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caitybug · 4 years

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It may be February but... why not haha.

Below the cut, organized in chronological order, are the fics I wrote in 2020! All put into one place :D. Thank you to everyone who read, kudos’d, commented, beta’d, and supported my writing. It was my first ever year writing fanfiction, and I am so thankful for all the friends I’ve made because of it.

<3 <3

If Not For You

Word count: 92,461 Chapters: 36 Rating: M

Summary:

Simon was born and raised in the midwest, and he thinks he has his life figured out. He has a girlfriend that he feels happy with, is excited to drive for his junior year, and can't wait to get away from his father when he goes away for school.

However, this all changes when his mom dies and he is carted to the east coast to start at a boarding school. Simon then has to deal with having a roommate (who hates him), living with his mother's death, and wanting to be anywhere but where he is.

To add to it all, one day he gets a strange phone call, and he wonders if his mother's death was really an accident at all.

author’s note:

This was my first like actual fic. And my first try at writing something. This fic will always have a special place in my heart because it helped lead me to all the amazing people I now call friends <3

Not only that but it was a bit of therapy for me. (Self insert? In MY fanfiction? More likely than you’d think!)

Anyway, whenever someone comments, leaves kudos, or otherwise acknowledge that the fic exists I get emotional haha. I also have like three playlists for it too haha.

The Heist

Word Count:7456 Rating:T

Summary:

It's the fourth year of the Halloween heist, and Baz is determined to win. He thinks he has it all planned, that he knows Simon Snow through and through.

Despite this, somehow Simon still manages to surprise him.

author’s note:

b99 AU bahaha. Need I say more??

Pay Your Fines, Snow

Word Count: 1524 Rating: T

Summary:

Baz Pitch works at the local library every summer. He's annoyed at kids who run around, people who don't follow directions, and Simon Snow- who can't pay a fine on time.

author’s note

This fic was the first of the fics that sparked all my crazy prompts haha. It was so much fun to do!

There is a wonderful podfic of this made by the amazing and beautiful @xivz, and it also has art now by @peachpit-gabe!! Go check it out here.

A Rebirth

Word Count: 3374 Rating: T

Summary:

Simon and Baz need to finish their presentation for their Art History class. However, Baz also got pulled into watching his younger siblings for the weekend.

Frozen 2, chicken nuggets, sword fights, and themes of Renaissance.

author’s note

I wrote this for the amazing @krisrix as a prompt! It was so much fun to do and I legit wrote the whole thing in like one afternoon and had it looked over and posted it haha. I still feel bad because Kris legit asked for babies and I kicked the babies out at the beginning of the fic LOL.

Coming Together in Three Parts

Word Count: 4639 Rating: M Chapters: 3

Summary:

Three snippets of their lives after Wayward Son.

author’s note:

The summary definitely leaves a lot to be imagined haha. But I decided to pull a @ninemagicks and give a metaphor of threes and I love yous. So it’s three lovely stages after Wayward Son. There’s the I Love You, the moving in, and then a marriage proposal. I was fairly proud of this! And I did this as an exchange fic as well.

The Three Acts of a Wizard

Word Count: 6439 Rating: T

Summary:

Today, Baz is giving Simon a reprieve (or, that's what he is telling Simon.)

Cue a removal of cursed body parts, a grumpy fireplace who *knows* what is happening, and a shrill frizzy-haired friend threatening to poison some scones.

(this is a remix fic for @ninemagicks HMC AU YWSAFS

author’s note:

I wrote this for Nena’s birthday in the summer! Their friendship has meant the world to me, and this story is what I think gave me the gall courage to message them and harass them with 2k word comments/metas haha. If you’ve not read their fic, make sure to do so!

Heaven is a Place on Earth

Word Count: 12,711 Rating: M Chapters: 5 Summary:

Five hours each week. That's all Simon and Baz get.

But we know that's all they need to fall in love...

A San Junipero AU

author’s note:

This fic idea came to me randomly and I literally wrote it in a week. I love it so much, and despite being MCD I think it’s still generally happy (I mean.. they do end up together??) Idk, it has a special place in my heart. And I made @krisrix read Baz with an american accent so... win win haha.

(Un)Sexy Saturday

Word Count: 6157 Rating: M/E Chapters: 9 (they’re different stories each chapter.)

Summary:

Summaries vary by chapter. Overall it’s just a collection of silly stories where sex gets interrupted.

author’s note:

Honestly this series was so fun to do. I need to continue it sometime! From beauty blender butt plugs, to swingers, to garlic allergies... it just makes me laugh haha.

5 Times Simon Wanted a Fistbump, and the 1 Time He Finally Got It

Word Count: 5489 Rating: T Chapters: 6

Summary:

Simon Snow hasn't had a lot of friends in his life. He has Penny, who is great, of course. He has Baz (but does he count as a friend?)

So now, seeing Shepard, he's got a chance at a friend. A bro of sorts.

Simon sees the final hurdle in their friendship to be a fist bump. A simple signal of their friendship.

But how long is it going to take to get it??

5 + 1 Yearning for a Fist Bump.

author’s note:

Simpard. Friendship. And art by @nick-eyre?? Perfection.

A Goblin’s Skull, Maccies, and a Door Handle

Word Count: 2017 Rating: T

Summary:

Simon Snow wakes up in a building he doesn't know, tied up and blindfolded.

Luckily his best bro Shepard is there too.

author’s note:

Wrote this as a little bday treat for @nick-eyre :D. Decided to give Simon a friend who would also lust after goblins with him haha.

One Word, Four Letters, A Lifetime's Worth of Pain: IKEA

Word Count: 2428 Rating: T

Summary:

Baz comes home and notices the house is suspiciously quiet.

When he finds Simon, surrounded by unfinished pieces of furniture, he can't help but ask... why?

Author’s note:

This was written as a birthday gift for @foolofabookwyrm! She is an absolute gem and has never been to IKEA, but now I hope she understands the struggle of building IKEA furniture haha.

The Beat of My Heart

Word Count: 2230 Rating: T

Summary:

Simon is kneeling on the ground, waiting for Baz to come home.

He has a question. One he's wanted to ask for a while.

author’s note:

This was written as a birthday gift for @krisrix! A little proposal fic for the rat king <3 <3

Out of My Mind

Word Count: 10876 Rating: M Chapters: 3

Summary:

Baz and Simon are living their lives, domestic and content. They have a nine-year-old daughter, a Sunday morning routine, and plans to be alone for the first time for a while.

But when a girl who is growing into her powers reads something she shouldn't, they get into a predicament they don't expect.

author’s note:

This was a COE gift for @krisrix! Body Swap! Parents! Married! I tried to do it all for him haha. 2020 was really the year where I was like yeah, let’s write Kris a million fics. And honestly—wouldn’t have it any other way.

Imposter vs Crewmates

Word Count: 754 Rating: T

Summary:

Everyone has their quarantine coping strategies.

Simon tried to bake bread.

Baz watched Twilight.

But Penelope...

She introduced the gang to Among Us.

author’s note:

Look. I’ve no excuses for this lolol. Just thought it’d be silly :D.

The Ethics of Wanting You

Word Count: 1417 Rating: T

Summary:

Simon Snow realized recently that he has a crush on Baz.

Penny suggested he find reasons to spend more time with him, so he suggests a study session for their ethics exam the following day.

(It doesn't go as planned, but the result is very much worth it.)

author’s note:

Birthday gift for @peachpit-gabe <3 <3. Just a cute one shot with snowbaz.

Pumpkin, Let’s Make a Patch

Word Count: 2516 Rating: T

Summary:

Simon Snow is trying to create a neighborhood pumpkin patch.

Baz, unknowingly, rips the pumpkins out of his front lawn.

(How will he make it up to him?)

author’s note:

This was done for the COC. I based it off this cute tiktok series with this kid who rode around on his skateboard and plants pumpkins around his neighborhood.

Weathering the Storm

Word Count: 2248 Rating: T

Summary:

Shepard was nine when he first met a boy he'd learn was Simon Snow.

He was in a ditch crying, and Shepard wasn't sure what to make of him.

This boy lived in his mind until he saw him again years later.

And today, when there's a storm unlike any other in London, he knows who must be at the center of it.

author’s note:

Honestly. This is probably one of my favorite things I’ve ever written. IDK. It’s so short but... I love it. And if you like to listen to fics— @bloodiedpixie did a phenomenal podfic of it! And @nick-eyre did AMAZING art for it too <3.

New Beginnings

Word Count: 2090 Rating: T

Summary:

It's the first New Years Eve after the Christmas that changed everything.

After Simon Snow and Baz kissed.

After they defeated the humdrum.

After the Mage's death.

But, as many of us do, it's time to take the New Year as an opportunity to begin anew.

author’s note:

Part of a server exchange I did for @knitbelove :D.

And, all of the prompts I’ve yet to put on ao3... lolol

#2020 masterpost #Caity did fanfiction #Caity does fanfiction #still #but wow I really DID that y'all #i wrote over 250k last year #YIKES #damn #anyway #this has been great #love you all

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warrioreowynofrohan · 4 years

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Stormlight Archive Epigraphs (3) - Last Words

The epigraphs in TWOK Part 1 and Part 4 record the dying words of Rosharans.

We later learn that these “death rattles” describe prophetic visions, and are caused by the Unmade called Moelach, as well as that Taravangian is actively killing people in order to document their words.

I’ve tried to organize them by content. Minor spoilers for the prereleased chapters of Rhythm of War.

The Death of Honor

1) Ten orders. We were loved, once. Why have you foresaken us, Almighty! Shard of my soul, where have you gone?

- Collected on the second day of Kakash, year 1171, 5 seconds before death. Subject was a lighteyed woman in her third decade.

Refers to both the Recreance and the death of Honor.

2) Three of sixteen ruled, but now the Broken One reigns.

- Collected: Chachanan, 1173, 84 seconds pre-death. Subject: a cut-purse with the wasting sickness, of partial Iriali descent.

The Heralds

3) Ten people, with Shardblades alight, standing before a wall of black and white and red.

- Collected: Jesachev, 1173, 12 seconds pre-death. Subject: one of our own ardents, overheard during his last moments.

4) The burdens of nine become mine. Why must I carry the madness of them all? Oh, Almighty, release me.

Dated Palaheses, 1173, unknown seconds pre-death. Subject: a wealthy lighteyes. Sample collected secondhand.

This is pretty clearly spoken from the point of view of Talenel on Braize, the only obe of the ten Heralds to keep the Oathpact.

5) A woman sits and scratches out her own eyes. Daughter of kings and winds, the vandal.

Dated Palahevan, 1173, 73 seconds pre-death. Subject: a beggar of some renown, known for his elegant songs.

This is a reference to Shallash, the Herald associated with the Lightweavers (and with creativity and art generally), who now goes around vandalizing art of herself

The ‘Voidbringers’ (in quotes due to revelations in Oathbringer)

6) They are aflame. They burn. They bring the darkness when they come, and so all you can see is that their skin is aflame. Burn, burn, burn...

- Collected on Palahishec, 1172, 21 seconds pre-death. Subject was a baker’s apprentice.

7) I see them. They are the rocks. They are the vengeful spirits. Eyes of red.

- Kakakes 1173, 8 seconds pre-death. A darkeyed young woman of fifteen. Subject was reportedly mentally unstable since childhood.

8) That chanting, that singing, those rasping voices.

- Kaktach 1173, 16 seconds pre-death. A middle-aged potter. Reported seeing strange dreams during highstorms during the last two years.

Reference to the Parshendi calling the Everstorm.

9) Victory! We stand atop the mount! We scatter them before us! Their homes become our dens, their lands are now our farms! And they shall burn, as we once did, in a place that is hollow and forlorn.

- Collected on Ishashan, 1172, 18 seconds pre-death. Subject was a lighteyed spinster of the eighth dahn.

This seems to be referencing the humans (the actual Voidbringers) deplacing the Singers, as described in the Eila Stele.

The Everstorm

10) The love of men is a frigid thing, a mountain stream only three steps from the ice. We are his. Oh Stormfather...we are his. It is but a thousand days, and the Everstorm comes.

- Collected on the first day of the week Palah of the month Shash of the year 1171, 31 seconds before death. Subject was a dark-eyed pregnant woman of middle years. The child did not survive.

11) I have seen the end, and have heard it named. The Night of Sorrows, the True Desolation. The Everstorm.

- Collected on the 1st of Nanes, 1172, 15 seconds pre-death. Subject was a darkeyed youth of unknown origin.

12) They named it the Final Desolation, but they lied. Our gods lied. Oh, how they lied. The Everstorm comes. I hear its whispers, see its stormwall, know its heart.

- Tanatanes 1173, 8 seconds pre-death. An Azish itinerant worker. Sample of particular note.

Specific Events in the Books

13) A man stood on a cliffside and watched his homeland fall into dust. The waters surged beneath, so far beneath. And he heard a child crying. They were his own tears.

- Collected on the 4th of Tanates, year 1171, 30 seconds before death. Subject was a cobbler of some renown.

I think this is referencing something from Dalinar’s visions in TWOK, but I don’t remember them clearly. I’ll keep an eye out for it on this read-through.

14) He must pick it up, the fallen title! The tower, the crown, and the spear!

- Dated Vevahach, 1173, 8 seconds pre-death. Subject: a prostitute. Background unknown.

Could be a reference to Kaladin, Dalinar, or both. “The Tower” could be the rock formation of that named where the main battle occurs in TWOK, or (more likely) Urithiru. Dalinar has now taken up rulership of Urithiru. The spear is generally identified with Kaladin, as his primary weapon. Probably broadly referring to the need to refound the Knights Radiant.

15) They come from the pit, two dead men, a heart in their hands, and I know that I have seen true glory.

- Kakashah 1173, 13 seconds pre-death. A rickshaw puller.

Shallan and Kaladin returning from the chasm in WOR, specifically referenced in the chapter title “True Glory”. The use of “two men” for a man and a woman indicates that these statements do not need to be taken precisely literally.

16) All is withdrawn for me. I stand against the one who saved my life. I protect the one who killed my promises. I raise my hand. The storm responds.

- Tanatenev, 18 seconds pre-death. A darkeyed mother of four in her sixty-second year.

Kaladin defending Elhokar against Moash in WOR. Specifically referenced in the chapter title “The One Who Killed Promises.”

17) In the storm I awaken, falling, spinning, grieving.

- Dated Kakanev, 1173, 13 seconds pre-death. Subject was a city guardsman.

This may be Szeth in the Everstorm at the end of WOR, after Kaladin defeats him, but I’m not sure of it. His ‘awakening’ would be the awareness that he was, in fact, right about the return of the Knights Radiant and the Desolations.

18) The darkness becomes a palace. Let it rule! Let it rule!

- Kakevah 1173, 22 seconds pre-death. A darkeyed Selay man of unknown profession.

I think this is referring to the two Unmade in the palace of Kholinar in OB.

19) Above the final void I hang, friends behind, friends before. The feast I must drink clings to their faces, and the words I must speak spark in my mind. The old oaths will be spoken anew.

- Dated Betabanan, 1173, 45 seconds pre-death. Subject: a lighteyed child of five years. Diction improved remarkably when giving sample.

I think this is referencing Dalinar’s third oath at the climax of Oathbringer, and his creation of a contact point between the three realms; the phrasing is similar to Dalinar’s in the preface of (in-universe) Oathbringer (I hung between realms...), and “friends behind, friends before” describes him having loved ones in both the physical realm and in Shadesmar at that moment.

The Unmade

20) Re-Shephir, the Midnight Mother, giving birth to abominations with her essence so dark, so terrible, so consuming. She is here! She watches me die!

- Dated Shashabev, 1173, 8 seconds pre-death. Subject: a dark-eyed dockworker in his forties, father of three.

21) Let me no longer hurt! Let me no longer weep! Dai-Gonarthis! The Black Fisher holds my sorrow and consumes it!

- Tanatesach, 1173, 28 second pre-death. A darkeyed female street juggler. Note similarity to sample 1172-89.

This one is particularly interesting, but I’ll discuss it in combination with the other epigraphs on the Unmade.

Taravangian’s Murders

These quotes are included specifically to reveal that people are being deliberately killed to obtain these visions.

22) You’ve killed me. Bastards, you’ve killed me! While the sun is still hot, I die!

- Collected on the fifth day of the week Chach of the month Betab of the year 1171, 10 seconds before death. Subject was a dark-eyed soldier 31 years of age. Sample is considered questionable.

23) I’m dying, aren’t I? Healer, why do you take my blood? Who is that beside you, with his head of lines? I can see a distant sun, dark and cold, shining in a dark sky.

- Collected on the 3rd of Jesnan, 1172, 11 seconds pre-death. Subject was a Reshi chull trainer. Sample is of particular note.

Very interesting. The speaker may be a potential Lightweaver, as they are seeing Cryptics and seeing into Shadesmar. Or the Cryptics may be drawn by the deception of the Healers who are killing people.

24) I wish to sleep. I know now why you do what you do, and I hate you for it. I will not speak of the truths I see.

- Kakashah, 1173, 142 seconds pre-death. A Shin sailor, left behind by his crew, reportedly for bringing them ill luck. Sample largely useless.

Miscellaneous

25) I’m cold. Mother, I’m cold. Why can I still hear the rain? Will it stop?

