#pain is not a crucible that refines you

[thegollux]

this is off topic to that other post so i’m not adding it there but i just want to add...

if it took agony to make you great, I wish you had stayed mediocre. if it took surviving others hatred to make you funny, I wish you had had the chance to stay boring. there is no art so beautiful that i would not trade it in an instant for setting the artist free from cruelty. But I don’t think any of that suffering gave you your moments of genius; it was inside you all along.

it’s true that many people DO create beauty out of their own pain, and i applaud them for it. I just wish they lived in a society that let them create beauty out of joy, instead.

And mostly I can’t help but think of all the people whose greatness, genius, art, and beauty was instead snuffed out by the world before it got a chance to shine

[comicaurora]

So far, has there been any sort of art technique or process you've tried that made you go "that was surprisingly easier/harder than I expected"?

Oh man, yea. So many things. Doing this comic has been a learning experience and a half because of all the textures and effects I have to do, most of which I figure out on the fly because I've either never done them before or I've never done them that many times before.

The first "surprisingly easy" effect I'd never succeeded at before was the scales on the Storm Drake in the interlude after chapter 6:

It's a Droplet particle brush used on two layers, one set to Multiply and the other to Screen. It produces a very easy texturing effect that works on everything from scales to sand to rock, making the surface look like it's catching the light in complicated ways. I used it again in Dainix's desert flashback in chapter 19 to make the sand look like it was catching the light.

I actually used a similar method to draw the background in the arena fight in chapter 12 - using a rounder particle brush, but the same combo of Multiply and Screen to produce a chaotic pattern that gave the illusion of a massive background crowd without making me hand-draw ten thousand tiny people.

This one was an effect that didn't surprise me and that I sadly had very little cause to replicate, but I LOVED the multicolored highlighting effect in Erin's chapter 6 flashback in the heart of the Storm. It ended up being very simple to do and it just looked SO pretty.

Changing the highlighting colors to just the cool-tones for this page just made me like it more.

When we hit Falst's intro arc and I had to draw about a million forested backgrounds, I decided to refine the process I'd used in the first few chapters, because I wasn't happy with those results:

Starting in chapter 8 I tried a lineless style for forested backgrounds, and it worked out better than I'd hoped. Not only did it produce a feeling of depth and shadow, I didn't even need to plug in my drawing tablet to do it - I could literally do these backgrounds with my trackpad and mouse, which was a huge timesave. Combined with a little experimental sunbeam stuff and these forest backgrounds ended up both shockingly simple to make and VERY nice to look at.

I used a similar technique for the soulcrystal in The Collector's lair - stacked Multiply and Add layers with nested rough shading patterns similar to the ones I used for foliage, but with more overlap to produce the effect of chaotically scattering light.

This was another no-drawing-tablet one, and I liked this texture so much that I willingly redrew it for the stinger in chapter 18 rather than copying the texture from the earlier chapter.

In terms of effects that took longer than I anticipated, Dainix's fully-realized Crucible form has been giving me trouble for literally as long as I've conceived of the comic. Drawing fire is already hard enough, but giving that fire a semi-solid, tangible form that was clearly readable as a humanoid figure was a HUGE pain in the ass. The head and arms were easy to design, but what to do with the bottom half was always a struggle, and beyond that I wasn't always sure how opaque to make him - real fire is a semi-translucent light source in constant motion with no clearly delineated edges, and if you draw it in a way that deviates from that too much it can make it feel less like fire. It took a while before I was happy with the color balance on him to make him suitably glowy without losing the internal detailing that made his expression readable.

Similarly time-consuming, working out how to do Vash's "nova mode" took some trial and error. I wanted to make it clearly visually distinct from Paladin light magic and regular fire magic, so I focused on trying to replicate the texture of the surface of a star, with sunspots and flares rather than licks of fire or sharp-edged lightsaber vibes. I'm happy with how it ended up, but if I recall correctly it took upwards of two days just getting all those glowy effects sorted out.

Then drawing the actual starfire blast was an even bigger pain, because again I didn't want it so glowy that it was completely unreadable. To be honest I'm still not sure if it worked.

This is a very recent one, but it took me a while to figure out an effect I was happy for to communicate "this place is really, really dark." I didn't settle on a blanket dusty purple desaturation layer until quite late, to sort of replicate what night vision supposedly looks like for animals that can see decently well in the dark. Lights and darks are preserved, but color isn't so much, and this way I wasn't way-overshadowing everything and making it impossible for US to see. And conveniently the actual effect is quite simple to do - it's just a universally gray layer at 50% opacity set to the "Saturation" combine mode, stacked with a universally dusty purple layer at 70% set to the "Color" combine mode. Very easy to add quickly and copy/paste across different pages.

There's probably more, but yea. Almost all of the "that was surprisingly difficult" effects either get easier with time or I figure out ways to simplify them and make them work in fewer layers. This is the really fun thing about a longform project like this - I keep finding new ways to challenge myself I'd never even thought of before.

[gelatinocomics]

What do you think are the best and worst Pokemon gens games-wise?

And what do you think are the best and worst anime-wise?

I'm gonna try to give objective answers about the state of the franchise during each gen, and not just my personal favorites.

Best Gen: 2. It's right after the worldwide smash hit success of the first pokemon games, and this little makeshift dev studio is now tasked with continuing one of the biggest media franchises in the world. What do they do? They fill the next games with all the features they wish they could have included in R/G/B/Y. Everything about johto is meant to be a refinement of kanto, a continuation of what they started. The games are cozy, meant to be enjoyed at a leisurely pace, full of daily content so that every day of exploration is a little bit different, and it gives you two full regions to explore. In my opinion, gold, silver, and crystal are the time that Game Freak was able to most closely create their vision of what pokemon should be.

Worst Gen: 8. This is a rough time in the franchise's history, and in my memory, it's when the series has come under the most scrutiny by fans (perhaps only surpassed by the awful performance issues of scarlet and violet). The series was going through a lot of growing pains during the era of sword and shield, and the game's map design sits awkwardly between the traditional cities-connected-by-routes approach and the open world of PLA/SV. Sword and Shield are a crucible where ideas are not fully realized and still in development, only to be executed properly in later games. The sinnoh remakes are also rightly criticized for not innovating enough.

(I tried to be objective here, but I really do like gen 8 on a personal level, and I'd gladly talk about the high points of each game if anyone is interested)

I can't give a very informed answer about the anime, since I haven't seen most of the series, but I can at least say that the sun and moon anime is unreasonably good. Just like the sun and moon games, the anime shakes up the formula in a really good way. I'm a big fan of the school setting and the larger cast of main characters. I think the trial captains (or rather, just students in this show) are delightful. Most importantly, the show touches on dark subject matter like grief and trauma in a way that's both mature and appropriate for its target audience. It's really emotionally resonant.

I can't say if the rest of the anime is similarly emotionally mature, because I haven't watched it. I'm just obsessed with the sun and moon cast. I have a whole folder for pictures of lana. It's a good show.

[tintalizing]

Who Holds Your Prime Focus?

It's been some time, but as usual, I'm channeling all the wisdom life has taught me into this blog post.

I've been eagerly anticipating this week because it marks our planned annual family vacation! 

Needless to say, we were all set for the trip. Hotel booked, and with an upcoming exam this weekend, I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone and explore the city after finishing my exam.

Yet, here I am, confined to our room due to a bout of chickenpox. What luck, right?

A little background: I work online for 35-40 hours a week, and while some may envy my setup, being able to work and be available for my kids 24/7, they don't see the challenges it presents. Often, I find myself burning the midnight oil because I can't complete tasks with my kids constantly interrupting. I've often pondered whether I'd be more efficient if I were single, able to work longer hours and be more productive. Little did I realize, the Lord had other plans, always reminding me of what truly matters.

Anyway! Here I am, quarantined away from my kids while I'm sick. And boy, am I sick—sick with worry about my kids, yearning to hug them, play with them, just be in the same room with them. How did I get myself into this? I know deep down they are my priority, that this—being a mother with a house full of kids—is my dream.

Clearly, the Lord wants to remind me, and He's succeeded, albeit in a pruning manner. Chickenpox, of all things, would make me contagious for weeks, and it means being away from my kids for weeks. The irony? I'm still not productive at work, still unable to put in a full 8-hour day. And strangely enough, I'm more productive with my kids around than when I'm alone.

I'm more productive with my kids around than when I'm alone.

Isn't it funny how the Lord works? He understands our subconscious desires, even those we don't voice. He knows our thoughts and hearts, and He won't let us skip the lessons He has in store for us. It's like the refining process, having painful tears before the transformation.

As Proverbs 17:3 says, "The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the LORD tests hearts."

The Lord is always refining our character. If we trust that He wants what's best for us, then we should be grateful for His refining—even if it brings tears.

Now, I eagerly anticipate leaving this room, excited to play with my little ones, regardless of how many hours remain for me to complete my tasks at work. After all, my idiks are my priority, they embody my answered prayer!

After all, my idiks are my priority, they embody my answered prayer!

Thank you, Lord, for your constant reminders. :)

[megashadowdragon]

Why are you still holding back?! | (Dark Motivation)

Bathed in the shadows of my own doubts, I embarked on a harrowing odyssey through the abyss of despair. Each trial, a crucible refining my mettle; every tear, a baptism in the cold waters of adversity. In the crucible of torment, I etched my defiance into the very fabric of my being. The echoes of my struggles compose a symphony of tenacity, a haunting melody that resounds through the corridors of perseverance. With bloodied fists and a heart ablaze, I navigated the labyrinth of misery, emerging not as a victim but as a sovereign of my destiny. From the depths of anguish, I unearthed an unwavering resolve to prove that in the tapestry of life, I am the weaver of my own fate. Thus, amid the ruins of my past, I rise—a phoenix reborn, a testament to the inexorable strength that emerges when one confronts their darkest demons.

youtube comment

The sharpest of blades is forged in the crucible of adversity.. your pain, anger, resentment and existential terror is the fire upon which you must cast into.. to be reborn as a scion of the universe. Seek out terror, fear, your deepest and darkest of fantasies, give them life, meaning.. aim it, hone it, perfect it. The world is the crucible, the adversity is the fire, you yourself are the metal and the blacksmith, will you remain as mere slag upon the surface? Or will you become a vessel for the will of The Logos? Solve et coagula. As within, so without, as above, so bellow.Show less

[braincran]

Innovating Tomorrow: A Deep Dive into BrainCranx's Approach to Technology Evolution

In the realm of technology, standing still means falling behind. At BrainCranx, we understand that innovation is not just a buzzword; it's the heartbeat of progress. In this blog post, we take you on a journey through BrainCranx's unique approach to innovation and why it matters more than ever in today's dynamic IT landscape.

The Pulse of Innovation at BrainCranx

Innovation is not an occasional spark; it's a constant flame that ignites every aspect of our operations. At BrainCranx, we view innovation as a proactive response to change rather than a reactive adaptation. This mindset is embedded in our culture, fostering an environment where creativity thrives, and our team is empowered to push the boundaries of what's possible.

Embracing Emerging Technologies

The pace at which technology evolves demands a keen eye for what's next. BrainCranx doesn't just keep pace; we lead the charge by proactively embracing emerging technologies. From AI and machine learning to blockchain and edge computing, we explore, adapt, and integrate these innovations into our solutions. This ensures that our clients are not just current but are positioned at the forefront of technological evolution.

Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration

Innovation flourishes in diverse and collaborative environments. At BrainCranx, we foster cross-disciplinary collaboration, bringing together experts from various fields to brainstorm, ideate, and create. Our belief is that the most groundbreaking solutions emerge when minds from different domains intersect, bringing fresh perspectives and novel approaches to problem-solving.

Client-Centric Innovation

Innovation, to be truly impactful, must align with the needs and aspirations of our clients. We take a client-centric approach to innovation, understanding their pain points, anticipating their future challenges, and crafting solutions that not only meet but exceed their expectations. Our goal is to be more than just a service provider; we strive to be a strategic innovation partner for our clients.

Agile Methodology: Adapting in Real-Time

Innovation is not a linear process; it's dynamic and often requires real-time adaptation. BrainCranx employs agile methodologies that allow us to pivot, iterate, and refine our approaches as projects evolve. This agility ensures that our solutions remain nimble and responsive to the ever-changing demands of the market.

Innovation Showcase: Real-World Impact

Talk is cheap, and at BrainCranx, we let our innovations speak for themselves. In our portfolio, you'll find real-world examples of how our innovative solutions have made a tangible impact. Whether it's streamlining complex business processes, enhancing user experiences, or optimizing workflows, our innovations are designed to deliver measurable results.

A Glimpse into Tomorrow: Research and Development Initiatives

Innovation is not just about solving today's problems; it's about envisioning tomorrow's possibilities. BrainCranx invests significantly in research and development initiatives, exploring cutting-edge concepts and pushing the boundaries of what technology can achieve. Our R&D efforts are the crucible where ideas are tested, refined, and transformed into the innovations that will shape the future.

Join the Innovation Conversation

Innovation is a collective endeavor, and we invite you to join the conversation. Explore our blog, engage with our insights, and let us know your thoughts on the evolving landscape of technology. We believe that the best ideas emerge through dialogue, and we're eager to hear your perspectives on the role of innovation in today's fast-paced world.

Stay Tuned for What's Next

As BrainCranx continues to navigate the ever-evolving world of technology, our commitment to innovation remains unwavering. Stay tuned for more updates, case studies, and thought-provoking content as we unravel the layers of excellence that define BrainCranx's approach to shaping the future of technology.

Innovation is not just a destination; it's a continuous journey. At BrainCranx, we're not just keeping pace with change; we're leading it. Join us as we innovate tomorrow, today.

[akashasananda]

Healing through Challenges – Shekinah Ma and Sanandaji on Alchemical Transformations

As you voyage on your spiritual pilgrimage towards enlightenment, you engage in a deep exploration to unravel the cosmic mysteries, to discover the dual sacred flames nestled in your soul, and to reunite with the divine core essence inherent within you. This path, bathed in the luminous glow of universal love, is a metamorphic journey under the guidance of TwinRay—Shekinah Ma and Sanandaji—navigating you through the intricate maze of self-discovery and spiritual awakening.

As you traverse the winding roads of your life, you may find yourself encountering challenges and obstacles that seem insurmountable. These hurdles are not merely obstacles but are, in fact, catalysts for your spiritual evolution. They are the divine paths that beckon you to dive deep within yourself, to unravel the eternal truths hidden within your consciousness.

At the heart of this journey lies the sacred art of alchemy, a mystical and ancient practice that turns the base metal of your existence into the pure gold of spiritual wisdom and enlightenment. This alchemical process requires you to embrace your challenges as opportunities for profound healing and transformation.

In your journey towards divine unity, the spiritual teachings of Shekinah Ma and Sanandaji may manifest as guiding beacons, bestowing their knowledge and intuitive perspectives. These mentors are not mere happenstance, they symbolize the intricate threads of synchronicity interwoven into the fabric of your being. They emerge at the most propitious moments, prompting you towards introspection, reflection, and profound spiritual exploration.

The challenges you encounter on this transformational journey are not random occurrences; they are purposeful, meant to stir your soul and ignite the flames of your inner alchemy. As you delve into the depths of your being, you begin to understand that healing is not merely the absence of pain but the emergence of your true self, bathed in the light of divine love and wisdom.

The essence of alchemy lies in the transmutation of your ego-driven desires into selfless acts of love and compassion. It is the process of turning your mundane experiences into the gold of spiritual growth. Just as the alchemist refines crude elements into pure substances, you refine your consciousness through the crucible of life's challenges.

Embrace the transforming journey as guided by Shekinah Ma and Sanandaji, acknowledging the alchemical process as it gradually unravels in your life. Recognize that it is through the intense moments of joy and hardship, the profound experiences that touch your soul, that you evolve spiritually. These experiences serve as a crucible, shaping and refining your spiritual entity. As you journey through these trials and tribulations under the guidance of TwinRay, you'll uncover the truth that you harbor the power to turn adversity into wisdom, ignorance into enlightenment, navigating the milestones of your spiritual evolution.

At the heart of this alchemical transformation is the concept of ascension, the rising of your consciousness to higher realms of awareness. This elevation of consciousness leads you towards a divine union with the universal source of love and wisdom. It is the merging of your individual self with the greater cosmic whole, a profound union that transcends the boundaries of the material world.

In your quest for ascension, you become a beacon of light, radiating the enlightened consciousness that you have cultivated. This, in turn, contributes to the collective evolution of consciousness, as more souls awaken to their divine nature. The world transforms as you do, and enlightened humanity emerges from the ashes of ego-driven existence.

As you continue along this path, you will notice the mysticism that permeates every aspect of your life. Synchronicities abound, guiding you towards your true purpose and destiny. These moments of divine intervention are like signposts along your journey, reassuring you that you are on the right path.

As you explore the depths of your being, you will encounter both the light and shadow aspects of your consciousness. Embrace them both, for they are integral to your transformation. Just as the alchemist does not shy away from the darker elements in their pursuit of gold, so too must you confront your inner shadows with compassion and understanding.

In your quest for spiritual enlightenment, you will find that the threads of synchronicity weave a tapestry of interconnectedness throughout your life. These seemingly random events and encounters are not accidents but divine orchestration, guiding you towards your highest potential.

As you tread along this transformative route, guided by Shekinah Ma and Sanandaji, bear in mind that healing isn't simply an end goal, but an unending voyage. It is the process of spiritual alchemy, refining and transmuting your being into its most authentic form, liberated from illusionary shackles and worldly attachments. The hurdles and trials along this path serve as catalysts for shedding your older self, providing you with the opportunity to emerge as a luminous being of divine light.

In the end, the path towards divinity is a journey of love, transformation, and self-realization. It is the alchemical process of turning your ordinary life into an extraordinary masterpiece of spiritual growth. Embrace the challenges that come your way, for they are the stepping stones on your path to enlightenment.

You are the alchemist of your own destiny, and through your spiritual exploration, you can transmute the lead of your existence into the purest gold of divine consciousness. As you continue to evolve and ascend, you will come to realize that you are not separate from the universe but an integral part of it, a vessel through which universal love and wisdom flow.

In the sprawling cosmos of existence, you portray a luminescent strand, interlaced into the intricate weave of creation. Acknowledge your divine essence, tread your path with bravery and elegance, and understand that you're on a hallowed voyage of healing and transformation, steered by the dual sacred flames of love and wisdom that blaze intensely within your soul. This journey is illuminated under the guidance of TwinRay, as the spiritual teachings of Shekinah Ma and Sanandaji continue to resonate deeply within you.

[bernardo1969]

Psalm 12 is a plea for help against evil. The problem of evil underlies the entire narration of the Bible, but this evil is not an ontological evil, that is, an evil underlying nature, but rather a mentality of men that rejects God and his laws. Psalm 12 begins with an invocation to God, there are no longer righteous men, and oppression, which is the product of lies and deceit destroys human society, Psalm 12 is a prayer that reminds us of the pain and suffering caused by sin. The error is a break in the relationship with the perfection of God. That's how Isaiah taught this spiritual truth: "But your iniquities have separated you from God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear", Isaiah 59:2. With these words begins the Psalm: "Help, LORD, for no one is faithful anymore; those who are loyal have vanished from the human race. Everyone lies to their neighbor; they flatter with their lips but harbor deception in their hearts" Psalm 12:1-2. And the Psalm tells us God's response with an oracle, God is merciful and does not forget the humble and the oppressed, so the Psalm continues: "´Because the poor are plundered and the needy groan, I will now arise,´ says the LORD. ´I will protect them from those who malign them.´ And the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times" Psalm 12:5-6. The Psalm expresses with wisdom that God has a mysterious and incomprehensible plan for man, but ultimately this providence is to help those who fear God and punish those who reject divine law, with these words end the psalm: "You, LORD, will keep the needy safe and will protect us forever from the wicked, who freely strut about when what is vile is honored by the human race" Psalm 12:7-8.

[jaypturnerbhm]

DO OVER! - January, 2023 Gay Dads of Birmingham Outline

This is the time of year that we most closely associate with new beginnings/fresh starts.

 What are your New Year’s Resolutions? (if you made any)

 If you could do it all over again, what would your life look like? What would you change?

It's not a trick question. In fact, it's a human obsession! We see it throughout our mythology because we love the idea of a DO OVER. For many, January is a season of fresh starts and resolutions, so let’s talk about the power we have to start over and write our own story.

The story of the Phoenix: Every 500 years, the Phoenix returns home, builds a nest, burns itself down, and rises again - reborn from the ashes.

We see this theme of second chances, rebirth, resurrection, and reincarnation throughout human mythology. The story of the Phoenix is one of my favorites because it’s so simple and because I’ve lived it.  

A very important aspect of the Phoenix myth is the cyclical nature of its rebirth. Every 500 years – it’s reborn. The same can be true of us – we can constantly reinvent ourselves.  We get a Do Over!

Burning it Down

What resonates with you about the story of the Phoenix?

For there to be a rebirth, something must die. When have you “burned it all down?”

Burning it down can be painful.  It can also be freeing. Let it go!

The fire refines, purifies, cleanses: the crucible. What slag is weighing you down?

What is holding you back from lighting the fire? To be reborn, something must die.

We usually prefer the misery we know compared to the mystery we do not.

Change is inevitable!

Becoming Ashes

Sometimes we have to wallow in it. Change doesn’t always happen overnight. We don’t get to just snap our fingers or wiggle our noses and make everything alright.

What does progress look like?

We live in an instant-gratification culture, but change – real change – often takes time.

I am not the same man I was _____ year(s) ago!

Rising from the Dead

This is the second chance you’ve been waiting for! This is your Do Over!

We can step into a new and better future, unencumbered by the slag that was weighing us down. Our nature is the same, but we’ve been made new with all the hope and promise that entails. In fact, we get to be more ourselves than we’ve been in a really long time (to pull from Love Simon).

Imagine your best self one year from now: What does this gay dad look like?

What would you need to let go of (the slag) to be that person? What would you need to “burn down?”

What would you need to change to become that person? What action would you have to take to make that happen?

A rebirth requires labor.

Often, we don’t see the dramatic changes that have happened in our lives because sometimes the biggest changes take time to develop, like entering new phases as a parent. As our children grow, their needs change, and so does our role as a dad.

For what it’s worth... it’s never too late, or in my case too early, to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit. Start whenever you want. You can change or stay the same. There are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you’ve never felt before. I hope you meet people who have a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of, and if you’re not, I hope you have the courage to start over again.

