goes; enough that it draws Lisa’s attention.

“What?” The other woman asks, a mock annoyed tone to her voice.

“Nothing it’s just… you do realize you’re her favorite daughter, right?” For a moment Lisa looks stunned, her eyes wide, and it’s only when she starts looking guilty that Sara realizes what she must be thinking, that she might feel replaced, and she quickly turns off the sink.

“No I didn’t mean it in a bad way,” she quickly assures the other woman. “I just mean… Laurel’s gone and even before, it isn’t like she came around here very often. And I’m not around all that much, even before the Legends I was always off doing my own thing. Look, maybe I overstepped, I don’t know how you see her, but I can tell she looks at you like you’re her daughter and-”

“You didn’t overstep,” Lisa interrupts; so quiet that Sara nearly misses it, which is very out of character for the other woman.

Or at least, that’s what Sara would’ve thought.

It doesn’t seem wrong now, looking at her. Her arms are crossed over her chest and her eyes fixed at a point on the wall just behind Sara, though near enough to her head that a less observant person might believe she isn’t looking past them. She’s been here before, scared to test her limits, a long time ago.

“I don’t call her mom or anything like that, but…I didn’t want to overstep.” She explains and a small smile finds it’s way to Sara’s face.

She crosses the kitchen until she’s standing just in front of Lisa, with Lisa wearing heels the height difference between them is almost as much as it is between her and Leonard. She puts her hand on the other woman’s shoulder, looking up to meet her eyes.

“You’re not overstepping,” she promises, “Ever.”

With Amaya and Mick sufficiently distracted by an album of pictures from Sara’s younger years, something he is definitely going to need to find time to look at later, and Sara with his sister in the kitchen cleaning up, Leonard follows Dinah into her office.

“I can’t thank you enough for letting Mick come here, not to mention for keeping tabs on my sister while I’m on the Waverider.” He says as he closes the door behind him, and he can’t help but notice the degrees hanging on Dinah’s wall and think that once upon a time she might have been exactly the type of person he would have robbed. Now he’s come in here to ask her for something, something he’d never considered he’d even want from anyone. Oh how times have changed.

“Please, do you have any idea how long it’s been since I’ve spent the holidays at home?” The woman scoffs while rolling her chair out from behind her desk, “I love having people to invite over. And Lisa! She’s always such a help to me. Around the house and the university, she’s such a wonderful young woman.”

Well, he’s always happy to hear that.

“But,” Dinah continues with a knowing look on her face, “You didn’t ask to talk with me alone to discuss your sister and your friend, what’s on your mind?” He knew Sara had to get her perception from somewhere.

He’s quiet while he sits down in the other chair she has in the small room, carefully thinking through what he’s going to say.

“Well, I’ve been thinking. I know I don’t have the best record, legally, but the man in those files isn’t who I am, not anymore. I’m not perfect but-”

“Oh enough Leonard!” She suddenly cuts him off, “Are you going to propose to my daughter or not?”

For a few seconds all he can do is blink at her, stunned, while she stares at him expectantly waiting for an answer.

“I…” He eventually manages to stutter out, his throat dry. “I would like to. But, I wanted your, your blessing first. Or at the very least your opinion.”

“My only request Leonard is that you don’t just get married on a random day while you’re off gallivanting through time, I want to come to my daughter’s wedding.”

“Of course,” he swears, nodding his head along attentively.

She smiles sweetly at him, almost amused, when they suddenly hear the voice of the woman they both love so very dearly shouting from the next room. “Mom!”

She sounds like a horrified teenager, and if Mick’s loud laughter is anything to go by he and Amaya must have stumbled upon a very embarrassing picture.

“Well,” Dinah says, “We had better get back out there.”

[floggingink]

Riverdale, “Episode Twenty-One: House of the Devil”

Jughead writes at the Whyte Wyrm now, which presumably people, there, still think is weird

Fifth period is AP English: Jughead compares the Black Hood to Edgar Allan Poe’s Red Death, which I think was an allegory for like, the Plague

“CARNAL DEFIANCE”

Sixth period is Intro to Film: Why does Cheryl call Archie & Veronica making out “xenomorphs,” which are the aliens in Aliens? I need help

Jughead drops the name “Varchie,” truly proving he is not above the rest of us

I like to think that Jughead chronicling the carnal defiance is him thinking to himself how objective and journalistic he is being

the carnal defiance montage is good, though

Veronica was rich: “The tasting menu at Pourquoi is thirteen courses, Archie.”

literally on a white fur rug in front of a fire?

I like the soft class differences in Archie immediately suggesting they maybe watch Netflix and Veronica immediately suggesting they maybe watch HBO

Veronica as usual is an emotionally-multitasking saint-genius in giving Archie a genuine had-a-good-time kiss as he frantically leaves

Jug calls McGinty “Freddy Krueger,” which I will allow

Jughead doubts it: Jughead is “dubious” that the Reaper is the BH, as he’d have to be in his 60’s. plus, he was MAYBE lynched! or they lynched someone who was MAYBE him!

God, Betty and Jughead Black & Golding it up at Pop’s hit me with some choice nostalgia. remember when they tried to break Polly out of Catholic school? innocent times!

“YOU DON’T HAVE TO, OKAY.”

Betty’s sweater with that red pencil skirt???

Veronica’s sleeveless floral blouse with that bow???

Veronica VERY NICELY looks excited that FP is getting out of jail. I don’t know if she cares, but she will act like she cares. Veronica is just that good

Archie > Dawson: Archie being like, I assume you need help with something because your life sucks and I’ve come to expect it, and Jughead and Betty being like, Yes, continue to investigate this decades-old murder while we plan a working-class graduation party, truly, sums everything up about them

I do applaud the self-awareness of Veronica being like, We’re Bughead right now?

these two angels are up for it. Archie doesn’t give him any nonsense about Moose’s physical therapy (I hope Moose is okay). he’ll Scooby Gang with Veronica for his bro

Cheryl’s pins: Cheryl has her own special red towel, because…..because…..

Gay?!: I do want an unprompted back massage with lavender essential oil from Cheryl, but Josie is one tea with Penelope away from needing to Get Out

What damn high school in America: weirdly, I feel like Ms. Svenson is largely guileless here, but like...don’t just open the door…

Cheryl draws back, the moment over, Josie is like...I gotta go...

Hiram’s exceedingly wholesome red sweater

Veronica gets my favorite line of the night: “Well, I don’t know about those other people, but we’re ACTUALLY SINNERS.”

“Damn good coffee”: I don’t know what “the martial arts” are, but Andre is trained in them

Smithers is dead, right? Smithers is dead

The female gaze: “Archie, as pictured here exiting the shower, would literally die for you, so keep him around.”

can we give Archie a more interesting phone background?

Alice is dusting with an actual feather duster? those DO not work

TBH what is Jughead’s plan with the Mayor? she has demonstrated many times over that she does not GAF about the southside, and Jughead is not exactly a charismatic master salesman. what he needs to do is get Veronica to talk to HIRAM about the southside, but that ship has sailed. I want to say I’m with Serpent Daddy on this one, and you know what if that makes me a little bitch, THEN I GUESS I AM ONE

I do like the Generation Z insurrection from inside of the Serpents, though. phase out the olds! maybe Tall Boy SHOULD shut up and let them fucking try and actually save their part of town. it won’t work, but it will be honorable. plus then they’d be younger and cooler, like the Ghoulies. okay, Jughead, you brought me around. except at this point in time I still think I would rather be a Ghoulie

Jughead drunk on his own righteousness and calling for “a vote” to oust Tall Boy is like the most assertive he has ever been

Veronica, hell-bent that they not talk about It, brings up the murder house, the BH letter, and how she wants to get laid

Veronica has her reading glasses at the breakfast table!!! VERONICA I LOVE YOU. I’LL SAY IT TOO

okay I do think Fred is right that with “those three words,” people are usually “on different schedules”

Please protect Betty: Alice lets Betty “borrow” the station wagon on the condition that she, Alice, drives it

INCREDIBLY SEXUALLY FRUSTRATED? CARNAL DEFIANCE?

