#it even lifted my spirits up last year when I was reviewing lessons for my board exam 😭

[lianchuann]

It's so sad that the loot bag and groceries this year are fewer than before but at least I can proudly say that I am ready on 27 holding all the snacks.

I even got money which I am planning to use to buy audio dramas particularly 2A1O but my new phone can't top up right now on the app :((

[benex78]

Forgive our Sins

5 years after the events of Immortality, Sara and Grissom are living back in Las Vegas when a ghost from their past reappears in their life forcing them to face some old decisions. GSR of course! Enjoy it! I hope you like it and please review it! (Sorry if there are mistakes but I'm not a native English speaker and a special thanks to my friend LuLu for reading it)

PART 1 They went through a lot together during their 16 years long relationship. She left him and the sin city, he went to Costa Rica for her, they got married, they got divorced, she went to San Diego and sailed with him. They hurt each other more than once, but their love never stopped. In the end, they gave up their carriers to stay together, got married again and now they were finally living happily together. Grissom and Sara are back in Vegas, living in a small house in the university district. While Sara works as a consultant for the crime lab, Gil is a part-time professor of entomology who tends to stick his nose in his wife’s forensic cases. 14 years have passed since the miniature killer events and Natalie Davis is still in prison. In her cell she keeps a collection of miniatures and she is now working on a new one. She interrupts her work on the miniature to write a letter. It’s a difficult one: she had tried to write this letter so many times without success, in fact there are a few ripped sheets of paper on the floor. This time is different, she manages to use the rights words and, once done, she sends the envelope to the Las Vegas Crime Lab. It’s addressed to Sara Sidle. What does she want from Sara? Does she want to make amends? Does she want to go after her again? PART 2 A car is parked outside Sara and Grissom's house and the driver is observing Sara. One day on her way to work, Sara notices him and tries to run away, but suddenly she’s caught in an incident. She is brought to the hospital where a frightened Grissom arrives. Fortunately, Sara is fine, she only has some bruises and she is soon allowed to leave the hospital to go home with her husband. Sara tells Grissom what happened and now they fear someone is chasing them. Thanks to the street CCTVs the police finds and arrests the stalker, however the man has nothing to do with the accident. Thus, he is released, but not after securing a conversation with Sara Sidle. He is a private detective and he needs to talk to Sara because his client, a woman named Kelly Ross, wants to meet her. Sara asks the detective the reason for this meeting and he responds that Mrs. Ross instructed him to reveal only in which part of Vegas she lives and, most importantly, that they have someone in common. Sara is caught off guard as she doesn’t know what to expect from this. However, she can’t help but feel curious. PART 3 On their day off Grissom drives Sara to Mrs. Ross, but he waits outside in the car. He is worried but he respects Sara’s decision to go in alone. When opening the door, Mrs. Ross welcomes Sara with a warm hug then she lets her in. Gil Grissom observes the whole scene speechless. When Sara comes back couple of hours later, she is in shock and immediately askes Grissom to take her home. He wants to know about the meeting, yet Sara begs him to give her some time to put her thoughts together. That evening in their kitchen Sara tells him a story she kept for herself for far too long. FLASHBACK:13 YEARS EARLIER The miniature killer had changed everything: the team had found about her relationship with Grissom, she had to join swing and above all she felt something inside her had broken and no one, not even Griss, could do anything to help her. She was so depressed that she decided to leave Vegas and the love of her life. She was in L.A. visiting her mom when she started to feel unwell. It took her a few days to even conceive the idea that she could be pregnant. She went to the nearest drugstore and paid for a test that she took directly in the customers toilet. She waited in there for almost an hour with the result in her hands: POSITIVE! How could it be? She didn’t want a child and Grissom neither. They talked about this at the beginning of their story and even more recently when he proposed. They (she and Griss) were the only family they wanted. How could she tell Grissom something like that? At least by phone she could avoid looking into his eyes and see his disappointment. She went back to her motel room and waited for the morning to come. She didn’t sleep all night, she kept looking at the clock on the wall. When she was sure Grissom could be home from work, she called him. He picked up almost immediately. She heard him giggling at the other side of the phone, but his joy faded at the news. Sara was so depressed; their relationship was stalling and surely, he wasn’t ready to be a father. Thus, they both agreed to end the pregnancy. Grissom offered to come to L.A. to be close to her, but Sara declined. She wanted to do it alone and he didn’t complain. She had just booked an appointment at a private clinic, when her mother got sick, so she had to postpone the whole thing. When she finally got there 3 weeks later, it was too late to proceed with the abortion. She had no another choice but to contact the social services to find a family for her unborn child.  She never told Gilbert she carried their baby and that he was put up for adoption. To him, this was a dead story. Just 10 days before Warwick’s murder she delivered a healthy baby boy who she held only briefly in her arms before giving him away. When she came back to Vegas, Grissom was so devastated he didn’t even notice her body didn’t have the usual silhouette and she kept the secret for herself. Until now. Sara’s confession is very painful, she fears Gilbert’s reaction. She fears he will hate her and never forgive her for taking his son away. However, Grissom isn’t angry. He seems quite relieved instead. Grissom reaches his hand out across the table and places it on top of Sara’s, giving it a gentle squeeze: - I don’t begrudge you honey. In the end, you did what we had decided. At the time we didn’t want a kid and you didn’t keep it. Honestly, I’m quite happy it went this way. – Sara raises her head: - Really? – Grissom admits: - Yeah, because now, 13 years later, we are talking about someone we created, someone who has our genes and who probably is still alive. Even if he is somewhere, we don’t know where and who raised him – Sara reveals: - Gil, his name is Dylan, he is here in Vegas and Mrs. Ross is his adoptive mother – Grissom is astonished: - What? He’s in Vegas right now? Did you see him? – Sara shakes her head: - No, he was at school - Grissom: - How did Mrs. Ross find you? – Sara: - I can’t explain it, but since I had decided for an open adoption, she must have assumed a detective to find me. - Grissom: - But why now? – Sara: - Because she wants to give us a second chance – Grissom: - Sorry I don’t get it – Sara: - She is dying, she has terminal cancer and her husband has died of Covid last year. She fears that once she’s dead her boy will end up living in an institute until his 18th birthday. -   Grissom’s heart starts beating fast, he can’t bear it any more. Maybe it’s his age but he wants to be a father now. However, he knows everything it’s up to his Sara: - Can we…? What do you want to do? - Sara: - Honestly… I don’t know – Grissom: - Sara, we are his parents! – Sara’s answer is firm: - No, we lost that right a long time ago Gil! – Grissom corrects himself: - You are right, but we have to do something. Don’t you want to get to know him? To see who he looks like? – Sara:  - Of course I want to, but I am also terrified. I abandoned him. For all I know he could hate me. – Gil replies: - He could love you. -   Sara gives Grissom a sad smile. Grissom tries to lift her spirit: - He could be a geek like us - Sara announces: - Gil, he is a special boy, he is not like the other kids – Grissom asks: -What do you mean? – Sara: - Mrs. Ross told me Dylan can’t hear, he has a genetic disease that made him almost deaf 5 years ago. Grissom is hurt, he can’t find the words to express his feelings. Sara notices his reaction and she gently touches his leg. Sara: - Are you ok? – Grissom nods: - I just don’t know how to feel about this: happy because I have something in common with my son or sad that I passed this pain to him It's all my...  – Sara raises Gilbert’s chin, she cuts him off this time, shaking her head: "No, it's not. and it's not right to put the blame all on you. We both made stupid decisions in our relationship that lead us to where we are now." She takes a breath and speaks again more softly. "Now, I just want to put all of that behind us and start over..." Grissom clears his throat and asks in a more serious tone: - So... what do you think? –   Sara takes both his hands in her and smiled a little: - I think we are going to speak with Kelly Ross and arrange a meeting with Dylan. Ok? – Grissom nods satisfied. Sara: - Let’s see what happens but we have to keep our hopes grounded – Grissom: - Ok… Come here – and takes Sara in his arms: - I love you, no matter what! – Sara leans towards him. She looks him in his eyes and responds with a tender kiss on his lips whispering against them "I love you too”.

PART 4 Sara spends the week working and thinking, thinking and working. Tension and expectations building up every day, more and more. In her mind Sara has imagined their meeting with Dylan at least 300 times, she has repeated all the possible things she could say to him, but every time his reaction is bad and the meeting goes wrong. Even Grissom is anxious; nonetheless he tries to distract Sara: he invites her to see one of his lessons at the university, he proposes a trip on a boat over the lake Mead and he takes her out to dinner. The Italian restaurant they go to is one of their favorites. They eat a very good lasagna and they drink a little more than they usually do, just to relax. Once at home, they go to bed. They face each other but, thinking of the day ahead, they can’t sleep. Grissom: - It’s gonna be fine – Sara: - You can’t know that – Gil caresses her hair: - No, but we have to stay positive – Sara takes Gil’s hand and brings it to her cheek: - I don’t know what to tell him – Gil’s finger brushes her lips: - The truth! If he asks, we’ll tell him the truth - Sara: - But? – Grissom: - Honey, if we want his trust, we have to be honest. We can’t lie. - Sara: - I am scared! -   Grissom: - Me too – and he slowly kisses her. She returns the kiss as they are taken by the passion of their bodies, entangled in one. Their minds are lost in the rhythm of that primordial act of desire, they know so well. They are just flesh and skin, sweat and moans. PART 5 It’s afternoon and they are sitting in a park near Dylan’s school. The sight of the boy approaching them with his mother takes their breath away. Kelly greets them from afar and points them to her son. They stand up and walk in their direction. Sara and Grissom stop when they are in front of Dylan and Kelly.  4 souls, 4 people meant to be a family finally together.  Dylan is a mini version of Grissom. He is not so tall but he’s slim. He has short curly brown hair. His eyes are blue and curios. Behind his left ear he has a hearing aid. Kelly addresses them to Dylan; she gestures in sign language and tells him: - They are the friends I was talking to you about. – Grissom takes courage and speaks first, gesturing his words: - Hi Dylan, my name is Gilbert and she is my wife Sara. We are happy to meet you. Your mother told us a lot about you. – Sara: - Hi, sorry but my sign language is a little rusty. I will try to improve. – Dylan: - Don’t worry, I can hear you (he indicates the implant to Sara). Moreover, I’ve learned to read lips. You, (he addresses to Grissom) on the other hand are very good. – Grissom: - Thanks. My mum was deaf, she taught me – Dylan nods pondering the answer. Sara tries to break the silence: - How was your day? Do you like school? – Kelly intervenes: - He is the best of his class – Dylan gives her a little buff on her right arm: - Mum please! – Kelly smiles: - He is shy, he doesn't like to brag – Grissom and Sara, grinning, exchange a look of complicity mixed with pride: - We can imagine – Dylan fixes them and he asks abruptly: - Why don’t you tell me who you really are? – Grissom and Sara almost choke: - What? – Kelly scolds him: - Dylan?! – Dylan continues: - You are my real parents, aren’t you? Sara feels responsible and wants to give him an answer: - You are right, I’m your birth mother and he is your father. – Dylan insists: - Why are you here? – Kelly: - I asked them to come – Dylan turns to his mother in shock but Kelly goes on: - I have to know that you would be safe, cared for and loved when I will be gone – Dylan: - How could you think that I would stay with someone who abandoned me? – Kelly interrupts them: - You three need to talk, you need to know each other. Dylan please, you have to listen to them – Dylan: - I don’t want to – and he runs away. Kelly touches Sara’s shoulder, she feels her pain and apologizes for Dylan’s reaction: - Give him some time.  He is a good boy… he’s very smart – Grissom sighs: - I see – Sara is ashamed: - He is right, I made a mistake. – Kelly tries to soothe her by saying: - We all make mistakes, Sara – Sara: - But he is the one who’s paying the consequences of that mistake – Grissom: - We had our reasons, dear– Sara locks her eyes on Gil: - and why does it all seem so wrong now? – Kelly: - Let me talk to him – Sara replies: - No, I want to try - Sara goes to look for Dylan; Grissom follows her but she turns and stops him: - Give me 5 minutes – Gil nods; she approaches the boy. He is sitting on a swing. Sara asks him permission with a soft voice: - Can I? – Dylan shrugs his shoulders and Sara sits in the swing next to him. The boy leaps down and faces her. Sara: - I’m so sorry for everything, Dylan. I’m sorry for your mum, for your dad, for your earing problems, and above all I'm sorry for what I did to you. – Dylan: - Why did you leave me? – Sara tries her best to formulate an answer: - It’s complicated.... I wasn’t feeling very well. Something bad had happened to me. – Dylan interrupts her: - My father? Did he hurt you? – Sara: - No, absolutely not. He has always been kind to me – she invites Grissom to join them and he moves in their direction. – I was, I still am a Crime Scene Investigator. Do you know what it is? – Dylan nods and Sara continues: - I was working on a case, and a serial killer kidnapped me and left me to die. I managed to escape, your father and other members of my team saved me – Dylan listens very carefully. – But after that, nothing was the same. I was broken and unhappy. I wasn’t myself anymore and I couldn’t stay there. I went away from your father, from this town, from my old life. I could not be a good mother for you, you deserved more. – Dylan looks at Sara and then Grissom and says: - You are married now – Sara declares: - We got back together 5 years ago. – Grissom kneels in front of Dylan: - We're not here to be your parents, you already have them – Dylan states: - My mum is great! – Grissom agrees: - It’s true. We just want to know you, Dylan! – Sara teases: - Can you give us a chance? – Dylan thinks and then asks Sara something that has always intrigued him: - Did you give me a name before.. you .. ? Sara affirms instantly: - Arthur, I named you Arthur –

LITTLE FLASHBACK OF 13 YEARS EARLIER Sara was holding her baby when a nurse entered the room to take him. The social assistant was waiting outside. The woman checked the papers she had filled in. On the birth certificate she had written her name, Gilbert’s, and a new one: ARTHUR. She gave her baby a kiss on the forehead and passed him to the nurse who left the room, closing the door to a crying Sara. Grissom turns towards Sara, surprised by her admission. Sara looks at him directly in his eyes: - It’s your father’s middle name! – Dylan chuckles, satisfied by the answer: - It’s my middle name too – Sara is grateful that the Ross in some way had kept the name she had chosen for him. Dylan remarks: - My father was a pastor, he always told me to forgive the others. I’m forgiving you! – They give him an appreciative smile before Grissom touches his head saying: - He’d be very proud – Dylan nods and walks over to an emotional Sara. He wipes a tear from her face, similarly to what Gilbert would have done. She whispers a thank you to him, then they return to the bench where Kelly was sitting, watching the whole scene.

PART 6 Grissom and Sara start seeing Dylan every day after school. Their bond gets deeper and deeper. Dylan looks more at ease with them. He loves spending time with Gil, making experiments, going fishing or sailing. They find a new balance in their lives. Every once in a while, he even spends the night with them. The guest bedroom has become his room now. Kelly’s cancer on the other hand gets worse and she ends in hospital. It’s a Wednesday morning when Sara picks up Dylan from school and brings him to the hospital to give his mother one last hug. Kelly Ross dies at 2.00 PM of that same day and Dylan cries in the arms of Gilbert.  At the funeral he stands between Sara and Grissom. He is brave but silent. Over the last year, he has lost both of his parents and found two new ones. It’s strange how life takes an unexpected turn sometimes and turns up the way it should have from the beginning.  In fact, before her death, Kelly had arranged things so that Sara and Gil could have full custody of the boy and become a family.

PART 7 Sara is in a hurry; she greets her boss and some other members of the team as she prepares to leave the office. The receptionist at the desk calls her back and gives her some correspondence. She doesn’t have time to read it, she will do it later with calm. All she wants to do now is to go home to her boys and to enjoy the evening with them. After dinner Dylan does his homework in the living room, Gil prepares his lesson and Sara tidies the kitchen up. She suddenly remembers the letters in her purse, so she takes a break to read them. An envelope without a sender attracts her attention. She rips the envelope and her jaw drops.

