there is something unique and deeply special about monkey d luffy as a protagonist. he’s overwhelmingly ADORED by the fandom. he’s consistently the most or at least top 3 most popular characters in the whole series. peoples takes about him are gushingly positive. and that’s… really uncommon.

a LOT of fandoms i’ve witnessed or been in have a tendency to favor characters other than the main character. especially in anime. the main characters are often written as a blank slate for readers/watchers to project onto, but that makes them not as interesting and so they don’t get the fan attention.

but luffy is so far from that. and he’s ALWAYS been this way. we love him so much. he’s the heart of the story and the heart of the fandom in every single way. and i think that speaks to how well-written he is as a character. he’s fun and charming and complex and interesting and he makes us laugh and cry and cheer and hope and love. he’s able to inspire so much joy in people, both in his world but also in this one. and i think that’s really special. i feel so grateful to have found this story that means so much to me, and i’m so grateful that luffy exists.

Shoujo and the Bride of Christ (II)

FRIAR LAURENCE I’ll give thee armour to keep off that word: Adversity’s sweet milk, philosophy, To comfort thee, though thou art banished. ROMEO Yet ‘banished’? Hang up philosophy! Unless philosophy can make a Juliet…

Well, yeah, that’s how it usually goes. Were I Fr. Laurence, I’d probably have gone for something more like, “Go play some Renaissance baseball analogue to exhaustion, sleep well, and let’s speak of this again tomorrow.” And yet, I think the poor friar has a point here. Because romantic love between man and woman is not only a life-changing discovery and a call to fight the good fight, but also, unavoidably, something of a comedy of errors, misunderstandings, and absurdities, some of that would benefit from some reflection and wisdom, especially taking into account that, given the centrality of love and its signs in human life, the errors may very well turn the comedy into a tragedy (which, as a matter of fact… but no spoilers).

I fondly remember my first date of sorts, during my Freshman year at university. It was a great time, I deeply cared about the girl, and I´ll always pray for her, wherever she is. But, you may have noticed the “of sorts” part. Man, it is amazing how two human beings can interpret the same set of facts so differently. You miss the signs, and in retrospect, suddenly, it is obvious. Not everything is as meant to be as it seemed. Ahem. Where was I. My point was that hope, self-deception, wild assumptions, strikingly different understandings of what is happening, rose-colored or black-colored glasses, dubious rationalizations or whirlwind rides from the summit to the pits of desperation are part of the experience of being in love, and may take us to absurd, or dangerous, or hurtful, or simply unhelpful paths. And there are some things we can prevent, too, if, without losing the hopeful, fiery, courageous impulse, we learn from our experiences, and try to discern carefully.

In the fallen world, we need this kind of armor, even if we also need to avoid become trapped in them. It may not be sweet milk, but we may need some of adversity’s Georgia MAX Coffee. To set our hearts ablaze, and yet think and decide carefully, soberly, set of being kind and just. We need a sense of humor, and a willingness to correct course. We need patience, to interpret what is happening rightly, to differentiate between truth and hope without rejecting either, to accept the less glamorous aspects of loving someone. Reflection certainly cannot make a Juliet, but may help me, well, knowing, courting and loving the real Juliet, and not just the one in my head.

In my last article, I mentioned how anime has a gift for vivid personal worlds which leads to great depictions of the discovery of romantic love. It also has a natural tendency towards introspection and flashbacks (slow motion means there is less drawing to do, while flashbacks sometimes mean that you can reuse some takes, or so I have heard). But from these technical conveniences, it has gone far beyond, and developed a remarkable artistic tradition of adding layers to the past and the present.

And so, you have many great stories in which you see again what you once saw, and everything falls into place. Tragedies and comedies alike rely on this tools, and so we have tricky stories of love, heroism, mysteries and fate like Madoka and Erased, Oregairu, Fate Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works and Mawaru Penguindrum, Haruhi (like the protagonist, I just can’t escape Haruhi) or Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Teasing Master Takagi-san and Princess Tutu.

In the shoujo genre, this tradition is just as strong. Reminiscence, interpretation, doubt, memories, hopes, the past, are often put to great use. So, let’s go on with my crazy (but St. Paul-sponsored) idea that the depiction of human love between man and woman, as well as a profound mystery, illustrates the relationship between Christ and the Church. What if I were to say that the illusions of love and their comical and tragic consequences are also helpful there? Once again, please bear with me.

Tohru Honda, and the Ugliness in the House of the Twelve

Just as compelling, super-strong warrior maidens, childhood friends in love since forever and ice queens who happen to be all interested in the same regular-looking, not-especially-popular guy are far more common in anime than the average high school, shoujo has its own wishful tropes. Rose-colored ambiences, Cinderella stories, roses framing the scenes, golden bubbles, and legions of strikingly good-looking characters with secret pains that only the protagonist can heal are among them. Fruits Basket (2001) takes some of this approach to the extreme. As a child, Tohru Honda would weep when the cat of a fable her mother told her was excluded by the twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac. She was the same, as other kids at school excluded her, telling her that she was the onigiri (rice ball) in their fruits basket game, and letting her wait in vain to be called like the rest.

Since then, she has grown into an ever-optimistic, hard-working, generous, and extremely kind girl. Her mother has recently died, and, not wanting to bother anyone, she now lives…in a tent near a river. She cooks for herself, goes to school everyday, and works part-time in the evenings. But, when her place collapses during a storm, the elegant but distant school ice prince, Yuki Sohma, who lives with his older (yet also good-looking) cousin Shigure, takes her to his home. Soon, a loud, messy, athletic, troubled (and… yeah) cousin of Yuki and Tohru’s age called Kyo comes to live with them. As it happens, the family is cursed: They are the incarnations of animals of the Chinese Zodiac, and transform into animals when they are hold by someone (non-cursed) of the opposite sex. Learning of Tohru’s extraordinary circumstances, they offer her the job of housekeeper. And so it begins.

So, as you can see, not so much MAX Coffee so far. In the episodes that follow, Tohru increasingly becomes the loving, beating heart of the cursed Sohma family, able to help healing their wounds with her kindness, honesty and simple commitment. Everyone, or almost, is enchanted. It is a bit excessive. Honestly, I had to endure some parts of the story. And yet, why do I like it so? The answer is that, despite all the sometimes far-fetched circumstances, Tohru’s kindness is genuine. And I will never disdain genuine kindness, or laugh at it. And it did pay off. I won’t be too specific, but it did. “I have described it” says our Sensei of the entire Fruits Basket manga “as a giant wave of blessing, crashing on and overtaking one person after another after another in ever widening circles, all thanks to an unseen and unacknowledged God who also breaks real curses in real human lives.”

The Church of Christ, the prophesied new Covenant, is also like that. It’s the ultimate Cinderella story. Each of us Christians has been chosen by Christ. He has brought us home to a love like no other, to words of eternal life, to true communion, to forgiveness, to the Bread of Life, to miracles and wonders. To the key truths that the truly simple and the truly wise perceive. To true hope, to a love our deepest being is thirsty for, that transforms and solidifies us, that makes us ourselves. Open to those we love, too, and to everyone in this world. The joys in my life in Christ are unlike any others I have experienced. And that light, that goodness, are very real. But from there, precisely because it is so powerful, it’s easy to get things wrong. The Apostles imagined themselves reigning in a political Kingdom of Israel. St. Joan D’Arc thought she would return home to Domrémy. Lovers say that everything will be Eden now that they have each other. I may conclude that something is a date.

Tohru is a very optimistic character, and a very hopeful girl. But those are not always the same. While she feels blessed and fights her daily battles, both the evil and the good around her are beyond her understanding. When Israel, freely chosen by God, became a powerful nation free from its slavery in Egypt, completed its Exodus, sealed its alliance with God, conquered the Promised Land promised to Abraham and eventually became a great kingdom with a temple, everything seemed right. God walked with them, fought for them, was present. The Law described true goodness, in opposition to the idolatry, ignorance and self-enclosement of the Pagan world. There were miracles. But the real, deeper danger was there, mostly unbeknownst to them. So the Lord sent them inspired prophets, to awake them, to make them able to discern, to provide them with the right interpretation.

And then, He sent them His own Son, and He gave testimony to the truth, and was rejected and killed. And so the true darkness of Israel and the entire human race, the true enemy, came into light in all its ugliness. God tortured. God killed. But He is risen, and He has shown us a way: Himself. This is the story St. John tells us at the beginning of his Gospel. There is a moment (again, I won’t be very explicit) when Tohru’s previous love and kindness are not enough. When her commitment is tested and no one can help. When everything she has experienced, everything she has achieved, is put into question, and she has to acknowledge that she was wrong. When there are no easy answers. When she is forced to confront the genuine ugliness at the heart of the house of Sohma, the cursed monstrosity, the law of this world, without assurance that all will be well. It is the time to listen with faith. To embrace Christ in the Cross, and walk beyond anything we can see.

You may have heard the story of Emmaus. After the Crucifixion, two disciples walked away. Everything had collapsed. They had seen miracles and walked with Christ, but now their hope was dead. That is our Tohru, too. But a stranger walked with them, and asked them what had happened. They explained. And the stranger said: “O foolish ones, how slow are your hearts to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and then to enter His glory?” It was. “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was written in all the Scriptures about Himself.” “Were not our hearts burning within us as He spoke with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” Tohru’s Gethsemane experience was also necessary, and, for me, it was also the high point of the series. The character invested with a prophetic role also pointed her the way. And what happens in that place of darkness is believable, human, moving. Helpful.

From there, Tohru will be fruitful in a new world, because she can love in a way that can truly break the unmoving iron structure of her world. New possibilities of love are open. Being in the dream house of Sohma was not enough. For the Israelites, reaching the Promised Land was not enough. For a man and a woman in love, the moment of confession and corresponded feelings is not enough. For us, entering the Church, a personal bond with Christ, is not enough. We have also to experience, to witness, that whatever is born of God overcomes the world. That is our hope. From Pentecost to our days, Christ’s Church is prophetic, partaking in His mission as the teacher of true hope and true love. “He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.” She teaches us, warns us, reveals us the true meaning of what is happening, if we continue to listen, if we are humble, if we remain disciples.

How may this discipleship look in our lives? Tohru has many teachers. As the disciples of the first hour, we have the Gospel. In Emmaus, Christ pointed us to all the Scriptures. Also, the Catholic understanding is that, just as in Pentecost the inspired Apostle Peter stood up with the Eleven and proclaimed to the crowd the true meaning of what has happened, he being the spokesman, so their respective successors are invested with the charism in their announce and teaching, the Bishops in union with Peter. To them, it was said, “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth.” I do believe that, from Pentecost and on, it has continued to be so. Also, Tohru had Saki, and Paul and the Acts tell us about prophets in the Church, and of ways to distinguish the true from the false. As the Spirit also lives in us, we have the signs, inspirations, even miracles, we may come to receive in our own prayer life. And lastly, we have a mind, created by God. We can reflect, taking all the above into account. And, as Tohru, the Bride of Christ, ears open, will learn how to be the Bride of Christ. I will. So I hope.

Only God knows what will happen in our lives, or why. Loving makes us both strong and vulnerable. We can be tempted, scandalized and hurt, sometimes terribly, even in the Church, by our teachers, brothers and sisters. We may discover we have hurt them terribly. In the course of life, we may suffer blows we didn’t expect. Our sins, our wounds, may overcome us. We may enter periods of spiritual darkness, or of depression. Signs may disappear. Everything may seem to collapse. But it is not over. The fight to truly love, to be ourselves in Christ, goes on. We will need to be vigilant, to check our assumptions, to be open to be corrected by God through the teachings of His Church. Because we need an armor.

“Finally,” St. Paul says to the Church, “be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” Fight with courage, Honda-san, and remain open. A deeper love, a new world, a path of salvation, lie ahead.

Yeah, I know I should watch the 2019 remake and read the manga. I will, eventually. No Divine Comedy for now, but it is near. And, as you may or may not know, the lady at the top is Mademoiselle de Jarjeyes, protagonist of another iconic shoujo, which is… not coincidental! Until the next time, stay strong, and Happy Easter.

=====

Fruits Basket (2001) can be streamed at Funimation, Crunchyroll and Amazon Prime Video.

HOMILY for the 5th Sunday per annum (B)

Job 7:1-4,6-7; Ps 146; 1 Corinthians 9:16-19,22-23; Mark 1:29-39

Both the prophet Job and St Paul write about having had conversations with God but how different is their approach to suffering and to their lot in life – why? 

Job has had every calamity and sorrow befall him – he has swiftly lost his wife and daughters, his friends, his fortune and servants, his future earnings, and finally his physical health. Job, therefore, speaks for us, voicing the existential angst that besets us human beings as we’re confronted by the limits of our frail mortality. So, from the depths of his misery and pain, he cries out as we have just heard in today’s first reading: “Is not man’s life on earth nothing more than pressed service, his time no better than hired drudgery?” (7:1) There is, in this passage from the long book of Job, which is worth reading in its entirety, a sense of hopelessness and unremitting anguish. Hence, he exclaims: “my days have passed, and vanished, leaving no hope behind.” (7:6) 

As Job continues in this vein, debating and dialoguing with his companions about the meaning of life, thirty-one chapters later, we’re told: “Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind”. (38:1) God’s answer unfolds over four chapters, but it basically reminds Job of God’s wisdom and providence as Creator, as the one who holds all being in existence, and so, it is an invitation to trust in God’s purposes; that man, and even his suffering, has a purpose. Job, with tremendous humility, relents, and he says: “I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know… therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” (42:3b, 6)

After this, God restores Job’s lot in life, and he receives twice as much as he had before the calamities befall him, so all’s well that ends well because he had great trust in God. And so the moral of Job’s life is that we should hold fast and trust in God no matter what comes. However, somehow, this is not all that satisfying. Because, if he’s lost it all once, it can happen again. The resolution is a somewhat naturalistic but worldly happiness of fame, fortune, and long life, but all these human goods are somewhat fragile and can be lost, so there we’re just called to trust that God’s will is being done. All this is a good moral lesson, of course, but I believe there is something more, something true and certain and firm that offers humanity genuine hope where Job has lost hope. 