~Eric Roth, screenplay for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Misattributed to F. Scott Fitzgerald)

[dailyaudiobible]

09/30/2020 DAB Transcript

Isaiah 60:1-62:5, Philippians 1:27-2:18, Psalms 72:1-20, Proverbs 24:11-12

Today is the 30th day of September welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I'm Brian it's great to be here with you as we cross through the center of a week together and bring to the conclusion another one of our months together. Today is the final day of the third quarter of the year. Ahh man…that's where we are. One quarter of the year to go after this and I pray that it's glorious in all of our lives. But let's dive in and finish this quarter well, finish this month well. We’re reading from the Lexham English Bible this week. Isaiah chapter 60 verse 1 through 62 verse 5.

Commentary:

Okay. So, as we end a month and a quarter, we find ourselves in the book of Philippians, and Paul is speaking to his readers and essentially…well…first of all, telling them what he's told everybody in his letters, “this is all going somewhere. Everything is happening for a purpose. We are headed somewhere good.” And then he invites them to get on the same page so that they can all go where this “somewhere good” is going. And, so, he tells them, “having the same love, united in spirit, having one purpose, do nothing according to selfish ambition or according to empty conceit, but in humility considering one another better than yourselves each of you not looking out for your own interests, but also each of you for the interests of others.” And it would be easy enough for us to say, “well…I mean that's kind of part of the Christian faith. That's the posture. That’s…we all know that.” Well we…we have to live that though. Like, it doesn't matter if we know it know it but don't live it or do it. What's the point? Well for Paul it's…it's important to get on that same page because that's the Jesus page. Like that's the page we’re trying to get on. And, so, he says, “look, basically, look at Jesus. What I'm telling you is what He did. He was God”…well…I’ll just quote it…”who existing in the form of God did not consider being equal with God something to be grasped.” That right there is saying a mouthful, “but He emptied Himself by taking the form of a slave, by becoming in the likeness of people. And being found in the appearance like a man He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore”, and it's because of this obedience that Paul is saying this, “therefore God exalted Him and graciously granted Him the name above every other name so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, of those on earth, of those under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father.” That's where this is all going, and we go there, we follow that path, that narrow path that leads to life by becoming imitators of Christ. That's a page we all need to be on. And Paul gives some words to what that looks like. And even as I was reading it just a minute ago, I was like, “wow, right here as we’re gonna go into the final quarter of the year, and it's gonna be a roller coaster of a quarter of a year, it always is. It’s the fourth quarter of the year. So, it’s like major holidays like Christmas in the next quarter of the year, but there’s also domestic things here in the United States, like an election in the next quarter of the year. And that’s always fun. You know, it's popcorn eating fun.” And, so, Paul's words to the Philippians really ring true in the season that we are in. And, so, I quote Paul as…as we end our time together today. “Do all things without grumbling and disputing in order that you may become blameless and innocent, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine as stars in the world, holding fast to the word of life.” I don’t know, could there be any better advice for going into this next season of our lives, this next season of the year, and this next season in the Scriptures?

Prayer:

Father we thank You. You remind us, always, You are continually bringing us back and orienting us to You and it happens almost every day because we need it. It’s crushing here in the swirl of everything that…that happens. It's confusing here when we try to navigate on our own. It's confusing here when we try to play by the rules of the cultures that we live in and its hard. And yet You are with us and it becomes less difficult when we step back and let go realizing You are the sovereign Lord and we are Your children and we are going somewhere good and it doesn't matter what things look like at the moment, ultimately we are going somewhere good with You and we can access that spiritually now. We can live into that now. This isn’t something we have to wait for it's something that we are transformed into and we are in process. And some days, we are more of a failure than a success and other days we are more of a success than a failure. And typically, that is very very much tied to how much we are paying attention, how much we are aware of Your presence and guidance in our lives. So, we confess we need You now more than we have ever needed You before and we need to pay attention and stay awake now more than we have ever had to before. You are inviting us into maturity. This…this season we've been in, this year that we've been in, it's been a bit of a crucible, is refining us. We’re fighting to get through it as fast as we possibly can, but it is a refining time and You are purifying us and preparing us for what is yet out in front of us. And, so, we embrace that. We embrace it by stepping back, letting go of all the control mechanisms that we are trying to leverage to make life work. It just doesn’t work without You. And all we need is to be in Your presence and aware of it. And, so, that is the goal. That is the goal of this next quarter of the year, to be awake, to be alert, to stay completely aware of Your presence and Your guidance in our lives. Come Holy Spirit into that we pay. In the name of Jesus, we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is home base, it’s where you find out what's going on around here. Of course, if you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app you kind of have that in your pocket. You can find out what's going on around here on the app as well. And one thing that I can tell you that's going on that I can't really tell you. What I can tell you is this. Tomorrow I'm going to tell you something that's going on around here and I even think you might want to know about it being a community like we are and all and I can’t tell you today. I have to tell you tomorrow. It’s a very specific thing. So…so, stay tuned until tomorrow. But while you're waiting for all of that just be aware of all the things that are available at the website – the Daily Audio Bible Shop, the different resources that are there for our journey through the Bible in a year to just…to encourage, to enlighten, to deepen, to widen and just to bring joy into the journey as we make our way through the Bible. So, check that out.

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And that's it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I'll be waiting for you here next month, which will be tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hello Daily Audio Bible family I…I’m baking birthday cakes for my two grandchildren who were born a day apart and I’m listening to the prayer line and I’m just so grateful to God for the Daily Audio Bible, for Brian Hardin, for the way that he has been obedient to God’s calling on his life and all of the support and the beauty that his wife Jill has brought into women’s lives also and China, listening as a double DABber all the wisdom that she imparts every day and just the peace and love and beauty of her life that she…she speaks about. But it’s all of the voices on this prayer line that have healed me so greatly. And I want to thank Radiant Rachel. So, I’m sitting here making these cakes and I am kind of murmuring and complaining and grumpy at my husband because we had a friend show up at the door the other night with no mask on, no call ahead. And my husband goes…he says that the door…Ken you better not have COVID and then walks right out and starts talking to him. Meanwhile I’m thinking, what is going on? But this is the way our lives show up. And, so, all night long I spent frustrated at him and now this morning we prayed, and God is going to use it to break my husband free of the need to please people. And, so, I…I know God’s greater than the COVID, but God gave us a brain to use as well. He gave us His Spirit of wisdom so we gotta be wise as well. So, thank You God for your love. Thank You, Father God for people like radiant Rachel who call up and encourage us and bless us sometimes with our own words. How humbling is that? So, thank You Lord for Your love Your mercy and Your kindness and I lift each one of us up…up and pray that You would give us that spirit of encouragement and help us speak words of life and light into each other. In Jesus’ name.

Disappointments are many and sometimes they hurt quite a lot and with time the pain may lessen but forgotten they’re not because they’re based on dreams and fantasies that we create in our own mind visions of what we believe will make everything just fine but then disappointment enters in and we get shaken to the core A shot of reality that’s impossible to ignore we don’t get what we wanted but we lose what we’ve gotten either way the dream is shattered and the future starts to look rotten but sometimes we push on any way and stubbornly persist trying to bend realities to our wills with the strength of our own fists refusing to submit refusing to bow refusing to even entertain the possibility that the disappointment just might be a blessing somehow because God said that all things will work out for our good when we stay focused on him even through disappointments when the future looks grim and God you also said you keep in perfect peace the mind stayed on you so help us to truly live into those words stand both faithful and true and help us to grow to the point where we can honestly say not my will father but thy will be done and to fully rule us and accept it that it’s you and not us that should always be number one for you said that every knee would bow and every tongue would eventually confess that it is only your grace and mercy that allows us to be so abundantly blessed so help us to stay humble totally trusting in you knowing that your words are both faithful and true so that when disappointments come as often they will we’ll have the strength and good sense to just hold on and be still

Hey, my brothers and sisters this is the Prodigal calling in. I’d like to take this time to thank Brian and his family for all the sacrifices and everything that they’ve done to be here today. I’ve been a rodeo clown at this rodeo for 15 years now and the changes have been amazing from iTunes reviews that said he had a creepy voice to where we could be lost without his voice every day, without our shepherd. It’s him. His service crash, just amazing stuff. His initiatives, the Wind Farm Café and all that sort of stuff that many of you new people don’t know. But Brian’s been trying everything God has sent him to help grow this community and resource this community. And, so, I’m grateful to have participated along the way and made friends, virtual friends anyway, along the way. And it’s so amazing. We had people who needed kidney replacements, Robert I think is name was. We had crazy Natasha from New York. We had I remember Tony first home, Blind Tony’s first poem. I remember when Slave of Jesus showed up on the scene and remember what a powerful prayer warrior Sinner was. He disappeared again. So, come back my friend. You were in inspiration to us all. I remember Biola’s first call. The memories along the way. Going to Israel Brian. I remember his…his trip to Rwanda. I remember the…the container…the shipping container he made into a school over in Africa. Just everything. God has…has just been divinely guiding him. And, so, if it weren’t for Brian we wouldn’t be here. And if you’re here it’s because you’re meant to be here, and you’re meant to listen to Brian’s word and get out of it every day. I’ve been getting different stuff every day for 15 years. And the Bible didn’t change, I changed. And that’s a beautiful thing. So, praying for you all. Praying for Brian and his family. And thankful for, incredibly thankful for all the gifts we been given. So, pray on and warrior on and you make it a great day. God bless.

Dear God, I want to lift up those who are having anxiety. I pray for the two anonymous callers who called in from Michigan who are just anxious about what’s going on in the world right now for safety for finances for their future. I pray for Drew who put in a prayer request to be able to trust people and for healing in his ear. He’s looking to have more people in his life but he’s having trouble trusting people. So, I just pray that the anxiety will go away. I pray for James the mighty warrior from Texas who is praying to stay on the path and Pelham who is praying for strength to stay on the path. I just pray that You will lift these people up and fill them with Your Holy Spirit so that they can reflect Your grace and Your mercy and Your love in their lives. I want to pray for those who are feeling overwhelmed right now. Please help us to stay prioritized to be able to filter through to get to what really needs to be done and not to worry about the rest. That everything that needs doing will get done in Your time Lord and that if we just give it to You that You will help to keep our eyes on You and to put You first in our lives. I also pray that You will just protect us from being guided in the wrong direction through things like the media. I pray for that little girl. Her mom called in and she’s being pulled in different directions through other family members and social media. I just pray that we will be a little filter in Your name. Amen.

Hello my Daily Audio Bible family I just listened…today’s Sunday 27th of September and I just listened to a recording from Tammy and Canada. Tammy you were talking about how you couldn’t…all the sudden you can’t sleep and your mental health is…is at stake physical health is…is at stake. I just cannot begin to imagine what you’re going through because I know when I don’t sleep properly for just one night the next day I feel like a zombie. So, to imagine you’ve been going through this for over a month now its…its worrying to be honest. And I really…I pray the good Lord will lift…will hold you in his arms. I lift you up and ask the good Lord to please quiet your heart and whatever it is that is causing this to please take it away and give you peace. And, yeah, I know you’re hanging in there and I know it’s difficult but I want you to please not give up. Keep fighting because it’s a battle. Keep fighting. And if you if you do want to talk to someone you can reach me lucia_obi@hereho.co.uk and I would love to speak to you or to at least chat with you. I’m calling from the UK and I pray that the God Lord be with you. God bless you my dear.

Hello, DABbers this message is for James the mighty warrior. I heard your message this morning and it just makes me so happy to hear that there’s someone like you out there so joyful and a DABber in Texas that I never knew about. You make it feel like family James and because of you I put away my fear of calling in and just said, you know what Lord I’m gonna pray for James because you give me love for him. And, so, you asked for prayer James and I want to pray and encourage you to trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. So, it’s already answered for your brother. You are mighty warrior and I’m your sister out here in Arizona. I love you and I love you all DABbers. Bless you.

