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fortleegospel · 4 months

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Gospel News

Dear friends and members of Fort Lee Gospel Church,

Many years ago, I visited a friend who was a pastor of a church in a rural, farming community. My friend had three children and the entire church was made up of families with 3 or 4 children each. What an unusual church considering our modern cultural experience. We live in a time when motherhood and large families are an oddity more than a norm.

This Sunday is Mother’s Day in our nation. A day to honor mothers. With all due respect to the many among us who do not have children, I would like to bring us back to some biblical thoughts around motherhood. I start with the account of Hannah in I Samuel 1. She was not able to conceive until God heard her prayers. I Sam. 1:20 says,

So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.”

The Hebrew word for Samuel is similar to ‘heard by God.’ Samuel was a gift from God to Hannah and she literally gave him back to God by leaving him at the temple when he was weaned. Samuel went on to be a great prophet and leader of God’s people.

In light of our cultural trends, here are some thoughts on Motherhood in 2024:

Motherhood is challenging. Yet in Genesis 1:28 we read:

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

Being fruitful and having children was God’s design from the beginning. The challenge today is that having children is inconvenient and disruptive to modern life. Here are some of the challenges to motherhood faced by young adults today:

Education has given opportunities for women to succeed in career paths once reserved mostly for men. Women have often proven to be better students and that has led to millions of successful career women. That is good. The downside is that motherhood often hurts career success. For the ‘superwomen’ who try to both raise a family and advance in their careers, life is hard. Many have rightly noted that they cannot do it all. Every advanced culture in the world is dealing with declining birth rates. The demands of work and motherhood is often a major factor.

Marriage rates have been declining in our culture. Many young people grew up seeing marriages fail in the lives of adults they knew. Some choose to delay marriage and date for many years. Others struggle with the restrictions that come with marriage. Many learn to build a meaningful life as a single person. I am happy that we live in a time where life can be rich and full for single adults. The New Testament has much to say about spirituality for those who were single, including Jesus and Paul. Raising children is hard when you are married, and harder still for those who are single. The drop in marriage contributes to fewer mothers in America.

Economics is a third reason that it is hard to be a mother in America. Baby boomers (myself included) were born in a time when an average job could buy a house, support a family, and allow the wife to stay home and raise the children. We do not live in that economic reality today. Young people today may be the first generation to expect to be poorer than their parents. Most young couples need two incomes to pay the bills. Ambitious young couples may see having a family as costing too much. It is costly to be a parent today.

For these reasons and others, we honor mothers (especially young mothers) this Mother’s Day. Raising children is not easy. Young mothers (and fathers) need the prayers and support of those of us who are older. May God raise up godly families among us in the years ahead. God bless!

-Pastor Rick

Weekly Announcements

Sunday worship services at 11:00 AM continue to be livestreamed on our Fort Lee Gospel Facebook page, YouTube channel, and our website, www.fortleegospel.org. We meet in the building where we include a time of worship after the online portion of the service.

The Tuesday Men’s Lunch and study meets at the church at 12:30 PM.

The Tuesday Bible Study meets at 7:00 PM weekly. We are studying the book of Romans.

The 6:00 AM Prayer Meeting on Wednesdays and Saturdays is at the church with an option to connect on Google Meet.

The Women’s Bible Study meets this Saturday, May 11th at 2:00 PM. The study continues from the book of Ephesians. All women are welcome.

Connect info for Tuesday Bible Studies and Morning Prayer is:

Meeting URL :

https://meet.google.com/suk-xpsf-nwh

For dial in: Phone: +1 567-351-1104 PIN: 469 349 929#

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angelicatiaga · 7 months

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Rest Day Thoughts

“You can make yourself busy, but it won’t save you from your current situation...unless you surrender it all to God.”

2023 was my most depressive year, I must say. Consecutively, I’d pray to the Lord that He takes me away. I don’t want to live anymore. I just don’t see my purpose.

These prayers are ironic because I’m a licensed minister. I am a preacher of the Word of God, but I long to have eternal rest. I am not really a pastor who’s handling a church, but I serve in a very busy church. A church where you’ll be ashamed if you find yourself not working because almost everyone is working.

Alongside that, with all the work inside the church, I wanted to prove myself something. Growing up as an achiever, I don’t want to settle where I am. So, having two degrees (communication and theology), I wanted to become a licensed professional teacher. To do so, I enrolled in the continuing education program for a Bachelor of Education. It’s not really time-consuming, but the burden of reviewing for the examination exhausts me. I am a little bit pressured, to be honest. Thoughts like “What if I won’t be able to pass? ""Will I become a failure? ""Yuck, a cum laude, but not a board exam passer." Thoughts like that creep into me and keep me awake ‘til the middle of the night.

A licensed minister and a student. But guess what? I added another one. With the degree I’m holding, I’m blessed to be given the opportunity to share my knowledge with the students of the Bible College here as a part-time faculty member. I honestly thought that I’d be teaching only for one semester, but the second semester came, and still, here I am. I really didn’t dream of becoming a teacher (again, an irony of the course I’m taking), but I love being with children; that’s why I accepted the challenge to be so. Office work, plus unnecessary comments (from the church members and our pastor, who is my brother), plus studying lessons, plus meeting deadlines, exhausted me.

So, to lessen those pains, I entered another workload that is in line with my passion: video editing. KC, one of my friends in college, introduced me to OnlineJob.ph. It’s a platform for workers who like to work from the comfort of their homes. While in the middle of creating an account, one of the leaders in the church offered me an opportunity to edit his vlogs, with a corresponding compensation, of course. So, to cut a long story short, I didn’t pursue that online job, but instead, I edited videos, which of course helped me to actually save up for our Thailand trip.

So, that’s it! I am an office worker, a licensed minister, a student, a part-time teacher, and a video editor all at once. But after working all these tiring jobs, I am not financially stable. Just barely surviving, well, at least.

At least.

I pay for my brother’s tuition and sometimes give him his allowance. Paying for my own tuition and allotting myself gas and food allowances. Maintaining “farm things” and food for chickens. EVERYTHING TOOK THE JOY OUT OF MY HEART. I wanted to rest, literally and figuratively.

During our BYB2024 Day 3 session, I was praying to the Lord to take away those thoughts and that He would heal me of all the things that caused me pain. I didn’t walk in front; I just stayed in my place, at the back, on my chair, sitting down. Guess what? Someone whom I never knew came to me and said, “Can I pray for you?” Without hesitation, I said yes. All the words I needed were uttered, and I knew it was the Lord. “The words you have been hearing are all lies. It’s the work of Satan to destroy you. But God loves you, and He wants you to be healed. You can make yourself busy, but it won’t save you from your current situation unless you surrender it all to God. God loves you so much.”

All throughout that night, I was crying. Oh, Lord, forgive me for doubting your creation. Forgive me for asking to take out the life you’ve breathed into me. And thank You for saving me from the deepest sinkhole I am in.

Currently, I am still a licensed minister serving in the multimedia, children, and outreach ministries, an office worker, a part-time teacher, a student, and a video editor. I do household chores and farm chores, but they all give me joy. I am enjoying this season I’m currently in, and I hold on to what the Lord spoke to me during our BYB 2024.

"You are not enough, but God is. You are not able, but God is. He will take you out of the box, out of the denomination, out of your current place. He will place you in the lead, but He will lead you. You will lead a nation, but He will be with you. Do not be afraid, do not be anxious, and DO NOT PANIC. He will take everything away from you, but you won’t regret it because it is Him, He will lead you. And while it is not happening yet, wait, watch, and observe.”

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synchronousemma · 3 years

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Saturday, 25th December (Christmas Day): The weather is not favourable

Read and comment on WordPress

Read: Vol. 1, ch. 16; pp. 90–91 (“Emma got up on the morrow” through to “a most honourable prisoner”).

Context

Emma wakes determined to be cheerful. The party at Hartfield is detained from attending church services by the weather.

Readings and Interpretations

Very Cheering Thoughts

Roger Gard reads Emma’s “[getting] up on the morrow more disposed for comfort than she had gone to bed” as a discouraging sign after her “first long, important day of self-accusation”: “This is a small, partial, aganorisis, or recognition, including a small newly acknowledged sense of Mr. Knightley’s wisdom. But it is swiftly recovered from and ignored in a new morning and with the alacrity of youthful spirits bolstered by her intuition of Elton’s not really being in love” (p. 163). Similarly, Edgar Shannon reads this as evidence that Emma’s “complacence has been pricked, but the lesson has not been assimilated” (p. 639).

Everything in its Season

Lionel Trilling, interpreting the world of Highbury as the world of the idyll (a non-realist genre that presents humanity in a state of innocence and harmony), writes that “[t]he weather plays a great part in Emma: in no other novel of Jane Austen’s is the succession of the seasons, and cold and heat, of such consequence, as if to make the point which the pastoral idyll characteristically makes, that the only hardships that man should properly endure are meteorological” (p. 57).

Indeed, the weather has been gradually encroaching throughout the first volume, achieving a larger and larger narrative presence with the intrusion of winter into the activities of the characters. During the fall, considerations of weather are mentioned only to be dismissed (“‘Dirty, sir! Look at my shoes. Not a speck on them’”; vol. 1, ch. 1; p. 4) or as distractions from other topics (“‘What does Weston think of the weather; shall we have rain?’”; vol. 1, ch. 5; p. 25). Weather is mentioned in its threatening capacity to prevent outdoor activity, at least for Emma and Harriet, in late fall (“Though now the middle of December, there had yet been no weather to prevent the young ladies from tolerably regular exercise”; vol. 1, ch. 10; p. 54). The debacle of the snow at the Randalls dinner in early winter culminates now in the fulfillment of that threat.

Shannon mentions the mood created by the inclement weather during and after Elton’s proposal: “His insincere, fruitless proposal vents itself not only in the confined dark of the carriage but on a bleak, snowy December night. Darkness, coldness, and confinement reflect the unpropitiousness and, for Emma, the distastefulness of the incident.” But the implications here may be deeper than setting a mood, or contriving something convenient for the sake of the plot. Paul H. Fry mentions “the seasonal quality of Georgic” (a genre involving “the teaching of useful and sociable skills against the backdrop of a farm”) in Emma—”that is, the fitness of things in season” (pp. 141, 129). If, as Shannon writes, the “novelist parallels increasing social activity [in volumes 2 and 3] with the advancing seasons conducive to it in a rural community,” then it seems fitting that the poor “sociable skills” revealed by the failed social connection between Emma and Mr. Elton come to a head during a time when physical motion as well is threatened and then disallowed.1

Filial Duty

I am also interested in how Emma in this section turns Mr. Woodhouse’s fretfulness to account, or at least coincidentally benefits from it: “Mr. Woodhouse would have been miserable had his daughter attempted [going to church], and she was therefore safe from either exciting or receiving unpleasant and most unsuitable ideas” (vol. 1, ch. 16; p. 91).

