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darkbanez · 1 year

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So if y’all aren’t caught up with the shooting this morning:

Today, in Nashville, Tennessee, a 28 year old trans man broke into and opened fire on a Christian Elementary School.

According to CNN:

“Here's what we know so far:

About Covenant School: The school is a private Christian school founded in 2001 as a ministry of Covenant Presbyterian Church. It has an average enrollment of about 200 people in recent years, according to its website, and it teaches preschool through 6th grade.

What happened: Don Aaron, spokesperson for the Metro Nashville Police Department, said the first calls of an active shooting came in at around 10:15 a.m. local time. When officers arrived, they went through the first level of the building, he said. They then heard gunshots coming from the second level of the building, according to Aaron. He said that's where police confronted and killed the shooter at 10:27 a.m. local time.

The shooter: The shooter has been identified as 28-year-old Nashville resident Audrey Hale. The shooter was armed with a handgun and two AR-style weapons — one a rifle and an AR-style pistol, Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake said. Two of those may have been obtained legally and locally in Nashville, Drake said. According to initial findings, the shooter was once a student at the school, he added, though he said police are unsure what years.

Prior planning: The shooter had drawn detailed maps of Covenant School, Drake said, including the entry points to the building and detailing "how this was all gonna take place." Drake said police believe the shooter shot through one of the doors to get into the school. Drake said the school was the only location targeted by the shooter. Police have also located a manifesto that they are reviewing.

The victims: The three students who were shot and killed at Covenant School were all 9 years old, police said. They have been identified as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney, according to police. Three adults were also killed in the shooting. They have been identified as 61-year-old Cynthia Peak, 60-year-old Katherine Koonce and 61-year-old Mike Hill, police said.

What's next: Police will spend the next two days processing the scene and working to gather more details about what happened during a shooting at a Nashville elementary school, Aaron said, adding police also intend to release video soon. Officials said they knew where the shooter lived and they have interviewed the shooter's father.

Call for gun safety legislation: President Joe Biden called the shooting at a Nashville school "heartbreaking, a family's worst nightmare," while advocating for gun reform. Biden said Congress needs to pass an assault weapons ban because we "need to do more to protect our schools." However, a bipartisan solution is extremely unlikely this Congress with a slim Democratic majority in the Senate and a GOP-led House. Nashville Mayor John Cooper said too many children are dying from guns and that the community needs to come together to support each other.

Mass shootings in America: The Nashville shooting is the 129th mass shooting in the US so far in 2023, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive. The Gun Violence Archive, like CNN, defines a mass shooting as one in which at least four people are shot, excluding the shooter.”

(via https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/nashville-shooting-covenant-school-03-27-23/index.html)

Obviously Twitter is having a hayday with this, right-wingers seemingly celebrating the fact that the shooter was transgender.

If you choose to care more about what the shooter identified as, rather than the LITERAL children and teachers that were killed, you are a despicable human being and you deserve everything that comes to you.

Please feel free to add more info in reblogs/replies!

#nashville #cw school shooting #march 27 #nashville shooting #info #dark.txt

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walkswithmyfather · 4 months

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‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭11:23‭-‬26‬ ‭(NLT‬‬). “For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.” For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.”

“Feasting as Wedding Preparation” By In Touch Ministries:

“Communion reminds us that one day we will gather with other believers at a table with Jesus.”

“On the night he was betrayed, Jesus celebrated the feast of Passover with His disciples. During their shared meal, the Lord gave His followers a new interpretation of the Passover meal.

By associating the bread and wine with His body and blood, Jesus revealed Himself to be the true Passover lamb who takes away the sins of the world. Communion, also called the Lord’s Supper, has been observed by believers ever since that evening, when Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of Me” (1 Cor. 11:24).

As we take communion together, we remember Christ’s body and blood, given for us at the cross. But by partaking in this feast, we also think of the future, when sin and death will have been defeated once and for all. Then, at the wedding feast of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9), we’ll celebrate God’s presence and provision in our daily life while also preparing for eternity with Him.

Whether you feel close to or far from God today, know this: Your Creator loves you and invites you to sit at His table in this life and the life to come. His body and blood are the bread and wine that sustain us each day. His feasting table is a place of welcome, remembrance, and celebration. Will you accept His invitation?”

[Photo by Juliette F at Unsplash]

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pippinoftheshire · 1 month

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DVD v Streaming Sevices

Look, i respect the fact that most people prefer to stream. I won't judge that: you all make your own choices.

But when you have been waiting to see a film on the Cinema Screen for a year and then get told that NO, it's not going to happen, and you shall only get to see it IF you have said streaming service...

THIS makes me mad.

@amazon @primevideo I have been waiting for over a YEAR to see The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare on the Silver Screen here in Perth Australia. Guy Ritchie is my favorite director, and you did the same with his film The Covenant: turning it into an exclusive Amazon Prime film.

I don't stream. My family has been using DVDs for as long as i can remember, and going to the cinema is a favorite pastime of mine. getting to experience a film in ways that a TV doesn't offer.

And then to hear that it IS going to get a cinema release, but ONLY in the US? I can bet there are a lot of other people out there who feel the same way I do: left out and greatly disappointed.

Please give us a chance to see this film big screen.

Or any other film for that matter: both Ridley Scott's Napoleon AND Matthew Vaughn's ARGYLLE were given time in the cinema, despite both being AppleTV films.

Please, Stop making everything exclusive to a Streaming Service.

#amazonprime #the ministry of ungentlemanly warfare #cinemas #protest #guy ritchie

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heathersdesk · 2 months

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Holy Week: The Sacrament

Where is the exact moment Jesus Christ stopped being a Jew and became the founder of a new and separate religion?

Was it when the Sanhedrin rejected him? When enough other Jews decided he was a heretic, rather than a teacher? Was it the first time he claimed to be the Son of God? When he called his Twelve Apostles, and called Peter the rock upon which he would build his church?

Personally, I think it was the last time he celebrated Passover with his disciples. I'm switching over to Luke 22 for this one.

The celebration of Passover included the eating of unleavened bread and drinking wine. But what Jesus does with them here is where I think the break between Judaism and Christianity begins:

19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. 20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

To have a new testament signifies the formation of a new covenant. This is the moment where Jesus uses the authority he has from God to form a new community with a religious identity separate and distinct from Judaism. While Jesus was a Jew, followed Jewish law, observed Jewish customs and holidays, and worshiped the same God as the Jews, he intended to create a church and a community that would break from Jewish traditions. The institution of the Sacrament (our terminology for Holy Communion or the Eucharist in other traditions) was the initiation of this break.

