#word of branon

[renarines]

[owlbear33]

the wheel of time book 14: A Memory of Light has been sitting on my bookshelf since 2015, I've still not read it, and the more I hear about it the less I want to.

I remember reading The Gathering Storm and Towers of midnight frighteningly quickly as a teenager with little problem, but they're still the only books in the series I've only read once, and it's not that I don't read as much as I did as a teenager, though I don't (when I do read, I still read just as fast and get utterly consumed by whatever I'm reading - just happens less often).

eh I don't know, not sure I should even post this, but I'm going to anyhow

[achaotichuman]

Could you pair Raven with Rhysand in the masc! Feyre AU and baby drama happens when one of them gets pregnant? ( rhys or feyre)

HAHAHAHA Ngl when I threw Rhys into the original one-shot of this, it was just for shits and giggles, but I love this request sm. I made Rhysand the pregnant one here because I personally think its fucking hilarious. I had to split this one into two, but that just means I get to write more of this later.

This AU you can also read on Ao3. This is chapter two of what will be four part. Here is the first part on Tumblr.

“Tamlin.” 

Tamlin would recognise that sneering voice anywhere. His eye twitched and he gripped the knife in his hands a little tighter, without looking away from the herbs he was cutting up, he said, “Rhysand, what have I said about knocking?”

The witch could practically feel the smirk that appeared on Rhysand’s face. Tamlin tried to ignore the dark presence behind him as he threw the herbs he had chopped into the cauldron bubbling over the fireplace in the kitchen. 

“Yes, yes, yes. Always knock and leave if the door is not answered, but just look!” Rhysand insisted. 

Tamlin breathed in, then out. Repeating in his mind, Don’t curse him, Lucien will get mad. Don’t curse him, Lucien will get mad. Don’t curse him, Lucien will get mad. 

Tamlin turned, and there he stood. The half Illyrian looked as good as he always did. Wearing a black silk shirt, a black porcelain corset wrapped tightly around his waist. Black trousers and a coat on his shoulders. He was smiling as he held up a basket, no doubt holding an offering. 

He wanted to make a deal. Gods above. 

“What is that supposed to be?” Tamlin snarled as if he didn’t already know. 

“A sacrifice for the witch.” Rhysand hummed, he put the basket on the counter, “If you’ll do me a deal.”

Tamlin pinched the bridge of his nose. He didn’t have much of a reason to dislike Rhysand as much as he did. But since the day his powers began to grow, something whispered in his ear that Rhysand was dangerous, that he was unpredictable. Even if Tamlin was very good friends with his sister Branon, he tried to stay away from her older brother. 

“I am busy at the moment.” Tamlin said, not a lie, he was incredibly busy. Lucien’s friend, a human male named Jurian who had once served as a General during the War had recently been freed from the grasps of that fucking Amarantha. Someone assassinated her after word spread of her attempting a siege on Prythian. That ring was stolen and taken to the Faerie market. Where Lucien had found it, and with a few of Tamlin’s spells they managed to free to male. 

Lucien took him back to the human lands where they struck deals with a famed Lord. Not long after, Jurian fell sick with an unknown illness. It was undoubtedly something Amarantha had cursed him with whilst he was in that eye ring. 

Amarantha may have been a witch in her own right, but Tamlin was ten times more powerful than her. He had no doubts the cure he had come up with would work. 

“Oh please, it will only take a few moments, I know you can do it.” Rhysand pleaded. 

“I don’t believe the word ‘please’ has ever passed through your mouth before.” Tamlin snapped, stirring the cauldron before him with a long wooden spoon. 

“All the more reason to believe this is urgent!” Rhysand appeared next to Tamlin. Tamlin closed his eyes, sucking in a breath. 

“Come on, Tam. It's just one little deal, one bargain, I brought you an offering.”

Opening his eyes, Tamlin released his breath very slowly. 

With a resigned sigh, Tamlin asked, “What did you bring?”

Rhysand’s violet eyes lit up excitedly. Quickly he retrieved the basket, opening it up, he revealed its contents. 

Tamlin glanced down at it, then his eyebrows raised. 

Inside were jars and jars of rare herbs and spices from the continent over. Tamlin took the basket from Rhysand’s hands and rifled through it, “By the Mother, where did you find these?!”

Rhysand shrugged, “I have my connections.”

Tamlin needed some of these. Some of them could help this cure for Jurian…

Gods above. 

“Fine, what do you want in return?” A curse of ill fortune perhaps, maybe a death spell. Knowing Rhysand it was likely to be something sadistic. 

“I need you to turn me female.”

Tamlin nearly dropped the basket. Before it could slip out of his grip, he carefully placed it on the counter before choking out, “You want to be female?”

Rhysand nodded yes.

“May… may I know why?”

“No.” Rhysand said simply. 

Tamlin blinked at him. Rhysand blinked back. Tamlin sighed, “Okay then. If that's what you want, though with these, I won’t require another offering to turn you back.”

“Perfect!” Rhysand smirked, lifting his head as he waited. 

Placing both his hands on Rhysand’s shoulders, Tamlin felt a drop of power leave him as it flooded Rhysand’s veins. Morphing, shifting, shaping, moulding. Rhysand closed his eyes, letting the magic work. 

A heartbeat passed, then the next. Tamlin released him and took a step back. 

Gods above. 

He wasn’t half bad to look at. Or… she wasn’t half bad to look at. 

Rhysand opened her eyes. The front of her shirt now stretched to accommodate the larger chest pressed against the buttons. She was slightly shorter and her wings were considerably smaller. As if noticing the lost weight on her back, Rhysand fluttered her wings for a moment, adjusting to the new size. 

Her angular face was now softer. She ran a hand along her jaw, then her fingers danced on the stretching fabric around her breasts. Her eyes flicked up to Tamlin’s, she smirked, a smile flashing all her teeth, “I see you were quite heavy-handed with the chest.”

Tamlin gritted his teeth, “I shift based on the genes I already find within your body. If you were born female, you would look exactly like this.”

Then Tamlin turned back to the cauldron on the fire, tossing a handful of red spices into the mixture, “If you wish for me to customise anything I shall, but I don’t believe it is a good idea to mess with your body too much.”

“Well then, I suppose this will do. Thank you, Tam.”

“Get out, Rhysand.” Tamlin snapped, glancing back over at her. 

Rhysand just smiled, before she turned on her heel and left. 

Even with the spices he had now acquired from Rhysand. Tamlin couldn’t help but wonder what she would do with the new form he had given her. 

***

“Another marriage proposal, Lord Raven.” Morrigan declared as she flounced into Feyre’s office. 

Feyre smirked, then held out her hand, “Alright, let’s see who this is from.”

Morrigan shot her a grin as she handed it over. Feyre tore the top open and pulled out the letter, her smirk growing as well as her ego as she read it over, “My my, Lord Aiedian is looking for a marital prospect for his daughter.”

“Oh Gods above.” Morrigan huffed as she fell into a velvet chair, draping herself across it like a statue carved from marble, “Do these Lords have nothing better to do?”

“Probably not.” Feyre hummed as she tore the paper in two and let it turn to nothing. 

Morrigan laughed, as the sound rang through the office Nesta walked in. Morrigan’s eyes brightened the second she laid eyes on her, Nesta smiled at her before looking at her youngest sister, “We have a ball to attend tonight.” She announced. 

Feyre nearly groaned, she had been to too many parties and balls in the past month. How long would this continue? 

“Feyre, whilst the Court is still settling into this new way of ruling, you have to appear at all of these gatherings.” Nesta told her as she settled into the chair next to Morrigan. Morrigan kissed her cheek and pulled Nesta to sit in her lap. 

“I know, I know.” The High lord said, “I’m just tired.”

“We all are,” Morrigan sighed.

“Of course you two are.” Feyre mumbled. 

“What is that supposed to mean, High lord?” Morrigan asked with an eyebrow raised. 

“Oh please, Morrigan, I beg of you, put up a silencing ward around your bedroom at night. The sounds I have heard I shall never unhear.” Feyre shuddered, nearly gagging at the memory of the cries she heard from her sister and Morrigan’s shared room. 

Nesta went red and glared. Morrigan tipped her head back as she laughed. The blonde kissed Nesta’s neck, whispering something to her that made the eldest Archeron roll her eyes. 

Feyre smiled at the scene but… she couldn’t help the strain on her heart. The longing for someone of her own to hold and treat as hers like Morrigan and Nesta did for each other ached in her chest. 

She longed for someone to hold like that, to call mine. Nesta had found her person; she and Morrigan fit together like a hand in a well-worn glove. Elain didn’t feel romantic attraction for any at all. And Feyre… well despite having double the options due to her enjoying the company of both females and males she hadn’t settled down with anyone. 

She supposed her options were now incredibly narrowed down, due to the fact she couldn’t marry at all unless she was absolutely certain it would be in the best interest of the Court. Then there was the responsibility of bearing an Heir…

At least she didn’t have to be the one to carry the child. She had always cringed at the idea of pregnancy. Had seen the uncomfortable and often dangerous things that would occur. At the same time, she didn’t particularly wish to inflict that on another either. 

Unfortunately it wasn’t an option, it was a requirement. 

At least she had a little bit of time to choose a female she liked before she had to bear an Heir. 

***

Raven tapped his feet to the music in the air. His arms crossed as he looked out at the sea of people. Hewn City citizens, Velaris citizens and Illyrians all mingling. All acting alike. He smiled. This was what the Night Court was supposed to be. This was what it should look like. 

Someone put a hand on his shoulder, Raven turned his head to see Elain smiling at him, dressed beautifully in a floor-length, sparkling white dress, it dipped in at the neckline, but had sleeves that ran down to her wrists. She looked like a beam of moonlight. 

“Are you alright?” She asked. 

“Of course.” Raven replied, his voice a little gruff. Truly he was exhausted, the idea of his bed being the one thought in the forefront of his mind. 

“How about you mingle?” Elain asked, Raven knew she’d start pushing for her brother to join the crowd, he had to at some stage afterall. In order for neither to waste anymore of their time, Raven sighed and said, “Fine.”

Elain brightened and discreetly pushed him out towards the floor. Raven rolled his eyes but went with her motions. Joining the bodies moving, twisting to the music. 

Immediately females and males alike tried to drag him into dances. Hands were on his waist, hips, arms, biceps. Pulling, pushing, squeezing, touching. Raven pulled away as politely as he could muster, smiling and swaying. Allowing the people around him to decide his motions. 

Then someone pressed up against him, Raven was about to pull away from them as well, until he laid eyes on them. 

The most beautiful female he had ever met in his centuries of living smiled up at him. She looked to be half Illyrian, with pointed ears but Illyrian wings tucked in tightly to her back. What she was wearing could barely be classified as a dress, just two panels of black, shimmering fabric that draped over her shoulders, just barely covering her breasts, connected by a silver ornament below her navel. Raven blushed hard as he observed the silver of fabric. 

Her hair was short and midnight black. Her eyes were a sparkling violet that shone up at Raven like amethysts. Her eyes were lined with kohl, and her full lips twisted in a brilliant smile that stole the breath from Raven’s lungs. 

“Evening, High lord.” She murmured. 

Raven opened and closed his mouth, eyes darting all over her body. Barely able to feel anything except her full chest pressed against him. 

Finally Raven mustered a “Evening.”

Blood was rushing through his veins, the world became colours swirling in the corner of his eyes as the seductive temptress slid her hands up his chest, murmuring, “Surely you mustn’t mind a dance?”

Raven couldn’t resist. His blood sang for the woman before him. Every inch of his body longed for her touch. Like something was pushing and pulling them against each other, a writhing song and dance, a want, a need for touching. 

Maybe it was his own loneliness coming through, but Raven, for the first time tonight, accepted a stranger’s offering to dance. 

“I don’t mind at all.” Raven said, and the female smiled like she had won. Without another word, Raven placed his hand on her waist, and took her soft hand in her other. She placed a hand on his shoulder and allowed Raven to take the lead. 

They were swept into a swirling dance, the world became just star and moonlight, the pounding of hearts, the rushing of blood, the sounds of music in the distance. Raven found himself lost in violet and specks of silver. Following the beat of the footsteps around him. Letting himself, allowing himself, to fall into the mesmerising song and dance. 

The female was a siren. Her body swayed with his, each movement a song in itself, a song that made all blood in his mind rush down. 

The night went on. They never stopped. Raven never wanted to stop. Everything was a spinning haze and all he was locked on was the female in his arms, who smiled, and whispered to him, he laughed at her quips, he smirked at her words. 

Then she pressed in closer, as the music slowed from fast and hard, to slow and soft. She pressed her warm body against his. Her breasts pressing into his chest. Her pearly white teeth biting down on her plush bottom lip. Raven nearly faltered in his step. 

