i may not. but i write poem still

Hello there !!

OH MY GOD, YOU HAVE THE CUTEST CATS !! I have this dream since I was little to get a black cat and name her Sabrina but now I have a dog and I can't really afford looking after another pet so she'll stay just a dream for a little while.

And you're seeing Phoebe ????? I'm so jealous (politely). I'm such a big fan, unfortunately she rarely comes anywhere near my country and I have to see Taylor and Harry first also tickets + accommodations, everything gets very expensive so Phoebe will wait asdfghjkl.

How did it go with your friends in the pub ? I hope you had a good time !!! I understand you're already off work for the holidays ? This sounds great and I am once again jealous (politely) because we work until December 23rd so I have one more day until I can breathe.

I see you're very passionate about the MBTI types. I got my type from 16personalities and according to them I'm an INFP. I still haven't taken the test that you've linked but I will let you know my result as soon as I do !!!! Meanwhile, can you tell me something more about INFPs ? Or give me a link to a website where I can read more, if that's alright with you. Also, what's your MBTI type and what do you like and dislike about it ?

Love,

Secret Santa 🎅

omg sabrina! i love that name for a cat! was it perhaps inspired by sabrina the teenage witch (and the black cat salem from that show)? it's cool that you have a dog though!! my household has always been a cats household, i think my parents do eventually want to get a dog (and i wouldn't mind one too!) but it is a bit complicated when we already have cats haha

and yes i'm going to see phoebe in feb!! i'm super excited. i'm very lucky/grateful that i live in a city where concerts come to, as long as artists tour australia they will almost certainly come to sydney, so i don't have to pay for travel or accommodation which definitely makes a big difference. i'm guessing you're also waiting on taylor to announce international dates!! i'm very much anticipating the announcement but also fearing it because i just know trying to get tickets is going to be so crazy!

thank you, it did go well! and yeah, when i say my "work" i'm actually a phd student, so technically what i do is actually study but it's pretty much my full time job! i never know whether to refer to it as "uni" or "work" because it's not like a typical degree but i'm also not technically employed for what i do so 😅 the university i'm at closes down for two weeks between christmas and new year, so we all get that time off which is really nice! up until i started this year i worked casual in retail for like 6 years so this will be the first christmas eve in that time that i haven't had to work which is refreshing! i hope you get a nice break too!!

ooh yes, the problem with tests like 16personalities is that they're what's known as "dichotomy" tests, where they test for i vs e, s vs n, etc. which kinda oversimplifies it and gives off the impression that people are one or the other, and also leads to some stereotypes (e.g. sensors aren't creative, feelers are overemotional, etc) which just kinda biases people towards/against certain types! i have a link in my pinned post as well which is an intro to the cognitive functions which is (in my opinion) a more in-depth and accurate way to look at mbti! i have an explanation under the cut too because it got a bit long and i don't want to annoy anyone on my dash haha. i see your other ask too so i'll answer that as well so i can tell you more about your potential types!!

basically there are 8 cognitive functions and each type uses 4, probably most importantly every type actually has a mixture of all "categories" of functions - i.e. everyone senses, everyone intuits, everyone feels, everyone thinks, and there are "introverted" and "extroverted" variations on those functions that on a very basic level equates to whether you focus it function internally or externally, and you're stronger at some functions than you are at others. i'm probably not going to be the best at explaining it haha but as an example i'm an istj, so my dominant/first function is introverted sensing (Si) (and my other functions are extroverted thinking Te, introverted feeling Fi and extroverted intuition Ne, in that order). having high Si relates to me having a really good memory, and i trust what i've observed and experienced in the past to guide me in the present (as a comparison, people with extroverted sensing, or Se, are those people that live very in the moment and are really attuned to what is happening around them so are more inclined to spontaneity!). so in that sense i like that i have such a strong memory, and i think overall my functions contribute to me being as reliable as i am, but i'm definitely not as great at being flexible or going with the flow as sometimes i should be! there's definitely different strengths to each of the different types.

it can be a bit complicated to understand when you're first getting into it, especially when considering all the different functions and how they manifest at different positions - like i have Ne as my fourth/inferior function, but a person with Ne as their dominant or auxiliary (first or second) function (xNxP types) will use it very differently/more effectively than i can!! at the end of the day it's all for fun and i don't think it's the be-all-and-end-all of personality but i found that learning more about mbti really helped me understand myself and also appreciate how others approach and understand things differently to me!

09/11/2020 DAB Transcript

Isaiah 8:1-9:21, 2 Corinthians 12:1-10, Psalms 55:1-23, Proverbs 23:4-5

Today is the 11th day of September welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I'm Brian it is wonderful to be here with you today as we continue the journey forward step-by-step day by day just consistently takin’ the next step forward in its leading us into the inner workings of our hearts as the Bible does but it's also giving us wisdom and advice and encouragement for the journey that we are on this journey called life. And what a joy that we can share this stretch of road together as we as…we move through the Scriptures. So, we’re reading from the Christian Standard Bible this week. Today, Isaiah chapters 8 and 9.

Commentary:

Okay. So, in the book of Psalms today we came across a very, very, very, very famous passage of Scripture, “cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; he will never allow the righteous to be shaken”, right? You may quote that every day. Every time that we find ourselves suffering in some sort of way, this is the kind of passage that we turn to for encouragement to ourselves or this is the kinds of passage that we quote while handing it to somebody else who's facing difficulty. So, how does this work? What's going on here? First of all, we see that David in this Psalm has been betrayed by a friend. Okay. So, that brings things close. Like, somebody really, really trusted has betrayed him. And, so, he's angry, but he’s also broken very, very hurt. And, so, we can see both of those kinds of emotions mixed in with this psalm – very very human outburst, very very human way to feel and think about this. And he’s just looking at all the things, all of the difficulties of life, all the hardships and he says something that we probably all feel or have felt, “I wish I had…I wish I could fly away like a bird”, right, “if only I had wings like a dove I would fly away and find rest. I would flee far away. I would stay in the wilderness.” “I”, basically, “I would get to a solitary place away from all of this all-consuming difficulty.” Man…I just…I mean…I don't even know how many thousands of times I've felt that way of my life, right? Haven’t you? Like, “O…if I could just fly away from this all.” So, for David to sort of conclude with an encouragement to himself, “cast your burden on the Lord and he will sustain you. He will and never allow the righteous to be shaken.” Indeed, that's very encouraging. So, it's very encouraging when we are reminded of it by someone. It's very encouraging we remind ourselves of it. It's even very encouraging when were able to encourage another with this passage of Scripture. But I gotta tell you something about this passage of Scripture, it's not going to work if you say it. I know that's crazy. It's not gonna work even if you memorize it. It's a short one so you can memorize it by the end of the day and then you could say it 100 times as a mantra and it's still not gonna work. Knowing it, saying it, that’s just reciting words, that doesn't do anything. To enjoy what David is encouraging himself and us with we have to engage and do what it says. Normally what happens is that…I mean like there are three lines in this piece of poem that we’re reading today and we skip the first one and then just hear, “he will sustain you, he will never allow the righteous to be shaken” and take that as an encouragement when the first part is an invitation to collaborate in this thing, “cast your burden on the Lord and he will sustain you, he will never allow the righteous to be shaken.” You can say that a thousand times, until you cast your burden on the Lord nothing's gonna happen. Are you with me on this? I…like…I know I’m like being right up in our face today but, kinda being up in my own face today. We can't carry the burdens around and then complain about how God’s not sustaining us. He was willing to carry it all if we had been willing to cast it on him. And casting it on him isn’t like, “hey Jesus, my shoulders are weighed down with anxiety today could you carry this backpack of pain and suffering for me for the next, I don't know, quarter of mile, and then I'll pick it back up and take it.” Like that doesn't lead to freedom. The invitation here is…and man…David’s talking about a pretty grievance, the betrayal of a friend. So, this is a deep-rooted pain that he’s saying like, “cast this on the Lord and he will sustain you. H won’t allow you to be shaken.” So, one thing that we are told here pretty explicitly is that we are…that we must be involved in engaging this, but also that we are not just helpless. When we are facing whatever it is that seems to be overwhelming us there is an out, there is an escape hatch, cast it on the Lord. Man…if just for one day let's practice that today. Like it's like so many of the other instructions that we come to in the Bible that are stark, especially when they’re famous passages. We can live into this today. What do we have to lose? We can carry the backpack of stress and anxiety, all of the poison that’s in that backpack, we can carry that heavy burden around or we can cast it on the Lord and see what happens. What is there to lose? If we really can't part with that anxiety then I guess we could go collect it back, but wouldn't it be nice to be free. Wouldn’t it be nice to be in collaboration with God, knowing that he will sustain us if we cast our burdens upon Him.

