blueeowyn | Reading

Honest to God

This devotion pairs with this weekend’s Lutheran Hour sermon, which can be found at lhm.org.

Job 1:21 – And he [Job] said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the Name of the Lord.”

It’s what Job says initially when he hears the news and later sees his burnt-up property and children dead in the aftermath of some out-of-the-blue “act of God.” “The Lord gave. The Lord took away. Let the Lord’s Name be blessed.” For some, this is the summary of the whole book. But the story is just getting started. It’s a story about how Job’s way of relating to God is transformed. It’s not a transformation from guilt to forgiveness, because we’re told throughout that Job is innocent (see Job 2:3; 42:7-8). Instead, Job’s transformation is in how he talks. Job goes from proper, pious talk about God to raw and honest talk to God.

Imagine yourself in Job’s situation. People look up to you because your faith is so strong. And you know that you have to be strong for them. You have to say the right thing. So, that’s what Job does. He grins and bears it. But there is more going on inside him. And after seven days of silence, he lets it out. His friends try to “shush” him. They want him to stick to the script, but Job isn’t having it. He lets out a torrent of questions, complaints, and accusations straight to God’s face.

But maybe he went too far? The traditional translation near the end of the book leads us to that conclusion. God answers Job in a storm. God challenges Job: “Who are you to question Me?” And what’s Job’s response? The traditional translation has Job saying that he went too far. Job says, “I despise myself and I repent in dust and ashes” (see Job 42:5-6). But some Bible scholars argue for a different translation. They read the ancient Hebrew script and hear Job say something like, “I have heard about You, God, and now my eyes have seen You. Therefore, I am fed up, and I have pity on dust and ashes.” In this reading, Job is not backing off. He is doubling down because he knows he doesn’t need to be guarded with God because he’s already right with God. So, he can be honest with God.

It may be that the traditional translation is right. It may be that Job repents. But it’s also possible the other translation is right, that Job doesn’t back down. Not that he’s trying to be God, but that he’s being honest to God. And if that’s the case, what comes next tells us something about God’s heart, because God doesn’t condemn Job for his honesty. Instead, God condemns Job’s friends for their scripted pious phrases. God says that they haven’t talked rightly about Him, but Job has. However you understand Job, it’s clear from the rest of Scripture that God does not simply want your pious talk. God wants your heart. He wants to hear what’s on your heart. He already knows everything in there anyway. And in Jesus, you’re already in the right with Him. So, you can talk to Him. You can be honest with Him.

Let’s do that now.

WE PRAY: Dear Father, help me to talk with You, even, at times, like Job did, so that we can be closer. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

This Daily Devotion was written by Rev. Dr. Michael Zeigler, Speaker for The Lutheran Hour.

Current Mood: curious

sorcyress

Today started with a goodly long walk.

Well no, it started with floppiness and a slow wake-up and close cuddling of my beloved, and then helping finish the last few pieces of a puzzle and breakfast and things like that. But the walk was the first thing of note!

We saw a frog -very exciting, it was green headed and brown bodied in a somewhat surprising way- and a number of wee little waterfalls and at least one house hidden in the woods looking abandoned and a grand number of interesting flowers. I ate some sorrel and probably didn't wind up in any poison ivy. And I got to hold hands with Tuesday, and pull ker close against me and snuggle as we walked and that was all extremely good.

Then there was lunch and a bit of trivia, and hugs goodbye, and Cameron and I got in the car and performed the long drive back home to Maryland. It was a bit over five hours total driving, but actually a quite jolly adventure. There was much exchanging of music! I heard some very good Mariana and the Diamonds and Enya in exchange for Kate Nyx and Vienna Teng. We mutually grooved to Chappell Roan, the place our venns diagramed. Later, as we drove through some quite hard rain and a splashy sort of thunderstorm, we exclaimed over the rainbow chasing alongside us, occasionally joining in the spray of the water on the road to look like it was landing just in front of our car.

And very good conversation, including swapping stories of how we wound up entangled with our sweeties. It's really damn nice to have a partner's family I can groove with, is what I'm saying.

Mom and Barb picked me up in Baltimore, and there were hugs all around which was lovely to happen. And more driving and a stint in the grocery store and bringing in some heavy bags of salt from the car (why carry the 40# bags yourself if you've got a childe to do it for you?) and my bags. Before I did all the carrying, I stopped on the lawn to watch the grove of fireflies flickering across the driveway. That was a magical moment --maybe I should go out again and check if they're still there? It might be too late now, being as it's well past eleven. Still, nothing ventured etc. BRB.

Okay there were still a few, mostly up in the treetops instead of at knee height, but as I was standing there looking, I heard a bit of a noise and I was like "huh, that sounds like rain but it's....it's getting louder and closer. OH SHIT" and run run run back up the drive. I did beat most of it --but only most. It was very jolly, especially since there was at least one pale flash of lightning as I moved. It's been a very good day for storms!

At mom's house, I curled up on the internet with Tailsteak for our regular Taskmaster date, which we haven't had in _ages_ and won't be able to have again for _more ages_. But it was good to get a couple episodes in! Gradually catch up, as it were.

Now mom's doing some scanning and I'm writing my words, and it's a good close to the day. I hope your days are also nice!

