#thanksgiving invitation border

[klbwriting]

Not Romeo, Not Juliet

Chapter 7: Who is a Man

Fandom: Red Hood

Pairing: Jason Todd x f!reader

Warnings: violence

Summary: its almost time for the competition and the actors want to party, Jason goes to protect one of them and ends up in a bad situation

Who is man that is not angry?

— TIMON OF ATHENS, ACT 3 SCENE 5

Jason and YN spent the next few weeks mostly texting and talking on the phone, with Jason dropping by her place a couple time to run lines and just hang out. He spent evenings he wasn’t practicing in the Big Belly Burger in Crime Alley, listening for police chatter and checking the local social media for reports of muggers or gangsters, disappearing with excuses when he needed to handle something as Red Hood (Red Mask was very dead). Dick knew something was up, but Jason was being tightlipped and always had a good excuse for him to be out. Homework, dates with this Annabeth from the play, and Practice was taking up all his time, but Dick thought he was hiding something. He was right but Jason was trained in secrets by Batman, just like he was, if he didn’t want Dick to know he wouldn’t, at least until Dick started playing dirty. A couple weeks before the competition, after Jason had been particularly cagey about going out Dick finally just put a tracking device on both his shoes and also his phone, anything to figure out what he was actually doing.

Rehearsal that Saturday was rough, everyone was tired, some were sick with colds since it was late November, and everyone was a little peeved to be in school working on this play when it was Thanksgiving break. Jason was worn thin by the time midafternoon rolled around and the director was clearly frazzled so he took matters into his own hands. She liked him and he was going to use that to get them out of there.

“Does everyone hate me?” she asked when he approached after talking to the others. He shrugged and she nodded. “Ya, I figured. Tell them practice is over for today but next week its Saturday and Sunday.”

“Do we have any negotiating power on that?” he asked. She eyed him and he nodded, all 6’1 of him being a little scared of her evil eye. He turned back and told the others and they groaned. “Hey at least we can go,” he said, gathering his stuff. Jackson and Matt looked at him. “What?”

“You still hate us?” Jackson asked. Jason shrugged. It had been easier to get along by just dealing with them, the younger classes weren’t so bad, but these three sucked. “If not, we were going to meet and hit up Pegasus over in the Narrows. They don’t check IDs.” Jason chewed his cheek a bit as he thought. It would be an excuse to get out of the apartment, maybe he could go, just enough time so that anyone that might report him to Dick would see him there, and then he could duck out. The Narrows bordered Crime Alley so he could go do some patrolling, Saturdays were always crime heavy.

“Fine, sounds like fun and I could use a drink,” he said. Chelsea perked up.

“Maybe you could get me a drink,” she said, giggling a little. Jason nearly threw up in his mouth.

“No, I have a girlfriend,” he said, letting it slip out without really meaning too. YN wasn't his girlfriend, at least, neither of them had verbally committed to anything, but it felt natural to say that, to think of her face when he said ‘girlfriend’. Chelsea looked put out and the boys looked annoyed. “What? Am I not allowed to have one?”

“No, just, we know it's no one who goes here,” Matt said. Jason rolled his eyes, this high school shit getting annoying.

“She doesn’t go here, she lives in Gotham, and I don’t need to give you any more info than that, now, what time are we meeting there?” he said. They looked like they were reconsidering inviting him until the junior girl playing Gertrude, Sydney, came up, asking what they were up too.

“O we’re going out, you want to come?” Jackson asked, smiling at her, well, leering was more like it. She wilted a little, clearly not liking the look he was giving her. But Jason could see she wanted to go, hang out with the cool seniors.

“Are you going Jason?” she asked, taking a step closer to him. He knew then that they would let him come and he would go, if anything to make sure to protect Sydney from Jackson.

“Ya I’m going,” he answered, and they agreed on a meeting time and place. Dick was annoyed by the plans but when he saw the confirmation text from Matt that they were meeting and sneaking into a club he sighed.

“Well, guess going out and illegally drinking is a right of passage for teenagers,” he grumbled, trying very hard to be the cool big brother. Jason didn’t know about the trackers, so Dick wasn’t actually worried. “Just if you drink no driving, and is that girlfriend of yours going?” Jason had to reel himself in, once again reminding himself that he was supposed to be dating Sydney.

“Ya, and she doesn’t have a curfew,” he said. Dick rolled his eyes at the suggestion but didn’t say anything. He clearly did not want to have any kind of safe sex talk with Jason, so he just left it floating out there and Jason took the uncomfortable silence as he out, saying a quick bye, grabbing his bag and leaving. He texted YN, asking if she was working that night, thinking that if she was working late he would stop by, but she said no so he deflated a little. He didn’t want to drop by too late and disturb her mom. He would just go to the club, hang out until Sydney went home, without Jackson, and then go do some patrolling. It was a solid plan.

What a terrible plan. It was two hours into the night, almost 11, and Jason was at the bar, sipping water, watching the others drink and party like it was the end of the world. Honestly, going to those Wayne galas and getting drunk on wine when he was fourteen was a helpful learning experience in this moment, because there was no way he would want to be this trashed out in public. At least at the gala Alfred had been able to hurry him to his room and lock the door once he started acting like an idiot, this was just sad. Jackson was trying to serenade Sydney, who was clearly not having it, Chelsea and Matt had each found a guy to flirt with, and here he was, deflecting anyone who came over to him with a scowl. He was bored, but still didn’t want to leave any of them alone to do something really life-ruining, so he watched, wishing for an out. And curse whatever genie granted his wish.

The music stopped when the first shot rang out, the DJ running from the stage where several of Maroni’s thugs came out, brandishing semi-automatic rifles. They shot the air and Jason jumped into action, getting his things out of his bag and putting on the helmet while everyone was distracted. He grappled to a beam in the ceiling, jumping to the next one to be right above the attackers. Before jumping in he scanned the room for anymore, seeing no one else threatening. The bartender was on the phone, ducked down behind the bar, probably calling the police, and several of the clubgoers had already run out the unguarded front door. This wasn’t a hit meant to do anything except inspire fear. These were Maroni’s guys, in Falcone’s territory, clearly Maroni was trying to send a message to Falcone, and Jason didn’t like it, barely controlling the rage that was in him. He threw down a smoke bomb to the stage, landing just after it went off. Guns started firing and he cursed himself for not disarming them first, he prayed no one was hurt as he started disarming them, getting three of the goons’ weapons away and putting them out of commission before he heard another shot and felt a splash of pain through his side. That was it, the rage was out and he needed to hurt this guy. He mentally assessed the wound, too far to the left to hit anything vital, a thru and thru, he could live with the pain and end this last guy. He managed to dive in there, sweeping the man’s legs and knocking him to the ground, sending the gun skittering across the room. He punched him, feeling the power that the rage put into his fists. He hit him two more times, until he saw the blood coming from the man’s mouth. He stood, the smoke clearing around him. He saw phones up, videoing his actions. This wasn’t something he thought about before doing it. He scanned the crowd, not seeing anyone on the ground, not seeing people gathered to help anyone or crying over a body. He hoped that meant everyone was safe. Then he heard sirens, and he took off. He ran backstage, finding a side stage door and running through it towards Crime Alley.

[feverinfeveroutfic]

"he's gotta have it"

I had been such a bad boy up to the point of the day before Hanukkah, and I knew Alex had been a naughty boy as well. He had come along like a spider on a drain pipe begging for something to eat, and he got it good and he knew it. At some point, he began to lounge there on my couch with his hands tucked behind his head and let his belly hang out without an iota of shame to be found. He knew he was a prince. He knew he had it well from that point onward.

He let his eyes wander unto me from there like a crowned prince awaiting his bunch of grapes and then some. There was a part of me that wanted to make it more than grapes, so much more than grapes. The thought of a vine instead, the way one would curl itself around a lanky little metal pole, a lanky little guy like him. He may have put on a few but he was still a slender boy in my eyes.

I was a bad boy. The whole thing with me and him left me feeling like such a bad boy. I was giving him everything he could ever ask for in terms of all the food he could ever ask for. Giving him everything to eat and I had not a single care in the world about it all.

I was a bad boy and there had to be a way to bump it up a notch or two. He was starting to go over his borders with the passing of Thanksgiving, and I knew he was only going to go further overboard with Christmas and Hanukkah upon us. I still had yet to make him the sufganiyot as well.

There was that one evening prior to Thanksgiving when he and I had gotten down to the floor together and I was twisting his dick like I was trying to twist off the cap of a pickle jar. I was never going to forget the way that he parted his lips and arched his neck and back when I did it. I had no clue as to where the idea came from with me, but I had opened something up with him with that.

He liked being under me, and it was just one of those things that I saw right before my eyes: the panting, the gentle little moans that emerged from him, the way that he guided my hand down to the space between his legs, everything. He liked being encapsulated and trapped under the grasp of my hand, as chunky as it was, and I kept on seeing him all swaddled up with something long and elegant and lanky, like a grapevine.

I had invited him over for dinner about a week before Hanukkah and he seemed utterly ravenous the very second he strode into my apartment. He had that look to his eyes, as if he hadn’t had anything to eat in quite some time up to that point. The way that his long hair seemed to spread down over his shoulders like that of a mane. He looked like a little lion man standing there in my kitchen with one arm behind his back and his other hand pressed to his hip.