Then she turned, pressing her backside against his crotch. And the world seemed to come to a stop. Raven nearly groaned, when he pressed forward, she pressed back. And soon enough they were grinding on the floor, hidden from the eyes of the public by the drunk bodies laughing and dancing around them. 

Seemingly done with the dance, the female turned her head back and whispered, “Lets take this somewhere private.”

Raven felt a grin on his face and his heart beating out of his chest, He squeezed her hips and ground against her ass, “Lets.”

With a flick of his wrist they winnowed to the palace. To Raven’s bedroom. Before he could get a word out, her lips were on his. Raven was only shocked for a moment, before he ran his hands down to the back of her thighs and lifted her up, placing her on his hips. 

She groaned into his mouth and he mirrored the sound, they both rocked against each other, desperate for friction. Raven then walked to the far side of his bedroom and dropped her down onto the silk black sheets. 

She grinned from her place below him, spreading her thighs open she said, “Go on, take what's yours, my Lord.”

A sound vibrated through his chest, a dark sound made feral with need and want. Raven crawled on top of her, her hands immediately went to his shirt, unbuttoning quickly, then her right hand travelled down to the hardness pressing against the seam of his pants. 

A moan escaped him when she rubbed the fabric, providing well-wanted friction. 

Raven captured her mouth in his own. When she bit his lip, the final tether of his control snapped. The Night Lord pushed the fabric of her ‘dress’ away, revealing the space between her legs. No undergarments. 

Raven’s eyes went wide and the female smirked. 

“Well?” She murmured. 

A grin slowly spread out on his face. With a snap of his fingers all his clothes were gone, and Raven took her mouth in his, saying, “Moan for me, beautiful.”

***

When Rhysand awoke that morning, he was tangled in black sheets. There was a pounding in between his legs that made him groan in pain. Blinking his eyes open, he stared up at a ceiling that was not his own. When he sat up he was in a bed that was not his own. 

Looking down at his chest, at the full breasts now sitting there, and the garments he had worn for tonight, he remembered where he was. 

He had fucked the High lord of the Night Court. 

Or.. gotten fucked. If the soreness sitting in his core was any clue. 

A low groan could be heard beside him, quickly he looked down and there he was. 

Raven Archeron, in all his naked glory. Arms that could completely encircle him. A broad, strong chest rising and falling with every breath. A sharp-cut jawline. Long hair that had been in a braid last night was now spread out over the pillow. Rhysand stared at him for a minute, in awe. 

The High lord rolled onto his side, his face pressing against Rhysand’s thigh. The half-Illyrian held his breath, fingers dancing on the fabric of the pillow before travelling to the burnished gold that was Raven Archeron’s hair. Ever so gently, he twisted a strand of hair into his hand. 

He was beautiful, completely and utterly beautiful. 

He opened his eyes. Rhysand’s breath was stolen from him. Eyes a blue-grey like storms fluttered, looking around before landing on Rhysand’s form. His eyes widened for a moment before he groaned low in his throat, sitting up on his forearms. 

“Good morning.” Rhysand smiled, still playing with that lock of hair. 

Raven grinned up at him.

“Good morning, beautiful.” He rasped, voice deep and scratchy from the lack of usage. Rhysand felt a shiver run down his spine, his skin feeling like it was on fire. 

Raven sat up and looked about his room. Rhysand bit his lip, the air turning slightly awkward as neither party knew how to proceed. 

They didn’t need to make a move though, as the door burst open and a female with the same hair and skin as Raven walked in. Her face was sweeter, her hair was in tangles, her eyes were irritated from rubbing them. She looked as though she just awoke. 

Her eyes landed on Rhysand and her sweet mouth curled into a sneer. Quickly Raven covered Rhysand in a blanket, and Rhysand’s own wings curled around himself. At a closer inspection, Rhysand recognised the female. She was the middle child of the Archerons, Elain. The supposed sweetest and kindest. 

She didn’t appear so sweet when she bowed her head ever so slightly and said, “Raven, who is this… lovely female you have brought to our home.”

“I…” Raven didn’t seem to have an explanation and looked as though he was caught. Rhysand felt very on display now. 

“I must have forgotten to tell you to take the results of last night's drinking and dancing to the pleasure halls, not our home.” Elain all but sneered, still keeping that sweet smile and laughing eyes, but her tone was turning dark. 

“Yes, yes Elain, I just- we were… caught in emotions of the night, the Lady will be off this morning.” Raven said. Rhysand cut his glare to Raven, whose eyes were skipping between Elain and Rhysand, as if deciding who was worse to piss off. Apparently he decided on Elain. 

“The Lady best be going soon then, as noon approaches.” Elain snarled, losing her kind facade before she slammed the door shut. 

“Shit.” Raven swore, jumping out of bed, Rhysand didn’t even get a chance to appreciate the artistry that was Raven Archeron naked as he was forcing himself into a pair of trousers whilst opening the light curtains, letting the late morning light in, “Its nearly midday, I’m sorry but you have to go.”

“But I-” Rhysand tried to persist. He didn’t want to leave yet, not when he was right in the bed of the High lord. 

“Please cover yourself, take any clothing you want from my wardrobe, but be gone by the time I return.” Raven said, the words were harsh but his voice was apologetic, Rhysand still loathed it all the same. 

But before Rhysand could express his distaste, Raven stormed from the room. Opening then shutting the door firmly. 

Rhysand sighed. 

“So much for getting out of the slums.” 

***

Cassian and Azriel didn’t blame him when Rhysand came back with no luck. His friends just nodded, disappointment clear in their eyes but both of them just said he did what he could. Azriel even admitted that he would’ve preferred not to resort to marrying Rhysand off to the High lord to try and get them out of their situation. 

But Rhysand knew all that was just talk. At this point any of them were willing to do anything to get out of their situation. 

Rhysand had been the son of a famed Lord, who had a fall from grace. After his father was found forcing himself on the to-be-wed thirteen year-old daughter of a merchant, he was cast out from the Hewn City, and Rhysand wanted nothing to do with him. 

Given that without his father Rhysand had nothing, he was left to the streets. No one wanted anything to do with the bastard son of the male that raped the young daughter of the highly regarded merchant. 

He had been sent to Illyria on the Steward of the time’s orders. Keir had smirked when he

made the order, he had never liked Rhysand, but given he was the son of his now exiled brother he hadn’t been able to express until then. 

Rhysand ended up in Illyria, where he was sent to a remote village, where he had also been rejected. 

After a good hike in the snow and nearly freezing to death, he found a small cabin like construction. It was made out of a large fallen tree and carved to be a shelter. Having no one else to go he entered, and there he met Cassian and his mother. 

Cassian’s mom had run from her village upon finding out about her pregnancy, after a male had raped her. She along with her two sisters had made that little cabin and resided there. Cassian was fifteen and Rhysand was thirteen when they found each other. 

Cassian had been stronger than Rhysand on account of being a full-blood Illyrian. But being completely isolated from the rest of his people. He didn’t fight. Rhysand had been trained to fight by his mother who was taught by one of her older brothers, one who didn’t agree with not teaching the girls how to fight. 

So Rhysand taught Cassian, who at first was hesitant, but eventually learned to love the thrill. He didn’t like the idea of killing in a war at all, but still liked to spar with Rhys. 

Then after a few years, another small boy came to the cabin. 

A boy with scarred hands and shadows swarming him. Azriel didn’t know how to fly when he came to them. After gentle coaxing and patience, the older two Illyrians taught him to fly. 

A trio was born. A trio that helped their mother, and lived on the outskirts of Illyria. 

That was until the War was reaching its peak. Being so far removed from the War itself, Rhysand, Azriel and Cassian had no idea it was even happening. But an order went out for all boys of age to fight. All were called for, and Rhysand was remembered. 

The Illyrians hunted them down and found the cabin. The three boys were taken and never saw Cassian’s mother or her sister again. 

Rhysand still hoped every day they were out there. 

The only bright side to any of it was Rhysand saw his sister again. She wound up in the same section as them, a General now, bigger, stronger and so much meaner. When Rhysand saw her, he couldn’t believe who he was looking at, but those violet eyes didn’t deceive him. 

Branon was there, in the flesh, living and breathing. She too had been sent to Illyria, where they attempted to clip her wings and marry her off. Didn’t expect that Branon was not just stronger than she looked, but a powerful magic user. Utilising the dark magic of the Hewn City folk, she was capable of warding away Illyrian males that came near her and tore many to shreds. 

No one could stop the female from climbing the ranks, spitting out blood when she was knocked down and getting back up. 

It hadn’t been a tearful, happy reunion like Rhysand had dreamed. Instead his sister had looked at him with a blank stare and delivered the news that their mother had passed. 

Then she snarkily remarked that he would’ve known if he ever bothered to come find her. Rhysand knew then that she blamed him for never leaving the sanctuary of Cassian’s home to go after what was left of his family. 

Their relationship improved over the years. Instead of being hostile, now it was simply strained. Branon rarely came to see him, and Rhysand rarely saw her. She worked in Illyria, and lived there most of the time. 

Rhysand however, lived in the outskirts of Velaris, in the only place he could afford. 

Cassian and Azriel went with him. None of them had money, and they were shunned from the villages of Illyria. They did what they had to. 

Azriel and Cassian found ways to make money, ways that Rhysand didn’t care to know the extent of it. But from the disgusting smells and red stains they tried to hide when they came home from their ‘work’ Rhysand knew it they didn’t like it. At least would rather not do it. His friends had learned to be apathetic to death, Rhys learned when he was a child. 

He knew Azriel and Cassian had been marked by the Court. Nothing could be proven to put them in any kind of facility, but they weren’t welcome anywhere really. 

It also meant that they didn’t qualify for the housing being provided for those living in the slums. They were trapped there. With nowhere to go. 

Three months passed, and nothing got any better. In fact Rhysand started to get sick, throwing up in the mornings constantly, a headache pounding in his head constantly and being so tired all the goddamn time. 

Rhysand picked at his breakfast, the dry bread with butter was better than most days, but still he wanted more. He knew what luxury was like and Gods he missed it. 

He missed Cassian’s mom’s cooking, he missed his own mom’s cooking. He missed his father before it was found out what a horrible person he truly was. He missed the Hewn City of all things. 

“Rhys, you have to eat something.” Azriel said. Looking up, Rhysand met his old friend’s eyes. How they had changed, once they had been filled with a constant fear and anxiety, then Cassian and himself helped to fill them with life and joy. Now they were dull, weighed down by memories. By guilt.

It wasn’t fucking fair. 

“I will.” Rhysand grunted out. He was still in the female form Tamlin had given him. The torn, dirty clothes he wore stretched at the bulge of his breasts. He wished they could’ve been smaller, because Gods these hurt. 

He had squandered so much money getting those herbs for the witch. On some delusional idea that he may be able to seduce a fucking High lord. Because of him the three of them now had to take turns for who would eat in the morning. 

They had tried to leave the Night Court. Tried to go anywhere fucking else, but word had spread of Azriel and Cassian, how dangerous they were, what crimes they had committed. Word spread of Rhysand, of his father, what he had done. What Rhysand had done during the War. The bloodthirsty brothers were shunned from everywhere they went. 

Not fucking fair. 

Though a small voice began to wonder if it was…

“Rhys.” Cassian murmured, Rhysand looked up at him, face near grey and eyes downcast. 

“It’ll be okay.” His brother promised, Rhysand didn’t believe him.

The half-breed looked back down at his meal. And forced himself to choke it down. 

It was only a few minutes before Rhysand was jumping from his chair and sprinting for the bathroom. Azriel and Cassian watched, listening as he threw up until he was slumping back against the wall, breathing hard and hungrier than before. 

“God fucking damnit!” Rhysand screamed.

Cassian was the one to appear in the doorway, “You need to see a healer, this has gone on too long.”

“And waste more money?!” Rhysand shouted, forcing himself to his feet. 

“We’re wasting money because you keep vomiting everything you eat.” Azriel called out from the kitchen, “If there's anything to stop this, we need it.”

Rhysand put a hand on the wall to keep himself from falling. 

After a moment he sighed, “Fine, fine we’ll see a healer.”

***

Cassian’s face had gone completely white and Azriel’s shadows swarmed like a storm while his eyes went wide as saucers. 

Rhysand had gone silent, before he choked out, “Please no.”

“I’m afraid so.” The healer said, a lovely small female with long brown hair and green eyes, “But I will say that I know it seems overwhelming right now, but it will get better as you accept his new reality of yours. You know Rhys, it is so incredibly rare for a High Fae to conceive. I promise this is just a new gift.”

A gift?! A fucking gift?!

A baby… 

He… he was going to have a baby. 

Rhysand wrapped his arms around himself, his wings cocooning around him, before a broken sob was ripped from his throat. He had always wanted a child, but not like this, not when the future was unstable and tomorrow could be the last meal he eats for weeks. He didn’t want to bring a baby into this world. Not when it was like this. 