~Sor

MOOP!

sparowe

Not Out of God’s Reach

Some years ago a Rottweiler attacked our golden retriever puppy at a kennel. The animal climbed out of its run and into Molly’s and nearly killed her. I wrote a letter to the dog’s owner, urging him to put the dog to sleep. But when I showed the letter to the kennel owner, she begged me to reconsider. “What the dog did was horrible, but I’m still training him. I’m not finished with him yet.”

God would say the same about the Rottweiler who attacked you. “What he did was unacceptable, inexcusable, but I’m not finished yet.” Your enemies still figure into God’s plan. Their pulse is proof. God hasn’t given up on them. They may be out of his will, but not out of his reach. And you honor God when you see them not as his failures, but as his projects.

Read more Facing Your Giants: God Still Does the Impossible

Current Mood: thoughtful

twistedchick

I have been watching 'Elementary' the past week or so, especially during the heat dome of the last few days, and throughout the first three seasons Holmes' father is mentioned a few times but never shows up.

He finally does show up early in season 4, and from the first moment I saw him I kept thinking, 'where do I know this actor from'? His face, older and lined, was like many other actors, but that voice was singular.

So I looked him up.

He played Denethor in LOTR, the bad father who tried to burn his younger son to death and immolate himself on the fire as well -- the worst of the fathers in LOTR.

Tone down the madness, make him a high-level businessman with a finger in every government, and you have Sherlock's father. Pretty good casting.

sparowe

By Name

Marisa MacVey, Ignition (High School) Coordinator, Hope WDM
Romans 16

In Romans 16, Paul is greeting his partners in ministry by name. We hear about Phoebe, Priscilla, and Aquila, three women Paul has worked alongside in ministry. We hear about Andronicus and Junia, two people with whom Paul was imprisoned. We hear about them and so many others whom Paul is “shouting out” by name.

There is something special when you are known by name …

Has there ever been a time when someone you admired from afar called you by name? Where you stopped in your tracks, thinking, “They know my name?!” 🤯 In my workout classes, when the instructor calls out my name, I get a surge of energy. I feel encouraged. I push myself harder. I feel seen, and I feel known. They know me by name.

Paul is one of the greatest evangelists of all time. He was well known and admired by many. If I were Phoebe or Junia and called out by name in a letter by Paul, I would have been stopped in my tracks, amazed he remembered my name.

When you are called by name, it changes things. When I am called out in my workout classes, my mood changes, and the amount of effort I exert changes. When people are known and seen, things change.

We as humans crave to be known and seen, and in a world of so many names and faces and other things going on, it is easy to feel the opposite. It is easy to walk through the aisles of grocery stores and the halls of school and feel totally and utterly alone.

It is in these moments of loneliness that we can be reminded of Isaiah 43:1: But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.”

The God of the universe knows YOU by name.

You have a God who created you. He knows the number of hairs on your head and what you have done and all you are going to do, and he still calls you by name. He still chooses you.

You are fully known and fully seen by a God who loves you and calls you by name.

Current Mood: contemplative

sorcyress

I continue to be having a LAKE VACATION and today I even went into the lake a bit!

Lake was a late-afternoon plan, and I only made it in to about the tops of my thighs, just because it was...comfortable enough outside, and also the water was quite cold. I had a nice conversation hanging with Cameron and discussing our respective indifference to swimming and other nice things. It was good to be able to cool my body by sticking my feet into the water, and I quite preferred it to being inside with the AC, which tends to be too cold for my poor lizard body.

(I am extremely cold-blooded --I get cold quite easily, and am most comfortable at an indoor temperature of probably 78ish, which no one is ever willing to set their houses at. It means this heat wave is hitting me less badly than many people, and I am very grateful for that. It also means I'm about to go put on my flannel, because bare arms are simply much too chilly for the indoors.)

Oo, or I could write my words outside! That is a good plan too!

(I got distracted having a nice chat with grandpa John, about teaching and acceleration and other things. Being pro-vocational schools! The usual. I am so proud of my school district for all the good it's doing, even though I'm exhausted by many of the things they are failing at.)

The other big thing we did today was going to the Candy Store, which was a very nice sort of adventure! We're on touristy sort of lake, so visiting some touristy sorts of shops is lovely, and gave me a chance to get my mother some vintage-style candy she would be excited about. It was also fun to spend time with just the cousins-batch! It's neat to be part of an inter-generational sort of adventure (currently Grandma Judy and Karen(Tues and Cameron's mom) are working on the crossword with other people's help, and the eight of us who are awake are curled around the table snarking each other and helping occasionally. ) but it's especially fun to just hang out with the other "kids".

It should maybe be weirder that I, at age nearly 36, am sitting so comfortably at the kids' table, but let's be real, I absolutely do not feel as though I am a Grown-Up and never have, despite the fact that I am a firm believer in Growing Up Is Good.

I don't really have much else to write about --peaceful lake vacations are good for the soul healing a bit, and curing burn-out but not exactly full of adventures. We went on a walk and saw a bat? We're going to eat strawberry shortcake? We finished a quite neat puzzle and then rearranged it and finished it again? Things are all pretty lovely.

Please stay cool, in both the "physical" and the "don't become a fascist" sorts of way.