Dear Sara Sidle, I’m Natalie Davis, you probably remember me as the miniature killer. I’ve been thinking of you very often lately. I know, I don’t have the right to write to you after all this time, but my journey here in prison made me reflect on my actions and on what I have done to you and to the other victims. I’m so sorry Mrs Sidle, I can’t change the past and my apologies can’t relieve your pain or what you’ve lost. I was angry and I seeked vengeance for no real reason except because I couldn’t accept the daemons from my past. I should have known that that wasn’t the answer but I was too lost. I hold Mr Grissom responsible for the death of Arnie Dell and I tried to take you away from him because of his love for you. However, and now I know this, it was not his fault and you were a collateral damage in my inner war. I don’t deserve your forgiveness; I’m not searching for redemption. I’m just happy that you are alive. I also hope life has been kind to you and that Mr Grissom is still by your side.                                                                                                      Sincerely, Natalie Davis                    

Sara confronts Grissom about the letter and what to do next. They are concerned, still they decide to go to the county jail to see Natalie in person. As CSI they get a special permit to meet her in the interrogation room. The door opens and a guard escorts Natalie Davis inside. She is handcuffed and she’s wearing an orange suit. For the first time in 14 years she, Sara and Gil are in the same room. The guard moves to stand in a corner and Natalie sits at the table. Natalie is surprised by this visit: - I didn’t expect you to come. - Sara: - I didn’t expect your letter either. - They contemplate in silence for some time. Natalie clears her throat: - Anyway, thank you. Your presence here is very important to me – Sara replies: - I’m here because I wanted to look you in the eyes, to make sure your words were true and your regret sincere. Natalie: - Mrs. Sidle, I don’t know what to do to prove it to you - Sara: - You wrote you don’t deserve forgiveness… – Natalie: - No, I don’t. I’m a sinner and I need to be punished for my sins! – Sara: - Hmmm. It was not easy to understand it but now, now I’ve got it. We have different backgrounds, different stories but we have one thing in common – Natalie looks confused. Sara continues: - We are survivors, Natalie! We are women with physical and psychological scars. I could have surrendered to the difficulties that life put in front of me, as you did, but I decided to move on and I’m still doing it – Sara grabs Gilbert’s hand and squeezes it. They exchange a tender look. They both smile before Sara shakes her head and goes on: – Therefore, I forgive you! – Natalie is incredulous: - Why are you so good to me after all I’ve done? - Sara: - I’m not good, I just think this place and your sense of guilt are enough for me. We cannot live in resentment forever, and you know what? I’ve learned such an important lesson from a very mature 13 years old boy who has been through hell in such a short time. Goodbye Natalie. - Sara and Gil stand up and leave the room, Natalie and her nightmares behind. Dylan will be home soon with some of his friends. Tonight, they will go to the Luna park, they will ride the rollercoaster and then eat pizza. Their future is definitely bright.

THE END

[medea10]

My Review of Zombieland Saga REVENGE

Yes, Franchouchou has come back after a two and a half year hiatus.

HISTORY: Zombieland Saga is an idol show.

I have already cut my readership in half with that one sentence alone. But this is no ordinary idol show! A maniacal necromancer named Kotarou Tatsumi brings seven girls back from the dead. A former idol from the 1980’s (Junko), a former idol from the 2010’s (Ai), a child star from the 2010’s (Lily), a girl with idol aspirations from 2008 (Sakura), a former biker gang chick from 1997 (Saki), a courtesan from the 19th century (Yugiri), and Yamada Tae! There’s no describing what exactly Yamada Tae is but we don’t question it as she’s best girl.

Kotarou brought these seven girls back to life in order to save the Saga area and revitalize it. Throughout the first 12 episodes, we watch these girls get the hang of being alive again after so long and become an idol group. With Kotarou’s make-up skills, he’s able to fool nearly everybody that these girls are living, breathing idols. Almost everybody! At the end of the series, we get one guy who caught on about Lily, Ai, and Junko. But enough about that! Let’s see how successful Franchouchou has gotten since we last left the series.

REVENGE: So this sequel begins with the girls doing odd-jobs trying to earn as much money as they possibly can. Normally, the girls would do odd gigs that Kotarou was able to conjure up and that’s been good publicity for their group Franchouchou. However, they came into some money problems when they gambled and lost. It’s no doubt that their performance in the 12th episode was a banger and gave Franchouchou a boost in the idol scene. However, they aimed too high by renting out a big amphitheater to have a concert and only 1.6% capacity was filled. So the performance that night was a crash and burn type of thing. The after-effect put the girls in the hole (money wise) and Kotarou spends his days getting drunk at bars.

Seriously, look at this guy! He looks like a drunk, fourth season Eren Yeager. Kinda hard watching Kotarou looking so sad, pathetic, and drunk! It wasn’t until the girls had to perform at a metal concert arena that Kotarou got a kick in the pants. The fool arrives to the performance hella late, screaming for an encore when the audience is totally not vibing for one. And the girls end up singing while the audience goes in (for a lack of a better term) a Blues Brothers style rumble. The important thing is that Kotarou is feeling better and is ready to send his little zombie songbirds out to save the Saga prefecture.

Throughout the season, we follow the girls of Franchouchou as they regain some popularity they obtained last season. Will they do it? In the first 4 episodes, the group gained their own radio show and Ai’s old group (before she died) Iron Frill considered them as rivals. I think they’ll be okay!

BUT WAIT…: What about that photographer fella we saw all last season? He was quickly catching onto Ai, Junko, and Lily looking a little too close in resemblance to the girls that died years ago. Slowly throughout the series, we see him get closer to the truth.

NEW IDOL?: Oh God, did Kotarou commit taboo once again by bringing another girl back from the dead?

No…It was sadly much worse.

While at a public bathhouse, a girl (not wearing her prescription glasses) entered the men’s side, slipped on some soap, and was knocked unconscious. Thinking she died, Kotarou brings her body back to the girls (who aren’t wearing their makeup) saying this girl will be #7 in Franchouchou. And just like I said, she is not dead and now she knows that the idol group she loves are dancing zombies.

Kotarou is truly fucking up royally this season.

Anyways, this is Maimai! She’s a fan of Franchouchou and ends up becoming a temporary member of the group as #7 (for the episode). And, she’s voiced by Kana Hanazawa! If you don’t know who she is by now, blow me. It’s a little scary knowing that there’s one person out there that knows about the secret. But Maimai is much too loyal a fan to ruin something for everyone and is totally chill about her favorite idol group really being zombies.

THE TWO UNSOLVED MYSTERIES: As much as many of us loved the first season to Zombieland Saga, there were two characters we wished got more play and we knew a little more about. Yugiri and Yamada Tae! Tae-chan has been the enigmatic idol from day one. And due to her possible mental disability, we might never know. However, in one episode we do see her stopping off at a cemetary and I do believe that was her own grave.

As for Yugiri, even the detective can’t dig up info on her. She was around in the late 1800s or the Meiji era and there’s only one known photo in existence of Yugiri before her death. This season, we got a two-episode saga to bring us the good word on Saga and its importance. We got a bit of a history lesson about the Saga prefecture during the Meiji era and even what it was like before then. And yes, we did learn how Yugiri died and her connection to Saga. It was quite sad, but definitely one of the best episodes of the series.

BEST SONG: Didn’t think I’d have one for this franchise.

Saga Jihen from episode 9.

Nuff said.

ENDING: Well, we learned some extra details on what happened during the fall and rise of Franchouchou. This mostly has to do with Kotarou’s gamble with booking a huge arena for the girls to perform in. First of all, this arena was the place of Ai’s death. You member! When she was electrocuted right there on stage! Second of all, they didn’t sell the tickets until the day of the concert. What was that end result again? 1.6% capacity filled! Even in Covid-19 times, that’s fucking small. Granted, the audience was full of those memorable fans from season one including Saki’s friend’s daughter, Lily’s father, and the two metal jackasses. But still, not a good! The girls hit a brick wall and felt embarrassed. This was the worst moment for these girls (aside from dying once). After the disasterous event, they were millions of yen in debt, they’re running out of essentials for the house, and Kotarou has gone on a two-month drinking binge. It was then that they decided to do makeup themselves and go out in the world to earn a living and eventually pay off the debt.

Thankfully, they were able to get out of debt and regained their popularity throughout Saga and further. Saki has managed to get a radio show. Iron Frill (Ai’s old group) sees Franchouchou as a worthy rival. Lily gained a lot of fame in a televised competition. So what’s next? Kotarou apologized to Franchouchou for his big mistake the previous year and him spiraling out of control. Seconds later, he announces that their revenge will be to perform at the very same arena that fucked up their career the year prior.

Boy, you do NOT learn your lesson, do you?!

More trouble is on the rise as that reporter who caught on about the girls being zombies has confronted Kotarou. We finally circled back to the final scene from season one. This guy has caught on to the fact that the girls of Franchouchou resemble girls that died. The only one that he couldn’t dig up dirt on was Yugiri. Possibly because the only known evidence for existence is a photo at the bar! What’s more, he has a sneaking suspicion that the girls of Franchouchou are all zombies. In a prior episode, the reporter snapped a picture at the right time exposing Yamada Tae’s head rolling around on the ground. Dude is ready to go public with the story of the girls of Franchouchou being zombies resurrected from the dead unless Kotarou pulls the plug on everything. Kotarou simply said that the girls will get their revenge and will perform at the arena.

And then…a storm hit Saga!

There was a lot of damage around town. And worst off was Kotarou’s place, as it was ripped from its foundation, thrown into the sea, and crumbled into nothing after coming ashore. Worst of all, the special makeup the girls use to hide their zombie state was in that wreckage. Meanwhile, Kotarou spent several days trapped in a bar with the bar owner and nearly drowned. The girls ended up in a safety shelter with nearly the entire Saga prefecture. The good thing is because they’re town celebrities that they were given a top floor to themselves for privacy. The bad thing is that they’ve been here for days and their makeup is starting to come off, exposing zombies. And to make matters worse, that nosy reporter who knows the girls are zombies is also staying at the shelter (though the girls don’t know he knows). The girls decided to use Junko’s doll-crafting paintset to make masks to hide behind. That lasted only five seconds while trying to entertain the children of the shelter.

This is it. The girls are exposed as zombies.

Actually, the kids and parents thought this was part of the act and thought Franchouchou was lifting up the spirits of the arena. And in comes Kotarou just in time! Man, right under the wire. Now we’re like a few days from this planned concert and Saga is still recovering from the huge storm. Morale is quite low and it’s starting to look like a worse outcome for Franchouchou’s revenge than what happened one year ago. Saki used her platform on the radio to reach all of her viewers to see if they could try to come to the arena for their concert that is now a charity concert. So will this concert be a big success or a bigger flop than last year?

Actually, the arena was packed with people. Fans we’ve met in season one and new characters we met this season were even in attendance. Lily’s father ended up clearing away a lot of the debris so that concert goers could get through. Even Iron Frill (Ai’s old group) came in attendance! The concert was a huge success! And can I say that I’m really enjoying Yamada Tae’s Freddie Mercury impression on stage.

Don’t think you’re that clever, Zombieland Saga. We all know!

Yes, the concert was perfect! A great revenge! They even made Kotarou (a grown-ass man) cry. Even the reporter is willing to keep his trap shut (for now) about the girls being zombies. And best of all, NO ONE CAUGHT COVID-19! Yeah, I have to bring that up. The date of the concert was March 8th, 2020. Ahem. March. 2020. But yeah, everything went great. Perfect ending for Zombieland Saga Reven…

AND THEN AN ALIEN MOTHERSHIP COMES IN AND ZAPS THE AREA!

Huh?!

Who wrote that in the script? Some jerkass from Gainax?!

The last 15 seconds of Zombieland Saga leaves us with some sort of unidentified flying object zapping the area. Only Zombieland Saga can get away with this shit. Well folks, let’s see what’s in store for season three, Zombieland Saga: Zombies in Space or Sagapendence Day Zomb-Trek: Deep Space Seven.

Yeah, I know nothing has been greenlit or announced yet, but you know Studio Mappa has something up their sleeves with that ending. Once again, I enjoyed Zombieland Saga’s charm. I didn’t know if there was much more they could offer us after the first season’s stories, like learning how the girls died, Sakura’s past, and especially Lily’s backstory. This season, I wish there was more Yamada Tae. Come on guys, we still don’t know how she died or anything about her past! And what’s up with Yamada Tae being buried next to Sakura? Did they know each other before passing away? I want some answers! But I was blown away when it came to Yugiri’s saga and the tale of Saga itself. We got a literal history lesson about what Saga was once, what it became after a long struggle, the pain some folks went to in order to keep Saga thriving, and all leading up to where we are now.

This was a fun season. I had a lot more fun with the music this season than the previous one. Yeah, believe it or not I liked the songs Franchouchou sang this season than last season. Never a dull moment, especially with Kotarou! Yeah, his crazy-ass was totally there making absolutely no fucka sense. Take that competition Lily entered.

What the fuck was Kotarou doing? That was an epic fail on so many levels.

Well folks, whenever season three or whatever sequel may come, I’m hoping for more information involving Yamada Tae. And you know what else was severely missing from this season, Kotarou’s past with Sakura. I didn’t forget that flashback from season one and those couple of seconds this season aren’t enough to satisfy my hunger. Those are the two things I would like to know more about in whatever comes of the franchise. Otherwise, great time had by all!

Once more, if you are not a fan of idol shows, this is the only one I would highly recommend Zombieland Saga. Crunchyroll has both seasons available for streaming. FUNimation is now dubbing the second season as we speak.

[homeformyheart]

unraveling truth | chapter 1: the tower (rod au)

author’s note: this is a ride or die princess/fantasy AU with inspiration from a bunch of different places, including a tarot card theme per chapter. some dialogue and scenes will reflect or tie back to the original story by pixelberry.

copyright: all characters owned by pixelberry studios. series/pairing: ride or die – colt kaneko x mc (ellie wheeler); minor logan x mc series rating/warnings: 16+ chapter rating/warnings: 13+ word count: 4.2k story summary: eleanor wheeler is a princess and dreading her 18th birthday when she’s expected to select her future husband from her stifling peer group of eligible nobles. however, a not-so-chance encounter with a mysterious stranger she can’t quite place and a reckoning unlike any other finds her on a crazy self-discovery journey and quest to reclaim her throne.

unraveling truth | chapter 1: the tower

a tall, severe looking woman loomed over ellie’s head from behind, casting a shadow on the random flowers and landscapes she had been doodling in the notebook in front of her for the last two hours. she was supposed to be taking notes on all the suitable princes that would be arriving late afternoon to attend her eighteenth birthday ball, which happened to be one of her least favorite annual traditions. even though she would prefer a day out in the town or a quiet day in with those closest to her, as the guest of honor it was her duty to play host to all royals and nobles from the neighboring kingdoms while dodging inappropriate commentary about her beauty and womanly figure from men who were her father’s age and their wives who not-so-subtly insisted on trying to set her up with their sons.

this year, though, the ball was going to take on a slightly different, or rather expanded, purpose. it was also going to serve as her official societal debut as an adult, which meant it was going to be exponentially harder to avoid all the matchmaking conversations. now that she was turning eighteen, she was expected to pick a suitor by the end of the social season. and unfortunately for her, the end was coming up in a fortnight. as much as she hated how long the social season felt, now she wished she could delay it a little longer.

ellie flinched at the sound of her etiquette tutor’s stern voice and pointer slamming down on her parchment, bringing her attention back to the lesson.

