#poverty of spirit

[pearlsforthesoul]

TAKE THAT & THAT! (measure applies to you too)

Things not going well for you? Are you being willful & over-doing it? How about domineering tactics to ensure you get your way or item. What I am going to share brings the subject home, where it belongs AND where it hides. Keep in mind, this is something we picked up & was not part of the original creation planning TREAT OTHERS the WAY YOU WANT TO BE TREATED Simply put: whatever measure you…

[petorahs]

can i be toxic for a second i am so tired of people framing sunday and aventurine conflict as "sunday the mean homophobe who hates aventurine for that reason" and i wish that would go away because you can't object to this take without someone going "you're babying sunday too much" because i don't agree with him being given this ugly trait he doesn't have??

its ok anon u can vent in my inbox in good faith

its very frustrating isnt it... i agree. double indemnity trio have all moved on from this conflict the second Penacony arc ended, and yet it's the fandom that perpetuates these false narratives for... what? (i know the answer actually but heh keeping it to myself lest i be crucified). Ratio finds Sunday smart, Sunday finds Ratio pleasant, Aventurine thinks Sunday is handsome and is eager to watch him, Sunday has a crush on finds Aventurine a worthy rival. they're all amiable with eachother. not a single one of them "hold grudges" or "hate eachother" over this, frankly run-of-the-mill for them business trip. CAN WE MOVE ON COLLECTIVELY...!

we cant really change people's perceptions that easily though anon so all we can do are baby steps, one fanart or fic or project at a time :/// (still sucks tho when u just wanna enjoy these sillies in peace)

(PS Sunday is literally the LAST person to be homophobic this man would not be hateful towards any group of people whatsoever.)

[peachlover94]

Please Help A Friend Of Mine This Holiday Season

Once again, a friend of mine - Infamous-Verdesause in desperate need and having suicidal thoughts right now… I will never forgive myself if we lose her forever! She is over $2,000.00 USD in debt with no food due to her no-good family abusing her and wrecking her life. Pitch in what you can if you can or even commission her for writing and Koikatsu! works as well as spread the enclosed links around. You want NSFW writing commissions, my friend has an ironclad policy of no kink shaming...

Please note that ANY ATTEMPTS to take advantage of our desperation for paying off the expenses will be reported to the proper authorities for prosecution! Don't test me or her... but if you have a heart, use it to save the life of a fellow human being trying to survive. Even just $80.00 USD for Wi-Fi or $200.00 for rent can help as well as spreading the links around.

[purusadivine]

Praying that I land a job soon 🙏🏾 going on 6-7months unemployed. Ready to make active shifts in my life

[jbfly46]

The worst spirit I have ever come across is basically an amalgamation of hypocrisy. I have mainly witnessed it in females as it seems to have a difficult time inhabiting male bodies. It seems to primarily pop up in females who have become comfortable accomplishing nothing significant because they gave up on their primary goals in life and have settled on secondary goals that only really mean anything on paper. They continue doing the same things they’ve been doing since they left the wings of their parents, drinking, working low-level service or office jobs, and smoking weed. They frequently complain about other people doing the same shit they do while seeming unaware that they’re being a hypocrite. They seem to have convenient excuses as to why they can’t stop drinking or smoking weed, even if it’s just for a little while, or as to why they can’t make more that what’s essentially minimum wage, even when they have high-value skills, and even why they can’t do basic things for their mental and physical health like stop scrolling Instagram to go outside and read a book or exercise. Bringing any of these things up to them seems to bring to the surface a boiling rage and wrath upon anyone in their vicinity. They seem to be highly intelligent yet reluctant or incapable of using it. Because of their high intelligence, they seem reluctant or incapable of admitting that they are stuck in poverty due to their own choices, meaning they never do anything to uplift themselves out of poverty. They seem completely accepting of living an unhealthy impoverished lifestyle, yet unwilling to use their grand capability for acceptance to accept that their own actions are why they are behind in life. They often keep other people around just to blame their problems on when things don’t go well for them because they also refuse to prepare for obvious and predictable futures, like running out of food before their next paycheck, or living in a residence unsuited for the necessary changes they need to make in life. There are usually many things they can do to improve their situation even while they wait for the “storm to pass”, yet they don’t do them, and don’t realize the storm they are weathering was brought upon them by themselves. This type of lifestyle only serves one demographic, and it’s not their demographic. It only serves the boomer-Israeli economy ran by people who look down upon the people who serve them. If this rage stems from constantly serving people who hate you, why do you continue to serve them? Why do you distract yourself with irrelevant problems while never focusing on your own problems which have easy solutions? You can Google a step by step process on how to solve any problem you can possibly imagine. This is the behavior that brings depression and despair to anyone who cares for them. They will probably be too triggered reading this to make it past the first few sentences, and may exhibit symptoms reminiscent of attention deficit disorder. This spirit should be immediately attacked whenever you come across it, because comfortability for these people meaningless death and despair for them. Act unfazed by them being triggered.

