#which is my favorite verse in the Bible :)

[lord-squiggletits]

The thing that makes me mad about finding cool quotes/references to use as titles or some such for stories is they're basically impossible to consciously look for. Sure you can just Google "cool quotes" or something but it's just gonna return stuff that everyone knows. By nature the coolest quotes always come from things that you read/watch/listen to and are drawn towards, maybe not even realizing why you're drawn to them. You can't "look for" cool quotes because by nature the coolest quotes are the ones that are cool to you personally. So ultimately the only reliable way to find profound phrases/references is to consume a lot of art and find the things that are meaningful through sheerly opening your mind and trying new things

[fiat-veritas]

Lord, You know all things--You know that I love You!

Right now it is true I do not see the road ahead of me, nor do I know where it will end. I still choose to trust in You and ask You to have mercy on me in Your loving-kindness. Have pity on Your suffering servant who loves You so much. Please deliver me from all evil and give me the grace to follow You even into the desert, with endless devotion.

[foone]

I love snake handling, as a religious practice.

Because while they can point at some Bible verses to justify it (a couple gospels use "snakes can't hurt you" as a metaphor for strength of belief, and they took it very litteraly) it's basically a modern invention. Like, the American Christian practice of snake handling is barely over a hundred years old! That's very young for a Christian practice.

It's younger than Mormons and Christian Scientist, and it's mostly limited to my area: the Appalachians.

It's basically just a regular Pentecostal service (which often involves laying of hands for healing, and my favorite Christian tradition, glossolalia!) except they add The Snake.

Like, you're at church, and there's the pews, and people are going up and Feeling The Spirit, and some of them are Picking Up The Snake.

That's alright, it's a harmless snake, right?

NOPE! They use venomous snakes. Usually American ones (your rattlesnakes and copperheads) but sometimes they import cobras and the like.

The venomous nature is the point. They believe that if they're blessed by God, they'll be able to handle the dangerous snakes without being hurt.

And given that this is a relatively rarely practiced thing, and it's connected to faith healing, you might think it's just a con. There's some traveling "holy man" with a well-trained snake that he can "miraculously" handle without being attacked, right?

Oh god no. It's a bunch of different guys and they get bitten all the time. Wikipedia has a list of 15 of 'em who died because of it, and that's just the "notable" ones.

People are allowed to just come up and touch the venomous snake! No training or safety equipment needed, just Jesus. Reportedly people who get bitten are not considered to be lacking in faith, just "it was their time to go". Like, they don't even call the hospital about anti-venom. You just die.

(Did I mention sometimes they drink poison too? Mainly strychnine, possibly because it's survivable in small doses. Same reason: their faith will protect them)

Anyway I really do love it. It's such an unusual thing to jam into Christianity, that I can't help but be mesmerized by it.

But it makes up the majority of 20th and 21st century American deaths from snakes. Most people avoid snakes so even the most deadly venomous snakes in America usually only ever kill by surprise, like someone reaches into a gopher hole and gets bit, or they accidentally bother one trying to piss in a bush. And even then, we've got anti-venoms! Lots of people bitten make it to the hospital and get treated.

So naturally the main group that ends up dying from snakes is the ones who are constantly handling deadly snakes and then refuse medical care.

[artist-issues]

Vignette is my favorite song on Clancy.

He goes “to me, the song makes the most sense when viewed through the lens of addiction.” And everybody responded to that like “omg TYLER what’s he addicted to??”

Like they’ve never heard that from him before.

There’s literally a whole song about going through cycles of addiction and what’s he addicted to, ladies and gentleman—

Doubt.

He’s addicted to doubting God. That whole bridge of the song is the literal point of the Bible verse James 1:6 “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.”

It’s…it’s all over his songs. It’s all over that one interview with Apple Music where he explains he doesn’t know how to talk about his faith yet, so does he really believe it if he can’t talk about it, etc.

In Vignette he describes what he’s been doing over and over, the dark addictive thing, like this:

“Fresh off a binger in the woods

flesh, covered in bites

testing what is real, what is good,

Man, it’s been a long night.”

Break it down. Tyler chose to describe a location. Didn’t have to. But because he did, you can get something from that. He’s in the woods. Woods? Trees. “Why won't you speak / Where I happen to be? / Silent in the trees / Standing cowardly.” Standing in the woods, out there alone, looking for something out of the ordinary and dramatic to happen, to alleviate his feelings, to give him proof that God exists.

That is the place he goes to wrestle with that.

Next line. His state is having flesh that is covered in bites. Mmkay, he’s used zombie imagery before. Heavydirtysoul: “Mindless zombies walking around with a limp and a hunch/ Saying stuff like, ‘you only live once’ /“ Zombies are people who don’t think about where life came from or where it’s going; they just shuffle around, not moving well through life, based on a ‘hunch (a feeling or guess based on no known facts.) They’re dead, pretending to be alive, mindless. That kind of crowd, or even that kind of mindset, has been chewing away at the songwriter. Getting covered by something so dark sounds a lot like the phrase “swallowed by the vignette.”

What’s covered in bites? Flesh. Only one other place where he’s used that word. Holding Onto You: “I’m taking over my body, back in control, no more shoddy / I’ve fought it a lot and it seems a lot like flesh is all I’ve got / not anymore, flesh out the door, swat /

I could say a lot about that song and the different meanings behind the word choice of “flesh,” but suffice it to say, it sounds just like Romans 7, (I don’t care, read all that scripture, it’s life-giving.)

"For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?" 

The flesh is biblically at war with the Spirit, in a Christian. It’s the sinful urges and lifestyle, which have been defeated in Christ, but are still weighing us down and tempting us until He comes back. I’m not saying “doubt” is always a fleshly thing. I’m saying: addiction is always a fleshly thing—it’s laboring under the authority and control of something that is not Christ. Usually we are talking about addiction to a substance. But it can also be addiction to a mindset.

Doubt or ‘losing your faith’ or whatever can sound real romantic. But actually you know what, when you’re doubting, you get to stall. You get to say ‘well I’m not sure’ so you quit moving. You quit trusting, so you quit obeying. That aspect of it can be less daunting than the alternative—so it can be appealing. I don’t have to obey and do hard things if I’m not sure of the one giving orders. I can sit in uncertainty; that can be the slightly less scary hard-thing that I choose.

So. The flesh—the evil part of him that is already dead in Christ, but he keeps putting it on like a snake trying to fit in old shed skin—is what the zombies—the mindless, pretending to be alive mindset—are feeding on. And they’re doing all this while he’s out in the woods—where he normally goes to puzzle out whether or not God is who He says He is.

He’s putting back on that nasty old skin that doesn’t belong on him anymore. He’s going out where his only company is the undead, mindless-pretending-to-be-alive. And he’s doing what?