“Mom! What?” “Wow.”

brace yourself because the Riverdale prison is called “Shankshaw”

FP leaving the Serpents is fucking news to Jughead

“Working, Warden Cooper.”

oh, AA? AA, FP? I’m looking at my watch

FP lifting his pinkie to drink his coffee like Alice shows just how fierce prison turned him

Sheriff Keller’s continued patience with the Scoobies is the act of a desperate man

“The Devil’s house? What if he’s home?”

Sexy, aesthetic Southside:  Jughead’s motorcycle jacket is good and his helmet hair is great

of course FP has that obnoxious man-child motorcycle with the jacked-up handlebars

FP and Jughead have apparently parked alongside a Civil War battlefield

FP says when he was 16, Jughead’s age, his father kicked him out of the house, so he joined the Serpents. this is like exactly the opposite of what FP & Jughead are doing, but in the saddest possible way

Jughead must ACTUALLY like being in the Serpents. a group where he isn’t the odd one out all the time. the non-joiner joined and now doesn’t want to leave

FP’s condition is that Jughead keeps writing. FP DOES LOVE HIS SON, THE SCREW-UP

“I will. I do, every day.” YOU’RE BETTER THAN ME, JUG

I can’t endorse FP’s knockoff Ray-Bans, though

Cheryl’s sheaths: THAT SHIRT?

The 2001 Josie and the Pussycats movie was a masterpiece: Cheryl is DISGUSTED that Reggie is going to escort Josie to his father’s car dealership opening. $5,000, though?? to some people, Cheryl, that is A LOT OF MONEY

The Blossom spawn: “Clean that up, plebe. The way you did my brother’s blood.”

Cheryl’s a chaos angel from hell: I think Cheryl is allowed at least one lashing-out at FP (FOR DISPOSING OF HER BROTHER’S BODY) and FP knows it

a “king”? a “leader of men”? was he, Jughead?

Betty’s solution is, as always, to throw a party

These students are legally children: Toni is bartending? Toni, a legal child, is bartending? I think if Alice really wanted to hit them where it hurts she could simply report them to the ABC for flagrant underage drinking violations (Toni is not drinking)

I say “X-adjacent” all the time, so I liked Betty calling herself “Serpent-adjacent” 

ALTHOUGH SHE IS JUST AS MUCH A HEREDITARY SERPENT AS JUGHEAD

Byrdie, I think, smokes a couple of packs a day

Jughead wants the Serpents to stick up for themselves through actually viable legal channels. Toni wants to eliminate their sexist, misogynistic initial rituals. Sweet Pea probably wants to include an outreach program and feed little kids before school in case they can’t afford breakfast! PURGE THE OLDS FROM THE SERPENTS, THE KIDS ARE DOING GREAT

Jughead has come a long way from balking at Betty throwing him a birthday party for like six people to convincing FP that a retirement party at the alcoholic bar owned by his old biker gang will be fun, only last “like three hours”

“Don’t bogart the egg rolls.”

Penny thinks Jughead’s “soft underbelly” is his “quite fetching” girlfriend, even more than his well-meaning dolt father

Veronica’s cape!!!!!

FLASHBACK CAM!!!!

of course the SHATTERED PORTRAIT of mother and child is still there, like in Tarzan

this Reaper was a stone-cold motherfucker

OH, THE ORIGINAL BLOODSTAINED WOOD IS STILL THERE?

Archie finds the clue box! Veronica finds the third child’s initials! Archie and Veronica are GREAT Betty and Jugheads!

why is Penny AROUND if EVERYONE is scared of her? because she can actually do a good job when she’s “incentivized”?

Fwoopy hair is the best hair: Toni’s lovely, looping pink side-braids

Alice storms over to Pop’s, preemptively furious that Betty is going to pole dance to become Serpent-adjacent

FP is like, PLEASE SHUT UP

this scene is GREAT. “THEY WEREN’T ALL MISTAKES.” FP’s bowtie! he looks great in white? “Are you high on fumes?”