Not when it was so fucking unfair.

Cassian wrapped his arms around Rhysand and held him as he cried and cried. The tears refused to stop, streaming down his face, racking his body with a constant trembling. 

Azriel spoke to the healer, but Rhysand didn’t hear it. Cassian picked him up and walked home with Rhysand in his arms. Flying through the air whilst holding the shaking Illyrian. 

Everything else a daze of blurry nothing. Rhysand just remembered being placed on the small thin mattress of his bed and falling into darkness. 

***

When he awoke the next day, Cassian and Azriel could be heard arguing in the kitchen. Silently, Rhysand crept from his bed, opening the door and looking out into the room. The apartment wasn’t big at all, with just one small bedroom, bathroom and attached kitchen. 

Looking through the crack in the door, Rhysand watched as Azriel paced back and forth and Cassian sat at the small creaky table with his head in his hands. 

“We can’t do that to him, Az. He is our brother-!” Cassian argued. 

“Lower your voice, you will wake him. Listen Cass, we, along with him starve in these Godforsaken slums, that child in his womb will not survive the conditions here.” Azriel stopped his pacing as he spoke, glaring at Cassian. 

On instinct Rhysand’s hand fell to his navel, pressing gently against the flesh there. Memory of the visit to the healer’s yesterday was thrown back at him. Rhysand swallowed. 

Pregnant. He was pregnant. He now had the budding of another life inside of his body, a fake body, a body that he had constructed to try and seduce the High lord of the Night Court. 

“We cannot allow that child to die, it will be the most likely contender for Heir of the Night Court.” Azriel stated. 

Raven’s eyes flashed through Rhysand’s head. He remembered the warm hands that had pulled him down on his hard cock, the mouth that sucked bruises into his skin, the eyes that had looked into his own. 

“Fuck!” Rhysand swore, smashing a fist into the threshold of the door. Needing to let out some of the excess energy. 

Azriel and Cassian quickly snapped their eyes to him. They both shared a look, before Azriel sighed and gestured to the seat across from him. Rhysand gritted his teeth. Hating how weak he was now. Hated how this was a situation he had no control over. He couldn’t do anything here. He wasn’t in control anymore. 

He hadn’t been for centuries. 

“Sit, Rhys.” Azriel said. 

Rhysand stared at the chair, before he gave up. He walked over and slouched in the chair, glaring at nothing. Glaring at his own stupidity. 

“Listen, Rhys, we…” Azriel trailed off, the male had never been good at handling emotionally delicate situations. He opened and closed his mouth, not knowing how to phrase his next words. 

Cassian’s eyes betrayed his anger for the situation, for the grief of his mother and his aunt. For what they had done in the War, and what they had done after. 

The grief that none of them truly cared about what they had to do. Rhys sucked in a breath, straightening his back until it was stiff as a rod. Rhysand wished he cared more about the death he had inflicted in the War. Rhysand wished he cared more about what he did to Tamlin’s father-.

Cassian finished what Azriel couldn’t say, “We will need to speak to the High lord, Rhys.”

Rhysand knew what would happen if they went to the High lord. He would be either killed silently before word could spread, but if he was as kind as he proclaimed to be another likely event would be Rhysand being stolen away to a palace high in the mountains never to see or speak to another again. 

But they could use this. Rhysand fluttered his wings a little, the smaller, faster wings that could allow him to zip through tight spaces. The curve of his hips, the swell of his breasts. Everything he used to seduce the High lord to his bed was now being used to house something that would eventually become another person. 

“I’ll go to the High lord,” Rhysand said, “I’ll go to the High lord.”

Azriel looked at him with saddened eyes, but a firm look in his face that Rhysand knew was the acceptance they didn’t have another choice. 

They’d go to the High lord. 

***

When they went to the High lord, a month had passed and it was starfall. 

At least that was a nice part of living outside the Hewn City. The Hewn City wasn’t a good place, but Rhys could skate by fine. He was a high-ranking male so most had accepted him finely. 

But it was dark and shrouded in shadows down there, with snakes breathing down your neck at every corner. Up here though. You could see the stars. 

Rhysand remembered his first true starfall. He had been out in Illyria and Cassian had dragged him outside. Then the stars had rained down upon the Earth and Rhysand thought the world was ending. 

Now he saw the magnificent shades of silver and blue. How they fell across the sky like an avalanche of magic. 

Though tonight even the wonder of the magic splitting the sky, covering the world in a deep shine, he couldn’t shake the sickness sitting in the pool of his gut. Nausea lept up in him with nearly every movement. He wanted to vomit. 

“Are you alright?” Azriel whispered, a hand sitting on Rhysand’s shoulder. Rhysand nearly gagged but he managed to nod. The Shadowsinger furrowed his brow, Cassian leaned into say, “You look like you are about to pass out.”

Rhysand shook his head, a hand falling to his stomach. A small bump had now begun to form on his belly. Stretching out his shirt ever so slightly. It had annoyed him, mostly because the tighter dresses he had bought for the female form he had been given now no longer fit him. Azriel had disappeared when Rhysand was near ready to cry over the mourning of his outfits. When he returned it was with a midnight blue over the shoulder dress with long flowing fabrics and white gloves.

Rhysand had been immensely thankful for it. Tears streamed down his face as he put it on. Azriel and Cassian had shared a look, Rhys refused to acknowledge the fact he was acting more emotional than he normally would. He didn’t care. Not at this moment. 

He wanted to vomit, to run away and never come back. To go back to the small world he lived in centuries ago. 

Azriel squeezed his shoulder and Rhysand looked up. 

There he was. 

Tall, dark, foreboding, handsome Raven Archeron. He grinned and shook the hands of the courtiers that came his way. His shoulders loose and rolling, his fingers tapping against his thigh to the beat of the music, his blue stormy eyes sweeping the crowds with a scrutinising gaze. 

Rhysand sucked in a near pained breath. His ribcage groaning at the stretch of his lungs. A reddening flush spread up his body, making him shake his hands by his sides to relive the growing need to run far and fast. 

The three stepped into the light of the moon and stars. A falling star fell through the large gathering, smattering the crowd in shimmering blue, sprinkling across Rhysand’s hair, making it glow in the light. 

He lifted his eyes to the falling sky above. It was pretty in a desperate way, stars falling down to the grounds below. Falling from their place amongst the night sky. A final goodbye to the lives they lived, a desperate last cry to the world that they once existed. 

Rhysand loved Starfall. 

When he brought his eyes back down to the sea of people. His heart nearly stopped in his chest. From across the party, feeling a world apart, a pair of sharpened green eyes met his own. 

Shrouded in the shadows, leaning against a pillar. Tamlin tilted his head in a manner not unlike a curious cat. Although his expression was not curious, no, it was knowing. Tamlin had a glint in the emerald of his eyes that made Rhysand feel as bare as the day he was born. Barer even, like Tamlin could see past his skin, to his muscles, his tendons, his veins expanding with every pump of blood. His bones covered in the gore of his body. 

The child in his womb. 

Azriel and Cassian didn’t seem to notice the gaze that had locked and targeted Rhysand. They both slipped away with a murmured assurance they would be nearby. Leaving Rhysand alone amongst the blabbering of the public. 

Tamlin looked him up and down, incredibly slowly. Locking each and every part of his form into his memory. Before he kicked off the pillar and strode through the crowd. Then his form disappeared behind a person and Rhysand felt his body relax as the Witch fell out of his sight. 

It was quickly replaced by dread as Rhysand looked back over at the High lord to see him conversing with none other than Lucien fucking Vanserra. 

The red-headed male was grinning and drinking as he was sprawled across a velvet purple lounge, the High lord of Night beside him. A drink in his hand as well. They chatted away seamlessly, exchanging easy smiles and lazy tilts of heads. Gesturing as their conversation flowed. 

Rhysand tried to push back into the crowd, to disappear from sight. But it was too late. As hands wrapped around his shoulders. He turned over his shoulder to see the middle sister of the Archerons. 

Elain Archeron smiled at him, a beautiful wide-mouthed grin with soft doe eyes. Different from the morning they had originally been acquainted where she had been pissed without a doubt. 

But even now that sweet facade was not genuine, when Rhysand glanced over his shoulder to see Tamlin behind her, his face one of stone indifference, Rhysand knew his time was up. 

Rhysand smiled anxiously at the female behind him. Putting on his sweetest voice he fell into the rhythm he had created. The mask he put up. 

She not he. Her not him. Her’s not his. Rhysand breathed out ever so gently and let everything he knew and wanted slip away. 

When Rhysand snapped in his next breath, she fixed her smile to be sweeter. 

“My Lady, Elain, is there anything I may help you with?” She asked, voice sweet as honey and smooth as butter. A gentle curtsey bending her knees. 

“Yes there is, my Lady…” 

She lowered her head, tilting her gaze up, “My name is Esmeray, my Lady.”

“Esmeray,” Elain repeated slowly, each syllable sweet and soft on her tongue, “A pleasure to formally meet you Esmeray. Perhaps you don’t recall but we had an… interaction a few months past.”

How could Esmeray not remember? The very evidence of that night was now lying in her womb. Mother above, it appeared the woman before her still did not approve. 

“I do remember that… interaction, Lady Elain.” Esmeray curtseyed once again, “I do wish our first meeting had been smoother, but I would gladly make it up to you.”

Elain smiled, but her eyes said, ‘Oh you best make it up to me.’

Esmeray swallowed hard. 

Soft easy footsteps caught Esmeray’s attention. She wasn’t sure how throughout all the crowd noise she heard them, but she did. Elain seemed to as well, they both looked over Elain’s shoulder to see the Witch striding for them. 

Elain’s shoulders loosened, her back relaxing ever so slightly. Tamlin’s eyes were pinned on Esmeray. Keeping her locked in the spot where she stood. 

It had to be magic. The way the crowd seemed to part and become nothing but a flurry of background noise was not natural. 

Tamlin’s green eyes glowed in the light of the night. Gleaming like metal in direct sunlight. Reflecting into Esmeray’s own. 

“Elain.” Tamlin smiled softly at her, Elain tilted her head to him in acknowledgement, not correcting him to say ‘Lady Elain’. 

So they’re friends, Esmeray mused. 

Tamlin then turned his eyes to Esmeray, “Forgive my eavesdropping, my Ladies, was it Lady Esmeray you said?”

“It is indeed.” Esmeray replied stiffly. 

“A pleasure,” Tamlin said, taking her hand in his own and gently grazing the back of her palm with his soft lips. Esmeray straightened. She didn’t need Tamlin to ruin this for her. Would he expose her? Take away what they had bargained for? 

Now that she thought about nowhere in their agreement did it say Tamlin could not change her back whenever he pleased. Would he? How would that affect the baby?

Could that kill it? 

Esmeray felt panic beginning to rise in her but before she could break down, a miracle, or perhaps a curse fell upon her. 

“What is going on over here now?” A deceptively soft, seductive voice murmured from behind her. 

Esmeray didn’t need to turn to know the High lord stood behind her. She closed her eyes briefly, kissing freedom and perhaps even her life behind as she turned to face Raven Archeron. 

She looked up and smiled. Raven’s eyes widened by a fraction. Then he glanced down, as Esmeray took a step forward. 

Raven’s jaw dropped for just a moment before it was quickly snapped shut. They both knew what it was that caught his attention. 

The scent of pure starlight, a gift that should not occur to Esmeray naturally, that could only occur if the High lord had affected her with his power in some way. 

Or in this case. 

Put a child in her womb. Esmeray smiled sweetly as she looked upon the High lord's shocked face. 

“Hello, my Lord. Do you remember me?” Esmeray asked in a delicate tone. 

Raven didn’t reply as he took in a sharp, short breath. With a shaking hand that didn’t escape Esmeray’s notice, Raven gestured for Elain to leave with the words, “Elain, please see a room is made up, we have a guest.”

Elain nodded quickly, her eyes turning harsh when they landed on Raven. 

Esmeray turned to Raven again to see that Lucien Vanserra was walking towards them. Raven turned and gave him a stern look that the Vanserra raised an eyebrow at. 

Tamlin walked up to Lucien and put a hand on his shoulder before dipping into whisper words in his ear. Lucien’s eyes went wide. He looked over at Esmeray and she knew Tamlin told him who she really was. 

But Raven didn’t seem to know. He just stared at her like she was some kind of horrific creature. 

“Perhaps we should talk in a more private area.” Esmeray said. 

“Perhaps we should.”

***

“You just couldn’t pull out!” Morrigan shouted as she threw her hands into the air. 

Feyre leaned back in her chair. Staring into nothing. Feeling everything. 

A child, her child, a baby, her baby. A stranger was pregnant with her baby, her Heir, the Court’s Heir. She was going to be a mother. The Court had an Heir. She had gotten someone pregnant. 

