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walkswithmyfather · 3 years ago

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[This is a long article, but it is well worth reading. 🙂]

“Miracle Prayer - How to Ask God for a Miracle” by Whitney Hopler (Crosswalk)

“Since everything is possible for God, you can experience miracles in your life when you invite God to intervene – even in situations that seem impossible. But too often, people neglect to ask God for miracles in their lives, and end up settling for far less than God’s best for them. Use these prayers for miracles when you're ready to ask God to take over.

You can always approach God with confidence if you trust in His Son, Jesus Christ. So don’t hesitate to pray about anything, including miracles!

1. A Miracle Prayer for the Impossible

Father, I come to you today with faith so small I cannot see a way. I want to believe you are able to do more than I ever imagine. I want to walk by faith and not by sight. God, please bring a miracle into my life. I know that you can do the impossible in my life and I am trusting in your promises. Thank you for being a God who sees and hears my every need. In Jesus' name, amen.

2. A Thankful Miracle Prayer

Heavenly Father, Thank You for answering my prayers and performing miracles in my life every day. Just the fact that I woke up this morning and can take a breath is a gift from You. Help me to never take my health and loved ones for granted. Help me to always stand in faith and keep my focus on You when unexpected circumstances arise. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. ~ Leah DiPascal, Proverbs 31 Ministries

3. A Prayer to Trust When You Need a Miracle

“Dear God, thank you that you love me and want to keep me from depending on other things instead of you. Forgive me for when I’ve depended on my job and other people instead of you. Thank you that you haven’t forgotten me. Lord, the days ahead may be a little scary at times, but I understand now that the path to a miracle is through uncomfortable territory. I understand now that the source of a miracle will be unexpected, so I shouldn’t try to figure it out. I should just trust you. When you tell me what to do, and it doesn’t always make sense, I will still do what you want me to do. Help me to remember that you’re all I need and that where you guide, you’ll provide. I want to learn to trust you one day at a time. I want to go your way, not my way. I want to follow you, and I ask you to save me and come into my life. I claim your promise that if I trust you, you’ll meet my needs. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.” ~ Rick Warren

How to Pray and Ask God for a Miracle: Forget formulas and simply seek God’s presence. There are no magical formulas to use to conjure up miracles. Instead, miracles happen whenever you welcome God’s powerful presence into the situations you face. So don’t worry about trying to pray perfect prayers to convince God to do something miraculous in your life. Simply invite God to work in every situation in which you’re seeking miracles, and trust Him to do what’s best after you ask Him to intervene.

Consider what may be blocking miracles from happening in your life. Sometimes the particular miracle you’re seeking isn’t God’s will, sometimes spiritual warfare is occurring in your life and evil is blocking a miracle from happening, sometimes you have sin in your life (such as bitterness) that is preventing a miracle from taking place, and sometimes you don’t have enough faith to believe that God can really perform the miracle you’re hoping for. Pray about each of these potential blockages, and then relax, trusting that God has the situation covered and will answer your prayers with what’s best.

View miracles as expressions of how much God loves you. Recognize that every time God does choose to perform a miracle in your life, He is showing you His love for you in a tangible way. Be sure to thank God for His love whenever you experience a miracle.

Ask God to guide you to the truth about His will. If you’re not sure whether or not it’s God’s will to perform a particular miracle in your life, ask Him to make His will clear to you and tell Him that you want His will – not your own will – to be done.

Ask God to help your unbelief. Confess your doubts and lack of faith to God and ask Him to meet you where you are spiritually to help you believe that He is able to do what He says He will do in your life.

Obey God’s command to forgive so your prayers won’t be hindered. If you’re unwilling to forgive someone who has hurt or offended you, that refusal to forgive can hinder your prayers from being answered, because God sometimes waits until you obey His commands before answering prayers. Remember how much God has forgiven you for, and let that motivate you to obey His call to forgive others. Ask God to help you forgive; you can choose to forgive even when you don’t feel like it and rely on the strength God will give you during the forgiveness process.