- Collected on Vevishes, 1172, 32 seconds pre-death. Subject was a lighteyed female child, approximately six years old.

26) Light grows so distant. The storm never stops. I am broken, and all around me have died. I weep for the end of all things. He has won. Oh, he has beaten us.

- Dated Palahakev, 1173, 16 seconds pre-death. Subject: a Thaylen sailor.

27) The death is my life, the strength becomes my weakness, the journey has ended.

- Dated Betabanes, 1173, 93 seconds pre-death. Subject: a scholar of some minor renown. Sample collected secondhand. Considered questionable.

A general reference to the first oath of the Knights Radiant, but inverted.

Unknown

28) I’m standing over the body of a brother. I’m weeping. Is that his blood or mine? What have we done?

- Dated Vevanev, 1173, 107 seconds pre-death. Subject: an out-of-work Veden sailor.

Interesting.

29) I hold the suckling child in my hands, a knife at his throat, and know that all who live wish me to let the blade slip. Spill its blood upon the ground, over my hands, and with it gain us further breath to draw.

- Dated Shashanan, 1173, 23 seconds pre-death. Subject: a darkeyed youth of sixteen years. Sample is of particular note.

Very interesting. What could this be referring to? Seeing the future is deeply taboo on Roshar, so it would be very strange for everyone to foresee doom from a newborn child. Based on the published chapters so far from ROW suggesting that Shallan has even more secrets predating her mother’s death (and given that her mother tried to kill her when she was still young), could this be related to her?

#the stormlight archive #brandon sanderson #epigraphs

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kenzieam · 6 years

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It’s Time - The Final Chapter (Bucky X OC)

Rating: M (language, smut, angst)

Genre: Drama/Angst

@captstefanbrandt @iammarylastar @kiiiimberlyriiiicker1995 @notimetoblog @captain-ariel-barnes @jaamesbbarnes @lancefvcker @bitsandbobsandstuff @softlybarnes @lovelybbarnes @buckitybarnes @bucky-plums-barnes @moonbeambucky @badassbaker @citylights221 @empress-of-boujee @shynara51 @diinofayce @casestudy-mw @jewels2876 @damnaged-princess @everythingisoverrated @allmyfanficfaves @melgoodwin @clarabella960 @curvybihufflepuff @angryschnauzer @wowspideyholland @sergeantwhitewolf @smilexcaptainx @plaidcat4815 @shirukitsune

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Potential Triggers, please read with caution

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Will Lev go back to Seattle? If she does, will Bucky give her another chance to come back to him? Or has she completely broken him this time?

****************************************************************************************************

“Barton?” My boss’ voice is sharp, to the point. “I need you back in Seattle now.”

“What?!”

“I need you. Leary is back early and wants to bump up his meeting.”

“What time is it there?” It’s seven am here, what the hell time is it on the west coast?

“Four-the-fuck-AM! He’s been on the horn for an hour now! I think he’s back on the coke. He’s parked his yacht and is flying back today and you know he only wants you on the project!”

I sigh. Richard “Call me Dick” Leary is my firm’s most MVP client and a constant pain in my ass. He is forever throwing his seemingly endless money at new projects and needing plans drawn up. A year and a half ago I worked on one of his designs and he decided I was the only one at the firm who knew ‘what the fuck they’re doing’ as he so eloquently put it, and demands I lead each and every one of his new ventures. He’s old Southern money turned new millennium and I actually don’t mind working with him, most of the time. He knows he’s the piggy bank portion of the deal, and is usually respectful of my plans, but occasionally the old Antebellum charm breaks free and it’s like Foghorn Leghorn for awhile until he settles back down. He’s got my boss buffaloed so hard that the man who doesn’t rise from his king-size bed for anything less than Armageddon before 6 am is currently fielding calls at four-the-fuck-AM and scrambling to comply. It would be funny if it didn’t so royally fuck up my plans.

“I can’t.”

“Oh no you don’t. You do not say no to this guy.”

What he means is, he can’t say no to this guy. “Tony, I’m just getting things figured-”

“I know and I’m sorry.” I’m temporarily staggered. Tony Stark never says he’s sorry, not even that time he threw open the conference room door and smashed Thor in the face, breaking his nose with a spectacular crack. “But I need you here. This is his last hurrah before he retires, he says, and he wants to go big-”

“The plans are done, he wasn’t supposed to be back for a month-”

“I know! But he’s back! And if he walks we are done! Remember the Thanos Group?”

I do. The Thanos Group was an elite firm that used to work for The Dick. They pissed him off one too many times and he buried them, they lost every big client and had to file for Chapter 11. Moral of the story, keep Big Dick happy.

“I’ve booked you a 9 am flight out, I need you here TODAY!”

Shit. If I say no, I can kiss my career goodbye. Maybe Bucky needs an assistant to hold nails for him. But, if I do this last dance.....

Maybe I can have my cake and eat it too.

I just hope Bucky will understand.

“Okay. I’ll be there.”

“Fuck Barton. I owe you.”

“Yes, you do.” I hang up and dial the local taxi service for a ride then crawl reluctantly out of bed, start to dress and gather my things. I wince as I hear the front door open and close, the sounds of bags rustling. Then Bucky appears in the doorway, his wide, happy smile dissolving before my eyes as he sees me getting ready to leave. The sudden, surprised sorrow in his eyes kills me.

“Where are you going?” His voice is hushed, as if he can’t draw the breath to speak louder.

“I have to fly back to Seattle. My boss called.”

“What? What do you mean you have to fly back?” The confusion and dawning fear in his eyes cuts me to the quick.

He thinks I’m leaving him again.

“This client of mine is back early and demanding a meeting. I’d tell them to get lost but then I’d lose my job.” I glance at my phone and wince. I’m not even going to have time to say goodbye to Clint and Nat, I’ll barely have time to grab my suitcase and lock up my new house.

“Levi, stay.” His voice is breaking and I can’t look at him or I’ll lose it too.

“Bucky, I can’t. I’m sorry. I’m going to miss my flight.” I move to step past him, knowing in my bones that I’m fucking this up all over again, but can’t stop.

Bucky steps in my way, his fingers grip my shoulders, quivering slightly and I look up into his eyes, wishing instantly that I hadn’t.

Tears stand out in his gentle blue eyes and the fear and hurt on his face is something I never want to see again. Regardless of what I say right now, he’s trapped five years ago.

“You’re running away again.” He chokes out.

Tears run hot down my cheeks. I’m not, but it sure the hell looks like it, doesn’t it? A horn honking outside interrupts my response and I’m torn.

I have to go, it’s necessary and I hope it will pay off in the end.

I lean forward and press a kiss to Bucky’s trembling lips, feel him press desperately back; feel his broken moan against my mouth as I pull away.

“I’ll call you. I’ll be back, I promise.”

I glance back as I leave, and the sight of Bucky standing there, broken-hearted, cheeks wet with tears will haunt me for years.

I make the flight, barely and fall into my seat. Tony at least sprung for business class, and no one sits beside me which will be convenient when I start to cry. I can’t get the look on Bucky’s face out of my mind, and it’s driving me crazy.

He thinks I’ve left him again, dressed it up prettier this time, but turned around and left all the same. My mind flashes back to last night and I shudder as memories overwhelm me.

Still breathing heavily, Bucky lifts me, surprising me with his power and carries me through into his bedroom. Laying me on the bed he crawls over me, hovering for a moment and gazing at me in wonder. Despite the fact that I’m naked beneath him, and he’s wearing little more than his jeans pushed down his thighs, he still can’t seem to wrap his head around me being here.

Pushing his jeans the rest of the way off he stretches over me again, settling between my legs and propping himself up on his forearms. He continues to gaze at me, eyes roaming languidly across my face, as if he’s memorizing me anew.

“I love you, baby. So much.” He murmurs tenderly, trailing his finger along my jaw-line.

“I love you too.” The words don’t seem adequate for the depth of feelings I have for him and I reach up to trace along his jaw as well, smile when he closes his eyes and leans into my touch, biting his bottom lip.

With a groan, he lines up and drives slowly inside me, dropping his head back, the muscles in his arms shaking. When he’s fully seated his head falls forward again and he buries his head in the crook of my neck as he starts to thrust, spine arching sharply and I run my hands along the straining muscles of his back with a purr.

He murmurs into my throat with each thrust, words of love and worship that flare through my blood and nestle in my heart. This is exactly where I belong, where we belong.

My orgasm washes over me almost lazily, and Bucky guides me through it, watching me with something akin to awe as he keeps on driving into me, curling his fingers into my hair and whispering sweet words to me. As my shaking fades he continues to make love to me, slowing his movements when he’s close, prolonging his own pleasure to bring me again and again to the edge, watching me tumble off into sweet bliss with a tender smile on his face, belying his strain as he holds his own body back, determined to show me just how much I mean to him before allowing his own shuddering release.

I cup his jaw, relish the ragged moan he gives me; sweat stands on his brow, his body shuddering as he drops his head to mine, captures my lips in a passionate, soul-capturing kiss and I press back with everything I have, pour everything into my lips and his wrecked groan rips through me.

As I feel my body ready to explode one more time, I pull away from Bucky’s kiss enough to moan. “Baby, come with me.... please, Bucky.”

His eyes meet mine for a heartbeat, wide and full of too many emotions to name. His hand moves from my hair to my throat, gripping lightly, giving him an anchor as he finally gives in to his ecstasy and, as my own body ignites in one final, all-consuming climax, he lets go with a roar, face twisting in sweet pain, muscles rock-hard and trembling. His final erratic thrusts end as he drives against me one last time, throbbing and spilling inside me, filling me completely and seeping back out to coat our joined bodies.

Finally he collapses on me, panting, body shaking with residual aftershocks. He sounds wrecked, breath rasping in his throat, but his body is languid and relaxed, cat-like in it’s grace. He’s still inside me when he kisses me again, still gasping for breath when he speaks.

“I love you Levi, with all my goddamn heart, I’ll never-”

“Would you like something to drink?”

I startle guiltily as the flight attendant chirps beside me. I’ve missed the takeoff, we’re already at cruising altitude and I swallow hard, fighting to push down the emotions currently threatening to overwhelm me. Bucky gave over his soul to me last night.

And this morning I got up and left him.

“Vodka.” I gasp, “rocks.”

***************************************************************************************************************************************************** I stagger out of the company car. I usually take the subway or an Uber home, but tonight I was so fucking exhausted I called down for a car; if Tony has a problem with that he can go fornicate with himself. It’s been a week since I left and I’ve been working my ass off to get this last project done so I can go home.

Home.

The old neighborhood, where Mrs. Proctor shuffles to the corner store and back home once a day, ready to brain any young whippersnapper fool enough to step on her lawn; where I can look out my old bedroom window and see the spot on the old tree that grows against the house where Bucky slipped that one time trying to sneak in at night and tore a strip of bark off to keep from falling to the ground; where I just have to step out the front door and saunter for thirty seconds to visit my brother, his wife and my niece; where every corner of the neighborhood holds a memory, welcome phantoms of my childhood.

My loft is already sold, fully furnished, for an embarrassing profit. And today I secured my career.

The only dark spot has been Bucky.

He hasn’t been answering my texts or phone calls.

I called Clint in a panic that first day, and while he was still pissed at me for hightailing it for Seattle without ‘even a proper good-bye’, he nonetheless gave into my begging and drove down to check on him. He reported back that Bucky was alive, but not okay. That all he was doing was sitting in his Adirondack chair on his covered deck with Meat in his lap and, while he’d talk to Clint, he wasn’t volunteering to initiate any conversations.

I’d broken him all over again.

I’d been frantic all week, sneaking moments to furtively dial his number, wait with a held breath for him to pick up, for his gentle ‘Levi’ to echo across the line to me, and settle the churning in my gut.

My texts were unanswered too, so I pestered Steve, Sam and Clint instead, receiving second-hand reports about Bucky, but no real words from the man himself. They were cautious; frustrated and angry with me for going again, leaving behind a broken man for them to try and pick up and piece together again, and while they’d relay my messages, they weren’t willing to get into the middle of it again.

Regardless, I was pushing ahead with my plans. I’d crawl across broken glass to show Bucky how repentant I was, and could only hope that he was willing to listen to me one final time.

I’m fumbling for my keys, squinting in the fading twilight when I hear a familiar voice.

“Levi.”

My heart nearly cracks apart and tears spring instantly to my eyes. My portfolio falls to the ground and my hands start shaking. And then he’s there, beside me, his scent enveloping me, his warm hand on mine to steady it’s trembling. Reaching down with the other, he picks my portfolio up and holds it out to me. I raise my head and meet his eyes.

He looks broken, pale and thin, but I recognize resolve in his gaze.

It’s growing dark out here, and cold. I have a million things I want to say, but I don’t want to do it out on the street. I pray that Bucky is willing to come a little further for me.

“Come in?”

He nods, a mingled shake of weariness and relief and I turn back to the door, manage to find the right key. Bucky’s appearance has renewed me and, while it’s a shaky, precarious burst of energy, I’m using it.

We’re silent in the elevator and as we walk down the hallway. Unlocking the door I step inside my loft and Bucky follows me. Slung over his shoulder is a duffel bag that he sets down with a thump. I shut and lock the door behind us, wait nervously for him to speak first.

“You’re moving?” He sounds surprised.

I drop my things on the table and reach out hesitantly for his hand, exhaling in relief when he lets me take it.

“Sit down.” I beckon him into the living room and he sits stiffly on the couch, still gazing around suspiciously. Although I’ve sold the loft furnished (and they can keep all that modern Hipster shit) I’ve been packing up the momentos and personal items; there hasn’t been much.

“Can I get you something to drink?”

He shakes his head and I cautiously sit beside him. I’m not sure what’s going to happen. Bucky hasn’t spoken directly to me in a week, is he here to make trouble, has he snapped? Decided to visit back upon me a taste of the misery I always seem to leave him in?

“Bucky, I-”

“Baby, come home-”

We speak at the same time, fall back into awkward silence. Slowly he reaches out and takes my hand, pulls it to his mouth and presses a kiss to my knuckles, I can feel his lips trembling against my skin.

“I didn’t fight hard enough last time,” he begins, his voice cracking. “I let you leave and I let myself chicken out every time I came out here to see you. I’m not doing that again...... Please Baby, come home with me.” His eyes lift to mine as he whispers the last and it completely erodes the remaining strength I have.

He pulls me into his lap and lets me ugly-cry against his shoulder until I can only hiccup miserably.

Smoothing my hair back from my face he gently cups my cheek and lifts my head so he can look into my eyes. His cheeks are wet too, eyes red-rimmed and I capture his mouth with mine, the rush of relief nearly stealing my breath when he kisses me back.

“I am.” I choke out.

“What?” Surprise flashes through his eyes and if I wasn’t so goddamn overwrought right now, so bone-deep exhausted and worn out, I might be able to muster a teasing laugh.

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.”

“I don’t-”

“I didn’t want to just text you this, I wanted to talk to you directly but you stopped answering my calls.” I grin ruefully at him. “Being on the receiving end of that sucks, by the way. I’m sorry I did that to you.”

Tentative hope is blooming in his gaze, his eyes boring into mine. “What are you saying?” He breathes.

“I’m moving home. I’ve sold this place.” I gesture to the boxes.

“Baby?” Bucky gasps, eyes widening as it starts to come together for him.

“That’s why I left,” my heart aches to say this. “I needed the leverage. If I did this last job for my boss and did it well, I’d have the chance to get out of the firm with a recommendation, rather than a black mark. The client is happy, which means Tony is happy, and I negotiated a release of my work contract. One of my co-workers, Thor, left last year to join his brother Loki in Manhattan and they started their own architectural firm. I start at Odinson International next month.”

I look down now, too shamed to meet his eyes. My intentions were good, but I still left him without an explanation, and the road to hell is paved with good intentions. “I’m sorry for leaving you like that. I wasn’t running, but I understand how it would look like it. If you don’t-”

I don’t get to finish the sentence, because Bucky is crushing his mouth to mine in a mind-blowing kiss, stealing my breath. He’s frantic against me and I’m just as crazy back, finally released from the tension and pain of the last week, the unknown and ghosts of the past. We’re clawing at each other’s clothes and then he’s inside me, driving deep and hard and I’m careening wildly into screaming bliss as he follows, groaning long and low in release as I cradle him to me, feel my soul give over to this man; my forever, my life.

For someone who designs and loves architecture, I hate decorating them.

The bedroom is finally done, repainted a gentle dove-grey. It’s the last room to be painted and I’m so fucking glad it’s over. The last number of weeks have been a whirlwind. Bucky stayed in Seattle with me for another week while I took care of loose ends, finishing up at work and shipping my boxes across the country so Bucky and I could fly over later. He played tourist, sending me selfies of him at various scenic points of the city, making me laugh as I wrapped up my career at Stark Enterprises.

He and Grimshaw became fast friends, despite the black cat’s usual scorn of strangers and more than once I’d come back late to find the both of them crashed out on the couch trying to wait up for me, Grimshaw sprawled across Bucky’s broad chest, gently rising and falling with his breaths.

Said black cat was not impressed with flying across the country however, and gave me the cold shoulder for a few days after we landed, saving his purrs and rubs for Bucky.