It was so much. It was too much. She pulled at her hair before collapsing over the desk and putting her arms over her head. 

Nesta was not nearly as angry as Feyre had thought she would be. She just seemed…. Disappointed. 

Which was so much worse than anger. 

“I’m sorry.” Feyre insisted, “I didn’t mean-”

“No one means to get someone pregnant, Feyre Archeron.” Nesta snapped. Feyre met her sister’s eyes, Nesta was a cold stone to her, a mask of indifference, but clear disapproval shining in the silver. 

“I know I just…”

Elain has her head in her hands, whispering under her breath, “The one thing I don’t say, don’t get someone pregnant, I don’t say it and then she goes and does it.”

Feyre curled her hands into fists, “Do you think I wanted this?!”

Elain snapped, “Am I required to spell out every single you thing you cannot do for you not to do them! Do I also have to tell you not to murder people or can you figure that one out by yourself!”

“Alright!” Nesta clapped her hands, exchanging a harsh glare to both girls, “What’s done is done. There isn’t any going back now.”

Elain threw one leg over the other before huffing, “I’m just glad Tamlin told me that Esmeray was there, with the scent of the High lord all over her.”

Feyre rolled her eyes at the mention of the ‘scent of the High lord’. She shuddered thinking about how both her sister’s could… smell that.

She nearly gagged. 

“How did Tamlin even know that?” Morrigan asked. 

Elain’s eyes flashed and Feyre narrowed her own, Elain brushed off Mor saying, “He’s a Witch, they aren’t Fae, he can sense things we don’t.”

Mor glared and opened her mouth to argue further, but Nesta put a hand on her knee and the blonde sighed, “I’d like to know what happened exactly.”

Elain shrugged, “What is there to know? Feyre got a girl pregnant four months ago, she’s shown up tonight no doubt to bring it to light. Tamlin noticed, and told me so I could step in to make sure she didn’t make it into a scene. I called Feyre over in my mind and here we are.”

Feyre leaned back in her chair, nearly wincing as she recalled the sounds of her sister screaming and banging on her mental wards like she wished to kill her. 

Morrigan sighed, leaning back in her chair and throwing an arm back around Nesta’s chair, “Where is she now?”

“Esmeray is in a guest room.” Elain replied, “Morning is coming quickly, she fell asleep after being taken there.”

Morrigan nodded, then her face twisted into a grimace, “She won’t like us.”

“What makes you say that? We’re great company.” Feyre snarked. 

Morrigan hissed, “She won’t know what is going to happen to her or her child. We need to put her at ease, be kind.”

“We’re always kind.” Nesta sneered. 

“Of course you are my love.” Morrigan raised a sarcastic eyebrow. 

At that moment a polite knock echoed through the study. Feyre stood from her desk as a power that called to her own slithered past the gaps of the door. Nesta and Elain shared a look. Morrigan stood, with a final glance at Feyre. She headed for the door. 

When she pulled it open, the group was faced with a servant, a girl with dark hair and a shadowed face. Behind her, she stood. 

She looked just as beautiful in the soft early morning light. With her hair in a loose braid down the side of her shoulder. A dress of dark blue, sparkling in the light. Her violet eyes met Feyre, and the High lord could’ve sworn they darkened ever so slightly. 

Feyre closed her eyes. 

Raven opened his eyes. He cleared his throat and sat back down, kicking his legs over the desk, trying to appear casual. Nesta raised an eyebrow as she scrutinised the girl, Elain offered a tight-lipped smile. Morrigan dipped her head in respect. 

With a quiet word, the servant left and Morrigan gestured for Esmeray to enter. She did. Light footsteps echoing through the room until Raven was certain they were reverberating in his very bones. 

It was Morrigan who spoke, “Welcome, Lady Esmeray, to our humble abode.”

Elain nearly snickered, but bit her lip. 

Esmeray gave the ghost of a smile before looking around the lavishly decorated office, “Humble indeed.”

Raven tossed his head to one side, “How did you sleep?”

“Very well, my Lord.” Esmeray replied. Her eyes followed Raven’s. Glowing slightly, power writhing underneath that gaze. 

Esmeray smiled at him, Raven smiled back. 

That smile quickly faded, when the mating bond snapped into place. 

[unsociableandtaciturnbarbie]

As I believe I’ve mentioned previously, I have read Sense and Sensibility before. What I have not mentioned previously, out of respect for spoilers, is that when I finished Sense and Sensibility, on a January evening in 2021, I promptly slammed the book shut and stormed into my mother’s room to rant. What could have earned this book a 3.5/5 rating (note: my rating scale sometimes extends to ∞/5 so this is a very low score) and the comment, “Excuse me? What was that ending???” in my Google Sheets reading log? Simply put: it was Elinor and Colonel Brandon not ending up together.

I will readily admit that I got into Austen for the romance; it’s hard not to when your first exposure to her works is Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and you’re a romance-obsessed 16 year old. Thus, a pairing of characters which I deemed unsuitable entirely ruined most of my enjoyment of the book at the time. This year, I decided to read Sense and Sensibility with a more open mind and a determination to like Edward as a love interest. Unfortunately, Edward still fell (quite) short for me. As someone who sees a lot of myself in Elinor with a brother who has Marianne tendencies, I can’t help but wish Elinor the absolute best. I just wanted to see her hard work constantly caring for her sister (who gets herself into such avoidable trouble) pay off. Yet, Marianne somehow ends up with the best option, and reluctantly at that! At this point, I should state that I cannot possibly do justice to the level of research (read: obsession) I have done into this in one Tumblr post. Here’s a meme I threw together that I think encapsulates it (picture me as the guy in the tie, my annotated book as the board behind him, and my roommate as the woman just barely in frame) (I’m serious, my roommates did not know the plot of Sense and Sensibility before this week):

Despite my best intentions, by the middle of Volume 2 I was highlighting every phrase that I thought could possibly mean that Elinor and Brandon were meant to be together- some may call it willful misunderstanding, I call it careful analysis. Example 1: Of Mrs. Dashwood saying that Marianne would be happier to marry Colonel Branon than Elinor, “Elinor was half inclined to ask her reason for thinking so, because satisfied that none founded on an impartial consideration of their age, characters, or feelings, could be given (254) .” Was this likely meant to serve as a way to show Mrs. Dashwood’s over-sensibility and lack of sense for basic facts like age? Yes. Does the word “feelings” at the end of this quote send me into a tailspin of possibilities of what that could mean? Also yes. In the interest of your time, I will not put them all here, but I have a collection of quotes which I am willing to share. Additionally, as proof that there are other believers out there, here is a reddit thread about them for your perusal, and my favorite comment!

I could say much more on the subject of Elinor and Colonel Brandon themselves, but I’m going to restrain myself here and focus more on the fanfiction which I provided as the center for my post today. This fic is titled Added Sensibility and is a 19 chapter WIP (work-in-progress). For those unaware, fanfiction is a wonderful online world of writing where anything can happen to any character that has ever existed. Do you think Harry Potter’s  Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger should have ended up together? There’s fanfiction about that! Do you wish Rey and Kylo Ren of the Star Wars Sequels got to live happily ever after together? There’s fanfiction about that too! This last example would be what is termed a “Fix-it” fic in the fanfiction world. These are based on the idea that if you think something went wrong somewhere in a piece of fiction, you can go back and “fix it” for yourself… and the entire internet. Elinor and Colonel Brandon ending up together is something I would deem to be a “fix-it”. Thus, I went straight to AO3 (Archive Of Our Own- a popular fanfiction publishing website) and searched for Colonel Brandon/Elinor Dashwood. Side note: This was actually the second fic I tried for this week’s post. The first was only 6 chapters but wrapped up quickly with Marianne running away to join the feminist movement along with Colonel Brandon’s ward. It was not what I wanted, so I gave Added Sensibility a try even though I would normally not touch a WIP.

I can attest 10 chapters (the equivalent of 134 ebook pages on my phone) in that this is a great read. It’s not Jane Austen, no one will ever be able to replicate her masterful use of language to create layer after layer of sharp wit, but it’s pretty good in my opinion. There’s enough plot and character development present so that it’s not a totally 2d story, but the main focus is on their developing love story, starting from when Elinor and Marianne go to stay with Mrs. Jennings in town. What really caught my attention (besides my glee at someone having written Elinor and Colonel Brandon together pretty much exactly the way I wanted it) was the characterization of Mrs. Jennings. The author once writes of Mrs. Jennings, “The woman was the complete opposite of an enigma, and yet, Elinor struggled to comprehend her thoughts.” In class we talked about how Mrs. Jennings seems to be so close to “getting it” sometimes, but then she just turns back into this very flat and gossipy character. In this fanfic, the author seems to go through with it and gives her more dimension and credit for intelligence than I think Jane Austen ever meant to, but it brings me back to when we talked about the idea that you can pull any character out of an Austen novel and write a novel on them. This fanfic really supports that for me. While Elinor and Colonel Brandon were characters who have had their characters decently sketched out in Sense and Sensibility, this fanfic gives dimension to other characters, like Mrs. Jennings, who previously were more of the backdrop for where the Dashwoods existed. I do think Jane Austen is rolling in her grave over the amount of ungloved hand contact and improperly private conversations that occur in this fanfic, but I will 100% own to being the target audience for the American ending of Pride and Prejudice (2005), so all the mushy gushy affection in this fanfic is right up my alley. Overall, I would recommend this fanfic and I will be finishing it in my free time!

[mrshcloset]

A Card and Prayer

Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord. 2 Kings 20:2

READ 2 Kings 20:1–7

LISTEN ONLINE

The recently widowed woman was growing concerned. To collect some vital funds from an insurance policy, she needed key information about the accident that had taken her husband’s life. She had talked to a police officer who said he’d help her, but then she lost his business card. So she prayed, pleading with God for help. A short time later, she was at her church when she walked by a window and saw a card—the policeman’s card—on a windowsill. She had no idea how it got there, but she knew why.

She took prayer seriously. And why not? Scripture says that God is listening for our requests. “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,” Peter wrote, “and his ears are attentive to their prayer” (1 Peter 3:12).

The Bible gives us examples of how God responded to prayer. One is Hezekiah, the king of Judah, who became ill. He’d even received word from Isaiah, a prophet, saying he was going to die. The king knew what to do: he “prayed to the Lord” (2 Kings 20:2). Immediately, God told Isaiah to give the king this message from Him: “I have heard your prayer” (v. 5). Hezekiah was granted fifteen more years of life.

God doesn’t always answer prayers with things like a card on a windowsill, but He assures us that when difficult situations arise, we don’t face them alone. God sees us, and He’s with us—attentive to our prayers.

By Dave Branon

REFLECT & PRAY

What tops your list of concerns? How can you give them to God, asking for His guidance and help?

Father, thank You for being there and hearing my prayers.

For help deepening your prayer life, read our “He Hears Us” resources.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT

Hezekiah’s father was the wicked King Ahaz. But Hezekiah, who reigned for twenty-nine years, is generally considered to have been one of the good kings of Judah (the Southern Kingdom during the divided kingdom era). He enacted important religious reforms, including reopening the temple of Solomon (2 Chronicles 29:3), ordering the removal of idols throughout his kingdom (vv. 5, 15–17), and warning his people not to abandon the true God (vv. 6–11 ). Idolatry ceased not only in the kingdom of Judah but also in many areas in the kingdom of Israel. Although Hezekiah was one of the “good” kings of Judah, his son Manasseh, who succeeded him, was one of the worst kings of the Southern Kingdom (2 Kings 21:1, 6).

Bill Crowder

[love-grace-mercy]

Even though trusting Jesus as Savior makes us a new creation, there’s still some ongoing work the Spirit needs to do. And it takes time and work for Him to accomplish “true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24).

The presence of the Spirit makes needed changes on the inside that can help us reflect Jesus in our words and actions. He helps us replace lying with speaking “truthfully” (v. 25). He guides us to avoid sin in regard to anger (v. 26). And He directs us to speak words that are “helpful for building others up” (v. 29). These Spirit-controlled actions are part of the internal change that’s manifested in things like kindness, compassion, and forgiveness (v. 32). The Spirit works in us to enable us to imitate Jesus Himself and reflect the heart of our heavenly Father (v. 24; 5:1).

—dave branon

[solacekames]

What Caused The Mass Panic At Newark Airport? Racism.

Buzzfeed - Amber Jamieson - Posted on September 6, 2019, at 4:29 p.m. ET

When an Alaska Airlines employee yelled "evacuate" at a major New York–area airport on Labor Day, one of the busiest travel days of the year, it sent 200 panicked people fleeing amid fears of a mass shooting attack.

Dozens of Port Authority police responded to Newark Liberty Airport in New Jersey on Monday night around 8.30 p.m. after the female airline employee yelled for people to evacuate before setting off an emergency alarm. Initial reports said she believed two male passengers were acting suspiciously, and when she approached them they started running.

But the two Chinese-born men at the center of the incident told BuzzFeed News it all began as a case of racial profiling. In their first media interview, the men said they did not know each other, did not run away, and that it was the airline employee who had been acting erratically.

"It was a very shocking experience," said Han Han Xue.

Xue, 29, had spent the holiday weekend visiting friends in New York City and was waiting at Gate 30 to board his delayed Alaska Airlines flight home to San Francisco. As he stood "minding [his] own business," he said the Alaska Airlines employee in uniform walked into him from behind, pushing past. He brushed it off but moments later she returned, circling around where he was standing.

She then approached Chunyi Luo, a 20-year-old student standing near him. "Are you scared? Are you nervous?" Luo said she asked him.

Luo, who moved from Shanghai two years ago to study finance at a San Francisco college, said he told her he was feeling nervous because the flight was late. He said she told him that flights in the US were often delayed, but she stood "too close" to him so he stepped a few feet away.

Then she began asking Xue questions. She asked if he knew Luo (the two were strangers) and what his itinerary was. She then asked, "Why are you acting suspiciously?"

Xue said he struggled to know how to respond as the questions from the employee became more bizarre. "How much are they paying you?" he said she asked him, not clarifying who "they" were. "Did they give you a visa? Did they give your family a visa? Do you make a lot of money? Do you work on Wall Street? Are you on an American visa?" Xue said she asked him.

Born in China, Xue grew up in Canada, where he is a citizen, and works as a product designer at Lyft in California.

Luo said he could hear the woman asking Xue why he was acting suspiciously and heard her say the word "Asian."

Xue said at this point he felt like he was being racially targeted and harassed, so he walked about 6 feet away to join the passengers boarding the flight, hoping she'd bother someone else.

But she followed him, saying, "I'm onto you guys. The cops are already called."

"I couldn’t believe this was happening," said Xue.

He then watched the employee walk into the jet bridge at Gate 30, before emerging and starting to speak with gate agents. A gate agent then announced that boarding would be paused as there was an issue. Immediately afterward, the Alaska Airlines employee suddenly yelled, "Evacuate, evacuate!" and pressed an emergency alarm, said Xue.

"The moment it happened is really hard to describe," he said. "Everybody started running. It was the most insane scene I've ever been in or ever seen."

He said hundreds of people were tripping over each other, crying and screaming as they tried to flee. One man screamed at his female partner to drop her luggage so they could run faster. Xue ran with the crowd to another gate and escaped onto the tarmac.

Video posted on social media shows the chaos.

Michael Wolfmuller, 38, was walking toward the gate to board his flight home to San Francisco when he heard "evacuate" and saw people screaming and running in his direction.

"I heard the word 'shooter' when we were running," said Wolfmuller. He said he even heard glass breaking.

After the recent mass shootings in West Texas, in El Paso, and in Dayton, Ohio, Wolfmuller assumed he was next. "I thought I was going to get shot in the back," he told BuzzFeed News. "With everything that's been happening the last few months, that's pretty much what I was waiting for."

Luo didn't realize he had anything to do with the situation, and also believed there was a shooter. "I thought somebody had a gun," he told BuzzFeed News. "Everyone is running. I just followed them and escaped."

But once police arrived within a minute and started scanning the crowd, Xue said he felt compelled to come forward and identify himself. "I'm like, So, 90% chance I have something to do with this and it's escalated way too fast," said Xue.

"Intellectually, I know I didn't do anything wrong and that I can explain my way out of the situation," said Xue. "But the only time I was really anxious was when the cops first showed up."

He approached an officer and said that an Alaska Airlines employee told him she was calling police. Xue said the officer looked him up and down and then said "OK, we got the guy," into his two-way radio.

He said officers quickly surrounded him, and took him away from the crowd, asking him questions. One asked, "Where is your friend?" and Xue explained that he was traveling alone, but that the airline employee seemed to think he knew the young man standing next to him.

Police found Luo in the crowd and also started questioning him. Both Luo and Xue said police were calm and courteous to them. "Why do you think she thought you were suspicious?" asked one officer.

Xue replied that he didn't know "other than the fact we are both East Asian."

At one point, the Alaska Airlines employee came out of the jetway bridge and looked down below, where both men were speaking to police. "We got them motherfuckers,” she yelled, according to Xue.

Wolfmuller, who was busy helping a mother find her daughters on the tarmac, said he saw the employee return. "I heard the F-word and some screaming directed definitely at them," he said.

Once it was clear no one was in immediate danger and it seemed to be a misunderstanding, police let Luo and Xue go. All affected passengers had to be rescreened through security.

After several more hours waiting for their flight to San Francisco to take off, it was canceled and rescheduled for the following day, with passengers put up in a nearby hotel. Xue and Luo met for the first time at the hotel and shared their stories with each other and other passengers (the group even took a photo together).

An Alaska Airlines spokesperson told BuzzFeed News in an emailed statement they were investigating what had happened. "We understand the Newark issue was alarming and distressing for our guests and other flyers, and for that we are deeply sorry," said Oriana Branon. "We are conducting a thorough investigation of the incident and gathering witness statements to understand what exactly took place and why this happened."

No one from Alaska Airlines directly contacted Luo or Xue until after BuzzFeed News reached out to the airline on Thursday. Within hours, the airline emailed Xue. "I just found out who you are today," wrote the director of customer advocacy, which was seen by BuzzFeed News. "Mainly I wanted to check in with you and see what I can [do] to help." (Xue noted that he had left his name and contact information with an Alaska Airlines manager at the gate after the incident when he asked for an explanation.)

Alaska Airlines did not answer any questions about the employee who caused the commotion, saying it does not comment on personnel. CBS 2 reported that a source told them the woman has bipolar disorder and had missed her medication.

Lenis Rodrigues from Port Authority said the employee was questioned and released by Port Authority police, but would not comment on health issues. The Union County Prosecutor's Office said their office is aware of the incident and is in touch with authorities but that no decision had been made yet if any charges will be filed.

Xue said any health problems do not excuse the racism he experienced. "If she does have issues, it's on Alaska to make sure she's not placed in a position where she is responsible for the safety of others," he said.

He noted that East Asians aren't usually profiled in shooting or terror situations, but said he feared that "maybe there is a shift in Trump's America and all this [Chinese] trade war situation."

For both Xue and Luo, the situation was a horrible and stressful incident, compounded by Alaska Airlines refusing to even explain to them what had happened as media reports spread saying they'd been acting suspiciously and had run away.

"I'm so angry about that," said Luo. "I'm just so scared... it's horrible, it's awful."

"It's very uncharacteristic of me to go public like this about anything and it's causing me anxiety," said Xue.

But Xue's frustration at Alaska Airlines made him feel like he had no option. "At this point for all I know she still works at Alaska in the same position, and that alone is worrying," he said. "I don't want to perpetuate this idea that you can just throw this under the rug and that’s it."

[yesteachersblog]

An Insightful Interview

In order to expand my own understanding of community building in the classroom setting I decided to reach out to a veteran teacher who I had previously worked under several years ago. Brandon Thompson teaches at Tempe High School in the Tempe Union School District in Arizona. He has been teaching for over 20 years now and has carefully worked to craft an amazing teaching persona and classroom environment, something that I was able to witness firsthand. Mr. Thompson teaches 10th, 11th, and 12th, grade ELA with a mixture of regular, honors and AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) courses. AVID is an organization centered on helping students overcome obstacles throughout their school experience. In their own words “Regardless of their life circumstances, AVID students overcome obstacles and achieve success. They graduate and attend college at higher rates, but more importantly, they can think critically, collaborate, and set high expectations to confidently conquer the challenges that await them. In 47 states across the U.S., K–16 educators are driving student success through engaging, rigorous, and student-centered learning environments.” (https://www.avid.org) Mr. Thompson goes above and beyond for his students to help ensure they are on the right path to success. He is my main inspiration for pursuing a career in education as well as the core of my blog’s principles.

I asked Mr. Thompson a variety of questions all having to do with the communication he uses in his classroom as a teacher, as well as an AVID coordinator. The first thing I wanted to find out was what sort of community was the AVID program and what role did it play in Tempe High School. His response resonated with me deeply, “AVID in a sense is the only path students have to getting into college. We help prepare the students from the moment they enter high school to believe in themselves 100 percent and continuously improve their abilities in all subjects. Not just ELA, but Math teachers, Science, Social Studies, we all work together to guide the students.” (Thompson) For many of these teens, AVID keeps them grounded and out of trouble

As someone who grew up in a low-income community, I didn’t have a lot of guidance for helping me reach college. I know what it’s like out there in these public schools, just how easily a student can fall into the wrong hands and down a path of regret. The AVID program helps to prevent this. Mr. Thompson practices daily writing in all of classes. When prompted with the question “what kind of writing is the most important?” He responded with, “writing that allows students to speak the words they’re unable to speak outside of class, writing to find their voice.” (Thompson) He allows students to keep daily journals in his class not just as reflections of their lives, but in order to communicate with him. He reads their journals weekly and through this system he is able to reach the students better than through direct lecturing. Mr. Thompson mentioned to me how many of these students, especially the younger ones, struggle with direct communication with their teachers. However, through written language they are able to express themselves in a less pressured sense with reassurance that someone on the other end is listening. Peter Drucker establishes that communication is based on perception, expectation, and demand. As Drucker writes in Functioning Communications “Unless there is someone who hears, there is no communication. There is only noise.” (Drucker 262) These students are practicing daily communicating with their peers and with their instructor in order to help prepare them for the outside world.

However, to do so in an effective manner Mr. Thompson is constantly exposing himself to his students to create a shared experience and reassure them that he understands their perceptions. These shared experiences have a lot to do with his background, upbringing, and current lifestyle. Although he is the authoritative figure in the classroom, he first establishes himself as a human who’s endured similar experiences as his students. Tempe High is made up of a 1500 student population; 70 percent Latino,  14 percent Black, 5 percent American Indian, 2 percent Hawaiian, and more (https://www.publicschoolreview.com/tempe-high-school-profile) These demographics are important when taking into consideration students of different cultures, and beliefs. Minority groups are at a higher risk of dropping out of high school, “Minority students dropped out at disproportionately higher rates than their White counterparts — In 2009, 4.8 percent of of blacks and 5.8 percent of Hispanics between 15 and 24 dropped out of grades 10-12, compared with 2.4 percent for white students.” (https://www.huffpost.com/entry/high-school-dropout-rates_n_1022221) In order for teachers to effectively reach their students and help prevent these dropout rates from increasing they need to be careful of the communication practices they are using. This is where Mr. Thompson incorporates AVID into all of his courses. By reassuring his students that despite their background, gender, race, culture, etc., they are still able to work hard and achieve higher education.

Author Craig Smith describes the human myth as a function for establishing society. In his work Rhetoric and Human Consciousness, he writes “Since prehistoric times myths and narratives have been used for entertainment, but they also built tribes, cultures, and nations. Myths were used to advance values and to order lives, villages, and the world.” (Smith 20) Not much has changed since then. There is a common myth amongst the lower-class public-school setting in America. A myth that if you work hard enough in school, you’ll be able to make something great out of yourself. The problem with this myth though, is that it doesn’t take into consideration the many overlining factors that affect a student from reaching their college aspiration goals. No matter how hard a student may work they will never be able to reach that end point of success without the proper guidance.  This is a myth that Mr. Thompson works against daily. I asked him what some of the major struggles are he faces when it comes to written communication in this setting and his response centered the most around overcoming cultural and language barriers. Although any student can enroll in the AVID program this does not take into consideration their academic standing. Meaning, that many of his students are at different reading and writing levels despite being in the same grade. Their first language may not be English, and they may have grown up in a community where reading and writing was not as prioritized a skill as others. It can be difficult at times to make these students understand the importance of written communication, because they’ve never experienced the power their written words can have. Through positive affirmations and practice Mr. Thompson allows the students to breakthrough from this careless mindset and discover the potential they all have, despite how great or how “poorly” they may write. One thing he does that not many other ELA teachers do is allow students to write in their home languages, not just standard academic English. He later makes them translate whatever their writing was, but the principle of allowing them to use this form of written communication allows for all students to participate in the writing experience.

Mr. Thompson has faced a lot of backlash for his teaching methods as they are not seen to be “traditional” in the eyes of other veteran teachers. He is also constantly fighting to receive the necessary funding for his AVID classes. He relies a lot on social media specifically Facebook in order to help reach a larger audience when it comes to communicating issues and reaching out to the community.  The great thing about Facebook he says, is that “almost all parents nowadays have access to it.” Even if they don’t have a computer at home, the school offers technology hours in the library after school where parents or families are able to use the computer lab for a certain amount of time. Through this platform he is able to spread messages about what’s going in class, events, or even ask for funding. The AVID school program has their own Facebook page and allows public access for anyone interested in learning more about the organization. “I would have never imagined I’d become such an active Facebook user, but it helps me stay in touch with the community that my students are a part of.” I asked Mr. Thompson how he works to incorporate social media in his classroom, and he mentioned that he’ll do an end of the year project for students using a social media platform of their choice. Through whichever social media platform, they chose, they are able to bring awareness to a major issue occurring in or outside of the US in an attempt to create a research and project solution. This allows students to realize the importance of online communicating as well as the role social media plays in our daily communications.

