#Jeremiah 32:28

[drshermaines-wisdomnuggets]

"THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING AND KNOWLEDGE"

THE HOLY SPIRIT’S WORK IN JEREMIAH: God’s call and anointing upon Jeremiah’s life as a prophet began in the womb. God reveals to Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew [and] approved of you [as My chosen instrument], and before you were born I separated and set you apart, consecrating you; [and] I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5 AMPC). This reveals that the…

[doulafaith]

Harmony

“He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the LORD and put their trust in him.” Psalm 40:3 I am sure many of us have witnessed two distinct ways of singing a song and playing an instrument; and one appears to be more of a gift or an acquired gift than the other. There is the soloist and musician who studies the notes and practices methodically until the…

[macrolit]

The 100 Best Books of the 21st Century.

As voted on by 503 novelists, nonfiction writers, poets, critics and other book lovers — with a little help from the staff of The New York Times Book Review.

NYT Article.

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

Q: How many of the 100 have you read? Q: Which ones did you love/hate? Q: What's missing?

Here's the full list.

100. Tree of Smoke, Denis Johnson 99. How to Be Both, Ali Smith 98. Bel Canto, Ann Patchett 97. Men We Reaped, Jesmyn Ward 96. Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments, Saidiya Hartman 95. Bring Up the Bodies, Hilary Mantel 94. On Beauty, Zadie Smith 93. Station Eleven, Emily St. John Mandel 92. The Days of Abandonment, Elena Ferrante 91. The Human Stain, Philip Roth 90. The Sympathizer, Viet Thanh Nguyen 89. The Return, Hisham Matar 88. The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis 87. Detransition, Baby, Torrey Peters 86. Frederick Douglass, David W. Blight 85. Pastoralia, George Saunders 84. The Emperor of All Maladies, Siddhartha Mukherjee 83. When We Cease to Understand the World, Benjamin Labutat 82. Hurricane Season, Fernanda Melchor 81. Pulphead, John Jeremiah Sullivan 80. The Story of the Lost Child, Elena Ferrante 79. A Manual for Cleaning Women, Lucia Berlin 78. Septology, Jon Fosse 77. An American Marriage, Tayari Jones 76. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, Gabrielle Zevin 75. Exit West, Mohsin Hamid 74. Olive Kitteridge, Elizabeth Strout 73. The Passage of Power, Robert Caro 72. Secondhand Time, Svetlana Alexievich 71. The Copenhagen Trilogy, Tove Ditlevsen 70. All Aunt Hagar's Children, Edward P. Jones 69. The New Jim Crow, Michelle Alexander 68. The Friend, Sigrid Nunez 67. Far From the Tree, Andrew Solomon 66. We the Animals, Justin Torres 65. The Plot Against America, Philip Roth 64. The Great Believers, Rebecca Makkai 63. Veronica, Mary Gaitskill 62. 10:04, Ben Lerner 61. Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver 60. Heavy, Kiese Laymon 59. Middlesex, Jeffrey Eugenides 58. Stay True, Hua Hsu 57. Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich 56. The Flamethrowers, Rachel Kushner 55. The Looming Tower, Lawrence Wright 54. Tenth of December, George Saunders 53. Runaway, Alice Munro 52. Train Dreams, Denis Johnson 51. Life After Life, Kate Atkinson 50. Trust, Hernan Diaz 49. The Vegetarian, Han Kang 48. Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi 47. A Mercy, Toni Morrison 46. The Goldfinch, Donna Tartt 45. The Argonauts, Maggie Nelson 44. The Fifth Season, N.K. Jemisin 43. Postwar, Tony Judt 42. A Brief History of Seven Killings, Marlon James 41. Small Things Like These, Claire Keegan 40. H Is for Hawk, Helen Macdonald 39. A Visit from the Goon Squad, Jennifer Egan 38. The Savage Detectives, Roberto Balano 37. The Years, Annie Ernaux 36. Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coates 35. Fun Home, Alison Bechdel 34. Citizen, Claudia Rankine 33. Salvage the Bones, Jesmyn Ward 32. The Lines of Beauty, Alan Hollinghurst 31. White Teeth, Zadie Smith 30. Sing, Unburied, Sing, Jesmyn Ward 29. The Last Samurai, Helen DeWitt 28. Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell 27. Americanah, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 26. Atonement, Ian McEwan 25. Random Family, Adrian Nicole LeBlanc 24. The Overstory, Richard Powers 23. Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage, Alice Munro 22. Behind the Beautiful Forevers, Katherine Boo 21. Evicted, Matthew Desmond 20. Erasure, Percival Everett 19. Say Nothing, Patrick Radden Keefe 18. Lincoln in the Bardo, George Saunders 17. The Sellout, Paul Beatty 16. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Michael Chabon 15. Pachinko, Min Jin Lee 14. Outline, Rachel Cusk 13. The Road, Cormac McCarthy 12. The Year of Magical Thinking, Joan Didion 11. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Junot Diaz 10. Gilead, Marilynne Robinson 9. Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro 8. Austerlitz, W.G. Sebald 7. The Underground Railroad, Colson Whitehead 6. 2666, Roberto Bolano 5. The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen 4. The Known World, Edward P. Jones 3. Wolf Hall, Hilary Mantel 2. The Warmth of Other Suns, Isabel Wilkerson 1. My Brilliant Friend, Elena Ferrante

[rose-tinted-kalopsia]

Love & Deepspace Masterlist; organized alphabetically by character and fic type.

★ = personal fave/recommended. ◆ = request WIP.

oneshot = ≤1.5k words ; short fic = <1.5k words

sign up for taglist: here!

to you who shines the brightest (i'll give you everything) : a kieran x mc!reader series. coming soon.

youtiful : on your darker days, the love & deepspace boys soothe you through your anxieties. [3/5 ; caleb, rafayel, sylus, xavier, zayne]

nsfw alphabet : caleb, jenna, jeremiah, luke & kieran, thomas [incomplete]

::: oneshots

Treacherous

This Love Is Ours (Kinktober 2024 - Nipple Play)

::: drabbles/short fics

Got me thinkin' Nonsense

Only bought this dress so you could take it off (Kinktober 2024 - Suspension) ◆

::: caleb braindumps

the hope there is in ending

::: oneshots

i'll do anything you say, if you say it with your hands ★

Muse

Breathe ◆

::: drabbles/short fics

your eyes

sit still (Kinktober 2024 - Deepthroating)

moonlit waves (Kinktober 2024 - Body Worship) ◆

::: oneshots

-

::: drabbles/short fics

Don't Make Me Bad (Addicted to You) [Kinktober 2024 - scent kink] ◆

Once Upon A December

::: sylus braindumps

predebut sylus thoughts

::: oneshots

Candy ★

Every word feels like a shooting star ★

Have we met before?

Pretty Little Mess

Red Lights

to love you more (Kinktober 2024 - Praise) [Lumiere]

the stars are jealous knowing you're by my side (Kinktober 2024 - Cum Play)

Your Highness, Believe Me. (Kinktober 2024 - Master/Servant) [Prince!Xavier] ★

::: drabbles/short fics

Behave ◆

Sweet Nothing ◆

::: xavier braindumps

lumiere

21 days

"i love you in every universe"

blobbu event (1) (2)

hualian agenda (tag) (long post)

no restraint

floral blessings

::: oneshots

Labyrinth ◆

to the end of happiness

you look wonderful tonight

if i can have you (Kinktober 2024 - Breeding Kink) [Dawnbreaker]

::: drabbles/short fics

Pulse (Kinktober 2024 - Cardiophilia)

::: oneshots

Begin Again ; Jeremiah ★

Don't Let Me Love You ; Kieran ★

I Like It ; Luke

pretty girl ; Luke & Kieran (Kinktober 2024 - Somnophilia)

So it goes... ; Jeremiah

::: drabbles/short fics

Allow Me ; Greyson (Kinktober 2024 - Facesitting)

lock me in this dream ; Luke (Kinktober 2024 - Cuddlefucking)

kiss me or leave me ; Kieran (Kinktober 2024 - Dry Humping)

Pick me up, no headlights ; Caleb, Rafayel, Xavier, Zayne

::: headcanons

69 hcs (xavier)

Awkward moments during sex (caleb, rafayel, xavier, zayne)

Corruption kink hcs (xavier)

Eating you out (caleb, rafayel, xavier, zayne, jeremiah)

Giving him a blowjob (caleb, rafayel, xavier, zayne)

How he acts in bed (caleb, rafayel, xavier, zayne)

How he teases you (caleb, rafayel, xavier, zayne)

Lacy Lingerie; somnophilia hcs (caleb, rafayel, xavier, zayne)

Praising you (caleb, rafayel, sylus, xavier, zayne, jeremiah, luke and kieran)

Soft and slow vs. rough and fast (rafayel, sylus, xavier, zayne)

::: misc

luke & kieran analyses— (1) (2)

ask brainrots— (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) (13) (14) (15) (16) (17) (18) (19) (20) (21) (22) (23) (24) (25) (26) (27) (28) (29) (30) (31) (32) (33) (34) (35)

old lndrp threads— (1) (2)

[girlbloggercher]

how to read the Bible

this is in order!

1. John

2. Mark

3. Matthew

4. Luke

5. Genesis

6. Exodus

7. Leviticus

8. Numbers

9. Dueteronomy

10. Romans

11. Galatians

12. Colossians

13. Proverbs

14. Ecclesiastes

15. Job

16. 1 Peter

17. 1 Corinthians

18. 2 Corinthians

19. Ephesians

20. Philippians

21. 1 Thessalonians

22. 2 Thessalonians

23. 1 Timothy

24. 2 Timothy

25. James

26. 2 Peter

27. 1 John

28. 2 John

29. 3 John

30. Jude

31. Psalms

32. Joshua

33. Judges

34. 1 Samuel

35. 2 Samuel

36. 1 Kings

37. 2 Kings

38. 1 Chronicles

39. 2 Chronicles

40. Ezra

41. Nehemiah

42. Jeremiah

43. Lamentations

44. Ezekiel

45. Joel

46. Amos

47. Obadiah

48. Nahum

49. Habakkuk

50. Zephaniah

51. Haggai

52. Zechariah

53. Malachi

54. Micah

55. Hosea

56. Luke

57. Esther

58. Jonah

59. Song of Solomon

60. Acts

61. Titus

62. Philemon

63. Hebrew

64. Isaiah

65. Daniel

66. Revelation

[anamericangirl]

What’s a good reason to not take my own life? I’ve been feeling this way for years. Been to multiple treatment programs. Seen by several different therapists. Anti-depressants. I frequently go outdoors to exercise. Try to fill up my life with being optimistic about my (admittedly nice) job, hobbies, travel, and volunteering. And yet I’m still no better than I was 5 years ago and I have no hope about a happy future. “Your family will miss you.” Ok, and? I think it’s selfish to tell people in pain to continue living like that because some people might temporarily feel sad. They’ll eventually move on. My friends too, especially the ones who are happily married “to their best friends” and having babies and are so happy that they forget I exist.

Hey anon I hope I am not too late! I am just getting out of a hurricane and was without internet access for several days so i apologize for the delay.

But there are so many reasons not to take your own life. In fact, I can’t think of a single reason why you should.

I know it’s tough right now and trust me, I know that depression makes it all feel pointless and worthless and can plague you for years but even though if feels like forever I promise you these feelings and this depression and your circumstances are TEMPORARY. And it would be a tragedy for you to take your life over temporary circumstances and not see what is possible on the other side.

Yes your family and friends will miss you but you should stay because your life has purpose and meaning! Therapy and anti-depressants are good and I’m glad you’ve been trying those things because that means you don’t actually want to die - you just want the pain to stop. And that’s completely understandable and also manageable!

It’s great that you’ve been continuing to exercise and do volunteer work because those things can definitely impact your mood, but they aren’t the source of true joy, peace and happiness. Now I’m a Christian so I’m sure it won’t surprise you for me to say this, but what you are looking for and what you need can only come from God. I urge you to put your faith and trust in him and give him your burdens.

The devil has a hold on you right now, don’t let him win!

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” - Isaiah 41:10

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. - Jeremiah 29:11

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” - John 10:10

“Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.” - psalm 55:22

“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. The righteous person may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all.” - psalm 34:18-19

But now that I’ve gone on my spiel, here are some reasons I think it’s good to keep living. Not all my original thoughts but ones i agree with.

1. You matter

2. No one else is you.

3. Your younger self

4. Your next favorite song.

5. Warm blankets.

6. Thunderstorms

7. The fact that you’re in control of your future.

8. Experiencing new cultures.

9. Making new friends.

10. Road trips.

11. Sunsets and sunrises.

12. Reading good books.

13. Learning a new language.

14. Adopting a pet.

15. Fresh baked bread and cookies.

16. Getting packages in the mail.

17. Autumn.

18. Pumpkin spice.

19. Drinking coffee in the morning.

20. Beaches and being able to sink your toes into the sand.

21. Stepping on crunchy leaves.

22. Recovery.

23. Falling in love.

24. Rain.

25. Petting puppies and kittens.

26. Drinking water.

27. Trying something new and loving it.

28. Your favorite artist putting out new music.

29. A new season on your favorite TV show.

30. Planting a garden and growing your own vegetables.

31. Farmers Markets.

32. Trying out the newest local coffee shop or restaurant.

33. Karaoke

34. All of the people you have yet to meet.

35. Horseback riding

36. Stars.

37. Ice cream.

38. Ice tea.

39. Scented candles.

40. Learning something new.

41. Museums.

42. Going to the movies.

43. Hearing your favorite song come on the radio.

44. Learning to make a new recipe.

45. Your life is precious.

46. You are enough.

47. Random acts of kindness.

48. God looked at the world and thought it needed you.

49. Your story could save someone else.

50. Looking back on this time in 10 years and realizing you made it.

There’s an endless amount of reasons to stay alive and I hope some of them resonate with you.

But if you are desperate please reach out to the suicide prevention hotline at 988. If you are outside the US then you can find the number for your location here.

Please know that I am praying for you and please reach out to me again if you want to. I would love to keep up with how you are doing 💜

[tinyladofladdies]

what is the Gospel?

history . .

there is one God in 3 persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

God existed before anything else did; He created all things perfectly, including human beings, who He made in His image (Genesis 1:1, 26-28, John 1:1-3). God is the only holy, perfect Being in existence, and He created us to know Him forever.

God created humanity to partner with Him in ruling His perfect creation, however, humanity quickly fell into rebellion when adam & eve listened to temptation from satan, the serpent. the serpent twisted God's Word and adam & eve trusted in their own judgement rather than God's and listened to their selfish desire to define good and evil for themselves instead of letting God show them what was holy & good (Genesis 3).

adam & eve were cast out from God's perfect garden, severing ALL of humanity's relationship with God and separating us from His presence. because of this original sin (disobeying and distorting God's Word), all of humanity is born in a sinful state. the serpent, too, was cast from the garden and since the original sin, has been influencing the world into more and more evil, temptation, and distance from God. however, God promised that there would be a Descendant from eve Who would crush the serpent's head and defeat him (Genesis 3:14-15).

the sinful state of humanity causes all of us to be separated from God from birth and into eternity; sin cannot coexist with utter purity & holiness (Romans 6:23, 8:7-8).

God stayed faithful in taking care of humanity even despite our separation from Him; He made promises to abraham, isaac, and jacob, and their descendants (the jewish nation israel named after jacob), that they would be God's people and He would be their God (Genesis 22:17, Jeremiah 32: 38). He promised to multiply them, making them a countlessly large nation, to set them apart from the other nations to show the world what God is like (Deuteronomy 7:6), and to send them a Savior who would restore all things and bring justice (Isaiah 9:6). God gave them His Word and fulfilled every promise to them; He rescued His people many times from oppression and the downfall of their own mistakes, yet not even His holy people could stay obedient to God. God gave them His law (found in the 5 books of the Torah) to show His people how to be holy (set apart) and to show them who He is and what He values; in order to be worthy to enter God's presence, there would be animal sacrifices and sanctification rituals (Leviticus 16:21) in order to atone for the sins of Israel (God's people), yet none of His people were perfect and kept rebelling against Him.

God started sending prophets into the world, spoken to by His Holy Spirit who divinely inspired the Word of God (the entire Bible), to warn Israel of the gravity of their sins; soon, if God's people would keep participating in evil and turning away from God, they would be exiled from all of the peace and possessions God had promised them and fulfilled them with.

the prophets spoke of Jesus, who, centuries later, fulfilled every single prophecy spoken of Him . .

The Good News . .

Jesus is God, described as the Son of God and the Word of God become human; Jesus took on human flesh yet stayed completely sinless (Hebrews 4:15). He gave His life in the place of all of humanity, not just Israel, in order to extend God's grace, salvation, and presence, to anyone of any background who would repent and call upon Him (Hebrews 2:17, Galatians 3:8).

"The Gospel" means "the Good news."

to repent, means to completely turn around.

atone, means to make amends.

Jesus became the sacrificial lamb (symbolically) in order to fulfill the law of sacrifice that God's people used to participate in in order to enter God's presence (John 1:29, 1 Peter 1:19); because Jesus is God and was the only One holy enough to perfectly atone, this means that Jesus' sacrifice not only fulfilled every law and prophecy, but humanity finally had the chance to be in right-standing with God (1 Timothy 2:5). this means, that instead of being enemies of God, being estranged or distant from God, we now have the right to become God's children, His people, and His friends (Romans 5:10, John 1:12). to repent of our sins, means to pray to God our Father and confess our sinful nature, our rebellion, and the things we have done that have hurt our relationship with God as well as hurt ourselves & those around us. by confessing, we ask for God's forgiveness, we confess who Jesus is and what He did for us, and through this, we receive the Holy Spirit who testifies that we are God's children and Who seals our salvation in Heaven for eternity (Romans 8:16, 2 Corinthians 1:21-22).

Jesus came to earth as a human, yet also 100% God; He lived a perfect life, started His ministry at 30 years old, baptised, healed, drove out demons, and taught of God's character, Word, and Kingdom. Jesus was persecuted by the nation of Israel in order to fulfill the prophecies, He died on a cross, was tortured and killed in our place, and after 3 days He rose from the dead, to fulfill every prophecy (Mark 8:31). in Jesus' death and resurrection, He defeated our sins, He defeated the enemy (satan), and He defeated death. setting us free, giving us eternal life and forgiveness from the Father if we repent and believe that this is Who Jesus Is.

in Jesus, there is forgiveness, peace, healing, joy, & hope (Galatians 5:22-23, 1 Peter 1:3). God heals, God saves, God loves, His Spirit guides and reassures every believer and Jesus completely sets us free; no matter what you have said or done, no matter how much seems to hold you back, Jesus breaks every chain and meets us where we are, however, He loves us too much to leave us as we are. Jesus gives us the ability to live the life of righteousness (right-living) that God intended for us that we were not able to fruitfully & fully do without Jesus and without God's active help. for all time, God has kept His promises and His Word, He has kept His covenant with those He chose to be His people, and while those people always failed, Jesus never has and never will; Jesus fulfilled our side of the covenant, He paid the price that had to be paid for our sins, and in doing so, we can now have relationship with God for eternity, we can now partner with God in loving His people and doing the work of His Kingdom. God is always near, always present, and desires to help you, heal you, and save you.

there will be more Bible verses below that specifically address salvation & repentance; if you need more context or have more questions, this is a safe space to do so. <3

Acts 4:12 — Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

John 14:6 — Jesus answered, "I am the way, the Truth, and the life. no one comes to the Father except through Me."

Acts 2:38 — Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

John 3:16-17 — For God so loved the world that He gave His One and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.

Romans 8:38-39 — For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 10:9-10 — If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

Hebrews 7:25 — Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them.

Luke 5:31-31 — Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Acts 3:19 — Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,

Mark 16:16 — Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

Romans 10:13 — for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Romans 3:23 — for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

Acts 22:16 — And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

‭‭Romans‬ ‭6:23‬ ‭— For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝

◌🌊🐚Ꮚ°˳´ creds . .

dividers: roseraris

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

A Light to lighten the Gentiles

25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; 30 for my eyes have seen your salvation 31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”

33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

36 And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, 37 and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

The Return to Nazareth

39 And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him. — Luke 2:25-40 | English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Cross References: Deuteronomy 18:15; 1 Samuel 2:20; Joshua 19:24; Joshua 22:33; 1 Samuel 1:2; 1 Samuel 2:21; Psalm 89:48; Psalm 119:166; Psalm 119:174; Isaiah 8:14; Isaiah 9:2; Isaiah 11:10; Jeremiah 32:11; Matthew 2:12; Matthew 2:23; Matthew 8:10; Matthew 12:46; Mark 15:43; Luke 1:26; Luke 1:68; Luke 1:80; Luke 2:22; Luke 5:33; Acts 13:3; Revelation 6:10

Read full chapter

Testifying to Jesus: Simeon

[apilgrimpassingby]

Demons of the Hebrew Bible

Since today is also the day for Lord of Spiritsposting, I've decided to make a post I considered yesterday - the demons of the Hebrew Bible. This will be a long post, so I'm inserting a "Keep Reading".

Azazel: Appears only once in Leviticus 16, as the being in the wilderness to whom the goat with the people's sins laid on it in the Day of Atonement ritual is given (this isn't sacrifice, because the animal isn't killed or offered on an altar, among other things). Becomes a Devil figure in some later Jewish literature like the Book of Enoch, and is associated with deserts, sin and goats - the name literally means "the goat that goes away" (an archaic translation gives us the word "scapegoat"), and the seemingly-random reference to goat demons in Leviticus 17:7 comes just after Azazel's appearance.

Deber: The most prominent of the gang, appearing (usually in conjunction with other figures on this list) in Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Amos, Habakkuk and the Pentateuch a total of 49 times, usually unleashed as punishment for some sin by Israel (compare "handing people over to Satan" in St. Paul's letters - 1 Corinthians 5:5, 1 Timothy 1:20). A nocturnal demon of pestilence and destruction associated with the underworld in Canaanite mythology.

Hereb: Rendered as "the sword" in English; the next most prominent one, appearing 29 times and, like Deber, in conjunction with the others. A demon of violence and destruction associated with blood-drinking (Isaiah 34:5, Jeremiah 46:10) and flesh-eating (Deuteronomy 32:42, Jeremiah 12:12) and probably the rider on a red horse from Revelation 6:3-4.

Lilit: Appears just once, Isaiah 34:14, where she's dwelling in some ruins. Usually translated as "screech owl" or "night bird", but some use "Lilith". In Mesopotamian mythology, the lili are a class of nocturnal female demons associated who kill babies and are associated with owls, so the translation as "screech owl" is acceptable. The Songs of the Sage from the Dead Sea Scrolls refer to liliyot (feminine plural) as a class of demons: "And I, the Instructor, proclaim His glorious splendour so as to frighten and to te[rrify] all the spirits of the destroying angels, spirits of the bastards, demons, liliths, howlers...

Livyatan: Usually anglicised as Leviathan, and appears five times: Job 3:8 and chapter 41, Psalms 74:12-14 and 104:26 and Isaiah 27:1. Based on those appearances, he's a multi-headed fire-breathing sea serpent immune to weapons who battles with Yahweh and (of course) always loses. The myth of a god fighting a sea serpent is a staple of world mythology. Likely correlates to the beast from the sea of Revelation 13:1-10, since Leviathan is paired with a beast from the earth (Behemoth; Job 40:15-24) - also compare Revelation 13:4 ("Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”) to Job 41:33-34 ("On earth there is not his like, a creature without fear. He sees everything that is high; he is king over all the sons of pride").

Nephilim: Famously appear in Genesis 6:1-4 as the warriors born of the sons of God and the daughters of men, understood in Second Temple Jewish texts such as the Book of Enoch and the Septuagint to be giants born of fallen angels and human women. They appear by the name Anakim or Rephaim in Genesis 14:5, 15:20, Deuteronomy 1:28, 2:10-11, 2:20-21, 3:11, 3;13, 9:2 and Joshua 11:21-22, 12:4, 13:12, 14:12, 14:15 and 15:8 and war with giants appears in 2 Samuel 21:16-22, 1 Chronicles 20:4-8 and, of course, 1 Samuel 17 (the David and Goliath story).

Qeteb: Appears just 4 times (Deuteronomy 32:24; Psalm 91:6; Isaiah 28:2; Hosea 13:14), together with Deber in the Psalms and Hosea appearances and together with Resheph in Deuteronomy; if there's any lesson from this post so far, it's that plague demons hunt in packs. A diurnal plague demon whose name is rendered in English as "destruction"; nothing more to be said.

Ra'av: The third most prominent one, appearing 35 times; a famine demon whose name is rendered in English as "famine" or "hunger" who is unleashed on Israel as punishment together with (surprise!) Hereb and either Deber or Resheph. Probably the rider on a black horse from Revelation 6:5-6.

Rephaim: The spirits of dead kings who dwell in the underworld not doing much, translated in the ESV as shades and appearing in Isaiah 14:9 and 26:14; the same imagery and concept is being used by Ezekiel 32:20-30.

Resheph: A demon of plague and conquest worshipped as a god in Canaanite and Egyptian culture, depicted as a bearded archer on a white horse. Appears just 6 times in the Hebrew Bible (Deuteronomy 32:24; Habakkuk 3:5 Psalm 78:48; Job 5:7, Song of Songs 8:6); the name is rendered as "plague" or "pestilence" or occasionally "fire" or "sparks" because the name literally means "burning". Probably the rider on a white horse from Revelation 6:2.

Sources and Further Reading

"Before Him Went Pestilence (Hab. 3:5) - Biblical Lexis and Semantic Field of Epidemics" by Jozef Jankovic for The Old Testament Society of South Africa

"A Land of Giants" by Frs. Andrew Stephen Damick and Stephen DeYoung on The Lord of Spirits

"War, Famine, Disease, Death and Hades" by Fr. Stephen DeYoung on The Whole Counsel of God

"Who is Azazel?" by Fr. Stephen DeYoung on The Whole Counsel of God

Who is Lilith - Ancient Development and Origins of the Demon Queen by Dr. Justin Sledge on ESOTERICA

Or in short - stop making it all about Lilith. Use some other Hebrew Bible demons.

[artsymumof5]

A LETTER FROM YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER! The following words come from the heart of God. After all God loves you, and He is the Father you have been looking for all your life. This is His Love Letter to you! My Dear Child, You may not know me, but I know everything about you. (Ps 139:1) I know when you sit down and when you rise up. (Psalm 139:2) I am familiar with all your ways. (Psalm 139:3) Even the very hairs on your head are numbered. (Matthew 10:29-30) For you were made in my image. (Genesis 1:27) In me, you live and move and have your being. For you are my offspring. (Acts 17:28) I knew you even before you were conceived. (Jeremiah 1:4-5) I chose you when I planned the creation. (Ephesians 1:11-12) You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book. (Psalm 139:15-16) I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live. (Acts 17:26) You are fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14) I knit you together in your mother’s womb. (Psalm 139:13) And brought you forth on the day you were born. (Psalm 71:6) I have been misrepresented by those who don’t know me. (John 8:41-44) I am not distant and angry but am the complete expression of love. (I John 4:16) And it is my desire to lavish my love on you. (I John 3:1) Simply because you are my child and I am your Father. (I John 3:7) I offer you more than your earthly father ever could. (Matthew 7:11) For I am the perfect Father. (Matthew 5:48) Every good gift you receive comes from my hand. (James 1:17) For I am your provider and I meet your needs. (Matthew 6:31-33) My plan for your future has always been filled with hope. (Jeremiah 29:11) Because I love you with an everlasting love. (Jeremiah 31:3) My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore. (Psalm 139:17-18) And I rejoice over you with singing. (Zephaniah 3:17) I will never stop doing good to you. (Jeremiah 32:40) For you are my treasured possession. (Exodus 19:5) I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul. (Jeremiah 32:41) And I want to show you great and marvelous things. (Jeremiah 33:3) For if you seek me with all your heart, you will find me. (Deuteronomy 4:29) So, Delight in me, and I will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4) For it is I who gave you those desires. (Philippians 2:13) I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine. (Ephesians 3:20) For I am your greatest encourager. (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17) I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you. (Psalm 34:18) As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart. (Isaiah 40:11) One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes. And I will take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth. Revelation 21:3-4) I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus. (John 17:23) For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed. (John 17:26) And to tell you that I am not counting your sins. Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled. (2 Corinthians 5;18-19) His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you. (I John 4:10) I gave up everything I loved so that I might gain your love. (Romans 8:31-32) If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me. (I John 2:23) And nothing will ever separate you from my love again. (Romans 8:38-29) When it’s time for you to Come home I’ll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen. (Luke 15:7) I have always been your Father, and will always be your Father. (Ephesians 3:14-15) My question is….Will you be my child? (John 1:12-13) I am waiting for you. (Luke 15:11-32) With Love, Your Father, Almighty God

[knight-says-nanana]

Gotham Ages - S1

Ive seen a post like this before ages ago but I cannot find it and also I quickly discovered it was, at least partially, wrong. So the updated version from my notes app, here we go:

all characters age roughly one year between seasons

a * next to someone’s age means it’s the actors age at the time, as one for the character was never given evidence for

undefined actor ages can Absolutely be shifted by your opinions in either direction, remember that highschool drama movies usually cast full grown adults

youngest to oldest

Martin: 5*

Bruce: 12

Selina: 13

Ivy: 14 possibly only some months older than Selina

Jonathan: 16*

Jerome/Jeremiah: 17* same guy

Bridget: 21*

Kristen/Isabella: 24* again, same actor

Ed: 26

Jervis: 26* the vast majority of fanon makes Jervis much younger

Harvey Dent: 26*

Barbra: 28*

Sofia: 29*

Oswald: 30

Zsasz: 30*

Jim: 32 ten years in army, remember?

Lee: 34*

Fish: 43*

Harvey Bullock: 48*

[warningsine]

Now that we’ve gotten to the end of Girls5eva season three, there’s just 6 much we’ve seen the girl group sing about: the hotness of boys in space, UTIs, knee surgery. But in the quest to be famous 5eva, one song has to be No. 1. Using a highly scientific process known as “listening to my own taste,” I ranked the output of Girls5eva thus far, focusing both on whether the songs are good as stand-alone songs and whether they are actually funny. For the sake of clarity, I stuck to the music available on the show’s official cast recordings, which does leave off several gems we only hear for a few seconds onscreen. (Why didn’t we get a studio version of Dawn’s song where she uses every possible definition of the word “set”? This is a question I can only yell fruitlessly at the screen and hope for a response.) Until then, we will make do with this list of the excellent Girls5eva material that is available on a music-streaming service near you.

32) “U Ready?” A filler song that is itself a joke about filler songs, you have to admire the number of ways the Girls5eva writers have the group stall for time. The delivery is very funny, and we get all the girls (including Ashley Park) doing their best ready-for-MTV voices to confirm they are, indeed, “in the house” and “ready.” However, the concept is better as an elaborate joke than a song, per se. Best line: “If you’re ready, could you say ‘ready’? Because you could be ‘in the house’ and not ‘ready.’”

31) “Home Alone Doorknob” This is barely a song, but man, it’s a funny metaphor for what happens to your clitoris when you get horny. Best line: “It’s gonna get sexy, so watch out, Joe Pesci!”

30) “The Splingee” Another exercise in specific girl-group humor, Girls5eva describes how to do a “dope” dance move that is supposedly taking the world by storm. It involves whipping your hair, doing figure eights with your waist, blinking with two eyes, and getting all shy like you want to cry. The instructions end with the note that “the only thing left to do is repeat it two more times to make one complete splingee.” Honestly, it sounds like a home workout I should try. Best line: “Grind up on a ghost, then shake it out.”

29) “Who U Know” A solo performance by Jeremiah Craft’s Lil Stinker (who later gets canceled and rebrands as a country act), this is a send-up of name-dropping rap singles, with Stinker just listing everyone he knows, from his mom to his friend’s mom to Alfre Woodard. Best line: “From Zendaya to Zen-die-a!”

28) “No Strings” Gloria spends season three trying to hook up with every type of woman, but realizes that she’s a romantic after all. Here, she’s trying to embrace a no-strings-attached dynamic through a nonsensical folk tune that’s about a couple chasing the moon in an airplane powered by love. Best line: “A morning that never came until the coroner said to the wizard ‘time of death,’ the same.”

27) “Line Up” ”This is the song that launches Girls5eva’s comeback, since Lil Stinker samples “Famous 5eva” on it. We’ll get to their original hit later on, but the Stinker side of it is pretty generic as a placeholder for the kind of song that might sample something from the early 2000s. Best line: “I know you wanna light up, forever 5eva enough.”

26) “Thinking About Myself” One of Dawn’s stabs at songwriting early in season two, this is a fairly direct ballad about self-involvement. It does have some great zealous grandstanding vocals from Renée Elise Goldsberry, though. Best line: “Crying harder than anyone at a funeral for a great-uncle I barely knew.”

25) “Space Boys” In the chronicles of Girls5eva’s adventures in dating, here we have them going on an interstellar boy-kissing mission. Sadly they don’t have a TARS to keep them company, but after checking every planet they can (including “the stars”) they find some space boys (“more exotic than a waiter from France!”). On the show, the song accompanies some flashbacks to a young Gloria trying to avoid making out with actual boys, but solely as music, it’s just a low-key sci-fi jam. Best line: “We found a planet full of girls, but we left!”

24) “Later” An empowerment song in the genre of “Brave,” sung of course by Sara Bareilles, but about procrastination. The drum and piano orchestrations are so inspiring it’s easy to ignore that the message is that you really don’t need to do anything right now. Best line: “Now’s the not the right time, let’s aim for next year when we’ll have no fear, maybe by then the problems got solved by themselves all on their own.”

23) “Boyz Next Door (Puber-Dude)” To match the queasy sexualization of the Girls5eva, this number offers up the chance to objectify the just-recently pubescent members of Boyz Next Door, who have become the “hottest boys in the cul-de-sac” with a “Backstreet’s Back”–style anthem of their own. Who could resist their thin little mustaches, awkward growth spurts, and bland conversation? Best line: “Floppy hair, greasy brow, Adam’s apple going pow-pow-pow.”

22) “Sweet’N Low Daddy” Another vault track: In season three, the adult members of Girls5eva are pretty embarrassed by the message of their old hit about the benefits of dating an older man, but man, it’s pretty catchy, so you can understand why Cat Cohen’s character took it as gospel. Their ideal daddy has parents you never need to meet because they died during Nixon, and, of course, the song ends with the crucial question: “Real talk, when are you going to die?” Best line: “Don’t need to graduate, because we’re elder bait!”

21) “Can’t Wait 2 Wait” Back in the day, Busy Phillips’s Summer and Andrew Rannells’s Kev collabed on this break-out Christian-pop single about the joys of not having sex yet. Its fun hook and a peppy atmosphere bely the sheer grossness of the overall message. Best line: “Premarital urges aren’t itches to be scratched, so look up medical oddities until those feelings pass.”

20) “Daughter Hero” Renée Elise Goldsberry gets to do a groovy ’90s ballad with Wickie in celebration of her own generosity to her mother, never mind the fact that she comes from a solidly upper-middle-class family. She buys her mom a house, a house that’s significantly less nice than the one she already has! Best line: “Daughter hero, like if Jesus had a sister!”

19) “New York City Moms” An obvious sequel to “New York Lonely Boy” (more on that below), this song brings on Ingrid Michaelson(!) to perform an ode to the women of the city who have chosen to wait to have kids. A celebration of the moms who have “bumps poking out of Eileen Fisher” and are “judged by their husband’s out-of-town sister,” the Girls5eva writers can riff endlessly on very niche New York micro-communities, and bless them for that. Best line: “Spent their 20s in a disco, still younger than moms in San Francisco.”

18) “Summer Brings the Fall” Kev’s best attempt at a torch song involves an increasingly convoluted series of attempts at wordplay that I can’t help but respect. It starts out with “thought you were for ev, thought you were for Kev, you were like whatev, now I pray to heav … for strength” and just gets more forced from there. Best line: “Thought I was your male, cause you’re my holy grail.”

17) “Is There a Me?” Season three brought Busy Philipps a short but sweet bit of soul-searching in which Summer questions if she has any identity of her own, or if her personality has just been a series of attempts to please guys. Points for Philipps showing off some vocal training, deductions for the amount of Netflix cross-marketing involved. Best line: “Do I even like The Witcher, or is it just to please a mister? And what is The Witcher? I watched 40 minutes and I’m still not sure!”

