#weekly baptism is a go

[not-so-superheroine]

Since it's not going in my article due to space constraints, i'll share a bit about Jane Manning James here. It won't be superfleshed out atm bc it got cut. I plan to do more later. As I am *Reorganized*, writing this for a Community of Christ publication, i researched Ld-S shared history to the point of Nauvoo. my article doesn't follow west (technically). the main resource was an LDS one (thank you v much for your freely available archive) asking about her time with the prophet of the Restoration.

Jane Manning James

A significant Black Latter Day Saint from the early church was Jane Manning James. A woman from Connecticut notably made the walk from Buffalo, New York to Nauvoo, Illinois on foot, with most of her family. This was only after being separated from the group of recently converted latter day saints in Buffalo, possibly due to their race. Jane was baptized in 1842 by missionaries in her home state of Connecticut. She recorded these things about her journey and arrival to Nauvoo and her faith when asked to recall her life living with Joseph Smith in 1905.

“When I went there [Nauvoo] I only had two things on me, no shoes nor stockings, wore them all out on the road… They [Joseph and Emma] was looking for us because I wrote them a letter. There was eight of us, my mother and two sisters and a brother and sister-in-law, and we had two children, one they had to carry all the way there, and we traveled a thousand miles.”

She was sure in her belief of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ and Modern Prophecy. She says in her recollection, after seeing that Joseph Smith Jr was indeed the man in her vision in Connecticut, that “This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ and there will never be any other on earth. It has come to stay.” Sister James would later go west with the saints under the leadership of then Apostle Brigham Young.

--------

me tumblr posting again:

thank you for the example set Sister James on faith, dedication, and perseverance. She also had spiritual gifts, such as speaking in tongue and faith healing. She believed following the gospel, knowing it was a key to a better way of living life (for her.) it wasn't easy for her, and yet, i think the faith community i observe today (and mormonism in general) is better, just for her having lived it.

may she be at peace, and in a manner God, Sister Jane herself, and her family she led that meant so very much to her, see fit.

[certifiedposeidonhater]

PERCY JACKSON HEADCANONS!! (i have a very, very, VERY long series of these on my tiktok so i’ve decided im gonna start posting them here!)

this is gonna be the first part! i’m gonna do like 20-25 each part. (there’s a lot…) just a reminder to pretty please be respectful and kind. i love hearing different opinions and explaining why i think the things that i do or my reasoning behind these, but if you are rude or mean, im just gonna shut you down. if you want to RESPECTFULLY discuss our different opinions, i would LOVE to!! 💙

alrighty, here goes (why am i lowkey nervous?):

1. So, you know how aphrodite children know French bc it’s like the language of love? Percy knows a lot of island/oceanic languages that are native to island cultures (e.g. Māori, Tahitian, Samoan, etc.) because…poseidon.

2. Percy bottles up all of his emotions until he eventually has a mental breakdown where he lays in bed for a few days and completely isolates himself from all his friends and family. He kinda just pops back up when he’s done and acts like nothing happened. None of his friends or family really have the heart to bring it up, and if they do, he’ll just dismiss it and shut down.

3. He physically cannot eat when someone is upset at him or he’s upset at somebody else (he’s usually upset at himself.)

4. Percy and the aphrodite cabin were kinda friends. Especially him and Drew and him and Silena. I don’t know why but it just makes sense. They have weekly gossip sessions. The aphrodite cabin were the only campers (well mostly Silena but still) who didn’t avoid or ignore Percy once he got claimed. Silena and Beckendorf took him in and became almost parental figures.

5. Percy once got in an argument with his dad so he drove himself to a nearby church and got himself baptized at a local church to spite his dad (which i feel like kinda cancels out the whole point of the baptism but whatever.) His mom also got him baptized when he was a baby because she was annoyed at poseidon and also bc she grew up in a kinda religious household. (‘Cause i’m pretty sure that Sally was from Texas and so it fits the region.)

6. He’s not white. He’s actually Hispanic/Portuguese. It fits the majority of the ethnicity census in the area where he grew up so it’s very likely. Plus (other than Walker) i lowkey cannot imagine Percy as white.

7. He has nightmares from seeing himself from another point of view and seeing how scary he is. (He’s scared of himself. (He sees himself as Luke.))

