#lord almighty why do people think i care about their opinions

[alldni]

ranking the ada by how good the blunt rotation is.

number one is kenji. he is a good young man and never touches it which is why he’s the best. other people get really weird when they’re sober around high people and start treating them like little kids. but kenji looks at you like this 😃 carries entire cases of water bottles to you and tells you stories about cows and gardening that would be so fucking boring sober, but are absolutely resplendent when you’re high as fuck. he can one hand carry you to bed too so you don’t have wander through The Fog to curl up in the sheets if you green out. unfortunately the one downside is that if you smoke in front of kenji kunikida puts a gun to your head

two is tanizaki. he’s just so totally chill about it. he owns a beautiful ornate bong that always has crystal clear water. you sit there and smoke and eat fritos the whole time and it’s beautiful. now unfortunately his illusion is super freaky so if he’s high and using his ability you might have a bad time. but also he could make sesame street appear before your eyes and you’d have such a beautiful time.

coming in at number three definitely atsushi. the first time he smokes he is terrified horrified crying shaking sooo nervous but the second time you can tell he did a bunch of research and suddenly he’s like super expert at it. or less that he’s expert and more that he’s so desperate to prove he’s good at it he starts taking furious bong rips so fast you think he’ll die and his ability is probably the only reason he survives. also he becomes insanely hilarious and out of pocket

fukuzawa at four. this experience would be heavenly. you’d feel like an eighty year old lounging on the front porch in the sun. you smoke from a perfectly rolled joint and listen to him share every opinion he has on everyone in the ada or whatever and then he starts showing you pictures of his cats. he has a medical marijuana card for joint pain. he tells you he loves you and starts listing all your strengths and then lovingly explaining in vivid detail how he thinks you can improve.

kunikida at five purely for humor factor i think. in high school he was a super stoner and now he has seven bongs hidden under his bed. if you somehow got him to smoke with you he would manage to, in mere hours, procure the most amazing heavenly fresh weed you’ve ever smoked. you’ve gone to the garden of eden. unfortunately (and the reason why this is number four) he gets high and starts like reading shit from his ideals notebook to you and now you know too much about his ideal woman. and the next day he refuses to look you in the eyes. BUT he would be great at taking care of others while high i think — he’s the guy making sure everyone guzzles water at the sesh

lucy at number 6 for sure. the weed she gives you is so strong so lightning mcqueen quick-hitting so pungent… it’s probably a new strain called rainbow ballzapper4000 that francis bought from an illegal dispensary in america and she’s been waiting for the perfect moment to smoke it. she would end up taking you to her stupid pocket dimension because she would think it’s really really funny but you would feel like you’re trapped in your own personal hell. a mirage of pink and candy lord almighty. and you would be rapidly weakening shriveling up dying while she only gains strength. and you would want to kiss her

naomi at 7. i would rather kill myself than think about this further

number eight definitely yosano like this would be hell. because she would be so beautiful and transcendent and funny and cool and suave while you’re absolutely fucked up with whatever bullshit hopped up illegal strain she just presented you with. and if you started greening out she’d like give you water or whatever but then she would decide the height of comedy is like describing all the ways you could suddenly die in that moment. “did you know you could get vitamin E lung poisoning from smoking carts? do your lungs feels tight right now? 😃” and it would almost seem like she hoped you say yes. however she would actually try to keep your physical well-being in mind and she would make sure you ate and drank and got to bed ok etc

nine dazai. the ninth circle of hell. i would rather smoke with like francis or something than with this guy. dazai hears “smoke sesh” and asks chuuya to procure him weed and chuuya goes to his basement where he has the saddest most shriveled up little plant and he carefully harvests some flower and carefully prepares it and carefully rolls up two joints and kisses them both (in case dazai smokes from them both) and then you smoke this sad weed that barely hits and you sit there and wait to get high and dazai doesn’t even smoke anything. and you’re like dazai what the fuck. and then dazai pulls something out of his pocket and it’s fentanyl laced shit he got from somewhere else and he starts talking about how much he hopes it’ll work. and then he stares wide eyed and pathetic faced at you and starts ranting about how much he hates chuuya. and then he hands you the fent laced weed

last ranpo. if you start greening out he just starts reading you to fucking filth and you’re mentally destroyed for a week.

#tw drugs #bsd #bungou stray dogs #dazai osamu #kenji miyazawa #atsushi nakajima #ranpo edogawa #kunikida doppo #fukuzawa yukichi #yosano akiko #lucy maud montgomery #naomi bsd #tanizaki junichirou

[sleepyemoxd]

Lee!Moon rambles plus Lee!Sunny hehe this one's gonna be a doozy

TW for heavy mentions of abuse and electrocution at the beginning

So this takes place after y/n who in this au was someone Sun and Moon would take care of regularly started working at the pizzaplex

You were in charge of working with the daycare attendants, needless to say they were not too happy about the amount of abuse that your closest childhood friends were forced to endure

Taking notice of the fact that both of the twins were in very poor condition physically and mentally

Sun had really bad anxiety issues, and didn't... didn't really have the best coping mechanisms, he was constantly neglected and ignored by maintenance

And then Moon.... sweet lord almighty where do I even start?? The poor thing was an utter train wreck, he would constantly isolate himself from the other animatronics, he was always berating himself over something, he had very severe ptsd, trust issues, depression etc etc AND on top of all that, maintenance would beat, taze, degrade.... heck, they'd frigging strap him to a cold metal table or an old wooden chair and freaking electrocute him for up to 30 minutes straight

Why, you may ask? Because he accidentally dropped something, or he made some idiot parent mad or god forbid had an opinion

He wouldn't even accept a blanket as a form of comfort because he felt like he didn't deserve it after the trouble he caused while infected

Y/n put a stop to such poor treatment immediately

There was no way in hell you were gonna just sit there and watch those bastards torture them

But, even after the abuse stopped they were still overwhelmed with stress

Whether it be from bratty children, entitled adults, break-ins or kidnappings, they just couldn't seem to get a break from all the chaos

They needed an outlet, something to relax and refresh their systems Remedy for this?

Tickle therapy

Yes, you read that right, they get literal tickle therapy

I mean think about it, laughter is the best cure for sadness and stress

So basically you take one jumpy and nervous bot, and a very sad and anxious bot down to parts and services to be tickled until they're both squeaky, giggly puddles with the help of robotic hands and soft rotating brushes and a variety of other tools

The twins gave different reactions to the wiggling fingers

Sun squeaked and giggled nervously before the tickles even started And immediately exploded with bright happy laughter when they did, especially when they found his rays and hips

Moon on the other hand was a bit more tsundere and tried to hold in his laughter in hopes that you'd give up and think he wasn't ticklish, but utterly crumbled when he felt fingers gently squeezing and spidering at his tummy

And lost his frigging mind when he felt soft rotating bristles teasing his lower tum and dent, those darned bristles were killer no matter how much he thrashed they started glued to that one spot

Same with Sunny, when they latched on to his rays, it was over for him

Okay that's all I have atm, hopefully I'll get back to posting more regularly but that depends on if my brain decides to work in my favor lol

But anyways, I hope this inspires people to make art of the bois being wrecked

#sfw tickling community #fnaf tickles #lee!moondrop #lee!mooncake #lee!moon #sfw tickles #daycare attendant #fnaf sb #lee!sundrop #lee!sun #let's see how this one does

[preppernewstoday]

Articles in SurvivalBlog are generally, focused on practical “How To” survivalist topics. I’ve been concerned more about my mental and emotional state lately. With so much negative news as of late, I’ve been focused on the practicality of managing my spirit as I work on practical things. I thought I’d share – this is where I stand. There comes a time when you realize that there is nothing left to do but face the Evil and stand firm. You’re done with trying to convince people, especially people you dearly love, that the Evil is here now. You’ve reconciled yourself to the facts, hard facts, that Evil is afoot, and embraced even, by a large number of people around you. You stare at them in wonder that they can’t see the Evil that is parading in front of them, or that they purposefully refuse to see it, or they’re so distracted they can’t see it. You’re stunned that they continue eating, drinking, and being merry, as if they had not a care in the world. You watch them spending money on lavish vacations, petulantly complaining about things that won’t matter in eternity or when the Schumer Hits The Fan (SHTF). It’s as if you’ve become the alien on a strange planet. You begin to withdraw and just focus on the things in front of you – the things that do matter. What’s going to matter in eternity is how I loved and cared for my family; how I treated other people. It’s not going to matter what I look like, what I own or don’t own, where I’ve been, my educational status, or any status symbol. None of that is going to matter. It’s going to boil down to: did I listen to God’s voice, and do what He asked me to do, even if I got some parts of it wrong. My heart’s intentions are going to dearly matter. My actions as I work out those intentions are going to matter. There is no “virtue signaling” involved. There is no one to impress. Others’ opinions matter not. Many times in life, I took what I call a “small” stand. I call it small because compared to what we are now facing, it was small. That’s how it works. You take small stands for what you think is right, and slowly over time it becomes second nature. You take bigger, and more impactful, stands and you become intolerant of evil. A few simple examples are in order. When I was a very young mom, shopping with my children in a store, I found a few twenty dollars bills on the floor. Rather than pocket them, I showed my children what we do in such an instance, exhibiting that we do not take what is not ours to take. I looked around and there wasn’t anyone nearby. No one appeared to be looking for lost money. So, we took it up to the cashier and explained, giving her the cash to care for (it mattered not what she did with it). Later, when I was a career woman, I was propositioned by a male manager. I turned him down in no uncertain terms and of course I was laid off shortly thereafter. I knew why, and trusted God to provide for us. He did. As I went through life, many more tests presented themselves – they were harder, more intense, anguishing, but I stood my ground. Painfully, tearfully, sometimes in righteous indignation, I stood my ground. The most recent example was that I refused the “clot-shot” and never looked back. I got over each hurdle, and the Lord has provided for me in ways I could not have imagined. Each time I took a stand, God came through for me, and my Faith grew. Not because I am anything special, but because the Lord Almighty is capable. There’s nothing too hard for Him. All I have to do is Stand. When I see parents taking their children to “drag queen hour”, I get sick at my stomach. When I see videos of teachers who are purposefully indoctrinating children into any number of immoral doctrines, I can’t believe anyone has a child in public education anymore. I read recently that more than two million children have been withdrawn from the public education system. I asked myself why haven’t all of them been taken out? When I see public documents, evidence, pertaining to election fraud, child sex trafficking, government corruption, etc.

, I don’t understand how the government is still functioning. When I see that large hospital systems have been quietly mutilating young children in the name of an insane ideology that children are born “gender fluid” and can one day decide which body parts they want to keep and which they want surgically removed or altered, I am outraged. What kind of people do these things? What sickness has taken over their hearts, minds, and hands that do the work? I’m in awe that any of us are still “holding our fire”. When I see churches teaching Marxist theology rather than the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it makes me terribly sad. When I see our government, literally, provoking WWIII, destroying the global economy for the sake of an ideology that has no true scientific basis, using fear and propaganda to manipulate people, I’m just sure we are headed for very dark times. I don’t know how dark it will get. I can only guess based on my knowledge of the history of the human race. People have done incredibly cruel and demonic things to other people throughout our entire existence. Why God hasn’t just said Enough!!, I don’t know. Perhaps He wants every single human being to have one last chance to repent before bringing forth the horses of the Apocalypse. In the meantime, as Francis Schaeffer, a Christian theologian, famously wrote, “How Should We Then Live?” In my mind, it’s simple, but not easy. This is next level up from beans, bullets, and band-aids. It’s about a state of mind. It’s about walking in Peace while chaos swirls around us. It’s about believing that our Heavenly Father does indeed care about us, and that we aren’t just tossing about in a tiny boat in the middle of the sea with no help on the horizon. I couldn’t say that without having been rescued by Him time and time again, and personally witnessed His power. When I pray, I start by thanking Him for everything I can think of first. Then, I begin with my requests. After that, I go about my day on this little farm, tending to the land and the animals. It’s as if Someone gave me a refreshing, fulfilling, sip of something, first thing in the morning that lasts the whole day. As each challenge presents itself, throughout each day, I take a moment and thank Him, then request help, then I keep moving forward. I’m not saying there’s any magic to that formula, it’s just what I’ve come to do. Of course, I get slightly panicked from time to time. Don’t we all? As an example, I’ve had to have the siding on the house replaced. Underneath there was rot. I pretty much panicked over the increased costs, especially after just having had the roof replaced. I had to complain for a while, then I stopped myself. I went back to thanking Him, then asking Him to make this situation manageable for me. I know that He can actually heal the house – He’s that incredibly powerful. Remember, He invented “physics” and “gravity”, and with His very breath He holds the Universe together. No, I didn’t go out on the front lawn, waving my hands at the house, praying for healing! Although, that would’ve been a sight to behold. I just thanked Him, made my requests, and kept moving. As it turns out, the damage to the house is looking like something I can easily manage. I am so grateful. Financial stress, especially in these times, can be difficult to manage. Following Christ is not always roses and butterflies. Nope. There are usually a lot of thorns involved, as Jesus will tell you Himself. What I’ve learned is that all I have to do is Stand Firm on His principles. He will give me the strength to endure it. I think we are afraid, sometimes, that something is going to be too hard to bear. And because of that fear, we refuse to move forward, and we are afraid to stand firm. No matter what is coming… No matter if everything is taken from me… I’m not going to comply with a godless ideology. “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” (I Corinthians 15:55) I realize that a lot of people who read this blog do

not profess Christianity, and I often think that they might dismiss my thoughts as not relevant to them. I have to ask, what do you gain by conforming to the world’s system? Comfort, for a time? What do you have to lose by standing your ground, refusing to comply with an unholy alliance of people committed to an ideology that takes away your very freedom? Your freedom to choose how you will live, Who you will worship, how you will raise your children? No matter how you look at it, you lose, even when you go along to get along. And once you’ve complied, they take a little more from you, and then a little more, until there’s nothing left. Will you really be happy owning nothing? How about when they implant a little device in your head that manages your behavior, and a little device in your hand that gives you access to things you need? You could just kick back with the virtual reality glasses on and slip into a controlled environment where you don’t think or feel for yourself. How does that sound? No matter what your spiritual condition, you are a spiritual being. You were born to think your own thoughts, make your own decisions, and choose your own actions. You can’t be anything else. You are a human being created by God. You need to own yourself. And in so doing, recognize that there is help, but it doesn’t come in the form of Things necessarily. It comes in the form of spiritual, mental, and emotional peace, with the strength to keep moving forward. I don’t make good decisions when I’m in a state of turmoil, fear, doubt, or anger. I make good decisions when I’m calm, humble, and willing to stand firm, come what may. Brandon Smith’s recent article, reposted in SurvivalBlog, talked about how we must develop alternative systems within our states in order to survive the travesties our Federal government is thrusting upon us. I agree. But, we must have our hearts and minds right with God so that we are fearless rather than fearful, and at peace in the midst of chaos. I am firm on the fact that I’m not going to comply with godless edicts. I pray that God will fill me with His strength to continue. And that He will take me from this earth in His timing. May God be with us.

[fuyunoakegata]

Titans Season 3 spoilers and discussion below the cut. And I’m cranky about several events so far, so there is definitely some criticism.

