#the prince and his captivating carpenter

[aurorawest]

Bargain of Blood and Gold by Kristin Jacques - 3.75/5 stars

Reminiscent of Jordan L Hawk's Widdershins series, but with vampires and werewolves. Also takes place in Maine, which isn't a very common setting. Unwittingly, I bought the second book in the series months ago, and I realized as it got to the top of my TBR that I didn't have the first book! I had to scramble to order it and I was happy I enjoyed it since, obviously, I already have the second book.

Ander & Santi Were Here by Jonny Garza Villa - DNF at pg 2

Captive Prince by CS Pacat (reread) - 5/5 stars

Prince's Gambit by CS Pacat (reread) - 5/5 stars

Kings Rising by CS Pacat - 5/5 stars

I think I loved these books even more on my reread.

Gravity by Tal Bauer - 4.25/5 stars

Probably my favorite hockey romance that I've read.

The Modern Mythos Anomaly by Juniper Lake Fitzgerald - DNF at pg 132

I actually liked the story, the characters, and the writing in general, but this book just needed another few edits to slim it down a bit.

Lose You to Find Me by Erik J Brown - 4.5/5 stars

Leeward by Katie Daysh - 4.5/5 stars

The blurbs on this book are hilarious, because they're all like, tall ships people, and then Mackenzi Lee, hailing it as a lovely queer historical romance. This was a really lovely book and I'm excited for the sequel. Also hoping for more kissing in the sequel since this was a serious slow burn.

Riley Weaver Needs a Date to the Gaybutante Ball by Jason June - 3.75/5 stars

Starseer by Katya Hernández - 4/5 stars

Be Dazzled by Ryan La Sala - 5/5 stars

I loved this book so much!! Oh my god. Super funny, very romantic. It revolves around cosplay which is of course a special interest of mine.

Northranger by Rey Terciero and Bre Indigo - 4.5/5 stars

Flying Without a Net by EM Ben Shaul - 2.75/5 stars

The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley (reread) - 5/5 stars

Striking Distance by Sarah Rees Brennan - 4.75/5 stars

I didn't expect to like this as much as I did. The graphic novels were good but changing to a novel format allowed for much deeper characters. Surprisingly devastating and also really funny.

The Old Haunts by Allan Radcliffe - 4/5 stars

The Gay Best Friend by Nicholas DiDomizio - 5/5 stars

Main character is the best friend of both the bride and the groom, and everything surrounding the wedding becomes a train wreck beginning on the weekend of the bachelor party, when the bride asks the MC, Dom, to keep tabs on the groom for her. As someone who is extremely conflict avoidant with friends but not family and romantic partners, I heavily related to Dom. There's also a romance that I really loved.

Romance Languages by AJ Truman - 4.25/5 stars

I think this was my favorite of the South Rock series. It deals with some more difficult topics—Julian's self-loathing over his body image is heartbreaking (and relatable), and Seamus's guilt over the way his gambling addiction hurt his ex was very well done. I'm a sucker for stories where a character learns to ask for help, not to mention difficult parent-child relationships, and this had both. I also appreciated Julian's arc re: sex and virginity.

Darkhearts by James L Sutter - 5/5 stars

Another bandmates-in-love treasure, with a twist—the main character, David, left the band right before they got famous. He ends up falling for one of his ex-friends/bandmates after they reconnect. The author is a musician himself, and it definitely shows (in a good way). I'm really a sucker for The Burdens of Fame, which this book definitely had, but there's actually a really good arc for David and how he deals with his jealousy and resentment over being left behind. Plus he wants to be a carpenter rather than go to college, which was cool.

Brute by Kim Fielding - 4.25/5 stars

We Could Be So Good by Cat Sebastian - 5/5 stars

What can I say about this book? Why was it so lovely? Why did it make me feel so much? Why can I not rate things higher than 5 stars? It's a million stars in my heart. Aside from just being a gorgeous mid-century America m/m romance (my favorite), this one features an Italian-American main character. The stuff with Nick's family was spot-on. I just loved this book. I felt like I was wrapping myself in a big, comfy, historical gay romance blanket.

Drowned Country by Emily Tesh - 5/5 stars

The sequel to Silver in the Wood. Had a very mythic and sort of folk horror vibe. This one is from Henry Silver's POV instead of Tobias Finch's and takes place two years after Silver in the Wood, which is time that Henry has mostly spent sulking in Greenhollow Hall, sans Tobias. Really highly recommend this duology. Emily Tesh is a treasure.

The Alchemy of Moonlight by David Ferraro - DNF at pg 11

[walkwithgod07]

24 The Lord shewed me, and, behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the Lord, after that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, and the princes of Judah, with the carpenters and smiths, from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon.

2 One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe: and the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad.

3 Then said the Lord unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, Figs; the good figs, very good; and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.

4 Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

5 Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good.

6 For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up.

7 And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the Lord: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.

8 And as the evil figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so evil; surely thus saith the Lord, So will I give Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem, that remain in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt:

9 And I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt, to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places whither I shall drive them.

10 And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers.

[starberryshuu]

Playlists for Julie – How They See Her 🎶💿

🃏 Chamber’s Playlist – "Ma Chérie" 🎩💎

(A sophisticated mix of romance, admiration, and the occasional smug smirk.)

Every Day I Love You – Boyzone (It’s ridiculous how often she invades his thoughts.)

Close to You – The Carpenters (Why does she keep appearing in his mind at the most random times?)

Night and Day – Ella Fitzgerald (A timeless classic, much like his patience with her antics.)

Flying Without Wings – Westlife (He’d never say it out loud, but she makes things a little more…worthwhile.)

Banana Pancakes – Jack Johnson (For the mornings he imagines, but will never have.)

Slow Hands – Niall Horan (A guilty pleasure. He absolutely would not explain this one.)

L-O-V-E – Nat King Cole (Something about her laughter fits the melody perfectly.)

La Vie En Rose – Louis Armstrong (If she ever knew what this song made him imagine, she’d never let him hear the end of it.)

She’s in the Rain – The Rose (He watches from afar, knowing he can’t always save her, but wanting to anyway.)

Creep (Jazz Version) – Postmodern Jukebox ("I wish I was special." …Not that he’d ever admit that thought to himself.)

How He Sees Her: An unexpected weakness. A walking contradiction—unrefined yet captivating, playful yet dangerously perceptive. She is a luxury he refuses to indulge in…but oh, how he wants to.

💀 Iso’s Playlist – "Unspoken" 🔫🎭

(He will never say anything outright. That’s what music is for.)

Sweater Weather – The Neighbourhood (He’ll never say why. Just listen to the lyrics.)

Iris – Goo Goo Dolls (He didn’t choose this. It just appeared in his library.)

Somewhere Only We Know – Keane (He doesn’t share a lot, but if he had a place like this, she’d be the only one allowed in.)

Yellow – Coldplay (...He says it’s about gunpowder. It’s not.)

Something Just Like This – The Chainsmokers & Coldplay (She doesn't need a hero, and he’s no prince. But maybe that’s okay?)

Mystery of Love – Sufjan Stevens (A strange ache, both beautiful and sad. He doesn’t understand it himself.)