“i don’t think drawing horses and flowers has any value in helping you select a proper suitor, your highness. today of all days, you must pay attention.”

ellie straightened up in her seat and feigned the sincerity in her voice as she replied, “i’m so sorry, mrs. clarke. i was paying attention – i know the best economically advantageous ally for us would be with the vandermeer family since we share a border.”

mrs. clark clucked her tongue disapprovingly. “we’ll review again, from the top.”

ellie inwardly groaned as she counted the minutes until her lecture was over. she wasn’t sure why she needed a refresher on the histories and lineage of each of the noble families that would be in attendance, but her father had insisted it was critical to making the right impression on her future in-laws, a term she already resented. she was only turning eighteen and had never been out of the country on her own before. how could she be expected to get married?

as soon as she was dismissed, she ran, or rather, walked as briskly as a princess should, to her chambers, where her best friend and lady-in-waiting, riya was waiting for her with her riding outfit prepared and tarot deck in hand.

“you are the best, riya! after three hours hearing about the same old stories about how noble families are constantly fighting for wealth or defending their titles, i could really use a ride,” ellie grimaced, letting out a loud sigh as riya helped her out of her dress, loosening the tight laces on the corset and helping her get changed.

“mmhm, and spend some time with looogan,” riya teased. ellie gave riya a pointed look as she pulled on her boots.

riya just looked at ellie with a raised eyebrow. “i’ve seen the way you look at him, and more importantly, the way he looks at you.”

ellie blushed. “i know, he’s sweet and he was my first kiss and everything, but at the end of the day, he’s my bodyguard and i have to marry a noble.”

riya wrapped ellie up in a big hug. “i know that sucks but i’m here for you, okay?”

“only when darius isn’t around, right?” ellie giggled at the blush that appeared on riya’s cheeks, earning her a light smack on the arm. “but really, thanks, riya.”

riya handed ellie the tarot deck – it was one of the few remaining possessions of her mother’s and it always made ellie feel a little closer to her mom whenever she communed with the cards – as though it was her mother’s spirit guiding her. ellie unfolded the handsewn and embroidered altar cloth and spread out the cards before her. she could really use some of that guidance today. ellie took a deep breath and concentrated on her intention for the day, although it was something she’d been ruminating over several weeks, which was: what is next for me?

ellie hovered her hand over the cards and moved from left to right with deliberation. she couldn’t describe exactly how the cards called her but it was a feeling, and when she felt the familiar invisible tug, she opened her eyes and flipped over the card.

the tower upright. one of the most dreaded cards in the deck and one that ellie had experienced only once before, when her mother died five years ago. ellie stared at the card until she felt riya’s reassuring hand on her shoulder. “it’s okay,” riya said softly, gently grabbing the card from ellie’s hand and nudging her to stand.

“i know. i can’t dwell on this now. thanks riya,” ellie sighed and made her way over to the door. “i’ll be back in an hour.”

* * * * * the sky was absolutely clear outside with the sun shining brightly overhead. ellie closed her eyes outside the stables and tilted her head upward so she could relish the warmth. feeling the gentle breeze tickle her hair and the sun warm her face immediately lightened her mood.

“hey there, troublemaker.”

ellie opened her eyes to find herself staring into the warm, brown eyes of her one-time adolescent crush. logan was leaning casually against the doorframe, his tousled hair framing his tanned face. ellie let her eyes wander around his face, taking in his firm jaw and high cheekbones and the way the corner of his lips were pulled up into a smirk, before responding.

“as i recall, you were always the one in trouble,” she smirked, walking around him and into the stables.

logan followed behind ellie, stopping to take the reins of midnight, her strong, black stallion and the more tempered chestnut mare he often rode to keep her company so he could lead the horses outside. “by the way, i’m pretty sure you’re the reason i got into trouble, since you seemed to make it your personal mission to ditch your security detail.”

ellie stuck her tongue out at him before climbing into the saddle swiftly. nothing quite compared to the feeling of freedom and control that she felt while riding. it didn’t take long before she was urging midnight to a gallop across the fields toward the woods at the edge of the palace property. she knew without looking that logan was right behind her, albeit a few paces behind given the chestnut mare he was riding was a little older. he was always cognizant of her reputation and kept up the appearances of distance between the two of them. the chestnut mare, which was the typical choice for noble ladies, was one such example of logan’s thoughtfulness toward her reputation. anyone paying attention to the stables would assume he had taken midnight while she rode the mare.

she finally slowed enough for logan to catch up as they approached the woods and she gently guided midnight toward a small path that they both knew by heart. it was a fairly narrow dirt path that seemed to go nowhere but she had discovered as a child that by turning right at a particular gap in the trees, the path opened up to a small clearing and pond in the center. ellie dismounted and made her way over to the pond, taking off her boots so she could dip her feet in the water. logan mirrored her and the two of them sat quietly for a few minutes, enjoying the sounds of birds chirping and leaves rustling with the breeze.

“i can’t believe somehow i’m supposed to decide who i want to marry today,” ellie said with a loud sigh. “i thought i would feel differently about being eighteen, but it’s just another day like all the others, isn’t it? i’m supposed to just keep my head down and do what’s asked of me.” she looked over at logan and felt a longing rise in her chest. the sun trickling through the leaves of the trees above them created dancing shadows on his serene face.

logan finally looked over at her and ellie suddenly felt as though the clearing was too warm and the water encircling her feet was not cold enough and all she wanted to do was reach over and pull logan into a kiss so she could breathe easy again. she didn’t know that much about him since he kept to himself so maybe her feelings were mostly physical in nature, but there was just something about him, especially when he looked at her as tenderly as he was doing now, that made her wish deep-down that she was born of a life where she had the option to choose him.

“no matter what, birthdays are for celebrating with those you love. and there’s a team of people working really hard to make sure that you get to celebrate the right way,” he said, giving her a dazzling smile that seemed to glow with warmth from the sun.

ellie pulled her feet out of the water and began drying off. “are you part of this ‘team of people’?” she asked, letting herself feel excited and repress the dread and longing she felt moments before.

logan smirked at her as she lifted herself onto her horse, following suit on his own. “that’s a secret. now, we better get back quickly before i get sentenced to death for kidnapping the princess.”

* * * * * the rest of the afternoon sped by as ellie was meticulously prepped as though she were both a rag doll and porcelain figurine. she was bathed, combed, and groomed until her skin felt raw and her scalp tingled unpleasantly before being pinched, waxed, and made up with delicate eye makeup and a deure shade of lipstick. finally, ellie put on her custom pale pink a-line gown with a flowing tulle skirt and lace sleeves. the high neckline kept the dress modest, but the cinched waist showed off her svelte figure. gold lace and intricate embroidery detail covered the dress, balancing the sheer softness of the pink against the bold color that would certainly shimmer under the ballroom chandeliers. riya carefully placed a gold braided headband on ellie’s head before securely tying the white mask decorated with pink and gold feathers over ellie’s eyes.

ellie had suggested the masquerade theme by convincing her father that getting to know the suitors while in disguise would help her make a more objective choice since hopefully they wouldn’t realize who she really was until the end of the evening. secretly, ellie also wanted to see if anyone would be interested in her if they didn’t know she was the princess. once riya gave her the thumbs up, ellie took a deep breath and stepped outside her room.

logan straightened up from where he was leaning against the wall opposite the door to ellie’s room. as her personal bodyguard, he was allowed to stay close to her, but he knew he was often pushing the definition of “close.” his eyes widened as he took in ellie’s appearance – she looked both absolutely angelic and mysterious, and he simultaneously forgot and became painfully aware that he was well below her station.

ellie beamed at him and gave a small twirl to show off the full dress. “what do you think?”

“you look absolutely breathtaking, your highness. now let’s go make your secret entrance,” logan said, letting out the breath he didn’t realize he was holding and holding out his arm.

as ellie slid her petite arm through his, logan heard a soft voice whisper, it’s okay to love her. he looked around quickly with his peripheral vision but knew deep-down that the voice came from inside him. whether or not he had any real feelings for ellie didn’t matter, he had a job to do and couldn’t afford any distractions, no matter how beautiful and funny and kind they may be. as he led her down the back stairwell toward a side door he couldn’t help but glance down, trying to memorize the feel of her arm in his and the glow of the lights illuminating her cheeks. as they walked out the door, he took a deep breath and buried that voice as far down as he could, covering it with a metaphorical lid. she wasn’t meant to be his.

ellie extricated her arm from logan’s and gave him a nod. he stepped back and disappeared around the corner, presumably to find a shadow in the ballroom he would use to keep watch. ellie watched as noble after noble, dressed in their most ornate masks and formal wear made their way up the steps and through the palace doors. she clenched her fists at her side to steel herself before lifting her chin with pride and taking a step forward. she could do this.

she stepped inside and was quickly escorted by a servant toward the intimidating ballroom doors. out of the corner of her eye, she saw logan give her a reassuring smile from his “hiding place,” and smiled to herself before squaring her shoulders and walking purposefully into the ballroom, hoping she looked like the epitome of a noble lady. the room was already bustling with conversation and people milling about with drinks, and she flagged down the nearest servant as discreetly as she could so she could grab a flute of the sparkling champagne.

she took a careful sip and crinkled her nose at the carbonated bubbles tickling her nose but then quickly drank half the class once she realized she liked the crisp, dry flavor that hinted of apple. she felt the liquid settle in her stomach and a warm feeling bloom outward until she felt it on her cheeks. she had alcohol before of course, but forgot to take it slow.

ellie didn’t notice a tall nobleman walking toward her from the left and it was too late to pivot once she did. she took a couple steps to the left while looking to her right for a servant to leave her empty glass with when she walked right into a dark-haired man wearing a soft, velvet frock set in black and trimmed in silver lace and black silk gloves. her hand immediately went from where it was holding the skirt of her dress to his abdomen and she looked up to meet the most intense gaze she’d ever encountered. She could feel his gaze piercing through his matching black velvet mask.

“oh, i’m so sorry sir,” she quickly stammered, trying to take an off-balance step back to create space between them.

his arm shot out quickly under hers and held her steady at the waist. ellie felt her cheeks warm at his touch; it was strange, but she felt like his touch was just as intense as his gaze.

“looks like you’re in the wrong place, sweetheart,” he murmured in her ear, grabbing the empty champagne flute out of her right hand and placing it on the tray of a servant walking past them.

ellie felt her temper flare and deliberately took a step back and smoothed out her skirts to keep from telling him off. “who wants to know?” ellie said, through a clenched smile and glare that she hoped conveyed that she thought he had some nerve talking to her like that.

“just wondering who you’re trying to impress, looking like that,” he replied, the corner of his lip tilting up into a very attractive smirk. “that dress seems a bit overkill if you’re tripping over your feet. not very graceful for a lady, are we?”

“i’m meeting someone so i’m afraid i’m going to have to excuse myself,” ellie forced out through a smile that was already hurting her cheeks. she was tempted to dig her heels into his toes and could imagine the satisfaction she’d feel at hearing him cry out in pain, but instead curtsied and turned to walk away.

she took one step forward when she felt a gloved hand grab onto her pinky finger. she whirled around slowly to maintain an air of grace but glared at the masked man who had let go of her finger and now had his hand outstretched toward her.

“dance with me,” he said calmly, but there was an edge to his voice ellie couldn’t quite place. she looked up into his eyes and realized that she didn’t think she had it in her to say no.

as soon as she nodded, he led her to the dance floor where a few other pairs were already dancing along with the live quartet. his arm slid confidently around her waist and ellie placed hers on his shoulder with practiced ease. she was surprised at the way he led her around the floor so gracefully, it felt like she was barely touching the floor.

“i’m surprised at how light you are on your feet. i don’t think i’ve seen you around,” ellie said carefully, tilting her head up to look at him as he twirled her around.

he smirked. “that’s because i haven’t been around.”

now ellie was really curious. “you mean, this social season? i’ve had to dance with a couple dozen nobles all summer but none of them dance quite like you.”

the smirk on his face faded into a thin, pressed line. “no, i haven’t been around for a few years. my father and i didn’t see eye-to-eye and he didn’t want me around.”

“i’m sorry, i didn’t mean to—” he quickly spun her out and back in before she could finish her apology.

when he pulled her back in, he lowered his head by her ear and murmured, “i don’t want your pity, sweetheart. see you around.”

he bowed and she curtsied reflexively before he quickly turned on his heel and disappeared into the crowd. ellie didn’t have time to react before a different nobleman asked her to dance, followed by another, and she found herself going from partner to partner, song to song, making conversation about anything and nothing, leaving her without a chance to catch her breath and make sense of her spinning thoughts.

ellie excused herself from her last partner, grabbing and subsequently draining another glass of champagne from a servant walking by before weaving in and around couples on the dancefloor until she reached the pillar closest to the quartet. she ducked behind the pillar and folded the skirt of her dress behind her so it wouldn’t flare out and took a few slow, deep breaths to calm herself down.

every single person that she danced with clearly had one agenda for tonight. while she was grateful none of them managed to guess who she really was, at least out loud, it was getting tiresome hearing about who they thought had the best chance of marrying her or wondering where she was or wondering if she might be interested in them. only one person didn’t seem to care about that, and she had no idea who he was or where he was from.

maybe she was feeling on edge at the moment with all the adrenaline from the evening pumping through her but she swore she could feel someone approaching her hiding spot. not like the normal self-defense or slightly paranoid feeling of someone coming up behind you, but a real, grounded gut feeling that someone was about to come up to her. ellie quickly pivoted to her right and raised her fists so she wouldn’t be caught off guard but was surprised anyway to see logan.

“whoa, there troublemaker. it’s just me. come on, it’s time for your announcement,” logan said quietly. despite the smirk on his face, ellie couldn’t find the usual playfulness in his eyes.

he led her toward the front where her father was waiting, his arm outstretched toward her. she felt logan leave her side and retreat back to a discreet location a split second before he actually did it, but didn’t get a chance to process that before her father looped her hand through his arm and led her toward the front of the room.

“ready, ellie? your life won’t be the same after this,” her father smiled as he looked down at her the way he had done for as long as she could remember, at least since her mother died. like she was a precious, fragile little flower that needed to be protected from the elements of nature.

before she had a chance to answer, a chorus of silverware clinking against champagne glasses quickly quieted the oblivious conversations still happening and ellie had to physically fight her own body from recoil from all the eyes that were now staring at her. she tried to distract herself from the gnawing in her stomach by scanning the room for any expressions of those she danced with who didn’t realize who she was at the time. it was entertaining to say the least, seeing people suddenly look embarrassed and shocked.

her father cleared his throat and ellie knew that was her cue to smile like the picture-perfect princess if she wasn’t already. she kept scanning the room, and couldn’t help but feel slightly disappointed that the mysterious man she bumped into was nowhere to be found. she sighed inwardly and turned her attention back to her father’s speech since she would have to give hers once he was done.

“i just have one last thing to say to my beloved daughter, eleanor. i am so proud of the young woman you’ve become and i know you’ll do great things. everyone please, raise a glass to celebrate my wonderful daughter’s birthday—” he had raised his glass of champagne but was cut off by a rumbling sound overhead that was quickly followed by a CRACK! and the crunch of concrete crumbling together.

ellie looked up and saw a deep fissure was defacing the beautiful greek-castle architecture design of the ceiling and the crack was expanding as it approached the front of the room, where she currently stood next to her father, frozen in shock. she barely registered logan appearing behind her.

“go! keep her safe,” her father implored, turning only after logan gave him a firm nod.

“no, wait, dad!” ellie watched with horror as her dad disappeared behind the fallen rubble until he was out of sight. logan started half-dragging, half-carrying her until she came to her senses and started running as fast as she could in heels and a long dress, letting him guide her by the hand around screaming people and falling concrete.

they stepped out through a hidden exit that was mostly used by servants to make it easier for them to get to the ballroom from the kitchen. logan expertly led her through the hidden corridor and ellie vaguely registered how abandoned the kitchen looked, with trays of desserts and champagne ready to go; the irony of how wasteful this luxury could be was not lost on her. despite how her toes pinched, she kept her mouth shut and did her best to keep up with logan, who made a beeline for the back door and around the castle until they reached the stables.

midnight and a horse ellie didn’t recognize were already saddled with what looked like fully packed saddle bags.