Fight evil through spiritual warfare. If evil in the spiritual realm is hindering miracles from happening in your life, pray breakthrough prayers against evil to clear the way for more miracles to occur in your life. Start by confessing your sins that come to mind, and then repent of each one specifically. Next, ask (in Jesus’ name and through the power of His blood) for the Holy Spirit to help you and the people you’re praying for be victorious over all evil attacks. Ask God to protect you and those you’re praying for from future attacks by evil. Pray for any bondages that you (or the people you’re praying for) are under to be broken so you and they can experience the freedom God intends. As you’re praying, mention each issue specifically – from unhealthy addictions (such as to alcohol or pornography) and personal struggles (with jealousy, greed, gossip, lying, anger, anxiety, or any other issues) to negative words that others may have spoken over you and any involvement you may have had with ungodly spiritual forces (such as through the occult). Then ask God to bless you and those you’re praying for in the name of Jesus.

Praise God more through worship. You can experience more miracles when you spend more time praising God in worship, because worship ushers God’s power into your life in fresh ways and helps you discern His voice more clearly as He leads you toward miracles. Make a habit of praising God for who He is, during both good and bad times in your life.

Live a life that’s completely devoted to God. When you devote yourself to God completely – in every area of your life – you’ll notice more miracles happening in your life. Seek God’s guidance before making any major decision, and ask the Holy Spirit to change your own desires to reflect God’s desires for you. Live for God (rather than for yourself), and be willing to say “yes” whenever God calls you to help people in need.

Take the steps that God shows you. As you seek God’s will for your life, sometimes God will give you clear signs to follow, and sometimes He will simply give you a sense of peace. Humbly pray for wisdom every day and step out in faith whenever God shows you a way in which he wants you to put your faith into action. In the process, miracles can happen.

Don’t give up until God answers your prayers. Since God’s timing (which is perfect) often takes longer than the immediate results that human beings like to see, many people give up praying for miracles when they don’t see answers to their prayers right away. But God will always answer your prayers with either a “yes” or a “no” that’s clear; you just need to patiently wait until the right time for the answer to come. In the meantime, never give up praying and trusting God to do what’s best.”

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sweetbillwriting · 3 years ago

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Blue Angels - Chapter V

Characters: AU Gordan Merkel from Atomic Blonde played by Bill Skarsgård. The rest is my own original characters.

Setting: This story is set in a country that is hard to find on a map, in a city without a name and in a time similar to our own with some exceptions.

Music: Flatlands with Chelsea Wolfe and Panic by Forest Swords.

Warnings: 18+, Smut (sort of), religious themes, mental health problems, mentions about death.

Notes: The quotes is from Learn Religion by Whitney Hopler and the Wikipedia page about Guardian Angels. Links can be provided on request.

Gordan came home dressed in a suit and without his mustache and luggage a few days later. The suit was dirty and it had a rip on the knee and elbow. His hair was messy but not in that cute way it used to be. It lacked its natural shine and looked unwashed all together. He looked tired and spent in a way I hadn't seen before. My heart ached for him but I didn't know what to say or do. Lucky for the both of us Marta was there and could fill the silence and make the awkwardness less present.

She ran to him, hugged him and kissed his cheeks.

"Oh my god! Gordan!" She said as she held his face in her hands. I just stood by the doorway to my room, looking between them and Marta's burgundy floral rug.

Gordan smiled a little pained.

"Careful… I've done something to my neck."

"Oh, oh!" Marta let him go and laid her hands on his waist instead. "Are you hungry? Do you maybe want to take a shower?"

"I think a shower is a good idea… But I'm so tired so maybe I can eat something light?"

Marta nodded.

"I made meatballs yesterday, maybe a meatball sandwich?" She smiled and so did Gordan.

"You know me so well."

Marta went into the kitchen and Gordan started to take off his shoes and his suit jacket. I still just stood quiet watching him and didn't know where to start. The emotions tumbled around in me and wetness started to form in my eyes. When Gordan looked up at me the tears were streaming down my cheeks.

"Hey hey hey…" he limped towards me and patted my arm. "Ella? Hey, are you okay?"

It was ironic for him to ask me that question. I nodded a bit and took his hand in mine.