“Testing what is real, what is good.” Oh. Romans 2:12. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

He’s using this phrase, but not like the Bible does. And that’s intentional. He uses the phrase incorrectly, to show how using it incorrectly is the problem.

He’s cutting out the fact that the testing is supposed to be for “discerning what is the will of God.” That’s the context, that’s the motive that is safe to base testing on. But he’s not operating in that correct, safe space. And he adds “what is real” to “what is good.”

When you take out “figuring out God’s will” but then you add in “what’s even real?” you’re saying, “I’m not sure God is even real, so nevermind about His will—let ME figure out what is good.” You’re not going to find “what is good” on those terms. Without Him, when He is in your category for ‘might not be real,’ when you remove Him from the equation, who’s to say what’s good? Anybody. Nobody. So “good” doesn’t exist. That’s zombie-thinking, right there. The absence of sense. Mindlessness.

Now factor in what I said above. That interview with Apple Music. “If I don’t know how to talk about it, do I really believe it?” Add in a dash of “Clear.” “Cleverly masking your words /“ Put in the whole entire character of Blurryface, who cares what everyone thinks and can’t be “clear.”

Vignette is just another chapter in the same old story. Tyler Joseph isn’t always 100% sure God is who He says He is. And at his worst, in his flesh, he cares more about what you think than he does the truth…so he can’t be clear about what he believes.

“Man, it’s been a long night.” Yeah. It has.

[pagodazz]

NO SERIOUSLY HOW THE FUCK DO YOU WATCH EMH AND SKIP STEPH'S BLOG WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT WHAT'S THE POINT. Like I get why someone might skip the tapes even though they're important because they might assume it's less connected or something, BUT HOW THE FUCK ARE PEOPLE SKIPPING CYSTW WTF

you would be SO surprised at the amount of people who have not taken the time to look at ANYTHING. I've literally gotten so many people telling me they never knew Vinnie had been taken advantage of by the priest. like MF. DID YOU READ THE CORENTHAL LETTERS??

I think alot of people in this fandom are actually very sexist (even if they think they aren't) because they'll ignore all the women who even DARE to interact w the emh guys which is so unbelievably frustrating. They have to be purposely ignoring that stuff bc so many people are unaware of the terrible things HABIT has done. And yk from one look at my acc I obviously enjoy his character, but I'm definitely not gonna DEFEND this mf shouldn't be DEFENDED. cuz he's AWFUL.

They'll see Steph as an obstacle in their way to Evan even though she's literally JUST as important as the rest of the guys. LIKE Y'ALL SHE WAS WITH THEM IN FAIRMOUNT... SHE WAS THERE!!!!! they're so unaware of emh's connection with Bible verses thanks to Steph's posts with the floods.

Steph's story is something that is majorly needed for the plot AND to advance forward, if we didn't have Steph we WOULD NOT have an answer for Jessa. The dead characters of emh haunt the narrative, even when they're long forgotten, Vinnie still carries around the guilt for it all.

It's honestly SO UNBELIEVABLY UPSETTING HOW PEOPLE TREAT STEPH, I'd say recently maybe it's gotten a little bit better, but PEOPLE STILL ACT AS IF SHES A BAD GUY. like no she didn't bully your favorite emo dude, she was a WOMAN GRIEVING THE LOSS OF HER ONLY FRIEND, HER ONLY FAMILY and they could not HANDLE HER!!!!!!!

[aro-in-danyl]

Alastor as a "Gift from God" AU part 2

I'll have you know it is very difficult to write from the POV of God so you get Roo instead. I had to look up bible verses for this.

PART 1 here.

-------------------

On the day of the first extermination cleanse.

When the first sinner was slain, Roo felt the soul attempt to rise. A fruitless endeavor, for their sinful deeds in life and in death ensured her roots bound the severed pieces of the soul to her.

Foolish angels, in culling the herd and stifling even the thought of rebellion, they only made her stronger. Roo tightened her vines around the soul and attempted to drag it down, down through the 7 rings, and to her.

Attempted, because before she even got past the Pride Ring, a stronger force yanked the soul upwards. Enraged and in disbelief she tightened her hold around the other souls being slaughtered by the dozens, but each and every time they were ripped from her grasp.

At the end of the day, when the exorcists were flying up and away from the slaughter, the portal to Heaven opened and Roo latched onto the connection and demanded an explanation.

"Have you gone back on your word?" her tone was taunting but her desperation and anger festered, "These souls are mine. Their punishment is meant to be eternal!"

Roo did not expect a response, God had not spoken to her since The Beginning, and God had no foothold in hell - usually. Today, apparently, was an exception.

God spoke to her, "My creations all return unto me in The End regardless. You know I cannot bare to be separated forever."

Roo did not buy this, "What ever happened to 'Depart from me, you who are cursed' was that not written?"

"Said by a King, not I." God refuted.

"But within your holy text." Roo sniped, "You reward their sin, their rejection of you, by accepting them back with open arms?"

"If you think that is what will happen to those who reject me twice, you know me not at all." And perversely, Roo felt relieved at this admission. "The righteous will have eternal life, the sinful - upon second death - nothing."

"And keeping them from me was merely a happy coincidence?" Roo felt emboldened, God must see her as a bigger threat than she thought, "To twist the meaning of your eternal punishment to exclude me, why I'd almost call that a quality worthy of a demon."

The portal, which had only been open seconds, pulsed with the force of God's anger.

Roo laughed. "You fear me enough to risk your angels falling into my grasp once again. Do you think this latest stunt of yours will keep me weak forever?"

"My angels have learned to evade you since then."

"Careful there." Roo feigned concern, "Anymore hubris and I'll have to save you a seat in Pride. I could put you next to your favorite child, wouldn't that be nice?"

God ignored the taunt, "I know your roots grow stronger on Earth. More fall to you everyday. Faster than even my best angels can catch them."

Roo smiled at the admission. To have her work acknowledged by the being who created everything, everything that would someday be corrupted and belong wholly to her.

God continued, "It is a testament to your strength that The End may be sooner than I thought."

Roo stopped cold. Her strength came from corrupting the creations of God, but if there was nothing to corrupt...

Ah. She thought. Nothing truly is an eternal punishment.

"Unless," God hedged. "We come to an arrangement?"

Suddenly the reason for God's desire to converse with her made sense. Here she was, weakened from the loss of over a hundred damned souls, from an event that would become a yearly occurrence. Here God was, with the threat of The End poised upon their fingertips, attempting to force her compliance.

And it was working.

But God had shown their hand too early, "How utterly demonic of you! You want to compromise with me? To reason with me?" She used her roots to trip a flailing exorcist trying to remove its spear from a corpse just because, "What can you offer me?"