“why does midnight look like she’s been prepared for an escape and whose horse is that?” ellie was dumbfounded and there was no one else in the stables.

logan pulled her toward midnight and lifted her up so she was forced to grab on to the reins and climb into the saddle as he quickly turned to do the same on his horse. “i’ll explain later, we need to get as far away from here as possible. follow my lead and don’t stop for anyone!”

ellie matched logan’s pace as they left the castle grounds and even though they were galloping full speed under the light of the moon, ellie couldn’t help but look back over her shoulder with a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. part of the roof had collapsed, leaving the stone turret closest to her vantage point standing alone among the rubble, its gray stone coat illuminated by the moon.

in that moment, she knew she might never see her home or her father again. the picture of the turret standing tall like a tower was seared in her mind and a sense of dread unlike anything she had felt before settled in her chest. she knew this sudden upheaval of her life, the destruction of her home, and the loss of her innocence was only the beginning of what the cards were trying to tell her.

* * * * * mentions: @kat-tia801​; @lovehugsandcandy​; permatag: @withbeautyandrage​; @agentnolastname​; @freckles-spangledvampire​

[a-day-in-the-life-of-a-brotha]

5-18-21 Free at last...semi free that is..

6:29 p.m. I’m waiting for my food to heat up. I went to this pizza spot call We the pizza, to start another leg of my food reviewer life, I changed reviewer to Influencer and I’m now doing 60 second review videos. I was asked to today by Helena, if this reviewer thing is a temporary thing (as Sagittarius’s do at times) or what. “It’s FOOD, and I never tired of that” I exclaimed!! Anyway not too much has transpired since I last made an entry in here. There was a 24 hour pause me and my Dani had last week...I was irritated that I didn’t have enough money to come see her and I let my irritation get the best of me. She said “You sounded irritated, so I figured you needed some space.” Ironically, I was irritated because I didn’t want any space. That was a long 24 hours, and I literally was sick...love sick...It was unconditional communicating with her...REALLY. We talked about it, we squashed it. Did I apologize? I don’t think so...I need to though. It felt good having her presence back. My spirit lifted once we started out jovial conversations again. I truly love her, and I feel deeply connected with her...I don’t want to lose her.

5-19-21 Continue, Go, Again...trial n error

10:18 a.m.- I ate yesterday evening, started gaming and completely neglected yesterday’s entry. Where was I? I’on even know, but me and Dani had another mild heat exchange last night. Because I didn’t like her answer to where she would visit if she could visit any time period. I was being an ass, pushing her for a answer acceptable to ME. Geesh Larry...I apologized from the heart and mind to her. Now I’m outside on the balcony, sweating, but working on my art project. Trial and error is all I can say via the artwork being finished. I’m spray painting my “Power” ReWop symbol on cardboard (for now) because I’ve always had an affinity for graffiti and tagging...I’ve just never done it. I’ve doodled all my life...I have characters that I draw (my children, when they were children always attempted to mimic my characters). But putting these symbols and characters on a canvas with spray paint is rather challenging!! But so far...I’m loving it. I just started my video Big Schlim food Reviews yesterday. I was feeling like I needed to do more with Big Schlim...and videos are it. So I’m doing 60 second video reviews of spots. I figured quick videos that are to the point and jovial will interest most in these rushed times. I’m not going to stop writing or taking pictures though...there is a audience for that and I simply like doing it. It’s honing my writing skills. I miss my son and daughter...they are maturing fast. Bigga has started weight training for football...I’m sooo happy about that. He has always been naturally athletic and honestly I foresee NFL with him...I KNOW it’s going to happen. I’m glad that up until now his mind has been cultivated...he will never be a dumb jock...more so a intellectual that excels at athleticism. Nonetheless, I miss his presence (we have been playing gta as of late though). My daughter I notice stays at her cousins house often. It concerns me, but in talking to her I know she’s safe. She’s concerned about getting into this school she applied to...I know she got in but it’s not for me to know, it’s for her to KNOW. We recently talked about the power of the mind...again!! Hahahahaha!!! “You know manifest what you think about, so if you don’t think you’ll get into the school then...” I said stopping myself at the end to not encompass the negative thought of her not getting in the school. “Yes Dad” she said grudgingly. I know I repeat myself in teaching lessons...so...I quickly switch subjects “Did you watch all of the Circle” I ask in attempts to start a conversation and keep an open line of communication with her so I don’t become that lecturer Dad...I’m not that anyway...am I? We talk briefly about the show...she’s ready to get off the phone...she does quickly...per normal. I’m super proud of her, her mind, her love for all things, her subtle fierceness...I see her...I miss her...it’s been 3 weeks since I’ve had them both over here. I’m looking forward to seeing them this weekend.

Frustration #1 Work...working inhibits freedom. One may say that it allots a freedom by compensating you for your time. But that compensation is never enough and will never take the place of time with your loved ones. That’s what we work for...that which is free...time. It’s shameful truly, all the God given things in this life...we pay for. When I get my children for the weekend...my time will be limited with them via...work. I work weekends...I see them sleep when I leave, then I’m sleepy by the time I get home. It sucks. Working a job (not working something you love) is frustrating...time.

Frustration #2 My children’s mother. Pressing me out to get some cleats immediately for Bigga. She doesn’t communicate to me about him starting football, didn’t ask me how I felt about him playing...nothing. She never consults me on anything...control for almost 15 years. But when she wants me to do something she wants it when she wants it...period. She hasn’t been a good person to me since they’ve been born. you would think I’m a dead beat...I’m not, shes just insecure and NEEDS to control them and me. Frustrating.

[bitchwhoreofastorm]

dumb thing abt almalexias childhood. dont rebl0g 

It never snowed in Mournhold, but winter had come just the same; the sun grew pale and the air was chill and crisp. Such it was that Almalexia dressed in Nordic wool that day, and attended sword practice wearing scratchy trousers and a long wool tunic, both borrowed from her mother. The clothes would be warm enough for any Nord– indeed, the Nords mulled about shirtless and complained about the heat even in the coldest months– but for an elf of thirteen it was hardly adequate to keep out the chill, and she arrived at the barracks shivering. The Shouts needed only take one look at her before they pounced on her, and within ten minutes she’d been outfitted with a musty fur half-cloak and ugly steel boots that reached up to her knees.

Even the hardest Nord hearts found it difficult to be cruel to Almalexia. Chimer didn’t readily reproduce, and the occupation had done little to inspire hope in their kind, so elfish children were rare; in Mournhold Palace Almalexia was without peers her age, Nord or Chimer, so she sought companionship in the barracks, and played among her guards. Many of them fancied themselves mentors or elder siblings to the wayward girl, and took it upon themselves to teach her swordplay and the arts of war. Such was their routine: in between patrols, training, and quashing would-be rebellions and civil disobediences, the Nords would use their breaks to teach their adopted student how to wield a sword or play cards. Almalexia herself was a quick learner (if not annoyingly proud and sensitive, at times, but so were all royal children), and liable to spill the most interesting high-court gossip between sessions, so few were able to complain about the burden of her presence. The impromptu arrangement was largely considered a good one.

The Shout who volunteered to play teacher that day was Heigl, Almalexia’s favorite guard, a woman about seven years her senior, who’d joined the force at sixteen and thus known Almalexia since the princess was eight. Another Shout, an older lad named Hjaland whose affinity for magic made him more comfortable among the denizens of Morrowind than his own Skyrimisk kin, tagged along in their training, no doubt drawn by the prospect of seeing whatever elven magic Almalexia had returned from Ald Sotha with. The three of them set up in the training yard behind the barracks, sheltered from the wind by the high purple walls of Mournhold, and with Almalexia standing firm before a mannequin with her legs spread and an ebony sword in both hands, the lesson began.

For the first while they reviewed different techniques, with Heigl correcting and praising Almalexia in turn, each criticism gentle and sandwiched between compliments: “Your stance is just perfect, but let’s be mindful of your arms, eh?” Hjaland was less familiar to the girl and lacked tact, and his criticism (“An elf like you is a bit slight for a move like that, try holding the sword lower”) was met with irritation and defensiveness. Almalexia, to her credit, did a great job of reigning back her sharp temper, and attempted to take each correction in stride– within half an hour she’d indeed learned to hold her arms lower and her sword closer, even when idle, something she was usually slack on.

But nothing good lasts, and eventually Almalexia seemed to stop listening to any guidance at all, and her arms, normally too far away from her body, slumped and drew instead too close, causing her stance to go amiss.

“No!” scolded Hjaland, tapping her elbow with the tip of his own wooden training-sword. “Now your arms are too far down. Lift ‘em up, little elf!”

But Heigl, ever-observant, stopped and lowered her sword. “Hey, Lexie,” she said softly, “Is something the matter?”

“I’m just–” Almalexia had raised her arms when Hjaland tapped them, but now her elbows fell back to her side, “I’m just cold. It’s cold out here.” And the Nords saw that the girl was indeed shivering.

The Nords exchanged a glance; Heigl walked over to Almalexia, and stroked back her long hair, which the girl wore loose and falling about her shoulders. “Well, let’s go inside, then, little one. It’ll be much warmer in the hall, where the hearth is burning.”

So the three returned to the barracks; what it had been before the Nords came Almalexia didn’t know, for it was an unusual long rectangular building, with several long low benches and tables lined up around the western side, while the eastern side (the side that opened up onto the training-yard) remained bare, leaving adequate space for a muster. There was no real hearth, as Chimeri buildings rarely had them, but a fire-pit stood at each end, and beds of smouldering coals kept the interior pleasant and toasty. Though it was noon, the feeble winter sun had been hardly able to puncture a haze of ash drifting in from the North. The trio breathed sighs of relief as they crossed the threshold into the warm hall.

Just as they were setting up in the middle area, the western door swung open, and in marched a large and formidable figure. Almalexia, who’d been struggling to help move a dummy larger than she, failed to notice the intrusion, until her companions fell to their knees with a chorus: “Thuri!”

“Stand, men, stand!” boomed a familiar voice, preternaturally loud, causing the stones to quiver. “I’m looking for little Almalexia. Hath you seen her?”

Almalexia fumbled with the dummy, then dropped it entirely. Then, leaving the dummy, she stepped to the side, unthinkingly holding her sword in battle-stance before her. “I’m here, Jarl!”

The Jarl of Mournhold was a giant of a man– the son of one of Ysgramor’s companions, it was said, with Atmoran blood coursing strong in his veins. If he weren’t so intimidating one might consider him jolly. When he beheld Almalexia he burst into laughter, booming laughter that caused the support pillars to wriggle in their places.

“Why!” he exclaimed, “It’s you, little elf! But look at you, all dressed up like a Nord, and a Nord lad at that! Why, for a moment I mistook you for my boy, just as he was when he were getting ready to leave. Look at you! We’ll make a Nord of you yet, I say.”  

Almalexia, embarrassed, lowered her sword and bowed deeply.

“Not quite a Nord yet, my Jarl” said Hjaland, standing from his own bow. “The weather outside was too cool for her, even with Balring’s old cloak, we had to come in to finish our training.”

“But she’s doing wonderfully,” interjected Heigl, “And she’s only a girl, even a Nord her age would be chilled, yet she didn’t complain once.”

“Is this true?” asked the Jarl, turning to Almalexia– when she peeked up she saw that he bore a grin.

“Yes,” Almalexia  said, straightening up to her full height, “I don’t mind the cold so much, it just made it difficult to hold my sword out.”

“But she held it out!” said Heigl.

“So I see!” said the Jarl, his voice full and warm, like he was about to laugh again. “And have my Shouts been teaching you well?”

“Yes, thuri!” Almalexia said. “I’ve learned lots about swords, and swordcraft, and fighting. Everyone says I’m good,” she added, standing a little taller, “When I was at Ald Sotha, none my age could best me, magic used or no.”

The Jarl nodded, considering this. “Well,” he said, “In this case, I believe we have a score to settle, you and I.”

“My Jarl?”

“When you were a wee girl, you challenged me for my throne, and I said, aye, you may.” A few other Shouts had gathered around, watching the scene curiously– the Jarl’s voice was loud and it was difficult not to pay attention to him. The Jarl continued his story, beaming, “Yet before I so much as drew my sword you, relentless, used your Voice! Aye, you shrieked at me, little devil, and I was so surprised that I fell backwards! As if that were a real thu’um! And so it was that little Almalexia won the Throne of Mournhold, and became the Demon of the East.”

The surrounding Shouts laughed– most had heard this anecdote before.

Almalexia blushed deeply. “My Jarl, I–”

“Nay! I am not the Jarl, for you stole my Throne, little one. But now,” and the Jarl drew his sword from the hilt at his side, “I would like to challenge you back. Jarl Almalexia, I challenge you for the Throne of Mournhold!”

Now the Shouts were laughing, for the Jarl had fallen to one knee, and his expression was gravely serious. Almalexia, her face as red as her hair, turned to look at Heigl for guidance; Heigl, biting back a grin, nodded enthusiastically.

“I…” Almalexia, flustered, turned back to the Jarl. “I agree?”

“Excellent!” The Jarl, like a giant erupting from the earth, sprung back to his feet and raised his sword to battle-stance. “Let us begin!”

By now they’d earned the attention of most of the barracks, and poor Almalexia was so embarrassed she barely remembered how to hold her weapon. Deep down a part of her knew the Jarl would never harm her, and indeed, the Jarl began the 'duel’ with a slow and gentle sweep towards her side, which long training allowed her to parry by instinct. This was followed by a few equally gentle swipes, each of which Almalexia knocked aside without effort, and with each block the Shouts cheered, and the girl regained her confidence. Encouraged, she lashed out with a few strikes of her own, and the Jarl easily blocked each one, but let them come close to landing, to raise her spirits.

The sparring continued, and Almalexia’s confidence grew, and she forgot her embarrassment at being watched, and set about trying to hit the Jarl in earnest. He managed to block every blow she struck, of course, and threw a few at her to keep her on her toes, but the challenge seemed to inspire her, and she set into him with growing enthusiasm. Her assault was inspired enough that he was forced to take a few steps back, and this only encouraged her. When he knocked her sword to the right, shoving aside her thrust, she darted to the side and turned, moving for the opening he’d left--

“ZAN HAAL VIIK.”

And Almalexia stood, dumb, as her sword flew from her hand of its own accord and clattered across the floor.

“I see they haven’t covered that yet.” the Jarl was saying, amused. “A good fight, little elf–”

“That’s not fair!” Almalexia blurted out. She rushed over, diving at the ground to reclaim her sword, but once she’d picked it up Heigl grabbed her tightly by the arm. “That’s not fair,” she repeated, “You used your thu'um!”

“Eh, don’t be mad, little Lex!” The Jarl raised his hands apologetically. “Aye, I should’ve guessed you never encountered that trick.”

“It’s not fair!”

“Nay, but the gods en’t fair to your kind, are they?”

Almalexia’s face was burning again, and she wrenched her arm away from Heigl. But the Jarl stepped forwards then, and gently took her by the shoulder, and he was so large and so frightening that she felt the indignant fury drain out of her at once.

“Look,” said the Jarl gently, and he clasped his hands around her wrists, and brought them forwards. “Which is your dominant hand? The right?”

“Y– yes, Jarl.”

“Well. You’ll want to hold your right hand near the base, where this flair on the hilt is, and hold tightly with your thumb and finger in a circle.” He positioned her fingers such. “Can you hold that?”

“Hjaland said I should–”

“Hjaland hasn’t fought a Tongue, I’d wager. Hold it like that.”

The Jarl released her, and Almalexia stepped back, raising her sword into fighting-stance, but keeping the grip he’d shown her. “Now,” said the Jarl, “The very moment you see my mouth move, I want you to jerk back on the sword. Now, it’s going to feel strange, and you’ll feel like you’re jerking too hard, but I want you to ignore that, and just jerk. Can you do that?”

“I think so-- I mean, yes, Jarl.”

“Good, clever girl!” The Jarl rose to his full height, and placed both hands on his hips, the sword hanging loosely from his off-hand. “Now, ready?”