Laura Mooneyham implies that Emma’s isolation in deference to her father may be self-imposed: she proposes “Emma and her father enjoy a symbiotic relationship” that

makes Emma’s love for her father a less than selfless proposition. Significantly, each major crisis precipitated by Emma’s errors of imagination is followed by a period of retreat to the changeless and deathlike safety of her father’s company. After the debacle of Mr. Elton’s proposal, the bad weather aids Emma in this retreat […]. (p. 110)

Footnotes

On the sequence of the seasons in Emma see also Kaufmann (pp. 55–70); Stovel (n.p.).

Discussion Questions

Does Emma’s relative cheerfulness upon waking indicate youth and optimism, or a failure to learn a lesson?

To what narrative or thematic purposes is weather put throughout Emma?

Bibliography

Austen, Jane. Emma (Norton Critical Edition). 3rd ed. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, [1815] 2000.

Fry, George. “Georgic Comedy: The Fictive Territory of Jane Austen’s Emma.” Studies in the Novel 11.2 (Summer 1979), pp. 129–46.

Gard, Roger. “Emma’s Choices.” In Jane Austen’s Novels: The Art of Clarity. Avon: Yale University Press (1992), pp. 155–81.

Kaufmann, Ruta Baublyté. “Changing Seasons: The Cyclical and the Linear.” In The Architecture of Space-Time in the Novels of Jane Austen. Palgrave Macmillan (2018), pp. 19–79. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-90011-7_2.

Mooneyham, Laura G. “The Double Education of Emma.” In Romance, Language and Education in Jane Austen’s Novels. Houndmills: Macmillan Press (1988), pp. 107–145.

Shannon, Edgar F. “Emma: Character and Construction.” PMLA 71.4 (September 1956), pp. 637–50. DOI:10.2307/460635.

Stovel, Bruce. “The New Emma in Emma.” Persuasions On-Line 28.1 (Winter 2007).

#Jane Austen #Emma #Emma Woodhouse #e

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whatdoesshedotothem · 3 years

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Wednesday 11 September 1839

3 ¼

F61 ½° at 4 ¼ am much rain in the night and sandy road .:. 6 horse off at 5 6/.. at Kyrkstad at 6 55/.. I hot and much bit in the night

K- to Bolstad 14 w.

Njölbolstad 13 w.

Helsingfors 68 w.

St. P- 480 w.

the woman had not been able to get us any Swedish money .:. agreed that she should take a 10 Rubel bill and be answerable for 6r. for the horses and take 4 towards her own bill and I paid her (at the rate 40sk. rigs per rubel) for the 2 remaining rubels

7 eight sk. banco notes i.e. 1.5.4+0.2.8 given over – very civil good tempered looking woman – much pleased we were so satisfied – remembered Handbook and his friend very well – said they had given her a small bit of money which she kept for their sake – I happening to have my 3 silver ½ dollar banco silver pieces in my pocket gave her one of them (that has a hole thro’ it) and desired her to keep it for I should ask to see it again sometime – Better rooms and house at Keala [Kealanoja] last night but better eating here – Rain again and off in the rain at 5 6/.. – I slept most of the way – all forest till 6 55/.. when fine and sunny, and stopt to change horses /4 again) at some distance from the station house (did not even see it) near a small cottage where the red square headed mile post is set up – I got out for a few minutes very usefully the village must be near the station house on our left – scattered farms and cottages about – a pretty opening – very pretty country – wide winding wooded hill enclosed valley – a bit of forest again (young wood) in about hour+ - but good road – sandy land – but the road hard gravel like an English park road about 12ft. wide as usual, but sometimes less nice country all along to Bolstad at 8 ½ - stopt again in the road so[me] distance (left) 200 or 300 yards from the station house – walked to it – to see the direction post – could not find one – poor place – I think we could not well sleep there – the people 2 or 3 men and a woman

SH:7/ML/TR/13/0030

September Wednesday 11 at breakfast a little fish (apparently salted?) and boiled potatoes 2 rigs dollars a ton dearer here than at Stockholm – at last it was agreed that the woman should pay for our 4 horses from here 15 ½ w. to Everby [Ofverby] = 3.72 and the young man (her son?) gave me two 20kop. notes + one 75 kop. + two two-kop. copy pieces + two ½ sk. banco pieces for 4kop. = 5 Rubel – 5 kop. no wonder Handbook complained of their accommodation for the night – that is not the place to stop at – all Finnish commerce with Stockholm .:. all their money payments among themselves are in Swedish money but they are obliged to pay the taxe for posting in Russian money .:. are obliged to receive it for their horses – their wood (salmon) butter all goes to Stockholm but now they have the douane to pay = 2 rigs dollars per 60lbs. and being obliged to sell their butter at the Swedish price as they did before without duty they of course now lose this – and so equally the whole of the duties paid by them to Sweden is now a loss to them – the village of Bolstad not apparently very near the station – nice country – off from B- at 9 2/.. and at 9 ½ pretty lake and unpainted cottages and hamlets dotted here and there – green basin valley and lake and rounded wooded hills – in about 10 minutes more or ¼ hour come down upon the water wood bridge and cross it at one end where it looks river like – very pretty hereabouts rock and wood and water and villages and farms or cottages – a good deal of wind which curly the water – corn cocks as yesterday but now 9 ¾ it is rye – steep pitch up from the bridge and sandy road – at 10 ¼ moss-rocky forest – uphill and our horses hardish passed – all along sandy – pretty country – very pretty drive – at 10 50/.. at next stage to Finns 12 ½ w.

Helsingfors 39 and St. P- 451 w.

Öfverby (pronounced Everby) – small unpainted house – but probably might sleep tho’ not good - but the woman a decent woman – off at 11 – cocks of corn out here – rye I think – very pretty – rocky wooded hills and scattered unpainted little cottages and so red – the village of Ofverby (its neat little church at the foot of the hill just beyond the station) seems

September Wednesday 11 seems widely scattered in patches – winding pretty valley – round hilly and rather sandy – in ¼ hour (11 ¼) foresty again – several of the bare rocks today very white – all granite

the Fins a stupid looking people – here and there a red house but the red seems to bespeak a certain degree of [afflict] – the being better off than common – and here as in N. and S- the [?] (contamine) is growing as a weed among the rocks – we have not seen it as weed elsewhere because the land kept too clean – no weeds seen – now at 11 50/.. another wooded pretty lake right – and A- and I have just had a little of our Keala [Kealanoja] coq du bois that we brought away in paper – very good – many hamlets scattered about today – the country today seems more populous than yesterday? – at Finns at 12 13/..

to Grahn 14 ½ w.

Helsingfors 26 ½ w.

St. P- 438 ½ w.

might sleep but not perhaps good place for it tho’ the civil woman came to say she could change a 5 Rubel note

nice open country about here wooded in the distance – 2 or 3 cottages near the station house – and large village or two of unpainted houses little distance (left) – rather pitchy last stage and at = off at 12 34/.. from Finns out with a steepitsh pitch from here and then pass thro’ a few houses and over 3 [?] bridges the unpainted cottages very picturesque dotted all round about interspersed with patches of fir wood and wooded hill and well cultivated vale – now at 12 ¾ a little sun forest light – little pretty vale just below us right green rye and corn in cock (probably rye) not much oats grown in Finland? cottages or barns dotted up and down – fine foresty peopled drive this stage at 1 ¼ unpainted village in the widish basin vale little distance left of road and good yellow house and one or 2 red houses near – all looks well hereabouts – and slow at 1 20/.. descending and at the bottom of hill another pretty little lake near (left) – the openings and rounded dark pine wooded hills very picturesque – much mammelonné [mamelonné] rocky hill and bare and moss covered rock and boulder in our forest and sandy road now at 1 1/2 – here and everywhere much more Scotch fir than Spruce – this forest now at 1 ¾ the best as to size of trees (but none large) we have passed thro’ -

SH:7/ML/TR/13/0031

September Wednesday 11 in Finland – it opens out and we stop at Grahn at 1 57/.. nice little single house on a little [eminence], looking dry and comfortable – I should suppose one might sleep there as well as at Nyby or better? – the wide valley on plain studded with houses, farms, barns – the proportion of red increasing as if to denote our approach to the capital Helsingfors 12w. distance – large [?] beautiful lengthy finely wooded wooded island lake right sweeping along the wide valley – road hilly but tho’ rather sandy, good – forest covered rock alongside (left) – have written, or rubbed out pencilling, or read Handbook (article St. Petersburg) all this morning except added up the whole but 1 or 2 pp. of the Swedish account – since leaving Götheborg [Gothenburg] It seems (vide p. 174. 2nd vol.) that our pastor on board the steamer was M. Edouard de Moralt minster of the reformed church at St. P- and ‘the learned editor of an edition of Minuties’ Felix’ – probably Handbook knows him and sent him his book en cadeau? now at 2 20/.. road very sandy in the forest – at 2 40/.. gentleman’s house right – very pretty – a company of soldiers pass us – forest and break – very pretty – at 2 ¾ pass (close) broad shallow lake – at 2 55/.. Helsingfors church in sight – whitewashed like several other large neighbour buildings – church a fine object – fine looking town with its beautiful fjord – forest and break till now 2 55/.. that we emerge to bare Götheborg-like [Gothenburg] scantly wooded rocky hill – and gardens and houses marking our approach to the capital – at 3 at the water – beautiful view – cross good wood bridge – and at 3 ¼ at the Hotel du Nord – the fine dressed woman who came to us could do nothing – must wait for mademoiselle how should we stay – there was a room au 3me – I got tired of this work and drove off to the society’s house fronting the harbour – settled

September Wednesday 11 there very comfortably at 3 ½ - 2 nice rooms and lodging for the servants at 6 rubels a day – au 3me? but good – ordered dinner at 6 ½ and A- and I out at 4 10/.. – took John – to the botanic garden –

Stymphoricarpus [symphoricarpos] racemosus (snowberry bush) in flower

Vïburnum [Viburnum] Lentago a little like prunus padus but with broader leaf

V- dentatum (leaf something between the hazel and syringa leaf?)

Lonicera caprifolia [caprifolium] (as called by the gardener) the shrub I observed at Åbo with a little orange coloured berry, looking a [specie] of honeysuckle

Populus canescens (white abele)

P. cardifolia

Delphinium. several specie large beautiful blue flower – a little in the style of aconite – have often seen it in a pot in the window in these northern parts

Lythrum, several specie pretty pink flower in spikes 6 or 8 inch long – narrow leaf – would be pretty (to give colour) at Shibden and hardy enough -

Asclepias incarata [incarnata] (in flower – pinkish – pretty would do at Shibden)

Phlox several specie pretty little genus-pink and white – in flower like a smooth sweet William – 6 petal flower – the white very common in England gardens

Borago officinalis – pretty blue flower – 5 petals woolly stern and leaves – whatever will do well out of doors here, would do at Shibden – much wind today must be very cold, and exposed in winter – the garden garden divided into small compartments for the flowers, and sheltered by hedges the tall ones of lilac, and acacia, and Norway maple and the low ones of Spiraea calcifolia [salicifolia] – try this hedging plan at Shibden with along the middle a hedge of Spruce firs – or Sycamores? a very pretty hardy looking mespilus? or [?]? with clusters of hawthorn-like (but larger) red haws – Inquire for this –

In returning about 5 ¾ set John at liberty and A- and I sauntered into and about the handsome new not finished church – a Greek cross with 4 Corinthian porticos and pediments – then stood some while listening to the military band and came in at 6 ½ - dinner at 6 ¾ soup, mutton cutlets, sort of

SH:7/ML/TR/13/0032

September Wednesday 11

sweet omlet, and afterwards a sort of roll pancaky thing for dessert – no mead now – too late in the season – had plenty in the summer - .:. had each 2 cups of coffee – then siding had Grotza – then wrote the last page till now 10pm. very fine day – a good deal of wind all day but this afternoon particularly, and particularly here – a very handsome town – fine day F61 ½° now at 10 ½ pm

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fatalism-and-villainy · 3 years

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wangxian for the ask meme! (I know, so original, but love your thoughts on them)

Edit: @ciaran also asked for this one!