Prayer:

Father, what a gift you are offering. Like, what and immeasurably loving thing to say, that we can come and cast these things off that are killing us inside giving them to you knowing that you will sustain us and lead us forward if we will pay attention, if we will have eyes to see and ears to hear. And, so, our eyes are open and we’re gonna walk into this and live into this day and we invite your Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth. We pray this in the precious name of Jesus, our Savior. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is home base, it's the…it's the website, it's kind of a new thing these websites. You put a www and then you type the name Daily Audio Bible, and then you put a .com and magic happens. Do you remember when that used to be true? I remember the first websites. It was like I remember reading in a magazine, “point your browser to www” and I was like, “I don't even know what that means” but it certainly did take hold and is certainly ubiquitous now in our lives, but it is home. dailyaudiobible.com is home for everything that is the community. This is the where the Global Campfire lives. So, stay tuned and stay connected.

Stay connected to the Prayer Wall. Be aware of the resources that are available in the shop for the journey that we are on.

And if…if you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com as well. There is a link on the homepage or if you're using the app you can press the Give button, it's in the upper right-hand corner kinda next to that Hotline button, the red button we’ll talk about in a second or, if you prefer, the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

And, as always, if you have a prayer request or encouragement, we are a community that loves to pray for one another. That is one of the most beautiful distinctives about this community. We love to pray for one another and reach out to another. So, you can hit it the Hotline button in the app, that little red button we were just talking about at the top. You can't miss it. Doesn't matter where you are in the world, doesn't matter where you are, you have a Hotline and there are thousands and tens of thousands of people who pray every day. And, so, you can reach out there or you can dial 877-942-4253.

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:

Hey this is just a shout out to Brian, Jill, Ezekiel, China, all the DABbers. Some mornings I wake up and I’m grumpy and groggy and just feel overly unhappy and then I think about going and having my coffee and listening to Daily Audio Bible and taking in Scripture and my prayer time and it totally lifts my spirits. It’s something to look forward to in the mornings. I love that. So, thank you for providing this. It’s such a beautiful thing. Every morning it gives me this warm feeling like I’m going to the table, I’m going to the campfire to be with my people. And I don’t know, never has there been an app that comes with such a personality and has such a connection to other people. I really feel like I’m taking part in something with many other people. That’s a special thing. Love you guys.

Hello, my DAB family this is Mark Street from Sydney Australia today’s Friday the 5th of September and I just want to call in to say how grateful I am to God and this community. There’s so much love, God’s love flowing to this community. I should’ve been writing everybody’s name down who’s dialed a prayer request for me but I haven’t been doing it so instead of mentioning anybody’s name, you know you called in for me and I have listened and I’m up today and I’ve heard your messages to me and I just want to say how grateful I am for your love and God’s love and I just want to pray to…to God to say thank you. Heavenly Father…and just a quick update first. I am recovering very well. I do have to have some heart surgery in about five weeks-time, and I’ll let you know prior to that but I just want to thank God. Heavenly Father I come to You and say thank you to everyone in this community Lord, not just the people who pray for each other but also the people that are paying in the background. Also, the people that are hurting Lord. Lord this community is so wonderful. Your love is expressed so wonderful in this community Lord and I…I am in awe of Your presence in this community Lord. And Lord I ask You to extend Your blessing to everybody in this community, show them Your love in Your personal way in their lives Lord and as You have in me as well Lord. Lord I thank You for Brian and his whole family for listening to You and presenting this program for everybody to love each other through You Lord. In Your name I thank You Lord. And I love you family and once again…

This is Ricky from Louisiana first-time caller I’ve been listening to my DAB family since October last year. I’m calling in with a prayer request. I have a request for my son, my 25-year-old son who has been recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. He was a two-time all-state and one-time all-American football…football defensive back in high school. Now he is unable to walk at all. He’s unable to bathe himself. Initially when he was diagnosed, he was able to…he went to the hospital, he did not…he wasn’t able to walk and then he got better. He was able to walk with the use of a cane but now it has…his condition has deteriorated. So, I’m calling in to ask my prayer warriors to lift him up in prayer. He’s my namesake, Ricky Junior. Thank you in advance for your prayers and we continue to give God the glory, the praise, and the owner for what Je’s going to do.

Yes, I am Alicia Hansen I just wanted to pray for what’s going on in the world. I’ve been listening to your devotional and I really love it. I know I’m going above and beyond 365 day. I’m trying to read it all and I’m just addicted to it. It’s is a wonderful book and I want to pray for all the strife that is going on in this world right now, all of the anger, the loss of jobs, the plague, the pestilence. We were told that it will happen, and it is happening, and you can see it clear as day. I am a blind person. I see only darkness all the time but yet my eyes are open and I see what is happening to our society and I just would like to ask that we all join hands and we pray to Jesus and God the Father almighty that he may rescue us and that He may show us the light and lead us to the land that He promised. And I just…I give my prayers and I ask that only the Lord and Jesus Christ let the words come from my mouth because a tongue is a double edge sword. It can hurt and it can make you feel good. You need to choose your words and your actions wisely. I’m sitting in a small town in South Carolina and it’s been hot here but it’s pretty …

Hey Daily Audio Bible family this is Abigail from California I’m just listening on the way into work as I do some days through __ my workdays. I work at a group home for teens in crisis and I just want to share…I know it’s been a while since…I believe it was Angel…was your name…you called in about your daughter. I just wanted you to know that I pray for you every morning and I pray for your daughter every morning on my way into work as I just think about our youth in America and just…they’re going through a lot. So, I just wanted to pray with you guys for…for our kids. Dear God, I’m just so thankful for Your provision and that You do have resources and prayer and…and Your hands on these kids. God I just pray…I just break the bondage of depression and anxiety over these kids. I pray that Your hand would be on the Lord, that in Your name, Jesus, these chains would be broken, that…that they would not have to struggle with this. I just pray for myself and those who work in homes for teens, God that You would just be with us, that You would fill us with peace and joy and patience …

Hello, my fellow DABbers first-time caller Chris from Minnesota beloved son of an affectionate father. I also go by rompin stompin dynamite. I am so grateful my fiancé Dawn also known as bouncing poucin love and joy called in a while back and asked that you pray for my son Gabriel whom I haven’t spoken to in five months. He did three tours of duty in Iraq as a Marine in the infantry. The day Dawn’s prayer aired is the day one of my other sons said, “dad Gabe is going to be coming to the wedding.” And thank you so much to Lisa the Encourager who let us all at a very specific heartfelt prayer. The day her prayer aired was the day my son called me to apologize for cutting me off. There has been an amazing change in his art. On a more corporate note I have been listening for five years and my heart cries out and my holy ambition is to pray for those who are going through or face divorce. I did face the destruction that divorce can unleash on a family, but I do know there’s life in through and on the other side of this tragedy. Let me encourage you that our life is not defined by our failures or accomplishments. Our identity is found in whose I am and who I belong to. One of my favorite portion of description is when the Father gives to Jesus the one thing we all want to hear, “this is my beloved son in whom I’m well pleased in whom my favor rests.” My prayer for us all, no matter how good our lives are or the struggles we go through, this is your identity. You are a beloved son. You are a beloved daughter of an affectionate father. This is Chris from Minnesota.