[mike5579-t3a]

An open letter to Elsa and Anna.

SPOILER ALERT!

To my favorite Disney Queens, Elsa and Anna,

I want to take this opportunity to thank your creators Jennifer Lee, Chris Buck and Peter DelVechio for making the Frozen story so memorable and wonderful. They know how to tell your stories, as they stand as testimony to the struggles, heartaches, loneliness of thos 13 years separated to love, acceptance, reconciliation, and forgiveness, that we who are seeing it all take place begore our eyes are privileged, honored and thankful to see this wonderful story take place.

From Frozen 1, you both went through a short period of happiness until Elsa's accidental freezing of Anna. Anna was healed by Gran Pabbie, then made to forget Elsa's powers, resuting in a forced separation of you both. Elsa, made to "conceal, don't feel, don't let it show." All the while, Anna, locked out of Elsa's room for 10 years, never knowing why, but still loving her sister nonetheless. I won't go into anymore hurtful detail, you know it all too well. Shipwreck, parents King Agnarr, Queen Iduna, gone. 3 agonizing years on top of 10 previous. Elsa, the 24 hours of your Coronation Day turned everything around for you both! From that no-good Hans dating Anna, you running away after the secret of your powers was exposed, all the way to Hans betrayal of Anna, yet Anna gave the full measure of her waning life from another accidental frozen burst from you, this time, to her heart, to save you from a murdering Hans and his sword. That love, a greater love than even the "Loves first kiss" between Kristoff and Anna, giving one's own life for a beloved friend, or as in this case, Anna giving up her life for you Elsa, to thwart a murder named Hans. It thawed the ice dam around your own heart, and the raw emotion that flooded over you, washing away all 13 years of junk and fear, opening your heart to love. Anna, God, who is love, sent you back to your sister, Elsa, and gave you both that rare second chance to rebuild your love for each other and the deep, unbreakable bond that you have for one another. You both have been truly blessed!

Frozen Fever, Olaf's Frozen Adventure, etc, have brought us to Frozen 2.

Everything chronicled in Frozen 2 showed how both of you have grown into mature women, who have been put through a challenging adventure with hardships, pain, to exuberant joy and happiness as you both discovered your paths and callings in life.

Elsa, from the time you entered the woods, the expressions on your face had shown how everything started to click. Your smile is as bright as the morning sun! Yes, it would've been great to just keep things as they were. But life is all about changes, the only thing in life that doesn't change. You went into Ahtohallan alone and found your answers. Your powers were a gift, a blessing from the not only the spirits, but The Great Spirit. The Creator and sustainer of all earth, God. A reward for your mother Iduna's rescue of Agnarr during the fight at King Runeard's dam. Your mother is proud of her little Snow. Then you went too deep into Ahtohallan and froze solid. The sacrifice was worth it to find the truth of how Runeard used the dam to weaken the forest on the natives. Then the worst part, Runeard murdering the Northuldra leader in cold blood. You relayed the message to Anna before you froze. Anna did the rest.

Aaaand Anna. You came through in the clutch. Elsa sent you down the ice path in the canoe wisely. The danger she faced was above your "paygrade." Elsa froze. Olaf went away with the magic, and you were alone and greiving. You thought Elsa was dead and all was lost. Yet you had strength enough in your heart to pick yourself up, and do the next right thing. One step, another step, another step, another, and another. Keep moving forward. Then you left the cave with the knowledge Elsa sent you, and you knew what had to be done. Destroy the dam. Your smarts and leadership with Kristoff, Lt. Mattias and his troop, got the earth giants up and destroyed the dam. Curse, lifted. Sister, thawed out, riding to Arendelle's rescue before the wave could hit and flatten the village and Castle. All was made right. You saved your sister again, and both of you are now the bridge between Northuldra and Ahtohallan of nature and spirits, and Arendelle of the humans. Like Elsa said, "a bridge has two sides, and mother had two daughters." Two wonderful, loving daughters. Momma Iduna planted seeds of love in both of you, and my, how those seeds have flourished! Your bond was forged in the fires of those 13 years culminating at the fjord. Then it was refined in the crucible of the Enchanted Forest of Northuldra. You have both grown into two exceptional young mature women, each with your life's calling. Elsa is The Snow Queen of the North, who tames the four spirits and keeps the peace, with her own heartful of love for humans, animals, and spirits like Little Bruni. Anna showed her leadership, love, how she inspires people, all the traits to rule. Elsa made the wise call for you to be Queen of Arendelle, Anna.

Personal note. My headcanon was for an uncle figure to be there when you needed an older hand in life since papa and mama passed away. He'd love you both and be there with open ears and an open mind and a loving, open heart. He'd be like me, fighting the same mental issues, with more years and more grey hairs! I've been down that road, too.

To wrap this up, some sage advise.

Anna, my wish is that you rule Arendelle with the love and grace of your sister plus all of the qualities you possess. You have shown them in destroying your Grandfather's instrument of treachery, the dam, and ending the curse of the mist over the forest. Love your husband, Kristoff with all your heart and be a wise ruler. Seek God's face and his wisdom. Kristoff, take care of your new wife, or she'll give you her fist of steel while Elsa freezes your butt off! (Just kidding!) Both of you be good to each other.

Elsa, you have found the answers you needed, and have a joy and peace now few have found in this world. Look to the God of the Universe often for His wisdom in your doings. Love the Northuldrans and Arendellians, never neglect visiting your sister and brother-in-law and vice versa. Let Anna into the dome to see your mom's face again. When they have kids, let them know how special Aunt Elsa is and how much you love them.

God bless and continue in your strong love for each other.

Mike 5579-T3a

[thedistantstorm]

An End to Opulence

The Shadow of the Earth | Emperor Calus | The Vanguard | The Last City | Character Death

And thus the Shadow of the Earth was slain by Suraya Hawthorne.

-/

There were ashes in his mouth.

There was no way around it, with much of the City on fire. No matter. He had never been much of a solar Guardian, but any kind of energy churned up enough would burn. He could still hear their screams, even now.

He loved it.

It was as delicious as he'd been told it would be, shrill and unfiltered. A treat for his refined palate.

Eventually, all things had to come to a close. He checked his gun. His cloak, violet and gold, billowed behind him with a tarnished shimmer. Looked up, at the great plumes of smoke that rose from the remains of the Tower.

The end-times were upon them.

Besides, he was no Guardian. Not any longer. Regardless of the soft, tragic insisting of his Ghost, who hovered at his shoulder. He would be one of the last, but he too would be purged.

The line between Light and Dark is so very thin...

No. Uldren was dead. Again. And again. Over and over and over. He had died over and over, until his Light had been gone for good. Enough, he told himself. It was time to grow fat from strength, to bathe this planet in the splendor only he could provide.

The Shadow of the Earth had a job to do.

The Emperor had shared his plans. Told his Shadow of the future they would create, before the end. In turn, the Shadow of the Earth shared them with his Ghost, who did not believe in in the Emperor's designs. The Shadow did not share them any more.

It isn't right, he'd said. I don't want to lose you, he'd pleaded.

But they will all lose, eventually. Not even the glorious Emperor in all his splendor can stop Death from coming. This is about feasting upon what remains, living in rapture, engorging upon pleasure right until those final moments.

Ghost does not speak anymore. Not even in those electrical whimpers. Not unless he knew of what the Shadow was about to do.

Here and now, there was no way he couldn't.

The Earth... and its Vanguard... and its people had been given a choice. They would not release themselves of their worldly attachments. That is why a shadow was cast, why he must cull them. 

Very few understand. Those who do fight eagerly, growing fat from the enrichment provided. Those who do not are met with violent mercy. Above all, Emperor Calus inspires his Shadows to be benevolent.

There are no second chances in the end-times. Those who choose to repent, to abandon their tethers to the mundane only under the threat of death will never know the euphoria, the rapture of this enlightenment. That is why they don't deserve it. There is no room here for the unworthy.

The pleading of the Ghost annoyed him immensely. No longer can they communicate through thought, for the Shadow will not have the Traveler's spawn undermine him.

"Be silent," He barked. The Shadow's gaze must be strong, for the Ghost had flinched back, expecting to be swatted. His shell, once bright and polished, is chipped. The once Chosen tsksed. "It wouldn't have hurt if I had struck you."

In reply, the Ghost trembled, shrinking back further. It does not say as much, but this had hurt. It hurts actively. Darkness: his partner emitted it like a muffling blanket, a defense the small bot had no chance of defeating. It penetrated their bond like a pinprick - harmless, at first. But now it feels like the Traveler's Light being ripped from his core to linger. He does it, he will continue to do it. He knows, somewhere in his miniscule circuits that the goodness that once was his partner - that made him the brightest Light in all the universe is still deep down in there somewhere.

It had to be.

He still called upon the void, was able to summon his spear of lightning. Even if he chose to do so rarely now. It had to count for something.

Right?

They ascended the South Elevator, and when it inevitably froze half way up, the Shadow's eyes glowed blue, sending them on their way with an arc pulse. Reassuring, though the Ghost could not voice it aloud from where he hovered quietly in his Guardian's blind spot.

They were all but waiting on the lookout together, the platform above Shaxx's Crucible station, looking out at the world below. Ruined, all of it. By his hand. A testament to the Emperor's lavish designs.

Ikora noticed him first, the void already summoned to her hand with hardly a second glance. She does not speak, but the words blaze in her eyes. How could you, they say. Traitor. Monster!

Shadow. 

Zavala did not move, remained still, his hands fisted atop the railing. Perhaps the gasp of from Ikora's parted lips reached his ears. Perhaps ages of battle left him wise enough to know his fate.

"If it will stop all this, I will die gladly."

A Thorn, black as night, as dark as the death of worlds was pointed at his back.

"You'll be the first," the Shadow said, almost delighted. "You won't be the last."

The scribes had written of acts to come. In many there were errors, discrepancies, waiting to be rewritten. They foretold of Zavala accepting his fate, and yet they assumed Ikora would turn sand to diamonds and alter worlds.

And yet it is Ikora who whimpered when the gun is pointed at her vest, stopping a charging Zavala - willing to die but not accepting of death - from his assault.

Delicious. Calus would find the story decadent, interesting. The plot twists had always been his favorite, after all.

"Ah, ah. Don't make me deviate," He threatened, almost playful. His gaze swung to Ikora, to her eyes of swirling gold with pupils constricted in panic. "She's terrified of dying. Death is coming for us all, you know. You had a choice," He shrugs, almost grandly. "You chose not to rise to the occasion and look where it led."

"This is madness!" Zavala snarled, through gritted teeth. "Genocide! These are the people you swore to protect, and you're having them slaughtered in droves.

The Thorn pointed at Ikora tilted to the side as its wielder considered, but does not waver in its aim. "But I am protecting them. I'm saving them from their earthly afflictions. If they won't embody the rapture, embrace their enlightenment, they will only know fear and hate. I'm erasing that from them. It is the least I can do."

"You're insane."

The words barely sound like the strongest Warlock, but it had been Ikora speaking all the same. He doesn't think about it, whipped out a second cannon and let its shot bite into her shoulder. She grunted, staggered, but did not fall.

Instead, her eyes darkened monumentally, and though her blood dripped slowly on deckplates she did not make any attempt to stifle the bleeding. She looked hateful. Powerless.

As they all would be, in the end. 