What made you ship it?

This is actually really hard to answer! I was certainly entertained by how fanfiction-y stuff like the fight scene on the roof was, and I enjoy some heavy subtext that’s propped up by the characters being textually important/impactful to each other. I also just am very compelled, at this point in my life, but silent unspoken semi-ambiguous mutual attraction and how it manifests in people’s interactions. It’s something of a fantasy for me, because it’s very distinct from how I interact with people (I don’t possess the instinct for it) but that’s exactly why I’m so fascinated by it.

But what sold me on these particular characters being together, as opposed to it being just a Fun Gay Romp? Hmmm, I guess part of it was Wei Wuxian being actively fond of Lan Wangji’s quirks, and getting better at seriously communicating his intentions to him. Like, I’m not a big fan of premises wherein the quiet, reticent, not-obviously-demonstrative person has to “defrost” or significantly change their personality or way of relating to other people in order to be in a relationship, and this was mostly not that.

What are your favorite things about the ship?

So many things! I think maybe the biggest one is how they are such different people, with such different mental processing and different outlooks on the world and on what it means to be in a relationship - the defy the “having things in common” directive - but they still derive so much joy from each other and craft something meaningful and lasting together by actively working for it and meeting each other where they are.

Also, the teasing and flirting!!

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

Oh, plenty.

I think grey-ace!LWJ is a pretty uncommon, but it’s one I’m very set on in my headcanon. I think the characterization of him as “horny” doesn’t really capture my take on him or his early feelings for Wei Wuxian - feelings that aren’t not-sexual, but are much more based in affective and sensory experiences than an adolescent excess of arousal. And I think while he does want to and enjoy having sex with Wei Wuxian, I don’t attribute the intensity of his feelings towards this one particular person to a general approach to sex.

Deliberately imbalanced open relationship, similarly - yeah, yeah, I know monogamy is probably more implied by canon, but seeing a flirty bisexual character just happily settle into a long-term marriage without being able to experiment with anyone else just saddens me personally :(

Oh, and finally - this certainly speaks to my own aversion to “my gay lover and I live in a cottage and grow a garden” fantasies, but not only do I dislike post-canon scenarios wherein they just leave the world behind and start some simple farming life (for reasons I have probably articulated enough in the past), I actually do not think those scenarios fit their characterization. Yes, Wei Wuxian has his little domestic pastoral fantasy in the novel extras, but I really think it’s just that: a fantasy, and not a lifestyle he actually wants. People point to the time in the Burial Mounds as evidence that Wei Wuxian just wants a simple life as a farmer, but I think it’s important to take into account that the time at the Burial Mounds was extremely stressful for him, and not something he likely has good associations with, and one in which the paucity of food was a source of that stress. I do like the idea of him being interested in agriculture and experimenting with different techniques, but I think he wants to do that with some sort of safety net in place, rather than just living off the land.

And Lan Wangji I truly cannot see enjoying that kind of lifestyle either. I think people underestimate how much Lan Wangji is A Rich Person, but if you go by the author’s remarks, he and his brother don’t even know how to do their own laundry. He is not adept at keeping house, and I don’t think has any interest at being adept at it. His interests in life are very scholarly and artistic, such that he would not enjoy a life in which he couldn’t outsource basic tasks to servants, and frankly, I think he’s also got some unacknowledged classism and probably thinks of manual labour as being beneath him. That’s my take and I’m standing by it.

#ameliarating #he is my match #untaming #awkwardly memes #replies #lmao what does it say about me that the 'unpopular' section is so much longer than the others #joy is just not as generative as contention #ciaran

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citylightsbooks · 3 years

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Listening as an act of love: Marie Mutsuki Mockett in conversation

This is an excerpt of a free event for our virtual events series, City Lights LIVE. This event features Marie Mutsuki Mockett in conversation with Garnette Cadogan discussing her new book American Harvest: God, Country, and Farming in the Heartland, published by Graywolf Press. This event was originally broadcast live via Zoom and hosted by our events coordinator Peter Maravelis. You can listen to the entire event on our podcast. You can watch it in full as well on our YouTube channel.

*****

Marie Mutsuki Mockett: You don't see me talking about love or the importance of love very much. Maybe I would have a larger Instagram account if I constantly put up memes about love. I should probably do that.

I consider [American Harvest] to be an investigation of something that I didn't understand and that I thought was important. So I asked questions and wanted to try to answer those questions by talking to people who were very different than I am. To sit with them and find out what their genuine experience in the world is, and then see if I could answer some of the questions that I have.

I did not tell myself, "This is a book about love," or "You must employ love." I also didn't spend a lot of time saying to myself, "This is a book that's going to require you to be brave." I just really was trying to focus on the questions that I had and on my curiosity. I was trying to pinpoint, when I'm in a church, when I'm in a farm, when I'm around a situation that I don't understand, what's actually happening. And that was really what I was trying to do and how I was trying to direct my attention.

Garnette Cadogan: But love comes up a lot in the book. And for you, a lot of it has to do with listening. In many ways, this book is a game of active listening, and listening--as you've shown time and again--is fundamentally an act of love.

You decided to go and follow wheat farmers and move along in their regimens and cycles and rituals, and not only the rituals of labor, but rituals of worship, rituals of companionship, and issues of community. When did you begin to understand what is the real task of listening? Because in the book, time and again, you remind us that there are so many places in which there is this huge gap, or this huge chasm, in our effort to understand each other.

Marie Mutsuki Mockett: Well, that is where love comes in. Because that is the only reason why you would spend time listening to people or talking to people. What would be the motivation for trying to be open to others? Why should you be open to others? We don't have to be. So why should one be?

And you're right that things do get reduced down to this question of love. I had always heard that Christianity was the religion of love. And that love was one of the things that was unique about Christ's message. I didn't really grow up with any one religion. Also, my mother was from Japan, so I also grew up always hearing about how for a long time, the word love didn't really exist in Japanese. There really is no way to say “I love you.” Linguists still debate whether or not you can say "I love you" in Japanese and there are ways in which people say it, but it doesn't have the same history, and it doesn't have the same loaded meaning that it does in Western English.

So I was aware from a really early age, because I heard my parents and other people talk about this, that this question of love was very much a part of Western culture and that it originated from Christianity. And I really wondered what does that mean? And if it means anything, is there anything to it? And if there is, what is it? And there's a scene in the book where I talk about my feeling of disappointment that no one had ever purchased me anything from Tiffany, the jewelry store, because if you live in New York City, you're constantly surrounded by Tiffany ads. When you get engaged, you can get a Tiffany box. And then on your birthday, you can get a Tiffany box. And then in the advertisements, the graying husband gives the wife another Tiffany box to appreciate her for all the years that she's been a wife and on and on. I know that that has nothing to do with love. I know that that that's like some advertiser who's taken this notion of love and then turned it into some sort of message with a bunch of images, and it's supposed to make me feel like I want my Tiffany ring (which I've never gotten). That's not love. But is there anything there? And that was definitely something that I wanted to investigate.

I think I started to notice a pattern where I was going to all of these churches in the United States, and I'm not a church going person. And the joke that I tell is that I decided to write American Harvest partly because I wasn't going to have to speak Japanese. I could speak English, which is the language with which I'm most comfortable. But I ended up going to all these churches, and I couldn't understand what anybody was saying. I would leave the church and Eric, who is the lead character, would say, "What do you think?" And I would say, "I have no idea what just happened." And so it took time for me to tune in to what the pastors were saying, and what I came to understand is that there were these Christian churches that emphasized fear, and churches that didn't emphasize fear. And then I started to meet people who believe that God wants them to be afraid and people who are motivated by fear or whose allegiance to the church comes from a place of fear, in contrast to those who said, "You're not supposed to be afraid. That's not the point." That was a huge shift in my ability to understand where I was, who I was talking to, and the kinds of people that I was talking to, and why the history of Christianity mattered in this country.

Garnette Cadogan: So you started this book, because you said, "Oh, I only need one language." And then you ended up going to language training.

Marie Mutsuki Mockett: I needed so many different languages! I mean, even this question of land ownership that we're talking about: I feel like that's a whole other language. There are places in the world and moments in history where people didn't own land. It didn't occur to them that they had to own the land themselves. So what's happening when we think we have to? Like with timeshares. I'm really serious. What need is that fulfilling? And you don't need to have a timeshare in Hawaii, where you visit like one week out of the entire year, right? So what need is that fulfilling?

Garnette Cadogan: Rest? Recreation? I’m wondering . . . has the process of living, researching, and writing this book changed you in any way? And if so, how?

Marie Mutsuki Mockett: I mean, absolutely, but it's so hard to talk about. I think that I have a much better and deeper understanding of the history of our country, and a much greater understanding of the role that race plays in our country. A deeper understanding of the tension between rural and urban, and also of our interdependence, which is something I sort of knew, but didn't completely know. And why just kicking out a bunch of states or getting rid of a bunch of people isn't actually an answer to the tension that we've faced. And it's because there's this great interdependence between people. So understanding all of that and realizing how intractable the problem is, oddly, has made me feel calmer about it. Because I realize it isn't as simple as if I just do "X" everything will be fine. I think, when you feel like, "If I just master the steps, if I can just learn this incantation, then everything will be fine," I think when you live that way, it's very frustrating. And I realized the problems are deeper than that. And some of the problems the United States is facing are problems that exist all around the world. I mean the urban rural problems: it's a piece of modernization. It doesn't just affect our country, it affects many countries.

Garnette Cadogan: You know, we've been speaking about land, God, country, Christianity, urbanity, and in this book, a lot of it is packed in through this absolutely wonderful man, Eric, and his family. Part of what makes it compelling and illuminating is we get a chance to understand so much through this wonderful, generous, and beautiful man, Eric. For those who haven't read it yet, tell us about Eric, and why Eric was so crucial to understanding in so much of what you understood, and also some of the changes that you went through.

Marie Mutsuki Mockett: He's a Christian from Pennsylvania. He’s a white man who’s never been to college, but has a genuine intellectual curiosity, although not immediately apparent in a way that would register to us. Because we're at an event that's hosted by bookstore. So when we think of intellectual curiosity, probably the first thing that any of us would do would be to reach for a book, right? That's not what he would do. He wouldn't reach for a book, he would find someone to talk to. He's a person who is very much about the lived experience. But he was very open to asking questions and trying to understand other people's experiences and how the world works, and he was very concerned.