Good evening DABbers this is Running Desperately to Jesus a.k.a. Staying Desperately Connected to Jesus. That’s from kingdom seeker Daniel. We just finished reading September 4th Ecclesiastes chapter 7 and I am so blown away. I want my DABbers to know I have not been with the guy that I openly was transparent that I fornicated with. I have not been with him and I feel a weight has been lifted off. I feel clear. I haven’t been with him now for several weeks and I made that decision. Initially it was…I gave all other kind of reasons but finally I gave the right reason to him, which was I was disrespecting and doing something against God. One of the things that I thank God for and Brian everything that you said in Ecclesiastes about godly sorrow and sorrow is exactly what I felt. Thank God for the godly sorrow or the sensation of conviction. I felt convicted the whole time I was with this person and I regret it. I feel ashamed. I’m angry with him. I’m angry with myself even more. But I thank God for the conviction for the godly sorrow that has led me back to say, “God I repent for my actions that were against you and your word.” Running Desperately to Jesus. Also known as Staying Desperately Connected to Jesus.

The Peaky Designer - Cillian Fanfic, Chapter 8

Hello, welcome back. Below is the next instalment of my fanfiction!

Leave a like or a comment if you liked it, or if I can do anything better! Please, it would mean the world and to understand if anyone is enjoying my writing. Also, sharing/reblogging would be even better.

PLEASE READ:

I will not be including Cillian’s family as it’s kinda weird since he has children lmao. Just a mention of his parents and a previous lover.

I will indicate in a chapter if there is smut in the beginning and before the actual scene!!

I will add trigger warnings if there is any!!

There is a variety of levels of swearing during a chapter, I will not hold back, everyone swears.

The timestamp for the Fic is now 2016 and onwards!! 

——- ——- ——- ——- ——- ——- ——- ——- ——- ——- ——- ——- ——-

Background: Gabrijela Babic is a Croatian girl from Sydney, Australia. She is born in the year 1991 on the 24th of December. She studies a Fashion degree in a University with a major in Game Design as well. Her teacher in the fashion designer class managed to nail an Internship on the set of Peaky Blinders with the shows very own Costume Designer, Allison McCosh. There, she travels to London for under a year to learn how to be one, working alongside the actors as well the man she admires, Cillian Murphy. But, her platonic feelings for the man begins to grow into something more, and she wonders whether she should pursue them or let him go for fear of her strict parents and her three older brothers…

Characters:

Swantje Paulina as Gabrijela Babic (swalina on Instagram)

Cillian Murphy

Word Count: 1,860

!!Warnings!!: None.

Date: End of July, Early August 2016

Chapter Name: Bestfriends are Forever... 

Brief Chapter Outline: Gabrijela says goodbye to the Cast and Crew as her last day as an intern before she gets an interesting surprise at the end of the day... 

——- ——- ——- ——- ——- ——- ——- ——- ——- ——- ——- ——- ——-

Since the day out in Bath and the kiss Gabrijela shared with Cillian, working with him was strange. There was this unspoken thing between them, they both wanted each other but they had no idea what to do with that thought. 

The fact that she was a worker and he was her employer, it was not right to dwell on those feelings. But it was so hard. 

And then there was Logan, who was making it even harder. He was proving himself to be a wonderful man, he treated her kindly, took her out for dinners whenever they were free. The sex was magical, he made sure she was feeling fine during each session as she had come clean about her hell with her ex. Logan had been understanding and kissed her long into the night and worshipped her body. 

She started to like Logan a lot, he had bought her little gifts such as books or music for her to listen to since she had a CD Player in her apartment thanks to Logan. 

Gabrijela found herself smiling whenever he texted her, checking in if she was okay after her trip back home. Or even after a very stressful day, he would call her up. 

Now that filming was at its halfway point, there were times where she would have to travel further and spend the night at a motel, sharing a room with Logan. And somehow word got out they were a couple, Gabrijela blushed when her friends teased and poked at her. And yet, the pair seemed to just... go along with it. 

And not too long they ended up calling it official. They celebrated the day with a night out with the group, spending it at a local pub as their weekends began to be clogged up with filming and preparing major scenes. 

Cillian found out one morning when he had overheard some girls chatting about Logan and Gabrijela being a thing now. It broke his heart, or well, made him upset... No, it broke his heart. But what was he honestly supposed to do? He should be happy she was with someone closer to her age. He had caught the pair behind low traffic areas on set all over each other, kissing and touching... 

He kept on walking, away from it. But when she was close to him, helping him put on his shoes or vest or jacket and fixing up anything out of place... He couldn't help but touch her hip. 

And she didn't back away or push his hand. She looked up at him and saw the desperation in her eyes. The want and need she had for him, but the moment Logan's voice filtered in, she turned away and all that emotion for him was gone. As if she didn't want to let him see it anymore, as if it was a sin. 

Cillian cherished the small moments they had together, she had still managed to keep their friendship strong. When she had time, she made sure she had time for him and invited him to her apartment so they could listen to a new song or old songs from their favourite bands. Or go out of her way to buy lunch for him or she bought it for most of the cast with the help of some friends of hers when the day became terribly busy. 

Her kindness and care for him remained, it never wavered. Cillian never felt so drawn to someone as fiercely as ever, Gabrijela had shown genuine interest and love, there was no faking it. She was tentative to his needs and was always there when he wanted a good chat when things became stressful. And he reciprocated the feelings back and he always loved the look on her face. 

The worst was whenever they spent a day or a few hours together, even during lunchtime she had come over, his feelings for her grew each and every day. 

All he wanted was to gather her in his arms, kiss her and whisper sweet words that would make her freckled cheeks blush and bring upon that goddess of a smile that would light up her eyes. 

He wanted to lay with her, on their sides and facing each other, staring longingly before he would kiss her and take her gently. He'd drag out a moan from her, pulling their bodies in and be locked with her. 

He wanted to wake up every morning with her at his side, turn over and whisper the words that seemed to settle deep within his heart. 

He wanted to take her on an adventure around the globe, spend every waking moment with her. 

He wanted a life with her, despite the age gap and every other possibility that could hinder their relationship. 

But Cillian would appreciate the small moments he had with Gabrijela even when another man made love to her body and made her smile in a way no one would. Not even him now. 

He would work with her, be as close as friends in the months that passed. He would do whatever it takes to make her the best person through this internship of hers. There were some days where she did not show up, he had learned she was to take some online exams and she had been studying full out while she was here. 

Gabrijela had not just worked on the set of Peaky Blinders either, there were times where Allison had trusted her enough to handle smaller projects for small plays and send her off to other parts of London to work with other people. It was fantastic, she would be working another four months after she would leave Peaky Blinders. She had to extend her stay here, her parents seemed iffy but they saw how happy she was. So they let her stay. 

Even began to pay for her rent despite she was being paid for the four months she was at this play. Even the extra month and a week for free time for herself. 