Alice tries to throw Hal in FP’s face and FP is like, drop that like it’s hot

Best costume bit: Veronica’s perkily no-nonsense Lois Lane outfit during the debrief

I’ve seen Brick like thirty times: Jughead is quick to point out the possible Dexter ramifications on a body having to watch their family get murdered

Jughead sort of coos in Betty’s ear to remind her they have to leave

Betty’s belated invitation amuses Veronica and nonplusses Archie, and Jughead rather gallantly gives them an easy out in case they like DON’T WANT TO GO, “IT’S NOT A BIG DEAL”

Archie’s waist looks particularly small in that shirt

Joseph Conway honestly out here thinking he can outrun Archie! when the only person who can do that is Jughead Jones!

AN EVIL PREACHER!

A REAL MOB!

Summer + Blair = Veronica: Veronica’s interrogation was great because Veronica is a natural Bad Cop

Betty has a picture of herself and Jughead at the Retro Reunion Dance from Hell on her mirror

I think Hermione and Hiram say “I love you” all the time, in many different ways. he calls her a dove. she brings him his coffee. he gets her boyfriend’s underage construction workers beaten up. she claims she wrote a threatening letter about herself

Archie’s brown Henley

Jughead did “a sweep” of “the perimeter”

Archie telling himself it’s going to be a good night, Jughead pats him on the back: “Here’s hoping”

Mädchen Amick, MÄDCHEN AMICK: once again Alice demonstrates that dressing “like the southside” does not preclude dressing fabulously, rather that other Serpents are simply not putting in the time

Alice does not want the worm that comes with her shot of mezcal

Jughead, PRECIOUSLY, clarifies that when he said “You look incredible,” he meant Betty, he was not hitting on Alice

Archie is VERY GOOD telling Veronica that he said what he said because HE was feeling good! GOOD, ARCHIE

HOLD THE PHONE, HAS ARCHIE SEEN DONNIE DARKO?

Archie immediately pivots to passive aggression when his kindness is not reciprocated with declarations of love! BAD, ARCHIE

“Mad World” is a great song. I would hedge on whether or not it’s a great karaoke song. I would strongly hedge on whether it’s a rousing crowd-pleaser at a drunken gangbanger send-off

did Archie like Donnie Darko? did he understand it? if so, could he explain it to me?

Veronica’s silky alto makes another appearance

“DEAD END FP”????

I’m writing a scene where it’s gay.: oh, Sweet Pea’s there! Sweet Pea is standing alone by the wall. Sweet Pea COULD be standing with Jughead, if he wanted. Jughead is also standing alone

apparently Betty has a whole secret drawer of black lingerie

never in ten thousand billion years would Jughead enjoy any sort of exhibitionism on Betty’s behalf in front of other people. BECAUSE HE’S FUCKING SHY, unless he’s calling Tall Boy a bitch

Gay.: Toni is amused. carnal defiance?

50 Shades of Betty: is Betty a Serpent now? BETTY?

I did rather enjoy the possibly inadvertent parallel to that episode of Fresh Prince when Will and Carlton end up stripping together at that rich-lady benefit and Aunt Viv walks in on it and she’s like, “PUT IT ON.”

FP, I want to say, saves the day by taking charge of the fallout: “Ha ha, great! EVERYTHING’S FINE! Put this on.”

Certified pedigree: OF COURSE. OF COURSE. OF COURSE. OF COURSE. OF COURSE FP IS GOING BACK TO THE SERPENTS. of course he does it with the most melodramatic speech possible. of course he does it by dismissing his own son, dismissing his family, dismissing parole, dismissing sobriety. of course he’s actually doing it to protect Jughead but of course doing do by actually destroying Jughead’s life in a different way

“Coyote Ugly” is pretty good

“I AM NOT GOING GENTLY INTO THE NIGHT!” FP, do you read Dylan Thomas?!

FP’S KISS OF DEATH. FP’S FREDO KISS. “YOU BROKE MY HEART, JUGHEAD.”

the shot he takes right to Jughead’s face is just mean

Jughead looks fucking stunned. can you be numb AND horrified? horrifumbed?

Veronica doesn’t have any deep-seated issues, for God’s sake! she isn’t in love with Archie right now! everyone take a breath!