8. Gods and goddesses used to visit Percy as a kid and just kinda chat him up and hang around him a bit. He would literally just randomly be sitting on the subway and suddenly Iris pops up and starts talking to him, and Percy being the 8 yo kid he is, he starts talking back and suddenly it’s a full-blown conversation.

9. He has a special spot that he used to go to with Beckendorf. They found it while they were searching for something for one of Beckendorfs projects. It’s like a little pond somewhere in the forest, super remote. Percy still goes there whenever he’s at camp and it reminds him of Beckendorf.

10. He has the ability to see the past through water. Like how water can collect energy? Like that science thingy where energy can kinda collect in water? Well, Percy can use his powers to kind of bring the past to life based on what has happened near the water. (e.g. he could use the water in the creek to create like a mist version of the things that happened there. Like his claiming. think Frozen II)

11. When he was a kid, g*be used to kick Percy out on the streets. He would be supposed to be taking care of Percy when Sally was at work and he would just make Percy go outside for hours at a time no matter what the weather was. Even if it was a blizzard and Percy didn’t have a jacket, Percy was outside.

12. g*be has broken Percy’s arm (multiple times) and he told everyone it was from falling down the stairs of his apartment complex. It never healed right either so his right arm is a little funky.

13. He’s left handed.

14. Percy has tried to off himself. But that’s also canon so like-

15. Percy dissociates a lot. It happened more when he was a kid but it started up again after the first war. He will dissociate for hours and no one knows how to get him out of it. It stresses Annabeth out SO MUCH.

16. He developed an eating disorder where he hated himself so much that whenever he ate, his mind would hyperfixate and overthink about that hatred and how much of a terrible person he was to the point he would throw up everytime he ate. Restricting what he eats also helps him feel in control of his life, and he gets so little control that the feeling of starving himself became almost euphoric.

17. He HATES pigeons and squirrels (it’s irrational.)

18. He’s fluent in Spanish and Portuguese. and some Italian bc of g*be and bc he grew up around the Italian mafia.

19. He knows A LOT of random facts about random local places without ever being there. It rlly impressed Annabeth when she started talking abt some cool architectural thing and Percy was js like “oh yeah, i know all about that!” he’s never been to half of them, but he knows about it.

20. His New York accent was *super* noticeable when he was a kid and he got bullied for it, so he started hiding it and does it subconsciously even though he knows his friends wouldn’t make fun of him. It still comes out when he’s tired, stressed, or emotional.

21. He code switches.

22. Percy hates Boston and New Jersey

23. He isn’t patriotic at all but the SECOND someone starts talking bad abt nyc he is ON IT. Same with if a European (mainly a British person) says something bad about America, he starts becoming Alexander Hamilton. He suddenly LOVES his country and that country’s culture.

Hope yall enjoy! I’m just posting old ones from tiktok so i have them backed up on somewhere and to get the people on tumblr caught up and there will be more soon 🤗🤗 If yall have any questions or anything, PLEASE ask me! I love talking to people about this stuff!

[honestsycrets]

querido i: a reward of 2099 | outlaw!miguel o'hara x reader

❛ pairing | outlaw!miguel o'hara x reader

❛ type | doubleshot; chapter is safe for work.

❛ summary | it's been a long time since you've been with miguel o'hara. when your daughter gabriella finds his wanted poster, life starts to unravel.

❛ tags | mention of murder and minor character death, hidden pregnancy, western au, spanish not translated, outlaw!miguel, baby-mama!reader, slight cursing, angst, threats.

❛ sy's notes | here's to listening to the civil wars' devil backbone one too many times. i needed a break from filling most requests, so i only incorporated one very lightly in this piece.

“Mamá, 2099 is a strange amount for a reward, isn’t it?”

Your daughter was a mischievous girl just like her father. She tore down the poster that was tacked up on the homely post office’s bulletin board as you gathered the weekly post. Coming into town was always a bit of a laborious task. With goods to gather and a little girl to socialize, you made it into town once every week.

"Sure is," Jackson the postman said.

“Thank you,” you plucked mail from the man’s dark hands. “I’ll see you next week.”