Because Latter-day Saints haven’t celebrated Holy Week historically, and this is something our currently leadership is inviting us to change, it’s been really special to see what other Christians do to make this time special. It has been a great reminder that Easter is the opportunity for all Christians, including us, to celebrate the relationships we've personally developed with Jesus Christ. We have more in common with other Christians than we might think we do, and it’s because we all have this common belief in how much Jesus Christ and his ministry changed the world.

I’m still contemplating what it means for me to celebrate Holy Week. I’ve thought about the choice I made at Easter time many years ago to be baptized. I went to the temple yesterday. I’ve been studying scriptures for these daily meditations, which I’ve enjoyed very much. And tomorrow, my husband and I are going to an orchestral performance of Rob Gardner's Lamb of God. There isn’t really an established program for any of this for our people now, and we’re each contemplating how to do this and make it personally meaningful.

My favorite part of sharing these has been the ways you all have shared how my thoughts are helping you to develop your own Holy Week messages and traditions with your own families. I’ve deeply enjoyed those messages, and I think this was the wisdom in having us begin participating in these traditions: the way we would help each other and celebrate our faith in Christ together. It truly doesn’t get better than that. And I hope that becomes a key feature of what Latter-day Saints celebrating Holy Week looks like going forward.

#mormon #lds #mormonism #tumblrstake #the church of jesus christ of latter day saints #religion #faith #queerstake #christianity #scripture study #easter #holy week #the book of mormon #new testament #bible study

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girlactionfigure · 2 months

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🎭 PURIM morning - ISRAEL REALTIME - Connecting to Israel in Realtime (Sunday)

🎉 Happy Purim! May we merit miracles like Purim today, may the blessings of Purim bring our hostages home, our soldiers complete success, and the downfall of our enemies like Purim past.

A day to hear the Megillah Esther, to celebrate, but also to pray for our hostages, our soldiers, our survival!

🔻Air attacks on Israeli civilians…

Rockets x 50 - from Hezbollah, Lebanon - at Snir & Odem

Rockets - from Hamas, Gaza - at Nir Oz

Suicide Drone - from Syria - at South Golan / Kinerret - - FALSE ALARM.

▪️ISIS LEARNS FROM HAMAS.. the (supposed) ISIS terrorists who perpetrated the terrible terror attack in Russia were streaming, and the organization has now published multiple videos (not shared here) that are being redistributed by terror supporting channels - - JUST LIKE HAMAS on the Oct. 7 massacre.

▪️IDF ATTACKS DEEP LEBANON.. IDF: Earlier tonight, warplanes attacked a workshop containing weapons belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization in the Baalbek area of the Bekaa valley. In addition, aircraft attacked the launchers from which some of the launches into Israeli territory were detected.

▪️A HERO SOLDIER HAS FALLEN.. in battle in Gaza, Sergeant Lior Raviv, 21, from Rishon Lezion.

▪️THE AL-SHIFRA HOSPITAL TERROR BASE.. some 800 suspects detained by troops, 480 of them have been confirmed to be members of the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror groups.

▪️TERROR - NEAR TULKARM.. Nur Shams in Tulkarm: The operative of the military wing of the Islamic Jihad openly proclaimed last night that the members of the wing carried out a shooting attack on an Israeli civilian vehicle. IDF: “no known incident”.

▪️IRANIAN SHIA MILITIAS ATTACK TEL AVIV (NOT).. The Shia militias in Iraq claim that they attacked the building of the Israeli Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv in the early morning with a suicide drone. No such incident, though previously there have been reports of drones headed west from Iraq falling in Jordan or being shot down in Syria.

▪️HOUTHIS & SHIPPING.. Houthis: we will not attack any Russian, Chinese or Iranian vessels.

US Central Command: the Houthis launched 4 anti-ship ballistic missiles at the M/V Huang Pu, a Chinese-owned oil tanker flying the Panama flag. A fifth ballistic missile was detected when fired at the tanker, which issued a distress call. The tanker sustained damage - a fire on board was extinguished within 30 minutes.

▪️VISITING US RELIGIOUS DELEGATION.. leaders of several US religious organizations visited Samaria. an official announcement at the end of the tour: "I want you to know that we are with you. We are standing on Mount Bracha, the fact that the children of Israel entered this historic place where we are and made their first covenant with God is proof that this is their land. To expel the Jewish people from this land and establish two states, that would be the opposite to the word of God. We stand with Israel and stand for their right to determine their future and oppose all efforts to divide this land."

"We felt it was our duty to come here after the seventh of October, because the policy of the US administration led to this. But we are most concerned about the push for the two-state solution. Judah and Samaria are the heart of the State of Israel, and God gave this land to Abraham Isaac and Jacob forever. We are calling on the churches in the US to come out against this."

#Israel #October 7 #Hamas Massacre #Gaza #Israel/HamasWar #Real Time Updates

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rucbarthatbowtiesarecooldw · 8 months

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Sunday Morning Session

Sweet is the Work

Conducting: Dallin H. Oaks

Go Forth with Faith

I’m Trying to Be Like Jesus

President M. Russell Ballard, Q of 12

Joseph Smith and the first vision

We are blessed by Joseph’s ministry

We have the knowledge that Jesus is the Christ because Joseph was worthy to get the plates

It is important to ensure your children know you believe them – and believe in them

Be a little better, a little kinder, a little more prepared.

He’s our Savior and Redeemer, our best friend

President Emily Belle Freeman, YW President

The Jesus Trail

The five finger promise

He doesn’t ask us to face challenges alone. He will invite us to walk with Him

He has promised to walk with us in the way

Jesus will meet us where we are, as we are

His is a mission of condescension – He will meet us where we are as we are

Staying where we are won’t bring us the deliverance we seek

It’s the covenant relationship that saves us

Just like a marriage, the wedding date is important but ultimately it’s what comes after

What relationship do you want to have with Him?

If you want to live in a continuous covenant relationship with him

Your place or placement on the path is not as important as progress

It’s not the course alone that will save us, it’s the companion our Savior

Adilson de Paula Parrella, 70

Witness through actions and words that Jesus is the Christ

Take upon you the name of Christ

Spain – attending a small church meeting

Brazil story

Everything in church (talks, testimonies, etc) should be about and focused on Jesus

Elder Quintin L. Cook, Q of 12

This is the time to prepare to meet God

Be the peacemakers

Have a peaceable walk among the children of men

Be peaceable followers of Jesus Christ

Which act of the play am I stuck in?

There are three acts to the play (in the plan of happiness), which act are we going to participate in?