St Paul, on the other hand, has also had his extraordinary share of human misery. As he writes, he’s endured “far greater labours, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death.” (2 Cor 11:23b) He’s been flagellated, beaten, stoned, and shipwrecked several times, and has been in “danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brethren; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.” (2 Cor 11:26-27) 

And yet, he never cries out or complains in the way that Job does; he is never robbed of his hope. On the contrary, he is extremely driven in his mission of preaching the Gospel. As we hear in today’s second reading, St Paul says: “it is a duty which has been laid on me; I should be punished if I did not preach it!… Do you know what my reward is? It is this: in my preaching, to be able to offer the Good News free… I still do this, for the sake of the gospel, to have a share in its blessings.” (1 Cor 9:16, 18, 23)

The difference between Job’s and St Paul’s outlook is rooted in the good news, the Gospel, that was given to St Paul when God spoke with him. So, on the road to Damascus, Paul was blinded by a bright light from heaven, and then he heard the voice of God; Paul encounters the Risen Lord Jesus who says to him: “Rise and stand upon your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you to serve and bear witness” to the whole world so that people may “turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” (Acts 26:16, 18) This, of course, is the essence of what we shall do right after this Homily today, as we baptise one of our young parishioners: we’re turning him from darkness to light; we’re making a public proclamation as a Christian community of our fundamental hope; and we’re setting this child on the road to holiness through faith in God, that is, through friendship with Jesus Christ. For this is, in essence, what it means to become a Christian and this is what baptism entails. 

So, the reason why St Paul has hope and possesses a deep abiding joy, over and above the normal earthly happiness of Job, is because he has faith in the Risen Lord Jesus whom he has known intimately. So, Paul believes and hopes to be raised from the dead with Christ, and thus of having the final word, with Jesus, over all the sorrows and pains that life can throw at us. And he has the hope of eternal life in friendship with God the Blessed Trinity, finally victorious, with Christ, over sin and sickness and death. Hence he says: “To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: that the Christ must suffer, and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to the people and to the Gentiles.” (Acts 26:22-23)

St Paul’s response to human suffering and the misery of our current mortal condition, therefore, is that we suffer with Christ whose grace helps us to endure all things, and so, with faith in Christ the Risen Lord, we have the hope of rising also from the dead, and so, of transcending all our current sadness and pain. This is the good news, the Gospel, that St Paul preaches, and that Christians and missionaries and the Church down the ages have spared no pain in preaching. Why? Because it is the light, the hope, that we have always needed in the sorrow and darkness of our human existences. For without the light of the resurrection, then, we have only the cry of Job: “Remember that my life is but a breath, and that my eyes will never again see joy.” (7:7) 

But, that is not our cry as Christians. All of us, having died with Christ in Baptism, now share the hope and promise of the resurrection and the joy of eternal life with Christ. Hence, our psalm response is “Praise the Lord who heals the broken-hearted.” For the Lord God knows that we are broken by sin, broken by sickness, broken by death and all the sorrows of this life. So he comes to heal us, but his healing is not a mere temporary restoration like the restoration of Job’s earthly fortunes. No, God heals us by strengthening our humanity, and making us fit for something greater and more lasting than this life: God in Christ comes to raise us up, through grace, to share in divine life, in the life of God himself.

So we get a hint of this in the Gospel today: Christ heals Simon’s mother-in-law, but St Mark doesn’t say this directly. Rather, he says (and I am rendering the Greek text more literally than the translation we’ve just heard): “He went to her, took her by the hand, and raised her up. And the fever left her and she began to serve them.” (Mk 1:31) The Greek word translated as “he raised her up” is the same word used over and over again in the Gospels when Jesus refers to his own resurrection, his being raised up from the dead. So, Christ promises in today’s Gospel account that we shall also, at last, be raised up from our final sickness, which is death, so that we can serve, meaning that we shall become like Jesus Christ himself who came to serve humanity by giving his life for all men and women. Hence the Lord says: “the Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mk 10:45)

This, my friends, is the source of our hope as Christians. This is why we need not despair, even when things fall apart in this life. Because, like Job, we can and should trust in God’s wisdom and providence. But, more importantly, like St Paul we place our faith and hope in the Risen Lord Jesus, whose love never fails. Thus St Paul also cries out, not in desperation but with great hope: “I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 

Amen!

Top 10 Most Anticipated Films of 2020

Now I’ve got my embarrassingly late ‘Best of 2019′ list out of the way, I can finally proceed to the list that’s probably more exciting - my most anticipated films of 2020!

This list excludes films that have already been screened at festivals (otherwise, stuff like Saint Maud would be here). It’s also somewhat analogous to groping about for a light switch in the dark - these lists very rarely accurately predict my ultimate favourites for the year, so it’s more of a fun speculative exercise. Hopefully this puts some intriguing-looking films on your radar for the year ahead! 

1. Dune (dir. Denis Villeneuve)

Plot: The story of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people.

Why be excited? The reasons to be excited about Dune should be pretty self-evident - it’s directed by one of the greatest filmmakers working today (Villeneuve’s Incendies and Blade Runner 2049 are all-timers for me), and is based on one of the best science-fiction novels ever written. The cast -  Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Javier Bardem, Charlotte Rampling, and more - is absolutely stacked with talent. There’s every reason to believe that this will be something special, and I couldn’t be more pleased that Villeneuve is the man responsible for filling that Star Wars-shaped hole in the December release schedule.

2. Annette (dir. Leos Carax)

Plot: A stand-up comedian (Adam Driver), and his opera singer wife (Marion Cotillard), have a two-year-old daughter with a surprising gift.

Why be excited? You may not have heard of him, but Leos Carax is one of the most exciting directors working - he only makes around one film a decade, but the films he does make tend to be very special. I’ve only seen one film of his - Lovers on the Bridge - but that was filled with such ecstatic romance and wondrous visuals that it made me tremendously excited for Annette. Annette is a top-to-bottom musical with songs by American duo Sparks (if you know them for anything, it will be ‘This Town Ain’t Big Enough for the Both of Us’), and said songs will be delivered by Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard. It goes without saying that both actors are extremely talented performers with great voices (see Driver in Marriage Story and Cotillard in Nine for evidence), and I’m looking forward to seeing how they demonstrate their talents here.

3. Last Night in Solo (dir. Edgar Wright)

Plot: A young girl (Thomasin McKenzie), passionate in fashion design, is mysteriously able to enter the 1960s where she encounters her idol, a dazzling wannabe singer (Anya Taylor-Joy). But 1960s London is not what it seems, and time seems to fall apart with shady consequences.

Why be excited? I’m not the biggest Edgar Wright fan, but I admire him greatly and the premise of Last Night in Soho is like cat-nip to me. Speaking to Empire, Wright explained the story as follows: “I’m taking a premise whereby you have a character who, in a sort of abstract way, gets to travel in time. And the reality of the decade is maybe not what she imagines. It has an element of ‘be careful what you wish for’.” I’m a sucker for a good, old-fashioned high concept, especially when said films play with genre and really challenge the viewer. The two female leads - Thomasin McKenzie (JoJo Rabbit, Leave No Trace) and Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch, Emma) - are among the very best young actors working today, and the supporting cast features absolute legends such as Diana Rigg and Terence Stamp. Whether it’s successful or not, this film feels like a genuinely original prospect and I’m eager to see how it turns out.

4. The Green Knight (dir. David Lowery)

Plot: A fantasy re-telling of the medieval tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

Why be excited? There has been a sad lack of films based on mythology in recent years - or, to be more accurate, there has been a sad lack of films that attempt to honour what the myths were actually trying to convey. The stunning trailer for Green Knight promises a film that genuinely engages with its source material, and is just as interested in the psychological truths of the tale as the spectacle of its fantastical scenarios. Dev Patel is an extremely talented actor coming off another great movie in The Personal History of David Copperfield, and the supporting cast (Alicia Vikander!) appear to be fully committed to their parts. I’m excited to see a true myth on the big screen again, and David Lowery (A Ghost Story, The Old Man & The Gun) can be trusted to give an old tale a new sense of vitality. 

5. The French Dispatch (dir. Wes Anderson)

Plot: The staff of a European publication decides to publish a memorial edition highlighting the three best stories from the last decade: an artist sentenced to life imprisonment, student riots, and a kidnapping resolved by a chef.

Why be excited? It’s a Wes Anderson movie! Of course I’m excited! In all seriousness, the trailer was all I needed to get hyped about this. It’s clearly Anderson’s quintessential style, but it also shows flashes of some very bold and striking compositions (yes, I’m thinking of Chalamet on the back of that motorcycle) that you wouldn’t necessarily think of in relation to him. I’m intrigued by the prospect of there being stories nested within a story, which feels like the perfect choice for the structure of a film about a newspaper. The cast features all of Anderson’s old favourites (Swinton! Murray! McDormand!), as well as some exciting new additions (Timothée Chalamet, Elisabeth Moss, Christoph Waltz, among others) that feel so well-suited to his style it’s surprising they haven’t worked together before. Bring on all those immaculately composed shots and exquisite colour palettes.

6. Tenet (dir. Christopher Nolan)

Plot: Unknown. The project is described as an action epic revolving around international espionage.

Why be excited? I hate to sound repetitive, but ... it’s a Christopher Nolan movie. That alone is enough to be hyped about this. Details of the plot are vague for now, but the teaser suggests the sort of intelligent, high-concept film-making we’ve come to expect from Nolan. John David Washington - who impressed in BlacKkKlansman - is a great choice for the lead, and I also love that Tenet will feature Robert Pattinson and Elizabeth Debicki (among my favourite actors) in prominent roles. There’s not much else to say given how little we know about this, but suffice to say I’ll be there on day one!

7. Wonder Woman 1984 (dir. Patty Jenkins)

Plot: Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) comes into conflict with the Soviet Union during the Cold War in the 1980s and finds a formidable foe by the name of the Cheetah (Kristen Wiig).

Why be excited? The original Wonder Woman was an absolute delight, and I couldn’t be more pleased that Patty Jenkins is back to continue Diana’s story. The decision to pick up with Diana in the 1980s is most intriguing (and paves the way for all kinds of exciting choices when it comes to the music and the fashions), especially since it looks like the film is actually going to explore the implications of being an immortal being in a mortal world. 

8. Raya and the Last Dragon (dir. Paul Briggs and Dean Wellins)

Plot: A lone warrior from the fantasy kingdom of Kumandra teams up with a crew of misfits in her quest to find the Last Dragon and bring light and unity back to their world.

Why be excited? The animation scene in 2020 looks kind of ... blah at the moment, with the notable exception of Raya and the Last Dragon. The setting was described by the film’s producer as  "a reimagined Earth inhabited by an ancient civilization that venerated the mythical dragons for their power and their wisdom”, and that alone is enough to fire up my imagination. Off the back of Moana and the Frozen films (which I all unabashedly love), I trust Disney Animation to instil this with plenty of colour and verve.

9. I’m Thinking of Ending Things (dir. Charlie Kaufman)

Plot: An unexpected detour turns a couple’s road trip into a terrifying journey through their fragile psyches.

Why be excited? Directed by Charlie Kaufman (writer of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), I’m Thinking of Ending Things is based on a prize-winning novel. However, despite the pedigree the main reason I’m looking forward to this is Jessie Buckley. Buckley gave a star-making performance in Beast a few years ago, and has since proven herself an actor of immense talent and skill (see Wild Rose for proof of what a powerhouse she is). I’m excited to see her career continue to go from strength to strength, and I’m Thinking of Ending Things seems poised to be a great showcase for her.

10. The Last Duel (dir. Ridley Scott)

Plot: King Charles VI declares that Knight Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon) settle his dispute with his squire (Adam Driver) by challenging him to a duel.

Why be excited? Ridley Scott is a bit of a mixed bag for me, and has never come close to reaching the heights of Alien and Blade Runner with his recent work. Nonetheless, against my better judgement I can’t help but be excited by the prospect of a medieval epic with Scott at the helm. The acting talent attached to The Last Duel is top-notch, and I’m particularly fond of Jodie Comer (of Killing Eve fame) and Adam Driver (do you really need me to say more?). There’s a very real danger of the highly sensitive plot (the ‘dispute’ at the heart of the story concerns an accusation of rape, the truth of which is to be determined with a duel) being mishandled by Scott, but the involvement of screenwriter Nicole Holofcener gives me some hope. This could turn out to be a misfire, but my hope is that it will, at the very least, be interesting.

…You Can’t Deny All That You’ve Done Wrong

[As soon as Piers had left, Felix collapsed from the weight of his guilt and crushing emotional torment, overcome by conflicted feelings.

He had dreamed—truly dreamed—something VERY similar the night before; it had given him a deep sense of relief and unexpectedly peaceful sleep. 

He had been left confused, at first, and then disappointed, when he woke from the dream and went to see if it had actually happened—only to see that his calligraphy scrolls had been left untouched, meaning it had been only a dream after all. 

To be given such peace and have it proved to be only his own wishful thinking had filled him with a heavy heart, resigning to a sense of sorrow; he had been certain then and there that he would not hear anything for days, at best, and he was quickly losing hope he would be offered a chance of reconciliation.

So when the man himself came merely minutes later—when he had already become distracted with the duties of drawing up business documents related to his property in Prox—he had been more than a little surprised that it was unfolding so very like what little he could remember of the dream. 

It was much sooner than he had expected, and certainly more positive and forgiving than he deserved.]

[The tormented Adept put his face in his hands, overcome with guilt so heavy that he could physically feel weight on his chest making it more strenuous to breathe.]

“Why are you still at a loss?”

[Echo’s presence—let alone his response—was entirely unbidden, but Felix did not react to it in alarm; for the Djinn was, at times, truly like an echo of himself, or of some aspect of wisdom and understanding.]

“You WERE told that he was probably going to be receptive to a clear apology, given he cared enough to ask how you were doing in the first place. So why is this such a big surprise to you??”

[Felix forced himself to draw up to his feet, speaking in a deep, harsh tone that was extremely forced.]

“I can’t see how—”

[Echo hopped twice at this, completely drowning out the end of that sentence as he talked over the Adept.]

“Well obviously you have a problem with that! Why do you have such a hard time believing anyone would forgive you, period?!”

