#point being. I will be observing Ash Wednesday at home this year.

[lightblueminecraftorchid]

u know it’s bad when ur doctor literally goes “hey you need to take a break from Lent/going to Mass this year until we work through some stuff”.

[jadedjxsung]

‘heather’ - h.h.j

i am sad and am listening to conan gray’s new album kid krow - this is inspired by ‘heather’ from that album. listen to it. it’s sad and i cry a little bit every time because i kinda relate to it too with my actual friends... anyway. this is kinda like me fictionally venting about it but through fanfic so i hope you enjoy this angst.

genre: angst, angst, angst. highschool au.

tw/cw: swearing, alcohol (kinda underage drinking? tbh i’m assuming they’re all above 18 so idk guess it depends on the laws where you live, where i am it’s 18)

pairing: hyunjin x reader i guess? kinda but also not really. you’ll see what i mean when you read the story.

just over 3k words

-

it was the third of december, a sunday, approximately 4pm. you and your best friend (whom you were definitely, absolutely not in love with) were hanging out at his house, having spent most of the day watching movies in the pillow fort you had made in his living room. your phone buzzed beside you, under the soft mink blanket.

“i gotta head home now.” you sat up, stretching, looking down at him. 

he was pouting. (god it just made him more adorable-) “come on, five more minutes?”

“i can’t jinnie, my grandparents from out of town are visiting and mum wants me there to see them.” he sighed. 

“argh, fine.” you both crawled out of the fort, and you reached the front door. opening it, a cold wind blew in. you were in a somewhat thin t-shirt. “take my sweater.” before you could even attempt to protest, he’d whipped the black sweater off and threw it at you. it landed over your head. you pulled it over your body, instantly swamped in the soft material. (it smelled just like him too, you tried to ignore the way it made your heart race.)

“thanks.” 

“you’re welcome. it looks better on you.” he grinned. you hugged briefly, and then began the walk home, head spinning as you tried to remember to breathe. after the dinner with your grandparents, you sat in your room, in his sweater, inhaling the scent and playing with the sweater paws. you fell asleep with a soft smile on your face.

-

it was the end of the winter holidays, spring rapidly approaching. school was back, and you and hyunjin were sitting in the cafeteria during lunch with your friends. it was loud, the mass of teenagers chatting loudly. you were listening to felix as he was talking about what had happened in drama, recreating the scene with jisung. you glanced at hyunjin, soft smile on his pretty face. it disappeared as he began staring, a look you’d never seen on his face before. you followed his gaze, hitching your breath at who he was (now very obviously) staring at. he was completely mesmerized.

of course it was a girl. admittedly a very beautiful one, clearly a new student. imagine, the definition of the soft girl aesthetic - perfect, slightly curled brown hair, oversized pale pink knitted sweater, half-tucked into light blue mom jeans rolled up at the ankle, white adidas finishing the look. round frame glasses, and the perfect smattering of freckles over her nose and cheekbones.

perfect, perfect, perfect. 

picture perfect.

as she walked past your table, you glanced at hyunjin. he was, as felix would say, ‘absolutely whipped’ - heart eyes, mouth slightly agape, relaxed facial expression.

you quickly exhaled. “shut your mouth before you start drooling.” you snapped.

he jolted out of his daydream at your sudden sharp tone. “shit, was i staring?”

“you’re whipped, bro.” 

“she’s sitting alone, i’ll go talk to her.” he got up quickly, moving away from your table. you observed his body language - you could imagine him giving her that charming smile, while it wasn’t as pretty has the one where his eyes crinkle up, it was still infectious and entrancing at the same time.

“sorry, y/n.” jisung murmured in your ear. though he was smiling, his eyes said otherwise. he knew how you felt about your mutual friend and was always sympathetic towards you.

“we’ll see how long this one lasts, i guess.” you shrugged. something was different about this one, you could tell. it used to be more puppy love, but this looked more like real, romantic love. and it kind of scared you a little bit.

“i’m gonna go to the library.” you got up, bag slung over one shoulder, putting on a podcast (welcome to night vale, a long time favourite of yours) as you sat down. you pulled out your english book and a sharpie, idly doodling patterns and writing down quotes as you hear them. you had a free period after lunch, so you stayed there until the end of the day, the covers of your english, history, calculus, physics, chemistry, and music book covers were completely covered in drawings, and you had little sharpie smudges all along your hands and arms.

-

things had been getting better for hyunjin (and worse for you) - he shared a few classes with the girl he learned was from england, called heather. and she was all he talked about - until she began sitting with your group during breaks. 

“hey, y/n, i know you missed english yesterday so i copied my notes for you.” she smiled, passing you a few pages of paper as everyone met at your table. even her writing was neat and tidy, everything laid out nicely. your notes were exactly the opposite of this, being an incomprehensible mess. jisung had already given you his notes, so you folded them and shoved them into your bag. more ashes for the fireplace, you supposed.

“thanks.” you forced a smile. “much appreciated.”

“no problem!” god, her smile was perfect too. perfect teeth. it made you seethe on the inside. and, she’d taken your usual spot at the edge of the table, across from hyunjin; now you sat sandwiched between jisung and felix. while their antics still made you laugh, it was getting harder to pretend to smile at hyunjin and heather. picture perfect heather. she was everything you were not - twice as pretty as you, and kind too. it just made you more bitter.

you sighed, relieved when the bell rang to indicate the end of lunch - and you were the fastest to leave, too. music went by faster than usual, as you were practicing for your solo pieces. as you were leaving, you saw hyunjin walking by himself.

this was a rare opportunity, and so you seized it.

“hey, jinnie. movie night at mine?”

he shook his head. “sorry y/n, i’m busy. heather and i are gonna be going to...” as soon as he shook his head you sighed, regretting asking. you didn’t bother to listen to his short spiel.

“that’s okay.”

“what about next wednesday? we can hang out at mine?”

“yeah, sure!” it was the first thing that had you looking forward to being around hyunjin in a while.

-

the next day, you didn’t see hyunjin or heather until lunch. you nearly turned on your heel and walked out.

heather was wearing one of hyunjin’s sweaters - of course it wasn’t just any old sweater either. one of his favourites, a bright yellow one that you had bought for him about a year ago. of course he would give her that one. fucking typical.

you breathed in and out a few times to try and calm yourself down. at least it’s polyester, right? not like the woolen one he gave you.

your breathing didn’t really work - you sat down, (accidentally) slamming your drink bottle on the table.

“you good?” jisung asked gently. you shook your head slightly. “do you want to go outside?”

“please.” you both got up, exiting the cafeteria with your bags. it was cool outside, and overcast. you both walked across the field, sitting at a picnic table.

“what’s happened?”

“she’s wearing the sweater i bought for him, like, a year ago.”

his expression softened. “oh...”

“yeah. god- i just- i...” you buried your face in your cold hands. silently, jisung hugged you as you began to cry.

“i can try talking to him if you want.”

“i-it’s okay, there’s probably no point.”

“you never know, i’ll ask him about the sweater for you.”

“much appreciated.” you sighed. you two stayed in that position for some time. he looked up, behind you, seeing felix approaching.

“felix is coming over, is that cool?”

“yeah, yeah.”

“hey, uhh, i wanted to see if y/n was okay.” he sat down at the table, across from you both.

“i’m not, but thanks for showing concern, lix.”

“can i ask why?”

you sighed. “long story short, i have liked hyunjin for years and he’s basically in love with heather and she’s currently wearing the sweater i bought him a year ago.”

“yikes.”

“mhm...” you sat slumped for several minutes. for the rest of lunch, jisung and felix sat with you. while they still cracked jokes here and there, it was strange for them to be as quiet as they were.

-

you felt a little better now that felix and jisung both made the extra effort to try and cheer you up. hangout sessions with them both were quite common - though today it was wednesday and you were looking forward to hanging out with hyunjin. just you two. no perfect heathers to distract your best friend. 

waiting outside the main building for him, you saw him and walked over. “oh, hey y/n!” he smiled at you. the eye crunch one. your heart instantly a puddle on the ground.

“hey, hyunjin.” you began walking to his place, and it was just like old times - plenty of teasing and hyunjin being overdramatic while you rolled your eyes at his antics. all was well and you felt the happiest you’d been in some time. 

all was well.

two minutes past seven, you and hyunjin were in his room, doing your own thing, occasionally showing each other memes or tiktoks. a knock on the door caused you to flinch slightly. of course, being his bestfriend of several years meant that you had been interrupted by both of his parents knocking on the door numerous times; this was an unfamiliar knock.

and who comes into the room, but perfect heather. with her perfect smile, perfect hair, perfect handwriting, perfect everything. 

“oh, hi y/n! sorry to interrupt, i’m happy to leave-” 

“it’s fine, see-”

“no, no, no, you can stay if you’d like.” hyunjin beamed.

“are you sure? i wouldn’t want to impose.”

“it’s fine.” you got up, walking towards the door, glaring at hyunjin. “i was just about to leave.” as the weight of your schoolbag met your shoulder, you shut the door. firmly. god, how you wanted to hit him sometimes. 

-

a week and a few days later, and here you are at 1am on a saturday morning, dissociating at a party, hosted by jisung’s friend chan. you’re sitting on an armchair in the corner, with chan’s dog sitting by your feet, head on your lap while you gently patted it and scratched behind it’s ears. it was loud, and not your scene, and you hate it, but someone had to look out for slightly intoxicated jisung and felix and you didn’t like the idea of them doing something stupid (which was a very likely thing to occur if you weren’t there to supervise them). 

your charges are sitting on a couch with changbin, not too far from where you were, only two or so metres away. on another couch, hyunjin and perfect heather, as well as minho and another dude they were friends with that you recognised from class but didn’t know the name of. (jeongoon? no, jeongin.)

you shift your gaze from jeongin (jeongoon??) to hyunjin and heather. he has one arm around her shoulder. almost like phantom pain, you shiver, suddenly feeling cold. he used to do that with you. emphasis on used to.

you sit, patting chan’s dog (whose eyes are drooping, you feel exactly the same), wallowing in your bitterness. it makes you sad. in any other circumstance, you’d probably be good friends with her. she’s the definition of an angel, yet something about her makes you tick. she’s such an angel but you dislike her. immensely. not hate. it was a shame, really.

it is also a shame that with the blue and red lighting, it falls perfectly on hyunjin’s features, making him seem more ethereal. oh, how you wish you were in heather’s position. if you were in her place, you would’ve kissed him, right there. (after years of nearly doing it but stopping at the last second before he noticed and anything happened.) he’s three metres away from you, but you can picture his face close-up. he’d look so much better up close. how you wish you were heather. 

gently lifting the dog’s head from your lap (quietly apologising to it too), you stand in front of jisung and felix. 

“i’m leaving. don’t die. text me when you get home.”

jisung pouts. “aww, do you have to leave?”

“i’m not really having fun, there’s no point in me being here.” jisung stood up quickly, clinging to your shoulder as he sways slightly.

“i’ll walk you home, it’s dangerous out there, y/n. big scary spiders and shit.” his eyes are glassy and wide.

“no. no, you stay here, ji, have fun. i’ll be fine.” you force a smile for the boy clinging to you, not unlike a koala. 

“but what if like- a huge fuckin’ spider eats you?! what would i do without my y/n?” 

you chuckle at his antics. “you’re probably more likely to get me eaten by a big spider than to protect me from one, you idiot.” 

a new voice caused you to tense up a little bit. “i’ll walk them home, you stay here jisung.” 

the dark haired boy loosens his grip. “okay, if hyunjin’s walking you home that’s fine. but you should definitely not tell him anything y/n.” he sat back down again, almost like nothing had happened. hyunjin follows you out of chan’s place, nearly losing you a few times as you quickly picked your way through the crowd. 

you stand on the footpath outside as he approaches you. silently, you walk together for about five minutes, both lost in your own thoughts.

“i feel like we hardly talk anymore, y/n.”

you huff, shoving your hands further into your jacket pockets. “i wonder why.”

“well, why?” he ignores your sarcasm.

“heather.”

“what about her?”

your feet stop. you exhale sharply. this had been going on for long enough, and internally apologise to jisung for doing the exact opposite of what he told you to do. 

“you want to know? fine, i’ll tell you. i have been in love with you for years but have been too afraid to say it, when you had these little crushes on others and always having these short little flings with them but it didn’t matter because you always came back to me. then perfect heather turns up and you very obviously fall in love with her which is fair enough, and i feel horrible because she’s so perfect and lovely but i can’t help but despise her because she’s the one you love, not me. and it breaks my heart because you’re both so nice and she doesn’t deserve me being an asshole to her like this but i can’t help it, her perfection just irritates me in ways that i can’t describe. 

it’s like you replaced me, but with the perfect girl that you fell in love with while i sit in the corner, upset and bitter, because i am ultimately a coward who doesn’t know how to confess to their best friend. also, you gave her the sweater i bought you, the yellow one, but clearly don’t remember that because i’m just not that important to you anymore. everything is heather, heather, heather, with you and regardless of the romantic feelings, i miss you and want to know what happened to my best friend.” 

your heavy breathing after your rant filled the silence. 

“y/n i...”

“look, you don’t have to respond. i just needed you to hear that. i’m tired of trying to hide how i feel.” you turn on you heel and began walking quickly - your house was only a block away. curse hyunjin and his long legs.

“look, i’m sorry, y/n. i am so sorry that you feel like that. i’m sorry that i became so focused on one person. i’m sorry i can’t return your feelings, but i still love you as a friend. can we still be friends?”

you stop again, keeping your gaze towards the ground. “i don’t know if i can ever see you as just a friend.”

“so... no?”

you breathe in. “no, hyunjin. we can’t be friends.” you look up at him. you’d never seen him look this broken, this tormented, and it was because of you. you hold your arms out, and he falls into your embrace. you can tell by the way he’s breathing and the quiet sniffles that he’s crying on your shoulder.

-

it is the 3rd of march, a saturday at approximately 2am. you and your former best friend (who you are very much in love with) are embracing for the last time in the middle of the street, almost but not quite outside your house. your phone buzzes in your jacket pocket, repeatedly. 

“you better pick that up.” hyunjin said softly, pulling away from you, forcing a smile. it makes your heart twinge at the sight. nothing like the radiant ones you are used to, that you might never get to see up close again.

you sigh when you saw the caller id, answering anyway. “jisung, what?”

“you should be home by now y/n. are you safe? did you tell hyunjin anything? i hope he protected you from big spiders and shit.” he was slurring his words a little bit - clearly he’d had a bit more to drink since you’d left.

“i’m almost home, ji. he protected me from all the spiders.” 

“okay well, that’s good. i’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

“yep. stay safe.” you hang up and sigh, looking back at hyunjin. “look after him and felix for me, please.”

“i will.”

“thank you, hyunjin. you’re a wonderful person.” you begin to walk down the street, looking back when you reach your front door. you glance back, and see his dark figure, slowly walking down the street. you slip in your house quietly, and manage to hold your tears in until you reach your room. you sit on your bed, in his sweater, crying into the sweater paws. eventually, sleep takes over your body, your face sticky with tears.

[pamphletstoinspire]

Septuagesima Sunday - January 31, 2021

Septuagesima  and Lent are both times of penance, Septuagesima being a time of voluntary fasting in preparation for the obligatory Great Fast of Lent. The theme is the Babylonian exile, the “mortal coil” we must endure as we await the Heavenly Jerusalem. Sobriety and somberness reign liturgically; the Alleluia and Gloria are banished

The Sundays of Septugesima are named for their distance away from Easter:

The first Sunday of Septuagesima gives its name to the entire season as it is known as “Septuagesima.” “Septuagesima” means “seventy,” and Septuagesima Sunday comes roughly seventy days before Easter. This seventy represents the seventy years of the Babylonian Captivity. It is on this Sunday that the alleluia is “put away,” not to be said again until the Vigil of Easter.

The second Sunday of Septuagesima is known as “Sexagesima, which means “sixty”. Sexagesima Sunday comes roughly sixty days before Easter.

The third Sunday of Septuagesima is known as “Quinquagesima,” which means “fifty” and which comes roughly fifty days before Easter. Quadragesima means “forty,” and this is the name of the first Sunday of Lent and the Latin name for the entire season of Lent.

Throughout this short Season and that of Lent (next Season) you will notice a deepening sense of penance and somberness, culminating in Passiontide (the last two weeks of Lent), that will suddenly and joyously end at the Vigil of Easter on Holy Saturday when the alleluia returns and Christ’s Body is restored and glorified. 

INSTRUCTION FOR SEPTUAGESIMA SUNDAY by Leonard Goffine, 1871

Why is this Sunday called “Septuagesima”?

Because in accordance with the words of the First Council of Orleans, some pious Christian congregations in the earliest ages of the Church, especially the clergy; began to fast seventy days before Easter, on this Sunday, which was there fore called “Septuagesima”–the seventieth day. The same is the case with the Sundays following, which are called Sexagesima, Quinquagesima, Quadragesima, because some Christians commenced to fast sixty days, others fifty, others forty days before Easter, until finally, to make it properly uniform, Popes Gregory and Gelasius arranged that all Christians should fast forty days before Easter, commencing with Ash-Wednesday.

Why, from this day until Easier, does the Church omit from her service all joyful canticles, allelujas, and the Gloria In excelsis, &c.?

To gradually prepare the minds of the faithful for the serious time of penance and sorrow, for sins committed, and for the actual fast. So the priest appears on the altar in violet, the color of penance, and half of the altar is covered with a violet curtain. To arouse our sorrow for our sins, and the need of repentance, the Church at the Introit cries, in the name of all mankind, with David: “The sorrows of death surrounded me, the sorrows of hell encompassed me. In my affliction I called upon the Lord, and He heard my voice from his holy temple.” (Ps. xvii. 5 – 9.) I will love thee, O Lord, my strength; the Lord is my firmament, my refuge, my deliverer. (Ps. xvii. 2 – 3.) Glory be to the Father, &c. 

by Fr. Francis Xavier Weninger, 1876

Jesus asks the discontented laborers: “Is thy eye evil, because I am good?” Why do they murmur? Have they been obliged to exceed the stipulated amount of labor? No! Have they worked longer than the time specified? No! Has not the master promptly paid them? Yes! Did he give them less than he promised? No! What then is the cause of their discontent? It is envy, because those who were sent later into the vineyard to work, received the same wages.

Envy is a most dangerous, execrable yet concealed vice; a vice of which, many are guilty, but whose real wickedness few recognise. Let us employ this hour in considering its dangers.

Mary, mother of love, pray for us, that the pestilential breath of this sin may never pollute our soul! I speak in the most holy name of Jesus, to the greater glory of God! We can better recognize the turpitude and wickedness of envy, by considering the beauty, merit and amiable qualities of the opposite virtue–true, heroic brotherly love.

The love of our neighbor for the love of God is a virtue which inspires us to love others as ourselves, to wish them all the good we wish ourselves, and to do for them all that we would do for our own interests. Of this commandment Christ says: “It is like unto the other,” namely: to the commandment of loving God, and our salvation depends on our observance of it. Thus teach Christ and His Apostles, especially St. Paul and St. John, both of whom emphatically and frequently insist upon it.