"I will not hasten The End before its time." God stated, as if the threat of nothing was enough now that she knew God wanted something from her that they could not get themselves.

"You do not want to destroy everything you've created; you want it even less than I do. What is it you desire?"

The last few exorcists were getting ready to return via the portal, their clothes splatted in shade of red and an abundance of gore. They had yet to develop a tolerance to the violence they were perpetuating. Roo knew, just as God did, that many of the angels after slaughtering their first few sinners, had ripped their helmet off and vomited in disgust and despair.

Roo could feel their shock, their inner turmoil, their sense of righteousness, their loyalty to heaven. With time, and more exterminations cleanses, they would learn to enjoy the bloodshed. Or they would break. Such was the way of war.

"I wish to create a gift for Lucifer," God began, "A gift that will challenge him, embolden him, and remain by his side."

Lucifer! Why did it always come back to him? Around them, the corpses of the damned littered her domain never to rise again, God's angels grappled with the weight of their heavenly duty, and her influence weakened for the first time in decades. And yet it was Lucifer that made God lower themselves to speak with her!

Roo reigned in her rage, "And what does that have to do with me?"

"I am creating something unlike anything I've ever created before." God directed her attention back to the weak angel who'd finally pulled their spear from a corpse, "Immune to angelic destruction. Stronger than a thousand sinners, with the potential to stand against my Archangels, capable of vengeance and retribution."

Roo salivated. "And you're sending it here." Roo let the last of the shattered souls in her grasp go, not even paying attention as it shot upwards and away. "You'd create such a thing and put in my hands the instrument of your demise?"

"Which is why I appear before you. You know sin more intimately than I. So I implore you to cast off a piece of yourself for this gift and I shall do the same."

"And what is this gift?" The exorcist was attempting to clean the gore from the spear and failing. "And why should I give you anymore of myself when you've already taken so much?"

"A human soul."

"You intend to create a soul destined to hell before its first sin and gift it to the being who prizes free will above all else. Do you imagine he will thank you?" Roo didn't care about Lucifer's feelings regarding this gift, she couldn't wait to see the fallout actually, but she couldn't help but point out the obvious.

"No," God said, "he will not. As for you, this soul will bring a new age upon your realm. They will be The Avenger of the worthy. And a nightmare to everyone else."

"Do not repay anyone evil for evil," Roo quoted. "Is that why you need me? You want to avoid going against your own words, so you seek to blame me instead."

She did not give God time to respond, "But you still haven't told me what I gain. What do I care for this promised 'new age' or so-called Avenger when I am still trapped?"

"And that is my bargain," God attempted to comfort one of the angels weeping over a small sinner's corpse but their touch fell short. Seems they did not have power over anything in her realm but exorcised souls, she mused.

"With a piece of us both, this soul will have a direct link to us in a way no fully mortal being has before."

Roo would've gasped if she was capable of breathing, "Speak plainly!"

"They could free you."

"What's the catch? Why would you give them this power?" She could hardly believe it. It was too good to be true.

"You have the chance to be free. But you must convince this soul to do so of their own free will, knowing fully the consequences of your freedom." Roo dismissed this, she was The Root of Sin for a reason, and this soul was destined for her realm anyway.

"You are forbidden from interfering with their life before hell. And you must find this soul yourself once they fall."

A minor setback, but the call of freedom was strong. Still, she was not so blinded by this opportunity that she wouldn't ask, "And what, do you, The Almighty God, gain from this bargain?"

"A hellborn will become your greatest adversary, they will attempt to redeem sinners and remove them from your grasp." The portal to Heaven began to close.

"And should they succeed, your chance to convince The Avenger will begin to close. And you will never know freedom."

"A time limit!" She should've known they wouldn't play fair, "How long?"

They turned her attention to the newly built Tower in the center of the Pentagram. The timer below flipped through the numbers at record speed until it hit 365. "Seven full moons after the clock strikes zero for the last time. Do we have an agreement?"

God's voice was strong as ever, but the portal was now only the size of a quarter. Roo knew manipulation and this reeked of it, how clever of God to wait until the last moment to share all the details when she had so little time to think of it.

"When in hell, you use the proper term." Roo pretended to scold them. She reached out to the fading tendrils of God and sunk her thorns in as deep into the connection as she could.

"We have a deal."

[eskildit]

the unwanted guest incoherent ramblings under read more so spoilers below:

did tamsyn muir enter my brain and ask "oh what would drive flora just absolutely insane" and then write that????? i have to WORK today!!!

i was literally just thinking about naberius and how different his relationships to ianthe and corona were. hes socially beneath both of them but ianthe and babs had more of a back and forth compared to the far more unbalanced dynamic between corona and babs.

and naberius' care for rules!!!! i was rereading the duel between gideon and naberius a bit ago and in addition to the obvious part of gideon breaking the rules, theres this tiny moment between naberius and magnus. naberius points out that hed be embarrassed to admit to losing to a fourteen year old, to which magnus makes a joke, gives babs a look, and naberius looks scolded. like for all his bitchy attitude he steps back into line when told to!

im forever gonna be rotating around in my mind the fact that babs was continuously cheated on. what a fascinating character detail. also my favorite line of the whole story was "I ruled him through fear and poison and he relaxed into it like a warm bath." woof.

AAAAAAAAA i am such a paldulcie girl so i dont even have interesting thoughts i just feel insane. i figured out around the third scene that the voice was dulcie and i had to take a lap around my apartment. them!!!! THEM!!!! other people smarter than me can unpack what the bible verse means but at a minimum hes saying shes like an angel. and the fact we never see her? that its this off stage revelation? i really think this story made great use of the stage play format but dulcie being a voice in the audience palamedes is speaking to is just. muah. perfection.

okay soul stuff!!! i had a prediction that this story was going to go into river or soul dynamics because like, its palamedes and ianthe. that sounds like what they would get up to. but im so intrigued by what this is now setting up! this certainly puts any remaining expectations of a true perfect lyctorhood to bed. it also presents a possible answer to why pyrrha was piloting g1deons body, that they had compartmentalized too much but her soul was still trying to graft on.

also have we officially proven abigail correct? that there is in fact something beyond the river? because thats what two shores would mean. one shore is the living crossing into the river, and the other shore crossing onto whatever lies past it. dulcie said she is out of the river, meaning she is at the shore beyond the river.

anyway, i love that ianthe is a liar who lies but also is just unwilling to accept facts that go against her worldview. queen of justification and denial <3

[leonstoenailunderhisbed]

RE Villains and my psychological opinion (+mini history lesson hehe.)