He wore a warm, kind smile. Working in the post office, he always seemed to be well-versed in what was going on in everyone’s life. His coal-black eyes shone warmly at you.

“Take care now, there’s wild men out there. What with Peter gone and all, you sure you girls will be okay out there? Rio’d sure put up Gabi and you at the hostel.”

Gabi scrunched up her face tight like a screw being twisted into a board.

“That’s real sweet of you to worry but I’m sure we’ll be fine. We've been out there nine years now. I’ll see you next week, sí? ” You tucked your post into a basket that dangled on your elbow, pulling long and heavy skirts to avoid trampling them with your boots as you opened the door.

“See ya then!”

Gabriella stepped out first, pulling on your lace sleeves as a cue for her delayed answer. She wouldn’t butt into a conversation, but she always seemed to hold her questions for a better time. You sighed, looking at the pale wooden buildings. Saloon, feed store, bank, and the occasional hostel. Over the last decade, the town seemed to flourish, bringing all manner of people to your once tiny Spanish town.

“I suppose they didn’t wanna give the extra coin out, Gabi.”

She looked back to the paper in her hands.

“Wanted dead or alive. Notorious badman Miguel O’Hara, 38, native of Nueva… why that’s here, mama!”

Your blood chilled. Congealed even. The sun nearly blinded you, even with the hat that kept the hot sun off of your head. You stepped off the doorway and onto the dusty ground, spinning on your heel to face your little girl with your dark blue fan in your hands, waving the heat of the day off your flushed skin.

“Wanted for--”

You swiped the paper from her fingers.

“That’s about enough of that. We best get on our way, we got goods to buy, the undertaker to see, and a new dress to fit for your papá’s funeral.”

“I was just reading it. In case we see him?”

“We won’t. It’s been a time since he’s shown himself around these parts. You have no business looking at-- that kinda man. He’s a troublemaker. Now get in the cart, let’s not dolly around.”

You would know.

“O—okay, mamá.”

“I’m sorry, Gabi, I don't mean to yell. You’re all I got, preciosa,” you wedged the paper into a new bible, right next to your wooden rosary, and flung it into the basket.

"I know."

You started ahead of her, fussing with your white veil, sparing no expense to the many questions that she had that day. You had just as many questions as she did.

You just couldn’t articulate them to a grieving little girl.

Do you think it's a boy or girl? the seamstress asks a woman in her shop. She fashions all sorts of fashions from birth to death. Her store is stuffed to the brim with frilly and lacy baptismal dresses. Your gaze fell on her belly, tracing the curve.

"Una niña," she says. Her voice triggers something old, some ancient memory you've suppressed. His voice in your ear, a soft kiss on your head. You're sitting there, next to the little girl that he always wanted, haunted by the flood of memories that comes with looking at another woman's pregnant belly.

"You're not like the others. Aren't men supposed to want sons?" you teased him. Miguel snorted, his arm underneath your neck as he gazed up at a sky of glittering stars. The air was lightly warm, a light wind fluttering through the tall grass. Post-relation bliss was warm on his skin, peaceful and quiet.

"For what? Men are jealous of sons," he muttered, shifting his head to kiss the top of your head. "Little girls are... the light in their lives. I'm going to call mine Gabriella. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"That's a real pretty name."

"Sure is. ¿por qué?"

You didn't tell him why. That you hid a secret underneath the layers of your dress. A secret that you knew Miguel would have more than an issue with if he knew.

"Mamá?" Gabi shakes your arm, "Mamá we're next."

Your mind likes to pull mean tricks on you.

Wanted for double murder.

Miguel O’Hara was always somewhere between a hangman’s knot and three mouths to feed. For you, the latter. You were under no illusion of the sort of man Miguel was.

Every look at your daughter’s soft, peaceful face at night reminded you of him. You worried that the more she looked at posters of Miguel, peered into an artist’s rendition of Miguel’s slight, sultry eyes, lush lips, and strong jaw-- she might be able to locate the similarities when she looked at herself. That was why you had to take the flyer from her. The artist sure had a fine hand at drawing him, the man who danced in your dreams by a warm fire and stayed up late counting the stars. He’s gotten thicker, you thought. You sat on the rocking chair as she slept peacefully, rocking back and forth on the chair.