[brown-little-robin]

oh great. I'm being sanctified again.

[northwoodsfan]

Better to live humbly with the poor than to share plunder with the proud. Proverbs‬ ‭16‬:‭19 It always amazes me when I hear about a celebrity of some sort that makes the news because of some tragedy. Drug abuse, poor financial decisions, physical abuse and robbery are just a few that come to mind. What happens in the human mind that does that to a person. They have it all! Fame, power, money…

[ejaydoeshisbest]

Third World Romance (2023)

Typing a quick review of “Third World Romance” before I get back to cooking. (Some Spoilers Below)

Aside from the title, the first few scenes already encapsulated what this movie was about. It is a cute love story blooming through the daily struggles of the ordinary low-wage Filipino worker.

A young woman, Britney, makes copies of her resume and then immediately runs to the spot where the government is handing out “ayuda” or government aid. There, she meets her romantic interest, Alvin, waiting in line for sacks of rice, clothes, and canned goods. Upon realizing that there was a "cutoff" for the ayuda, she dragged him around with her to follow the van containing those simple treasures and nabbed them. Alvin protests at the thought of stealing, but Britney reassures him that it isn't stealing if it is intended to be handed out to the people, anyway.

Throughout their little meet-cute adventure, they banter and flirt with each other in a way that perfectly emulates how the average working-class Filipinos talk; direct, sometimes crass, bordering on bullying rather than softly teasing. Very "kalye". Things would grow more romantic as their relationship deepened, it was nice to see that until the very end, they never lost that dynamic.

It’s unlike the polished script of several highly-produced mainstream movies full of eccentric gestures and perfumed dialogues. The lines of "Third World Romance" may be melodramatic in certain emotionally-charged scenes in the story--especially during the climax--but it is still honest. The wit is something that hits my heart and tickles my bones because of its relatability. I chuckled plenty during moments when the humor of this film bounced off each character. It's the kind of humor that is achingly familiar to you if you grew up in the streets. The words were delivered in pretty much the same way as how my friends and I tease each other under the very same blinking streetlights and passing bridges over polluted, plastic-crammed dark waters at dusk.

The setting, too, is far from the usual setting of rom-coms. Instead of dates inside museums, sparkling beaches, and polished marbled floors, we get long talks sitting on tin roofs of the slums, looking at the buildings that make up the metro. The couple don’t even go inside the expensive Korean buffet restaurant they’ve been eyeing, instead using their imagination to mimic the experience. The shots veer away from the beauty of the metro and instead ground the viewers on its squalor. We follow the characters through the narrow alleyways of the shady slums, passing broken bottles and stray animals. We stay with them under dimly lit fluorescent grocery lights and feel their sadness as they sink on yellowed tiles, their backs slumped against chipped cupboards.

However, the view of the metro automatically made me remember my carefree wistful years. My college nights were always like that; looking beyond my dorm room window and sinking into the delightful feeling that I was a young, independent, thriving student in the metro. I loved hearing the sounds of distant sirens and honks in an otherwise still night and stationary skyscrapers. Late-night cravings were going down to the nearest 24/7 convenience store and buying instant noodles with a nice cold soda.

The story also shows us the constant character traits of the common struggling Filipino set in an impoverished setting. Resourcefulness. Tenacity. Generosity amid corruption. Kindness. Dedication. Perseverance. Endurance. “Pagmamalasakit sa kapwa”. The movie doesn’t romanticize poverty—in fact, it depicts the frustrations and sacrifices people make as they climb their way upward in a society run by corrupt government officials. The story simply shows how some Filipinos deal with all that.