He was the person who told me in early 2016 that he thought that Trump would probably win, when none of us thought that this was possible. And he said this is because we don't understand each other at all. And he's a very open-hearted, very generous person. And you see him change over the course of the book.

He called me the other day. He said, "I've been hearing a lot about violence against Asian Americans." He's met a couple of my friends. He wanted to know, "Are they all right?" And then he said, "I just want you to know that we talk about racial justice all the time in church," because of course, that's the way that he processes life's difficult questions: through church. And I was kind of moved by that, because one of the points that American Harvest makes is that these difficult questions don't get talked about in church. And he said, "I just want you to know this is something that we talk about." So you see him really develop and change as a result of his exposure to me and to seeing how I move through space versus how he moves through space. And it's a big leap of imagination for people to understand that other people have other experiences that are legitimate and real. It seems to be one of the most difficult things for people to understand, but he really made a great effort to do that. And I think that’s kind of extraordinary.

***

Purchase American Harvest from City Lights Bookstore.

youtube

#Marie Mutsuki Mockett #Garnette Cadogan #City Lights LIVE #author interviews #city lights bookstore #graywolf #nonfiction #american harvest #Youtube

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harrowingheavens · 5 years

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WHILE MY MUSE PAGES ARE IN PROGRESS .

i really am trying hard to find the perfect muse page since i don’t wanna be lazy, but i’m still in the process of doing that while everything else is done, so here are my mains. my selective kids will be in another post. i won’t be posting my private muses for now since i don’t have to, but here are the open kids!

MAIN .

hansel, bungee, and nemo ( fcs: jeonghan / svt, hoshi / svt, and elkie / clc ): they run a channel called firefly farm and do stupid things that probably end up hurting them or in danger of hurting them, also other things like generally idiotic behavior with a mix of different personalities. these are the main people of the channel, but there are other interns and editors / people who appear on their channel long term, but they are the original squad. hansel’s basically the dad / mom, bungee’s the impressionable brother, and nemo’s the crazy sister.

yomi ( fc: hani / exid ): she runs a popular custom seamstress shop. also often originally designs the clothes she makes for other people. in her ‘i’ timeline, she does underground work like running a system of escorts under the superiority of monarch mafia. in her ‘ii’ timeline or any other ones where it is not specified, she does not do other work than what included her shop. also?? the ‘yandere’ character thing is very ingrained into her character within ships.

koe and caspian ( fcs: vernon / svt and joshua / svt ): uni kids. koe is a drama and theatre student and literally will ignore his grades for it, but he is often forced to at least care a little. procrastination is basically him. caspian is his best friend and a major in literature. both of them are also instagram models who are connected to brands. caspian is a close friend of jeonghwa’s.

flore ( fc: the8 / svt ): ambiguous god of youth, flowers, and spring. also the symbol of nature and spring. because of his symbolism and concept, along with his effeminate behavior and opinions. everyone calls him the goddess flora, so there is debate on whether he is a god or goddess, which he is a full god.

sangwon and hyori ( fcs: sehun / exo and chaeyoung / twice ): sangwon is the ceo of yoo industries and his sister hyori is his executive assistant / secretary. both have different ways of overworking themselves, and both attempt to stop the other from overworking. they are also connected to monarch mafia as associates.

polaris ( fc: yooa / omgirl ): alien, but her species acts as a placeholder of existence. really curious about earth life and is VERY obviously an alien, but everyone just calls her weird and takes it with a grain of salt. no concept of personal space and very touchy. everything interests her. attends uni majoring in dance and drawing. friends with everyone so she knows everyone, also friends with lilith and admires her hard as fuck. basically a puppy and child and obvious alien in one body.

lance ( fc: taeyang / sf9 ): ceo of his family’s confectionery company and head of the ryu house as well. based very loosely on ciel from kuroshitsuji. thinks he’s better than everyone else, probably is. has a demon maid he’s made a connection with. former rivals and now associates of arson’s company. unidentified underground work.

arson ( fc: hwiyoung / sf9 ): ceo of the family’s toy company and head of the tang house. loosely based on alois, but it is very, very loosely based. also has a demon maid, and he’s very much a spoiled brat who throws tantrums when he doesn’t get what he wants. isn’t afraid to harm other people. unidentified underground work.

jangmi ( fc: seolhyun / aoa ): counselor, specializes in family and relationships, but she covers a broader range of issues. kinda hypocritical because she herself doesn’t know how to maintain her own relationships. has major family issues. major workaholic.

niki and chey ( fc: zhengting / 9 percent ): twins. both are popular on social media for their salon works on their accounts and work accounts ( chey: sweetsinclair, nail artist / niki: soursinclair, makeup artist ). chey is really sweet and into pastel fashion. she also bakes a lot. niki is kinda an asshole and doesn’t deal with bullshit. he’s also big into cooking and eccentric fashion and conspiracy theories.

nari ( fc: undecided for now?? ): starving artist that works at an art gallery as a janitor. used to have anger issues and has grown to be the softest soft you’ll ever know. pastel goth enthusiast. also volunteers at the local orphanage and does a variety of things there: including helping those with anger issues and helping them volunteer as well.

knox and halls ( fcs: minhyun / nuest and wanna one, jihoon / wanna one ): they run a youtube channel with two other people. knox also is a self-employed photographer, popular through his instagram. halls works as the assistant self defense teacher for self defense classes.

chanri and jaeun ( fcs: kang taeri / ulzzang and seungkwan / svt ): they are a paranormal investigator team that also works to help others get rid of the hauntings that plague them ( they ARE amateur exorcists, but that’s not something they do often so it remains amateur. usually it’s not them doing exorcisms because other people are certified and they only have the barest knowledge, but it has come to the point where they needed it ). chanri is the psychic medium of the duo; jaeun is the tech nerd out of the two. chanri also has a side thing of reading people’s fortunes, etc. does this when they work, too.

scottie ( fc: eunwoo / astro ): witch for hire. also works at yejin’s natural, herbal remedies shop. kind of a grouch. he has an older sister he’s very protective of. also has a huge reach of connections.

rikiya ( fc: kenta / jbj ): shrine familiar. with no connected landgod, he is lonely in the shrine his lady and goddess left once humans had abandoned them. he could be childish and immature, but he could also be manipulative ( and the range spans between minor to MAJOR ).

kairi ( fc: yves / loona ): gym teacher and tennis coach for a private school ( from kindergarten to high school ages ) for kids with behavioral problems. former special forces soldier. keeps that from the people in the school she employs within. the students love her, the staff loves her. she only coaches tennis, but she will substitute coach for other sports.

bomae and gun ( fcs: mj / astro and rocky / astro ): best friends and each other’s right hand man. bomae is doing emergency room nursing and gun works within his grandmother’s/uncle’s restaurant. both, though, as much as their parents hadn’t wanted them to, are quickly on their way to becomes very high-profile individuals within the underground world.

taemin and yumin ( fcs: taeyong / nct and chaeyoung / twice ): a government associated agent ( his organization also dips their hands into their own individual work ). close friends with kairi and also has a recommendation to place her within his team. emotional recluse and very aggressive in his social repellent. yumin is his sister, and they are on tense terms. she is a literature teacher, and she’s REALLY a big book nerd. she and taemin do not speak often. she also knows kairi and speaks to her sometimes. since yumin does not speak to taemin and taemin likes to keep it that way, kairi gives taemin updates on his sister. they are both estranged from other family members additionally.

charlotte and caleb ( fcs: nana / after school and jeonghan / svt ): cousins to taemin and yumin. charlotte is on tense terms with taemin, and caleb is a bit of a ditz and isn’t on tense terms with anyone. charlotte is an uprising direction that focuses on vagueness, beauty, femininity, and monstrosity ( brief desc ). caleb works as a match maker, using specific methods and practices that have helped many people. also has others working as socializers and counselors and customer reference in his building. charlotte and caleb are very close, and they speak often ( because caleb always wants to talk and he’s the ‘baby’ so she lets him ). they have enough of a relationship with their parents to have dinners every 3 months with them.

zen and jei ( fc: yanjun / 9 percent and huang zitao ): both are close friends ( along with bonnie who is in the selective list ). they all came to korea together from america and are always busy with work, whether it’s their model work or any other scheduling they have. zen is the dad, older brother of the 3, and jei is the spoiled brat. jei always tries to get people to buy food for him.

seong and theodore ( fcs: jae / day6 and wonpil / day6 ): both are childhood best friends who moved from america. seong is a trust fund prodigy genius that is working as a certified doctor at the age of 25, now 26. theo’s a church boy that goes to church and reads his bible :( he’s a tattoo artist, and he has a shit ton of tattoes on his arms and body in general. generally restricted to his mid section to chest, front and back, and his arms. he also has very fragile health as his immune system is not well. he stays with seong because his parents don’t trust him to be by himself with his health. and he doesn’t mind since seong IS his best friend. they live in a 4 bedroom house. theo gets looks when he wears his arms out and he isn’t self conscious about it, but there are times where people will comment along the lines of ‘your arms look like that and you're the son of a pastor????’ these comments make him uncomfortable. very strong in his faith.

meiqi, manchu, yuma, jaemin, elliot, and daisy ( fcs: elkie / clc, xiao gui / 9 percent, renjun / nct, mark / nct, mina / gugudan ): fraud squad. forgery. cover ups. faked accidents. general underground work you need done? they got it. manchu’s the boss man, meiqi’s the second hand. they all have a family like connection, but they do keep each other at arm’s length.

bones and hyde ( fcs: jungwoo / nct and lucas / nct ): boss man and right hand man of boss man of monarch mafia, which he stole from his biological father. brothers. they both work in hyde’s restaurant, but they are involved in the crime life. faceless leader of monarch mafia, no one knows what he looks like. hyde is basically his guard dog, and he does a lot of his dirty work.

jane ( fc: ren / nuest ): member of monarch mafia. unashamed pretty boy with anger issues. don’t make him mad pls!! brute strength of monarch mafia. does a lot with issues that are or could get physical. no patience.

dakota and seongja ( fc: bang yongguk and kaeun / pledis ): tattoo artists and work with theodore. softies. all of them, esp theo. dakota also has a crappy immune system and gets sick easily as well as his health being very fragile at times. seongja is a fallen guardian angel / ‘fallen star’ and she keeps track of her person’s life while trying to curve their misfortune into something good. seongja and dakota are best friends.

taeri and taeun ( fcs: jiu / dreamcatcher ): blind twins. their parents are wealthy, but they never give their daughters much attention. they were raised by their grandparents basically. taeri used to stop other people from bullying taeun and does make rash decisions out of her anger. does a special program that will allow her to work as a teacher to those with disabling visual impairment. workaholic. taeun works as a library aide, and she also reads and teaches braille to the children that come for the lessons. she’s also very sof. they live together, but they constantly have aides visiting them to help.

eunja ( fc: jimin / aoa ): works as an online news author, working through an other website / company as well as her own blog. she travels a lot as well. though, currently she’s working and helping at an orphanage her friend and friend’s mother is bringing back. she balances this and other work. basically a puppy? always hyperactive and has energy to spare. very open about her opinions, but she doesn’t like to dissatisfy other people. also a witch that has an affinity for time and relativity, space and matter, etc.