Okay. I grew up in the 70s and 80s. And we watched 50s and 60s tv, too. So my level of just how much crap I’ll put up with in tv and movies is pretty high. I’m used to cheesiness, ridiculous plots that make no sense, poor costuming and next to no budget for special effects, indifferent acting and poor casting choices, writers just phoning it in, etc. I tend to stick with a show longer than many people I talk to these days, and I think it’s because hey, whatever is on these days at least looks nicer than what I grew up with, and I’m already used to a lot of shows really not being all that great. Plus, I know some shows do take a while to get their footing, and then they do get more enjoyable. And as long as there is something enjoyable and they haven’t absolutely alienated me with the unenjoyable parts, I’ll keep watching if it’s something that was important enough to get me invested to begin with... which is why I’m still watching Titans (and because I think Brenton Thwaites is a good Dick Grayson).

This season, though... there was some of this last season, but wow, it’s starting to actually hurt to see how the writers seem to envision Dick now. I know this isn’t a kids show and there’s violence, and I knew Jason was going to be Red Hood, so I just waited and kept my peace when they did that in the first 5 minutes of the show. I wasn’t so happy at the portrayal of Jason, though. I know the characterizations aren’t the same as the comics I prefer, but at some point when you stray far enough away, the only thing shared is the name (like Robin in Teen Titans Go, you know?). 

It’s the same with Jason in Titans. I can’t handle him being nothing more than a ball of anger and hate (and not even having Lazarus pit rage or Bruce replacing him so quickly and not avenging him as the impetus for change... because it isn’t a change in this show; it’s Jason’s normal status quo). I can’t handle Dick and Bruce and Babs implying that Jason voluntarily studying something in a book is out of character. At least last season, I could enjoy him with Rose. So far this season, I’m hating it. Four eps in and I haven’t seen him do a single thing I’ve liked or enjoyed. 

And do I even have to say anything about Bruce? I already fairly well hated him last season. This season, if anything, my opinion of him has dropped even more. THAT is not my Batman OR Bruce Wayne.  Dick had it right when he said “Fuck Batman” *sigh*

Dove? yeah, same shit, different season. I liked her first season, but season two, not so much. Even as she left in episode 4, I felt sorry for her, and remembered why I originally liked her some, but, eh. I was just glad she was leaving because she was doing the same junk with Dick that I started hating her for last season.

Hank... I cried, okay? I know, this isn’t a Disney movie, but I expected the good guys to win (I know yeah, they already killed Garth and Donna off, but I’m expecting Donna to come back, so that one didn’t hurt as much, ok?). And I don’t know why, because yeah, they definitely have him in the archetype of asshole of the team, but... he had dimension to him and at least one of the writers managed to make me care for him. So yeah. I’m really torn up about Hank, and damnit, they better have made it worth something GOOD by the end of the season, or I’m going to be really cranky. Don’t manipulate my emotions and call it good writing unless something more than just me crying comes out of it. 

And Dick. I wasn’t even going to say anything until the Blackfire episode. But good lord almighty, I am not going to take this one and not bitch about it. I’ve been silently fuming about Jason and how horribly OOC he is, but jeez. No. In a normal timeline, absolutely not. Dick is not going to kill that wolf, BEHEAD THAT WOLF AND TAKE THE HEAD LIKE A TROPHY, and then casually remark to fucking Scarecrow that he shouldn’t have been afraid of the wolf, the wolf should have been afraid of him. 

Yeah, there are still some things I enjoy, and I do want to know what happens with the story, and I want to see how the other characters fare, but I am fucking done with how they’re showing Gotham and characters I love; and we don’t deserve what they’re doing to them.

#Titans criticism #rant #I'm just really tired of this

[tinyboxxtink]

"Doppelganger" *Part 23*

WHOO, y'all. I don't know what it is about this story but I am just...rolling it all out with the tragic backstory. No angst, I promise-- It ends happy chill out. But damn. Maybe I'm working out my own issues in here...lulz.

This gif will make so much sense you have no idea.

PART 22

Part 24

Tag List

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@objection-argumentative

------

“....And how did that make you feel?”

You tried not to laugh out loud as the question left Dr. Crestview’s mouth. Did she really just ask you that?

“...I mean it makes me ‘feel’ bad,” You rolled your eyes with a laugh while looking out the window. When you turned back to the doctor she was not laughing, and she was writing something down.

“...That was a joke,” You clarified.

“Oh yes, I get it,” She nodded as she continued writing.

“Do you?” You asked her frankly. The question caused her to stop writing and look at you.

“Mrs. Barba--”

“Ms. YLN,” You corrected. “I’m not married yet,”

“...Hmm, interesting,” She wrote something down. Seriously? She even had an insight on what-- technicalities?

“I’m sorry, was that some sort of test?” You asked sarcastically.

“Actually, it was,” She said to your surprise.

“Excuse me?” You looked at her, baffled.

“You know when most women get engaged, they start imagining their last names as their husbands. You know such as changing their signature, gathering documents, and the like,”

“...Are you serious?” You laughed again. “This is 2021 lady, half the women I know didn’t even take their husband’s last name at all,”

“And is that what you’re going to do?” She asked. “Keep your last name?”

“...If I say yes are you going to psychoanalyze that too?” You crossed your arms.

“In my experience Ms. Y/L/N, women who don’t want to change their last names tend to do so because they want to keep their independence, their…’identity’. They think taking a man’s last name is ‘giving up’ something. Giving up their identity,” She explained.

“...And?” You gestured with your hand as if waiting for her to continue.

“And in my educated opinion, it also signifies a woman going into a marriage with one foot out of the door already,” She simply stated.

“Wow,” You shook your head with a sarcastic laugh. “Did I come here to resolve my trauma, or for marriage advice?”

“I think they’re one and the same, Ms. Y/L/N,” She stayed completely calm and emotionless.

“Are they?” You raised an eyebrow.

“Given what you’ve told me in our last few sessions, you’ve given off a tone that you don’t think you deserve good things. Maybe you’re keeping on foot out of your relationship so that when it falls apart, you’ll be ready,”

“Wow....wow,” You started to stand up and storm out of the office, but she stopped you with a question.

“I’m sorry if I offended you with my observation Y/N, but be honest. Am I wrong?”

You thought about all the talks you had with Rafael about ‘not being good enough’ for him, or ‘stealing his love’. And on the one hand you felt that you were ‘connected’, you felt safe and secure. After everything you’d been through, it was almost impossible not to be, right? Right?

“....And what is your magic solution to this feeling, doctor?” You crossed your arms.

“You need to forgive yourself,”

“...Jesus Christ,” You rolled your eyes with another laugh as you paced the room. “Really? That’s your solution? Telling me something I already know?”

“No, my solution is this: You need to apologize to your parents,”

“EXCUSE ME?” You practically screamed.

“You blame yourself for their death, correct? You think that because of their desire to make you happy they risked their lives driving into the city and therefore got into their accident,” She looked over her notes from past sessions with you.

“...Right,” You looked down at the floor.

“And I don’t think that you have ever forgiven yourself for that. And in not doing so, you haven’t forgiven yourself for anything you’ve done since then. All these things you say you’ve ‘done’ to Mr. Barba that you should be ‘punished’ for-- he doesn’t see it that way. Other people don’t see it that way. Your parents' accident wasn’t your own doing, getting kidnapped wasn’t your fault. I think that you need to find closure with your parent’s death before you can even begin to ‘forgive’ yourself for whatever transpired between you and Nevada Ramirez,”

“....So you want me to apologize to my parents? How are they going to ‘forgive’ me?” You asked her.

“I think you’ll find Ms. Y/L/N that just the act of apologizing will bring about its own form of forgiveness,” She smiled.

“.....Right…” You tried not to sound condescending, but for a shrink she sure sounded crazy.

“Or don’t listen to me, I can’t force you to do anything. But that is my advice,” She shrugged.

“Noted. Thank you, doctor,” You nodded and walked out the door.

----

You walked out into the streets of the city from your doctor’s office and thinking about just how or when you’d have a chance to go to your hometown where your parents were, when you were stopped by a young girl on the street.

“Oh my god...you’re Y/N!” She gasped.

“...Yes?” You stared at her blankly.

“You’re that girl who killed Nevada Ramirez!” She squealed, causing a few people to stare and take pictures of you as they walked past.

“Oh good lord…” You muttered nervously. “Yeah well um--”

“Can I get a selfie with you?”

“Um--” You looked around, not sure of what to do. You wanted to run down the street screaming, but you thought better of it. You turned back to her with the fakest smile you could form.

“Sure!” You threw an arm around her and smiled as big as you could as she snapped a selfie with her phone.

“Thanks!” She beamed at you. “ And by the way, your fiancé is REALLY sexy,”

“Oh girl I know,” You faked a laugh and a toss of your hair as she walked away with a laugh.

It really creeped you out that girls were ‘fangirling’ over your fiancé. As if you weren’t worried about keeping a hold of him all on your own. Also how did she even know what he looked like?

The article.

You grabbed your phone and did something you told yourself you’d never do: You googled yourself.

The first thing that popped up was an article on the NYTimes.com front page:

“Fairy Tale Romance Or Horror Movie?”

...What the fuck?

The article contained your video as the main focus. Then under it the article basically dictated the video, with Tasha’s opinions thrown in here and there. Then most of the photos from the photoshoot of you and Rafael were at the bottom of the page. They were gorgeous, you had to admit. Granted you were both airbrushed to hell, but Rafael in a suit drove you nuts. Even if it was just on a screen. You dialed his number as you continued walking down the street.

“....Hola, mi amor. How is my pinguino feeling?”

“Well she’s currently feeling like she’s got the sexiest man in New York City,” You grinned.

“Oh really? And why’s that?” He asked you curiously.

“Check out the picture I’m texting you,” You grinned as you texted him one of the photos from the spread.

“Oh Christ…” You heard him mutter through the phone, causing you to giggle.

“Oh yes, you even have your own fangirls now,” You rolled your eyes with a smile.

“No I do NOT,” He argued in disbelief.

“Yeah I’d be careful leaving your office there counselor, a group of tweens might be waiting outside,”

“Oh my god...they’re breaching the doors!” He acted terrified, making you laugh harder.

“Oh I think I see one,” You whispered as if you were sneaking up on someone. “She’s holding a ‘Barba 4Eva’ poster board,”

“You better be kidding,” He warned.

“No, in fact I think she’s right outside your door,” You bit your tongue with a smile.

“Oh well I’d better call security then,” He chuckled as he sauntered over to his office door and swung it open.

“Oh my Gooodddddddd it’s Rafael Barba!!! The sexiest ADA in New York City!!” You giggled wildly, jumping into his arms like a crazed fan.

“I should definitely look into some armed guards at my door,” He laughed as he pulled you into his arms and kissed you.

“Oh most definitely, wouldn’t want to let the crazies in,” You nodded as you kissed him again.

“Well I think it’s too late for that…” He teased you while tousling your hair.

“Shut up,” You playfully hit his hands away.

“Speaking of crazy, how was therapy today mi amor?” He asked cheekily.

Wowwwww, sexy AND sensitive, how did I get so lucky?” You rolled your eyes. “Actually, she gave me homework,”

“Did she?” He inquired.

“Yes,” You suddenly got very serious. “She um, she told me I need to go see my parents,”

“...Your parents?” His eyebrows furrowed.

“Yeah, something about needing to ‘apologize’ to them or some weird shrink thing like that,”

“....Do you think it will help?”

“I mean...” You sighed and looked out the window. “I don’t know. But I’d like to try,”

“Bueno,” He nodded walking closer to you and kissing the top of your head. “So are you going to go now or--?”

“Well I was kind of hoping you’d come with me,” You bit your lip. You didn’t know if asking him to come along on your shrink homework assignment was allowed, but you knew you couldn’t do this alone. Maybe that was the point.

“Really?”

“I mean, I met your family,” You half laughed, trying to make light.

“Right,” He nodded his head with a chuckle. “Well then, let’s go,”

“...Now?”

“Why not?” He started to walk towards the door.

“Don’t you have a job?” You pointed to his desk.

“Oh they just like to pay me to sit in here so nobody robs the place,” He joked as he grabbed his coat. “I have nothing going on today baby, they won’t miss me.”

“Okay then,” You shrugged uneasily. “Guess we’re going to Jersey,”

----------------

After a train ride and a taxi later, you arrived in your small town of Shallow Meadow.

“Christ Almighty, I knew Jersey was in the dark ages, but not even having Uber??” Rafael grumbled. He hadn’t been in the back of a dirty cab in such a long time, and now he remembered why.

“Alright Daddy Warbucks, chill,” You laughed as you started walking with him through town.

It was a quaint little town; one stop light, one grocery store, two bars, something out of an old movie really You know the movies where the car breaks down in the tiny shitty town and all the townspeople are flesh eating zombies or something. The people of Shallow Meadow were pretty much like that. Well, to you anyway.

“So why didn’t we just have the Mayberry Express drop us at the cemetery?”

“...Because we don’t have roads you can drive on up there,” You answered with a nervous smile.

“...Right,” He shook his head as he noticed people coming out of shops to stare at the two of you. “...Do I have some kind of weird sign on my back that says NEW YORKER or what?”

“No, but that thousand dollar suit screams “moneybags” out here,” You smirked. “Besides, they’re not staring at you they’re staring at me,”

“...What? How do you know that?”

As if it was answering his question, a girl with bright red hair dressed in farm clothing and holding a baby on her hip came sauntering up to the two of you.

“Well lookie here,” She smirked. “Miss Prissy Pants brought back herself a Prissy Papa,”

“Excuse you?” Rafael was taken aback by such rudeness by such a poorly dressed person.

“Marla back off,” You scowled at her. “Just because you’re upset I found treasure and you’re stuck with trash--”

“OH, is that what we are now? Trash?” Marla spat. “You have a lot of nerve coming back here and saying that, murderer,”

“WHOA,” Rafael stepped in front of you. “I’m sorry, what-- what did you just call her?”

“Did she not tell you the story? Oh no wait I bet she did, her version. The version where she’s the victim and we’re all just the villains. Isn’t that right, Prissy?” She glared at you.

“...I never said you were--” You tried defending yourself.

“Really?” She scoffed. “Then why did you not even bother to show up to your folks’ funeral? Their ONLY daughter, the ones they DIED for. Couldn’t even be bothered to leave her high rise in the city to pay respects to the parents she KILLED,”

“It wasn’t like that and you KNOW it, Marla! And why was I going to come back? The only two people left in this town that tolerated me were gone--” You got up in her face.

“AND WHY IS THAT, Y/N?” She got back in yours, her baby almost falling out of her arms.

“Alright lady I don’t know who you are, but you’re going to back the hell off my fiancée--”

“Oh good God, your fiancé?” Marla laughed. “You would find yourself a sugar daddy, since you killed yours,”

“Alright you know what we’re leaving--” You grabbed Rafael’s hand and stomped away towards a huge hill that had a sign reading “CEMETERY” at the top.

“I hope you’re heading up there to beg their forgiveness Y/N, ‘cuz you sure as hell ain’t getting any down here!” Marla yelled angrily after you.

--------------

“...Well I think we just figured out where your forgiveness issues came from,” Rafael tried making light of the situation.

“Ya think?” You nodded.

“This whole time,” Rafael shook his head. “This whole time I thought you just had it in your mind that you were responsible for their death. But-- but you had an entire town telling you that,”

“...Yeah,” You shrugged.

“Why didn’t you ever say anything, baby?” Rafael took your hand as the hill got steeper.

“Because I thought they were right, Rafael!” You said in a ‘duh’ tone. “Why would I tell you that an entire town thought that I was a murderer? That’s not really a selling point on a partner,”

“...You thought they were right?”

“...Well, yeah,” You nodded softly with a small smile.

“And now…?”