I had always loved the way how his hips looked, in particular the way that they began curving out more with his weight and the way that I would get lost in the way that he looked below the belt, too. If anything, I found myself more and more drawn to his legs the more that time went on.

But then again, there was his little belly and the way that his shirt had grown a bit more snug on him, especially now following Thanksgiving. I had this inclination to wrap something snug around him there, something that of a grapevine and then I could go from there with something flat like plastic wrap. Just wrap him up tight like a little piece of kreplach and have fun with him from there.

I had began to try my hand at kreplach all for him, simply because he had mentioned it over Thanksgiving and I looked into making it for him at some point, at least before Hanukkah. There was so much Jewish food that I wanted to make for him, more so after he had talked about how it was so warming for him and how it always filled every inch of his belly, too: the sufganiyot especially was on my list for him. But I had to give him what I knew about kreplach.

Alex followed me into the kitchen like a hungry house cat, and he hung there by the counter so as to watch me. He propped up his chin up on his palm like a schoolgirl waiting to hear gossip about the latest thing, but his eyes were fixed on me and the pan on the stove.

“Forgot to tell you, Chuck's in the hospital,” he told me in a single breath. “Something going on with his heart.”

“Oh my god!” I gasped, and I brought my hands up to my mouth. “Is he okay?”

“We can hope that he is,” he confessed to me with a shrug of his shoulders. “I talked to his girlfriend and she said that he wasn't feeling well, that it had something to do with some weird feeling in his chest so she drove him to the hospital.”

“When was this?”

“Just this morning. Last I heard from her was he's okay. He just needed to be taken to a room and they were running some tests.”

“It's probably just stress,” I said as I poured in the ground beef into the skillet, to which it made a low sizzling noise on the oil. I gave it some salt and pepper, followed by a good clockwise stir. He never moved from his spot on the counter as I opened the fridge and took out the pastry wrappers made the day before.

Just a few minutes with the meat, at least until it was slightly browned, and then it was going into the wrappers, followed by the skillet for a few minutes. It was always so meditative with me.

Indeed, once the meat was ready, and I began spooning it into the wrappers, he leaned into me. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the edge of the counter pressing against his soft belly. There had to be some kind of rope or something lying around my place, or I could possibly go next door and see if Lou had any himself.

I had whipped up about fourteen of those bad boys before I heated up the oil again and placed them into the skillet for a good frying.

“You really sure you wanna fry those?” he asked me in a low voice.

“Yeah. It's almost Hanukkah, so I figured why not.” And he showed me a little lopsided smile at that.

“When I was a kid, my grandmother would always make them like spring rolls for Purim. She would make them with apples, too.”

“With apples, really?” I couldn't resist the smile at that.

“Oh, yeah. I always loved the sweet dumplings in particular, especially when they came out of the oven. The potato ones at Rosh Hashanah, too. I remember those always came with a side of soup.”

“Maybe after I tickle your appetite a little bit, I'll bust out a pot and make us some chowder,” I suggested to him with a wink.

The dumplings cooked in the skillet for a few minutes on one side, and then when I turned them over, he cleared his throat and shifted his weight again as if he wanted to tell me something else.

“You know what I've been wanting us to do?” he asked right then.

“What's that?”

“I want you to tie me up and feed me,” he said with a straight face, to which I raised my eyebrows at that.

“Tie you up and feed you?” I asked him, slightly taken aback. He then pursed his lips and shook his head.

“I know, that was... that was stupid,” he quipped.

“No, that was... where did that come from?” I asked him as I turned the last kreplach over and put a lid on top of that.

“I'm not sure. But it's something that I thought about a while back and I've been so reluctant to bring it up to you, too. I kept on thinking, 'god, this is so stupid, there's no way Eric is going to want to do that even if I asked him nicely and I was practically on my knees and begging for it. If it was already kind of an event to get us both in the mood for feeding each other, I just wonder how long this would possibly take.' Add to this, I've just been finding the right courageous moment to say it.”

“And courageous you are,” I assured him as I wiped my hands on a dish towel. “You know, it's funny, I've actually been thinking about adding rope to our whole thing here. Thing is I don't know if I have any.”

“Doesn't hurt to look, does it not?” he suggested in a near whisper and with a slight bow to his head. Maybe it really was something heavy for him.

I then rubbed my hands together and turned down the heat.

“Keep an eye on these, I'll be right back,” I told him.

“How long do they take?”

“About two more minutes. I'll just be real quick—” Before he could get another word in, I bowed out of the kitchen and to the hallway linen closet. Something told me that Lou had a spool of rope that I could play with for a bit, but then I took a look down to the bottom shelf, right below the soaps and boxes and things there, and I recognized those smooth fine white strands that made up some good rope. Really good rope and the kind that I only dreamed about as well.

I picked it up and slung it over my shoulder, and I returned to the kitchen and right as the kreplach was ready.

Alex stood up and held before the edge of the counter with his hands pressed onto the tiles as if he was expecting something. I looked on at the soft way that his belly curved out from over his belt, and it was right then I had an idea.

With the rope over my shoulder, I plated us seven kreplach each, and I knew he was going to want a bowl of soup. But for the time being, I had to work with those meaty little dumplings the size of apricots.

It was as if he read my mind, and he held before the kitchen counter with his hands planted on the edge of the tiles.

“I want you to do it while we're standing up,” he quipped as I handed him a fork.

“You want me to tie up while we're standing? Can we at least do it in the living room?”

“Of course! I know how much of a hearth the oven is and how tricky it is to be around hot oil, too.” He flashed me a wink as he picked up his plate and led me back into the living room. I hoped that we could help ourselves to the kreplach all the while because there was no way I was going to let it grow cold with whatever it was we were about to carry out right then.

“I'm thinking...” he began as he set the plate down on the coffee table and reached down for the hem of his shirt and peeled it off. He stood before me with his bare chest out in the open and his little belly hanging out like the belly of a puppy: he had those little sprigs of dark hair all over his chest and I thought about running my fingers through it once we were done with all of this. He picked up the fork again and scooped up one of those little dumplings.

I watched him eat it before I indulged in my own. I never realized just how filling these were once I had a couple myself, and I knew it was because of the oil. But he ate all seven of those, one right after the other and at a slow, deliberate pace to boot as well, and once he was done with them, he set down his plate and rested a hand on his belly.

“Those were perfect,” he confessed to me.

“You're going to want soup, aren't you?” I suggested to him as I picked up my sixth dumpling.

“Oh, you know it,” he said in a low voice. I then ate up my seventh dumpling and set the plate down on the table next to his so I could handle the rope. He put his hands behind his back and let his little belly hang out in the open: I definitely wanted him to be full of soup as well.

“So what were you thinking?” I started as I stood behind him with the rope in hand.

“Thinking I'll just hold still right here and you can feel your way with me with this thing,” he quipped. It was a smooth rope, and thus, I knew that he was going to like this. I decided to begin with his hands first, and then I was going to let the rope do its thing all around the rest of his body.

“So… you just hold still like this?” I asked him.

“Yeah. Just—like this. At least at first, anyway.”

“This is going to be somewhat of an art of sorts,” I said as I thought about the Japanese way of going about with bondage. Once his hands were linked up, I moved the ends of the rope around his body. I held the ends up close to his bare chest, and with a quick peek over his shoulder, I could see myself make something of an elongated knot.

“Ow,” he blurted out.

“Sorry—here, let me get your hair.” I nudged his hair out of the way of his chest to make it easier on both of us. I then rounded his body so could make the knot better: it was this long braid of a knot that reached the top of his belly, to which I moved the ends of the rope behind his ass again. There was a part of me that wanted to give him a good squeeze there as I wound the rope around his hips and thighs. I reached the ends of the rope, and I left a knot right in between his knees. Once I had finished, he sank down to his knees as if he was about to blow me without a second thought.

“Wait right here,” I told him, and I ducked back into the kitchen to quickly whip up a pot of soup. I was eager to see him all full of this chicken soup, even if I had no eggs or matzo meal so as to make the matzo balls, but I knew that he was going to like it one way or the other. And I knew I was going to have to get eggs and matzo meal for Hanukkah dinner as well.

I served him a big bowl of it, and right as I had given it a quick shake of some salt and pepper, I noticed that he had somehow climbed back up onto the couch, still bound and tied down with that fine silk rope.

“Want me to suck in my belly?” he offered as I showed him the soup.

“Please do,” I commended. Alex slouched down a bit so the long knot was brushed against the top of his belly: I squatted before him and spoon fed him some soup. I fed him slowly as well, just so his belly would expand at a slow pace. At one point, I set down the spoon just to nudge the rope down a bit more to better accentuate his belly as he finished the bowl. I fed him the entire bowl of chicken soup, right on top of those hearty kreplach, and at that point, I could tell he was quite full.

He sat upright with a delirious look on his face and a slight look of strain: he was pushing up against that smooth rope, and I knew he was ready. I set down the bowl on the table next to me, and I guided him down to the floor.

“Down on your knees… just like that.”

He was bound and hog-tied with no way out, which meant he was ready for his dessert. I undid my pants right before his face and I showed myself to him. He licked his lips as he gazed up at me, those eyes dark and serious. He had to have it first, however.

Never taking his gaze off of mine, he opened his mouth and put his lips around the head. I held still as he moved in closer to my body. The boy knew how to deep throat as if it was a bodily function.