Silhouette – Active Child (She lingers in his mind more than he’d like.)

You Found Me – The Fray (She sees parts of him no one else does.)

I Won’t Let You Go – James Morrison (A silent promise, though he’ll never say it.)

Runaway – AURORA (A song for when he watches her, wishing he could understand her better.)

How He Sees Her:

A quiet storm. A habit he doesn’t want to break. She doesn’t always realize it, but he notices everything—the way she rubs her feet together, how she tilts her head when she’s focused, the way her laughter lingers in his chest longer than it should.

He’ll never say it. But his playlist does.

🌪️ Yoru’s Playlist – "Tch." 🐺🔪

(Half insults, half denial, all pure chaos.)

Take a Hint – Victoria Justice & Elizabeth Gillies (She is so. Freaking. Annoying.)

Kill Bill – SZA (If she ever betrayed him, he wouldn’t—probably—go that far. Maybe.)

I Hate Everything About You – Three Days Grace (Self-explanatory. He grits his teeth every time it plays. But he never skips it.)

Stuck With You – Ariana Grande & Justin Bieber (She won’t leave him alone. And weirdly, he’s…fine with it?)

Troublemaker – Olly Murs (If she had a theme song, this would be it.)

Pain – Three Days Grace (She makes him feel too many things. And that’s annoying.)

Everybody Talks – Neon Trees (She talks too much, and yet he listens every time.)

What’s New Scooby-Doo? – Simple Plan (He doesn’t know why this is on here. But it feels right.)

Just the Girl – The Click Five (Wait. What the hell is this doing here?)

Accidentally in Love – Counting Crows (DELETE. DELETE. DELETE.)

Misery Business – Paramore (Because what even is their dynamic?)

R U Mine? – Arctic Monkeys (What? He’s just asking.)

Never Enough – The Hunna (He won't admit he likes this song. He won't admit anything.)

Gasoline – Halsey (Because if she wants to set him on fire, might as well be dramatic about it.)

How He Sees Her: A pain in the ass. A chaotic gremlin. The most infuriating person alive…but if anyone else tried to mess with her, he’d kill them.

🐍 Luca’s Playlist – "Mi Vida Loca" 🔥🎭

(A rollercoaster of passion, admiration, and way too much spice.)

Smooth – Santana ft. Rob Thomas (She’s got an effortless charm, and he hates that she doesn’t know it.)

Bailando – Enrique Iglesias (It’s not his fault she looks like she belongs in a dance video.)

Hips Don’t Lie – Shakira (He has seen her move. It’s over for him.)

Bulería – David Bisbal (Something about her energy is magnetic.)

Livin’ La Vida Loca – Ricky Martin (He feels like a man on the edge whenever she’s involved.)

You Make My Dreams – Daryl Hall & John Oates (He’ll never admit it, but she makes everything fun.)

Te Amo – Rihanna (Does he mean it? Who knows?)

She Wolf – Shakira (He tried to warn the others. She’s dangerous. They didn’t listen.)

Animal – Neon Trees (The way she fights back? Oh, he loves it.)

Give Me Everything – Pitbull ft. Ne-Yo (Every time she almost plays along with his flirting, he wins.)

Animal – Neon Trees (He feels like this song is their entire friendship.)

Uptown Funk – Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars (He doesn’t know why, but this song makes him think of her laughing at him.)

Crazy Little Thing Called Love – Queen (He’s not saying anything. Just listen to the song.)

Can’t Stop the Feeling! – Justin Timberlake (It’s physically impossible for him to stay still when this plays.)

Sweet Escape – Gwen Stefani ft. Akon (She’s gonna run away from him, but it’s fine. He’ll chase.)

How He Sees Her: A walking temptation. A beautiful disaster. A rabbit playing with wolves—but maybe, just maybe, she has fangs of her own.

[roskirambles]

Horror Movie of the day: Prince of Darkness (1987)

When father Carton dies in the Los Angeles monastery of Saint Goddard, one of his peers (Donald Pleasence) finds his diary. As he was a member of the Order of Sleep, the diary reveals they hold a dark secret in the basement. Finding a mysterious canister filled with a green, unnatural looking liquid, the priest contacts an old acauitance: Quantum phycisist Dr. Howard Birack (Victor Wong). Figuring this cannister may contain the physical manifestation of the Lord of Darkness trying to break from his prison, the priest convinces Birack to gather researchers so they can prove this scientifically as to warn the world about the impending apocalypse. The group is composed by Birack's students, and while they make some discoveries... things go VERY wrong when the liquid gets out and posseses one of them.

The middle part of John Carpenter's "End of the World" trilogy, this movie has a fairly unorthodox and forward thinking approach to supernatural horror, effectively mixing it with modern scientific views. The execution, however, is a bit of a mixed bag; on one side, you get a fascinating art direction that mixes analogue computers with religious iconography and some neat classic sci-fi in that ominous green liquid, awith some good ol' body horror too. On the other, you have some introductory concepts being largely ignored in favor of a fairly standard siege of the undead/possesed, not helped by the occassional hiccups of improper special effects or wooden acting by characters that already felt flat.

While there is a wasted opportunity here, the movie offers a trade in the last 20 minutes, having a fairly intense climax by basically basking in the ambiguity of how much some of the sacrifices made to contain this evil may even matter.

It's admittedly rough around the edges in some areas and painfully dated in others (hello, old fashioned gender roles), but there's a captivating surreal quality to it

I meant it when I said the movie could be quite surreal, mind you. If you had a literal rockstar in your cast, what would you do with them? Well, Prince of Darkness has Alice Cooper on it... and they have him play a hobo. Go figure

[wornoutspines]

The Prince and His Captivating Carpenter (Paranormal Princes 2) by Charlie Cochet | Book Review

Continuing the magical journey in #ParanormalPrinces 2 by #CharlieCochet, here's my review: #FantasyBooks #bookreview #mmromance #gayromance

PRINCE BERND As Prince of the Bear Shifters, I knew the time would come for me to prove myself worthy of my crown. I expected my quest to be perilous. What I didn’t expect was for it to take me up into Espen Mountain, a place that’s brought me nothing but grief and terrible nightmares. Not only must I find the five magical ingredients, but I have to do so alongside Saer, a mysterious and charming…

[neverhollowed]

Kimi To Wa Gokai Kara Hajimarimashita Ga – Mishima Kazuhiko

review here

SERIES REVIEW: Paranormal Princes Books 2 & 3 by Charlie Cochet

review here

2. The Prince and His Captivating Carpenter – Charlie Cochet

Soundtrack: The Healing Artist: Carfax Abbey Album: Second Skin

3. The King and His Vigilant Valet – Charlie Cochet

Soundtrack: Never Tear Us Apart Artist: INXS Album: Never Tear Us Apart

Movie Feature: Floating Skyscrapers watch trailer here

LAST YEAR I WAS READING…(December 16, 2020)

2020 END OF THE YEAR BOOK TAG

NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Witch, Cat and Cobb by J.K. Pendragon (Excerpt & Giveaway)

BLOG TOUR: Three Historical Novels by Jeffrey Buchanan (Excerpt)

RELEASE BLITZ: Bonded by Alana Timms (Excerpt)

BOOK TOUR: A Refuge Bay Christmas by Susan Saxx (Giveaway)

RELEASE BLITZ: Deja Vu by Lawrence I. Hill (Excerpt & Giveaway)

for reviews of boy’s love manga, LGBT+ books and indie music, visit my blog >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> https://neverhollowed.com/ <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

[theficpusher]

Set Sail With No Compass by zarah5 | M | 4778 Pirate AU. That's it; that's the summary.

