Today's Document

tannertan36
Sade Olutola
YOU ARE THE REASON
Not today Justin
dirt enthusiast
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Peter Solarz
No title available

JVL

Andulka

No title available
ojovivo
Xuebing Du

pixel skylines
hello vonnie
let's talk about Bridgerton tea, my ask is open
we're not kids anymore.

Origami Around
Keni

seen from Malaysia
seen from United States
seen from Malaysia

seen from Pakistan

seen from United States

seen from Germany
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from China

seen from Germany
seen from China
seen from United States

seen from Germany
seen from United States
seen from Malaysia
seen from Türkiye
seen from Germany
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Saudi Arabia
@emmanuelaleonard
I’m rooting for everybody black.
“Nothing in the affairs of men is worthy of great anxiety.”
— Plato (via fyp-philosophy)
The lies you tell, Plato… the lies you tell.
“When God puts something on your heart, that means it’s on His heart, too. People spend so much time worrying about whether or not God wants them to do something when He specifically placed it on their heart to do it.”
— Jon Pasquale (via nonelikejesus)
Other compliments that do NOT focus on appearance:
It’s so nice to hear your laugh. It’s good to see you. I’m glad you’re here. That was clever. Great idea. You’re so thoughtful. You’re hilarious. You make me laugh. I enjoy your company.
God the Filter
Every Friday night, youth from my church meet up to talk about our week and do a spiritual check in.
During our conversation this past Friday, the topic about our creative endeavors came up. The conversation began with the reality that God works as a filter in our lives. For example, if I journal before I pray, what I write is completely different from what I write when I pray before I write in my journal. God seems to put things in new lens or perspective.
We talked about doing the same thing with our creative endeavors. Lifting our creative endeavors to God before we actually go and do it. As I write this I think I should have given this to God before I wrote it.
I want God to be a filter to the work I do. I want Him to go before me. Hopefully, it spurs greater creative growth.
You can not live for the applause of men.
Emmanuel Leonard
Lately
I’ve been noticing that I do good or point out good things I’ve done to hide when I’ve fallen below the mark.
For example, if someone catches me saying “I hate that bitch” under my breath, I’ll overcompensate by talking about Jesus or casually share something nice I did for someone.
I hate that I do that.
I don’t want to prove my ‘goodness’ or ‘worthiness’ to anyone.
The truth is I don’t like some people (I probably really don’t like that bitch).
The truth is I curse a lot.
The truth is I’m very sexual and not ashamed of it.
The truth is I really love Jesus.
The truth is I love sharing the gospel with kids and being there for them.
The truth is today I’m writing a letter to someone in jail just because I care.
Anything good in me is from God. I find it an honor that he would use a broken vessel for His good bidding in this world. I am not good in and of myself and I need to stop pretending that I am. I care too much what people think and lately God has been opening my eyes to how deep I care.
God continue to open my eyes. Break me free from the desire to be exalted in the eyes of the people around me. Bring to the place where my deepest longing is to please You. Amen.
What then?
Came.
Now I feel ashamed. Trying to hurry and leave now that it’s done.
Home.
Shower, brush my teeth, then sleep.
Ask God for forgiveness and get busy with His work.
Pretend it didn’t happen.
A couple weeks past then I download that app again and see if you’re free.
It’s cycle I’ve repeated many times.
I find that my shame leads me to the place where I can feel good about myself. Pretend that the darkness I find in myself doesn’t exist.
Today, is a good day, for the most part. I already came so there’s no reason to hookup with you tonight.
But what happens on the day when I haven’t came and I’m on that app and you’re available? What then?
What then?
I often stop there.
That place where ‘we’ll see what happens.”
But I don’t want that anymore.
I want to leave this shit.
Not succumb to this shit.
To rise out of this shit.
To be victorious over this shit.
We’ll see.
We’ll see.
Spring 🌸 . . . . #spring #springtime #springtimeandharvest #pink #flowers #growth #lookingforwardtosummer #tree #trees #skyblue #blue #blueskies #clouds #nocloudsinthesky #bloom #nofilter #iPhone7Plus #iPhone7PlusPhotography #iPhonePhotography #iPhonePhoto #🌸 (at Homewood Public Library)
Black Christian Authors?
Lately, I’ve been frustrated by the lack of black Christian authors to read. During my devotional time I read through several books that inspire and encourage my spiritual life. I really enjoy all that I’ve gained and learned from the time I take out to meditate on God and His word. But all the books I read, excluding the Bible, are written primarily by white men and one white woman.
Now, that being said, I in no way want to imply God can’t speak to our spiritual life through white voices. God will use any voice to talk to us. But I’m concerned that my spiritual life is hindered when I listen to one type of voice or perspective. I want to hear from black christian thinkers and Asian christian thinkers. I want my spiritual life to be formed by a world of believers not just white believers.