If you come in to the performance in the third act of the play you will lack the context of what happened prior

Praise the Lord with singing, music and dancing

If you are sorrowful, call on the Lord with supplication that your souls may be joyful

Being joyful and relying on Heavenly help through prayer is a great way to be peaceable

Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal – Hymn Come, Ye Disconsolate

Come Ye Children of the Lord

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Q of 12

The Greatest Short Story ever told

The prodigal son Luke 15:11-32

#livingmybestlife

He will help you and shelter you no matter what has happened

Even after you squander your entire inheritance

“It wasn’t just an empty stomach that bothered him, it was an empty soul”

Even when you feel no longer worthy, and decide that you must be only worthy for the lowliest roll in the Fathers house, He instead celebrates that His child has returned home

He will unconditionally allow us to return for forgiveness and mercy

It is always possible to go back and become renewed

It is never better to stay lost – Heaven will rejoice at our return

Some of us may wonder if its even possible to go back, if its better just to stay lost. But Heavenly father will run to us!! And embrace us!!

“It is not possible for you to sink lower than the light of Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice shines” - Elder Holland

The Master Healer stands at the road that leads home, welcoming you

Your return will not diminish the blessings of others

Coming back is not an easy thing to do. It may be the toughest choice we make. But Christs power will enter our lives and transform it.

Together we will rejoice – for Jesus Christ is our Strength.

Hear the Father’s voice beckoning us to follow the road that leads home.

W. Christopher Waddell, 1st counselor Bishopric

Ephraim’s rescue

Bring as many people as you can safely home

Hero worship can be taken too far – you can look beyond the mark and lose what is essential – Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ has done everything that is essential for our journey through mortality toward the destiny outlined in the plan of our Heavenly Father. -Dallin H. Oaks

We need to be careful in choosing our hero, so that our hero worship does not become our golden calf

If you have not chosen the Kingdom of God first, then you need to consider carefully what choices you have chosen

Any choice other than choosing the kingdom of God will fail us

Turn to Him, follow Him, choose Him.

It is by choosing Him, the King of Kings, that we choose the kingdom of God.

Hark All Ye Nations

President Henry B. Eyring, 2nd counselor 1st Presidency

Pray and heed promptings to gain inspiration and blessings

Think and pray about Helaman’s sons Nephi and Lehi

Helaman 11:23 (whole chapter tho)

We need the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost – we desire it, but we know that it sometimes isn’t easy to achieve

Remember the sacrament promise

We can be guided by the spirit minute by minute

Purity brings power

Don’t give in to fear, He is there. Repent

Don’t succumb to the fear that God has abandoned us or does not hear us.

Of all the things the Holy Ghost testifies of, the most precious for us is that Jesus is the Christ, the Living Son of God.

Your experiences will be unique and the spirt will guide in the way best suited to you and your experiences

He loves you and He hears your every prayer

The Holy Ghost is sent to faithful members of the Church of Jesus Christ

Your relationship with the Holy Ghost is unique to you

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

#ldsconf #genconf #tumblrstake #church of jesus christ of latter day saints #sunday morning session

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scribeforchrist-blog · 11 days

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Letter From Christ

MEMORY VERSE OF THE WEEK

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+ 1 Thessalonians 5:22 Abstain from every form of evil.

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VERSE OF THE DAY

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+ 2 Corinthians 3:3 You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but tablets of human hearts.

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** SAY THIS BEFORE YOU READ; HERE’S SOME CHRISTIAN TRUTHS **

I AM ALLOWING CHRIST TO WRITE ON MY HEART

I AM WALKING IN CHRIST

I AM A BELIEVER

I AM HOLY

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THOUGHTS:

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I can scream from the rooftop that I'm saved and filled with the Holy Spirit. I can get a tattoo that says I'm changed, and I can put a bumper sticker on my car so when I pass different people; they can see who I am; I can write it on paper, too. I can have an airplane attach streamer that says Lui is saved and fly through the city.

I can do all of that, but does it mean that what is on the inside is Christ? Does it show in my actions? When I speak to different people, can they tell I she’s definitely filled with Christ? Last week, we talked about the fruit we bear. A lot of times, some of us don’t know what we bear, we don’t care to change, we are okay living the way we do, we are okay with being lukewarm, or some of us are like, hey buddy at least I made it to church, or at least I'm reading my word, but if people were asked who you were and what you were about what would they say, would they say oh no not her she’s not saved or would they say oh okay didn’t think she was, what would they say.

Exodus 24:12, the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and be there; and I will give you tablets of stone, and the law and commandments which I have written, that you may teach them.”

What this verse is saying is that we should have the Holy Spirit down deep inside of us. The laws and the word of God should be on the inside of us, but some of us aren’t sure. We see that Moses had to come up to God to get the commandments to get what he needs , do we go to God to get what we need , do we come to him to change our heart . We can quote verse by verse, shout and scream, sing with the choir, lead Sunday school class, be on the usher board, pass out devotionals, and teach a few lessons here and there, but do we have the Holy Spirit down deep?

Moses wrote the commandments on a tablet, and he handed them out, and these were what we were supposed to follow, but when Jesus came, he died for our sins. He showed us No, no, this is the way, no, this is okay, but I need you to be baptized by fire; a lot of us don’t understand that it must be on the inside, not the years of service to the lord, not our title but it must be written on the heart.

Ezekiel 11:19 And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh,

When we allow the Holy Spirit in, we change from this one heart to the next; we change from this heart of stone to this heart of flesh. Why? Because we become truly alive in Christ, we become these different people because we are no longer living with just words, but we are living in our identity in Christ.

Jeremiah 31:33 For this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them and write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

This verse is confirmation. This is what Christ did when he died for us; he made the law written on our hearts, and we put the law on the inside because the Holy Spirit is the truth and the life, and when we walk in the light, we are walking in the truth of God, so we no longer just walking in whatever we think or whatever the world is saying to walk in. Still, we are walking in victory because Christ died for us, and we are then living in the truth of God.

God wants us to lean on him and not on ourselves; that’s why the law was put away because we had to lean on our righteousness, on our excellent deeds, and God said no more they would lean on me, and I will send my son to be the sacrifice for them, he will be the ultimate sacrifice.

With God doing this, I won't have to run around screaming I am this, or I do this, or I do that; all I have to do, all you have to do is walk into the room, and people will see him through our ways and our presences because it's written in you and me. What fruit are you bearing? What are you showing the world? What are you allowing God to change? Whatever we do, our hearts need to be written on by God.

*** Today, we learned that God sent his son to this world to be our savior and to mold us to write on our hearts; the more he writes on our hearts, the more we become different and change, and a lot of times, we aren’t changing because we are doing everything ourselves. The heart of flesh only comes by submitting, and a lot of people don’t want to submit; submitting is laying our wants and desires the side and saying okay, God, whatever your will is, I’ll do it.