"You just made me so scared and… God all the time I worry… This was just the thing that made me… Fall over the edge."

Gordan nodded a little and took me in his arms.

"But I'm here now you don't need to worry…"

I sighed and pushed him away.

"It's not just that. You know that too. You lied. Who is Francesca? And all the secrets… I worry all the time."

Gordan looked down and then searched my eyes again.

"I know I should give you some answers but I'm so tired right now. Can we talk about it later? I promise to give you answers."

I looked into his eyes before nodding. Then I threw myself around his neck. It was such a relief to have him home again.

I didn't know what to do while he slept. I was too anxious to really do anything other than walk around in the apartment. Marta looked at me while she sat and painted by the window but she didn't say anything. I looked at all her things over and over. I knew them all now, had given the porcelain cats names and had mental pictures of what her books were about. I looked at her paintings. I knew now which she had done and which ones were expensive. I paused by the one with blue angels. They were probably blue to show they were far away from the humans standing on the ground. They were blue because they were connected with the sky, the heaven. I had asked Marta about the painting once. She had said she had bought it on a trip with her husband and it was probably not worth so much. I looked at the angels. They were much prettier than the humans. Big eyes and even the men had perfect lips with prominent cupid's bows. Just like Gordan. His books laid in piles on the floor in the corner of the living room together with his records. On the top of one of the book piles lay a notebook and it was always that which stopped me from looking at his stuff. They looked so personal and nothing I should look at but now I felt a need to look and it felt better to do it when Gordan actually was home. I had seen that most of the books were about religion and psychology. "Explore Your Mind", "God's People", and such things. But now I looked through them with a new angle. "Natural Antidepressants", "Charismatics", "Follow Jesus"... And there it was, "Guardian Angels". I opened it and read the preamble.

Judaism reveres the spiritual beings known as angels, who worship God and act as His messengers toward people. God has created a tremendous amount of angels -- more than people can count. The Torah uses the figure of speech “thousands” (meaning a huge number) to describe the innumerable amount of angels that the prophet Daniel sees in a vision of God in heaven: "…Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him…” (Daniel 7:10).

…

A guardian angel is a type of angel that is assigned to protect and guide a particular person, group or nation. Belief in tutelary beings can be traced throughout all antiquity. The idea of angels that guard over people played a major role in Ancient Judaism. In Christianity, the hierarchy of angels was extensively developed in the 5th century by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite. The theology of angels and tutelary spirits has undergone many changes since the 5th century. The belief is that guardian angels serve to protect whichever person God assigns them to.

My heart started to beat heavily in my chest. I must be crazy. Had I really become religious just because a guy had a strong effect on me? That was what happened with people in cults. Some charismatic person made them feel and suddenly they saw them as a Jesus figure. But I wasn't in a cult. I was just a girl in love with a boy. For a short moment my thoughts drifted to Notting Hill and yeah, that was what this was. "I'm just a girl standing infront of boy, asking him to love her." I shook my head. I just wanted to have an explanation to Gordan's weird behavior when the answer was really easy. He was a pig just like all other men. He craved attention so much that he wanted it from old ladies and young students. This Francesca was probably his girlfriend. When he had gone away for work but he was in reality going back to his real life. This was just a playground for him.

I opened his notebook and it seemed to be just observations of people.

"Man, 50-55. No kids. One brother. Shaky hands. Speaks rapidly."

Did he want to become a writer or something?

I continued to read and then found something I couldn't stop myself from reading over and over again.

"Woman, 20-25. No kids. Parents alive. One sister. Shifting emotions. Nervous behavior."

Was it me? It could be anyone and it didn't really say a date and anything that really exposed it as me. Still I couldn't stop reading the words and seeing myself in them. Shifting emotions. Nervous behavior.

I started to feel uneasy and tried to structure his books like they were before. By the window Marta watched me with interest but she was still quiet. I inspected the book piles and hoped it looked the same as before. I didn't know what to do with what I had read and started to pace around in the apartment again. The observations. Guardian Angels. Francesca. Assigned to protect.