Traitor.

Bucky’s place sold quickly, surprising him and we moved in together last week. Meat and Grim have an uneasy truce, with Meat under the understanding that if he bays like a hellhound, he can expect a decisive swat across the face from one pissed-off cat.

The entire family was thrilled to hear I was moving back, their anger disappearing as my plan was laid bare and the barbecue in Clint’s backyard when we finally flew home for good was twice as big as last time, and I spent the entire time in Bucky’s lap, snuggled close to him.

We’ve updated Mom’s old house, combining my things and Bucky’s together and I love the eclectic mix. My loft in Seattle was cold and impersonal, modern Hipster, but this is home. My commute into Manhattan will be easy, my new bosses polar opposites of Tony’s high-strung snobbery, and I’ve already worked out my part-time schedule, ensuring I only need to brave the streets of the Big Apple once or twice a week, the rest of my work can be done in my Dad’s old office, repainted and sporting a brand-new drafting table.

Bucky and I have been inseparable, making love each night to exhaustion, drifting asleep tangled together, foreheads touching, breath mingling and waking up still touching, still wrapped around each other, no matter how much we’ve shifted during the night.

Sam and Wanda’s baby is due any day now, and the entire family is on stand-by. Lou babbled something that sounded suspiciously like ’Lev’ the other day and I’m so goddamn happy I think I need to pinch myself sometimes and wake from this blissful dream.

Meat’s baying tells me that Bucky’s home and is cut short with a yelp as Grim slaps him silent again. I smile and cross my arms, taking in the new wall color, knowing Bucky will find me as soon as he walks into the house.

Our house.

I’m not disappointed, and strong arms soon band around me from behind, his stubble tickling my throat as he presses kisses to my neck, making me giggle and squirm in his grip. He chuckles and holds me tighter.

“Hey baby,” he purrs, nuzzling behind my ear.

“Hey,” I murmur back, relaxing into his touch.

“You’re done.”

“Yeah, like it?”

“I’ll sleep in a cardboard box baby, as long as I'm with you.”

“Flirt,” I tease, turning in his arms and he captures my mouth, stealing my breath with a head-spinning kiss. Every kiss, every caress, every touch is like this, Bucky making good on his word to spend the rest of his life showing me how much he loves me, how much he needs me. And I give it right back, I wasted five years in anger and hurt, I’m not wasting another second.

I can’t stop my smile, not anymore and reach into my pocket for the item I’ve been holding onto all day. It’s been in my hand since this morning, but Bucky had already left for the work-site and, again, this wasn’t something to say over a text.

He’s still kissing me, still pouring all his love into his touch, making my head swim and now it’s my turn to blow his mind. I nudge his chest and he pulls away just enough to look in my eyes, frowning in confusion at my shit-eating grin before looking down at my hand, resting against his chest.

A pregnancy test, the + sign clearly visible.

His eyes fly back up to mine as he physically jerks.

“Levi?” His voice breaks, eyes filling with tears. “For real?”

I can only nod through my tears as Bucky throws back his head and howls, a visceral roar of pure, unadulterated joy and triumph. Then he’s kissing me again, and I’ve never felt so happy before as I do in this moment.

“Congratulations, daddy.” I murmur as Bucky bursts into tears, burying his head in my neck, crushing me to him.

It’s all he’s ever wanted, all we’ve ever wanted since we first laid eyes on each other, so many years ago.

It’s Time.

**************************************************************************************************

#bucky barnes #bucky barnes fanfiction #au bucky barnes #bucky and nika #bucky and lev

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pope-francis-quotes · 6 years

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18th November >> Let us ask for the grace to open our eyes and hearts to the poor in order to hear their cry and recognize their needs. #WorldDayofthePoor @Pontifex

Pope Francis

Messages

World Day of the Poor

MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS

SECOND WORLD DAY OF THE POOR

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time 18 November 2018

This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him

1. “This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him” (Ps 34:6). The words of the Psalmist become our own whenever we are called to encounter the different conditions of suffering and marginalization experienced by so many of our brothers and sisters whom we are accustomed to label generically as “the poor”. The Psalmist is not alien to suffering; quite the contrary. He has a direct experience of poverty and yet transforms it into a song of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord. Psalm 34 allows us today, surrounded as we are by many different forms of poverty, to know those who are truly poor. It enables us to open our eyes to them, to hear their cry and to recognize their needs.

We are told, in the first place, that the Lord listens to the poor who cry out to him; he is good to those who seek refuge in him, whose hearts are broken by sadness, loneliness and exclusion. The Lord listens to those who, trampled in their dignity, still find the strength to look up to him for light and comfort. He listens to those persecuted in the name of a false justice, oppressed by policies unworthy of the name, and terrified by violence, yet know that God is their Saviour. What emerges from this prayer is above all the sense of abandonment and trust in a Father who can hear and understand. Along these same lines, we can better appreciate the meaning of Jesus’ words, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5:3).

This experience, unique and in many ways undeserved and inexpressible, makes us want to share it with others, especially those who, like the Psalmist, are poor, rejected and marginalized. No one should feel excluded from the Father’s love, especially in a world that often presents wealth as the highest goal and encourages self-centredness.

2. Psalm 34 uses three verbs to describe the poor man in his relationship with God. First of all, “to cry”. Poverty cannot be summed up in a word; it becomes a cry that rises to heaven and reaches God. What does the cry of the poor express, if not their suffering and their solitude, their disappointment and their hope? We can ask ourselves how their plea, which rises to the presence of God, can fail to reach our own ears, or leave us cold and indifferent. On this World Day of the Poor, we are called to make a serious examination of conscience, to see if we are truly capable of hearing the cry of the poor.

To hear their voice, what we need is the silence of people who are prepared to listen. If we speak too much ourselves, we will be unable to hear them. At times I fear that many initiatives, meritorious and necessary in themselves, are meant more to satisfy those who undertake them than to respond to the real cry of the poor. When this is the case, the cry of the poor resounds, but our reaction is inconsistent and we become unable to empathize with their condition. We are so trapped in a culture that induces us to look in the mirror and pamper ourselves, that we think that an altruistic gesture is enough, without the need to get directly involved.

3. The second verb is “to answer”. The Psalmist tells us that the Lord does not only listen to the cry of the poor, but responds. His answer, as seen in the entire history of salvation, is to share lovingly in the lot of the poor. So it was when Abram spoke to God of his desire for offspring, despite the fact that he and his wife Sarah were old in years and had no children (cf. Gen 15:1-6). So too when Moses, in front of a bush that burned without being consumed, received the revelation of God’s name and the mission to free his people from Egypt (Ex 3:1-15). This was also the case during Israel’s wandering in the desert, in the grip of hunger and thirst (cf. Ex 16:1-6; 17:1-7), and its falling into the worst kind of poverty, namely, infidelity to the covenant and idolatry (cf. Ex 32:1-14).

God’s answer to the poor is always a saving act that heals wounds of body and soul, restores justice and helps to live life anew in dignity. God’s answer is also a summons to those who believe in him to do likewise, within the limits of what is humanly possible. The World Day of the Poor wishes to be a small answer that the Church throughout the world gives to the poor of every kind and in every land, lest they think that their cry has gone unheard. It may well be like a drop of water in the desert of poverty, yet it can serve as a sign of sharing with those in need, and enable them to sense the active presence of a brother or a sister. The poor do not need intermediaries, but the personal involvement of all those who hear their cry. The concern of believers in their regard cannot be limited to a kind of assistance – as useful and as providential as this may be in the beginning – but requires a “loving attentiveness” (Evangelii Gaudium, 199) that honours the person as such and seeks out his or her best interests.

4. The third verb is “to free”. In the Bible, the poor live in the certainty that God intervenes on their behalf to restore their dignity. Poverty is not something that anyone desires, but is caused by selfishness, pride, greed and injustice. These are evils as old as the human race itself, but also sins in which the innocent are caught up, with tragic effects at the level of social life. God’s act of liberation is a saving act for those who lift up to him their sorrow and distress. The bondage of poverty is shattered by the power of God’s intervention. Many of the Psalms recount and celebrate this history of salvation mirrored in the personal life of the poor: “For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; and he has not hid his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him” (Ps 22:24). The ability to see God’s face is a sign of his friendship, his closeness and his salvation. “You have seen my affliction, you have taken heed of my adversities… you have set my feet in a broad place” (Ps 31:7-8). To offer the poor a “broad space” is to set them free from the “snare of the fowler” (Ps 91:3); it is to free them from the trap hidden on their path, so that they can move forward with serenity on the path of life. God’s salvation is a hand held out to the poor, a hand that welcomes, protects and enables them to experience the friendship they need. From this concrete and tangible proximity, a genuine path of liberation emerges. “Each individual Christian and every community is called to be an instrument of God for the liberation and promotion of the poor, and for enabling them to be fully a part of society. This demands that we be docile and attentive to the cry of the poor and to come to their aid” (Evangelii gaudium, 187).

5. I find it moving to know that many poor people identify with the blind beggar Bartimaeus mentioned by the evangelist Mark (cf. 10:46-52). Bartimaeus “was sitting by the roadside to beg” (v. 46); having heard that Jesus was passing by, “he began to cry out and say, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me’” (v. 47). “Many rebuked him, telling him to be silent; but he cried out all the more” (v. 48). The Son of God heard his plea and said: “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “Master,let me receive my sight” (v. 51). This Gospel story makes visible what the Psalm proclaims as a promise. Bartimaeus is a poor person who finds himself lacking things as essential as sight and the ability to work for a living. How many people today feel in the same situation! Lack of basic means of subsistence, marginalization due to a reduced capacity for work, various forms of social enslavement, despite all our human progress… How many poor people today are like Bartimaeus, sitting on the roadside and looking for meaning in their lives! How many of them wonder why they have fallen so far and how they can escape! They are waiting for someone to come up to them and say: “Take heart; rise, he is calling you” (v. 49).

Sadly, the exact opposite often happens, and the poor hear voices scolding them, telling them to be quiet and to put up with their lot. These voices are harsh, often due to fear of the poor, who are considered not only destitute but also a source of insecurity and unrest, an unwelcome distraction from life as usual and needing to be rejected and kept afar. We tend to create a distance between them and us, without realizing that in this way we are distancing ourselves from the Lord Jesus, who does not reject the poor, but calls them to himself and comforts them. The words of the Prophet Isaiah telling believers how to conduct themselves are most apt in this case. They are “to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free and to break every yoke… to share bread with the hungry and bring the homeless and poor into the house… to cover the naked” (58:6-7). Such deeds allow sin to be forgiven (cf. 1 Pet 4:8) and justice to take its course. They ensure that when we cry to the Lord, he will answer and say: “Here I am!” (cf. Is 58:9).

6. The poor are the first to recognize God’s presence and to testify to his closeness in their lives. God remains faithful to his promise; and even in the darkness of the night, he does not withhold the warmth of his love and consolation. However, for the poor to overcome their oppressive situation, they need to sense the presence of brothers and sisters who are concerned for them and, by opening the doors of their hearts and lives, make them feel like friends and family. Only in this way can the poor discover “the saving power at work in their lives” and “put them at the centre of the Church’s pilgrim way” (Evangelii Gaudium, 198).

On this World Day, we are asked to fulfil the words of the Psalm: “The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied” (Ps 22:26). We know that in the Temple of Jerusalem, after the rites of sacrifice, a banquet was held. It was this experience that, in many dioceses last year, enriched the celebration of the first World Day of the Poor. Many people encountered the warmth of a home, the joy of a festive meal and the solidarity of those who wished to sit together at table in simplicity and fraternity. I would like this year’s, and all future World Days, to be celebrated in a spirit of joy at the rediscovery of our capacity for togetherness. Praying together as a community and sharing a meal on Sunday is an experience that brings us back to the earliest Christian community, described by the evangelist Luke in all its primitive simplicity: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers… And all who believed were together and had all things in common; and they sold their possessions and goods and distributed them to all, as any had need” (Acts 2:42.44-45).

7. Countless initiatives are undertaken every day by the Christian community in order to offer closeness and a helping hand in the face of the many forms of poverty all around us. Often too, our cooperation with other initiatives inspired not by faith but by human solidarity, make it possible for us to provide help that otherwise we would have been unable to offer. The realization that in the face of so much poverty our capacity for action is limited, weak and insufficient, leads us to reach out to others so that, through mutual cooperation, we can attain our goals all the more effectively. We Christians are inspired by faith and by the imperative of charity, but we can also acknowledge other forms of assistance and solidarity that aim in part for the same goals, provided that we do not downplay our specific role, which is to lead everyone to God and to holiness. Dialogue between different experiences, and humility in offering our cooperation without seeking the limelight, is a fitting and completely evangelical response that we can give.

In the service of the poor, there is no room for competition. Rather, we should humbly recognize that the Spirit is the source of our actions that reveal God’s closeness and his answer to our prayers. When we find ways of drawing near to the poor, we know that the primacy belongs to God, who opens our eyes and hearts to conversion. The poor do not need self-promoters, but a love that knows how to remain hidden and not think about all the good it has been able to do. At the centre must always be the Lord and the poor. Anyone desirous of serving is an instrument in God’s hands, a means of manifesting his saving presence. Saint Paul recalled this when he wrote to the Christians in Corinth who competed for the more prestigious charisms: “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you,’ nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you’” (1 Cor 12:21). Paul makes an important point when he notes that the apparently weaker parts of the body are in fact the most necessary (cf. v. 22), and that those “we think less honourable we invest with the greater honour, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require” (vv. 23-24). Paul offers the community a basic teaching about charisms, but also about the attitude it should have, in the light of the Gospel, towards its weaker and needier members. Far be it from Christ’s disciples to nurture feelings of disdain or pity towards the poor. Instead, we are called to honour the poor and to give them precedence, out of the conviction that they are a true presence of Jesus in our midst. “As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me” (Mt 25:40).

8. Here we can see how far our way of life must be from that of the world, which praises, pursues and imitates the rich and powerful, while neglecting the poor and deeming them useless and shameful. The words of the Apostle Paul invite us to a fully evangelical solidarity with the weaker and less gifted members of the body of Christ: “If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honoured, all rejoice together” (1 Cor 12:26). In his Letter to the Romans, Paul also tells us: “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly” (12:15-16). This is the vocation of each of Christ’s followers; the ideal for which we must constantly strive is ever greater conformity to the “mind of Jesus Christ” (Phil 2:5).

9. Faith naturally inspires a message of hope. Often it is precisely the poor who can break through our indifference, born of a worldly and narrow view of life. The cry of the poor is also a cry of hope that reveals the certainty of future liberation. This hope is grounded in the love of God, who does not abandon those who put their trust in him (cf. Rom 8:31-39). As Saint Teresa of Avila writes in The Way of Perfection: “Poverty comprises many virtues. It is a vast domain. I tell you, whoever despises all earthly goods is master of them all” (2:5). It is in the measure in which we are able to discern authentic good that we become rich before God and wise in our own eyes and in those of others. It is truly so. To the extent that we come to understand the true meaning of riches, we grow in humanity and become capable of sharing.

10. I invite my brother bishops, priests, and especially deacons, who have received the laying on of hands for the service of the poor (cf. Acts 6:1-7), as well as religious and all those lay faithful – men and women – who in parishes, associations and ecclesial movements make tangible the Church’s response to the cry of the poor, to experience this World Day as a privileged moment of new evangelization. The poor evangelize us and help us each day to discover the beauty of the Gospel. Let us not squander this grace-filled opportunity. On this day, may all of us feel that we are in debt to the poor, because, in hands outstretched to one another, a salvific encounter can take place to strengthen our faith, inspire our charity and enable our hope to advance securely on our path towards the Lord who is to come.

From the Vatican, 13 June 2018

Memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua

Francis

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dfroza · 3 years

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An act of rebirth that we are to conserve

to share it with all of beautiful earth.

and this is the pure significance of having it written down for all to be able to read and to personally choose for themselves to “believe...”

for only the True illumination of the Son promises us rebirth of the heart (inside, Anew) as well as the rebirth of the body when it will be made eternal. death will no longer exist at some point.

and Love invites us into Light as to not force love to be, since it can never be forced to be True. for we are first chosen as a call of the Spirit that is seen by our own, but we still have to open the heart to reply... to believe inside and to speak through a body of earth and time. it is life’s purest treasure to be known as a child (a son or a daughter) of our heavenly Father.

Today’s reading of the Scriptures from the New Testament is the closing chapter of the book of Mark:

At the rising of the sun, after the Sabbath on the first day of the week, the two Marys and Salome brought sweet-smelling spices they had purchased to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus. Along the way, they wondered to themselves how they would roll the heavy stone away from the opening. But when they arrived, the stone was already rolled away in spite of its weight and size.

Stepping through the opening, they were startled to see a young man in a white robe seated inside and to the right.

Man in White: Don’t be afraid. You came seeking Jesus of Nazareth, the One who was crucified. He is gone. He has risen. See the place where His body was laid. Go back, and tell Peter and His disciples that He goes before you into Galilee, just as He said. You will see Him there when you arrive.

The women went out quickly; and when they were outside the tomb, they ran away trembling and astonished. Along their way, they didn’t stop to say anything to anyone because they were too afraid.