A World Full of Shadows | E | 17979 When Harry Styles crashes back into Louis' life after a year apart, he knows chaos is about to ensue. As they embark together on their quest for revenge against the most well known pirate hunter of all time, old feelings come creeping back and Louis must fight to control them. There's also the small matter of fact that the last time he saw Harry he abandoned him on an uninhabited island and left him for dead. Whoops?

why take your life when you give it so willingly by we_are_the_same | M | 19079 Well, at least things can’t get much worse. Louis squints to avoid the harsh glare of the sun reflecting off of the waves. He doesn’t need to look around to know how dire his situation is: there is nothing but open sea around him, the remnants of his ship have long since disappeared, and by now it’s really not a matter of survival, but of what will kill him first. Will it be the wound on his abdomen, festering and throbbing? Will it be dehydration, made all the worse by the vast expanse of water surrounding him? Or perhaps it will be some sea animal, taking him for easy prey. ☠ ☠ ☠ When Louis Tomlinson, Captain of The Rogue, ends up adrift at sea after Captain Cowell attacks his ship, he is surprised to find his enemy, Captain Styles, coming to his rescue.

Sail Across Me by iwillpaintasongforlou | E | 21706 Harry is a prince that is about to be forced into marriage against his will and running away to sea seems like a much better option. Louis is the captain of the infamous pirate ship The Rogue and he has a thing for helping defenseless creatures. Especially when they're as pretty as this one.

Lead Butterfly by LadyLondonderry | M | 32995 Dawn breaks on a cloudy bleak morning sky. Salty mist sprays up with the swell of the waves and buffets all of the lonely sleepy ships that drift as their sailors sleep on. The Lady Charlotte dips and rises as it moves through the mist in the hopes of a clearly sky. The black flag flaps lazily from the highest mast, the emblem of the sparrow only a shadow from down on deck. When the ship Harry lives on is boarded and overtaken by the crew of The Lady Charlotte, he thinks it’s going to be the end of the line. What he’s not expecting is to be brought onto the ship and provided safe passage. At least, as long as no one finds they’ve mistaken a common pirate for a noble.

In Your Black Heart (Is Where You'll Find Me) by graceling_in_a_suit | E | 35954 Louis Tomlinson has been lying for five years. His crew sees him as a pirate, a Captain, and an alpha; only two of those are the truth. He was content to let the illusion go on forever, but an omega named Harry Styles just had to join his crew and get his warm-vanilla stink all over Louis' best laid plans. Or: the story of The Captain and The Carpenter.

Ace of Spades by allwaswell16 | E | 78342 Living as a sheltered omega in a farming village has not prepared Harry for life aboard the most notorious pirate ship to sail the Atlantic. Or Louis is a pirate, Harry is his captive, and no one is who they say they are.

Resist Everything Except Temptation by Lis | E | 100116 The lethargic sound of heels clicking against wood resonated across the sea. Footsteps descended the staircase, every assured step creating a menacing aura as it grew closer. Perspiration gathered along Louis’ palms as the rhythmic sound halted in front of him. “Captain,” Malik greeted. Louis watched out of his peripheral as Malik’s boots shuffled back a few steps. Sweat matted the hair along the nape of Louis’ neck as he waited for something to happen. He felt as if a sharp blade was twisting his gut as the silence became tangible. There was a metallic slide of a sword being pulled out of its sheath, the sound startling Louis out of his cocoon of sterile shock. His shoulders jumped as the tip of a blade flattened underneath his jaw. Louis’ distorted reflection stared back at him in the polished metal. Engraved rose petals twisted his appearance as they crawled up the length of the sword. The sword lifted and took Louis’ chin with it. Standing in front of Louis was Captain Styles. OR The one where Louis is the commodore's son who is forced to become a part of Harry's crew when he is captured.

Swim In The Smoke by whoknows | E | 101778 “What about this, Captain?” Liam asks, nudging the boy kneeling between their feet with the toe of his boot. The boy hisses and swipes at him, slurring out something unintelligible around the makeshift gag Niall had to stuff in his mouth. He misses by a mile and tries again, just as ineffectively. Harry looks down at him, at the way the sun streams over his face and shoulders, at the way the gag stretches his mouth, lips pink and chapped. He’s lithe and pretty, smudged all over with dirt. They had found him tied up below deck, mostly unconscious, next to a barrel full of gold. He’s clearly a prisoner, but there’s something familiar about him, something that niggles at Harry’s brain. Something he can’t quite put his finger on. “Put him in my cabin,” Harry decides, turning back to deal with the rest of the loot. The boys screams out jumbled curse words at Harry’s back, muffled by the gag, and Harry can’t understand any of it.

[harrylee94]

The Tournament - Chapter 4

You can find this on AO3!

Summary: The pain of losing the Witch King had been greater than Cobb had ever expected. Hearing the bells ring he had thought only of what the Prince had lost, but when he’d woken the next morning and donned his red shirt and scarf, it occurred to him that he had also lost.

Notes: A certain Bird and Kappa gave me some inspiration... Thanks guys!

Chapter 3

——————————————————————

“ Hey, womprat! Quit your daydreaming and get back to work!" - Cobb

The pain of losing the Witch King had been greater than Cobb had ever expected. Hearing the bells ring he had thought only of what the Prince had lost, but when he’d woken the next morning and donned his red shirt and scarf, it occurred to him that he had also lost.

He had been a boy when he’d stumbled to the castle, barely old enough to be considered a tween. He remembered feeling so hungry that it felt like there was a fire inside him, burning at his lungs, and that his feet were blistered and covered in sores and blood and mud. He remembered begging the guards to let him see the King, that they had tried to send him away, but then hearing a voice ordering them to let him in.

Mand’alor the Beloved had welcomed him herself, and to his eternal shame, he had collapsed into her arms. She had carried him through the halls to her own personal physician, and his feet had been tended to as he’d pleaded with the Witch King to save his home from the bandits that had taken over in the night. He’d explained how the entire town was being held captive, and that he’d only escaped because they’d been distracted with setting an example of those who had tried to defy them. His tears had been wiped away by the Mand’alor’s thumb, and she’d held him as he mourned the loss of his parents, the leaders of the squashed rebellion.

She had rallied her forces to eradicate the dar’ijaat, and though his feet were still healing, he’d insisted he go with them.

Mandokarla, she’d called him, and set him on the saddle behind her son on the horse beside her. It was the first time they’d met. He knew better than to hold him, clutching instead to the back of the saddle to keep himself stable as they headed out, but he could remember the Prince’s curious glances back at him. They hadn’t spoken during the ride, but his village had taken two days to reach, and the nights were spent in quiet conversation around the Witch King’s fire.