Envy is the vice directly opposed to this commandment. This will become clear to us if we consider the teachings of St. Paul in regard to the qualities of true, active, brotherly love. “Charity,” says he, “is patient, is kind; charity envieth not, is not ambitious, seeketh not her own, is not provoked to anger, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth with the truth: beareth all things, believeth all things” (i Cor. 13. 4).

Let us reverse these qualities, and we have the most perfect picture of envy. Envy is not kind; on the contrary, it is cruel, selfish, and without compassion for the needs and sufferings of others.

Envy provokes to anger, and leaves nothing untried to prevent the well-being of others. Envy seeks only its own good, and is arrogant. It thinks and does evil.

Who can count all the vices whose source is envy? Jealousy, mistrust, calumny, deceit, enmity! Envy is easily roused to anger, and brooks little contradiction. It rejoices not at the good fortune of others, but is pleased, rather, at the contrary. Oh, how terrible a vice! it tears up by the very roots, the beautiful flower of brotherly love!

I say, secondly, what a foolish vice! For it deserves also this stigma. Every sin bears the mark of insanity, and therefore it is that Holy Writ calls the sinner a fool. It were easy to point out the characteristics of insanity in the misdeeds of sinners, especially in the envious.

Envy deprives man of the use of his reason, robs him of strength of mind, and exerts an evil influence on his other faculties. The possessions of his neighbor seem better than his own, for no other reason than that another and not he is the owner!

Besides, he who is guilty of other sins has at least some satisfaction: the proud when he is honored; the miser when he counts his money and fills his coffers; the intemperate while he eats and drinks, and so of others. The envious have only the satisfaction of their anger.

Foolish vice! It harms itself while yielding to its own indulgence What a foolish, but at the same time, what a dangerous vice! It was envy that brought sin among the angels. Lucifer and his adherents, as the Fathers of the Church teach us, envied the glory of Christ, Who in His human nature stood below them, but Whom they were commanded to glorify and worship on account of the hypostatic union with the person of the Son of God.

As regards man, Holy Writ teaches us that it was through the envy of Satan that sin entered paradise. The envy of the serpent would deprive the human race not only of paradise but also of heaven. It has cast upon us innumerable woes, and has exposed us to countless dangers in working out the salvation of our soul. Satan envied mankind who were destined to take the place of the fallen angels in heaven.

Woe to us if we ever hearken to the voice of envy! Satan will then find it easy to assail us with temptations of all kinds! The first born of men became a murderer on account of envy. It was envy that induced Cain to kill Abel. It was envy that nailed the Redeemer of mankind to the cross.

It is true that pride introduced heresy into the world, and thus corrupted countless souls and wrought their eternal ruin; but envy is the twin-brother of pride, the second poisonous fang of the serpent of hell. Not seldom has its influence been felt since the origin and dissemination of heresy, especially since the last and most pernicious of all, namely, Protestantism.

Pride mated with envy has given birth in our own day to the heresy whose followers style themselves the Old Catholics. Yet more lamentable is the fact that envy, even among the good, has succeeded in preventing much that otherwise would have been done for the salvation of souls and the welfare of the Church, thus effecting incalculable mischief in every age of the Christian era.

It is envy that lights the torch of war among nations, and destroys the peace and happiness of congregations and home circles. Yere there no envy among mortals earth would become a paradise. Envy were capable of changing even heaven into a place of torment, and for this reason it is, as Gregory the Great says, “The mark of the damned.”

The condition of the envious is the more dangerous, because the poison of envy is concealed. How few think themselves guilty of this sin! how few accuse themselves of it, and endeavor to uproot it from their hearts with the determination of St. Francis of Sales, who says: “Did I know that a fibre of envy were beating in my heart, I would tear it out!”

Follow his example, cost what it may, and instead of that detestable parasite, guard deep within your heart the holy virtue of heroic brotherly love! Amen!

“Why stand you here all the day idle?”–Matt. 20.

The reproach which Christ in today’s Gospel addresses to those who remained idle until the eleventh hour, is unfortunately one which might he addressed to the greater portion of mankind, yes even to many of the children of the Church.

We usually live careless of eternity, seemingly forgetful why we are here upon earth, and that this life was not given us to seek the honors, joys and treasures of this world, but to gather merit for eternity. How many men, how many children even of the Church are idle in this regard!

Let us earnestly take to heart this reproach, at once so true so important, so salutary for time and eternity, and endeavor to purchase back the hours we lost in idleness, and to employ with the zeal of the saints the days still left to us.

Mary, thou faithful handmaid of the Lord, pray for us that, following thy example, we may employ our entire life in gaining our salvation through Jesus Christ our Redeemer! I speak in the most holy name of Jesus, to the greater glory of God!

“Why stand you here all the day idle?” What an astonishing, incomprehensible, and yet only too true fact! This becomes clear to us if we consider the character of our life upon earth, and the relation in which it stands to eternity. Our life here below is the time which God gives us to prepare ourselves for the world to come.

If we reflect how precious time is, how short and how uncertain are the days of our life, we certainly would expect man to think of nothing else, than how to employ the days of his life in securely reaching that end for which life was given.

A crown, a high degree of glory, is the recompense for every moment well employed. St. Chrysostom was right when he exclaimed: “Time, thou art worth as much as God!” But time is so short; for what is the longest life compared to eternity? In addition to this, not one moment of this short time is certain. How often death surprises man, and then his precious time is gone, never to return. Man knows this, the Christian believes it; therefore how incomprehensible their neglect to employ their time after the zealous earnestness of the saints! This becomes still more incomprehensible, when we consider how provident man is of his time in regard to temporal affairs and the acquisition of earthly goods. They hesitate not to cross the ocean in the often disappointed hope of securing employment and gaining money, while, if they only seize the opportunity, they will never lack profitable labor in the grand affair of their salvation.

And yet how many lose and kill time! I wish to call your attention to the following classes of idlers:

The first are those who lose their time from sheer indolence. They are those drones, who do their duty neither as citizens nor as Christians. They dream away their time, and awake when it is too late, to the grand reality of life. They want self-abnegation. These . especially deserve the reproach: “Why stand you here idle?”

The second class are those who idle away their time by excessive labor, not for the salvation of their soul but through an inordinate care for the things of this world. I call them industrious idlers. Apparently they are occupied, but in reality they do nothing, since they are busy only for this fleeting world and not for eternity. They think themselves, however, much wiser than those who fail to accumulate an equal amount of temporal wealth. But all their labor, all their success is of no value towards their eternal welfare; indeed, as far as this is concerned they might better, perhaps, have remained as idle as the former. For, in their eagerness to gain temporal goods, they may have yielded to temptation and then, being in the state of sin, gained nothing even when they seemed to be laboring for heaven. These are the industrious idlers who, in the words of Holy Writ, exclaim when it is too late: “We wearied ourselves in the way of iniquity” and of temporal care.

There are others who, though they live in the state of grace, may yet be said to lose the time which has been granted to them to work out their salvation. To this third class of idlers belong those who lose their time in vain conversations and idle gossiping. Oh, how many apparently pious souls belong to this class of idlers! They talk ten, nay a hundred times too much. Even in necessary business how many useless words are spoken, how many moments wasted in idleness! Instead of leaving after having obtained the desired information, we remain and continue conversing about the same affair, though we previously stated all that was necessary; and in this manner we lose the time we should give to work.

But how shall we designate the many idlers who lose their time by too frequent visits and by prolonging this useless and sometimes dangerous pastime, till late in the night? Instead of regulating our visits by the just demands of friendship or of Christian neighborly love, we seek only to enjoy the society and conversation of others, forgetting that we could employ our time much better in sanctifying ourselves and others by works of charity.

Lastly, what shall we say of the idleness of pleasure-seekers, of those who pass day and night in gambling, dancing and other worldly amusements? How much time is lost for eternity in this manner! How much in visiting watering places, frequenting theatres and balls! There is also a certain class of people who lose their time in travelling for the sake of pleasure. I call these travelling idlers.

To all these we must needs add the large number of drunkards who, in their revels, heed not quickly passing time, and employ it neither for their temporal nor spiritual welfare who squander their money, impoverish their families and not unfrequently end their days in the almshouse. What a despicable class of idlers!

In conclusion, let me mention those who are idlers on account of negligence in renewing their good intention. The good we do, must be done with the right intention, that is, for God’s sake and for His sake only. Of course this does not mean that a Christian may not transact business or perform this or that work for the sake of gain, friendship or neighborly love, as our circumstances in life make necessary; only let these good and praiseworthy intentions be secondary to the one just mentioned.

Christian, lay your hand upon your heart and tell me, if you do not belong to one of these classes of idlers, or perhaps to all of them? Make now the firm resolution of profiting well by the time yet left to you that, one day in the kingdom of eternal life, God may assign to you your reward! Amen! 

[headoverjojo]

Here we are here we are! Halloween special!! Firs of all, an immense thank you to @estellea who has been my beta-reader and whose support, advices and suggestions made this all possible! I mean, in general without her support I would have given up like months ago and more or less half of what I write and draw is basically out thanks to her constant support even when I’m horrendously down to the point that everyone would just be disgusted. She’s more a sister than a friend and really I’d never be thankful enough for everything she did and still does. Now let’s post it, I’m getting emotional-

You can read it also on AO3! 

Of course, feedbacks are always appreciated 💖

The Secret Life of Vampire in Neapolis’ Suburbs

There was one thing that Abbacchio detested more than Giorno and sunlight. Abbacchio hated with all his heart when things changed, especially when they changed for the bad. And that change was really, really bad.

As every evening, Fugo came to wake him up, after checking if the sun was already disappeared. He had always been the first one to wake up, since that crazy month when Giorno, damn half-vampire Giorno, had vampirized them all. Well, almost everyone; Mista managed to come out alive and without the two small dots on his neck which all the others had. And he managed to because he was already a night creature, a werewolf, to be precise. He was now living a chill life with his pack, but he still came to see them every day; they were his best friends, after all!

After knocking at Abbacchio’s bedroom door, Fugo went to check if Narancia was already awake, jumping with a screech when the boy hopped from the side, howling sharply like a banshee. Narancia’s loud laughters echoed in the old house, while Fugo was grasping at the ceiling as his life -or, better, non-life- depended by it. As soon as Fugo recollected himself, he jumped back on the floor, roaring and running behind Narancia, who was already running and flying at very fast speed, still laughing. Bruno just sighed, when the two flashed in front of him, and went straight to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

Breakfast was a quick affair, now that they all could eat just one type of food, but this didn’t mean that it should have been always the same boring thing. There were original ways to prepare blood-based dishes, you know. By now, Bruno was specialized in preparing blood gelee, blood puddings, blood marmalade… he had found out to be very creative, in the kitchen. A good thing, as he was stuck with a group of teenagers difficult to satisfy.

He sighed, when Abbacchio’s roaring scoldings joined Narancia’s loud laughs and Fugo’s screams. The same thing, every single evening…

“You all, drop the crap and come to have breakfast, immediately!” his voice, unnaturally loud, boomed in the house -one the benefits from being a vampire, he supposed- and, in few seconds, Narancia and Fugo flew down, in their bat shape, still bickering and crying. Bruno sighed again, while Abbacchio, livid as always, and Giorno, still with his curlers on, came down as well.

“Narancia, Fugo, just human shape when we’re having meals.” Bruno reminded and, with a pop, the two transformed back to their original form, Fugo still grumbling and Narancia still chuckling. Bruno frowned, however, noticing that one of the seats was empty.

“Where’s Trish?” he asked, looking around. Everyone lifted their heads, sniffing at the air, but there wasn’t any trace of Trish, even of her smell. They all, immediately, grew worried: she hadn’t been out during daytime, had she?!

“Narancia, Fugo, you check the north area; Giorno, go at Mista’s and search in the east and south area with him and his pack; Abbacchio, we’ll check the ovest area. Let’s go!” with a loud poof, they all changed their shape and with a vigorous flap of wings, five big bats flew outside, searching for the lost member of their clan.

--

After hours of researches, they found nothing. Trish was nowhere to be found; even Mista and his buddies didn’t find any trace of her. Wasn’t she…? No, it couldn’t be. Trish loved to live, even if it was a peculiar life. Right…?

Just when sunrise was approaching the group headed home, defeated. Where was she…?

“Ah, finally you’re here! Where the hell have you been?! And what about your phones? C’mon guys, I get you’re gangsters and yadda yadda, but you’re modern gangsters!” Trish’s limpid voice reached their ears the right moment they entered in the house and the boys flew -literally- to her, scaring the hell out of her.

“What the-”

“Trish! Trish, you’re fine! Thank goodness, we thought you were dust, by now!” Narancia hugged her tightly, sniffling, to Trish’s utter surprise. What…?

“Guys, are you alright? Are you drunk? Why should I have turned into dust? And what the hell is wrong with this house, there’s so much chaos! Didn’t we have a housekeeper? Where is she?” she fired a bunch of questions, putting her fists on her hips, imposing. Everyone looked at each other, before looking back at her.

“Well, we had a housekeeper, if you remember, until someone decided that she was a good snack.” everyone eyed at Narancia, who just scoffed. “And since then, we never had one. You know… to avoid unwanted attentions.” Fugo explained, crossing his arms. Trish was as pale as a ghost and, at the same time, completely taken aback. Again, what?

“A snack?” she hoped to have heard or interpreted in the wrong way. Since when Narancia was a cannibal? And still, what about that dust thing?

“Yeah, He sucked her dry, poor Concetta.” Giorno sighed, closing his eyes. Trish’s empty gaze said everything about how much she was understanding about that situation. Now, that was weird. Why was Trish acting so weirdly? It almost seemed like she didn’t even remember that she was a vampire!

“Anyway, Trish, why are you asking? I mean, you know it. It happened little after, uh, Christmas 2004.” Narancia observer, shrugging. At Trish’s astonished silence, the group began to grow really worried. What was wrong with her?

“Trish… Trish, dear, do you remember it, right? About our housekeeper, about Mista’s pack, the explosive 2010 new year’s Eve, when Giorno woke up, at the end of 2001, and bit us all turning us into vampires?” Bruno asked, softly. Trish took a seat and that was her only answer.

--

“But how could it happen?” Abbacchio pondered, swirling a burgundy red liquid in a crystal glass. Fugo sighed, taking a sip from his own mug -a customized cup with “Edward Cullen’s a bottom” printed on-, pensive.

“Insolation.” he declared, claiming everyone’s attention. Giorno frowned, perplexed, and, so, Fugo proceeded to explain.

“Giorno, you’re just half-vampire, so you don’t count. We all know that sun can kill us, right? But yesterday it wasn’t sunny. It was cloudy. What if the daylight was enough to damage her, to, like, provoke an amnesia, but not enough to kill her? This would explain why she doesn’t remember anything about being a vampire but why she still knows where we live.” he gulped down the blood in his mug like a shot of coffee, sighing.

“We have to remind her about the whole vampire thing. We have to show her how we usually live and just hope it unlocks her memories.” he concluded, with a nod. Bruno passed a hand through his hair, leaning on the back of the seat.

“This is going to be a mess.” he muttered, already tired.

And, oh, he was right.

--

Trish had troubles to believe to the whole “we’re vampires and we’re in 2019!” story. First of all, weren’t vampires killed by sun, garlic, ash sticks and crosses? How could vampires live in Italy, that was full of all of them? Hell, Neapolis was the city of the sun, there were crosses and churches everywhere and don’t make her start with garlic!

“It’s actually pretty inaccurate. A vampire would die of garlic just if they’re already allergic to it, but it’s the same as peanuts or strawberries; crosses don’t hurt us, it was a bullshit invented to fight the fear; same as ash sticks. Our heart is already dead, stabbing it wouldn’t damage us at all. See.” Giorno explained, turning to his right side, the right moment when Narancia, launching himself from upstairs, screaming a loud “Leroyyyyyy Jenkiiiiinssss!” with an ash stick in his hand, landed on Abbacchio, playfully stabbing him in his heart. Before Trish could scream in horror, however, Abbacchio turned to the boy still on his back, completely ignoring the stick in his chest.

“It’s the third fucking coat you ruin, brat!” he roared, trying to shrug him off his back, while Narancia was laughing loudly.

“The Wednesday Ambush.” Giorno murmured, quietly watching Narancia transforming into a bat and flying away, immediately followed by a bigger and angry bat. On the floor, just a small puddle of blood and the stick signaled that something had happened.

“Why?” Trish exhaled, perplexed. Giorno shrugged, going to pick a cloth and bleach.

“‘Cause that’s how our life is. There’s not so much to do at night, even if we’re still in Passione, somehow. After years we came to a sort of routine.” the young man explained, while washing the blood away.

“Even social networks become boring, after a while.” Fugo added, while walking from the kitchen to the living room with a glittered mug filled with blood in his hands. The sight, the smell of it, were enough to make Trish’s throat hoarse and arid, as blood was the only thing that could alleviate that dryness. Giorno’s sharp eyes noticed how Trish cupped, for a second, her throat, and, after putting away the stained cloth and the bleach, he invited Trish to follow him to the living room, where Fugo was browsing on his phone while sipping his warm blood.

“Mind if we join you, Fugo?” Giorno asked, polite. Fugo too immediately noticed how Trish was acting and nodded, making place for them on the sofa.

“I swear, if Bruno sends another video of kittens in the group chat I’m going to screech.” Fugo grumbled, deleting the umpteenth video of kittens. Giorno huffed a small laugh, eyeing how Trish was staring at the cup.

“You would screech anyway.” he said, taking the cup from Fugo’s hand and taking a sip, before putting it back. Fugo hummed a “Fair point”, scrolling down the chat, before turning to Trish.

“Do you want a sip?” he offered her the cup, with a small smile. Trish gulped, feeling her throat pulsing. She wanted it…

“But… how do you drink it? You just… swallow it down?” the boys brightened at her question. She was finally getting accustomed again!

“Not exactly. You have to pull your fangs out.” Fugo started, showing her how to do it. He curled back his upper lip and, by doing so, his canines elongated to the point to be good fangs. Trish stared at it, shocked. Woah…

“And then you drink like this.” Fugo proceeded to show her how to drink and Trish could see that, even if it seemed that he was drinking normally, he was, in fact, sucking the blood through his fangs.

“All clear? Do you want to try?”he offered her his cup, that Trish took a bit hesitantly. This was so absurd…

However, when she bared her teeth like Fugo did, she felt her fangs emerging and she immediately sank them in the cup, sloppily sucking the blood up, feeling an immediate relief. Sweet nice…

Fugo and Giorno looked at her drinking, feeling relief washing over them. She was acting right…

Their Trish was coming back!

--

“Uh? Are we going out tonight? Where?” Trish crunched her bloody lollipop, making Bruno smile. She had always loved to crunch it… it was funny, she always said. And, also, it was the proof that her memories were, slowly but steadily, coming back.

“Yes. We’re going to meet with Mista in front of Castel dell’Ovo.” he confirmed, fixing the pins on the top of his head. His and the others’ style hadn’t changed much from those wild first months of 2001; it was a bit excessive, at the time, but now? Now they would have been the stars of the Milan Fashion Week.