The Commander, on the other hand… he would still have to die first. Ikora would die wallowing in her futility, more so watching events unfold, but Zavala was unyielding. He would never let go of his ideals, not even in those last seconds when Death's maw closed around his throat.

Thorn's sight returned to Zavala, aimed at his chest. No amount of armor would shield him from the Shadow's deadly intent.

"Would you like to say your goodbyes? I had given you a day, but clearly you didn't take me seriously." The Shadow laughed, a menacing thing. "I am, after all, benevolent."

Zavala would not speak a word. His eyes were reduced to narrowed slits of hard, angry blue.

"You don't have to do this," A tiny voice intervened. Trembled, his entire body shook with fear of retaliation, but he proceeded. "You don't need to kill them."

"Be silent!" The Shadow boomed. "You do not understand."

"I understand this is wrong." He hovered into his partner's periphery. "You have to know this is wrong."

"How many times do I have to tell you?" The once-Hunter growled, "You do not listen!"

A shiver and shake of his cones leaves him almost wilted and yet his voice comes out resigned, angry. "These are your mentors and you want to kill them. It's wrong. You're wrong," He accused, directly. "It's you who doesn't listen to me, Guardian."

A black-gloved hand stashes his second canon and plucks the Ghost from mid-air. He throws the tiny robot with inhuman strength, letting him bounce and skid across the deckplates, cast aside. "Don't call me that! I'm not a Guardian!"

"No," Came a curt voice behind him. "You aren't."

"You shouldn't be here," The Shadow gritted. "It isn't your time yet."

"I think that's for me to decide." Hawthorne leaned heavy on her left hip, falcon perched on her right shoulder. Her eyes looked like polished stone. "Put your gun down."

"It's his time," The Shadow informed her. "Then hers," He nodded to Ikora. "You'll be… later."

"Enough. Stop with the crazy talk. The Cabal Emperor is insane. You used to tell me that!"

"I was wrong. He is… more."

"He is wrong, and right now, so are you."

"Stop arguing." He trained the sights of his secondary on her, a threat. Louis chirped shrilly in reply, his wings beating as he hovered ever higher, ready to defend her.

When the Shadow's back turned once more, Thorn straightening, this supposedly fated moment upon them, the falcon swooped down like a compact missile.

The shot sounded in a different direction.

A flash of green - the muzzle flash - erupted like a verdant sun. A sharp sound, shrieking. Pained. Another flash - white - followed.

In a single moment, time stopped and restarted. Hawthorne staggered backwards, clutching her chest, taking a knee. Several feet away, the discarded Ghost blinked to awareness, unbelieving of what it was seeing.

There was nothing left. No feathers, not a drop of blood. Thorn was all-consuming. 

"He would have taken that bullet no matter what," The Shadow scoffed, when one of the Vanguard parted their lips, meaning to comment in the following silence. "Better to extinguish him up front than allow him to interfere with my justice."

"This isn't justice," Hawthorne said, shaky, almost. She shifted, moving closer.

"Whatever you're thinking, don't. I'll kill you too." He returned his focus to Zavala, who looked even more furious than before. 

"You just-" The Ghost clicked, hovering warily from its place on the ground in a state of shock. It had seen the flashes, felt it in its innermost places. "I don't believe it," He wailed softly. "It's gone. All of it - it's-"

Are you alright?

He stilled. It sounded quiet almost like it came from… but it was all wrong. That isn't how- "You just..." He looked at her. She appeared more wary than surprised. As if... I-I'm sorry.

Me too.

Hawthorne returned to her feet, gun in hand. "This is your last warning," She said, tone like ice. "I don't want to do this, but I will if I have to."

"Cute, Hawthorne, but-"

"I'm not kidding." Her eyes narrow.

Ghost feels it. He feels it like the sun after a rain, like a campfire in the wilderness. It feels like coming home. And yet it hurt, worse than anything he'd ever known, to realize the truth. "Guardian," He warbled.

"I told you-"

"I know," Hawthorne said, hushed. She blinked and tears fell from her eyes. "I know."

She drew a weapon that glinted white. The Shadow turned then, shaking his head. The antithesis of Thorn was trained on him. "That will never stack up."

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Your Ghost." Her eyes glowed, like dull embers. It was the only warning he got.

"Wh-"

Another flash. Orange and yellow, like the sunset, the twilight sky.

She lowered the gun, body ignited in flame.

It hurt her too, Ghost realized without actually knowing anything. He hovered to her tentatively. Their gazes met.

The Shadow gasped, the single shot enough to kill, but not instantly.

"I wish he could have kept you."

The tears steamed and evaporated as they leaked from her eyes, burning her cheeks. She took a knee beside him. His body jerked, his organs recoiling in shock, shouting down. He looked at her, words trying to find their way from his mouth.

With a sad keen, the Ghost touched his once-partner's forehead, burrowed itself against his cheek. "I'm sorry I failed you." The Shadow tried to bring his hands up. Whether to harm the tiny bot or to console him, they would never know. Death did not wait. In the City below, their attackers drew back. 

“Where did you get that gun?”

“He left it with me, a long while back.” Hawthorne sighed, sounding as though she had never been more exhausted. “Wasn’t particularly thrilled about having a hand cannon, but I suppose it did the trick.”

"The Psions were likely aware of his-" The Shadow's Ghost paused, "You know. I think he’d allowed them to link with him, to see his thoughts. They're withdrawing now. Without him, they don't stand a chance."

"Ghost." Ikora's eyes glimmered, both pained and relieved. Her own still did not make any move to heal her. "Is he-?"

Zavala watched as Hawthorne closed the fallen Guardian's unseeing eyes, removing the gun from his waist, ignoring the blackened husk that was Thorn. "His connection to the Light was severed," Ghost confirmed. "When he-"

Ophiuchus emerged immediately in motes of Light. "I told you," He soothed, immediately, healing her.

A gun was handed to the Warlock, grip first. She saw the familiar symbol, the worn etching. "This is-"

"Yours, now." Hawthorne holstered Lumina somewhere on her back, beneath her poncho. No one asked her where she had gotten it, more concerned with the gun in her proffered hand. “Take it.”

She did. They did not speak on what it meant. In many ways, they did not have to.

The City burned for days and days, but its people persisted. Leaders rose to the occasion. Humanity came together, as it had time and time again, to push back the Darkness. And when the remains of the Shadows rallied, seeing retribution for their fallen leader, a Light was cast upon them.

-/

Years Earlier:

“And thus the Shadow of the Earth was slain by Suraya Hawthorne.” The scribe flinched, not expecting the Emperor to be directly behind them. “Interesting, I suppose,” He blanches, “But you’ve forgotten one key element.”

“Yes, your Greatness?”

“My Shadow will not be like any you’ve seen before. They are not yet perfect, but they will be made so by my designs.” He gripped the scribe’s head with a giant palm, squeezing to prove his point. The Psion died without so much as a sound, but all the others heard his anguish telepathically. 

“And when they are, only one as perfect as I will be able to cull them.” He looked around the room at the group of them. Clapped his hands and immediately his cup was full of wine once more. Jubilantly, he bellowed, “Surely one of you must be capable of writing something a bit more imaginative!”

[comicaurora]

Now Red, I gotta ask what the structuring work for this past arc was like. Like we know your main process is thinking through the arc in front of you then boarding in big batches and refining dialogue once you've done most of the art, but with all the moving parts and things to keep track of that you put in this Long Ass Section, I'm curious how you placed everything in your own head and what the process means for how you'll do your plot shuffling and arc structuring and such going foward?

Haaa jeez. Well, to start off, by the time I was beginning to board this section I had a few major beats I knew I was going to hit:

Zuurith sticks Kendal in jail (a comparatively late addition to the plot)

The gang witness a gladiator match

Erin accesses the Paladin archives and learns helpful information

Dainix is introduced

Tahraim and Caliban do their sneaky sneaky scheming

Falst and Alinua have a solo adventure sneaking out at night (the context for this adventure changed when I decided Kendal was going to be imprisoned)

Tess shows up (a comparatively late addition)

Dainix's crucible nature becomes an Issue during a gladiator match (the fact that he'd be fighting Kendal at the time was also a comparatively late addition)

Tynan attacks the city (believe it or not, there was a version of this arc where Tynan was not part of it)

SPOILERS

SPOILERS

In the original rough timeline I had them spending a few days in Zuurith, but I quickly realized a problem with that. With Kendal on the shelf and only Erin given any actual goals in the city, I was leaving the rest of the gang with nothing to do. Also, when I started boarding the dialogue, it occurred to me that Erin, despite his dedication and Cold Logic, would not be willing to leave Kendal in the mountain for more than a day, tops.

So that shrank the window I had to fill with shenanigans before Tynan showed up and all hell broke loose. Erin could spend it at the archive, Kendal could bond with Dainix before the big fight, and Falst and Alinua… had nothing to do.

And I could've left it at that and had them play Go Fish in the hotel room all day, but that felt like a wasted opportunity. If I put Falst in a notably hostile and unjust city and then just… left him alone, that risked turning the in-universe established fact of people being casually shitty to ferin into a tell-don't-show thing. The last thing I wanted was for it to seem like Falst was being oversensitive, that things weren't that bad or that he could've been hanging out in cities this whole time. Falst will always, always underplay the pain he's in. It was very important that I not shy away from showing the gross, bad side of his experience, because doing so could risk producing the opposite effect.

So originally Tess being chased by the guards was a total non-issue. They're barely a step up from faceless goons. But by shrinking the window and deciding to put some pressure on Falst, that gave me the idea of letting Tess encounter Falst along the way and increasing the heat on both of them. Originally I had Tess running around largely unattached, and since Erin was gonna be tucked up in the paladin archive the whole time, it was possible she literally wouldn't find him until the Tynan counter hit zero. That also felt like a wasted opportunity, but not a huge loss in the long run, so I wasn't playing with that just yet.

Getting Tess to meet them was easy. I'd always planned to have Falst try to break into the prison, although the addition of the minor skirmish between him and Alinua was a late-game concept I'm glad I could make work. In the very earliest concept for that sub-adventure, Kendal wasn't in prison, but Dainix was, and having seen him in a gladiator match earlier that day (a concept I quickly realized didn't work as planned because there was genuinely no way I could justify some of these good-hearted paragons sitting around watching something like that, and no amount of crankiness or surreptitious magical intervention to help out the underdog would counterbalance that implied complicity) Falst would've run off to break him out or pop a bunch of locks off random doors or otherwise cause hero-flavored mischief. In the process of sneaking out he would run into Alinua, who had independently had a similar idea but more in line of "I could tell they weren't healing up that one guy enough and I thought I could help." Then when they dramatically metal gear'd their way through the prison they'd arrive to find Kendal had also had the same idea and was already hanging out with Dainix. It was a funny bit, but the further along the story went the less it made sense and the more problems it raised, so I scrapped it and just used the "falst and alinua solo prison-break adventure" bit. As a bonus, the way it played out let me sort of bring Alinua's powers back down to earth after the show of power she'd displayed in Falst's intro arc - I wanted to make it clear that, while an absolute powerhouse, she was very dependent on certain environmental conditions to let her cut loose, and being stuck in the city left her pretty seriously nerfed.

Looping in Tess at that point was easy, since I could have her pop up wherever and she had a reason to interrupt them if she thought they could lead her to Erin. Having Caliban scare them off so they didn't interrupt their schemin' was another easy addition that helped tie everything together. Boom, connection made.