~Sor

MOOP!

twistedchick

A somewhat rant about not hearing the opinions of the many Democrats in Congress on Trump declaring war without their consent.

sparowe

ODB: The God Who Rescues

Jun 24, 2025/in Our Daily Bread/by YMI

June 24, 2025

READ: Jeremiah 23:1-8

I myself will gather the remnant of my flock . . . and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number. Jeremiah 23:3

Beneath the rugged cliffs of Brora, Scotland, a sheep needed rescue. Trapped at the base of a cliff, surrounded by steep and unyielding rock on one side and the vast ocean on the other, the sheep had been on its own for two long years. Despite several rescue attempts, no one could reach her until a determined farmer named Cammy Wilson and four friends successfully executed a risky rescue mission. Three members of the team carefully descended nearly 820 feet down the cliff to get her, using a winch and a lot of courage to lift her out of her predicament.

The determined and sympathetic farmer and team reflect the compassion of our loving Father as depicted in Jeremiah 23:1-3. The prophet denounced Judah’s sinful leaders as shepherds who were “destroying and scattering the sheep of [God’s] pasture!” (v. 1). God declared through Jeremiah that—due to the ruthless way they treated His helpless people—He’d “bestow punishment” on them (v. 2). He saw the plight of His scattered flock and was deeply concerned about them. Not only was God concerned, but He also said He’d lovingly regather His sheep from places of exile and bring them to a place of safety and abundance (v. 3).

When we feel lost, trapped, or isolated, our heavenly Father sees our plight and won’t leave us stranded. He actively seeks to rescue and restore us.

— Marvin Williams

In what ways are you spiritually trapped and isolated? How does it encourage you to know God sees your challenge?

Heavenly Father, thank You for being my Good Shepherd.

For further study, read Hope in Sorrow.

Source: Our Daily Bread

Current Mood: hopeful

sorcyress

I am at Keuka!

This is one of the fingerlakes in upstate New York. Tuesday's extended family has been going out to hang out in a rental cabin on the lake for a week or two every summer for basically forever. This year I got dragged along, which is quite exciting!

We arrived yesterday after about twelve total hours of varying kinds of travel, which was...a lot. It would've been better if Tuesday and I could've managed to sit together on the trains but it turns out both the Northeast Corridor and the Vermonter are _super_ crowded always, and if you don't get on them at the terminii you're fucked. But we made it! We settled in a bit and got a brief tour and I had a very good part of my evening where I just wandered outside and lay on the dock and stared at the stars for a tick. Very very good!

Today was officially day 1/3 of my ~lake vacation~ a thing I've basically never done in my life. I have read books! (parts of three different, so yes, there will be a medialog post again soon). I have worked on a puzzle! I have mostly stayed out of the way while people made dinner! I have eaten dinner!!!

And there are two more days of this? I think I can probably manage that. Just...lots of chatting with Tuesday's family, and occasionally reading books or entertaining myself. Marvelous? There ought to be swimming at some point, but most of this afternoon was spent going to the grocery store in a very disorganized little hoard. It was jolly though, and there was a bit in the middle where I was just in a marvelous mood. Feral almost --wild creature released in the grocery store with no particular agenda (because Tuesday and I got to the grock before Karen and Cameron, due to shop shenanigans). Very nice adventure!

Other plans might include going a bit kayaking, or doing some doodling, or maybe actually working on the ESCape lessons I'm teaching in, uh, a week. On Thursday, Cameron and I are going to drive down to Bal'more, since that's where they live and where mom can easily pick me up. I'll be in Maryland for an _extremely_ blitz visit until mom and Robin and I drive back up to Boston and then to...ESCAPE! I'm excited for it!

In other particularly good news, my union ratified its contract today! YAYYY!!! Best damn district in the state woot woot!

I hope you are finding whatever it is you need this week. And not too much heat.

~Sor

MOOP!

sparowe

A Very Present Help

Psalm 46:1-3 – God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.

During a natural disaster or a personal crisis, even faithful believers may cry out in prayer, “Where are you, God? Why don’t you stop all of this from happening?” The people of God have been asking questions like that for a very long time. David asks in a psalm, “How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever?” (Psalm 13:1a). Jesus’ disciples, crossing the Sea of Galilee in a storm-tossed boat, woke Jesus with their frantic plea, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38b). Martha confronted Jesus with a grief-stricken accusation, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:21b). Jesus Himself cried out from the cross, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46b).

Our psalm describes a series of disasters. The earth gives way. Entire mountain ranges slide into the sea. The ocean roars and foams, so much so that the mountains tremble at the sound. The psalmist’s world is collapsing around him. These disasters are far greater than personal troubles and inward fears—or are they? When we endure endless grief, a frightening diagnosis, the loss of employment, family strife, and so much more, it feels very much like our world is collapsing. We endure these things with faith, but the questions may still come. Does God care? Where is He in all of this?

The psalmist knows the answer: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” When the world is collapsing or when our own personal worlds are crumbling, God is our very present help. In these circumstances He is where He has always been and where He will remain. He is right beside us, reliably, certainly, truly present. He is our refuge and strength, our only Source of peace when solid earth gives way beneath our feet. He was present for the psalmist who longed to know when his troubles would end. The Son of God was present in the boat with His frightened disciples. The Lord was present for Mary and Martha as He called their brother Lazarus out of the tomb. God the Father was present even as He abandoned His Son to the suffering of the cross for the sake of our salvation. God was present in strength and power on the first Easter morning, raising His Son to life in triumph over death. The Lord is present in His Word. Jesus is present in His body and blood in His holy Supper. Wherever we are, whatever we must endure, even when the world collapses around us, God is our very present help. He loves us. Where else would He be?

WE PRAY: Lord, whatever happens, I know that You will be present with me. Amen.