Andre sat in the car during the whole party? I see a missed opportunity here

the hat’s off! HAT’S OFF

Jughead considers Archie gone, that he “cut bait,” a phrase I admit I have never heard before. Jughead is operating with the assumption that Archie has written him off and that Betty needs to do so as well, so it’s like the Archie-Jughead breakup, but sort of sideways

“I’M DRAGGING MY DAD DOWN.”

“You might get...you will probably get hurt.”

I did like the CLASSICALLY DRAMATIC wrenching Jughead back around by the arm and holding his face. IF YOU KIDS WOULD JUST SHUT UP AND HOLD EACH OTHER’S FACES. remember when sorcerer dementia-phantom Nana Rose scared you snooping in Jason Blossom’s bedroom??? innocent times!!!!!

I’m looking at this photograph of the Hangin’ Mob and I can’t tell who’s who, and it fills me with glee!

Every triangle has three corners, every triangle has three sides: I’m not sure what Betty and Archie are supposed to be seeing in each other for the very first time, unless it’s that they scare their partners or something. can Betty and Archie Blue & Gold? maybe! Archie wasn’t great at holding the line against Betty when she was falling down the Black Hood rabbit hole, but he did recognize it when it was happening, PLUS he’s a huge handsome slab of boy meat! TIME TO STEP UP, ARCHIE

hey, is Jughead homeless again?

TOMORROW: WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?

[christianlivingtoday-blog]

The Psychology of Backsliding

The psychology of backsliding deals with the way backsliders think. It deals with the attitudesof a defecting Christian. You see, the Bible says we should guard our hearts with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

Proverbs 4:23

Backsliding is one of the issues of life. The issue of backsliding comes from the heart. A thought in the heart becomes an attitude. An attitude becomes an action. And these actions become behavior patterns.

Let us look at the attitudes that form in the heart of a backslider. It is these attitudes that give him the false confidence in his backslidden state.

ATTITUDE 1

"I'm Not Alone, Others Are Backsliding Too."

I have noticed that one of the things we do, is to find out who else is in a condition similar to ours. And when we get involved in something we also try to take others with us (like drowning men). But the Bible says,

…every man shall bear his OWN burden.

Galatians 6:5

You may take confidence in the fact that others seem to be doing as badly as you are. But that is a false assurance.

I remember when I travelled to a city in Ghana and visited a brother whom I had known to be very zealous for the Lord. Unfortunately, this brother whom I even considered to be in the rank of a minister had backslidden, and had made a young lady pregnant. He no longer went to church regularly.

When my wife and I got to his house, we chatted a bit, and asked, "How are you doing spiritually?"

He said, "Oh, God is good."

Then he immediately changed the topic and asked whether we had heard about another good friend of ours who had backslidden terribly.

But My Condition Is Better Than His

"Brother X's condition is very unfortunate," he lamented.

He added, "Have you heard? He's fallen into very bad company, and doesn't go to church at all."

He was trying to make us see that this brother's condition was even worse than his.

As we were going home in the car, I asked my wife if she noticed that this brother seemed to have taken some reassurance in the fact that our other friend was in an even worse state.

You can tell when people are trying to reassure themselves. Just listen to the things they say. They say things like: "Nowadays a lot of people don't go to church... City life is too busy for regular church attendance… There are now many Christians who drink a little beer with their food…"

Dear friend, don't be deceived by the existence of a crowd. You may think that everybody is sinning just like you are. But when Christ comes you'll be very surprised to find people whom you thought would go to Hell with you, passing you by on their way to Heaven!

A friend once told me about an incident that jolted him into becoming a Christian.

What?! Are You Also a Christian?

He told me, "I was a party-going, night-life person with lots of girlfriends. One day, I was going home in a friend's car after one of our usual parties when I noticed that the car was unusually quiet."

"So I decided to slot in some good old disco music to liven up the atmosphere. I picked up one of the tapes lying in the front of the car and inserted it. To my utmost surprise, instead of music, I heard the sound of preaching."

I exclaimed, "Hey, what's this? Since when did you start listening to such things? Are you also one of those born again people?"

And his friend replied, "Hey, I am securing myself."

My friend said to me "I began to think very fast; if our car was to have had an accident and we were both to die, he may have gone to Heaven, and Iwould have gone to Hell!!"