Before you could answer, you reached the entrance of the cemetery. Luckily it wasn’t that big; you were ashamed to admit you didn’t even know where they were buried. But you found them in a small corner under a shade tree. You walked up to their mutual headstone:

“Y/M/N AND Y/D/N: Beloved Husband And Wife, Mayor and First Lady.”

“...Mayor?” Rafael looked at you in surprise.

“Yeah, well--” You shrugged. “You see why they were so beloved, and I was the hellish daughter that killed them?”

“Y/N…” Rafael put a hand on your shoulder.

“I was supposed to want to ‘take over the city’, like I would ever want to be in charge of anything in this stupid backwards hick ass town,” You scoffed angrily, tears stinging your eyes.

“...But didn’t you say that your parents wanted you to go to Juliard? Pursue your dreams?” Rafael asked in confusion.

“They did! My grandparents-- they had a different view,” You shook your head. “The...the hierarchy here it’s-- well it’s not really a democracy,”

“...How so…?” Rafael raised an eyebrow.

“Because everyone just loved and accepted my family as, I don’t know, the ‘royal’ family?” You felt so stupid comparing your family to the Royal Family, but you didn’t know how else to explain it.

“The Mayor and First Lady titles were just...passed down, in my family. And not because they were dictators or something,” You quickly added the last part, you didn’t want Rafael to think any less of your family than he probably already did.

“People here are just...simple,” You sighed. “They accept things the way they are, they hate change. So it was just assumed that my family would always be... "the family’,”

“But you didn’t want that,” Rafael said again.

“Of course I didn’t want that!” You scoffed. “I didn’t want to just get a high school degree and then marry some ‘Cletus’ redneck man from here and have ‘heirs’ just to keep the family going!”

“But your parents understood that,” Rafael reiterated.

“It didn’t matter what my parents did or didn’t understand. My grandfather had more clout with the townspeople here,” You rolled your eyes. “My dad was the ‘mayor’, but his dad controlled everything. His father had been the mayor for over thirty years before he passed it onto my dad, who didn’t really want it either” You walked up to the headstone and ran your fingers over your father’s name.

“....So when he tried to ‘save’ me from that life, my grandpa wouldn’t hear it. He blamed me for...for manipulating them into giving me anything I wanted, like I was a spoiled little child. He blamed me for them giving me their life savings to go to Julliard instead of putting it back into the town treasury. Then he blamed me when they got killed, and he just reinstated himself as mayor! Which, I haven’t checked but I’ll be damned if he isn’t still rattling around his old ass bones in our house! He’ll just haunt this place forever!” You threw your hands up and looked down angrily at the town down below.

“Carino…” Rafael came up behind you and wrapped his arms around your waist from behind. You took his hands in yours and kissed them before turning to face him. You looked into his sparkling green understanding eyes for a moment, before directing your attention back at the headstone.

“....This is Rafael Barba, mama and daddy,” You pulled him gently forward. “We’re getting married soon,”

“...Nice to meet you folks,” Rafael said awkwardly.

“...Raffi they’re dead,” You smiled jokingly.

“Right, right,” He shook his head with a small laugh.

“...He’s a very good man, daddy. I know you always wanted that. And he’s very handsome, so you’ll have beautiful grandchildren mama, just like you wanted,” You smiled while Rafael softly chuckled.

“...I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to come,” You finally said with tears rolling down your cheeks. “I should have been here sooner,”

“But you’re here now,” Rafael softly rubbed your back.

“Yeah…” You nodded softly. This was the hard part.

“...I’m---I’m sorry, that I made you feel like horrible parents that night,” You tried not to cry, but the memories of that night flooded your memory the more you spoke.

“I’m sorry that you thought you needed to come see me, that you weren’t good parents if you didn’t,” Your lip trembled, you fell to your knees.

“...I’m sorry the last words you heard from me were ‘I hate you’,” You finally broke down sobbing.

“Y/N…” Rafael knelt down next to you and held you in his arms as you cried.

“Do you get now why...why I don’t think I deserve you? Why don't I think I deserve anything? Why I think I have to take everything? Fake everything? Because I am such a terrible person my own parents died thinking I hated them because I was that horrible to them!”

“They didn’t think you hated them, carino,” Rafael rocked you back and forth. “They knew you loved them, I know they did,”

“You know you’re probably right, Rafael. But it--I needed them to hear it,” You nodded at the gravestone.

“And?”

“...And I feel a lot better,” You smiled as Rafael wiped tears from your face.

“Really?”

“Yeah…Really,” You chuckled. “I guess that therapist really knows what she’s doing,”

“She should for the amount of money I pay her,” Rafael shook his head with a laugh as he helped you stand up.

“...Thank you for doing this with me, amor,” You sniffled, pressing your forehead against his.

“Of course, penguino,” He kissed you softly. “And, for what it’s worth--” He added as you two walked back down the hill towards town.

“I think that if your parents were alive, they would be proud of you,”

“Oh, I know my mother would take one look at you and be DAMN proud,” You both laughed at that.

“And I also think they would be appalled to see how their townspeople treat their daughter,” He glared at the town.

“Yeah well,” You shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. Not anymore,”

“I’m glad to hear it,” He took your hands as the sun started to go down in your sleepy little town. “Now can we please get back to the city before I catch something out here?”

“Yes,” You giggled, staring at him lovingly.

“Let’s go home,”

#rafael barba imagine #rafael barba x you #rafael barba x reader #rafael barba #rafael barba fanfiction #law and order svu #law and order svu fanfiction smut #doppelganger

[koutone-moved]

Saeran/Ray After Ending: My Thoughts

Hey everyone! I’m not one to really go in-depth about stuff in here, but I really felt the urge to talk about this since Saeran is a character that is really dear to me and this After Ending was something that I and many, many other people had been looking forward to for a long time.

I’ll be talking spoilers about the entire AE below the cut, so please beware!

I wanted to start off with the things I really did enjoy. 

Cheritz trying new things with the AEs for both V and Saeran was really great, in my opinion. They could have stuck with the previous format of just giving us sneak peeks into the respective couple’s life after getting together but instead decided to turn them into complete story expansions that felt more like Secret Endings. The effort and care everyone at Cheritz has put into these storylines is incredible and they deserve all the kudos and praise. 

The chatroom format was a really cool idea and having the player influence the outcome was something I greatly enjoyed. Having the story be a romance/thriller combination was super fun and immersive, too. The prologue was a great hook in my opinion--it had my heart beating fast with anxiety from the very start lolol.

ALL THE SAERAN FLUFF AND CALLS, LORD ALMIGHTY. I ADORED EVERY SECOND OF IT! I totally picture Saeran being a really cheesy and adoring boyfriend, especially since MC is so precious to him. I think they hit the nail right in the head with this.

The CGs were BEAUTIFUL. I was shocked at how many we got for a 4-day story, and they all really brought the story to life. Huge props to Cheritz for the immense effort they put into them.

The first two days of the AE (though extremely anxiety-inducing and emotionally painful for most of their duration, lol) were super entertaining and how I had always envisioned the story going down. I think having the PM and the agency unite forces as the main antagonistic force was awesome, and I really wish the story had solely focused on them.

Now, the things I didn’t like.

The Rika drama. I totally understand why addressing and breaking down Rika’s terrible actions is important for Saeran’s story. But... why, why did we need to revisit the “actually Rika has always been a good person that did some bad things” plot point when it was already done to death in V’s AE and route? I’m sorry, but this makes my blood boil.

Rika abused Saeran so badly to the point that he had to split his personality into two different people to survive, drugged him into hating his own brother, constantly told him and made him believe he was worthless if he didn’t work his ass off 24/7, killed his fucking mother, etc. The list goes on. Not to mention: she broke and drugged the minds of many other people! Not just Saeran!

I understand that the story gives us options to call Rika and V out on this bs and it encourages us to do it, but... just the fact that we have to entertain the possibility of forgiving her and letting her get off scot-free truly, truly fucking floors me.

What really bothered me about this is that this subplot took an entire day out of the 4-day story. A whole ass day that could have been spent developing the PM-agency storyline (which, again, I truly wish they had focused on). It really sucked that we had to spend a day exclusively talking to Rika and V about the same thing over, over, and over again.

V. What in the hell did Cheritz do to his character, lmao? I don’t like V at all and the actions he’s chosen to take in regards to Rika and Saeran have always truly infuriated and baffled me. But, I’ve never thought of him as someone who would willingly hurt the RFA.

I was SHOCKED to see how selfish and twisted he was in this story, especially in Day 3. He said he would never try to change Rika again and hoped she would flourish as a result and become a better person. But. My good man, how in the hell did he ever think that kidnapping two grown ass adults and forcing them to be their children was a sane decision? 

I was truly convinced until the very last moment that V returning to Rika was a red herring and that he had a plan all along to keep her in check and protect the RFA. But nope. 

I may not be a V stan, but even I know that V would never act so selfishly.

The GE/NE resolution. It felt so rushed and is the main reason why I think Day 3 should have been handled differently. The truly bullshit thing that stood out to me about it was how a short confrontation with the illegitimate son he gives no shits about is enough for the PM to have a change of heart. LOL. The corrupt, greedy prime minister that has his entire life and career hanging on a line is suddenly enlightened on his evil ways and turns himself in. Am I too cynical for thinking this resolution is stupid and makes no sense? I know at this point it was basically impossible for him to not get arrested, but I really didn’t buy this and it felt like cop-out from Cheritz’s part, writing-wise.

How Saeran’s trauma was handled. I know I already expressed loving how Saeran was towards MC in this AE, but that does not include this part specifically, lol.

I understand a big part of Saeran’s story is learning to forgive and understand to find true happiness and freedom. And I love that, it truly is a beautiful direction for his character.

I know Cheritz is not great at writing realistic trauma recovery for his characters--that was already apparent in Saeran’s route. But, I never found it so unrealistic to the point of breaking immersion for me until this AE. It just felt so silly at some points that I couldn’t even convince myself that maybe it was possible.

It’s been two weeks since he escaped Mint Eye, and... he is completely fine with talking casually to Rika, trying to understand her, and being in the same room as her? He is fine with confronting the PM and telling him he forgives him because ‘he must have a tragic past’? Really? 

Maybe he is just a better person than I am lol, but this was too much. I completely understand how someone could reach this level of inner peace and choose to forgive their abusers in order to heal. But. Two weeks. Although the circumstances were different, I think the Secret Ending handled Saeran’s recovery a lot better in this sense.

In Summary: LOVED Day 1 and 2, hated Day 3 and 4

I’m sorry if I got a bit too rant-y on the reasons why I disliked the AE LOL. I just had many feelings about it and couldn’t stop myself. If anyone wants to send me or comment their own thoughts, please feel free to do so!! I would love to read some different perspectives. 

I don’t hate the AE as whole, but it really let me down in some big ways. I’ll probably try to replay it in the future and see if I change my mind about some aspects about it, though. It’s sad to say this, but V’s AE left me feeling more fulfilled in some regards than this lol. I really wish Saeyoung would have had more involvement in the story, too.

I did love the very final epilogue for both the GE and NE, which was the main thing I was hoping for--so there’s that, I guess.

Anyways, thank you so much for reading!

#mystic messenger #saeran choi #saeran after ending #ray after ending

[achraf4you]

AllAH DEFENDS MUHAMMAD HIS MESSENGER (peace be upon him)

Khosra was an arrogant king that his people deified him, worshiped him, worshiped the fire in front of him. They sanctified him in an exaggerated manner. He owned very large parts of the land and ruled great areas in the east and west of the world, and with this aura and this sowel, Allah (God) Almighty tore his kingdom.

How and why did this happen?

The choice fell on the companion Abdullah bin Hudhafa al-Sahmi to deliver the message of the Messenger, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, to the King of Persia, so he prepared himself for the journey، bade farewell to his family, and he went on his way alone, with no one but Allah Almighty with him.

Many days and nights long after that, Ibn Hudhafa, may Allah be pleased with him, arrived in the land of Persia. He immediately authorized permission to enter the Persian king after he informed the entourage of the content of the message he was carrying.

Khosra, the king of the Persians, authorized Abdullah to enter, and invited the great people of Persia to attend the council. Abdullah entered the king simply as Bedouin, wearing a thin cloak, However, he was tall and appeared to be the pride of faith and the glory of Islam.

Khosra directed one of his men to take the message that Ibn Hudhafa carried, but he refused, saying: “No, but the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, commanded me to deliver it hand in hand to you, and I do not violate an order of the Messenger of Allah.” Then Khosra looked at his men, saying: Let him approach me. ”Abdullah approached until he gave him the message.

The king of the Persians chose a citizen from the people of Al-Hirah to read the message to him, so he began to read: “In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, from Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah to the Great Khosra of Persia, peace be upon those who follow the guidance ..” After reading the message, Khosra was very angry and said: "A despicable servant from my kingdom writes his name before my name" because the Messenger, peace be upon him, began the text of the message with his name, so he grabbed the message with force and tore it apart, then ordered Bin Hudhafa to leave.

The companion bin Hudhafa went out telling himself : “By Allah I don’t care anyway, after I delivred the message of the Messenger of Allah.” Then he mounted his horse and went, and when Khosra had calmed down, he ordered that ibn Hudhafa to be brought, but his men did not find a trace of him anywhere .

Ibn Hudhafa returned to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and told him of what had happened from Khosra, and the Prophet said: (Allah tore his kingdom), while Khosra was thinking to write to his deputy of Yemen to order him to send two men to this man who is in the Hijaz (he means “the Prophet) and that to bring the man to him.

The two men who were sent from Khosra arrived at Taif and there they asked about the Prophet, and they knew that he was in Yathrib and went until they reached the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him. Then they told him a message of Khusra to him: to go with them so as not to perish, so the Prophet smiled, saying: (Return to your tent today and Come tomorrow).

And on that day, Allah answered the prayer of His Messenger, peace be upon him, when he called that Allah tear the kingdom of Khosra. On that night a great revolution took place against the king, a revolution from within the same ruling family, where Sheroe revolted against his father, so he killed him and became the king of Persia, so Allah Almighty told his Messenger, peace be upon him, with the news of this revolution and the destruction of this kingdom of vanity.

On the next day, the two men went to the Messenger and then said: “Have you prepared yourself to go with us to the meeting of Khosra,” then the Messenger said to them: (You will not receive Khosra after this day, for Allah killed him, as his son ruled over him on such a night of such a month). the two men were astonished And they went to the deputy of Yemen to tell him what the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said.

The deputy of Yemen (Bazin) knew of what had happened. He said: "If what Muhammad said was true, then he is a prophet, and if it was not, then we will see an opinion on it." Then he soon learned of the death of Khosra at the hands of his son Sheroe, and Bazin announced his entry into Islam with all who was in the country of Yemen from the Persians.

The new king, ordered in a letter to Bazin that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, not be offended, or do anything with him until his command comes.

Allah Almighty says: { O, Messenger! Convey what was revealed to you from your Lord. But if you do not, then you would not have delivered His message. And Allah will protect you from the people. Allah does not guide the unbelieving people} [Quran:5-67

الله يدافع عن محمد رسوله صلى الله عليه و سلم

إن كسرى كان ملكاً متجبرا و متكبراً يؤلهه قومه و يسجدون له و يعبدون النار أمامه و يقدسونه تقديساً مبالغاً فيه، و كان يملك أجزاء كبيرة جداً من الأرض و يحكم مساحات عظيمة في شرق الدنيا و غربها، و مع هذه الهالة و هذه الصولة و الجولة إلا أن الله سبحانه و تعالى مزق ملكه.