After interviewing Branon Thompson I became even more aware of where I need to self-improve on as an educator. He allowed me to see a different side of what it takes to be an effective communicator in and outside of the classroom.  

[the100trigedasleng]

B

Ba conjunction: but

From: but

Badan klin verb (transitive): swear loyalty (to)

From: bow-down clean

Badan op verb: serve

From: bow-down up

Badannes noun: allegiance, loyalty, service

From: bow-down-ness

Badas adjective: wonderful

From: badass

Bag noun: bed

From: bag

Baga noun: enemy

From: bad-guy

Bak daun verb: refuse

From: Back down

Bak op verb: go back, get back, stay back, back up, back up, fall back

From: back-one

Bakkova noun: clothes, clothing

From: back-cover

Bakon noun: (anatomical) back; pillar, tenet; ally

From: back-one

Bali phrase: it’s a shame

From: unknown

Baman noun: vengeance, revenge

From: unknown

Ban au verb: banish; abandon, leave

From: ban out

Ban op verb: leave, abandon

From: Ban up

Ban we verb: remove, take away

From: ban away

Bana noun: flag

From: banner

Banau adjective: banished

From: ban-out

Bandragen noun: blasphemy

From: banner-gather

Bandrona noun: ambassador

From: Bannner-runner

Bangeda noun: embassy

From: banner-gather

Bants verb: leave

From: bounce

Bash op verb: harm

From: Bash up

Beja adverb: please: used as a plea or supplication

From: Beg-you

Beja daun verb: beg, plead

From: beg-you down

Bezer adjective: favoritve

From: unknown

Bida adjective: some, a few

From: bit-of

Biga adjective: big, bigger

From: bigger

Bilaik auxiliary: as, like; often used as a subordinator with words like ‘fou’, ‘chit’, and ‘chon’; can also be used as a figurative copula

From: Be-like

Bis noun: beast, animal

From: beast

Biskova noun: fur

From: beast-cover

Bitam adverb: enough; very much

From: Big-time

Biyo verb: to say

From: be-all

Bleirona noun: sword

From: blade-runner

Blid au verb: bleed

From: bleed out

Bliden adjective: lighted, lit

From: bleeding

Blinka noun: eye

From: blinker

Bloka noun: shield

From: blocker

Bluma noun: flower

From: Bloomer

Bon au noun: cry

From: bawling out

Bos adjective: good, great, talented

From: boss

Bos op verb: break

From: bust up

Bosh adjective: [denotes plurality]

From: bunch

Bouda noun: rock, stone

From: Boulder

Brana adjective: new

From: brand-new

Branon noun: new thing, new one

From: brand-new-one

Branwoda/branwada adjective: worthless, foolish, useless; [as substantive] fool

From: brown-water

Breik au verb: free, release

From: break out

Briyon adjective: smart, wise

From: brilliant

Bro noun: brother

From: brother

Brolgeda noun: battlefield

From: brawl-gather

Broukas adjective: poor

From: broke-ass

Buk au verb: run

From: book out

Buka noun: runner, one who runs

From: booker

Bushhada noun: coward

From: bush-hider

[itsjovi-baby]

Innocent Mistake| [BA] blurb

A/N: This imagine honestly sucks ass but I’m too lazy to redo it.  I promise the Nick and Austin imagine will be better than...whatever the hell this is.

Warning: You call this angst? More like stupid.

Description: An innocent, drunken mistake shouldn’t ruin relationships

“Hey.”

Milani’s heart thumped at the familiar voice, praying to God it was just a figment of her imagination. It couldn’t be real, could it? Brandon was supposed to be in Texas visiting his family, not standing behind her yawning. Nick hadn’t even mentioned the boy was home when he called Milani over to hang out, so surely the person standing behind her was not Brandon Michael Lee Arreaga. 

“Lani?”

Her heart picked up pace at the sound of the nickname--the nickname that only he uses because coming out of anyone else it sounded weird. Begrudgingly, she turned around her dark chocolate orbs drinking in the sight of the sleepy four-eyed boy before her. Milani felt frozen. She didn’t know what to say or what to do. Does she just walk past him and pretend she didn’t see him? Does she start a casual conversation and try to dodge that certain topic? Brandon was now staring at her as if he could hear--and see-- what was going on in her mind. She needed to say something. She needed to say something right now.

“What are you doing here?”

Both she and Branon were taken aback by her sudden outburst. Milani’s eyes widen in the realization of what had just tumbled from her lips while Brandon raised an eyebrow, his head tilting to the side as he took a few steps forward, “I live here. What are you doing here, Lani?”

His eyes danced across her legs, taking notice of his bandmates familiar shirt that just barely stopped above her knees. Matched with the blooming hickey on her neck it wasn’t that hard to figure out what she was doing here.

“Nick, i-invited me o-over,” Milani stuttered over her words, “He didn’t tell me you were home.”

“And if he did would you still have come over?”

Milani averted her head, her eyes now staring down at the white tile of the PrettyMuch kitchen. It was a pretty, pure white. One she hopes to able to place in her own kitchen one day-

“Lani,” Brandon could tell she was listening, although she was doing a damn good job at avoiding his eyes, it was now or never to get what he had to say off of his chest, “Lani, we need to talk about--”

“No,” She shook her head, her cloud of curls bouncing with each movement, “No, Brandon

“Lani, we have to address it at some time.”

“No, we don’t. Okay, it was a mistake. It shouldn’t have happened, we both know that, so why can’t we just leave it as is?”

“Lani, because friends don’t kiss like that and then pretend it didn’t happen,” Brandon cooed as he walked closer, “And if it was just a mistake you wouldn’t be avoiding me and Charlotte.”

“I’m not avoiding Charlotte,” Lani murmured playing with the tab of her coca cola can, “I just haven’t had time to hang out with her.”

“Lani.”

“I haven’t! Okay!” Lani slammed the soda down onto the table, “God, not everything is about you Brandon! I can hang out with who I want, when I want!”

“Lani-”

“And besides the kiss happened when we both were intoxicated!” Her voice raised and for once she looked up at the boy allowing him to see the tears that were threatening to spill from her eyes, “ An honest drunken mistake that should be forgotten, okay?”

Brandon moved closer, wanting nothing more to hug his best friend but he knew that would only make the situation worse, “Lani...”

“No, B. I really like Nick, okay, and what we did was stupid and we were drunk. We know that,” She sniffled, “ And you love Charlotte, right? So why would you want to ruin what we have by talking about it?”

Milani had a point and Brandon knew that. She was...getting with Nick and he had Charlotte so why was talking about it so important to him? It was an innocent, drunken kiss. It wasn’t even a kiss more like a small peck on the lips, nothing that severe that he needed to ruin both of their relationships. 

Milani watched as Brandon thought it over, her pleading eyes scanning over his face, It felt like it had been two hours before Brandon finally spoke up, “Okay.”

“O-okay?”

“Yeah,” Brandon nodded, “You’re right. Let’s just drop it.”

Milani took a deep breath smoothing her hair down, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he chuckled, “Now can we go back to the way we were? And can you stop avoiding Charlotte? Please? The girl was pulling her hair trying to figure out what she did.”

“Yeah,” Milani took a deep breath, “I can do that.”

“Good.” He nodded, a small smile on his lips as he took his departure to his room. He stopped though, turning around just to make sure their friendship was back to the way it was, “Nice hickey by the way.”

“Fuck you, Arreaga.”

“Love you too, Lani.”

[pvarley]

#Repost @ourdailybread with @get_repost ・・・ “So Helpful”⁣ ⁣ The Bible in One Year: Judges 13–15 Luke 6:27–49⁣ ⁣ Today's Bible Reading: 1 Peter 4:7–11⁣ ⁣ Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Romans 12:13⁣ ⁣ The caller to the Christian radio station said that his wife was coming home from the hospital following surgery. Then he shared something that spoke deeply to my heart: “Everyone in our church family has been so helpful in taking care of us during this time.”⁣ ⁣ When I heard this simple statement, it reminded me of the value and necessity of Christian hospitality and care. I began to think that the love and support of fellow believers for one another is one of the greatest ways to demonstrate the life-changing power of the gospel.⁣ ⁣ In First Peter, the apostle was writing a letter to be circulated among the first-century churches in what’s now the country of Turkey. In that letter, he compelled his readers to do something that his friend Paul wrote about in Romans 12:13: “Practice hospitality.” Peter said, “Love each other deeply . . . offer hospitality,” and he told them to use the gifts God gave them to “serve others” (1 Peter 4:8–10). These are clear directions to all believers in Jesus for how we’re to treat fellow believers.⁣ ⁣ All of us know people like that caller’s wife—those who need someone to come alongside and show concern and Christlike love. In God’s strength, may we be among the ones who are noted for being “so helpful.”⁣ ⁣ —DAVE BRANON⁣ ⁣ What has God equipped you to do for those in need? How has God revealed His own hospitable nature?⁣ ⁣ Loving God, help me to look around for people who need an encouraging word or action from me. Then help me offer hospitality to them.⁣ ⁣ #ourdailybread #dailydevotional #followgod #jesusisking #dailydevotionals #verseoftheday #dailybibleverse #thegospel #usethisgospel #bible #dailyquotes #dailyinspiration #dailydevotion #dailyscripture #devotiontime #devotionoftheday #christianwalk #ongod #godis #jpvarley https://www.instagram.com/p/CNH3w2ZnLZKTWdc8LedfziyNnAsnODxNJJzdbk0/?igshid=1aqbmtrfwt7xj

[gospelmusic]

Hold Steady - Our Daily Bread ODB Devotional + Insight: 5 February 2021

Hold Steady

By Dave Branon for ODB I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand. 

Isaiah 41:13 Read: Isaiah 41:10–13 Bible in a Year: Exodus 36–38; Matthew 23:1–22 Harriet Tubman was one of the great American heroes of the nineteenth century. Showing remarkable courage, she guided more than three hundred fellow slaves to freedom after she first escaped slavery by crossing into free territory in the United States North. Not content to simply enjoy her own freedom, she ventured back into slave states nineteen times to lead friends, family, and strangers to freedom, sometimes guiding people on foot all the way to Canada. What drove Tubman to such brave action? A woman of deep faith, she at one time said this: “I always told God, I’m going to hold steady on you, and you’ve got to see me through.” Her dependence on God’s guidance as she led people out of slavery was a hallmark of her success. What does it mean to “hold steady” to God? A verse in the prophecy of Isaiah might help us see that in reality it’s He who holds us as we grab His hand. Isaiah quotes God, who said, “I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you” (41:13). Harriet held tightly to God, and He saw her through. What challenges are you facing? Hold steady to God as He “takes hold” of your hand and your life. “Do not fear.” He will help you. What’s your biggest challenge right now? What can you do or say to let God know you trust Him? Father in heaven, life is hard when I try to do it alone, so I need Your help. Please come alongside me in my greatest challenges and help me know I’m not alone.

Insight

In the Hebrew Scriptures, books were named for their opening words. Deuteronomy was called Devarim (“words”), representing the opening phrase of Deuteronomy 1:1: “These are the words Moses spoke.” In our Bible, books were often named for their purpose, which explains the title Deuteronomy (“second law”). Deuteronomy records a second telling of the Mosaic law, which was important for two reasons. First, the people entering the land were a different generation than the one who had received the law at Sinai forty years earlier. That generation had died in the wilderness because of their rebellion. Second, the people had been together for these four decades as one vast tribal community. Upon entry into the land, they would scatter to the parcels set aside for each of the tribes. These significant realities made a retelling of the law a timely preparation for a different way of living than they had known in the wilderness.

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[creativesage]

(via Why longer lives require relevant, accessible curricula throughout long careers (opinion))

Learning for a Lifetime

A 100-year life requires a 60-year curriculum, writes Rovy Branon.

By Rovy Branon

My summer reading list, which never gets finished, included one book that, as a leader in continuing education, I found especially provocative. The 100-Year Life: Living and Working in an Age of Longevity (Bloomsbury), by London School of Economics professors Lynda Gratton and Andrew Scott, should be on every higher education leader’s list. Unlike technological change, which gets tremendous press and is seen as a key driver of the need to “upskill” and “retool” workers, longevity is much harder to see or feel. But its impacts on higher education are already being felt as the student population skews older, and new forms of higher learning gain traction.

