Devotional Time - Nº5
General | Posted 2 weeks agoHey everyone! Lucas is here.
To say that this week was an interesting one is surprisingly enough the understatement of the year. For those that I don’t know, I have three diagnosis that I cycle through: autism (support level 1), ADHD and Bipolar Disorder (level 2); and well… Living with these can prove challenging sometimes.
Then this week I started having what it felt like an autistic shutdown, then it evolved into a burnout. I tried my best to avoid asking for a medical certificate, so I worked through Monday until Wednesday, but on Thursday my body and mind were begging for me to stop. That is a tad bit scary to say the least… It wasn’t the first time that I had that happened to me. So, I was medically excused from work for 30 days.
Then came next Monday and I found myself doing something that I hate to do, but I can’t control it, I yelled at my dogs again. That is incredibly frustrating. It’s like the book Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hide: I have a monstrous side of me that comes out occasionally, in the oddest of situations, and I must keep the beast caged. So, I felt desperate, I started to pray. No answer or change came immediately.
That frustrated me a lot, but I didn’t give up. Then two weekends passed by and I got my answer: God made me this way because… I can be light to other people. I know that sounds crazy, but bear with me, life on earth is crawling with suffering, for some more than others. If I am not mistaken, that’s due to the world’s sinful nature, but God can and most likely will use that in his favor.
Remember, Jesus said that in Matthew 28:
"19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
So, we can and definitely should use our experiences, good or bad, painful or amusing, to spread the gospel of Christ. I mean… Isn’t this group an example of that? We all share one thing in common: we are babyfurs. And yet, we decided to gather and have share those experiences together. Now, imagine applying that in real life to outside people? That would surely make our father proud.
“But how do I do that?” is a question that you might have. Well, there is no such thing as a cake recipe for that. I did my part through trial and error, exploring ways to make my talents and skills effective to Christ, but hey… You do you. Keep praying and studying the Bible, and something is bond to come in the right time!
Remember, Jesus loves you!
To say that this week was an interesting one is surprisingly enough the understatement of the year. For those that I don’t know, I have three diagnosis that I cycle through: autism (support level 1), ADHD and Bipolar Disorder (level 2); and well… Living with these can prove challenging sometimes.
Then this week I started having what it felt like an autistic shutdown, then it evolved into a burnout. I tried my best to avoid asking for a medical certificate, so I worked through Monday until Wednesday, but on Thursday my body and mind were begging for me to stop. That is a tad bit scary to say the least… It wasn’t the first time that I had that happened to me. So, I was medically excused from work for 30 days.
Then came next Monday and I found myself doing something that I hate to do, but I can’t control it, I yelled at my dogs again. That is incredibly frustrating. It’s like the book Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hide: I have a monstrous side of me that comes out occasionally, in the oddest of situations, and I must keep the beast caged. So, I felt desperate, I started to pray. No answer or change came immediately.
That frustrated me a lot, but I didn’t give up. Then two weekends passed by and I got my answer: God made me this way because… I can be light to other people. I know that sounds crazy, but bear with me, life on earth is crawling with suffering, for some more than others. If I am not mistaken, that’s due to the world’s sinful nature, but God can and most likely will use that in his favor.
Remember, Jesus said that in Matthew 28:
"19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
So, we can and definitely should use our experiences, good or bad, painful or amusing, to spread the gospel of Christ. I mean… Isn’t this group an example of that? We all share one thing in common: we are babyfurs. And yet, we decided to gather and have share those experiences together. Now, imagine applying that in real life to outside people? That would surely make our father proud.
“But how do I do that?” is a question that you might have. Well, there is no such thing as a cake recipe for that. I did my part through trial and error, exploring ways to make my talents and skills effective to Christ, but hey… You do you. Keep praying and studying the Bible, and something is bond to come in the right time!
Remember, Jesus loves you!
Devotional Time - Nº4
General | Posted 4 weeks agoGood evening, folks, Lucas is here!
Today, in honor of Jesus, I decided to do something different… I decided to watch “The Passion of Christ” and let me tell you, that movie is brutal. I can’t tell for sure just how accurate it is, I assume that it is rather accurate according to what I was told, and there are two things that truly impressed me: the amount of commitment of the actors, especially Jim Caviezel, and how truly more grateful I feel for Christ’s sacrifice.
That sheer amount of suffering, that pain, that sadness and yet that devotion… All of it for me and you. We are the ones that deserved punishment for our sins, yet Jesus carried our crosses and died so we wouldn’t suffer a similar fate. That is love, perhaps the purest love of all. And to make my day a little better, a passage came on my devotional book: “in a world where you don’t see too much love, it is important to love back”.
Suddenly, it clicked for me. That is the keyword, that is the differential: love. To follow his footsteps, to feel and look more like Jesus, we need to love each other above everything else. Above any idea, any difference, any ideology, any political view… We must love each other.
I will admit that is not an easy task. I would be lying if I said that I’ve never felt hate or sorrow, I would be lying if I said that I never had horrible thoughts of revenge or self-pity… Thing is… We need to let go of that. Servitude, love, that is our goal. That is what I truly believe what Christ was talking about in this passage:
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 6:33
Basically, if we serve other people, if we love above all else, there is no scarcity, no need… Not even death await us. Because that is it: love, the key to place the Kingdom of Heavens above all else. Sure, there is more to that… Seeking the kingdom also relates to obedience and knowledge, but I will leave at that. Happy Easter everyone!