فكيف و لماذا حدث ذلك؟

وقع الاختيار على الصحابي عبد الله بن حذافة السهمي لتوصيل رسالة الرسول رسول الله صلّى الله عليه وسلم لملك الفرس ، فأعدّ نفسه لخوض الرحلة و ودع أهله ، و مضى في طريقه وحده ليس معه سوى الله تعالى.

أيام عديدة و ليال طوال بعدها وصل بن حذافة رضي الله عنه أرض فارس، فورا استئذن بالدخول على ملك الفرس بعد أن أبلغ الحاشية بفحوى الرسالة التي يحملها.

أذن كسرى ملك الفرس لعبد الله بالدخول، و دعا عظماء فارس من أجل حضور المجلس، دخل عبد الله على الملك ببساطة الأعراب، و هو يرتدي عباءة رقيقة الحال ، غير أنه كان مشدود القامة و يبدو عليه كبرياء الإيمان و شموخ الإسلام .

وجه كسرى أحد رجاله ليأخذ الكتاب الذي يحمله بن حذافة ، و لكنه رفض قائلًا: "لا ؛ إنما أمرني رسول الله صلّى الله عليه و سلم أن أدفعه لك يدًا بيد، و أنا لا أخالف أمرًا لرسول الله” ، فنظر كسرى إلى رجاله قائلًا :”أتركوه يدنو مني” ، فاقترب عبد الله حتى أعطاه الكتاب.

اختار ملك الفرس مواطنا من أهل الحيرة ليقرأ عليه الكتاب، فبدأ بالقراءة: ”بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم، من محمد رسول الله إلى كسرى عظيم فارس ، سلام على من اتبع الهدى.. ” ، بعد أن قرئت الرسالة، ثار كسرى غاضبا و قال: "عبد حقير من رعيتي يكتب إسمه قبل إسمي" لكون الرسول صلى الله عليه و سلم بدأ نص الرسالة بإسمه، فجذب الرسالة بقوة و قام بتمزيقها، ثم أمر بن حذافة بالخروج.

خرج الصحابي بن حذافة و هو يحدث نفسه قائلا :”و الله ما أبالي على أي حال أكون بعد أن أديت كتاب رسول الله” ، ثم امتطى راحلته و مضى، و حينما هدأ كسرى أمر بإحضاره، و لكن رجاله لم يجدوا له أثرًا في أي مكان.

عاد بن حذافة إلى رسول الله صلّى الله عليه و سلم فأخبره بما حدث من كسرى، فقال النبي: ( مزّق الله ملكه )، فيما هم كسرى بالكتابة إلى نائبه على اليمن ليأمره بأن يبعث رجلين إلى هذا الرجل الموجود بالحجاز و هو يقصد "النبي" ، و ذلك ليحضراه إليه.

وصلا الرجلان المبعوثان من كسرى للطائف و هناك سألا عن النبي، فعلما أنه في يثرب و مضيا حتى وصلا رسول الله صلّى الله عليه و سلم ، ثم أخبراه برسالة كسرى إليه كي يذهب معهما حتى لا يهلك ، فابتسم النبي قائلًا: ( ارجعا إلى رحالكما اليوم و أتيا غدًا ).

و في ذلك اليوم استجاب الله دعاء رسوله صلى الله عليه و سلم حين دعا على كسرى أن يمزق الله ملكه فقامت في تلك الليلة ثورة كبيرة ضد الملك ثورة من داخل الأسرة الحاكمة نفسها حيث قام ابنه شيرويه بن كسرى بثورة على أبيه فقتله و أخذ الملك لنفسه فأعلم الله سبحانه و تعالى رسوله صلى الله عليه و سلم بخبر هذه الثورة و هلاك هذا الملك المغرور.

في اليوم التالي ذهب الرجلان إلى الرسول ثم قالا :”هل أعددت نفسك للمضي معنا إلى لقاء كسرى” ، فقال لهما الرسول: ( لن تلقيا كسرى بعد اليوم، فلقد قتله الله، حيث سلط عليه ابنه في ليلة كذا من شهر كذا ) ، اندهش الرجلان و انطلقا إلى نائب اليمن ليخبراه بما يقول رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم.

علم نائب كسرى على اليمن "باذان" بما حدث قال: "لئن كان ما قاله محمد حقًا فهو نبي و إن لم يكن كذلك فسنرى فيه رأيًا" ثم ما لبث أن علم بمقتل كسرى على يد ابنه شيرويه ، فأعلن بازان دخوله في الإسلام و من كان معه في بلاد اليمن من الفرس.

أمر الملك الجديد شيرويه بن كسرى في رسالة له إلى باذان أن لا يهجو رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم و لا يفعل به شيئا حتى يأتيه أمره، و صدق الله سبحانه و تعالى إذ يقول: ﴿ يَا أَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ وَ إِنْ لَمْ تَفْعَلْ فَمَا بَلَّغْتَ رِسَالَتَهُ وَ اللَّهُ يَعْصِمُكَ مِنَ النَّاسِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكَافِرِينَ ﴾ [المائدة-67].

#dont _offend_our_ Messenger

[tawakkull]

ISLAM 101: Spirituality in Islam: Part 133

Jam ’ (Absorption)

Jam’ (absorption) literally means coming and bringing together. In the language of Sufism, it means fixing all one’s feeling, sight and consciousness on the Truth, to the extent that one is absorbed in Him and does not feel the existence of the world with all that is in it. To the degree of one’s knowledge of God, one only knows Him, feels Him, sees Him and is saved from preoccupation with anything else. If this meaning is approached from the concept of unity, it is the opposite of multiplicity; but if it is conceived of as one’s heart cutting off relations with all else save God, then its opposite is distinguishing (farq), which we, God willing, will deal with as a separate subject.

Absorption is a state or station belonging to those who have reached the final state of the spiritual journey. Travelers to the Truth who are honored with the gift of absorption always feel Him, know Him, and according to the level of the horizon and spiritual pleasures of each, can be aware or not aware of the people around them. But they always feel and are always conscious of the Truth and live as if charmed by observation of the meanings that belong to the Truth and that are reflected in everything. They always see the manifestations of His Names and Attributes in all things and events which they encounter. Thirsty for the Divine Being Himself, they fly around the manifestations of His “Face” like moths flying around a light. In tides of wonder and admiration, they cannot help but utter: Glory be to You, how exalted You are (as the Divine Being)!

Two stages further from this state of pleasure is absorption within absorption, which means a total absence for the travelers to the Truth. Travelers who find themselves in such a whirlpool of feeling are no longer aware of their own selves nor that of others. Totally detached from distinguishing, they are completely forgetful of all else save the Truth-as anybody except He is a shadow of the shadow of the light of His Existence-and turn to Him with all their being.

For initiates who base themselves on God’s absolute Oneness in all their views and considerations, everything is a shadow of the light of the Existence of the Truth. For one who is in the state of absorption, it is a shadow of the shadow of His Existence’s light, while one who is in the absorption within absorption only sees the rays of the manifestations of His “Face” in the name of the creation. Some scholars mention a further degree of absorption, which they call holy absorption. This is the rank which the verifying scholars of Sufism regard as the of nearness to God, Who is nearer to us than ourselves, by means of supererogatory prayers. The travelers who have attained this level are conscious that it is God Who maintains them, and begin to observe everything more deeply and clearly with their innermost senses, which have become sharper than their external senses. They hear with their spirit, see with their power of insight, review and examine with their conscience, and have the opportunity to see the true faces of theoretical knowledge through the door half-opened by their inner vision and experience. This is the rank where travelers are favored with the full manifestation of the truth contained in He is the First, and the Last, and the Outward, and the Inward (57:3), and where they become polished mirrors that reflect it. The servants of God who have reached this farthest point either “travel in God” and rotate around themselves like the North Star, or are turning around their axis in their hearts while being in their bodies among people.

If they have attained the rank of absorption, it means that they have also been favored with “subsitence with God.” Those who hold this rank in the final stage of the journey, and who are abstracted from their own attributes in their absorption in God’s Attributes and from their own being in absorption in God’s Being, gain a new existence through subsistence with God. They begin to feel the bliss of eternality and breathe “absorption” in the delight of being aware that their acts have become lost in God’s acts. A stage further, when they observe that their attributes have been annihilated in the all-comprehensive Attributes of God, they become lost in the delight of experiencing absorption within absorption. Finally, as a result of their own being being obliterated in the face of God’s Knowledge and Existence, they leave themselves to the consideration of the holy absorption with inner vision and spiritual pleasures, and are immersed in the feelings of wonder upon wonder.

From another point of view, the act of observing the requirements or responsibilities of servanthood to God with the utmost care, devotion, and consciousness is called “distinguishing,” while being favored with a shower of Divine gifts that come unexpectedly as a reward for this “small capital”-small because the greatest capital is one’s being favored by God-is absorption. In view of this approach, those who have attained a higher spiritual state have observed that one who does not perceive “distinguishing” is ignorant of servanthood, while one who does not feel absorption is unaware of knowing God.

The Qur’anic statement (1:5), You alone do we worship, which expresses the individual consciousness developing into and translating the public consciousness, is a voice of distinguishing and servanthood, while You alone do we ask for help (1:5) is an expression of absorption and a declaration of human poverty and helplessness before God. Every initiate hears the voice of distinguishing at the beginning of the spiritual journey, and feels the pleasure of absorption at the end of it. The ultimate point, which only those endowed with a particular capacity can reach, is “absorption within absorption” and the “holy absorption.” While the former signifies God’s concentration of the manifestations of His Names on a certain object, the latter is a sign of the manifestation of His Names throughout the universe.

According to Kashani,[1] distinguishing is the knowledge of God the Almighty and spiritual pleasures of those who have not yet been able to develop their theoretical considerations about God (I personally find this view unacceptable), while absorption is immersion caused by a concentration on the Creator without ever thinking of the creation, and absorption within absorption is the peak of seeing the creation as subsisting by the Creator. This final rank is also the rank of distinguishing above absorption. Since in this rank only God’s acts, Attributes and Essential Qualities are observed, the Absolutely True One, for those who have attained this rank, becomes the eyes with which they see, the ears with which they hear, and the hands with which they hold. For this reason, He attributes to Himself what they do by His will and leave and ignore the apparent causes. The Sufi scholars are of the opinion that the verse, (8:17), You did not kill them but God killed them, and when you threw, it was not you who threw, but God who threw, besides clearly mentioning a miracle of God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, alludes to this rank.

Absorption can never mean the unity of being-the unity (union) of God and the universe or God’s being identical with the universe-as pantheists claim, nor is distinguishing totally the opposite. The One Who is the Eternal is eternal, and the beings who are contained in time and come into existence within time are mortal and different from the Eternal One. The Creator cannot be and is not the same as the created. The relation between them is not that which comes from appearance; that is, the universe is not an apparent form of God. Rather, this relation is that between the Creator and the created. We can also see the creation as the totality of the manifestations of God’s Names. These manifestations are completely pure and transparent, while that which issues from the created is usually tangible. Human beings have both a pure, transparent aspect or dimension, and a dense/tangible one. This is why, as declared in the verse (17:84), Each being acts according to his own standard of measure, they can display behavior either according to their bodily dimension or according to their spirit. As they are composed of a body, a carnal self, and a spirit, they fix their eyes on nature and corporeality, while they carry inclinations toward spiritual, exalted worlds as well. By means of the ways of rising which the Shari’a has appointed and guaranteed, travelers on the way to God cut their relations with fleeting and decaying things and turn to eternity. Whosever’s breast God expands and opens to Islam follows a light from his Lord (39:22). So, when travelers to God turn to Him in submission, they travel in the exhilarating horizons with utmost self-possession and awareness under the guidance of the light of their Lord. Even though they may sometimes encounter confusion or bewilderment, they easily overcome these with the assistance of the never-deceiving leadership of the master of creation, upon him be peace and blessings. They always head for the sources of knowledge that God has determined and secured through Prophethood, and never fall into the errors committed by pantheists.

From another perspective, absorption has been dealt with under the rubrics of “absorption with respect to knowledge”, “absorption with respect to existence”, and “absorption with respect to the (Divine) Being Himself.”

Absorption in knowledge means that at the beginning of their journey, travelers to God base themselves on the knowledge that comes from, or that is obtained through, the proofs and indications of God. Then this knowledge develops from the certainty based on knowing into a certainty based on observation and finally into a certainty based on experience. However, only a shadowy degree of certainty based on experience can be reached in the world. Ultimately, this knowledge becomes pure knowledge from His Presence. Although it is the result of following the way of inference, it is not the same as the knowledge acquired through a proof originated in the outer world or in the human inner world. Not is it totally different either. It is a special gift of the Almighty to the free will with which God has endowed human beings, and which is in fact a simple means given to them for the execution of the Divine commandments. However, like all other Divine gifts, this gift is never proportionate to our free will. Like it, all other gifts of God Almighty are many times greater than what we actually deserve.

Absorption with respect to existence is when the travelers to God are perfectly aware in their consciousness of how things and events occur and how they are maintained. All of existence disappears from their vision to the extent that they are no longer aware of which direction is right and which is left. The conquerors of the heart, who walk in this station, feel only the rays of the Eternal Holy Existence and Knowledge and see all else as the motions of these rays. Provided manifestation is not confused with appearance, and shadow with the original, those who have attained this horizon feel or hear innumerable things and/or beings in every part of the universe invoking His Name, saying, He is the All-Living, the Self-Subsisting (by Whom all subsist)(2:255).

Absorption with respect to the (Divine) Being Himself means that all the indications and proofs of God that originate in the outer and inner human world are no longer visible in the face of the light of knowledge of God and the spiritual pleasure that the Almighty lets flow into the hearts of travelers to Him. Some have regarded this rank as the final station of the spiritual journey. If they base this consideration on their constant turning to God during traveling from wakefulness to self-possession and thence to repentance, penitence and contrition one after the other, and on the relation between God and humankind as being the relation between the Creator and the created, and the Sole Object of Worship and the worshipper, and the Lord and the servant, there can be no objection. But, if they imply by absorption that things have no reality at all, and it is of no use or significance to use one’s mental faculties to infer from things and events the existence of God and therefore to acquire certain knowledge about Him, and that people are no longer responsible for the fulfillment of religious obligations after reaching some point in the spiritual journey, and that there is essentially no difference between I and you and He, then this is most definitely a total deviation in conception and creed. This can be either a fantasy of those who are pursuing “originality” for the sake of fame or a view held by some self-conceited pantheists and monists.

As for the Prophets and the pure, saintly scholars, they have regarded the way leading to the Infinite One as endless, and have experienced the final station one can reach in the journey along this way according to their capacity with the same solemnity, wakefulness, and consciousness as they experienced the beginning. They have always accepted that serving the Truth with the utmost humility is the goal of their lives. The Almighty ordered the master of creation, the most perfect in servanthood to Him, Worship your Lord until what is certain (to come, i.e. death) comes to you (15:99). By this, He both emphasizes that death marks the end of this responsibility and consoles the Messenger for the afflictions and tortures he was subjected to by reminding him of his meeting with God. Because meeting with God meant for him reaching certainty based on experience in his own, unique level.

O God! Make us among those of Your servants who pursue sincerity, whom You have favored with sincerity and purity of intention, who have achieved piety and abstinence from all forbidden things big or small, and whom You have made near to You, and who are pleased with You and whom you are pleased with. And let God’s blessings and peace be on our master Muhammad, the head of those whom You have favored with sincerity and purity of intention, and on his family and Companions, who were austere, near to God, and were pleased with Him and whom God was pleased with. Amen!

[1] ‘Abd al-Razzaq al-Kashani (d. 1335) is one of the interpereters of Ibn al-‘Arabi. His Ta’wilat al-Qur’an is especially famous and important. 