[After He rose from the dead early on Sunday, Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene, a woman out of whom He had cast seven demons. She brought this news back to all those who had followed Him and were still mourning and weeping, but they refused to believe she had seen Jesus alive.

After that, Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them as they walked through the countryside, and again the others did not believe it.

The eleven did not believe until Jesus appeared to them all as they sat at dinner. He rebuked them for their hard hearts—for their lack of faith—because they had failed to believe those witnesses who had seen Him after He had risen.

Jesus: Go out into the world and share the good news with all of creation. Anyone who believes this good news and is ceremonially washed will be rescued, but anyone who does not believe it will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: they will be able to cast out demons in My name, speak with new tongues, take up serpents, drink poison without being harmed, and lay their hands on the sick to heal them.

After the Lord Jesus had charged the disciples in this way, He was taken up into heaven and seated at the right hand of God. The disciples went out proclaiming the good news; and the risen Lord continued working through them, confirming every word they spoke with the signs He performed through them.]

[And the women did everything they had been told to do, speaking to Peter and the other disciples. Later Jesus Himself commissioned the disciples to take this sacred and eternal message of salvation far to the East and the West.]

The Book of Mark, Chapter 16 (The Voice)

Today’s paired chapter of the Testaments is the 8th chapter of the book of Job where Bildad chimes in:

Then the second of Job’s three friends, Bildad the Shuhite, addressed Job.

Bildad: How long will you say these things,

your words whipping through air like a powerful wind?

Does God corrupt justice,

or does the Highest One corrupt the good?

If your children sinned against Him,

He merely administered the punishment due them for those sins.

But if you search for God

and make your appeal to the Highest One,

If you are pure and righteous,

I have no doubt He will arise for you and restore you to your righteous place.

From your modest beginnings,

the future will be bright before you.

Ask those who have come and gone!

Explore what their fathers learned and taught them.

For we are not of ages past, nor even of years gone by.

We are ignorant creatures of yesterday,

and our time on earth is only a shadow.

But the ancients are not similarly bound, are they?

Won’t they speak to and instruct you?

Won’t they draw up words from deep within?

Can papyrus grow tall without a marsh?

Can reeds flourish without water?

Even if they are hardy and unbroken,

without water they will dry up before any other plant.

So it goes with any who forget God.

The hope of the godless soon withers and dies.

His confidence breaks,

for he trusts in the tenuous threads of a spider’s web.

When he leans into his house of silken threads for support,

it won’t hold;

Though his arms grab to steady him,

it will break—he will fall and never get back up.

Still the godless appears to be a hardy plant,

thriving in full sun, sending his shoots across the garden.

The roots twine and grip the stone heap

and search for a home among the rocks.

If he is pulled up, the place will disown him saying,

“I have never seen you.”

See, his sole joy consists of this:

knowing that others will spring from the earth to take his place.

Do you see it? God will not reject the innocent;

He will not reject you or support agents of evil.

He will fill your mouth with laughter;

your lips will spill over into cries of delight.

Those who hate you will don the garment of shame,

and the home of the wicked will disappear.

The Book of Job, Chapter 8 (The Voice)

my personal reading of the Scriptures for Thursday, April 15 of 2021 with a paired chapter from each Testament of the Bible, along with Today’s Psalms and Proverbs

A post by John Parsons about being welcomed by Love:

"The Son of Man came ... and they say, 'Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'" (Matt. 11:19). People, especially the religious people, were scandalized by Yeshua because he was a “friend of tax collectors and sinners!” Yet what sickness of heart is this, to despise those who are sick? It is a sorrow of heart to realize that religion often creates an “in-group” mentality that attains its status at the expense of the “outsider,” the “stranger,” the “sinner,” and so on... The prayer of the self-righteous is always: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people: extortionists, unrighteous people, adulterers – or even like this tax collector" (Luke 18:11).

The religious leaders of Yeshua's day were offended because he "welcomed sinners" and enjoyed eating meals with them (Luke 15:2). We can almost hear their disapproving whispers and their dismissive accusations: "How could a good Jew behave like this? Does he not understand the call to personal holiness? Does he not know the Torah of "clean" and "unclean"? If a man is known by the company he keeps, we know enough about Yeshua to know that he's not truly pious..." And to this very day the self-righteous find offensive the idea that God welcomes the sinful, the needy, the broken, the despised, and the "outsider" into His presence... As Yeshua said, "those who are well have no need of a physician," and indeed offering them God's cure will always be regarded as a kind of poison...

We greatly rejoice that God indeed is the friend of sinners; He is the Good Shepherd who seeks and saves the lost. Thank the Lord that he comes not for the “righteous” but for those who are brokenhearted, for those mortally wounded by their own sin... Any so-called theology or religion that repudiates or minimizes God’s love for the sinful, the needy, the broken, is little more than a shrine to human pride and vanity... On the contrary: the heart of the Compassionate One always welcomes a sinner who sincerely turns to Him. [Hebrew for Christians]

4.15.21 • Facebook

Today’s message from the Institute for Creation Research

April 15, 2021

The Trumpet of God

“And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.” (Exodus 19:19)

This is the first reference to trumpets in the Bible, and it is significant that the “voice” of the trumpet was coming not from man but from God. The setting was the awesome scene at Mount Sinai, when the Lord gave Moses the Ten Commandments for His people.

The last reference in the Old Testament to trumpets again refers to God’s trumpet. “And the LORD shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning: and the LORD God shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the south” (Zechariah 9:14).

The trumpet as used in Israel (Hebrew shofar) was made of rams’ horns and was used on many important occasions. One of the most notable was when the Israelites finally entered the Promised Land at Jericho. “So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and...the wall fell down flat,...and they took the city” (Joshua 6:20). These were human trumpets, of course, but they were sounded with the authority of God, and God gave the victory.

We also today can speak with the authority of God if we speak His Word plainly and clearly. But “if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?” (1 Corinthians 14:8).

We ourselves may soon hear the trumpet of God, for the return of Christ is drawing near. “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven...with the trump of God” (1 Thessalonians 4:16). As we are caught up to meet the Lord in the air, we (like John long ago) will hear a voice “as it were of a trumpet,” saying, “Come up hither” (Revelation 4:1), and then “shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). HMM

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awhilesince · 4 years

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Saturday, 6 December 1828

5 1/2

11 3/4

at my desk at 6 1/2, and reading Miller’s gardener’s dictionary Till 8 10/60 articles Luereus, Castanea Land, Gramen ploughing, Sorbus, Luick, Osculus, – Breakfast at 8 10/60 –

went out at 9 – from then to 4 (came home while the men were at dinner) in the Cunnery plantation – found William Keighley junior just come – had him cutting down the upper Cunnery plantation hedge felling a few firs at the other end of the plantation, and the old black Italian poplar and valuing the 13 sycamores Mosey felled in the Clough Till about 4 1/2 about 66 feet of the sycamores at 1/4 per foot about 10 feet of wood in the poplar at 1/6, but a little hollow at the bottom so called it 14/. George Naylor came to me to me in the morning to ask to buy a few larches – found out they were for Womersley to build a shed of some sort at his stone quarry for 2 delvers soon afterwards came and chose out 6 larches at 1/3 = 716 and 2 ditto at 5/. = 10/. William K– (Keighley) to get me 2 bushes of acorns from Studley near Ripon – my intention to plant them around the young trees in the Coneyry wood – the 2 gardeners planting and helping to clear away – John and William and the horses charging away and snigging trees for Mosey and his man to saw up into railing –said William K– (Keighley) they reckon 18 feet of wood to yield a pack of bark – the allowance made for bark in measuring wood mentioned in Hoppus, it is not the Custom to make in Yorkshire – George Naylor appointed surveyor of the high ways in Southowram –

I am brought me about 10 a letter 3 pages and the ends from Mrs Barlow (Paris) – is she besides herself

‘anything relating to you brings on the fever ….. I think it right to say that I think it is more than my life is worth for me to remain here and to see you …. it would be very material to my health if you could remain away until I could be clear off in the spring …. for me to be seeking a new place of abode at this sseason of the year is more than I can undertake perhaps in my delicate state and yet in it better I should do so than witness your return here I shall tell Mrs S Barlow not to come and I can leave the field open to you early in the spring ….. if without too much inconvenience to yourself you could lengthen your absence it is the last favour I shall ever ask of you and an early answer would afford great relief to a suffering invalid your poor aunt with tears begs to me to remain to triumph over Madame de Rosny alas she little knows the pearl beyond all price is gone lost forever she little knows that Madame de Rosny could say of her niece Miss Lister of Shibden that she feared from the character given her by Madame de Boive (Boyve) that her being under her roof might increase the ill fame her own character already possessed good god and is it to such a none you have fallen from the path ….. am I to believe her statements true and is your fall complete oh how I have struggled to avert this believe me on my word I regret nothing for myself the agony is to have seen and perhaps again to see your degradation I feel no jealousy no malice no selfish motive as far as I am concerned it must be the same to me to whom you prostrate yourself’ then anxiety for my return to the paths of virtue invokes the blessings of heaven upon me and hopes I may never have one days bitterness as the many I am doomed to endure but I shall ever pray for you Anne my own dear lost one oh good god support me in this ssevere trial oh how I loved honour and virtue and wished to see you enshrined in them I have still one consolation that if your good uncle could see the passing here below that he could never condemn me in any advice I have ventured to give you’ when well goes to see my aunt for her own sake ‘she says you are going to remain in Paris two years Madame de Rosny had private conversations with Madame de Boive (Boyve) before I went to England they related to you the countess said she so pressingly asked her to call she could not refuse her I did not mention any this gout of malice Anne but I think it my duty to point out that your new favorite is not blessed with much discretion and that I think it right to warn you to it cut of this I ssupose you have begun to be sensible that you will teach her to be more so for your own sake a young Englishman she tried for after you were gone and it quite turned her head because he was richer but he has cut her she told Ferdinande her husband was much better with the Marquis Nicolai than with you who were not she thought ‘‘riche’’

the woman wont go to her when Mrs B- (Barlow) goes – Dr Tupper has not yet made up his mind about the apartment – the Senés anxious to keep such good tenants, and have carpeted my bedroom, Mrs B– (Barlow) thinking Miss MacL– (MacLean) would like it better –

(left margin: all emphasis dashes, marked in the original are always dotted, by me instead of lines under matter)

plenty of money to supply my aunt with – kept her bed since last week, and has not seen her ‘nor does she know I am writing; but I thought the fever might abate after this letter was written, and which hung upon my mind – would willingly die but for Jane

‘but I must stay and endure all that my beloved god ordains do not be afraid that I shall be at or ment to you or trouble you in future no doubt this is the last request I shall ever make you and it is to enable Jane to remain here this winter who very unwillingly gives up Paris oh Anne how happily we could have remained together if …. But it was decreed we should part you love eclat to court the attention of the stranger and the far away (quoted from my last) and I shall soon be for gotten oh that I could as easily forget you but I have been forgotten and put aside since last ….. this time twelve month you were still all you all to be and I gloried in you we took sacrament together on the twenty eighth of this month and I thought it would render our friendship still more sacred Anne are you happier now if you wish me to burn your next letter trust me to do it if it so requested oh I remember how you looked after your residence in Rue Matignon when you made believe to be in your sore throat oh horror of horrors I rave again I bear you no ill will my wound is too deep for that filled with poignant and deep sorrow bless you may the almighty bless you may I never see you again and may you find one as faithfully devoted as’ …. I cannot make it out – ‘how much I could tell you but will not plague you any more nor am I able to go through the horrible task I should have been glad to have been spared the asking you to prolong your stay and at any other time I should have been off without saying a word excuse this letter if I have said aught to offend you I intended it not cut my peace is gone and I know not what I write

M. Touchon’s apparatus for extracting the human calculus, much approved by Sir Astley Cooper – was to have operated (was sent for) upon a Mr Jordan ‘but by the time he arrived Mr J– (Jordan) was too ill to submit to it’ – ‘the countess says you delighted in such conversations as I blush to hear – teach her discretion if you can and not to boast so much of your favours sso publicly’ – It seems my ‘aunt is remarably well’ – is she be sides herself mused a few minutes as I stood by William Keighley cutting down the upper Cunnery plantation hedge but soon turned to him and occupied myself with what I was about just saying within myself is she mad to quarrel with the little countess now would never do true or not as this I must be wary and mind what I am about my heart is not interested my head will have fairer play but shall I leave Paris and thus get out of it all would Dijon do for us for my aunt may indeed live these dozen years came home when the men went to dinner and from one to two and a quarter no from

from 12 50/60 to 2 10/60 at my desk – and wrote what I thought of writing and sending in the evening to Mrs B– (Barlow) in answer to her tirade – at 2 10/60 went back to the plantation staid there perhaps near 1/2 hour after William K– (Keighley) went then went down to the bottom of the walk – their ashes partly washed away by a flush of water from Charles Howarth’s – must this stopt – then measuring to see how much railing it would take to rail off the whole of Lower brook ing wood and the walk above (in Lower brook Ing) anew – about 200 yards in length –

came in at 5 20/60 – dressed – Dinner at 6 1/4 – came upstairs at 6 55/60 (had my wine afterwards) and from then to 7 55/60 wrote and sent by John to

‘Madame Madame Barlow, Rue des Champs Elysées No. 6, Paris’ the following 2 pages with 4 or 5 lines on the end of the other side to my aunt – Shibden Saturday evening 6 December 1828. Maria! I have been out all day, and have just got your letter – my heart aches more than perhaps you think, but would ache still more were it not supported by a conscience comparatively void of offence – I have neither time nor spirit to enter into detail – my letter, to save the next mail, must be in the posting - office in an hour; and I have ordered the servant to have his horse standing ready in the stable – at all rates, I lose not a moment in complying with your request to write as soon as I can – you have always found me at least ready to oblige you to the utmost of my poor ability; and on this, surely, not when scandal can shake your faith – if after your receipt of these few hurried lines, you still wish me not to return, I will do all I can to oblige you in this, also – But I give you my word of honour, you are mistaken –Madame G– (Galvani) is, at this moment, forcibly recalled to my mind, whom I have heard more than once observe, that the French not only tell all they know, but much more – not only count over what they have received, but boast of what they have not – to me considered individually and singly, all this is unimportant: – to me considered collectively and in connection with others, it has an importance exactly equal to the credit given to it by those whose good opinion and regard I value – Perhaps, Maria, I might justly complain to find myself so precipitately condemned unheard – Presumptive evidence, however plausible, should always be received with caution; and even the positive assertion of those whose veracity we have in any instance been known to doubt, should be well examined, and well weighed, before we attempt to fix on it the stamp of truth – But if you continue to do me the injustice you do me at present, I shall not blame your heart for it; and this at least, will shed one little beam of light along the darksome cloud that you have thrown around me – If you still desire my not returning to Paris till you are gone, (and may I entreat you to spare me, as soon as you can, at least the misery of suspense) I will do my utmost to manage it, and will take all the care in my power never to intrude upon you more – my constant prayer will be for your happiness – and may you live to discover that your esteem has not been deservedly forfeited by your ever steadily and sincerely affectionate friend AL (Anne Lister) – will you be good enough to send the 3 or 4 following lines to my aunt – Shibden Saturday evening 6 December 1828. my dear aunt I am in a hurry to send off my letter to Mrs B– (Barlow) I find Dr T– Tupper can still give no decided answer – without further hesitation, lose no time in taking our present apartment for 3 months longer – It delights us to hear such continued good accounts of you – very busy – I shall stay over the rent-day, at all rates – all quite well – ever most affectionately yours AL (Anne Lister) – my father and Marian send their love’ –

went downstairs at 7 55/60 and had my wine – then asleep on the sofa above an hour, till 10 – then talking about my aunt’s return to Shibden (my father always wishes it and will see no objection – no difficulties in the way), the difference it would make to all parties, servants etc. etc. and came upstairs at 10 40/60 – then till 11 wrote (all but the 2 first lines) of the first 13 lines of today, etc. Highish wind now at 11 p.m. – Very fine day –

(SH:7/ML/E/11/0102) (SH:7/ML/E/11/0103) (SH:7/ML/E/11/0104)

https://www.catalogue.wyjs.org.uk/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=CC00001%2f7%2f9%2f6%2f11%2f102&pos=1

https://www.catalogue.wyjs.org.uk/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=CC00001%2f7%2f9%2f6%2f11%2f103&pos=1

https://www.catalogue.wyjs.org.uk/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=CC00001%2f7%2f9%2f6%2f11%2f105&pos=1

#annelistercodebreaker #annelister #mrsbarlow #1828 #shibden hall winter 1828

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leonvalleyarticles · 6 years

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Hebrews Part VII: Pressing on to Maturity

Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. – Hebrews 6:1-2

There’s a difference between growing old and growing up. People get older, pay their own bills, get married, dare to have children–this is sometimes thought of as “growing up,” but the fact is folks can do those things (and a great many others) and never grow up. They may accumulate years, but never mature (cf. 1 Cor. 14:20). Maturity, rather their lack of it, is what the Holy Spirit puts before the Hebrews: “...by this time you ought to be teachers...” (Heb. 5:12). The writer spent much time explaining the role of Jesus as High Priest and the wonderful blessings that He affords to His people in that role, and there was even more to say. However, the brethren were not ready: “Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing” (Heb 5:11). They allowed something to get in the way–they had become undisciplined students, slack in their hearing of the Word. Their laziness left them weak and vulnerable to the point that the Holy Spirit says, “...you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.” (Heb 5:12). Ouch. The excuse-maker might say, “Well, is any Christian as mature as they could be?” Of course not. But they ask the wrong question. The question is am I even trying to press on to maturity? These brethren were not what they “ought to be” (teachers) due to their lack of effort. In a very real sense none of us are what we ought to be...yet, but are we giving the Lord our best effort? The Hebrews evidently were not. Thus, they had need again to learn the elementary principles.