He inhaled, but Almalexia reacted too soon, pulling her sword all the way back past her hips. When she realized her mistake she exhaled through her teeth.

“Aye, it’s alright,” said the Jarl reassuringly, “Try again. Ready?”

“Ready.”

“Good. Now…”

A long moment’s silence, as the Jarl took a deep breath, and Almalexia stood still, sword raised–

“ZAN HAAL VIIK!”

The shout shook her, but Almalexia jerked back her sword, and the weapon removed rooted in her hand.

Immediately Heigl let out a resounding 'WHOOP’ of delight, clapping her hands, and the rest of the Shouts– who had been watching the lesson with curiosity– followed her lead and cheered. Even the Jarl clapped, and shook Almalexia by the shoulder. “Excellent! See? You resisted my thu'um, easy as a Tongue!”

Almalexia, embarrassed anew by the celebration, raised her off-hand to her face. “I’m not– I only did what you said!”

“Well, you did it well, mal fahliil! I tell you, we’ll make a Nord of you yet!” The Jarl leaned forwards and kissed her forehead, causing her to recoil, thoroughly flustered. Then he rose to his full height and planted his hands on his hips, turning to the Shouts.

“And you lot! Aren’t you supposed to be on patrol? Can’t you see you’re embarrassing the little lass? Be off with ye!”

At the Lord’s chastising, the Shouts turned and hastily returned to their business. A stern glance from the Jarl informed even Heigl and Hjaland that they weren’t exempt from this command– Hjaland withdrew immediately, but Heigl took the time to hug Almalexia, whispering a praise in her ear before following her comrade off the scene.

Almalexia still held her sword, her face burning, and when her Shout protectors had gone she pressed her palm over her eyes. “Oh, Gods, that was–”

“Glorious!” the Jarl interrupted her. “I thought– ah, but you’re shy!”

Almalexia mutely shook her head, but when the Jarl touched her shoulder, she fell forwards and buried her face in his arm.

“I’m not being kind,” said the Jarl, patting her on the back with his free arm. “There, there. But don’t think I’m humouring you. I’ve been naught but earnest! You’re turning into a good little warrior, Almalexia. How old are you now, girl?”

“Thirteen, or near it.”

“Thirteen! Well, you ought to be going off to Throat-Of-The-World soon, if you were born right. It’s a shame,” he squeezed her shoulder, “Your appearance is the only thing elf about you. I never heard of an elf taking so well to sword-craft, dragon-tongue, or the thu'um, not like you have. We would make a Tongue of you. Alas!”

“Ah. Thank you, Jarl.”

“Aye. But if the wolf sat about saying 'If only!’, he’d starve to death for lack of time to hunt. Come,” and he released her, pushing her away, so that she stood blushing and dazed, clutching her sword by her side, “Your mother’s looking for you, something about your Uncle.”

“Indoril Nam? Is that why you came down?”

“Aye, that one. Well? Do you want to go to your Uncle? If you don’t want to, I’ll simply tell him you’re busy. I’d like to show you more, we don’t spend half the time together we ought to.”

Almalexia froze for a long moment, and chewed on her lip, and looked away from the Jarl.

“… Could you?” she began, timidly, “Tell him I’m busy? If you wouldn’t mind showing me more dragon-shouts? Just so I know how to counter them, see–”

The Jarl’s smile was so radiant that one wouldn’t need to look to see it. “Very well, little one! I’ll let Amun-Shae know that Jarl Almalexia is busy with her poor servant Chimarvir. You wait here, mal fahliil, daar pruzah?”

“Geh, thuri. I’ll wait.”

And such it was that the Jarl, formidable and strong, ensured that Almalexia could spend the day learning from a Tongue how best to counter the thu'um; something that would prove more useful than her irate relatives could dream at the time.

[aion-rsa]

Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive is Built on the Shoulders of Giants

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When Brandon Sanderson wrote The Way of Kings, the first book in The Stormlight Archive series, he was ready to give up on publishing. Throwing away any ideas of what the market wanted, he decided to write something instead for himself. Now, 18 years later, Rhythm of War, the fourth book of The Stormlight Archive, marks Sanderson’s 25th novel (in addition to assorted novellas, short stories, and graphic novels), and something over seven million words of published fiction. He is, of course, not the only person who has enjoyed the epic fantasy saga.

That success was never a guarantee. Sanderson wrote 13 novels before he sold one: Elantris, in 2003. (It was published in 2005.) “The Way of Kings was number 13, the last of those unpublished books,” he recalls to Den of Geek. When trying to write for the market, he produced what he feels were some really awful novels, and beginning The Way of Kings was a way to return to the types of stories that he loved: big, chunky fantasy. “I love big epics,” he says. “I grew up on Anne McCaffrey and Robert Jordan and these really great, meaty epic fantasy series, which are my first love… I always wanted to do one of those myself.”

Rhythm of War continues the story of a war between humans and the parshmen (the singers) who are the native species of the world of Roshar. As powers of old have returned, the humans and the spren (magical spirits attuned to certain emotions or elements) have begun to reform the Radiant Knights. The singers have joined with powers to become the Fused, hosts to ancient souls in modern bodies.

The human cast includes Kaladin, a surgeon who became a soldier, benched at the beginning of the book due to his PTSD; Shallan, a woman with dissociative identity disorder who is also a master illusionist working in tandem for the heroes and a secretive spy enclave that claims to have answers to the universe; Dalinar, a Bondsmith who can heighten the abilities of others (among other gifts), and who struggles against pressures to become a high king; Navani, his wife, a queen who is more an engineer; and many others. This volume also reveals the pasts of singer sisters Eshonai and Venli as, in the present, Venli develops a secret plan for the singers’ independence, free from both human and the Fused. 

The spren are one of the most fascinating fantasy inventions featured in the series, and their role is even more important in Rhythm of War as Shallan and her partner, Adolin, try to form a treaty with the honorspren to aid in the war. The spren, especially those who have bonded with humans, are reminiscent of the daemons from Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series, but they are also quite unique. Sanderson was partly inspired by Japanese kami, and the idea that everything has a spirit. In the world of The Stormlight Archive, the minds of people shape the energy of the world, the spirits that embody objects and emotions. By depicting the spren, Sanderson wants readers to immediately know they are in a fantastic world.

“When people have powerful emotions, they attract spren,” Sanderson explains. “They also fulfill a writerly need: a lot of times, as writers, we’re looking for [ways to] show, don’t tell.” The spren give Sanderson, he explains, a way to reveal the emotions of his characters without using cliched expressions and depictions, while at the same time heightening the sense of the world as fantastical. “It’s also just a lot of fun to write,” Sanderson adds.

Sanderson is well known for writing strong women. (In a favorite line from Rhythm of War, one character, trying to convince Kaladin to partner up, reminds him that he likes smart girls: “Is there really anyone who doesn’t like smart girls?” Kaladin immediately replies.) Sanderson’s inclusion of prominent female characters with agency as central protagonists in his work comes from the fantasy he grew up on: Anne McCaffrey, Barbara Hambly, and Melanie Rawn. The book that made him into a reader was Hambly’s Dragonsbane, which features a woman who gave up her career in magic to raise a family—a book that gave Sanderson insight into his mother’s own choices in life. When he finished, he recalls thinking: “Wait a minute, I think I just finished a fun story about slaying a dragon, and I think I understand my mom better.… That lesson stayed with me my whole life, and my whole career.”

Sanderson strives to create authentic depictions of characters outside his own experiences. “When I write characters, I try very hard to represent that character, and anything about them, as well as if that character could write, they would represent it,” Sanderson says. He hopes that when readers find a character they identify with, they read that character and think, of Sanderson: “Wow, he must be like me!” To do this, Sanderson relies on beta readers—especially in cases like Shallan’s dissociative identity disorder (DID). “DID is represented so poorly in storytelling,” Sanderson explains. “It’s really sensationalized a lot of times. I wanted to do it right.” It took many drafts and very patient beta readers to build Shallan into the fully fleshed-out character she has become.

While Rhythm of War has many moving pieces, it’s surprisingly accessible for readers who haven’t picked up previous volumes of The Stormlight Archive, while returning fans of course will feel right at home in Sanderson’s rich fantasy world. Sanderson intends all of his books to have a quality of completeness—he works to make sure that each novel has its own identity, and that the novels don’t blend in with each other. He did not design Rhythm of War with the intent that readers would pick it up first, but he’s pleased it also works that way. “I remember doing that as a kid,” he says, “not knowing the series even was a series, or not being able to find the first one, and being like, ‘Well, I’m just going to read this one.’ There’s actually a fun to that, a piecing things together.”

Readers who have been following The Stormlight Archive since The Way of Kings was released back in 2010 have been waiting eagerly (and patiently) for each volume; it’s been just over three years since the previous installment in the series, Oathbringer, was released. But, for some Sanderson fans, the wait for the series has been even longer. “Way back when I first sold Elantris,” Sanderson remembers, “my editor … said, ‘What else do you have?’” So Sanderson submitted The Way of Kings, though it was not quite ready for publishing—something the editor and Sanderson both agreed on. “Writing a 300,000-word novel is a special skill,” he explains, “and I had not practiced that specific skill yet.”

Somehow, Amazon got word that The Way of Kings existed and put up a listing for the title. As Sanderson became better known, he told fans that asked that he did plan to return to The Way of Kings, but in the meantime, fans started to post fake reviews for it, Sanderson says, complete with doctored customer photos. One fan created a book cover with an image of Elvis and a fake blurb from Terry Goodkind. Readers continued to express their eagerness with this sort of fannish love until the real version of The Way of Kings was published in 2010. (The fake listing has since been removed, after Sanderson made sure to take “copious screenshots.”)

Between the false listing and the publication, Sanderson worked on those skills to create a true epic. Part of the experience needed for such a creative feat came from taking on the final books of The Wheel of Time series after Robert Jordan’s death.

“I usually use the metaphor that I was like Sam carrying the Ring for a little bit to finish it off,” Sanderson jokes. “The Wheel of Time experience basically forced me to go to the writing books gym and lift weights much heavier than I was accustomed to.” (Sanderson’s work on completing the series led the current-in-development Wheel of Time Amazon television series team to enlist him as a consulting producer. He has read several of the scripts and given the team advice as needed. Though he is not able to reveal much about the project, Sanderson reports: “I really have enjoyed the process of enjoying with Rafe [Judkins], the showrunner, on the television show.”)

Working on The Wheel of Time book series helped Sanderson figure out what he wanted to accomplish with The Way of Kings and the subsequent books, avoiding some of the problems he’d identified in epic fantasy. With The Stormlight Archive, Sanderson explains, “I’ve tried to make it not feel slow. I’ve tried to make it feel like each book has its own soul.” 

As for the real series’ reception: “The fans just latched onto it immediately,” Sanderson says. The series itself has so many moving parts, it’s hard to make a good elevator pitch, so Sanderson claims the series’ fans had to already trust him in order to begin. He recalls the pre-internet days when readers never knew when a new book in their favorite series was coming out; now, with the immediacy and accessibility of the internet, Sanderson tries to be upfront with his readers that each Stormlight Archive book will appear about once every three years.

To “hopefully keep fans satiated between volumes,” Sanderson and his team have also included pages of original art, and beautiful front-paper and end-paper portraits in full color in the series. “Why is there not more art in books for adults?” Sanderson wonders. “Why do kids get all the art?” Including original paintings, diagrams, and illustrations reinforces Sanderson’s deep world-building. Reprints of the earlier books in the series have sometimes even had art added as readers have asked for more detail about particular aspects of the world.

Credit: Art by Ben McSweeney © Dragonsteel Entertainment, LLC

The series is planned to be ten books. “I do plan it to be two five-book arcs,” Sanderson explains. “Book five should bring us to a pretty major climactic moment in the series.” In the meantime, fans of Sanderson’s world can play in it themselves via the board game, Call to Adventure: The Stormlight Archive, which features over 150 cards with art based on the world. With so much world-building already done for The Stormlight Archive, fans may wonder if a tabletop role playing game, similar to the Mistborn Adventure Game from Crafty Games, based on another of Sanderson’s series, is in the works. “No immediate plans,” Sanderson says, “but I’m sure we’ll do one eventually.”

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Sanderson easily acknowledges the influences and inspirations of writers who have come before. “I have an advantage over a lot of the epic fantasy writers of my youth in that I got to read all of their books and see what was working and what wasn’t working,” he points out. But, in addition to building from other writers, Sanderson is dedicated to exploring the real world through his imaginary ones.

“Fantasy is wonderful escapism. This is why I love to read it,” he says. “But it is also a path to understanding other people. That’s what I love about fiction, and that’s what I love about fantasy in particular. It’s perhaps too lofty for me to aspire to change the world through my goofy fantasy novels, but I at least want to try to represent the world accurately so that, when you’re done with the book, if you’ve read about people different from yourself, you have come to understand them a little bit better.”

Rhythm of War is now available to buy wherever books are sold. You can find out more here.

The post Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive is Built on the Shoulders of Giants appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[lifelearningapps]

Mood Tookbox: Moodzie's Tips for Positivity

Being positive is something very beneficial for everyone really, however the fact is some people may be really positive, however many people are not, or struggle to become more positive individuals.  Moodzie has some tips on how to become more positive, and explain the benefits of being a more positive individual.

Research indicates happiness is more so a choice, rather than being a by-product of circumstances, as there are many people, who may have optimal circumstances to be feeling happy or fulfilled yet they still may feel deprived of something in their lives. Hence, we ourselves choose whether or not we wish to be happy or whether or not we want to feel depressed or out of order. Moodzie’s tips to being a more positive individual are firstly become more aware, as a lot of the times negative do not occur consciously meaning a lot of the times we are not even aware of them. As a positive thinker, you must always be aware, and whenever you may feel like you are getting a negative thought, just reverse it with something positive, as being a more aware individual can have great benefits. Furthermore, in order to receive more positive thoughts, we as humans must stop labelling our thoughts, in the sense as a society we always label something as either good or bad, rather we must take things in more organically. Moodzie personally hates labelling thoughts, as good or bad, as whenever Moodzie starts labelling his thoughts Moodzie become more stressed, which eventually leads to a more negative personality. Another tip to being more positive is, simply relax and meditate more, as meditation whether it be religious or spiritual is known to alleviate stress and help combat negative thoughts, people who meditate on a regular basis are more likely to be happy and satisfied within their lives, compared to those who do not. Lastly but certainly not least, Moodzie’s most important tip to being more positive, would be simply to surround yourself with more positive people. As the traditional quote, “you are who you associate with”, is surely true, and if you hang around people who may have a negative outlook of life, likelihood of you being similar, are quite high. Whereas if your friends or peers, are themselves positive and bright individuals, yourself you will also be more motivated to be the same, as peer influence especially at a young age has a dramatic influence on people. As Research indicates that toxic situations can be viral in a sense, if everyone around you is in a negative mood chances are so will you be, whereas if the opposite is true, you also will be in a positive mood. Hence in terms of pure benefit, the best tip to being more positive alongside the other beneficial tips would be to surround yourself with more positive people. .embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom:56.25%; height:0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;}

Tip 1: Use tools to help you to remain positive

(a) TUT: Notes from the universe 

Sign up for daily email reminders of life’s magic and your power! Notes from the Universe The Notes are brief emails sent to over 700,000 subscribers around the world... Try this course and the supporting facebook group is free!

TUT - The Universe Talks - Mike Dooley By the time you complete all 30 activities, you'll have a clearer understanding of what you really want, an expanded awareness of how the universe works, a deeper perspective on manifestation and your role in it, and tools you can immediately start using in the days and weeks ahead. 3 Tips to Help You Author a New Life Story Are you sick and tired of reliving the same story day in and day out? Are you ready to write a love story with your life? Then this one is for you. You say you want a new life, right? One with more freedom, more time, more money, more creation or ...