My friend suddenly realized that he had been deceived into thinking that every one of his friends was a ruthless sinner like he was.People were secretly seeking God and securing their places in heaven.

You better make sure that you are doing the right thing. Do not look at the crowd. You are born alone, and you will die alone. Do not even look to your husband or your wife. It is unusual for husbands and wives to be born on the same day. It is even more unusual for them to die on the same day.

You will stand before God as an individual. Never forget that fact of life.

ATTITUDE 2

"I Have a Lot of Time; Christ is Not Really Coming Soon."

The world is truly amused when we say that Christ is coming soon. They think it is a theory cooked up by some deranged people.

On the other hand, some Christians know that Christ's Second Coming is a reality. But they think that it won't happen very soon. At least, not in their lifetime. They suppose they can enjoy themselves and forget about the future. But what they forget is that Christ's coming will be a very unexpectedevent.

...the day of the Lord so cometh AS A THIEF IN THE NIGHT. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

1 Thessalonians 5:2-3

A pregnant woman who is due might be all right one moment, and the next moment, go into labour. Severe pain will strike her and a baby will be born. So will the coming of the Lord be. Everything will be all right one day and the next, total chaos in the world.

Jesus Could Come This Friday!

Jesus compares his coming to the coming of a thief. No one expects a thief. I remember years ago when thieves broke into my father's house. We were not expecting anything of the sort, but it just happened. The whole world will be very surprised when Jesus comes again.

Many of you have taken God's grace period of repentance for granted. Indeed, this grace period means nothing to some of us. The grace period has rather become more time to play the “fool”. This is how backsliders think.I have more time! I have much more time!!

You may be planning to have your grand wedding. But it may never come on. Perhaps, those who are in school may never complete their courses. The trumpet will suddenly sound, and those of us who are washed in the blood of the Lamb, and ready for the Saviour would be caught up in the clouds to be with Him forever.

ATTITUDE 3

"There Are Short Cuts to Everything, Including Going to Heaven."

The world is under the delusion that there are short cuts to everything. Unfortunately, some Christians think in the same way. They assume that there must be some short cut to Heaven since there seems to be a short cut to almost everything.

I Learnt the Hard Way!

You cannot escape the Christian rudiments and go to Heaven. You cannot escape the cross. Jesus said, "Take up thy cross and follow me." There is no short cut around the cross. You must take it up. In this day and age of instant coffee, instant tea and jet travel, everybody wants to have things fast, quick and short.

When I was in boarding school, I learnt the hard way that short cuts must be avoided.

Those of us in the junior forms were asked to do some general scrubbing in school. I obtained an excuse duty slip from the doctor. It exempted me from any assigned duties for the next four days.

I happened to discuss this excuse duty slip with a friend, and excitedly told him how I wouldn't have to do any hard work for the next four days. Then he came up with what I thought was a bright idea.

He suggested, "Why don't you write “1” before the “4” so it reads “14” days instead of “4”? You will then have fourteen whole days to relax."

As I mused over this suggestion, I thought, "What a good idea! No one will notice."

The Day I Met My First Judas

But this friend was the first Judas I was to meet in my life.

After I had taken hissuggestion and changed the '4' to '14', this same friend reported me to the seniors. He told them that I had forged my excuse duty slip.

Everyone pounced on me, and I was charged. I tell you, I suffered greatly for that mistake. First of all, my four days of excuse were cancelled. I was given the most difficult jobs to do. And then I was given extra punishment.

From that time I decided: No more short cuts in life. I realized long ago that there was no short cut to Heaven. I will have to go the hard way.

We may think that there is a shorter way to Heaven, but there is only one way to Heaven. It is not through Allah, Islam, fetish, chanting or meditation. It is only by accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour and being born again. There is no short cut.

In the secular world, wise businessmen are wary of any “get-rich-quick” schemes.Many however, are not tired of trying one quick scheme after the other. So they take advantage of every opportunity to make some quick money.

They Said, "Your Church Will Be Rich."

Someone once asked our church to join a new 'get-rich-quick' bank.

He explained, "As a growing church you will need a lot of money to help complete your building project."

But I immediately said, "It sounds too good to be true, and too quick to be real."