He slithered his tongue around my shaft, especially as he moved back and suckled on me as if it was going out of style. It tickled me so much. It got me moving so much that I could hardly hold still. There was a part of me that wanted to have chicken soup as well, just so he could see what I was seeing from there, but I was loving this too much.

He knew how to do it. He liked it as much as me.

I could feel myself already beginning to come inside of his mouth, and I hoped that I would as well.

“Good boy,” I whispered right into his ear. I then reached down for a gentle stroke of his hair, but then he went in deep again, that time towards my nuts and the base of my shaft.

“Good boy!” I grunted out as I could feel myself rising. I was going to come right in his mouth, and I did. He coughed with his lips still around me, but then he let go of me so he could breathe. I let the little white pearls dribble out onto the carpet, but it was nothing I couldn't mop up afterwards. He coughed and breathed harder, and more so as he landed down onto his knees. He then gazed back up at me with his hair still mostly tousled over his left shoulder.

“A little bit of sugar before it goes on the donuts,” he sputtered out, and then he showed me that lopsided playful little grin

“You wanna do me next?” I offered him.

“Does a bear shit in the woods?” he teased me. I was about to untie him when I realized that he had come in his pants. It was going to be tricky to get him to come next, but I knew in my heart of hearts it was going to be worth it.

Once he was undone, he shook his hands about and showed me his tongue. I watched him go into the kitchen to fetch me some soup as well, and all the while, I stripped off my pants all the way.

My heart skipped a few beats once he returned with it in hand and the look of determination in his eyes.

He did similar to what I did, except he bound my hands before my crotch and wrapped the rope all around my body: I could feel him binding me in the back and down over the seat of my bare ass and in between my legs.

“You ready for this?” he offered me as he spooned me some of the soup.

“I was born ready,” I confessed to him as I opened my mouth for him. We locked eyes, and we kept our eyes locked all the way down to the bottom of the bowl. The rope pressed against my own belly as he coaxed me down to my knees on the floor.

He unzipped and I could see he was already hard as a rock.

But I put my lips around him regardless, however. I moved in gradually on his shaft: I wasn't an expert on going in deep but I could at the very least try it.

I moved in close to his body right as the tip hit the pad of my tongue. It was tricky to keep it together, but when we locked eyes again, I did it. His lips then fell open and he treated me to a low moan.

I could feel him on the pad of my tongue. I swallowed and let go.

He ran his fingers through his black curls and let out a low whistle. He then showed me his tongue and chuckled.

“That was good, wasn't it?” I asked him.

“Phew, you have no idea,” he confessed to me. “When he gets released, we should bring up some things to Chuck.”

“He's got a girlfriend, though,” I pointed out.

“Yeah, but... have you seen him, though?” he asked me.

“Seen him how?”

He never said anything, but he did show me that smirk again. And then it hit me.

“Oh, really?” I couldn't resist smiling, either, to which he nodded his head.

“Yeah. For real.”

“Wow. Well, can I get out of this rope before we do anything else first?”

“Of course!”

[forsaire]

What's your favourite ABBA song? (141 + Los Vaqueros)

-(minus Ghost for contextual story reasons)

As the team enjoys American Thanksgiving on Laswell's base, Soap has a fun question to ask everyone. An unexpected member joins them.

Chapter 29 excerpt from Don't Let Me Go on ao3.

He began scarfing down the food – inhaling it, really. The whole room was bustling with delight and laughter. The energy was infectious and he looked around at the soldiers, taking in everyone’s communal moment of happiness. He enjoyed watching them be carefree. It wasn’t often that everyone was on the same page. Cheerful. Light. Satisfied.

Although Soap wished that a certain someone was sitting next to him to share this moment with.

“Favourite ABBA song?” Soap asked casually to make conversation, trying to keep his mood light.

Price furrowed his brow in disbelief at the question while Gaz looked like he was actually considering it. Rudy and Alejandro shared a look with each other.

“I can go first,” Soap offered. “Money, Money, Money. My mum had that CD and we used to play that song all the time. When you grow up dirt poor, it’s pretty cathartic to shout out.”

“What was the name of the song again?” Rudy quickly asked Alejandro before it dawned on him. “Sí, claro! Chiquitita. You know what is funny? I only ever heard the version recorded in Spanish. They had an entire Spanish album and everything. I had no clue that they were not Hispanic at all. I crossed the border for a…uh…”

“Like a spring break,” Alejandro finished.

“Yes! I was in a bar when I heard the English version for the first time. It confused the hell out of me. I thought someone had stolen the song.”

“And he wouldn’t shut up about it all night.”

“I was angry on behalf of a relatively unknown group of Spanish artists.”

“Turns out you weren’t.”

“I was not.”

Rudy smiled at the memory.

“Fernando,” Alejandro answered. “My great grandfather actually fought in the Mexican Revolution. The song made me think of what my family had been through. How I continue it to this day.”

“I think mine is S.O.S.,” Gaz said. “I let myself become pretty depressed while listening to that after a rough breakup in high school.”

“That’s your favourite song?” Soap questioned.

“Well, I can look back at it now. It’s catchy.”

“What about you?” Gaz asked, turning his attention to Price.

Price scowled grumpily. “I didn’t listen to that stuff. I’m more into the classics. Rock and roll.”

A sly smile spread across Gaz’s face and his eyes narrowed mischievously. “I don’t know, Captain. You seem like a Dancing Queen lover.”

“Absolutely,” Soap agreed enthusiastically.

“What are you talking abo-” Price started before being interrupted by a pair of hands slapping down on his shoulders, making him jump slightly. Soap looked up to see a familiar face standing behind Price.

“No, I agree,” Nikolai said, lowering himself beside Price’s head. “You really do give off Dancing Queen.”

Upon recognizing the thick Russian accent, Price’s grumpy face immediately transformed.

“Nik!” he called out happily with a wide smile on his face.

“Good to see you, Nik,” Soap said as Nik settled on the bench next to Price.

He was wearing his usual grey sweater and green jacket combo as well as loose, blue jeans. His widow’s peak seemed to get more defined each time Soap saw him. His aviator sunglasses were pulled up on the top of his slicked back, long, black hair. Around his neck he wore his signature gold chain which Soap wondered if he ever actually took off.

“I didn’t know you would be here,” Gaz said. “When’d you get in?”

“Just flew over,” Nik replied. “I had special invitation.” He turned around to give Laswell a small wave who was mingling amongst the tables, talking to the other soldiers. Nik turned back to the table, looking at everyone’s plate of food. “So, what is this, anyway?”

“American Thanksgiving.”

“Oh,” Nik said, sounding slightly disinterested. He reached over to Price’s plate and plucked a bread roll off of it. Rather than telling him off like he would have done had it been anyone one trying to pull that off, Price pushed his plate over so it sat between the two of them.

“What have you been up to?” Price asked.

“Oh, you know…” Nik said, his voice slightly muffled with food. “Working with Chimera in the Balkans. This and that. It’s classified.”

“Only good things, I hope.”

“Define good.”

“Nothing I wouldn’t do.”

“There’s nothing you wouldn’t do, John,” Nik said, smirking.

The two of them shared a knowing look filled with past secrets that the rest of them weren’t privy to. It was moments like these that always reminded Soap that Price had a lengthy and enigmatic past that started before some of them had even become adults.

Price’s face suddenly shifted in realization. He gestured over to the other side of the table.

“Sorry, I should introduce you guys,” he said. “This is Colonel Alejandro Vargas – leader of Los Vaqueros counter-terrorism unit – and his second in command, Sergeant Major Rudy Parra. Mexican Special Forces. Alejandro, Rudy, this is Nikolai.”

They reached over to shake Nik’s hand one after the other.

“Just Nikolai?” Alejandro questioned.

“That is what they call me.”

“Who’s they?”

Nik smirked again. “Everyone who wants to live.”

Alejandro backed off with a slow nod and a small, impressed smile on his face. Nik grabbed a bean from Price’s plate and popped it into his mouth.

“Not a single American at this table for American Thanksgiving,” Nik said, pursing his lips. “I like it.” He popped another bean into his mouth.

“I’m here to celebrate no matter what it is, as long as there’s food,” Soap said cheerfully. Nik pointed at him in agreement. “Anyway, you walked into our conversation so now I have to ask you the same question – what is your favourite ABBA song?”

Nik flicked his eyes over to Price and narrowed his eyes.

“Don’t,” Price warned.

A devilish smile spread across Nik’s face. “You mean you haven’t told them how you used to put on ABBA songs during long flights to help me learn English? If I recall, I think I enjoyed the Waterloo one, right?”

“Svoloch’” Price bit back, an amused twinkle to his eye.

“I also taught him a few things as well,” Nik said, chuckling. Nik reached over to grab more food from Price’s plate when Price pushed it all the way over.

“Just have the rest,” he said. “I’m full.”

“How kind,” Nik commented, grabbing Price’s fork.

“You know you can just grab your own plate?” Gaz said. “There’s tons of food.”

“Too late,” Nik said, already stuffing his face.

Full chapter ao3.

[beardedmrbean]

A former Trump-era adviser to the U.S. ambassador to Israel is calling on Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to resign after she "embarrassed herself" while responding to the terrorist attacks on Israel.

In an early morning post to social media on Sunday, Aryeh Lightstone, who served as a senior adviser to former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman from 2017 to 2021, took aim at Whitmer for her comments following the Iranian-backed Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel.