(b) Surround yourself with posters or pictures to remind you how great you are

15 Positive Affirmations for Kids and Children | Motivation | SuccessStory Most certainly, we can help our kids with instilling good values, confidence, focus and belief. Positive affirmations for children can do a lot to assist them in developing healthy self esteem. We can also target some for the purposes of having an easier time with their school work. Let Your Children Grow Children are blessings from the Universe. They are not their parents' possessions. They're individual bright spirits-old spiritual souls coming to have another human experience. They've chosen their parents for the lessons and challenges that they'll be given. They're here to teach us many things if we're open to learning from them.

(c) Read positive books to help you to remain cheerful

Below are some great choices Mood Toolbox by Natalie Clarke on iBooks Read a free sample or buy Mood Toolbox by Natalie Clarke. You can read this book with iBooks on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch or Mac. Dreams Come True, All They Need Is You JUST RELEASED! Mike Dooley's first children's book. During a nighttime dream, three young friends lift off in a hot air balloon "over the moon and past the stars" to a wonderland of dolphins, islands, and the simplest of rhyming life-lessons. Thank You, Angels! by Doreen Virtue - HayHouse | Hay House Ages 4 to 10 An introduction to angels for your children. Bestselling author and 'angel lady' Doreen Virtue has written her first book for children! Thank You, Angels introduces young children to the world of angels and teaches them how these heavenly beings can help them in many ways. One Good Deed (null) Have You Filled a Bucket Today? | Bucket Fillers Have You Filled a Bucket Today? is an award winning book by Carol McCloud for ages 4 - 9 and older and is a basic teaching tool that encourages positive behavior  An enlightening children's book to children about love, joy and the law of attraction.

Palloncino is a series of  books (26 page booklet with text and colored illustrations) that can be animated to become a movie-cartoon. Starring  Palloncino is a small hot air balloon, born from the deep desire for love and joy of Pallamamma (Mother balloon) and Pallababbo (Fatherballoon), the parents. After the first few episodes, Palloncino will meet fellow travelers, including Palloncina (a girlfriend), with whom he will share his experiences. In addition to his parents, there are also Pallanonno (Grandfatherballoon), Pallanonna (Grandmotherballoon), Pallazio (Uncleballoon) and Pallazia (Auntballoon). There are a number of fantastic scenarios such as the planet of the colors, where he will meet the brushes that paint their own planet, to explain the importance of the vibration of colour. Palloncino speaks and interacts with flowers, clouds and all the life presents in the Garden of Wonders, because everything around him is animated and has a peculiar talent from which he always learns something good. Teachings During his flights and adventures, Palloncino learns and remembers how to become a deliberate creator of his life experience. The episode that explain the Law of Attraction is titled “Fantasy (Fantasia)”. Cascate di Luce, Shine your Light | Sito ufficiale degli autori Elena Puntaroli e Lorenzo Sbrinci, fondatori di "Cascate di Luce" Cascate di Luce è fonte di ispirazione, conoscenza, gioia e benessere ... Cascate di Luce offre una visione cristallina e innovativa su emozioni, pensieri, relazioni e senso della vita: è un modo meraviglioso per scoprire te stesso e le tue infinite possibilità. Sei qui per far brillare la tua Luce, esprimendoti e realizzando i tuoi sogni ... I Think, I Am! by Louise Hay - HayHouse | Hay House Buy I Think, I Am! by Louise Hay now! Ages 4 to 10 Your Magical Life - NEW Children's Book This offer is valid while the promotion lasts. Here's how to get them: Just email your order confirmation receipt from TUT, Amazon, Barnes&Noble, or any other bookstore to love@tut.com and we'll send you these free gifts. I am here to remind you, YOU are Powerful and Adored Big Hugs xxx I am here to remind you, YOU are Powerful and Adored Big Hugs xxx

(d) Watch positive movies and games  to improve your mood

10 Positive TV and Movies for Kids By Joe Cavanaugh One evening at home, I was surfing through Netflix for something to watch with my nine year-old daughter, Tess, and I found what I thought was the perfect thing - the original "Star Trek." It was one of my favorite shows as a kid and I was excited to share it with my daughter.

Tip 2: Practice positive self talk

Review: Affies4Kids Resources (Teach Children Positive Self Talk) - Moments A Day Update: All videos can now be found on the Affies4Kids youtube channel. I am always looking for new materials that will help me add character building into my family's daily routine, so I was very excited when I learned about Affies4Kids.

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[araitsume]

The Desire of Ages, pp. 829-835: Chapter (87) “To My Father, and Your Father”

This chapter is based on Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:9-12. 

The time had come for Christ to ascend to His Father's throne. As a divine conqueror He was about to return with the trophies of victory to the heavenly courts. Before His death He had declared to His Father, “I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do.” John 17:4. After His resurrection He tarried on earth for a season, that His disciples might become familiar with Him in His risen and glorified body. Now He was ready for the leave-taking. He had authenticated the fact that He was a living Saviour. His disciples need no longer associate Him with the tomb. They could think of Him as glorified before the heavenly universe.

As the place of His ascension, Jesus chose the spot so often hallowed by His presence while He dwelt among men. Not Mount Zion, the place of David's city, not Mount Moriah, the temple site, was to be thus honored. There Christ had been mocked and rejected. There the waves of mercy, still returning in a stronger tide of love, had been beaten back by hearts as hard as rock. Thence Jesus, weary and heart-burdened, had gone forth to find rest in the Mount of Olives. The holy Shekinah, in departing from the first temple, had stood upon the eastern mountain, as if loath to forsake the chosen city; so Christ stood upon Olivet, with yearning heart overlooking Jerusalem. The groves and glens of the mountain had been consecrated by His prayers and tears. Its steeps had echoed the triumphant shouts of the multitude that proclaimed Him king. On its sloping descent He had found a home with Lazarus at Bethany. In the garden of Gethsemane at its foot He had prayed and agonized alone. From this mountain He was to ascend to heaven. Upon its summit His feet will rest when He shall come again. Not as a man of sorrows, but as a glorious and triumphant king He will stand upon Olivet, while Hebrew hallelujahs mingle with Gentile hosannas, and the voices of the redeemed as a mighty host shall swell the acclamation, Crown Him Lord of all!

Now with the eleven disciples Jesus made His way toward the mountain. As they passed through the gate of Jerusalem, many wondering eyes looked upon the little company, led by One whom a few weeks before the rulers had condemned and crucified. The disciples knew not that this was to be their last interview with their Master. Jesus spent the time in conversation with them, repeating His former instruction. As they approached Gethsemane, He paused, that they might call to mind the lessons He had given them on the night of His great agony. Again He looked upon the vine by which He had then represented the union of His church with Himself and His Father; again He repeated the truths He had then unfolded. All around Him were reminders of His unrequited love. Even the disciples who were so dear to His heart, had, in the hour of His humiliation, reproached and forsaken Him.

Christ had sojourned in the world for thirty-three years; He had endured its scorn, insult, and mockery; He had been rejected and crucified. Now, when about to ascend to His throne of glory,—as He reviews the ingratitude of the people He came to save,—will He not withdraw from them His sympathy and love? Will not His affections be centered upon that realm where He is appreciated, and where sinless angels wait to do His bidding? No; His promise to those loved ones whom He leaves on earth is, “I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” Matthew 28:20.

Upon reaching the Mount of Olives, Jesus led the way across the summit, to the vicinity of Bethany. Here He paused, and the disciples gathered about Him. Beams of light seemed to radiate from His countenance as He looked lovingly upon them. He upbraided them not for their faults and failures; words of the deepest tenderness were the last that fell upon their ears from the lips of their Lord. With hands outstretched in blessing, and as if in assurance of His protecting care, He slowly ascended from among them, drawn heavenward by a power stronger than any earthly attraction. As He passed upward, the awe-stricken disciples looked with straining eyes for the last glimpse of their ascending Lord. A cloud of glory hid Him from their sight; and the words came back to them as the cloudy chariot of angels received Him, “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” At the same time there floated down to them the sweetest and most joyous music from the angel choir.

While the disciples were still gazing upward, voices addressed them which sounded like richest music. They turned, and saw two angels in the form of men, who spoke to them, saying, “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven.”

These angels were of the company that had been waiting in a shining cloud to escort Jesus to His heavenly home. The most exalted of the angel throng, they were the two who had come to the tomb at Christ's resurrection, and they had been with Him throughout His life on earth. With eager desire all heaven had waited for the end of His tarrying in a world marred by the curse of sin. The time had now come for the heavenly universe to receive their King. Did not the two angels long to join the throng that welcomed Jesus? But in sympathy and love for those whom He had left, they waited to give them comfort. “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” Hebrews 1:14.

Christ had ascended to heaven in the form of humanity. The disciples had beheld the cloud receive Him. The same Jesus who had walked and talked and prayed with them; who had broken bread with them; who had been with them in their boats on the lake; and who had that very day toiled with them up the ascent of Olivet,—the same Jesus had now gone to share His Father's throne. And the angels had assured them that the very One whom they had seen go up into heaven, would come again even as He had ascended. He will come “with clouds; and every eye shall see Him.” “The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise.” “The Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory.” Revelation 1:7; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; Matthew 25:31. Thus will be fulfilled the Lord's own promise to His disciples: “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14:3. Well might the disciples rejoice in the hope of their Lord's return.

When the disciples went back to Jerusalem, the people looked upon them with amazement. After the trial and crucifixion of Christ, it had been thought that they would appear downcast and ashamed. Their enemies expected to see upon their faces an expression of sorrow and defeat. Instead of this there was only gladness and triumph. Their faces were aglow with a happiness not born of earth. They did not mourn over disappointed hopes, but were full of praise and thanksgiving to God. With rejoicing they told the wonderful story of Christ's resurrection and His ascension to heaven, and their testimony was received by many.

The disciples no longer had any distrust of the future. They knew that Jesus was in heaven, and that His sympathies were with them still. They knew that they had a friend at the throne of God, and they were eager to present their requests to the Father in the name of Jesus. In solemn awe they bowed in prayer, repeating the assurance, “Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.” John 16:23, 24. They extended the hand of faith higher and higher, with the mighty argument, “It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” Romans 8:34. And Pentecost brought them fullness of joy in the presence of the Comforter, even as Christ had promised.

All heaven was waiting to welcome the Saviour to the celestial courts. As He ascended, He led the way, and the multitude of captives set free at His resurrection followed. The heavenly host, with shouts and acclamations of praise and celestial song, attended the joyous train.

As they drew near to the city of God, the challenge is given by the escorting angels,—

“Lift up your heads, O ye gates; And be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; And the King of glory shall come in.”

Joyfully the waiting sentinels respond,—

“Who is this King of glory?”

This they say, not because they know not who He is, but because they would hear the answer of exalted praise,—

“The Lord strong and mighty, The Lord mighty in battle! Lift up your heads, O ye gates; Even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; And the King of glory shall come in.”

Again is heard the challenge, “Who is this King of glory?” for the angels never weary of hearing His name exalted. The escorting angels make reply,—

“The Lord of hosts; He is the King of glory.” Psalm 24:7-10.

Then the portals of the city of God are opened wide, and the angelic throng sweep through the gates amid a burst of rapturous music.

There is the throne, and around it the rainbow of promise. There are cherubim and seraphim. The commanders of the angel hosts, the sons of God, the representatives of the unfallen worlds, are assembled. The heavenly council before which Lucifer had accused God and His Son, the representatives of those sinless realms over which Satan had thought to establish his dominion,—all are there to welcome the Redeemer. They are eager to celebrate His triumph and to glorify their King.

But He waves them back. Not yet; He cannot now receive the coronet of glory and the royal robe. He enters into the presence of His Father. He points to His wounded head, the pierced side, the marred feet; He lifts His hands, bearing the print of nails. He points to the tokens of His triumph; He presents to God the wave sheaf, those raised with Him as representatives of that great multitude who shall come forth from the grave at His second coming. He approaches the Father, with whom there is joy over one sinner that repents; who rejoices over one with singing. Before the foundations of the earth were laid, the Father and the Son had united in a covenant to redeem man if he should be overcome by Satan. They had clasped Their hands in a solemn pledge that Christ should become the surety for the human race. This pledge Christ has fulfilled. When upon the cross He cried out, “It is finished,” He addressed the Father. The compact had been fully carried out. Now He declares: Father, it is finished. I have done Thy will, O My God. I have completed the work of redemption. If Thy justice is satisfied, “I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am.” John 19:30; 17:24.

The voice of God is heard proclaiming that justice is satisfied. Satan is vanquished. Christ's toiling, struggling ones on earth are “accepted in the Beloved.” Ephesians 1:6. Before the heavenly angels and the representatives of unfallen worlds, they are declared justified. Where He is, there His church shall be. “Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.” Psalm 85:10. The Father's arms encircle His Son, and the word is given, “Let all the angels of God worship Him.” Hebrews 1:6.

With joy unutterable, rulers and principalities and powers acknowledge the supremacy of the Prince of life. The angel host prostrate themselves before Him, while the glad shout fills all the courts of heaven, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.” Revelation 5:12.

Songs of triumph mingle with the music from angel harps, till heaven seems to overflow with joy and praise. Love has conquered. The lost is found. Heaven rings with voices in lofty strains proclaiming, “Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever.” Revelation 5:13.

*****

From that scene of heavenly joy, there comes back to us on earth the echo of Christ's own wonderful words, “I ascend unto My Father, and your Father; and to My God, and your God.” John 20:17. The family of heaven and the family of earth are one. For us our Lord ascended, and for us He lives. “Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.” Hebrews 7:25.

[dailybiblelessons]

The Thirty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

This week's blog post is here. It has a review of The Complete Jewish Bible (which has both testaments), and some perspective on what often seems like John the Evangelist's anti-Semitism.

More information about the complementary and semi-continuous series is here: Which Series?

Complementary Hebrew Scripture from The Writings: Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14

As I watched, thrones were set in place,  and an Ancient One took his throne, his clothing was white as snow,  and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames,  and its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued  and flowed out from his presence. A thousand thousands served him,  and ten thousand times ten thousand stood attending him. The court sat in judgment,  and the books were opened.

As I watched in the night visions,

I saw one like a human being  coming with the clouds of heaven. And he came to the Ancient One  and was presented before him. To him was given dominion  and glory and kingship, that all peoples, nations, and languages  should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion  that shall not pass away, and his kingship is one  that shall never be destroyed.¹

¹This passage is part of the description of the coming of the Son of Man in Matthew 24:29-31, Mark 13:24-27, and Luke 21:25-28. Jesus also uses it in his response to the high priest in Matthew 26:59-68 and Mark 14:53-65. It also appears three times in Revelation Revelation 1:4-7 (an exclamation by John), Revelation 1:12-14 (describing the voice speaking to John), and Revelation 14:14-16 (a description of the reaper of the earth).

Semi-continuous Hebrew Scripture: 2 Samuel 23:1-7

Now these are the last words of David:

The oracle of David, son of Jesse,  the oracle of the man whom God exalted, the anointed of the God of Jacob,  the favorite of the Strong One of Israel:

The spirit of the Lord speaks through me,  his word is upon my tongue. The God of Israel has spoken,  the Rock of Israel has said to me: One who rules over people justly,  ruling in the fear of God, is like the light of morning,  like the sun rising on a cloudless morning,  gleaming from the rain on the grassy land.

Is not my house like this with God?  For he has made with me an everlasting covenant,  ordered in all things and secure. Will he not cause to prosper  all my help and my desire? But the godless are all like thorns that are thrown away;  for they cannot be picked up with the hand; to touch them one uses an iron bar  or the shaft of a spear.  And they are entirely consumed in fire on the spot.

Complementary Psalm 93

The Lord is king,he is robed in majesty;  the Lord is robed,  he is girded with strength. He has established the world; it shall never be moved;  your throne is established from of old;  you are from everlasting.

The floods have lifted up, O Lord,  the floods have lifted up their voice;  the floods lift up their roaring. More majestic than the thunders of mighty waters,  more majestic than the waves of the sea,  majestic on high is the Lord!