I got all dizzy by the thoughts and felt the anxiety creep on. Even if I knew it was the thought of the truth about Gordan that made me feel anxious he was also my cure. All anxiety disappeared with him close. That's why I went into his room with shaky legs.

He slept on his side with his long body stretched over the whole bed. His feet hung out and the cover was in a ball next to him. He wore just a pair of dark blue boxers with a broken seam by the elastic and his hair was still a bit wet after his shower. My heart pounded and the butterflies were alive again. I crawled in and laid my cheek against his smooth cool back. I breathed in the smell of rain and a hint of his shower cream. Something earthy and woody, pine tree?

I felt myself calm down and let the joyful emotions Gordan created wash over me. This was everything. He was everything. My angel.

I fell asleep as the big spoon behind Gordan. It was so comforting to have him close that my body responded by falling asleep. When I woke up Gordan looked down at me with a smirk.

"So you just took the liberty to crawl into my bed," he said jokingly and scratched my scalp with his short nails. As an answer I rubbed my nose against his chest and smiled guiltily. He laughed a little and stretched his long limbs. I didn't feel the same need for talking about everything now when I had him this close and instead caressed the front of his boxers. He jerked from the feeling but then relaxed with a small smile. I could feel it grow inside of his boxers as he let me play on the outside of them.

"You're such an angel," I whispered and looked at his face that looked pleased because I played with his dick. He smiled a little amused and shook his head.

"Yes, you are,'' I said while I dragged off his underwear. He laid naked in front of me and his dick stood at attention. He laughed a little and then watched my body.

"I promise you, my thoughts right now aren’t that angelic." He wiggled his brows and took hold of his dick like he wanted to show it off for me. I answered his smile and then took off my clothes. He just laid and watched me, like he didn't want to interfere with a ritual. When I laid next to him he caressed my waist and hip softly. He did everything in such a gentlemanly way. He might look tough on the outside with his black clothes and boots but he was such a kind gentle man. He kissed me deeply and the euphoria popped around like popcorn in a frying pan. He took a break to watch me and then observed my hand that laid on his hip, close to his erection.

"...If we are going to do this… You must listen to me okay?" I nodded, pleasure drunk and high on euphoria.

"And I'm not so good at it…" he said lowly and looked away in embarrassment.

I laughed a little.

"Sure you are!"

He shook his head and pulled me closer to his body but he didn't dare to look me in the eyes.

"I can't do all that, daddy, mommy… Master and bondage thing."

"I can teach you… Daddy."

His cheeks became red at once and he tried to hide it with a laugh and scratching his cheek.

"I don't think I want to learn… I guess sex is something else for me…"

I smiled and dragged my hands through his hair.

"Angel boy."

He rolled his eyes in amusement. Our lips met again. When we had built up a rhythm he laid himself on top of me and I could feel his member poking me just where I wanted him. He sighed heavily and just when he took a hold of his cock a thought came to my head that I couldn't keep myself from spitting out.

"Who is Francesca?"

He looked at me groggy.

"Oh, a friend. She invited me to go as a passenger on the ship," he said and then looked down between our legs again.

"Not your girlfriend?"

He looked up again, a bit lost.

"Not my girlfriend. What you and I are doing now… I haven't done for a very long time."

I smiled a little. There was something so sweet and pure with his words. It felt as if I was taking his virginity.

"Take me then, angel boy," I said as I took hold of his erection and helped guide him inside me.

After just a few of seconds of sex with Gordan I was certain he was something else. Maybe not an angel but there was something different with him. We often throw around words like angel, magical and heavenly. We do it so much there are no words left to explain how it was to connect with Gordan. It wouldn’t matter what words I use because you will still believe that you can understand. There isn't anything to understand because there wasn’t anything else to compare it to. If I were to try to explain it I would say I had a ten minute long orgasm, mixed with the feeling you have when you just fall asleep. I felt so safe, pleasurable and lively that in that moment it was bigger than life itself.

I don't have a memory of doing anything after that. I don't have many memories of the physical world from the act. I was in a space entwined with Gordan's soul. Maybe even inside it. Connected for real.