A violent knocking at the front door swept you free from your thoughts. You snatched up the silver lantern, yanked a fine ivory rebozo over your shoulders, and rushed down the stairs. The booming knocking became louder, more urgent. The movement was mechanical, with no husband to answer the door for you, you checked the window first. The man who stood there was not a man you’d want to see. Not now, not back then. He had a wicked face that sat beneath a wide-brimmed hat that obscured the balding spot on top of his head.

God, not him. He was obsessed.

“Buenas noches, Doña O’Hara,” he peeped into the window.

“Bendito, don’t call me that,” you rushed out, the heavy wooden door slamming to a close behind you. “I’ve told you already, he is not here.”

“And I don’t believe you. First, your man-loving husband dies. Next, sightings of Miguel a town over. ¿Qué piensas? Hm? What comes after that?”

“My husband was trampled, Aaron. By a bull. He was a hard-working man who worked with violent cattle. These accidents happen. Why don’t you ask the undertaker?”

He wouldn’t. Although you don’t think Aaron is a complete idiot, he surely has his own motivations for which leads to follow and which leads to ignore. Your husband’s death was one of them.

“I’ll tell you what comes next. You come next. It’s only logical that he would come back to you. You have his daughter and all. Or… does he not know about that? I seem to recall him running out of here like a bat outta hell.”

“You’ve checked my property three times. Barn, basement, home. It’s been nine years, Aaron. Gloria a Dios, he’s probably remarried and forgotten me by now.”

“Not according to my reports.”

You hate the twinge of delight that comes from that admission. Your cheeks warm with blood, highlighting the rouge that sits across your cheeks. He chuckles caustically at how easily it shuts you up. Aaron takes a step forward, his deep leather boots creaking along the aged floorboards.

“What’d you want me to do with that information?”

“If he comes to see you, and I know he will,” he reached out for your chin. Your hand connects with his, shoving him back. “Tell me. You know, it’s a crime to kill another man without good cause.”

“You wanna catch Miguel for your own reasons, Aaron. Don’t bring none of that holier-than-thou bullshit to my footstep.”

“She can curse,” he laughs again. “Here I thought you were a good Christian woman.”

“Don’t try me,” He tries to corral you against the door. You flip your skirts up, his eyes following the motion. You seize the handgun strapped to your thigh, threatening to pull it on him. Aaron slides back, holding his calloused hands up. "Get off my property."

“I’m just saying. If you see him, you know where to find me. Who knows, you and I could work a lil something out.”

Even if you knew where he was, you would be hard-pressed to turn him into Aaron Delgado. You knew Miguel O’Hara would kill him. So, really, it was for his good. You watched him beat down the squeaky steps and mount his horse, fading into the distance of dark, twinkly stars. You probably shouldn’t be praying that robbers got ahold of him.

But only Diosito could judge you for that.

You dipped down to pick the lantern up, stepping off the steps to ensure that he was not just off your property, but properly gone. Then, seeing him set off toward town, you gazed up at the deep night sky. It was littered with an abundance of stars, massive and twinkling brilliantly. Miguel’s favorite constellations shone brightly in the sky. The Anglo called it-- Orion’s belt. Around here, it was named for the hunter: the deer, the pronghorn, and the sheep. You count each of the stars on your way back indoors to sleep in your empty bed.

You prayed Aaron’s hunt would be fruitless that night.

With your husband's untimely death came several complex decisions. Namely, what to do with his cattle hands and the animals under your care. You were fortunate enough to have support from the community in caring for the cattle, but you knew human affection did not last forever. You could sell his property at a scam of a price as a woman or you could keep it and work bitterly on the farm.

Or, as Aaron suggested today in the cover of concern, you could remarry yet again. It was nearly the only good option. Working wasn’t sustainable when you had a little girl to raise and a whole host of children to teach, as you always had. It would be nearly impossible to find someone like your dearly departed husband who knew your situation and couldn’t care less about it.

It’s good for a lil girl to have a father, he says. You know that-- but Aaron should be no one’s father. Not Gabriella’s. Miguel would’ve never approved. Neither did you.

You loosened beads of sweat from your hair as you returned inside, the ends of your skirt matted with dust. Gabriella would return home from school soon and you were fully intent on feeding her a slice of fresh peach pie.