But it came the time for Gabrijela to say goodbye to the cast she had called family. It was a crazy madhouse but she enjoyed every moment of it. 

The cast all gave their farewells to her, hugging and giving her a large poster of all the cast before and now and it was all signed. The back of it had a heartfelt message. Gabrijela would cherish it, she wasn't the type to be annoyed. She loved anything that was given to her, but just no food. That was something she didn't like. 

They had even taken a group photo all dressed up and in the famous street, Watery Lane. 

Once the goodbyes were said and last hugs, she finally left with the giant poster and a cap signed by Cillian. She smiled as she sat on the train and hugged the cap to her chest, Logan beside her and playing on his phone. 

She hoped she would see Cillian sometime during the next few months, especially before she'd leave. He really had an impact on her, soul, body and heart. She realised, despite being with Logan, she would always love Cillian. And not just as a friend. 

Once they got off the train, they walked down the street together, hand in hand. "Have a good day?" Logan asked her. 

"Yeah, I did. I'm gonna miss it." She said, looking up at her boyfriend. 

"I'm gonna miss you and our fun." He nudged her, she giggled. 

"I'll come by and visit." She leaned up and kissed his cheek. 

As they neared her apartment, someone was sitting at the stairs. 

Gabrijela squinted and saw the familiar wild black curly hair and the pink fluffy jumper.

"Oh, my god. Lucia?!" Gabrijela gasped. 

The black girl turned and beamed, "GABBIE!" She cried and ran to her, the two girls clutching each other and laughing. 

"Oh my god!! Lucia!" Gab cried again and hugged her tightly. 

"Hello! Finally! Oh my god, am I glad to see you!" Lucia cupped her face and giggling. 

"Oh, its good to see you too, beautiful." Gab was almost in tears. 

Lucia spotted Logan walking over, carrying the things Gab had dropped. 

"Damn, who is this hunk of a man?" Lucia smirked and pulled away, holding her hand out. "Lucia, nice to meet you..." She trailed off. 

"Logan." He laughed and shook her hand, "Gab's boyfriend." 

Lucia gasped and looked at Gab, "Boyfriend?!" 

"Oh god, Logan." Gab pouted, "Yeah. We clicked." 

"Oh my, lucky girl." Lucia giggled. 

It started to rain, "Let's go inside. I'll make us tea or something." Gabrijela said. 

"Oh, no. I better head home. It's another long day tomorrow." Logan shook his head, handing Gab her stuff. 

"Aw, come on. I need to hear the details." Lucia said. 

Gabrijela sighed and gave a look to Logan and it convinced him. 

"Only for a bit, then I gotta get going." He said. 

The trio got into the apartment and got comfy. Gabrijela made tea for them all as Lucia began to shoot questions left, right and centre. Lucia explained how she wanted to surprise Gabrijela by coming here for two weeks and to travel around with her since she was now free. But then it came to how Logan became Gabrijela's boyfriend soon enough. 

Gabrijela answered briefly when it came to the sex and Logans... size downstairs. 

Logan seemed to not want to answer to much about it either, "I don't find that appropriate." He said to Lucia who looked pouty. 

"Why not? It shouldn't be too shameful." Lucia said sipping her tea. 

Gabrijela sat beside Logan, a hand on his thigh. 

"Well, I don't like to talk about it." Logan quipped, scowling a little. 

"Fine, how long have you two been dating then?" Lucia asked, scoffing. 

"Almost a month now," Gabrijela replied, not really liking how Lucia was behaving childishly. 

"Nice. Let's hope it lasts." She said with a hint of annoyance. 

"What did you say?" Gabrijela glared at her. 

"I just said let's hope it lasts." She shrugged and put her empty cup down. 

"Lucia, what's wrong, huh? I thought you'd be happy." Gabrijela seemed upset. 

"Hey, okay. I think uh you best be going, Lucia." Logan said, keeping an arm around Gabrijela. 

"Why? Am I bothering you?" She stared at him with a hard look. 

"No, but you are making your best friend here clearly upset." Logan shot back. 

She sighed and stood, "Fine. I'll go." She said and just... left like that. 

Gabrijela sighed heavily, "She does this all the time. And not just with you, with my other friends." She said, looking up at him. 

"Doesn't seem healthy. Or good behaviour." He kissed her forehead. 

"I'll see what's up tomorrow." She said and stood up with him. "You don't want to stay?" She wrapped her arms around his waist. 

"I'd love to, but I got an early start tomorrow." He leaned down and kissed her deeply, "I'll stay tomorrow night." 

She smiled, "Okay. You take care." She murmured and kissed him once more before he also left as well. 

Level 5: Adventure of a Lifetime

Curious about where this stunning view is? You are about to find out.

Hello and welcome to one of the most thrilling levels of my journey (yeah, I lied in Level 4 that this one won’t be demanding). I am sorry I have been AWOL for a while and the game has been on hold but here we are, back again with more action than ever. 

So after the summer term at UNSW ended and I successfully survived my Circuit Theory final exam, we had a week off before T1 (the first trimester) starts. This is the only major break exchange students, who are here for the tailored term, get so everyone takes the opportunity to travel and explore different parts of Australia (or the world). Some students had their parents visiting them so they went on a trip with them. Most exchange students headed off to New Zealand, and some do the East Coast trip in Australia which includes visiting the world famous Great Barrier Reef and the Gold Coast. I decided to visit Tasmania with my friends. 

Tasmania, or Tassie as the locals call it here, is a small island only about an hour and a half away from Sydney via air. Before we start the level, let me introduce you to the key players we will encounter a lot in this post. 

Firstly, Tin Ray Liou a.k.a Bruno, our new friend who we met through Facebook to plan a trip in Tasmania. There are many Facebook groups dedicated to travelling and backpacking throughout Australia as camping and driving around with new people is a popular method of travel here. Secondly, Nolan, a fellow Wolverine. And last but not the least, me. That’s 3 main characters but lots of special appearances will be seen throughout this level.

Let’s begin!

Sneak Peek: Nolan on the left, Bruno in the middle, and me on the right.

We took an early morning flight from Sydney to Hobart (capital of Tassie) on the 9th of February. After meeting up with Bruno at the airport in Hobart and discussing an exciting itinerary for the 8 days, we drove towards the city centre. First thing we did in the city was pick up camping gear from Kmart as we planned to camp for all 8 days in Tassie. Gear consisted of: tents, sleeping bags, camp stove, hiking kits, plastic kitchenware, and insect repellent. After that we explored Salamanca Place, a vibrant cultural town in the city center dazzling with vintage architecture, shopping markets and aesthetic sights. We also strolled along the wharf near Salamanca Place for some fresh views of the harbor and to enjoy local fish and chips.

Scenes from Salamanca Place..

There is a famous Saturday market in Salamanca Place but we missed it by a day. However, on a Sunday, there is the Farm Gate Market, where you can try homegrown Tasmanian delicacies ranging from apples, olive oil, peanut butter to bacon, gin, and cheese. We made sure to indulge in the Sunday Farm market.

Glimpse of Farm Gate Market..

Next up was visiting Battery Point, an old maritime village featuring colonial architecture. After stepping back in time and walking through the fascinating precinct of Battery Point, we set out to find some isolated lookouts with stunning views. 

Views from Battery Point..

Found a beautiful secluded beach..

But maybe, we were not alone. Where do these lead us?