When Jesus had the disciples to follow him, he taught them he showed them the way; he showed it in his ways, how he healed people, and how he reacted; when people see someone who’s aggressive, and they see someone ready to go for an eye for an eye they don’t identify them as Christ-like no ,not at all but when people see someone speaking peace, they can see Christ in them, and they connect Christ with them; how we love one another shows God abides in us; it says it in his word, and what comes from the heart will flow; just listen to some people sometimes and ask the Holy Spirit for discernment and he will show you who they are. We must listen to the Holy Spirit and be guided; that’s how we listen to the counseling of God. By listening, let the Holy Spirit change your heart today. ©Seer~ Prophetess Lee

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PRAYER

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Heavenly Father, we thank you for everything; we ask you to forgive us of the sins we have done, and lord, we ask you to help us hear you and submit to you; lord, we desire to change and be better. Lord, we desire to walk in your precepts and not ours. Lord, we surrender to you and ask you to help us be image bearers, not people who pretend to be ; we give you praise, glory, and honor today. Lord, we thank you for everything, the protection and the infinite love you have shown us, in Jesus’ Name, Amen

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REFERENCES

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+ Eziekel 11:19 And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh,

+ Hebrews 10:16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,”

+ Hebrews 9:14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

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FURTHER READINGS

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Proverbs 21

Genesis 15

Psalm 89

Colossians 2

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tnystrk-exe · 1 year

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Covenant and Devotion

Papa Emeritus IV x Reader

Summary: “I ask for so little, just let me rule you and you can have everything that you want. Just fear me. Love me. Do as I say and I will be your slave.”

Warnings: 18+ Oral m receiving

AN: I’ve been obsessed with the dynamics with the guys for a while. After sitting on it for the longest, I figured why not just write it. Forgive me if I’m a bit rusty.

AO3 Link

“I ask for so little, just let me rule you.”

It had been days. Days upon days of hearing he wasn’t good enough. This position wasn’t his birthright. Luck of the draw. A rat that scurried to chance the second it presented itself.

So what if he had?

He did the work.

Poured the very fiber of his being into this ministry and earned it more than anyone before him had.

No. “Lucky” was something he never was. Who could look at the way his life started and claim such a thing. He wasn’t born and immediately given opportunity on the simple chance of existing within the right circumstances.

For years he dedicated his life to the dark lord. It was only right he’d be rewarded for his efforts. How could they ever question Him? He knew of Copia’s coming. Each and every year crawled this miserable church to the true hands it belonged in. To someone who truly respected it and didn’t use the position for pleasure alone. This was his right.

Who were they to question what Satanas wanted? Traitors, the lot of them.

He never mind time in the confessional. Being a good Papa to the congregation that he’d been asked to protect and guide was more than important to him. However, sitting here to stew in his thoughts between people was a bitch to say the least.

There was no such thing as luck in this world. They’d be proven wrong. Then punished by Him for ever doubting his lead.

A soft knock against the confessional brought him out of his thoughts.

“Il Padre, il Filio, et lo Spiritus Malum,” he heard you begin.

“Tell Papa your sins, Sorella. Let us rejoice in them.”

Taking a deep breath he reveled in the scent of your perfume. Had your voice not given you away, surely he would have recognized you on the smell alone. It invaded his senses. The memory of it made him weak on nights where he was too busy to look for a partner.

“I’m afraid there isn’t much to tell,” you sighed, the soft click of prayer beads filled the air as you toyed with them. “You, Papa?”

He chuckled at your shyness, “I’m here to praise you, little one. Not the other way around. There must have been some thought floating around in your head, tempting you.”

“Well…”

“Well…” he urged you, “Come, tell Papa your secret. I ask for nothing more, only to be let in.”

“I-“

The warmth that must’ve been flooding your face was easy to imagine. He was much the same when he was younger. Though Nihil was usually guaranteed to be drunk or high so after a while such things were easy to shake off. Now? Everything he’d done on stage hardly left any shame. It’s been a while since he blushed. That was a shame. In the correct situations, it wasn't the worst feeling.

“We don’t have to talk about such things if you’re not ready. We can have a simple conversation.”

“No. No, I can do it,” you insisted, “I’m just… embarrassed. It’s so typical.”

He mulled over what to say for a second. “Many have existed, you know, I’d like to think there’s some comfort in that. No matter what. Someone’s probably had the thought. You’re not alone in it.”

You laughed, the sound of it making him smile. “I’m certain I’m not.”

“If you tell me, I can tell you if we have something in common.”

“Tricky,” you chided him before taking a deep breath, “Eucharist.”

“What about it?”

“Fuck, if there’s ever a time to say something,” you whispered to yourself, “I can’t shake it. No matter what I try, I think about it… Kneeling in front of you, the taste of your glove on my tongue, your grip on my chin to ensure I looked in your eyes as you gave me wine.”

He felt himself stir in his pants. Of course there had been motives to those actions. Pretty images to lock away for himself later, not that he’d assume you’d reciprocate. His finger ghosted over the growing bulge.

“I see… Can’t say I’ve ever thought of a Papa that way. Have you done anything to remedy these thoughts? There’s been many times you’ve taken the Eucharist.”

“That's why I was late today. The usual dream woke me up at night and it felt so real I needed to finish. Lost track of time and well you know.”

“Such a needy thing for your Papa.” He smirked at the quiet sound of your whine. “My poor little lamb. Did it feel good imagining it was my fingers ruining you?”

“Papa…”

He chuckled, “Perhaps, I have my answer. I always wondered why you’d only take Eucharist from me. Though, I simply assumed you were intimidated of Terzo. Che ragazza leale, you knew who your true Papa was, didn’t you? Even when he was nothing more than a Cardinal. Che bravissima ragazza sei stata.”

“You’re being mean,” you whined, voice doing little to hide your embarrassment.

“No. No, tesoro, never to you unless you asked for such treatment. I took note of how easily you called me Papa while others still stumble over it years later. Cardinal,” he scoffed, “I’ve ascended. Changed. He’s no longer me. No. But you, Sorella, you took to your Papa so beautifully. Why don’t you come to me? Receive the Sacrement you truly long for.”

You said nothing. The door shut. Fuck, he may have ruined this by pushing. Maybe all you wanted was to take the thought out of your head and he misread the situation. If he had to get a new assistant he understood that, but the idea of upsetting you shrouded over everything else.

Though all those worries washed out when you opened the door and immediately settled yourself on your knees in the cramped space. He closed the door, spreading his legs to allow you more room. His finger traced along your jaw.

“YN, answer me honestly. Copia right now,” he stated, the usual thing to say when you were on equal footing, “Is this what you want? Nothing has to happen. We see each other in the morning, same as usual.”

You grabbed his hand, pressing a soft kiss to his gloved hand. “I want this, Copia, I want you. Let me worship you for all the good you do. You do so much and never get anything in return.”

For that he couldn’t manage a sentence. His brain nearly imploded at the thought. Instead, he merely motioned to the laces that we’re keeping you from what you wanted.