You made your way into your home, your boots between your fingers. The smell of a smoky hearth piqued your attention. It didn’t arise from your great big wood stove that sat against the wall, ready to cook fresh tortillas, but the sort of hearth settled in the deep outdoors.

“Dios mío.”

Miguel sat there, plain as a field flower. His fingers tapped over the heavy wooden table, rolling in succession. He’s older than you remember-- jaw peppered with dark facial hair, his hair dark and wild, set away from his kind eyes that caught yours as quickly as you caught his. You dropped your boots at your feet, backing up once, twice.

“Don’t run, you won't get far,” his voice trilled, low and warm. Beside his sombrero on the table sat a thick rope and his gun, you don’t want to know which one he was planning to use today. His head twisted, a mused smile growing on his face. “You look so surprised, amor. You had to know I was coming.”

The nickname cut more than it used to. You had not been someone’s amor in a very long time. Married strictly by the weight of paper, you don’t exactly recall what the fleeting emotion of love felt like. Wisps of it licked a dead flame to life in your stomach.

“Miguel.”

“You look gorgeous,” Miguel hummed, turning his impossibly broad arms one over the other. You don’t remember him being this thick. He lurches onto his leather boots, taking a few practiced steps closer. Brilliant, you think, you’ve languished years thinking of this moment just to smell of sweat and cow shit. You suppose he’s smelled worse as an outlaw, a name that doesn’t quite fit the handsome man before you.

“You were always a bad liar.”

“Look, not smell.”

“My point stands,” you say.

Your normally practiced updo has gone frizzy, bits of hair escaping the clips that kept it flat against your head. Miguel’s eyes flickered over the strands, then down to your skin flush with blood and exhaustion.

“Mine too.”

You stared at him a moment longer before you found yourself laughing, just a light-- a small thing that you had failed to do over the past week. His death, and the subsequent funeral, was all too miserable. Now he was here and for a moment, just a brief thing, everything didn’t feel so earth-shatteringly dire.

He cracks a smile, drawing his hand to your flyaways, soothing it down against your head. You should be more angry at him-- settling you with a baby like he did and disappearing into the long grass with Widow and not a word more.

“I missed you,” you said quietly. His hand falls away from your head, drifting past his dark blue vest, and hooking at the fat metal belt buckle. “Pero… why are you here?”

“I heard Peter passed,” he said in a practiced tone. “I was a few towns over. Seeing how he’s taken good care of you all these years, I dropped in to say my dues to him. Came to see my girl too.”

The grief may not be readable in his eyes, but you know he’s practiced it in the same way you did for your Gabriella. Her only daddy was gone, deep in the cold earth. His words echoed in your ears, cutting through your grief bright and resonant. You wonder if he knew, but logically, you knew he couldn’t. Miguel always wanted to be a father.

“Who’d that be?”

“You,” Miguel turns your name over, making your name sound beautiful and light on his tongue. It’s sweet, like the peach pie cooling in your aged windows.

“After all these years?"

"Claro."

"You... shouldn't be here. You’re a wanted man,” you said. “Aaron is looking for you. You know that, right?”

“He's nothing to be concerned about.” Miguel shrugged off your suggestion. "I'm only wanted in these parts."

“Where else is there?” you said

“Out West. South. You take your pick,” Miguel lifted his hand, tracing your parched lower lip. “It don't matter to me. I seen all manner of places, like it here more than anywhere.”

"There's nothing here."

"Nothing but you."

You felt your stomach swoop, a delight filling it better than any meal you’d had. You parted your lips to say something else, to find a response that would fit-- to tell him the truth. But he left you then, came back when something fit better than the road. You wonder what fortune he must have made on the road that he’d come back. His hand caressed your cheek, rubbing it as if to soothe you. It didn’t.

“You think you can just go and come back like nothing happened? After what you did?”

The front door squeaked, dragging with a long hiss. Miguel peered over your shoulder as if it were instinctual, his hand snapping to the gun on his hip. You stopped him short of seizing his handgun. Gabriella bobbed in, closing the door tightly shut behind her. She wore a plain blue dress, fine ribbon braided in the updo she had on that day. She takes a few short steps forward before realizing who you were talking to.