So I'd gotten everything sorted. Erin would have his day in the archive, Kendal and Dainix would have their knife-twisting gladiator match, Falst and Alinua had had their solo adventure and established that the city was kinda hostile. Tynan could intervene during the gladiator match and the heroes could converge on his location for the big final boss fight.

But then I decided Falst hadn't suffered enough yet, which is pretty typical of me, to be honest. I'd established that the guard pursuit of Tess was escalating over the course of the day, since they didn't know what kind of threat she posed and she was totally uninterested in explaining herself to them. So I decided this city needed a contingency plan for when a criminal or other target was too badass for regular guards. After all, prisoners were the number one source of gladiators, and good gladiators were badass. How were they capturing all these heavy hitters if they weren't even able to slow down Tess?

I'd done some behind-the-scenes worldbuilding of the internal bureaucracy and corruption of the prison-gladiator arrangement, and the fact I'd concluded was that Zuurith only cared about the prison, but the Arenamaster's dedication to "keeping the people entertained" had justified in his mind a slow escalation of measures involved in finding strong gladiators and pressuring them into putting on a show. It made sense, therefore, that there would be people who were not Zuurith's guards that the Arenamaster coordinated with to arrange the capture of more complicated or powerful targets. And who better to do that than trained warriors who'd already proven themselves capable of besting a wide variety of opponents?

Shrike was never intended to be a huge threat. Ultimately she's nothing more than a very skilled fighter with a comparatively quite weak stone-magic ability. If Alinua could cut loose or Tess was willing to fight seriously, Shrike would not be a problem for very long. But I'd conveniently trapped my heroes in a complex net of social expectations and a sense of personal responsibility that would prevent them from fighting back to their full potential. Now I knew what Alinua and Falst were gonna be doing before Tynan showed up: being hunted for sport. Hooray!

Somewhere along the line I concluded that I didn't want to just leave them running around aimlessly until Tynan showed up, so the best way to resolve this situation was for Erin to intervene - pretty much the only party member who had enough social and political power to actually shut Shrike down. That meant cutting his stay in the Archive short, but that was actually a nice bit of characterization - he hadn't really been looking morally great in this arc so far, so giving him a moment of unconditionally selfless sacrifice to bail out his friends was a nice touch. It also got the gang more coordinated in one place for the upcoming Tynan bossfight.

And then when Tynan did show up, oopsies! I had to split the party again. See, I'd realized somewhere along the line that Alinua's personal arc in this storyline had to end with her cracking the mountain open. I'd planted it too well to not pay that off. It also let me demonstrate another limit on her potentially utterly busted powerset by showing that Life does not do whatever she wants her to. So that meant I had to peel off Falst and Alinua for another little solo adventure.

In my original plan, the gang saving the city was not a direct factor. When I started boarding it, it became clear that that had been a very dumb oversight on my part. Kendal would be focused on saving the city by defeating Tynan, but everyone else would want to save the city in a more practical way. Falst and Alinua were covered, but it took me a hot minute to figure out what Erin would do - and it was nice to give him a nonstandard show of power to really highlight how much of a swiss army knife his powerset is.

And then I had to loop in Dainix, and I had to resolve the Arenamaster thing because leaving him as a loose end after all the nastiness he pulled wouldn't be narratively satisfying even if his empire was crumbling around him, and I resolved those two considerations pretty efficiently.

And that was basically the hard part over. I was finally getting everyone all in one place to fight Tynan, and that was going to be totally simple except for SPOILER and the SPOILER bit. What could go wrong??

[doomguy-suggestion]

GIFT AND TEAR!

(Working Title)

So, like... uh... f*ck, I’m terrible at introductions. Ah, screw it, let’s just get to the part where I tried to cobble together cool stuff for my new friends using materials found across the Mars base and all that jazz.

@kirby-suggestions I know you’re a fan of swords, but I don’t exactly have any spare Crucibles lying around... so I shipped you a double-bladed chainsaw instead. Not exactly a conventional blade, I know, but I’d imagine it’ll slice through Star Blocks like a hot knife through butter, if nothing else.

@samus-aran-the-hunter  I know that refilling your Energy Tanks can be a real pain in the arse sometimes, so I’ve sent you a crate of Siphon Grenades. Just give them a twist and a flick of the wrist, and presto, the life force of your enemies is now yours!

@link-suggestion since you’re into more... destructive... weapons, I pilfered an Argent Energy Axe from a Marauder for you. Soon you can chop down trees and set Moblins on fire at the same time!

@dark-kirby-suggestions I’ve noticed that you’ve got a preference for Copy Abilities with very wide areas of effect, so I’ve shipped a Rocket Launcher with a maxed out Remote Detonation mod your way. Believe me, Rockets that detonate twice are incredible at area coverage.

@freeman-suggestion I have no idea where you are or what you’re up to these days, so I couldn’t exactly send you a physical present. Instead I got VEGA to mail you an override code that’ll get you access to any UAC storage warehouse on Earth, in case you need extra resources for... whatever it is you've been doing lately.

@solid-snakegestions I don’t think you ever got a chance to use any of my energy weapons during Demonslaughter ‘18, so I’m sending over an extra Plasma Rifle with the Stun Bomb attachment. And I made sure to send it in a metal crate about the size of your cardboard boxes, too.

@good-boy-wolf-link Since you asked for a gun from my world a while back, I’ve been thinking about what kind of gun would suit your needs best, and I’ve settled on one of the Super Nailguns I picked up in the Slipgate worlds. It’s entirely gunpowder-free and it has an average fire rate of like 400 nails per minute or something ludicrous like that.

@incineroar-suggetions it took me a while to think of something you’d like, but I think I’ve got it: a chainmail vest made out of Pinky Demon chitin! This stuff is insanely impact-resistant; it’ll shrug off a shotgun blast at point blank range.

@a-magical-karp I’ll be honest, I had no idea if there was anything up here that you’d like, so I took the easy way out and sent you a 50,000 Pokedollar gift card for Veilstone City’s department store. Hope you’ll find something you like.

@witch-mom-bayonetta since you seem to love firearms made from demon corpses so much, I figured maybe you and Rodin could make something out of a bunch of Hell Razer arms. I mean, hell, they’re already naturally-grown laser cannons, surely you can refine them into something more powerful, yeah?

I think that’s pretty much everybody! Well... almost everybody.

First off, I’m not even sure if @reaper-suggestions likes Christmas, and even if he does, I somehow doubt he’d want this Explosive Rounds mod for his shotguns since he seems to treat the things as disposable. Maybe I should send him something he can enjoy with his friends instead. Maybe another double-bladed chainsaw like the one I sent Kirby? I don’t know, man.

I was going to send @ask-devil-deku some kind of Argent Energy bait to help out with his disguised demon problems, but I think he’s either changed his identity or he’s outright left the site. Or, maybe he’s already taken care of the problem and I just haven’t heard about it yet. Hard to say for certain.

Finally, @goddamndarkasssamus got to fire the Big Gun a few days ago and that’s the closest that they’re getting to an xmas present this year. Hell, I was tempted to send them a big ol’ chunk of coal as a joke, but I’d rather not get Phazon Beam’d to death today.

... oh, and VEGA claims that he “gifted” a virus to @hacker-sombra-suggestions‘s computer that’ll supposedly to wipe her hard drives on system boot-up. But I’ve never known him to act that outwardly malicious before, so I’m not sure if he’s being serious, or if that’s just his idea of sarcasm or something.

Happy Holidays y’all,

— Doom Slayer

[pope-francis-quotes]

26th September >> (@zenitenglish) #PopeFrancis #Pope Issues Message to #China & Universal Church, Notes Provisional Agreement Can Contribute to Writing New Chapter of Catholic Church in Nation ‘It’s not question of appointing functionaries...but of finding authentic shepherds‘.

Provisional Agreement Can Contribute to Writing New Chapter of Catholic Church in China (Pope Issues Message to China & Universal Church)

‘It is not a question of appointing functionaries to deal with religious issues, but of finding authentic shepherds according to the heart of Jesus … Men who take seriously the Lord’s words.’

(Deborah Castellano Lubov @zenitenglish)

Pope Francis today, Sept. 26, 2018, issued a message to the Catholics of China and to the Universal Church.

The 11-point message touches on various issues, and touches on the provisional agreement published Sept. 22,

“The Provisional Agreement signed with the Chinese authorities, while limited to certain aspects of the Church’s life and necessarily capable of improvement,” it noted, “can contribute – for its part – to writing this new chapter of the Catholic Church in China.”

For the first time, it said, the Agreement sets out stable elements of cooperation between the state authorities and the Apostolic See, in the hope of providing the Catholic community with good shepherds.

“In this context, the Holy See intends fully to play its own part. Yet an important part also falls to you, the bishops, priests, consecrated men and women, and lay faithful: to join in seeking good candidates capable of taking up in the Church the demanding and important ministry of bishop.”

“It is not a question of appointing functionaries to deal with religious issues, but of finding authentic shepherds according to the heart of Jesus, men committed to working generously in the service of God’s people, especially the poor and the most vulnerable. Men who take seriously the Lord’s words: “Whoever would become great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be the slave of all” (Mk 10:43-44).”

In this regard,  it continued, “it seems clear that an Agreement is merely an instrument, and not of itself capable of resolving all existing problems. Indeed, it will prove ineffective and unproductive, unless it is accompanied by a deep commitment to renewing personal attitudes and ecclesial forms of conduct.”

Also in the message it said that on a pastoral level, “the Catholic community in China is called to be united, so as to overcome the divisions of the past that have caused, and continue to cause great suffering in the hearts of many pastors and faithful.

All Christians, none excluded, it underscored, must now offer gestures of reconciliation and communion.

Here is the full Vatican-provided text:

**

Message of His Holiness Pope Francis to the Catholics of China and to the Universal Church

“Eternal is his merciful love; He is faithful from age to age” (Psalm 100:5)

Dear brother bishops, priests, consecrated men and women and all the faithful of the Catholic Church in China, let us thank the Lord, for “eternal is his merciful love! He made us, we belong to him; we are his people, the sheep of his flock” (Ps 100:3).

At this moment, my heart echoes the words of exhortation addressed to you by my venerable predecessor in his Letter of 27 May 2007: “Catholic Church in China, you are a small flock present and active within the vastness of an immense people journeying through history. How stirring and encouraging these words of Jesus are for you: ‘Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s pleasure to give you the kingdom’ (Lk 12:32)! … Therefore, ‘let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven’ (Mt 5:16)” (BENEDICT XVI, Letter to Chinese Catholics, 27 May 2007, 5).

1. Of late, many conflicting reports have circulated about the present and, in particular, the future of the Catholic communities in China. I am aware that this flurry of thoughts and opinions may have caused a certain confusion and prompted different reactions in the hearts of many. Some feel doubt and perplexity, while others sense themselves somehow abandoned by the Holy See and anxiously question the value of their sufferings endured out of fidelity to the Successor of Peter. In many others, there prevail positive expectations and reflections inspired by the hope of a more serene future for a fruitful witness to the faith in China.

This situation has become more acute, particularly with regard to the Provisional Agreement between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China, which, as you know, was signed in recent days in Beijing. At so significant a moment for the life of the Church, I want to assure you through this brief Message that you are daily present in my prayers, and to share with you my heartfelt feelings.

They are sentiments of thanksgiving to the Lord and of sincere admiration – which is the admiration of the entire Catholic Church – for the gift of your fidelity, your constancy amid trials, and your firm trust in God’s providence, even when certain situations proved particularly adverse and difficult.