Your decrees are very sure;  holiness befits your house,  O Lord, forevermore.

Semi-continuous Psalm 132

O Lord, remember in David's favor  all the hardships he endured; how he swore to the Lord  and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob, “I will not enter my house  or get into my bed; I will not give sleep to my eyes  or slumber to my eyelids, until I find a place for the Lord,  a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

We heard of it in Ephrathah;  we found it in the fields of Jaar. “Let us go to his dwelling place;  let us worship at his footstool.”

Rise up, O Lord, and go to your resting place,  you and the ark of your might. Let your priests be clothed with righteousness,  and let your faithful shout for joy. For your servant David's sake  do not turn away the face of your anointed one.

The Lord swore to David a sure oath  from which he will not turn back: “One of the sons of your body  I will set on your throne. If your sons keep my covenant  and my decrees that I shall teach them, their sons also, forevermore,  shall sit on your throne.”

For the Lord has chosen Zion;  he has desired it for his habitation: “This is my resting place forever;  here I will reside, for I have desired it. I will abundantly bless its provisions;  I will satisfy its poor with bread. Its priests I will clothe with salvation,  and its faithful will shout for joy. There I will cause a horn to sprout up for David;  I have prepared a lamp for my anointed one. His enemies I will clothe with disgrace,  but on him, his crown will gleam.”

New Testament Lesson: Revelation 1:4b-8

Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Look! He is coming with the clouds;¹  every eye will see him, even those who pierced him;  and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail.²

So it is to be. Amen.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

¹Daniel 7:13   ²Zechariah 12:10

New Testament Gospel Lesson: John 18:33-37

Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?” Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”

Year B Ordinary 34 Sunday

Selections from Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings copyright © 1995 by the Consultation on Common Texts. Unless otherwise indicated, Bible text is from Holy Bible New Revised Standard Version with the Apocryphal / Deuterocanonical Books (NRSV) copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All right reserved. Footnotes in the Hebrew Scriptures that show where the passage is used in the Christian Scriptures are based on information from the Complete Jewish Bible (Updated) (CJB) by David H. Stern, Copyright © 1998 and 2006 by David H. Stern, used by permission of Messianic Jewish Publishers, www.messianicjewish.net. All rights reserved worldwide. When text is taken from the CJB, the passage ends with (CJB) and the foregoing copyright notice applies. Footnotes in the Christian Scriptures that show where a passage from the Hebrew Scripture is used are from The The Holy Bible: New International Version ® (NIV®), copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. When text is taken from the NIV, the passage ends with (NIV) and the foregoing copyright notice applies. Note: The links in the titles above take you to Amazon, where you can purchase them and benefit The Lectionary Company.

Image credit: Alpha and Omega by Pixabay user Philip Barrington, via Pixabay. This is a public domain image. Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet, and Omega is the last.

[sparklingperiwinkle-blog1]

A streak of love

1:11am, I have an exam later-- yes, later, at 1pm-- and I should be studying,  but my mind couldn’t absorb a single bit of any lesson in my computer course for whatever reason. Since the last few days, something has been bothering me and I could not fathom, or even put into words what exactly it is. All I know is that it stops me from doing the things I should be doing, it made my anxiety even worse (which I was already battling out from myself), it made so sensitive and fragile with other people that even the slightest inconvenience would either make me so mad or cry or both, and worse I tear up so easily for no specific reason, which is unusual for me. 

Maybe school has been too much for me, and the more I get to see how much is demanded from me, the less I become motivated. And it sucks, big time. No comforting words from my friends whom I rely on could lessen my burden anymore. I even get so easily distracted while praying. Everything I used to be and used to do so good doesn’t work with me now. Nothing seems to make me happy anymore.

1:11am, 10th of October, 2017, it was just 10 days after I became 19 years old. 19 years filled with good-- no great memories that molded to become the person I am now. But this post isn’t about me or does it have anything to do with my 19 memory-filled years. It was when I’ve had enough with my review that I decided to go on facebook and scrolled down my timeline. There, I saw the people I love shared posts and it reminded me of how much my life is filled with love and that I have no reason at all to give up because there are people who believes in me and everything I do, is for them. This time again, I cried, but not like the tears from the past few days, but tears of love and joy and of how God is truly amazing for showing me a great reminder to keep going.

1:11am, since I could not even understand anything from what I am reviewing, I decided to make a streak of love post messages to every single one who makes my life worth living and fighting for:

Mama: My best friend, my sister, my teacher, my companion, my Wonderwoman, I love you.  I don’t get to say these words to you often, especially in person, but Mama I truly do love you so much. And thank you; thank you for waking up earlier than me everyday to prepare my food for school, you’ve been doing this for over 20 years now, but there’s not a single one that you’ve failed to do so, except when we didn’t alarm the night before. Thank you, not just for bringing me up to this world, but for helping and guiding me survive this challenging life. I don’t think I would be able to get through anything if it weren’t for your constant support and delivery of my needs. Ever since I was just in preparatory, I have always seen you there for me and that is why until now in my tertiary, I still keep fighting and struggling to make you and Papa proud. Thank you for everything, Ma. For always keeping up with my ‘kaartehan’ and understanding all of it. Just like what I once said in my birthday post to you, I will always look up to you, no matter how far I may go. People always say great things about me, but they don’t know you one of the few people whom I got if from. And can I just say how beautiful you are? Because you truly are! 47 has never looked so beautiful and I am so grateful people say we look so much alike. I wish I could be half as great as you are as a woman, or especially as a mother, when I become older. Everything about you is just magical and wonderful and I am so grateful because I have you, better, as my mama, and I wouldn’t replace you for anyone in this world, because you are more than what I could ask for. 

Papa: The first guy I truly love, no other guy can replace you. I could not imagine your struggles, hardships and battles while on board, longing for everyone here in Ph, facing your bossy bosses and demanding job and all of it for almost 20 years just to keep us alive and provide our needs. Papa, thank you isn’t enough, not even a million of it, for your sacrifice and unfathomable love for us. You are one of the most selfless person I know and I will always be in awe of how you are able to endure all of it, to the extent of you not having a single bite just so that we could have the whole bread for us. I am pretty sure characteristics are genetic and maybe that’s why Kuya’s and I are so determined and hardworking as well when it comes to our studies, because we can see it from you alone. True enough, whenever I encounter hardships with my acads and feel like I just want to give up, I just think of you, on board, cooking, chopping and doing everything  for us so that we can have a good life. I just think of it all and my spirit automatically lifts up and so, I am determined to go because that was what you always tell us, you endure all of it and put us first in everything because that’s how much you love us. That kind of love is one of the best kind and I don’t think I will be able to encompass that. Out of all my idols, you are on top of it all and I will always be in awe and gratitude for you. We may have so many plans after I graduate, and as much as possible, I don’t want to make any promises, but that doesn’t mean I will let you down once I graduate, but I promise you one thing for certain; once I graduate and have a stable and decent job, you will never miss a single celebration with us from that moment on. We will be celebrating all the forthcoming events, all 7 of us, complete and together. I love you with every bits of me and you will always be the no. 1 man in my heart “now and forever”.

[mmjohnmasteryjournal-blog]

Life Mastery

Randy Pausch died at age 47 of complications from pancreatic cancer. Before his death in 2007, the Carnegie Mellon University professor gave his world-famous last lecture (Martin, 2008). The concept of a ‘last lecture’ was not a new one. Professors are routinely asked to give a theoretical ’last lecture’ of wisdom they would impart if they knew it was their last chance (Martin, 2008). But, when Pausch stood up to give his last lecture in 2007, he was acting on more than just theory. Doctors had given the bright, young professor just six months to live (Martin, 2008; Pausch, 2008).

A condensed version of Pausch’s last lecture can be found on Youtube. The talk has inspired many lives around the world, including my own. As Pausch talked about the lessons he learned about success and happiness, it struck me how much his words resonated. As I take on my journey of mastery in the field of Internet Marketing, I know mastery in any subject or field is secondary to mastery of life. And that is exactly what Pausch taught me: how I could master life itself.

Hard Lessons

Much of my life has been marked with deep levels of shame. Shame for my poor background, shame for my unusual upbringing and shame for the tremulousness that marked much of my life. But in 2015, things were finally starting to look up for me. I had bought my first car, landed my first decent job out of college, published my first book and met the man of my dreams. For the first time in my life, a shimmer of pride started churning in my chest. Little did I know I would lose all of these things in a year.

2016 gripped me by the throat. Trouble at work pushed me out of my job. I got in an embittered fight with HR over what I believed was unchecked harassment from a male supervisor. I had broken up with my ‘dream man’ after he told me my chronic illness was too much for him to handle. My book sold only six copies and received poor reviews. After all the hard work I had done, I landed back on square one, in an even worse position than I had been pre-2015.

Pausch (2008) says in his lecture that the brick walls of life are not there to keep us out, but to show us how much we want something. The only thing that kept me afloat was faith in myself. I had a lot of dreams and goals. I did not want to be defined by the victimhood that stalked me for much of 2016. I was determined to move beyond that label, to look beyond what happened to me.

In his book Mastery, Robert Greene talks about going through the process of creative breakthrough. It is only through moments of tension, he claims, that you can find a inspiration (Greene, 2012, p.184). He writes:

Go as far as you can with your doubts, your reworkings, and your strained efforts, knowing the value and purpose of the frustration and creative blocks you are facing. (Greene, 2012, p. 200)

I continually challenge myself to look for opportunity in times of stress. This is life mastery. I drowned myself with ambition, and improved my situation scholastically and career-wise in 2016. Like Greene said, I needed to look at things creatively. I needed to look at phenomenon from several different angles, noticing something I missed because I only looked straight on (Greene, 2012, p. 190).

Life mastery also involves knowing when to take a break. Because of everything I went through in 2016, I spoke with my therapist and agreed to take a month off to have fun. Pausch (2008) states in his last lecture that we should have fun all of the time. Having a sense of awe is a trait we have in childhood and often abandon with age. I could have felt guilty for spending a month simply taking hikes everyday and going on weekend trips, but I knew I needed a break. A lot had happened and I needed the time off to process everything. I abandoned the idea that I had to do something ‘now’. I needed first and foremost to take care of myself. Greene (2012) states in Mastery that we should “maintain an openness and looseness of spirit” (p.184). It is during this time of ‘nothingness’ that we are most creative. I drafted the novel for my second book in my month of inactivity, feeling a sudden burst of creative energy. Life mastery calls for times of quiet, stillness and fun.

During this time, I was encouraged by my therapist to make a gratitude journal. No matter how I was feeling, at the start of every day I wrote three things for which I was grateful. This exercise did much in lifting my mood at what could have been the most depressing time of my life. Like Pausch (2008) says in his lecture, don’t complain, work harder and show gratitude. I have found in my own life implementing this mindset helped me tremendously.

Learning Mastery

This mindset is reflected in one of the stories recounted by Greene in his book Mastery. The story is of John Coltran, a jazz musician and master saxophonist. Before becoming a master, Coltran spent ten years learning the methods and techniques of those who went before him. When it came to producing independent, solo pieces, a young Coltran floundered. He had a strange style of playing and would often resort to mimicking established saxophonists. Eventually, Coltran strange style of playing became appreciated, a style for which he is famously remembered (Greene, 2012, p. 205-208). None of this could have happened until he first mastered the techniques of music. Coltran did not complain, but worked harder and showed gratitude to the ones that came before.

There is a lot that I can learn in my own life from Coltran about mastering life. I have been writing full novels since I was about thirteen years old, spending years pouring over books and writings on mastering the craft. Yet, after all of those years practicing technique, when it came to producing my own independent work, I floundered. Perhaps, like Coltran one day people will become accosted to my ‘strange style’ of writing. But as with all things, it will take patience and practice. I am willing to go the distance as a novelist, as a student and eventually, as a Market Researcher.

References:

Greene, R. Mastery. Penguin Books, (2012). VitalBook file.

Martin, D. (2008, July 26). Robert Pausch, 47, Dies; His ‘Last Lecture’ Inspired       Many to Live with Wonder. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/26/us/26pausch.html

Pausch, R. (2008, May 26). Randy Pausch - The Last Lecture reprised. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BODHsU3hDo4

[lifelearningapps]

Mood Tookbox: Moodzie's Tips for Positivity

Being positive is something very beneficial for everyone really, however the fact is some people may be really positive, however many people are not, or struggle to become more positive individuals.  Moodzie has some tips on how to become more positive, and explain the benefits of being a more positive individual.

Research indicates happiness is more so a choice, rather than being a by-product of circumstances, as there are many people, who may have optimal circumstances to be feeling happy or fulfilled yet they still may feel deprived of something in their lives. Hence, we ourselves choose whether or not we wish to be happy or whether or not we want to feel depressed or out of order. Moodzie’s tips to being a more positive individual are firstly become more aware, as a lot of the times negative do not occur consciously meaning a lot of the times we are not even aware of them. As a positive thinker, you must always be aware, and whenever you may feel like you are getting a negative thought, just reverse it with something positive, as being a more aware individual can have great benefits. Furthermore, in order to receive more positive thoughts, we as humans must stop labelling our thoughts, in the sense as a society we always label something as either good or bad, rather we must take things in more organically. Moodzie personally hates labelling thoughts, as good or bad, as whenever Moodzie starts labelling his thoughts Moodzie become more stressed, which eventually leads to a more negative personality. Another tip to being more positive is, simply relax and meditate more, as meditation whether it be religious or spiritual is known to alleviate stress and help combat negative thoughts, people who meditate on a regular basis are more likely to be happy and satisfied within their lives, compared to those who do not. Lastly but certainly not least, Moodzie’s most important tip to being more positive, would be simply to surround yourself with more positive people. As the traditional quote, “you are who you associate with”, is surely true, and if you hang around people who may have a negative outlook of life, likelihood of you being similar, are quite high. Whereas if your friends or peers, are themselves positive and bright individuals, yourself you will also be more motivated to be the same, as peer influence especially at a young age has a dramatic influence on people. As Research indicates that toxic situations can be viral in a sense, if everyone around you is in a negative mood chances are so will you be, whereas if the opposite is true, you also will be in a positive mood. Hence in terms of pure benefit, the best tip to being more positive alongside the other beneficial tips would be to surround yourself with more positive people. .embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom:56.25%; height:0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;}

Tip 1: Use tools to help you to remain positive

(a) TUT: Notes from the universe 

Sign up for daily email reminders of life’s magic and your power! Notes from the Universe The Notes are brief emails sent to over 700,000 subscribers around the world... Try this course and the supporting facebook group is free!

TUT - The Universe Talks - Mike Dooley By the time you complete all 30 activities, you'll have a clearer understanding of what you really want, an expanded awareness of how the universe works, a deeper perspective on manifestation and your role in it, and tools you can immediately start using in the days and weeks ahead. 3 Tips to Help You Author a New Life Story Are you sick and tired of reliving the same story day in and day out? Are you ready to write a love story with your life? Then this one is for you. You say you want a new life, right? One with more freedom, more time, more money, more creation or ...

(b) Surround yourself with posters or pictures to remind you how great you are

15 Positive Affirmations for Kids and Children | Motivation | SuccessStory Most certainly, we can help our kids with instilling good values, confidence, focus and belief. Positive affirmations for children can do a lot to assist them in developing healthy self esteem. We can also target some for the purposes of having an easier time with their school work. Let Your Children Grow Children are blessings from the Universe. They are not their parents' possessions. They're individual bright spirits-old spiritual souls coming to have another human experience. They've chosen their parents for the lessons and challenges that they'll be given. They're here to teach us many things if we're open to learning from them.