The writer goes further in explaining the reason for their regression: “For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant” (Heb. 5:13). Their inability to graduate to solid spiritual food is directly linked to being unaccustomed to the “word of righteousness”–the Word of God which is useful for “training in righteousness” (2 Tim. 2:16-17). They may not have had leather-bound testaments like we do today, but they had prophets, evangelists, and teachers who spoke the same Word to them–(Eph. 4:11-12; Heb. 13:7), yet “the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed” (Heb. 4:2). Like those ancient Israelites who came “short of the grace of God”, the Hebrew Christians were proving disobedient to the Word, failing “to discern good from evil” (Heb. 5:14), because they would not hear. This was an awful reflection of their faith. They were in grave danger spiritually.

Thus the writer exhorts them and us to “press on to maturity” (Heb. 6:1). There is no time to waste, we must press forward or regress–the life of a Christian must be a continual “straining toward what is ahead,” ever pressing “on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13-14). “This will we do if God permits” (Heb. 6:3). Each new day is another opportunity to try and be a better servant–to grow as we redeem the time and make ourselves useful to the Master. It is imperative.

Just take a look at the consequence:

For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame (Heb. 6:4-6).

Why does the Holy Spirit go straight to this conclusion when He’s indicted the Hebrews for their “dullness of hearing” and lack of maturity? Because this is where such things lead! Oh but how lightly we treat our unfaithfulness, and lack of spiritual discipline! How readily we give ourselves a pass when forsake assembling with our brethren, and neglect daily Bible reading! God sees the truth, and warns us not to deceive ourselves and make light of our minimal efforts to serve. For this is the way to destruction. Herein lies the way to apostasy. “The lazy man is a brother to him who destroys” (Pro. 18:9). We may wish and rationalize and compare, saying, “Well, at least I’m not as bad as ol’ so and so,” or “At least I’m not lying, thieving, murderer.” All the while God is saying, “You don’t have to be those things to be lost forever.” We may think little of missing services, but Scripture reminds such things are indications of a larger problem–a heart problem, just as it was with the Hebrews. If it is not resolved, there is the same threat of apostasy for us.

Many (if not most) will disagree with this next point. Let’s ask the question: “Who is the writer speaking to in the context?” Is it not those who were once “enlightened,” “tasted the good Word of God,” “partakers of the Holy Spirit”? Are these unbelievers? There are no other passages which describe non-Christians in the way the Hebrew writer does. He is speaking to “brethren,” fellow believers (cf. Heb. 3:12), thus the warning is for Christians. A child of God can sin so as to be eternally lost–“My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins” (Jas. 5:19-20). The Hebrew writer is in agreement with all other inspired writers. Contrary to popular belief, those who once committed their lives to Christ, moved by His grace and love, and enlightened by His Word can fall away from the faith so as to be eternally lost. God’s grace is conditional, and if one wishes to receive it and remain in it, he must allow God’s grace to transform his life by responding in obedience:

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ (Ti. 2:11-13).

If we’re still having trouble this point, consider a few more verses: “As God's fellow workers, we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain” (2 Cor. 6:1). “While the promise of entering His rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be deemed to have fallen short of it” (Heb. 4:1). “See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many” (Heb. 12:15). Let us press on to maturity, brethren. “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen” (2 Pet. 3:18). Let us stop looking for excuses and discipline ourselves to be prayerful Bible students who allow the Word of God to transform our lives. Anything short of our best effort is regression which leads to apostasy. May it never be said of any of us that we have “crucified the Lord anew and put Him to open shame.” This is the very gift which drew us to Him in repentance to begin with. If we take Hs sacrifice for granted, thinking to abuse His grace, what sacrifice for sin remains? What is left to bring us to repentance? (Rom. 6:1; Heb. 10:26; 6:6) Do not let that be your end. Press on, brethren. Press on!

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tvserieshub · 6 years

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Bing bang boom, bye-bye Fiona. Just like that, we have ourselves a finale. Tonight’s finale is dedicated to Emmy Rossum as she departs from Shameless after playing the lead, Fiona, for 9 years. As we say goodbye to Fiona, the family deal with their own issues, cementing Fiona’s realization that they don’t need her anymore and it is time for her to leave.

The episode kicks off with Fiona staring at the $100 000 check that Max wrote for buying her out of the zoning deal. She’s quit her job at the gas station and uses some the money to pay the fine for for assaulting her neighbor, and also leaves a check for half of it for the family. The check is made out to Debbie, as Fiona knows Debbie will be the one to step up and care for the household, much like she has been doing in the last few episodes.

As much as this episode is a good-bye, it seems a bit out of place. The title “Found” speaks to Fiona finally finding her peace and the episode follows in such, having a very calm tone. For the first time in her life, nothing is turbulent. She knows the right thing for her to do is leave, start anew, even she doesn’t know exactly where and what to do yet.

None of the drama and chaos of the previous episodes of trying to keep the household together exists in this episode, and everyone seems completely and immediately on board with Fiona leaving. As Fiona observes the family around her, she notices how much none of them need her. This has been the case for a long time but seems especially set up to encourage her to leave. That being said, the show could have done a lot more with Fiona’s goodbye, as they’ve known for a long time that Emmy Rossum was going to leave. The episode “Lost” and Found could have been a two-parter instead of having her good-bye set up as a lucky break at the end of the last episode.

Frank, confined to couch and driving everyone crazy, is still trying to get oxy, his intake of which is being carefully monitored by Debbie. The family take turns caring for him and eventually make plans to find him a healthcare worker. As for Frank and Fiona, they share very few words. After an entire episode of Frank mentoring Fiona, and after 9 years of Fiona constantly trying to kick Frank to the curb, I was expecting him to say more about his eldest leaving. Frank tells Fiona that she did a good job, stepping in where Monica couldn’t, but Fiona says she didn’t just step in – she did everything. Although at a lack for words, we can see that Frank is affected by her leaving – she did the job which he could never, picked up the slack and raised an entire family and now she has grown up and is about to get out of the South Side with a fresh start.

In this episode, Liam is discovering just how different he is from his family and what that means. When Debbie finds him at Todd’s house, he tells her he is feeling a disconnect from his cultural identity and knows nothing about his racial heritage. The Gallagher’s have always accepted Liam regardless of the fact that he looks a little different than the rest of him because he is their family and they accept and support him. However, Liam’s struggles with his identity goes hand-in-hand with feeling unnoticed and marginalized in the Gallagher household, as he doesn’t feel like he fits in. He tells Debbie he has moved out and that he is denouncing his Gallagher name.

What does not seem at all right though, is Fiona leaving without checking on Liam. Liam is still in her legal care, and she has in all regards raised him since he was a baby. Out of all the Gallagher’s, Liam is the only one not working, dealing with relationship drama, or trying to figure out what to do with his life next. Having received some really good private school education and always staying out of trouble, Liam is the only Gallagher on the genuine straight and narrow, with a really good prospects of doing great things in his future.

Fiona has raised the entire Gallagher family, but the difference between raising Liam and the others is that they were all old enough to understand Frank and Monica were deadbeat parents who could never be around to depend on. Liam has only ever known Fiona as a parental figure, and no matter what is going on, everyone always made sure to take care of the youngest, most impressionable Gallagher.

When Fiona visits Ian in prison, she tells him Liam might be missing, as casually as mentioning what drama’s the other Gallagher’s have been up to. Liam has never been the one to get into any trouble, so him suddenly missing should be a big worry. She doesn’t make an effort to find him – this instead is a role which Debbie assumes throughout the episode, which is a set-up for her to take charge of the family.

After so much of Fiona’s criminal life being related to Liam – her going to prison and for leaving cocaine out on which he overdosed and punching the woman who was racist toward him – one would think we would have seen more of a goodbye with Liam.

Our favorite ginger makes an appearance when Fiona goes to visit Ian in prison, and I could not be happier! Cameron Monaghan’s guest role in the finale was no surprise, as the show wouldn’t send Fiona off without seeing Ian. Ian tells Fiona to leave, to get as far away from the South Side as she can, and of all the characters, this seems like the most genuine reaction. Ian has been the only Gallagher who has been close to actually leaving – back in season 7 when he almost left with Mickey to go to Mexico. He is the only one who knows what it feels like to actually have the opportunity, the freedom to feel as if he could just leave.

Prison doesn’t seem like it’s been treating Ian too awful. As far as we can tell, him and Mickey are still an item (don’t worry Gallavich stans), which leaves the door open for Mickey’s return as well. While we do absolutely adore Gallavich and love Mickey, his return is not confirmed. Noel Fisher has not mentioned anything, and neither has Shameless showrunners. However, we absolutely adore Ian and couldn’t be more excited to see what’s in store for Ian now that Cameron Monaghan’s return in season 10 is confirmed.

Carl, still feeling heart-broken and rejected, is completely demotivated and has no idea what to do next in his life. He decides to quit military school, after feeling like his life has amounted to nothing – he tells Debbie that he is a loser with terrible education and has a family history of drug and alcohol abuse that is bound to catch up with him at some point. Carl has given up and completely doubts himself. He feels like the best life will ever get for him is having his job at Captain Bob’s – this coming after Captain Bob offers him an assistant manager job with good pay.

This time, it is Debbie who sets aside her feelings and helps Carl. She confronts Kelly for breaking Carl’s heart and blames her rejecting him for Carl’s decision to quit military school. Kelly arrives at Captain Bobs’ and full on tackles Carl, announcing that he quits working there. She convinces Carl to go back to school, and the two make up when she tells him she still has feelings for him.

Lip and Tammi continue their back-and-forth fight as to what will happen with their baby. While Lip is clearly pushing for Tammi to have the child, she pushes back even harder. After learning that she does have the breast cancer gene that her mother had, albeit the ‘baby good’ kind in which having a child can diminish her chances of having a child, Tammi is even more conflicted as to what to do. She doesn’t want to die when the child is young, just like her mother did, and isn’t comforted by the thought of Lip raising a child either. With his struggles with alcoholism and smoking, Tammi doubts that Lip could live very long either to be the best kind of father.

Eventually Tammi tells Lip that she has decided to carry the baby to term but wants to give it up for adoption – a decision which doesn’t sit well with Lip, and the two are back to square one. Lip and Tammi aren’t in love with each other, and the fate of their relationship seems dependent on what happens with the baby.

When the family discover Fiona is leaving, they decide it is a necessity to throw her a party and take off to get supplies. Fiona, however, decides to leave before they return. When Lip returns to find her gone, he smiles and we can see he is happy for her – she’s finally committed to going, to finding her own happiness. Along with the check Fiona left was a note, saying simply, “Love you”, and everyone enjoys the party in celebration for her. Even Ian, from the prison basketball grounds, stares up at a plane – presumably the one Fiona boards with her one tiny suitcase – which is taking off and smiles.

“Take care of ’em for me, will you?”

All in all, although not the best execution, this episode was very heartfelt. To see Fiona move on with her life after all that she has been through, and to watch the family be happy for was very heartwarming. Fiona deserves to be happy, and after 9 season’s we say goodbye and thank you to Emmy Rossum for playing such an incredible character so well. With Fiona gone, Ian set to return, Lip facing possible fatherhood and Liam learning more about his culture, I am very excited to see what season 10 will bring.

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Hi there, thanks for reading! Watch this space for show updates and more, and we’ll see you in fall for season 10!

Shameless Season 9 Finale (S09E14) “Found” Bing bang boom, bye-bye Fiona. Just like that, we have ourselves a finale. Tonight’s finale is dedicated to Emmy Rossum as she departs from Shameless after playing the lead, Fiona, for 9 years. 1,703 more words

#FarewellFiona #FionaGallagher #IanGallagher #Shameless #ShamelessFinale #tvserieshub

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tpanan · 7 years

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My Sunday Daily Blessings

March 18, 2018

Be still quiet your heart and mind, the LORD is here, loving you talking to you...........

Fifth Sunday of Lent (Roman Rite Calendar)

Lectionary: 35, Liturgical Year B

First Reading: Jeremiah 31:31-34

The days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah.It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers the day I took them by the hand to lead them forth from the land of Egypt; for they broke my covenant, and I had to show myself their master, says the LORD.

But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD. I will place my law within them and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer will they have need to teach their friends and relatives how to know the LORD.

All, from least to greatest, shall know me, says the LORD, for I will forgive their evildoing and remember their sin no more.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 51: 3-4, 12-13, 14-15

"Create a clean heart in me, O GOD."

Second Reading: Hebrews 5: 7-9

In the days when Christ Jesus was in the flesh, he offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered; and when he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.

Verse before the Gospel: John 12:26

"Whoever serves me must follow me, says the Lord; and where I am, there also will my servant be."

Gospel: John 12:20-33

Some Greeks who had come to worship at the Passover Feast came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, "Sir, we would like to see Jesus." Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them,

"The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.

Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be.The Father will honor whoever serves me.

"I am troubled now. Yet what should I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? But it was for this purpose that I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name."

Then a voice came from heaven,

"I have glorified it and will glorify it again."

The crowd there heard it and said it was thunder; but others said, "An angel has spoken to him." Jesus answered and said,

"This voice did not come for my sake but for yours. Now is the time of judgment on this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself."

He said this indicating the kind of death he would die.

**Meditation:

How does God bring us into an inseparable bond of love and unity with himself? God is a covenant-maker who draws men and women to himself in a bond of peace and friendship. God established a covenant with his people when he freed them from slavery in Egypt and brought them to his holy mountain at Sinai. "I will be your God, and you will be my people" (Exodus 6:7; Leviticus 26:12). But his people time and again broke covenant with him and did not follow his ways (Jeremiah 31:32) - "each did what was right in his or her own eyes" (Judges 17:26 and 21:25). God, nonetheless, continued to send his prophets to draw his people back.

A new and everlasting covenant When the prophet Jeremiah was sent to the exiles to offer them a message of hope and restoration, he spoke of a new covenant that would surpass the previous covenant which God had made. God intended to establish a new and everlasting covenant that would wipe away the sins of his people and open the way to God's throne of mercy and grace (his undeserved favor and blessing). This new covenant would be sealed with the blood of the perfect sacrifice that Jesus would offer to the Father when he died upon the cross to atone for our sins. At the beginning of Jesus' ministry John the Baptist prophetically pointed to Jesus as the "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, was sent from the Father in heaven to became a man for our sake so he could as man offer the one perfect sacrifice that would unite us with God and give us everlasting life.

Jesus' hour of glory Shortly before the Jewish feast of Passover, Jesus announced to his disciples that the "hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified" (John 12:23). The Son of Man is a prophetic title for the Messiah recorded in the prophecy of Daniel (see the Book of Daniel 7:13-14). In Jesus' time the Jewish people were looking for a Messiah who would set them free from the oppressive rule of Rome. Jesus came to set people free from the worst oppression of all - the tyranny of endless slavery to sin, Satan, and death. Jesus came to bring us into a new covenant relationship with God that would not end with death but lead to eternal life.

Jesus announced to his followers that when "he would be lifted up from the earth, he would draw all people to himself" (John 12:32). What did Jesus mean by the expression of being "lifted up" and "drawing people to himself"? When a great leader won a complete and decisive conquest over his enemies and brought freedom and peace to his people, he was crowned and given a new title, as Victor, Savior, and Deliverer of the people. A conquering ruler was robed in royal splendor and raised up and enthroned on high in the sight of his people.

Victory through suffering and the cross How did Jesus fulfill his mission as the Anointed (Messiah) King who came to bring victory and freedom for his people? Jesus knew that the only way to decisive victory for God's kingdom on the earth would be through his voluntary suffering and death on the cross. Jesus described his willingness to go to the cross as his “hour of glory” (John 12:23) when he would fulfill his Father's will and accomplish the mission entrusted to him. Jesus saw his death on the cross as triumph over the powers of sin and Satan's forces of darkness. The real enemy that Jesus came to overcome was Satan who tempts the human race to rebel against God and his commands in order to create their own destiny through sinful pride and disobedience. Jesus took our sins upon himself and nailed them to the cross to set us free from condemnation to death and destruction, and the eternal consequence of separation from God.

"Unless the grain of wheat dies..."

How can suffering and death bring life and freedom? Jesus used the illustration of the “grain of wheat” to show how God brings life from death and good fruit through patience and suffering. Seeds by themselves are worthless and lifeless. Only when the seed is destroyed by burying it in the ground, can it rise to new life and bear fruit.