He hissed you palmed him. Being reminded when he saw a mischievous glint in your eye that despite the initial bashful demeanor you were still a sister of sin. The only thing that betrayed any of your earlier emotion was the slight tremble of your hands as you undid the laces. Chuckling quietly when you groaned in frustration at how tight he had tied it.

“Hush, sweet girl. Don’t want to be caught, do you?” He asked. Though if he could have it his way he’d have you moaning to the heavens so everyone would know who you belonged to. You tugged at the string making a disappointed sound once more. “Such an impatient thing aren’t you? Open.”

Your hands didn’t leave his lap still fumbling, but you looked up at him immediately obeying his command. Eyes looking at him with an innocence he knew you didn’t truly possess. All the same he twitched against the strained fabric.

One hand gripped your chin, squeezing your cheeks roughly. “What was it that lingered? The taste of my gloves?” He nodded your head for you. “Yes, I see.”

Two of his fingers traced your bottom lip.

Today's choice of gloves were the skeleton ones. The bumps and ridges on them were subtle in the light, but you’d feel them well enough if you allowed him to return the favor after his turn. He wouldn’t take you. Not here. Not yet. When he did that he’d savor it. There would be all the time in the world to learn the secrets you had.

His fingers thrusted themselves against your tongue. Your mouth closed around them, hands stilled as you looked at him docile as ever while he did as he wished. A content hum signaling you were more than pleased with the situation. With his free hand he took care of undoing the laces. Grabbing one of your hands he wrapped it around himself, moaning his approval as you pumped him. The warmth of your mouth sunk into the glove, making him impatient to experience it first hand.

“Come, cara mia, receive the gift your Papa wants to give you.”

You whimpered as he withdrew his fingers. Wiping the spit off of them on your cheek. An adorably furrowed brow at him, but otherwise no response. What use when you’d be covered in your spit in a moment anyway?

With a hand at the base of your neck, he led you forward. A grateful moan slipped past his lips as you licked off the precome that was making its way down the shaft. The tip received kitten licks. He leaned his head back and eyes closed as you took your time. It had been a long time since he cared to have a partner, but there was no need in rushing this after he coveted it for so long. He couldn’t help tugging at your hair as he kept himself in place.

Eventually, you let him into your mouth. The feeling of it was near damning. Tongue swirled making sure no part of him was left untouched.

“Lucifero mi ha benedetto con te. Una bocca così dolce per tuo Papa.”

It was embarrassing how quickly this would be over. Maybe that was a plus side to sleeping around, he would’ve been allowed this longer. Before he could give it much more thought you suddenly slipped him in as deep as you could manage. Making him choke out a loud groan as you gagged around him. Selfishly, his hand kept you there, hips giving shallow thrust to get just that much deeper.

“This is what you wanted, eh? Your Papa’s cock in that little throat. Perfetto. Mi prende così bene. Non vedo l'ora di scopare quella figa così come questa gola.”

You made a soft noise, blinking away tears from your eyes, but you didn’t struggle against the on slot. More so welcoming the invasion as you braced yourself against his thighs. He muttered out more strung out thoughts. None heading anywhere other than how good he felt or what he’d do to you later.

Taking some mercy, he finally allowed you to breathe. He almost felt pity as you took deep breaths through coughs, but the fussed make up didn’t let him feel that bad. You didn’t seem to feel so bad either as the second you felt okay again you were back on him. Lavashing a vein with sweet kisses.

Running a hand through his hair he tugged at the strands. Needing something to ground him.

“You look so pretty, Copia,” you said quietly.

“Cara,” he groaned, feeling the warmth rise to his face. “I need you. Ho bisogno di te. Mente, corpo, e anima. Tutto quello che devi dare per me solo. Let me keep you. Be mine. Take what I give you.”

Pulling your head back, he laid his head against your tongue. Hand fisting himself away as he pushed himself closer to the edge. It wasn’t long before he finished. His cum a mess in your mouth and around it as you made a show of swallowing it down for him. Using a finger to wipe the rest, put it on your tongue to clean off the mess.

Grabbing the handkerchief from his pocket he cleaned you up properly. There would still be evidence that you’ve done someone but it was as clean as he could manage at the moment. Helping you from your cramped position, he sat you on his lap.

“May I kiss you?”

It felt a bit ridiculous to ask all things considered but he asked anyway.

“Please, Copia.”

Closing the distance, his hard work to clean you was ruined once more by paints. Oh well, he intended on making you his anyway. His hand slipped into your waistband, slow enough to give you time to deny him. When you did nothing he ventured further, finding the mess there. All from touching him alone.

“Che brava ragazza sei per me.”

A knock interrupted the environment.

“Il Padre, il Filio, et lo Spiritus Malum,” the man started, “I’ve partook in the act of lust.”

Copia’s hand didn’t stop what it had set out to do, the free one simply opted to preoccupy your mouth to help muffle out any noise you’d make.

“How delicious. And who has been the object of your desire?”

“Sister YN, Papa, I can’t get her out of my head.”

When you went to sneak a peek out of curiosity he drove his fingers harder into you. Relishing in the way you gripped at his dress shirt the muffled vibration of your moan against his palm.

“What a pity that is.”

#the band ghost #papa emeritus x reader #papa emeritus iv #cardinal copia #Copia #imagine #fanfic #ghost

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nerdygaymormon · 9 months

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Temple lesson on progression & inclusion

Someone recently shared their insight into the Endowment ceremony. I thought their interpretation was insightful and am sharing it here.

In the endowment ceremony we make 5 covenants.

The first covenant is to obey God's commandments.

The second covenant is to sacrifice our will for the will of God. We put God first in our lives.

The third covenant is to have faith in Christ, do sincere repentance, get baptized and confirmed, and continue in faith and prayer, and in exchange the Savior's sacrifice cleanses us.

These first 3 covenants are focused on us, on our inner self.

Then we covenant to be chaste. This covenant isn't just about ourselves, but about how we treat others and recognize the sacredness of their body and pledge to be loyal to our spouse.

The final covenant is to consecrate all we have for the benefit of Zion. Zion is a community of equality.

These covenants can be seen as leading us on a path to be like Jesus.

The first 3 are preparatory. Jesus spent 40 days preparing for his ministry, he spent that time alone, focusing on Himself.

The 4th covenant is joining with another individual, committing to each other. We look out for each other, we meet each others' needs, we bear each others' burdens.

The covenant to be chaste leads to the 5th covenant which is not just give our self to another person, but to be willing to give up everything we have to build God's kingdom, which if God's work is people, then that becomes our work, too.

As we understand the pain of others, recognize their burdens and try to lighten them, and find solidarity with them, especially those on the margins, we are acting as Christ did.