#allah #god #islam #muslim #quran #revert #convert #convert islam #revert islam #reverthelp #revert help #revert help team #help #islamhelp #converthelp #prayer #salah #muslimah #reminder #pray #dua #hijab #religion #mohammad #new muslim #new revert #new convert #how to convert to islam #convert to islam #welcome to islam

[gaslightgallows]

First lines meme thingie

I got tagged by @teadrinkingwolfgirl! 

Rules: Post the first lines of your last ten fics read or written and then tag others to do the same.

I haven’t read anyone else’s fics in ages (mea culpa) so I’m really doing this to remind myself of what WIPs I’m supposed to be working on. XD

Tagging! @firesign23, @rivendellrose, @cigaretteburnslikefairylights, @pendragyn, @kiwimeringue, @timetravelbypen and anyone else who’d like to play!

The Patience of Angels (Good Omens)

“Right,” shouted Beelzebub, Lord of the Flies and Prince of the First Circle of Hell, “shut up, you lot!”

The rabble quieted down, but not without trouble – Hastur had to set a few unruly demons on fire before Beelzebub could finally make themself heard without screaming. They settled into the chair at the head of the long, long table, with Hastur at one elbow and Dagon at the other, and surveyed the assembled with resigned disgust (which was the most neutral emotion Beelzebub could summon).

Every demon with any scrap of authority was there, every prince and duke and a bunch of other ranks besides, by Satan's own order. Except for Satan himself, of course. He hadn’t been to a board meeting in a year, which wasn’t like him – he usually at least came to the once-a-year all-staff meetings. But the boss was still sulking and licking his wounds after that business in Tadfield. Beelzebub supposed he had the right to sulk; after all, six thousand years of planning had been flushed straight down the toilet, all because of one disobedient brat.

There was something marvelously poetic in that, somewhere, but Lord Beelzebub did not possess a poet’s soul. (Though they had possessed a few poets, over the centuries, but they hadn’t picked up much in the way of insight.)

Sideways (MCU, Stoki)

Loki was not expecting to see Captain Rogers again – vastly preferred not to see him again, in fact, along with the rest of the Avengers – and when he did, the first thing he thought was that wasn’t sure about the new beard.

Thankfully, Captain Rogers couldn’t see him, so he didn’t have to concern himself with the captain’s feelings on the matter.

In theory, the less Loki had to see or hear or be aware of Earth, the better. In practice, he'd learned enough about humans to realize that it was at least prudent to keep tabs on Midgard and its infuriatingly stubborn inhabitants. Unlike Odin (not quite late, not quite lamented, safely and comfortably sequestered away in the most inconvenient corner of the palace dungeons), Loki did not have the ability to see and hear all things within the Nine Realms, so he’d had to take the Gatekeeper into his confidence.

Heimdall was... he wasn’t entirely sure what Heimdall’s opinion on the matter of Loki pretending to be Odin was. He recalled the first time he took the throne—

‘Took.’ It was given to me, justly, by Asgard’s own laws of succession and by order of... the queen.

—when Heimdall obeyed his commands up until the moment Loki relieved him of his duties. He knew better than to make the same mistake twice; Heimdall had guarded the Bifrost for longer than Loki had been alive, and he’d learned a thing or two about the watcher’s loyalties. With the true king alive but incapacitated and Thor having abjured the title, who was there left to be king, save Loki?

And it clearly didn’t matter to Heimdall that Loki was technically supposed to be dead.

Upon the Mountains, Like a Flame: Chapter 10 (MCU)

"Are you truly going to prevent Loki from using his magic to defend himself?"

"I have said that I will. It is the only possible way of ensuring a fair fight, especially if Loki and Sigyn are to face Theoric together. Unless you wish to make it that easy for Loki to defeat him. His power has grown--"

"No," said Frigga, "he hasn't." She sounded tired. "He had help. From whom or who, I know not, but I do know the scope of our son's power."

Odin stopped his disgruntled pacing and turned to face her, and suddenly Frigga felt very cold. "Are you certain? We have never been entirely sure what manner of power to expect from one of his... lineage."

"If Loki had learned by nature how to shield his appearance and his identity from us both, he would have used it – and crowed about it – long before now. As it is, he can transform himself into any number of animals in order to bedevil his brother, but we always know it is him. And before you ask again," she continued, "no, Sigyn did not help him. This manner of magic does not belong to her."

Odin conceded that point, at least. "Sigyn's preference would have been to slip away from Asgard between dawn and morning and never look back. And you would not have been able to find her, I think, any more than I would have. And yet... she stayed."

"For Loki."

"For love of him," Odin sighed, feeling old, as he had when Loki had pleaded for Sigyn's hand in marriage. "They make a frightening pair, those two.

The Art of Weaving (Sequel to “The Art of Spinning”) (MCU)

“He lacks compassion.”

“Lacks...” Thor stopped dead in his tracks. “Father, he spent a month caring for Mother and wouldn’t leave her side even when I wanted him to come to Svartalfheim with me. He helped me free Jane from the Aether and find a way to defeat Malekith that saved the last of the Dark Elves from slaughter, when you and I would have gladly let them all die.”

“And what has been the result of those good deeds? A long-dead race returned to the Nine Realms, upsetting the balance of power even further, and my heir abandoning his birthright to waste the next century in the company of a woman who will be gone in a blink.”

Thor remembered his brother’s parting words, the tight, sorrowful embrace, and the lock of hair Loki had given him. “He gave up his chance for freedom. He accepted responsibility for his crimes, even though we know now that he was being manipulated. What more would you have from him?”

“Nothing. I am grateful to have my youngest son back. But I would have my eldest reclaim his place as well.”

But Thor shook his head, and stepped away from his father’s fond hand. “I can never be the king you want. Loki can. He is like you in ways that I am not.”

Odin went suddenly still. “What do you mean?”

“I lack your ruthlessness.”

L'éternité de la damnation, l'infinité de la jouissance (Crimson Peak)

It had been two years. Two years of independence and travel and writing and of seeing the world. Her life would never be normal again, but at least now it felt charmed instead of cursed. At least during the day.

At night, she still dreamed of red-soaked white nightdresses, and of Lucille Sharpe haunting the crumbling halls of Allerdale. She woke with the taste of blood in her mouth, and visions of Thomas screaming in hell.

She didn’t know if he deserved that. He had done terrible things, but how many had been of his own choosing? He had not been a good man, but he had so desperately wanted to be.

Demon in My View (Good Omens)

Normally, Aziraphale was loath to part with any of the books in his collection – though he was not above going against his own grain for people whom he knew would love and cherish the tomes almost as much as he himself did – but in this case, he was delighted to make an exception.

"No charge. No, I absolutely insist. After all, my dear boy, they were meant to be yours."

Adam thanked him politely, and then asked, "Do you still have that wicked flaming sword?"

Aziraphale winced a touch at the adjective but let it pass. "No, no, I'm afraid not. I was required to give it back."

"That's not fair. It was yours, Crowley said it was. And you did help save the world with it. They should give it back to you."

"Well, perhaps they will, one day."

And His Feet Were Made of Clay (Good Omens)

The bookshop of A.Z. Fell was closed. It was the middle of the day and every shop surrounding it was open for business, but most passersby didn't seem to notice the bookshop, and the ones who did weren't surprised that it was closed. In fact, if you examined the diaries of London citizens going back to eighteen hundred, you would find countless entries complaining about the fact that Mr. Fell and Co. (Aziraphale had added the 'Co.' in the eighteen-forties, when he realized he needed to start pretending to be his own son.) never seemed to be open, and that when they were, the very nice gentleman inside was always curiously reluctant to actually sell you anything.

The thing that Aziraphale had always liked most about his corporation was that it looked human. It lacked basic human needs and drives, but it could simulate and perform those functions with perfect adequacy, and really, that was beside the point, because it looked human. It looked unique, the way humans did. Looked like God the way humans did, and the way angels most emphatically did not. Angels had been created by the Almighty with a variety of ineffable functions in mind, and what they looked like when they weren't cramming all their eyes and wings and wheels into a chunky bipedal casing with odors and fluids reflected those functions.

Humans, as near as Aziraphale had been able to figure out in six thousand years of watching, had no preordained function. God had made them because they were fun and that was enough, and he rather liked that about them. Envied that about then, even. (Envy wasn't something he was supposed to admit to, but he lied to himself about so many other things that he simply couldn't have this one on his conscience.)

Although if they did have a function, he was convinced that they existed for the sole purpose of making more of themselves.

A Pause From Thinking (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)

“Doctor, I appreciate the courtesy call, but it this is some sort of human mourning ritual, I’m really not interested.”

"I didn't think you'd be interested in mourning. I just thought you might want some company. A loss is a loss, after all." Julian poured out the whiskey and handed Garak a glass. "Here's to terrible fathers."

Lots of Rules and No Mercy (sequel to “I Say, Why Not?”) (Tron) 

It was about a month after Alan was first able to communicate with his security program that Tron made the request—not out of any doubt in his user's abilities, but out of respect for the human he looked to as both creator and guardian angel.

"His name was Ram," said Tron, the words appearing on the screen beneath his angularly-rendered face, his voice coming through the headphones like an echo of Alan's own voice. "We were in the MCP's holding cells together for a while. He was just an actuarial program, but he was good at the games and..." The blocky, pixelated face didn't convey one-tenth of the emotion Alan was sure he could hear in the program's tight, gruff voice. "He was a good friend."

"I'm sorry." Alan felt silly, even after a month, apologizing and offering sympathy for the erasure of a program. He was a software engineer after all—he'd been writing and rewriting and erasing programs since high school. It had never been that big of a deal before. "I'm sorry, Tron."

Tron seemed to gather himself together. "Alan. Can you resurrect him?"

Alan stared at the face on the screen, unsure of what to say. He knew Tron couldn't see him or his expression of dumbfounded shock, but the silence said enough. "Forgive me," Tron murmured, seeming to bow his head in the way that made Alan the most uncomfortable. "It was impertinent of me, I shouldn't have asked—"

"It's not that," Alan blurted out. "It's just—I wouldn't know where to start," he added, trying to ignore the uneasy thrill of his creation's simple faith in him.

The Goblin Emperor’s Garden (The Goblin Emperor)

It became Maia’s habit, following the drama of his first Winternight as emperor of the Elflands, and once his wife-to-be decided that he no longer needed quite so many dancing lessons, to hold small intimate suppers one evening a week in his private dining room in the Alcethmeret. Sometimes he entertained several people, sometimes only a few, but nearly every week, Csethiro Ceredin was at the table.

If it was only the two of them at supper, she sat opposite him, where he had the privilege of listening to her speak until the small hours of the morning on all manner of topics, while he forgot about his meal and tried not to drown in her brilliant blue eyes. If there were others at table, she sat at his right, and though she had other social obligations on such evenings, it was worth it to Maia, to be able to sometimes, quickly and surreptitiously and not always entirely secretly, squeeze her hand under the embroidered tablecloth.

His secretary and all of his nohecharei always noticed, and he suspected that they desperately wanted to tease him about it. His nephew Prince Idra also always seemed to notice, and as he and Maia grew closer, Idra did not hesitate to tease him.

“You should be careful,” Csethiro playfully warned the prince, one night after the rest of the guests had taken their leave and the three of them were alone at table, lingering over dessert. “For someday your uncle will find you a wife, and you will make just such a fool of yourself, and he will be as shameless in laughing at you.”

Idra and Maia both blushed, stamping their utterly dissimilar features with a moment of family resemblance. “If I am so fortunate as to someday have such a wife as to be worth making a fool of myself over,” said Idra, half-bold and half-shy, as only a fourteen-year-old boy could be, “I should thank my uncle profusely for his choice, and not mind the teasing.”

“Well spoken, cousin,” Maia said gratefully.

#gaslight blogs about fic #first line meme #good omens #mcu #space vikings #star trek deep space nine #crimson peak #the goblin emperor #tron

[devourer--of--books]

I've continued my Obey Me! journey and I have new thoughts

It's been about a week from my "obey me! first impressions" post and while no one cares, I feel like I need to do a follow up or my head will explode. College came for me before I got up to date on the story (I'm currently on task 15-1, may the lord have mercy on my soul) but I've gotten plenty of spoilers because I'm impatient, so if you haven't played the game til, maybe skip this post? You've been warned.

Last time I started in mechanics, and for the most of it my opinion is the same. I've gotten used to the slow-ness by now and figured I'd just have to make do, but thank you very much to everyone who helped me with leveling up and how to make the most of what I have.

Story wise, the plot holes are endless, but it's mostly an otome thing I guess. They are all in school? Who is teaching those classes? Aren't they supposed to have graduated by now? Will they ever? Why were the angels and Solomon there before us? Are we like frozen in time in the human world or have we just gone missing there?

I decided that in order to just enjoy the game for what it is, I'll ignore these but it does bother me. You can find a lot of posts and theories here on tumblr on the topic and they discuss this way better than I could, so I'll just end it here: it's not a very consistent game, but if you don't think too hard about it you'll be fine.

On the part you probably are here for: the boys

I'll go in order, same as before

Luficer is... a lot. On my last post I talked about how his controlling nature and the kinky-dark-Jumin-Han-fanfic vibes I got from him kinda made him too scary for me. After playing some more I find myself to be a bit torn. On one hand, Lucifer seems like a very interesting LI to romance, he is sexy, yes, but he feels very lonely and vulnerable. The fact that he is the Avatar Of Pride, the eldest and most powerful is very attractive, again, in the same way Ikemen's Nobunaga is. A man who makes hard decisions in order to protect what is most important to him, who needs to be in control, who has a hard time opening up and does not feel like he is quite deserving of being happy. But on the other... I don't feel like Lucifer could ever come to respect us, which is a problem I too have with Nobunaga, although to a lesser degree. I always get this feeling that Lucifer loves us like a pet (maybe you're into that, I'm not really the pet-kink kind). Yes, he cares deeply for us but when it comes down to it he does not see us as equals. Our relation is not one of a partnership. At least not in his eyes. And why should he view it as a partnership? We are human, a non-magical human and he is an almighty demon lord. We are not the same. I was happy to ignore all this overthinking but it becomes unbearable at the two instances when he gets mad at us and lashes out. The way he speaks, the way he acts... absolutely unacceptable. You don't get to threaten me, talk down to me, nearly kill me and then say you respect me because you don't and I have yet to see a moment where he truly does show disgust for treating us like that or guarantees that it won't happen again. So what? You can't take talk back? Fuck you. Speaking of which, apparently he is the only one we get to fuck? I'm not sure if I want to. I mean, sure, I like some possessive dirty talk as much as the next gal and Lucifer is gorgeous, but I don't think my pride will allow me to bed him. Honestly I might just friendzone him for no reason other than to wound his pride at that. Yes bitch, get some fucking blue balls, you ain't getting any. Unless... well, you have 5 tasks to convince me you've earned it. Hop to it, Lucy.

Now that that's out of the way, Mammon:

I'm in love with this idiot.