[Felix pressed his mouth into a thin line at this, cold and dark.

But it only held for a moment before he forced the tension to drop—and it did not take much effort to push from bracing himself in some semblance of composure into a drop to sheer exhaustion. It was so much, in fact, that he sat down.]

“I can’t… can’t remember a single time previously where anyone truly forgave me… and ever since I was forced into exile, I have gone to great lengths to not be in a position where it would be necessary.”

[Echo was quiet for a moment, before speaking with a tone that suggested a bit of VERY gentle correction.]

“…Your memory isn’t very good. I know for a fact this is not the first time you’ve had a breakdown between then and now. Not even the first time within the span of the last year.”

[Felix scowled at that.]

“Fine; I can’t remember it getting nearly that INTENSE, alright?”

[There was a brief pause before he spoke up again, voicing an afterthought.]

“…The thought that I could be forgetting something as bad as THIS is absolutely pathetic and utterly miserable.”

[Echo hopped again, somewhat exasperated.]

“You’re missing the point!!”

[Felix gave something of a sullen expression, but then just turned and looked away.]

“I hadn’t expected it.”

[There is another pause before he continues, though he sounds increasingly tired as he does so.]

“…It’s not that simple, Echo; breaking trust just can’t be repaired that easily. People can choose to react with mercy, but… it does not make the pain go away…”

[He fells silent, becoming lost in his own thoughts and memories.]

“…I understand what it means to be hurt by someone you cared about, someone you trusted.”

“It happened to me before—and I had forgiven them… only for them to betray me again when I needed them the most.”

“I can only imagine the pain that it has been for me for all these years; I can’t IMAGINE anything ELSE, Echo! The pain is the only thing I know!”

[He pulled a hand down his face, holding it over his mouth, his eyes reflecting a burning guilt.]

“So—I could only imagine, once I was mentally sober enough to realize that DESPITE my efforts, I had gone WAY overboard…”

[…He could only imagine Piers must have felt the same way.]

“I can’t… I can’t let this happen again…”

“Oh please, Felix. Be real, here.”

[Felix shot him a dark look, but the Djinn was unfazed by it.]

“You’re only human. Demanding the impossible of yourself will only make you miserable—as you should well know by now, given you already do that!”

“I don’t WANT it to happen again, okay!? I need to be responsible enough to do EVERYTHING I can to prevent this from happening again!”

“Yeah, working in a healthy manner on your communication skills would be the responsible thing to do, but you aren’t in any state to work on that right now. You aren’t going to get very far with getting better since you haven’t really accepted his forgiveness.”

[At first, Felix was very confused—but as it struck him, he was very sad. He looked away.

It was true that he hadn’t rejected it, but he hadn’t quite accepted it yet, either; he still was thinking and acting as if it hadn’t happened the way it did—because he didn’t deserve it.

Echo settled on his shoulder, responding to the unspoken revelation.]

“Maybe. But Piers obviously doesn’t think so.”

[Felix put his face in his hands, blinded by anguished confusion and the deafening memories of the past.

It had been ages, but he JUST couldn’t forget the WORST part of his life.

He knew it wasn’t reasonable, and it wasn’t healthy, but—]

“I STILL MISS THEM!”

[He had started, and he couldn’t stop—]

“I wish it had never happened!”

[He wasn’t really talking to anyone in particular anymore.]

“I still wonder what they’re up to, from time to time—! I used to be TERRIFIED that they would hunt me down, or be the source to take away EVERYTHING good that has been given to me since; I was haunted day and night with how poorly they thought of me, how that would be the only thing they would remember, the only thing they would EVER talk to anyone else about—! It took me years, YEARS, and for the LONGEST time, Piers was the ONLY person who showed me ANY sort of kindness after that had happened!”

[Those dark days were behind him, and he was no longer consumed by that shadow the way he once was. But still, to the present day, even now—every so often he felt burdened by a sense of loss.]

“I wish… I wish that I could… could share the joys of my life with my former friends as well. I… I wonder, in unguarded thought, what they might—what they might say, what joys they experience in their lives.” 

“I wish… I just wish we could… could enjoy each other’s company again…!”

[…All the while knowing that no matter how much time had passed, no matter how distant it seemed to be, how tempting it was to believe that they would not break his trust yet again and betray him yet again…]

“Had… had to resist the urge to look back. And… at this point? Even if it were possible, and not just wishful thinking… it’s far too late. We’ve drifted apart—and I, at least, have grown apart—and I doubt… when I am honest with myself, I doubt they would be interested. They’ve moved on without me, and they’re… probably happier for it, glad to be rid of me, no longer having to put up with me. And I can’t stay in Angara anyway; the persecution is far too much. I would have to live my days constantly groveling in submission—directly or indirectly—for ‘what’ I am.”

[He SLAMMED his fist against the wall, sending a shockwave of Venus energy through it.]

“Since no one there cares about /WHO/ I AM!!!”

[He sinks down to the floor again, trembling from the strain of failed efforts to keep himself together—although he was trying his very hardest to regain composure, he’s so deeply unhappy to the very core of his being.

He barely survived the loss the first time; everything fell to pieces, and he would have to live with the pain of the betrayal and abandonment his entire life. He couldn’t go back—they didn’t want him, and they didn’t care. He would have thought that by now, the pain would go away—but he was starting to suspect that even as the span between the stabs of curiosity would grow and grow, it would never truly go away.

Because he didn’t really hate them; for better or for worse, he still cared about them, and he missed them terribly. He could still remember when they would laugh together—it was so happy, so familiar, so close that it was hard to reconcile with how badly it had ended. 

It was already hard enough to carry the weight of loss for a case where he had been betrayed multiple times.]

[Carrying the weight of loss for a case where someone who actually DID care and had saved his life—]

“Can’t…”

[He just couldn’t take it.

He broke again into exhaustion, too worn out for a descent into despair.]

“Just… can’t…”

[It just didn’t seem to him that he should be so eager to go back to the way things were, as if it never happened—because it did happen, and he didn’t want to reject the responsibility of his actions, forcing (or allowing) Piers to shoulder the weight of his explosive despair. 

That was what had happened with Isaac—he had, despite being haunted by how Isaac had turned on him at Venus Lighthouse, forgiven the man, and even grown to trust him again, and Isaac had seemed so genuinely apologetic, even though he clearly didn’t understand exactly how much he had hurt the unlucky Adept. And that made it even worse, in the end—and he wouldn’t readily wish that kind of suffering on anyone else. To be responsible for it, himself—he couldn’t allow that to happen.]

[But at the same time, Piers had shown him mercy… and to choose actively to dwell on the pain of guilt was not only self-centered, but also a stubborn refusal to reconcile—and to that end, an act of cowardice. Cowardice, because it WAS easier to be silent, to retreat into himself… because that was what had been so harshly beaten into his psyche—that it was unacceptable to show pain, as people either didn’t care, told him that it was his own fault and he deserved it, or else were hurt and afraid.

And yet he knew it wasn’t true, that silence wasn’t the answer. Again and again, that is what those who cared about him now had told him, and over the years had convinced him enough to be vulnerable around them—he had to trust. 

He had to trust. 

He had to…

And he knew, in believing so, that he did—as the blinding pain became dying embers, he knew…

He accepted his friend’s forgiveness, and was grateful for the chance at reconciliation.

But first?

First… before he could really face Piers again…]

[…he somehow had to forgive himself.]

kat! love your all your fics you're an amazing writer! can you share some writing tips for amateur writers out here?

hi anon writing advice tag if youre looking for like...more specific answers? when it comes to writing, its a very subjective experience when it comes to finding inspiration, outline style, word choice, etc but theres a few things i think across the board are important to remember. 

going under a cut to not clog dashes

- consume as much media as you can. ex: books, music, film etc. i know for me personally im most inspired when im consuming art. i literally cannot write without music, like its genuinely so difficult because i pace my writing against the soundtrack of each scene. and the filtering, editing, and direction style of films/tv series i like will influence, in some manner, how the fic looks in my mind. yes, your plot and characters are found/uncovered in your brain and heart, but these other mediums assist in your interpretation of how youd like to express it and will help inspire the way you describe certain things. so dont be afraid to step back from a doc to consume other forms of art. for me, at least, its really important.

- keep writing and dont let yourself stop. once you decide you want to write a fic or drabble or whatever comes to mind, write it. and once that is done, write more. this is how you develop a style. you will notice the more you practice, the easier it gets. OR you will notice the more you write, the more evolved your writing becomes. this is how you form a style. here is an example: 

an excerpt from a series i was writing in 2011 in a different fandom:

No one tells you what it’s like to go insane. No one talks about it because, we, as a society, understand the chemistry and the biology of it, but we don’t understand the feeling of it. Time had started to compress, slipping around me in a computerized metronome of blood flow and heart beats that had started to tell me nothing except that I was still living. They hadn’t strapped me to the bed, but I still couldn’t leave and everything about the room started to feel like a cage. Sleep had eluded me since I was pulled out, and through the exhaustion and the haze of sameness I never knew exactly when I was beyond a date of 2266.

I was craving daylight - not the vitamin D, as I was being given a healthy dose of daily vitamins through an IV drip - the natural light and the natural warmth of it, all over my face and skin. The ceiling lights of the room provided an element of ultraviolet light, but after so many hours the falsehood of an invention began to wear a person down. It’s something you never really think about, the sun, not until you don’t have it, not until you haven’t seen it for one hundred years.

But when one hundred years feels like three days or two weeks, time really stops mattering and then the sun itself doesn’t feel so important.

from Empty Vessels, posted july 2019:

For a while, they do not speak. Minseok looks longingly out over the water, hollowed, as the herbalist regards the dirt on her shoes with an empty stare. In the silence, Junmyeon minutely nods, the bare threads of his patience allowing them space to find their words. Images spring to his mind, all imagined and none wholly formed, each as bleak and battered as the crow in Chanyeol’s arms. He wonders what Minseok has seen, unable to avoid with a clarity bordering on entrapment; he wonders what she has heard, whispers on the wind of a life he thought he’d left behind.

‘The trees are screaming,’ she announces, eyes still downcast though her voice is sharp; blunt as the edge of a sword and equally as unforgiving. ‘They’re in pain.’

It settles over him, slow and uncompromising, the notion that trees could make sound - that they would choose to. The oldest wisdom lingers in their branches, and for one brief moment, he sees her as someone as old as their roots.

i, at least, can see an enormous difference in quality and style and thats because ive been writing and writing and writing for a very long time lmao. in 2011 i was 3 years into writing fanfic consistently; at that time, too, i was still working towards my degrees and writing daily for film analysis projects. the more you write, the more you evolve so please please please dont stop just because you feel you arent experienced enough. confidence and style will come over time, just keep yourself in practice. 

- NOTES MEAN ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. notes on tumblr are a hot take - and while, yes, there is a need for more reblogs and more sharing of content, focusing on statistics will drive you to the brink. joseph gordon levitt released a ted talk last week on how seeking attention is detrimental to your creativity and LORD this is such a good talk because its true. one of the things he discusses is how powerful the feeling of receiving attention - in this case, notes on a fic - drives someone toward output, but is that genuine? now, of course theres always going to be different scenarios or opinions but if you are just starting out with writing please dont post a fic under the assumption or expectation of achieving a note goal. there are so many variables as to what gets notes and what does not - from algorithm to how many people are online to see it to timing to content like you cannot predict what will or will not correspond to x number of notes and x number of followers. 

instead of setting note or follower goals, set word count goals. when i first started writing for kpop i was actually a pretty concise writer. if you look at the early chapters of hero and wyrm tamer, they all would peak around 4 or 5k words. achieving 10-15K on something seemed absolutely ridiculous and impossible to me - hell, 15K was 10K words under my masters thesis count! why would i want to write that much? but now? im shook if i finish a chapter or fic and the word count is just 4K. those word count goals are exciting for me. 

nervous about word count goals? thats fine! set a goal to write a genre. always wanted to try high fantasy? dope! do it! want to write some sexy vampires? fuck yeah, everyone loves those! want to write a fic that helps you release some tension or trauma youve experienced? please do that, writing is therapy and has been scientifically proven to help. 

set goals for making characters, world building, soundtracks, to learn photoshop to make a moodboard. set goals for all kinds of things but pls dont set goals for statistics because these are so variable and very often outside of your control they will very often suck any joy out of your creativity before its had the chance to start.

i hope these help!

MYSTERIOUS WAYS

     Mysterious ways       

life seems like a daily climb a never ending trek up the Everest of our emotions to reach the pinnacle of feelings like towering scrapers of sky and heaven babel like edifices perpetual bombardments from the fists of life and its unending brutality perhaps life itself should be held accountable for crimes against humanity and the author of this horrific story should be liable for compensation I have given all my good years towards being true the straightest arrow never bending with eyes always focused on higher spheres of operating where wisdom is born and finds home and comfort and muses torment me and keeps luring me to them beyond Olympus beyond star infested night skies Where light travels in years not minutes or seconds.

From down here I seem to be just about a glorified ant with a conscious of itself operating system on an evolutionary path daily fighting through being plagued by an overwhelming barrage of feelings dream, wants, needs, desires internal and external existential crisis after crisis darkest of nights and much too bright days living in fear of what hides behind doors and corners of death and being hurt by love in any which way or form or malicious intentions from those who do it for sport and to get off on it To see others suffer, Blows their hair back getting kicks from heartbreak and tears leaving footprints over people as they walk all over them learning to crawl and walk through fires of concrete jungles so cold it burns and bites like frosted flames and through forests of man made mazes supposedly as advancement of our species and to make our lives easier but only destroys and complicates things more shadows after dark and even daylight hours outstretched arms and hands coming out of nowhere To grab at you.... Wanting something...parts of my soul

Mysterious ways

its just too much man there are things I can't give any more I have nothing left can you not see I am empty... I have given all of me all of my existence since birth I have given my most precious energy to a world that doesn't care just wants more and wants to gobble me up and spit me out Thanks for coming... Born into problems from the moment I opened my eyes and left the peace and safety of the womb (expectations) has been placed on me before I could even take my first steps from my parents, society and their base ritualistic world handed to them by their forebears telling me  how I must walk or sit or stand who to love what to eat what sexual orientation I should fit into and hope its coherent with their binary black and white perspectives and sense of being a team player and to top this all off I should heed advice from people who can't even put one foot in front of the other without getting confused, and I am stuck on a planet with this kind of madness psychotic behaviour is the order of the day there are definitely fates worse than death like perhaps a lifetime of pain and agony From onset in pain...and never seems to end.

