elections for all

For the pessimist:

   

For the optimist:

   

For the Christian:

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.” This took place to fulfil what was spoken through the prophet: “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’” The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” 

For those observing:

  

For those involved: I have a dream

funky town

I played Archer in the closing paragraphs, and looking up, I walked up the stairs instead- all five flights. Archer, oh Archer, you had it all wrong- it would've been as real as you imagined!

I guess, London is home too in some ways and this reminds me that the best is yet to be!

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Words to describe my recent UK shindig (in no particular order):

• Fellowship 
• Friends 
• Gospel 
• Luther 
• Lion King 
• Tube 
• Warrington 
• Jacket potatoes 
• English breakfasts 
• Old Trafford 
• Crosby Beach 
• Cold 
• Trains 
• Coffee 
• Plan

Went without a plan, did nothing, and ended up doing everything I went there for. Priceless.

why we should read the OT

Reblogged from and all 10 got eaten by a werewolf

This is my favorite scene. 

If you’ve read the Silmarillion, you know who Fëanor was. If you don’t, Fëanor was the great elf who created the Silmarils: three indescribably beautiful and magical jewels that contained the light and essence of the world before it became flawed. They were the catatlyst for basically every important thing that happened in the First Age of Middle Earth. 

It is thought that the inspiration for the Silmarils came to Fëanor from the sight of Galadriel’s shining, silver-gold hair. 

He begged her three times for single strand of her beautiful hair. And every time, Galadriel refused him. Even when she was young, Galadriel’s ability to see into other’s hearts was very strong, and she knew that Fëanor was filled with nothing but fire and greed. 

Fast forward to the end of the Third Age. 

Gimli, visiting Lorien, is also struck by Galadriel’s beauty. During the scene where she’s passing out her parting gifts to the Fellowship, Galadriel stops empty-handed in front of Gimli, because she doesn’t know what to offer a Dwarf. Gimli tells her: no gold, no treasure… just a single strand of hair to remember her beauty by. 

She gives him three. Three. 

And this is why Gimli gets to be an Elf Friend, people. Because Galadriel looks at him and thinks he deserves what she refused the greatest Elf who ever lived—- and then twice that. And because he has no idea of the significance of what she’s just given him, but he’s going to treasure it the rest of his life anyway. 

Just look at that smile on Legolas’s face in the last panel. He gets it. He knows the backstory. And I’m pretty sure this is the moment he reconsiders whether Elves and Dwarves can’t be friends after all.

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Sometimes I feel like Legolas when I discover hidden meanings in the NT when reading it in light of the OT- reasons why we should get a balanced diet of OT and NT. You know what they say: a text without a context is a pre-text for a proof-text. Dive in.

mobile

Off the shore, off the coast, 
O’er miles and miles of sea, 
An edifice made of nuts and bolts- 
A home away from home for me. 

There’s a chest of gold for souls willing to be whisked away at dawn, not knowing if dusk’ll bring them home. Time is precious, and mobility is highly rewarded. Gold for gold! And keel over its weight. Better Gold, than gold, and choice is a luxury fit for kings.

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Say me a little prayer, while combing your hair now.

twenty-thirteen

there once was a lad named p'er,
h'made a promise to keep fo' d'new year-
to lose some fat,
and gain a six-pack,
and ne'er t'touch a pint' o'beer.

Don't you love these funny resolutions? =) keep it real.

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Here's to the year ahead, have a laugh: