#Lauren F. Winner

[bethetiesthatbind]

Deeper Friendship with God Through Prayer

“In the topography of Christian prayer, petition may be the space where the self of the person praying is most overt. Thus petition offers the possibility of intimacy: Something close to my real self (or at least, what I perceive my real self to be) is now revealed before God. Of course, God already knows my real self, better than I will ever know it. The intimacy that follows my petitions is made possible not by God’s new knowledge of me but my new availability to God.

Consider a mundane analogy: My best friend finally tells me about the infatuation she has been nursing for two months. Of course, I spotted the infatuation myself seven weeks before. Still, our friendship deepens, not because I have learned something new, but because in being willing to tell me about the crush, my friend has become more available to me.

Similarly, even though God is the one “unto whom all…desires [are] known, and from whom no secrets are held”—that is, even though God already knew that I wanted whatever it is I am asking for—I become more available to God when I offer what I understand of myself before God. The promise of petition, therefore, is increased closeness, a deeper friendship, with God.”

- Lauren F. Winner, The Dangers of Christian Practice: On Wayward Gifts, Characteristic Damage, and Sin (81-82)

[kamotecue]

Can you do Alessia Russo x WNBA reader (R is famous, like Steph Curry level) I know Alessia is tall but R easily towered over her. Alessia introduces R to her International teammates after R attended one of their match. Lionesses being fan girls, just fluff.

and i thought i was the fan ꕥ a. russo

pairing: alessia russo x reader

summary: the lionesses have only heard of you through ella and of course, your stargirl. other than that, they’ve watched the news—word has it you’re one of the best players in the WBNA despite your young age.

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ ⋆✦⋆ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

you hummed as you took your seat at the family and friends section, it was the semi-final match between australia and england.

you were wearing one of alessia’s match worn jerseys, at the same time, you had the colors of the matildas face painted on your face. how could you not support your home country, after all?

you sat by alessia’s mother, carol who pulled you into a tight hug. when she first learned that alessia was dating someone, she was eager to meet the one who stole her daughter’s heart.

“just in time, dear.” the kick off was about to start, you were in line getting a snack, as well as a small glass of beer.

“is less part of the starting line up?” your voice was soft, as you had taken your seat.

“yup, she’s up front.” carol said, she was proud of her daughter and the achievements she made. you looked up front to see alessia, a soft smile made it’s way to your face. she had her game face on, as you chuckled at how cute she looked.

when the kick-off began, you were sitting in your seat analyzing the plays. despite not knowing much about football, you understood the gist of it. the information that alessia would tell you, the offside rule, the var rule and etc.

throughout the whole match, your leg was crossed and you were literally at the edge of your seat, trying not to fall off.

in the first half, ella toone was the first one to make a goal as it was fired across the goal and into the top right corner, making it 0-1. you watched as the fans cheered.

during the half time, you had met fans that supported you through your career. you played fantastically at uconn, also at seattle storm. however, you did get looks from a few football fans, wondering who you were.

not all watched the wnba, but the ones who did knew you were slaying.

“ooooh, kerr with the equalizer.” you said, covering your eyes with your hands but slightly peeking through it.

well done, you hummed. it was a brilliant solo effort, as she ignored fowler who was on the left. the goal was about 25 yards out, if you weren’t mistaken yet it went into the top-left corner.

however, the game quickly game to an end. lauren hemp had scored a goal in the 71st minute, ending the equalizer between the two teams.

you had jumped in joy, when you saw alessia score the winner of the match. just a few minutes before the game had ended, she scored the third point as she fired an angled finish across goal and into the bottom-left corner.

the british fans had cheered, as the australian fans looked devestated. you included, despite wearing an england shirt—you knew how much it meant for the matildas to perhaps win the match.

but there was also expectations, the pressure was too high. you knew as an athlete, you didn’t want to fail.

“go on, then.” carol chuckled, as you looked a bit eager to meet alessia on the sideline. you rushed to the barrier where alessia had pulled you into a hug.

the star striker was quite tall, however you easily towered over her, being 6’2. she wrapped her arms around your waist, as she buried her head in your chest. the black button up coat had covered her face, as you hummed.

she felt your chest vibrate as she pulled away only to give you a toothy grin.

“less, i believe it’s time for you to introduce us.” lotte teased the striker as she flushed a bit red, you chuckled at her reaction before pulling away from her.

“i’m y/n l/n, alessia’s girlfriend.” you introduced, giving her your hand for her to shake, to which she did with a soft smile.

“y/n l/n? as in the australian basketball star?” lucy asked, as you gave her a small nod.

“less!—do you know who you’re dating? she’s considered basketball royalty.” bronze exclaimed as you snickered at her reaction.

“some people say that she’s the best player.” ella teased, as alessia playfully glared at her bestfriend.

“not the best, perhaps one of the best. but it’s always the hard work i put into training.” you commented.

you spent a few minutes literally chatting with the lionesses, the fans were filming the interaction between stars and a (basketball) star. it was a scene, as a few of them had watched your games.

mainly lotte as she would watch your college games, with a few of her friends.

[aa-rarepair-brackets]

All submitted ships!

This post will be a frequently updated list of each ship submitted thus far.

MLM(/LM) RAREPAIR:

Wellingarde - Richard Wellington and Matt Engarde (romantic)

Shamseki - William Shamspeare and Soseki Natsume (romantic)

Asobaroryuu - Kazuma Asougi, Ryuunosuke Naruhodou, and Barok van Zieks (romantic)

Hosolock - Satoru Hosonaga and Herlock Sholmes (romantic)

EggCamera - Ashley Graydon and Raiten Menimemo (romantic)

Marshallant - Jake Marshall and Valant Gramarye (romantic)

Valnix - Valant Gramarye and Phoenix Wright (romantic)

Marshallang - Jake Marshall and Shi-Long Lang (romantic)

Masterjedd (shortened to Jeddi) - Jeff Master and Tyrell Badd (romantic)

WLW(/LW) RAREPAIR:

Karmapaups - Franziska von Karma and Lauren Paups (up to interpretation)

Emaziska - Ema Skye and Franziska von Karma (romantic)

Starrskye - Angel Starr and Lana Skye (romantic)

Starrskyefey - Mia Fey, Angel Starr, and Lana Skye (romantic)

Starcourt - Angel Starr and Constance Courte (romantic)

Emavera - Ema Skye and Vera Misham (romantic)

Kisevera - Kisegawa and Vera Misham (romantic)

Trucyriam - Trucy Wright and Myriam Scuttlebutt (up to interpretation)

Cammisto - Cammy Meele and Calisto Yew (romantic)

Farafey - Kay Faraday and Maya Fey (romantic)

OTHER RAREPAIR (m/f, Other, crossover, selfship):

Maryuu - Maria Gorey and Ryuunosuke Naruhodou (romantic)

Team Spirit - Maya Fey and Scout - TF2 (romantic)

Chillock - Chilchuck Tims and Herlock Sholmes (romantic)

Reichillock - Reigen Arataka, Chilchuck Tims, and Herlock Sholmes (romantic)

Reilock - Reigen Arataka and Herlock Sholmes (romantic)

Kenlock - Mod Kenny and Herlock Sholmes (romantic)

Junra - Mod Juno (@coolandepicjuno) and Aura Blackquill (romantic)

Patchera - Patches and Vera Misham (romantic)

Marshallazar - Jake Marshall and Zora Salazar - Epithet Erased (romantic)

Kaybastian - Kay Faraday and Eustace Winner (romantic)

SEMI-POPULAR RAREPAIR:

Dickbutz - Larry Butz and Dick Gumshoe (romantic)

Gorestrade - Maria Gorey and Gina Lestrade (romantic)

Ginasusa - Gina Lestrade and Susato Mikotoba (romantic)

Myrobin - Myriam Scuttlebutt and Robin Newman (romantic)

Benbaro - Albert Harebrayne and Barok van Zieks (romantic)

Manosouta - Simeon Saint and Bronco Knight (romantic)

[nikkithebanshee]

S E M I F I N A L

oh wow oh wow oh wow… what a semi final that was. one for the history books for sure.

firstly i want to say that australia deserve all the credit and praise they have been getting. they thoroughly deserve it all. they have been incredible during this world cup and they have defied all the odds. they’ve gotten to a semi final and grown so much. i hope all their fans are proud of them.

but there can only be one winner and win england did in some style. toone’s effort rifled into the top corner had be screaming for joy (sorry neighbours). what a special goal for a special player. sam kerr’s equaliser was also something very very special. she never should have been given the time and space to take that shot. that being said there wasn’t much that could have been done to keep that out. at this point nerves crept in.

lauren hemp has been a stand out player for me in this tournament. her speed, work rate and effort have sometimes been overlooked. in this game she thrived! first with a well worked goal of her own. it came from sheer determination and restored england’s lead. then her assist for alessia russo, who has come into her own in the last few games, was exquisite. when the third goal went in i think i knew we had won. the confidence was there.

i (predictably) burst into tears the second the final whistle went. what i’ve seen from this team is true grit and a never give in attitude which has pulled us through. we have never given up and we have fought for every result. i am so so so proud of our girls.

onto the FINAL we go 🔜

[thatwriterwiththeblock]

Been a while since I thought to update my QP playlists! I kind of forgot I was posting those here and I haven’t been listening as much, but it’s grown!

You can find past posts for these under #qp playlist, and the OG playlist can be found here.

Feel free to comment or reblog with more songs for the collection 👀

——————————

Follow Through by The Altogether

- And I'll make you happy, hon/If you let me feel a ray of your sun/And although this promise to you/Might seem hollow, I will follow through

Bloom by The Paper Kites

- Shall I write it in a letter?/Shall I try to get it down?/Oh, you fill my head with pieces/Of a song I can't get out

World is Ending by Matt & Kim

- Please tell me what you want from me/I gave it all I got and the world is ending/You worry about everything/But wash it all away cause the world is ending

No Choir by F&TM

- And if tomorrow it's all over/At least we had it for a moment/Oh, darling, things seem so unstable/But for a moment we were able to be still

Sinners by Lauren Aquilina

- So let's be sinners to be saints/And let's be winners by mistake/The world may disapprove/But my world is only you/And if we're sinners then it feels like heaven to me

The London Air Raids by Vian Izak

- But I know that I'm safe here with you/'Cause we made it through everything, the old and the new/Just wake me up when all this is over/Wake me up and tell me it's not true

Till Forever Falls Apart by Ashe/FINNEAS

- We've been living on a fault line/And for a while, you were all mine/I've spent a lifetime giving you my heart/I swear that I'll be yours forever/'Til forever falls apart

Glory by Bastille

- And then you put your hand in mine/And pulled me back from things divine/Stop looking up for heaven/Waiting to be buried

Guillotine by Jon Bellion/Travis Mendez

- The secrets you tell me I'll take to my grave/There's bones in my closet, but you hang stuff anyway/And if you have nightmares, we'll dance on the bed/I know that you love me, love me

Ghost Stories by The Narcissist Cookbook

- There is a 'how, ' I suppose, don't really understand it though/Maybe if I dug around a bit in the soil/I'd find out where all this love comes from and what it's for/But then the question would be answered/Ghost story would be over

anarchy by Egg

- And I hope when the end comes around/We'll be old enough to spend it in a house that we found/Hiding in our secret rooms to keep the zombies out/And never running out of silly things to talk about

Ancient Rome by Kayla Seeber

- I'll be the jester/As long as you are the queen/Make a fool out of me/I wanna be the source of your laughter

Romance is Boring by Los Campesinos!

- You're pouting in your sleep, I'm waking, still yawning/We're proving to each other that romance is boring

Grilled Cheese by Peach Face

- You got me sleeping in my makeup/Ruining your pillow cases/Never wanna wake up/Too lazy to tie my laces

Aromantic Moodboard by Maxwell Anthony

- And my Aromantic Moodboard makes it cool to be alone/A collection of bad poetry and photos on my phone/And you're the closest body to me/I think that I'm in love

Shitty Gay Song About You by Ezra Williams

- I'm listening to the songs you told me to/I don't really like them, but I'll pretend for you/I'll learn some lyrics, so I can sing when you do/But I keep thinking of only you

Dance With You by Caitlyn Kinnuen/Isabelle McCalla

- I just wanna dance with you/Let the whole world melt away/And dance with you/Who cares what other people say?

[kyaramaru]

Nijisanji Mario Kart Tournament 2022

It’s December which means Nijisanji Marikart Tournament is back in full swing. There are 81 participants this year, 3 more then last year and overseas livers aren’t participating once again. Though hopefully someone from Niji En does a watch along like what they did with Koshien.

What is Marika: Marika is short for Mario Kart which is held as a tournament every year in December by Kenmochi Touya. This is the fifth year of Marika and will also most likely be the last year Kenmochi hosting the competition itself. Currently there are three winners in the entire tournament itself; Naurse Naru (won both the 1st and 3rd Tournaments), Kuzuha (won the 2nd Tournament), and Sasaki Saku (won the most recent, 4th). The tournament is split into three parts, the lottery to decide leagues, the qualifying rounds to make it into the quarterfinals, and main tournament which holds the quaterfinals, semifinals, and finals.

Along with the competition itself, there is also a vote for each league on who most likely to win first and who’s mostly to come last (it’s mostly just jokes tho), as well as each participant intermission scenes which can vary from promotions to questionable things.

Rules for Marika: All Stages including DLC allowed, All items on, All karts/bikes allowed, 150cc, usually 4-6 races depending on current round, Everyone has to use their Mii, Excluding seeded; Ten players are in each league, The top 5 in their respective league moves onto the main round, Seeded Players automatically moves to the main round.

During the main round, the 40-ish remaining players, including seeded, will go off in one of four leagues. The top 6 in these leagues go onto the semi finals made of two groups. The top 6 in these groups then goes to the final. If there is ever a tie among the cutoff (ex. Tie for 5th in qualifiers, tie for 6th in semifinals, tie for any of the top 3 in finals), participants continue to compete until the tie is broken.

Dates: (12/4) Lottery, (12/11) Tournament, (12/18) Finals

Lottery Results:

Seeded Players (Top 11 last year, gets to skip qualifiers): Sasaki, Nagao, Fuwa, Naurse, Rindou, Kuzuha, Hoshikawa, Akina, Ange, Yashiro, Kirame

League A: Akane, Honma, Todoroki, Karuta, Alice, Fumi, Kanae, Eli, Hibari, Ex Albio

League B: Sister Claire, Ars, Kaida, Hisui, Levi, Natsume, Akira, Muyu, Yotsuha, Ratna

League C: Aki, Higuchi, Haruka, Mao, Kanato, Kanda, Emma, Seraph, Youko, Belmond

League D: Ritsuki, Hakase, Lain, Naraka, Rion, Luis, Lauren, Mito, Utako, Kou

League E: Rinne, Debidebi, Chaika, Shellin, Dola, Yorumi, Ririmu, Lize, Ponto, Gilzaren

League F: Gwelu, Tomoe, Kenmochi, Masaru, Shiba, Aizono, Oliver, Riri, Gundo, Mugi

League G: Fumino, Elu, Furen, Gaku, Yumeoi, Harusaki, Ibrahim, Amamiya, Leos, Shiina

Things that personally caught my eyes: League G is just stacked, nearly everyone in here had made it past qualifiers at least once so that will be extremely fun to watch. There are 11 seeded players this year as opposed to the usual 7 so congrats to Akina for finally getting into seeded after being 8th three years in a row.

Some livers I wanted to participate in like Genzuki and Shachou aren’t here this year sadly but at least all of my oshis are in the seeded so I can take the opportunity to watch new livers this time around.

GL too all the participating livers, this year I personally want Nagao to win but anyone will do. Please look forward to the entire competition as much as I do!

[sytycdinternational]

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE USA SEASON 7 // Mark Kanemura / 27 / Hip-Hop & Lauren Froderman / 18 / Contemporary / «Jungle» by Last Voices / Tahitian / Choreography by Tiana Liufau / Top 7 Perform

[bethetiesthatbind]

What people get out of petitionary prayer, then, is not primarily the thing we think we are seeking. We might get that, as a second-order matter, but the [primary] thing we receive is friendship [with God]. Friendship is a good that can come from petition, precisely because God has drawn us into conversation with God about our desires, and when we state our desires, we are offering intimacy with our desiring and vulnerable selves.

Lauren F. Winner, The Dangers of Christian Practice: On Wayward Gifts, Characteristic Damage, and Sin (83)

[piastrinorris]

i know you said you'd write other characters if prompted, and you've talked about ralph from timewasters before, so: what if lauren rejected his offer to dance on his birthday but [the reader] took him up on it instead?

Pairing: Ralph Penbury (fanon surname) x f!Reader

Genre: fluff

Word count: 1182

A/N: Sorry I've been a little burnt out on fics lately, but this prompt really got me excited about writing again, so thanks for that! <3 I might make a follow-up if people want it? Writing for Ralph is so fun.

You couldn't believe it when the envelope had found its way through your door. The Penbury twins had invited you to their party. Conventionally, it's not that surprising; your families had close political ties for years and so you'd grown up alongside them for pretty much your whole life - though there was always an air around them that you only felt as though you were friends by necessity, not for any genuine reason. Certainly, now that you're all adults now with your own social circles, there's no need to force any kind of friendship. So it's very sweet that you've been invited.

You wonder whose idea it was to invite you. Victoria was always rather indifferent to you, unless you were willing to 100% conform to her games to make sure she was either the leader in imaginative ones, or the winner in competitive ones. And Ralph... Sweet Ralph. Your first love. With his penchant for finding the fun in life and his infectious smile and his gorgeous, big brown eyes... Always in Victoria's shadow, but nonetheless happy to be there. He'd stopped showing much of an interest in your presence somewhere within his teenage years, so you doubt it came from him, but one can dream.

You buy a wine-red dress that hugs your figure beautifully, with silver fringing all around it, and silver shoes and jewellery to match. Maybe Ralph Penbury isn't the love of your life, but there'll be plenty of other suitors there. Perhaps you'll meet one of them.

At the party, all everyone can talk about is the new quartet who speak in "exceptionally strange" terms, even for a typical jazz band. One of them had arrived late, and the song they played wasn't one you'd ever heard before - and you like to think of yourself as quite the aficionado when it comes to music. Nobody can keep their eyes off the four of them - though, one in particular especially stings. Ralph has never been yours, so you have no right to feel jealous over the way he looks at the drummer, but here you are.

Finally, when the second band of the night starts to play some slower songs, you watch him approach the band - and more specifically, her - with Victoria in tow. Naturally, Victoria has two of the men throwing themselves at her, though she leads only one of them to the dancefloor. You watch Ralph talk to her. You watch her pull a face of disbelief and - almost laughter as he talks. You watch his face fall, licking his lips as he stammers something and walks away to a table, muttering something to a waiter who quickly disappears to reappear moments later with a full bottle of wine. Ralph uncorks it and, not bothering with a glass, starts drinking from the bottle.

Nobody seems to be approaching him. They're all having so much fun themselves that they don't care that Ralph is suffering at his own birthday party. You approach the table and take one of the seats next to him. "Well, hello, stranger!" you coo. "Happy birthday!"

His eyes light up at the sight of you. "My goodness, how long has it been! I was hoping you'd be here!" That sentence makes your heart flutter. Maybe it was Ralph that sent your invitation after all.

You take his hand - the one not still holding onto the bottle - into your own. "I wouldn't miss it for the world, dear. I mean, if there's one thing I've heard around the circuit all these ears, it's that the Penburys know how to throw a party!"

Ralph looks up with a smile, shaking from side to side as he singsongs, "Guilty!" which makes you laugh. He smiles for a moment, though it falters. "Though Vic is really the face of it all."

"That makes you the brains, surely?" you offer with another smile, which he very briefly returns. His attention flickers between you and the band who you know are positioned behind you, on the other side of the room. You clear your throat to get his attention back, "Say, Ralphie, would you do me the honour of getting to dance with the birthday boy himself?"

His whole face lights up as he nods in agreement. You stand and hold your hand out to him, which he takes for you to take the lead as though the roles are reversed between you. He does take the lead as he holds you in his arms to start dancing. You hear a faint clack-ing every time he steps on the dancefloor, and bite back your laughs at it. "So," you eventually manage to get out, "are you and Vic planning on gracing us with some kind of tap routine tonight?"

Ralph giggles, and the sound is positively delightful. "No, no, funny story, we bought these for each other for our birthday! Aren't they wizard?! We had seen a tap show earlier this month with some friends and we haven't stopped talking about it since, and so we both decided to buy the same gift for each other!"

"You two had a word for that, didn't you?" you reminisce.

"Twintuition!" he singsongs again, making you laugh again. Suddenly, from nowhere, Ralph hurriedly bends down and presses a quick peck to your lips. He jolts back up immediately, his cheeks flushing bright pink. It only makes him look more adorable.

You snake your hand up to gently caress his jaw. "And why would I do that?" He finally looks down at you, perplexed. "I've been waiting for that my whole life."

"My dear Ralphie, what on earth brought this on?" you beam, though unbeknownst to him as he refuses to make eye contact with you, instead staring straight ahead and blinking hard and fast.

"I, um. I'm so sorry. All that wine, it, um. Clearly took all my inhibitions with it. I... Completely understand if you want to leave now."

"You're pulling my leg," Ralph half-accuses, though the smile that plays on the corners of his lips shows you he isn't serious. "I rather thought you were... Well above my league. I couldn't even bear to sit myself in the same room as you, for fear of dulling your radiance."

You bring your other hand up to rest on the other side of his face, stroking his cheeks with your thumbs. "And yet, would you believe, I felt the same way about you all these years!" A wicked grin spreads across your face. "So, that would mean we've got quite a lot of catching up to do..."

Ralph's facial expressions go on a journey, from confusion to surprised realisation to elation to downright mischief. "I know just the place to give us all the, ah, privacy we need!"

You bite your lip to keep a laugh away, looking down at his feet and then back up at him. "I do think those wizard new shoes of yours might betray us in the secrecy department."

Within seconds, he's kicked them off, scooped them up and offered you his free hand. "Shall we?"

[faithfulnews]

Girl Meets God: On the Path to a Spiritual Life

Author(s): Lauren F. Winner Publisher: Algonquin Books Price: $2.99

“A passionate and thoroughly engaging account of a continuing spiritual journey within two profoundly different faiths” (The New York Times Book Review).

The child of a Reform Jewish father and a lapsed Southern Baptist mother, Lauren Winner eventually chose to become an Orthodox Jew—but then, as she faithfully observed the Sabbath rituals and studied Jewish laws, she found herself increasingly drawn to Christianity. Taking a courageous step, she leaves behind what she loves and converts. Now, the even harder part: How does one reinvent a religious self? How does one embrace the new without abandoning the old? How does a convert become spiritually whole?

This appealingly honest memoir takes us through a year in a young woman’s search for a religious identity. Despite her conversion, she finds that her world is shaped by her Jewish experiences, and even as she rejoices in the holy days of the Christian calendar, she mourns the Jewish rituals she still holds dear. Attempting to reconcile the two sides of her religious self, Winner applies the lessons of Judaism to the teachings of the New Testament, hosts a Christian Seder, and struggles to fit her Orthodox friends into her new religious life.

Ultimately Winner learns that faith takes practice, and that belief is an ongoing challenge. Her account of her journey is “unusually challenging and satisfying. . . . This book is a refreshing invitation to plumb our own spiritual depths” (The Roanoke Times).

“[A] memoir, literary and spiritual, sharing Anne Lamott’s self-deprecating intensity and Stephen J. Dubner’s passion for authenticity . . . She reveals herself through abundant, concrete and often funny descriptions of her life, inner and outer. Winner’s record of her own experience so far is a page-turning debut by a young writer worth watching.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Her narrative’s real strength . . . is its addictive readability combined with the author’s deep knowledge of, delight in, and nuanced discussion of both Christian and Jewish teachings. Intriguing, absorbing . . . and very smart.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Click the following post title to view these deals with the purchase links: Girl Meets God: On the Path to a Spiritual Life

Go to the article

[bettygemma]

For what it's worth, here's a list of the top ten books I read this year.

Fiction to keep you up at night:

The Likeness by Tana French

Maybe the best Literary Page Turner I've read in years. Detective fiction with nods to Donna Tartt's The Secret History. The kind of thing that you can't put down, but also doesn't make you feel like your brain is rotting. Lots of atmosphere for all the *dark academia* fans.

Fiction to make you cry:

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

I don't know if this is gentle sci fi or psychological horror or a grown up companion to The Magician's Nephew, but I loved Piranesi from the moment he says

"I visit all the Dead, but particularly the Folded-Up Child. I bring them food, water and water lilies from the Drowned Halls. I speak to them, telling them what I have been doing and I describe any Wonders that I have seen in the House. In this way they know that they are not alone."

Reader, I wept.

The Return of The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

Not all tears are evil during the ending to the Queen's Thief series, but the ones I cried over Hector were very bitter. MWT is unparalleled.

Fiction to restore you:

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austeni

I maintain that everyone should read at least one Austen a year, for the soothing of the mind if nothing else. This year was a three Austen year, for obvious reasons. Alongside old standbys (Pride and Prejudice and Mansfield Park), I picked this up for the first time in 15 years after talking to a friend and Eleanor Dashwood may actually have displaced Emma Woodhouse as my favourite Austen heroine. This is SHOCKING to me and may result in a readjustment to my sense of self.

Non fiction to make you cry:

The Anthropocene Reviewed

In my opinion, this is the best thing that John Green has ever written. These past two years would've been much harder without the Anthropocene Reviewed podcast, and eventually, this book. It gave me a sense of solidarity in a time of great distance. Five stars.

Non fiction to fill you with a deep love for life that you can neither articulate or understand:

Yellow Notebook and One Day I'll Remember This by Helen Garner.

Look Garner is on another level here. She makes me pay attention, not just to the closely observed and heart stoppingly described depiction of her life (including her journey to faith), but to my own. Her diaries contain the antitode to distraction. I got these two books for Christmas last year and am very eagerly awaiting the follow up this Christmas.

Theology to make you put down your phone:

The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer

Many of the books on the list will make you pay attention to what you are paying attention to, but none quite so bluntly as Comer's argument that you should take a Sabbath. Comer is probably not normally my cup of tea, but this book has the potential to change how I live my life, if I let it.

Theology to make you want to get in touch with your old youth minister and tell him he is wrong about gender and now you have the proof:

The Making of Biblical Womanhood by Beth Allison Barr

I nearly messaged him! After ten years of deliberate silence! That's how good this book is! (Look I'm older now than he was then and I wish him nothing but the best - and enlightenment). I've been thinking of doing a PhD to examine how the Protestant reformation codified prescriptive gender roles in the church and now I don't have to, so thanks Beth Allison Barr.

Theology to revitalise you:

Wearing God: Clothing, Laughter, Fire and Other Overlooked Ways of Meeting God by Lauren F. Winner

I read this very early this year and am still thinking about it. God is beyond gender, beyond grammer, and wants to be your friend. Would recommend for exvangelicals or anyone just pretty tired. Who isn't, after this year?

[stuckinapatriarchalbullshitland]

Award shows - ɟ

Heeeelloo, my fellow CS 👋🏼

The idea for this post came to me because I recently saw again that some fans still can’t explain some things about the awards, therefore, I’m going to briefly explain the things I’ve read on which they’re still confused about so that maybe I’ll automatically answer some questions you guys have too.

First of all, celebrities, whether they’re actors, singers, models, heirs, fashion mavens, aristocrats, etc., are notified months before they’ve been invited. Usually, the reason why they were invited is written along with the invitation. The reasons obviously vary. They may have been invited because they were nominated for an award, or because, and they may accept or decline, they were asked to present a category or a performance, or to interview someone on the red-carpet or backstage, or to perform, etc., etc. They can also be added as I like to say ‘+1’. But be aware, there’s a difference between being invited as a ‘+1’ and as a guest.

‘Are they not the same thing?’ you’re probably wondering. No, they are not. Being invited as a guest is simply that. A celebrity who invites their partner, or their kid, or one of their parents, or a friend, as indeed their guest. The +1, on the other hand, is a term that I’m using because I don’t think there’s one to describe when a person who is also a celebrity is invited by another one. You know the seats they show us with pictures of celebrities and how some seats next to it lack these pictures? Those seats without pictures belong to the celebrity guests or their team members. If a celebrity invites another one, then next to their picture there will also be that of the celebrity they invited. Aka, the term I’m using in this case: the +1.

I’ll give you an example:

I’m a singer and my fake PR boyfriend has to perform that night, but I don’t, and neither have I been nominated for any awards and therefore not even invited. Also to keep up appearances of our relationship, I get invited as his +1. This means that you’re gonna see my picture next to his in the seats and the cameras will film me for literally two seconds counted during his performance. It also means that my fake boyfriend and I will be wearing matching outfits, that we’ll arrive on the red carpet together, that I’ll have to show unnecessary PDA out of the blue while one of our managers films us to make us more believable and real, and that I’ll have to pretend to be happy to be his arm candy. Do I accept or do I not accept the invitation?

Yeah, of course I do. It’s a great idea actually, both to show people my support as a cheerleader for him, and as publicity. Publicity not only for us as a couple, but also for myself. Our management, and yes, we have the same management, has arranged interviews for me too on the red carpet, so why shouldn’t I accept that? Plus, I want to go. Helloo? We’re talking about an important award show. Not to mention that my girlfriend performs too the same night and has also been nominated for several awards, so it’s just an extra incentive to want to go and be able to support her. Oohh, how foolish of me. I apologize for my forgetfulness. My name is Lauren Jauregui and I’m talking about the American Music Awards 2018.

See what I did there? 😏😏😏

These events are very exclusive and have an invitation list. If you’re a celebrity and you’re not on the list, then it’s very hard for you to be able to attend. But there’s a way, and no, I’m not talking about finding a way to sneak in. The only other way to get there is by taking the place of someone who had been invited and couldn’t attend.

Let’s say you’re a celebrity and you want to go there. Let’s say you want to go because you’ve been out of the spotlight for a long time and want to make a big comeback with a beautiful dress to show yourself off. The first thing you do is call your publicist and see if there are still seats available. Not all celebrities can attend those events despite being invited because they may have other commitments, or they’re out of town, or I don’t know, they’re on tour or something like that. So there’s the possibility that you can have their seat. If there aren’t any, then your publicist themselves may be looking for another way to get you in. Again, for an X reason, the celebrity who was supposed to present an award cannot go, and therefore your publicist manages to get you the invitation as one of the presenters. If none of these options are possible, then.. well, I hope you enjoy the show watched in the living room of your home.

You want another practical example? Okay, okay, babies, I’ll content you 😏

Latin Grammy Awards 2019. Still me, Lauren Jauregui, hi 🙋🏻 🙈 I wasn’t invited. I had no reason to actually be there, except for one…

I didn’t even publicize and say on my social media that I’d have been there. It was so unexpected and awesome for you nuggets, wasn’t it? Well, my girlfriend was invited but she unfortunately couldn’t go due to other commitments. You can imagine how sad she was not only to not being able to attend, but also to not being able to perform with Alejandro who is one of the people in the industry that she loves and admires the most, right? You can imagine her pout and her kicked puppy face for not being able to sing the song she wrote and dedicated to her little sister, can’t you? Well, I couldn’t bear to see her that way, so I told her: ‘Don’t worry, babe. I gotcha. I’ll go for you. I’ll go to represent you’. Also because her team didn’t need to be there, not even to collect the award which I later discovered she won the same evening. Awards, my beautiful chickens, are shipped months after the night they are received.

And so it was. I went with Brenda (my manager). I got dolled up. I did my interviews, even teasing my fans about my new project with Tainy. I sat in my baby’s seat in the front row. THE FRONT ROW. Front rows are reserved for the evening’s award winners. They NEVER put the winners in the back rows because it would take them too long to get to the stage when their name is called otherwise. And I was there, for her. And in addition to enjoying the show, I tried to hold back my happiness, especially since there were cameras everywhere, both during Alejandro’s performance as soon as my love appeared on the screens, and when they won the Record of the Year. I swear I had to get a hold of myself. I had to restrain myself and concentrate on clapping my hands like a normal person and not smiling too big.

*end of the sketch*

As you may have noticed so far, these are the only ways to attend award shows if you are a celebrity. But, just because you’re a celebrity, there’s no guarantee that you get invited. And you certainly cannot show up there with the hope that they’ll let you in without being invited, or nominated, or without a ticket just because you’re ‘someone’. Security kicks your ass out no matter who you are.

Every year, hundreds of celebrities don’t make it onto the invitation list. Keep in mind that the ‘exclusivity’ of these events is also due to the seats. Take as an example precisely the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles where the AMAs 2018 took place. It has 7,100 seats. These seats are reserved for people in the show’s broadcast network, the telecast’s sponsors, the production team, the accountants, the legal team, the donors, the representatives, the press and media in general, etc., and THEN for the invited celebrities including singers and their teams, so also their publicists, agents, managers, [and not even all of them have a reserved seat; maybe only one of them has it and the rest are backstage or in the dressing room or not really there], etc., actors, and as with singers, their teams, the team of people who worked on the film with them, etc. See how many people and how few seats?

I’m still not 100% sure about this but, Emmy’s, Oscars, Golden Globes, Tony’s, and Grammy’s are the only award shows where the names of the winners aren’t revealed until the envelope is opened live on stage. All the remaining shows? Pfft, it’s all an organized thing. What you see on TV, the reactions ‘Oh my God, did I win? I can’t believe it!’, ‘I really wasn’t expecting that’, they’re all fake. Yes, the emotion for the win is true, but everything else? It’s all bullshit. Winners are notified long, but very long time before that. Indeed, many award shows only invite winners to attend. Haven’t you ever noticed how in some of them the other artists nominated in that same category aren’t even there? If they happened to be there, it’s because it’s very likely that they had won another category, or were there for other reasons, like presenting a performance or whatever.

Aaaand I’m done 😎😝 I think I’ve answered pretty much all the questions I’ve seen on the subject, even though I haven’t seen them here. If you yourselves have questions about this or anything else (even if you want advice on a personal level), as I’ve already said other times, feel free to ask. I’m at your disposal 😊

And thank you, Mari. It has been a while since I’ve done this, but I hope you know that I’m serious every time I thank you. Therefore, thank you once again for virtually letting me into your world and thank you for letting me continue to have little spaces in your blog 🤗🤗🤗

Thanks also to you babies for reading, liking, and re-blogging my occasional posts. But thanks mostly for her. Thanks to those who follow my friend’s blog with the right intentions. That is, with respect and without attacking her. Thanks to those who follow her because you actually like her and the content she posts, and thanks to those who use their brains before asking or submitting something to her. Thanks for real 🙏🏼

I hope you’re all well and that your holidays are continuing with peace and serenity. Stay safe, please. Stay patient. Keep the boat afloat. As usual, always with love, F ❤️

P.S. since I’m currently on vacation for a few more days before having to go back to work, and since I have a little bit more free time, I’m preparing something else for you based on some information that I was able to found out. Stay tuned for the next post 😉 The initials of the title are U and S, so you’ll know when you see it. Byee 😘

___

I was smiling with every word of this submit. Thanks for this clarification, F. It was awesome as usual

[rosedelosvientos]

*Special Mini-Art Giveaway Winners!*

Thank you so much to everyone who joined the IG live today! Here are the winners:

Golf - Meg J.

Bookshelf - Nina L.

Seaside - Randall L.

Kitty - Kate F.

Lake - @narnialarsondreams

Leaf - Anny S.

Newspaper - @thexfridax

Art Materials - Baby D.

Skateboard - Natasha H.

Mountainscape - Laurel H.

Wheat Fields - Lauren L.*

Peacock - @raeanneapril*

Sketch of Newspaper - @bluegirlartist*

Sketch of Lake - @avoyagetoarcturus*

*Please dm me your address so that I can send you your art! :)

Thank you to my dear patrons and to everyone who participated! - Rose

[sytycdinternational]

Lauren Froderman

[jlf23tumble]

HIIIII IT'S MEEE AGAINNNN HOW ARE YOUUUU??? ♥️😞🌈🌈🌈💕💕♥️♥️🍑🍑🍑

I'm the same person who asked (begged) for fanfics with possessive Louis, thank you so much for the recommendations, I loved it ♥️

Soooooooo, I'm here again asking (begging) for fanfics with the possessive omega Harry. It doesn't necessarily have to be with ABO universe, but I would like to get only hbottom fanfics. I have serious problems with lbottom (traumas 😬)

Thank you so much and have a great day ♥️♥️♥️🌈🌈🌈

oh, MAN, I was out of town this week, and suddenly, BAM, fic recs coming in all over the place, so forgive this for being a day late (and maybe a dollar short)! I feel your pain FOR SUREEE on the yikes from certain other corners, so I stuck with a handful of omega Harry to narrow it down a bit, traditional m/f (I mean a/o), and I truly hate how that certain corner's weirdness about the vibes means a lot of people miss out on great fics (ya know, beyond the horseshit they get up to just in general, I'll leave it nice and vague like that :)). Anyway, this is a short list, but the fics are all fairly lengthy--for real, you can find this theme beyond a/b/o-land, but this will get you started!

This chemistry like candy to me, CuckooTrooke, 19k. The lactation kink in the second chapter, HELP, but I went with ctrl+f jealousy/possessive and came up with a possible winner.

Leave Your Mark on Me, kingsofeverything, 32k. Idk, I feel like I might have missed the mark in some ways with this list, but the way Lauren writes a/b/o, I love it very much a lot, and it feels in the rough perimeter at least!

I've Kissed Honey Lips (Felt the Healing in the Fingertips), loveroflou, 36k. Written as part of the OmegaHarryFicFest, I couldn't resist bumping one of my fave newer authors. Could be some other fics in there you'll love, too!

Seeing Blind, zedi, 46. I feel like this fic feels like what you're looking for without actually coming right out and saying it, if that makes sense? A good one, though!

Light, Spark and Fire series, green_feelings, 216k. THIS is actually the fic/series you're looking for, so much possessiveness and jealousy and stubborn pride on Harry's part (the author also wrote Empty Skies, which features some supremely possessive Harry behavior, but not in the a/b/o sphere).

(I feel pure anger for the fact that I *know* I did a generic omega Harry rec list at some point, people even sent me a tremendous thank you about it January last year, and yet...AND YET)

[awardseason]

32nd Producers Guild Awards — Film Winners

THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURE (DARRYL F. ZANUCK AWARD)

“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” (Amazon Studios) Producers: Sacha Baron Cohen, Monica Levinson, Anthony Hines

“Judas and the Black Messiah” (Warner Bros) Producers: Charles D. King, Ryan Coogler, Shaka King

“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (Netflix) Producers: Denzel Washington, Todd Black

“Mank” (Netflix) Producers: Ceán Chaffin, Eric Roth, Douglas Urbanski

“Minari” (A24) Producer: Christina Oh

“Nomadland” (Searchlight Pictures) — WINNER Producers: Mollye Asher, Dan Janvey, Frances McDormand, Peter Spears, Chloé Zhao

“One Night in Miami” (Amazon Studios) Producers: Jess Wu Calder, Keith Calder, Jody Klein

“Promising Young Woman” (Focus Features) Producers: Josey McNamara, Ben Browning, Ashley Fox, Emerald Fennell

“Sound of Metal” (Amazon Studios) Producers: Bert Hamelinck, Sacha Ben Harroche

“The Trial of the Chicago 7” (Netflix) Producers: Marc Platt, Stuart Besser

ANIMATED THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURE

“The Croods: A New Age” (DreamWorks Animation) Producer: Mark Swift

“Onward” (Pixar) Producer: Kori Rae

“Over the Moon” (Netflix) Producers: Gennie Rim, Peilin Chou

“Soul” (Pixar) — WINNER Producer: Dana Murray

“Wolfwalkers” (Apple TV+/GKIDS) Producers: Paul Young, Nora Twomey, Tomm Moore, Stéphan Roelants

DOCUMENTARY MOTION PICTURE

“David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet” (Netflix) Producer: Jonnie Hughes

“Dick Johnson Is Dead” (Netflix) Producers: Kirsten Johnson, Katy Chevigny, Marilyn Ness

“My Octopus Teacher” (Netflix) — WINNER Producer: Craig Foster

“Softie” (Roco Films) Producers: Toni Kamau, Sam Soko

“A Thousand Cuts” (PBS) Producers: Ramona S. Diaz, Leah Marino, Julie Goldan & Christopher Clements, Carolyn Hepburn

“Time” (Amazon Studios) Producers: Lauren Domino, Kellen Quinn, Garrett Bradley

“The Truffle Hunters” (Sony Pictures Classics) Producers: Michael Dweck, Gregory Kersham