This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler.

Current Mood: hopeful

sparowe

ODB: Leave It with God

Jun 22, 2025/in Our Daily Bread/by YMI

June 22, 2025

READ: Psalm 18:1-2, 16-19

The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. Psalm 18:2

Perched high on the climbing wall, Sarah could feel panic rising as her weakening fingers began losing grip on the handholds. Just how hard will I hit the ground? she wondered.

But the instructor kept calling out assurances from below. As the “belayer” tethered to the other end of the rope tied to Sarah’s harness through a pulley, his weight would hold her if she fell. “I’m much heavier than you!” he yelled. “Just let go.”

So she did—and simply swung away from the wall to dangle safely in the air.

The incident gave Sarah a new perspective of the picture of God in Psalm 18:2: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock . . . my stronghold.” Sarah observed, “God is so much heavier than all my problems. I can let go of my worries and fears, and He’ll catch me.”

King David sang the words of Psalm 18 after God rescued him from “deep waters”—these were his “powerful [enemies]” looking to bring about his “day of . . . disaster” (vv. 16-18). Even if his troubles didn’t disappear, he knew he could trust his all-powerful Savior and that God was holding on to him tightly.

— Leslie Koh

What does it mean, in practical terms, to “let go” of a worry and leave it with God? How can you learn to surrender your fears to Him?

Dear Father, thank You that I can let go of all my worries, fears, and anxieties, knowing that You’re in complete control of my life and will keep me from falling.

Source: Our Daily Bread

Current Mood: thoughtful

sorcyress

Today was my third pride! I am realizing I never got around to posting all the bits from my second pride, last weekend, so let's do that first:

( here are the notes from Boston pride a week ago, written in a series of texts )

***

Today was Providence Pride! It was a very different experience from Boston Pride, but still really wonderful and valuable! The biggest differences were a) the weather was the _polar opposite_ and I had to worry about heatstroke instead of my fingers going numb and b) I was attending with people instead of alone.

The latter made it much less of a quasi-spiritual experience. I only cried once, and only a very little bit, not proper sobbing --it was when I found the Mama Dragons group, who had a big sign at their booth that read "Fight like a MOTHER for trans rights". They are such a good group! Fuck yeah!

I think the real thing is that when I am with other people I am a somewhat different person than when I'm alone. I'm compelled to be more stable, which is mostly a good thing, but also just...I dunno. I have to be around only people I feel very safe around in order to be my proper weirdest, or I have to be around total strangers who I will never meet again.

But the people I were with were so good! Tuesday and I went to pride together, and it was very fun to go to A Queer Event as a unit. SamSam was passing through on their own adventures, so we found them soon after we arrived and the three of us spent about fifteen minutes sitting in some cozy shade behind a bush, which was almost pleasant weather-wise. After they went off on their next bit of biking, Tuesday and I met up with a friend of kers called Chris who ke knows through Tech House and Puzzling.

Tuesday and Chris and I spent most of the afternoon together --probably from like 3 until they had to catch a train at nearly 8. We toured some booths, ate from some food trucks, sat in the shade, and toured more booths. I think by the end of it we had probably seen all the booths at the little pride fair, although it was laid out a little roundabout in a way that might've caused us to miss a few. I got some nice bits of swag, including a very explicitly queer patch from GSSNE (Girl Scouts Southeastern New England) and an even better rainbow fan than the one I got last week (this one has PoC and trans stripes, the other just has the core six).

Chris turned out to be very fun to talk to, and we definitely had a few moments of "oof, are you me?!" as we chatted about various forms of sluttery and other fun. It was also neat to get to *chinhands* as they shared various forms of college drama with Tuesday, and I could learn some secret scandals from my partner's life before me. I am a simple man with simple pleasures!

Attending the fair was lovely, but as mentioned it was _brutal_ hot and bright out. I realized eventually that part of the problem was that my Very Cute Sunglasses are just slightly off prescription-wise from my regular sunglasses --not enough to be an immediate problem, but if I am wearing them for five hours straight, it starts to make my body unhappy. I went in the mist tent for a bit to cool down, and then we sat somewhere shaded enough that I could swap out for my regular glasses and take an ibuprofen, all of which helped. On the plus side, neither Tuesday nor I appear to have any sunburn! We brought our own sunscreen, but I did heartily approve of the multiple (mostly mom-like) people at the event who had bottles of their own that they were offering to everyone.

Chris had to catch a train, so they couldn't join me and Tuesday for the parade, which happens after the fair in PVD. We missed the very beginning, but caught most of it, and did lots of cheering and whooping and the like. I had happy screams for the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence again (although apparently I have a much less strong reaction to them when they are in short cute sun-dresses as opposed to their full nun robes). We ogled some pole dancers doing good work, and very much enjoyed a local horror group who were strutting around kinkily while wearing very little clothing.

I also howled real good for the puppy players, and when they stopped for a little bit just in front of us, I wound up giving one of them a bunch of scritches and making sure he'd been drinking water and telling him he was a good boy. I have known for a long time that I really enjoy interacting with pups, and I wish I had more excuses to hang with them. Maybe I should try and go back to Frolicon some year?

The city was chockablock full of hot queers, and it was delightful. That's my favourite part of any pride, just heaps of little positive interactions with My Community. Smiles and compliments and blown kisses and lusty stares and all having a very wonderful time!

Happy Pride, y'all!