“Mamá, I’m home!” she gasped. “That’s the man in the— in the flyer mamá--”

“Gabi go to your room.”

“I’m not--”

“Gabriella,” your voice went soft but stern. Nearly apologetic. You had been so hard on her lately. Miguel’s eyes dropped from Gabriella’s huge, doe-like eyes to her nose, then lips. His eyes sharpened, whipping back to look at you. “Por mí, okay? He won’t hurt me. Te prometo.”

She darted up the many steps to her room.

"Gabriella?" He stared at you uncomprehendingly. He quickly goes quiet, searching your eyes for something. You worry that he’s found the truth, your breath light as you walked over to your wooden stove, checking the flame and setting a pot of water that you brought from a nearby creek to bathe with. He follows you to the stove.

“My daughter is home. You should go,” you remarked, less of a command than a meek statement, floundering on your lips at the end. As delightful as it sounded, running off into some other territory, town, or world with Miguel-- it was unfeasible and irresponsible to be with a man whose name was stapled on the bulletin boards towns over.

“How old is she?”

"That's none of your business." Your outlaw hovers over you, absorbing the space, a bundle of heavy muscle and rage that plumes off his skin like the smell of sweat on your skin. It’s almost as if he can smell the regret seeping off your skin, despite knowing you couldn’t have done anything differently. No one told him and you could not reach him. Whatever the reason he stayed away, you were not the one he reached out to for updates.

“Tell me,” he growls, waves of anger causing his voice to shake. The tone is heartless, empty of the nights together, of slipping off with the old cattle hand at night and day, in the barn and the field. You’re stuck in the memory of your lovemaking with your vaquero, now your outlaw man. You missed him.

“Don’t do this. She could be listening.” You pad away from the stove to the window with the hope that he wouldn’t follow. He backs you up into the wall, his calloused hands so tight on his belt that you could draw lines of tension through his veins.

“You're not telling me because she’s mine,” he’s whispering, the words going through your chest, fizzling out into terrible pain. He reaches out, squeezing your hips to keep you put. Miguel leans into your space and buries you in his overwhelming scent.

“What do you want me to say?” you stare at his prominent muscles, the shift that is thrown open to expose his skin. He cups your jaw and throat with his large hand, forcing you to confront the truth. Your eyes blink closed, bits of tears dripping there. Miguel doesn’t have the patience for pity, or empathy, whichever the two you were looking for right then.

“I want you to tell me the truth. It's not hard.”

“Me telling you the truth changes a whole lot of nothing. You're putting her life at risk just being here. You're an outlaw,” you say, trying his rapidly evaporating patience. "You got a bounty on your head."

"It changes it all," he shoves you back into the window, a choked cry slipping from your throat. He doesn’t mean to hurt you, he meant to have the truth. Distantly, you were aware of Gabriella’s feet beating down the steps. You’re relatively certain she’d never gone all the way up to her room. In this creaky house you would have heard her door shut, the floorboards bounce. In either case, there’s no point running away from what you both know to be true.

“Sí, she’s your daughter,” you mustered the words in a bid to get it over with. Miguel always had to get his way. “Now what?”

Miguel flicked a look over his shoulder, marked by the heavy drag of his weighted firearm skidding across the wooden table. A life on the run will do that. Gabriella’s tiny hands slipped around his handgun.

“That ain't true!”

“Gabriella,” you cut her short. “Gabi, bebe, put that down.”

Miguel took a step back, pulling his head back slightly as you shifted in front of him. Her tiny head shook, over and over, tears pricking her bright brown eyes. You fooled yourself into thinking that she wouldn’t listen-- because your Gabi was a good girl. A wonderful good girl who liked nothing more but running in the field with the boys and brightly colored ribbons laced into her braids. She was also a mischievous girl who had been trying really, really hard to be good for you this week. Children had their limits.

“My papá is dead,” she said, her fingers trembling about the thing. Miguel’s head tilted in response, expecting you to take care of it. “His name was Peter and-- he liked sunsets and fluffy chocolate calves and--”

“Badly made blankets,” Miguel said lowly. Gabi lowered the gun, slowly, just an inch or two. “Shorn fabrics, uneven stitching, ugly colors.”