“Sounds fun.” Trish threw the stick, perfectly aiming at the trash bin at the other side of the room, exulting, with Narancia, Fugo and Giorno, when she centered it. Bruno huffed a laugh, hearing Abbacchio’s muttered “Brats”; even if Leone always acted as a grumpy and gloomy old man, Bruno knew that he was really fond of the boys. He was just like this! And it also suited pretty well his vampire nature.

“Alright, kids, let’s go.” Abbacchio exhorted, getting up and putting on his dark coat stuffed and decorated with synthetic fur. Trish couldn’t help but to hide a grin, while putting on her own coat, black with pink decorations; Abbacchio was really suited to be a fashion vampire.

Trish never had so much fun, or, at least, for what she remembered. The sidewalk was a perfect catwalk and, oh, they were so at ease on it. By now, they had learned to ignore people’s gazes on them, on their clothes, flawless style; having so much time meant to have the chance to refine things like style even to the smallest detail and it showed. Noticing that Trish wasn’t really at ease, however, they squared protectively around her, chatting with her to distract her. It was way better…

“Ah, here you are! I was starting to worry, y’annow!” Mista exclaimed, exiting from a bakery with a small package in his hands. Trish couldn’t help but to smile: Mista too was always the same, always wearing that ridiculous bean hat and with his belly exposed even in the middle of the winter. Maybe his werewolf nature helped him to be always warm?

“Trish, dear!! It’s such a relief to see you!” he went straight to hug her, making her wheeze. Just Mista could make a creature who didn’t need to breath wheeze! She laughed a little, patting his back, content, huffing when he released her.

“So, Mista? Plans for the night?” Mista chuckled, showing the small bag he was holding. Trish sniffed something sweet, maybe whipped cream? And strawberries too…

“I have to feed the puppies, I’m in charge tonight. I’m about to throw a little party at my house, y’all are invited! C’mon!” he exhorted, gesturing to follow him, walking backside for a little, before turning to the right direction and taking Giorno under his arm, grinning. Giorno let him do what he wanted, rolling his eyes, but with a smile. He was his best friend, after all!

It didn’t take long to come to Mista’s house. The inside was dimly lighted by few appliques and Trish immediately sniffed a strong fur scent. That was the unmistakable house of a werecreature.

“Yo, Formaggio! Guess what I got?” Mista called, taking off his bean hat, freeing his unruly brown curls. Trish had always wondered how could so many curls stay hidden inside such a hat.

“What, blood-suckers?” the assassin appeared from the living room, waving at the group. Trish immediately tensed, ready to fight; why was a member of the Squadra Esecuzioni at Mista’s house?! And why no one was worried about it?!

Mista, noticing her worry and discomfort, smiled, reassuring.

“Trish, relax. He’s my cousin! More or less. We’re like… third grade cousins from mom’s side, yeah, Formaggio? Oh, also, I’ve got cake!” he laughed at Formaggio’s “Wohoo!” and passed him the cake. “Anyway, my family is big. I’m related to half Naples, in a way or another! And Formaggio happened to inherit the weregenes too, but he’s a werecat, not a werewolf. It’s the same as being werewolf, but, instead of howling to the moon, he spits fur balls.” Mista headed to the living room, where Formaggio was unwrapping a beautiful strawberry and whipped cream cake, Mista’s favourite. Trish looked around, curious, seeing that the whole room was decorated as for a party. There were balloons, garlands, food and blood for them… he really was about to throw a party!

“Are they here?! Can we eat now?!” a pack of kids of various ages, from five to fourteen, ran into the room with a loud rumble, immediately going to Mista and Formaggio. The younger man huffed, immediately picking up the cake and lifting it above his head, out of the kids’ reach.

“Not everyone’s here, we still miss uncle, so keep down those dirty paws!” he replied, while the puppies immediately pouted at his words. Seeing the sheer magnitude of disbelief on Trish’s face, Formaggio hurried to explain that mess.

“Those are our little cousins from the countryside. It’s easier to host them here, so they can go to school here in Naples.” he said, putting in line the kids, from the tallest to the smallest.

“Michelangelo, Vittorina, Ciro, Domenico, Agata and Carlo. Puppies, say hello to the blood-suckers.” Formaggio grinned when the kids chanted obediently a “Good evening, blood-suckers”, making Mista and the whole vampiric clan roll their eyes in sync.

“Who’s the last guest, Mista?” Bruno asked, curious. He started to feel cold shivers running down his spine when he saw Mista’s grin.

It was the grin that anticipated troubles.

“Oh, someone you already know.” he said, right before the doll bell rang. Mista trotted to open the door, leaving the group full of doubts and of an unspoken dread that was transformed into reality when they heard the voice that boomed from the doorsteps.

“Mista, you invited the vampires too? What a pleasure! We hadn’t seen for years! Since 2010 New Year’s Eve, right? What a party!” A tall man made his entrance in the room, laughing when the puppies sprinted to go dangling from his arms and neck, chewing at everything they could reach. Trish observed with stupor the man, his medium-long blonde hair, his cowboy hat… no, well, his entire cowboy attire. He seemed popped straight up from a western.

“Uncle Hol, do you remember Trish? She lost her memory, so I was thinking that maybe we could throw a little party like that year, yeah? It’d help her!” Mista explained, lively, while the others’ faces dropped in a second. Oh, no, no, he couldn’t be serious…

“Mista, you want to replay the 2010 explosive New Year’s Eve? The Big Kaboom?” Fugo exhaled, shocked. Mista’s grin was the only answer they needed.

“Oh, you can bet it, Fugo.” by the others’ faces, Trish got that the Big Kaboom hadn’t been something so good. Maybe she should have been scared?

“If this time things go beyond control, I don’t want to get involved.” Bruno muttered, with a big breath, ready, more or less, to face the Big Kaboom 2.0.

If it would have been useful to help Trish to completely regain her memories, then let the house explode, he thought.

[dailyaudiobible]

03/09/2019 DAB Transcript

Numbers 11:24-13:33, Mark 14:22-52, Psalms 52:1-9, Proverbs 11:1-3

Today is the 9th day of March. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. It is great to be here with you. Every day getting a little bit better, pretty much feeling back now from the excursion, the pilgrimage that we took to the land of the Bible and as we close this week out it's good to be feeling as if everything is back and feeling mostly normal again. So, thank you for all if the prayers. So, we’re at the end of the week and we’ve been reading from the New Living Translation this week, which is what we’ll do today. And obviously we’ll be picking up where we left off yesterday, which takes us back out into the book of numbers. Today chapter 11 verse 24 to 13 verse 33.

Commentary:

Okay. So, we are in the season of Lent and that began a couple of days ago and we talked about it a bit then. And whether or not you observe Lent is totally up to you but it's a long-running Christian tradition that goes back to the early church and, you know, when we talked about it, we talked about how you see people giving up candy bars or whatever, but that's really not the point. The point is to spend 40 days contemplating what it cost to eradicate sin from your life, right, because sin leads somewhere. Like, this is what we’re seeing in the Old Testament with the sacrificial system. Sin costs something and Lent let's know that it cost the life of our Savior. And, so, we say to God, whatever's in my life that doesn't need to be there in this season, I surrender it to you completely. I give you permission to reorder anything in my life. I sit with what it cost to bring me my salvation. And as we read from the Gospels today we’re moving into that story. And, so, it's a poignant reading for this particular season as we go through the passion narrative again in the gospel of Mark to focus our attention on exactly where sin leads and what sin cost.

Prayer:

Jesus as we read this story from the gospel of Mark in this season we sit humbly understanding even from today's reading that this wasn't just something that you came to do in your spare time. This was an anguishing thing for you. You cried out to the Father for this to pass and yet you surrendered your will. This was not an easy thing to go to the cross. To eradicate sin from our story cost something dear and so often we take that for granted, but in this season and, as we’re moving through this story, we invite your Holy Spirit to bring it near, to bring it close for us to be able to understand the magnitude of your sacrifice. Come Holy Spirit we pray. In Jesus’ name we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is the website, its home base, its where you find out what’s going on around here.

The couple things that we’ve been mentioning this week are the Israel 2020 pilgrimage. That is filling up. And, so, we’re looking forward to going back in a year. And since we just got back and opened registration, just kind of letting you know that registration is open for Israel 2020 and you can get all the details at dailyaudiobible.com in the Initiatives section.

And then there's another event that's coming up in April and that goes by the More Gathering for women and it is an annual women's conference that we've done for nearly a decade now. This is the last…well…this is the last one at this location and we’re praying into what is next, what the next season holds, but we’re just kind of following the Lord's lead on this. And, so, we are super excited for one more time on Sharp Top mountain in the mountains of North Georgia about an hour outside of Atlanta. So, if you are a woman and you long for more, then this is a great place to begin that journey. You can get all the details and moregathering.com or at dailyaudiobible.com in the Initiatives section. The same place that you would look for Israel 2020 you’ll find the initiative for the More Gathering and all of the details are there.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com. There is a link, it’s on the homepage. I thank you profoundly for your partnership, humbly thank you. What we have done we have done together and what we have done together is go on a big mission to bring the spoken word of God to anyone who will listen to it anywhere on this planet, anytime of day or night and to build community around that rhythm which is the global campfire so that we know that we are not isolated and we are not alone on this journey. We may be spread all over the world but we are bound together in Spirit and we are not alone. And if that has brought life and good news into your life then thank you for your partnership. So, there's a link on the homepage at dailyaudiobible.com. If you're using the Daily Audio Bible app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or, if you prefer, the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

And as always, if you have a prayer request or comment 877-942-4253 is the number to dial.

And that's it for today. I'm Brian I love you and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Good morning Daily Audio Bible family this is Lee from New Jersey. Today is March 6th and today is the first day of…Ash Wednesday. So, blessings to you all and may we bless each other and let us contemplate how we’re gonna enter this season. So, let’s do this. First off, before today is day 24, just saying that to remind myself what day it is…praying against gluttony. Angela from California, you called about depression and you need prayer for that and we’re on sister. Let the Holy Spirit guide you, pray through this, let the Holy Spirit guide you to help the less fortunate. Okay. And what you see by helping the less fortunate and you will interact with the less fortunate that how happy some of the less fortunate may be with so little and with so many problems that they have but yet they still rely on the Lord and the Holy Spirit to guide them through any situation that they’re in. So, that’s just the Holy Spirit speaking through me to you. And my brother Mark Street, thank you very much for that shout out. You are my brother from down under. So, we will be talking soon hopefully and hopefully I’ll get your email right. God bless you. Today’s day 24 praying against gluttony. So, here we go. Father God as we enter today Lord, today is the day of fasting Lord. May we keep You in our hearts and in our minds Lord. May we listen to the Holy Spirit and not to our hunger Lord, that if we have hunger, that hunger may be for You Lord, for Your spirit, for Your love, for Your passion, for Your word Lord. May the Holy Spirit live within us Lord. May there only be space for the Holy Spirit to be within us Lord, to guide us Lord, to satisfy our hunger Lord, to keep our minds sharp and to keep us focused on You as we enter into this season of Lent. May we leave the things that we don’t need Lord and get to see the things that You have put forward for us, that You have put in front of us…

Hello to my newfound family. My name is Natalie. This is my first year coming through the Bible with you and I am so grateful for you. On my heart today is a woman who called. As soon as I heard the word suicide my heart broke. I’m coming through a depression myself and I don’t know her name but she’s due to have a grandchild soon. She doesn’t even have joy about a grandchild coming and she’s reaching out for God. I just want to tell her…I want to remind her of this mission for this Daily Audio Bible and it is to bring the spoken word of God to anyone who will listen anytime anywhere and to do it in community so that no one has to ever feel alone again. She is not alone, you are not alone. And as another Daily Audio Bible listener said to Psalm…referring to Psalm 91, which is so beautiful because we can all go there in our Bible. I’m reading this for you, the woman who is so depressed. “The Lord says I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call in me I will answer. I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.” I love you. I love you, woman who is going through such a difficult time right now. I can be reached at godsgoodgraces.trust@eachgmail.com. I need to reach out to you, you are loved by so many. Do not lose heart. My grandchildren live far from me. It is closer for me to get to Florida from Canada then it is to go see them in Canada. So, please don’t lose heart. You are loved. Reach out. You are doing the right thing by staying involved in this community.

Hey DAB family this is Tim in Tampa. I just want to thank all of you so much for all the prayers this last week. It has just been so touching and so moving to me. Cherry Chase, Pastor Gene, of course I remember meeting you there. You know, they say that we don’t remember days we remember moments. And meeting you and your family is going to be always one of those moments, just very special. Pelham, your analysis was dead nuts on. We are in a boxing match. It is a fight. And it’s a constant fight against the enemy and if you’re gonna live this life you signed up to be in the war and I believe I was just in a space where I needed somebody else to reach down and help me put the armor on. And I just want to thank every single one of you. I only have two minutes, so I’d need about five to thank everybody. So, apologies for not being able to mention everyone but you’re so moving to me. And I asked my wife last night, “so, you seeing anything in the last week, any changes?” She said, “are you kidding me? I got you back again.” So, I just really appreciate it. Realize that we’re in this battle. And thank you for helping me to put the armor on when I couldn’t and lifting my arms up when I couldn’t. And I just really appreciate that so much. Such a powerful, powerful thing that we have here of just thousands of people from all around the globe able to lift each other up and I just look forward to the day when we can all meet in heaven. Isn’t it gonna be great? Where all gonna be able to meet people that prayed for us that we never met before and we’ll have friends that we didn’t even realize that we had and relationships that will be wonderful and we’ll be able to see the things that were able to affect that we just don’t even see right now. But I do want you guys to know what an affect that you had on me this last week. Don’t stop praying. The war continues, but I want to pray for somebody. Pelham, you’re right man, let’s just jump into the ring with Pelham right now...

Father, I just want to lift up my Daily Audio Bible family right now. I just thank you that you are a holy, you are completely set apart. I thank you that there’s nobody else like you. I thank you that you never change, you remain the same in an ever-changing world, in ever-changing circumstances you remain the same and you are our most stable, most trustworthy, most faithful source that we can trust. I thank you that we can renounce the lies that we can’t trust anybody. That’s a lie because we can absolutely trust you and we can trust your heart in other people. Father, I ask that you would break off the fear of man, that we would stop being afraid of one another to open up to one another so that we can confess our sins one to another and be prayed for and be healed. And father, I also thank you that your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven in all of my brothers and sisters listening to this right now and for every person that truly does not know you and has never been born again but they are on that edge, they’re on that battle, that there being warred for the very soul and mind. And I just say, come into the kingdom of heaven. Be set free and be made whole. Yeshua is here and He is all you need, He is all you’ll ever need. He is truly life. And, so, father I just release your kingdom on your people that they would run and not grow weary, that they would rise up and persevere, that they would not fade, that they would finish this race you’ve given them. I ask that you would give them supernatural wisdom, that you would give them humility to learn new skill sets, to take care of their minds, their bodies, their souls. And father, I just ask that you give them wisdom for relationship skills, financial skills, whatever they need, that they would go after it and that they would learn and grow and to labor with you…

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Saturday, June 19, 2021

UN: Millions driven from homes in 2020 (AP) The U.N. refugee agency says war, violence, persecution and human rights violations caused nearly 3 million people to flee their homes last year, even though the COVID-19 crisis restricted movement worldwide as countries shut borders and ordered lockdowns. In its latest Global Trends report released on Friday, UNHCR says the cumulative total of displaced people has risen to 82.4 million—roughly the population of Germany. It marks the ninth straight annual increase in the number of people forcibly displaced. Filippo Grandi, the United Nations high commissioner for refugees, said conflict and the impact of climate change in places such as Mozambique, Ethiopia’s Tigray region and Africa’s broad Sahel area were among the leading sources of new movements of refugees and internally displaced people in 2020.

The pandemic and your teeth (Washington Post) Beyond its psychological toll, the coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on our bodies: Many people have put on pounds, picked at their skin, broken their toes—and, according to dentists, damaged their teeth. As more Americans return to dental offices, practitioners say they’re seeing a significant rise in tooth-grinding and jaw-clenching likely brought on by pandemic-related stress and anxiety. They’re also seeing an increase in cavities and gum disease that may be due to a combination of lapsed appointments, pandemic eating and drinking habits, and less-than-stellar brushing and flossing. In a February survey conducted by the American Dental Association, 76 percent of general practice dentists said the prevalence of teeth-grinding, or bruxism, among their patients had increased compared to pre-pandemic times. About two-thirds reported seeing a rise in associated problems of chipped and cracked teeth as well as headache and jaw pain symptoms, the survey found. Meanwhile, about 30 percent of respondents said they observed more tooth decay and periodontal disease, an infection of the tissues surrounding teeth, in their patients.

Tropical system to bring heavy rain, flooding to Gulf Coast (AP) Forecasters predict a tropical system will bring heavy rain, storm surge and coastal flooding to the northern Gulf Coast as early as Friday and throughout the weekend. A tropical storm warning was in effect for parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida—extending from Intracoastal City, Louisiana, to the Okaloosa-Walton County line in the Florida Panhandle, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. The system is expected to produce up to 8 inches (20 centimeters) of rain across the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico, and up to 12 inches (30 centimeters) through the weekend along the central U.S. Gulf Coast.

‘El Chapo’ has been locked up for 5 years, but business has never been better for the Sinaloa cartel (Business Insider) It’s been five years since Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán was arrested for the last time. He’s been in a US “supermax” prison since 2017, serving a life sentence after being found guilty of all 10 federal charges he faced. But according to official US data, security analysts, and some of his own lawyers, business has never been better for his cartel. At the time, US authorities said Guzmán’s arrest was “a significant victory and a milestone” in combating violence and drug trafficking. Richard Donoghue, former US attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said Guzmán would never again “pour poison into our country or make millions as innocent lives are lost.” While El Chapo has been portrayed as a guiding force for the infamous Sinaloa Cartel, his organization and other criminal groups don’t seem to miss him.      According to official US figures, since Guzmán’s arrest the influx of drugs into the US and the violence in Mexico have never been worse. Cocaine seizures in the US jumped from more than 52,000 pounds in 2016 to more than 62,000 pounds the following year. The total for 2021, as of April, is 62,324 pounds. In 2015, with Guzmán still at large, 29,000 pounds of meth were recovered in the US. Five years later, with El Chapo locked up, seizures inside the US jumped to 117,600 pounds. So if El Chapo is locked up for 23 hours a day in a 7-foot-by-12-food soundproof cell but drug busts are at an all-time high, what exactly was the point in arresting him? Guzmán’s arrest has also failed to reduce bloodshed in Mexico. Homicides there have steadily risen in recent years, jumping from about 10,000 a year in 2014 to almost 20,000 in 2020, the highest annual total in Mexican history. Criminal organizations in Mexico have proliferated, from 20 in 2000 to more than 200 in 2021. That growth is due in large part to the fragmentation of larger cartels after their leaders have been captured or killed.