Today, in honor of Jesus, I decided to do something different… I decided to watch “The Passion of Christ” and let me tell you, that movie is brutal. I can’t tell for sure just how accurate it is, I assume that it is rather accurate according to what I was told, and there are two things that truly impressed me: the amount of commitment of the actors, especially Jim Caviezel, and how truly more grateful I feel for Christ’s sacrifice.
That sheer amount of suffering, that pain, that sadness and yet that devotion… All of it for me and you. We are the ones that deserved punishment for our sins, yet Jesus carried our crosses and died so we wouldn’t suffer a similar fate. That is love, perhaps the purest love of all. And to make my day a little better, a passage came on my devotional book: “in a world where you don’t see too much love, it is important to love back”.
Suddenly, it clicked for me. That is the keyword, that is the differential: love. To follow his footsteps, to feel and look more like Jesus, we need to love each other above everything else. Above any idea, any difference, any ideology, any political view… We must love each other.
I will admit that is not an easy task. I would be lying if I said that I’ve never felt hate or sorrow, I would be lying if I said that I never had horrible thoughts of revenge or self-pity… Thing is… We need to let go of that. Servitude, love, that is our goal. That is what I truly believe what Christ was talking about in this passage:
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 6:33
Basically, if we serve other people, if we love above all else, there is no scarcity, no need… Not even death await us. Because that is it: love, the key to place the Kingdom of Heavens above all else. Sure, there is more to that… Seeking the kingdom also relates to obedience and knowledge, but I will leave at that. Happy Easter everyone!
Devotional Time - Nº3
General | Posted 2 months ago
Warning: this devotional is not a universal truth, but a suggestive text meant to uplift your spirit. Please, consider thinking about these words and taking them into your heart in the way you see fit, a prayer is highly advised.
Good morning, folks! Lucas is here!
This week, came a message in my devotional book:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
Matthew 11.28
As humans (or should I say furries?) it's quite easy for us to be tired of things. It's also quite easy for us to de desperate in situations of difficulty where we don't see a solution for the problems on the horizon...
...Thankfully, Jesus knew those problems would arise. This is a calling of Jesus to offer us peace. Jesus offers us the solution: walk his steps, see life with lightness, as he will carry our burdens alongside us.
Essentially, this won't mean our problems will vanish, but this mean that relying on Christ will aid us on our journey. He will guide us in ways we cannot imagine!
If you're tired and feel crushed by everyday life, remember to do this prayer:
"Christ, my lord and savior, I feel a burden in my life this is too heavy for me to carry.
Please, offer me your peace! Provide me with look of lightness and guide me step by step.
May I rest in your presence and find a solution to what is troublesome to me."
~ This is Lucas signing out, and remember Jesus loves you!
Devotional Time - Nº2
General | Posted 2 months ago
Warning: this devotional is not a universal truth, but a suggestive text meant to uplift your spirit. Please, consider thinking about these words and taking them into your heart in the way you see fit, a prayer is highly advised.
Good morning, folks!
My name is Lucas, today was different than my last weekend in the sense that no particular scripture touched my heart, which is fine. Still, a message came though one of my devotional books that I would like to share:
"23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters..."
Colossians 3:23
Whenever we are in Christ, one thing is very important: we must conduct all of our work with Christ on the mind and excellence. We are building our futures, so it's important that we give our best on that construction... Even if we are tired, even if we are alone.
Jesus put that best in Matthew 7:24-27:
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
~ This is Lucas signing out, and remember Jesus loves you!
Devotional Time - Nº1
General | Posted 2 months ago
Warning: this devotional is not a universal truth, but a suggestive text meant to uplift your spirit. Please, consider thinking about these words and taking them into your heart in the way you see fit, a prayer is highly advised.
Good morning, folks!
My name is Lucas, and I caught myself thinking about the text of Matthew 5:13-16:
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."
Great versicles, but reading them begs the question: what does all of that mean?
Jesus, which had his teachings documented by Matthew this time, was talking about how as Christians we are called by our father to be the light of earth, which sometimes is also referred to as salt. But why salt? Well, it's a parable, salt (and sometimes sugar) was used on antiquity to conserve food before the invention of the refrigerator.
By using those words, Jesus makes a point that we should be uplifting to people: to help them in any way we can. It can be something as simple as a smile, a prayer, listen to the person's vent, a hug... But simply being there makes a difference, and that difference doesn't only make someone happy, it makes your Celestial Father happy as well.
Although that is important, we need to pay a good attention about secrecy. On Matthew 6:1, Jesus makes this point:
“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven."
But why?
In Jesus time, there were a lot of people who claimed to love God and did good deeds not because it was the right thing to be done, but because they seek fame and recognition. This misses the point because it's not about fame, it's about being there for the people. Because of of the commandments that Jesus set for his followers is servitude. Mark 10 highlights this on the versicles 43-45:
43 "Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Remember, love is to serve. If Jesus served humanity by dying on the cross, you can and absolutely should help the person next to you in the best way you can.
~ This is Lucas signing out, and remember Jesus loves you!
Consider joining our Telegram group!
General | Posted 3 months ago
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Consider joining it!
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