~Sor

MOOP!

sparowe

Getting Through the Storm

Mark 4:38-41 – But He [Jesus] was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” And He awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

“Jesus, don’t You care?” Two-thousand years ago was not the last time that question has been asked. That’s because any time we’re caught in a natural disaster or accident or illness the temptation is there to ask, “Jesus, don’t You care?” When people wonder where God has gone, when they ask, “If God is a God of love, why doesn’t He stop this?” we are rephrasing the disciples’ question: “Jesus, don’t You care?”

The truth of it is no one cares more than Jesus. Listen to Him as He, looking through an intense pain, provided for His mother; offered forgiveness to those responsible for His crucifixion, and invited a dying sinner into heaven (see John 19:25-27; Luke 23:34, 43). Most certainly Jesus cared. It was His caring which—after He had fulfilled the Law we have broken, after He had resisted all of Satan’s temptations—allowed Him to confidently proclaim, “It is finished!”

Yes, Jesus cares. The disciples had hardly finished waking Jesus up before He was on His feet, calming the raging waters around them. But other storms would come their way, and their faith during those storms was not an improvement on what they did on the Sea of Galilee. When Jesus asked them to pray with Him, they fell asleep. When He was arrested, they ran away. When He was crucified, they slipped into hiding. When He rose from the dead, they were slow to get it.

The time eventually came when they, touched by the Holy Spirit’s power, were given understanding and faith. By God’s mighty grace, they were transformed, and these meek little lambs became the Lord’s lions, proclaiming the conquering Christ to a sin-sickened world, which so desperately needed to hear that message.

And this is a message you and I need to hear, too. In life’s storms, during those times when we’re afraid, when we question whether we can make it through the next day, the next hour, we need to hear Jesus. He will—just as He did for the disciples those many years ago—rise up and still the storm. Sometimes He will make that storm disappear; other times He will give us the power to get through that storm. But either way, with Jesus we will survive. We will survive until the day comes when He safely takes us to our home port in heaven. On that day, if we look back, we will see and thank Him for the many storms He has stilled in our lives.

WE PRAY: Heavenly Father, You sent Your Son to calm the storms in our lives. Teach us to trust in Him. In His Name we pray. Amen.

From “Jesus, Don’t You Care?” a sermon from Rev. Dr. Kenneth Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour

Current Mood: thoughtful

sparowe

ODB: And God Sent . . . Moths?

Jun 20, 2025/in Our Daily Bread/by YMI

June 20, 2025

READ: Matthew 6:25-34

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Matthew 6:26

“AaaaAAAAHHHK!” my daughter shrieked. “DaaaaDDDYY! Get UP here!”

I knew what was wrong: a moth. Every spring, an armada of these dusty insects migrates from the plains of Nebraska to the mountains of Colorado, where they summer. Each year, we brace for their arrival. This year had been especially bad.

To humans, miller moths are unwanted pests that often fly right into your face. But to birds, well, it’s a feast. Doing a little research, I learned that the moths provide incredible nutrition for the region’s swallows. As annoying as they are, these moths are veritable “manna” for the birds.

I don’t know if Israel had moth migrations in Jesus’ day. But Christ took note of God’s provision for the birds there, saying in the Sermon on the Mount, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:26).

So these days, I look at moths differently. Not as dirty pests but as winged reminders of God’s provision for His creation—and as a living metaphor for His provision for me too. If God provides so richly for the swallows, how much more does He care for me and for you?

— Adam Holz

How do you see God’s provision for creation where you live? How might that serve as a reminder of His care for you too?

Father, the beauty of Your provision is ever on display. Thank You for the richness of Your creation. Please give me eyes to see Your handiwork, and let it remind me of Your goodness.

Source: Our Daily Bread

Current Mood: thankful

sparowe

ODB: One in Christ

Jun 19, 2025/in Our Daily Bread/by YMI

June 19, 2025

READ: Galatians 3:26-29

There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28

Phillis Wheatley, the first published African American poet, used biblical themes to persuade believers in Jesus to abolish slavery. Born around 1753 in western Africa, Wheatley was sold to a slave trader at only seven years of age. Quicky distinguishing herself as a remarkable student, she finally secured her emancipation in 1773. In her poems and correspondence, Wheatley pressed her readers to embrace the scriptural affirmation of the equality of all people. She wrote, “In every human Breast, God has implanted a Principle, which we call Love of Freedom; It is impatient of Oppression, and pants for Deliverance; and . . . the same Principle lives in us.”

Equality before God is a truth emphasized by Paul when he wrote, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). Because we’re “all children of God through faith” (v. 26), differences such as race, ethnicity, gender, or social status shouldn’t lead to discrimination in the church.

Even as equal recipients of God’s love, we still struggle to live out this principle. But Scripture teaches that diverse peoples united through faith in Christ best reflect God’s heart and is His plan for life in eternity. That reality can help us to celebrate the diversity in our communities of faith now.

— Lisa M. Samra

How does diversity better represent God? How can you celebrate diversity in Christ?

Dear Jesus, please help me love my brothers and sisters through the unity only made possible in You.

Source: Our Daily Bread

Current Mood: thoughtful

sorcyress

Today was the day off to fuck around! Like, the single day I have to recover from burnout of the past school year and be ready for the upcoming several weeks of _stuff_. I'm sure that's fine, I'm sure that's how brains work.