What is the analogy which Jesus alludes to in the image of the grain of wheat that must first die in order to rise to new life and bear good fruit? Is this simply a veiled reference to his own impending death on the cross and to his resurrection? Or does Jesus have another kind of "death and rebirth" in mind for his disciples as well? Jesus, no doubt, had both meanings in mind. Jesus' obedience and death on the cross obtain for us freedom and new life in the Holy Spirit. His cross frees us from the tyranny of sin and death and shows us the way of perfect love and readiness to lay down our lives in sacrificial service for the good of others.

A new "creation" in Christ If we want to receive the abundant new life and the fruit of the Spirit which the Lord Jesus freely offers us, then the "outer shell" of our fallen sinful nature must first be broken and be put to death. In baptism our "old nature" which was enslaved by sin is buried with Christ so we may rise to new life with Christ through the cleansing waters of baptism. Paul the Apostle describes this death and rebirth in Christ as a “new creation” which Christ accomplishes in us through the power of his saving death and resurrection (2 Corinthians 5:17).

This process of death to the “old fallen self” is both a one-time event which occurs in our baptism, and it is also a daily, on-going cycle of growth in which the Holy Spirit buries us more deeply into Jesus' death to sin so we might rise anew in the power of God's love, righteousness (moral goodness), and holiness. There is a great paradox here. Death leads to life. When we "die" to our selves - to our rebellious sinful nature and willful rejection of God's commandments - we receive God's forgiveness and the life-changing power of the Holy Spirit which frees us to love and serve others, and follow God faithfully. It is God's free gift of grace (his blessing and favor towards us) and the transforming power of the Holy Spirit that enables us to live and serve joyfully as sons and daughters of God.

Pruning and bearing good fruit in Christ How can I practically "die" to myself so that the Lord Jesus can live in me and transform me into his likeness and holiness? It certainly means that what is contrary to God's will must be "put to death" within me. God gives us grace to say "yes" to his will and the strength we need to reject whatever is contrary to his commands and plan for our lives. The Lord Jesus promises that we will bear much "fruit" for him, if we choose to deny ourselves for his sake and embrace his will for our lives.

Jesus used strong language to describe the kind of self-denial he had in mind for his disciples. "He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life" (John 12:25). What did Jesus mean when he said that a follower of Christ must hate himself or herself? The expression to hate something often meant to prefer less. Jesus says that nothing should get in the way of our preferring him and the will of our heavenly Father above all else. Paul the Apostle reminds us that "what is sown in the earth is subject to decay, what rises is incorruptible" (1 Corinthians15:42). Do you believe in the power and victory of Christ's saving cross and resurrection? And are you ready to reject whatever is contrary to God's commands and to trust him for the strength and joy to embrace his will for your life?

Sources:

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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lykanthropa · 7 years

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Support Class

Chapter 9: Love & Nuts

Olivia stands in the middle of the 15-meter-long metal bridge of the hangar and looks down over the railing at the robotic army. Accurately, they are standing down there and wait silently and motionless to be activated and sent into a new battle against the mercenaries. A fight that many of them will not be able to ride it out. As last time. They consist of nothing but metal, while the mercenaries are men of flesh and blood. And yet, Olivia is of the opinion that they are the ones who have no soul. She reluctantly recalls the memories of the last fight. That's a year ago. Her father's robots were destroyed one by one. And the mercenaries had laughed. They had laughed. It gave them great pleased to kill them. No, Olivia is sure that the mercenaries are those who have no soul. She hates them from the bottom of her heart. The dim light of the ceiling lamps makes the metal old gray and shiny. “You are so beautiful…”

“Olivia?” Graymann comes with his automated wheelchair on the metal bridge. Main building and hangar are connected with only one door. And from this he came. Beside her, he comes to a halt. Just as Olivia always does, she sits down on his lap. “Why are not you in bed? It's the middle of the night.” “They must fight again soon. I want to spend time with them as long as possible before they are again final destroyed.” “I can build them again and again, you know?” “Nevertheless, they are always the same, which must always experience the same fate. I hate the mercenaries for hurting them.” “…then you must hate me as well. After all, I send them into this fate.” Olivia eyed her old father with her big, gold-yellow eyes. “I don't hate you. I know how important it is that these mercenaries must be eliminate. And you and I cannot fight for ourselves. But somebody has to do it...” “I bought you a beautiful canary. Why don't you busy yourself with it?” “The bird is safe in its cage. So I don' have to worry about it.” “I gave you this bird, so it take your mind off things.” “………” Gray Mann sighs. He stroked Olivia's head and looked down at the robots. “Come now. It’s sleep time. The men have just contacted me. In dawn, they will be here with the support team and then the robots will be loaded into the transport tank. And you want to say goodbye to them before, don’t you?” “Yes, father…”

Olivia closes the door behind her, crosses her large, hall-like room, and enters her winter garden, where the aviary, covered by a blanket, stands. And therein is the little yellow bird. A gift from her father, so she is not so lonely. Sure, Olivia has neither siblings nor friends. But she does not need it either. The robots and her father are the only company she wants, needs and appreciates. She slams the blanket back. The canary sits on his sleeping pole, on one leg and the head turned backwards, hidden in the plumage. She still has no name for him. But do birds need a name at all? Do they feel something? Can birds build a relationship with a human being at all? Olivia has the bird just a few days. And he always shows her that he doesn't want to know about her. He never flies to her, never sits down on her finger when she holds it for him. He's avoiding her. He doesn't like her. That's okay by her. He doesn't have to love her.

She opens the cage. The clacking of the cage door and the movements startles the canary bird out of its sleep. She reaches for him. Panically he avoids her hand. A chase begins. The little bird jumps and flutters from one side to the other. He escapes again and again. But Olivia remains obstinate. Finally, she manages to grab him when he is already completely weakened. Firmly in her fist, she takes him out of the cage and looks at him. He defends himself, tries to free himself, and makes constant cheeps noises. She loosens her grip somewhat, but not too much so that the bird cannot free his wings. She looks down at him emotionlessly. “Why do you want to get away from me? Don't I give you everything you need? I give you food and water. You have a big cage. And yet you show yourself ungrateful.” The Canary had for a moment stopped fighting back when she began to speak. But now he starts anew. He opens his beak wide. “And now you're threatening me? Why are the creatures just like that? They are ungrateful, selfish and destructive. Only when you have realized this, you will realize how wonderful the dead things are. My only friends are my father's robots. Since I can remember, I always had them around me. They always took care of me. I just wish I could be there for them like they for me. But I can do nothing to keep them from their fate. They have been built to fight. I cannot fight. I am still a child. I don't know what makes my father wrong that they are destructible. Is it because he does not love them like me? Is love missing? One day I will follow Father's footsteps and then I'll be able to build them. Build them with so much love that I feel for them that they will be indestructible. Will the mercenaries be still to witness this? Will you still be?” The canary now lies completely exhausted in her fist. Olivia clearly senses the little heart, which frantically beats in that little breast. “………” She puts him back into the cage. As by a miracle the vigors come back and the canary flies into the rearmost corner of the cage, the wings spread apart. Olivia closes the cage, looks at the bird for a moment, and covers the cage again with the blanket. Now it's time to sleep.

Team Fortress 2

The little robin beeps during sleep. The tree snake observes the small featherball in the middle of her curled body. Then she turns her gaze to the owl. Sir Hootsalot sits rigidly on the dashboard, trying to keep his balance with the healthy wing. The snake knows that he has great pain. His broken wing must necessarily be fix. But what can they do...? “Hey, owl.” “…what do you want?” “Come down there and ressst a bit.” “Rest? I'm nocturnal, y'know? And it's night.” “You are hurt.” “That's none of your business, snake.” “I am not heartlesss. Even if everybody likesss to think ssso.” “The giant maggot is right, mice eater. A soldier cannot fight if he's under the weather.” “We are no soldiers but birds, you birdbrain” replied Sir Hootsalot toneless. “Ay me…” Aberdeen twists his eyes. Compatriot leaps at the owl. “Now listen to me, you night-shadow-bird! You do what I say!” The white-headed eagle reaches for the owl with his claws, with the intention of pulling him down from the dashboard on the passenger seat. “Let me go! Are you crazy?” “I call the shots! I am the King of Birds!” “The king of birdbrains is much more relevant!” While eagle and owl fight together, the steering wheel remains ownerless. And soon the van starts to swerve. “Put your claws back to the wheel!” Dante barks. But the eagle is not listening. So she takes the wheel. With paws, however, this is not so easy. She slips off again and again. The van is getting swerve even more. The feathers of the fighting birds whirl around the driver's room. The snake holds its tail end over the little Robin. “That’sss enough! Aberdeen, ssstop the vehicle!” “Y-yes! I try it! But I forgot where the brake is!” “There, where isss not the gasss pedal!” “Oh yeah!” “But ssslowly!” But too late. The macaw jumps from the gas to the brake. The vehicle makes a full braking. Compatriot and Sir Hootsalot are pressed against the windshield. The broken wing isn't leave unscathed. Dante's muzzle lands on the horn and then crashes into the footwell, landing on Aberdeen. By her weight the gas pedal is activated, the van jumps up and dashs forward. Compatriot and Sir Hootsalot are thrown back and thrown off the dashboard. They fall exactly on the snake and the robin. The tree snake reacts immediately, wraps herself completely around the small, sleeping bird and brakes the weight of the two birds with her upper body. “Brake! Brake!!” Suddenly the van makes a gigantic jerk. The animals are shaken when they seem to have been driving over something hard. Aberdeen was able to get free himself under the dog and jumped on the brake. At the same time, the Dobermann dog pressed a paw onto the brake pedal. Aberdeen is clamped between pedal and paw. A squeal escapes his throat. Again the van makes a jerk and finally stops.

None of the animals is moving. It almost seems the time has stopped. The snake notices Sir Hootsalot, as he lies motionless beside her. He moaned softly in pain. “Owl! Are you alright?” “…yes…” The Dobermann dog jumps back on the driver's seat. He growled furiously at the eagle, who is caught between the driver's and the passenger's seat. “You stupid bird! Did you want to kill us all?” “It's not my fault you dogs cannot drive.” “Excuse me?” Dante bares her teeth. “Stop it! Don’t you realize that we are always in trouble because of these constant arguments?” All eyes are directed to the macaw. Rarely have they been able to experience him so angered. Usually the parrot bird is peaceful and very patient. “Aberdeen isss right. You have to pull yourssself together.” “Why you? Didn’t you mean we?” “No, I have behave completely correct ssso far.” A slight movement in the snake's body tells her that the robin is awake. She unrolls her body. Robin looks at her with sleepy eyes. “Are we there yet?” “No, not yet, little one. We have only a little breakdown.” Now the little bird is wide-awake. “Oh no! We are stuck? Oh? There are feathers everywhere...” “How is it that you have not been hurled back and forth, snake?” “I already sssaid that my body isss a complete mussscle. And ssso our little robin remained unssscathed.” The snake pets Robin's head. “What are you talking about? What happened?” “We should check whether the van is all right.” Dante opens the driver's door and jumps out. ��You ssstay here, owl.” “Why?” “You have a wounded wing. And by your fall it might be worsssened.” “Pfft! As long as it doesn't descend, I don't need to be treated like a deathly ill animal.” “No, deathly ill animals will be euthanized.” “Shut up! This is all your fault! Every idiot knows that he doesn't have to let go of the steering wheel during the ride!” “Then why didn't you steer, maggot?” “Because I have a broken wing!” “Let'sss get out of here too” says the tree snake to the robin. “Da.” Robin is glad to get away from the quarreling. He hates it when they argue. And in a situation like this. Outside, they meet Dante, who had once circumnavigated the vehicle. “And? What'sss it like?” “The van seems to be unscathed. At least I could not find anything.” “What luck” Robin squeals. “Then let'sss have a look at what we've drive over.” “Hopefully not an animal.” “Don't worry. Compatriot is the largest animal in this desert.” “Really? The donkeys in Germany are much bigger.” The snake laughs hissingly. After a few steps they find railway lines along the way. “Well, well. Ssso here we are.” Aberdeen and Compatriot joined the three. “What’s going on?” asks the macaw. “We have reached the railway tracksss.” “Are we right for here at all, stubby tail?” All eyes are directed at the dog. Dante looks down on the ground. “I've lost their track…” “I knew it! If you were made in America, it wouldn't have happened!” “What are we going to do now?” “…I have an idea.” “Tell us, lad.” The snake rolls her lower body together to be at the same eye level as the others. “We drive to the next town and pick up Medic.” “M-medic…? But it can take hours to get to the next city.” “What elssse ssshould we do? Besidesss, we need him. He mussst reduce Sssir Hootsssalot'sss wing and ssshould really Gray Mann behind the abduction, we need Medic to help usss. We asss animalsss cannot do much alone. In addition, I think it'sss in his interessst to learn what happend to hisss former team-matesss. I'm sssure he'll help.” “And how do we make him understand that?” “Well, we have Archimedesss.” “A-archimedes…?!” Robin's little heart makes a jump. He will see Archimedes again! His best friend! “What are we waiting for?” The robin flutters back into the van to report to Sir Hootsalot. “I think we have no choice. But when I am honest, I feel more secure with the idea of having a person with us.” “Hans is not just a human, stubby tail. He is a mercenary. Our mercenary.” When speaking, Compatriots feathered chest swells. Even if the eagle and the soldier often complain about the others, one can be sure, that the two are always behind the team. “Aberdeen, will you help me in again?” “Sure, lad.”

“Are you serious? You want to pick up Medic?” “Do you have a problem with that, Owl?” “…no. Not at all.” “Very good. Then back to your ssseatsss and let usss go. We know the eventual ssstay of our ownersss. But we ssshould ssstill not dawdle. It could take hoursss to get to the next city.” “It doesn't bear contemplating what Gray Mann is doing in the meantime with the support.” “He won't kill them. That's for sure.” “He cannot do that anyway. As long as their data are computerized in the spawn system, he cannot harm them.” Aberdeen disappears back in the footwell of the driver's seat and presses the gas pedal while Compatriot sits on the steering wheel. The snake rolls back on the watch and her owner's cigarette case, the robin in her middle. Sir Hootsalot wants to climb on the dashboard but fails this time. “Hoot…” “Hahaha!” “Be quiet, snake!” “Don't worry. You can join me and Robin.” “………” Sir Hootsalot hesitates. But then he gives in and lies down beside the snake at the window. “There we go. Don't be always so stubborn. Or are you afraid I bite?” “…I don't understand you. Although Spy was abducted and you have no idea what will happen to him, you still make your jokes. Are not you worried?” “Asss I had said before; you cannot underssstand the relationssship between me and Ssspy. Of courssse, I am worried in sssome way, but I alssso know that he isss clever. I'm sssure sssomething will crosss hisss mind to maneuver himssself and the other two out of their dangerousss sssituation.” “And who said that Sniper isn't going to save Medic and Spy? Do you think he is stupid?” “I didn't sssay that.” “Snakes are sneaky. Just like Spy. If he were the one who should be responsible for their escape, then only because of dirty tricks.” “Any problem with dirty tricksss?” “It's dishonorable.” “Please do not argue any more... I do not want that.” Snake and owl look at the robin. It looks very sad. “I'm sssorry, little Robin. We will not argue any more. Isssn't that ssso, owl?” “Sure…mate.”