After that we were more or less a couple. We didn't say the word but we behaved as one. We were together all the time and even Marta seemed to accept it and she even seemed to encourage it. We showed our love in public, talked about the hard things in life and yeah, we had sex. But not so often. Even though it was such a fantastic experience it also took a hold of me. I could be tired for days and the only thing that worked was to lay really close to Gordan and hear his heartbeat. We never talked about why it was that way because I knew he wouldn't tell me. Like with everything else. I knew he gave me a more simple version of everything. I let it be because the most important thing to me was to be with him. He probably had his reasons to not tell me and it was fine. I had a magical man. An angel boy by my side.

Even if I knew what he worked with and even if I knew somewhere inside me, Gordan was never really mine, I was shocked when he said a couple of months later during an early morning in bed that he would go away soon. I looked at him incomprehensibly. We were entangled in each other, naked even if we hadn't had sex. It was just wonderful feeling his naked skin against mine.

"My work here is done so I must go now," he said and looked at me apologetically and hugged my waist in his big hand. "...I’m moving somewhere else. I don't know where but I must move. I have to keep moving." I just shook my head. I couldn't understand and I didn't want to believe it.

"I know you know that… I am a different kind. And my kind stay in motion. All the time. I can't stay here. Even if I want to. You know I want to…"

"No, no… No…" I stuttered and took a hold of his hand and pressed it to my chest.

"You will be fine Ella. It will be fine." He said and hugged me tighter but I pushed him away.

"Why did you let me fall in love with you?? If you knew you would leave me??"

He sighed and scanned the room before looking me straight in the eyes.

"Because I fell in love with you too and I think you know it isn't always easy doing the right thing when you feel that way."

I continued to look him in the eyes. The different shades of green. The glossiness of the white. Then I broke down. I sobbed loudly. If I could have, I would have chosen a more elegant way to cry but the emotions were too loud. He hugged me again and this time I let him. I sniffed him, dragged my fingers through his soft hair and touched his skin. Feeling its softness, the body hairs, the small scars from a wild childhood.

"I promise I will visit… I just have work somewhere else now…" he whispered. "But Ella. I really love you. I wish things could be easier…"

I didn't say anything, just continued to touch him. I wanted to say that I loved him too but it felt like I would die if I said it. Like that would be the ending of everything. My feelings for him weren't easy. I jumped between euphoria to worry and anxiety. It was like the happiness was so strong I couldn't stop myself from grieving the day I would lose it at the same time. Gordan didn't say anything more. Maybe he understood what I felt. He let me touch all of him, crawl so close to him his heartbeat took over all my senses. I just wanted to be a part of him.

A few days after he left me and Marta. None of us cried but when the apartment was empty of Gordan the both of us went to our separate rooms and closed the doors.

#bill skarsgård #bill skarsgard #fan fiction #writing #story #fiction #bill skarsgård writing #bill skarsgård fanfiction

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msmoonlight52 · 4 years ago

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Ms. Moonlight. The blue ray represents power, protection, faith, and strength. Whitney Hopler is a writer and editor who has covered faith since 1994. She is the author of the book "Wake Up to Wonder." The blue angel light ray represents power, protection, faith, courage, and strength.

https://youtu.be/zNry-oK_K7s

“The Blue Ray Beings are a group of empathic and ultra-sensitive souls like the Indigos who came from different ascended planets and realms of light to illuminate the genetic code of humanity and elevate the consciousness of God in Gaia. They are the lost ray of the Lightworker. "Shekinah", a Hebrew word in the "Language of Light", is a mentor to the Blue Ray. Shekinah is the lost aspect of the sacred Divine Feminine of Creation which is the incarnation of God, the ascension process".

#Blue-Ray #ultra-sensitive-souls #Indigos #the genetic-code-of-humanity #Lightworker #Shekinah #Language-of-Light #incarnation #ascension-process

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ooluwole · 3 years ago

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10 Ways to Hear from God Regularly

Whitney Hopler | Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer God is constantly speaking to people. But too often, they miss out on hearing God’s messages because they seek His guidance only occasionally – usually when they’re going through a crisis or facing a major decision. Then, with a dire need to hear from God, people become confused and frustrated when they don’t clearly hear what they should do.…

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peter-shafton · 3 years ago

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THE AWESOME POWER OF PRAYER - THAT INSTIGATES...