Anyways, I spent the first ninety minutes of the day or so wandering around the various Alewife parks/reserves. There's a lot of good nature over there! I saw multiple turtles and a well posed squirrel and a pretty moth and some ducks! Also lots of green, which smelled overpoweringly of flowers and nature and that's weirdly good despite being a sensory nightmare.

Then I went home and played a _lot_ of days of Stardew Valley, ( the next two paragraphs are boring unless you're also into Stardew! )

In the real world, I wrapped up the evening by hanging with Ruthie and The Toddler for a bit. It was a good evening! A dinosaur drove a truck, which is entirely a correct thing for toddler toys to be doing. And the bedtime story was Magic School Bus and the Hurricane, which was great fun.

Tomorrow has many plans. Here are some of them:

*Call Tuesday, work out final plans/timing for the next few days

*Possibly create A Snack for the pride party

*Go to the grocery store

*Write an entire pre-Pinewoods todo list

*Clean the bathrooms

*Photograph free stuff so I can put it on Facebook and maybe even get it out of the house before I go

*Laundry is a Friday plan. So is packing for mine and Tuesday's adventures and maybe if I'm really good packing one (1) bag for Pinewoods.

Huzzah or whatever!

(And maybe after my dance party I can play a few more days of Stardew).

~Sor

MOOP!

sparowe

ODB: No Ordinary People

Jun 18, 2025/in Our Daily Bread/by YMI

June 18, 2025

READ: Titus 3:1-11

Remind them . . . to show perfect courtesy toward all people. Titus 3:1-2 esv

The statement on the wall of my bank declares that its corporate principles could be summed up in a single word: courtesy. And how refreshing it was to find courtesy in the teller who helped me with my transaction there!

In a harsh and unkind world, to be driven by courtesy is a big idea. We find this concept in the apostle Paul’s letter to his friend Titus. He instructed Titus to remind his congregation “to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people” (Titus 3:2 esv). This idea of courtesy is also rendered as “peaceable and considerate” (niv) or “showing every consideration” (nasb).

How we treat others reveals whether we see them as image bearers of God or not. C. S. Lewis wrote of this in The Weight of Glory: “There are no ordinary people,” he said. “You have never talked to a mere mortal.” Lewis anticipated eternity, where we’ll either enjoy God’s presence or be banished from Him forever. So he reminds us, “It is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit—immortal horrors or everlasting splendors.”

May we allow the Spirit to enable us to treat those around as what they truly are—image bearers of God.

— Bill Crowder

What effect does the absence of courtesy have on your interactions? How might you intentionally bring more courtesy into those interactions?

Dear God, it’s easy to get frustrated with people. Please give me a patient spirit and a heart of kindness that I might treat everyone with dignity and courtesy.

For further study, read Cleaning Under the Rug.

Source: Our Daily Bread

Current Mood: determined

sorcyress

I did it! I finished cleaning up my room! I was able to play School's Out For Summer at about 6:50pm or so, which is plenty good as these things go. *THUMP* goes the brain. I would like to do absolutely nothing! But things are coming up!

Here's some good things coming up in the near future:

*I'm going to go to Keuka (in the finger lakes in NY) with Tuesday's family! This appears to be the kind of vacation where you just chill out and read books and go for walks and things. I'm excited! I don't really know how to have that kind of vacation, so it'll be a good chance to try things out.

*I'm doing a road trip from Keuka to MD with Cameron (Tuesday's sibling) which sounds like it will be quite a nice time, honestly. I've road-tripped with Tuesday a fair amount, and ker mom a few times, so I'm excited to do it with another member of the family.

*Almost immediately after, I'm road-tripping back up from MD to Boston (and then ESCape) with mom and Wicked Auntie Robin. Mom and I are definitely compatible road trip buddies! I think Robin will be a good third!

(I recently got a kickstarter which is "gay games to play in the car with your girlfriend while she drives you to go camping" so I'm excited to have some road trips to play the gay games!)

*ESCape is going to be amazing, obviously. I'm the official scottish teacher! I get to MC in the evenings and teach two classes! AAAAH! Good aah, but also stressed aah.

*Once I'm back from ESCape I get to actually breathe for a week or so, which is going to be my play video games time. I am _extremely_ looking forward to it.

And then there's some other stuff in the back half of the summer. That's good too!

~Sor

MOOP!

sparowe

ODB: Clinging to God’s Promises

Jun 17, 2025/in Our Daily Bread/by YMI

June 17, 2025

READ: Isaiah 55:1-3, 8-13

My ways [are] higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:9

Wendy was feeling a little left out. During lunch break, her boss had left chocolates on everyone’s desks—except hers. Puzzled, she lamented to a friend, “Why did he leave me out?”

When asked, their boss explained: “Those chocolates are still good, but they’ve been around for some time. Wendy’s pregnant, so I just wanted to play it extra safe.” Then he laughed. “As for the rest of you . . . .”

The little incident became a running joke in the office, but it got me thinking about how we sometimes misread God’s intentions because of our limited understanding and perception. We may even believe ourselves to be victims of unfair treatment, forgetting that God always has our best interests at heart. Always.

Isaiah 55:8-9 reminds us that while we may not fully understand God’s thoughts and ways, we can be sure that they’re “higher than [our] ways” (v. 9). Ours are often influenced by selfish desires; His are perfect, compassionate, and righteous. So even when things don’t look good for now, we can trust that God will provide what we truly need (vv. 1-2), for He’s loving and faithful to His own everlasting promise (v. 3). Let’s “call on him while he is near” (v. 6), knowing that He’ll never leave us.