"I have been in touch with communities impacted by what’s happening in the region. It is abhorrent. My heart is with all those impacted. We need peace in this region," Whitmer wrote on X, with no mention of Israel.

"I hosted you for Thanksgiving in Israel just a few years ago. I am embarrassed for you and by you & disappointed that I opened my home and my family to you," Lightstone responded to Whitmer.

GOV. WHITMER ROASTED OVER SLOW, 'GOBBLEDEGOOK' RESPONSE TO HAMAS ATTACKS ON ISRAEL: 'SAY THEIR NAMES'

Elaborating on his comments, Lightstone — who's in Israel witnessing the conflict as it unfolds — told Fox News Digital he was shocked by the "fraudulent nature" of Whitmer's response.

"The job of a leader is to know the difference between right and wrong. The job of a politician is apparently to say nothing, and she demonstrated that she's a politician," he said.

"She watched this happen in real time. And to watch women and children be kidnapped and raped and murdered, and to not be able to say something? She should resign immediately," Lightstone said of Whitmer.

Lightstone said he hosted Whitmer, her husband, and 25 other Michigan residents at his home in Israel for a Thanksgiving meal in 2019, when the governor had the opportunity to witness first-hand the ongoing conflict taking place in the country.

"She was in Israel. She saw what happened. She went to the border. She saw the people," he said. "I'm a Republican… but she wanted a place for Thanksgiving and every American should have a place to go for Thanksgiving. So I welcomed her into my home and I invited 25 Michiganders at my expense to host them."

Lightstone said he and the governor spoke about the U.S.-Israel relationship and ways to strengthen it.

Following the pushback she received from the tweet, Whitmer made another post on Saturday in which she included Israel's name.

"The images that continue to come out of Israel on the anniversary of the Yom Kippur War are devastating. The loss of lives in Israel –children and families – is absolutely heartbreaking and appalling," the governor said in her follow-up post on X. "There is no justification for violence against Israel. My support is steadfast."

Asked about Whitmer's follow-up tweet, Lightstone said he believes she only shared it because she was "embarrassed for herself."

"There's only two sides of this. There's a right side and a wrong side. She chose the wrong side," he said. "I don't think she's a bad person. I just think she's a politician."

Whitmer's office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

During his conversation with Fox, Lightstone also underscored his work to strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship while serving with Friedman. Specifically, he touted the Abraham Accords, which were negotiated by the Trump administration and first signed in 2020. The agreements secured diplomatic relations between four Muslim-majority countries with Israel, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan.

"Israel is resilient, Israel is strong, but Israel is going through the worst day in its history. Saying anything short of that is mischaracterizing the day. It's the worst day in Israel's history," Lightstone said.

"Israel has never asked for and never will ask for a single American troop on the ground here," he added, highlighting the need for other means of support for Israel. "Every one of these people chanting 'death to Israel' finishes the sentence with 'death to America.'"

Lightstone also attempted to throw cold water on reports that suggested Israel was not united in its efforts to combat terrorists in the region.

"It was reported that in the last nine months that Israel is deeply divided. Israel is not deeply divided. Israel is fully and totally united," he said. "The people of the United States of America, I believe, strongly love Israel."

He also noted that there "can be no whataboutism" about the situation taking place in Israel.

"There is no parallel. This is not a competition between two sides that both have merit. One is a side of animals and the other is the side of democracy. This is the clearest distinction I've seen in my life since 9/11," he said.

[victoryinfailure]

Flowers Are an Exemplary Gift For Any Occasion

Flowers give good joy and convey the right message in their own language. That means language of love. Flowers are an exemplary gift for any occasion and are always invited. There are many occasion when flowers are shipped off their love ones. Birthdays, Anniversaries, Wedding ceremony, Mother's Day, Valentines Day and Thanksgiving read more here Day are whatever occasion when you send flowers to your friends and relatives.

Flowers can be gifted in any different structure and arrangements as per the occasion and the necessities. Flowers are best thing to express you without saying anything. Flower can be gifted on any occasion as a gift without thinking two times. The sight and smell of flowers is overpowering and what they reflect is incredibly intriguing. You can express any emotion whether it is all the best or compassion.

The love of your life knows how much you care with flowers. You can track down more than adequate assortment of flowers in the markets. The vast majority of the lady love to receive flowers from their boyfriend or husband. A red rose's gift by you to your beloved on any occasion fills the core of your beloved with the scent and those feelings which you can't express in words.

Today, with web technology, sending flowers to someone is pretty much as simple as to sitting at your home in a relaxed wears. There are thousands of online florist and arrangements to choose from. Online florists fresh flowers deliveries across the national and international borders. Most online stores have connection to a few florist shop in urban communities and towns. To cause someone to feel special with a bouquet of flowers or heap of roses, online florist have made it workable for the person who is your heart, regardless of where they are on the planet. Online florists make it simple for you to send flowers and wonderful gifts arrangements anywhere you wish.

[darthkvznblogs]

I know that you don’t really celebrate Thanksgiving, but hope you have a good one anyway! BTW, what would our Earth-dwelling characters from the last year do for Thanksgiving, anything particularly noteworthy?

Thank you! We definitely don't celebrate - some here on the US-Mexico border do, on account of having family over on the other side of the river, but our closest family lives hundreds of miles away. We did get gifted a whole dang turkey though. My mom was not happy - it's way too much food for us - but I ain't complaining, I love turkey.

Anyway, the only ones to talk about are the BH6 crew here, I'm afraid. This'll give you all some details on their backgrounds, though, so I hope that'll tide you over!

-I think Cass is absolutely the type to go all out, even if it's just for their small family. The Hamadas do have extended family (and you might get a crossover among them), but half of it is back in Japan and the other half lives on the East Coast, so it's usually just the three of them - Cass closes the Lucky Cat early and the boys (mostly Tadashi) help her put the feast together. Since they always make too much food, Cass offers some leftovers to her regulars the next day!

-GoGo is estranged from her family in South Korea, (except for her dad, who travels pretty much all the time, and whom she moved with to the US when he separated from his wife) so she's been practically on her own since she was a tween. She's never really cared about thanksgiving, but Honey Lemon has invited her over ever since they became friends. She doesn't always go - she gets fed up with being around too many people easily, and HL's family is enormous.

-Speaking of Honey Lemon, she's the eldest of eight siblings, and most of her extended family lives in the city; there's a veritable potpurri of traditions celebrated in her household - HL and her siblings are third-generation immigrants, so there's at bare minimum Japanese, Mexican, and American roots in there. It's a big event! Also, a very loud event, with lots of kids and pets running around, hence GoGo passing on the invite sometimes.

-Wasabi also lives on his own, but he does visit his family upstate for Thanksgiving. He's an only child, and his parents are very easy-going and laidback - hippies who stuck with the lifestyle - so they don't see eye to eye on a lot of things, but they do love each other and spend a nice afternoon catching up. Wasabi handles the baked goods! His obsession with perfect measurements makes him rather good at it, hahaha.

-Fred and his mom attend fancy Thanksgiving dinners with the upper crusts of San Francisco. He gets bored easily, and usually bounces as soon as his mom gives the okay, hanging out with the other bored rich kids till he gets bored of them, too. Heathcliff usually takes him home, then, and if he's lucky, his dad will join him for a quick bite before he goes off and does whatever it is he does for a living (Fred has no clue lol).

[leohttbriar]

“The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom."

“Proclamation of Thanksgiving,” Abraham Lincoln, 1863

[frmartinshomiliesandreflections]

9th October >> Fr. Martin’s Gospel Reflections / Homilies on Luke 17:11-19 for the Twenty Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C: ‘One of them turned back, praising God’.

Twenty Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

Gospel (Except USA)

Luke 17:11-19

No-one has come back to praise God, only this foreigner.

On the way to Jerusalem Jesus travelled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered one of the villages, ten lepers came to meet him. They stood some way off and called to him, ‘Jesus! Master! Take pity on us.’ When he saw them he said, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ Now as they were going away they were cleansed. Finding himself cured, one of them turned back praising God at the top of his voice and threw himself at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. The man was a Samaritan. This made Jesus say, ‘Were not all ten made clean? The other nine, where are they? It seems that no one has come back to give praise to God, except this foreigner.’ And he said to the man, ‘Stand up and go on your way. Your faith has saved you.’

Gospel (USA)

Luke 17:11–19

None but this foreigner has returned to give thanks to God.

As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee. As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” And when he saw them, he said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” As they were going they were cleansed. And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. Jesus said in reply, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” Then he said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.”

Reflections (6)

(i) Twenty Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

These are difficult days for many people. There has been a sharp increase in the cost of living. Fuel bills in particular have gone up dramatically. We are coming into into Winter, the most expensive time of the year in many ways. Then there is the war in Ukraine, which concerns us all. It is difficult to know where it will all end. We can be tempted to get very discouraged and downhearted.

Yet, even in the midst of great darkness, there is always some light. Today’s gospel reading invites us to recognize the ways God has blessed us, even when we find life a struggle. At such times, the prayer that comes most naturally to us is the prayer of petition. We turn to God in our need, asking for God’s help. When we notice our blessings, the prayer that comes natural to us is the prayer of thanksgiving. It is probably true to say that we tend to pray the prayer of petition more often than the prayer of thanksgiving. I am always looking to the Lord for help of some kind, but I have to admit that I pray the prayer of thanksgiving less often. It is as if my needs generate prayer more than my blessings.