THE MIRACLE POWER OF BI-LOCATION

God gave some saints the miracle power of bi-location - the amazing ability for a person to be in two (or more) places at the same time - proving that our God is Lord of Time and Space.

Here are just a couple of many well known examples from: -- Whitney Hopler

Saint Padre Pio -

The most famous of the many different bilocation stories about St. Padre Pio comes from World War II. During bombing raids over Italy in 1943 and 1944, Allied bombers from several different missions returned to their bases without dropping the bombs they had planned to drop. The reason, they reported, was that a man matching St. Padre Pio's description appeared in the air outside their planes, right in front of their guns. The bearded priest waved his hands and arms frantically in gestures to stop while looking at them with eyes that seemed to be lit with flames of fire. American and British pilots and crew members from different squadrons swapped stories about their experiences with St. Padre Pio, who had apparently bilocated to try to protect his village from being destroyed. No bombs were ever dropped on that area during World War II.

Saint Martin de Porres

St. Martin de Porres (1579-1639), a Peruvian monk, never left his monastery in Lima, Peru after he joined as a lay brother. However, Martin traveled all over the world through bilocation. Over many years, people in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America reported interacting with Martin and only later discovering that he hadn't actually left Peru during those encounters.

The questions that come to mind, after reading the above, are...

How did Saints Padre Pio, and Martin de Porres know where to go, and what the problems were? To a faithful Catholic, the answer would be simple - Someone, somewhere, was PRAYING for help, and Jesus did promise His disciples that whatever they ask The Father in His Name - He will grant.

THE AWESOME POWER OF PRAYER.

‘Prayer is like a muscle, if you don’t use it regularly, and look and listen for a response, you won’t know when that response arrives.’ Your intuition, as the above quote from Wayne Dyer suggests, is that response. God always responds. You just have to learn how to listen. If you’re tuned in to the right channel, you’ll hear His answers.

Brainwave mapping shows that our intuitive abilities reside below ordinary awareness, in the subconscious mind—the boundless realm of the psychic soul. - Check it out HERE.

Our Creator has endowed us with an astonishing brain/mind, one with which we are able to communicate with our God. Let’s make use of this incredible gift. Prayer is the key that enables this communication... Modern science is beginning to discover the almost supernatural workings of our mind.

The world renowned psychic Edgar Cayce stated in his readings that sunspots, which affect many of our communications systems, our weather, and much more, are caused more by human attitudes and emotions than cosmic forces. Check it out HERE.

An international group of researchers has successfully shown it is possible to ‘non-invasively transmit a thought from one person to another’... Check it out HERE.

Our prayers ascend into the Collective Consciousness and subliminally affect the whole of human consciousness - and nature’s sensitive vibrations. Check it out HERE

Keeping this in mind, let’s use this incredible gift of Our God to us. While we say our morning AND night prayers, let’s pray that part of our subconscious mind would reach out into the world around us and commune with the minds of all its inhabitants, spreading our prayers and peaceful thoughts everywhere, thus counteracting all evil activity in the world. Jesus did tell us - “Hitherto you have not asked any thing in my name. Ask, and you shall receive; that your joy may be full...” - John 16:24

Edgar Cayce reminds us : The prayers of ten people can save a city. The prayers of twenty-five can save a nation - as the prayers of one person can. But there is strength in numbers.

Check it out HERE.

And while we are about it, why not pray for the Forces of Heaven to come down to Earth, and join us in our battle against the Evil One, and his Minions?

Are we just ‘whistling in the wind?’ Perhaps, but prayers don’t cost us anything, and their potential is staggering. So why not give it a try? And let’s not forget the love and authority of Our Precious Mother, Queen of Heaven and Earth our loving intercessor, only a prayer away.

Finally, Edgar Cayce advises us, “Why worry when you can pray? He [God] is the Whole, you are a part. Coordinate your abilities with the Whole.” (Reading 2528-2)

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freyar0se · 4 years ago

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Roses and their symbolism

One of my own photos taken with my phone.