I really like the way CAPCOM writes their villains. Everyone talks about the main protagonist(s) such as Chris, Leon, Jill, Claire, etc. I think we should definitely give some credit to the evil guys of the franchise. I have my own two favorite villains, Lord Saddler (RE4/RE4R), and Svetlana (Damnation). I wish I could write about ALL the characters but that would almost be a book's length.

(I am no expert in psychology, i barely survived my spring semester lol. I am not licensed and i most certainly am not a doctor. The history part is true, but the psychology is just me being hyper fixated on the minor details. Once again, take this lightly. Also, i have my psych final soon and I'm so ready to kick ass.)

There's just something so alluring to me about the obsession with one being known as a God or God's messenger. Lord Saddler really got me thinking about how easy it is for a narcissist to make a cult about, essentially, themselves. Everyone knows the story about Narcissus, the mythological Greek God, and how he fell in love with his own reflection and basically starved himself to death. Hence why the term narcissism derived from the myth of Narcissus. Narcissism goes deeper than just one being self-centered. A narcissist is much more evil- they lack empathy and exploit others for their own goals/achievements. I would like to believe that Lord Saddler definitely has a narcissistic disorder because he took it upon himself to become, and as I like to call it, The God of Plaga. I mean, the dude literally created his own "bible" and his own insignia. He, like James in RE0, believe that they can conquer the world using the parasite. But the psychology behind it, or least in my humble knowledge, is really just a narcissist playing God. Saddler's psychological disorder is being projected onto religion, maybe in a response to a traumatic event. Freudian theory states that projection is a psychological defense mechanism where an individual projects unwanted thoughts, feelings, and motives on another person/group. I'd like to think that Saddler is a narcissist that projects his own motives as defense mechanism using religious methods.

I'm no expert on modern religion but I do like to think myself as someone well versed in BCE and CE religion. As i played through the game, I couldn't help but notice some similarities between Saddler and his cult and some ancient religious beliefs. Ancient civilizations often believed that their God's power was absolute, thus making religion an important part of their culture. The village in which the game takes place obviously contains a small church and then a castle- followed by the peasant village in the beginning of the game. We know that this is a remote location in Spain and since Spain was known as Hispania during the Roman Empire, it would be safe to say that maybe MAYBE CAPCOM was inspired by the history of the country that had followed all the way to CE. I'd like to believe that Saddler was probably inspired by the ruling of the Roman Empire after Emperor Theodosius (who declared Christianity as the state religion of the empire.) Saddler, much like Theodosius, created his own religion but it was considered a minority. Once Saddler had recruited more people, his "empire" expanded, much like Christianity all across Europe in CE. His plan was obviously to expand his domain and control the world with Las Plagas. Of course, this is just my own theories and observations.

I really loved Svetlana's character as a villain. She's cunning, diplomatic, and very goal oriented. It fascinated me the way she handled situations, as if she already knew everything from the start (except the temporary unification of Russia and the US). We know she used to be a combat instructor, or still is maybe. To me, she's the definition of a wolf in a sheep's disguise. Which again brings to my point on my analysis on Saddler- a narcissistic will do anything to make sure they accomplish their goals, regardless of whose lives are at risk. Svetlana, unlike Saddler, has international support and can manipulate ambassadors to be in her favor. She already has control over her republic as president, she only needs a little more help from her international supporters. This is not only a trait from a businessperson but also someone who is very smart and probably knows how to use people at their expense. But that's every politician, in my opinion. Greed and money are basically what sugar is to kids for politicians and government officials. The way she smirked and basically declared her victory when she was talking to Buddy through the barrier was literally so evil of her part, but it made sense. At the end of the day, I'd like to think that she really just had this urge of not messing up the country since she probably faced a lot of pressure from being the first female president of the country.

Svetlana is very smart. She resigned of her position right after the civil war ended because she knew the consequences of basically breeding Nemesis’s cousins (LOL) A narcissist is never dumb and if they are then they aren’t narcissists. Narcissists are extremely smart and extremely manipulative with no sense of guilt.

I would like to talk more about James and then deeper in Resident Evil Village bc that game is literally so well written I’m like 😍🫶🏼

[queerprayers]

can you please pray for a teacher of mine who has been very very important in my life? they've been out of school for a couple of weeks and haven't said why, only that they're going through something personal and would appreciate prayers. i care deeply about them and i've been so worried. if you could pray for them, or maybe if you know any prayers i could say, it would mean the world.

i know it's probably a bit silly to send this considering my first ask was only like an hour ago and you probably haven't even seen it yet, but this is the person who asked for prayers for my teacher. i've been praying all night, sobbing on my floor, probably looking like a crazy person reaching out above for some comfort from god. after sending that ask i just grabbed my bible and started reading out of sheer desperation to find something or anything that might comfort me, and somehow the first verse i saw was the beginning of psalm 77. "I cried out to God for help;     I cried out to God to hear me. When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;     at night I stretched out untiring hands,     and I would not be comforted."

You've both been in my prayers, beloved. It hurts to feel helpless, but the psalms have a unique way of putting our desperation into words. They show us that crying out is holy, and is itself a form of prayer, that will be listened to and preserved through generations. You're not crazy--you're human, the same kind of human that we've all been for thousands of years, and the author of this psalm is with you.

I hope you kept reading. The psalmist asks whether the Lord will reject them forever--and then there's a turning point in verse 10: "Then I thought: To this I will appeal:" and then they remember God's miracles, list God's works, and specifically recall the liberation of the Israelites through the Red Sea. The psalmist doesn't say whether the specific reason for their crying is remedied, but that's not what the psalm is about. It's about honoring miracles in the face of hopelessness, reminding yourself what kind of God you worship, turning your attention to the ways in which the world has been saved.

It can be hard to pray when we don't know specifics--but as someone who prays for people and situations that I rarely know the details of on a regular basis, it is a beautiful form of prayer, and God does listen. God holds more than we will ever know, and knows what we do not. Your love for your teacher brings you to God, and God's love for your teacher fills all the unknowing.

My favorite intercessory prayer at night is this one:

Watch, dear Lord, with those who wake or watch or weep, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, rest the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous, and all for your love's sake, Amen.

And here are a couple more from my prayer book:

Almighty and everlasting God, comfort of the sad and strength to those who suffer: Let the prayers of your children who are in any trouble rise to you. To everyone in distress grant mercy, grant relief, grant refreshment; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. O merciful Father, look with pity on the sorrows of [name], your servant, for whom we pray. Remember [them], O Lord, in mercy. Strengthen [them] in patience, comfort [them] with the memory of your goodness, let your presence shine on [them], and give [them] peace through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

I pray for the things suffered that only those involved know about, the nights spent praying that feel like they will never dawn, the helplessness of knowing someone you love needs help, and the mercy of God present with us all. When all we can do is pray, we are doing everything by praying. I wish your heart the peace of God, and also honor the turmoil of caring for others. Both are held in our scriptures and our God.