In today’s gospel reading we find both the prayer of petition and the prayer of thanksgiving. Ten lepers approach Jesus and they petition him, ‘Jesus! Master! Take pity on us’. They had a disease which left them on the margins of society and they desperately wanted their situation to be changed. The Lord responded to their prayer of petition, not by healing them there and then, but by telling them to go to the priests whose role it was to authorize that those who had leprosy were now free of it. Perhaps they were disappointed that Jesus did not heal them there and then, but they did what Jesus asked. They went on their way towards the priests, and along the way they were healed. The Lord does not always answer our prayer of petition in the manner or in the time we had hoped, but our prayer does not go unanswered either. If we come before the Lord in our need, he will always respond to us, even if it is not in the way we had hoped. No prayer of petition goes completely unanswered. Jesus says in the gospels, ‘Ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you’.

Of the ten lepers, nine of them kept on going after they were healed, probably to head back to their families and friends. Only one of them was so filled with gratitude for the blessing he had received that he ‘turned back praising God at the top of his voice’ and then ‘threw himself at the feet of Jesus and thanked him’. The other nine must have been absolutely delighted at this wonderful gift of healing that would transform their lives. However, only one of them went beyond the gift to the Giver. Only one of them recognized that the source of this gift was God who had been working powerfully through Jesus to heal them all. That is why he immediately praised God and then went on to thank Jesus. His desperate prayer of petition gave way to a heartfelt prayer of thanksgiving. All ten were people of faith. Otherwise, they would not have approached Jesus for healing, but only one of the ten expressed his faith in the prayer of praise and thanksgiving. We are told that he was a Samaritan. Even cured of his leprosy, he would still have been considered an outsider. Jews regarded Samaritans as heretics and had great animosity towards them. The least likely person, who was despised even when healthy, was the one who seemed to have a more mature faith than the others. It is often the way that the deepest faith can be found in the most unexpected people. Jesus was clearly disappointed that only one returned to give praise to God. ‘The other nine, where are they? It seems that no one has come back to give praise to God, except this foreigner’.

Clearly Jesus hoped that the blessing all ten received would have brought them closer to God. However, it seems that the great gift they had been given only brought one of them closer to God. Only one of them moved beyond the gift to the Giver. That is what today’s gospel reading invites us all to do. We can take our blessings for granted and fail to see the presence of the Lord in them. So much of what we value most in life is gift. We don’t earn it or work for it; it is given to us – the beauty of nature, our capacity to see and hear, to walk and speak, the people who enter our lives and grace us in some way. All are gift. We have so much to give thanks for, even when life is a struggle. Whenever we give thanks and praise to the Lord, we grow in our relationship with him and allow ourselves to come closer to the one who is always close to us, who, in the words of today’s second reading, ‘is always faithful’.

And/Or

(ii) Twenty Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

 The incident in the life of Jesus that Luke describes in this morning’s gospel reading echoes a parable that Jesus tells earlier in Luke’s gospel, the parable of the good Samaritan. In that parable and in this morning’s gospel, the person who did the decent thing, the Samaritan, was someone whom Jews would have regarded as the outsider, the foreigner, the heretic, the enemy. The one from whom least was expected actually gave the most.

 That is the surprising element in this morning’s story. Out of the group of ten, it was the one would have been regarded as having the least going for him who showed up the other nine. It is often the way in the gospels, especially in Luke’s gospel, that the people who model what it means to be a follower of Jesus are not those who have been specially chosen and trained by Jesus, but those who have had no training, no formation, and who emerge out of the shadows, who come from the edges of the community. The gospel in general, and today’s gospel story in particular, invites us to be open to being surprised by others, especially by those from whom we might normally expect very little. It is true that people can sometimes disappoint us, but they can also surprise us. They can leave us saying to ourselves, ‘there is more to this person or to this group than I had realized’.

 All nine lepers were equally graced; they were all healed of the most isolating and dehumanizing of diseases, and, yet, it was only the Samaritan who responded appropriately to the experience of grace. He was the only one who turned back to Jesus, having been cured. It is perfectly understandable that those who were healed would head for family and friends as quickly as possible, having been cut off from them for many years. However, the Samaritan did not get carried away by the extraordinary thing that had happened to him; he turned back towards the source of his healing, towards Jesus, and ultimately, towards God who was present and active in Jesus. It is said of him that he thanked Jesus and praised God. Whereas the other nine went straight towards the community from which they had been isolated for so long, the Samaritan turned back towards Jesus, towards God, before heading out into the community. You could say that there was a religious dimension to his response to the experience of being healed that the other nine lacked. Whereas the nine rejoiced in the gift, the Samaritan rejoiced in the Giver. His turning back, while the other nine kept going, was a sign that he saw a little more deeply than they did. He saw what had happened to him with the eyes of faith and, so, it is to him alone that Jesus says, ‘Go on your way, your faith has saved you’.

 It is that religious dimension of experience that we can easily loose sight of in the times in which we live. To look at life with the eyes of faith, like the Samaritan in today’s gospel reading, is to name the graces that come our way in life, to acknowledge that the ultimate source of all those graces is God and then to give praise and thanks to God for those graces and gifts. We can sometimes be slow to name the graces that come to us in life. We can be more attuned to what we lack than to what we have been given. It can be a good exercise to list the graces and blessings that have come our way over the years, and even every day. Naming those graces and blessings is a first step. The second step is the one that the Samaritan took in today’s gospel reading, to acknowledge that all those graces and blessings have their origins ultimately in God and in his Son, Jesus our Lord. St James in his letter in the New Testament puts it clearly when he writes: ‘Every good gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change’. This is the step of moving from the gifts to their ultimate Giver. We can easily become fascinated with the gift and forget the Giver and, yet, every gift and grace that comes our way in life is intended to lead us towards God, the source of all good.

 The third step, which the Samaritan also took, is to return thanksgiving and praise to God who has blessed us. The movement of grace from God towards us is responded to by a movement of gratitude and praise from us towards God. What distinguished the Samaritan from the other nine was that the initial prayer of petition, ‘Jesus! Master! Take pity on us’, led into a prayer of thanksgiving. The great act of praise and thanksgiving for us as Christians is, of course, the Mass, the Eucharist. It is above all at the Eucharist on a Sunday that we return thanksgiving to God for God’s many blessings and graces, in particular, the great blessing of the gift of God’s Son and all that flows from that. Our entering into the great act of thanksgiving, which is the Eucharistic, helps to keep alive within us that capacity to see life with the eyes of faith, with the eyes of the Samaritan in today’s gospel reading.

And/Or

(iii) Twenty Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

I think it is true to say that the prayer that comes most natural to most of us is the prayer of petition. So often we pray out of our need, out of our poverty. It is a very understandable and valid form of prayer. The Bible is a collection of books, a kind of a library, and included among the many kinds of books that make up the Bible is a book of prayers. We call it the Book of Psalms. There are 150 psalms or prayers in that book and, by far, the most common form of prayer to be found there is the prayer of petition. So many of those prayers or psalms are prayers out of the depths in which the person praying laments his or her situation before God and desperately asks for God’s help. Such prayer is so well represented in the Book of Psalms because it is the most common form of prayer that humans make to God.

 We find an example of such prayer out of the depths in this morning’s gospel reading. Ten lepers approach Jesus and, standing some way off, they called to him, ‘Jesus! Master! Take pity on us’. Their prayer was a true prayer out of the depths because their condition left them isolated from the human community with only other lepers for company. They reached out to Jesus as the one who could make it possible for them to return to the community; by healing them he would be bringing them in from the cold. Jesus responded to their prayer by sending them on a journey, telling them to go and show themselves to the priests who alone were authorized to publicly authenticate their healing. It was while they were on that journey that they experienced healing. Jesus did not heal them there and then; they first had to do something; they had to go somewhere in response to his word. It is often the way that when we pray out of the depths of our own distress, the Lord does not respond to our prayer directly there and then. He may, instead, prompt us to do something, to go on some kind of a journey, and it is in responding to his promptings that our situation changes for the better.

 Whereas all ten lepers responded to Jesus’ immediate request, only one of the ten responded at a deeper level. The nine were delighted with the gift of their healing and went off home, rejoining the community from which they had been excluded for so long. Only one of them, a Samaritan at that, went beyond the gift he had received to the true source of that gift, God. He alone recognized that it was God acting in Jesus who had healed him, and so he returned to thank Jesus, all the while praising God. This leper saw more deeply than the other nine, looking beyond the gift to the Giver; he saw the deeper significance of what had happened to him. The Samaritan who was an outsider even in the leper community responded most appropriately to what had happened to him, thanking Jesus and praising God. It is only to this leper that Jesus says, ‘Your faith has saved you’. He alone saw what had happened to him with the eyes of faith. In this moment of great healing and wonderful liberation he alone recognized God at work.