Mysterious ways  

pain and more pain with some pain on the side for good measure with only brief respites in-between the blows from running gauntlets of hurts of course, it's not all pain i mean there are little moments that we aren't bogged down with hopelessness and regrets and self blame and hundreds of prescription pills that make us lose our minds even more and commit suicide or take the whole office block or school with us there are moments of fleeting joys and some laughter some "love" used in the most loose sense of the word as that also surprise, surprise ends in pain while all along there are mortgages to pay bills ever growing children that need schooling and the latest gadgets cause Jenny Jones has one and McDonald's just advertised their new toy with the kiddies meal so you have to buy some plastic with your cardboard sugar filled food or so they call it for a growing child shouting blue murder cause they absolutely must have it and the parents who have been working non-stop 9-5 ball and chain just to be suckered punched by marketing companies to sell your kids their products that pop on TV then the wonders of age sets in and doctors bills body parts starts to need replacing and doing or accomplishing the most the simplest tasks daily becomes a struggle with pain and we slowly wither away towards the crossing over eventually into the lands of different states of consciousness which leaves us in a head space with more angst and pain the build up towards the ever looming moment Of when it will take place.

Mysterious ways  

as if the build isn't ominous enough Or scary enough, and we try to be prepared but are we ever really? I mean even after all the dogmas and paths we so loved to fight for and believed. And place our hopes and dreams in and the strong convictions we have and will almost commit murder for all these things now start seeming pointless and like clouds with no promise or gold or silver linings just very wishful thinking on our parts in the hopes that it all would make perfect sense at one stage or another our ears are now exhausted from listening To this guy and that guy and so on. Each selling a different flavour snake oil just the pulpit seems bigger or smaller or their marketing team a bit better as if all that isn't tiring and frustrating enough and our heads are spinning and throttled with doubts with a library size list of unanswered questions then there goes the knee again and hands from the gout the pain the only constant thing in our lives keeps bringing us back to the reality of our frail and mortal existence gripping ever tighter and tighter and so after all the afore mentioned woes I am left wondering. With a most genuine wonder Why, why, why?

Mysterious ways      

Why would a loving and benevolent god send me or anyone here to this hell and lunatic asylum we call earth our little precious gem of a place of pain and death like an S and M dungeon except this isn't for pleasure it does have some pretty aesthetics to feast our eyes on while we suffer in pain and misery a room with a view as we lose our minds slowly before we fade out to black no wonder babies are born screaming as they probably sense the fuckery and lifetime supply of dread and pain about to hit the fan why would anyone actually want to come here or be sent here willingly Ok...new age 'light workers" with your little fraction of  broken telephone pieces of information strung together just sit down before you hurt yourself or crack an aura I am well aware of why yet it doesn't make it right or go down easier even with a hundred spoons full of sugar I guess it is just because he works in mysterious ways right? So me and you and our entire existence upon this planet of pain and constant suffering balances and pivots on mysterious ways well always good to have some mystery then when my cartilage is snapping and breaking when my heart is being squeezed like an orange and the juice of my life force is dripping onto the blood stained earth when killers are strangling my wife and kids to death when they strike down the friendly nice guy down the street with an axe when the sinister mind game players who use and abuse our energy for slavery in the salt mines of their creation whip us and make us run the hamster wheels till we fall down all we are to them are stock animals to be traded collateral damaged goods to be poisoned and experimented on with left over chemicals meant to extinguish insects they now put into our food products I mean you gotta hand it to them they don't like wasting its money and the bottom line of course I mean who gives a damn about us now, Right? Oh! But there is a plan for that too break us down destroy our health so that we buy and have to rely on their supply of more dangerous chemicals ones and zeros we are to them digital digits of less than people that can be changed or erased at any time like numbers of our electronic money systems they just create and make it up as they go along while you break your back for that piece of paper miss out on your children most important days they create a world where psychotic people get to murder and walk free while stealing a loaf of bread to feed your child is not forgiven Oh! I forgot mysterious ways of course they make it so that the rich and powerful can molest and sell and make children disappear while they sleep on streets with no love or food because their parents never planned or wanted them or they were just a nuisance now so many street vagrant little lost miracles with only mystery sweet, sweet mystery to keep them warm on the cold concrete at night and tuck them in under cardboard boxes with the backdrop of sirens screaming from yet another brutal killing as they fall asleep smelling the raw open leaking sewer pipes I mean common who doesn't love a bit of mystery now I bet if you ask them they would tell you. I cannot eat mystery.

©

How can I be passionate about life again? It's been really hard these last few years and it seems to be worse since I'm a junior in college and I just feel like I'm going through the motions and I'm not really living life.

I could say read your Bible more often, pray more often, count your blessings more often, eat healthier, exercise more, do more of the things you love….but I’ll tell you something different, something you can do now that will ultimately lead to being more passionate about that list I just made. Here’s a quick story about me first. I had a lot of struggles growing up since I can remember back when, especially throughout my teen years. This is actually my testimony you’re going to read if you don’t know about my past yet. I am a victim of abuse (physical, emotional, psychological, and verbal abuse). My own father was my abuser. I look back in life and I could say I didn’t deserve all the pain and hurt, but because I’ve come out of it a more confident, stronger, wiser, resilient, patient, and faithful Christian, I don’t regret or am ashamed all that I had to go through. It was for my own good that I’ve come to accept. It takes a lot for me to get sad over a matter or get sensitive over something that someone else might otherwise have thought was a mean or rude thing to tell me. Maybe because I’ve grown to tolerate a lot….I hope I don’t come across as someone who has just become so emotionally cold and because of it, prideful. I sincerely have changed my outlook on emotions and it’s not in any way negative, and it’s because God has transformed my mind. I am however more sensitive to the hurts and pains of others, not in an empathetic “poor you” way, but in a manner that strives to help you “understand more about yourself” way. My dad’s love was very tough and because of this ugly character he used to have, I drew myself closer and closer to God, our Heavenly Father. No matter how much pain I’ve endured, Jesus endured so much more. It’s oftentimes the poorest in spirit that find the most comfort in God because out of desperation He is their last and only hope. That’s why 2 Corinthians 12:9-11 is such good scripture to meditate on…

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

There are testimonies of people in all walks of life who have made drastic turnarounds by professing Christ as their Savior. They are ex-prisoners, ex-gangsters, ex-drug users, celebrities that used to work for the entertainment business, even ex-porn stars, cancer survivors, former atheists….before they gave their lives to Christ, the one thing they all had in common was that they were poor in spirit. They did not at first recognize or acknowledge how badly in shape their spirits were in, but once they did and did something about it by turning to God in desperation, He gave them a kind of strength that could only be found in Him.

In Matthew 5:3-12 it says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

I gave my life to Christ and heard of this scripture even before the abuse got worse, but it did not stick with me until years later after I had run away. I rededicated my life to Christ and years after the abuse stopped I had gotten comfortable with my old habits and it wasn’t until then when I realized I didn’t have to experience bad things happening to me to get back on track. Oftentimes it takes extremely difficult experiences for people to change their ways. They need a wake-up call. It takes fear for them to finally get motivated. It could be a breakup, a divorce, losing a job, getting thrown out of the house, a terrible car accident, losing someone they love to illness….those who are the most desperate for change are the ones that actually do something positive with the whatever situation they’re in, and those who easily lose hope and give up go into a deep depression. I’ve learned not to wait for those very difficult times and this is how I do it….I simply practice HUMILITY. I can’t emphasize this enough. SURRENDER AS OFTEN AS YOU REMEMBER IN A DAY. BEGIN WITH GOD EARLY IN THE MORNING. END WITH GOD AT NIGHT. LEARN BY RECOGNIZING WHAT AREAS IN LIFE YOUR PRIDE SHOWS UP IN. AS YOU’RE YIELDING TO CHRIST, REMEMBER WHAT HE DID FOR YOU. YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN, YOU WERE BOUGHT AT A PRICE, YOU HAVE NOTHING AND ARE NOTHING WITHOUT GOD, CONFESS YOUR PRIDE AND OTHER SINS AND GENUINELY REPENT. PRACTICE THIS AS MANY TIMES AS YOU HAVE TO EVERYDAY AND YOUR HUMBLENESS WILL BE AS NATURAL AS BREATHING. YOU’LL EXPERIENCE MORE PEACE AND JOY BECAUSE YOU’LL ALSO BE MORE AWARE OF ALL THE GOODNESS AND BLESSINGS GOD PUTS INTO YOUR LIFE.

When I ran away from home and didn’t see my parents for a year, I could remember 6 of those months were the happiest months of my life. It wasn’t because I was away from my dad, well maybe partly…but it was mainly because I had a lot of alone time with God and that’s when I truly began to love myself by getting to know Him more. It was a streak on the mountaintop because I tried the best I could to acknowledge God everywhere I went. I didn’t know at the time that what I was actually doing was surrendering everyday. When you acknowledge God and I mean not just remember He’s present, but simply remembering He sent His Son to die for you, and accepting Jesus as that grace you don’t deserve, knowing how much He actually did for you to have your life where you get to have God as your guide should make you fall to your knees and grieve for how selfish you have been for making life about yourself. Humbling myself made me fall in love with Him more and more, which in turn made me love myself more, which made me more passionate about sharing His love simply by spreading my joy. I am not 24/7 nearly gung-ho and as excited about life as I was then, but overall I definitely appreciate life more now whether I’m in the valley or up on the mountaintop, I have joy because I still take Jesus with me everywhere I go. Some people are fine acknowledging God only once or twice a day, some need to acknowledge Him 20 times a day. Whatever it takes…know that God will be pleased with you for your efforts.

There’s a similar issue I was presented with I think a year ago. Anon asked  how they could be more passionate about reading the Bible because they felt they were just reading it without really getting into it…they needed motivation basically. I can’t remember all that I said, except the part where in order for anyone to get the most out of Bible reading, you have to approach it as if you were a pauper. I believe Bible reading gets boring because we subconsciously think either we won’t get anything much from it or understand anything, or we think we already know a lot when it comes to wisdom. What that is is actually pride but we are not aware of it. There is a fundamental order to prayer and it starts with adoration/praise, then confession, thanksgiving, supplication/prayer requests - ACTS. The first 2, adoration and confession go first because if done sincerely, it should put the one praying in a state of humility. You must be humble when approaching God before realizing He has actually given you a lot (thanks) and before asking him anything your heart desires (supplication). And as Christians we’re suppose to pray a lot throughout the day, enough that it becomes second nature, because really all it is is practicing His presence by talking to God (verbally or mindfully) as if He’s there living and breathing like a real person who’s your really good friend. So approach God with humility by surrendering and praising Him before asking Him that you want to have more passion for life or anything you desire out of life. Acknowledge that you are poor in spirit…I know you probably already know that you are in that state right now, but you should mention it to God too every time you approach Him. Expound on it, be honest with your feelings. “When I am weak, then I am strong. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. God is my guide. He will only give me what I can handle. With Him all things are possible.” Those are God’s promises I put on repeat in my head anytime I can tell my world is about to be shaken. So basically, HUMBLE YOURSELF BY ACKNOWLEDGING YOU ARE WEAK AND YOU NEED GOD’S STRENGTH. BE HONEST WITH YOUR WEAKNESS BUT ALSO DO THE BEST YOU CAN TO FOCUS ON GOD’S POWER OVER YOU THROUGH PRAISE. PRAISE HIM BY MAGNIFYING HIS GREATNESS INSTEAD OF YOUR WEAKNESS. REMEMBER TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITY TO PRAY THROUGHOUT THE DAY, AND HE WILL BLESS YOU WITH PASSION FOR LIFE, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, PASSION FOR GOD. That’s my whole but simple secret for true joy. Thank you for this. I will be praying for you! :)

Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,

1 Corinthians 10:31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Luke 14:11 For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Proverbs 11:2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

Psalm 149:4 For the LORD takes delight in his people; He crowns the humble with victory.

Philippians Chapter 2 - Imitating Christ’s Humility

By His Grace, Sheela (Via godfirstgodalways)

A Letter to encourage and to unite hearts

Today’s reading of the Scriptures from the New Testament is the 3rd chapter of the Letter of First Thessalonians:

But after all our attempts to come to you were frustrated, we decided it was best for Silvanus and me to stay behind in Athens by ourselves and to send Timothy (our dear brother [and servant of God], our partner in the good news of the Anointed One) to strengthen, comfort, and encourage you in your faith so that you won’t be shaken by the sufferings and wither under this stress that we know lies ahead. Certainly you remember that when we were with you, we warned you of the suffering we would have to endure; now, as you well know, it has happened. This is why I couldn’t stand it anymore and sent Timothy to report on the state of your faith: because I was worried the tempter had tested you and, if so, all of our hard work would have come to nothing.

You can imagine my relief and joy when Timothy returned to us with such good news about you, about your faith and love for us, about how you have such good memories of us and long to see us as much as we long to see you. Hearing this about your faith, brothers and sisters, brought comfort to us in our stress-filled days of trouble and suffering. For if you are set firmly in the Lord, then we can truly live. What thanks would ever be enough to offer God about you for all the jubilant celebration we’ll feel before our God because of you? We remain vigilant in our prayers, night and day praying to once again see your faces and to help complete whatever may be lacking in your faith.

May God Himself, our Father, along with our Lord Jesus, [the Anointed One,] navigate our way to you. May the Lord flood you with an unending, undying love for one another and for all humanity, like our love for you, so that your hearts will be reinforced with His strength, held blameless and holy before God, our Father, when our Lord Jesus, [the Anointed, the Liberating King,] appears along with all His holy ones. [Amen.]

The Letter of First Thessalonians, Chapter 3 (The Voice)

Today’s paired chapter of the Testaments is the 21st chapter of the book of Jeremiah that continues with Jeremiah delivering God’s message:

[Start Each Day with a Sense of Justice]

God’s Message to Jeremiah when King Zedekiah sent Pashur son of Malkijah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah to him with this request: “Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, has waged war against us. Pray to God for us. Ask him for help. Maybe God will intervene with one of his famous miracles and make him leave.”