After Pandemic and Brexit, U.K. Begins to See Gaps Left by European Workers (NYT) Agnieszka Bleka has had to work hard in past years to find companies that need workers, spending much of her day reaching out to local businesses in the northern English city of Preston where she is based. But now, Ms. Bleka, who owns Workforce Consultants, a company that finds jobs in Britain for mostly Eastern and Central Europeans, said that she was fielding several calls a day from companies looking for temporary staff, and that she can’t keep up with the demand. “The fish pond is getting smaller,” she said. “And people are picking and choosing the jobs, or leaving as well, going to their home countries.” Free movement between Britain and Europe technically ended at the start of 2021 because of Brexit, but the effects were masked by strict pandemic travel restrictions. Only lately, as the economy picks up steam, is the new reality beginning to be fully felt. And there is little question that many companies are having considerable trouble filling jobs.

It’s Not Too Late to Avert a Historic Shame (The Atlantic) In the past few weeks, the outlook for Afghans who helped the United States in Afghanistan has gone from worrying to critical. As U.S. and NATO troops leave the country with breathtaking speed, the Taliban are attacking districts that had long been in the Afghan government’s hands, setting up checkpoints on major roads, and threatening provincial capitals. Many of the 18,000 Afghans who, along with their families, have applied for Special Immigrant Visas will soon have nowhere to hide, no armed force standing between them and their pursuers. The unfolding disaster has seized the attention of international organizations, American news outlets, veterans’ groups, and members of Congress. On June 4, a bipartisan coalition of House members (many of them veterans), called the Honoring Our Promises Working Group, released a passionate statement that urged the Biden administration to skip the cumbersome ordeal of reviewing thousands of visa applications and instead evacuate these Afghans and their families to the U.S. territory of Guam, where they can be processed in safety. (The governor of Guam has declared that the island is prepared to accept them.)      The Association of Wartime Allies, a veterans’ group, keeps a tracker of how many flights a day will be needed to get these endangered Afghans out if all U.S. forces leave Afghanistan by September 11, as President Joe Biden has promised, or July 4, as now seems a likelier end point. Between this past Tuesday and July 4, 17 flights carrying 3,737 people would have to take off daily. With every passing day, of course, the number of flights goes up, and the logistics get harder. Right now, there are zero daily flights to save Afghans who helped Americans. As far as I can tell, the administration does not intend to evacuate Afghans anytime soon, if ever. That U.S. officials don’t want to take the extreme step of organizing flights out of Afghanistan is understandable, but at this point, nothing else will keep our Afghan allies safe. If we leave without them, they will be killed one at a time. Their deaths will be obscure, and the news might not reach us for weeks or years, if it ever does at all, but they will haunt our memory.

Myanmar Fire Kills Two (CNN) Myanmar’s security forces reportedly set fire to the village of Kin Ma, in the central part of the country, after clashing with opponents of the ruling junta. Two elderly people in the village of 800 burned to death when they were unable to flee. About 200 homes were reduced to piles of ash and bricks by the blaze that was large enough to be recorded by NASA’s satellite fire-tracking system at 9:52 pm local time Tuesday. Most of the village’s residents continued hiding in nearby forests, but those who returned Wednesday said only about 25 homes remained. Myanmar has been gripped by violence and protests since the military overthrew elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1. Western condemnation of the junta has grown due to the military’s use of force against its opponents. One human rights group said security forces have killed more than 860 civilians.

Bear goes on rampage in Japan, storms military base, airport (Washington Post) A wild bear went on a rampage in the northern Japanese city of Sapporo on Friday, storming a Japanese military base, forcing its way into an airport and injuring four people, before being shot. Dangerous encounters between bears and humans have risen sharply in Japan in recent years, with the animals increasingly coming down from their mountain habitats in search of food. Last year, experts blamed a shortage of acorns in the mountains for a surge in sightings, but there is a deeper reason: Japan’s shrinking rural population. The trend has led to the abandonment of farmlands in the foothills that once formed buffer zones between the bears’ mountain homes and the populous flatlands. As a result, the bears’ habitat has expanded into these flatter lands and closer to human populations.

Iran votes in presidential poll tipped in hard-liner’s favor (AP) Iran voted Friday in a presidential election tipped in the favor of a hard-line protege of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, fueling public apathy and sparking calls for a boycott in the Islamic Republic. State-linked opinion polling and analysts put hard-line judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi as the dominant front-runner in a field of just four candidates. If elected, Raisi would be the first serving Iranian president sanctioned by the U.S. government even before entering office over his involvement in the mass execution of political prisoners in 1988, as well as his time as the head of Iran’s internationally criticized judiciary—one of the world’s top executioners. It also would firmly put hard-liners in control across the Iranian government as negotiations in Vienna continue over trying to save Tehran’s tattered nuclear deal with world powers, as it enriches uranium to the closest point yet to weapons-grade levels.

More Gaza airstrikes (Foreign Policy) Israel bombed Gaza late Thursday night, the second time it has struck the territory since agreeing a cease-fire with Hamas following an 11-day conflict in May. The strikes came in response to incendiary balloons launched from Gaza, itself a reaction to an Israeli far-right march through Jerusalem’s Old City deemed provocative by Palestinian groups. The Israeli military said it had struck “military compounds and a rocket launch site” and was ready for a “variety of scenarios including a resumption of hostilities.”

Policeman killed, more than 80 students abducted in attack on Nigerian school (Reuters) Gunmen killed a police officer and kidnapped at least 80 students and five teachers from a school in the Nigerian state of Kebbi, police, residents and a teacher said. The attack is the third mass kidnapping in three weeks in northwest Nigeria, which have authorities have attributed to armed bandits seeking ransom payments.

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God’s Grace Through Pandemic Life | #45 | October 2020

As I strolled through the neighborhood on my last week in Reno, after days of freeze warnings and fire watch alerts that I saw on my phone, once-green tree leaves had become red, orange, amber and upon the earth. I’d walked with jacket layers, for I felt the breeze of change. 

I celebrated this Hallowe’en in Vegas, where weather’s warmer. Rather than helping at trick-or-treating events of years past, I’d urged against people going around, given we’re in a pandemic. Staying inside, I wrote this month’s tales. 

I start us back in Mongolia, February 2020, then bring us up to nowadays via March, June, September and October. Since we’re amid Allhallowtide, the Christian sequence of All Hallows’ Eve, All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, I’ve decided to make God’s works the topic of today. Whether you read as a Christian or non-Christian, I hope you feel hope! 

A traditional Catholic prayer called the Examen involves one considering one’s day to recognize areas where God appeared present. Through this type of reflection, Christians better understand how God exists in every moment of all things. Often, this awareness takes conscious efforts to seek and recognize the Spirit. So in October’s tale, I seek it. 

February: Mongolia’s Churches Closed 

Eight months ago, I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mongolia packing to evacuate to America. By Sunday, March 1, I would be boarding a Peace Corps vehicle with just my backpacks and a suitcase, having by then had to have said final goodbyes.

The Saturday night before, Feb. 29, a local CICM missionary priest visited my apartment. Back in this spring 2020, I’d written to you about how he and I related as foreign Catholics amid pandemic restrictions. I felt consoled by our discussions that night. 

My friend looked a bit glum when he said that this was his first Ash Wednesday without Mass. By mid-February, Mongolia had already barred large public gatherings, including church attendance. My friend explained how many Catholic churches, such as those in Korea and Taiwan, experienced the same. I realized that this must have been my first Ash Wednesday without Mass, too—what an uncertain start to Lent. 

But my friend and I moved from our dreary topic. We chatted about Mongolia’s culture, American culture and the Congo’s, from where he came. Reflecting on the culture that I’d soon encounter in the States felt refreshing. I felt glad that our discussions readied me for what would come. 

My friend and I also discussed Mongolia’s Lunar New Year /Tsagaan Sar/ that had begun that week. We asked each other how many бууз /boe-z/, the traditional steamed dumplings, we’d eaten. He said 15, and I guessed that I’d had at least 30. We chuckled. 

My priest raised an insightful point. Compared to more widespread Western practices, Mongolian hospitality felt like it extended across both the rich and poor. My experiences that very morning fit well his observation. An older Mongol friend who’d often given me lifts downtown or back had invited me to the house of his shopkeeper friend. And while the shopkeeper may have had more than other Mongols, he and others gave freely and generously. 

Shortly after reflecting with the missionary, my older friend returned to my apartment. To both I gave from my fridge and shelves all the food and ingredients they’d accept. We said bittersweet goodbyes. At least I could give as I’d received.  

God has a way too with echoing my late mother in my mind. My friendship with fellow foreigners in Mongolia reminded me of hers in America. She would befriend Chinese and Asian immigrants. When I was little in Indiana, I used to think that Mom simply liked to have friends who looked like her. Years later, when I’d met our relatives in China, they’d told me how she’d help foreign students who’d come to America. She sounded so selfless. And, after my own experiences being a foreigner in, for me, a foreign land, I realized that even the companionship of those who share experiences provides vital social support (Deut. 10:19). 

Comforted on my final night in the city whose people I’d committed to serve, I felt renewed on my sudden path to leave. 

March: America’s Churches Open

One week later—Sat. March 7—was my first full day back in Vegas. It also marked my return to church for the first time in weeks. At that time, my brothers were still busy with school, and our papa worked in another city. So, I went alone. 

Going alone let me arrive early and slip into wherever I wanted to sit. Still, my experiences as a Knight of Columbus led me to favor the front, where few go, anyway. I could hardly believe how in Mongolia so much had already closed yet in the States people acted as though the pandemic was hardly real. People in Mongolia hadn’t gotten the virus, yet people in Vegas already had. 

Still, the Mass felt refreshing. Reading the English-language hymnal hearing English-language speakers made so much a breeze. In fact, singing familiar music reminded me of going alone to the bishop’s Thanksgiving 2017 Mass when I visited home the year Mom died. Parishioners at that time had commented that I sang well. 

In March 2020, I kind of hoped that people wouldn’t comment, so I could lie low. But at Mass’s end, a woman in front of me complimented me, saying that she’d love to see me in up with the choir. Well, there’s my introduction. 

I approached the choir director to learn how to volunteer. I applied that week. When the office woman read my application, she commended that America could really use a person like me, speaking Chinese and Mongolian. I felt glad. 

In seven of eight days (week 1, March 7-14) I’d attended Mass, which was definitely a personal record. I spent almost my whole Friday, March 13 enjoying the church’s Lenten activities including Stations of the Cross and Adoration. 

But I could feel how times have changed. Seeing the newer Fr. Marc many days instead of our past Fr. Jim felt weird. I’d only seen Fr. Marc once, at Christmas 2019, because he’d started during the summer I left for Peace Corps. Fr. Jim, on the other hand, had pastored there since 2013, from my high school sophomore year till past my college graduation. 

At the week’s daily Masses, elderly folks treated me as a new member. They commended me as a young person for showing up to morning prayer, rosary and Mass. To be fair, in all my family’s years since 2008 there, we’d participated in few functions outside Sundays. My late ma was our exception, having sung in the choir. Still, hearing folks commend me for coming to church reminded me of my conversation the week before in Mongolia with my priest who came to say farewell—how much we missed the Mass. 

A week later, my second in America, churches closed from the pandemic. This made more sense. Still, I loved my brief week back in church. I’d recounted Easter 2020 in my story of week 6 (April 10-16). Now, let’s fast-forward! 

June: Feeling Called to Reach Out

On my last June Wednesday, week 16 (June 19-25), I was in Reno, Nev., taking part in our Carmelite Monastery’s Zoom prayer session. We couldn’t meet in person. During our long contemplative silence, I felt this urge to share with a handful of specific friends my then most recent blog story, “Fathers’ Day, Familiarity and Faith | #38 | June 2020.” 

I felt surprised by this idea and sat with it for a while. Ultimately I felt convinced that I ought to share. 

I learned that one of the women to whom I sent the story, a friend of mine from high school, had been working for our congressman’s office. We enjoyed catching up. She even shared with me online events about religious diversity. 

A couple months later, week 24 (Aug. 14-20), the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) advocacy had requested that I arrange meetings with my congressman’s office. I remembered that I had a friend there. I reached out to her, and she was my in. Her colleagues quickly set a conference call with me and Returned Peace Corps Volunteers. 

A month of advocacy followed. Then, on week 27 (Sept. 4-10), the NPCA held a check-in call. They mentioned that I should have already been receiving Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). So, they suggested that I reach out to my congressman’s office. 

Actually, I consider that 2020 week of Sept. 9 my ‘seven days of wonder’ for its great and many unexpected happenings. The week coincidentally followed a few months’ consecutive daily rosaries. Well, I reached out once more to my friend. 

By the next week 28 (Sept. 11-18), after my struggles with the system since mere days after I’d reached the States from Mongolia, I was, in September, then finally receiving the PUA. 

I felt extremely privileged and grateful to have had that connection who could help me. I felt awed by how I’d reconnected with her simply because I felt called in prayer to do so. God works in mysterious ways! 

September: Wondrous Feelings

Usually, car rides between Reno and Vegas can be for many the most lackluster trips across the American west. Well, this time was different! 

During the ride to Vegas ending my week 29 (Sept. 18-24), Dad drove, and my tita /tee-tuh/ (my Filipina stepmom) rode shotgun when she wasn’t driving. Well, Tita suggested that she and I pray a rosary. I felt surprised, since Dad had said that his mom would pray rosaries on car rides. Dad said that the two of us could do the praying for him. Thankfully, since my COVID summer rosaries, I’ve grown accustomed to praying on the fly! 

I procured from my pocket the blue rosary that my mom had gifted me in commemoration of my First Communion 2005—one that I’d repaired last year with a Mexican cross I received at World Youth Day. Anyway, I liked to keep it with me. Tita and I prayed the Luminous Mysteries since it was Thursday. Luminous are my favorites, too. They feature Jesus’ teaching, Transfiguration and Last Supper—all among my favorite Biblical moments. 

Well, after we finished, I noticed that I had cell service again (a blessing in rural Nevada). I also had received a Facebook message from someone unfamiliar, with a uni listed in Hong Kong. The message thanked me for having written an article. I felt joyfully confused and typed to ask which. He wrote that he meant my one about learning Mongolian! He added, he wanted to travel to Mongolia. 

I felt pleased. I’d just finished the piece my week before, recounting experiences learning languages. When I asked him what languages he knows, he mentioned Chinese and added that his English isn’t very good. So, I swapped to Chinese characters, writing back and forth in those. He added that he too is learning Mongolian, so I briefly hopped to Mongolian! Then we settled on Chinese. 

Every so often, when my cell service went spotty, I recounted to Tita my joys from this conversation. 

Turns out that my new friend worked for a media corporation in Southern (Inner) Mongolia in China. I added, what a coincidence, since I’d studied journalism as an undergrad! He asked on what topics I’d reported, so I linked articles about my pieces on religious and ethnic diversity. He felt amazed! I insisted that I’ve great teachers, friends and God to thank. 

By this time, Tita was driving, and we reached Tonopah, the halfway point between Reno and Vegas. Cellular data was stable, so I figured I’d better finish the conversation. With all these coincidences, I felt joys like those of the Magnificat! 

I asked the friend about the topics on which he reports. He wrote that he interviews people and covers Chinese Mongols, including their culture, economy and, more recently, the pandemic. His interest in Mongolian culture is why he’s studying their language. I felt amazed! I love when people share stories about diverse groups. 

The friend had added that he looked forward to reading more of my work. I felt delighted. Finally, I asked how he’d found my work. Turns out he was reading about Mongolia’s education, came across the Peace Corps, and my article popped up. Somehow after that, he found me on Facebook and messaged me, too! The internet astounds me. 

Earlier in the week, I’d attended a seminar in which panelists assured me that whether or not people read my work, I should continue to practice writing daily. Well, somehow my work found someone all the way on our globe’s other side. 

And earlier that day, I’d connected online with a stateside Chinese instructor who’d had some free time, being short on students due to the pandemic. She offered to teach me for free, just because I wanted to learn! I felt overjoyed at her offer and thankful that she wrote how glad she was that we’d found each other. 

How could I be so blessed? 

After all, I’d been already working with a friend to learn my Latin who similarly found joy in instructing me from my sheer willingness to learn. Well, the evening’s surprise conversation with the reporter in Chinese Mongolia gave me my answer. 

I, too, try to freely share so others might learn. I’m like those who teach me. So blessed! 

October: To Church Again and Again (...And Again!)

I empathize with Americans who insist that we need to reopen churches amid this pandemic. I really worry about public health, and indoor churches can be dangerous when people don’t take all the proper precautions. Despite these, some churches take proper precautions. I felt gladdened this month by multiple opportunities to visit church.

Overall, October was a great month for my faith. 

It kicked off with reuniting with the first Peace Corps Mongolia Volunteer from my cohort I’d seen since March! Drew and I had made our farewells in Berlin, Germany, so seeing each other again in Reno, Nev., of all places felt amazing. We swapped religious and spiritual resources like the good ol’ days when we’d served in neighboring Mongolian provinces.

After having been out of church since March 2020 (just watching the liturgies online), I’d gotten to attend Catholic Masses five times! For a Catholic Christian like me, the Mass can be an especially consoling experience with Christ, fellow believers and a religious leader. 

My first Masses since week 1 (March 7-14) were in week 31 (Oct. 2-8). My family had come up for our youngest sister’s confirmation at Our Lady of Wisdom Newman Center, Reno, originally to happen at Easter. The Mass felt different, with people so far apart. I felt flickers of memory from my 2016 confirmation and those that I’d attended over the years. So few people this year with such distance between us left me feeling strange but still gladdened by the fellowship. 

After the event, we ate out at a Taiwanese restaurant decorated with pictures of the 101. I remembered friends and felt nostalgic about my life in Taipei. I miss Asia. 

The Thursday after, fellow Brother Knights of Columbus and I revisited Reno’s cathedral. It had tile floors now instead of carpet. This felt surreal. I hadn’t expected to be there in a while. My Grand Knights and I used to serve there mornings of my undergrad. But, staff still remembered us, greeting us warmly. The place was beautiful. My Worthy Brothers and I returned there the week after, leading up to Fall Retreat 2020. 

Winding Up on Retreat

I feel that God does funny things in our lives. Even what we perceive as inconveniences wind up serving His greater mission. My folks and I thought that I would have a ride down to Vegas for the weekend after Fall Retreat, so I let the coordinators know that I’d be around to attend. 

Through a series of miscommunications, we found on the morning of Retreat that I actually didn’t have a ride to Vegas. But, too late to change that! 

Fall Retreat was awesome, getting to “Be Still” (Mk. 4:39). It was my first retreat since spring 2019, a year and a half prior. Amid undergrad, I was attending two to four retreats a year. Coincidentally, my freshman’s Spring Retreat 2016 theme too was “Be Still” (Ps. 46:10). 

On Retreat, coordinators had posted up a still from the Pope’s Lenten 2020 “Urbi et Orbi” (to the City and to the World) prayer service in the Vatican. I recalled having seen that on TV, the surrounding darkness beyond his platform’s lights, my week 4 (March 27-April 2). Reflecting on this image and others during week 33 (Oct. 16-22) reminded me of just how long I’ve been back in the States weathering this pandemic. 

The retreat reintroduced me to the Ignatian Examen prayer, so I resumed that, too! Retreat’d helped me to remember that solidarity with Christ and fellow believers is crucial to my spiritual wellbeing. 