— Leslie Koh

Which promises of God can you hold on to when life seems unfair? Which aspects of His character give you comfort and assurance?

Faithful God, You know I sometimes feel left out of Your blessings and doubt Your love for me. Please help me to trust in You and to hold on tightly to Your everlasting promises.

Source: Our Daily Bread

Current Mood: thoughtful

sparowe

ODB: Changed by the Spirit

Jun 16, 2025/in Our Daily Bread/by YMI

June 16, 2025

READ: 2 Corinthians 3:12-18

We . . . are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18

When Neil Douglas boarded his flight to Ireland, he discovered his seat was occupied by another passenger, so he began a conversation to sort out the discrepancy. When the passenger looked up to answer, Neil was face to face with his lookalike! Onlooking passengers laughed at the men’s resemblance while the two took a selfie. Later, they ran into each other again when checking into the same hotel and a third time at a local pub. The next morning, they discovered their selfie had gone viral on social media due to their striking facial similarities.

Bearing a resemblance to another human being is a surprise for those of us without a biological twin, but the Bible says we’ll begin to look more like God as we follow Him. In the Old Testament, Moses’ countenance was changed by his face-to-face encounter with God—so much so that “the Israelites could not look steadily at [his face] because of its glory” (2 Corinthians 3:7; see Exodus 34:33-35).

Today, we see the glory of Jesus revealed in people who “are being transformed into his image” through the ministry of the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:18; see v. 8). Our growing knowledge of and love for God results in moral and spiritual transformation that’s visible both inwardly and outwardly. When God “makes over” our hearts and minds, it’s evident to our fellow travelers in this journey of life.

— Kirsten Holmberg

How has knowing Jesus changed you? What is He growing in you today?

Thank You, God, for continuing to transform me into Your likeness.

Source: Our Daily Bread

Current Mood: thoughtful

sorcyress

I have two days left of school, which is probably good, and then I slam into summer with several weeks of Very Exciting. I'm going to drive to MD and back in the span of about four days. Somewhere in here I need to finish preparing for my ESCape classes. I have to pack?!?! Maybe all my stints on crew mean I'll be able to pack a lot lighter than usual for ESC/Scots (lolno).

Tomorrow I should figure out everything that needs to be done in the school building before I depart for the year. Packing up. Printing things. Recycling many many pieces of paper. Submitting grades and paperwork and the like. (The printing things is sneakily a "prepare for ESCape" thing to do --I want to have some properly formatted dances or What Have You. I seem to recall I did quite a lot of this as a work-in-company with Veronica last summer, I probably won't have the MD time to do that again, but it's worth noting that MD does have printers. And so does MA. It's not the end of the world if I fail to print things, is what I'm saying.)

I've been playing lots of Stardew Valley, which I'm quite into, even if I'm getting a little stuck on some of the plot bits. Not looking anything up is a bit of a drag, but also feels very very good when I do figure things out myself. I am glad to have realized I can go back through the library and reread the books I've found --I was worried those were one shot readings, and I'd forgotten the early ones. Anyways, no spoilers, I'm a bit into my second summer.

Went to service ringing today, for probably my last bells for a month. So that's...a lot. Luckily it did not emotionally overwhelm me, maybe partly because I've had a low-key headache for a few days now. I arrived at Advent in time to help ring down, and then we did a mostly nice extent of Cambridge at Old North. (It was only mostly nice because everybody spontaneously exploded when we got to the plain course, and we limped through and barely made it. Sigh.)

Yesterday was pride and I wrote up a bunch of thoughts and should probably post them somewhere, instead of just manually sending them to various partners who like hearing about my life. I suppose there are others of you who like hearing about my life as well or whatever.

I finally picked back up the Endless Photo Organization Project the other day, and sorted a handful of photos. I forgot to note the number at the beginning, so I have no idea how many things got tagged. It's nice to get back into the swing of the project, and extremely nice to have set the whole thing up on the external harddrive, so switching it from old computer to new was essentially trivial. I wish I could figure out a few more keyoard shortcuts to speed things up a tick, but I'm feeling pretty okay with the mousing that has to be done.

Having finished words, I should do at least one of the dishes and going to sleep. Goodnight!

~Sor

MOOP!

sparowe

Free Tickets to the Show

Murph Hutson, Pastor, Hope Grimes
Romans 11:1-12

I love all kinds of music. My playlists are an eclectic arrangement of genres and styles. And I especially love going to live concerts. There is something about being in the room that changes everything. And the two best concerts I have ever seen—unlike what my playlists would suggest—were by the same artist, Garth Brooks.

Both concerts were very different experiences. See, Garth does this thing where he wants everyone to pay a reasonable price regardless of where they sit. When I saw him in 1997, I just had to pick up a wristband with a number on it from a ticket location. I then returned the day the tickets went on sale, and they drew a number. We lined up in the order of the numbers following the one that was drawn. And my number was actually the one drawn. I was first in line! And I paid $20 for my seat (the same as the person in the top of the balcony). Then, in 2016, I saw him again in Des Moines from the rafters for $70, the same as people in the front row.