“Adelar and Parrot, if one of you wants to rest, I can take up your job.” “Thanks, lad. Maybe I'll take up on your offer.” “I'm not letting you on the steering wheel anymore, stubby tail. And stop calling me Adelar. My name is Compatriot. Remember this at last! In addition, Adelar sounds like a female's name.” “You think so? But Soldier is called Jane. Is not that also a woman's na-“ “Jane is a good name!” “I see. Then I will enlighten you. Adelar is Old German and means eagle.” “Wow, I'm honored, maggot.” Compatriot doesn't bother to hide the sarcastic undertone in his voice. “I am glad to hear that” Dante answered playfully. “Then you will surely like it when I say that the word eagle in Germany stands for nobility, host and warrior.” “Aahh~ That sounds much better. When you exchange the word host for army and warrior for soldier, it's perfect. Hmph! Maybe you Fritze ain't that bad.” Compatriot turns his head back to the Dobermann. Aberdeen can observe this. Suddenly there is a strange mood in the air. Do they flirt? The macaw looks over to the passenger seat. Snake, owl and robin have closed their eyes. Are they already asleep? What time is it now? It’s very dark outside. The only light the animals have when driving is the pale moonlight. “Say... do we drive in the right direction at all? I mean, we are just following the tracks without thinking about which direction the town might be.” “We are right! Don't you trust my sense of orientation?” “If you ask me so, lad... no.” “Hold the beak and step on the gas, parrot.” “I am a macaw…” “You have beautiful feathers.” “Oh er… T-thank you very much.” Compatriot makes a contemptuous sound. “What is so great about a colorful bird? You look like you've escaped from a circus.” “Envious?” “About your fall in the color pot?” “That Dante gave me a compliment.” “Calm down, boys. You are both odd birds. I like you.” “Can you fight, Dante?” “Fight? Well, I'm a Dobermann. We are not fighting dogs, but we are classed as dangerous. I have a steel jaw. Where I bite, no grass grows anymore.” “If you are so dangerous, why does your master keep you?” “We are not unrestrained beasts. Sure, there are Dobermann dogs who have attacked people before. But the people are wrong. There are dog breeds that are far more dangerous than we are. We are not even in the top ten.” “But to protect your master, you would become a beast, right?” “Of course. Protecting him has top priority in my life and that of my brother. To save him, I'd even bite a pufferfish.” “What is so special about a fish?” “Pufferfishes are highly toxic.” “Oh… I see…” “How do ya know anything like this at all?” “I am from the city. I am not surprised, however, that someone does not have this knowledge, who lives in a place without water. But honestly. Would not you die to protect your owners?” Compatriot and Aberdeen are silent for a moment. “We never thought about anything like that. We didn't have to. When they die in a fight against the BLUs, they return to life.” “Oh right… They respawn, right? How does this work?” “Don’t know. We only know that their data are computerized into the respawn-device.” “Where not the data of your old Medic been deleted?” Eagle and macaw are silent again. “If we get your old Medic and go with him toe-to-toe with Gray Mann and his robots, then he will get killed in a possible fight and will never return.” The two had not thought of that. But Compatriot knows exactly what he has to say to calm himself. “He is and remains a mercenary, a soldier. If he dies, then for a good cause. And we are not immortal either. We can just as well die. But you're not afraid of death, aren't you, stubby tail?” “Not at all, Adelar.” Ay, they are flirting again… “You said that your master saved your life and that of your brother. What happened?” “Nothing unusual. The owner of our mother was a very strict man who earned his money by selling her puppies. Zerberus, me and some of our siblings were the last litter. He could sell them profitably. But my brother and I were weak. Weaker than it is normal for puppies. He could not use us. Who wants to buy sick, weak dogs?” “That's just understandable” Compatriot answered. “He grabbed us by the nape and wanted to drown us in a rain barrel. Our mother had probably guessed what he had planned and bit him into the calf. I remember that I had the strong scent of blood in my nose.” Dante lifts her muzzle into the air; her nose moves violently as she tries to recall the scent of the blood. “And then ... I got no air. Everything around me was wet and dark, and I struggled with my legs in panic until I was completely exhausted. I tried to find my brother with my eyes, but the breathing trouble obscured my senses. I think Zerberus and I were already as good as dead until we were suddenly pulled out of the water. Strong hands held us, but this time they felt different. Still, I bit as hard as I could. I was panicked, I froze. But I did not let go. And then I heard his voice.” Dante closes her eyes and recalls the memory. “It was quite different from the voice of the man who wanted to drown us. It was calm, dark, and warm. And that made me pull my teeth out of his flesh and look up at him. The blue-gray eyes immediately fascinate me. He was so beautiful...” “………” “………” “And that is why I would die for him. This is the only thing I can give in return. Through His love we have become big and strong. We are even stronger than the average Dobermann. This was 10 years ago...” “Don't be angry with me, lad, but... your master doesn't look like he can give love.” “The exterior does not say anything about the interior.” “Hmph. This is probably true. If an outsider would see our Mercs, he would probably think they were psychopathic killers. But Tavish is a kind-hearted man and a loving son. And basically the Mercs do this job only to make the life of their loved one's at home better. They just do it for their families. But ... for whom does it Friedrich? Does he have a family in Germany?” “No, Zerberus and I are his only family.” “So he just dislodged Hans in revenge.” “Well, my owner does not like it when he is shortchanged. In fact, he always had thoughts of revenge. I am really sorry for your old Medic.” “No one can replace him. Not even your master. And it's absolutely null and void whether he's good or not. Hans belongs to us. And when we have him with us, you will understand why.” “Hans and Friedrich are not so dissimilar. They both come from Germany, are doctors and have no family except their animals.” “And I thought all the Germans were the same. Blond, blue-eyed, brainwash doctors...” “Do not start to think, Compatriot. You always get headaches. That's why his head is so white. There is no blood in it.” This makes Dante laugh. The white-headed eagle, however, makes an ear-splitting cry that startle the owl, the snake, and the robin out of their sleep. “What isss going on here again? Can you not pull yourssself together for one moment? Imbecile!”

Team Fortress 2

Already very early in the morning, the squirrel leaves his safe and warm tree cave to look for food. Although he doesn’t feel like it. After all, he hasn't collected food before the winter began, either. But after his parents had thrown him out of home a few weeks ago, he is now on his own. They said he was now old enough to live his own life, and they only let him live with them for so long, because he was the baby of the family. The squirrel thinks very bitterly of this meanness of his family as he runs through the snow. The cold immediately sinks into his bones. But the only good thing about it is that he can now do what he wants. Without rules and teachings. Sure,at parents home he was very spoiled ripe. Especially from his Ma. There was tender loving care and always enough to eat. But he could never do what he wanted. And what he especially hated was the hibernation. The only good thing about it was the gorge like there's no tomorrow before sleeping. But sleeping as such was grotty. But the squirrel is lucky. His dwelling-place is in the middle of a small town. There is food from the people to steal and pets to annoy. But in winter he is rather sluggish. “Shit instincts. Hmm… I woulda hungry for pancakes.” Some people leave their freshly baked cakes on the window frames in the summer to cool them down. Often he had filled his tummy with these nom noms. But this of course involves danger. Once he was almost killed by a broom. How can they do that? He is the sweetest and sexiest squirrel in the world! But that's no problem. He's as fast as the wind.

He jumps through the snow to a house where an old woman lives. She is alone and has no family. Only her tomcat lives with her. A black, fat cat with white spots around his eyes. Often the squirrel had seen him sitting at the window. And he does so again. The squirrel jumps on the window board and both animals look at each other. The tomcat lays his ears back, a rather unwelcome expression on his face. The rodent lays his head on the side and knocks with his paw at the windowpane. The house cat looks away. He ignores me! Well, it's all the same to me. He jumps from the window and slips under the house. There is a tiny circular opening. From there he reaches the kitchen. The hole is under a cupboard and the rodent crawls out of it. He perks up his ears. Nothing to hear. He has to take care of that the old woman does not suddenly stand in the kitchen. He's sure that old people love squirrels (especially him). But because of their bad eyes, sweet squirrels can quickly become to disgusting and disease-bearing rats. And then the broom is swung again.

The kitchen is searched for esculent. But there is not much to be found. He knows that a lot of food is kept in the refrigerator, but he will never be able to open it. He is just too small. “Aww crap…” “How did you get in here, you vermin?” The squirrel just sits on the kitchen counter to examine the sugar cans when the scratchy voice is speaking behind him. He whirls around and sees the old tomcat standing in the doorway. “Why don't you sit at the window as is right and proper for a grandpa?” “I have a very sensitive nose.” “Do you want to tell me I'm stink?” “You have no business here! Go outside where you belong.” “Calm down, jeez. I just want to take some food.” “You will not take anything with you. This is theft.” “Pfff! Sue me. You're also a fur-bearing animal. You should have the best understanding for a comrade who has no food in the merciless winter.” “Then you should have collect your nuts before the beginning of the winter.” “Are you kidding me? I cannot burn fat in sleep. I don't want to look like you when I wake up in spring. I don't attract girls with fat mass, y'know?” “I'll give you one last chance to leave this house.” The tomcat remains surprisingly calm. “Anything else? Will you eat me then? Contradictory to your appearance, I have to ask you whether you get nothing to eat from your owner. Well, the neighbor has also starved her bird to death because she has thrown the birdseed next to the cage instead in the cage because of her bad eyes. That poor nowt…” “You've missed your chance.” From the throat of the cat sounds a sinister and menacing sound. But the squirrel has only a weary smile for him. He wobbles with his little squirrel-butt in his direction. “Well, then show me what you still can do at your ages.” And then the cat shoots off without warning. He's fast as lightning. With a single bound he jumps on the kitchen counter and snaps with his sharp teeth at the rodent. The squirrel cries out frightened and wants to rush away, which does not work very well at first, because the kitchen counter has a very smooth surface and the squirrel runs on it in lost motion. Finally, he makes a jump and can thus escape the teeth.

A wild chase through the kitchen begins. Anything that is not rivet and nail-proof is overthrown and even fractionalize into individual parts. It rattles and crashes. The rodent runs for his life. Actually he had wanted to provoke a chase, but since it had not yet known that the old house cat is still so fast on his short legs. With ease, the rodent would be flee through the hole under the cupboard, but he has decided not to leave this house without something to eat. He only has to hang on until the tomcat is completely exhausted. Maybe he will even get a heart attack? Would be ugly, but it would not be his fault. A heart attack is ultimately a natural cause of death, which gives the squirrel the opportunity to search the house without ruffle or excitement for food. The squirrel flees from the kitchen into the living room. Agile he climbs up the window curtains. The tomcat follows without difficulty. The thin curtain rod does not hold the weight, however, and breaks through. They fall to the ground. While the squirrel falls on his butt, the cat lands gracefully on his legs. No matter how long the squirrel is running, the tomcat does not seem to runs out of breath. Come off it! I can't stand it any longer… Now the rodent decides to disappear again through the hole, and he runs back in the kitchen. The kitchen floor is covered with smooth tiles. Once he puts the first paw into the kitchen, he slips it out and falls to the ground. The cat jumps onto him. With the last force, the squirrel bobs up but the tomcat gives him a push and he falls again. Through the speed both animals slide across the floor through the entire kitchen and are finally stopped by the kitchen sink cabinet. Now the rodent lies helplessly on his back, above him the fat cat. He does not seem to be out of breath at all. “How…how is possible?” The squirrel utters exhausted. “In my youth I was the most notorious mouse and rat catcher far and wide. I was quick and had a very high stamina, which I still own today. My owner has got a lot of money for me to chasing mice and rats in many houses. I had a success rate of 90%.” “Haha… And what about the remaining 10%?” “They were just like you. Have occasionally sneaked into houses and stolen food.” “But I'm not a mouse. I'm as cute as a mouse.” “Squirrels are rats. You are too big, you stink and you are thieves. At that time I eaten you vermin for breakfast.” “A-are you kidding me? Ha! And I thought, just people mistake us with rats. Well, the age, what? Aut I'm not just a squirrel. We are called as cats, too. Do you understand? Viewed in this light. We both are, therefore, not only fur-bearing animals but also closely related to each other. We should rebel against the people together! They take cats as prisoners and us they flay us alive and make clothes from it. We mammals must finally hold together! What do you say?” “Humans are also mammals.” “That's quite untrue!” “It’s enough!” The squirrel jerks. “You don't really want to eat me? I mean, apart from the fact that you're too fat, I don't taste at all!” “I told you already three times that you should leave this house. You didn't want to hear. If you don't want to listen, find out the hard way. I hope for you that you will be reborn in the next life with a little more brain.” “Why more brain?” “So you don't break into houses where cats live. Just because an animal is old does not mean that it cannot be a calamity for you.” Now the squirrel starts to whine terribly. “Oh no, please! I regret it! I regret everything! I regret everything I've ever done! Ma! Ma! I want my Ma!” The cat sighs and lets the rodent be. “You are still a child. Therefore I put mercy before justice. Go now and never come back.” “What's going on here? Cuddly blanket! What have you done?” Suddenly the old housekeeper stands in the doorway. With shocked eyes, she looks around the kitchen. The cat swirls around to her. This chance uses the squirrel to jump up and bite the cat in the tail. It was really very generous of him to let him alive. But the tomcat needs a dressing-down for humiliating him. After all, he had made him cry (of course, the squirrel would argue that this was only tactic). The cat jumps in the air with a loud cry of pain. Now cut and run! Quickly as the wind the squirrel escapes under the cupboard into the hole and runs under the house on the snowy road. There he stopped and looked at the house. He rubs his paws against each other maliciously. “Hehehe. Hopefully, the old woman will pull your fur over your ears. Nobody chases me like a prey, get it? Whoever is mess with me, will bitterly regret it! And besides, I always have the last word!” The little stomach starts to growl. “Aww crap…” And no food, again.

When he finally leaves the house behind to find the next one, it sounds like something heavy moves on the snow, followed by car squeaks. The rodent swirls around and sees a large, slightly wagging car coming right on his way. The sight of the approaching monster paralyzes the little mammal. As if rooted he stares at the car, knowing to die now. His short life runs away from his inner eye and, at the same time, he thinks with relief that even before his death he could fight with a mature cat and won. A place in heaven is certain to him. The last few seconds before the collision, the rodent squeezes his eyes tightly together.

Team Fortress 2

“Finally. The town. We did it, lads!” Aberdeen sits on the dashboard and pushes his beak against the windshield. A few hours ago the macaw had accepted the offer from Dante to take over his work on gas and brake. All along, they and Compatriot had a nice conversation, while snake, robin, and owl slept. It was nice. However, the eagle hadn't speak for a while. “What? Are we already there?” Robin asks sleepily. The tree snake and the owl are awakening, too. “We should not look forward to early. First we have to find your medic” Dante replies. “Who knows if we are in the right town at all.” “We are right. I'm sure I can feel it.” Robin flutters to Aberdeen on the dashboard and looks at the snowy environment. “I have not seen snow for so long. Misha would certainly like it here.” “Where should we start with the search?” “The firssst ssstep of a perssson in a ssstrange city isss to look for a hotel room. We ssshould look for sssomething like thisss.” “Hm? Oh! There is a squirrel in the middle of the road” notices Robin. They drive straight to it but the eagle doesn't seems to make any effort to dodge. “Er… Compatriot?” “………” “Adelar? What is wrong?” Aberdeen bends over to the eagle and notices that his eyes are directed straightforward. "Compatriot?" The eagle doesn't react a bit. And then Aberdeen realizes why. “He’s sleeping!” “Are you kidding me?” “Wake up, Compatriot!” The macaw shakes at the eagle, which scares out of his sleep. He moves the steering wheel involuntarily back and forth, so the van starts to swerve. “Dante! Step on the brake!” The Dobermann dog sits down with all his weight on the pedal. The tires squeak and the van makes a strong jolt. Compatriot and Aberdeen bounce with their heads against the windshield. Robin lands in the soft plumage of the macaw. The van slides over the snow until it finally comes to a halt. “Oh no! We runs over the squirrel!” “What squirrel?” “You ssstupid fowl!” the snake hisses at the eagle. “Dante, pleassse open the door.” She follows the snake's request, and the animals leave the van to look at the mess. Only the owl remains behind. It does not matter to him either. Sir Hootsalot does not feel able to do anything. And indeed. A squirrel lies motionless on his back, just a few centimeters behind the vehicle. The tongue hangs out from its mouth. Robin buries his face in the feathers of the parrot bird, appalled at this sight. Aberdeen holds his great wing protectively over him. “Shhh… It’s okay.” “Great job, Adelar.” “I just rest a bit” the eagle defends himself. “I told you that I can take the steering wheel if you get tired!” “And I told you that I would not let you take the steering wheel again, stubby tail!” “You slept with your eyes open!” “A soldier must sleep with his eyes open, otherwise he will be surprised by the enemy slyly!” “Well, you've surprised a young, innocent squirrel with your carelessness and now it's dead.” “It's his own fault. Why does it just run on the road? Aside from this, these creatures are keep hibernation, don't they? If it had remained on his tree, nothing would have happened.” “I'm really glad when we finally found your Medic. A person at the steering wheel is far less dangerous. Apart from that, cars were built for people only. And I think that should remain so.” “What are we going to do with the little one now?” asks Aberdeen, distraught. "We cannot just leave him here.” “I will take care of that.” The snake position herself at the feet of the rodent. “What are you up to, lad?” She opens her mouth wide. “WHAT ARE YOU UP TO?!” The reptile sighs annoyed. “It’sss a sssmall, dead animal and I'm a sssnake. I'll devour it now. Had not expected that I get breakfassst today.” “Oh no! Oh no!” The robin whimpered, pressing himself even more firmly in Aberdeen's chest feathers. “Don’t look, if you cannot ssstand the sssight.” Feet and legs of the squirrel slowly disappear into the snake's mouth. “That's disgusting…” When the squirrel is already in the snake's mouth until the belly, it suddenly comes to life. When he realized what was happening to him, he cries terribly loudly. He scratches the snake and bites her into the nose. Immediately she lets the squirrel be and wraps herself, burying her head in her body. Panic, the rodent bounces up and only then notices the other animals. Confused, he looks back and forth between the birds and the dog. “What the hell is that crap?” “It lives!” Robin flutters to it and hugs it with his little wings. “What's going on here? What happened?” “We thought we had run over you.” The squirrel's gaze remains hanging on the van. “I… I live... And you wanted to eat me!” “Ass already mentioned; we thought you were dead.” The snake has now recovered from the bite. "We didn't want to leave your unsssightly body lying here, you ungrateful brat.” “Why don't you checked the pulse before? And what do you mean unsightly?” “Thisss isss not worthwhile for sssmall animalsss like you.” The squirrel wants to answer, but stops and looks again back and forth between the animals. “What is going on here? Who are you? Circus animals or something?” “No, we're on a mission” Robin replies. “Mission? That sounds exciting. Can I join?” “No way! You have nothing to do with it.” “Dude, you almost drove me over! You owe me something.” “We are on the way to a dangerous place. There you could be killed, lad.” “It's still better to die on an adventure than to die of boredom in this wretched town. I have imagined more for my life.” “You mussst be joking!” “Anyway. You have to take care of me now.” “Where are your parents, rodent?” “They threw me out.” Robin is terrified. “That's horrible.” “Yeah, yeah. Can we go now?” “W-wait a moment!” But the squirrel has already jumped into the van. “Oh! An owl!” “That cannot be true… Dead it wasss more pleasssant.” “Well, we could need a little help, right?” “Squirrelsss are uselesss, Robin. What ssshould it do? Asss sssmall asss it isss.” “So… you think I am useless, too?” “Oh no, no. I didn't mean that. You are a bird. You can fly. The sssquirrel not. What isss it going to do if it getsss in trouble?” “………” “Well, we can still throw it out. But it's now more important to find Medic. Don't you agree, Dante?” “The macaw is right. Let's the little one be and concentrate on our mission. And who knows? Perhaps the rodent is quite useful.” The serpent sighs annoyed, again. “Whatever. But if it becomesss a burden, I will devour it.” The reptile hopes very much that the squirrel does her this favor. So that she still get to her breakfast today. “Hey, maybe it has seen Medic. We should ask it.” “Okay, everyone back in the car!” Compatriot orders. In the van they find the rodent, as it had made itself comfortable on the motionless owl. “Aahhh ~ Nice warm here.” “Come down there immediately! Don't you know that owlsss eat sssquirrelsss?” “Eagles, by the way, too.” “Really?” “Naturally. You mammals stink and are dirty, but you are good snack.” A throat clearing on the part of Dante. “What?” “I am also a mammal.” “Dogs are not mammals.” All eyes are directed at Compatriot. “Naturally. And next, you will say that humans are mammals.” “Just shut up, Compatriot.” “You are strange creatures.” “You seem so, too. Don't do squirrels hibernate in winter?” “Life is much too short to sleep through a whole season of the year. And I would have to spend the whole autumn collecting nuts. These are then two seasons that fall away to have fun. I think I'll be fine with you.” “Say, did you see a man who is new to this city? So around the 50 with black hair and a curl?” “No, I don't think so. I'm not so interested in the activities of the people here. Besides, this city is full of old people. They all look the same anyway.” “And I always thought squirrels are alert.” “I told you. It’sss absssolutely ussselesss.” “Hey! I'm not useless! I am fast, intelligent and handsome.” “What has beauty to do with benefits?” “Well, when I have to bewitch a pretty girl to get information, or something like that.” “Do you fancy yourssself asss a ssspy?” “At least I would be a better spy than you, you worm.” “Hey... Something's wrong with Sir Hootsalot” Robin remarks worried. He shakes him slightly with his little wings. “I think his condition has deteriorated.” And indeed the breathing of the owl has slowed down. “Quick, everyone back to his position! We must find Medic.” “Will he die?” “He will not die! And even if ... Medic can revive him. He had already done this with Sniper and Archimedes.” The eagle flies back on the steering wheel and Dante takes care of the gas pedal. “Wait… YOU drive the car?” “Of course! What do you think?” “…cool.” The tree snake, Robin and Aberdeen lay down to Sir Hootsalot. The owl's eyes are closed and he does not seem to make the impression of wake up again soon. The squirrel had settled on the headrest of the passenger seat. He takes a little distance from the strangers. Not least because there are three of them on whose menu the squirrel stands. It observe the situation. Is this situation I got into a good thing? In this car there is a really bad mood. I had imagined it differently... Well, even that's still better than anything else I've ever experienced in my dull life. In addition, many interesting words have fallen. Resurrection, danger, mission ... No idea what these guys are. But I feel as if I belong here, to them. Now my life Begins.