In just a few hours in Tasmania, we were in love with this island. We found a camping ground near this beach and set up our tents before sunset and then cooked dinner. It was going to be an interesting experience because the last time I camped was 4 years ago. The next morning, we set out to hike the kunanyi/Mount Wellington - the summit of the Wellington Range in Hobart. It was one of the first major hikes for me and I was pumped! It took us 4 hours and 45 minutes to make the return journey around the summit of 4163 ft. I was awestruck at some stunning mid-way views. The fact that we had network service, almost throughout our hike was also impressive. Although, it was a very cloudy day so we couldn’t see the whole city from the top, but it’s not every day you have got your head in the clouds...literally!

Our first steps into the Summit walk..

Head in the Clouds at 4163 ft..successful summit of kunanyi/Mt.Wellington..

Our next camping site, Eldee, was super fun and we met a lot of people from all around the world - either visiting Tasmania on vacation or fulfilling some requirements of the Working Holiday visa. 

Luxury Accommodation out in the wild..

Definitely recommend a game of UNO with new friends in the camping lounge...

Now, we have talked about Tasmania a lot already but maybe we are missing something significant. The Tasmanian Devil. People, how could we forget about this infamous animal? Well, we didn’t. My friends and I had the opportunity to pay a visit to the devil in an UnZoo. UnZoo is a very interesting concept of..umm...I will have you read it for yourself.

The UnZoo Philosophy..

Presenting you the greatest jaw strength on the planet: Tasmanian Devil.

Yes, the Tasmanian Devil has the greatest jaw strength of all animals. And trust me, I could feel it when I saw it feed on a piece of meat. One can hear the bones from the meat..crunching ever so loudly. I am glad I could witness the devil in his element up close. 

Before heading eastwards to begin our travel for the Great Eastern Drive, we also checked out a few more sites and breathtaking views. To get a better picture of what I mean, here:

Enjoy this spectacular view from Tasman National Park..

The beautiful Tasman Arch..

A panoramic of Tessellated Pavement - heaven for the eyes. 

Alright..breathing break. Every single view on this island beats the previous one. It’s just a fantastic place to be in. It’s a small island yet it has so much to offer. 

We also visited Port Arthur, a historic site which is one of the most haunted places in Australia. Now, obviously, we signed up for the special Ghost Tour of Port Arthur which took you around famous landmarks at night time - extra thrill! It was a very spooky experience hearing about the tales and torture of convicts at Port Arthur and the personal haunted experiences of the site staff.

View of the Church in Port Arthur against the grim night sky..

Not gonna lie, I slept a little scared that night in my tent. Poof, some more hikes then,

A 3-hr return journey to Cape Raoul..

Special Character: Echidna - spotted on downhill journey from Cape Raoul

In the Great Eastern Drive, we hit up the most popular tourist spots in Tasmania: Freycinet National Park, Wineglass Bay and the Bay of Fires. In Freycinet, we hiked up to Mt. Amos. It was a rough hike with a lot of boulder scrambling and damp weather also made it slippery. But, the greater the risk the greater the reward.

Peep the fascinating sight from the top of Mt. Amos..

..and the white sandy stretch of Wineglass Bay behind us. 

Apologies in advance. But, we may need to take a detour to Mars.

I found Mars, it’s at Bay of Fires.

Orange rocks and a green beach paired with white sand - Bay of Fires seems more like a fairy tale. But it’s real. 

Proof.

We concluded the Great Eastern Drive with Bay of Fires and started driving towards the Great Western Tiers. Great Western Tiers was a mix and match of mountains, lakes, and..caves. 

Little Blue Lake - the bluest water I have ever witnessed upfront.

This blue colour is actually due to tin mining and sedimentation in this area, many years ago.

the 450 million years old Marakoopa Caves in Mole Creek..

Whatever you see in the caves is mostly calcite. Phew. We saved the best hike for the last. Cradle Mountain Summit - the 5th highest peak in Tasmania and one of the most popular hikes among avid campers in Tassie. There are multiple ways you could hike up to the top, including the Overland Track which is a 9 day overnight trek. We did the full day hike, however we did not summit due to time constraints. We still got pretty sweet views from our 5 hour return journey from Marion’s lookout - the highest trek after the Summit. 

The beginning..

midway...

At the top - Marion’s Lookout. 

Now is a good time to piece together the picture I started off with. That shows me looking at the peak of Cradle Mountain, and hopefully you are feeling some sort of adrenaline after reading through all this. 

WOW. That was a lot of hiking and running around to explore. With only one day left, we decided to check out some local festivals in Mole Creek and explore the city of Launceston. We saw a vintage vehicle display, equestrians practicing, and a wood-chopping contest! A chill vibe at the end to complement all the adventure. By this time, we had started missing sleeping on actual beds. 

Bless the sun that day for making the view 10x better..

Satisfied, amazed, and grateful are some of the feelings I can attempt to describe for the conclusion of the trip. Not a single day went by where we were not in awe of this lovely place. Every view beat the previous one and just brought us so close to nature and wildlife. For the most part, camping was nice and cool, except for one night when we had visiting guests in the form of possums. Not one, not two...but three! Right outside my tent by the bushes. They were nice enough to not bother us in sleep..phew. Mountains, lakes, beaches, history, mystery, caves..this island has it all. Just step out and explore, you will not be disappointed.

Alas, it seems like we are finishing the most adventurous level there has been. As I reminisce the last time we set up tents and our last sunset in Tasmania, I hope you enjoyed the ride and thank you for coming this far with me!

Cheers,

…

Nikhil Punshi

Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan

University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia - Winter 2020

ONE YEAR LATER

When I was a little girl my mother used to read me fairy tales. I remember these stories of heroic princesses (who despite the odds) found happily-ever-after.  It was always the idea of love that captivated me as a child, but as I grew up I soon realized that it wasn’t love that made the princess happy, it was the journey. In fact, my favorite fairy tale had nothing to do with a prince. For just as Alice fell down the rabbit hole, I too have been on the most curious and wonderful adventure.

There is a place, like no place on earth.

A land full of wonder, mystery, and danger.

Some say, to survive it, you need to be as mad as a hatter,

Which luckily, I am.-Alice in Wonderland 

I have been living in Oz for 370 days now. Can you believe it? I remember packing my belongings nearly one year ago as I left the comfort of home behind for a world of uncertainty. I remember that final hug from my mother as I boarded a plane bound for Hawaii—and—I even remember the fear in my eyes as I once again said my goodbyes and traveled to Australia. One year. I have not hugged my mother in one year. I have not spent a single holiday with my family in one year. I wasn’t there when my best friend gave birth to her first child. I wasn’t there to celebrate my nephew’s 13th birthday. And I wasn’t there when my sister announced that she was expecting baby number three. In fact, I haven’t stepped foot on American soil for one whole year.

So what have I been doing? Well…there’s a lot to catch you up on. As with any adventure, you will always experience the highs and the lows. The first three months were the hardest. I was homesick nearly every day and didn’t know how to cope with the emotions I was feeling. It was exciting being in a new place but in my heart I knew something was missing. That missing piece (as I would soon find out) was Toby, an 8-week old Vizsla/Border Collie. The moment Toby arrived, I felt a sense of comfort and relief which helped me let go of all the fear and loneliness I once held. I guess you could say my life in Australia hit a turning point. Soon after Toby I landed a full-time job as an analyst. I began to make new friends, and I finally felt settled in life. *I even became a local at the coffee shop down the street.