The ceremony inside the temple is symbolic. The real work takes place outside of the temple. It's ironic that the church has a history of excluding whole groups of people from being able to enter the temple. Fortunately we also have a history of expanding the borders of Zion to include more and more people. Many queer people are currently not allowed to enter the temple, but I believe one day these blessings will be made available to everyone

#tumblrstake #queerstake

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lauralot89 · 1 year

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Angelic Hierarchy

[This is the Christian hierarchy, I was going to start with the Jewish hierarchy and then do Christianity and then do Islam but Judaism has multiple hierarchies and Islam doesn’t seem to rank them]

The First Sphere

Angels in the First Sphere worship and live with God directly and communicate His will to angels closer to humanity.

Seraphim

The highest of all angels, seraphim fly around the throne of God, crying “holy, holy, holy.” Seraphim have six wings. They were characterized by Thomas Aquinas by their “burning love for God.”

Seraphim appear in the Book of Isaiah and the Book of Revelation.

Cherubim

Cherubim have two sets of wings and four faces: a human, a lion, an ox, and an eagle. They serve as a vehicle for God: "He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind." [Psalm 18:10]. Aquinas characterized cherubim by their knowledge. Cherubim are the angels depicted on the ark of the Covenant and a cherub is said to guard the Garden of Eden.

Cherubim appear in the Books of Genesis, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, Psalms, Isaiah, and Ezekiel.

Thrones

Tumblr's favorite angel, Thrones are also called Ophanim or Wheels. Thrones are so named because they guard the throne of God. Thrones are burning interlocked wheels covered with eyes. They never sleep, and are characterized by Rosemary Ellen Guiley as peaceful and submissive.

Thrones appear in the Books of Daniel and Ezekiel and in the letter to the Colossians.

The Second Sphere

Angels in the Second Sphere govern God's creation.

Dominations

Dominations are also called Dominions or Lordships. Dominations regulate the duties of lower angels.

Dominations appear in the letters to the Ephesians and Colossians.

Virtues

Virtues govern celestial bodies and rule over miracles and blessings.

Virtues appear in the letter to the Ephesians.

Powers

Powers, also called Authorities, have dominion over evil forces. They guard the border between Heaven and Earth.

Powers appear in the letter to the Ephesians.

The Third Sphere

Angels in the Third Sphere act as protectors and messengers to humans.

Principalities

Principalities, also called Princedoms and Rulers, oversee groups of people, such as governments or churches. They are the angels charged with fulfilling divine ministries.

Principalities appear in the letter to the Ephesians.

Archangels

Archangels are the guardians of nations and countries, and the people and events therein. There are said to be seven archangels, with Michael being the only one named in the Bible.

In Catholicism, Gabriel and Raphael are also archangels. Uriel was recognized as an archangel by some early Church fathers, but the text in which he appears, the Fourth Book of Esdras, is not a part of the Catholic canon.

In the Eastern Orthodox Church, there are seven recognized archangels: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Sealtiel, Jeguidel, and Barachiel. An eighth angel, Jerahmeel, is also sometimes listed as an archangel.

The Coptic Orthodox Church acknowledges seven archangels: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Suriel, Zedekiel, Sarathiel, and Ananiel.

The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church venerates seven archangels: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Phanuel, Raguel, and Ramiel.

Some Anglican churches name seven archangels: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Chamuel, Jophiel, and Zadkiel.

Archangels are mentioned in 1 Thessolonians and the Book of Jude.

Angels

The lowest angelic order, angels are the most connected to human beings. Guardian angels [Matthew 18:10] refers to this class of angel. These angels serve as messengers to humanity.

#angels #angelology #religion #Christianity #long post

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walkswithmyfather · 10 months

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Psalm 25:4‭-‬15 (NASB1995). “Make me know Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; For You I wait all the day. Remember, O Lord, Your compassion and Your lovingkindnesses, For they have been from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; According to Your lovingkindness remember me, For Your goodness’ sake, O Lord.

Good and upright is the Lord; Therefore He instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in justice, And He teaches the humble His way. All the paths of the Lord are lovingkindness and truth To those who keep His covenant and His testimonies. For Your name’s sake, O Lord, Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.

Who is the man who fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way he should choose. His soul will abide in prosperity, And his descendants will inherit the land. The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him, And He will make them know His covenant. My eyes are continually toward the Lord, For He will pluck my feet out of the net.”

“God’s Pathway to Goodness” By In Touch Ministries:

“God rewards all who obey Him, but our blessings may be different.”

“The Lord showers His goodness on all, but our ability to perceive it is limited. To experience the fullness of His kindness, we must honor Him by choosing submission and obedience.

The Father has a plan for His children, but because no two people are alike, each path will look different. What may be best for one person may not be good for another. Comparison of God’s ways will lead only to discouragement and misjudgment. We have neither the wisdom nor the eternal perspective to understand why God leads some people down paths of pain and hardship, but we do know that He is always good.

Every step on God’s pathway represents a choice to follow Him. By looking around at others’ lives instead of fixing our eyes on Jesus, we may start thinking we’re missing out on something really good. Or if we leave the Lord’s course to follow a path that looks better, we forfeit His good blessings and discover, as Adam and Eve did, that any other way leads to loss.

Take time periodically to ask yourself, Am I on the path the Lord has chosen for me, or have I taken a detour to follow another direction that looks good? To build our own course and ignore the goodness and abundance of God’s pathway is foolishness. He alone knows the way we should take.”

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love-is-patient · 6 months

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I know I’m kicking a hornet’s nest, and this may be an unpopular opinion here in the west, but I find it based in truth.

A lot of Christians seem to think we must support Israel at any cost, that Israel is the chosen of God and that it would be a sin against God to even disagree with the nation.

While I agree it is important to recognize the covenant God made with the people of Israel, the Bible itself espouses the idea that Israel repeatedly abuses this covenant and always falls short of what God wants.

I do believe the land belongs to them, we have biblical and archaeological evidence that dates back to the bronze age that it does - but let’s get it straight here:

They are not the good guys. I do not need to tell anyone that Hamas is evil, but I do not believe for a second Israel isn’t complicit in terrible acts - propaganda on either side be damned. The idea that victims are always sinless, or that perpetrators might be excused because of their background has done incredible damage to the average person’s capability for logic.

The Israelites have repeatedly strayed away from their divine connection to worship other gods, bring blasphemous objects into the temple, and - though strangely many Christians refuse to acknowledge this - they were indeed the ones who killed Jesus.

Judas didn’t go to the Romans to betray Jesus, he went to the Sanhedrin, the Pharisees. The Pharisees went to the ruling power of Rome and demanded Jesus’ head. The Jews chose Barabbas to free instead of Jesus. The Jews were the ones responsible, unquestionably - but that was the plan from the beginning.