<3 Johanna

[fivie]

this is random as hell but i recently came into a situation where i was presented with a bunch of bible verse stickers and told to choose one to keep and now i have a sticker of verse 4 of psalm 91 which means it looks like i have a bible verse on my waterbottle but secretly it's actually a sticker for the title of my favorite enjoltaire fanfiction. just thought you might be entertained to know this

Just as god (probably) intended 🙏

[awfullybigwardrobe44]

I came across your posts about OCD today and I felt called to reach out as someone who used to go through this so deeply that I hit rock bottom a few years ago.

What you're going through was painful to read because it hits so close to home. This was one of the harshest struggles of my life, and Jesus was the only One who brought me out. So, so graciously and lovingly, so I feel like I came across your posts for a reason, God had me come across them for a reason. I feel that I'm called to reach out and share some of my testimony, I truly believe that after He's helped me so incredibly it is now my calling to let Him use me to help you. Because He loves you. So, so much. And He will carry you through this even if it seems unbelievable.

That's one of the things I want to say- that with God there is hope, there is hope, with Him there is always hope and I've witnessed this. I wish I could tell the younger me just how much the Lord would heal and restore her and that life would be clearly completely worth living in the end, worth journeying through with Him. But I'm grateful I can tell you. Back then I wouldn't have believed I'd ever see the peace and happiness that I have now, and yet I'm deeper in my faith than ever before and completely restored to life and light. After being so deep in depression that I never thought I'd feel peace again, I'm now in a beautiful place in life by God's Grace, and you will get there too. Or rather, He will get you there.

I also want to say that just because I'm here now and you're probably feeling closer to where I used to be in this struggle, this does NOT mean that you're failing or certainly that God loves you any less. You are walking through the valley right now. But you don't have to fear any evil because the Good Shepherd is with you! He protects you with His rod and staff. While we walk through the valleys, our Shepherd LOVES us with the EXACT SAME LOVE as when we're on the highest hilltop. He loved me then, and He loves you now.

One of my favorite Bible Verses ever is James 1:17. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning." There is no variation or shadow of turning with our Father- that's such a beautiful reminder that God does not change with the shifting circumstances around us or in our mental state. These things can shift like shadows but Jesus stays the same. Yesterday, today, and forever.

So we can do this which often helps me: while you're in this low point think back on one of the mountain peaks, one of the high points in your life when you really felt God's Love more clearly, perhaps a time He blessed you immensely. A happy time in your testimony (because our testimonies -consisting of God's Grace through the good and the bad points in our lives- are God's gift to us by which we can overcome!). And remember that He is the same God now as He was then. The same God who chose you, the same God who blessed you. And any mistakes that bother you now- during your good times, God KNEW you would commit that sin. And yet He loved you just the same then and loves you just the same now. He knew every sin you'd ever commit, and chose to die to Save you of each one, and lovingly created you, and called you into a Relationship with Him.

I feel called by the Holy Spirit to share some of the things God told me when I was struggling. So I'm going to do that now.

OCD thoughts are awful. I know that much, and they can feel inescapable. That's exactly what I was thinking, "there is no escape," when God suddenly led me to realize, to remember: that He is my Fortress. And all I have to do is run to Him and be safe. I just really needed to hear that, and since the Holy Spirit brought me that reminder my whole outlook was changed. I realized there is security to be found, and it's in my Father who is always with me.

He will never leave you nor forsake you.

He's with us in the trials and the pain, sometimes we're just too numbed by pain to feel Him but that doesn't change the truth. That's when we have to walk by faith and not by sight. And He is loving and holding you still, for He cares for you.

I'm most definitely praying for the Lord to draw you close. I saw that post and that's a beautiful prayer for times like these. Even more so because He will. I've actually often hummed the hymn called Draw me Close to You, during the scary times, and been comforted.

I will for sure be praying that you will be drawn close to the One who cares for you infinitely. That you'll feel Him holding you. Remember this Promise: "And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand."

NOTHING can snatch you from God's Hands. And nothing in all creation can separate you from His Love.

The devil is powerless to take you away from your Father. All he can do is throw lies, thoughts, and temptations your way, but he can't actually do anything. And I've realized that's what OCD was, at least in my case.

By God's guidance, I watched a video where a Christian described intrusive thoughts as the flaming darts of the evil one. The ones quenched by the Shield of Faith! And when I heard that, that's when things suddenly came together for me. I cried at the realization. I'd spent so long trying to figure out if these are my thoughts or maybe I'm just broken or why am I even thinking them.. and suddenly realized these are thoughts the enemy throws at me in an attempt of making me feel like I'm unforgivable for thinking them. You see, the devil has no power to snatch us from God's Hand, so the only attempt he has is to try to make us too afraid to trust God. Lying to us that we're no longer loved. Knowing these schemes behind my OCD has personally helped me a lot, the lies are exposed and I know I don't have to listen. Rebuke those thoughts in Jesus' Name. Ultimately, these thoughts have no power over you and neither does the enemy. It's just a matter of continuing to trust God and leaning on Him, and running back to our Fortress.

As for assurance of Salvation, I believe it's ultimately a matter of embracing the fact that assurance is found in Christ alone and His Work on the Cross. It doesn't depend on ourselves but on Him. That's something I'm still learning and God is guiding me through one step at a time.

John speaks of assurance in his Epistle: "He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God." John mentions knowing you have eternal life, because of the fact that everyone who has the Son has life.

Remember Jesus also promised that of all those who come to Him He casts no one out. That's always been reassuring to me, remembering that the Lord said that.

As I'm writing this message, my eyes fell on this souvenir a sister in Christ gave me with the word "confidence" as a reference to faith in God. I'm feeling the Holy Spirit may be guiding me that you can and will have confidence in Salvation, that there is a way there, so I'm going to share another Scripture.

Hebrews 6:19 says "This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil." The Hope that is spoken of is God's Promise in Christ. And something I recently learned about hope is that the Hebrew word for Hope is not about a vague longing or something that "might" happen but it's actually a word for a secure rope that can be held onto! That's the Hope Christ brings us, and Romans 5 states that Hope does not disappoint because the Love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given us. I will be praying for hope in your life.

True and peaceful assurance is found in Jesus, and back to what I said before, He never changes. Our mood, our behavior, and simply our perception of ourselves, is constantly fluctuating so it can be stressful to figure out our salvation based on that, but that's the Good News- we're not the ones who save ourselves. It's always been Jesus, who never ever changes, whose Love never changes. He's the Solid Rock!