The Witch King had been genuinely interested in him, in his likes and dislikes, of what he did back home, and Din had eventually joined in. It was a memory he held close to his heart.

When they’d arrived at his home town, they’d found it in flames. Barely anyone was left and the bandits had taken anything of value. Mand’alor the Beloved had sworn vengeance on them and given the survivors the option of taking a place in her home.

Now without a home as well as without a family, Cobb had accepted. He didn’t want to be a member of her household though -- even then he’d known it would be too stifling for him to be trapped indoors -- and so he’d been apprenticed to the stable’s head groom. The bandits had been found, tried and executed, and he’d grown up in the shadow of the castle.

He was here because of her. He worked with creatures he adored and had friends aplenty, and it was all thanks to her willingness to listen to a half-starved boy knocking at her door. He owed her so much. It had all suddenly hit him the morning of the funeral, and he couldn’t stop himself from sobbing.

The day itself had felt like both an eternity and only a blip in time. Following her body to the pyre and standing vigil until it was gone had been agonising, and with each friend who departed his side to return to their work he'd felt angry that they didn’t hold the same respect that he did. He knew that wasn’t true, but at the time it had only made his pain grow. But then there were the moments when he’d looked up from the flames and seen Din standing across from him.

Seeing the Prince, bedecked in finery and the colours of loss and respect, the flames flickering between them, it reminded him of that journey to his town all those years ago. It reminded him of how close he’d felt to him once, and how his company had eased his sorrow. He hoped that his own presence eased some of the Prince's.

Since that day, almost a week ago now, he had thought of Din frequently, noticing a little more about him every time. He had looked truly royal that day, the embroidery on his collar and sleeves shining in the light. He could vividly recall the way it had framed his cheeks, how the sleeves had accentuated the muscles in his arms, his belt the way his body tapered from his shoulders down to his middle, and his armour spoke of the warrior he was. It was an image he frequently revisited at night.

In the days since, Cobb had seen him in the ward, directing the preparations for the Tournament. He’d returned to his usual, practical clothing, but Cobb couldn’t help but see the determined set of his shoulders now, and the way that made him hold himself. It plagued his thoughts in the most inopportune and inappropriate moments. He shouldn’t be thinking this much about the Prince, and definitely not like this. He shouldn't be thinking of ways he could make him smile and make those beautiful brown eyes sparkle in mirth. Should he?

"Hey, womprat! Quit your daydreaming and get back to work!"

Cobb jolted back to the present and blinked wide eyed over at his bushy haired employer with a wince. "My apologies, Peli."

The short woman snorted and folded her arms across her chest, eyebrow raised to show him how unimpressed and unmoved she was by his words. "You can be a lovesick idiot in your own time. You're here to work! Or did you forget that today was Crest's exercise day?"

"Lovesick?" he repeated in surprise. "I'm not… Peli, I ain't pining."

"You think I don't know what a man in love looks like?" she asked and pointed her finger into his chest.

“I ain’t in love,” he said with a scowl. Appreciative maybe, but in love? He couldn’t be.

She rolled her eyes. "You're even more of an idiot than I thought, Vanth. Now get that horse saddled and get gone!"

“Look, I’m sorry I spaced out a bit, but I ain’t in love!” Cobb said as he headed towards Crest’s stall.

“You keep telling yourself that.”

“You’re seeing things!”

“I’m gunna pretend you didn’t just say that, for your own good!”

Cobb ducked into Crest’s stall with a smirk;he truly enjoyed his arguments with Peli, even if they did occasionally dip a little too far into his personal life on occasion. Luckily, Crest was much more forgiving than Peli was, and she was at his side in a moment. He chuckled as she nudged her nose into his shoulder, and he patted her flank when she came closer still.

"Hey there, beautiful," he said, leading her around the stall with an easy smile so he could look her over as best he could when she was following him like a puppy. "You look ready to burst out the door."

Crest whickered her agreement, and moved to offer her back to him.

"Now darling, you know we've got to get you saddled first," Cobb teased, brushing at her back before turning away towards the saddle that was waiting on the stall wall, but before he could make even a step she whinnied and trotted around him, making it very clear that she didn't want it. "Crest.."

The mare huffed at him, and gave his hair a tug with her mouth before offering her back to him again.

“Peli’s not going to like this,” he muttered, but when she refused to budge, even going so far as to wiggle, he sighed. "Well alright." He patted her flank again and headed towards the steps he’d set up outside so he wouldn't hurt her as he mounted, Peli watching him with narrowed eyes as he went. "But if anyone asks, this was your idea."

Crest didn't make a sound in reply, not until he'd heaved himself up onto her back when they'd stepped out of the stable's four walls that was, and his fingers were curled gently in her white mane, then she whinnied her approval.

"I should never have introduced you to bareback riding," Cobb chided himself as she trotted with great excitement towards the gatehouse.

It wasn’t the first time he’d ridden the Prince’s horse without a saddle or bridle, and it certainly hadn’t been the first time he had taken her out for some exercise, but for some of the people he rode past, it was their first time seeing it, and they stared.

Visitors had been making their way to the castle in droves, the news of the upcoming Tournament having spread far and fast. There were strangers everywhere, most of them servants and squires of knights and lords and varying chiefs, but there was the occasional craftsman and even a nobleman or two. The sight of a servant riding a superior breed of horse would no doubt have left them all reeling, and Cobb couldn’t help but to smirk as he nudged Crest in the right direction.

An encampment had been erected just outside Castle Town’s walls, and the usual place Cobb would have taken the horses to exercise was currently being partially overtaken by carpenters as they constructed the stands and lists for the jousts, but there was still some space for Crest to run free. That, and the fact it would be exciting to see how things were turning out, made Cobb choose to head in that direction, and they trotted their way through the streets.

He nodded and waved to a few of the people he knew, a number of them from the town he’d once called home, but Crest was too restless to stop and so he couldn’t so more than say hello before she pushed on ahead, moving them swiftly out and through the encampment.

It was as he was still within the enclosure of the forest of tents that he noticed a familiar face.

“Jo!”

The woman turned her head and smiled up at him, setting a hand on her hip. “Cobb Vanth.”

“Where are you off to at such an early hour?” Cobb asked, managing to get Crest to slow down enough to allow Jo to walk comfortably alongside them. Usually he wouldn’t see hide nor hair of her until at least the midday meal, working hard by the bellows or working the heavy duty hammer, but it was still morning, a rare treat. “Don’t you have a forge to tend?”

“I’ve been sent to deliver nails,” she replied, hefting the large bucket in her free hand, “and the Armourer needs some privacy to work on the Helm.”

Cobb nodded. Jo had been apprenticed to the Armourer for almost as long as he’d been in the stables, but when it came to the next Witch King’s helm, a great secrecy had to be upheld until the day it was placed upon its bearer’s head, and not even an apprentice could be party to it.

“I’d offer you a ride, but someone decided they didn’t want a saddle today,” he said, and snorted when Crest flicked her ears at him.

“I can walk just fine,” Jo replied with a smirk. “You’re the one who spends too much time with his head in the clouds lately.”

“Hey!”

