The Return of Paganism - Liel Leibovitz, Commentary Magazine
Tuesday, April 18, 2023
Monday, April 17, 2023
Thursday, April 13, 2023
"Easter Reflections" - JR Everhart (I Apologize For This Post's Tardiness)
As I reflect on my faith this Easter 2023 weekend, I’m reminded of how I take it all for granted. - God's love, and Grace, Jesus’ sacrifice, death, and resurrection. Taking comfort in him is so much a part of my life that I regularly forget the price that was paid to provide me access to that comfort. I’m a sinner, there’s no question about that. Nonetheless, I miss the mark regularly and thank God the world around me doesn’t hear my thoughts or see the struggles I engage in privately.
But God sees those struggles and refuses to give up on me. He’s always ready to sit down and share a meal with me and just talk about my pain and struggles. My story is full of many details that most do not care to talk about all of which I have spent the last ten years talking about with my recovery family. But we all have a story, and for those of us who've been victimized, either we choose to hate the people as well as the world that has victimized us, or we choose to forgive, rebuild, restore, and live in freedom. It's a fact that guilt and shame has been such a part of my life for so long that it’s almost like wearing an old pair of sneakers. I’m used to how they fit no matter how bad their worn-out soles are for my feet. I’m a broken man in so many ways that I’ve come to accept that parts of me will never be fixed ('till glory). Parts of me are still so connected to the trauma from my past that it will only die when I move forward into glory. Always in desperate need of a Savior, someone that can be strong enough to do for me what I cannot do for myself (get it right 100% of the time).
Because I’ve tried close to everything this world has to offer, finding that nothing truly satisfies quite like reaching out to you, knowing I’m enough - in spite of all my junk. Not because of anything I’ve done, but because of everything you did for me at Calvary. The healing and growth I’ve experienced has only flowed from the cross and under the redemptive blood you shed for me. When I deserved death, you became death for me. When I’m lost in prideful sin, and the lust of my eyes, you call out my name and draw me toward you. No matter how lost I’ve found myself, over and over again, I could still feel you tugging at me - all the while just wishing to sit down and talk about it with me. Thank you Jesus for loving me a million times over when I couldn’t even love myself. Thank you for never giving up on me and making me feel like I have purpose in this world. I am not lost, I’m just clumsy at being a Christian. But I am worthy of love and acceptance. I have value even in the face of the demons of hell constantly throwing my failures in my face. I am an over-comer through Christ Jesus. Great is his power to extinguish the lies of the enemy. Thank you, Lord for hanging on that cross 2003 years ago whilst looking into the future and seeing this overweight kid in WV that would need you desperately. To overcome the horrors of this world and find peace and purpose to walk forward each and every day. My heart belongs to you, Lord I belong to you… 🙌🏻
Wednesday, April 12, 2023
A Wife's (Marital) Sexual Charms / Scorecard = A Husband's Sexual Faithfulness To His Marriage...!?!
Is the wife in anyway responsible for her husband's faithfulness within their marriage? That's the ultimate question as it pertains to the title of this post.
You've likely heard husbands comfortably saddle wives with the responsibility of keeping their libidos satiated / tamed. Some of these men are pastors who've boldly made those claims from the pulpit.
Again, Is she responsible in this regard as the wife of her husband?
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This is about as cut-&-dry an issue (for some men) as making weekly date nights a priority for married couples, or husbands bringing their wives flowers once a week.
And we men, overall, like cut-&-dry. It simplifies by shirking the responsibility solely onto someone else.
A recent "experiental" video that was presented (as our topical jumping off point) within the virtual Samson Society meeting I regularly attend featured Mr. Robbie Harvey (YouTube) talking about serendipitously "depositing love / goodness" into his wife (daily) and receiving two-fold love / goodness in return. Every time. Now that's manly cut-&-dryness. It's reliable and easy to understand whilst being quite covertly manipulative / passive aggressive.
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If you were to look at marriage as a kaleidoscope relationship that's rotating (& thereby transforming) - to some degree - daily (if not hourly) versus a static, formulaic program, I'm convinced that it not only will be seen much more accurately but appreciated / extolled far more relative to its ever-changing, complex beauty.
As such, blanket active / reactive statements regarding marriage would immediately be pushed aside as inappropriate / unfair / stupid.
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I'm convinced that Satan lures husbands into this over-simplified fray by exploiting their hardwiring as problem solvers who may very well be biased towards performance (as many men are).
If that's you, be wary of this sort of dumbass thinking towards marriage. It's dangerous, ineffective, and a huge waste of time. Unless you're married to a robot woman.
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