Out of all the boys this is the one that most surprised me because while I did think he would grow more and more on me I did not see him being this important to me. I initially though of Mammon as the 707 of Obey Me, the one who is always in love with you in every route (don't get me started on this, I will be sobbing eventually), and in a way he is. But here's the twist: in MM, I'm not really a big Seven stan. I love Seven platonically and I thought that would be the case for Mammon as well. I was wrong. Maybe it's because Lucifer pissed me off so badly or because we didn't spend nearly as much time with Satan as we should (more on this later) but Mammon really caught my eye. I didn't think he was that cute, but I got one of his SSRs and use it quite often, so I started getting lots of Surprise Guest moments with him, and he just looks so beautiful in those? When the hearts appear and he looks at me with that soft expression jdhdbdndkdjd. He is just so sweet overall? He feels so genuine and human and real (in a way you don't really get with Seven until you're a few days into his route, when it was a bit late for me to love him as more than a friend). Mammon loves you for who you are, and while he does talk down to us, you can always tell he does not truly mean it. I can't think of an instance when he came even close physically threatening us and I don't think he would be able to. It makes me feel very very safe and warm and happy. Which is what love should always feel like: Love should feel restful. And maybe I'm thinking too much about this. It's just a game. But it doesn't make it any less true. I'm definitely kissing this man.

About Levi, not much. He still annoys me. I can kinda see the appeal for other people, but still a no-go for me. I'm not a fan of his personality or looks, I already said my piece on him.

So, Satan. I still absolutely adore Satan. He is the cutest and my go-to guy, but... his arc was kind of short I guess? We don't spend that much time with him so far (at least I don't think so) and the whole going on a rampage thing is a turn off (as explained above). But with Satan I cannot truly resent him, for one, he is the Avatar of Wrath, so is not like I didn't sign up for this. I can feel he does feel bad and conflicted about it so I did let it slide. But I can see some red flags? Like, I've got his Be You card and read the story and it just... kinda paints him in a bad light? Yes, babe, you've got a temper, I know but... idk man. Satan feels very caring and mischievous (again, the soft dom energy here man) but I don't feel as safe as I feel with Mammon. Maybe given due time I'll feel better. Still, he is one of my bias, lil blonde book bitch, I wanna get to know you better, let's make out.

If we don't spend enough time with Satan, we spend no time with Asmo. In my other post you can read me projecting all my hopes and past trauma on Asmo's character but so far, that's kind of all I've got. I don't have enough data or character development to have a real opinion on him, but if we do get routes I look forward to doing his. No kisses for now, sorry babe.

On Beel: Y'all commented about how he would turn out to be a complete sweetheart and I did not believe you. I should have. This man is so adorable. I'm vey romantically attracted to him and will do his route if I can, but the thirst is just... not here? Like please, lets hug and hold hands but I do not want to kiss you. He's a great guy, just not the guy for me? He does beat Lucifer though. He gives me safe vibes but, like, friend vibes. The one friend that you work out with, is your plus one when you're single and takes care of you when you're sad? That vibe. I don't think he would be very into me either. I'm a picky eater, grudge holder, horrible cook and overall bitchy gal. We're better off as friends.

Belphegor. He can choke. I haven't gotten to it yet, but I know he is gonna kill me. Human-hater, lying ungrateful bitch. He's hot, yes. Have I read smut with him? Yes. Would I fuck him? Yes. But in, like, a hate-sex kinda thing I guess. You've got 5 tasks to kill me and then convince me that somehow you are not the worst. Things aren't really looking up for this sleepy boi.

Also, does anyone know if it impacts in any way if you kiss (or I guess fuck on Lucifer's case) more than one boy? Like, will they be mad? Because I've got some impossible choices if it does matter. I'll report again once I'm done with the tasks, I guess?

Peace, my dudes

#obey me #obey me! #obey me shall we date #obey me one master to rule them all #shall we date #otome games #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me asmo #obey me beelzebub #obey me beel #obey me belphegor #ikesen nobunaga #707 mysme

[seyaryminamoto]

Hiiiiii - read your Iroh and Ursa metas, loved them. Might I ask if you've any equally Hot Takes on the fandom's favorite punching bags - The Great Divide and Avatar Day?

Uuuuh well.

If the hot take is expected to be “they’re GREAT episodes!”, I… I’m afraid I’ll disappoint :’D I dislike them both, but who knows? Maybe my reasons for disliking them are different than other people’s?

My problem with The Great Divide is a little personal: that was the first episode I ever watched of ATLA, and if only I’d caught another one, anything slightly more plot-relevant than that, I might have become a fan of the show much sooner. I watched it, found certain things entertaining, others not so much, and concluded ATLA was a “monster of the week” show masquerading as a show with a plot. Which… made it less interesting to me, by mere logic. I was also very much a teenager back then, and while I still had decent instincts as far as storytelling was concerned, they weren’t as polished as they are now. So I didn’t really see much of ATLA worth my while in The Great Divide, and so, from a personal point of view, it’s not at all amongst my favorite episodes.

Upon rewatching the show in full, I was more forgiving of the Great Divide, not only because I understood the show’s dynamics better, but because ATLA actually has other episodes that, while featuring occasional relevant information and characters, could also feature not-so-relevant developments later on. So it’s not just Avatar Day and the Great Divide: the Fortuneteller, while a pretty liked episode, is honestly about as lacking in plot-heavy developments as those two are. Yet most people like that one :’) why’s that? Shippy reasons? Weeeell…

The truth is, if you ask me, that the Great Divide and Avatar Day and the Fortuneteller are episodes that allow the plot to slow down. This wasn’t so good in the early stages of Book 1, where slowing the plot too much actually made you forget there was a plot altogether… but when you watch the show as a whole, those moments of less tension, featuring Aang resolving problems and saving lives of completely ordinary people, were actually pretty good for what they were. That, in particular, is something I missed in Book 3: Team Avatar minus Zuko certainly do their best to help common people here and there through the first half of Book 3, but Zuko never does (and then when Zuko joins them, they never really do that again). What would I give for an episode where Zuko actually had to reason with the harm the war has caused not only to the Earth Kingdom, but to his own people… frankly, that oversight from the writing department is still absolutely absurd to me.

So, my problem with the Great Divide and Avatar Day isn’t that they weren’t plot relevant. My initial problem with the Great Divide, like I said earlier, was personal. But there’s also the feeling that not enough growth for the main characters takes place in these episodes: Aang resolved the Great Divide’s problem in the goofiest way he could. It was funny, creative and helpful, and kind of unexpected for your kind-hearted hero to lie to deal with a problem… though it also makes the situation more complex because of that, since he’s doing something ethically incorrect to establish peace between warring tribes. He did an objectively bad thing… for good purposes. So… it’s complicated, but it’s cool. It’s not half-bad as a concept that the show could explore. 

Nonetheless, you can’t feel a HUGE, PALPABLE CHANGE in the relationship between Sokka and Katara after this episode. You really don’t. They spend the bulk of the episode at odds with each other, and they set aside their problems later… but everything they do, post-Great Divide, really doesn’t look like they learned a lot from their clashing, such as how to see things from each other’s POV or being more fair with each other… I, at least, don’t feel much of a change. No idea if other people see it differently, but they continue to clash pretty wildly later on, particularly in Book 3. So, did they learn something at all? If not… then the episode does end up feeling rather pointless because it doesn’t feel like the characters really are impacted by what happened in it, right?

And that, beyond anything else, is what makes these sorts of episodes feel like filler content: The Ember Island Players WAS filler content, absolutely, but you have scenes such as Zuko talking to Toph about Iroh, or Aang and Katara’s catastrophic rejected kiss, and it feels like SOMETHING happened in the episode even if in general it didn’t do anything plot-heavy. But aside from these small scenes that offer characters a chance to make at least a little progress (whether forward or backwards…), you even get a chance to see how the Fire Nation views the war, how they see themselves, how they see their Fire Lord. Even there, the show is giving you information that helps in the worldbuilding of the show. This is absent in The Great Divide, where the two warring tribes are never seen or heard of again, and they’re not exactly relevant because of that. Do they add some diversity to what we ought to perceive of the Earth Kingdom? Yes. Is it useful for anyone other than the rare fic writer who decides to use these characters for something? (never really seen it but I bet it has happened) Honestly, no.

Now, Avatar Day is annoying to me for another personal reason, even if it connects with some of what I said above: I HATE the way Sokka is characterized in this episode. I have more than enough qualms with how he’s characterized for many episodes in Book 2, but this one takes the cake.

Sokka is usually sharper than everyone else, helpful, resourceful, even when no one is really acknowledging it. Often he’s the voice of reason, the one who figures out what’s going on (such as in the Cave of Two Lovers, where he realizes the tunnels are changing, just to name one thing), but Avatar Day decided to feature him obsessing with acting as an investigator, and he kept stopping Katara from making the big reveals because HE had to do it, and she just rolled her eyes at him all along (from the get-go too, since she goads him into investigating by spurring his ego and yet she still is shown visibly annoyed when he starts raving about how he figured out the seal jerky thing back in the Water Tribe). All of this is to make Sokka a punchline of the “Katara is the smart one” joke that doesn’t even work when you take the rest of the show into account :’) so… this particular thing will ALWAYS rub me the wrong way with Avatar Day.

From this episode, I do like that Aang has to deal with people who hate him because he’s the Avatar. I always complained about how LOK basically had everyone swooning and adoring Korra even if they hated her, everyone constantly in awe of her prowess and talent, and those who DIDN’T like her were constantly shown as unreasonable jerks, such as the kid who throws that snowball at her, and we’re supposed to feel bad when she calls Korra the worst Avatar ever :’) we are REALLY expected to feel bad and to dislike the kid… when we literally watched Aang dealing with a mob that sentenced him to boil in oil for his past life’s crimes, and who burned effigies in his image. Right. A spiteful little kid is so very harmful, so heartbreaking, so jarring. Wow.

What I like about Avatars dealing with people disliking them, be it for solid reasons or for stupid ones, is that it feels REAL. Because it makes sense that people wouldn’t have an unanymous opinion of the Avatar as the savior of all the world, it makes sense that there’d be people who are jerks because they don’t like him on principle (or lack thereof). It’s normal, natural, completely common in human beings to just see something popular and go “MEEEEH I’VE SEEN BETTER”. And that’s what Avatar Day gave me, as far as worldbuilding is concerned.

As for more worldbuilding, Avatar Day certainly offered more insight on Kyoshi, but while most people found that fascinating and the insight in question absolutely wonderful because oh woooow she bends LAVA, I found it damning instead. If you need to know why… feel free to read this post (seeing as you like my controversial opinions you might even enjoy the whole thing x’D). While there’s some new novels now about Kyoshi that shed more light on who she was and how she did the things she did, I have certain gripes with some of the ideas I’ve heard those novels bring up. All in all, though, they shouldn’t change what canon brings forward with Kyoshi’s behavior with Chin: just in case you didn’t read that ask, I’ll say that my problem isn’t that she killed Chin, if anything, my problem is that she only killed him when he only had two places left to conquer. 

She wouldn’t sit passively while he took her home. Because, uh, that’s the only place the almighty Avatar had to defend, I suppose. 

Basically, Chin pulled a Kuvira with no opposition because the Avatar apparently didn’t care to involve herself in this particular problem until he was knocking on her door. Seriously? Best Avatar ever? Oookay then…

So, my favorite Gaang member, turned into a bad joke and unable to tell he’s been turned into a joke + the birth of a fandom-wide circlejerk around a character because she bent lava, nevermind the implications of her disregard for a tyrant’s conquest until it reached her doorstep + the worst point of Zuko’s theft spree = I don’t like this episode :’)

Avatar Day’s only redeeming quality for me, like I said, is Chin Village’s Avatar-hating ways, but ONLY as a concept. Even so, I wish they’d tackled that particular matter far more seriously than they did, because sure, Chin Village’s villagers were damn stupid, but hating the Avatar because she killed someone they idolized wasn’t exactly a far-fetched motivation. Where you’d think this could even serve as a sort of parallel between Zuko and Aang, where they both find themselves as the new heirs of their respective, long legacies, legacies full of people who did good and bad things, and the ones being held accountable for those bad things are THEM, however unfair it might be…? The show just turned the whole damn thing into a joke. And that’s just a real waste of screentime. I’m not against ATLA’s comedic episodes at all, not as a concept, and I really like the show’s humor in general… but this episode absolutely could have used less of it, especially when offering an opportunity for Aang to actually find out that his past lives aren’t at all as idealistic and righteous as he might have thought they were, or, at the very least, he could have reflected on the fact that they didn’t necessarily share his principles and beliefs. But nope. Missed opportunity, right there.

In short… I suppose people dislike Avatar Day because of similar reasons why I do, I can’t say for sure. I assume people dislike the Great Divide for its filler-nature and general irrelevance to the show, and that’s pretty reasonable? But in my opinion, the problem with so-called filler content is that it ought to be used to expand on characters, to further develop them, they should be a chance to slow down and offer introspection during a brief chance that opens up when heavy plots give the viewers, and the characters, a chance to pause and breathe for a while. Both Avatar Day and the Great Divide fail at this particular wishful standard I impose on fillers, though. And that, along with my personal reasons, is why they’d be part of my personal “least liked episodes of ATLA” list, if I were to make one. It isn’t to say there aren’t a few redeeming qualities in both episodes, I hope I made that clear… but that’s not enough to offset the negatives in this case.

Also, I brought up the Fortuneteller too as an example for a filler episode that actually doesn’t achieve much, same as these two don’t. I actually enjoy this episode quite a bit? The animation is really good and smooth here. But that’s neither here nor there :’) 

The Fortuneteller certainly emphasized Aang’s crush on Katara, it also expanded on Katara’s character by showing how she’s so quick to believe fortunetelling, as opposed to Sokka, who absolutely doesn’t believe any of it. This generated a ridiculous but fun dynamic between the three characters through the episode, and it added Meng to the mix as well by featuring her as the girl Sokka misunderstands Aang is pining over. There’s a lot of silly comedy, but it’s in a much nicer way (in my opinion) than the one presented by Avatar Day, especially as it emphasizes elements of the character’s personalities: Sokka’s unwillingness to believe in spiritual nonsense, DESPITE he has already been caught up in Spirit World shenanigans, Aang’s hopeless pining over Katara and Aunt Wu’s encouragement for him to find his own destiny instead of being trapped by whatever she told him, and Katara’s obsession with asking Aunt Wu about EVERYTHING in her life up until the point where she finds herself considering that the super powerful bender she’ll marry could be Aang.

In general, this episode does handle its filler qualities as best as possible. But, and this is a problem I’ve seen brought up by other people before, it’s also an episode that features Katara pondering maybe Aang could be her one true love… only for the next episode to absolutely forsake that plotline and go for a wholly different subject. Which is, of course, fine… the problem is, we could’ve had Katara treating Aang slightly differently if she found herself thinking of him in a new light. That she didn’t treat him visibly differently, if anything, makes it look like right after her “He really is a powerful bender…” reveal, she just went “NAAAAAH, no way it would be him” and just decided to push aside all romantic possibilities with Aang until the Cave of Two Lovers. Which, considering Kataang is the endgame couple, is honestly another fumble by the writing department, as following up on this development would have easily silenced all those detractors of the ship who have interpreted the whole show under the tried and tired guise of “but she’s just mothering hiiiiiim!”.

One great thing about romance is watching it grow steadily, gradually… and when you have such big moments you ought to follow up on them, to a fault. It didn’t even have to be acknowledged in any massive ways, but it could have been acknowledged by featuring Katara wearing the necklace Aang weaved for her during later episodes, or something like that. But… there’s nothing palpable. Nothing serious. And this isn’t to say Kataang is lesser for it, but it would have been greater if the next episode had addressed the pending elephant in the room instead of going around it and pretending it didn’t exist at all.