You don't have to worry about works in order to find assurance because Salvation really doesn't depend on your works, it depends on His. You cannot deserve His Love, you cannot lose His Love- you can simply accept His Love. And as Christians that's all we have to do. (The song Simple by Leanna Crawford really expresses these truths.) I've found what leads to peace is a deeper acceptance of that fact- that it's about Him, He already chose to Save you and by His Grace and Guidance you already chose to accept that Salvation.

An important step is believing these three words:

It is Finished.

He used His final breath to tell us this.

So you can tell your thoughts that there's no need to obsess over Salvation because Jesus FINISHED it. He Saved you, it's perfectly done by Him.

Remember how Paul said he doesn't profess to know anything except for the one fact of Christ Crucified? That's all you have to know: Christ died for you.

This is another message from the Holy Spirit that I wanted to share. I remember one time as I was repenting, I was crying as I asked God.. what can I do to make up for my sin? And when I closed my eyes I saw the crown of thorns on Jesus' head. He already made up for every single mistake, each one of our sins. We're washed clean by His Blood and the Grace of His Salvation really is a beautiful thing.

I remember one time.. I really came to the acceptance that I'm not worthy or deserving of being Saved. And at first it was a cold and scary conclusion, but then God filled me with the peace of knowing my security is not in me, but in Him. Salvation is not about whether you deserve to be Saved according to your actions or even thoughts- it's simply about the fact that you ARE Saved. By Jesus, by His Love.

Just lean on the Lord. Lean on His Will. You don't need to trust yourself to be saved, you just need to trust Him to Save you. Because it really is all through Him and of Him, and realizing that is so comforting.

We can't make God love us any more and we can't make Him love us any less- He loves us unconditionally already and it really is all about embracing that Love.

I'm praying that God may help you through this. I truly hope I've written this message as the Holy Spirit intended me to.

Oh, and you don't have to post these if you don't want to. Feel free to answer privately or even just read, and if you ever need or want to talk further my messages are always open.

As I said, I just want to let the Holy Spirit move through me and let God use me to help others the way He miraculously helped me.

thank you so, so much for this beautiful testimony and encouragement 😭 it’s so beautiful that you want to use your story to help others 🥺

I was just talking to a friend last night about how John Bunyan calls his struggles with OCD “the valley of the shadow of death,” and you mentioned that too. I’ve been wondering where God is in all of this, because, as you said, our Shepherd is with us in the “valley of the shadow of death.” I don’t see God with me now, but I’m hoping that someday, I will. I think that was an encouragement from God ❤️

thank you for blessing me with your testimony!

[beautyofsorrow]

fic author q&a

tagged by @onmytallesttiptoesspinning :)

why do you write fanfic?

my brain is a kinder space to live inside when i write, and fic is the quickest way to get words down on the page these days. also, thinking about the characters is not enough. i need to put them in enclosures and study them. i need to take notes. i need to read those notes obsessively. i need to scatter my toys all over the carpet and invite my friends to admire and compliment them and play.

which of your posted stories do you think of the most even though the story is "finished"?

...........this one. it's definitely this one.

if you could give yourself fic advice from when you first started writing fic, what would that advice be?

stop quoting bible verses. let the characters curse. don't freak out when a b7 shipper shows up in the comments section of your friendship fic, you're not going to get sent to hell for being interpreted as writing gay fanfiction. in fact, give it another ten years and you WILL be writing gay fanfiction. on purpose. with your whole chest. please put the jadzia and worf action figures down and back away slowly, you're just gay for dax, you do not really ship them.

what's your relationship to fic stats?

unfriended, blocked, reported. i have workskins installed so i can only see my total word count. on individual works i can see word count, chapter count, and whether the fic is in a collection or not but that is IT. my life has gotten immeasurably better since i did this

is there a pairing or scenario or friendship that you miss writing? if so, why? if not, why not?

raffi & rios. my god i miss raffi & rios. every day i yearn for the day i can take that box off the highest shelf of the closet and open it back up

what motivates you to write?

brainworms. literally the characters are in my head and i need to get them out. if they stay there too long shit starts getting rancid. i also really enjoy participating in gift exchanges because it gives me a deadline, structure, and a community that is focused on writing rather than a specific fandom. we are all cheering each other on in our various anonymous projects and it's so great!

why do you write for the fandom(s) you write for?

mostly it's because a character or characters have crawled inside my brain. sometimes they're there for a month or a season, other times i come back to them multiple times over a span of many years (star trek is the main example here). since entering the exchange scene i have occasionally picked up one-off fandoms if a pinch hit needed filling or if i needed to make myself matchable in order to participate. i've created some of my favorite fics that way and written far outside my comfort zone. it's great :)

if you're stuck writing a WIP, what do you do?

take a break. take a break take a break take a break. let the story breathe. let myself breathe. come at it from a different angle. read poetry. steal the poem's bones. use them as a scaffold. if all else fails tuck the work into the abandoned folder so i can't see it anymore but do not under any circumstance delete. it's not a failed story. it's just not the right time yet. no work is wasted work. it all breaks down into compost. every tributary feeds a lake.

what do you wish people knew about comments?

whenever i post a fic, there is an absolutely agonizing period of time between posting and first comments when i am very seriously considering deleting my entire internet presence and disappearing into the mountains. this is a me thing. i understand that. i've come up with various coping strategies through the years with mild success, but no matter how much i believe in the work or how much coaching i provide for my brain, there is always that voice in the back of my head that wonders what if it's actually bad. what if it's really really bad. what if they're pointing and laughing and making fun of me. comments shut that voice up. comments provide tangible, outside-of-my-brain proof that the words i wrote made a positive difference in someone else's day, and sometimes they make a difference in ways i never expected. you do not have to tell an author that you like their fics, but when you do, you are never ever bothering them. they're not thinking you're a weirdo or a creep. they're actually probably grinning in relief. they're backing away from the delete button. they're unpacking their suitcase. they're breathing more easily and re-opening the word doc and showing up at the sandbox of creativity to play another day.

maybe there's a question you wish had been on here. what's that question (and answer)? -> what are some fanworks that have inspired you or fed your own creativity?