My fourth October Mass concluded our day. To have a closing Mass reminded me of World Youth Day in Panamá, an exclamation point to mark a grand day. I’d taken years to appreciate the Mass this much. 

Later that week, I got to attend Mass one last time, followed by learning this new game, “Among Us” with the students. Evidently it fits the Hallowe’en season! Fellowship is fun.  

Being Prepared

By mid-October, week 32 (Oct. 9-15), I’d resumed my grad school search after my Latin-tutoring friend taking the LSAT suggested that I take the GRE while still here in the States. 

Meanwhile, the friend with whom I’ve been reading a Psalm a day suggested that I should move to D.C. for its foreign service opportunities. When I mentioned to her my grad school search, she asked a series of probing questions to better understand my intentions. After all, not too many people declare that they want to devote graduate studies to Chinese Christianity. 

The next day, I had a Zoom call with a Catholic writer in Malta. I felt surprised that all the questions my friend asked to encourage me to think critically reappeared as similar questions that the writer asked to gauge my interests. 

I felt gleefully surprised by similarities. I answered his questions with much greater clarity than my friend’s. He gave me clear advice. 

Both encouraged me to remember no matter my work to put God first. As my friend noted, religious leaders of Jesus’ time, according to Scripture, had focused more on the words than their meanings. She insisted that I take to heart the meanings. She and the Catholic writer reminded me of my other spiritual mentors. I felt glad. 

November: Election Day!

After seeing my media mentors before I left Reno and having watched the U.S. presidential debates online, I felt drawn to read “Beyond the Messy Truth” by Van Jones. In his book, Jones tries to pinpoint American thoughts that shaped the 2016 election and teach us to understand and respect many perspectives. 

People pray on both sides that their candidates win. I pray more that with whatever happens, people on both sides accept the outcome. In these United States, we need decency to work together. 

Well, with Bon Jovi’s “2020” on my room’s music player I’ve worked on another few lovely blog stories for you~ Regardless of which way the election goes, my end-of-October story will cover American diversity! Hopefully we’ll know our next president by my time of writing. I’m hoping to include in that second tale this month, too, anecdotal adventures with my present and future. 

The closer I get to January, the more I realize I might be going back to Mongolia soon. Keep me in your prayers. And see you on the flipside! 

You can read more from me here at DanielLang.me :)

[feroluce]

TakeRitsu Week Day 1: Horror

aka RiMomo, aka Peach Sorbet, aka Feroluce continues her fond tradition of beating the tar out of Ritsu. 

Warnings: swearing, kinda sorta kidnapping, body horror (eyes), a knife, and spooky evil spirit shenanigans. Overall rated T for Teen. Its not particularly plot important, but Ritsu is in his first year of high school and he goes to the same one as Tokugawa and Kamuro. Mob and Momo are second years and they go to a different high school nearby.

Related hcs: Momo doesn’t actually have an aura/barrier. He can be possessed by force, but he’s so powerful that they get kicked out automatically. He’s probably been almost possessed NUMEROUS times in his life without realizing it, because he can’t actually see/sense spirits. (He can Hear them, though, if they want him to.) He would have to be very weak for it to succeed...

Momozou has been acting strange. For the past couple days, he's been oddly twitchy. On Wednesday he seems anxious and keeps close. On Thursday he keeps periodically looking behind him, to the point that Ritsu gets jumpy as well.

On Friday there is no student council, thank god, because Ritsu isn't sure how much more he can watch Kamuro and Tokugawa make out with their eyes across the table. They were far more tolerable in middle school when they were just childhood friends.

"Ritsuuu!" Oh, god, no.

Momozou comes trotting from around the school gate with one arm waving above his head and the other holding...are those flowers? Ritsu can feel his face deepening from peony pink to rose red.

"Momozou, what the hell are you doing?" He has a reputation to keep around here, dammit!

"Being a good boyfriend." His cheeks are slightly flushed, but he's obviously enjoying himself, the handsome bastard. He must have run from his own high school instead of waiting and meeting at a halfway point as usual. He probably cut his last lesson again just to make it right when class gets out, too.

"Oh, but you're always such a good boyfriend, Momo." The smile Ritsu gives is saccharine sweet, sugar added in excess to hide the bitter taste beneath it. Two can play at this game.

It works, much to his delight. Momozou’s face develops a petal of dark red that bursts and blooms towards his ears and down his neck.

"Kageyama, please remember that high school still has rules on PDA. You, too, Takenaka." Ritsu quickly wipes the smile from his lips as he turns to face none other than Kamuro and Tokugawa themselves. Are they giggling at him?

"Of course, President and Vice President. I wouldn't dream of subjecting other students to such a thing. Especially other council members." He really hopes they get what he's hinting at. The four of them walk together until they separate at the sidewalk. Kamuro wraps himself around Tokugawa's arm as though it were a trellis almost as soon as they step outside the gates. Ritsu and Momozou both make gagging noises once they're out of hearing range.

"They absolutely knew what you were hinting at, by the way. They just don't care," Momozou speaks up eventually. Dammit. He's going to start putting rude anonymous notes in the comment box next week.

The two of them stay out until almost dark, meandering around the quieter parts of the city, with Ritsu watching and observing the entire time. He picks out several incidents where Momozou acts as though he's Heard an unpleasant thought, or turns and looks over his shoulder for something that isn't there.

Ritsu has a lot of homework (well, they both do, but whether or not Momozou will do his is questionable), so he figures they'll see each other Saturday night after he's done. Sunday, at the latest.

He doesn't hear from the other at all over the weekend. Not so much as a text message. Shige tells him he wasn't even in school on Saturday. This is highly unusual, at least for this amount of time. On days when Momozou's headaches get too bad, when his skull starts to feel like cracked glass, he can't bear to look at a back-lit screen and will let social and educational obligations slide. It's never gone on for two days straight, though, even during large public events where crowds gather like dumb birds around shiny coins and their thoughts crow just as loudly.

On Monday Momozou still isn't in school. Not even the disbanded telepathy club members or his older brother have heard from him. Class lets out and he decides to try to call one last time. It goes to voicemail. Again.

Ritsu can almost physically feel the uneasiness welling up around him, a dark and sticky pool slowly growing deeper and deeper. The longer he thinks and stews in his own muck, the worse it gets. They've been going out for a few months, but they've been friends for much longer, would it be too pushy to show up at his apartment? What if Momozou is just avoiding him? But his mom is also gone for the week, so he's home alone. What if something's really wrong? What if he goes over there and finds a body-

That's enough of that. Ritsu takes all of the images his own traitorous mind has conjured and tamps them down tightly into a neat little box before taping it shut. It'll be fine. He'll get Momozou's homework from his high school as an excuse to show up and his boyfriend will answer the door and give some explanation and everything will be fine.

(Unless he doesn't and-)

Ritsu lights the damn box on fire.

No one comes to the door and he sinks deep enough that the uneasiness forces it's way through his mouth and settles into his lungs, threatening to drown. There's something really wrong here, he's sure, he just doesn't know what yet.

Now what should he do? There's a balcony with glass doors in the kitchen and Shou never seems to have trouble getting into Ritsu's room through the same set up, so... After making sure no one is around to see, Ritsu levitates himself around the corner of the apartment building and onto a tidy landing with potted plants. The doors stay shut at first, but just as he's wondering if he should jam open a window, there's an ominous click. They're unlocked now.

His barrier manifests itself unprompted in shards of color as he cautiously steps inside. The air feels thick and oppressive, weighing heavy on his limbs and clogging up his throat.

He nearly drops his bag when a voice filters from down the hallway, quiet murmurs slipping beneath Momozou's bedroom door. The thudding in his chest starts to go faster, knocking his breathing into something quick and shallow.

"This time I've gone all the way without you. There's nothing more I can say..."

It sounds painfully weak and wispy and yet its still familiar from days spent in each other's quiet company. Ritsu’s feet carry him to the door.

"So maybe I took a little too much. Maybe life didn’t want this part of me. If it helps to know, I never let you go. I'm sorry, but I lost my mind..."

It sounds wrong, wrong, wrong, because Momozou usually only sings to himself like that when he's desperately trying to block out something terrible and Ritsu is the only one here. (Isn't he?) The door eerily creaks open before he even touches the handle, inviting him in.

"So maybe I took a little too much. Maybe you sucked the life right out of me. I should have let you know I never meant to go. Sure, I lost my mind, but I never really Meant to Die..."

It sounds like a swan song.

Ritsu steps into the room and nearly trips over something heavy and solid. He looks down and the box from before flies open, spewing ash and soot and thick black smoke everywhere.

Momozou is laying curled into a ball on the floor, arms wrapped around his head and pressed hard against his ears. He's staring up with his sunken eyes blown wide and glassy, looking at Ritsu like he's not sure whether he's even real or a hallucination.

"Ritsu...?"

His eyelids slowly sink shut. The shadows beneath them have never been worse.

"Help..."

Everything goes still.

Time stops and stretches into something almost infinite until Ritsu dives down and grabs ahold of a wrist to check for a pulse. This isn't real, it's a nightmare, he probably just ate too many sweets before bed again-

The hand he's holding suddenly grabs back, tight enough to pop his knuckles, as the body in front of him jolts. He's ecstatic for all of two seconds until laughter starts to fill the air, because that is definitely NOT Momozou.

Ritsu throws himself back out into the hallway, scrambling to get up on his feet as the thing in front of him rises. There's a physical sense of revulsion boiling in his gut at the way Momozou's body moves like it's being pulled upward. It's still laughing.

"Well, well, well! If it isn't the little brother! How sweet of you to save me the trouble of finding you."

The sound is an all out assault on his ears, it's Momozou's voice, but it's not at all the way that he usually talks. His posture and the way that he carries his long limbs is slouched where it shouldn't be. The sneer on his lips and the slant of his eyebrows has gone outright manic and murderous. Most startlingly, the whites of his eyes have turned a bright noxious purple.

Ritsu is made to revise that statement when more eyes appear over every exposed inch of skin, lining his arms and giving a spider-like appearance where they dot his cheeks and forehead. All of them are that same toxic shade.

"I was getting pretty impatient. It took three days to possess this body! Three days! Do you have any idea how boring it is to watch a kid either lay around or drive himself up the walls for three days straight in one tiny room? The answer is pretty fucking boring." There's a short pause as it stuffs Momozou’s hands in his pockets. "…OK, it was a little funny." The thing giggles again and it grates like nails on a chalk board.

Ritsu snarls as he raises his hand, aims straight ahead and lets loose his powers. Momozou's body is engulfed in color before it all suddenly disperses, flying at the walls in ripped apart chunks of blue and green and pink. Shit.

"Adorable. Alright, kid-" Another blast, stronger this time. Same result. "Awww, aren't you cute? Well, go ahead, then. Third time's the charm, right?" Ritsu grits his teeth as he forces his body to double the output. His aura whirls like a tornado with Momozou's body at the eye of its storm, but even still its sent flying back at him. "You done now? I suggest you quit." As if Ritsu would take advice from some evil spirit. He can already feel the pressure building up inside of him for another offensive. The thing just smiles and rolls Momozou's eyes and pulls something out of his sweatshirt.

A pocket knife.

"Do you really think you can threaten me with something like that?" Ritsu switches the charge to defense, shards of light glittering as his barrier comes into being around him. Momozou is taller and has a longer reach, but Ritsu has better stamina. As long as he can keep out of range, he should be OK.

"Oh, I think I could. You're not the one I'm threatening, though." Then the knife is pointed right at Momozou's throat and its as though a vacuum has sucked all the air out of the room, out of the apartment, directly out of his lungs. The uneasiness he'd been choking on before is drained and replaced with panic and cold fury, because how dare this thing go so far?

"There we go, now I think you understand. I'm gonna need some cooperation out of you later and if you don’t, well... This is a veeeeeeery nice vessel. I've never seen such a powerful telepath! But I just need it to be able to use its powers. It wouldn't hurt anything if I broke it a bit." The entire time it's talking, it's waving the knife around casually and Ritsu flinches whenever it gets too close to Momozou’s face or especially his eyes.

He should have known something was wrong earlier in the week. He never should have left him alone.

"You, on the other hand..."

Momozou's body lunges forward, slamming a fist against the wall that Ritsu only barely dodges.

"You're only the bait! It doesn't matter what I do with you!"

Part 2 goes up on Day 3: Action! @takeritsuweek2017

[celticnoise]

CQN continues its enthralling and EXCLUSIVE extracts from Alex Gordon’s book, ‘That Season In Paradise’, which takes us through the months that were the most momentous in Celtic’s proud history.

Today, we look at another dramatic step along the team’s destination towards their crowning glory.

JOCK STEIN was only too aware of the date as the Celtic coach transported his players from Seamill to Hampden for the Scottish Cup semi-final against Clyde on April 1, traditionally known, of course, as ‘April Fools Day’. It was a potential banana skin against part-time opponents who went into the encounter as 5/1 rank outsiders.

Davie White, the bold and aspiring thirty-three-year-old Clyde manager, was earning deserved acclaim for what he was achieving at the prudent Shawfield outfit. He made no brash or outrageous boasts before the match and merely announced he hoped his team would do enough to make their supporters proud. He wasn’t quite in the same class as Stein in the kidology stakes, but he had a fair stab at it, anyway. White, who spent his entire nine-year playing career at the homely Rutherglen club, was asked if he had anything special lined up for his team as they prepared for the big game. Producing the underdog card, he replied, ‘Well, if I could get all the players off their work at the same time that would be great.’

Stein, the master in the specialised art of deception, might even have smiled at the bluff by the ambitious young pretender. The shrewd Celtic manager would have been well primed about the form of Clyde during their 1-0 league win over Dunfermline at Shawfield the previous month. He wouldn’t have forgotten their 5-1 trouncing of a fine Hibs team in November. Nor would he have overlooked a 1-0 victory over full-time Morton at tricky Cappielow in an earlier round of the Scottish Cup.

There was more than just a ‘let’s-forget-about-the-ball-and-get-on-with-the-game’ approach from his last-four opponents. One newspaper scribe had watched in obvious awe at White’s assembled bunch of butchers, bakers and candlestick-makers and wrote, ‘Clyde move the ball out of defence into attack with the grace and accuracy of a conjurer opening his scarves to reveal a dove.’ Nobody’s fools, then.

Jock Stein wasn’t buying into the notion that the game was already a foregone conclusion. Emphasising that outlook was the fact the Celtic medical staff had worked all week in an effort to have Bobby Murdoch one hundred per cent fit to play after missing the Partick Thistle game with the ankle injury sustained the previous Saturday against Hearts. The broad-shouldered midfielder with the svelte touch underwent two x-rays before Stein reluctantly ruled him out and once again played Willie Wallace in the right-hand side of his midfield twosome. On this occasion, he would be partnered by Bertie Auld with Charlie Gallagher dropping onto the substitute’s bench.

Drizzle greeted Billy McNeill and Harry Glasgow, the respective captains, as they led their teams out of the tunnel, across the red ash running track and onto the drenched pitch. The infuriating Hampden Swirl was once more making its annoying presence known. This was to be Celtic’s seventeenth domestic Cup-tie of the season, including the League and Glasgow Cups, and Stein’s team had won the lot. Clyde, with combination of true grit, exceptional organisation and generous fortune, were ninety minutes away from ending the sequence. The encounter finished all-square without either keeper being invited to retrieve the ball from his net.

HEADS I WIN…Tommy Gemmell clears from a young Harry Hood in a rare Clyde attack.

HEADS YOU LOSE…Clyde defender John McHugh clears an effort from Billy McNeill effort off the line.

And, yet, Celtic claimed with validity for a penalty-kick four minutes from time; the proverbial stonewaller that was witnessed by everyone in the 56,704 crowd with the curious exception of the only man who mattered, referee John Gordon. The match official was no stranger to controversy and, in 1978, was banned by the Scottish Football Association after receiving gifts to the value of £1,000 from AC Milan before a UEFA Cup second leg tie which the Italians won 3-0 against Levski Sofia following a 1-1 draw in Bulgaria. The suspension was just twelve years too late for the frustrated Celtic contingent congregated around the vicinity of Mount Florida that afternoon.

Photographs in the following day’s newspapers showed incontrovertible proof that Clyde defender Davie Soutar had used an elbow to divert a goalscoring shot from Jimmy Johnstone off the line. Remarkably, Gordon waved play on to utter disbelief of the Celtic players and obvious relief of their Clyde counterparts. It would be trite to imply the part-timers did not deserve something following their superhuman efforts, but it is difficult to ignore the fact that luck intervened on sporadic occasions to keep them interested in the national competition. Billy McNeill twice powered headers beyond Tommy McCulloch and resolute defender Glasgow cleared the first and, moments later, John McHugh performed another last-ditch rescue from under the crossbar.

One watching scribe observed, ‘To be truthful, it was a dour battle, fought without marked inspiration by either side. The general standard of passing and finishing was deplorably low and, although there was perhaps more excitement in the second-half during which Clyde were facing into a troublesome wind, it was fleeting and, as often than not, completely unproductive. It is perhaps indicative of the afternoon’s trend of events that all the players who passed muster were in defence. Billy McNeill, as well as being a masterful centre-half, was the game’s most effective attacker, even if he did confine his efforts in that sphere to corner-kicks.’

The reporter continued, ‘Such was the ineffectiveness of the forwards that it was not until thirty-one minutes had elapsed that either goalkeeper had to make a save of any consequence and, even then, it was by a defender, Tommy Gemmell, who brought out the best in Tommy McCulloch with a tremendous shot from twenty yards which looked netbound all the way until the goalkeeper miraculously turned the ball over the crossbar one-handed.’

Jock Stein left immediately after the game to catch a plane bound for Czechoslovakia to watch European Cup semi-final opponents Dukla Prague. He admitted, ‘Yes, it’s disappointing not to finish the tie and we had the chances that would have gone in on another day. An extra fixture at this stage of the season is something we could do without, but we are still in the tournament and we will just have to win the replay.’

The second game would have to be played again on the following Wednesday which would give the Celtic manager, scheduled to return from the Czechoslovakian capital on Monday, forty-eight hours to prepare his players for another Hampden tilt. His mood was heightened somewhat when he was informed Rangers had lost 1-0 to Dunfermline at Ibrox and Celtic were now two points ahead at the top of the table with a game in hand and only five matches left to play. The Parkhead side were now massive favourites to achieve their second successive championship.

In front of a crowd of 55,138 in the replay, Celtic were two goals ahead by the twenty-second minute, courtesy of efforts from Bobby Lennox and Bertie Auld, and had as good as booked their third successive Scottish Cup Final berth during Jock Stein’s reign and their fifth in seven years. Willie Wallace again lined up in the No.4 shorts, but, on this occasion, was hardly a direct replacement for Bobby Murdoch. Stein gave that position to Charlie Gallagher with Auld playing beside him on the left. By the time Davie White had cottoned on, his team were heading for the exit.