“Peli’s been complaining about it all week,” she continued, ignoring him. “‘He spends more time staring at the wall than he does sweeping! It’s a miracle anything gets done anymore!’” She did a surprisingly good impression, but it only made him groan.

“It’s not that bad!” he defended, but realised it was the wrong thing to say when he caught her smirking at him.

“That’s not a denial.”

“Dank farrik,” Cobb muttered and Jo laughed.

“So who is he?” she asked. “Do I know him?”

“Jo…”

“What? Can’t a girl be curious?” she teased with a wink. “Ah you don’t need to say anything. I already know.”

Cobb pulled up short, Crest huffing in surprise. “You do?”

“Uh huh,” she said, her eyes taking a brief detour to look at Crest, “and you are royally screwed.”

He groaned as she laughed again, bringing attention to them. She knew. There was no escaping it now; he was going to get teased about this for the rest of his days.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the stable boy?”

Cobb stiffened and Jo’s smile fell as he turned at the disgustingly familiar voice.

Ser Jaonar sat lazily in Parjai’s too tight saddle, wearing his more casual finery with only a few pieces of armour strapped to his shoulders, wrists and chest. He also seemed to have gained himself a posse of equally spoilt and haughty looking lordlings, all of whom looked like they were expecting some entertainment. Cobb hated them all on principle.

“Is there something I can do for you, ser?” he asked, all the happiness he’d felt not ten seconds ago long gone.

“Oh, I’m sorry! Are we disturbing you and your little girlfriend?” the knight said in an exaggerated tone. The others snickered behind him. “I don’t know about my new friends, but I couldn’t help but notice that you’d neglected to properly saddle your… steed.” He almost sneered the last word, looking down his nose at Crest.

“I’m taking the Prince’s horse for some exercise,” Cobb said, taking some pleasure in watching some of their smiles fall into a slightly panicked grimace. “This doesn’t necessarily require a saddle. Ser.”

Ser Jaonar hummed and looked both him and the silver mare over again. “To think that our Prince, soon to be the new Witch King, would entrust his own horse to a nobody from nowhere.” He shook his head. “When I -- or of course, one of my fellows here -- become the new Protector, we’ll be sure to make sure he knows who the right sort to trust are.”

“You’ll have to win the Tournament first, ser,” Cobb said. “Competition’s fierce, I hear.”

“Oh yee of little faith,” Ser Jaonar said, and spurred Parjai onwards with unnecessary force, his ‘friends’ following close behind him.

Jo spat on the ground in their wake. “Filth like that don’t deserve to win the honour of serving our Prince.”

“No, they don’t,” Cobb replied, watching their retreating forms. “We can’t let them.”

“‘We’?” she repeated, stunned.

“We,” he repeated with a nod and turned to face her. “Or rather, ‘I’.”

She smirked. “I’m listening.”

——————————————————————

Mando'a Translations:

Dar’ijaat -- without honour (lit. gone honour)

Parjai -- Victory

Chapter 5

[myromancebooksworld]

Time to put this blog in orde!

Those are the 30 books I read last September!

My “deceptions” - meaning my 3 stars books - are:

- “Lost” by James Patterson & James O. Born - “Serenity” by India R. Adams - “Wanting My Stepsister” by Alexa Riley - “Second Chance” by Jay Northcote (3.5 stars) - “Hold My Breath” by Ginger Scott (3.5 stars)

My 4 silver stars:

- “Landon & Shay” by Brittainy C. Cherry - “Ainsi Soient Des Etoiles” by Battista Tarantini - “Forget Me Always” by Sara Wolf - “Behind The Bars” by Brittainy C. Cherry - “Loving Mr Daniels”  by Brittainy C. Cherry - “The Prince And His Captivating Carpenter” by Charlie Cochet - “Crossing The Line” by Simone Elkeles - “Echoes Of Time” by Calia Read - “Breaking News” by Ella Frank - “3rd Degree” by James Patterson - “Long Way Home” by Katie McGarry - “Her Final Breath”  by Robert Dugoni - “Rush” by Kandi Steiner - “Broken Knight” by L.J. Shen - “Death And Her Devotion” by Kendra Elliot - “Kingpin” by Alexa Riley - “Invidious” by Bianca Scardoni - “Markus” by Victoria Lace - “Black Butler” (manga) by Yana Tuhusu - “Where Angels Fear” by D.K. Hood

Amost gold - 4.5 stars:

- “49 Jours Je Compterai Pour Toi” by C.S. Quill - “De Velours Et D’Acier” by Georgia Caldera  - “Cruel King” by Rina Kent

My 5 golden stars:

- “Ruthless Knight” by A. Jade - “Wild Thing” by Michelle Hercules

[howwelldoyouknowyourmoon]

The two captors of the Dutch family held for 9 years had both been members of the Family Federation or Unification Church

Published October 17, 2019.  Updated October 18 - 22, 2019.

‘John Eagles’ is Gerrit Jan van Dorsten – who ‘imprisoned’ six of his own children on a farm.

Police have rescued six young adults (four women and two men, aged 18-25) of the van Dorsten family living at a remote Dutch farm. Police were alerted when Jan Zon van Dorsten, a 25-year-old man, walked into a local bar. He looked dirty and was wearing old-fashioned clothes. He said he had not had a haircut in nine years. The bar-owner raised the alarm with police after Jan revealed he had never been to school and said he had run away and needed help. He said he wanted his lifestyle to “come to an end.” Jan said he was the oldest of the six children.

The Police came to investigate on Tuesday and found a hidden staircase behind a cabinet in the living room of the farmhouse. At the point when they were discovered, the five other siblings thought that they were the only people left on earth, the broadcaster RTV Drenthe reported. According to reports, they could barely speak and communicated in a “fantasy language” parts of which were “incomprehensible.” The father of the six young adults, Gerrit Jan van Dorsten, 67, was found bed-ridden. He had suffered a stroke about two years previous.

Josef Brunner, 58, who had rented the farm was arrested at the property. Reports say the farm was equipped with motion detectors and security cameras. Locals also claimed Brunner locked the gate and kept watch using binoculars. He’d reportedly chase away anyone who came too close to the secluded property.

After the young adults were released and living in a safe place, the former ‘prisoners’ were observed to be taking part in frequent rituals where they moved in circles. They were then taken to a more private safe location where they are being given appropriate care. The police want to understand what happened over the past decade, but are being considerate of their psychological needs.

Josef Brunner appeared before an examining magistrate on Thursday and was detained for 14 days on suspicion of unlawfully depriving the children of their liberty and money laundering. Later, Gerrit Jan van Dorsten was also arrested.

Brunner was born on March 3, 1961 in Waldhausen, Austria and was one of five peasant children. He completed a carpentry apprenticeship with distinction, but while enrolled in the army in Linz he joined a sect.

He met a Japanese woman who introduced him to the Unification Church (now the Family Federation for World Peace). He had two children with her. Through the ‘Moonies’, Josef Brunner came into contact with Gerrit Jan van Dorsten in the late 1990s. Gerrit Jan had been a member of the Unification Church in the 1980s. He left in 1987 but to this day he still embraces many of their ideas. LINK

Together Joseph Brunner, known as the Austrian, and Gerrit Jan moved to the farm in 2010. Joseph was a carpenter and lived in a caravan behind his workshop. It was some four miles from the farmhouse. Neighbors saw him regularly visit the farm in his Volvo where he dropped off groceries and supplies.