But Jeremiah said, “Tell Zedekiah: ‘This is the God of Israel’s Message to you: You can say good-bye to your army, watch morale and weapons flushed down the drain. I’m going to personally lead the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans, against whom you’re fighting so hard, right into the city itself. I’m joining their side and fighting against you, fighting all-out, holding nothing back. And in fierce anger. I’m prepared to wipe out the population of this city, people and animals alike, in a raging epidemic. And then I will personally deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, his princes, and any survivors left in the city who haven’t died from disease, been killed, or starved. I’ll deliver them to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon—yes, hand them over to their enemies, who have come to kill them. He’ll kill them ruthlessly, showing no mercy.’

“And then tell the people at large, ‘God’s Message to you is this: Listen carefully. I’m giving you a choice: life or death. Whoever stays in this city will die—either in battle or by starvation or disease. But whoever goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who have surrounded the city will live. You’ll lose everything—but not your life. I’m determined to see this city destroyed. I’m that angry with this place! God’s Decree. I’m going to give it to the king of Babylon, and he’s going to burn it to the ground.’

* * *

“To the royal house of Judah, listen to God’s Message!

House of David, listen—God’s Message to you:

‘Start each day by dealing with justice.

Rescue victims from their exploiters.

Prevent fire—the fire of my anger—

for once it starts, it can’t be put out.

Your evil regime

is fuel for my anger.

Don’t you realize that I’m against you,

yes, against you.

You think you’ve got it made,

all snug and secure.

You say, “Who can possibly get to us?

Who can crash our party?”

Well, I can—and will!

I’ll punish your evil regime.

I’ll start a fire that will rage unchecked,

burn everything in sight to cinders.’”

The Book of Jeremiah, Chapter 21 (The Message)

A link to my personal reading of the Scriptures for friday, September 3 of 2021 with a paired chapter from each Testament of the Bible along with Today’s Proverbs and Psalms

A post by John Parsons about the eternal:

The underlying assumption at work behind the call to do teshuvah is that your life matters and your actions carry profound significance - both in this world and in the world to come. Sin is so dangerous because it damages our very essence, and if unremedied, such damage will be irreversible. Therefore today is the day to seek healing, for your days are numbered in this world and every day you live ratifies the end of your life. The sages say "mitzvah goreret mitzvah" (מצווה גוררת מצווה) - "the reward for a mitzvah (i.e., blessing) is another mitzvah" (Avot 4:2), though of course the logical corollary is also true, "the reward for a sin is another."

“It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree [going] to one or the other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all of our dealings..." (C.S. Lewis: Weight of Glory)

In the Talmud (Makkot 2:6) we read, "They asked of Wisdom: 'What is the sinner's punishment?' It replied, "Evil pursues the sinners" (Prov. 13:21). They asked Prophecy: 'What is the sinner's punishment?' It replied, "The soul that sins shall die" (Ezek. 18:4). Then they asked the Holy One, blessed be He, 'What is the sinner's punishment?' He replied, "He should turn to me and be forgiven. This is the meaning of the verse, "Therefore he guides sinners in the way" (Psalm 25:8) - God guides sinners to do teshuvah in order to find life. Teshuvah is for life! [Hebrew for Christians]

and another:

"Be holy as I am holy" (Lev. 19:2). This doesn't mean wrapping yourself up in some protective cloak of religious rituals as much as it means accepting your own atonement: reconciling who you are with your past, finding healing and real love, and walking in genuine hope... Holiness isn't as much "separation" from the profane as it is "consecration" to the sacred, and in that sense it is teshuvah, a turning of the heart back to reality.... Negatively put, "being holy" is turning away from fear, despair, and anger; positively put, it is embracing the worth and value of life, learning to see the sacred, honoring the Divine Presence, and walking in the radiance of God's love. Now that’s the reason for teshuvah! Hashivenu Adonai - turn us to you, O LORD! [Hebrew for Christians]

9.2.21 • Facebook

Today’s message (Days of Praise) from the Institute for Creation Research

September 3, 2021

Faith, Substance, and Evidence

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)

The 11th chapter of Hebrews, known as the great Hall of Fame of Faith reciting the faith and resulting action of many Old Testament heroes, begins with a description of what faith is.

First, we see that it is the “substance of things hoped for.” Biblically, we know that the Christian “hope” is a hope so real it has substance in the present. None of the people of faith recited in this chapter actually saw the promises made to them come to fruition, but they so believed in them that they lived in the present as if the future were reality.

The word “substance” occurs only two other times in Hebrews. It is used to speak of Christ as the exact representation of God’s essence and nature, “who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person [i.e., substance]” (Hebrews 1:3). It is also translated “confidence,” “for we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end” (Hebrews 3:14), and speaks of a deep assurance. Putting this all together, our text could then be rendered “faith is the essence of our assurance of things yet in the future.”

The word “evidence” could be translated “conviction,” or even “proof.” The word implies a logical, airtight argument. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof [same word as ‘evidence’], for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). This sort of evidence is something we know to be true, something about which we have such conviction we act accordingly.

The first half of the verse brings a future truth down into the present; the second half commits our lives to that truth. JDM

08/19/2019 DAB Transcript

Esther 4:1-7:10, 1 Corinthians 12:1-26, Psalms 36:1-12, Proverbs 21:21-22

Today is the 19th day of August. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. It's my pleasure, it is a true joy to be here around the global campfire with you as we enter a new workweek. And as we enter this new workweek, we will continue the journey that we began yesterday through the book, known as Esther, which is certainly highly drama…a highly drama filled book with a lot of intrigue and very high stakes. So, let's pick up where we left off. We’re reading from the Christian Standard Bible this week. Today, Esther chapters 4 through 7.

Commentary:

Okay. So, obviously the book of Esther is a pretty dramatic book, a very dramatic story and a bunch of tension was very, very present in our reading today. Haman devised a plan to destroy the Jewish people throughout the entire Persian kingdom. He got the king to go along with it. Nobody knew that the Queen Esther was a Jewess and then this law is passed instructing the enemies of the Jews to destroy and pillage them, which was to happen on a specific day. And, so, obviously when the news arrived throughout the kingdom the Jews were horrified, and the people were confused. And, so Mordechai put sackcloth and ashes on, he sends word to Esther and he pleads for her to go into the king and plead on behalf of the people and he tells her you may have been made Queen for just such a time as this. Of course, we know that the drama just increases, right? So, Haman's gonna kill Mordechai on a gallows he has built, but instead the king has an honor Haman and realizes like he's about to have a downfall and then he goes to this banquet with Queen Esther and boom, that’s the end of Haman. That's not the end of the story. We’ll get to the end of the story tomorrow.

And in Paul's letter to the Corinthians, he's answering a question about spiritual gifts and he’s basically saying, “look, there are many kinds of spiritual gifts, but there is only one spirit to give these spiritual gifts out and this one Spirit is the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit gives out these gifts as He sees fit”, right? So, he outlines the different gifts like wisdom or special knowledge or great faith or healing or miracles or prophecy or discernment or speaking in unknown languages and also the interpretation of unknown languages. He bestows these gifts and they are given to be used to serve the greater whole, which is the body. And then he describes the body of Christ as we know it in terms of a human body, right? There’s many parts in our bodies and no part can really say to any other part, I don't need you because that's not true. Every part is needed. And, so, the eye can't say to the ear, “I don't need you” or the head can't look at the feet and say, “I don't need you” and like the ear can't look at the eye and say, “well I guess I'm not a part of the body because I'm not an eye.” Every part makes up a whole. The head is Christ and everything that we can do is given by the Spirit. So, it's clear enough and it’s certainly famous enough that we should probably have this down pat by now, but we don't because all we have to do is look around and see that were not living like this is described. Paul's giving us permission to be exactly who we were created to be. We are already irreplaceable. There is great freedom in this. We don’t have to compare our gifting, we don’t have to look at our status in God's kingdom as if that could be known. We are who we were created to be. We’re supposed to be who we are, ourselves, rather than wishing that we were living somebody else's life. And so, as we move into this day and further into this week let's live into that. Like, just…just try it today, right? Like just try, knowing that you have full permission from God to be yourself and you don't have to look at anybody else and what they're doing and what they're gifting's are to try to find out how well you are doing. It's an incorrect comparison. They’re telling a different story than you are. You have your story to tell. You are an irreplaceable part of the body of Christ. So, whenever you feel like envy at somebody's gifting's, remember that you…you have a unique gift and you’re needed, and God is the source of all our giftings and all of it matters because it all makes up a whole. We’re all needed.

Prayer:

Holy Spirit, we invite You into that because it's a struggle. We’re constantly looking at someone else with envy, wishing we could have what they have or to be able to do what they do or we’re looking at them and just condemning ourselves for not measuring up and it just leads us into all kinds of dark places for no reason. We are Your child. We are Your son or daughter. That…that's really all there is to say, because after that it's all downhill. And, so, we are already at the top here. We are Your child and You have allowed us to live upon this earth and reveal Your kingdom as only we can and yet we’re spending so much time trying to be somebody else or trying so hard to change circumstances. And, yeah, circumstances may need to be changed, we may have dug a pit. But every day that we would be true and every day that we would be ourselves and every day that we would follow Your Spirits guidance would be a step in the right direction. So, help us take that next right step today. We ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is home base, its our Internet house, its home, its where you find out what's going on around. And, so, be sure to stay tuned and stay connected.

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And, as always, if you have a prayer request or comment 877-942-4253 is the number to dial.

And that's it for today. I'm Brian I love you and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hi everyone, I am calling with an update/praise report. I called a few months ago asking for prayer so that I could spend more time at home with my boy and so that my husband could take care of him more and so far, that’s actually working out. In a very roundabout way I ended up getting a part time at the job that I already loved and I’m getting some additional work on the side that pays enough that it kind of fills in the gaps and my husband is able to spend a lot more time at home watching our son and I get to spend a lot more time with him. Yesterday we let him play in the pool for the first time. He just turned one year old and it’s the most precious thing ever and that wouldn’t have happened if I had been at work and so I was really grateful and I’m really grateful for those of you who prayed for me. It worked out and often I think we don’t give an update enough. So, if things are working out for you then I encourage you to call in and lift everyone else up and encourage them as well. So, love you all. Bye.

Hello DABbers, this is Kathy Smiling with Joy from Pennsylvania. I had called previously concerning my husband Darren who is deaf and diagnosed legally blind. I’m calling with a praise report. Although we are still waiting for test results concerning his DNA or gene therapy if he is a candidate, the specialist gave us wonderful news. The devil has been lying to us and just stealing our hope and we thought blindness was right around the corner for Darren. The specialist said he sees Darren’s center vision as being there for 20+ years and I could see relief and hope in my husband’s face. And all praise and glory to God and thank you family for your prayers and for those of you who called in with uplifting prayers and messages. I’m also calling for a friend, a dear friend, Sondra, who has been battling blood cancer. Sondra is a dear missionary friend and the devil is just attacking and she’s seeing signs of healing and then he attacks again. So, if you could please lift Sondra for new bone marrow just producing clean cancer free blood for Sondra. Family I just love you guys so much. I just picture bursting into a house full of loved ones who genuinely care and pray and lift us up. And there’s so many of you I love. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Good morning DAB family, Terry the trucker here. It’s been a little bit since I called in but today is August 15th at 11:52 AM this morning exactly one year ago about my accident and I had all you all praying for me who brought me through this. The good Lord is faithful and just provided. Got some good news. I went to the doctor yesterday 4 PM and I was released back to full duty. __ truck ready and I just ask for prayers. __ exciting __ got released __ by no means I am not out of pain. I have days where __ but __. But __ my mind. I also have bad dreams. __ it’s hard I know it is but I know God  __ has got me. I’ve got all my DAB family praying for me. But I want to let you all know that as of the 26th __ gonna get me a load, gonna get me a short load out, short load back but then get the load out __ . Big shout out to Terry and Greg for making that possible. Blind Tony I heard to the other day brother. I love your words man they’re very encouraging. Thanks everyone that’s __ praying for __ today. Appreciate your prayers. Have a blessed day.

Hey DAB family this is Darren from College Station Texas. Seeking for your prayers. I haven’t called in in  a long time but usually when I call in its because I’m going through a downturn with anxiety and depression and just not living up to what God has called me to be and don’t get hardly any sleep at night and it leaves me to want to sleep during the day but that makes me feel terrible. It gets my stomach turning and hard for digestion. I need work and I need energy and I need you all’s prayers. I appreciate you, family. Thanks.

Be all God has created you to be

Commencement Address delivered by Rev. Dr. Jerson B. Narciso, CPBC General Secretary, during the CPU Senior High School 2ndCommencement Exercises held at the Rose Memorial Auditorium on April 15, 2019

CPBC General Secretary, Rev. Dr. Jerson B. Narciso encouraged Centralians to a life that glorifies Jesus.

“I beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” – Ephesians 4:1-3

Our University President, Dr. Teodoro C. Robles, members of the CPU Corporation and Board of Trustees, CPU Faculty and staff, parents, guests, honoured graduates, ladies and gentlemen, good morning. I am indeed honoured to have this wonderful privilege to speak on this very important occasion in the lives of our graduates. First and foremost, allow me to congratulate you, your parents and families for this very significant achievement in your life. You have passed one of the many road marks set before you in this life and we are all very proud of you. We seek God’s guidance and blessings on you as you move forward to pursue your dreams.

Yes, I supposed the journey was not easy. But you have grown in different and beautiful ways. You have learned so many things that otherwise you may have not learned under comfortable conditions and circumstances. Indeed, making it through 6 years of high school took a lot of toil, time, money, and hard work on your part. It involves dealing with some very real and difficult challenges. And as we all can testify, making it through life will include continuous struggles and challenges that we must have to deal with. But the wonderful thing about facing all these challenges is that God has endowed us with gifts and power to overcome and succeed.