#main muse list.#⋅ ∗ ∘ ❁ ▬ ❝ public official °〚 announcements 〛.#⋅ ∗ ∘ ❁ ▬ ❝ theses arrangements °〚 general 〛.

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equipper · 2 years

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Dear friend,

At Family Research Council, we often reference Scripture in our correspondence with our supporters. Today, I want to emphasize a verse that I am sure you have read frequently. Genesis 1:27 reads, "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."

According to the inspired Word of God, the words "male" and "female" are unique distinctions in God's creation story. Not only are we all created in God's image, but we are also each designed as one of two biological sexes--all to reflect the glory of God!

As Christians, we can reflect on Genesis 1:27 and celebrate God's intentional design.

But our culture is increasingly rejecting God's design and championing a radical gender identity ideology that is making inroads in every facet of our society: schools, government, military, businesses, media, and even churches.

No place is off-limits, but thankfully, more and more people are waking up to this harmful ideology and declaring, "Enough is enough!"

FRC will continue to sound the alarm and inform believers like you about this radical mindset... but we need your support. Your generous gift will help counter this dangerous ideology and magnify a biblical worldview.

The conservative pushback is growing.

First, there was a swift backlash from parents and conservatives when leaks revealed Disney was purposefully "queering" films and programs aimed at children. Angry moms and dads canceled their Disney trips and Disney+ subscriptions in response to the company's woke agenda.

Then news exploded that State Farm was joining efforts with GenderCool, an extreme group whose mission is to recruit children to the transgender movement. The company's goal was to enroll as many as 550 State Farm employees and flood local libraries and schools with transgender books aimed at children as young as five.

Customers and employees were outraged over State Farm's transgender book drive. The company was inundated with complaints, and the public outcry led to the insurance company breaking ties with the GenderCool book project.

Other Big Business CEOs took notice of the State Farm firestorm and pulled their brands from partnering with GenderCool.

The backlash had a sweeping impact because people were willing to take a stand and use their voices to say NO to the sexual indoctrination of children.

America is waking up to woke corporations, but we must continue to draw a bold line and hold these corporations accountable.

Children are not fodder for indoctrination purposes and must be protected.

It will take a concerted effort to stop the radical sexual agenda in our nation, but every voice makes a difference, especially the voices of parents and grandparents. Will you partner with FRC and join the conservative pushback?

We are equipping pastors and leaders--through initiatives like our Stand Courageous ministry--to preach the whole counsel of God regarding biblical sexuality and the inherent value of every unborn child. FRC is also working at the federal, state, and local levels to educate policymakers and legislators to advance pro-faith, pro-family, and pro-freedom policies.

Our commitment to honoring godly principles manifests itself in two primary ways: spiritually (being rooted and grounded in the Word of God and prayer) and actively engaging with our representative government (using our voices in the public square).

From State Farm to the State Department, we can make a difference when we take a bold, consistent stand.

We must push back and promote a biblical worldview and God's beautiful design for human sexuality and marriage. Will you stand and partner with us?

Thank you in advance for joining FRC's vital mission to impact the culture and advance faith, family, and freedom both now and for the next generation.

For America,

Lt. Gen. (US Army-Ret.) William G. Boykin

Executive Vice President

FRC Action

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trekkiewatt · 2 years

Text

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-sep-20-me-colony20-story.html

Trying to Save the Missionary Spirit

BY BOB POOL

SEPT. 20, 2005 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

His mission, he says, is to save the Missionary Colony.

But time may be running out for Glendale preservationist Alan Leib, just as it may be slipping away for

the forgotten neighborhood built 80 years ago as a sanctuary for missionaries.

The 17-home enclave near the intersection of Glendale Avenue and Mission Road is earmarked for

razing to make room for a healthcare company expansion project.

“An entire intact 1920s neighborhood is going to be wiped out,” Leib said. “When I drove by here and

saw the fences and the boarded-up windows, I got sick to my stomach.”

Featuring tidy dwellings built in Craftsman bungalow, Mission Revival and English Tudor styles, the

enclave at one time totaled 29 homes that provided short-term housing for missionaries and their

families during furloughs from overseas assignments.

The Missionary Colony was built, paid for and operated by a woman, not a church.

Colony founder Jennie E. Suppes was a widow who used profits from an oil well she owned to finance

the construction of the homes as well as a 95-seat chapel, a small park, a library, a laundry room and a

22-bed retirement home for ill elderly missionaries.

Suppes moved in 1909 from a Missouri farm to Southern California so her sickly son could benefit from

the warmer weather.

For several years, she operated a 50-room boarding house for single women on Grand Avenue in

downtown Los Angeles. Later, she ran a home in Pasadena for single missionaries from Christian

denominations. She moved to the more pastoral Glendale area around 1920, purchasing five acres of

what had been a barley field.

She often told of how she decided to build a whole village for visiting missionaries and then prayed that

she could raise the $50,000 she needed.

“Everyone thought I had a few screws loose in the upper story,” she told one interviewer several years

before her death in 1966 at age 96.

“I knew through the struggles that God would somehow send the $50,000 to build proper housing. It

came at last through an oil well on a piece of unimproved ground that I owned. They had to drill over

4,000 feet before oil came. The company was on the verge of giving up several times.... Then one day

the startling news came that a gusher of 5,000 barrels a day had come in. I soon had my $50,000.

Just as suddenly, the well in what is now Santa Fe Springs caved in. After workers cleaned out the sand

that clogged it, only salty water could be found, Suppes said.

Suppes admired missionaries not only for the work they did but also for the hardships they and their

families endured.

“Those brave warriors leave home and friends and all and go to the desolate and savage outposts of the

world” to do their work, she said in 1923 as she opened the first phase of the Missionary Colony.

A 1936 newspaper account of life at the colony told of its nondenominational nature and of its

international reputation.

“There is no remote corner of the globe where Mrs. Suppes is not remembered,” it stated, noting that

letters that “bear strange postmarks” poured in regularly from missionaries in far-flung regions of Asia

and Africa inquiring if she would have space for them to stay when they returned to the U.S. on

furlough.

After their visits, “weather-beaten men turn their faces from Glendale toward remote African villages

and begin their treks back to duty, refreshed and heartened,” the article summed up.

Each colony home was equipped with a refrigerator, a range, a radio and a piano, and rents were kept

low -- just enough to cover expenses.

A historical assessment of the colony prepared by the site’s current owner notes that Suppes was

responsible for laying out the enclave’s parcels, paving the streets and sidewalks, and installing

electricity, gas, water and sewer lines.

In the early 1950s, Suppes retired and deeded the property to a New York-based group, the Christian

and Missionary Alliance. It owned the colony until the 1970s.

These days, the colony cottages and bungalows are owned by a firm called MEK Associates Inc. The 94-

bed Leisure Glen skilled nursing facility has been built on the former site of Suppes’ colony chapel. Her

onetime rest home for elderly missionaries is used as an alcohol and drug rehabilitation center by

Glendale Adventist Hospital.

A company affiliated with MEK, Healthcare Management Services, intends to build an office building and

parking lot where bungalows now sit on the north side of Mission Road. A 35-room addition to Leisure

Glen is planned for the south side of the street.

The colony’s houses will be razed “as soon as we get in our hands the demolition permit,” said Bobby

Federico, administrative manager of Healthcare Management. Residents of the cottages moved out

months ago, and workers boarded up and gated off the buildings.

Chris Baxter, a Glendale planner, said the firm must secure approval from the city’s design review board

and wait out a public appeals period before demolition can occur.

Despite the historic nature of the colony, the site has not been designated a city landmark because “you

have to have the property owner’s consent to apply for historic monument status in Glendale,” said Juliet Arroyo, the city’s preservation planner.

Leib said he plans to file a protest on grounds the colony is historic.

How can you demolish an intact Missionary Colony and not have an impact? There’s no way you can

deny it’s historic. They admit in their own assessment it’s unique,” he said.

According to Leib, there are ways the nursing home operator could refurbish the old colony cottages,

connect them with corridor structures and convert them for patient use. Such an adaptive reuse would

preserve the street’s 1920s look.

Even better, the company could sell the homes to buyers willing to use them for single-family housing,

he said.

To emphasize his point, Leib escorted real estate agent Cindie Karlzian from her nearby office to inspect

Mission Road. The cottages might not be dream houses, but Karlzian said they would sell, especially in

this hot real estate market.

“Absolutely there’s a market for these,” she said. “Houses in this area that are much smaller are selling

for almost $400,000.”

Bob Pool

Bob Pool retired in 2014 from the Los Angeles Times, where he had been a general assignment reporter n the Metro staff since 1983.

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issues-of-thepresentday · 6 years

Note

full offence have u even watched anne with an e they have given the characters much more depth that the movies and the books werent able to fully display (no hate tho) AND AT THE SAME TIME they have managed to display multiple accounts of cheerfulness with hope continually igniting the story. just bc it’s not within your expectations doesnt mean it’s a bad adaptation. adaptations reflect the outlook of society so let people today see how women, poc, & lgbt+ have progressed and shaped our society

“not within my expectations” would cover changing a few minor plot points that i would rather have stayed the same. You know, like the harry potter movies.

But this? Even the New Yorker calls it a “betrayal”.

Oh, cheerful you say? Anne’s optimism is replaced with ptsd and a guy who literally suffers a heart attack from beating her.

Faithful? …….

Iconic characters are turned gay to “add dimension”.

Female characters face constant unnecessary sexism to highlight how “regressive” society was, rather than letting them flourish in the original plot.

Boys are turned into ruthless bullies, or creepy kids that corner her in the woods (that gilbert has to rescue her from) and religious figures into sexists (cue the pastor telling anne to just be a housewife.)

Matthew’s calm insistence on anne staying at the house turns into a wild horse chase to rescue her from a sinister man. Oh, and throw in a girlfriend and suicidal thoughts, too. And have Marilla, a devout Christian, be even more of a hard-ass than in the books, and now intolerant to some Jew she chases off the farm?

Introduce random black guy who didn’t exist in the book for “racial diversity.” Invent gay characters because “It would only make sense that there would be somebody in the class who was struggling with identity.”

Yeah, I love narratives that are based on “it would only make sense”.

Have a quote from Walley-Beckett, show runner:

“I am just so proud to be a part of something that can offer this to people, and I hope all the kids, too, who are struggling with their gender [and sexual] identity, who may not have the empathy or understanding around them that they need – that they see that it’s possible to have it if they find the community, they see that it’s possible to find safe haven.” And yeah, the sole opportunity for those kids is within a hundred year old classic tale. Sure. Just take a beloved tale and inject it with your own agenda to make it what it’s not.

The show runner blatantly doesn’t care about the source material, and only does about her own agenda - because she’s apparently better than the source material that’s held itself up for over a century.

As to the “dark grittiness”?