The opening goal arrived as early as the second minute when Stevie Chalmers had a shot blocked and Lennox swooped on the rebound. And Auld, displaying his usual quick thinking, claimed the second after Chalmers had nodded the ball into his path. The midfielder flummoxed his marker Stan Anderson with a swift shuffle of his feet and a change of direction before belting an effort high past Tommy McCulloch. Jimmy Johnstone had looked out of sorts and it was no surprise he was replaced by John Hughes just before the hour mark. It was later discovered the winger had been suffering flu symptoms and he wasn’t even considered for inclusion to the squad for the game against Motherwell three days later as Celtic travelled to Fir Park, the scene of the previous season’s joyous title celebrations.

NINETY MINUTES FROM GLORY…Celtic players John Clark, Tommy Gemmell, Ronnie Simpson and Billy McNeill line up before the European Cup semi-final against Dukla Prague.

The players may have had their focus somewhat blurred with the European Cup semi-final first leg against Dukla Prague at Parkhead due the following Wednesday, but they failed to spark on this occasion. It was a fairly dismal confrontation and the nearest Celtic came to breaking the deadlock in the first-half was a trademark header from Billy McNeill that was knocked off the line by Davie Whiteford with his goalkeeper, Peter McCloy, out of position and in distress. Charlie Gallagher limped out of proceedings at half-time and was replaced by Jim Brogan, whose forte was more destructive than constructive, but it didn’t prevent the champions from winning 2-0 to keep their place at the pinnacle of the First Division with four games remaining and a match in hand.

The barrier-breaking goal arrived just before the hour mark when Bertie Auld crossed for Willie Wallace to strike an awesome volley wide of McCloy. Tommy Gemmell made certain in the seventieth minute with another blistering penalty-kick. It was a vital win to put Jock Stein’s team on fifty-four points while the best Rangers could have managed was a total of fifty-eight. Celtic also had the distinct edge on goal average, with one hundred and five strikes compared to the Ibrox side’s ninety-eight while Ronnie Simpson had conceded twenty-eight as opposed to their twenty-seven.

On a crisp, still Wednesday evening of April 12, Celtic moved within an hour-and-a-half of a place in the European Cup Final. Jock Stein’s pre-match requirement was stark: a two-goal advantage to take to Czechoslovakia. The players responded and Dukla Prague were dismissed 3-1 in front of 74,406 excited supporters who were beginning to believe their team just might be in with a chance of conquering Europe. The thought would have been disregarded as a combination of irrational, unreasonable and absurd only eight months beforehand.

JINKY’S DINK…Jimmy Johnstone lifts the ball over Dukla Prague keeper Ivo Viktor for the opening goal.

Willie Wallace went some way to replay his £30,000 transfer fee with two splendid goals in his debut appearance in Europe’s premier trophy. Jimmy Johnstone, a source of inspiration on this occasion, claimed the other. But the encounter kicked off in controversial fashion when Stevie Chalmers had a goal disallowed. Tommy Gemmell flighted an inviting ball downfield, Wallace got a touch to Chalmers, he slipped it to Johnstone coming in from the right and the little winger chipped it back for Chalmers to nod in at the near post. The referee ruled Johnstone’s foot was dangerously high while collecting the ball and cancelled the effort.

Dukla, it must be pointed out, were no dummies on an evening that was perfect for football. Josef Masopust would never be invited to blow out the candles on a thirtieth birthday cake again, but he was looking very comfortable in his team’s engine room as he dictated the flow of the game with masterly poise. In the gangly Stanislav Strunc he had a willing accomplice in making life a trifle uneasy for the Celtic defence. Ronnie Simpson had to look lively on two occasions before he actually set in motion the game’s opening goal in the twenty-eighth minute.

The keeper, who normally initiated attacks with throw-outs, mainly to Bobby Murdoch and Bertie Auld, elected to launch a clearance down the middle. Chalmers got a flick and it fell for Auld who teed it up for Wallace. His shot deflected off a defender into the path of Johnstone and he gleefully lifted it over the head of the outrushing Ivo Viktor, another internationally-acclaimed goalkeeper. However, that effort was nullified on the stroke of half-time when the Celtic central defence got into a real muddle on their own eighteen-yard line. Strunc pounced and stroked the ball away from Simpson. Celtic Park was struck dumb.

PARKHEAD SILENCED…Stanislav Strunc levels for the Czechs just before the interval.

Simpson remembered, ‘Masopust created the opening with a through pass to Nedorost. The inside-left slipped and looked as though he had handled the ball, but he managed to flick it to Strunc, the tall, ungainly outside-right, who fairly crashed it where I didn’t want it to go.’

Tommy Gemmell said, ‘In the dressing room, we got the usual pep talk from Big Jock and, rather obviously, conceding a goal just before the interval is horrible timing. But you can’t come off the pitch feeling sorry for yourself.

‘You must not dwell on it; you have to concentrate fully on what is still to come. “Just play like you did in the first-half and you’ll win,” urged the Boss. Actually, we were already thinking along those lines, anyway. I know I was.’

Just before the hour mark, the left-back punted the ball forward and Wallace was running free of the Czech defence to get a wonderful touch off the outside of his right boot to send the ball soaring into the net for the second goal.

PICK IT OUT…Willie Wallace flashes an effort high over Ivo Viktor for the second goal.

Five minutes later, a desperate Ladislav Novak pawed away a high ball from Bobby Murdoch and received a booking for his goalkeeping tendencies. It didn’t get any better when Bertie Auld stepped up to take the resultant free-kick. He dithered a bit to unsettle the defensive wall and then touched the ball sideways to Wallace who bulleted an unstoppable first-time drive past Viktor. The ball was stretching the netting before he even had the opportunity to twitch a muscle.

With twenty-five minutes still to go, the Czech champions were on the verge of collapse and surrender. They were there for the taking as Celtic rolled forward in numbers, the fans urging them on for more goals. Chalmers slashed one past the post, Wallace wasn’t far off target with another and Murdoch sent a left-foot belter just over the crossbar. Wallace even knocked one against the face of the bar from a Chalmers cross.

Masopust the maestro had disappeared under the onslaught, but he and his team-mates held out until the end and Celtic had to be content with a 3-1 advantage to take to Prague.

Willie Wallace said, ‘There has always been the suggestion I should have taken my European bow in the quarter-final ties against Vojvodina. I have heard that, although I was registered to play in the domestic competitions, someone had been a little late in getting the forms to UEFA to allow me to play in the European tournament. I signed for Celtic on December 10 1966 and the first leg against the Yugoslavians was on March 1 1967. That’s a fair period between signing and that game and, to be completely honest, I don’t know how long you had to be registered back then to allow you to play in Europe.

‘I am not complaining, though. You never know what might have happened if I had played against Vojvodina – maybe we wouldn’t have got through! As it was, I was more than delighted to play against Dukla Prague in the following round. I had been sitting alongside the injured Joe McBride in the stand at Celtic Park to witness that astounding quarter-final against the Slavs and I thought, “Wispy, this is the place for you!” I wanted a slice of that, believe me. I know the other lads would all say the same thing, but the atmosphere generated by our support during those European occasions was just breathtaking. Quite staggering, really.

‘I was well up for the Dukla game. I had anticipated it for weeks and just hoped I would get the go-ahead from Big Jock to play. You never took anything for granted with the Boss because that would have been a huge mistake. But everything just went so well for me on my European Cup debut. I couldn’t have scripted it better myself. A 3-1 victory and two goals from me.

‘Okay, it would have been nice to have claimed a hat-trick, but I wasn’t grumbling. I came close, you know. I actually hit the crossbar near the end. Big Jock had told us beforehand, “Get a two-goal advantage and I’m sure we’ll get through.” My first goal came just before the hour mark when Big Tommy launched one downfield. It might have been a clearance, but he has always assured me it was an inch-perfect pass! Anyway, suddenly I had a bit of freedom in the Dukla penalty area, and managed to flick the ball with the outside of my foot and it carried past their keeper.

‘About five minutes or so later, Celtic Park just went crazy when I scored again. It was all down to the cunning antics of Bertie Auld. He stepped up to take a free-kick, paused and looked as though he was about to recentre it. I knew what was coming next, though. Bertie merely slipped the ball to the side and I was coming in behind him to hit it first time. The ball flew through their defensive wall and was in the net before Ivo Viktor could move. It looked like an impromptu bit of skill from Wee Bertie, but, take my word for it, that little bit of trickery came straight off the training ground. We practised that move every day.

‘It was an idea from Big Jock who was always looking at ways of developing free-kicks and corner-kicks. He continually urged us to put variety into deadball situations and Wee Bertie seized the moment against Dukla Prague. The Czechs were startled. They began pointing at Stevie Chalmers and claiming offside. Stevie had followed my shot into the net, but there was no way he had been off. It was just his speed getting round the back of the wall that got him into that position. When I connected with the ball, I can assure everyone that Stevie was well onside.’

TOMORROW: Celtic’s Wembley wonders and stalemate in Prague.

https://ift.tt/3dNRNdq

[iprayunceasingly-blog]

What Catholics can learn from ‘Tidying Up with Marie Kondo’

New Post has been published on https://pray-unceasingly.com/catholic-living/catholic-news/what-catholics-can-learn-from-tidying-up-with-marie-kondo/

What Catholics can learn from ‘Tidying Up with Marie Kondo’

Denver, Colo., Jan 20, 2019 / 04:11 pm (CNA).- “Does it spark joy?”

That question has become a rallying cry for fans of Japanese cleaning guru Marie Kondo, whose 2012 book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” has become a New York Times bestseller and sold more than 3 million copies.

Adherents of the KonMari Method, as it is known, are instructed to gather every piece of clothing in their house and put them all together in a pile. One-by-one, they take each item in their hands, asking themselves, “Does this spark joy?” as a way of determining which items to keep and which to discard or donate. The process is repeated with all of their books, papers, miscellaneous items, and sentimental belongings, in that order.

The bestselling book was recently turned into a popular Netflix reality show, in which Kondo visits the houses of people living in various situations – a family with young children whose home feels chaotic and cluttered, a recently retired couple who have spent decades collecting clothes and baseball cards, a widow who cannot bring herself to get rid of any of her late husband’s possessions. Kondo works through the process with them, showing the dramatic results that can be achieved by decluttering.

The KonMari tidying ritual bears some striking similarities to the annual purging of possessions undertaken by the Companions of Christ in Denver.

An association of diocesan priests and deacons who live a common life of prayer and fraternity, the Denver Companions of Christ emphasize the observance of poverty, chastity and obedience in their ordained ministry.

As part of this commitment, they annually purge their possessions, on or around Ash Wednesday. If they are living in a community, they purge as a household.

They begin by physically laying out all of their belongings, a practice that Kondo also promotes, as it allows people to see how much they actually own, and to recognize where they have excess in their lives.

Following a series of guiding principles, the Companions then question each item as they make decisions about what to keep and what to discard.

“It kind of pushes you to admit whether or not you really need things,” says Fr. Mike Rapp, a member of the Denver community.

In an interview with CNA, Rapp said that taking a simple approach to material goods is something that can benefit all of the faithful – not just priests.

“For the Christian, this is a way of taking away those things that nickel-and-dime our lives, so that we can really have what we need and value that, and then have the space in our life, that sort of openness, that quietness, to really follow the Lord – to hear his voice, to pay attention to God…serving other people and loving them.”

He noted that one of the instructions given by John the Baptist to prepare people for the coming of Christ was, “Whoever has two tunics should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise.”

“You don’t need anything excessive,” Rapp said. “If you have excess in your life, it can be a distraction. Just get rid of it.”

The Catholic Church teaches that the evangelical counsel of poverty – along with chastity and obedience – is proposed by Christ to all disciples, as a way of growing in the Christian life and cooperating with grace.

Rapp pointed to Mark 10, in which a rich young man asks Christ what he must do to inherit eternal life. In addition to following the commandments, Christ instructs him to “Go sell what you have, give to the poor…then come, follow me.” But Scripture says the young man went away sad, “for he had many possessions.”

Material possessions are not inherently evil, Rapp clarified. But when we become attached to them, they go from being necessary items that help us in life to becoming “a real detriment, a distraction from the priorities” we should have.

Members of religious orders take a vow of poverty, which is generally lived in a very radical way, while canon law suggests that diocesan priests should live a simple life and give away any excess that they have to the poor, Rapp said.

“I think that’s a pretty good general rule for everybody.”

Determining what is excess in one’s life is a matter of personal discernment, the priest said. In his community, members are guided by the principle, “Start with nothing, and keep only what you really need.”

Other guidelines include trying to limit belongings to what can be packed in a car – fitting for the life of mobility to which priests are called – and asking the question, “Have I used this within the last year?”

“If you haven’t, you might not need it. You might not use it in the next 20 years,” Rapp said.

While they are purging, the Denver Companions pray in gratitude to God. This is a key part of the process – acknowledging that everything they possess is a gift from God and asking him to help them see what they should be letting go of and detaching themselves from.

“We do the purge communally, so you show everybody what you have. There’s a certain accountability to it,” Rapp added. Their fellow priests can also challenge them on specific belongings, inviting them to reflect on whether they actually need a certain item.

“We don’t actually need what we think we need,” he said.

For lay people, especially families with children, the criteria for what to keep may look different.

“It is really difficult when you have children of various ages to keep possessions simple, because there are various needs in the home happening all at the same time!” said Alicia Hernon, a mother of 10 children and the co-director, alongside her husband, of The Messy Family project and podcast.

“It’s hard for moms to give away clothes when you know you will have a child who will wear those clothes or play with those toys in just a few years,” she told CNA. “Yes, I would love to get rid of all the extra toys and clothes, but not if I will have to replace them for the next child hitting that stage just a short time from now.”

“For us, living simply means that I had to have an effective storage system for clothes and a set time to take them out when needed. It also means that we had to do the same with certain toys.”  

But while simplicity may look different for families – especially large ones – Hernon said there are still benefits to a simple lifestyle, especially because it helps family members “focus on the people around us.”  

“The fewer possessions we have, the less there is to clean, maintain and manage,” she said. “The fewer possessions children have, the more they will be encouraged to play outside and play with each other.”  

Catholics seeking to implement Kondo’s methods may notice that some of her practices display a sense of animism, the idea that inanimate objects have spirits. Kondo, who served for several years at a Shinto shrine in Japan, greets the houses that she enters before tidying them. She encourages people to talk to their possessions, thanking them for the role they have played in their lives. She suggests that the used items that one has discarded “will come back to you as the thing that will be of most use to who you are now.”

While Catholics should not take part in practices that do not align with the Catholic faith, this does not mean they need to reject the KonMari Method of tidying altogether, Rapp said. Catholicism has long understood how to embrace what is good in other cultures, without accepting ideas that are problematic.

Some of Kondo’s ideas can be adapted to a more Catholic worldview, the priest said. For example, rather than thanking a book or piece of clothing for its usefulness, Catholics can offer prayers of thanks to God, who is the true source of all material blessings.

“Thank you, Lord, for giving me this. It’s been very valuable for my life in these ways. I’m going to let go of it now,” he suggested as a prayer to offer while purging.

Recognizing everything as a blessing from God makes it easier to be detached, he noted. “Because God has given me all of these things, I can let go of them. I can give them away.”

Ultimately, Rapp said, simplicity in possessions is about building gratitude, detachment, and trust.

“If you want to follow Jesus’ way of simplicity, you have to accept that it’s a bit radical, and you have to be willing to detach. I think that’s the big key, this attitude of detachment.”

“You have to sort of trust that ‘I can let go of things, and my needs will be taken care of’,” he said, pointing to the passage in the Sermon on the Mount in which Christ reminds his followers of how God clothes the lilies of the field and feeds the birds of the air, instructing them to trust that God will also take care of their material needs.

“We as human beings feel a need to provide for ourselves,” Rapp said. “Letting go of things is an invitation to really trust in the Lord, and to celebrate and feel the providence of God, that God really does provide for us, that God has provided for us in remarkable ways.”

For the Denver Companions, purging physical things is a reminder to reflect on spiritual poverty, which is more important than material poverty.

Rapp said the community undergoes a similar process of seeking to identify excesses or unhealthy attachments in the spiritual life, asking themselves, “What do I cling to? My time, my energy, my friendships, my talent, my opinions?”

This helps them recognize all of these things as gifts from God, and opportunities to give thanks and practice detachment, fostering spiritual poverty, since God promises his kingdom to the “poor in spirit.”

“That’s what we’re really looking for,” Rapp said. “We don’t find our peace and happiness in things.”

CNA Daily News

[yukikoamundson9-blog]

Starting a fast, Weight reduction And The lord.

Naturally, any person is free to quickly at any moment that it is practical for their petition as well as representation. Thus if you possess a kid that has ADD or even ADHD as well as you intend to make an effort offering your little one fish oil to observe if taking fish oil for children can easily assist your kid management his or her ADD or HYPERACTIVITY you ought to consult with your physician about the benefits of fish oil for kids before offering your little ones fish oil.

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Unfortunately, concerning 95% from the herbicides end up at the topsoil layer and also later receive further in to the meals and water resources. Corporate fits are actually coming to be more popular, as services identify that matching is a crucial device to encourage worker providing via the place of work instead of one by one. When you want to go quickly on your bike, there are a whole lot of traits to believe regarding. The upcoming essential suggestion in creating your girl reach out to a climax fast is actually through giving her a lot . I can easily see that offering something the 5 min guideline is actually something that would operate as well as probably transform the technique I look at a bunch of points. Yard fed beef implies that beef which our experts obtain from those cattle whose general food items is yard instead of various other things. First, this provides assistance to the desperate with the contribution from swift offerings, being composed of the worth from dishes from which we abstain. You could be ensured that she is going to culminate quick upon stimulation from her clitoris as well as vaginal canal using your hands and tongue. Having said that, starting a fast isn't really safe for every person, specifically females who are actually pregnant or even breastfeeding, folks along with diabetes mellitus as well as various other metabolic problems. As a 2017 Fast Banner, you'll be worked with by Home from Commons as well as offer Parliament, not the government of the day. The item of these three varieties illustrate a submarine cord device's ability, which in this particular instance is 6 x 100 x 100 or 60 Tbps. Health plan is actually employerandrsquo; s companion in providing healthcare benefits and security to his/her worker. Consuming fast food greater than two times a full week creates you 1.5 opportunities very likely to create heart problem compared to people which infrequently or even certainly never consume that, a research posted in the journal Flow located. Yet with so many selections in today times, our team should choose the ideal type of food. Find out effective ways to get thin swiftly by reviewing my beneficial suggestions in this write-up and ensure to utilize them to your regular behaviors to get the most ideal results. Not eating sufficient could cause partly assimilated food items going into the belly, that is actually harder to absorb. If you have actually ever desired to participate in desert safari Abu Dhabi is the area for you besides providing you an option to indulge in beige flights, archery, desert stroll, falconry as well as various other activities. 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Education and learning principle have actually developed and smashed at the beginning from the year 2000, providing 1000s of job to native British sound speakers or even to bilingual audio speakers in Asia. With the right devices and well-balanced dishes in order to help you with all your cooking area tasks, you require certainly not count on immediate foods items as well as convenience food items any longer. When you exercise a lot more you create your own self believe much more famished and exhausted, and you wind up cramming yourself along with prepackaged food which merely creates you fatter. If you have any concerns concerning wherever and how to use mountains in wales to walk (bellezadelami1.info), you can get in touch with us at our own website. Easter, where our experts commemorate the reawakening from Christ, is come before through Lent, a time from self-examination, going on a fast as well as penance in preparation for our Easter Day awareness. A primary factor of this particular is actually the abstaining coming from meals and also alcoholic beverage that is suggested to all well-balanced Muslims during the hours of sunrise to sunset. AT&T (T, Tech30) lately introduced a $5 plan for any kind of USA family obtaining food stamps, yet those hookups are astonishingly sluggish. The called for quickly on Ash Wednesday and Excellent Friday includes consuming a single full meal on those times. The absolute most necessary suggestion in finding out just how much to offer, is that you must experience excellent regarding the providing. Primarily, among the very best techniques to possess far better sexual activity is actually to create sure you pay attention to providing her a considerable amount of foreplay. Okay, the sub-heading may seem a bit outrageous however believe me, read on. For reducing positively crazy and also swift strength and also conditioning outcomes, the # 1 trick is to adjust your physical body. There are actually no side effects off giving your little ones fish oil supplements but if your youngster gets on drug you need to ask your medical professional to begin with if you may provide your youngster fish oil considering that any kind of nonprescription supplement could hamper the performance from a prescription medication. Specific foods to look out for, and potentially track your responses to all of them consist of, chocolate, higher glucose meals, refined foods (as a result of the higher sodium and also sweets utilized in their creation), milk items and also panned fry food. Fasting puzzled me since that seemed to be in theory dark and also severe-- self-denial, self-punishment-- and also at work, absolutely minor.