I suppose we all have to hit that “turning point” before life changes and you can’t give up before it happens. It would have been easy to just go home, back to everything I knew. But as Alice once said, “her world was a mess, so she lost herself in a wonderland of madness.” I wasn’t in madness but wonderland, most definitely. In October I traveled to Sydney and it was everything I had ever dreamed of. It was beautiful, sunny, and full of sights that any tourist would be elated to see. We landed on a Thursday afternoon and made it to our Darling Harbor hotel right in time for dinner. In customary fashion, I was exhausted and wanted an evening in while my rather jubilant boyfriend proclaimed that we couldn’t waste our first night in Sydney. As I got ready for the night out, I couldn’t believe how far I had come in the last eight months. Every tear and struggle was worth it because I was exactly where I was meant to be. We wandered towards downtown Sydney and eventually made it to our destination: O-Bar, a rotating restaurant on the 47th floor. While the views simply took my breath away, it was Jacob who stole my heart. Inside five handcrafted Babushka dolls were handwritten notes of our global love story. In the last, he asked me to be his bride.

My Aussie was finally my forever and he couldn’t have chosen a more perfect place. We celebrated the night away and then the next two days. From Sydney we traveled to Fiji where we spent a week in paradise bliss. Every morning we woke up to sunshine and blue water as we meandered down the beach for coffee; stopping nearly every 5-feet to say “Bula” which in Fijian means “Hello.” The air was crisp and I was in heaven. Fiji was the ultimate relaxation and heading back to reality proved difficult. Well…reality for another two weeks. Two weeks later we ventured to Hamilton Island, perhaps the most beautiful place on earth. As Jacob finished his triathlon, I was mesmerized by the various blues the sky and water had blended together. Hamilton Island was the place I had always dreamed of and the serenity it brought my life was the pinnacle of this year-long journey.

So here we are, one year later. I eat Vegemite every single day and without hesitation sit on the left-hand side of the car. I’ve touched a koala as it ate eucalyptus and even climbed the Sydney Harbor Bridge (worth every penny). I’ve traveled around Australia-from the Great Ocean Road to Queensland. I’ve been parasailing in Fiji and began a post-graduate degree in security. I got a puppy, a fiancé, and the most amazing family and friends. I celebrated holidays I didn’t even know existed while learning how to play cricket and footy. I could have let my fear and sadness consume me those first three months but then I would have missed out on the journey. So here is my final advice for you.

Stop telling yourself no and start saying yes. You can always have more money and there will always be bills to pay. I know, you can’t travel without money right? Wrong. I sold all my belongings and came to Australia with only savings and no guarantee of a job. Sure, it was hard. But money should never hold you back from what you want and dream of. Next, there will always be Grandma’s birthday or Stacy’s graduation. Stop with the family commitments. Your family will love you no matter where in the world you are. As long as they know you are thinking about them, your relationship will stay the same. Lastly, life is too short…so please, please see the world. It is the most magical, colorful, and exuberant place. Try new food, learn new cultures and never stop exploring-even if it’s just for one year, one month, one week, one minute.

Alice: How long is forever? White Rabbit: Sometimes, just one second.

As for me, I will keep doing the same and updating you on the journey as I go. What’s next? A wedding in Maui, a honeymoon in the Maldives, and tons of surprises in between.

Xoxo, Kaitlynn

07/25/2018 DAB Transcript

2 Chronicles 11:1-13:22, Romans 8:24-39 , Psalms 18:35-50, Proverbs 19:27-29

Today is the 25th day of July. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. It is a pleasure and an honor to be here with you today. Today is my little son Ezekiel's birthday. He turns six today. And his story is one of the great adventure stories of our time together in the Daily Audio Bible. And I'll talk about that if we can remember when we get to the end. But we are at the beginning and what we do at the beginning is what we've come here to do, focus our attention on the word of God, focus our affection on the God who gave us this gift. So we're reading from the New Living Translation this week. And we'll pick up where we left off yesterday. 2 Chronicles chapter 14, 15 and 16 today.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for Your word. And as we move through Psalm 19 today we echo the words of King David. We make it our prayer. Your instructions, Lord, are perfect. They revive our soul. Your decrees are trustworthy. They make the simple wise. Your commandments are right. They bring joy to our heart. Your commands are clear. They give us insight for how to live our lives. And so we revere You, Lord. We worship You in awe and wonder. May this pure worship last forever. Your laws are true. Each one is fair. They are more valuable to us than riches, even the finest gold. They are sweeter to us in our lives then honey dripping from the honeycomb because they warn us and guide us and lead us into a great reward for those who obey them. Lord, how can we know all of the entanglements we are in? There are sin's that may be within our lives that we're generally unaware of. We don't even see it in ourselves. Cleanse us from these hidden faults. Keep we, Your servants, from deliberate sins. Don't let them control us and we will be free from guilt and innocent of great sin. Father, may the words of our mouths and the things that we meditate on in our hearts please You. You are our rock and our redeemer. We pray these things in the name of Jesus, our savior. Amen.

Ezekiel Hardin’s Story:

Okay. I mentioned at the beginning today is Ezekiel's birthday. And I realized I haven't shared this story in a few years. Ezekiel was born in the most interesting of circumstances. Well, maybe not the most interesting of circumstances, but they were the most interesting for us at the time. Now we were looking forward to greeting what we had planned to be our last of the children. And we had gone through that pregnancy just kind of enjoying all of it. Of course, Jill didn't enjoy all of it. What woman does enjoy all of pregnancy, especially at the end? But we had just enjoyed this. I had enjoyed seeing my wife with a big bun in the oven out in front of her for the last time. And it wasn't our first rodeo so we weren't scared, we're just enjoying the process and looking forward to a home delivery with a midwife, which is what we had done with several of the kids. And we were ready to go and, to make a long story short, there were complications. And so hours and hours and hours of agony in labor for Jill without the benefit of these high powered medications that are available in a hospital setting was wearing her down and exhausting her and weren't really getting anywhere. And over hours, this became a matter of concern until the concern got to the point that Ezekiel, the baby, who hadn't been born yet, his heart rate was dropping. And Jill’s strength was about gone and we still didn't have a baby. And so the baby's heart rate got to the point where we were in trouble, we were in a dangerous situation. And we literally had to flee to the hospital. And not the hospital that we had as a backup. We had a backup plan up in Nashville. But we had to go to the nearest hospital. And Jill was in so much pain and so weak she could hardly get out to the vehicle. But we got her in and got her up there and rolled up to emergency and the midwife jumped out and got her in and I went to park. And by the time I got in, which is just a couple minutes later, they had already wheeled her through and by the time I got to her, she was already wired up a lot. And very quickly they were in looking at the baby and checking everything out and the doctor just told us we can continue, but this is probably not gonna get you anywhere. If this continues, you could lose the baby. We need an emergency C-section. Well that happens routinely, but not for my wife. And this was the one thing that she didn't want to happen. I mean, this was the one fear that she had. This was the one thing she wanted to avoid. But the doctors were telling us if we continued and didn't make progress, than she was gonna be in danger, too. So they're getting everything ready and we got a minute to choose and we're looking at each other and we're just in this moment, this unexpected moment. We don't know what's gonna happen. She felt like we had to move forward with what the doctors were saying. We couldn't lose... take a chance on losing the baby. She was so tired and scared and her teeth were chattering. And the next thing we knew, a bunch of people came in and she's being wheeled away and we're telling each other I love you. It's just happening so fast and then a few seconds later, I'm sitting there alone. Like, I'm alone. And Jill's gone into surgery. And so I texted a few allies to pray and then I reached out into this community, just posted it up. This is kind of what we're going through right now and pray for us. And this community rose up and prayed. And I remember sitting in that hospital room typing that out and just feeling this flood of calm come. It wasn't that it was any less of a problematic situation. It was that I tapped in and I didn't feel like I was alone. And that is the power and the beauty of this community and one of the reasons that I've worked as hard as I possibly can to protect it. And about a half an hour later, I was holding this new born baby that we named Ezekiel. And because Jill had gone through surgery, she's out of it but she came around but they needed to keep her in the hospital for a couple of days. So we were camping out at the hospital for a couple of days in the middle of the summer, July 25. Those of you who live in the south know what I'm talking about. It's a hot steamy time. But the Daily Audio Bible needed to continue, so I had all my stuff out in the family van and I would go out there each day and record the Daily Audio Bible in a 120 degree van with no air conditioning. You have to have silence to be able to do this. So I'd read the Daily Audio Bible and open the side door just to be able to breathe while putting it all together and so it was kind of news flashes every day from the hospital. But eventually mother and child got home and this little guy has grown from an infant all the way up to six years old and starting school. And through all of that, he became the Daily Audio baby. And it wasn't too long after that that we launched into the Family Gathering Tour, the very thing that has inspired the Family Reunion that we're doing in September. And we travelled all over the world over the course of eighteen months and the little boy...he's been more places than most people even though he can't remember it all. But every evening and every city at the very end of our gathering, we get Ezekiel, (bring) him up on stage, thank everyone. Thank everyone who prayed because we felt very very much surrounded by the community and by the prayers of God's people. And we attribute...yes, it was a difficult surprise but we attribute the safe delivery and health to the prayers of God's people in this community. So if you've been around for a while, if you've been around the Daily Audio Bible that long than you'll remember this. If not, than there is another chapter in the Daily Audio Bible story and history. One of the key moments for me where I realized what we have here. Yes, it's different. Yes, it's on the Internet. Yes, it's all over the place and decentralized and all of these things. Yes, it doesn't look like a standard physical community where people can enjoy life in the same region. But that doesn't make this any less of a community. So thank you to all of you who prayed for us back then and who continue to pray for us now. I have always had the conviction that it is the prayers of God's people that sustain what we're doing here. And I am grateful to God for you. This is why I say I love you every day at the end. It's not gimmick. It's because I love this community and I'm grateful for it. So happy birthday Ezekiel. Number six.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is the website, its home base, it's where you find out what’s going on around here in the community. It's a way to reach out and connect, so be sure to check it out.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible in the common mission that we share to continue to bring God's spoken word read fresh every single day so that anyone who might encounter it no matter where they are in this world may enjoy, if that has been a source of life for you, than thank you for your partnership in allowing it to continue forward. There's a link on the homepage at dailyaudiobible.com. If your using the Daily Audio Bible app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner. Or if you prefer, the mailing address is P.O.  Box 1996, Spring Hill, Tennessee, 37174.