 The prayer of thanksgiving and praise does not seem to come as easily to us as the prayer of petition. One in ten returned to give thanks to Jesus and praise to God, and the least expected one at that. If we were to take those numbers literally it would suggest that only 10% of us move through the prayer of petition to that of thanksgiving and praise, or, to put it in another way, that each of us moves through the prayer of petition to that of thanksgiving and praise only 10% of the time. We instinctively reach out towards God when we find ourselves sinking but we can forget God when the ground under us seems steady and all is well with our world. Sometimes the more comfortable we are, the more God becomes a distant horizon. Yet, just as there is a prayer which is appropriate to times of desperation, so there is a prayer that is appropriate for times of blessing. To give thanks and praise to God is to recognize God as the ultimate source of all that is good in our lives. We can take our blessings for granted; we often need to pause and to name the good things that have come our way, and, having done so, to acknowledge God as their ultimate source. Saint Theresa of Avila wrote, ‘the memory of a favour received can bring us more readily to God than many sermons on hell’. It can sometimes takes a brush with darkness and suffering to make us appreciate just how blessed we are, just how much we have been given, how much we have received from God. Elie Wiesel, a holocaust survivor who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986, wrote, ‘No one is as capable of gratitude as one who has emerged from the kingdom of night’. The darker experiences of life can sharpen our appreciation of what we have been given, and that was certainly true for the Samaritan leper in this morning’s gospel reading.

And/Or

(iv) Twenty Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

 Some weeks ago the Kilashandra sisters were collecting for their missionary work after all the Masses. You might remember seeing them. I got talking to one of them after Mass. She lived and worked in Liberia, a country that has been torn apart by war. In spite of living in such difficult circumstances, she seemed to have a very joyful spirit. One thing she said to me struck me very forcefully. She said that living in Liberia brings home to you just how much of life is gift. What we might take for granted, such as running water, she delights in as a blessing and a gift. I just had a sense that here was a woman who is very alert to the blessings of life that come her way. Her whole approach to life was characterized by gratitude; it shone through her, even in the way she received the offerings that people were putting into her collection box.

 Very often it is people who have known suffering and struggle that are the truly grateful people. Elie Wiesel was a survivor of Hitler’s Holocaust. He survived the camps but saw his whole family die by the hands of the Nazis. In this way he came to experience as a mere child what he calls ‘the kingdom of night’. In his Nobel Prize acceptance speech in Oslo in 1986 he said, ‘no one is as capable of gratitude as one who has emerged from the kingdom of night’. When much is taken from us, our capacity to appreciate whatever good comes our way is heightened. Those who have recovered from a serious illness know that very well. This Sunday’s gospel reading suggests, however, that not all who suffer greatly become grateful people. Ten lepers approach Jesus for healing; they certainly had known what it was to live in the kingdom of night. In response to their request, Jesus told all ten to set out on a journey to the priests who alone had the power to validate their healing. All ten responded to this word of Jesus and as they journeyed away from him they were healed. However, only one of them turned back at this point, a Samaritan. Normally Samaritans and Jews did not mix but leprosy was a great leveller. He alone of the ten recognized that what had happened to him was an extraordinary gift. His impulse was to go beyond the gift to the giver, the source of the gift. He recognized God as the ultimate source of his healing. He realized that it was God working through Jesus who healed him, and, so, he alone turned back while the others kept going, praising God at the top of his voice as he did so, and on arriving back to Jesus throwing himself at his feet in thanksgiving. Here was a wonderful expression of faith-filled gratitude, a gratitude that went beyond the gift to the Giver. Jesus recognized the faith of the Samaritan, ‘Stand up and go on your way. Your faith has saved you’. The Sister I met had that something of that same faith filled gratitude that gave thanks to God for every blessing that graced her life.

 I am struck by the phrase in the gospel reading, ‘one of them turned back’. That ‘turning back’ was the outward expression of something very important that was happening within him, a turning away from a focus on himself, including his healing, towards God, the source of all that is good in our lives. There is a sense in which we all need to stop ourselves in our tracks like the Samaritan, and turn back to acknowledge the ways that God has blessed us, and give thanks and praise to God. So much of what is good in our lives has been given to us. The most significant people in our lives have been given to us; they came to us as gifts. We discover in ourselves certain abilities. We may have worked to develop them, but they were given to us initially. The faith that brings us together this morning has been given to us. The community of believers where we meet the Lord in a special way has been given to us. We are a graced people and the most appropriate response to being graced is gratitude. Very often our prayer is one of petition, and it was with a prayer of petition that the lepers approached Jesus, ‘Jesus! Master! Take pity on us’. It is a prayer we can all identify with, because we regularly pray some version of that prayer. It was the Samaritan alone who turned back to pray the prayer of praise and thanksgiving. We too need to keep turning back to gift thanks to the Lord, because we continue to be greatly graced by him, even when life is a real struggle.

And/Or

(v) Twenty Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

 Our prayer can take a whole variety of forms. Yet, there is one form of prayer that is very common to all of us and that is the prayer of petition. It is a very valid form of prayer. There is one book of prayers in the Bible, the Book of Psalms. The most frequent prayer in that collection of prayers is the prayer out of the depths of some distress, calling on God for help. We know of only one prayer that Jesus gave us to pray, the Lord’s Prayer. That prayer is a prayer of petition, a communal prayer of petition; it has the language of ‘we’, ‘us’ and ‘our’. Yet, that element of communal petition really only begins a few petitions into the prayer. The opening petitions do not have the language of ‘we’, ‘us’ and ‘our’, but rather the language of ‘your’, with the ‘your’ referring to God. In those opening petitions we are focusing not on ourselves but on God. We are asking that God’s name be held holy, that God’s kingdom come and that God’s will be done. In the prayer of petition that Jesus gave us there is a very strong focus on God, especially in those opening three petitions.

 There is another form of prayer which, perhaps, does not come as naturally to us, where the focus is even more on God than on ourselves, and that is the prayer of praise. It is closely linked to the prayer of thanksgiving. It is a form of prayer where the movement is very much away from ourselves towards God. It is a very selfless, God-centred form of prayer. We all learnt a very short prayer of praise when we were young, ‘Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be world without end. Amen’. A longer form of that prayer is to be found at the beginning of Mass, ‘Glory to God in the highest’.

 I have always found myself very drawn to the story that we find in this morning’s gospel reading. Ten lepers approach Jesus. They don’t get too close to him because they are aware that they are required to keep their distance from those who don’t have their disease. They stand some way off from Jesus but within his earshot because they have a communal prayer of petition, which they desperately want Jesus to hear and respond to, ‘Jesus! Master! Take pity on us’. This is an example of the prayer out of the depths that are so plentiful in the Book of Psalms. You may be familiar with the prayer, Kyrie, eleison, from the beginning of Mass, ‘Lord, have mercy’. That is the prayer the lepers pray, ‘eleison’, ‘have mercy’. We tend to think of ‘mercy’ only as ‘forgiveness’ but in the gospels the quality of ‘mercy’ is any compassionate response to human need, whether that need is spiritual or, as in the case of the lepers, physical. Jesus responds to their prayer, but, not perhaps in the way they expected. Rather than healing them there and then, he tells them to do something; they are to go to the priests in the Temple in Jerusalem whose role it was to officially declare whether or not a person who had suffered from leprosy was healed of it. The lepers trusted the word of Jesus and on the way to the Temple they were cleansed. Sometimes our own prayers of petition are not answered in the immediate, direct, way that we might have expected; we too have to trust that along the way we will experience an answer to our prayer.

 Once healed, nine of the ten headed back to their community and families, from which their disease had excluded them. Who could blame them? It was a very natural thing to do. However, one of the ten, a Samaritan, ‘turned back’ praising God at the top of his voice and when he reached Jesus he threw himself at Jesus’ feet, thanking him. He alone recognized that in his healing he had been graced by God; he alone went beyond the gift to the Giver, to God, present and active in the person of Jesus. He saw his healing with different eyes to the other nine, with the eyes of faith, eyes that recognized God at work in his experience. In response to this one man’s turning back, Jesus does not say, ‘no one has come back to thank me except this foreigner’, but ‘no one has come back to give praise to God, except this foreigner’. Jesus does not look for thanks for himself; he is completely God-centred, and so is this Samaritan, this religious outsider. It is because of his movement out of himself towards God in praise that Jesus says to him, ‘Your faith has saved you’. He alone of the ten was truly a man of faith in God. This Samaritan encourages us to see all of life with the eyes of faith, recognizing that the many good things that come our way in life have their source in God. The Samaritan also encourages us to respond to this recognition by praising and thanking God with all our heart.

And/Or

(vi) Twenty Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

 Nowadays there are cards for all kinds of occasions. If you go into any good stationary shop you will find a great range of cards, including a selection of thank-you cards. Some people are very good at sending thank you cards. My sister who lives in the Unites States always sends a thank-you card whenever she receives a gift of any kind. No one else in the family quite lives up to that standard.

 We are not always very good at saying ‘thank you’ to others. My father had a number of sayings that he came out with from time to time, and one of them was, ‘eaten bread is soon forgotten’. As a child, I never quite knew what he meant by it. However, it became clear to me as I grew older that he was referring to how easy it can be to take things for granted, and, indeed, to take people for granted. I suspect that when he uttered that saying, he may have been referring to himself, expressing a sense of not being fully appreciated. There is something about the sense of being taken for granted - about ingratitude - that can hurt us deeply. I suppose if we were saints, lack of appreciation from others would not impact on us. The prayer of St. Ignatius of Loyola comes to mind, ‘Dearest Jesus, teach me to serve you as you deserve, to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds… to labour and to ask for no reward’. It is a wonderful prayer, but most of us are probably not there yet. The absence of gratitude can undermine us, whereas an expression of gratitude can very affirming. If we are prone to doubting ourselves, it can reassure us and encourage us to keep going.