Demographics have shifted to such an extent that the term “nontraditional student,” as applied to adult learners who graduated high school more than a few years ago, no longer makes sense. According to the U.S. Department of Education, 74 percent of students are considered nontraditional, a category including those “being independent for financial aid purposes, having one or more dependents, being a single caregiver, not having a traditional high school diploma, delaying postsecondary enrollment, attending school part time and being employed full time.”

Traditional college experiences are often considered the end of the first of three phases of American life: school, career and retirement. But for the minority of citizens fortunate enough to go to college, that outdated view is changing rapidly. We see an increasing number of news articles speaking to this reality of new traditional learners, but these writings rarely go into much detail about longevity as a causal factor.

I have mentioned the 100-Year Life in multiple conversations and talks over the last few months. Its description of increased longevity does not generate excitement, but rather anxiety and disdain. As the authors note in their opening pages, that anxiety is real if you view living and working through the same three-life-stage lens (school, career, retirement) and expect the long deterioration of health typical of the relatively few centurions among us today -- seeing longevity as a curse rather than a gift. Gratton and Scott attempt to assuage these concerns by sharing that trends in health care will limit debilitating physical maladies to shorter windows closer to the end of life and that the three stages will not be the way most people structure their lives.

Much like we might feel anxiety as individuals when we think about the implications of longevity, our institutions of higher learning can also view the extension of life as either a gift or a curse. Challenges and opportunities abound as we consider the possibilities.

A significant change is that higher education will no longer be seen as the end of the start-of-life phase. While acknowledging that higher education already consists of many different types of institutions serving different ages, even traditional research universities will need to grapple with the implications of maintaining or ending ageist classrooms, changing delivery technologies and shifting expectations for the appropriate life stage in which any one student engages in college.

One way to avoid institutional anxiety about increasing longevity is to shun assumptions about universities based on current practice and to look for opportunity. Even before publication of the 100-Year Life, Gary Matkin, dean of the Division of Continuing Education at the University of California, Irvine, coined the term ���the 60-year curriculum” as a way of more clearly defining the modern era of lifelong learning. As longevity becomes a more prevalent societal force, the 100-year life will require a 60-year curriculum (60YC).

What Is the 60YC?

At the University of Washington (UW) Continuum College, we are operationally defining the 60YC as the formal higher educational experiences an individual will need over a 60-year (or more) working life. The words are specifically chosen to differentiate the 60YC from other forms of learning that are emerging. For example, when I need to fix a problem with my computer, an anonymous 12-year-old has usually uploaded a video to YouTube with step-by-step instructions. These and other forms of learning are a significant part of the landscape but will not be sufficient to support more substantive life changes. Defining the 60YC has led my team to focus on five key areas for strategic development: credentialing, the “metacurriculum,” learner services, the new academic stack and policy and funding issues.

Credentials

The venerable four-year undergraduate degree remains the gold standard for higher education, and that is not likely to change any time soon. Today, master’s degrees, doctorates and the increasingly undifferentiated certificate round out the most commonly issued credentials. We see the edge of change occurring first in the nondegree space. For example, the noncredit career offerings at the UW Continuum College grew by 11 percent in 2017-18 to include more than 5,000 learners. Additionally, learners by the tens of thousands are selecting online providers (sometimes offering university courses), boot camps and other new forms of higher learning outside the traditional academy. Most of these forms do not result in a degree but some form of certificate. As learning stretches over a lifetime, it is likely we will need new nomenclature and new markers of completion that characterize formal learning in more distinct ways and allow more granular tracking of skills and knowledge.

The “Metacurriculum” Over a 60-Year Working Life

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines curriculum as “a set of courses constituting an area of specialization.” The set of courses in a typical curriculum can have wide variability (e.g., electives, tracks) but is still a defined set of activities, usually leading to a specified credential. The 60-year curriculum is a term intended to define learning across a lifespan, not a distinct course of study. The UW Continuum College is calling the 60YC a “metacurriculum” intended to serve as a framework for learning activities rather than a specified scope and sequence of instructional content. The approach here is to view all programming through a lens of multiple life stages, not the no-longer-realistic three-stage life.

Learner Services

A learner is not going to be enrolled in a single college’s programs for 60 years. While we posit that a learner’s connectivity to a university will become continuous and less episodic, it is unlikely to be ongoing. The complexity of offerings is also increasing. For example, our catalog lists at least 24 different types of programs that contain the word “data.’” Choosing the right program at the right time in career and life will be critical and progressively more difficult. Connecting learners to these experiences when they need them, and ensuring that outcomes and expectations are met, will be the role of new forms of service staff. For example, we have a new coaching unit and retention staff among our emerging world of learner services.

The New Academic Stack

Each element in the 60YC will be mediated by new forms of technology, which we call the “new academic stack.” It will be impossible to track even a single learner across decades of life without rethinking digital infrastructure. Already, new forms of credentialing software are emerging to digitize and add data to our previous sheepskin diplomas. At the core of our new academic stack is a customer management system. While typically associated with marketing and recruiting, a CRM becomes the glue that helps personalize offerings across disparate learning activities by maintaining all learner-university interactions. Mobile technology, artificial intelligence and new forms of delivery will be commonplace in the 60YC.

Policies and Funding

College debt is now more than $1.5 trillion in the United States alone. Saying to these same indebted students, “This is just the beginning of your learning!” does not generate excitement. In fact, it can create the same anxiety as the gift of longevity. To make a lifetime of learning affordable and energizing first requires setting aside the three-stage model of life. The balance of financial expectations will require a very different support system of parents, learner, government and business. The 60YC might also mean re-examining policies about what it means to be successful in a college career. Perhaps the notion of four- or six-year graduation rates will have to be rethought as we reconsider what success means over much longer periods. Old accreditation models, already under pressure, will certainly be challenged as new forms of learning emerge from the academy and other providers are included in the mix.

The Possible Curse and Dangers of the 60YC

When discussing the 60YC, it can be tempting to focus on work. Even the definition I put forward in this article indicates the 60YC is about the working life of the individual. It would, however, be a huge mistake to think that the 60YC is only about acquiring the technical skills to succeed in a series of jobs until one retires. Some in higher education are already beginning to cry out that having other paths will lead to tiered higher education -- with some students being tracked into vocational jobs while others are tracked into positions of leadership. While this is a danger of the 60YC, one does not need to look far to see the 67 percent of American adults who do not succeed in today’s model to understand that we could not create a more harshly tiered system of higher education if we tried.

For the minority of students who will continue to follow a more traditional academic path through college, having campus experiences that broaden thinking and extend the mind beyond instrumental work practices will continue for many decades. But for the majority, the 60YC can mean new opportunities.

The Gift of the 60YC: New Pathways and Opportunities

Viewing the 60YC as a gift, rather than a curse, means thinking about the opportunities to open the door to more individuals to benefit from higher education. The 60YC implies a nearly infinite number of successful pathways through higher education. Many of those paths cannot be determined today but, in the evolution, we see examples of what could be. Imagine stacking credentials slowly, perhaps starting with an in-demand skill, then adding depth in that skill, leadership and other more expanded theoretical approaches. Perhaps at 52, one might stop work and spend a year earning a specialized credential in the humanities or social sciences. At this new definition of midlife, such pursuits are not mere “enrichment.” They could be perhaps more central to living a good life than a philosophy degree earned at 22.

This evolution in paths might mean the emergence of new institutional forms. California is embarking on an experiment with an online community college that will focus on competency-based credentials for adults in the work force. What is interesting about the approach is that the current concept focuses on granting credentials but not necessarily degrees. This is one way that higher education might shift to prepare for a 100-year life.

Research institutions are also developing new approaches to continuous learning. For example, UW Continuum College now serves over 55,000 learners around the world each year. Programs reach people in many life stages, including summer youth camps, international English language programs, UW in the high school, summer quarter, online undergraduate completion programs, more than 110 professional master’s degrees, 100 nondegree certificate programs and an Osher Lifelong Learning Institute for “seasoned learners” over 50. The spectrum of learning opportunities offered by UW Continuum College already exceeds a 60-year working life, and the goal is now building learner services, multi-life-stage program differentiation and the supporting technologies. The University of California, Irvine, Division of Continuing Education, Harvard Extension and New York University’s School of Continuing Studies are among a number of extended learning units at major research universities that are investing in similar efforts.

Another example of how this might evolve comes from China. Per The Economist, in China there are now more than 70,000 institutions for elder learners. Some of these institutions are harder to get into than our most exclusive universities. In some provinces, only one of every 16 applicants is admitted. While enrichment learning is a significant component, many of these elder institutions offer traditional academic learning, too.

Perhaps as work on the 60YC continues, we will see more age-specific institutions like those in China emerge, or, as Gratton and Scott hope, our existing institutions will expand to encompass a more differentiated learning landscape over a much longer life. It is my hope that leaders in higher education consider the impact a 100-year life will have on the way people experience and require learning, and in turn, create relevant, accessible curricula that help people live more meaningful lives.

Bio:

Rovy Branon is vice provost for the University of Washington Continuum College, the university's continuing education and professional development arm, which provides innovative learning paths for traditional and nontraditional students.

[Entire post — click on the title link to read it at Inside Higher Ed.]

[starmanw55]

The Clear Gospel In 4 Minutes For 8/30/2020

Date .....: Sunday, August 30, 2020 Title ......: Self-Checking Author ..: Dave Branon Read ....: Lamentations 3:37-42; Read: Lamentations 3 The Bible In One Year: Old Testament: Psalm 129-131 New Testament: 1 Corinthians 11 Verse Of The Day: Lamentations 3:40 40 = Let us search and try our ways, and  turn again to the Lord. Memory Verse Of The Day: Romans 9:11 11 = (For the children having not being yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth:) Today’s Prayer: Search me, O God, and know my heart. See if their be any wicked ways in me. I need to make today as I seek to know You more and serve you better. Today’s Reflection: How will you pursue health spiritual self-examinations today? What are two things that come to mind that you could remove to improve your fellowship with God? Link: Please visit our daily bread for today’s message.

The Clear Gospel In 4 Minutes By Pastor Ralph ‘Yankee’ Arnold

In this updated version of Pastor’s Ralph ‘Yankee’ Arnold’s video titled the clear gospel in 4 minutes. Shows you how you can know ‘for sure’ that you have present tense “Eternal Life” our assurance of Eternal life can be found in 1 John 5:13 which says, These things have I written unto you that believe on the Son of God. That ye may know that ye have Eternal Life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son Of God. And know that ye have “Eternal LIfe” is half the battle. In this video, the Pastor uses his “left hand’ to represent us and his “right hand” to represent Jesus Christ and his “wallet” to represent sin. And he then he shows you the seven steps with his wallet concerning Eternal life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wh1VU-_OF98

I always share this gospel twice a day because I feel it is important. Because I also believe that winning souls is important according to Proverbs 11:30b which says, He that winneth souls is wise. And I also hope that this video will help you to better understand “Salvation” and also help you to decide rather or not you want to place your faith in Jesus Christ. Once you do place your faith in Jesus Christ you can never lose your salvation. Because it is a gift from God Almighty and not man. Salvation is a Gift and not a Reward as I love to say in messages. And if you decide not to accept Jesus Christ as your Personal Lord & Savior, I will pray 4 you. And may the blessings of God Almighty and His Son our Lord Jesus Christ be upon you all whatever you decide! Amen!!! & Amen!!!

Today’s Song Of The Day: SOTD: How Beautiful Heaven Must Be

Verse #1: We read of a place called Heaven It's made for the pure and free These truths in God's word He has given How Beautiful Heaven Must Be To Chorus:

Chorus: How beautiful heaven must be Sweet home of the happy and free Fair haven of rest the weary How beautiful heaven must be

Verse #3: In heaven no dropping no pining No wishing for elsewhere to be God's light is forever, there shining How beautiful heaven must be To Chorus:

Verse #4: The angel so sweetly are singing Up there  by the beautiful sea Sweet chords from their gold harps are ringing How beautiful heaven must be

Jesus is also the Lord of both the living & the dead! And He will also come again to judge both the living & the dead! And He will also come to set-up His Kingdom to rule & reign for 1,000 yrs and then forever & ever! His Kingdom will have no end! His Kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom! His Kingdom will never ever be destroyed or left to another! Let's All Just Praise & Worship The Lord! For He is worthy to receive all of our praise & worship! For His mercy endures unto all generations! Praise Ye The Lord! Praise Ye The Lord! Glory! Hallelujah! Amen! & Amen!!! Even So Lord, Come Quickly!!! Even Today Lord Jesus!!!

Our Daily BreadDaily encouragement and inspiration to draw closer to God each day.www.odb.org

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Steven Whitehouse

a year ago

Good Morning to all my MEWE friends, relatives & also America. Today is Thursday, June 27, 2019. Happy Birthday to the following people who are celebrating a birthday today.