“He liked to make you smile-- be helpful,” he added. You snapped to look at Miguel as he rose his hand to his hips, gazing at the floor and rocking. He waits another moment, noting how Gabriella’s head nodded, rubbing away the tears that dripped off the corner of her eyes with her shoulder. She set the gun down on the table.

“You knew my papá?” she turns her arms one over another. “How?”

“He was my friend.”

“Mamá?” she looked toward you, seeking an answer from someone who wasn’t a face on a wanted paper with a reward of 2099 dollars.

“Peter was your papá but-- Miguel is your padre, mija,” you breathed hard, exhausted from years of suppression. She looks at you, not used to this level of betrayal. Her eyes are distant, somewhere in her tiny memories. She whips around and runs out the back door. Miguel turns his eye out the window, her tiny body disappearing into the deep green fields. The sun blinds your eyes as you look out to the fields full of cattle. He reaches for his rope and gun, settling them in their respective places.

“¡Déjala! She needs time alone.”

He heads out the backdoor. He never did listen well.

[ghost-in-the-hall]

Upcoming Fics! (2/5/25)

Hello there! So, I think I'm going to get back into making these weekly/bi-weekly just so you guys can see what's in my lineup. For anyone that has made requests, I have them on my list, if I haven't published them yet and you've been waiting for a while it's just because the fic is a bit longer and taking me a bit more time to write, but it's coming! So, to clear up any concerns, this is what we have coming up...

Piercings (Chris x Reader x Paul) SMUT - Reader is given the task of piercing Chris's ears, the pair have other plans for her once they get her alone

The Baptism (Charles x Reader) SMUT - the long awaited continuation of The Sacrilege Series. Reader has made the decision to be baptized into the church. Charles, as her mentor for the ceremony, wants to do anything to help ease her nerves. However, the temptation of having her within arms reach may prove too much to bear as he struggles to keep wandering thoughts in check

Slipknot x Musician! Reader FLUFF/DRABBLES - there's going to be 2 of these - first, what the guys would be like with a whimsical, Fiona Apple-esque musician. The second, what the guys would be like with a girlfriend who works in a different genre.

Untitled Paul Gray Smut - Paul takes you out on a date now that he's home from tour. After a lovely afternoon together you find yourselves alone at his house...

Band of Sister's, Band of Thieves REWRITE - I'm still a ways off from being able to publish the updated version of this, but Powerwolf friends don't fret, the knights are coming back eventually.

I'm also attempting to get some Valentine's Day specials done, it might happen, it might not, we'll see what I can get done lol. If your request is missing off this list or there's something you would like to request that doesn't fall under any of this, feel free to message me!

(This also isn't everything either, just what I'm relatively close to finishing)

[phoenixtakaramono]

OPERATION BABYLON - PART VI

aka the butchlander sugar baby AU.

We have the first reader interactive poll for this threadfic! I recommend reading the update to the end (with a detailed breakdown of each choice) before making your decision.

Tumblr Navigation (note I have not shared the prologue here with its premise setup; I’ve only started sharing this twitter threadfic on tumblr starting from the 2nd 🔞 scene): I | II | III | IV | V | VI

Update Schedule: weekly/ biweekly

(You can read the rest of the threadfic update here!)

Keep in mind, all of my AU Butchlander threadfics on Twitter are the unpolished first draft versions of what’ll eventually be polished up into long fics on AO3 under the Shock and Awe series. So you may regard this threadfic as an experimental first prototype and exclusive preview whose contents may or may not be changed in the future final draft version. We’re just loosely playing around with ideas and concepts for now!

If you don’t have a Twitter account, screenshots are provided below the line break so you can read this update on Tumblr as well:

A more-in-depth breakdown of the choices:

A) Tell the truth. To avoid suspicion, Billy lays low and comes up with an excuse that he's booked for the whole day plays hard to get. It'll lead to Homelander running into "William out on a date" with another Supe—and a jealous Homelander running interference lol and sabotaging it, potentially leading to a "private tour" at The Seven meeting room and some 🔞 inappropriate office s*x ;) the setting depends if I decide to have it as a Vought HQ gala event or a Capes for Christ baptism

The payoff: a lead into the investigation The con: Billy's relationship with one of his long-time regulars is irreversibly damaged (it'll come bite him in the arse much later in the threadfic)