Today, you will begin another chapter in your life’s journey. And usually, this is the time where we, as adults, place the burden of high expectations upon your backs and watch to see you succeed. We usually put so much, and sometimes unfair, expectations on our graduates by wanting all of them to become leaders of our industries and institutions. But the reality is that God has not created every person to be a leader, and in placing unrealistic expectations on these graduates, we are actually setting them up for failure. Today, I suggest that we place but one expectation upon these graduates. “To Be All God Has Created Them To Be.” Some of them may be created by God to be leaders of the industry, or to be doctors, nurses, engineers and some other specific vocations. But we as a community must support them in whatever direction and vocation God intended them to be.

Our dear graduates, we look at you this morning as young men and women who have been blessed with life, wholeness, vitality and promise. But remember, the journey that you are about to take is long, dusty, even dirty at times. They are filled with adventures and wonders, challenges and triumphs. Your feet will get dirty along the way. It is the human condition that we all have to bear and share. As someone said, “As you walk down the road of life, watch out for traffic!” There is the unknown future in front of you.

And so, as you embark on a new journey, I’d like to share some principles which I hope would serve as your guiding light in your pursuit of a meaningful, enriching and fruitful life ahead.

The first principle is, Know Yourself. To succeed in life we need to have a sense of self-understanding and purpose. The stoics believe that the first and cardinal rule in leading a successful life is “know thy self.” It is based on the assumption that one could not make any significant progress in their lives unless they understand and know themselves. This first rule is implicit in what we read in Ephesians 4:1-3. It says, “I beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called…” In this passage, the Apostle Paul admonishes us to understand ourselves in relation to what we have been called for because our vocation in life is better understood in the light of how we assess and look at ourselves. Vocational identity is found in discerning who we are. We need to understand how God has made us, how we are unique, how God has enabled us to serve, what are the abilities God has endowed us with, and where is God calling us to make a difference in the world.

I understand that many of us hesitate to hear this call to self- knowledge; something blocks us. We have been taught all our lives to ignore ourselves and to focus our attention on others. Well, don’t get me wrong. I’m not telling you to become selfish or to adopt the “mind your own business” mentality. Yes, we need to be concerned about other people’s lives. But you know, we cannot serve with love and we cannot make a difference in the lives of others if we refuse to understand ourselves. To know ourselves and to be true to ourselves is to be true to God and others. To be true to ourselves is to be true to how God has made us, how God has crafted our personalities, how God has given us ability and talent. God calls us to make a difference in the world. However, this calling should always be consistent with who we are. I think it is helpful to think of self-knowledge as something that we gain when we respond to four questions:

What are my gifts and abilities?

What is the deepest desire of my heart?

Where do I personally sense the needs of the world?

What is my unique personality and capability?

Knowing ourselves does not only include identification of our abilities and talents but knowing our heart’s desires. What is it that I long for? What brings me joy and a sense of fulfilment? Yes, the desires of our heart matters. We always think of our hearts desire as evil. But the Psalmist assures us that God longs to give us our desires: “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4). Our desires can be twisted and self-destructive when they are shaped by greed, insecurity, a longing for comfort and ease, or an inclination to control or manipulate others. They can be rooted in pride rather than humility, love, and kindness. But when we are right with God and genuinely long to respond fully to him in a way that is consistent with his call on our lives, then we must acknowledge the desires that he has placed in our hearts.

Now, let me ask you, what do you long for more than anything else? Do you aspire to that which is noble and honourable? If you could only be one thing and do one thing in your life, what would you want it to be? When you set aside your longings for security, wealth, comfort, fame and even acceptance, what do you long for? It is worth noting that we will only be effective in fulfilling our vocation if we joyfully do what we are called to do. Without joy we cannot be effective. It is therefore important that we come to terms with what it is that gives us joy, even if it means giving up comforts or wealth, fame or power. Today a lot of people are complaining about their job. For them, work has become a drudgery, a mere compliance, a mere source of income or for a living. It is not uncommon to hear about employees who are always absent, always late and some are even sleeping on their job! Why? The reason is simple. They don’t find joy and meaning in what they do.

In our journey, it is important for us to know and remember who we are, who we are becoming, why we are here and where we are headed to. These questions are necessary because they remind us of what is most important and they keep us focused on our deepest goals. Today, people are motivated by a misguided sense of significance that makes them think that if a person is highly educated and well informed, he or she must be wise and important. And yet, if we are honest, we will see that underlying all our so-called amazing human achievements in the field of education lies an inevitable awareness that we have begun to lose a sense of what our actions mean and ultimately what our lives mean.

You see, this generation has more access to information about the universe, human personality and about anything than all previous generations combined! High school graduates have been exposed to more information about the world that Plato, Einstein and all other great men in human history were deprived of. But with all of our knowledge, society today is peopled with a bumper crop of brilliant failures. You may begin to plot out your goals and figure out things you want to pursue in college. You may get yourselves busy accumulating a lot of information about anything. You may become more concerned about how you can get a high grade and a scholarship or whether you are going to graduate with honors. But if you fail to understand the meaning and purpose of life, you will end up achieving nothing. Skills and knowledge are not enough to face life’s challenges and problems. We need wisdom and discernment to understand who we are and what God wants us to be.

Second, the journey requires on our part a clear and God-centered vision. You know, the most valuable thing that I have learned from CPU can be summarized in the word EXCEL. For me, this word stands out quite prominently and this has been the driving force that prompts me to achieve my goals. I think every normal person desires for excellence. Here at CPU this desire for excellence is embedded in our vision of excellent Christian education for life that caters to the total development of every person, that every individual will become mature person who lives fully Christ’s life in the world. Now, if we want to excel and if we want to become successful in life then we must put God at the center of our goal and in all our endeavors.

I know of a man in the Bible with a clear and Christ-centered vision. His name is Apostle Paul. Paul’s dream was to live for Christ alone and for him—the somum bonum or the highest goal in life is to know Christ. In Philippians 1:21 he says, “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Oh, what better goal there is than to live for Christ, our Saviour, the one who died for our sins? As the saying goes: “Only one life ‘twill soon be passed, only what’s done for Christ will last. Everything we do for ourselves won’t last for eternity. Even heroes and heroines and their heroic deeds will soon be forgotten. Only things done for Christ will last for eternity. Very often, our goals are self-centered rather than Christ-centered. Instead of making him the center of our lives we push him aside. Instead of being the director of our plans we simply ask him to put his stamp of approval to things that we have already decided. We treat God as a spare tire

The book of Proverbs reminds us of the futility of planning and doing things apart from God. Proverbs 16:1-3 says, “Man makes his plans but it is always God who has the last words. Commit your plans therefore to the Lord that he may bless and make it successful. And then Proverbs 3:5, 6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not in your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him. You see, regardless of how much experience and knowledge we have, there’s still a lot we don’t know, and when it comes to God, there are things we will never know or understand in this life. In going forward, humility will be absolutely necessary.

And so, we must submit our lives to God, and as we come to Him, we need to honestly admit our limitations, our brokenness, our pains, our doubts, our fears and our frustrations, allowing Him to mould us and shape us according to His perfect plan and purpose for our lives. Yes, here we are reminded of how much we need God to sustain us, and we come with open hearts and minds to be nourished and strengthened by God.

Third, to be successful in our journey, we need to learn how to walk harmoniously with significant others. We are part of a larger community. There are others who are also journeying with us. It is important to stress that our self-knowledge and self-awareness happen in community. We come to know ourselves not in isolation from others but as part of the body of Christ. Saint Paul wants us to realize that we will see who we are within the context of the community of which we are a part. We all fulfil our vocations as members of a community.  It is in our communal associations with others that we find ourselves. It is in community that we come to an appreciation of our gifts and abilities. It is in community where we share our gifts and talents for the well-being of others. It is in community that we see how we are unique and how the desires of our hearts are different from but complimentary to the desires of others. It is in community that we grow in appreciation of the needs of other people.

This crowd here is very diverse. We come from different places representing different cultures, traditions and perspectives. We are uniquely different one from the other and yet, we are one. And if there is one common thread that binds us as one, it is God’s love and our common calling to serve him and our fellow human beings. Here, we are united by God’s call in loving and serving others. As we seek to serve and encourage one another, the Gospel image that should motivate us is that of Jesus kneeling on the floor, towel wrapped around his waist, as he washes the feet of his disciples.

My friends, I want to let you know that my hope and my commitment to respond to God’s call to love and serve others is strengthened and sustained by the awareness that I have known you, and that I have co-travelers in this journey. They are there to support and encourage me along the way. To become successful in our journey, we need to support, sustain and nourish one another. Being mutually dependent, brought together, and sustaining one another in love is the characteristic of our calling, and that is what we are experiencing here at CPU. That is how I understand the Central Spirit that we always orient ourselves to. It should give us hope. Yes, we have different personalities, different backgrounds and perspectives, endowed with variety of gifts and talents. Yet, it is the same Spirit that works in us and we are called to work together as members of the same body, the body of Christ, growing together toward unity of faith. Paul admonished, “I beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”(Ephesians 4:1-3)

We are called to build together the body of Christ, a community of faith where healing occurs, strength is renewed, and new growth takes place until each individual bears the fruit of the Spirit. Remember, we are called for a purpose. We are called to serve God and humanity. And so we are expected to translate our skills and knowledge into concrete actions in a way that our lives would become a blessing to others.

As you go forward from here, may you be assured that the Lord of the journey is always with you. Perhaps, at times you might be overwhelmed by the trials and difficulties of life. But faith in God can help you look at life positively and give you hope and joy in the midst of challenges. Stay strong and keep the faith. If you do so, the word of God in Isaiah 52:12 gives you the assurance that “you will go out in confidence and joy, and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you will burst into songs, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.” So go on your way, with open hands. Follow God’s leading as you continue your journey of life. And may the God of ultimate power, grace and love bless you on your journey. Again, congratulations and God bless!

The Secret to Saving a Marriage (Part 2) —Almighty God Saved My Marriage

Li Quan

However, when I shared the gospel with my wife, she would not accept it. Then, I asked the brothers and sisters from the church to come and share the gospel with my wife, but she still wasn’t willing to listen and she didn’t want to have them as guests. In light of these circumstances, I could only entrust my eager hopes for my wife to God. One day, I read this passage of God’s word: “Your practice and revelations in real life are the testimony of God, they are man’s living out and the testimony of God, and this is truly enjoying God’s love; when you have experienced to this point, the due effect will have been achieved. You are possessed of actual living out and your every action is looked upon with admiration by others. Your appearance is unremarkable, but you live out a life of the utmost piety, … admired by others—and these are the people who have testimony, and are the manifestation of God” (“Those Who Love God Will Forever Live Within His Light” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). “Everything that happens to people is when God needs them to stand firm in their testimony to Him. Nothing major has happened to you at the moment, and you do not bear great testimony, but every detail of your daily life relates to the testimony to God. If you can win the admiration of your brothers and sisters, your family members, and everyone around you; if, one day, the unbelievers come, and admire all that you do, and see that all that God does is wonderful, then you will have borne testimony” (“Only Loving God Is Truly Believing in God” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). God’s word had shown me the road I needed to take, and that was that one must use God’s word to change one’s old disposition and change one’s own depraved lifestyle. The only way for me to witness God and for me to bring my wife benefit and edification was that I let her see these changes in me and see the work God has done upon me. I thought back to the time before I had faith in God when I lived a life based on Satan’s rules. I had been preoccupied with hedonism and acting arrogant to make my wife wait on me. I was so out of touch I wasn’t being how a person should be. It was all the demonic image of Satan who had harmed my wife and children so much. Now, my wife harbored resentment against me and had this set idea that I needed to make allowances for her. What’s more, I had faith in God now and I had to conduct myself based on God’s word and live like a genuine person. I should live out the reality of the truth to testify God.

Hereafter, I began putting God’s word into practice and no longer put myself first. I also endeavored to never focus solely on my own enjoyment, much less use chauvinism to oppress my wife by ordering her to do this and do that. When I saw my wife wake up early in the morning to go to the market to buy stock for the shop, I too got up early to read God’s word for spiritual devotion, and then help my wife with the household chores. I would make breakfast, tidy up, and sometimes even do laundry until I had to go to work to arrange the work schedules of my employees at the site. Regarding social obligations at work, I no longer used mankind’s methods to maintain them. Instead, I prayed before God and relied on His wisdom to keep away from temptation and break those bad habits. When I did these things I felt an incredible sense of peace of mind. At the same time, since I was putting truth into practice, I began seeing God’s blessings. Even though I wasn’t participating in social events, all of my work projects easily made money. When I sorted out our earnings, I gave the money to my wife and told her, “Use it however you need to. In the past, I had always wasted my money on carousing and I was really on the wrong path. I brought you so much hardship. Now, I want you to manage the money!” Upon hearing this, my wife said to me in a teasing tone, “Oh? So now you are able to do some things around the house and treat your home like a home. Has your conscience awakened?” When I heard these words, I was silently grateful for the salvation God had given me. Furthermore, I started doing all I could to help my children with their studies and became active in their parent-teacher conferences. After meals, I would discuss with my wife and children my own experience of having faith in God and witness to them about how God had guided me and changed me. Gradually, my family became much closer.

After some time had passed, brothers and sisters from the church came to my home to fellowship and my wife sat beside us listening. My wife proactively asked the brothers and sisters about life’s problems that don’t have solutions, and they responded to her with God’s word and found a path for her to take. I heard my wife say to the brothers and sisters, “Your fellowshiping has solved the actual difficulties I was facing, I’m so thankful for you all! When you have time, please come back and visit us. Even if Li Quan isn’t here, you are welcome to come over.” I felt incredibly happy when I heard my wife say that. This really is an example of God’s mysterious work for my wife to undergo a change like this!

One day, I came home and saw my wife earnestly reading the word of God. I quickly went over to her and excitedly asked, “When did you start reading God’s word? Do you understand it?” She responded, a little embarrassed, “I have actually been sneaking peeks at it for a while now, as well as listening to hymns. After I saw the changes you underwent after believing in Him and I saw how wholesome and dignified were the brothers and sisters who came to our home, unlike your former hedonistic friends, that’s when I felt that this was the true way. Slowly, I began to enjoy reading God’s word, listening to hymns, and even watching gospel videos. Now, I read them every day….” When I heard my wife say these words, I really began to feel that only God can change and save people and I gave incessant praises to God in my heart. God had rescued me from depression and suffering and He cleansed and changed me with His word. God allowed me to somewhat live like a true person should and through me, my wife saw how mighty God is, and thereby she received salvation. God’s work really is wonderful, and He is so wise and worthy of our love! I have received God’s great salvation and I truly thank and praise Him!