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 here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hello my DAB family. This is Mark Street from Sydney Australia. Today is Monday, 23rd of July and I’m calling in today because I heard James the teacher from LA on Sunday evening, the 22nd prayer request. James, my friend, your situation really hit me home fairly quick. I went through that exact same situation. My wife was depressed after giving birth and I turned to pornography and sexual sin to comfort myself. And to cut a long story short, I want to pray for You because���keep pressing into God. I got divorced. I didn’t find the DAB until after my divorce. And James I’m praying for ya. Heavenly Father, James is coming to You with a humble heart knowing that he is having trouble on his own and he does not want to do this by himself Lord. He’s coming to You begging You for help Lord. Lord I ask You to soften his heart and just help them hear what You want him to do Father. Lord, I also ask You to soften his wife’s heart Lord and for her to get out of the stigma mental health. Lord there’s so much digging around about mental health Lord and let her open her mind and let her feel comforted that any help that she gets is normal and that depression is a normal part of life sometimes Lord, but help her press into You as well Lord. Lord don’t let James fall down the path I fell down Lord. And Lord I know You’ve open my mind to what I did wrong Lord and keep opening James’s mind. His mind is open Lord and He’s coming to You with a humble heart now. So, strengthen him. Send the Holy Spirit to him Father. And he’s blessed Lord. Bring them close to You and You draw them close to You too Lord so that they will be able to get through the situation and James will be able to finish his Masters Lord and support his family in the way that he wants to support the Lord. Lord and we know that everything is possible through You Lord. And we lift up James to You. In Your name Lord. Amen. Love You family. Talk to You again soon. Bye.

Hey everybody. Hey this is Annette Allison. Just to let you know, hey, hooo, I’m doing okay and trying to go into a city party and I just decided to throw on some praise music and just go for it. And I feel way better. I hope you all enjoyed the ride today. We took a great big ride listening to the community prayer and it was such a beautiful day. And, Lee from New Jersey my brother man you have just broke my heart. You broke my heart this week. It just reminded me so much of when my grandma passed away and it was just the same thing. And I could not even imagine somebody else having to go through the situation of watching somebody die even though we know and we trust they are going to be with the Lord. It’s still painful. And I know for myself as I was listening throughout the whole community prayer, I was praying for you. And I don’t know, I’m sorry if I felt this way, but I was almost hoping that in the midst of the story that you were going to pick some family up from the airport that she passed away while you weren’t there. And I only say that because it just left such…it was hard. And I just didn’t want…I didn’t want that for anybody else. That process is just so painful to watch. And I was just hoping that she just passed away slow…ya know…without pain and transitioned easily. And I just want you to know that I’m praying for you and that I’m very very sorry for the loss of your mom. And heavens again, whorah, that’s great. But I want you to know that I’m praying for you. I’m really really praying for you and I’ve been so happy and when your first call came I was right by that spot where…I call it your spot, and it’s pretty cool. And it’s like right as soon as I passed it your call came. It was pretty neat. You know? So, I love you guys. Have a wonderful, wonderful day. And y’all take care. Bye.

Hi everybody, it’s Margo from Australia. I just wanted to ring today, first of all because I’ve just passed my 12 month anniversary of listening to DAB and I’ve loved every minute of it. And I wish I found it a lot earlier in my life. I wanted to comment. I’ve been thinking all week. About a week ago we read in Chronicles the verse where David says, when he was buying the threshing floor and he was offered it free but he said, no I will not get to the Lord that which costs me nothing. Now, that is one of my all-time favorite Bible verses. And I think it’s really good if we really think about that verse and what it means to us in our life. I will not give to the Lord that which cost me nothing. Wow, that’s powerful and life-changing. And I think it’s a really good verse to remember at those times when we are suffering, when life’s hard, when the Lord asks difficult things of us, when we don’t feel like being Christlike, when we’re angry at God for our lot in life. You know what? That’s okay because I won’t give to the Lord that which is easy. I won’t give to the Lord that which cost me nothing. I am planning, my husband and I, we’re going to Liberia next year and that’s going to involve fairly significant sacrifice for us. But you know it helps me when I have those moments of feeling freaked out about it? You know what? I just think, I will not give to the Lord that which cost me nothing. How powerful is that? What a motto to have that as our life motto. And I hope that you guys really think about that verse, and that it will encourage you and help you as it has me. Because in this life there will be suffering. And that’s okay. That’s how life is. There won’t be suffering in eternity. That’s the deal. Anyway, love you all heaps. Have a great day everyone. Bye.

Hi. This is Sherry Gallagher. This is my first time calling. I’ve been a longtime listener and God’s really been blessing me and I just give Him praise and glory for that but I am in need of some prayer. I just spent my last dollar and I’m living in a hotel because my place just came up with bed bugs and I was getting ready to move. So, now I’m not even sure what I can bring with me, if anything. I may just have to give everything up and start all over. I’m not sure. But I really need a financial breakthrough and I need, ya know, God to do something about these bedbugs to provide a solution. And I need to get out of this hotel. So, if you could just pray for me and just pray that God will bless me and make a way out of no way I would be really grateful. Thanks.