Even today, the Jewish religious elite is obsessed with law and tradition in a way that is absolutely unsustainable. Their religious texts are filled to the gills with pagan influence. The Babylonian Talmud, for instance.

Today, many believe Jesus was a mad homosexual who is currently in hell boiling in excrement (whether or not this is supported in the Babylonian Talmud is up for debate, but the fact that necromancy and other occult practices are in the text aren’t).

The major conflict of the Bible has always been satan’s attempt to disrupt God’s plan. Corrupting the flesh of the earth so Jesus couldn’t be born didn’t work, so what better way to stop the plan than to corrupt God’s people in their hearts? Make them so over the top religious most couldn’t even find their savior when confronted with him face to face.

It is Israel’s repeated failings that paved a way for gentiles to be allowed into the new covenant through Christ.

In Luke chapter 2 (29-32), the wise man Simeon even acknowledges this, stating:

God planned on saving us Gentiles all the way from Jesus’ birth, it wasn’t just some fluke Jesus decided about partway through his ministry. Even the wise recognized the Gentiles would be saved and bring glory back to Israel.

Now, this is important for multiple reasons, and Israel’s failing to be faithful has everything to do with them.

1. God made a covenant with Israel, and no matter how faithless (even adulterous) they are, God is good and will not break his promise.

2. God banked on Israel’s wickedness to kill Christ and therefore usher in the new covenant, saving both the Jew and the Gentile

3. No part of Israel being holy or good had anything to do with this - which ties back into the way being to God is through Jesus Christ, not by works, so that no man may boast.

Israel has to be the bad guys because satan has tried everything to corrupt them and get God to break his promise. He hasn’t and he won’t - even when some of them were worshipping Canaanite gods and throwing their children in the fire.

No matter how bad Israel gets, God will not break his promise. This shows the glory of God that he is faithful unto all else.

And the ending is already written. One day the Jewish people will recognize the glory of Christ. They will come back around.

That coming back around is why we support Israel. Not because they are sinless or more holy than the gentiles (though I have unironically heard some Christians say all Jews get an automatic pass to heaven), but because they show the extremes God will go to to bring us back to him.

It doesn’t matter how far you go. Ask for forgiveness and God will take you back with open arms.

————————

Side note:

Before I get accused of antisemitism for simply stating Israel is flawed like the rest of us - I do not for a second believe that they are wholly evil people. I speak more of Israel as an institution than individuals, the same way it would be ridiculous to measure all Americans by the same rod.

What a country does isn’t always what the people wants, and it’s not my place to say what Israel should and shouldn’t do.

I would simply like for Christians to know who they are supporting and why. And, ideally, correct their reasoning.

No one on earth is without sin, especially God’s chosen.

But God always chose the meek, the sick, the social outcasts, and the damned to be his messengers, didn’t he? :)

#christian #faith #christianity #jesus #church #judiasm #Israel #israel vs palestine #israel vs hamas

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studentinpursuitofclouds · 5 months

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I always have this feeling about Castle Village is that it’s not as lively as Pelican Town, like everything there is like an empty desert. There are not much trees growing there, no snow, no cold weather, flowers are rare over there.

What are your views on it? I wanna hear your opinion.

I have to disagree, dear anon, about Castle Village not being as lively as Pelican Town. Well, there's nothing in Crimson Baldlans but a perpetually howling bloody sandstorm and merciless monsters - that's undeniable. But thanks to wizards and witches (special credit to Camilla), people were able to find a home even in the literal hell on earth.

From the size of the concept-art that FlashShifter showed, and my perception before watching the interview, gave me an idea that the place is pretty big. Probably a bit bigger than Pelican Town itself (that's if you exclude the railroad area, the beach and the forest).

Of course, given the closed nature of the village itself and the fact that only Camilla decides who is allowed to enter, it makes it clear that you can't expect an influx of tourists. However, don't forget that the Castle Village is the main coven and gathering centre for all adventurers and wizards in the whole Republic, where you can buy a new sword, enchant amulets, stock up elixirs, sell valuable monster loot, learn to develop your magical talent, hone your swordsmanship, or just be in the company of people who work as hardened monster hunters. The many who have been given permission to step onto this land and purchase property, as well as the number of indigenous people who were born in the Village, will cumulatively make up the same number of people as in our good old Pelican Town.

As for the setting of the town itself - I always thought that the walls of Castle Village were built around a magical oasis that allowed people to live here, providing a source of fresh water and food resources, and protecting the oasis from corrupt magic was the job of the Ministry of Magic, Camilla in particular, since she was the one who lived here.

I always thought Crimson Baldlans was just an ordinary desert with unusual oases. Dark magic of unknown origin slowly but surely consumed the entire desert over a long period of time, but the magic that surrounded the oases tried to resist the dark onslaught. Unfortunately, it was not possible to resist for too long (to prove my headcanon, I will give the example of that black lake in Crimson Baldlans, where we could fish in the game). There was only one oasis left, the most important one, and the wizards of the time realized that their only hope of salvation lay in this little scrap of life in the middle of an already corrupted desert, as it held the secret to fighting this dark magic. The people built walls, put up a magical shield and began to study and guard the oasis. Some were immersed in the search for answers to this important question, others just wanted to live without worries, mages and adventurers settled here, started a family, the settlement grew, and we have what we have.

By the way, I'll add that one of my favourite headcanons that I've never written about here (or did, but forgot lol) is that once in a while Camilla opens up for a day or two for all the merchants that somehow know about the Castle Village to enter here so they can sell their wares and buy raw materials from the local merchants. A sort of event where there's a bazaar in the centre of the village, so there's even more people for a while (Thanks to this ambient that inspired this idea): 👇

https://youtu.be/8uRtW8lBe0I?si=19f49CEV1_IYIVg5

The climate is a bit more complicated, because time and weather in the village itself under the magic dome now flows differently: it's always, I think, a warm spring (late spring, when it should smoothly turn into a hot summer, to be even more precise), while everything outside the walls of the impregnable fortress has nothing that hints at life but a searing sun, a desert storm, and certain death. I swear, some of the natives are sure to complain that Crimson Baldlans has "heat worse than Hell".

I don't usually focus on comparing the world building of SDV and SVE with the real world, but the setting, buildings, objects that I saw in the latest teaser from FlashShifter about the Castle Village reminded me of Egyptian motifs, and the Middle East in general. I could be wrong, it's just my guess, so feel free to write about your theories!

So, conclusion:

For me, the Castle Village is provided as a hub for all monster hunters, adventurers, mages, wizards and people who are not sceptical or fearful of magic. Each house is an impregnable fortress of dark stone, the same as the walls of the Village. The main magical academy and the most imposing Adventurers Guild towers above this houses. There is sand everywhere, and only a few places have emerald grass, flowers, ponds and gardens of extraordinary beauty with many different plants and sculptures. Everywhere there is the smell of spices, the noise of markets, laughter in taverns, the clinking of blades, and the air is saturated with magic.