“There are other versions of anne out there for five year olds.” - ironic, considering that this show doesn’t trust the audience to understand anything without it being smashed into their consciousness like Anne’s slate on Gilbert’s head.

i think this sums it up perfectly:

“The reason Anne Shirley has remained a feminist icon is because she’s smart and uncompromising and every day she learns a little bit more and teaches the people around her a little bit more until she has, in inches, transformed and been transformed by the folks of Avonlea. The real Gilbert Blythe helps her see that truth; he doesn’t rush into the woods to save Anne from a teenage boy calling her a “bad dog” and threatening to “teach her a lesson” while the music menaces and threatens more than just bullying.”

Mmm, totally cheerful!

TL;DR: if you have to twist something, it’s bullshit. Don’t fuck with the source material to make it about something that it’s not. End of story.

4 notes · View notes

queennicoleinboots · 3 years

Text

A Fictional Account of BREAKING NEWS: EMERGENCY BROADCAST

BREAKING NEWS: EMERGENCY BROADCAST

A/N: Sequel to "Off Grid Desert Farming with Pastor Penn and Scholar Alexia." The Green Planet is blowing up.

Date: August 31, 2021, 12:43 p.m.

"Lights! Sound! Costumes! Crowns! Make-up! Camera! Action!" Milk Mama Chrissy, the queenliest of submissive drama queens with all of her glorious titles spoke with her distinct English voice.

The cameras turned on to reveal Prince Oliver: Werewolf of the United Planets sitting eight inches away from King Joebear. King Joebear wore a gold crown and sat eight inches away from me. I wore a silver crown and sat eight inches away from Stan Doe. Stan Doe still sported his gray suit, white button-down shirt, and red tie and sat away eight inches away from King Bruce Ice. King Bruce Ice sat eight inches away from Prince Peter W. Parker who wore silver crown, an orange and brown checkered button-down shirt, and blue jeans. Princess Kissy and Princess Oreo were laying their fat asses on the news desk.

"Good evening, everyone. I am Prince Oliver, Werewolf of the United Planets for those tuning in. I am here to support Queen Xara's and Prince Peter Wallace Parker's separate broadcasts that are squeezed into the same show for mere convenience," he said.

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

There was loud static, and the screens were going out. Then there was Prince Banana wearing a black spacesuit behind a plain green screen.

"THE PLAGUE IS HERE! IT'S IN THE STUDIO! EVERYONE, IF YOU ARE NEAR THIS SPACESHIP, EVACUATE! I REPEAT, EVACUATE! IF YOU ARE IN THE SPACE SHIP, GET THE FUCK OUT! GET THE FUCK OUT! THIS IS NOT A DRILL! THIS IS A LIVE EMERGENCY BROADCAST! THE PLAGUE IS HERE! STAY AT LEAST 10 FEET AWAY FROM EACH OTHER! PUT ON YOUR SPACE HELMETS! GET TO YOUR HOUSES! QUARANTINE! QUARANTINE! QUARANTINE!" he shouted. He then started broadcasting in other languages.

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

"OH SHIT. THE (encrypted voice done by Milk Drama Llama Bomma Mama Chrissy, Encrypting Genius, "SPANISH POLENTAS") are infecting us all!!!! It's a big show tonight, and the rest of it is going to be on Boom. Maybe it won't be as big as Pastor Penn's show yesterday afternoon, but for a Monday night, big enough. DarthSydePhineas is still at large on the Internet. He's streaming live on Youfail.cahm as we speak, quarantined on Planet Earth. My wife, Queen Xara, and I, King Joebear, listen to him complaining about how awful he is at Street Fighter 2, a PS4 game while we do bear business," King Joebear said with a strong growl as he was running out of the studio with a wireless microphone attached to him.

King Bruce Ice growled to honor King Joebear as he ran in the opposite direction to burst through the spaceship door.

Count Vanilla growled on a separate screen nine times and jumped out of the window before flying to his freezer.

"Count Vanilla! Get home! Get on Boom and get on the MICK!" Milk Drama Llama Bomma Mama chrissy shouted as she put on a black helmet and started spraying her dressing room with a strong disinfectant. Then she was trying to connect to Boom in her dressing room as she locked herself in there.

"Yes ma'am! Yes ma'am! Yes ma'am! Yes ma'am! Yes ma'am! Yes ma'am! Yes ma'am! Yes ma'am! Yes ma'am!" Count Vanilla said as he kept flying in the air against high winds and bananas falling from the sky.

Zachary Giraffinakis then took his large camera set up and equipment and ran off to his own space ship to hide there.

"Thank you," Milk Drama Llama Bomma Mama Chrissy said as she switched the signal to Boom instead of PBC.

The Planetary Broadcasting Corporation was now streaming live off of whoever was on the Boom channel.

Prince Peter dressed in a spacesuit similar to Darth Vader from Star Wars and rushed out of there to his own house.

King Bruce Ice had set his Boom and is now streaming live from his office.

Stan Doe is nowhere to be found.

King Joebear and I were quarantined in our separate bedrooms and had connected with the Planetary Broadcasting Corporation server on Boom. Princess Kissy and Princess Oreo were hiding God knows where.

Count Vanilla was getting situated in his office chair in the freezer. We heard the plastic crinkle of his diaper. He then adjusted himself nine times and played with the settings on Boom. He growled nine times out of frustration.

"Okay. We're officially ready for the broadcast. Queen Xara, speak please," Milk Drama Llama Bomma Mama chrissy said.

"Well, it's more like reading a set script because I get nervous on camera, but I can read MAC n Cheese! It's one of my favorite children's books. It inspired me to write Taco Mac with Colonel Mac when Count Vanilla was named Colonel Mac to honor my long lost comrade, Colonel America for America. I got a little excited. Excuse me. In fact, I got so excited that I got pregnant... again," I said.

Count Vanilla, King Joebear, and King Bruce Ice growled loudly on their servers.

"Congratulations! You didn't tell me you were pregnant! How did that happen?!" Milk Drama Llama Bomma Mama chrissy asked.

Prince Oliver: Werewolf of the United Planets was in the U.K. spaceship in his cockpit on the Boom server. He joined us and chuckled.

Count Vanilla, King Joebear, King Bruce Ice, and Darth Peter laughed. Darth Peter was at home locked in his room on the Boom server.

We heard Stan Doe laughing, but his camera wasn't on.

Milk Drama Llama Bomma Mama chrissy stared at the camera. "I KNOW how it happened, but I meant when did she find out?! Excuse my miscommunication," she said with lips that were in a very straight line.

"Actually, just now. The baby kicked me a few seconds ago," I answered. "Hello baby. You're going to be beautiful." I looked at my stomach and rubbed it.

"That's wonderful, bae! I'm a father of six cubs now!" King Joebear said with a proud growl.

Count Vanilla and King Bruce Ice growled with him.

"Congratulations, Queen Xara. Your new cub has my blessing," Captain Slammer said from a broadcast he did from inside his meteor.

King Joebear sang a series of bear yodels before he laughed.

"That was my response when I found out my wife was pregnant with a fourth cub. I thought I was fertile! King Joebear, you're wild!" King Bruce Ice said.

"Yes. We have six cubs now: Lucy, Adam, Eve, Paddington Joe, Pooh, and we don't know the name of our sixth cub," King Joebear said.

"Stan Doe," Stan Doe said as he stared at the camera. He turned on his camera.

"Excuse me?" King Joebear asked.

"Stan Doe. My name is Stan Doe. I'm the sixth cub," the black goat said to King Joebear.

"You're a goat. Not a bear. Queen Xara, what is going on?!" King Joebear asked with a ferocious growl.

"Stan Doe is a goat. He's my sixth child. Remember when I got inseminated in a story that I wasn't able to write because that alternate universe was interrupted by the Plague simulation?" I asked.

King Joebear scratched his head and stared at me. Then it clicked. "Oh yeah! You volunteered to be a surrogate mother for a black goat that couldn't get pregnant no matter what in an alternate reality in which I was trapped in a Magic the Gathering alternate reality."

"Yep. The father is a mad scientist," I said. "He said that this child had to be born or the whole multiverse would implode on itself and cease to exist."

"MY father is a mad scientist. And from the sound of things, I assume he was correct," Stan Doe spoke.

"That sounds even crazier than the idea of DarthSydePhineas actually being good at the Darkstalkers fighting games on Nintendo," King Joebear said. "He likes feta cheese."

Stan Doe giggled. "Indeed, but with the way the world is, is it really that far-fetched?"

DarthSydePhil interrupted the transmission and came on our Boom server. "Wooooooaaaaatttt???!! They got food at an Atlanta tournament. I couldn't take it!" He then started doing the 'hand thing.' "It's online bullshit!"

"How are you able to transmit the signal with that much clarity FROM EARTH?" King Joebear asked.

"No idea," I said.

"Probably a fiber optic wire that transcended the Twix galaxy. Thank Goodness I wasn't intergalactic for a long period of time. I was born and raised in North Coraline, the United Emirates of Chinta," Stan Doe said.

"Sooo... how did you age 20 some years in two years' time?" King Joebear asked.

"22, actually. And time doesn't move forward on this planet, remember? It moves side to side, and because I'm from an alternate reality, I age quickly or not at all," Stan Doe explained.

"I'll be. Something tells me that you have the exact same birthday as me," King Joebear said.

"May 3, 11:59 p.m.," Stan Doe said.

"Damn! I was close! May 4 at 5:10 a.m." King Joebear said.

"Both of you are Tauruses. Stan Doe would fit right in to our dysfunctional family!" I said as I virtually hugged both of them.

King Joebear sniffed the camera. Princess Kissy also jumped on our Boom server and sniffed the camera. She showed us her butt on camera to show her approval.

"What say you, King Joebear?" King Bruce Ice asked.

Princess Kissy rubbed up against the camera and kneaded her cat bed. King Joebear laughed. He then made a pterodactyl sound. Stan Doe leaned away from the camera and looked concerned.

King Joebear said, "Nooooooooo.... he is not ready yet! He hasn't decided whether to join us in the resistance of the jab. He's in the position to decide, though."

"Forgive me, King Joebear. I need more information before my personal decision is made. I'm a news reporter. Do I really want to spend the rest of my life avoiding the very people I need to inform?" Stan Doe asked.

De of Sean then interrupted the transmission by joining our Boom server and yelled "Waaaaahhhhhh!!!" He was a dark goat with round brown eyes and a large mouth.

"That seems like a good answer to me," King Joebear said.

Stan Doe raised his eyebrow. "How so?!"

"HIS INTERNET SUCKS SO HARD!" DarthSydePhineas yelled.

"But does that really mean I should do a different career?!" Stan Doe asked.

"Excuse me. I don't mean to interrupt, but-" Milk Drama Llama Bomma Mama chrissy tried to say.

"Owww!!!!" I shouted. "No. I'm sorry to interrupt, but my seventh child is mad that we haven't named it yet." My child kicked me again. "What?! I don't know what gender you are!"

"Do you have any idea what to call him or her?" King Bruce Ice asked.

"Ariel or Christiana if a girl, and Xannon or Parker if a boy," I answered.