Since ancient times, roses have symbolised God at work in whatever situation they appear. The intricate and elegant rose offers a glimpse of a masterful creator's active presence in creation. As this fragrant flower blooms, its buds gradually open to reveal blossoms with lovely layers—an illustration of how spiritual wisdom unfolds in people's lives. The strong, sweet scent of a rose brings to mind the powerful sweetness of love, which is the essence of God. So it's not surprising that many miracles and encounters with angels throughout history have involved roses. - section from an article by Whitney Hopler.

Roses and Miracles

Roses appear in accounts from all of the world's major religions as a symbol of miraculous love at work in the world. In ancient mythology, roses symbolised eternal love in stories of how gods interacted with each other and human beings. This relates straight back to my research looking at Greek mythology and confirms my idea to use them throughout my designs. Pagans use roses as decorations to represent their hearts. Muslims view roses as symbols of the human soul, so smelling the scent of roses reminds them of their spirituality. Hindus and Buddhists see roses and other flowers as expressions of spiritual joy. Christians view roses as reminders of the Garden of Eden, a paradise in a world that reflected God's design before sin corrupted it.

When I first thought of using nature as a staple for paradise my inital thoughts went to roses and how they always are used as a cliche for different love stories usually the classic red rose.

However, when I started researching I realised how much symbolism they actually hold.

Beauty and the Beast and the rose Motif...

Throughout the whole book / film the rose is a very important motif and there is a lot of symbolism when it come to it. The rose was actually something that Belle had asked her father to bring to her on one of his business trips. After he indulges in the hospitality that’s presented before him when he stumbles across the castle, he finds the rose in the Beast’s garden as he’s leaving. He picks the rose up to take to his daughter and then finds himself a prisoner of the Beast, who only agrees to release him if Belle’s father gives him one of his six daughters in return for his life. Belle, filled with guilt for asking for the rose, takes her father’s place.

The wilting rose symbolises quite a few topics. Obviously, the red rose symbolises love and romance. It also symbolises the Beast’s dying hope for love; if it dies before he finds his one true love, then he’ll stay the Beast forever. It symbolises the Beast’s need to reform from his past life of excess and vanity, as well as be gentler towards others. The rose is not only a vital part of the story but a vital part of the Beast. This is his last chance to change who he is for the better, or he will remain the terrifying creature he holds inside.

In my opinion the rose in the story symbolises hope just as much as the evil that it holds because the rose in the case is all about the beasts redemption and a chance at being a better person. I really love the hidden meanings behind the rose in this story and I really want to incorporate roses in my future designs and experiments, not only because of their religious significance but because they mean so many different things to different people, religions and films.

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ahopkins1965 · 4 years ago

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10Ways to Hear from God Regularly

Toggle navigation 10 Ways to Hear from God Regularly Whitney Hopler Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer 2020 22 Feb God is constantly speaking to people. But too often, they miss out on hearing God’s messages because they seek His guidance only occasionally – usually when they’re going through a crisis or facing a major decision. Then, with a dire need to hear from God, people become confused…

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jmlongworth78 · 5 years ago

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For the Birds

From Whitney Hopler, originally at learnreligions.com

A Flock of Birds Gathers

As Francis and some companions were traveling through the Spoleto Valley in Italy, Francis noticed that a huge flock of birds had gathered in some trees beside a field. Francis noticed that the birds were watching him as if they were expecting something. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, he decided to preach a sermon about God's love for them.

Francis Speaks to the Birds About God's Love

Francis walked over to a spot beside the trees and began an impromptu sermon, reported the monks who were traveling with Francis and wrote down what Francis said. Their report was later published in the ancient book The Little Flowers of St. Francis.

"My sweet little sisters, birds of the sky," Francis said, "you are bound to heaven, to God, your Creator. In every beat of your wings and every note of your songs, praise him. He has given you the greatest of gifts, the freedom of the air. You neither sow, nor reap, yet God provides for you the most delicious food, rivers, and lakes to quench your thirst, mountains, and valleys for your home, tall trees to build your nests, and the most beautiful clothing: a change of feathers with every season. You and your kind were preserved in Noah's Ark. Clearly, our Creator loves you dearly, since he gives you gifts so abundantly. So please beware, my little sisters, of the sin of ingratitude, and always sing praise to God."