Afterward, my children began to walk the path of having faith in God. We often read God’s word together as a family, and we love fellowshiping about our experiences and knowledge of God’s word. The whole family feels joy in the warm embrace of God’s love. After my wife accepted God’s work of the last days, her temperament became much more cheerful and her overall mental outlook got better and better. My older brother and his wife both noted how much my wife had changed after believing in God. She had become so lively and talkative; it was like she was a completely different person. My niece even looked at me, surprised, and said, “Uncle, your complexion is so nice now and your wrinkles are gone. You’ve also filled out quite a bit; you seem so much younger!” Our relatives and neighbors all saw how nice our family had become and looked at us with admiration. This was especially true while I helped my wife run our business and the ladies around her would say, “Look how happy they are together as husband and wife. They seem to get a treasure!” I felt so good inside when I heard people say things like that. I was fully aware that this was the work of Almighty God’s salvation and that His greatness saved my marriage. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for God’s salvation of me and my family!

And now, when I look back on the time when my marriage was on the brink, I have no words to describe it. I had tried everything, but nothing worked, but through God’s work it is restored. It is through Almighty God’s guidance that my wife and I walk the same path together and I have achieved what I long desired for my family: a peaceful, happy family and life. The experience has truly shown me that only by coming before God, accepting His word and putting it into practice will one receive His blessings and protection and then any pain or difficulty that someone endures will be resolved! Almighty God’s work in the last days is the true path to happiness! Hereafter, I will follow God even more closely and walk the correct path to repay the grace of God’s salvation!

Recommended: How Can We Serve God  

I am frustrated! But that's okay because it has led me to this post. I am frustrated because I recently realized how much better the world would be if it was perfect. It sounds stupid, but hear me out on this one. One night as I was struggling with a terrible headache, I was browsing through YouTube and discovered a lot of motivational speakers online. Prince Ea, Boyinaband, so many people investing their time to make YouTube videos telling the world how to make it a better place. They talk about things like reforming the school system, racism, taking care of the environment, letting go of technology, and so many other things. I've primarily watched Prince Ea and in all honesty, I like his messages. I can agree to some of the things that he says. They make me feel warm and fuzzy, and I want to go out and make the world a better place. But about three months back, Boyinaband proved Prince Ea's 'research' to be not so reliable. He also made a point to say that Prince Ea is exaggerating in his messages, which I can agree to as well. Not that I agree with everything Boyinaband says (he made a violent bible rap with dan bull that got me a little more agitated so I don't really follow him).

I'm irritated by all these people trying to tell others how to make the world a better place but aren't doing anything about it. Granted, I'm trying to tell you right now how to make a world a better place so it sounds extremely hypocritical, but hear me out first. We have a lot of people telling us what's wrong with the world, but not enough people telling us how to fix it. And there are people who tell us how to fix it, but they don't get it quite right. Prince Ea gives a lot of warm and fuzzy points and as much as I'd like to believe that what he says it's true, it misses the mark. Recycle, put your phones down, reform the school system, stop being racist, you're not depressed, so many answers that will never fix the world. And I'm not irritated at the speakers themselves. I'm irritated that despite how warm and fuzzy their answers make me feel, I know it's not the right answer. And sometimes I really wish it was the right answer.

I recently googled how people would describe a perfect world. One source suggested that in a perfect world there would be no need for weapons (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20perfect%20world). Another suggested that to have a perfect world you have to get rid of humans: No hunger, no hatred, no inequality, no worry, no disabilities, eye for an eye, no crime, maximal pleasure, freedom for everyone (https://www.quora.com/How-would-you-describe-the-perfect-world). All of these would certainly make the world a better place, and I hope that one day we can achieve these goals, but will it make the world perfect? Perfect is defined as having all the required or desirable elements, qualities, or characteristics; as good as it is possible to be. So check all of those things off of the list and ask yourself will the world be perfect? Will you be satisfied with living that kind of a perfect world? It may be a bit bold of me, but I would like to suggest to you that this is the complete OPPOSITE of a perfect world.

All of those things sound nice and dandy, but what about religion? Religion is seen as such a nasty word now, but let's take a moment to consider this. While we will live on this earth satisfied with how we are living, what about people of different religion. Muslims will continue to believe in Allah. Hindus will continue to believe in their multiple gods. Atheists will continue to believe in nothing. Christians would continue to believe in God. But when we die, three out of four of those groups I've listed would end up going to hell. Think on that for a moment. Is it wrong for me to believe that in a perfect world we would dismiss the great commission as stated in Matthew 28:16-20? When I look back at my testimony, it wasn't until I broke before I returned to Jesus Christ. Even now it's not until I fall apart that I recognize my need for a savior and return to Jesus. Whether it's the big things like my secret sin, or the little things like a bad attitude during work, it helps me to recognize my need for God and return to him. Not that I go to God whenever I have an issue, but because I have a relationship with Him and when he's not in my life I notice that things are a little darker. I lose joy, peace, kindness, compassion without God. To live in a perfect world without my struggles would erase the genuine need for God in my life and I would continue in a life of complacency. And that sounds awful, and it makes me out to seem like a weak-willed person. But it's the truth. We would lose more Christians in a perfect world than gain.

Now we're left with the real question, what's the real perfect world like? There's something beyond our human imagination that we haven't thought of yet that the Bible clearly states. Even if we don't understand that's the perfect world we desire, I can guarantee it is. Genesis 1:1-5, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, 'Let there be light', and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day." What I love about these verses is that God saw the light and that it was good. If perfect is defined as, as good as it can possibly be, can we just establish that the light was perfect? After all, the scriptures didn't say that the light was 'half-good' or 'too bright'. It may be a stretch. But continue through Genesis 1 and you'll find God creating many things: the earth, the seas, fruit, seasons, stars, cattle, beasts, and saw that it was all good. Then he made man to have dominion over it, and he saw that it was good too. In fact, verse 31 states that he looked at everything and saw that it was very good. So collectively, all of the things God had created was perfect. Even the part where man had dominion over all that he had created.

So in the very birth of creation, everything was perfect. It was as it should be. But what went wrong? Skip a chapter to Genesis 3 and you'll read about the fall of man. You see, there was a tree that God told the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, not to eat from. A serpent went to tempt Adam and Eve to disobey God, saying that they will be better than God if they did eat from the tree. Adam and Eve then their desire for power, and eat from the tree. Because of this, sin entered the world and humanity from an early age was separated from God. This was when the world was defined imperfect. And through the scriptures we read the frustrations of humanity, trying to return to God but failing because of sin. We read about the heartbreak of God as he watches his children hurt themselves daily as they fall to sin. We read about some victories for God's children, and some failures. All of it lines up to the New Testament, where Jesus comes. God in the flesh comes down to meet us where we're at after all those years of pain and suffering. Jesus comes and performs miracles; Healing the blind, the sick, the dumb, feeding multitudes and showing love to his enemies. All to line up for his famous death on a cross that bridged a gap between man and God using the Holy Spirit.

Two-thousand and seventeen years later, here we are. We've got a few letters from Paul about how to be a good Christian, some wisdom as to how to make the world a better place. But there's still a problem. We still live in a world full of hate, sickness, crime. We're nowhere near a perfect world despite all our accomplishments in the past two-thousand years. But we have a promise. Revelation 21:1-4, "Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.'" John, the one who wrote this book and these verses, got to see what no one has yet seen. He got to see what a perfect world with God is like despite every bad thing we've done. Revelation continues to go more in depth about what this life will be like.

We're given this great promise of living in a perfect world where we can be with a loving God forever. We can live with him as intended in Genesis 1 despite everything that has happened in-between! But there's still a problem. We still live in an imperfect world. How do we fix the world? We can't. Man will always at one point or another, choose our way over God's. It's not in our nature to surrender without a fight. We like power, we like being superior. We are not a humble species at all. But we can look forward to living with God in the end, and helping others reach there as well. Above I said that if we lived in a perfect world that three out of four groups of religions (that I listed), would go to hell. But in an imperfect world we can live as proof of God's existence and constant love. Despite what I have done, God has loved me. Despite what the doctors diagnosed me with, God can heal me. Despite what the kids called me in school, God still treasures me. These are the things that prove God's activity within us in a time when he is easily ignored.

So the fruit of this long message is simple: Help people get to the perfect world they don't know they desire. Life is short and painful without God in it. And it's painful for God to be separated from his children. Do what you can to help rescue those who don't understand it's God they truly want.  So if you liked this post please give me a thumbs up and if you have a question or a comment please email me at [email protected]. Until next time, God bless, and keep your fire for God, blazing!

Hopes of the Helpless

We’re living in very scary and troubling times. I think that’s probably the only statement we can all agree on.  The rest is up to debate and discussion and posts on social media.  We have all become pundits in our own right. How this happened, I don’t know.  Maybe it was the birth of social media. Maybe it’s the breakdown of the family.  Maybe it’s lack of religious education.  Maybe it’s lack of morality. Maybe it’s the “selfie culture”. Regardless of what has caused the issues we are facing today as a nation, we still have to face the issues! They won’t go away by posting them on Facebook. It just doesn’t work that way.

This morning, I was spending some time in prayer, meditation, and reading of several books, including the Bible.  It’s my favorite time of the day. It’s quiet. I let the light come in through the windows of my room. I light a candle. I turn on instrumental music. The next hour or so is filled with the unexpected.  I always pray that God will reveal Himself to me. I pray that He’ll send me a message that will help me grow and rest in Him that day. This morning was no different. I put my hands on my face and prayed that God would help me be more like Him...that He would use my voice to champion anything He wanted me to. I asked Him to help me speak for those that need a voice. With all the suffering and sorrow we are seeing all over the world, I don’t want to sit idly and only “pray” for the hurting. I want to actively do something that will heal, restore, soothe the hurts and fears of our fellow man.

I was taken to several readings that touched my heart and mind and have given me courage to, not only, lean in...but jump in.  I was reading the January 31 entry in “Bread for Journey: A Daybook of Wisdom and Faith” by Henri Nouwen.  The last few sentences caught my attention and gripped my heart. It stated, “True joy is hidden where we are the same as other people: fragile and mortal. It is the joy of belonging to the human race. It is the joy of being with others as a friend, a companion, a fellow traveler. This is the joy of Jesus, who is Emmanuel: God-with-us.”  Isn’t that beautiful? Isn’t truth beautiful? When we hear truth, it’s convicting! We do belong to one another. We are human. We are brothers and sisters. 

Then, I read the interaction Jesus had with His mother and brothers one day when He was preaching (Matthew 12).  He was interrupted by one of His disciples to let him know that His family was outside waiting to speak to Him. Jesus’ answer has always baffled me.  If I had answered that, I would’ve probably gotten into a lot of trouble!  But, Jesus is Jesus.  So, He answered, “Who is mother? Who are my brothers?”  Jesus proceeded to point to those around Him, saying, “Look, these are my mother and brothers.  Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” Then, it got me to thinking “What is the will of my Father?” 

I may have dived in too much, but here’s what I found:  “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind. And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Luke 10:27). Then, I read in the Book of James, chapter 1 verse 27: “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and reusing to let the world corrupt you.” I was then directed to the Book of Micah.  The people of Israel are constantly abandoning God and His ways.  And He is constantly wooing them back. They keep wondering if sacrifices and burnt offerings will clean the slate. But, God is very clear. He says, “No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what He requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). That prompted me to flip a few books back in the Old Testament to Isaiah. There, God is rebuking His followers for making a show of worship. He calls their celebrations and festivals and parades “meaningless, sinful, and false”. He literally can’t stand them. What does He tell them to do? “Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of the orphans. Fight for the rights of widows” (Isaiah 1:17).  

I’ll end with what prompted me to even go down this path.  It was what I read this morning in my Bible reading plan.  The passage is found in the book of Psalms. The writer pleads, “Lord, You know the hopes of the helpless. Surely You will hear their cries and comfort them. You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed, so mere people can no longer terrify them” (Ps. 10:17-18).