16) “Inside My Sweater” Girls5eva’s music industry gets awfully specific with its parody of a Harry Styles–type sensitive boy hounded by mobs of fans named Gray Holland, played by Gossip Girl alum Thomas Doherty (he also played a similar role on the late, lamented High Fidelity Hulu reboot). As far as sound-alikes go, this Harry–slash–Shawn Mendes low-key bob is eerily accurate but also somehow a successful earworm, especially in the way Doherty refuses to ever pronounce the “r” in “sweater.” Best line: “Come dance and cook and make sweet love with me, inside my sweater!”

15) “Welcome to Now” Doherty’s soft-boy star Gray Holland returns, against his own will, in a pop hit constructed by his label “because Clause 46B, Paragraph Q of the artist’s contract grants the company use of postmortem generative voice cloning.” It’s the funnier of the two Gray Holland songs, and the beat’s so sensual you may miss that it quickly becomes an ad for the deals available at Best Buy. Best line: “Best Buy, Best Buy, Gray Holland loves Best Buy. Tablets, projectors, and more. You’re the best, bye!”

14) “Larry’s Song” The girls get their Taylor’s Version moment with this kiss off to their former manager that references many of the show’s recurring jokes about the indignities of early aughts fame, including him promising a steak knife to whoever seduces Carson Daly. The twist by the end is that they’ve finally gotten some financial and personal control, and thus, “everything we do belongs to us.” Best line: “Only let us eat crab, cause you can’t get fat from food that’s so damn hard to get at.”

13) “At the Beep” No, you’re tearing up thinking about a fictional character who died in an infinity-pool accident. In this episode, Gloria finally gives up on her conspiracy theories about Ashley’s death and accepts that she might really be gone. (I do wonder if Ashley Park would’ve been available for a longer run in season two if Emily in Paris hadn’t gotten so big.) This results in a somber number where girls say good-bye to Ashley through her still-active (because Gloria has been paying) answering-machine service. Best line: “It should have been me.” “I did a lot of cocaine, so much cocaine.”

12) “Get It Off Your Chest” In a moment of confession and healing in season three, the women of Girls5eva share their darker secrets with each other and their audience. The result is a series of tightly written jokes from the show’s writing staff: Wickie only likes people who “like me,” “but be careful, if you like me too much, it has the opposite effect and I find you desperate,” Gloria doesn’t trust stand-up comics who are too in shape, Summer hasn’t listened to a voice-mail since 2015, and finally, Dawn delivers my favorite … Best line: “Every year when my son’s school sends out the class list with parents’ names, the first thing I do is Google them to see what they paid for their apartments.”

11) “Momentum” Starting off season two, the girls have got momentum, yeah, um, it’s their moment (bless you, Jeff Richmond) with a song that’s relatively straightforward within the Girls5eva canon but is also a solid earworm. I have to respect that groovy baseline, too. Best line: “Unstoppable, this unst-unst ain’t toppable.”

10) “Tap Into Your (Fort) Worth” A canny marketing move: The girls of 5Eva plot a way to secure a captive audience by writing a song about an American city nobody else has written a song about. The result is a clever ode to Dallas’s overlooked sister, declaring that “cow town is a wild town with a walkable downtown” and trumpeting the fact that the Trinity River is, in some places, now actually swimmable. It’s enough to make you want to consider booking a flight to DFW, maybe just as a connection, but still. Best line: “Some say Omaha Zoo is second-best, but that’s a lie because their red panda is always inside. It’s never out on the tree, yeah!”

9) “I’m Afraid (Dawn’s Song of Fears)” Sometimes you just have to let Sara Bareilles loose with a piano and sing like she’s performing “Gravity.” Here, Dawn’s attempt to write a song on her own ends with her just listing things she’s afraid of, from the fact that she might thrive under Scientology to her fear that she’ll text a pic of her vagina to her dad. There’s something very funny to me about the way Bareilles says “my hummus is fungus” and I have to own that. Best line: “I’m afraid that the second I leave town I’ll get a UTI. Why can’t they sell those pills over the counter? I don’t need a doctor, I know exactly what it is.”

8) “Yesternights” Finally, a full taste of Wickie’s solo album, a work absolutely choked by melisma and sung impeccably by Renée Elise Goldsberry. It’s, as she sings, “gorgeous and sensual” and also “life fancy,” and also “dancing, yearning.” You could probably slip it on a sex playlist and nobody would notice, and frankly, we need an eight-minute version. Best line: “But tonight, there is no night or tomorrow night / Or any future night / ’Cause you’re only in my yesternight of nights.”

7) “The Medium Time” Sara Bareilles wrote the Girls5eva’s season-three finale hit song, which is about being inspired not to aim for immense fame, but a reasonable, medium level of attention. Bareilles is so good at selling the earnest, heartfelt feeling behind the song that you may forget that the wise man who told her this advice, in the universe of the show, was actually Richard Kind. Best line: “The middle is the riddle of it all, and the medium time is just fine for now.”

6) “Dream Girlfriends” The satire of Girls5eva cuts deepest here, in this song from their original run about all the ways they’d be willing to debase themselves to appeal to men. The list includes the fact that their dads are dead, that their moms are overtired so there’ll be no pushback, that they want to watch you play darts and love watching stand-up (but not by women). “Dream Girlfriends” cuts both ways, managing to make the men it’s supposed to appeal to sound pathetic as well. The girls are short so they don’t know you’re bald! Best line: “Tell me again why Tarantino’s a genius.”

5) “Bend Not Break” Near the end of season two, the women of Girls5eva realize their best song is actually about Gloria’s knee surgery. Metaphorically, it’s really about how they have to learn to compromise and acknowledge each other’s weaknesses to support their success, but there is also literally a joke about how she uses a cane. Anyway, it’s got a groove that’s hard to shake and does really make you want to dance (carefully, in a way that doesn’t risk further knee injury). Best line: “We got our secret weapon already, and it’s got eight legs, four smiles, and a cane.”

4) “Famous 5eva” Perhaps the best theme song in the vast universe of television today, here Girls5eva embraces the joys of counting by promising they’ll be famous 5eva — ’cuz 4eva’s too short. Those synths have an addictive crunch, and there’s something about the way they describe the series of cars they’re driving in (first a Lexus, then a Mercedes and then a Maserati) that’s gleefully ridiculous. The show has to make you believe the girls really are talented, and that there’s something joyful about watching them perform. This does both. Best line: “We’re Girls5eva, could we get a high SIX?”

3) “B.P.E.” Put your hands together for a “We Are the Champions”–style celebration of big pussy energy. Girl5eva’s absurdist answer to “WAP” celebrates their “Vitamin P” with some gospel-choir-esque harmonies. And the remix, which outdoes the original, adds in some church bells to heighten the energy. It will make you tap into whatever B.P.E. you have of your own. Best line: “Square feet, I’m going for miles, upgrade, taking up the aisles, open up those classified files from the Department of Treasury.”

2) “New York Lonely Boy” The best of the Girls5eva songs in terms of straight joke-writing, “New York Lonely Boy” applies a Simon and Garfunkel sensibility to the tales of hyperarticulate soft boys who know too much about mixing plaids and the dangers of restaurants on the corner (they just try too hard). Its comedy is sort of tangential from Girls5eva’s overall focus on the music industry, but it’s so perfectly realized that it doesn’t matter. Any show that can deliver such a specific encapsulation of a type — to the extent that I now think of various former St. Anne’s students who’ve became indie celebrities (okay, just Lucas Hedges) as New York Lonely Boys — deserves to run forever. Best line: “His playground is the lobby, has a palate for wasabi.”