08/09/2018 DAB Transcript

Ezra 8:21-9:15 , 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 , Psalms 31:1-8 , Proverbs 21:1-2

Today is the 9th day of August. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian and it’s great to be here with you in the steamy summer months here in the rolling hills of Tennessee. And I trust that it is pleasant and beautiful wherever it is that you may be in the world, but it's always pleasant here around the global campfire that we enjoy each and every day. And, so, let's settle in and allow God's word to come washing over us as we take the next step forward. This week we’re reading from the English Standard Version and picking up where we left off yesterday. Ezra chapter 8 verse 21 through 9:15.

Commentary:

Okay. So, in our reading from Ezra today. We followed Ezra’s journey to the remnant of Israelites who had survived the exile and had been allowed to return to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple. And when Ezra got there, he quickly learned about the behavior of those survivors and that he was appalled, right? So, he sat, he tore his clothes. He sat all day long, completely shocked. And what shocked Ezra so bad was the fact that the few who had survived the exile were participating in the very behaviors that had undermined and destroyed their culture to begin with. They were immorally intermingling with the neighboring cultures and this was leading them into idolatry and rebellion against God. And they knew better but they were willfully rebelling against God. And, so, Ezra’ like, God, I'm ashamed, like my face is blushing. I can’t even face You for our sins are piled higher than our heads.

Now, when we get to Paul's letter, we’ve got the same kind of willful rebellion going on and it was taking place 600 years later. So a man and his stepmother were openly having sex within the church at Corinth. And they were being affirmed by the community. And Paul was as appalled as Ezra had been. And, so, Paul’s like…I can’t…I can’t even believe what I'm hearing that’s happening there. So, in both stories, both Old and New Testament stories, we see the extreme of deception, right. The people involved knew the truth, but deception and pride allowed them to rationalize their immorality and the same thing happens…the same thing happens to us. When we allow deception to get a hold of us and start growing within us, we’re invariably going to be lead into some sort of immoral behavior, and as we go that way we’ll justify just about anything, right? Intermingling with sin in ways that we know are wrong will destroy us in the end. If there's anything the Bible has shown us so far this year it’s that and it's the same now as it was 2500 years ago for Ezra and 2000 years ago for Paul. It's because these behaviors establish a new normal so what we once avoided slowly becomes acceptable. And as the process repeats itself in our lives you don't realize that sin is taking hold of us and don't often become aware until destruction is upon us. So, let's consider what we’re rationalizing and justifying that we know is wrong. The voice of deception is going to say, there isn’t a problem, we’re free to do whatever we want. But we have to remember with the Scriptures have told us. Real freedom happens when there is nothing false within us and there's nothing to hide. So, if we consider what we might be hiding we’re going to find the presence of deception and pride.

Prayer:

Holy Spirit, we invite you into that. We have some fairly stark examples from the Scriptures today. We have some fairly stark responses from Scripture today. And, so, we humble ourselves as we invite your Holy Spirit to speak to us individually about the places that we’re allowing deception to grow. And if we continue to let it grow it will lead us on a path away from life, away from the path that we want to be walking on. So, come Holy Spirit we surrender to You. We invite Your presence. We ask that You show us the places that we’re allowing this. And we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is the website, its home base, it’s, of course, where you find what's going on around here. So, be sure to check it out.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, if this global campfire that is our community brings life and good news into your world, then thank you for being life-giving so that we continue each and every day. So, there's a link on the homepage at dailyaudiobible.com. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or, if you prefer, the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

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:

Hey what’s up everybody? It’s Miguel from Santa Rosa. Leaving a message for James the Teacher in LA. James, it’s ironic because a while ago he had left a comical message about hearing me call in and you thought you were listening to yourself. A couple weeks ago you had left your prayer request for your marriage for struggle against pornography and it was ironic because I was struggling with that as well about this time last year. So, it was like I was listening to myself. So, I wanted to call and encourage you as a brother that’s on the other side of things because my story was very similar. Me and my wife were going through some very tough postpartum challenges. It affected our marriage. It affected my struggle with old sin that had been put away and had reared its ugly head again. But I want to encourage you with what I found to be the most powerful thing was, that the cure that I saw was also the thing I was most scared of, which was inviting my wife into the struggle, to invite her to pray for me. I had to say, look, I am struggling with this thing and you are my greatest strength. Of course, other than Jesus, but she’s there and she’s our strength. So, invite your wife to pray for you and I will be praying for you brother because I’ve been there and I’ve walked through it. So, James I love you. I’m praying for you. May the Lord strengthen you and equip you to fight this battle. You’re not alone my brother. You’re not alone. You will not be left alone. Bless you.

Hi. This is Valerie. I’m calling from south of Atlanta. I’m a couple of days behind and I just listened to August the 4th and my heart just went out to Will in Montana who is feeling discouraged and he’s struggling. Will, at the end of your call where you said Jesus is Lord and at first you seemed hesitant, like he still wasn’t sure, and as you kept repeating it your voice got stronger and stronger and just really touched me, that it seems like you were just really not sure anymore but then the power of God just kinda filled you up and you became reassured and you knew that is where your strength comes from. And I just want to let you know that brother I’m praying for you, I’m praying for your family, and your finances. I know what it’s like and I always tell people you just have to ride the wave. When you’re down you just got to know that you’re going to come back up soon and that God’s going to be there and that He is in everything. And I just want you to know I’m praying for you brother. And also for Asia in Chicago, you called right after that and you’re dealing with a verbally abusive father and you feel like you’re not loved. And I just want to tell you my sweet, your loved, your loved with an abundant love and even when…even when we can’t see it from those around us you just need to know sweetie that there are people that love you, they just don’t know how to show it. They’re struggling in their own way to show how much they love because they’re struggling in themselves. And in those times you just have to put your trust in God that He loves you and that He will be your daddy, that He gave everything He had for you and He’s reaching out for you and He wants to engulf you and hold you and comfort you. And just draw on that. And just know that, above all, you are loved. God bless.

Hello my DAB family. This is Mark Street from Sydney Australia. Today is Tuesday the 7th of August and I’m ringing…I’ve got a lot __ word. I’ve just been thinking about…I’ve been thinking about John from Bethlehem. I’ve been thinking about…today…Show Me God’s Love and I’ve been thinking about Michael from the Tribe of Joseph, the Israelite. And also Rebecca from Michigan. But Gods’ really put on my heart today to pray for Rebecca from Michigan. So, let me pray. Rebecca, I know that you’ve been longing to find a good Christian partner to share your life with and to follow with God. And God really put on my heart to reach out to you and say He hasn’t forgotten about you. I haven’t heard from you for a while Rebecca but, dear heavenly Father we come to You lost sometimes and have grief for not finding a partner, not finding somebody that can love us, forgetting sometimes that You love us more than anybody in this earthly world can. Sometimes Lord we find it hard to feel that human touch from You Lord…and….humans need to think Lord. Lord we lift up Rebecca once again Lord. Fill her with Your love so she feels needed, she feels wanted, she feels cared for by You Lord. And we know You do care for her Lord. Lord, in Your name we ask for these things. I love you Rebecca and I hope things are going well for you. Lee from New Jersey, I heard your message and, yes, we do indeed need to get in contact with each other. Love you family. Talk to you soon again. Bye.

My beloved friends, this is Angel from California. Prayer changes things. God is on the throne and does change things. Don’t forget that. It’s very important that we always remember that when we pray God is the silent listener to every conversation. I was calling today because I’m going to go for brain surgery on Friday and I need your prayers. I have already agreed in the word that the Lord has healed me and when I go in, when the doctors look around, they will not find anything wrong with me because He is, I am in this world. I would very much appreciate your prayers. I love you. And may God bless each and every one of you. Angel from California.