My hope and prayer today, and till the end of time, is that we will be broken by the hopes of the helpless.  I pray that our hearts and ears and eyes will see and hear and feel the cries of the orphans and the oppressed.  I pray, with everything I am and have, that mere people will no longer terrify them.  May we be those people to the hurting in this world.  May we step up now! May we step in now! May we be the Church that the world desperately needs. May we love and serve and restore until our last breath.  May we empty ourselves of our selfishness and self-righteousness and give abundantly. May we love lavishly and extravagantly. May our presence in this world leave behind a sweet Fragrance. Now.

emotion

14 emotional: ecstasy, love, amazement, vigilance pride, courage You are a happy man You feel the urge to scream out in joy and cry tears of happiness at this moment grief, loathing, rage, terror despair You feel the urge to scream out in horror and cry tears of horror at this moment You are a sad man terror, Ecstasy : eee, 14 emotional, joy with peace love and concern 100% You feel compelled to reach total ecstasy as focus on the bliss of following your emotional limit, you also feel that taking this path it's the best way to achieve inner peace through balance Something perhaps other psykers find difficult to achieve, though you cannot see this ever becoming a problem for you You feel closer to the big guiding lights of joy and wills of emotions that move all men than ever Emotions : si, joy joy with peace, Vigilance : vigal, anticipation with interest and emphasis on conflict Pride : ego, 13 emotional, arrogance with happiness and excitement Courage : corag, courage with a side order of hope Wisdom : intell, 18 mental, logic and hope guiding intelligence and planning (Secondary: 16 intuition, experiencing emotions and feelings as the wheels of your mind turn Lust : luxx, 16 Emotional, raw fulfillment of needs and wants without disregard for others anticipation with interest and emphasis on conflict Terror : terr , fear with apprehension and focus on conflict 12 grief, loathing and sorrow) Anger : iraa, rage with excitement 14 sorrow, 21 Emotional, arrogance and happiness with an emphasis on love towards self and others Devotion : devi, 19 emotional, peace through faith in something beyond oneself with a desire to focus on this connection fear with apprehension and focus on conflict and aggression Rage : rge, anger with annoyance No weight attached to the decision, you see no reason to change anything as it feels right anger with annoyance and aggression Loathing : loath, disgust with boredom and agitation 15 sorrow, terr, 15 emotional, Finally you have a moment of introspection to feel your own emotions, and you feel them all within you disgust with boredom and agitation Grief : grif, sadness with pensiveniss and sorrow 10 fear, panic and dread) Self-loathing : self, embarrassment, shame and misery Panic : pan, 4 emotional, fear with terror and desperation Dread : dred, Elation : ylem, 60 mental, purging logic with extreme focus sadness with pensiveniss and sorrow Amazement : amaze, surprise with distraction and awe Out of interest you move your local mind's eye to a spiraling group of thoughts, feeling an odd emotion that feels like dispair, terror and loathing, yet at the same time hope, happiness and excitement surprise with distraction and awe Love : luv, trust with acceptance and kindness 22 desire, lust and curiosity with focus on other) The thoughts then turn into a nearly incomprehensible mass of swirling emotions before they're suddenly silenced and feel something press against your mind that feels like anger, fear and disgust, yet at the same time anticipation, apprehension and trust Calm : calm, 30 mental, concentration with inner peace Awkwardness : awkwa, 5 emotional, fear with embarrassment and uncertainty trust with acceptance and kindness //sublime: and confusion Suddenly you feel the presence pressing against your mind get pulled away before it can respond to your "hello" and before you realize anything else, you find yourself temporarily paralyzed and unable to think Nuts, the minds voice suddenly whispers in your head, You um, you had the advantage of me there for a second and I I'm sorry Sayumi interrupts herself, sounding truly embarrassed I've been kinda on edge since our whole shouting match thing earlier terror and confusion //ecstasy admiration = love 8 desire, lust and curiosity) Feeling a little awkward, Sayumi lets you go on your own, and after a few moments, you start to feel as if nothing had happened at all //ecstasy terror = sublime 34 desire, "I didn't really want to fight, " You say aloud, "It was supposed to be a conversation but hten you decided to attack me instead There's a pause before she replies gently, I'm sorry Did I hurt you? "You paralyzed me for a bit, " You admit //ecstasy amazement = ? 65 desire, The chainging of emotions seem confusing to you as you expect rage or something similar from being attacked, but instead feel Amazement? In any case Sayumi sounded genuinely abashed at what she'd done so you forgive her "Don't worry about it, it ended up not being a big deal //ecstasy rage = ? 46 fear and loathing) The rage is fleeting, but it feels to you like she could very honestly lash out at you in some way and only barely manages the control to stop herself It surprises you that despite her state of mind her skills have gone up notably, being able to harbor two evenly strong emotions at once must have helped tune her reactions Surely, Sayumi I'm sorry too though //ecstasy vigilance = optimism habit 3 curiosity and hope) You know that tone, Sayumi's trying to make ammends with you but can't help thinking that this apology is just another tool for you to use in manipulating her Even though you didn't ask for it and are helping her out of kindness she still believes that you're tricking her like so many others have //ecstasy vigilance = optimism habit //admiration terror = submission 21 desire lust and submissiveness) You once again hear the submission in her voice and know that despite how afraid she is, despite how upset she is, there's nothing you could ever do that would lead her to harming you There's no way for you to prove you're trustworthy when all she knows are lies, there's no way for you to explain yourself without sounding like a hypocrite or a liar //admiration amazement = respect 30 caution and fear) Congratulations, you figured it out Well sort of The way you did it makes it seem significantly less amazing or even clever to you though Still the method ; (And if you play it right the message behind it) could help Sayumi a lot with her psychological issues This amazement seems more positive than anything you've sensed from other emotions, does that mean you're improving her mood? //admiration grief = ? 55 anger and hate) SHIT! MOTHERFUCKING Oh you meant the amazement part, right Jeez, this girl When she feels one thing she hardly hides it at all, that was one of the first things you picked up in this mind link Anger again though, or more specific hate //admiration loathing = ? 53 fear and loathing) "I'm sorry for lashing out, " Sayumi mutters, staring at the wall in front of her You hug her, as she briefly tries to struggle and then hugs back as tightly as she can, trying not to cry "It'll be alright, I promise" "We're getting out of this, I promise, " you whisper back //admiration rage = domination 66 sadness and fear) The poor girl's overwhelmed with fear that she's failing at everything yet again You kiss her gently on the lips, surprising her as you do every so often, except when you dive into this emotional link you can sense it actually makes her happier or calms her, for lack of a better word Now you just have to pull off the mind reading stuff you said you'd do //admiration vigilance = ? 22 obsession and love) So that's what the word is Love You dismiss the thought immediately, there a lot of talk about finding your soul mate and all that other rubbish that goes along with the concept, everyone seems to want to find their one true love when in reality you can have multiple loves as long as they aren't the same person You show Sayumi some complicated mathematical calculations which, besides enjoying math, seems to calm her down the most out of anything you do //terror amazement = awe 3 contempt and fear) Your reading her emotions and thoughts, it's time to seal the emotional link Two weeks pass, and although the food is running dangerously low, someone has finally seen Sayumi waiting for you and you've been rescued //terror grief = ? 46 faith) A week passes, with much questioning but very little progress You've gained the bed in the cell for your "heroic rescue", but while message have gotten through to Sayumi's parents nothing has been heard from them And now with each passing day the questions change from general concern to accusatory "We risked our lives getting you out of there, and this is how you'd repay us? //terror loathing = depression (Secondial: 63 rejection) "She been taken away for re-indoctrination, she'll be fine " And with that, Sayumi was whisked away Your interrogator got replaced with a woman who brought you dinner and a cot in some sort of security facility where there are cameras watching every wall You expected as much 5 more days pass, and it is official, you are now a prisoner of the jingoists //terror rage = panic 77 fear) You wait You keep having the same nightmare every time you close your eyes, and it all begins with the young looking man grabbing your arms as strongly as he can and staring into your eyes And then, nothing A void Nothing but blackness One week passes, and the woman visits you again "She's forgiven you, //terror vigilance = ? 54 adoration and obsession) Much like you're obsessed with watching Sayumi change, but really because you knew her before it was all an excuse to watch her surprise every time You need the chance to defend her again or finish what you started "If she has, then why am I here? "He wanted to make sure you were good for her "What do you think? //amazement grief = disapproval 3 fear and amazement) His low slung humorless chuckle makes you uncomfortable, given what you know about him, but the woman seems genuinely confused, perhaps she doesn't know either He looks at you for a moments before finally deciding on an answer "Sure You are released into the custody of the woman under one stipulation, should Sayumi be found to be experiencing renewed feelings for you, they will give the order to kill you both //amazement loathing = ? 46 distrust) "We're taking you to her now, " She says in a dull tone, "I don't think they will be needing me to watch you anymore This catches your attention Is it really that simple? Perhaps not, but you're about to find out //amazement rage = ? 80 doubt) "Thank you The trip is a quiet one as she doesn't speak and you are left to ponder your own feelings on how you should approach this for everything, " You start off with what you feel is an appropriate thing to say and follow her out the door You've fallen back on what you knew before, but many things have changed Will she recognize you? What if they've done something to change her soul? //amazement vigilence = ? 100 thought) You find yourself standing outside a door with your chaperone who doesn't move an inch to open it, but instead just turns to look at you The face she is making is unreadable but you doubt if any language could properly convey the emotions in her eyes Pity, disgust, fear, and love? She places a gloved hand on your shoulder before leaning into your ear to whisper to you //grief loathing = remorse 75 fear) "Remember, he can see you, but you can't see him Good luck and may the creator bring us all to a better tomorrow The woman turns away from you as the door open just enough for you to slip through quietly You take a deep breath and try to compose yourself This won't be easy when did it ever is it? //grief rage = ? 75 hopefulness) Silently you push the door open further before taking a glance inside Nothing has changed in the house economically, but there are paintings everywhere, and no supply crates or other objects to hide behind Someone is clearly home You step inside and notice that the paintings on the wall are actually one massive painting that spans the entire wall //grief vigilance = ? 75 hope) Your eyes scan the painting and realize that it is a set of frames that make up a sliding puzzle Someone must have figured out the combination because the paintings are all sliding to the left until they come together to reveal a empty marble plinth in the center of the room You watch with bated breath as a smaller version of the blade is place on it And then Look closer at the hilt, where you face is staring back at you //grief anticipation = ? "Shit! What the hell Leblanc, " You begin to shout angrily before realizing that Sayumi is not in front of you The apartment is completely empty and devoid of any furnishing, with the exception of another plinth on the right side of the room On top of it lays a note folded in half You walk over, noticing as you do that there is an intricate maze drawn inside the plinth //loathing rage = contempt 98 contempt, 3 sorrow) "Just great, a maze no less " You mutter as you move towards the note With everything taken into consideration, you genuinely weren't expecting a simple note You grab it on the end and flip it over to read its contents ---- You shouldn't have come here //loathing rage = contempt ; //loathing vigilance = loneliness 95 loneliness, 10 disgust) These past few years without you have been hard, why did you have to leave me? I'm sorry OK? I was just so scared of the future and I thought you didn't feel the same way I let the presence get to me, but you knew better than anyone that it wasn't my choice! Knew it from the moment you saved me and showed me another way You're the only person who really understood me //loathing vigilance = loneliness ; Please don't leave me here alone You go to the plinth begging the voices inside your head to stop screaming at you just long enough to visualize that maze After a few attempts, you manage to make it through with the correct path The plinth slides to the left, opening up a passageway leading somewhere at least As you wander further within, the voices grow louder and louder until they feel like they are going to burst inside your mind Gentle kisses along your cheeks You grab your head as if struggling to keep it in place, gritting your teeth and silently yelling out in pain, but you force yourself to near the source of the noise If it's insanity you're after then by god you're going to reach it! Soft, mesmerizing, beautiful You spot a light at the end of a never-ending hallway She's calling the presence is calling to her The closer you get, the louder the voices are and now you can make out what they're saying It almost feels like they're not even voices at this point, but some strange kind of instruments being played that isn't quite right either They are like harps, but monstrously deformed harps with jagged edges that are bound to draw blood the pain, it is a reminder of our tragic romance You reach the end of the hallway only to find a rusted steel door blocking your way It is here where you see Sayumi standing directly in front of you She has a completely expression on her face There is no fear, no anger and not even sadness There is just nothing at all oh kyoko, you beautiful broken piece of clay "Sayumi " You give her a slight nod of the head as she returns it NOD ABSENT SMILE She cannot reply That isn't to say she can't physically talk, but rather she has nothing to say to you Your relationship is as broken as she is right now WE WILL BE ETERNAL A young, pretty Japanese girl appears out of thin air Looking to be around the same age as yourself, her long blonde her hangs down to her shoulders with both front pieces tied with pink ribbons Her eyes are a bright crimson and her oversized red dress flaps in a nonexistent wind NOBODY CAN STOP US NOW, WE WILL BE ETERNAL! This can't be real Is this some kind of joke? Is this some sick way of getting back at you for all the times you left her behind, alone and afraid? Have the standards of the game really fallen so low that they would resort to something like this? What's next? A miniboss fight against the image of your dead mother, asking why you always hated her for trying to do what was best for you in her own way? This isn't a joke It isn't for you It's for her And even then, it isn't real Just visions created from her broken psyche, born from the combination of agony and fear experienced during this quest This person is not your mother This is not Sayumi It doesn't matter who it looks like They're not even human anymore They're a monster, just like you well, I guess that isn't entirely true anymore Not since you found out the old hag bit the dust anyway, making you officially one of them Heh You're a vampire You survived being turned into one, and most Vampires don't have that privilege Who knows? Maybe one day YOU will be the hag that everyone fears Yeah, As if that would ever happen You walk towards the monitory Sayumi Thinking back on everything that happened tonight, you realize it's probably going to be a bumpy ride for her and you This is going to take a lot of work on your part, but as long as you're there for her, as a true partner, not just some summoner calling her forth whenever he sees fit, then it shouldn't be impossible

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To say I love you one must know first how to say the I.

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Love Quotes for Boy's

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A man that don't love a horse, there is something the matter with him.

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If you love me as you say you do, ' she whispered, 'make it so that I am at peace.

If you love me as you say you do, ' she whispered, 'make it so that I am at peace.

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There is no remedy for love, but to love more.

I never loved another person the way I loved myself.

I hope that real love and truth are stronger in the end than any evil or misfortune in the world.

Love is the longing for the half of ourselves we have lost.

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When man has love he is no longer at the mercy of forces greater than himself, for he, himself, becomes the powerful force.

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You can do what you want, but saving love doesn't bring any interest.

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I will always have this piece of my heart that smiles whenever I think about you.

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Love is the Answer. What was the Question?

Love is the Answer. What was the Question?

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Love cures people, both the ones who give it and the ones who receive it.

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Love is the grand prize and the garbage heap. Love is a spiritual root canal and the only thing that makes life worth living. Love is a little taste of always and a big bite of nothing. And love is everything in between these extremes.

Love is the grand prize and the garbage heap. Love is a spiritual root canal and the only thing that makes life worth living. Love is a little taste of always and a big bite of nothing. And love is everything in between these extremes.

He's not the only guy in the universe, but he's the only one that matters.

You know it's love when you want to give joy and damn the consequences.

The extent of your consciousness is limited only by your ability to love and to embrace with your love the space around you, and all it contains.

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Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired.

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There's only one way to have a happy marriage and as soon as I learn what it is I'll get married again.

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Beauty is a manifestation of secret natural laws, which otherwise would have been hidden from us forever.

A loving heart is the truest wisdom.

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Those who have never known the deep intimacy and the intense companionship of happy mutual love have missed the best thing that life has to give.

Love is not spelt but felt.

Pursue some path, however narrow and crooked, in which you can walk with love and reverence.

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We accept the love we think we deserve.

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Nobody's life is filled with perfect little moments Everything in life has a place, and when one thing moves, it must go somewhere else.

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correct:

Love will be our sweet medicine.

Also correct:

Love is a sweet poison

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