These painful experiences are part of the spiritual treasury of the Church in China and of all God’s pilgrim people on earth. I assure you that the Lord, through the crucible of our trials, never fails to pour out his consolations upon us and to prepare us for an even greater joy. In the words of the Psalmist, we are more than certain that “those who are sowing in tears, will sing when they reap” (Ps 126[125]:5).

Let us continue to look, then, to the example of all those faithful laity and pastors who readily offered their “good witness” (cf. 1 Tim 6:13) to the Gospel, even to the sacrifice of their own lives. They showed themselves true friends of God!

2. For my part, I have always looked upon China as a land of great opportunities and the Chinese people as the creators and guardians of an inestimable patrimony of culture and wisdom, refined by resisting adversity and embracing diversity, and which, not by chance, entered into contact from early times with the Christian message. As Father Matteo Ricci, S.J., perceptively noted in challenging us to the virtue of trust, “before entering into friendship, one must observe; after becoming friends, one must trust” (De Amicitia, 7).

I too am convinced that encounter can be authentic and fruitful only if it occurs through the practice of dialogue, which involves coming to know one another, to respect one another and to “walk together” for the sake of building a common future of sublime harmony.

This is the context in which to view the Provisional Agreement, which is the result of a lengthy and complex institutional dialogue between the Holy See and the Chinese authorities initiated by Saint John Paul II and continued by Pope Benedict XVI. Through this process, the Holy See has desired – and continues to desire – only to attain the Church’s specific spiritual and pastoral aims, namely, to support and advance the preaching of the Gospel, and to reestablish and preserve the full and visible unity of the Catholic community in China.

With regard to the importance of this Agreement and its aims, I would like to share with you a few reflections and provide you with some input of a spiritual pastoral nature for the journey we are called to undertake in this new phase.

It is a journey that, as in its earlier stages, “requires time and presupposes the good will of both parties” (BENEDICT XVI, Letter to Chinese Catholics, 27 May 2007, 4). But for the Church, within and outside of China, this involves more than simply respecting human values. It is also a spiritual calling: to go out from herself to embrace “the joys and the hopes, the grief and anguish of the people of our time, especially those who are poor or afflicted” (SECOND VATICAN ECUMENICAL COUNCIL, Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes, 1) and the challenges of the present that God entrusts to us. It is thus an ecclesial summons to become pilgrims along the paths of history, trusting before all else in God and in his promises, as did Abraham and our fathers in the faith.

Called by God, Abraham obeyed by setting out for an unknown land that he was to receive as an inheritance, without knowing the path that lay ahead. Had Abraham demanded ideal social and political conditions before leaving his land, perhaps he would never have set out. Instead, he trusted in God and in response to God’s word he left his home and its safety. It was not historical changes that made him put his trust in God; rather, it was his pure faith that brought about a change in history. For faith is “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Indeed, by faith our ancestors received [God’s] approval” (Heb 11:1-2).

3. As the Successor of Peter, I want to confirm you in this faith (cf. Lk 22:32) – in the faith of Abraham, in the faith of the Virgin Mary, in the faith you have received –and to ask you to place your trust ever more firmly in the Lord of history and in the Church’s discernment of his will. May all of us implore the gift of the Spirit to illumine our minds, warm our hearts and help us to understand where he would lead us, in order to overcome inevitable moments of bewilderment, and to find the strength to set out resolutely on the road ahead.

Precisely for the sake of supporting and promoting the preaching of the Gospel in China and reestablishing full and visible unity in the Church, it was essential, before all else, to deal with the issue of the appointment of bishops. Regrettably, as we know, the recent history of the Catholic Church in China has been marked by deep and painful tensions, hurts and divisions, centred especially on the figure of the bishop as the guardian of the authenticity of the faith and as guarantor of ecclesial communion.

When, in the past, it was presumed to determine the internal life of the Catholic communities, imposing direct control above and beyond the legitimate competence of the state, the phenomenon of clandestinity arose in the Church in China. This experience – it must be emphasized – is not a normal part of the life of the Church and “history shows that pastors and faithful have recourse to it only amid suffering, in the desire to maintain the integrity of their faith” (BENEDICT XVI, Letter to Chinese Catholics, 27 May 2007, 8).

I would have you know that, from the time I was entrusted with the Petrine ministry, I have experienced great consolation in knowing the heartfelt desire of Chinese Catholics to live their faith in full communion with the universal Church and with the Successor of Peter, who is “the perpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful” (SECOND VATICAN ECUMENICAL COUNCIL, Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium, 23). In these years, I have received numerous concrete signs and testimonies of that desire, including from bishops who have damaged communion in the Church as a result of weakness and errors, but also, and not infrequently, due to powerful and undue pressure from without.

Consequently, after carefully examining every individual personal situation, and listening to different points of view, I have devoted much time to reflection and prayer, seeking the true good of the Church in China. In the end, before the Lord and with serenity of judgment, in continuity with the direction set by my immediate predecessors, I have determined to grant reconciliation to the remaining seven “official” bishops ordained without papal mandate and, having lifted every relevant canonical sanction, to readmit them to full ecclesial communion. At the same time, I ask them to express with concrete and visible gestures their restored unity with the Apostolic See and with the Churches spread throughout the world, and to remain faithful despite any difficulties.

4. In the sixth year of my Pontificate, which I have placed from the beginning under the banner of God’s merciful love, I now invite all Chinese Catholics to work towards reconciliation. May all be mindful, with renewed apostolic zeal, of the words of Saint Paul: “God… has reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Cor 5:18).

Indeed, as I wrote at the conclusion of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, “no law or precept can prevent God from once more embracing the son who returns to him admitting that he has done wrong but intending to start his life anew. Remaining only at the level of the law is equivalent to thwarting faith and divine mercy… Even in the most complex cases, where there is a temptation to apply a justice derived from rules alone, we must believe in the power flowing from divine grace” (Apostolic Letter Misericordia et Misera, 20 November 2016, 11).

In this spirit, and in line with the decisions that have been made, we can initiate an unprecedented process that we hope will help to heal the wounds of the past, restore full communion among all Chinese Catholics, and lead to a phase of greater fraternal cooperation, in order to renew our commitment to the mission of proclaiming the Gospel. For the Church exists for the sake of bearing witness to Jesus Christ and to the forgiving and saving love of the Father.

5. The Provisional Agreement signed with the Chinese authorities, while limited to certain aspects of the Church’s life and necessarily capable of improvement, can contribute – for its part – to writing this new chapter of the Catholic Church in China. For the first time, the Agreement sets out stable elements of cooperation between the state authorities and the Apostolic See, in the hope of providing the Catholic community with good shepherds.

In this context, the Holy See intends fully to play its own part. Yet an important part also falls to you, the bishops, priests, consecrated men and women, and lay faithful: to join in seeking good candidates capable of taking up in the Church the demanding and important ministry of bishop. It is not a question of appointing functionaries to deal with religious issues, but of finding authentic shepherds according to the heart of Jesus, men committed to working generously in the service of God’s people, especially the poor and the most vulnerable. Men who take seriously the Lord’s words: “Whoever would become great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be the slave of all” (Mk 10:43-44).

In this regard, it seems clear that an Agreement is merely an instrument, and not of itself capable of resolving all existing problems. Indeed, it will prove ineffective and unproductive, unless it is accompanied by a deep commitment to renewing personal attitudes and ecclesial forms of conduct.

6. On the pastoral level, the Catholic community in China is called to be united, so as to overcome the divisions of the past that have caused, and continue to cause great suffering in the hearts of many pastors and faithful. All Christians, none excluded, must now offer gestures of reconciliation and communion. In this regard, let us keep in mind the admonition of Saint John of the Cross: “In the evening of life, we will be judged on love” (Dichos, 64).

On the civil and political level, Chinese Catholics must be good citizens, loving their homeland and serving their country with diligence and honesty, to the best of their ability. On the ethical level, they should be aware that many of their fellow citizens expect from them a greater commitment to the service of the common good and the harmonious growth of society as a whole. In particular, Catholics ought to make a prophetic and constructive contribution born of their faith in the kingdom of God. At times, this may also require of them the effort to offer a word of criticism, not out of sterile opposition, but for the sake of building a society that is more just, humane and respectful of the dignity of each person.

7. I now turn to you, my brother bishops, priests and consecrated persons who “serve the Lord with gladness” (Ps 100:2). Let us recognize one another as followers of Christ in the service of God’s people. Let us make pastoral charity the compass for our ministry. Let us leave behind past conflicts and attempts to pursue our own interests, and care for the faithful, making our own their joys and their sufferings. Let us work humbly for reconciliation and unity. With energy and enthusiasm, let us take up the path of evangelization indicated by the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council.

To everyone, I say once more with great affection: “Let us be inspired to act by the example of all those priests, religious, and laity who devote themselves to proclamation and to serving others with great fidelity, often at the risk of their lives and certainly at the cost of their comfort. Their testimony reminds us that, more than bureaucrats and functionaries, the Church needs passionate missionaries, enthusiastic about sharing true life. The saints surprise us; they confound us, because by their lives they urge us to abandon a dull and dreary mediocrity” (Apostolic Exhortation Gaudete et Exsultate, 19 March 2018, 138).

I ask you wholeheartedly to beg for the grace not to hesitate when the Spirit calls us to take a step forward: “Let us ask for the apostolic courage to share the Gospel with others and to stop trying to make our Christian life a museum of memories. In every situation, may the Holy Spirit cause us to contemplate history in the light of the risen Jesus. In this way, the Church will not stand still, but constantly welcome the Lord’s surprises” (ibid., 139).

8. In this year, when the entire Church celebrates the Synod on Young People, I would like to say a special word to you, young Chinese Catholics, who enter the gates of the house of the Lord “giving thanks [and] with songs of praise” (Ps 100:4). I ask you to cooperate in building the future of your country with the talents and gifts that you have received, and with the youthfulness of your faith. I encourage you to bring, by your enthusiasm, the joy of the Gospel to everyone you meet.

Be ready to accept the sure guidance of the Holy Spirit, who shows today’s world the path to reconciliation and peace. Let yourselves be surprised by the renewing power of grace, even when it may seem that the Lord is asking more of you than you think you can give. Do not be afraid to listen to his voice as he calls you to fraternity, encounter, capacity for dialogue and forgiveness, and a spirit of service, regardless of the painful experiences of the recent past and wounds not yet healed.

Open your hearts and minds to discern the merciful plan of God, who asks us to rise above personal prejudices and conflicts between groups and communities, in order to undertake a courageous fraternal journey in the light of an authentic culture of encounter.

Nowadays there is no lack of temptations: the pride born of worldly success, narrow-mindedness and absorption in material things, as if God did not exist. Go against the flow and stand firm in the Lord: “for he is good; eternal is his merciful love; he is faithful from age to age” (Ps 100:5).

9. Dear brothers and sisters of the universal Church, all of us are called to recognize as one of the signs of our times everything that is happening today in the life of the Church in China. We have an important duty: to accompany our brothers and sisters in China with fervent prayer and fraternal friendship. Indeed, they need to feel that in the journey that now lies ahead, they are not alone. They need to be accepted and supported as a vital part of the Church. “How good and pleasant it is, when brothers dwell together in unity!” (Ps 133:1).

Each local Catholic community in every part of the world should make an effort to appreciate and integrate the spiritual and cultural treasures proper to Chinese Catholics. The time has come to taste together the genuine fruits of the Gospel sown in the ancient “Middle Kingdom” and to raise to the Lord Jesus Christ a hymn of faith and thanksgiving, enriched by authentically Chinese notes.