Darth Parker breathed the trademark breath of Darth Vader. "Parker? Really?" he asked.

"Why not? Paddington Joe, our fifth child, inherited my name. Lucy, Adam, and Eve have their names for obvious reasons," King Joebear said.

"WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T CALL IT DE OF SEAN! HE LAGS ALL THE TIME. I CAN'T PLAY WITH HIM! I REFUSE. I DON'T WANT TO BE IN THE SAME LOBBY AS HIM," DarthSydePhil shouted. "Frustrating. Frustrating. Frustrating. Where's my fucking move? Fucking finally. De of Sean follows me everywhere. You suck."

Prince Oliver: Werewolf of the United Planets, Count Vanilla, King Joebear, Stan Doe, King Bruce Ice, Darth Parker, and I laughed.

"Some pervert just messed up my chat. You're banned. Fuck off!" DarthSydePhineas said.

It was true. Some random people on the server were typing lewd messages that we aren't allowed to post here.

"Yeah. On a news broadcast. The hell's wrong with this guy?!" King Joebear asked.

"Excuse me, DarthSydePhineas. I believe you're in the wrong transmission," Milk Drama Llama Bomma Mama chrissy said.

"It happens. The Internet connection sucks here," DarthSydePhineas said. "Frustrating. Frustrating. Frustrating"

Count Vanilla growled nine times.

"Forgive me. I really need some Blue Bell Breyers vanilla ice cream," I said as my child kicked me again.

Princess Kissy meowed loudly. Then Princess Oreo joined our Boom server on the emergency landline in our closet and meowed loudly.

"Well, let's get you some ice cream then," Milk Drama Llama Bomma Mama chrissy said.

Princess Kissy laid sideways near the screen and looked at us.

"I will fetch you Blue Bell Breyers vanilla ice cream," Stan Doe said as he virtually sent the ice cream through holographic technology.

"I will fetch everyone some Blue Bell Breyers vanilla ice cream," King Joebear said as he was programming holograms of Blue Bell vanilla ice cream to everyone on the server.

"I will fetch mommy some Blue Bell Breyers vanilla ice cream. I will fetch mommy some Blue Bell Breyers vanilla ice cream. I will fetch mommy some Blue Bell Breyers vanilla ice cream. I will fetch mommy some Blue Bell Breyers vanilla ice cream. I will fetch mommy some Blue Bell Breyers vanilla ice cream. I will fetch mommy some Blue Bell Breyers vanilla ice cream. I will fetch mommy some Blue Bell Breyers vanilla ice cream. I will fetch mommy some Blue Bell Breyers vanilla ice cream. I will fetch mommy some Blue Bell Breyers vanilla ice cream," Count Vanilla said as he was shoving nine cartons of Blue Bell vanilla ice cream through his scanner.

"Mommy? Queen Xara, how many children do you have?!" King Joebear shouted.

"Seven birth and one adopted, me. Queen Xara isn't my birth mother. She's my nanny. Queen Xara isn't my birth mother. She's my nanny. Queen Xara isn't my birth mother. She's my nanny. Queen Xara isn't my birth mother. She's my nanny. Queen Xara isn't my birth mother. She's my nanny. Queen Xara isn't my birth mother. She's my nanny. Queen Xara isn't my birth mother. She's my nanny. Queen Xara isn't my birth mother. She's my nanny. Queen Xara isn't my birth mother. She's my nanny. Queen Xara isn't my birth mother. She's my nanny," Count Vanilla explained.

"I'll get you more ice cream. Apples and cinnamon, my love?" King Joebear asked as he got up and stretched. "I'm so stiff. How did we get so stiff?" Then he sat back down and programmed the apple cinnamon vanilla ice cream to my server.

"We got old. And yes, apples and cinnamon. Like Apple Pie A La Mode!" I shouted.

"I will make an apple pie for you, mother," Stan Doe said as he started the long process of programming an apple pie to me.

"Thank you. I love all of my babies," I said.

"Everyone loves you, Queen Xara," Milk Drama Llama Bomma Mama chrissy said. "And I am your most faithful sister."

"Awaw Milk Drama Llama Bomma Mama Chrissy! A-Chrissy! You warm my heart!" I shouted. And then I thought, 'Nice touch by adding 'Bomma' to her title, Prince Banana. You're truly a genius.'

Princess Kissy then programmed with King Joebear, Count Vanilla, and Stan Doe to fetch my ice cream.

DarthSydePhineas kept fucking up our signal.

"I say! I wish he would fix connection or BUG OFF!" Prince Oliver: Werewolf of the United Planets said as he hammerfisted his desk with his right hand.

"Yes. It's very annoying. It's annoying the hell out of me!" King Bruce Ice shouted with a growl.

DarthSydePhineas's signal fucked up our connection again.

"Good Heavens! I can't do this! It's time for a commercial break!" Milk Drama Llama Bomma Mama chrissy shouted dramatically as she switched the signal to a Twitch.TV broadcast.

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

Count Vanilla was singing "Sweet Dreams R Made of These" as he wore a black collar with a blue bell in the front and swam in an ocean of vanilla ice cream. He then started to dance similarly to Michael Jackson near Annie Lennox. They were dancing like they were walking on broken glass.

"Blue Bell Vanilla Ice Cream. Nothing is sweeter than the sweet dream made of Blue Bell Vanilla Ice Cream," Emilie Autumn narrated.

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

King Joebear fixed the connection before he successfully programmed the vanilla cinnamon ice cream with apple pieces in it. I began to download the bowl of ice cream into my stomach.

Count Vanilla pumped out nine more bowls of Blue Bell Breyers vanilla ice cream into my server. There was a bowl of ice cream for each of the other news anchors as well (minus Stan Doe who disconnected from the server to program an apple pie for me). Count Vanilla sent Prince Oliver: Werewolf of the United Planets, King Joebear, King Bruce Ice, Darth Parker, and Prince Banana who was finally able to join our server from his Batmobile. Count Vanilla began to eat his ice cream.

DarthSydePhineas conveniently gave us another commercial break while we ate our ice cream. My unborn child was a hungry, fatass bear. I was downloading again, eating again, and hungry again.

Princess Kissy and Princess Oreo were licking up the remnants of the vanilla ice cream that they were sent. Milk Drama Llama Bomma Mama chrissy also was sent a bowl of ice cream from Zachary Giraffinakis. Zachary Giraffinakis assisted Stan Doe in programming my apple pie.

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

DarthSydePhil was fighting a snake in Street Fighter Turbo. He was wearing a peach cloth diaper as he wrestled with a snake and was laughing.

"Tour yougets!" DarthSydePhineas shouted at the snake. "Whhaaaaaaaaa!!!!"

The snake was defeated.

DarthSydePhineas then changed into a navy blue kimono and fought Calvin Klein because he thought CK's designs were too expensive. But Calvin Klein was beating DarthSydePhineas's ass before DarthSydePhineas yelled "TAKE THAT!..TAKE THAT SHIT" and beat Calvin Klein's ass. "CAN'T PARRY!!!... CAN'T PARRY! CAN'T PARRY BECAUSE OF LAG!!! He beat Calvin Klein's ass.

Then DarthSydePhineas then got into a nasty fight with De of Sean and got pissed off. The funny thing is that De of Sean is my ex-boyfriend and the ex friend of King Joebear. It's a long story, but it basically involved us all fighting. King Joebear beat De of Sean's ass and then asked for my love. I gave that cub my love. I love a cub who can fight.

DarthSydePhineas then went to beat Calvin Klein's ass again because he was still pissed about Calvin Klein's prices. DarthSydePhineas then had to beat De of Sean's ass again because De of Sean was peanut butter pissed again. De of Sean was whooping DarthSydePhineas's ass. Then DarthSydePhineas kicked De of Sean in the balls.

Then DarthSydePhineas fought Ken Masters to relieve more stress and anxiety from being broker than hell. Ken Masters yelled "Shorrrrryyyyuuuuken!"

DarthSydePhineas then took a breath of relief and thanked us all for existing. "Adibba Dobbs dibba that's all folks! Until tomorrow when I play BlackOps and Microsoft Simulator. See you in the morning. See ya later."

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

I was still eating my bowls of ice cream. Darth Parker just finished his. Zachary Giraffinakis cleared the cache on our server to get rid of unnecessary temporary files. Stan Doe was letting the pie download as he returned to the server. King Bruce Ice was adjusting his set. Prince Peter was doing sound tests. Meanwhile, Prince Banana had disconnected from the server. I assumed he was just there for the ice cream program.

"I'm sorry, but I'm still not ready for my broadcast. Is anyone else able to do a broadcast?" Darth Parker asked in his deep Southern voice as he was having sound difficulties.

"Hang on, dark Prince. Let me ask if anyone has news," Milk Drama Llama Bomma Mama chrissy said quickly.

"I'll be glad to help," Found Sheep as he joined the server.

"Oh thank you, Found Sheep," Milk Drama Llama Bomma Mama chrissy said. "Please take the floor."

"Thank you," Found Sheep said. He cleared his throat before he spoke again. "Hello everyone, I'm Found Sheep. I want to tell you a dream I had about an agitator who was trying to push the (encrypted voice done by Milk Mama Chrissy, Encrypting Genius saying, "Biometric signature") onto us. It's barbaric. I was being chased by men in white lab coats that were singing Hakuna Mutata as they were running with scissors. Other people were getting agitated because they were being herded like wolves into a grocery store and were told to stand ten feet apart while trying to run at the same time. They would listen if they were told to wear a pair of pants on their faces. It was madness, but I ran with humility to the Lord. I wasn't going and still not going to obey the government and man. I am not going to promote it. Do you want to be part of Revelation Chapter 13? Do you want to be part of enforcing the (encrypted voice done by Milk Mama Chrissy, Encrypting Genius saying, "Biometric signature")? Is this world really worth holding on to enough to sacrifice who you are? Look at the future. It's time to say enough is enough. Pick up your cross and follow the Lord! Go to Matthew 10. I am a sheep among the wolves. Do not get pulled into the agitation. Don't let the world consume you. The wolves are devouring without sight. I do not trust anyone part of any authoritative organization. They have to sign certain oaths against the Lord. And they hate people like us. And it's hard for us. But we need to be strong. Teach others instead of preaching to them. Show them the joy of our Lord in the natural world. Show the Lord thanks. The future generation is a blessing. Teach it correctly. Tell it that the only thing you must fear is the Lord. Unfortunately, families will fight among each other because they haven't grown a relationship with the Lord. But you can overcome that. Trust in our Lord."

"Thank you, Found Sheep. The Planetary Broadcasting Corporation only tells the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. We are not funded by anyone other than those who donate to us. We are not bought and sold by Chinta, China, or any other embassy. We want to gain your trust," Milk Drama Llama Bomma Mama chrissy said.

"I greatly appreciate you having me on tonight. But please remember my message tonight. It is very important to stay strong. That's why I'm here tonight. I know many viewers are struggling, even the preppers. Please trust in the Lord. You cannot survive this plandemic alone. I meant what I said. Plandemic. Preppers out there, please read the book of Revelation," Found Sheep said as he stared at the camera.