So, while the filler in ATLA in general is better than the frequent fillers from anime, for instance, or than fillers in certain liveaction TV shows… it’s not quite perfect, let alone is it always top-tier writing that, while slowing down the plot, allows proper character introspection and growth. I really do like the Fortuneteller, as usual Aang’s work to help of those who need him is probably my favorite thing about his character and it shows in spades in this episode. The comedy is really great here, and I love the way Sokka is portrayed here… as opposed to how he’s portrayed in the Great Divide and Avatar Day, where not only does it feel like he didn’t grow at all, it also feels like he’s reduced to slapstick comedy with zero respect for his character. So… yeah. I don’t really like those two episodes, not out of any genuine disliking of fillers for what they can be, but because, as far as chances to slow down plot and developments go, both Avatar Day and The Great Divide really didn’t do it the way I would’ve wanted them to.

#anon #... so tumblr didn't just change #it changed without dealing with problems #such as when you put a read more in an ask #and then post it #AND IT EATS UP THE READ MORE #so you end up plastering an insanely long post on everyone's dashboards #I am very sorry #*bows* #anyways #sorry if i disappoint #but I hope the answer is comprehensive enough

[itsyourchoicedevotionals]

Gets You Where You Go

“For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.” Rom 8:2ESV

I awakened in the wee hours of the morning to hearing myself pray, ‘Lord let me be like John G Lake.’ Instantly, I came awake. What was I even praying for?

Are you gullible— easily persuaded to believe something, credulous. Do you question validity of something? How about following through with researching to find the rest of the story? If so, you tend to be a bit of a skeptic— ‘a person inclined to question or doubt all accepted opinions.’

I’m not a skeptical, but am very curious person, always checking how and why things work like they do. When our pastor told about, John G Lake during his sermon, I was thinking I’ve got to read this for myself.            .

Researching about Lake, I discovered the man loved people with a servants heart: he walked in a faith unknown to most people who’ve ever lived. Where was the connection? “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love” Gal 5:6ESV. We have a saying— ‘it’s not what you know, but who you know that gets you where you go.’ This saying is true of the verse. Where we come from— college, shanty town, fancy people or religious people means nothing. In Christ is our faith working through love, and our love working through faith?

Lake lived our text scripture— “the law of the Spirit of life.” Until reading about Lake, I had heard this principle. Read Romans hundreds of times and never noticed this law. And you?

John G Lake— “When I saw for the first time by the Word of God that sickness was not the Will of God, EVERYTHING in my nature rose up to defeat the will of the devil” John G Lake.

Should those words be meaningless, Lake couldn’t have possibly cared for people with the bubonic plague; actively touching the germs, even have those germs die on his hand under a microscope. The bubonic plague was a non-discriminatory killer, although it has one thing in common with ebola, and corona— killing off the elderly, frail, and those with compromised immune systems.

Lake again— “Faith belongs to the law of life. Faith is the very opposite of fear. Faith has the opposite effect in spirit, and soul, and body. Faith causes the spirit of man to become confident. It causes the mind of man to become restful, and positive. A positive mind repels disease. Consequently, the emanation of the Spirit destroys disease germs.”

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1ESV.

Drawing from what Lake wrote: — ‘causes the mind of man to become restful and positive.’ The devotional Bomb Shelter given to me days before hearing of Lake,  addressed resting inside of God’s hiding place. — ‘a positive mind,’ “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.” 1Corinthians 2:16ESV. There is no mind more positive than “the mind of Christ.” Concluding therefore, Lake was aligned as much as is humanly possible with the thoughts of our God.

May I say, I’m not there on “faith working through love” end of the equation— yet. Is any of the church? Perhaps this is the reason, we’ve become so weak. Can it be the time in our history to begin working our faith through love? Will you pray with me— Lord let me be like Lake? Elisha asked for a double portion of Elijah’s miracles and got them. How about us? Do you want Lake’s faith? It’s your choice. You choose.

PRAYER: Lord Almighty birth in us understanding about the law of Spirit of life. Cause us to rise up strong in You, full of faith working in love, I pray in Jesus’ name.

by Debbie Veilleux Copyright 2020 You have my permission to reblog this devotional for others. Please keep my name with this devotional as author. Thank you.

#Jesus Christ #lord of lords #Word of God #Holy Spirit #God #it's your choice #devotional #positive #restful #meaningless #possible #conviction #plague #love #hope #faith

[preppernewstoday]

Articles in SurvivalBlog are generally, focused on practical “How To” survivalist topics. I’ve been concerned more about my mental and emotional state lately. With so much negative news as of late, I’ve been focused on the practicality of managing my spirit as I work on practical things. I thought I’d share – this is where I stand. There comes a time when you realize that there is nothing left to do but face the Evil and stand firm. You’re done with trying to convince people, especially people you dearly love, that the Evil is here now. You’ve reconciled yourself to the facts, hard facts, that Evil is afoot, and embraced even, by a large number of people around you. You stare at them in wonder that they can’t see the Evil that is parading in front of them, or that they purposefully refuse to see it, or they’re so distracted they can’t see it. You’re stunned that they continue eating, drinking, and being merry, as if they had not a care in the world. You watch them spending money on lavish vacations, petulantly complaining about things that won’t matter in eternity or when the Schumer Hits The Fan (SHTF). It’s as if you’ve become the alien on a strange planet. You begin to withdraw and just focus on the things in front of you – the things that do matter. What’s going to matter in eternity is how I loved and cared for my family; how I treated other people. It’s not going to matter what I look like, what I own or don’t own, where I’ve been, my educational status, or any status symbol. None of that is going to matter. It’s going to boil down to: did I listen to God’s voice, and do what He asked me to do, even if I got some parts of it wrong. My heart’s intentions are going to dearly matter. My actions as I work out those intentions are going to matter. There is no “virtue signaling” involved. There is no one to impress. Others’ opinions matter not. Many times in life, I took what I call a “small” stand. I call it small because compared to what we are now facing, it was small. That’s how it works. You take small stands for what you think is right, and slowly over time it becomes second nature. You take bigger, and more impactful, stands and you become intolerant of evil. A few simple examples are in order. When I was a very young mom, shopping with my children in a store, I found a few twenty dollars bills on the floor. Rather than pocket them, I showed my children what we do in such an instance, exhibiting that we do not take what is not ours to take. I looked around and there wasn’t anyone nearby. No one appeared to be looking for lost money. So, we took it up to the cashier and explained, giving her the cash to care for (it mattered not what she did with it). Later, when I was a career woman, I was propositioned by a male manager. I turned him down in no uncertain terms and of course I was laid off shortly thereafter. I knew why, and trusted God to provide for us. He did. As I went through life, many more tests presented themselves – they were harder, more intense, anguishing, but I stood my ground. Painfully, tearfully, sometimes in righteous indignation, I stood my ground. The most recent example was that I refused the “clot-shot” and never looked back. I got over each hurdle, and the Lord has provided for me in ways I could not have imagined. Each time I took a stand, God came through for me, and my Faith grew. Not because I am anything special, but because the Lord Almighty is capable. There’s nothing too hard for Him. All I have to do is Stand. When I see parents taking their children to “drag queen hour”, I get sick at my stomach. When I see videos of teachers who are purposefully indoctrinating children into any number of immoral doctrines, I can’t believe anyone has a child in public education anymore. I read recently that more than two million children have been withdrawn from the public education system. I asked myself why haven’t all of them been taken out? When I see public documents, evidence, pertaining to election fraud, child sex trafficking, government corruption, etc.

, I don’t understand how the government is still functioning. When I see that large hospital systems have been quietly mutilating young children in the name of an insane ideology that children are born “gender fluid” and can one day decide which body parts they want to keep and which they want surgically removed or altered, I am outraged. What kind of people do these things? What sickness has taken over their hearts, minds, and hands that do the work? I’m in awe that any of us are still “holding our fire”. When I see churches teaching Marxist theology rather than the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it makes me terribly sad. When I see our government, literally, provoking WWIII, destroying the global economy for the sake of an ideology that has no true scientific basis, using fear and propaganda to manipulate people, I’m just sure we are headed for very dark times. I don’t know how dark it will get. I can only guess based on my knowledge of the history of the human race. People have done incredibly cruel and demonic things to other people throughout our entire existence. Why God hasn’t just said Enough!!, I don’t know. Perhaps He wants every single human being to have one last chance to repent before bringing forth the horses of the Apocalypse. In the meantime, as Francis Schaeffer, a Christian theologian, famously wrote, “How Should We Then Live?” In my mind, it’s simple, but not easy. This is next level up from beans, bullets, and band-aids. It’s about a state of mind. It’s about walking in Peace while chaos swirls around us. It’s about believing that our Heavenly Father does indeed care about us, and that we aren’t just tossing about in a tiny boat in the middle of the sea with no help on the horizon. I couldn’t say that without having been rescued by Him time and time again, and personally witnessed His power. When I pray, I start by thanking Him for everything I can think of first. Then, I begin with my requests. After that, I go about my day on this little farm, tending to the land and the animals. It’s as if Someone gave me a refreshing, fulfilling, sip of something, first thing in the morning that lasts the whole day. As each challenge presents itself, throughout each day, I take a moment and thank Him, then request help, then I keep moving forward. I’m not saying there’s any magic to that formula, it’s just what I’ve come to do. Of course, I get slightly panicked from time to time. Don’t we all? As an example, I’ve had to have the siding on the house replaced. Underneath there was rot. I pretty much panicked over the increased costs, especially after just having had the roof replaced. I had to complain for a while, then I stopped myself. I went back to thanking Him, then asking Him to make this situation manageable for me. I know that He can actually heal the house – He’s that incredibly powerful. Remember, He invented “physics” and “gravity”, and with His very breath He holds the Universe together. No, I didn’t go out on the front lawn, waving my hands at the house, praying for healing! Although, that would’ve been a sight to behold. I just thanked Him, made my requests, and kept moving. As it turns out, the damage to the house is looking like something I can easily manage. I am so grateful. Financial stress, especially in these times, can be difficult to manage. Following Christ is not always roses and butterflies. Nope. There are usually a lot of thorns involved, as Jesus will tell you Himself. What I’ve learned is that all I have to do is Stand Firm on His principles. He will give me the strength to endure it. I think we are afraid, sometimes, that something is going to be too hard to bear. And because of that fear, we refuse to move forward, and we are afraid to stand firm. No matter what is coming… No matter if everything is taken from me… I’m not going to comply with a godless ideology. “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” (I Corinthians 15:55) I realize that a lot of people who read this blog do

not profess Christianity, and I often think that they might dismiss my thoughts as not relevant to them. I have to ask, what do you gain by conforming to the world’s system? Comfort, for a time? What do you have to lose by standing your ground, refusing to comply with an unholy alliance of people committed to an ideology that takes away your very freedom? Your freedom to choose how you will live, Who you will worship, how you will raise your children? No matter how you look at it, you lose, even when you go along to get along. And once you’ve complied, they take a little more from you, and then a little more, until there’s nothing left. Will you really be happy owning nothing? How about when they implant a little device in your head that manages your behavior, and a little device in your hand that gives you access to things you need? You could just kick back with the virtual reality glasses on and slip into a controlled environment where you don’t think or feel for yourself. How does that sound? No matter what your spiritual condition, you are a spiritual being. You were born to think your own thoughts, make your own decisions, and choose your own actions. You can’t be anything else. You are a human being created by God. You need to own yourself. And in so doing, recognize that there is help, but it doesn’t come in the form of Things necessarily. It comes in the form of spiritual, mental, and emotional peace, with the strength to keep moving forward. I don’t make good decisions when I’m in a state of turmoil, fear, doubt, or anger. I make good decisions when I’m calm, humble, and willing to stand firm, come what may. Brandon Smith’s recent article, reposted in SurvivalBlog, talked about how we must develop alternative systems within our states in order to survive the travesties our Federal government is thrusting upon us. I agree. But, we must have our hearts and minds right with God so that we are fearless rather than fearful, and at peace in the midst of chaos. I am firm on the fact that I’m not going to comply with godless edicts. I pray that God will fill me with His strength to continue. And that He will take me from this earth in His timing. May God be with us.

[wisdomrays]

DESIRE TO RETREAT: Part 2

Seclusion and living for others

In order to be saved from the danger we mentioned above, many people choose to seclude themselves from others; such a choice can be a means for salvation for one’s personal life. However, it should be realized that this is not an absolute and it may not always be a means to salvation.

It should also be realized that those who choose seclusion and seek spiritual comfort in retreat eliminate the conditions for spiritual struggle and thereby destroy a dynamic that could be a basis for their spiritual progress. Just as our immune system cannot develop unless it meets certain viruses, leaving it so undefended as to be able to be destroyed by the slightest germs, a person who is not engaged in a spiritual struggle is just as vulnerable to the virus of sin.

The following parable demonstrates this point very well: once upon a time there were two devout brothers. One of them lived as a hermit on the side of a mountain, and the other lived among people and tried to convey them the truths of faith. The hermitic brother had a bag made of cloth which he used to hang his food and drink near the entrance of his cave. One day he realized that God Almighty had granted him an extraordinary blessing; the cloth bag held liquids like a glass, with no seepage. He visited his brother in the city and witnessed the same blessing there. As the hermit spent some time near his brother the worldly life of the city had an effect on his spirituality and the water in his bag in the cave began to seep out. However, there was no change to his brother’s bag. Then it dawned on the hermit that while his brother was trying to save others he had gained a strong defense mechanism against sins; he used his willpower to maintain his spirituality in the life of the city.

The ideas above should not be taken to mean that worship in retreat is of no use. The point being made is that seclusion is not an objective method that can help everybody to salvation in any absolute sense. Nevertheless, it is an undeniable fact that throughout history there have been men of God who advanced toward perfection on the horizons of knowledge and love of God by withdrawing into seclusion and ceasing to busy their ears, tongues, and lips with anything not related to Him. Later on, those making such journeys gradually came into contact with the world and they learned to maintain their spirituality in these conditions as well.

Try to save others so that you can be saved

However, it is a truth that one who constantly leads a hermitic life cannot usually tell others about the truth. Even though they can find personal salvation, they cannot save another. A true believer is one who strives for the guidance of others as well; this is an obligation for those who have sincere faith. It is possible to say that in our philosophy the way to salvation is related to our intention and efforts to save others. And this can only be realized by being with God while socializing with people; to express this in Sufi terminology, this perspective can be realized by preferring the Jalwati way over the Halwati one.

Another important matter to be considered at this point is that an inclination for seclusion may generate from a wish to escape responsibility and seek personal comfort. When I was working in Edirne I saw a few lines on the wall inscribed inside the mosque by a follower of the Halwati order. These lines exemplify this point well and read as follows:

“O my brothers, my comfort is in my retreat. Whoever I made friends with found my shortcomings and revealed my faults. Indeed, I have met no one who is truly faithful. Therefore I, found comfort and inner and mental peace in solitude.”

I think this approach is an escape, since a believer cannot be a person who only thinks about and lives for themselves, only seeking personal comfort. Instead, they consider both their own progress and the salvation of the faith and spirituality of others. Therefore, we can say that being among others with the intention of expressing the truth is the way of the prophets, particularly that of the Messenger of God. Had seclusion been more pleasing to God Almighty, the noble Prophet would have spent his life in the cave on Mount Hira and have led his life in retreat. Nobody would have disturbed him; but then who would have carried out the duty of conveying the message to others? At the very beginning of his mission, Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, received the following command: “O you cloaked one (who has preferred solitude)! Arise and warn! And declare your Lord’s greatness!” (Muddathir 74:1–3). With these verses, God Almighty declared that he should go and be with people and give them a hand to guide them to the truth; this was the mission of Prophethood. There is a similar statement in another verse (Maeda 5:67) reading: “O Messenger! Convey and make known in the clearest way all that has been sent down to you from your Lord. For, if you do not, you have not conveyed His Message and fulfilled the task of His Messengership.” Actually, this verse implies: “you will be dismissed from your position if you do not fulfill your mission.” In this respect, if one retreats into a corner, God Almighty might renege on the favors that He blessed that person with. This is why we are underlining the point that what should be sent to a cave is our wish for solitude, nothing else. Instead, we should arise with the motive of mingling with people for the sake of God, exerting ourselves in the way of faith and serving humanity, hand in hand with our friends.