 Gratitude is the response to being gifted. A great deal of what we really value in life is gift, coming to us from beyond ourselves, whether it is a beautiful sunset or wonderful music or, indeed, the relationships that are significant for us, the people that really matter to us. Yes, keeping a significant relationship alive once it has begun can be hard work, but the origin of the relationship is often more in the nature of gift. Because so much in life is gift, there is great scope for gratitude. A lack of gratitude in our lives can indicate our failure to appreciate just how much of what we really value has been received rather than worked for.

 As people of faith, we recognize that all the gifts of life have their ultimate origin in God, the great giver. St. James in his letter puts it well when he says: ‘Every good gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights’. As believers, when we recognize that we have been graced by someone, our gratitude to that person becomes gratitude to God, whom we recognize as the ultimate source of every gift. That is what distinguished the Samaritan leper from the other nine in the gospel reading. All had been greatly gifted by Jesus. The illness that kept them isolated from all except other lepers had been taken away. Only one of them recognized that the ultimate source of that wonderful blessing was God. The gospel reading tells us that, finding himself cured, the Samaritan turned back praising God at the top of his voice. He threw himself at the feet of Jesus, thanking him, because he recognized that God had worked through Jesus to cure him. The real object of the leper’s thanks and praise was not so much Jesus, but God present in Jesus. This is why when he returned to Jesus. Jesus did not say, ‘No one has come back to thank me except this foreigner’, but, rather, ‘No one has come back to praise God except this foreigner’. What distinguished this leper from the other nine was that he recognized his healing as a gift from God. This is the vision of faith, which is why Jesus said to him, ‘Your faith has saved you’.

 We are called to grow into that same vision of faith. It is good to take time to name the ways we have been graced, to recognize God as the source of all these gifts, and to lift up our hearts in praise and thanksgiving to God. Saint Theresa of Avila wrote, ‘the memory of a favour received can bring us more readily to God than many sermons on hell’. It can sometimes take a brush with darkness and suffering to make us appreciate just how blessed we are, just how much we have been given. Elie Wiesel was a survivor of Hitler’s Holocaust. He survived the camps but saw his whole family die by the hands of the Nazis. He experienced as a mere child what he called, ‘the kingdom of night’. In his Nobel Prize acceptance speech in Oslo in 1986 he said, ‘no one is as capable of gratitude as one who has emerged from the kingdom of night’. The darker experiences of life can often sharpen our gratitude to God for what we have been given. Even when we are in the midst of the kingdom of night, the Lord continues to pour out his blessings upon us. In the words of today’s second reading, ‘he is always faithful’.

Fr. Martin Hogan.

[prju77]

Battle Lines!

In the story of David and Goliath, the philistines invaded ‘Judah’, which in Hebrew means ‘praise, thanksgiving’. They then set up camp between Socoh (‘hedge, fence’) and Ephes-Dammim, (‘boundary of blood’). The enemy often tries the same tactics today, camping out in your circumstances to stop you praising me and tempting you to disregard My blood shed for you that has already defeated him. In these instances, it is important to know how to react.

The Israelites camped at ‘Elah’ which means ‘standing out’ and implies foolishly going along with the crowd. They did just that, giving in to fear. When Goliath (‘to expose’) of Gath (‘winepress’) tried intimidation to crush them, revealing their weaknesses, they gave into his perspective, forgetting their God-Given Identity. Instead of bearing fruit under pressure, they folded. Not surprisingly, their enemy would not leave. Only when David (‘Beloved’) wielded the weapon of My perspective, praising Me in the valley, was the giant defeated.

Beloved, there will be times that the enemy tries to encroach on your turf, using intimidation to stop you praising Me in your circumstances. Do not agree with him! As David did, draw a border line of the blood of Jesus between him and you that he cannot cross. Stand firm in your identity in Me, pick up the weapons of praise and My perspective and drive him out of your territory!

Activation:

Invite Holy Spirit to show you areas where Satan has been attacking your territory. Jot them down with space between. Ask if there is anything you need to change and/or repent of to evict the enemy. Repent & commit to change. Now Stand and declare, “I am a Child of the Living God, Bought by his Blood. No Weapon formed against me will prosper! I plead the blood of Jesus in a line between the enemy and ……(insert area). Now, In The Name of Jesus, I command all enemies to leave!” Then prophetically draw a line (red ideally) around each area on your page to symbolise its protection!

Revelation 12:11a (AMP) “And they overcame and conquered him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony!"

1 Samuel 17:45-46a (ESV) "Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands!"

[wackykracker]

Add a Dash of Fun to Your Thanksgiving Gifts with Wacky K's Printable Gift Tags!

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This Thanksgiving, elevate your gift-giving game with Wacky K's printable gift tags. With their playful designs, easy customization, and instant access, they're the perfect way to add a touch of fun to your holiday celebrations. Visit our online store today and get ready to spread smiles and gratitude with Wacky K!

[wushigod]

The former Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom has according to VANGUARD advised the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello to come out of his hiding and surrender himself to the Economic and Financial Crimes Communities, EFCC. Ortom gave the advise Sunday at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Regional Headquater in Makurdi during the thanksgiving service organized by his former appointees to mark his 63rd birthday anniversary. He said it was improper for the former governor to go into hiding when called upon by the anti graft agency to clarify issues bordering on his tenure as governor. He noted that the act of evading the invitation of the anti graft agency and trying to flee would bring shame and disgrace to former governors. Ortom said, “let me use this opportunity to advise my younger brother and friend, former governor Yahaya Bello not to disgrace former governors. “If you are called to come and account for your stewardship by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, go there. “You do not need to hide from EFCC, you do not need to resist arrest or anything. Go there and explain. EFCC are human beings who are doing their work. “If they are making inquiries, the laws are there. I have tried to get him on phone, I could not, I tried those around him, I could not. I want him to note, wherever he is, if he can hear me from there, he should go before the EFCC.” The former governor who lauded his former appointees for celebrating him at 63 said “I did not know that I am still being appreciated after leaving office. This gesture may make me come out of my hibernation.” He said being in power as governor for eight years was not an easy task given the challenges and restrictions imposed on you and those who wanted to see you, while in power, by security details. Ododo Is Yahaya Bello’s Masterstroke, by Ugoji Egbujo He said “you live like a prisoner, you are restricted and many people you would want to see, you are unable to see them while those that want to see you will not be able to see you because of the security restriction. And some will hate you thinking it was deliberate. “I know that it is not everything I did that favoured everyone and it was not everything I did that favoured me also, that is the fact. “That is why I always encourage everyone of us to pray for leaders, pray for our President, Governors, political office holders and others including the clergy. We are all prone to make mistakes as human beings because we are not perfect, prayer is very important.”

[casspurrjoybell-24]

My Mate - Chapter 1 - Part 2

*Warning Adult Content*

Thanksgiving dinner was held at the pack house every year.

My mom has been in charge of making sure dinner is prepared for as long as I can remember.

Those few days before the holiday, the pack house is crowded and buzzing with activity.

It's mostly Omegas who prepare the feast and decorate the house.

Not because we're treated differently or forced to but because unsurprisingly that's who volunteers.

Doing these kind of things give Omegas the satisfaction of doing for their pack.

We're opposed to violence and conflict, leaving border patrol and really anything that involves fighting or muscle for other pack members.

The day before Thanksgiving, Mom doesn't come home until early morning to make sure everyone is dressed appropriately.

She usually sends Calvin back up to his room to change.

My older brother's idea of casual formal, is worn jeans and flannel shirts.

Which is pretty much what he wears everyday.

I once heard mom praying to the Moon Goddess to bless him with a Mate who would pick out his clothes for him.

By now I'm sure she's just praying for a Mate in general.

Calvin's twenty three now and after five years and no Mate, he's kind of given up.

He's a loner and unlike me, he chooses to be.

Calvin could have moved into the pack house like most unmated wolves but he chose to stay home.

Even if mom has the tendency to nag.

His reasoning was because it's quiet.

I know if I don't find my mate, I'll probably stay home too.

Not because I don't like being around others but because others don't like being around me.

Mom stood by the door, dusting off dad's shirt and tapping her foot impatiently.

She was dressed in a emerald green dress that fell just below her knees and her hair was down in soft red waves.

Her face had turned a bright crimson when dad said she looked beautiful.

Instead of thanking him, she slapped his arm and fixed his collar.

Mom's a naturally beautiful female but it's rare to see her dressed up.

Most of the time she's in her chef uniform with her hair in a messy bun.

Calvin's heavy footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs before he appeared at the bottom in khaki slacks and a ironed button down.

Mom had prepared this year, already having the outfit laid out for him.

He looked uncomfortable and wore a frown under his full beard.

I was a little jealous of that, I couldn't even get a single hair to grow on my chin.

"See, now you're presentable. Let's go," Mom said, rushing us out.

"I look like a Mormon," Calvin grumbled as he slid in the backseat with me.

I snickered even though he didn't.

He looked like every other higher ranking wolf who was twice my size in muscle.

Self consciously, I looked down at myself and pulled on my navy sweater.

I got away with wearing my converse this year but only because mom doesn't really care what I wear.

Something usually ends up spilled on me by the end of the night.

"Wait," I yelled out, making mom curse as she jumped in the front seat.

"I forgot my apple pie."

I really didn't mean to.

"Don't scare me like that, I thought it was something important," Mom sighed.

"But..."

"Sweetie, there'll be plenty of pie there," Mom said before telling Dad how many beers he could have.