I always find it fascinating that the same person who will ask their house pet (dog, cat, bird, etc) a complex human question, or seek their affirmation, would never consider speaking openly with the plants and animals that make up their local environment. Engaging with the creatures around us as equally distinguished parts of the creation is a way to train our hearts and minds to see them as kin and not as commodities. This heartspace is particularly important in this time of massive ecological change and accelerating mass extinction.

To greet the trees, bid goodbye to the summer flowers, or to commend the squirrels on their acrobatic craftiness is to acknowledge both our wonder in the world and our profound appreciation of the God who formed all these beings. It reminds us that the family we are fighting for is bigger than our immediate, extended, communal, or even human family.

Right now a modern day preacher to and for the miracle of this planet is visiting the United States and was the inspiration for the worldwide climate strike last Friday. Greta Thunberg pulls no punches. Her message is deadly serious. We cannot praise the gift of this world and its many creatures in one breath and then crush them like disposable cans with next.

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anvember · 5 years ago

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‘Seraphim Angels: Burning With Passion for God’ by Whitney Hopler

#seraphim #angels #holy #angelic #angelkin

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harokells · 5 years ago

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via Twitter https://twitter.com/Harokells

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urbanchristiannews · 6 years ago

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Whitney Hopler: 11 Ways to Recover from Being Too Busy

Are you rushing through life with a packed schedule that pushes you along? Do you often find yourself stressed and exhausted from trying to fit too much into too little time?

If you look beneath your busy lifestyle, you’ll discover that it may be covering up something you lack spiritually. God intends for you to live a peaceful life, with plenty of time to rest. You can start enjoying that kind…

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martinssalvo · 6 years ago

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How to ask for Prayet

Since everything is possible for God, you can experience miracles in your life when you invite God to intervene – even in situations that seem impossible. But too often, people neglect to ask God for miracles in their lives, and end up settling for far less than God’s best for them. Use these prayers for miracles when you’re ready to ask God to take over.

You can always approach God with confidence if you trust in His Son, Jesus Christ. So don’t hesitate to pray about anything, including miracles!

1. A Miracle Prayer for the Impossible

2. A Thankful Miracle Prayer

3. A Prayer to Trust When You Need a Miracle

How to Pray and Ask God for a Miracle:

Forget formulas and simply seek God’s presence. There are no magical formulas to use to conjure up miracles. Instead, miracles happen whenever you welcome God’s powerful presence into the situations you face. So don’t worry about trying to pray perfect prayers to convince God to do something miraculous in your life. Simply invite God to work in every situation in which you’re seeking miracles, and trust Him to do what’s best after you ask Him to intervene.

Sara Groves – Miracle (Official Music Video) from sara-groves on GodTube.

Adapted from When You Need a Miracle: How to Ask God for the Impossible, copyright 2012 by Linda Evans Shepherd. Published by Revell Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Mich., www.bakerbooks.com.

Linda Evans Shepherd is the author of more than 30 books, including When You Don’t Know What to Pray: How to Talk to God about Anything and When You Can’t Find God: How to Ignite the Power of His Presence, and the co-author of the popular series the Potluck Club and the Potluck Catering Club. Linda is an international speaker and media personality and is the creator of RightToTheHeart.tv and appears as a frequent host of Daystar’s Denver Celebration. She’s the leader of the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association and president of the nonprofit ministry Right to the Heart, which has seen more than 500,000 people come to faith. She’s married and has two children. To learn more about Linda, her speaking, and her ministries, see www.VisitLinda.com.

Whitney Hopler is a freelance writer and editor who serves as both a Crosswalk.com contributing writer and the editor of About.com’s site on angels and miracles (https://ift.tt/1dTJmq9). Contact Whitney at: [email protected] send in a true story of an angelic encounter or a miraculous experience like an answered prayer.

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