#tf2 #tf2birds #tf2chucklenuts

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dfroza · 3 years

Text

At the closing of an ancient book

we are given a mandate of sharing its message with earth so that the True illumination of the Son would be seen by all, and we are to conserve the spiritual truth of rebirth for the heart & body as a point of victory over death.

and i personally hope my heart can be used to point to this pure and sacred treasure (inside, Anew)

Today’s reading of the Scriptures from the New Testament (New Covenant) reveals a picture of Resurrection as the closing chapter of the book of Matthew:

After the Sabbath, as the light of the next day, the first day of the week, crept over Palestine, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to the tomb to keep vigil. Earlier there had been an earthquake. A messenger of the Lord had come down from heaven and had gone to the grave. He rolled away the stone and sat down on top of it. He veritably glowed. He was vibrating with light. His clothes were light, white like transfiguration, like fresh snow. The soldiers guarding the tomb were terrified. They froze like stone.

The messenger spoke to the women, to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary.

Messenger of the Lord: Don’t be afraid. I know you are here keeping watch for Jesus who was crucified. But Jesus is not here. He was raised, just as He said He would be. Come over to the grave, and see for yourself. And then go straight to His disciples, and tell them He’s been raised from the dead and has gone on to Galilee. You’ll find Him there. Listen carefully to what I am telling you.

The women were both terrified and thrilled, and they quickly left the tomb and went to find the disciples and give them this outstandingly good news. But while they were on their way, they saw Jesus Himself.

Jesus (greeting the women): Rejoice.

The women fell down before Him, kissing His feet and worshiping Him.

Jesus: Don’t be afraid. Go and tell My brothers to go to Galilee. Tell them I will meet them there.

As the women were making their way to the disciples, some of the soldiers who had been standing guard by Jesus’ tomb recovered themselves, went to the city, and told the chief priests everything that had happened—the earthquake just after dawn, the heavenly messenger, and his commission to the Marys. The chief priests gathered together all the elders, an emergency conference of sorts. They needed a plan. They decided the simplest course was bribery: they would pay off the guards and order them to say that the disciples had come in the middle of the night and had stolen Jesus’ corpse while they slept. The chief priests promised the soldiers they would run interference with the governor so that the soldiers wouldn’t be punished for falling asleep when they were supposed to be keeping watch. The guards took the bribe and spread the story around town—and indeed, you can still find people today who will tell you that Jesus did not really rise from the dead, that it was a trick, some sort of sleight of hand.

The eleven disciples, having spoken to the Marys, headed to Galilee, to the mountain where they were to meet Jesus. When the disciples saw Jesus there, many of them fell down and worshiped, as Mary and the other Mary had done. But a few hung back. They were not sure (and who can blame them?). Jesus came forward and addressed His beloved disciples.

Jesus: I am here speaking with all the authority of God, who has commanded Me to give you this commission: Go out and make disciples in all the nations. Ceremonially wash them through baptism in the name of the triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then disciple them. Form them in the practices and postures that I have taught you, and show them how to follow the commands I have laid down for you. And I will be with you, day after day, to the end of the age.

The Book of Matthew, Chapter 28 (The Voice)

Today’s paired chapter of the Testaments is the 2nd chapter of the book of Esther where Esther is chosen as the new Queen:

A little while later, when King Ahasuerus was no longer angry, he began thinking about Vashti, her actions that night at the party, and his decision to dismiss her from his presence. Seeing the king’s mood, his servants had a suggestion.

Servants: King Ahasuerus, someone should find beautiful young women who are old enough to be married for you. We suggest you appoint officers in every province of Persia to round up every eligible woman and add her to your harem in the citadel of Susa. Hegai, the king’s eunuch who is in charge of the harem, will see to it that all of the women are properly prepared and receive all the needed cosmetics. Then whichever young woman delights you the most will reign as queen in Vashti’s place.

King Ahasuerus liked the advice of his servants and gave them permission to execute the plan.

Meanwhile in the citadel of Susa, there was a Jewish man from the tribe of Benjamin named Mordecai. He was the son of Jair who was a descendent of Shimei and Kish. It was at the hand of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon that Jeconiah (king of Judah) and Mordecai’s ancestors had been forced out of the city of Jerusalem to live as exiles in Babylon. Mordecai had a cousin who was a young and beautiful girl named Hadassah, and she was also called Esther. After her mother and father died, Mordecai adopted her into his family as his daughter.

As the result of the king’s decree, Esther, along with many other young women, was brought to the royal palace in the citadel of Susa, and she was put in the care of Hegai (who was in charge of the harem). Esther soon impressed Hegai and was favored. He arranged that she be given the most lustrous beauty treatments and fed the finest fruits and vegetables from the king’s garden. He assigned to her seven servants and moved her and her servants to the harem’s finest rooms. Mordecai had instructed Esther to keep her Jewish heritage a secret, and so she told no one. Still her cousin worried about her. Every day Mordecai paced back and forth near the courtyard of the harem to see if he could find out some news, any news, about Esther.

Before going in to the king, each young woman went through 12 months of beauty treatments, as the harem’s rules prescribed. For the first 6 months the women were treated with the palace’s finest myrrh oil, and that was followed by 6 months in perfume and other women’s cosmetics. This is how a young woman would go in to the king: each woman was allowed to take whatever she wanted or needed from the harem into the king’s rooms. In the evening the woman would go in to King Ahasuerus’ chambers and then, the next morning, she would return to the harem again, but now she would be watched over by Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch in charge of his concubines. No woman returned to the king’s rooms unless he was pleased by her and called for her by name.

Esther was the daughter of Abihail who in turn was the uncle of Mordecai. When it was time for Esther, whom Mordecai had adopted, to go in to the king, she didn’t ask for anything special. She took only what Hegai suggested. Since he was the king’s eunuch in charge of the women, he would know what was best. Now Esther had some special qualities, and all who met her favored her. In the 10th month (the month of Tebeth) during the 7th year of his reign, four years after King Ahasuerus dethroned Queen Vashti, Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus in the king’s rooms. The king found her to be more desirable than all of the other women. Unlike the other young women brought before him, she alone won his heart and his favor. So he made her his queen instead of Vashti and placed the royal crown on her head. King Ahasuerus invited all of the nobles and officials to a state banquet in honor of Esther, his new queen. He declared that day as a holiday throughout his entire kingdom and distributed extravagant gifts.

When the young women were gathered together for a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the palace gate where the men gathered for business and legal decisions. Since Mordecai had required Esther to keep her Jewish heritage a secret, she had told no one. She continued to obey him as she did when he took care of her. One day while Mordecai was at the gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who guarded the door, were plotting to kill King Ahasuerus. They were angry over some matter. But Mordecai learned of their plan and reported it to Queen Esther who told the king about the plot, giving credit to her cousin. After a thorough investigation, the report was proven true. So the two officers were killed and displayed on a pole. All of this information was chronicled in the presence of the king, in the public record.

The Book of Esther, Chapter 2 (The Voice)

my personal reading of the Scriptures for Tuesday, march 30 of 2021 with a paired chapter from each Testament of the Bible, along with Today’s Psalms and Proverbs

A post by John Parsons about the significance of the Hebraic holidays as they personally relate to our faith and hope in the True nature of Love:

In the Torah we are instructed to count forty nine days – seven weeks of days – from the day following Passover until Shavuot (i.e., Weeks or “Pentecost”). This period of time is called Sefirat HaOmer (ספירות העומר), or the "counting the [barley] sheaves" (see Lev. 23:15-16; Deut. 16:9). In abstract terms, it's as if there is a dotted line pointing directly from Passover to Shavuot - a "Jubilee" of days - representing the climax of Passover itself. The early sages identified this climax as the giving of the Torah at Sinai (which indeed did happen exactly 49 days after the Passover in Egypt), but the New Testament identifies it as the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (רוח הקודש) that ratified the reality of the New Covenant of God at Zion. The redemption process that began at Passover was therefore completed at Shavuot, and that "completion" was the revelation of God's love and deliverance for the entire world. And though the Jewish sages did not fathom the use of the otherwise forbidden leaven in the offering (see Lev. 2:11), prophetically the waving of two loaves during Shavuot pictured the "one new man" (composed of both Jew and Gentile) standing before the altar of the LORD (Eph. 2:14). The countdown to Shavuot therefore goes beyond the giving of Torah at Sinai and points to the greater revelation of Zion. Shavuot is the fulfillment of the promise of the Holy Spirit's advent to those who are trusting in Messiah (Acts 2:1-4). "Counting the Omer," then, is about receiving the Holy Spirit to experience and know the resurrected LORD of Glory. You can "count" on that, chaverim!

In this connection it is important to understand that the climax of the 49 days was not the giving of the law at Sinai (i.e., matan Torah), but rather the revelation of the altar (i.e., the“Tabernacle”) and its subsequent fulfillment in the sacrificial death of Yeshua as our Lamb of God. Moreover, it was during this time that Yeshua made His post-resurrection appearances to His disciples and indeed ascended to heaven during this period... Of particular importance is 1) the beginning of the count of the omer since it signified the waving of the firstfruits and therefore the resurrection of Yeshua (1 Cor. 15:20); 2) the 40th day of the Omer (Mem B’Omer), when Yeshua ascended back to heaven, and 3) the climactic 49th day of the Omer (Shavuot) when the Holy Spirit was given to the disciples in fulfillment of the promise of Yeshua that we would not be left comfortless (Acts 2:1-4). Shavuot, then, marks the time of "Jubilee" of the Spirit, when are clothed with power to serve the LORD without fear... [Hebrew for Christians]

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The Scriptures make clear that Yeshua is the true Passover Lamb of God (שֵׂה הָאֱלהִים) whose sacrificial death and shed blood causes the wrath of God to "pass over" (pasach) those who are trusting in Him (John 1:29, 3:36; Acts 8:32-36; 1 Cor. 5:7-8; 1 Pet. 1:18-20, etc.). Amen! Worthy is the Lamb who was slain! (Rev. 5:12). But while the sacrifice of Yeshua gives us forgiveness (סְלִיחָה) and atonement (כַּפָּרָה) with God (Eph. 1:7; Rom. 5:11; Heb. 9:12, etc.), the resurrection of the Messiah (i.e., techiyat ha-Mashiach: תְּחִיַּת הַמָּשִׁיחַ) justifies His work of salvation on behalf of the sinner and forever vindicates the righteousness of God (Rom. 4:20-5:1; Rom. 10:9; Heb. 13:20-21). As Yeshua said: "I am he that lives but was dead; but behold, I am alive for evermore (הִנֵּה אֲנִי חַי לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד), Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death" (Rev. 1:8). Rejoice friends, for our LORD lives! He has killed the power of death and forever reigns in indestructible life!

The resurrection of Yeshua is not an "academic" or speculative question to be considered in purely rational terms, but rather is a matter of eternal life or death. How we choose to respond to its message determines our destiny. Everything turns on whether we awaken to the risen reality and Presence of Yeshua in our lives. Without Him we are hopeless; with Him we are more than conquerors (1 Cor. 15:14; Rom. 8:37).

Yeshua completely atoned for our sins and His resurrection validated that God the Father accepted His sacrifice. It was God the Father (i.e., Reality) who raised Yeshua in victory (Gal. 1:1, Rom. 10:9), and those who put their trust trust in Him are declared righteous on account of their faith. Yeshua “was delivered for our offenses, and raised again for our justification” (Rom. 4:25). As Jesus Himself said, "Because I am alive, you also will live" (John 14:19). [Hebrew for Christians]

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Today is Nisan 17, called Yom Ha'bikkurim, the anniversary of the time of the resurrection of Yeshua from the dead. Of course the resurrection of our Lord *is* the "good news" itself; it is the essence and completion of his ministry as our Moshia (Savior). Everything turns on whether we awaken to the risen Reality and Presence of Yeshua in our lives...

For more on why the resurrection of Messiah matters, see the linked article below. [Hebrew for Christians]

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Some people attempt to provide empirical “proof” of the resurrection of Yeshua, though strictly speaking this will always be insufficient. After all, the very guards at the tomb who witnessed the sight of the angel rolling away the stone later conspired with the religious establishment to suppress the message of the resurrection (Matt. 28:2-4, 11-15). Even Yeshua said that personally witnessing someone coming back from the dead would be insufficient for teshuvah (Luke 16:30-31). No, we do not see the resurrection of Yeshua through the eyes of the flesh, but rather through the eyes of faith. We believe in order to see; we do not see in order to believe... Empirical evidence at best provides human reason with a sense of logical “probability,” but faith is a life-and-death matter of the heart, soul, and mind... Only the inward testimony of the Holy Spirit (i.e., argumentum Spiritus Sancti), can “drag” the sinner to the confess the reality of the risen Yeshua, and once His Living Presence is encountered, categorically everything changes and nothing will remain the same forever. He makes all things new! (2 Cor. 5:17). [Hebrew for Christians]

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Today’s message from the Institute for Creation Research

March 30, 2021

The Transfiguration

“And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.” (Matthew 17:1-2)

This remarkable transfiguration of Christ was shown to the three disciples so that they could actually “see [Him] coming in his kingdom” (Matthew 16:28), as He will do someday when He returns to Earth “in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30). This would ever afterward be an unforgettable experience that would strengthen the disciples for their critical future ministry.

James would become the first martyr, but his brother, John, would survive to bear the testimony far and wide for almost 70 more years. “And we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father” (John 1:14). Peter also wrote of the amazing event: “For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount” (2 Peter 1:17-18).

It is therefore very significant that the word “transfigured” (Greek metamorphoo) is also applied to Christian believers in 2 Corinthians 3:18: “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed [read ‘transfigured’] into the same image from glory to glory.” That is, as we behold the glory of Christ in the mirror of the Scriptures, we ourselves are spiritually being metamorphosed into His own image. The marvelous transformation will be completed when He does come again and “change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body” (Philippians 3:21). HMM

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