[everettyount-blog]

Offering It Your Just

Although youngster habits complications are very common they can still interrupt a home. As company forerunners ramp up their offering programs, the majority of do seem to recognize the relevance of work environment giving systems at the same time. In summary, Islam delivers an exemption to the sick off observing their fast during the divine month from Ramadan. Fasting is part of the company culture, as well as although that is actually elective, everyone in the staff of THIRTEEN fasts on a Tuesday.

Beyond that, May believes, the genuine terror might be the United States thoughts undertaken meals. The moms and dad need not need to compose lengthy checklists or offering long and dull tests to the children. This will definitely make certain that you are getting the best efficiency out of your motorcycle parts which you are actually going as swiftly as the bike will certainly let you. They also acknowledge that worker offering influences their capacity to draw in and also preserve skill. Numerous dermatologists and other skin professionals currently say that there is actually no established medical connection between meals and acne. If you liked this write-up and you would certainly such as to get even more info relating to mountains in scotland skiing - saludabledeseleccion.info - kindly check out our web site. But the fucking phonies homeopaths as well as hakeems make you embarres by carrying out inaccurate medical diagnosis as well as offering you stimulats which boost you for just a while and also in the end the disorder is also worseee!!!!!!!!!!!! It resulted in many years from giving to associations and also individuals which concerned her focus. Consider any sort of policies - Now, as a guard to your initiative, do not forget to inquire around about any kind of policies pertaining to the distribution from promo components in the area you are offering your leaflets to. Some locations like social boulevards and also parks carry out not appreciate people circulating any kind of kind of things like flyers and cluttering their areas. Yet this pink fish additionally contains protein and vitamin B6, riboflavin and also niacin'" all of which assistance change the food items you consume right into energy. Our company need to additionally take note that washing your colon from all poisonous aspects and also food debris, it improves your body system protection. Giving your ex-spouse area simply indicates no calls, emailing, texting or even some other type from connect with. Moulting is actually a really annoying expertise for serpents and also they will certainly frequently quickly for many full weeks just before and after a moult. The air is actually contaminated and our food items is polluted along with pesticides as well as chemicals, which can easily induce a discrepancy in our hormonal agents. That can assist keep your food new, keep gourmet coffee grains new, as well as improve the effects from sealing off in the taste when marinating. Yet if you are a youthful married couple you must be incredibly troubled if your husband lose his erection thus fast. This is crucial to comprehend that if you are actually visiting gain a great deal of body weight there is actually a great chance that you will have to eat some junk foods as those are understood for providing you the highest possible calorie content as well as thus aiding you achieve your objective from putting on weight. Waterfowl searching (likewise referred to as wildfowling or waterfowl shooting inside the UK) will certainly be actually the method of looking ducks, geese, or various other waterfowl for food and sport. True providing is actually pure, coming from the heart, without any wish or even assumption from just about anything in return. The fast heartbeats are merely till the parachute opens, post that, it's time to loosen up and saturate in the magnificent perspectives from Dubai up from the sky as well as little by little come down to the hand decline zone. Sub cord systems are actually composed of fibers from thread visual wires Each from FASTER's 6 fiber pairs can easily funnel 100 wavelengths, generating a large 600-lane freeway for information to journey. He fulfilled one grandma who used to take her grandchildren to junk food bistros at night so they can do homework utilizing the free of cost WiFi. Renewing a relationship is certainly not a straightforward, quick and easy or even prompt procedure and also this is actually not indicated to be. When it really feels discriminatory, this has a great deal of hard job on your part as well as that can easily be inhibiting and mind-boggling. And as we talked about ... offering your physical body exactly what this requires on the inside is exactly how you repair your ineffective metabolic process. Your body system may quickly turn the fat you consume in meals in to body fat, thus to burn fat you must lower excess fats as well as meals that contain this. Gamble on some of the most effective food about by enjoying among several Mexican Bistros in Sin city, as well as give on your own a taste from something special. Because kitty food items includes even more calories and healthy protein, and also is actually merely exactly what your queen requires. The PlayStation 3 graphics are actually claimed to be better compared to ever before giving much better reality to the gameplay. Then that Ash Wednesday, being in the bench and also bothering with Joe, I was offered an originality of just what that means to quick. Not eating can aid us understand the suffering that numerous folks in our planet experience daily, and that ought to lead our company to higher initiatives to alleviate that suffering. If our experts want our starting a fast to be much more than simply do without eating, our team should raise our souls, our minds, and also our vocals in communion with our Heavenly Daddy. Find out effective ways to receive slim fast by reviewing my useful tips in this particular article and also make certain to use them to your regular behaviors in order to get the most ideal results. Certainly not eating good enough can lead to partially digested meals getting in the stomach, that is actually more difficult to absorb. If you have ever before intended to participate in desert safari Abu Dhabi is the area for you other than giving you a possibility to savour camel flights, weapon, desert walk, falconry and also other activities. If you do, you are actually merely creating things more difficult on your own later on in the treatment, and likely giving both on your own as well as your companion a very discouraging adventure. Thanks, my dear network infrastructure, for always remaining therefore dependable as well as for your blazing prompt packet gear box speeds, regardless of the amount of people condemn you for actually every little thing - as well as just how loosely we observe your recommended cabling greatest techniques. Make your pep talk about one-half as rapid as you feel the urge to. When offering a pep talk, our company often accelerate creating ourselves sound ridiculous and creating it tough for the reader to get your points. Last but not least however very most significantly, knowing when you ovulate is critical if you need to know the best ways to become pregnant fast. Besides this, video games are typically readily available even before their main launch in stores, offering you accessibility prior to everyone else. You do not receive a great deal of money for doing this, yet exactly what you carry out obtain is actually the satisfaction that you are actually offering a part from yourself to spare the life from someone. This is actually why giving both you as well as your ex space are going to enable you to comprehend exactly what needs to be actually healed and repaired just before you could rejoin for that reason provide your ex space. Those opportunities have actually transformed and today numerous individuals buy thousands of items everyday without providing this a lot thought.

[garrettmaughan-blog]

Starting a fast, Weight reduction And also God.

In order to give your lady a fast orgasm there are actually some necessary points you must know. In a study of household health and nutrition as well as exercising, the American Dental Association discovered that while at the very least half from moms and dads believe their little ones buy a healthy lunch time at college on many days, merely concerning 36% of little ones in fact perform. The remainder of the opportunity they are actually getting convenience food and vending machine treats in more significant amounts in comparison to their moms and dads recognize.

The sky is actually toxified as well as our food is actually infected along with pesticides and also chemicals, which can induce a discrepancy in our hormonal agents. That may aid keep your food items clean, maintain fine coffee beans clean, as well as improve the results of sealing in the flavor when marinating. If you have any questions regarding where and how you can make use of mountains of mourne chords (establezca1meta-parausted.info), you could contact us at the webpage. However if you are actually a youthful pair you ought to be extremely troubled if your hubby lose his penile erection so quick. Today's convenience food is cheap, practical, offered in uselessly super-sized portions, as well as this appeals to children who are actually usually much less informed compared to grownups when making healthy meals options. Convenience food is actually higher in sugar, and it lurks in food selection things that don't sound remotely wonderful. Her giving started the method that creates for several philanthropists, with a problem close to her heart: alcoholism and also its own effect on loved ones. If you want to slim without distressing the body system, one must offer it the components that are crucial for this without which that would certainly be obliged to use up its personal reservoirs triggering exhaustion, absence of vigor, short-temperedness, impatience, and, if our company push that also far, ailment. Rodents who ate a diet from prepackaged food featured memory loss and a lack from intellectual ability after just one week, baseding on a research released in the diary Human brain, Behavior, and Immunity. Deciding on a nearby glimpse includes those who do not possess accessibility to technology or quick communication. Consuming convenience foods (for ease) - It could appear like the quick and easy alternative, however presume before obtaining junk food meals. Additionally, diabetics having the hormone insulin needs to consult their physician to observe if their dose can be readjusted for all of them to swiftly throughout Ramadan. Some talk fast since they hesitate others are actually also busy to enjoy them speak at a reasonable price. Support will certainly arise from your collection supervisor, an instruction coordinator and also Rapid Flow ability managers. If your partner shed his erection thus swiftly it probably possesses one thing to perform along with the flow of blood stream in his body, you have to recognize that. Tithing is actually also a means from giving thanks to The lord, and also most of us recognize that thankfulness is a fantastic technique to urge more as well as bigger presents. Generally though, this is actually extremely complicated to find out which food items is actually a trigger, without a prolonged duration from testing, which is actually hardly ever sensible. Our solution is actually easy and also hassle-free enabling you to obtain on along with your busy life, giving you the comfort that your tax events reside in excellent palms. And as our team reviewed ... offering your body system just what that needs on the within is actually exactly how you improve your inefficient rate of metabolism. Your body system can effortlessly transform the body fat you consume in food items into body system excess fat, therefore to lose weight you need to minimize excess fats as well as foods items that contain that. Gamble on a number of the most ideal food about by enjoying some of a lot of Mexican Restaurants in Las Vegas, and give yourself a taste from one thing exclusive. And that is actually just exactly what your queen requires because kitty meals has more calories and also protein. When that discovers that you are actually not giving this sufficient meals, this is actually a natural response. The best food items on earth can not be actually appreciated if it is served chilly or if the wait staff is actually surly. Planning tough, yet enjoyable, activities and tasks may aid to reduce anxiety amongst your staff, bring out the best of laborers abilities and give them a thanks for all their assistance. Therefore the first step into offering a lady a climax is to make her psychologically engaged with you. Consuming of sufficient water as well as juices between Iftar and also sleep to stay away from dehydration and also for detoxing of the digestive system should be actually encouraged in not eating individuals. Listed here you may find an assortment of requests which can be downloaded as well as put in over your Wii, giving this brand new abilities. Being used an area in our homes from Parliament Rapid Flow was unforeseen, but one thing I knew I can never decline. When the unsatisfactory are depriving, allow those that have, swiftly one time and provide what they or else will have eaten to the bishops for the unsatisfactory, and each will definitely be all around for a number of years. When he was actually recorded offering the meals out through monitoring cameras, he was ended. Therefore accurate fasting is actually certainly not approximately losing hope one thing that we understand is actually bad for our company. Real going on a fast is certainly not concerning an unique diet regimen. To create certain that meals possesses also exposure to radiation, you may revolve the cooking food products to 360 levels. Typically such a patient may be actually recommended anti-biotics that must be actually had 3 or even 4 times a time and would certainly not have the ability to fast. Providing you the power making sexual activity final as long as you desire, be it a min or even an hour. Easter, where our team commemorate the resurrection of Christ, is come before by Lent, a season from soul-searching, fasting and penance to prepare for our Easter Day observation. A major factor of this is the abstinence from food as well as alcoholic beverage that is actually prescribed to all well-balanced Muslims during the course of the hrs of daybreak to sunset. AT&T (T, Tech30) just recently revealed a $5 think about any U.S. family obtaining welfare aid, but those connections are astonishingly slow. The called for fast on Ash Wednesday and Really good Friday includes consuming only one square meal on those days. The most important tip in determining the amount of to provide, is actually that you should really feel good concerning the giving. Essentially, some of the very best means to have far better sex is actually to earn certain you pay attention to offering her a lot of sexual activity. Okay, the sub-heading might sound a little opprobrious yet believe me, continue reading. For making lighter absolutely insane as well as prompt durability and also conditioning end results, the # 1 technique is to control your body. First-fruits, offerings and tithes were actually originally given up kind (as grain, creatures, fruit product, and so on) to support the clergymans at the holy place, which were praying for the entire nation and everyone in it. With the surge of the Chapel, tithing became enforced through law to always keep the chapel as well as its own hierarchy going. As a matter of fact, study has actually found out that expecting mothers which often ate as well as had a high-calorie diet plan morning meal frequently possessed extra odds from giving birth to an infant child. Psychological temptation- This is among the best important parts from offering a female a climax. The sky is polluted and our food is actually polluted along with pesticides and also chemicals, which can cause an inequality in our hormonal agents. That can help maintain your food items fresh, keep fine coffee beans fresh, as well as improve the results of sealing in the flavor when marinating. But if you are actually a youthful couple you must be very anxious if your husband drop his construction thus fast.

[life-in-every-limb]

I’m grateful that I’m committed to contributing a post to the Catholic Women Bloggers Network bloghop today, because the truth is  our family has been needing to reevaluate “how we Lent.”  What was once a pretty intense observance has in recent years become fairly cursory and my husband and I are not happy about that.

Why did this happen?  I’m going to blame a combination of factors–our move five years ago to a house half an hour away from our parish church,  no current affiliation with a Catholic school (after 14 years), and having less and less of an inclination to leave home for church events or any other events (caused probably by burnout after years of extreme involvement).

I often feel out of place when wearing my Catholic blogging hat because (as you will no doubt see if you–as you should!–read the rest of the posts in this hop) the majority of Catholic mom bloggers seem to be living faith-filled lives and setting great examples for their little kids and basically being all Catholic all the time better than I’ve ever been able to manage.  But maybe I am not the only one out there who feels this way and so I’m going to go public as Catholic slacker blogger to encourage all the rest of you to do better this Lent.

Now I am tempted to say, “We are so bad and sinful and we have been doing Lent all wrong! We are going to be so holy for forty days!  We will do all the Lent things there are!”  But I kind of feel like that is a recipe for disaster.  For several years I prided myself on my extremely strict Lenten fasting:  No meat at all–even fish–for forty days (except at the Friday fish fry).  No eating between meals.  No food at all on Ash Wednesday or Good Friday.  Nothing but liquids until supper on every Friday.  And no Sundays off!  I stopped doing that a few years ago and I am not going to do it again.  Honestly, I think that strictness is part of what triggered my “failure” in subsequent Lents.

So here is what we ARE going to do (insofar as we have planned at this point).  We will all make some form of Lenten sacrifice; we will follow all rules regarding fasting and abstinence; we will go to the Stations of the Cross EVERY Friday; I am going to participate in an online book club; and at least some of us are going to take part in this Lenten meditation.  We may do more, but that will be icing on the cake (presuming no one gives up cake!).

For more ideas for Lent observances, please visit the other posts in the hop by clicking the picture below.

How do you “do Lent” in your family?  If you want, you can tell me in the comments!

  Filed under: Catholicism, Lent, linkups, Uncategorized Tagged: Abstinence, Bloghop, Catholic Women Bloggers Network, Catholicism, CWBN, Fasting, Immaculate Conception, Lent, Penance, Sacrifice, Siena Sisters

[dailyaudiobible]

02/14/2018 DAB Transcript

Exodus 37:1-38:31, Matthew 28:1-20, Psalms 34:11-22, Proverbs 9:9-10

Today is the 14th day of February. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I'm Brian. It is wonderful to be here with you. Happy Valentine’s Day for all of you lovers in the world. This also happens to be the first day in the season of Lent, but we'll talk about that in a little while. What we've come here to do is to take the next step forward in the Scriptures. So, from the Contemporary English Version this week, Exodus chapter 37 and 38.

Commentary:

Okay. So, as I mentioned at the beginning, today is obviously Valentines day. So, shout out to all you lovers in the world. It's definitely a day that we express and commemorate romantic love in the world. It just so happens that also today the season of Lent begins. And I talk about some of the seasons and some of the holidays, holy days, that are found on the Christian calendar because they present a rhythm. So, as we're experiencing the rhythm of the Scripture in our lives every day, there's also an ancient calendar that has a rhythm to it that's intended to focus our heart on God and what God has done for us. So, if you celebrate Christmas, you're celebrating a holy day that's on the Christian calendar. If you celebrate Easter or Pentecost or St. Valentine’s Day or St. Patrick`s Day, like, these are commemorative days or holy days on the Christian calendar. There are also seasons. Advent would be a season, the season leading up to Christmas. Lent is the season leading up to Easter. So, we're forty days out from Easter. So, let me pause here and just say, hey the Christian calendar isn't in the New Testament. It's not in the Bible. That's not the point. And whether you've ever heard of Lent or not isn't the point. Whether you have observed Lent in the past but you no longer do or you don't even know what I'm talking about, like, that's okay. At minimum, you're going to get just a small little history context lesson and at most, you're going to find something that's rich and very meaningful and something that you begin to or continue to participate in.