Nevertheless, God Almighty protects those who serve on His path when they mix with people. Is this not what He has done so far? Many of us have had such experiences. As has been previously mentioned, the temptations of the world have a very powerful appeal for human nature. This tendency for ungodliness, the rebellious urge of our carnal self, is so overwhelming. A fair evaluation of this picture might lead to the conclusion that “because a person’s fancies, desires, and the rebellious urges of the carnal self constantly call him to the world, one can give into the temptations of the world any moment.” In my opinion, the surprising thing at this point is that although some may expect that the people who are trying to serve in the way of God will fall headfirst into the swamp of sins, thanks be to God this is not actually the situation. Because there are so many pitfalls awaiting us, one can just lose control and go astray. However, Providence does not let us deviate from our path. Those who serve the righteous cause are devoted and seem to come under divine protection. What befalls us is to be aware of this blessing and keep praying: “O God, we pray for Your protection and care; we implore You for deliverance under Your Providence.”

#allah #god #muhammad #prophet #sunnah #hadith #quran #ayat #islam #muslim #muslimah #hijab #help #dua #salah #pray #prayer #reminder #religion #convert #revert #welcome to islam #how to convert to islam #new muslim #new revert #new convert #revert help #convert help #islam help #muslim help

[cuethetommo]

1. This is going to be long but you said things about hs2 tour that i don't understand. Why have you come to the conclusion that not many tickets were sold to fans? You say "where are the rest of the tickets?" and I don't understand? They sold it? lol. Harry is having a special concert. This is the day of his album. Of course the demand would be high. People took screenshots of them having 16k people in from of them in the queue. I saw it on twitter. He isn't gonna want it to be empty.

This is his album release day. He doesn't need to save 10k for industry people or family/freinds. Which industry people btw? And he doesn't have 1k family people to come to his show? I just don't understand. Having a hard time getting tickets does not mean that they don't exist. You are right about people saying 11k tickets on subhub/with scalpers is false tho. I don't know why someone made it up when you can see how many tickets are being sold on their page.

Also why would scalpers have that many tickets but not sell them on resale websites? That doesn't make any sense. They point with their business is buying tickets and selling it for a higher price. There not going to buy it and then not sell it. "the way this was done says to me that his team actually doesn’t care if fans get totally ripped off." I don't agree with you. Like you said, there are 700 tickets on subhub. How is that not caring about fans? Also some people put them there with ridiculous prices just to see if they can sell it. Cause they want to go /plan to go but if someone is seriosly going to offer 1k for it some may sell it and go to his tour instead. It costed 25. He could have made the price higher than his tour prices cause this was a speical night with him and I promise he would still sell out. In fact he made it cheeper. Also there was no fee to pay. So who fixed that? Harry and his team cause Ticketmaster ain't doing anything for free. They made sure that you had to buy from his website to get codes. You could also only buy 2 and ticketmaster said that tickets will bounce back if they find out that someone broke the rule. Anyway nobody has to worry that this will be the same with tour tickets. lol. That's bizarre. Like imagine 1d coming back for one night vs 1d coming back for a tour playing in 80 places. Of course the pressure and ticket demand would be different. Same with Harry. You can't compare this with a full tour.

--

Lord almighty that’s long. You’re welcome to see the same data and come to different conclusions, for sure. The only point that I’ll really stick to is that there are NOT 11,000 tickets available on resale sites.

And to your point, 791 out of 17,500 ending up in scalpers' hands isn’t as bad as it could be (4.5%). But I’ve also said that there was more that could be done. Some tickets are actually NOT TRANSFERRABLE via Ticketmaster. Does that mean you can’t work around it? No. But does it cut some of it down? Yes.

But I didn’t say that I think the rest of the tickets went to scalpers. Nor did I say that they all went to friends and family. Just that I don’t believe all 17,500 went on sale. And I’ll stick by that assessment. Look at how many people you know and how many people you’ve seen on Twitter or on Tumblr with tickets. No where NEAR as many as I’d expect. And there are people I know who are veterans in the 1D ticket environment that didn’t get close. Again, you’re free to come to different conclusions. But these are mine. And as this is my blog, I’ll continue to discuss my opinions.

And I realize that you see that One Night Only is way different than tour, which I also know, but it is worth repeating.

#opinion #mine #hs2our #Anonymous #answered asks

[tawakkull]

Spirituality in islam: Jam’ (Absorption)

Jam’ (absorption) literally means coming and bringing together. In the language of Sufism, it means fixing all one’s feeling, sight and consciousness on the Truth, to the extent that one is absorbed in Him and does not feel the existence of the world with all that is in it. To the degree of one’s knowledge of God, one only knows Him, feels Him, sees Him and is saved from preoccupation with anything else. If this meaning is approached from the concept of unity, it is the opposite of multiplicity; but if it is conceived of as one’s heart cutting off relations with all else save God, then its opposite is distinguishing (farq), which we, God willing, will deal with as a separate subject.

Absorption is a state or station belonging to those who have reached the final state of the spiritual journey. Travelers to the Truth who are honored with the gift of absorption always feel Him, know Him, and according to the level of the horizon and spiritual pleasures of each, can be aware or not aware of the people around them. But they always feel and are always conscious of the Truth and live as if charmed by observation of the meanings that belong to the Truth and that are reflected in everything. They always see the manifestations of His Names and Attributes in all things and events which they encounter. Thirsty for the Divine Being Himself, they fly around the manifestations of His “Face” like moths flying around a light. In tides of wonder and admiration, they cannot help but utter: Glory be to You, how exalted You are (as the Divine Being)!

Two stages further from this state of pleasure is absorption within absorption, which means a total absence for the travelers to the Truth. Travelers who find themselves in such a whirlpool of feeling are no longer aware of their own selves nor that of others. Totally detached from distinguishing, they are completely forgetful of all else save the Truth-as anybody except He is a shadow of the shadow of the light of His Existence-and turn to Him with all their being.

For initiates who base themselves on God’s absolute Oneness in all their views and considerations, everything is a shadow of the light of the Existence of the Truth. For one who is in the state of absorption, it is a shadow of the shadow of His Existence’s light, while one who is in the absorption within absorption only sees the rays of the manifestations of His “Face” in the name of the creation. Some scholars mention a further degree of absorption, which they call holy absorption. This is the rank which the verifying scholars of Sufism regard as the of nearness to God, Who is nearer to us than ourselves, by means of supererogatory prayers. The travelers who have attained this level are conscious that it is God Who maintains them, and begin to observe everything more deeply and clearly with their innermost senses, which have become sharper than their external senses. They hear with their spirit, see with their power of insight, review and examine with their conscience, and have the opportunity to see the true faces of theoretical knowledge through the door half-opened by their inner vision and experience. This is the rank where travelers are favored with the full manifestation of the truth contained in He is the First, and the Last, and the Outward, and the Inward (57:3), and where they become polished mirrors that reflect it. The servants of God who have reached this farthest point either “travel in God” and rotate around themselves like the North Star, or are turning around their axis in their hearts while being in their bodies among people.

If they have attained the rank of absorption, it means that they have also been favored with “subsitence with God.” Those who hold this rank in the final stage of the journey, and who are abstracted from their own attributes in their absorption in God’s Attributes and from their own being in absorption in God’s Being, gain a new existence through subsistence with God. They begin to feel the bliss of eternality and breathe “absorption” in the delight of being aware that their acts have become lost in God’s acts. A stage further, when they observe that their attributes have been annihilated in the all-comprehensive Attributes of God, they become lost in the delight of experiencing absorption within absorption. Finally, as a result of their own being being obliterated in the face of God’s Knowledge and Existence, they leave themselves to the consideration of the holy absorption with inner vision and spiritual pleasures, and are immersed in the feelings of wonder upon wonder.

From another point of view, the act of observing the requirements or responsibilities of servanthood to God with the utmost care, devotion, and consciousness is called “distinguishing,” while being favored with a shower of Divine gifts that come unexpectedly as a reward for this “small capital”-small because the greatest capital is one’s being favored by God-is absorption. In view of this approach, those who have attained a higher spiritual state have observed that one who does not perceive “distinguishing” is ignorant of servanthood, while one who does not feel absorption is unaware of knowing God.

The Qur'anic statement (1:5), You alone do we worship, which expresses the individual consciousness developing into and translating the public consciousness, is a voice of distinguishing and servanthood, while You alone do we ask for help (1:5) is an expression of absorption and a declaration of human poverty and helplessness before God. Every initiate hears the voice of distinguishing at the beginning of the spiritual journey, and feels the pleasure of absorption at the end of it. The ultimate point, which only those endowed with a particular capacity can reach, is “absorption within absorption” and the “holy absorption.” While the former signifies God’s concentration of the manifestations of His Names on a certain object, the latter is a sign of the manifestation of His Names throughout the universe.

According to Kashani, distinguishing is the knowledge of God the Almighty and spiritual pleasures of those who have not yet been able to develop their theoretical considerations about God (I personally find this view unacceptable), while absorption is immersion caused by a concentration on the Creator without ever thinking of the creation, and absorption within absorption is the peak of seeing the creation as subsisting by the Creator. This final rank is also the rank of distinguishing above absorption. Since in this rank only God’s acts, Attributes and Essential Qualities are observed, the Absolutely True One, for those who have attained this rank, becomes the eyes with which they see, the ears with which they hear, and the hands with which they hold. For this reason, He attributes to Himself what they do by His will and leave and ignore the apparent causes. The Sufi scholars are of the opinion that the verse, (8:17), You did not kill them but God killed them, and when you threw, it was not you who threw, but God who threw, besides clearly mentioning a miracle of God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, alludes to this rank.

Absorption can never mean the unity of being-the unity (union) of God and the universe or God’s being identical with the universe-as pantheists claim, nor is distinguishing totally the opposite. The One Who is the Eternal is eternal, and the beings who are contained in time and come into existence within time are mortal and different from the Eternal One. The Creator cannot be and is not the same as the created. The relation between them is not that which comes from appearance; that is, the universe is not an apparent form of God. Rather, this relation is that between the Creator and the created. We can also see the creation as the totality of the manifestations of God’s Names. These manifestations are completely pure and transparent, while that which issues from the created is usually tangible. Human beings have both a pure, transparent aspect or dimension, and a dense/tangible one. This is why, as declared in the verse (17:84), Each being acts according to his own standard of measure, they can display behavior either according to their bodily dimension or according to their spirit. As they are composed of a body, a carnal self, and a spirit, they fix their eyes on nature and corporeality, while they carry inclinations toward spiritual, exalted worlds as well. By means of the ways of rising which the Shari'a has appointed and guaranteed, travelers on the way to God cut their relations with fleeting and decaying things and turn to eternity. Whosever’s breast God expands and opens to Islam follows a light from his Lord (39:22). So, when travelers to God turn to Him in submission, they travel in the exhilarating horizons with utmost self-possession and awareness under the guidance of the light of their Lord. Even though they may sometimes encounter confusion or bewilderment, they easily overcome these with the assistance of the never-deceiving leadership of the master of creation, upon him be peace and blessings. They always head for the sources of knowledge that God has determined and secured through Prophethood, and never fall into the errors committed by pantheists.

From another perspective, absorption has been dealt with under the rubrics of “absorption with respect to knowledge”, “absorption with respect to existence”, and “absorption with respect to the (Divine) Being Himself.”

Absorption in knowledge means that at the beginning of their journey, travelers to God base themselves on the knowledge that comes from, or that is obtained through, the proofs and indications of God. Then this knowledge develops from the certainty based on knowing into a certainty based on observation and finally into a certainty based on experience. However, only a shadowy degree of certainty based on experience can be reached in the world. Ultimately, this knowledge becomes pure knowledge from His Presence. Although it is the result of following the way of inference, it is not the same as the knowledge acquired through a proof originated in the outer world or in the human inner world. Not is it totally different either. It is a special gift of the Almighty to the free will with which God has endowed human beings, and which is in fact a simple means given to them for the execution of the Divine commandments. However, like all other Divine gifts, this gift is never proportionate to our free will. Like it, all other gifts of God Almighty are many times greater than what we actually deserve.

Absorption with respect to existence is when the travelers to God are perfectly aware in their consciousness of how things and events occur and how they are maintained. All of existence disappears from their vision to the extent that they are no longer aware of which direction is right and which is left. The conquerors of the heart, who walk in this station, feel only the rays of the Eternal Holy Existence and Knowledge and see all else as the motions of these rays. Provided manifestation is not confused with appearance, and shadow with the original, those who have attained this horizon feel or hear innumerable things and/or beings in every part of the universe invoking His Name, saying, He is the All-Living, the Self-Subsisting (by Whom all subsist)(2:255).

Absorption with respect to the (Divine) Being Himself means that all the indications and proofs of God that originate in the outer and inner human world are no longer visible in the face of the light of knowledge of God and the spiritual pleasure that the Almighty lets flow into the hearts of travelers to Him. Some have regarded this rank as the final station of the spiritual journey. If they base this consideration on their constant turning to God during traveling from wakefulness to self-possession and thence to repentance, penitence and contrition one after the other, and on the relation between God and humankind as being the relation between the Creator and the created, and the Sole Object of Worship and the worshipper, and the Lord and the servant, there can be no objection. But, if they imply by absorption that things have no reality at all, and it is of no use or significance to use one’s mental faculties to infer from things and events the existence of God and therefore to acquire certain knowledge about Him, and that people are no longer responsible for the fulfillment of religious obligations after reaching some point in the spiritual journey, and that there is essentially no difference between I and you and He, then this is most definitely a total deviation in conception and creed. This can be either a fantasy of those who are pursuing “originality” for the sake of fame or a view held by some self-conceited pantheists and monists.

As for the Prophets and the pure, saintly scholars, they have regarded the way leading to the Infinite One as endless, and have experienced the final station one can reach in the journey along this way according to their capacity with the same solemnity, wakefulness, and consciousness as they experienced the beginning. They have always accepted that serving the Truth with the utmost humility is the goal of their lives. The Almighty ordered the master of creation, the most perfect in servanthood to Him, Worship your Lord until what is certain (to come, i.e. death) comes to you (15:99). By this, He both emphasizes that death marks the end of this responsibility and consoles the Messenger for the afflictions and tortures he was subjected to by reminding him of his meeting with God. Because meeting with God meant for him reaching certainty based on experience in his own, unique level.

O God! Make us among those of Your servants who pursue sincerity, whom You have favored with sincerity and purity of intention, who have achieved piety and abstinence from all forbidden things big or small, and whom You have made near to You, and who are pleased with You and whom you are pleased with. And let God’s blessings and peace be on our master Muhammad, the head of those whom You have favored with sincerity and purity of intention, and on his family and Companions, who were austere, near to God, and were pleased with Him and whom God was pleased with. Amen!

#allah #god #islam #muslim #quran #revert #convert #convert islam #revert islam #reverthelp #revert help #revert help team #help #islamhelp #converthelp #prayer #salah #muslimah #reminder #pray #dua #hijab #religion #mohammad #new muslim #new revert #new convert #how to convert to islam #convert to islam #welcome to islam