It is worthwhile mentioning that Britney, the leading woman, played by Charlie Dizon, has a “makibaka” pic saved as her cellphone’s home screen. Or I think it was. It briefly flashed on the screen at the start of the film. This image represents an idea of “people coming together for a change” seen in rallies organized by activists. It gives us a clue to her character trait throughout the story: Britney’s fighting spirit often leads her into trouble but also fuels her bravery and determination whenever problems target her loved ones. She is willing to do whatever it takes to ensure her mother gets home safely from abroad and still has plenty more spirit left to dream of giving her a nice life. She knows what her rights are and isn’t shy about voicing her opinions, especially before the climax of the film.

This also brings an awareness to the public of worker’s rights and of unjust labor practices, as well as inspiring people to voice their opinions especially when those in power abuse their position, and not just stand by and allow the abuse to happen. Nothing will change if no one acts.

There was one small scene that stood out to me because it shows a perfect example of that: Britney stated plainly that it isn’t part of her job description to both be a cashier and a bagger because those two positions are separate and are therefore paid separately. And then her coworker reacts to that poorly, eyebrows raised and scoffing at Britney and discarding her as “tamad” (lazy) and “maarte” (diva). For so long, a negative trait of some typical Filipino workers is to keep their heads down and do what is asked of them by their higher-ups, and this meekness has cost them their dignity, their time, and their effort. And what do they get in return? Nothing but low wages and a smile from their bosses. Their main concern is to keep the peace of office politics and remain employed as their bosses abuse them, comforted by the fact that they won't so much utter a complaint. That is until they gather and unite in strength through numbers. Again, if we let negative practices happen, they will never stop, and we will kiss the shiny boots of our superiors.

But Britney's fighting spirit is challenged at the climax of the story when we find out that her mother has sunk into deep debt, so she has no choice but to swallow her pride and accept double shifts with half the pay, plus is unable to defend Alvin when the boss fired him instead of taking accountability.

Speaking of her partner, Alvin, played by Carlo Aquino, is the perfect balance to her quirky, fiery temper. Alvin is cool, collected, kind, and is also no stranger to brutal work. He has been working since he was a kid and never stopped since.

We see Alvin’s playful nature quell Britney’s temper and unlock her softer, more caring side. He does everything for her; from simple things like taking her out to eat and helping her adjust to her new job to major events that propel the story forward, such as getting her hired at the grocery store where he works in the first place and helping her mom get back home to the Philippines when she was abandoned by her employers abroad. He is a man of his word: promising in one sweet moment that he will “try his best to make Britney happy.” By the end, Britney promises in turn to “try her best to fight for him."

Their promises to one another solidify their character growth in the movie; where one promises to make the other happy, the other swears to fight for their love. It is these qualities that are also common in healthy partnerships, especially in the everyday Pinoy. No matter what happens, through the struggles caused by those in power who are incompetent and apathetic, we could still have a chance of rising above as long as we love and fight for each other, and do our best every day.

[pearlsforthesoul]

ARE YOU REASONABLE (able to reason)?

Of course you are! You have this ability already. Granted, you may not use it well or even know it’s power or benefits. Perhaps you think you wield it when you don’t? It is similar to its cousin responsibility (ability to respond) where people don’t respond correctly or at all. Our make-up includes these dynamics as our default. We must respond/reason or what good are we? As to reason, it exists…

[ancestorsalive]

“The shabbiness of these attendants upon shabbiness, the poverty of these insolvent waiters upon insolvency, was a sight to see. Such threadbare coats and trousers, such fusty gowns and shawls, such squashed hats and bonnets, such boots and shoes, such umbrellas and walking-sticks, never were seen in Rag Fair. All of them wore the cast-off clothes of other men and women, were made up of patches and pieces of other people’s individuality, and had no sartorial existence of their own proper. Their walk was the walk of a race apart. They had a peculiar way of doggedly slinking round the corner, as if they were eternally going to the pawnbroker’s.”

- “Little Dorrit” Charles Dickens - 1855

[1zashreena1]

What do you consider growing up middle class?