(c) Read positive books to help you to remain cheerful

Below are some great choices Mood Toolbox by Natalie Clarke on iBooks Read a free sample or buy Mood Toolbox by Natalie Clarke. You can read this book with iBooks on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch or Mac. Dreams Come True, All They Need Is You JUST RELEASED! Mike Dooley's first children's book. During a nighttime dream, three young friends lift off in a hot air balloon "over the moon and past the stars" to a wonderland of dolphins, islands, and the simplest of rhyming life-lessons. Thank You, Angels! by Doreen Virtue - HayHouse | Hay House Ages 4 to 10 An introduction to angels for your children. Bestselling author and 'angel lady' Doreen Virtue has written her first book for children! Thank You, Angels introduces young children to the world of angels and teaches them how these heavenly beings can help them in many ways. One Good Deed (null) Have You Filled a Bucket Today? | Bucket Fillers Have You Filled a Bucket Today? is an award winning book by Carol McCloud for ages 4 - 9 and older and is a basic teaching tool that encourages positive behavior  An enlightening children's book to children about love, joy and the law of attraction.

Palloncino is a series of  books (26 page booklet with text and colored illustrations) that can be animated to become a movie-cartoon. Starring  Palloncino is a small hot air balloon, born from the deep desire for love and joy of Pallamamma (Mother balloon) and Pallababbo (Fatherballoon), the parents. After the first few episodes, Palloncino will meet fellow travelers, including Palloncina (a girlfriend), with whom he will share his experiences. In addition to his parents, there are also Pallanonno (Grandfatherballoon), Pallanonna (Grandmotherballoon), Pallazio (Uncleballoon) and Pallazia (Auntballoon). There are a number of fantastic scenarios such as the planet of the colors, where he will meet the brushes that paint their own planet, to explain the importance of the vibration of colour. Palloncino speaks and interacts with flowers, clouds and all the life presents in the Garden of Wonders, because everything around him is animated and has a peculiar talent from which he always learns something good. Teachings During his flights and adventures, Palloncino learns and remembers how to become a deliberate creator of his life experience. The episode that explain the Law of Attraction is titled “Fantasy (Fantasia)”. Cascate di Luce, Shine your Light | Sito ufficiale degli autori Elena Puntaroli e Lorenzo Sbrinci, fondatori di "Cascate di Luce" Cascate di Luce è fonte di ispirazione, conoscenza, gioia e benessere ... Cascate di Luce offre una visione cristallina e innovativa su emozioni, pensieri, relazioni e senso della vita: è un modo meraviglioso per scoprire te stesso e le tue infinite possibilità. Sei qui per far brillare la tua Luce, esprimendoti e realizzando i tuoi sogni ... I Think, I Am! by Louise Hay - HayHouse | Hay House Buy I Think, I Am! by Louise Hay now! Ages 4 to 10 Your Magical Life - NEW Children's Book This offer is valid while the promotion lasts. Here's how to get them: Just email your order confirmation receipt from TUT, Amazon, Barnes&Noble, or any other bookstore to love@tut.com and we'll send you these free gifts. I am here to remind you, YOU are Powerful and Adored Big Hugs xxx I am here to remind you, YOU are Powerful and Adored Big Hugs xxx

(d) Watch positive movies and games  to improve your mood

10 Positive TV and Movies for Kids By Joe Cavanaugh One evening at home, I was surfing through Netflix for something to watch with my nine year-old daughter, Tess, and I found what I thought was the perfect thing - the original "Star Trek." It was one of my favorite shows as a kid and I was excited to share it with my daughter.

Tip 2: Practice positive self talk

Review: Affies4Kids Resources (Teach Children Positive Self Talk) - Moments A Day Update: All videos can now be found on the Affies4Kids youtube channel. I am always looking for new materials that will help me add character building into my family's daily routine, so I was very excited when I learned about Affies4Kids.

Join our facebook group: Tips for Living

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || ).push({}); Read the full article

[lifelearningapps]

Mood Tookbox: Moodzie's Tips for Positivity

Being positive is something very beneficial for everyone really, however the fact is some people may be really positive, however many people are not, or struggle to become more positive individuals.  Moodzie has some tips on how to become more positive, and explain the benefits of being a more positive individual.

Research indicates happiness is more so a choice, rather than being a by-product of circumstances, as there are many people, who may have optimal circumstances to be feeling happy or fulfilled yet they still may feel deprived of something in their lives. Hence, we ourselves choose whether or not we wish to be happy or whether or not we want to feel depressed or out of order. Moodzie’s tips to being a more positive individual are firstly become more aware, as a lot of the times negative do not occur consciously meaning a lot of the times we are not even aware of them. As a positive thinker, you must always be aware, and whenever you may feel like you are getting a negative thought, just reverse it with something positive, as being a more aware individual can have great benefits. Furthermore, in order to receive more positive thoughts, we as humans must stop labelling our thoughts, in the sense as a society we always label something as either good or bad, rather we must take things in more organically. Moodzie personally hates labelling thoughts, as good or bad, as whenever Moodzie starts labelling his thoughts Moodzie become more stressed, which eventually leads to a more negative personality. Another tip to being more positive is, simply relax and meditate more, as meditation whether it be religious or spiritual is known to alleviate stress and help combat negative thoughts, people who meditate on a regular basis are more likely to be happy and satisfied within their lives, compared to those who do not. Lastly but certainly not least, Moodzie’s most important tip to being more positive, would be simply to surround yourself with more positive people. As the traditional quote, “you are who you associate with”, is surely true, and if you hang around people who may have a negative outlook of life, likelihood of you being similar, are quite high. Whereas if your friends or peers, are themselves positive and bright individuals, yourself you will also be more motivated to be the same, as peer influence especially at a young age has a dramatic influence on people. As Research indicates that toxic situations can be viral in a sense, if everyone around you is in a negative mood chances are so will you be, whereas if the opposite is true, you also will be in a positive mood. Hence in terms of pure benefit, the best tip to being more positive alongside the other beneficial tips would be to surround yourself with more positive people. .embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom:56.25%; height:0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;}

Tip 1: Use tools to help you to remain positive

(a) TUT: Notes from the universe 

Sign up for daily email reminders of life’s magic and your power! Notes from the Universe The Notes are brief emails sent to over 700,000 subscribers around the world... Try this course and the supporting facebook group is free!

TUT - The Universe Talks - Mike Dooley By the time you complete all 30 activities, you'll have a clearer understanding of what you really want, an expanded awareness of how the universe works, a deeper perspective on manifestation and your role in it, and tools you can immediately start using in the days and weeks ahead. 3 Tips to Help You Author a New Life Story Are you sick and tired of reliving the same story day in and day out? Are you ready to write a love story with your life? Then this one is for you. You say you want a new life, right? One with more freedom, more time, more money, more creation or ...

(b) Surround yourself with posters or pictures to remind you how great you are

15 Positive Affirmations for Kids and Children | Motivation | SuccessStory Most certainly, we can help our kids with instilling good values, confidence, focus and belief. Positive affirmations for children can do a lot to assist them in developing healthy self esteem. We can also target some for the purposes of having an easier time with their school work. Let Your Children Grow Children are blessings from the Universe. They are not their parents' possessions. They're individual bright spirits-old spiritual souls coming to have another human experience. They've chosen their parents for the lessons and challenges that they'll be given. They're here to teach us many things if we're open to learning from them.

(c) Read positive books to help you to remain cheerful

Below are some great choices Mood Toolbox by Natalie Clarke on iBooks Read a free sample or buy Mood Toolbox by Natalie Clarke. You can read this book with iBooks on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch or Mac. Dreams Come True, All They Need Is You JUST RELEASED! Mike Dooley's first children's book. During a nighttime dream, three young friends lift off in a hot air balloon "over the moon and past the stars" to a wonderland of dolphins, islands, and the simplest of rhyming life-lessons. Thank You, Angels! by Doreen Virtue - HayHouse | Hay House Ages 4 to 10 An introduction to angels for your children. Bestselling author and 'angel lady' Doreen Virtue has written her first book for children! Thank You, Angels introduces young children to the world of angels and teaches them how these heavenly beings can help them in many ways. One Good Deed (null) Have You Filled a Bucket Today? | Bucket Fillers Have You Filled a Bucket Today? is an award winning book by Carol McCloud for ages 4 - 9 and older and is a basic teaching tool that encourages positive behavior  An enlightening children's book to children about love, joy and the law of attraction.

Palloncino is a series of  books (26 page booklet with text and colored illustrations) that can be animated to become a movie-cartoon. Starring  Palloncino is a small hot air balloon, born from the deep desire for love and joy of Pallamamma (Mother balloon) and Pallababbo (Fatherballoon), the parents. After the first few episodes, Palloncino will meet fellow travelers, including Palloncina (a girlfriend), with whom he will share his experiences. In addition to his parents, there are also Pallanonno (Grandfatherballoon), Pallanonna (Grandmotherballoon), Pallazio (Uncleballoon) and Pallazia (Auntballoon). There are a number of fantastic scenarios such as the planet of the colors, where he will meet the brushes that paint their own planet, to explain the importance of the vibration of colour. Palloncino speaks and interacts with flowers, clouds and all the life presents in the Garden of Wonders, because everything around him is animated and has a peculiar talent from which he always learns something good. Teachings During his flights and adventures, Palloncino learns and remembers how to become a deliberate creator of his life experience. The episode that explain the Law of Attraction is titled “Fantasy (Fantasia)”. Cascate di Luce, Shine your Light | Sito ufficiale degli autori Elena Puntaroli e Lorenzo Sbrinci, fondatori di "Cascate di Luce" Cascate di Luce è fonte di ispirazione, conoscenza, gioia e benessere ... Cascate di Luce offre una visione cristallina e innovativa su emozioni, pensieri, relazioni e senso della vita: è un modo meraviglioso per scoprire te stesso e le tue infinite possibilità. Sei qui per far brillare la tua Luce, esprimendoti e realizzando i tuoi sogni ... I Think, I Am! by Louise Hay - HayHouse | Hay House Buy I Think, I Am! by Louise Hay now! Ages 4 to 10 Your Magical Life - NEW Children's Book This offer is valid while the promotion lasts. Here's how to get them: Just email your order confirmation receipt from TUT, Amazon, Barnes&Noble, or any other bookstore to love@tut.com and we'll send you these free gifts. I am here to remind you, YOU are Powerful and Adored Big Hugs xxx I am here to remind you, YOU are Powerful and Adored Big Hugs xxx

(d) Watch positive movies and games  to improve your mood

10 Positive TV and Movies for Kids By Joe Cavanaugh One evening at home, I was surfing through Netflix for something to watch with my nine year-old daughter, Tess, and I found what I thought was the perfect thing - the original "Star Trek." It was one of my favorite shows as a kid and I was excited to share it with my daughter.

Tip 2: Practice positive self talk

Review: Affies4Kids Resources (Teach Children Positive Self Talk) - Moments A Day Update: All videos can now be found on the Affies4Kids youtube channel. I am always looking for new materials that will help me add character building into my family's daily routine, so I was very excited when I learned about Affies4Kids.

Join our facebook group: Tips for Living

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || ).push({}); Read the full article

[lifelearningapps]

Mood Tookbox: Moodzie's Tips for Positivity

Tip 1: Use tools to help you to remain positive

(a) TUT: Notes from the universe 

Sign up for daily email reminders of life’s magic and your power! Notes from the Universe The Notes are brief emails sent to over 700,000 subscribers around the world... Try this course and the supporting facebook group is free!

TUT - The Universe Talks - Mike Dooley By the time you complete all 30 activities, you'll have a clearer understanding of what you really want, an expanded awareness of how the universe works, a deeper perspective on manifestation and your role in it, and tools you can immediately start using in the days and weeks ahead. 3 Tips to Help You Author a New Life Story Are you sick and tired of reliving the same story day in and day out? Are you ready to write a love story with your life? Then this one is for you. You say you want a new life, right? One with more freedom, more time, more money, more creation or ...

(b) Surround yourself with posters or pictures to remind you how great you are

15 Positive Affirmations for Kids and Children | Motivation | SuccessStory Most certainly, we can help our kids with instilling good values, confidence, focus and belief. Positive affirmations for children can do a lot to assist them in developing healthy self esteem. We can also target some for the purposes of having an easier time with their school work. Let Your Children Grow Children are blessings from the Universe. They are not their parents' possessions. They're individual bright spirits-old spiritual souls coming to have another human experience. They've chosen their parents for the lessons and challenges that they'll be given. They're here to teach us many things if we're open to learning from them.

(c) Read positive books to help you to remain cheerful

Below are some great choices Mood Toolbox by Natalie Clarke on iBooks Read a free sample or buy Mood Toolbox by Natalie Clarke. You can read this book with iBooks on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch or Mac. Dreams Come True, All They Need Is You JUST RELEASED! Mike Dooley's first children's book. During a nighttime dream, three young friends lift off in a hot air balloon "over the moon and past the stars" to a wonderland of dolphins, islands, and the simplest of rhyming life-lessons. Thank You, Angels! by Doreen Virtue - HayHouse | Hay House Ages 4 to 10 An introduction to angels for your children. Bestselling author and 'angel lady' Doreen Virtue has written her first book for children! Thank You, Angels introduces young children to the world of angels and teaches them how these heavenly beings can help them in many ways. One Good Deed (null) Have You Filled a Bucket Today? | Bucket Fillers Have You Filled a Bucket Today? is an award winning book by Carol McCloud for ages 4 - 9 and older and is a basic teaching tool that encourages positive behavior  An enlightening children's book to children about love, joy and the law of attraction.

Palloncino is a series of  books (26 page booklet with text and colored illustrations) that can be animated to become a movie-cartoon. Starring  Palloncino is a small hot air balloon, born from the deep desire for love and joy of Pallamamma (Mother balloon) and Pallababbo (Fatherballoon), the parents. After the first few episodes, Palloncino will meet fellow travelers, including Palloncina (a girlfriend), with whom he will share his experiences. In addition to his parents, there are also Pallanonno (Grandfatherballoon), Pallanonna (Grandmotherballoon), Pallazio (Uncleballoon) and Pallazia (Auntballoon). There are a number of fantastic scenarios such as the planet of the colors, where he will meet the brushes that paint their own planet, to explain the importance of the vibration of colour. Palloncino speaks and interacts with flowers, clouds and all the life presents in the Garden of Wonders, because everything around him is animated and has a peculiar talent from which he always learns something good. Teachings During his flights and adventures, Palloncino learns and remembers how to become a deliberate creator of his life experience. The episode that explain the Law of Attraction is titled “Fantasy (Fantasia)”. Cascate di Luce, Shine your Light | Sito ufficiale degli autori Elena Puntaroli e Lorenzo Sbrinci, fondatori di "Cascate di Luce" Cascate di Luce è fonte di ispirazione, conoscenza, gioia e benessere ... Cascate di Luce offre una visione cristallina e innovativa su emozioni, pensieri, relazioni e senso della vita: è un modo meraviglioso per scoprire te stesso e le tue infinite possibilità. Sei qui per far brillare la tua Luce, esprimendoti e realizzando i tuoi sogni ... I Think, I Am! by Louise Hay - HayHouse | Hay House Buy I Think, I Am! by Louise Hay now! Ages 4 to 10 Your Magical Life - NEW Children's Book This offer is valid while the promotion lasts. Here's how to get them: Just email your order confirmation receipt from TUT, Amazon, Barnes&Noble, or any other bookstore to love@tut.com and we'll send you these free gifts.

(d) Watch positive movies and games  to improve your mood

10 Positive TV and Movies for Kids By Joe Cavanaugh One evening at home, I was surfing through Netflix for something to watch with my nine year-old daughter, Tess, and I found what I thought was the perfect thing - the original "Star Trek." It was one of my favorite shows as a kid and I was excited to share it with my daughter.

Tip 2: Practice positive self talk

Review: Affies4Kids Resources (Teach Children Positive Self Talk) - Moments A Day Update: All videos can now be found on the Affies4Kids youtube channel. I am always looking for new materials that will help me add character building into my family's daily routine, so I was very excited when I learned about Affies4Kids.

Join our facebook group: Tips for Living

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || ).push({}); Read the full article