The Necklace

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  “SHE WAS one of those pretty, charming young ladies, born, as if through an error of destiny, into a family of clerks. She had no dowry, no hopes, no means of becoming known, appreciated, loved, and married by a man either rich or distinguished; and she allowed herself to marry a petty clerk in the office of the Board of Education. . . .  She had neither frocks nor jewels, nothing. And she loved only those things. She felt that she was made for them. She had such a desire to please, to be sought after, to be clever, and courted.” —THE NECKLACE Guy de Maupassant    France, 1884 (pic by Grok) Read this short story here:  https://americanliterature.com/author/guy-de-maupassant/short-story/the-necklace

Mishteh: Simultaneous Blessing/Judgment

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We nod our heads to the statement, “It’s a blessing when God comes,” but we shouldn’t —the statement is false. Whether God’s coming is a blessing or not a blessing is determined by the spiritual status of those He comes to – not by God. His coming is a single shared experience; for some it is blessing and for others it is destruction. This is the concept of “mishteh;” a common shared experience with simultaneous blessing/destruction within a group of people – depending upon their individual status. This is a concept described in Genesis that continues through Revelation and the consummation of God’s promises.

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