10. I now turn with respect to the leaders of the People’s Republic of China and renew my invitation to continue, with trust, courage and farsightedness, the dialogue begun some time ago. I wish to assure them that the Holy See will continue to work sincerely for the growth of genuine friendship with the Chinese people.

The present contacts between the Holy See and the Chinese government are proving useful for overcoming past differences, even those of the more recent past, and for opening a new chapter of more serene and practical cooperation, in the shared conviction that “incomprehension [serves] the interests of neither the Chinese people nor the Catholic Church in China” (BENEDICT XVI, Letter to Chinese Catholics, 27 May 2007, 4).

In this way, China and the Apostolic See, called by history to an arduous yet exciting task, will be able to act more positively for the orderly and harmonious growth of the Catholic community in China. They will make efforts to promote the integral development of society by ensuring greater respect for the human person, also in the religious sphere, and will work concretely to protect the environment in which we live and to build a future of peace and fraternity between peoples.

In China, it is essential that, also on the local level, relations between the leaders of ecclesial communities and the civil authorities become more productive through frank dialogue and impartial listening, so as to overcome antagonism on both sides. A new style of straightforward daily cooperation needs to develop between local authorities and ecclesiastical authorities – bishops, priests and community elders – in order to ensure that pastoral activities take place in an orderly manner, in harmony with the legitimate expectations of the faithful and the decisions of competent authorities.

This will help make it clear that the Church in China is not oblivious to Chinese history, nor does she seek any privilege. Her aim in the dialogue with civil authorities is that of “building a relationship based on mutual respect and deeper understanding” (ibid.).

11. In the name of the whole Church, I beg the Lord for the gift of peace, and I invite all to join me in invoking the maternal protection of the Virgin Mary:

Mother of Heaven, hear the plea of your children as we humbly call upon your name!

Virgin of Hope, we entrust to you the journey of the faithful in the noble land of China. We ask you to present to the Lord of history the trials and tribulations, the petitions and the hopes of all those who pray to you, O Queen of Heaven!

Mother of the Church, we consecrate to you the present and the future of our families and our communities. Protect and sustain them in fraternal reconciliation and in service to the poor who bless your name, O Queen of Heaven!

Consolation of the Afflicted, we turn to you, for you are the refuge of all who weep amid their trials. Watch over your sons and daughters who praise your name; make them one in bringing the proclamation of the Gospel. Accompany their efforts to build a more fraternal world. Grant that they may bring the joy of forgiveness to all whom they meet, O Queen of Heaven!

Mary, Help of Christians, for China we implore days of blessing and of peace. Amen!

From the Vatican, 26 September 2018

FRANCIS

SEPTEMBER 26, 2018 13:48

POLITICS

[dfroza]

Today’s reading from the ancient book of Proverbs and book of Psalms

for August 27 of 2021 with Proverbs 27 and Psalm 27, accompanied by Psalm 69 for the 69th day of Astronomical Summer and Psalm 89 for day 239 of the year (now with the consummate book of 150 Psalms in its 2nd revolution this year)

[Proverbs 27]

Don’t brag about what may happen tomorrow

because you have no idea what it will bring.

Let someone else praise you;

compliments are always sweeter from a stranger’s lips than from your own.

Heavy is rock and weighty is sand,

but more burdensome than either is the anger of a fool.

Wrath is fierce and anger is a tidal wave of fury,

but who of us can stand up against jealousy?

Open rebuke is better

than hidden love.

Wounds inflicted by the correction of a friend prove he is faithful;

the abundant kisses of an enemy show his lies.

The person who is full has no interest in honey;

but to the starving, bitterness itself is sweet.

Like a bird that strays far from its nest,

so is a person who forsakes his own home.

The heart is delighted by the fragrance of oil and sweet perfumes,

and in just the same way, the soul is sweetened by the wise counsel of a friend.

Do not neglect your friend or your parent’s friend for that matter.

When hard times come, you don’t have to travel far to get help from family;

A neighbor who is near is better

than a brother who is far away.

Study to be wise, my son, and make my heart glad,

for then your life will be my answer to anyone who hurls insults.

The astute see evil coming and take shelter,

but the stupid plow right on and then, of course, have to pay the price.

If someone guarantees a stranger’s debt, hold his garment as collateral;

if that guarantee is for the debt of a foreigner, make sure you get a deposit.

Anyone who blesses his neighbor with a loud voice

early in the morning,

will find his blessing regarded as a curse.

A constant dripping on a rainy day

and a wife’s bickering are very much alike:

Anyone who tries to control her might as well try to control the wind

or pick up oil in his right hand.

In the same way that iron sharpens iron,

a person sharpens the character of his friend.

Whoever takes care of a fig tree will eat of its fruit,

and whoever cares for his master will be honored.

Just as water reflects a person’s true face,

so the human heart reflects a person’s true character.

Neither the grave nor destruction is ever satisfied;

the desires of people are never totally fulfilled.

The crucible is used for refining silver, the furnace for gold,

but praise is what tests a person’s mettle.

Though you grind a fool like grain

in a mortar with a pestle,

still his foolishness will not be separated from him.

Pay careful attention to your flocks,

and see to the welfare of your herds

Because riches do not last forever,

nor does one dynasty retain power through all generations.

When the hay is harvested and the autumn grasses begin to grow

and the herbs of the mountains are gathered,

Then the lambs will provide wool for your clothing,

young goats can be sold to buy a new field,

And there will be enough milk from your goats

to sustain you, your family, and your serving girls.

The Book of Proverbs, Chapter 27 (The Voice)

[Psalm 27]

A song of David.

The Eternal is my light amidst my darkness

and my rescue in times of trouble.

So whom shall I fear?

He surrounds me with a fortress of protection.

So nothing should cause me alarm.

When my enemies advanced

to devour me alive,

They tripped and fell flat on their faces into the soil.

When the armies of the enemy surround me,

I will not be afraid.

When death calls for me in the midst of war,

my soul is confident and unmoved.

I am pleading with the Eternal for this one thing,

my soul’s desire:

To live with Him all of my days—

in the shadow of His temple,

To behold His beauty and ponder His ways

in the company of His people.

His house is my shelter and secret retreat.

It is there I find peace in the midst of storm and turmoil.

Safety sits with me in the hiding place of God.

He will set me on a rock, high above the fray.

God lifts me high above those with thoughts

of death and deceit that call for my life.

I will enter His presence, offering sacrifices and praise.

In His house, I am overcome with joy

As I sing, yes, and play music for the Eternal alone.

I cannot shout any louder. Eternal One—hear my cry

and respond with Your grace.

The prodding of my heart leads me to chase after You.

I am seeking You, Eternal One—don’t retreat from me.

You have always answered my call.

Don’t hide from me now.

Don’t give up on me in anger at Your servant.

You have always been there for me.

Don’t throw me to the side and forget me,

my God and only salvation.

My father and mother have deserted me,

yet the Eternal will take me in.

O Eternal, show me Your way,

shine Your light brightly on this path, and make it level for me,

for my enemies are lurking in the recesses and ravines along the way.

They are watching—hoping to seize me.

Do not release me to their desires or surrender me to their will!

Liars are standing against me,

breathing out cruel lies hoping that I will die.

I will move past my enemies with this one, sure hope:

that with my own eyes, I will see the goodness of the Eternal

in the land of the living.

Please answer me: Don’t give up.

Wait for the Eternal in expectation, and be strong.

Again, wait for the Eternal.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 27 (The Voice)

to be accompanied by these lines:

I’m asking God for one thing,

only one thing:

To live with him in his house

my whole life long.

I’ll contemplate his beauty;

I’ll study at his feet.

That’s the only quiet, secure place

in a noisy world,

The perfect getaway,

far from the buzz of traffic.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 27:4-5 (The Message)

[Psalm 69]

A Cry of Distress

To the Pure and Shining One

David’s poetic song of praise To the tune of “Lilies”

God, my God, come and save me!

These floods of trouble have risen higher and higher.

The water is up to my neck!

I’m sinking into the mud with no place to stand,

and I’m about to drown in this storm.

I’m weary, exhausted with weeping.

My throat is dry, my voice is gone, my eyes are swollen with sorrow,

and I’m waiting for you, God, to come through for me.

I can’t even count all those who hate me for no reason.

Many influential men want me silenced,

yet I’ve done nothing against them.

Must I restore what I never took away?

God, my life is an open book to you.

You know every sin I’ve ever done.

For nothing within me is hidden from your sight!

Lord Yahweh of Angel Armies,

keep me from ever being a stumbling block to others,

to those who love you.

Lord God of Israel, don’t let what happens to me

be the source of confusion to those who are passionate for you.

Because of my love for you, Lord,

I have been mocked, cursed, and disgraced.

Even my own brothers, those of my family,

act as though they don’t want anything to do with me.

My love for you has my heart on fire!

My passion for your house consumes me!

Nothing will turn me away,

even though I endure all the insults of those who insult you.

When they see me seeking for more of you with weeping and fasting,

they all just scoff and scorn at my passion.

When I humble myself with sorrow over my sin,

it gives them a reason to mock me even more.

The leaders, the influential ones—how they scorn my passion for you!

I’ve become the talk of the town, the theme of drunkards’ songs.

But I keep calling out to you, Yahweh!

I know you will bend down to listen to me,

for now is the season of favor.

Because of your faithful love for me,

your answer to my prayer will be my sure salvation.

Pull me out of this mess! Don’t let me sink!

Rescue me from those who hate me and from all this trouble I’m in!

Don’t let this flood drown me.

Save me from these deep waters

or I’ll go down to the pit of destruction.

Oh, Lord God, answer my prayers!

I need to see your tender kindness, your grace,

your compassion, and your constant love.

Just let me see your face, and turn your heart toward me.

Come running quickly to your servant.

In this deep distress, come and answer my prayer.

Come closer as a friend and redeem me.

Set me free so my enemies cannot say that you are powerless.

See how they dishonor me in shame and disgrace?

You know, Lord, what I’m going through, and you see it all.

I’m heartsick and heartbroken by it all.

Their contempt has crushed my soul.

I looked for sympathy and compassion

but found only empty stares.

I was hungry and they gave me bitter food.

I was thirsty and they offered me vinegar.

Let their “feasts” turn to ashes.

Let their “peace and security” become their downfall.

Make them blind as bats, groping in the dark.

Let them be feeble, trembling continually.

Pour out your fury on them all!

Consume them with the fire of your anger!

Burn down the walled palace where they live!

Leave them homeless and desolate!

For they come against the one you yourself have struck,

and they scorn the pain of those you’ve pierced.

Pile on them the guilt of their sins.

Don’t let them ever go free.

Leave them out of your list of the living!

Blot them out of your Book of Life!

Never name them as your own!

I am burdened and broken by this pain.

When your miracle rescue comes to me,

it will lift me to the highest place.

Then my song will be a burst of praise to you.

My glory-shouts will make your fame even more glorious

to all who hear my praises!

For I know, Yahweh, that my praises mean more to you

than all my gifts and sacrifices.

All who seek you will see God do this for them,

and they’ll overflow with gladness.

Let this revive your hearts, all you lovers of God!

For Yahweh does listen to the poor and needy

and will not abandon his prisoners of love.

Let all the universe praise him!

The high heavens and everyone on earth, praise him!

Let the oceans deep, with everything in them, keep it up!

God will come to save his Zion-people.

God will build up his cities of Judah,

for there his people will live in peace.

All their children will inherit the land,

and the lovers of his name will live there safe and secure.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 69 (The Passion Translation)