So we didn't join it.

A few weeks later, I heard of how that new bank had collapsed. Many people lost their money. I also heard of how some churches had lost huge sums of money by saving there.

The Bible says the Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed, which needs time to grow to become a great tree. When you put the seed into the ground, it will need to go through the long process of dying and growing before yielding fruit. Unfortunately, some of us want to escape the processes of dying and growing up. You cannot expect to just put money in the offering and hope that everything will be all right. You cannot avoid the reality of fasting, praying, fellowshipping and witnessing. These are Biblical standards we just cannot avoid!!

ATTITUDE 4

"God Loves Me Too Much To Punish Me."

I have heard Christians say that God will never punish them. They quote, "For God so loved the world…"

They argue that since God loves the world so much He will not destroy them. They say, "I know God will forgive me." Because of this they add sin to sin without batting an eyelid.

Two Sides of a Coin

God's nature is like two sides of a coin. One side of the coin shows the head, and the other side shows the tail. One side of God's character shows His great love, and the other side shows His judgement.

A Christian sister spoke of a woman who was having an affair with her best friend's husband. Because the two ladies were good friends they would often speak on the phone. Every time this adulteress put the phone down, she would sigh and say, "O God, forgive me for what I'm doing."

Strangely, she still didn't stop destroying her friend's marriage. Some people feel that God will not punish them. That is why they continue in sin.

When God shows you one side of His character you will see love, forgiveness and mercy of the highest order. God will forgive and forget your sins. But a time will come when God will show you the other side of His nature; which is judgment, justice, fairness, equity and jurisprudence. These are the two sides of God's nature. We are now in the Dispensation of Grace. God is showing you mercy and love.

Think about all the wicked sins you have committed, but still receive His forgiveness. At a certain point, the Spirit of the Lord will not strive with man anymore. God has to judge you, otherwise there will be chaos in the Kingdom.

The king by judgment establisheth the land…

Proverbs 29:4

God loves you so much that He will punish you when He has to.

ATTITUDE 5

"I Have More Time; I'm Not Going to Die Soon."

People think that because they are young they still have a lot of time. Also they think they have enough of their lives ahead of them to sort things out with God.

I wrote this book at a time when the whole world shook at the news of the death of Princess Diana and her millionaire companion. No one in his wildest imagination would have thought that someone so young, so charming and so beautiful could be taken off the face of the earth so suddenly.

The security of an armour-plated Mercedes Benz with airbags all around could not prevent her death in a car accident in Paris. I tell you, none of us was expecting this!

Everyone thinks that there is more time. I'm sure Princess Diana thought there were many more years ahead. We all did. But it was not so. That is why the whole world trembled with shock. It is not safe to assume that there is more time. The Bible warns us that because we don't know the day or the hour Christ will come, we must be ready all the time. The key word here is preparation and readiness.

…thus will I do unto thee...because I will do this unto thee…PREPARE to meet thy God…

Amos 4:12

In Luke 12, the Bible tells the story of a man who had a successful business. He had so much that he wondered what to do with the profits. He decided to build bigger barns to store his goods. In our time this would be equivalent to opening new bank accounts. When he completed his projects, he said to himself, "Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years. Take thine ease, eat, drink and be merry."

Come Up for a Meeting

God reacted immediately from Heaven and said, "…This night thy soul shall be required of thee." In other words, I want to have a discussion with you tonight. God has the right to call you up for a discussion at any time. God is showing us here that there is just a step between us and death.

There are three times in your life when people will gather to honour you. They gather when you are born and christened. Then they gather again when you are getting married. And finally, they will definitely also gather for you when you die. Somebody might contend that he or she is too young to die. But go to the mortuary, and you will discover that even little babies die. I was once in a hospital ward with one of my assistant pastors when we happened to see the body of a little baby who had just died. Although it was a tiny baby who had just began to live, it died. That baby was not too young to die.

Dear Christian friend, do not put off your godly obligations because you think you are still young and there is more time. You never know when God will summon you to account for your life.

…thus will I do unto thee,...because I will do this unto thee…PREPARE to meet thy God.

Amos 4:12

by Dag Heward-Mills