1) “Four Stars” If “Famous 5eva” had to establish Girls5eva as it was, then “Four Stars” has to do the work of making you believe the second iteration of the group has come into its own. It does this delightfully well, with an anthem about embracing your imperfections that includes plenty of tossed-off jokes from each of the band members. (I’m particularly fond of “women are an ocean of secrets!”) Plus there’s something great about the harmonies of everyone singing “four stars” together. I have put this on exercise playlists, and it works! Best line: “The best things in life are free, that’s why rich people never carry wallets.”

[sodascherrycola]

Instagram Intros (Mitch Marner's Kids)

Lucas William Marner (@lucasmarner)

DOB: August 29th 2016 Age: 32 years old Hometown: Toronto, Ontario Nicknames: Luke, Luka, Lukey S/O: Ashlyn Morris Kids: Nolan, Joshua, and Braley Best Friend(s): Eliot Nylander Aesthetic: Lucas, like his father and step-father, was a hockey player. His father had convinced his mother to put him into pee-wee hockey when he was around 4 years old and he had been playing ever since. He was an exceptional player from the beginning, already having experience tagging along to family skate and the Leafs games growing up. Luke adored his dad in every way shape and form. So when his parents split up and Olivia started dating Jack, it was hard on him to say the least. He was used to being around the Leafs family, and now being so called "stuck" in New Jersey with Jack's actual family ruined him. He was as open to Jack as his younger siblings were. Luke was being constantly berated by his mom for acting rudely towards his step-father. Jack understood to an extent, but it didn't hurt him any less. Mitch wasn't any help either though, disliking this quick relationship with his ex, talking trash and fighting Jack any time he could. When Olivia and Mitch had their one-night stand while her and Jack were on a break, and she ending up pregnant with her first daughter, Lucas thought this was finally his parents time to get back together. Olivia, however, made it clear that her and Mitch were not going to be together again. This bother Luke, but it got him to truly understand the reality of it all. His parents still tried to get along with each other, and he still visited Toronto every winter and for playoffs. Him and Jack started to bond over hockey, though Mitch was the only one he would practice with other than his brothers. When he was 18, Lucas was the first overall draft for the Toronto Maple Leafs and became a legacy player. He brought the Leafs to the Stanley Cup in 2037, 10 years after his father did so.

Myles Thomas Marner (@mylestmarner)

DOB: May 10th 2020 Age: 28 years old Hometown: Toronto, Ontario Nicknames: Mile, Miley S/O: Lilly Dunn Kids: Callie and Athena Best Friend(s): Jeremiah Wagner, Matteo Aguilar, and Braydon Pham Aesthetic: Myles, unlike his older brother, was obsessed with Jack. He was only 3 when he and Olivia started dating, but he already knew he was the coolest person he had ever met. Of course he loved his dad and wanted him to win at all times, but Jack just seemed so chill. Liv watched her son follow Jack around the rink and the house all day, she couldn't believe one of her sons was actually okay with her new boyfriend. Myles used to yell at his older brother whenever he gave Jack attitude. Jack thought this was the funniest thing ever. He loved having someone on his team rooting for him. When Henry was born, Myles was ready to get him on the ice right away, but Olivia and Jack had to help him take a step back, considering Harry couldn't even hold his head up just yet. You can bet though that Myles was the first to teach him anything when he could. In fact Henry's nickname, Haz or Hazzy, was given to him by his older half-brother. The nickname stuck well into his NHL career too. Miley was the 4th overall pick for the Carolina Hurricanes and he was pretty damn good.

Lincoln Daniel Marner (@linc_m12)

DOB: July 21st 2023 Age: 25 years old Hometown: Hobokken, New Jersey Nicknames: Linc, Linny, Lake S/O: Reece Mercer Kids: None Best Friend(s): Jonah Matthews and Zachery Brandt Aesthetic: Lincoln grew up in New Jersey, which makes him a Devils fan. He wasn't all that big into hockey like his brothers though. In fact, in a house full of hockey players, he sort of felt left out. He and his mom were very close, big mama's boy. She knew how he felt and tried to explain to him that it was all good if he didn't want to play the majority sport. Lincoln still played with his brother and dads when he could, but honestly wished he could just cuddle up with Liv on the bench. Mitch saw how bent out of shape Linc was and knew immediately what was wrong. He never wanted to force this life on his kids, if they liked it (like Luke and Myles) great! If not, that was okay too. Mitch, having gone through it with his dad too, didn't want to do that to his son also. Jack on the other hand, wasn't aware of this and encouraged Lincoln whenever he could to get on the ice. He thought he was helping, believing that Lincoln was just insecure about his skating or something, but to Mitch it looked like peer pressure. Whilst visiting Toronto during the winter, the whole group joined the Leafs at family skate, including Jack. Once Mitch saw Jack "bothering" Linc to get on the ice with every, shit hit the fan. Mitch started beating Jack black and blue, only stopping when JT pulled him off him. Lincoln had ran away to the locker rooms, hiding in the corner. Olivia was too busy yelling at Mitch and helping Jack with his injuries to notice Auston skating away from the rink. He had stopped by in the locker room on his hunt for the missing boy, and saw Lincoln curled up in a ball near his dad's gear. Auston pulled Lincoln into his arms and soothed the little boy. They had a long talk, and this is when Auston found out that Linc was into baseball and had been wanting to play for a while but was just too scared too say anything. Auston brought this up to Liv and had set up a schedule for him to help practice with her son. He ended up being drafted for the New York Mets when he was 18 along with Auston's son Jonah, and has been playing there since. Jack had apologised to the kid and had been at every single baseball game Lincoln ever played.

Madison Jay Marner (@maddiemarner)

DOB: February 13th 2029 Age: 19 years old Hometown: Hobokken, New Jersey Nicknames: Mads, Maddie, Sonny S/O: Spencer Reynolds Kids: None Best Friend(s): Arthur Hughes Aesthetic: Madison's story is a complicated one. Jack and Olivia had been on a break for about 2 months at the time her mother had gotten pregnant with her. Mitch and Olivia had a one night stand and it ended in Madison's conception. The competition between Jack and Mitch was now at all time high. When Olivia had told Mitch about it, he was excited, thinking that maybe he could get her back because of this, but she had the plans to abort Maddie, scared that she had completely messed up her family with Jack. She had already had two little boys with him, she knew he was a good father, she just didn't know how he would react to her being pregnant with her ex baby daddy's kid. Jack freaked out for a minute, staying at his mom's house for a week, before Ellen had talked some sense into him and he went back. He understood that they had been on a break and that he can't really be mad. Jack had continued to support Liv throughout this pregnancy, though he was weary having Mitch around now more than usual. Mitch had been making a point that this baby was his and that Jack shouldn't be included in this, refusing to let Jack in at appointments, not allowing him to be a part of baby showers and what not. Olivia had hated seeing Jack so excluded, knowing that Jack was going to be the one mainly around for the kid. When she had found out the gender she was so excited! Finally a girl to be on her side! Mitch had been now bragging about how he gave Olivia, not only her first kid, but now her first daughter too. Jack found this insufferable, and he was sad a little bit too. Liv had promised to include Jack in everything and now he couldn't even enjoy the thought of having a daughter because Mitch had made it his mission to remind him that this little girl wasn't his. When Madison was born however, Mitch was out of town, leaving Jack to be there in the delivery room when she made her entrance into this world. She was a big daddy's girl too…with Jack. She didn't really care for Mitch, funny considering he was so entitled to her before. Jack was wrapped around her finger the minute she was born, and sobbed when he got to hold her and when he saw that she was named after him. As Maddie grew up, Jack and Mitch's relationship got better, for the sake of her. She hated that her dads didn't get along, wanted them to love each other as much as she did them. No, that didn't exactly happen, but they did tolerate each other for her well-being.