So, Lent, probably you've heard of it. Probably it represents to you that, you know, you don't eat candy bars or you don't eat candy or you don't eat sugar or you don't do something. Whatever. You abstain from something for the season of Lent. And that alone is fine. If you're used to eating a candy bar for lunch every day and you stop doing that, you break that rhythm, then everyday you're thinking about that candy bar, thinking about what your normal rhythm is, you're thinking about being a little hungry and needing a snack and it reminds you of the season that you're in. But the purpose of Lent is to actually spend the forty days leading up to Easter understanding, like, fully trying to engage with what it cost to bring you spiritual freedom, salvation and eternal life. And we talked about this a couple days ago when we read through the crucifixion narrative in the gospel of Matthew. One of the things that we don't do very well, that we don't sit with very well, is lament. We very often skip over lament and move immediately toward grace and mercy, which are needed in endless supply for everyday, certainly. But we don't consider the awful price of sin. We don't actually focus our attention on what Jesus had to endure in order to make it easy for us. The kind of life that we experience spiritually came at tremendous sacrifice on our behalf by God. As the Scriptures tell us, while we were still His enemies, Jesus died for us. So, it’s a season to sit with that and begin to invite the Holy Spirit into that. Because sin still kills. Sin still destroys us. Sin is still a cancer that will eat us alive from the inside out. And, so, Lent is a season that comes every year and if giving up your afternoon candy bar is the thing, then that’s the thing. But the point isn’t giving up candy bars or any one thing. That tradition is as a reminder, a reminder that we are giving up everything. And in the season of Lent, we lament. We look back over our lives and allow the Holy Spirit to lead us back into places where we can see how sin has caused tremendous damage in our lives. And we begin to allow the Holy Spirit to lead us to the places that it still exists in our lives. And we invite the Holy Spirit to do the work in this season of restoring us as we move toward Easter. So, as we move toward resurrection and salvation, we actually apply ourselves and invite God’s Holy Spirit to do work inside of us. We’re saying, I’ll give up everything. I’m inviting you to re-order my life. What are the things that do not belong in my life anymore at all? Help me to rid myself and extricate myself from those things during this season. What are the things that are more important to me than they ought to be? Put them in my life where they belong. What are the things that are interfering with where we’re going together, Jesus? Show me those things. Show me how to get them out of my life or re-order them in my life so that they’re balanced properly in my relationship. My union with you is the primary focus of my life. If we use this season for that, then we will be joining in with a tradition that goes back all the way to the second generation of believers. So, the people that the apostles preached to? These are first generation believers. Their children, who grew up in the faith are the second generation. And there are early Christian writings from this time that talk about this. So, it’s an ancient Christian tradition, but it’s also one that will be being observed by millions of people around the world. And, as I say most every year that we get to this season and I do a little explanation of it, I didn’t grow up doing this. I grew up in the church, I grew up in a pastor’s home, but this isn’t something that we practiced. And you may be the same. And you may not want to do this, and that’s fine. There’s no commandment about it.  There’s nothing…it’s not like that. It’s not a command. It’s just an invitation to spend these forty days asking God the things that should be removed from your life, the things that should be re-ordered in your life. And then maybe you do some fasting or maybe you fast something so that every time you would normally turn toward that thing, that food, that activity, you are reminded of where your heart is focusing right now, where you are inviting God to work inside of you right now for these forty days, so that as we approach Easter, we have prepared our hearts and we enter into the Easter celebration fully aware of what it cost for us to even celebrate Easter. And what it means, what a monumental shift that happened in the world and in the human race because of Jesus death, resurrection and ascension.

Prayer:

So, Jesus, as we enter into this time, whether we’re actually going to observe Lent or whether we just focus our attention and affection right now, we open ourselves to You. And Lord, over this next period of time, we invite You, as we move toward resurrection day and our ultimate freedom from sin, we invite You to begin taking us back through our lives and showing us where sin has derailed us and to show us where the weeds of sin are still intertwined, the places that we still find ourselves deceived. The places that we’re continuing to allow this to grow within us. Holy Spirit, come. Show us how to cut that off. Show us how to remove that and burn it up in our lives, get away from it. And, Father, the places that are out of alignment in our lives because life is moving so fast that we just kind of have to patch it together as we go. The things that have fallen out of alignment. Things that are more important to us than maybe they ought to be, even though they’re good things. Or things that need more attention in our lives and should be elevated and paid more attention to. Re-order us, God. We want to move into Easter having truly contemplated what it cost to bring us to Easter. And we want to come into the Easter season in alignment with You so that we can fully embrace and rejoice in what Your victory has won. And as we move deeper, after Easter, into the springtime and new life flourishes around us, we want that to be what’s happening inside of us. So, come Holy Spirit in this season, we pray. In Jesus name. Amen.

Announcements:

Okay, so today begins Lent. This is known as Ash Wednesday. And you may be walking around the grocery store today or the gas station or wherever and see people with black smudges on their foreheads that are crosses. And you might even find that to be a little weird. I always did until I knew what was going on. Those are people who have gone to some sort of Ash Wednesday service and have had palm ash smudged on their forehead in the shape of a cross. It’s a way of representing sackcloth and ashes. It’s a way of representing repentance. It’s a way of representing lament and being public about it. And we see that tradition throughout the Scriptures. When you see someone like that, you’re seeing someone who is willing to humble themselves and look a little bit foolish to outwardly declare to the world, I am in a season of repentance. I repent from my sins. I am contemplating what it costs. What sin costs myself and my family and what sin cost ultimately and the sacrifice of Jesus. And I am declaring this openly even though I may look foolish. So, if you see someone walking around like that today, they are your brother or your sister. Pray for them. And if that sounds meaningful to you, find an Ash Wednesday service somewhere. Step out of your box. Move among brothers and sisters that you have never met. It's a way of going public with your repentance. I mean, there's no magic in this. Smear black on your forehead if that's what you want and go out into the world. Whether they understand or not, you're declaring your repentance. And you're also declaring your allegiance. That's what this is all about. Focusing our heart and our attention on what it cost to bring us our salvation and inviting the Holy Spirit to re-order our lives according to that salvation as we move into the celebration of the resurrection and our freedom.

Okay. dailyaudiobible.com is the website, it’s home base, it’s where you find what's going on around here. So, check it out.

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And as always if you have a prayer request or comment 877-942-4253 is the number to dial.

And that's it for today. I'm Brian I love you and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hey. Good morning you all. This is Cherry, Cherry Chase ,Cherry Pie. Just want to send a shout out to Salvation is Mine. I heard your message this morning. I also felt your pain. I do understand days when you feel like you’re trying to go on with your life but you really are actually screaming inside. I’ve been there, but I want to let you know Salvation is Mine, I’ve got your back, I’ve got you covered. I love you. Just keep pushing, because sometimes we have to do that solid scream and just keep going. God has your back. We’ve got your back. So, you’re going to be fine. I know you’re just going through little things. It’s hard when you’re in them yourself. But I’ve got you girl. I’m going try to encourage you. Every time I hear you call just smile. I want to hear that smile when you call in. You’re going to be fine. We all the through rough time. I love you and I’m asking God to pray for me as well. I am drifting off into my own things and it’s a big deal for me and it will put my finances where I needed. So, if you can guys, I’m asking you guys all pray for my new victory that I’m drifting out on life on my own business and just trying to sum up a little more money so that I can…everything will be taken care of. So, I’m asking you guys to over me with that. I love each and every one you guys. Keep continuing to pray for me and I’m going to keep continuing to pray for you guys. Love you guys. Have a great and wonderful and marvelous day.

Good morning family. I just wanted to say, bless you all, and we are listening and we are praying and we just wanted to say thank you so much for everything you share and this is Lara and Tom from Minnesota and just happy spring, want to stay positive. I just want to say that we are new to this series and we’ve been enjoying it immensely, but I just want to encourage each and every single one of you right now who are going through some pretty difficult times, I just want to lift you up. In Jesus’ name, I commit you to God, I commit your issues to God and just love them up in Jesus’ name. And I ask Father God, that Your will would be done and I pray a hedge of protection around these people Lord Jesus. And I pray Lord that Your guidance and Your wisdom and Your will would be done in their lives and I just plea the Lord Jesus on everyone Lord and a hedge of protection around them. Just bless them Lord and thank You so much for everything and thank You for what You’re doing in our lives. And we are touched with Your word God and how it shows us that every step of our lives has been directed, each day. And You know what we need before we even ask. Thank You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Hi family it’s his little Sharie again and I wanted to thank you Mark S. and the lady in Canada, I think your name might be B, if not, forgive me. You both pray for my book and I really appreciate that. And I also wanted to say that I’m praying for all of our prodigal’s. So many people have called in about their sons, daughters, family members, friends who are far from God. I am joining my faith with yours praying for God to arrest them and reveal Himself to them. I also wanted to read something that I wrote called, Now that You’re an Adult. And I pray that it will be an encouragement to everyone out there praying for a prodigal, especially moms and dads. My child, now that you are an adult, I reach down with the roots of my faith into the mountain of God’s faithfulness and I drink deeply of trust. I need it now more than ever. This is the gift your independence has given me, dependence on the God who promises to be faithful to each generation. I don’t know what your future holds, but I know that wherever you go and whatever you do God will pursue you. You will never be able to escape the invitation of His Spirit. You will never be beyond the reach of His grace. The battle rages for your heart and yet I know that all the schemes of the evil one are no match to God’s genius for redemption. I wish I could protect you from all the lies of darkness. I wish I could spare you the mistakes you will make and the resulting pain, but I can’t. I can only do one thing. Now that you are beyond my reach, I can surrender you to his.

Hi DAB family this is Joyful Noise from Southern California. I am sharing something and confessing to you all that this was laid upon my heart early in January, January 3rd I think, to be exact, no maybe a little bit later. So, this is from a reading January 7th. This is from a reading way earlier this year and it so inspired me. It spoke to me in a way that it hasn’t in the previous six years of been going to the Bible with this community and with Brian. And here is the story. And I want you guys to think about this and think about how we have a tendency to hide from God and we how have a tendency to deny his presence during times of trouble or we have a tendency to, you know, look around for him. But listen to what Abraham did. So, this is from Genesis 18. The Lord appeared to Abraham at the Oaks at Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance of the stent during the heat of the day. He looked up and he saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them, bowed to the ground and said, my Lord, if I have found favor with you please do a no go on past your servant. Let a little water be brought that you may wash your feet and rest yourself under the tree. I will bring a bit of bread so that you will strengthen yourself. This is why you have passed your servants way. Later you can continue on. Yes, there will be times you will be upset. And, so, what struck me in this reading on January 7th was that, you know, God doesn’t just want us to kind of look around for Him, test the waters, think about maybe is He there, is He not there, where is His presence, but to run toward Him. And I was reminded of that again when I was rereading the prodigal son story. The father sees the son coming up the hill and runs towards him. So, that is how we are to respond to God when we feel His presence. So…

Hi. This is John and I’m calling from Cleveland Ohio. And I’m calling because of the faith that Blind Tony and Victoria and everybody else has shown me on the line…on the phone. And I have found myself praying along with you. I have a problem though, as a grandfather. I have a granddaughter who had been born with a herniated diaphragm. And what this does is it controls the area around the heart and lungs. There’s a hole in this area and it allowed the lower abdomen to let the liver and other parts of the body enter where her lungs are, crushing that area. And it wasn’t caught during pregnancy. So, this was a very complicated surgery and they had given her less than 10% chance to live. But we know as brothers and sisters in the Lord, that means nothing. And she lived and now she is 15 years old. The problem is, she’s now developing into a woman and the tissue is not growing along with her and again the diaphragm is torn open and these organs are again crushing her lungs. I need to ask the DABbers to pray along with me and to keep her in your prayers. Her name is Anessa Joy, known as AJ. And she may be flown by helicopter to the Cleveland clinic soon. They’re trying to stabilize her. And I just ask that everybody will keep her in your prayers. Thank you very much. Bye.

Hi this is Sharon The Victorious from Northern California. I pray for all of you. I really need your prayers. My husband’s back is so bad that he can barely walk and he still has to work. I pray for him to get better. I pray for my daughter who is bipolar and I think she’s using prescription drugs again. Things aren’t good. and I pray for her to get well. And I need a prayer for myself. I’m so depressed right now. I have found out that have glaucoma and cataracts in my eyes and I’m just going to turn 62. So, I go through a procedure on the 16th of this month to have laser surgery for the glaucoma. I’m scared. I don’t want to go blind and I need your prayers. I’m so down right now. Please help me. Please pray for me. Please God, come into my heart and help me through all this. My husband and I are in a fight right down too and after 41 years of marriage…and we just had our anniversary. I pray for you and please pray for me and my family. Thank you. God bless you all. Thank you.

[dailyaudiobible]

03/01/2017 DAB Transcript

Leviticus 24:1-25:46 ~ Mark 10:13-31 ~ Psalm 44:9-26 ~ Proverbs 10:20-21

Today is the 1st day of March.  Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible.  Here we are at the threshold of a shiny new month and it's exciting.  At least in the south in the rolling hills of Tennessee this is usually the month that things begin to change.  New life begins to come to the south, buds on the trees, grass that is starting to get green.  So, looking forward to all of that, ready to leave the winter behind me, at least the Tennessee winter behind me.  But sometimes in March we actually get snow, so who knows what this will be. Whatever it will be, it will be together around this global campfire each and every day.

So welcome to a new month.  Back out into the desert we go, into the wilderness where the law, the very thing that will guide and instruct a people who are being set apart as holy is being given. We’re reading from the Names of God Bible this week, Leviticus chapter 24, verse 1 through 25, verse 46 today.  

Commentary

Okay friends, this is definitely the beginning of a new month, but it is also an important day on the Christian calendar.  You may not even know that there is such a thing or it may be something that is a part of your life and has always been a part of your life.  It doesn’t matter.  I’ll explain.  

Today is a day on the Christian calendar known as Ash Wednesday.  So, yes, all around the world many people in many different traditions will go to church or maybe just in their own home put ashes on their forehead.  If you see someone walking around with ashes on their forehead, then you know that a person has done this.  What it means is that we are entering into the season of Lent which is 40 days before Easter.  The thing is I'm not here to try to convince you to observe Lent or Ash Wednesday or any of that.  I'm just here to point it out because I literally grew up my whole life in the faith, but never really understood until much later the rhythms of the Christian calendar.  

The holidays that are on the Christian calendar like Easter certainly I have always observed my whole life and  probably many of you have too, not even knowing that there was a Christian calendar. Or something like Christmas or even Pentecost.  This season that we’re moving into right now, beginning today, has a purpose and I think it is valid and I think it is important.  I'm not saying it is in the Bible.  It's not in the Bible.  It's just part of the traditions of the church.  I think it is valid and important.  

On Ash Wednesday people put ashes on their heads and walk around in public that way to show sackcloth and ashes, to show grief, to show remorse, to show the beginning of this season because that is what it is about.  It's a season of 40 days of contemplation moving into Easter. The thing that we are to contemplate is the great unspeakable cost of sin.  Now we can very easily live however we want and just ask for forgiveness and move on like nothing ever happened.  That is just not honoring the relationship that we have with God the way we should.  We are in an intertwined, intimate relationship that should be far deeper than any other human relationship we have, even deeper than that which we share with our spouse.  

So when we consider it in those terms, that we have this intimacy with Jesus, and we begin to contemplate what it cost in order to offer this relationship to us, then we’re moving into the heart of the story and we’re moving into a place where we consider the great cost of the earth's sin, the great cost to offer us restoration and wholeness is beyond our comprehension.  So we spend this season contemplating that.  

Many people have traditions during Lent that they are going to give up chocolate, right?  They are going to give up something.  I'm going to give up this.  I'm going to give up that.  I'm not going to watch TV.  I'm not going to watch the news.  I'm not going to be on social media.  I'm giving up something for Lent.  That tradition is just the constant reminder so every time that you were going to go do that thing, it doesn’t even have to be a bad thing, every time you were going to do that, you remind yourself ‘oh no, I'm not.  I'm abstaining from that for right now.’  And it reminds you once again to contemplate the reason for this season, the cost of sin, the darkness that sin is, the weight that sin is in our lives, the rejection of Christ's sacrifice that sin is.  

So maybe you do that or maybe that sounds like a good idea to you.  The idea of this, though, is a little deeper than that.  The idea isn’t like, ‘okay, I'm just going to give up chocolate.’  It can be that, but it goes deeper than that.  In this season we invite the Holy Spirit to examine us and to begin to reveal to us the alignment of our lives, the order of importance in our lives.  What priorities do we have in our lives that perhaps are out of alignment or shouldn’t even be there?  They are not necessarily bad or good, they shouldn’t be there where they are in our lives or they shouldn’t be in our lives at all.  We invite the Holy Spirit to come into that and begin to speak and what we’re saying is everything is on the table and I want you and I invite you to rearrange my life so that as I move to this celebration of Easter and my salvation, that I come into that celebration aligned and oriented to you completely, not only so that I can celebrate with a whole heart, but so that I know I move forward as I'm intended to go.  

So often the Lord will identify some things that may even be great things in your life that he is saying ‘for a season we’re going to take this off the table,’ ‘for a season we’re not going to do this.’  And then when it gets reintegrated into your life it will be in a different place with a different level of importance and priority.  

“I’ve got other things for you.”  That is the offer.  To allow God to rearrange our lives so that we are best suited for relationship with him, that is really what Lent is about.  I’ve found a richness in that personally that I just never grew up with. So I mention it today because it is part of our Christian tradition and I’ve found that it is worth it.  It is rich.  It is beautiful.  But it is very, very sobering, as it should be.  

So we begin today the season of Lent.  Today is Ash Wednesday.

Prayer

Jesus, whether we’re physically putting ashes on our forehead today as an outward symbol of something that is happening within us or not, what is happening within us we invite you into.  We invite your Holy Spirit to begin to show us the cost of sin, not just the cost because of the cross, but the way that it saps our strength, disorients us, weighs us down, opens us to accusation and condemnation, the way that it is simply poison to the way we were created to be.  You created us to not even understand that there was a thing called sin.  We were created to be intertwined and intimately connected to you, to be in relationship with you, to be holy before you.  We were created holy and we gave it away.  

In all of the stories that we’ve come to in the Bible we can see the echoes of Eden and we can see how far we’ve come from that.  We look around the world today and we can see the same things, the cost of sin has been devastating to our species.  It has nearly destroyed us.  And it will totally destroy us if we allow it free access to our lives.  But you came to reverse all of that.  You came to reverse what we did and make all things new again.  This is the hope of the cross, but this was costly.  We have no idea.  We have no way to comprehend what it took from you, what it cost you.  Certainly we see the cross and we know the sacrifice, but what it cost to see us degenerate, devolve into something we were never supposed to be, and then to come for us, to love us still in spite of all of that, to endure our betrayal, to endure our giving our hearts in worship to other things, to endure what you have endured over all of these thousands of years and then to come to still love us.  It sobers us as it should and we invite your Holy Spirit into that and we ask, God, what are the things that are not supposed to be in our lives anymore? What are the things that are supposed to be in our lives but are just in the wrong order?  We give our lives to you.  Not just chocolate.  We give our lives to you.  What is it? What are you asking us to surrender to you either permanently or for this season so that you can reintegrate it into our lives properly?

Come Holy Spirit, we acknowledge our sin.  We repent from our sin, but we also understand the cost of our sin.  We look at our lives and all of the things that we have blamed you for and we acknowledge it was our choices.  We chose to not walk with you or we chose the darkness of sin over your sacrifice on our behalf.  We are the ones to blame.  We are the ones who have done this and we as a people are the ones who have mis-stewarded the gift of this planet.  We were here to be your divine family.  We were here to take care of everything and walk with you and be intimate with you and enjoy Eden forever, and we rejected that.  When we choose sin today, we are doing the same thing, rejecting your redemption.  We are to blame.  We acknowledge that.  Our lives are in the shape we are in because of the decisions and choices we’ve made. But in this season we throw our hands up in surrender and say come Holy Spirit, you can move anything into or out of our lives.  You can move anything that is in our lives around in our lives.  We open ourselves to you fully, give you access to everything. There are no secrets and there are no things hidden away, as if we could ever hide them from you in the first place. But very often we hide them from ourselves, and we ask for the light and the power and the fire of the Holy Spirit to consume us, forcing us to see things as they really are.  Come Lord Jesus, take our worlds apart and put them back together again.  We ask in your mighty name, amen.  

SONG played on today's DAB for Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent "Worlds Apart" Jars of Clay http://apple.co/1zCVlml