Joseph Brunner’s brother, Franz, claims Joseph became delusional after joining the Unification Church. He said, “Josef has a very strong persuasiveness.” 

Franz said Josef had been married to a Japanese woman.

“In 2006 or 2007, Josef left his wife and children behind in Austria and went to the Netherlands.” Franz told NL Times.

“Josef regularly visited Gerrit Jan van Dorsten with his wife and daughters.” 

“Josef’s daughters, now adults, tried in vain to get in touch with him in 2017.”

The two arrested men had close business ties. Brunner paid the rent on van Dorsten’s toy craft store in Mepple and another storage unit nearby – as well as the rent for the farm.

According to a van Dorsten family statement. “Eight years ago, three older children of Gerrit Jan – Dino (Endino), Shin and Marjan, 29 – fled the family in Hasselt and contacted their brother from a previous marriage, their grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins.” 

"The family has taken notice of the events in Ruinerwold with dismay," the statement, translated from Dutch, says.

"Mr Gerrit Jan van Dorsten broke all ties with his immediate family in the 1980s. He told us not to make any attempt to find his place of residence."

"At present, it is the express wish of the family to support the discovered family," the statement said.

Gerrit Jan’s children were never registered with local officials or went to school.

Janny Knol, North Netherlands deputy police chief, said "on the farm there was actually a separate, closed-off area and its main aim was to keep the outside world out," she told Dutch TV. 

She said the imprisoned family were kept in an 'enclosed space' that was 'divided into small compartments.' The room was hidden behind a staircase, behind a locked door. Daylight was allowed inside, and children were occasionally allowed into the yard but they didn't go beyond farm's perimeter fence during nine years of captivity. She said, “We are investigating whether a certain religion or philosophy forms the cause of their living situation.”

Police found “tens of thousands of euros of laundered money” hidden on the property.

Jan Zon van Dorsten, 25, stated that his mother died in 2004 and “every day we are happy to take care of Dad”.

Gerrit Jan was initially believed to be one of the victims of Josef Brunner, but he has now been charged as “co-perpetrator of unlawful deprivation of liberty and of abuse, in the sense of prejudicing the health of others and money laundering.”

When Gerrit Jan and his brother, Derek, both joined the UC in the 1980s, their devoutly Protestant parents were very much against it. The father was a prolific author of Christian novels. Gerrit Jan was active in the UC in Amsterdam.

Gerrit Jan van Dorsten was a member in 1984. He worked as a Munich correspondent for the New York City Tribune at that time.

Gerrit Jan left the Unification Church in 1987. His estranged brother Derek van Dorsten, a long-time member of the UC said, "I have not heard from my brother since 1984."

A Church spokesman, Willem Koetsier, said “Sometimes people with spiritual inclinations found their own church or movement. I think this was the case with him. It could be that he thought he had a special mission.”

After a few years in the UC Gerrit Jan appears to have become ill at ease. According to reports in the Dutch media, he retreated from the church after announcing that he had begun “receiving signals” from Moon’s son, who is regarded as a prophetic figure within the faith. That son was Heung Jin Moon who had died in a car accident on January 2, 1984. 

Heung Jin was buried in Korea on January 8, 1984. A week later, Rev. Moon proclaimed that his son had a new mission and that he was free to travel between his spirit world and our physical world. Rev. Moon also proclaimed that Heung Jin became a leader to Jesus in the spirit realm and that he had assumed the role of “the commander-in-chief” to those who are unmarried in the spirit realm.”

▲ Sun Myung Moon wrote this calligraphy for his son: “Absolute Victory of Moon Heung Jin 文興進 as Commander-in-Chief of Heaven.”

On February 28, 1984, Heung Jin was married postmortem to Hoon-Sook Pak, the daughter of Colonel Bo Hi Pak, one of Moon’s top aides.

Colonel Pak was the president of the Washington Times at that time.

▲ At the wedding Julia Hoon-Sook Pak held a photograph of her new husband.

Colonel Pak stated that his son-in-law’s sacrifice “carries far greater importance then the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.” According to Rev. Moon, his son needed to be married in order to move from prince to king in the spirit realm. Hoon-Sook was positive about her unusual marriage. “I will never forget in my whole life and for eternity this greatest honor of being Heung Jin Nim’s bride, which I do not deserve.”

Shortly after the death of Heung Jin, Unificationists in different parts of the world claimed to be receiving messages from him. Most of the alleged revelations took place in 1984, and in 1987 and were published in book form under the title The Victory of Love.

Revelations are also claimed from St. Francis, St. Paul, Kierkegaard, and Jesus. The last speaks both of his submission to Heung Jin and the True Parents. “I will show them that the Lord of lords and the King of kings and the king of glory is our precious Lord Sun Myung Moon and his beloved bride Hak Ja Han. They reign as king and queen of the entire universe. I, Jesus of Nazareth, known as the Christ, bow in humility before them. Any who will follow me must do the same.”

From 1984 Gerrit Jan also received messages from Jesus and Heung Jin Moon.

According to Algemeen Dagblad, Gerrit Jan ascribed “supernatural powers” to himself. 

Older Unification Church members who knew Gerrit Jan in the 1980s had described him as a very "ritual" person who had set up his own group with his family. 

Gerrit Jan’s wife, the mother of nine known children, died in 2004. It is possible he has even more children, the newspaper reported.

In an interview with De Telegraaf, a cousin said, “Gerrit Jan broke with the rest of the family a long time ago,” the 32-year-old cousin said.

“About thirty years ago anyway. There was a lot of disagreement between my parents and my uncle, and between my uncle and the Unification Church. At a certain moment he ran away angry. That was before I was born.”

Joseph Brunner and Gerrit Jan van Dorsten lived next door to each other in Hasselt, south of Ruinerwold before moving to the farmhouse in 2010.

Shortly after Brunner moved in next door to the van Dorsten family, they removed a fence that separated their backyards, according to a neighbor, Sandra Soer. Brunner left the block first, and then in 2004, Geert announced his wife had died of colon cancer, which came as a shock as no one knew she had been sick, Soer said. The family left not long after.

In an interview with the Netherlands' English language news outlet NL Times, the older brother of Josef Brunner said he was not surprised to learn his brother had been arrested.

Franz Brunner described Josef as "greedy, calculating and unpredictable" and the pair had not been in contact for a decade. "He always wanted money and was always after his own advantage.”

The brothers quarrelled over their parent's farm and fell out with Joseph moving out.

In Austria, Josef's brothers told the Kronen Zeitung website that he had joined a sect and had not turned up for the funerals of his parents in the past four years. "He thought he was better than Jesus," brother Franz told the paper. “We've had no contact with him for 10 years. I told him to get lost when he wanted me to become his financial guarantor.”

Police have admitted going to the farm in the past, following up reports of a cannabis farm on the property, but say they never entered the building.

A team of 30 police are now trying to solve the mystery of the farm at Ruinerwold. The farmhouse is still being investigated and other properties have also been searched.