Today's Birthdays for 6/27/2019 are these: N/A

And to anybody else celebrating a birthday or an anniversary today. Hope you all have a good day on your special day today. Today I had my breakfast bowl from Jimmy Deans along with 4 wheat toast & also a freshly brewed cup of DD coffee for breakfast this morning. Which is indeed a great way to wake-up to first thing in the morning. I am currently watching wmur-tv 9 news daybreak. And will watch the rest of my favorite Monday - Friday tv programs. And also play my usual favorite computer & also internet games on my Ipad. Please watch wmur-tv 9 news for all your news, weather & sports information.

Jesus is also the Lord of both the living & the dead! And He will also come again to judge both the living & the dead! And He will also come to set-up His Kingdom to rule & reign for 1,000 yrs and then forever & ever! His Kingdom will have no end! His Kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom! His Kingdom will never ever be destroyed or left to another! Let's All Just Praise & Worship The Lord! For He is worthy to receive all of our praise & worship! For His mercy endures unto all generations! Praise Ye The Lord! Praise Ye The Lord! Glory! Hallelujah! Amen! & Amen!!! Even So Lord, Come Quickly!!! Even Today!!! on this warm & muggy Thursday, morning.

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Steven Whitehouse

a year ago

Good Morning to all my MeWe friends, relatives & also America. Today is Saturday, June 22, 2019. Happy Birthday to all those who are celebrating their birthday today. Here's is today's our daily bread for 6/22/2019.

Date .....: Saturday, June 22, 2019 Title ......: Hide And Seek Author ..: Jeff Olson Read ....: Genesis 3:1-10; Read: Genesis 3 The Bible In One Year: Old Testament: Esther 3-8 New Testament: Acts 5-6 Verse Of The Day: Genesis 3:9 9 = And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, where art thou. Memory Verses Of The Day: Ephesians 4:31-32 31 = Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clammer, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice. 32 = And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake as forgiven you. Prayer For Today: Please listen to the host of our daily bread for today's prayer. And in Jesus's mighty name we pray, Amen!!! & Amen!!! Even So Lord Jesus, Come Very Quickly!!! Even Today!!! Quote Of The Day: The one who fully knows us unconditionally loves us. Today's Reflection: How is it comforting to know that God sees you and still longs for you even when we sin or make mistakes or yet even fail and suffer. And still offers you to come to Him? How is that knowledge is freeing? Link: Please visit www.odb.org for today's message.

The Clear Gospel In 4 Minutes By Pastor Ralph 'Yankee' Arnold

In this updated version is Pastor Ralph Yankee Arnold. He uses his left hand to represent us and his wallet to represent sin. And his right hand to represent Jesus Christ! In what I call a “Classic way” to tell others on how to be saved and witness for Jesus Christ! This new video is 4:03 seconds long. But your eternal destination is very important to me. So this is why I’ve updated the new version “How you can know for sure that you’re going to heaven! My friend it is the best decision you’ll ever make in this life time! My hope & prayer is that if there is anybody here that is doubting their salvation. That this video will destroy their doubts and strenghten their faith & confidence that they know that they are going to when they die! For those who are considering on making that decision to follow Jesus Christ. I hope it strenghten your faith and conviction on becoming a follower of Jesus Christ! This is not about joining a particular religion. It’s about knowing where you will spend eternity! This video will help you understand your need of a Savior! It’ll be the best decision you’ll ever make on this side of Eternity!! And may the blessings of Jesus Christ be with you all Amen!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wh1VU-_OF98

With this video I’m hoping to with the Lord’s help. Win many souls to Jesus Christ! For me at least, it is important to be working for the Lord in winning souls! We Christians need to be redeeming the time for the days are evil. There have been many who are falling away from the faith. The bible makes it clear in 2 Timothy 4:1-2 That they were among us, but were not of us. As I said, I hope to win 1 or more souls for Jesus Christ before the Rapture takes place which is very important to me. The reason why I do this, not only am I happy with serving the Lord daily. Is because I want to serve the Lord. Also, because not only do I love the Lord. But He first loved me and demonstrated his love according to Romans 5:6-11! By dieing in our place so that we would have to die and pay for our sins! Also according to John 14:6-7; Acts 4:12 say that Jesus is the only way into Heaven. Whereby we can approach the Father! I’m so thankful that Jesus died in our place so that we don’t have to die and be separated from the Lord for all eternity. For the wages of sin is death! Romans 6:23 but the Gift Of God is eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ! I sure do hope you make that decision to follow Jesus Christ, but if not, I will pray 4 you.

Today's Song Of The Day Is: Shall We Gather At The River - Tennessee E. Ford

Verse #1: Shall we gather at the river, Where the bright angel feet have trod, With its crystal tide forever Flowing by the throne of God? On the margin of the river, To Chorus:

Chorus: Yes, we'll gather at the river, Gather at the river; We shall gather at the river, by the throne of God

Verse #2: Ere we reach the shining river, we'll lay every burden down; Grace our spirits will deliver, And provide a a robe and crown. At the smiling of the river, Mirror of the Savior's face, Saints, whom death will never server, Lift their songs of saving grace. To Chorus:

Verse #3: Soon we'll reach the silver river, Soon our pilgrimage will cease; Soon happy soons will quiver With a melody of peace. To Chorus:

Jesus is also the Lord of both the living & the dead! And He will also come again to judge both the living & the dead! And He will also come to set-up His Kingdom to rule & reign for 1,000 yrs and then forever & ever! His Kingdom will have no end! His Kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom! His Kingdom will never ever be destroyed or left to another! Let's All Just Praise & Worship The Lord! For He is worthy to receive all of our praise & worship! For His mercy endures unto all generations! Praise Ye The Lord! Praise Ye The Lord! Glory! Hallelujah! Amen! & Amen!!! Even So Lord, Come Quickly!!! Even Today!!!

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Our Daily BreadDaily encouragement and inspiration to draw closer to God each day.www.odb.org

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Steven Whitehouse

a year ago

Date .....: Friday, June 21, 2019 Title ......: Hand Made For You Author ..: Elisa Morgan Read ....: Ephesians 2:4-10; Read: Ephesians 2 The Bible In One Year: Old Testament: Joshua 7-9 New Testament: Luke 1:21-38 Verse Of The Night: Ephesians 2:10 10 = For we are created unto good works, that should walk in them. Memory Verse Of The Day: Hebrews 4:12 12 = For the word is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of joints and marrows, and of soul and spirit, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Prayer For Tonight: Dear Father In Heaven, thank You for hand making me; help me to show You to my world everyday. And in Jesus's mighty name we pray, Amen!!! & Amen!!! Even So Lord Jesus, Come Very Quickly!!! Even Today!!! Quote Of The Night: Please listen to the host of our daily bread for tonight's quote. Tonight's Reflection: What has God created you to do? Who can you you His love today? Link: Please visit www.odb.org for tonight's message. And then click on today's date & scroll backwards until you find Thursday, March 21, 2019 alrighty? That's where you'll find tonight's message & also scripture reading. The calendar is located at the top of our daily bread's website okay all?

The Clear Gospel In 4 Minutes By Pastor Ralph 'Yankee' Arnold

In this updated version is Pastor Ralph Yankee Arnold. He uses his left hand to represent us and his wallet to represent sin. And his right hand to represent Jesus Christ! In what I call a “Classic way” to tell others on how to be saved and witness for Jesus Christ! This new video is 4:03 seconds long. But your eternal destination is very important to me. So this is why I’ve updated the new version “How you can know for sure that you’re going to heaven! My friend it is the best decision you’ll ever make in this life time! My hope & prayer is that if there is anybody here that is doubting their salvation. That this video will destroy their doubts and strenghten their faith & confidence that they know that they are going to when they die! For those who are considering on making that decision to follow Jesus Christ. I hope it strenghten your faith and conviction on becoming a follower of Jesus Christ! This is not about joining a particular religion. It’s about knowing where you will spend eternity! This video will help you understand your need of a Savior! It’ll be the best decision you’ll ever make on this side of Eternity!! And may the blessings of Jesus Christ be with you all Amen!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wh1VU-_OF98

With this video I’m hoping to with the Lord’s help. Win many souls to Jesus Christ! For me at least, it is important to be working for the Lord in winning souls! We Christians need to be redeeming the time for the days are evil. There have been many who are falling away from the faith. The bible makes it clear in 2 Timothy 4:1-2 That they were among us, but were not of us. As I said, I hope to win 1 or more souls for Jesus Christ before the Rapture takes place which is very important to me. The reason why I do this, not only am I happy with serving the Lord daily. Is because I want to serve the Lord. Also, because not only do I love the Lord. But He first loved me and demonstrated his love according to Romans 5:6-11! By dieing in our place so that we would have to die and pay for our sins! Also according to John 14:6-7; Acts 4:12 say that Jesus is the only way into Heaven. Whereby we can approach the Father! I’m so thankful that Jesus died in our place so that we don’t have to die and be separated from the Lord for all eternity. For the wages of sin is death! Romans 6:23 but the Gift Of God is eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ! I sure do hope you make that decision to follow Jesus Christ, but if not, I will pray 4 you.

Today's Song Of The Day Is: Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus

Verse #1: Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, and to take him at his word; just to rest upon his promise, and to know, "Thus saith the Lord."

Chorus: Jesus, Jesus, how I trust him! How I've proved o'er and o'er! Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! O for grace to trust him more!

Verse #2: O how sweet to trustin Jesus, just to trust his cleansing blood; and in simple faith to plunge me neath the healing, cleansing flood! To Chorus:

Verse #3: Yes, tis sweet to trust in Jesus, just from sin and self to cease; just from Jesus simply taking life and rest, and joy and peace. To Chorus:

Verse #4: I'm so glad I learned to trust thee, precious Jesus, Savior, friend; and I know that thou art with me, wilt be with me to the end. To Chorus:

Jesus is also the Lord of both the living & the dead! And He will also come again to judge both the living & the dead! And He will also come to set-up His Kingdom to rule & reign for 1,000 yrs and then forever & ever! His Kingdom will have no end! His Kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom! His Kingdom will never ever be destroyed or left to another! Let's All Just Praise & Worship The Lord! For He is worthy to receive all of our praise & worship! For His mercy endures unto all generations! Praise Ye The Lord! Praise Ye The Lord! Glory! Hallelujah! Amen! & Amen!!! Even So Lord, Come Quickly!!! Even Today!!!

[evangelistopamfo]

FEB 17-ENCOURAGEMENT

February‎ ‎17

Atmosphere of Encouragement

Bible in a Year:

Leviticus 21–22; Matthew 28

Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up.

Romans 15:2

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Today's Scripture & Insight:

Romans 15:1-7

I’m encouraged every time I visit the fitness center near our house. In that busy place, I’m surrounded by others who are striving to improve their physical health and strength. Posted signs remind us not to judge each other, but words and actions that reveal support for others’ conditioning efforts are always welcomed.

What a great picture of how things should look in the spiritual realm of life! Those of us who are striving to “get in shape” spiritually, to grow in our faith, can sometimes feel as if we don’t belong because we’re not as spiritually fit—as mature in our walk with Jesus—as someone else.

Paul gave us this short, direct suggestion: “Encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11). And to the believers in Rome he wrote: “Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up” (Romans 15:2). Recognizing that our Father is so lovingly gracious with us, let’s show God’s grace to others with encouraging words and actions.

As we “accept one another” (v. 7), let’s entrust our spiritual growth to God—to the work of His Spirit. And while we daily seek to follow Him, may we create an atmosphere of encouragement for our brothers and sisters in Jesus as they also seek to grow in their faith.

By Dave Branon

Today's Reflection

Lord, help me today to encourage others along the way. Guide me to say what will not discourage but will spur them toward a deeper walk with You in Your love.

[hopbrewco]

Vedra - Winter Warmer Music Series

Nashville-based Vedra is playing the third show in our Winter Warmer Music Series: Genuine and honest. Two words that describe not only their approach to music but who they are as individuals. Vedra has successfully crafted a soulful blend of vigorous beats and shamelessly honest lyrics borrowing notes from artists like Against Me, Twenty One Pilots and Dashboard Confessional. The duo pulls together the visceral styles of lead singer Branon Jaggers with the classically trained ears of percussionist Kirby Newman providing a final product rich with emotion and logic. Vedra’s debut self-titled EP, released in 2016, has aired on over 50 radio stations nationwide so far. In the Summer of 2017 the EP charted on KSYM in San Antonio, TX, KWLC in Deborah, IA and WFCF in Saint Augustine, FL. Their debut EP along with their upcoming single “Smoke & Mirrors” were recently picked up for licensing by MTV, Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Velocity, and the Oprah Winfrey Network.  They are currently working on writing and recording their sophomore EP that’s shaping up to be the best representation of their sound as a collective thus far.