I did nothing special to get into the building in either case. I didn’t have to pay a crazy price, and I had the most amazing time at both shows. This is just a tiny glimpse of what God has for you and me. God has a gift of grace for each of us that requires nothing of us but to receive it. We don’t have to pay for it or work for it, and we definitely don’t have to do anything to deserve it. Through that free gift of grace, we’re in! We’ve got free tickets to the show! A show that won’t last a few hours but an eternity—one filled with greater joy than we can possibly imagine.

And lest we start to think it has something to do with us, Paul makes sure to point out that God’s kindness and grace have zilch to do with our good works. “For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved” (11:6). Rather, it is a gift from God, as Paul reminds us in his letter to the Ephesians: “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this: it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

I can’t wait to see you at God’s show! Because no matter where you are inside, it’s going to be the best seat in the house. Even better, the tickets are absolutely free for all who believe in Jesus.

Reflection:

When you consider that God’s grace is a gift for you that is completely “free and undeserved,” how does that impact how you go about your day today? What can you do to more intentionally be with God than to do things for God?
Who in your life needs to hear about this free gift of grace? Will you make plans to let them know how the gift has impacted you?

Current Mood: thankful

vvalkyri

John Tester on the Senate markup of the Reconciliation that includes selling 3 million acres of public lands. Except Montana, to get Zinke vote. That's around the size of Connecticut. And recreational and hunting use of public lands is a huge economic driver especially for small business.
Are you in an outdoorsy social media group? Make sure they know about this.
(I am listening to it oon1.8 speed, and it's about as fast as I usually talk if I'm a little excited.)

https://www.youtube.com/live/-Z24G0kcpIY

Trying to rush myself out up to MayDay so that I've gone somewhere before working on the apartment today. Eric Swalwell was fire and funny: https://www.youtube.com/live/KkenuPMgAbA

There's a lot to worry about today, and part of why I failed to go to bed last night is probably that. Trying to tell people to have situational awareness and I'm worried that what with a number of states calling up guard or emergency things will be far more tense with police than in the last several months.

And then there's the horrific news out of minnesota.

Got to get in the shower.

sparowe

God, It’s Me. Will You Accept the Charges?

Murph Hutson, Pastor, Hope Grimes
Romans 10:5-21

One Saturday when I was 16, I wanted to go visit my cousin in Knoxville, Tenn., so we could play a round of golf. I lived about 45 minutes away and the route involved lots of interstate travel with multiple exchanges. Now, this was before I had a phone or any sort of GPS. So, my parents wrote down the directions for me on a piece of paper and I followed them to the letter.

My cousin and I had a great time golfing, and then it was time for me to return home. The problem was that my parents had not written down the directions for how to return home. Now, to be fair, I had seen my parents make the journey successfully many times. So, while in theory, I should have just gone the opposite direction on exits, remember I was only 16, not yet a seasoned driver, and it was as if everything I had seen before had vanished from my mind.

As I tried to figure it out on the fly, I finally had to admit that I was going in the wrong direction and didn’t know what to do. In fact, I was well on my way to North Carolina when I decided to stop. I pulled over and used a pay phone to make a collect call home so my parents could save me and guide me back to our house. If you’re young enough for that last sentence not to make any sense, just know it was really hard back in the dark ages.

As it happens, God’s chosen people experienced something similar in their own journey. God had given them his instructions (the law) and they had worked diligently to follow them to the letter. Yet, somewhere along the way, they had been so focused on adhering to the instructions that they missed what God had been pointing them to all along—their need for a Savior.

They had been trying to save themselves through adherence to the law and by claiming their birthright as descendants of Abraham. However, God wanted them to trust in his promise of a messiah. In other words, God wanted them to trust in his leading. But when Jesus came, many failed to see that he was exactly what they had been looking for the whole time. And, like me—driving on an interstate to who knows where in North Carolina—they kept searching for the answer in the wrong places and in themselves, following a path that was not going to lead them to their home.

What they needed then—and what you and I need today—is a return to the arms of a good father. When we rely on his guidance and trust in his ways far beyond our own, we take the bold step of allowing God to be God. That means trusting in him for our salvation, not just in ourselves. As Paul reminds us through quoting the prophet Joel, “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (10:13). So, maybe it’s time to stop the car and get help from our Lord. He loves us enough to even take a collect call.

Reflection:

What are some areas of your life that you have not fully submitted to God yet? Why have you been holding back in those areas?
Take a moment and call God collect (he always accepts the charges) through prayer. Ask him to guide you home and take time to listen for his response.

Current Mood: thoughtful

vvalkyri

There's over 2,000 listed NoKings.org events for the 14th, everywhere except dc. *

Which is amazeballs. It's actually closer to 2200.

Bad enough that the right wing crazies have finally gotten around to noticing there's a distributed protest movement and are acting threatening.

But I'm also seeing a number of states that have activated guard or emergency

And I'm seeing how a couple nights ago a bunch of people got arrested because they were prevented from leaving an area until after curfew.

And so the distributive protest movements have been absolutely remarkably unspicy.

I'm worried that's about to change. Maintain situational awareness and maybe do more of that protest prep than we have had any need for so far.
AltNPS essay on how did it escalate so fast

Meanwhile, also, I'm feeling really guilty for not going out to MayDay tonight since I've managed to stay up till nearly 4 for no apparent reason. And I haven't gotten much at all useful done on the apartment ahead of maintenance. Might still manage to get out to some of DC Joy day, which free DC put together deliberately to be somewhere far away from the parade.

* This is what 50501dc is doing: https://50501dc.com/event/louder-than-lies/

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blueeowyn

April 2025

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