Nevertheless, there is gloom, isolation from the world and a huge graveyard, reminding all residents and visitors to the Continent of Galdora that this is not a perfect blooming paradise and how easy it is to lose one's life. That the vast number of graves are but a small fraction of those fallen heroes who gave everything to protect this place, for many of their fellows still walk around as soulless shells, shadows of their former selves. That almost all of the part of the place they call home is a cursed land that will spare no one.

#I had such a funny transition from journalistic style to literary style when describing Castle Village. But it is what it is #That was super interesting topic thank you dear anon for that! ☺️#SVE #stardew valley expanded #SVE would building #thanks for the ask!

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hoursofreading · 6 months

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reading resolution 2024

i made a reading list for 2023, but tbh, i really didn't check off most of it. to my surprise, i read a lot of fiction and i'm really grateful that 2023 exposed me to great stories (shout out to fairy tale, my first stephen king novel) in that spirit, i'd definitely like to read more fiction in 2024 to expand and broaden my perspectives b/c as we know, that's the true purpose of literature. so:

fiction

east of eden by steinbeck

the covenant of water by abraham verghese

ministry for the future & new york 2140 by kim stanley robinson

tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow by gabrielle zevin

their eyes were watching god by zora neale hurston

shirley by charlotte bronte

the mill on the floss by george eliot

middlemarch by george eliot

lord of the rings trilogy by tolkien

to the lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

nonfiction

eve: how the female body drove 200 million years of human evolution

intact: a defence of the unmodified body

english food: a people's history

normal women by phillipa gregory

100 ways to change your life by Liz Moody

of time and turtles by sy montgomery

Christian Wiman, Zero at the Bone: Fifty Entries Against Despair

the second sex by Simone Beauvoir

the marriage question: George Eliot’s Double life

Resistance: The Underground War Against Hitler, 1939-1945

women in early modern england by patricia Crawford

jane austen: women, politics and the novel by claudia johnson

streets of gold

the power broker by robert caro

the entirety of lbj's biography by robert caro (yes, all of it)

king, a life

the quickening by elizabeth rush

phantom plague

some books on Covid, the black plague, pandemics etc

some books by adam tooze, siddhartha mukherjee

some books on Buddhism

some books by Robert Danton

#books

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brandwhorestarscream · 7 months

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Yessss Megatron should be so protective of him.

But yes, Starscream gets into the Academy. Obviously. He never doubted it. There, he meets Thundercracker and Skywarp and quickly recruits them as his lackeys. They don't really agree with it, but it's rather hard to argue when there's a Unicronian looming in the background. Is that teeth, gleaming in his shadow?

They eventually end up as friends, even if Starscream refuses to admit it.

His first goal, he tells Megatron, is to take over the school.

It will be done, Megatron replies, and there's hunger in those words.

Oooh Sky and TC at magic school! I'm guessing Skywarp has portal magic, able to bend time and space! He's always summoning stuff from other dimensions to do his bidding: he's a master at commanding otherworldly beasts and familiars, and pretty much never walks anywhere: he just opens up a portal and hops through. And Thundercracker!! I imagine he has sound magic, kinda like the bard coven of TOH: he weaponizes music, sounds, explosions, anything: his magic can hypnotize, can make people spill their guts, can bring them to their knees writing in pain from a sound only they can hear. Maybe he can also hear voices and desires of those that have passed on?

Regardless! They're incredible and Starscream definitely chose well when he picked them to be his unwilling teammates. His status as the only one with a Unicronian seals the deal, and they do come to eventually love their chaotic little trine leader. The three of them combined are a force to be reckoned with, and it probably won't be long before whatever this universe's version of a Ministry of Magic is takes notice of them

Megatron always keeps a sharp eye on those two. Power corrupts, that's just a fact of life: enough temptation and they'd surely turn on his tiny mortal master, and if that happens he'll be sure to devour their sparks before it can happen. Starscream gets more and more powerful every day, so he's bound to make enemies. Megatron is happy to take care of them 😌

Maybe he as a Unicronian feeds on people's worst desires and impulses, maybe he just actually sustains himself on the life force of the living, or whole sparks. Who knows? But regardless, Starscream's ambitions means he gets to eat well, so he's not complaining

#mystic might au

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just-bible-musings · 6 months

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I think it's about time I state my opinion on the war in Palestine.

I've been watching and reading viewpoints from both sides of the war. I will not say anything against Israel, because God clearly told Abraham, "I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee" (Genesis 12:3). I do not know whether Israel is doing what God wants them to do or not. Each side is citing genocide, propaganda, and war crimes from the other side, so I figure either both sides are lying, or both sides are doing things that may not be proper, even in war.

What I do know is that God promised that Israel would be His nation forever, because He made an everlasting covenant with them. So He is on their side. But I also know that God does not approve of anyone, including (especially!) his own people, doing things under their own power and outside of His will.

For the record, the Old Testament lists many groups of people- the Ammonite, the Edomites, the Midianites, and others- to whom God sent prophets saying that He would wipe them out because of the things they did to Israel. The descriptions of the things these other nations did often match the things that Israel has claimed Hamas did to them.

But there are some differences between then and now. For one thing, sometimes God didn't even use Israel to destroy these other nations. There are stories in the Bible of God sending wild animals into the cities of Israel's enemies, or of God allowing/arranging things so that Israel's enemies fought each other and the Israelites never had to lift a finger.

And after Jesus' ministry, things changed in the world. We no longer live under "eye for an eye," Jesus called us to love and to forgive, as He does. He often had to correct His disciples and tell them "no, we will not call down fire from heaven," or "put away your sword." And my understanding is that God is waiting until the world has reached a point where there is no one left who will turn to Him, and then Jesus will return and wipe out all those who oppose Him and His people (which, btw, will include only those who have accepted Jesus as their Saviour, whether Gentile Christians or Messianic Jews).

So I can't say whether Israel is fighting this war the way God wants them to fight it. I can't even say that God wants them to fight this war at all. What I can do is pray that Israel does whatever God directs them to do, and if they do not, then I know He will do with Israel whatever He sees fit.

I also know one other thing: that at the end of this age, all the nations of the world will gather and march on Israel at Armageddon. Sometimes God allows people to do certain things, things that we consider to be evil, things that even God says are evil, so that the future will come to pass (I have some other thoughts on this topic, I will address them in another post). So it could be that God is simply allowing Israel to wage this war in the way they are because this is what it will take to make the entire world turn against Israel (and against God). That, to me, is reason enough to stand back and shut my mouth about what I think is right or wrong.

#current events #israel #palestine #israelite history #the old testament #jesus #revelation #armageddon

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