I am going to answer as honestly and sincerely as I can based on my own experience

If your parents told you to just focus on your studies instead of get a job because they need your help to pay the electric bill

If you were ever gifted a car of any age/maintenance state

If college was a given assumption and not a silly kid pipedream

If you had an icemaker, central air, and washer-dryer

If you didn't use every last edible centimeter of fruits and vegetables

If you paid someone else to clean your house

If you could get new glasses AND see the dentist in the same year

If ordering pizza was a routine event rather than a special occasion

If your back to school shopping consisted of completely new clothing

If you had hobbies that cost money or required your parents to invest time and effort (like traveling to tournaments or getting you specific gear/equipment)

You took a family vacation more then twice growing up and those vacations weren't just visiting extended family a little ways away because staying with them is free

You went on a class/school trip

You flew anywhere as a child

You had a passport

Your parents didn't hoard extra prescription meds so that the next time you got sick you could just take the leftovers and not require paying for another round of Dr visit and pharmacy costs

You had more than 1 bathroom in your home

You were allowed to pick something out every time you went grocery shopping

You didn't really worry about how you were perceived when walking into stores/restaurants because you weren't desperately hoping that no one could tell your financial status from the state of your clothes

You didn't have to learn how to run a household by 16 because you had parents who could afford to be home and awake to do that for you

Your only hope of escaping your hometown and breaking free wasn't selling your entire existence to a deeply disturbing national war machine by enlisting in the military or similarly selling yourself by marrying rich

The best paying jobs available weren't physically damaging or dangerous (like how I destroyed my back unloading trucks because it paid way more than cashiering or waiting tables or how I knew multiple people doing construction at the risk of severe accidents or corrections to get paid more while risking violence)

You could afford to take time out/off when sick, whether it be the flu or full on depression

I'm sure I could think of more but just some things off the top of my head. Please remember that my experiences are directly related to the specific area/culture/time period in which I grew up and are not universal. Do not come for my parents who were doing the best they could with what they had, understand that me working to help pay the bills was while they were working 2 jobs and 70 hours a week simultaneously, they were not abusing me in this regard, it was just our reality. Also, on that last point, I am not shaming people that can't or don't work for whatever reason, I am stating that the option of recuperating in peace was simply not available to me, and I was previously diagnosed with major depression, have attempted suicide multiple times, and am now known auDHD with pmdd. So I understand the need but could never have it (and yes this has resulted in huuuuge life problems for me).

I am lower middle class now at 38 because I was able to put myself back thru school twice while still working and "married above my social station" (lol) and my partner has been able to take care of me in ways I considered as fairy tale movie stuff (like pay for my health insurance so I could get cancer treatment). I could not have done so without them. So I get it. I do take time off now, I do have a passport and take international vacations, I do get my glasses AND contacts at the same time, I do buy myself new clothes and even expensive purses, I do get necessary medical care. Yes I am still a little bitter and I do have permanent damage/issues from this stuff. And don't get me wrong, I had a lot of privilege in other ways and I know it. But what I came from is part of who I am and that's just reality.

Here, have cat rewards for making it to the end

[cheridraws]

hello i would like to know more about Patrick his story sounds interesting!

AHHHHH hello yes!!! I would love to talk about Patrick more!!!!!

So Patrick is an oc in this little story i've been developing over the last couple of years!! He's my main character (one of four) and is the most Fucked in my opinion, haha, so you know he's my favorite guy to talk about

Patrick is a character that has deeply fucked up in the past and spends sooooo much of his present trying to atone for those mistakes

So, beginning info:

broke as hell

was kicked out of his house at 18. this was mostly due to said family's struggle with poverty. this is important

has a twin bro (that i will get into later)

He spent some time in debt trouble with no help and was living on the run for a couple of years before he met this entity called Lasair (aka, a Spirit, which are basically the gods of this world). They bond, and it extends an olive branch to Patrick. Aka the guy basically desperate for connection and love. Lasair is an asshole who uses this to its advantage. I'm summing up a lot here, but in short, Patrick winds up helping Lasair with its plan to burn the world to the ground bc humanity sucks ass and we’re all terrible and deserve to be destroyed (but not actually!!!! The whole story is abt fighting this worldview). Eventually, after a lot of thinking and some convincing from some of their victims, he starts to have doubts,,, and oh well shit he’s got a brother doesn’t he. There might be a few ppl worth saving,,, oh no…. So he realizes that he needs to stop this right now actually (again, this is summed up, but that whole process takes a good few years of doubt in order to kick in. bestie's been thoroughly indoctrinated into lasair's thing for a while)

Patrick runs away, and vows to destroy Lasair's whole operation. Unfortunately, he's back on the run and is being chased down by some of Lasair's assets. Back to square one, basically.