"Excuse me. I don't mean to interrupt your broadcast, but Queen Xara's apple pie is done," Stan Doe said as he downloaded the apple pie onto my server.

"Go ahead. Be thankful for your apple pie, Queen Xara. The Lord gives that to you to nourish your baby," Found Sheep said to me.

0 notes

wallpaperpainter · 4 years

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14 Advantages Of Christmas Watercolor Paintings And How You Can Make Full Use Of It | Christmas Watercolor Paintings

Although the Anna Bier Gallery is currently closed, the apple of admiration absolute aural its walls awaits your enjoyment. Frustrated by the actuality that the absorbing selections fabricated for the Gallery’s anniversary Elementary Art Show above-mentioned to the closing of schools could not be aggregate with an beholden public, Anna Bier Gallery Administrator Tamera McNulty created a video which will anon be accessible for examination on the Gallery’s Facebook page. Following is a baby examination of the admiration that awaits; participants accommodate home-schoolers as able-bodied as acceptance from Arcanum, Bradford, De Colores Montessori, Greenville, Mississinawa Valley, and Versailles.

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musicgoon · 5 years

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Book Review: The Care of Souls

What is the purpose of the church? And what role do pastors play? In The Care of Souls, Harold L. Senkbeil hopes to help his readers cultivate a pastor’s heart. As the 2020 Christianity Today Book Award Winner for Church/Pastoral Leadership and the 2019 TGC Ministry Book of the Year Winner, this book is a pastoral theology, passing on godly habits and practical wisdom.

Cultivation

Author Harold L. Senkbeil is an Executive Director of DOXOLOGY: The Lutheran Center for Spiritual Care. He has pastoral experience of nearly five decades, including parish ministry, the seminary classroom, and parachurch leadership. By reading his writing, you can tell he has learned much from his experience and hopes to shape the next generation of pastors.

In less than 300 pages, Senkbeil pulls primarily from his experience growing up on a farm and eventually becoming a pastor. He gives real-life case studies and shares what he has learned to be tried and true advice. His Lutheran background informs his writing, but it does not isolate readers from different denominations. Rather, he invites pastors and lay leaders to partake in the ministry.

Godly Habits

Senkbeil wastes no time or ink by proclaiming that pastors are simply the tools the Lord uses to do his work. There is no power inherent in the pastor as a person. It is God who gives the growth. But with the Word of God as the ministry’s source and norm, the pastor can be equipped to properly care for souls.

Listening is a basic skill that Senkbeil spends time to detail. He intends for pastors to listen for faith, providence, holiness, and repentance. He takes the time in Chapter 4, the heart of the book, to highlight ten theses for the intentional treatment of the cure of souls.

Practical Wisdom

Chapter 6 is another standout chapter where Senkbeil shares his experiencing of pastoring those suffering from guilt and shame. Holiness is highlighted in Chapter 7, and sexual sin, as well as the marriage bed, is handled with care. Spiritual warfare and mission round out the book while acknowledging that even pastors need pastoring.

The book concludes with a call to joy in the office of pastoring and a reminder that while the work may seem exhausting, repose awaits and rest is certain. In fact, the entire book is optimistic in that God has given us everything we need to do his work. With His Word, the sacraments, and the church - the Spirit has empowered His saints to succeed.

The Heart of a Pastor

After reading this book, I am left with awe and respect for the pastorate. It is a high calling. It is a noble task. It is dangerous yet filled with delight. And I am encouraged to care for souls, knowing the Shepherd is fully in control. And so I take heart - there is work to be done. But at the end of the day, I hope to hear our Lord say: Well done, good and faithful servant.

I was provided a free copy of The Care of Souls but was not required to write a positive review. Read more of my book reviews and follow Dive In, Dig Deep on Instagram - my account dedicated to Bibles and books to see the beauty of the Bible and the role of reading in the Christian life.

#book review #review #book #christianity #theology #pastor

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iamnotadamnedmonkey · 7 years

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NPCs for Demon/80s teen movie game

Father Jonathon McRiley is head of the Catholic church, a kind and friendly man, who preaches love and tolerance. The Church itself is an ancient stone building, rumored to have been there since before the town began.

Pastor William Lowell is his opposite in the Baptist church, full of fire and brimstone, eager to condemn anyone who doesn’t follow his creed. His church is VERY new, all bright and shining, lots of glass and spires. People say a white robe and hat hang in his closet, fi you know what I mean.

Jannifer Tweed is in charge of the UU church, and general does not give a fuck. Rumor says she engages in nude dancing in the woods when the moon is full. The UU meets at a building that used to be a k-mart back in the day.

Lower School, Middle School, and High School. You guys generally don’t care about the lower two. The High school is run with the iron fist of Hauer Kalin, the new Principal. He’s a real hard ass, by the book, his way or the high way type of guy. His secretary is the well-loved Bill Cove, a sweet old man who has been involved in the school system for many years. A lot of people are upset by how rudely Hauer treats Bill, but Bill waves it off with a laugh. Some kids say the two are lovers, but kids say that about everyone.

Olga Waterhorse is the art teacher, as well as the best known lesbian in town. Kids say she is romantically involved with Jane Quirl, the rather pretty new gym teacher, but no one has caught them doing anything more than talking. Jane does seem to have drawn the attention of all the male teachers as well, with all of the single ones trying to date her. She’s turned them all down, saying she doesn’t date co-workers, which may have led people to claim she’s a lesbian.

The Science teacher David Longhorn has recently returned to work after a bad accident, and seems to be a changed man. He’s adopted a super atheist viewpoint of science, and has had several complaints filed against him by religious parents who dislike his constant dismissal of creationism et al.

People say the choir teacher Max Delhorn is the last of the hardcore hippies. He was at Woodstock, Man, and he’d be more than willing to sit down and tell you all about it. He’s also the best source for weed for kids, as long as you got the money. He’s real old school, and only charges 10 dollars for a dime bag.

Coach Jake Tailor is a god damn demon. He is the only person in the school even harder than the Principal. He’s clearly a sadist, from how hard he drives the team. But the school wins championships, so no one has the balls to report him… or if they do, they are ignored. The gossips say that he is the reason the last principal was fired. Except he wasn’t fired, he just packed up and moved one day, and didn’t tell anyone. So they fired him.

The Rachels are five Seniors, all named Rachel, of course. They are the queen bees of the school, laying down rules for dress, dating, and the like, at least, if you want to be popular. They’ve driven at least five kids to suicide through bullying, that people are aware of.

The Geek Squad- 12 unpopular nerds who have banded together out of love of popular culture. 10 boys, 2 girls, they LARP in the woods, wear capes to school, and basically insist people bully them.

David Whales should have graduated two years ago, but he dropped out instead. He’s still found near the high school, looking for vulnerable teens that he can take advantage of, and pimp out. He has a house on the bad side of town, where you can always go if you’re looking to pay for sex.

Brand Hex, an up and coming technology giant, has moved into town. It only took them three months to raise a ten story building JUST on the other side of the town limit, so they could ignore the building limits. They have a dedicated fleet of self-driving cars they have let out into the town to work as a free taxi service. No one is really sure what business they are in, but they sure have a lot of money.

An archeology team from the state college has come in to excavate a site in the nearby mountains. Apparently, they’ve found an ancient worship site. The researchers are really tight lipped about it.

The local tabloid rag has been publishing photos of a ‘Fossilized Angel’ that they say is in the mountains as well, but are refusing to tell people where they found it. Most people think someone snuck onto the dig and took a picture of weird statue. It sure looks like am elongated skeleton with wings. The paper also claims big foot has been spotted in the woods, and is responsible for recent cattle mutilations.

John D Mills Maximum Security Penitentiary: A prison for only the worst of the worst offenders. No one inside is the type of person who even pretends they were innocent. The new Warden, John Smith, is apparently a political appointee, sent in to clean up some civil rights violations. Or possibly make whole new ones.

It’s a small police force, barely a dozen men, sheriff included. They tend to be very lax. As long as what you’re doing isn’t harming anyone else, you can slip under the radar. The Sheriff Keith Yulidfer has even been known to sit down and share a drink with teenagers caught underage drinking, as long as they’re chill about it.

Mayor Denise Malapo has been Mayor of the town for as long as any one can remember. No one bothers to run against her any more.

The Old Man of the Mountain: A statue in the middle of town, of an old man seeming to crawl out of a black of stone, have of his body still interred. It’s supposed to be modeled on the local guardian spirit, and, if you really need help, sometimes offers advice.

The Hobbit Hole is the local Nerd store. It’s owned by Creepy Carl, a nerd of extreme obnoxiousness. If his general misogyny wasn’t bad enough, he has this habit of making little wire dolls of people who come in the store.

‘Things Acquired’ was burnt down three months ago, but no one has bothered to clean up the burnt out wreckage. It was only open a week before the ‘mysterious fire.’ It had set itself up as a shop for ‘anything you might want, at a price.’ Although rumor says most of the town was there the night it burned, no one has been arrested or charged with any crimes. Adults who have been asked about it generally mutter the words ‘too cliché’ before changing the subject. The owner, one Dedric Eville, is missing, presumed dead.

Several younger children have gone missing, supposedly after arranging to meet someone online. The police have done several public safety campaigns about stranger danger. Most everywhere you go in town, you can find missing posters.

A local biker gang, The Low Flyers has their hangout as a bar on main street. They tend to be away during the week, but always show up on weekends. They have an agreement with the police that they can be as loud as they want, as long as they handle all fights internally.

One of the best known people in town is Old Mother Dismas. She’s an ancient woman, in her nineties if not over a hundred, but she’s always out on the front porch of her house, offering lemonade and fresh baked cookies to anyone who so much as glances her way. She often seems too good to be true, but no one has any dirt on her. The best rumor about her is a junkie looking for a fix once tried to steal her TV. She walked in on him in her bath robe, and just looked disappointed at him until he put the tv back, and then painted her house to make it up to her. She has a REALLY big dog named Honey.

Lucy Zalinski runs and owns the local diner, called, imaginatively, Lucys Diner. Eight months pregnant, and still working. Most people stop in to eat there at least once a week, the food is to die for.

The local graveyard is much bigger than accounted for by the rather limited population of the town. Sometimes, in the right light, the grave seem to go on for miles.

The Boundary City Library is considered to be the biggest in the state. Sometime in the sixties a government project expanded the library downwards, to use as a secondary backup for the Library of Congress, but that project fizzled out. No one is supposed to go down in the Stacks, but every kid played hide and seek in there at some point. Rumors of ghosts are generally just that.

The nearest hospital is a good hour away by car. But that’s okay, because no one ever really gets hurt that bad in this lovely town. Why, the worst that generally happens is a broken arm, and those are set by Kindly Dr. Jonas White, one of the few doctors left in the world who still makes house calls.

The Home Farms stretch over the hills. A good place to pick up some extra money in the fall, picking apples and reaping corn. George Home turns a blind eye to parties thrown in any of the old Home Barns he no longer uses, and the occasional kegger out in the fields.

All the other type of places you’d expect are there too, but those are the ones that stand out.

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