I pouted in the backseat, looking out the window.

I've made an apple pie every year since I was twelve.

I always had the kitchen to myself with mom at the pack house and everything was quiet.

Every year I'd bring my pie and sit it among the many and every year it'd be the first one Jasper Killian would take a slice of.

How could I have forgotten it?

Dad had to park the SUV on the side of the street with the many other cars.

We were all used to such a big gathering, seeing as there was the monthly pack meet.

The crowd just seemed bigger on holidays and sometimes it was.

I wondered if the Alpha invited anyone this year.

Last year he'd invited another Alpha family whose young pup played with knives.

He was a little strange.

"Now," Mom said once we were all out of the car.

Calvin and I made eye contact, having heard this speech every year.

"You both know I don't mind you wondering off to hang out with the pups your age but I want you both to remember who raised you," she said sternly, mostly to me.

Last year it was a pitcher of sweet tea, the year before that it was the urn holding the Luna's grandfather.

That was a horrible year.

After entering the house and greeting the Alpha Pair respectfully, Mom dragged Dad off to greet the family and their friends and Calvin went into the den to watch the game playing.

I hesitated by the door, looking into the crowded room that was loud with males shouting at the T.V. and pushing each other around.

Calvin was the quietest male in there, sitting alone with his eyes on the T.V.

That was definitely a room to avoid.

Knowing where I was going, I avoided the older Wolves who all stood around chatting and made it to the back deck.

Pups were running around and playing in the back yard and like I'd expected, the teens hung out on the deck.

Rubbing a hand over my sweater, I took a steadying breath before sliding open the glass door.

No one looked up from their playful banter but I didn't really expect them to.

My eyes were stuck on the strong back of Jasper Killian.

He was dressed up as he is every year, in navy blue slacks and a matching blazer.

You see, we're meant for each other, we even unknowingly color coordinated.

Putting on a big smile, I ignored the nervous flutters in my belly and walked over to where everyone was standing.

"Hi," I said way too happily and mentally slapped myself.

Everyone looked up uninterested before going back to their conversations or their phones.

"Ugh, hey, Torin," Jasper said, making my slipping smile pull back up.

I always loved when he said my name.

I stood in front of him and stared dumbly, not really knowing what to say.

Well, I knew what I wanted to say or not to say.

I wanted to pull him down to my level and kiss him of course.

That wasn't going to happen though.

At least not until my birthday... fingers crossed.

[firacard1]

Sending Love Across Miles: The Benefits of Special Occasion Cards Online

In today's digital age, the tradition of sending heartfelt greetings on special occasions remains as cherished as ever. With the advent of online platforms, the process of selecting and sending special occasion cards has become more convenient and meaningful than ever before. In this article, we explore the numerous benefits of choosing special occasion cards online and how they can enhance your celebrations.

Convenience and Accessibility: One of the primary advantages of special occasion cards online is the convenience they offer. With just a few clicks, you can browse through a vast selection of cards from the comfort of your home or office. Online platforms provide access to an extensive range of designs, styles, and customization options, allowing you to find the perfect card for any occasion without the hassle of visiting multiple stores.

Wide Variety of Designs: Online platforms offer a diverse array of special occasion card designs to suit every taste and preference. Whether you're looking for elegant wedding invitations, festive holiday cards, or heartfelt birthday greetings, you'll find a plethora of options to choose from. From traditional designs to modern and whimsical styles, there's something for every personality and occasion.

Personalization Options: Special occasion cards online often come with a range of personalization options, allowing you to add your own touch to each greeting. From customizing the text and font to incorporating photos, images, and personalized messages, online platforms offer endless opportunities for creativity and personal expression. Personalized cards add a heartfelt touch to your greetings, making recipients feel truly special and appreciated.

Timely Delivery: Online platforms ensure timely delivery of special occasion cards, even for last-minute purchases. With expedited shipping options and express delivery services, you can rest assured that your cards will reach their intended recipients on time, regardless of distance or location. This is particularly beneficial for individuals who may not have the opportunity to hand-deliver cards in person.

Cost-Effectiveness: Special occasion cards online often offer competitive pricing compared to traditional brick-and-mortar stores. Online platforms frequently feature special promotions, discounts,Thanksgiving Free Online Cards and bulk pricing options, allowing you to save money without compromising on quality. Additionally, many online retailers offer free shipping or discounted rates for larger orders, making it more affordable to send greetings to multiple recipients.

Eco-Friendly Options: For environmentally conscious consumers, many online platforms offer eco-friendly special occasion cards made from recycled materials or sustainably sourced paper. By choosing eco-friendly options, you can reduce your carbon footprint and minimize waste while still celebrating special moments with loved ones. Eco-friendly cards are a thoughtful choice that reflects your commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship.

Global Reach: One significant advantage of special occasion cards online is their ability to facilitate communication and connection across borders. Whether you have friends and family members living in different cities or countries, online platforms enable you to send greetings and well-wishes effortlessly, regardless of geographic distance. This global reach fosters a sense of closeness and unity, allowing you to stay connected with loved ones no matter where they are in the world.

Advanced Customization Features: In addition to basic personalization options, many online platforms offer advanced customization features that allow you to create truly unique and memorable special occasion cards. From interactive elements such as music and videos to 3D pop-up designs and augmented reality experiences, these innovative features add an extra layer of engagement and excitement to your greetings. Advanced customization options enable you to tailor your cards to suit the recipient's interests, hobbies, and preferences, creating a personalized experience they'll cherish.

Conclusion: In conclusion, special occasion cards online offer a convenient, versatile, and meaningful way to celebrate life's most memorable moments. From the convenience of shopping from home to the wide variety of designs, personalization options, and timely delivery services, online platforms make it easier than ever to send heartfelt greetings to friends, family, and loved ones near and far. Explore the endless possibilities of special occasion cards online and make every celebration truly unforgettable.

[gadawg-404]

On October 3, 1863, President Lincoln issued a proclamation designating “the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving.” Lincoln’s announcement marked the culmination of a multi-decade campaign by Sarah Josepha Hale to make Thanksgiving into a national holiday. Although Lincoln wrote the vast majority of his state papers, the Thanksgiving Proclamation was in fact drafted by Seward.

Washington DC, October 3, 1863

By the President of the United States of America.

A Proclamation.

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God.

In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.

Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the United States the Eighty-eighth.

By the President: Abraham Lincoln

William H. Seward, Secretary of State

[budandtender]

From Wall Street to Retail Streets: The Evolution of Black Friday and Bud & Tenders' Promotion on this Day

The phenomenon known as Black Friday, a retail event that has grown into a global tradition, has an intriguing and complex history. Its roots can be traced back to the United States, but the origins and evolution of this day are entwined with various socio-economic factors.

The Origins of Black Friday

The term 'Black Friday' was first used in the 19th century, albeit in a different context. It was initially associated with a financial crisis on September 24, 1869, when the U.S. gold market crashed. However, the current meaning of Black Friday originated in Philadelphia in the mid-20th century.

In the 1950s, Philadelphia police used the term to describe the chaos that ensued on the day after Thanksgiving, when hordes of suburban shoppers and tourists flooded into the city in advance of the big Army-Navy football game held on that Saturday every year. This influx led to traffic jams and shoplifting opportunities, causing headaches for the police.

The Evolution of Black Friday

The term 'Black Friday' didn't become widely recognised until the early 1980s. Retailers reinvented Black Friday and turned it into something positive. They explained that the day after Thanksgiving marked the occasion when America's stores finally turned a profit, going from being "in the red" to "in the black," referencing the colours of ink bookkeepers traditionally used for losses and gains.

In the following decades, Black Friday transformed into a consumer tradition, marked by massive sales and bargain prices. It unofficially kickstarts the holiday shopping season, with many businesses opening their doors in the early hours of the morning to accommodate eager shoppers.

Black Friday Goes Global

Originally a uniquely American event, Black Friday has since expanded beyond the borders of the United States. The advent of the internet and the rise of online shopping have made Black Friday a global phenomenon. Countries around the world, from the United Kingdom to Australia, now participate in this annual retail event.

The Impact of Black Friday

Black Friday has significant implications for both consumers and businesses. For consumers, it provides an opportunity to purchase goods at discounted prices. For businesses, it's a chance to boost sales and profits. However, it also presents challenges, such as managing increased customer demand and ensuring sufficient stock levels.

Bud & Tender's Black Friday Sale

In keeping with this tradition we, Bud & Tender, are delighted to announce our Black Friday Sale. From the 17th of November until midnight on the 27th of November, we are offering a 20% shop-wide sale. This is an excellent opportunity for customers to purchase our high-quality, broad-spectrum CBD oils at a reduced price.

To take advantage of this offer, simply use the code BF20 at checkout. Whether you're a regular customer or new to our brand, we invite you to explore our range of products and enjoy the savings this Black Friday season.

Conclusion: The Future of Black Friday

Despite its controversial origins, Black Friday has evolved into a cherished tradition for many shoppers worldwide. Its impact on the retail industry is undeniable, influencing consumer behaviour and business strategies alike. As e-commerce continues to grow, Black Friday's future looks bright, with more opportunities for global participation and innovative shopping experiences.

As we continue to navigate this dynamic landscape, Bud & Tender remains committed to providing quality products and exceptional customer service. We look forward to welcoming you to our Black Friday Sale and beyond.