[echanique]

100 películas que tienes que ver por lo menos una vez en la vida: 1. El Padrino 2. Pulp Fiction 3. El Club de la Lucha 4. Tiburón 5. Matrix 6. 12 hombres sin piedad 7. Forrest Gump 8. Apocalypse Now 9. 2001: Una odisea del espacio 10. Lawrence de Arabia 11. El silencio de los corderos 12. La Naranja Mecánica 13. Blade Runner 14. La Vida es Bella 15. Seven 16. Salvar al soldado Ryan 17. Cinema Paradiso 18. Ciudad de Dios 19. Amelie 20. Chinatown 21. Rocky 22. Parque Jurásico 23. La ventana indiscreta 24. La Gran Evasión 25. El puente sobre el río Kwai 26. Los intocables de Eliot Ness 27. Atrapado en el tiempo 28. El Gran lebowski 29. Fargo 30. Vertigo 31. Braveheart 32. Requiem por un sueño 33. Barry Lyndon 34. Birdman 35. American Beauty 36. Fargo 37. El nombre de la rosa 38. El graduado 39. La jungla de cristal 40. Memento 41. Magnolia 42. El viaje de Chihiro 43. La la land 44. El Exorcista 45. Regreso al Futuro 46. En busca del Arca perdida 47. E.T. el Extraterrestre 48. Reservoir Dogs 49. El bueno, el feo y el malo 50. El Padrino Parte II 51. Cadena Perpetua 52. Top Gun 53. Dune (2021) 54. Up 55. Joker 56. Call me by your name 57. Star Wars 58. InterStellar 59. Origen 60. El Señor de los Anillos 61. El caballero oscuro 62. JFK 63. The help 64. Casino 65. Uno de los nuestros 66. Shutter Island 67. El infierno 68. El Secreto de sus ojos 69. Old Boy 70. Ratatouille 71. Akira 72. 300 73. Infiltrados 74. Sin City 75. Match Point 76. La mejor juventud 77. Big Fish 78. Eduardo manostijeras 79. Beetlejuice 80. Para todos los gustos 81. Intocable 82. La cena de los idiotas 83. El guateque 84. Salvar al Soldado Ryan 85. Beautiful Girls 86. Trainspotting 87. Agárralo como puedas 88. Aterriza como puedas 89. La lista de Schindler 90. Terminator 2 91. La Chaqueta Metálica 92. Cazafantasmas 93. Koyaanisqatsi 94. El expreso de Medianoche 95. Las aventuras de Jeremiah Johnson 96. Cantando bajo la lluvia 97. Érase una vez en América 98. Amores Perros 99. Psicosis 100. El sexto Sentido

Javi Carnicero 🏴‍☠️ on X: "100 películas que tienes que ver por lo menos una vez en la vida: 1. El Padrino 2. Pulp Fiction 3. El Club de la Lucha 4. Tiburón 5. Matrix 6. 12 hombres sin piedad 7. Forrest Gump 8. Apocalypse Now 9. 2001: Una odisea del espacio 10. Lawrence de Arabia 11. El silencio de los… https://t.co/IUIr5TWWIe" / X

[mattapparentlystumbltourneys]

Giraffe Girumble - Initial Roster + Preliminaries

Hello, and thank you all for waiting! We're going for a 32 Giraffe tournament, and we got 45 valid submissions (44 if we take into account the recent Girafarig/Farigiraf decision). With that in mind, here are the giraffes that received enough nominations to qualify!

Kaku (One Piece)

Girafarig/Farigiraf (Pokemon)

Geoffrey the Giraffe (Toys R Us)

The Giraffe/Kirin (Revue Starlight)

Melman (Madagascar)

I'M A GIRAFFE guy / Scriberat (Vine)

Giraffes (The Owl House)

GG the Giraffe (Steam Powered Giraffe)

Miyushi Kazunari (A3)

Hamlet (One Piece)

Longrack (Transformers: Beast Wars NEO)

Gracie (Animal Crossing)

Durpleton (Centaur World)

Additionally, 2 autoqualified giraffes that I had hidden to gain propaganda (the others got some, but they didn't) include:

Wattgiraffe (Yu-Gi-Oh!)

Giraffes (...like real ones. I'm surprised no one nominated them)

The other 2 that got propaganda were Kaku and Farigiraf. Since Farigiraf is split with Girafarig (and because we're 1 away from 16 qualifiers), I'm also adding one more auto-qualifier:

Agent G (Short Giraffe)

So, we've got 16 spots left and 28 giraffes remaining. Next week, we'll have 14 randomly-sorted autoqualifiers to fill out the spots, and then divide the remaining 14 randomly into 2 more polls to determine the last 2. These random qualifiers are...

Giraffes (r/nosleep) vs Queer Giraffes (Gladiator)

LPS Giraffe 1488 (Littlest Pet Shop) vs The Giraffe Height Chart in Boo's Room (Monster's Inc.)

Chirinmon (Digimon) vs Box Art Giraffe (Zoo Tycoon 2: African Adventure)

Unnamed Giraffe (The Promised Neverland) vs Cube Giraffe (Doubutsu Sentai Zyuohger / Super Sentai)

Patty's Giraffe (Soul Eater) vs Abigail (Wonka)

Giraffe Wildzord (Power Rangers Wild Force) vs The Dangiraffe (Phineas and Ferb)

Satoshi Nagashima (Oddtaxi) vs Jemmy/Jeremiah (The White Giraffe)

Tallneck (Horizon Zero Dawn) vs Raging Bolt (Pokemon)

Getup (The Animal Shelf) vs The Giraffes from The Circle of Life (The Lion King)

Giraffes (Un Lun Dun) vs Giraffe (Giraffe Town)

Gerald (Giraffes Can't Dance) vs Valkyraffe (Mega Man ZX)

Kipekee (Real Life) vs Twigs (Beanie Babies)

Giraffe (Melissa and Doug) vs The Giraffe (Loranga, Masarin, and Dartanjang)

Giraffe Prototype (Heaven's Design) vs Tiptop the Giraffe (TY Pluffies)

[bearenjoyers]

i’m bored i’m putting on my thinking cap and guessing/headcanoning etc exact birth years for characters. if i fucked up a number then it was intentional and you just had to be there

Victor: 1974

reasoning: with jeremiah’s “When you’re in your 20s…” + “We’re speculating Victor later 20s early 30s” about bcs vic it leaves him at a nice 28-29 in 2003, and 29-30 in 2004. then he gets to be 34-35 in 2009 in time for him to die which is a nice number in my eyes. that’s about it.

Gale: 1975

reasoning: was 34 when he died. he could’ve been turning 35 that year which would place him same as victor at 1974 which i’m fine with as well. but i want to be different.

Ignacio: 1971

reasoning: his fake ID says 71 and that’d let him be a nice 32-33 in 2004 which i think fits. just based purely on vibes alone. i wouldn’t be surprised if he’s maybe closer to a 72-73 baby and lied for the ID though.

Gus: 1958

reasoning: i think he’s the same age as walt. a nice 50-51 in 2009 when we see him. then he’s a nice 44-45 in 2003 and 45-46 in 2004. also bonus giancarlo is a 1958 baby too but that didn’t factor into my decision

Lalo: 1960

reasoning: lets him be 43-44 in 2004. i think he’d be just slightly younger than gus but the number 45 doesn’t feel right to me so i’m going with 1960 as opposed to 1959.