So with that being said, I am going on a search for authors of color that I can learn from. Both men and women authors. Particularly black, though I am open to more minorities. I’m already excited about one that came out and that I’m about to order. It’s the Africa Study Bible with commentary by African ministers! The only downside is that it’s written in the New Living Translation, which I’m not really a fan of but I’m open to trying out a new translation.
Do you all have any recommendations or suggestions of Christians books by black authors that have really blessed your spiritual life?
Victory belongs to Jesus, Victory belongs to Him
Todd Dulaney
...
I hate when bloggers or vloggers apologize for not posting consistently or not having produced new content for a long time. It usually goes something like this:
“Hey guys! Sorry I haven’t posted in a while. I’ve been caught up in life and blah blah blah. I made a promise this year that I would do this and I’m not. But expect to see new content every week!”
Bullshit.
I haven’t been posting on consistent basis as I would like to. I won’t promise that I’ll start being consistent. I hope you all who read my writings will continue to read.
Manny
Investment
When we hear the word ‘investment’ we typically think of money or some form of capital. Rarely do we think about ourselves as investments. But we are and it’s up to us what to do with it. Our body, mind, and spirit all need different types of investments.
I’ve been thinking about investment a lot lately. Past investments, present investments, future investments, failed investments, and successful investments.
This year I had goals of investing in my body. I bought protein powder so that I could gain weight, I signed up for a gym membership, I bought one of those Ninja blenders to drink smoothies every morning with my protein powder, and I made a schedule to eat every three hours. But I’m failing in that investment. I stopped taking the protein powder because it was giving me headaches and making me sleepy. I cancelled my gym membership because I wasn’t going to the gym at all and I stopped eating every three hours, even though my alarm on my phone still goes off every three hours reminding me to eat. The only thing I still do is drink a smoothie every morning.
I invested in my education so that it could take me to a greater place in life. I have a bachelors degree in religion with a minor in communication studies, a masters degree in communication, and a certification in broadcasting. It cost me $115,000 in loans. It’s an investment that hasn’t paid off yet. Hopefully it will. My education is an investment to the future I want for myself. It’s the bedrock on which my dream of a career in broadcasting, ideally, will be built upon. I’m keeping my fingers crossed because I can be cynical at times and I hope that my investment wasn’t in vain. I sometimes fear it was a failed investment.
I also invest in relationships. I saved over $1000 last year for savings then I blew it all on traveling to see friends and family. My love language is quality time and it’s hard to express that long distance wise. So I went to visit my friends to solidify my friendship with them. To say ‘I love you’ in my own way. If a friend texted me this week and said they were in town or they wanted to hang out I will stop everything to be with them. It’s my way of saying, ‘hey, I love you. You’re important to me.”
Another investment is my spiritual life. If I’m broke and see a book about spiritual discipline and Jesus I’ll quickly take out my credit card and purchase it. Trust me, this has happened to me several times. It opens my eyes to what my priorities are. I have so many books and study bibles about the spiritual life from a Christian perspective. Investing in my spiritual life is important to me and seeing the development of a richer life in knowing Jesus makes me happy.
My mentor is a life coach and he talks about how people don’t like to invest in themselves when they hear how much it will cost. He likes to invest in seminars about living the best life, well being, possibility, and self help. That’s his bread and butter. He believes it will take him to the highest being he can be. The other day he encouraged me to invest in something called the Landmark Forum. It’s a three day seminar that opens your eyes to your possibility. It cost $600. Right now, that’s not the type of investment I can afford. I declined my mentor’s invitation to invest in it and he reminded me that it cost to make investments that will pay off in the long run.
I hear him but I’m not at a place where I’m willing to make another costly investments. Maybe because I don’t believe the forum is necessary in my life or maybe I’m waiting to see if my other investments will pay off but for now I’m being very selective in the type of investments I make. Whatever investment I make in the future has to truly resonate with my being.
Political Correctness
Political Correctness is bullshit.
Man, I really used to value political correctness too. Seriously.
Then Donald Trump won the presidency and I realized political correctness does not matter to people.
So if Donald Trump is our president, fuck political correctness. I’m going to say what I want.
Whenever I second guess I’ll say to myself “Donald Trump is president. Say it.”
Then I’ll type, comment, express, be vocal, because I’m tired of not calling America out on its shit.