Candy and Chlorine by scioscribe is so sharp and smart and sexy. 100% biggest inspiration for my jennifer's body fic An Unofficial Anthology of the Online Fandom for the Yellowjackets Tragedy by banerries is so CREATIVE and so FUNNY. it reminds me that at the end of the day fic is supposed to be about play i recommend this barbie/dracula fic to a different friend at least once a month. stunning character study, so unusual, i love love love crack treated seriously a little lower than the angels by mylittleredgirl got me to see the vision of b'elanna/kes for one lovely lovely sitting. i am forever grateful to rarepair writers. they encourage me to think deep, write hard, and trust the process of creativity @stardustcityhag's art is stunning. i am always on some level trying to channel the feeling of it when i'm writing @zannolin's fics consistently feed my desire for delicious-ambiguous-something-amphibious not-shipfic-but-not-not-shipfic. i've written some of my best and most favorite fics after reading their work. their national treasure polycule fic pops into my brain at least once a month. i adore it @73chn1c0l0rr3v3l's smut is some of my favorite smut in the whole world. so sensuous, so vivid, so lush and vivid and aching. i am always at all times meditating on this una/la'an bathhouse thunderstorm fic they wrote me. also, this una/nhan breathplay fic. and this satanic panic fic. and this la'an + insomnia one. i could go on

tagging @zannolin and @ceruleanphoenix7

[littlepetbee]

i've had the house to myself this weekend so i decided to marathon a bunch of movies that have been on my watchlist for aaages. here they are ranked bc i love making lists lmao:

Game Night: this one was far and away my favorite...it's a fun, clever mystery that's also funny as shit. rachel mcadams is the queen of comedy and also waving a loaded gun around like a crazy person. fuckin 10/10, you guys

I Love You Phillip Morris: listen. i avoid jim carrey like the plague - it's nothing personal, his face just irritates the shit out of me. but i'm SO glad i gave this one a try anyway...it was so cute and touching and gay little ewan mcgregor with his gay little earring is genuinely the softest, sweetest thing to ever exist. it makes complete sense that someone would become a conman for him lmao. 10/10

Bullet Train: thee action comedy lbr!! shoutout to @seeinhindsight for reccing this one to me. it was so well done...with all the winding storylines and running gags it easily could have been a tonal mess, but i feel like they knocked it outta the park. also the steady stream of "oh shit this guy's in it too???" was fun as hell. 9/10 just bc some parts made me sad and my movie ratings are based solely on how they Make Me Feel, not any objectivity lol

Attack The Block: my brain the whole time: YEAH BOY(EGA)!!!! an alien invasion movie with a Message and pre-star wars john boyega?? that was always gonna be a slam dunk for me. though i do gotta say watching british movies as an american is always jarring as hell bc there's no guns. it feels like the weirdest kind of unreality. anyways 8/10

This Is Where I Leave You: slowing things down and getting way more Serious here but i was surprised by how much i liked this one (though maybe i shouldn't have been, since dysfunctional families/siblings are kinda my bread and butter lmao). the surprise lesbianism-slash-lowkey-polyamory definitely elevated it, too! 7/10

Shattered Glass: 100% the movie you gotta show people when they try to say hayden christensen sucks at his job bc uhhh he ate that shit up. not to be #me about it, but if that dude can be that fucking cute the whole time and still make me wanna throttle him within an inch of his life, you know he was doing something right. 6/10

As Above, So Below: i was bummed at first when i realized it was one of those found footage horror dealios, but i actually ended up really liking it. and honestly for the setting, i think found footage really was the only way to go. the concept was super interesting and the horror aspects were sufficiently creepy without being enough to give me nightmares, which is about all my babyass can handle. 6/10

Everybody Wants Some!!: yeah the hoechlin 80's movie lol. it was fun! the characters were likable for the most part! the vibes were good! but B's cannot live on vibes alone (that's a bible verse, i'm p sure) so i was left wondering what the Point was. i am not the target audience for hangout movies, i'll tell you that lmao. 3.5/10

so that's the list!!! all in all a very great way to spend a weekend <3

[lucksea]

ok more lucid now. im only gonna speak for my personal experience but that was such a genuinely lovely time. all of the nurses were so sweet and friendly and they seemed pleasantly caught off guard by how excited i was to be there and how i wasnt scared of anything. i had to go to the bathroom for a sample and the sink practically attacked me the water pressure was so high and when i came out i went "the water pressure in that sink is insane!" and the nurse BURST into laughter like she really wasnt expecting it. the cot they put me on was actually really comfortable and the iv didnt hurt too bad. another nurse saw my tattoo and showed that she had a small tattoo on her arm of a bible verse i think it was "be calm and know that i am god" and she said whenever she was nervous she would remember it and it would calm her down. when my surgeon came in he opened with "hey, cool guy!" and when he sat down to draw the markings on my chest for the procedure (he did it in sharpie which was so funny to me) he explained every line he was drawing and why he was doing it. when the nurses who were going to take me to the operating room came in they asked me my pronouns and then one of them said "theres gonna be a lot of people walking around you but dont worry" and getting rolled into the room was really fun. and when they put me on the table one of them asked what my favorite song was and i asked her to put on country roads. and idk just laying there surrounded by people talking and walking around, all people there to make sure i was going to be okay, it wasnt scary. it was impossibly comforting. it felt like i was falling asleep in a room full of angels. i wanna draw something for it it was truly like such a beautiful experience for me full of kind people

[conjuremanj]

How To Build A Ansestor Altar+ Ritual Setup.

As you know Hoodoo is a practice of ancestral veneration. The honoring of spirits and even working and praying to our ancestors is practiced around the world and in many cultures. Many African religions have the belief that your ancestors play a active role in your life.

The spirits of the dead are invited into our household so that they may provide us with blessings and protection. Maintaining a connection with our dead ancestors is a foreign to most Americans because Christianity permeates our culture. But Christianity teaches that death is the end then we move on, buts that not all to some good mediums says that after death life still goes on they talk, have get togethers even eat & drink their favorite foods. Not to survive like we need it for but to injoy.

For those who are seeking to practice traditional hoodoo, it can sometimes be difficult to talk about the fears of life and death. Hoodoo like many African traditions, that sees life and death as a journey for the soul. Where our lives in the world of the living world ends one day and it rises on the spiritual plane (Heaven) where our souls continue to live.

Without the assistance of our ancestors, Spirit guides and of course GOD, trying to perform workings is would be a waste time and energy. The spirits don't just power magical workings, they also guide our steps so that we can avoid negative situations and recover from our mistakes quickly. The real strength of a root doctor/ conjure man comes from the ability to provided help and to write a prescription that would best fit the needs of a client or ourselves with the help of our ancestors through and a altar.

Now you don't half to have your full altar decacated to just the ansestors it can be to our guides (there important) a Saint, God all of these things can be added to your altar space.

"Creating an ancestor altar or even a altar period don't always seem worth it to newcomers, and usually skipped over for the magic part of it".

Creating An Ancestor Altar:

Before You Begin let me share how to properly do this traditionally. When creating a altar it's not only about just any of your ansestors, you must find ansestors that either have pratice hoodoo or know about it, that person with your guides will guide you the right way. Now this doesn't mean you can't put a deceased sibling, parents or grandparents you can but the ones that will help the most in your practice is the ansestor that knows it the most. My advice to you is do what I mentioned above and a reading to know which spirits want to be on your altar. (See post on spiritual court) it can talk a while so be patient.

Find a place in your home where there's not many people that will see your altar or walk by. You can also use your closet. Now i know most people would say that you shouldn't put your altar in the bedroom the reason for this is the spirits, when you get good at this practice and you made a connection with your guides, ansestors, God that space will have spirit traffic and it can get annoying if your a medium and it could affect your dreams and sleeping pattern and that can happen but that basically new age hoodoo or spiritualism not traditional but you can choose your room if you want to.

2. When you’ve decided on the right space, which can be a higher table or a low table to kneel to pray. Next you can clean your surface with Holy Water, Florida Water, or Incense like palo santo after say a prayer over the table expressing a desire for it to act as a holy space.

3. Find a cloth for your altar. Most commonly white cloth is used which ever you like would do.

4. The first thing on your ancestor altar should be the Bible. If you want The Bible can be placed in the center of your altar. The Bible is a powerful book of prayers. (Also, it is likely that your ancestors were Christian and they will respond to verses that were familiar with them)

5. Place a white candle above your Bible. The candle acts as a beacon drawing spirits closer to us. (It's great for guides and God)

6. Add a wine glass full of water (any cup would do) next to the candle. We place the glass of water on our altars to make a stronger connection with the spirits. Keep water on your altar and change it weekly. Water is divine and aids in your ancestors’ communication with you.

7. Place a picture of your ancestors to the left and right of your Bible, candle and glass of water. Their pictures help to strengthen your connection. )Don’t worry if you don’t have pictures of them) other things that can be added to your altar to strengthen the connection.

If you have other religious items like statues, cards or personal thing you want to add do it

This set up is the essentials needed to make an ancestor altar. If you can’t afford anything extra or if you don’t have much space to work with them start with this basic setup. You can always add more to your altar as I mentioned above.

If you have other religious items like statues, cards or personal thing you want to add do it either from you or passed down.

Offerings: When it comes to offerings you want to add things that they would like. The common offerings to your altar would be water.

Other offerings that some spirits would like us coffee, rum, and food. You can use small glasses and plates to place your offerings on.

Add Items: That are significant to your spiritual practice on your altar, like some type of divination tools. These tools will come in handy in clarifying the message that might come through your altar.

Finally: Place an image of a spirit known for protection on your altar. It’s always best to have a working relationship with the spirit you chose to place on the altar, but if your beginning you might not have a working relationship with a spirit of protection so use this time to begin communicating with that spirit as well. I suggest Saint Michael or the Virgin Mary. This spirit will act as a guardian between you and any random spirits that may be attracted to your altar, your spirit guides are important to build a relationship with as the guide you through like and can help you to connect to others. God is the big on you want to build a relationship with so pray or just talk to him this will help because he's the one who does everything for is. Also place an extra candle and glass of water next to the image of your protector and guide, and even God to show your appreciation.

Other Common Items: You can choose to add things like dirt from a families grave, incense & burner are very important, candle snuffer, a bell or rattle or important, flowers, and Holy Water, Florida Water. (See my post on insense and rattles & bells)

How you arrange the items on your altar is a matter of personal preference. The water, coffee and rum should be cleaned and refreshed at least once a week. Any food offerings should be left on the altar until it has lost all life and becomes stale. Your candles should be replaced as soon as they go out.

Working Ritual at your Ancestor Altar: Now that your ancestor altar is completely set up, it’s time to begin welcoming the spirits into your home. Begin by inviting your ancestors to “sit” at your altar. This can be achieve this with a three-day long ritual that is intended to prepare the space.

This ritual is truly traditional, now you don't have to do this step but it can help to make a strong connection.

Day 1- At your altar, try to imagine the faces of those who have passed. Take as much time as you need to really make a connection. After your prayers, visit their grave site if you can.

Day 2- Prepare meals that they would like.

Day 3- Bring them a gifts as an offering. Light your altar candles and sit in quiet meditation and prayer.

After you have invited them to your altar make sure to spend time with them. Pay attention to your dreams and to your intuition during this process. Your ancestor will eventually respond to your prayers so pay attention.

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

What Was God Doing before He Created the Universe?

The first verse of Scripture tells us that God created the heavens and the earth. The question arises as to what God was doing before He brought the universe into existence. This question has been a favorite of skeptics. Robert Ingersoll, the famous atheist of the 19th century, wrote:

If God created the universe, there was a time when he commenced to create. Back of that commencement there must have been an eternity. In that eternity what was this God doing? He certainly did not think. There was nothing to think about. He did not remember. Nothing had ever happened. What did he do? Can you imagine anything more absurd that an infinite intelligence in infinite nothing wasting an eternity? (Robert Ingersoll, Some Mistakes of Moses, n.d., p. 57).

No Time Before Creation

Saint Augustine had two answers to those who asked what was God doing before creation. Jokingly he said, God was preparing Hell for people who ask such questions. On a serious level, he noted there was no time before God created and hence the question is meaningless. When God created the heavens and the earth He also created space and time. Before time began there was only eternity. God is a timeless being and time only began with His creation of the universe.

God Not Inactive Yet, we should not assume that God was inactive prior to creation. The Bible speaks of God loving and planning before the earth was created. Jesus, in His prayer to the Father before His betrayal, said:

Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world (John 17:24).

The Apostle Paul spoke of God's eternal plan:

Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love (Ephesians 1:4).

In another place, Paul spoke of the promises of God.

In hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began (Titus 1:2).

The Trinity This brings up an interesting question. If the world had not yet been created, then to whom was the promise of eternal life made? The promise was made among the different members of the Trinity (the Father to the Son or to the Holy Spirit) because at this particular point, that is, before the world was created, there was no one else to whom to make the promise. The different members of the Trinity love and communicate with each other. Hence, communication occurred within the Godhead before the creation of man and woman.

Both Before And After The Scripture, therefore, speaks of God making plans both before the beginning and after the beginning. Before creation there was communication, planning, and love within the members of the Trinity. After creation that communication and love was directed toward humanity.

Summary

With regard to the activities of God before the universe was created we can state the following:

1.The question of God's activity before creation assumes God dwells in time. The Bible say that God has eternally existed and that space and time were created by Him.

2.God, the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, were not inactive before creating the world. God planned and purposed it before humanity came on the scene. Once we were created, God then directed His love and energies toward us.

3.All we need to know about God is what He has done and what He plans to do in the future. He has revealed this to us in the Bible - the Word of God. The Bible says:

The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the works of this law (Deuteronomy 29:29).

~ Don Stewart