BUT, he does have one hope!!! His twin, Philemon (Phil, who I often misspell as Phile, lol), who he has been estranged from for about a decade now, is still kicking, so Patrick runs over to him for help because who else is he supposed to ask. From here, the two of them begin to travel together (Phil, unwillingly at first) and try to find a way to defeat Lasair, later recruiting two more friends!! (who i'm still developing jskfjlj)

His character is sooo fun for me to talk about, mostly because he kinda fits most archetypes of characters i adore haha. Deeply fucked little guy who's learning how to love again <3 and is having to unlearn a loooooooot of stuff, holy shit

Speaking of which: he's got some real bad martyr issues, and believes that his actions during that decade he spent with Lasair define him; he thinks he is irredeemable. In life, anyways. His whole plan is to kill off or seal away Lasair in some big, grand, self-sacrificing act so he can a, destroy the monster he feels he created and b, somewhat redeem himself in death. Like,, he believes that this is the only thing that can redeem him to both his loved ones and family, so he's dead set on this ending despite his loved one's objections. Of course, over the course of traveling with Phil and the later members of their group, he sort-of begins to see the beauty in living, which becomes a nice contrast to Lasair's view of the world!! His whole character arc ends with him realizing that he wants to live and it makes me sob

anyways here's a few things I don't know how to work into this coherently but want to mention anyways:

he literally befriends the spirit of death. they're besties bc he nearly dies a lot. also death might kinda be into him,, bc apparently he’s a magnet for weird godlike creature’s attraction

is my ace icon <3

fucked a literal fire. like it was lasair but,, that spirit's made of fire my guy…. how are you doing….

O yeah,,,, him and Las were kind of in a relationship. I say kind of bc it didn’t have a label but like. Yeah. And it wasn’t good

actually yeah ask me abt lasair its design makes me unwell /posi so do all the other spirits

he decided the best course of action into getting phil to help him was a, break into his apartment, b, accidentally terrorize him with the people trying to hunt him down, and c, kidnap?? him??? (but only for like a minute)

those assets are called the Illusionist and the Mirror btw and i like them too

Actually Pls somebody help Phil all he wanted was to escape his hometown and become a big shot engineer he did not want to be roped into whatever the hell this is

anyways. I am completely unwell for him and think about him way too much,,, i really need to work on developing it more than i have,,, especially since i've got a whooollee lot of worldbuilding to do hehe. Thanks for asking about him though!!!! I hope this was coherent, haha, i've been dying to talk abt this fella for ages

(and feel free to ask me more i could write essays abt him)

[tracknews1]

TIRED OF POVERTY? WHY NOT JOIN THE WHITE SPIRIT OF WEALTH AND BECOME RICH!!.

**IKUKU THE GREAT IS HERE FIR YOU** Have you been looking for a way to end poverty in your life and you have gone to many places for spiritual help with no good result, then this is the final stage of your problem as the GREAT WHITE SPIRIT OF WEALTH will change your story for good. Located at Nbolafo Enugu state Nigeria, the WHITE SPIRIT OF WEALTH guarantees your financial break through and every…

[crunchywho-comix]

Feeling really fucking tired right about now.

[tom4jc]

Pray For Timor Leste

Pray for Timor Leste Continent: AsiaCapital: DiliPopulation: 1,379,883% Urban: 31.7%Population under 15 yrs: 37:3 %Official Language: Portuguese (13.5%), Tetum (91%), Bahasa Indonesia (43%)Languages: 19Literacy Rate: 68%Life Expectancy: 67.7 years% Christian: 87.4%% Evangelical: 2.3%Largest Religion: ChristianPeople Groups: 24% Unevangelized: 4% Timor Leste is a very young island nation. It…

[roguefundagelical]

Embracing Poverty: The Spiritual Message of Jesus

As promised, I will be blogging about the wisdom found in the Sermon on the Mount. This profound discourse is recorded in the Gospel According to Matthew, chapters 5-7. There is also a parallel sermon in the Gospel According to Luke (6:20-49), which is shorter but contains many of the same key messages. It is often referred to as the Sermon on the Plain. Let’s first examine the Sermon on the…