Police will question Gerrit Jan van Dorsten why he reported to Dutch immigration in 2009 that he had emigrated.

A large white board found pinned to a wall had a series of mysterious drawings and numbers in black felt ink. They went from top to bottom, side-to-side and ran across each other without making any sense. The board, and a set of books and records kept by the two men, have been taken away by detectives for analysis and forensic examination.

Police have brought in thermal imaging cameras to search under the soil of the fields around the farmhouse and sniffer dogs to examine underneath floor boards.

In a statement the police said, “We are investigating whether a certain religion or philosophy forms the cause of their living situation. Currently, a great deal of new information is received by us every day. It is our duty to verify the veracity of this information, and its relevance for our investigation. The circumstances the suspects and persons involved lived in require that we be extra careful when conducting our investigation.”

________________________________

‘John Eagles’ is Gerrit Jan van Dorsten – who ‘imprisoned’ six of his own children on a farm.

John Eagles video: “Each Soul is a Mirror”

Gerrit Jan van Dorsten, ‘Father Moon’ and the Divine Principle in his providence

Suspected of sexual abuse, ‘John Eagles’ aka Gerrit Jan van Dorsten is father of all nine children

Rev. Young Whi Kim testifies about Gerrit Jan van Dorsten

Jessica Villerius is making a documentary about the van Dorsten children of Ruinerwold

“Five beers and a plea for help is all it took” – Frank F

January 21, 2020 Gerrit Jan van D. sexually abused two of his children in Ruinerwold

________________________________

Black Heung Jin Moon – Violence in the FFWPU

The FFWPU / Unification Church and Shamanism

Hong Soon-ae, the mother of Hak Ja Han, was jailed for killing a young man in a shaman ritual

The FFWPU is unequivocally not Christian

A Korean perspective on Moon and his ‘Fall of Man’ teaching

How “God’s Day” was established on January 1, 1968

Rolling Stone: Children of Recluse Dutch Family Thought They Were the Only People Left on Earth

https://wikimili.com/en/Heung_Jin_Moon

[djstumppinz]

Shalom first day of the week Jeremiah 24 King James Version (KJV) 24 The Lord shewed me, and, behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the Lord, after that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, and the princes of Judah, with the carpenters and smiths, from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon. 2 One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe: and the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad. 3 Then said the Lord unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, Figs; the good figs, very good; and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil. 4 Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, 5 Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good. 6 For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up. 7 And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the Lord: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart. 8 And as the evil figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so evil; surely thus saith the Lord, So will I give Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem, that remain in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt: 9 And I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt, to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places whither I shall drive them. 10 And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers. https://www.instagram.com/p/B7f4iSChg9j/?igshid=wksjcd2eykna

[didanawisgi]

JESHUA, ZERUBBABEL AND HAGGAI

by  Bernie G. Owens, Royal Arch Mason

"JESHUA, Zerubbabel and Haggai Those three ancient worthies who formed the First Grand Council and held their meetings in Jerusalem".

“As we listen to the opening of a Royal Arch Chapter in Maryland, we hear this repeated over and over, how many times have you considered just what it means. Were you the least bit curious about the origin of these characters, their names and their contribution to our craft? First let us study the three names individually.

JESHUA This name has been used throughout the Bible as the name of important places and people. It is a basic name in Hebrew history and appears with many different spellings. Some of which are Oshea, Joshua, JESHUA, and Jesus. The name indicates DELIVERER or SAVIOUR and is used in connection with persons who eventually had a part in the deliverance and salvation of the people. We will limit our comments to three particular individuals who have had a particular influence on York Rite Masonry.

Moses was led to appoint Joshua, the son of Nun, as his successor during the final wanderings in the wilderness, and it was this Joshua who delivered the children of Israel into the Promised Land. His leadership role was military, political and spiritual.

JESHUA, the son of Jozaddek the High Priest, was the spiritual leader in the rebuilding of the temple, when the children of Israel were delivered from the Babylonish captivity. He shared the political leadership with Zerubbabel. He was probably born in Babylon during the Exile. He, being the logical successor in the Priestly line, was, we must assume, educated for the priestly task even in exile. As the spiritual leader, the Jewish people in captivity surely knew and trusted him. Since there was no government in exile, it is logical to believe that JESHUA had a great deal of influence in promoting the leadership of Zerubbabel during this return. To give us some idea of the number of people who were involved in this return, the house of JESHUA alone numbered nine hundred and seventy-three a small .house of only one priest.

Jesus, the son of Mary, wife of the ,carpenter of Nazareth, conceived of the Holy Spirit, the Son of God, and the Saviour of the World.

ZERUBBABEL, "Son (male heir) of Shealtiel, Governor of Judah." Actually he was the grandson of Jeconiah, a great grandson of Hezekiah, King of Judah. He was indeed a part of the Davidic line and as we see in the New Testament a part of the messianic line. Jeconiah had several sons; Shealtiel, Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazar, Jekomiah, Hoshama, Nedabiah. Pedaiah's sons were Zerubbabel and Shimei. Zerubbabel was the father of Meshullam, Hananiah and Shelomith their sister. In Matthew we read that Zerubbabel begot Abiud. Thus we see that Zerubbabel was the nephew of Shealtiel, and that in the Old Testament, the male heir is always referred to as the son of his predecessor. The genealogy of Zerubbabel was through Abraham, David and after him we can trace to the birth of Christ. We cannot stress too greatly the importance of the messianic line of decent.

Zerubbabel was born in captivity, and being a Prince of the House of Judah, he was very probably afforded chances that other young captives would not have been offered. He was possibly a part of the Kings Body Guard. Let us remember how important royal blood lines were. In those days royal captives were considered royalty. Even in recent time we still find some of the European Royal Families in Exile still inter-marrying to preserve the blood lines.

As we well know, he was appointed first by Cyrus as the "Governor" of Judah and later by Darius. By this choice of a Prince of the house of Judah and working with JESHUA the High Priest, the people were eager to follow these men in returning to Jerusalem to rebuild the City and Temple. Zerubbabel was able to accomplish much in restoring the city and completing and dedicating the new temple.

HAGGAI was the first prophet of the restoration. His name means festal or feast. He was contemporary with Zachariah he was probably present at the destruction of the first Temple. He was a Levite, and as such was given special treatment during the captivity. He was an old man when he came back to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel to participate in the rebuilding of the Temple. Not much is known about him, except that which may be elicited from his writings. From the time and event descriptions, the book of Haggai is one of the most precisely dated

books in the entire Bible. At one period there was a fifteen year lapse in the Work on the New Temple. During this period, the people had spent their time building homes, fanning and doing many other things, almost anything but doing God's Business. They began to suffer crop failures, personal problems, bickering and fighting among themselves to a greater extent than usual. The Old Prophet encouraged them to repent and come back to God. Just twenty-four days after this encouragement, work was resumed on the Temple. Immediately their other problems were solved, and their needs were abundantly met. As we studied the book of Haggai, he referred to the "desire of all nations", we still have this desire for the "peace that passeth all understanding."

As we have looked at these three characters, we have found that they lived in the sixth century before Christ. They were a part of the Jewish nation in captivity. It was during this era Synagogue Worship began. This worship outside the Temple in Jerusalem was a new experience for the Jewish people. The governments had been overthrown, many of the political leaders had turned away from the worship of God, many of the people had been in captivity, the Temple had been destroyed, and confusion must have been the order of the day. Yet, with 0 of this, many of the people did repent and return to the worship of God.

As we continue our search for light and truth in York Rite Masonry, we see the importance of JESHUA, Zerubbabel and Haggai to our noble craft. Our Blue Lodges thread the Masonic allegory around the building of the Temple of King Solomon to, of course, represent the Temple of our present life. In Royal Arch Masonry, the allegory completes the erection of that temple, witnesses its destruction, and follows through to the building of a second temple, representing, as it does, the temple of our spiritual life. This leads to the contemplation of our relationship to the creator. As Solomon and the two Hirams laboured to build the first temple, so we labour to build our present life. As JESHUA, Zerubbabel and Haggai laboured at the second temple, so we should build the foundation of our spiritual life.

One of the strange facts that surfaced as we studied the genealogy of Jesus, we found that from Adam to Moses, several instances were exhibited of changing names and personalities. As an example of this we find Abram becoming Abraham, and Jacob becoming Israel. From MOSES to the Birth of Christ, we find no distinctive changes in the names of those listed. With the selection of the twelve apostles, we find Simon became Peter, Saul became Paul, and with this we note that all study opens new vistas and other avenues to satisfy that curiosity and obtain a better understanding of our relationship to each other and to the great creator.”

Bernie G. Owens (Maryland), Royal Arch Mason, Winter 1991

[wisdomfish]

Christmas quotes from around Tumblr...

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” ~ Isaiah 9:6

“Joy rises in me, like a summer’s morn: Peace, Peace on Earth, the Prince of Peace is born.” ~ Samuel Taylor Coleridge

“Who can add to Christmas? The perfect motive is that God so loved the world. The perfect gift is that He gave His only Son. The only requirement is to believe in Him. The reward of faith is that you shall have everlasting life.” ~ Corrie Ten Boom

“Christmas is telling you that you could never get to heaven on your own. God had to come to you.” ~ Tim Keller

“Christmas: the Son of God expressing the love of God to save us from the wrath of God so we could enjoy the presence of God.” ~ John Piper

“The story of the Incarnation has informed and inspired humankind for centuries. It was not a noble lie; it was the noble truth. It was the single greatest life to change the history of the world. At His birth, shepherds who raised sheep for the slaughter at Passover came face-to-face with the perfect Lamb. Born into the household of a carpenter, the very framer of the universe entered history. Offered gifts from rulers from afar. He himself was the greatest gift of all-the King of kings and Lord of lords. All the power of Rome tried to stop Him. He came to free the captives. He came to announce liberty to an enslaved world.” ~ Ravi Zacharias

[rachellecoulston-blog]

Mixed Greens Along With Low Carbs & High Healthy Protein

The Dark Knight Rises is the part two to The Black Knight and also is actually claimed to become the movie that will certainly conclude the Batman series. The story informs of a 55 year old Bruce Wayne who emerges of retirement to fight crime simply to find adversary coming from the United States authorities and also the Gotham City Police, the story leads the way in showing a much darker and also grittier Batman and is a huge influence on the later Christopher Nolan motion pictures. The United States chapter of DOCOMOMO sustains the DOCOMOMO United States sign up, an online database of modern action internet sites as well as properties that likens the objective of the International Sign up. Last season, playing for the Prince Albert Raiders in the Western Hockey Organization, he led his group in scoring, played in each 72 activities as well as possessed 91 points (44G, 47A). In Twentieth-Century Property Materials: History as well as Preservation, revised by Thomas C. Prankster, 200-05. Painting Historic Properties: Products and Techniques: An Annotated Bibliography. Released in 2009, Our experts Don't Waste partners with restaurants, educational institutions, distributors as well as primary stadiums and collects food five days a week. Making use of a clay-based neti container to perform nasal saline watering (wash out your noes) may relieve irritation in the sinuses, protect against nose diseases and also colds and is exceptionally good at minimizing the symptoms of in season allergies, points out Ayurvedist Deacon Carpenter, that incorporates that frequent neti pot use may likewise help moisturize the completely dry sinuses of urban area folks residing in smoggy regions. A comparable power, called "tuning" in Dark City, is actually made use of due to the Strangers; it is actually additionally the energy that divides Murdoch from his fellow captive humans. Potential Anterior: Diary of Historic Conservation Past History, Idea and also Objection 5 (1 ): 28-37. Beginning in the principal city of Baku, whose Old Area possesses UNESCO planet culture condition as an unusual instance of historical construction. Many health care problems just call for opportunity for the physical body to cure it. You receive a scratch, you keep it clean and 3-5 times later on it's healed. As the main of drug policy claimed at the time, federal government backing for http://oliver-health-portal.info/ clean needles undermines the reputation of culture's message that drug use is unlawful and ethically wrong" This delegated that energy to the conditions-- and also meant that locales where medicine injection or even HIV weren't widespread never ever cultivated the strong courses that urban areas like New York, Chicago as well as San Francisco have today. Aggie Hirst (KCL) mentioned play as rearing, reviewing the use of wargames for educational and instruction reasons in the United States DoD armed force. The leading of its body is a dark brownish and olive shade, which resorts to a lighter, lotion colored stomach. This bibliography is paid attention to English-language literary works concerning the preservation of twentieth-century properties and properties, although a couple of non-English-language text messages which contain abstracts in English have actually been consisted of. Lately, Forbes Magazine determined one of the most unsafe opportunity of day to steer, utilizing studies as well as records looked at from AAA's Base for Web traffic Research Study as well as the Insurance Policy Institute for Freeway Safety And Security, and the end results have been published in order to help chauffeurs produce better choices before they support the tire.

[holdonendure]

YAHUAH showed me, and, behold, two baskets of figs were set before the Temple of YAHUAH, after that Nevukadne'tstsar king of Babel had carried away captive את eth- Yekonyahu the son of Yahuyaqiym king of Yahudah, and את eth-the princes of Yahudah, with את eth-the carpenters and את eth-the smiths, from Yerushalayim, and had brought them to Babel. One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe: and the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad. Then said YAHUAH unto me, What do you see, Yirmeyahu? And I said, Figs; the good figs, very good; and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil. Again the Word of YAHUAH came unto me, saying, Thus says YAHUAH, the ELOHAI of Yashar'el; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away את eth-captive of Yahudah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Kasdiym for their good. For I will set my eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up. And I will give them a heart to know me, that I am YAHUAH: and they shall be my people, and I will be their ELOHIYM: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart. And as the evil figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so evil; surely thus says YAHUAH, So will I give את eth- Tsidqiyahu the king of Yahudah, and את eth-his princes, and את eth the remnant of Yerushalayim, that remain in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Mitsrayim: And I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt, to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places whither I shall drive them. And I will send את eth-the sword, את eth-the famine, and את eth-the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers.

YIRMEYAHU (JEREMIAH) 24 את CEPHER