B) Homelander wants to be his sugar daddy. So Billy wants to test that and see if he can get our caped crusader to unknowingly fund his little CIA operation by exaggerating his rent and monthly overhead costs to tug at the hero's supposed generous philanthropist heartstrings. It'll lead to the sugar baby/daddy relationship being developed more aka a lil à la Pretty Woman-styled "shopping spree" with Homelander raining gifts on Billy's head say bye bye to Billy's CIA-assigned base, potentially leading to a 🔞 scene for "William to show him his gratitude"

The payoff: a bigger base and money for a more in-depth investigation The con: Homelander will lowkey stalk monitor him, so it'll be harder to keep his covert activities a secret from him or sneak out

C) The cute "Waiting for you :)" type of option. Billy doubles down on the act and reforms himself into Homelander's dream lover. It's tooth-rotting romantic fluff and flirty back-and-forth banter between them, but keep in mind what'll happen when Homelander inevitably realizes the "William who's literally almost perfect in every way and is too good to be true" isn't actually real much much much later as a direct consequence of this early choice.

The payoff: a happy Homelander (speedrun gaining his trust and affection by taking our bbg on dates <3) The con: the future fallout (and reconciliation) will be much more dramatic

Choose your poison! You can also vote on Twitter (link to the poll). I will add the final results together, and we’ll see which story route comes out on top.

A/N: A bit of Billy’s POV as we begin to pull back the curtains. How deep does this rabbithole of deception go? Far. Very far. Did y'all see the twist with Popclaw? Didn't expect that, did ya?

I am, by the way, open to ⚠️🔞 reader suggestions~. I make no promises that I’ll write it, but this threadfic is meant as a shameless excuse to write 🔞 butchlander spice, haha, and provide y’all some content during our butchlander drought. I have one reader suggestion thus far, and it involves candle wax. 🕯️

[areyoudreaminof]

If you don’t mind, can you share more about growing up in the Mormon church? If this is too personal feel free to ignore!

Not too personal at all, just still trying to work out my feelings. Deconstructing is an ongoing process. More under the cut!

Long story short, it was extremely difficult. Not just the rules of the religion itself, the word of wisdom, modesty, chastity, etc, but culturally it was tough. I grew up in a suburb where everyone was Mormon. My school peers also went to church with me and I saw them seven days a week.

In an orthodox culture like that, you get torn between conforming and standing out. My family was a mixed marriage. My mother had divorced my biological father after having three children and married my (step) dad who raised us. They were married in the temple later, but as children of her first marriage, my sisters and I could not participate in the sealing, which hurt at the time.

Our family was always seen as trashy and sinful for some reason we’ve never been able to figure out. My mother was a missionary when women really didn’t go on missions in the early 80’s. We never missed church, mutual (weekly youth activities) camps, or anything. We devoted our lives to the church and ward and we still weren’t enough.

From a personal perspective, I felt like a complete outsider because of my weight, and general quirks that I know now to be autism spectrum disorder. One of my most intense experiences was being told by a Young Women’s leader that marriage was the most important thing and I should work on my weight and appearance if I wanted to get there. I was 13.

My mother and I fought constantly. She was too busy with her callings in church to notice I was being bullied at school and in church. I was distant from my siblings and I didn’t have much of a safe space.

From the faith perspective, can you lose faith if you never really had it? I’d sit and listen for the spirit to speak to me and it never did. I took the sacrament, I went to seminary, I did my baptisms for the dead, but I never felt close to God, let alone any sort of heavenly presence. But I was terrified to admit it to myself.

I stopped going to church when I was 18. My mother and younger siblings still went. Two of my sisters got pregnant out of wedlock, and we were shamed again. Never mind I got a wonderful niece and nephew. No, that was a grave sin. So I told myself that I would be like Martin Harris, I would leave the organization but still hold my “faith” so I would not lose family or friends.

In 2013, I read the CES Letter and the shelf broke completely. I won’t go into detail, but it was a lot. I resigned and left. Each of my siblings followed, then my dad, and finally my mother.

We’re no longer Mormon and we’re much happier for it. We’re closer as a family. My mom is my best friend, something I NEVER thought would happen. One of my best friends is still an active member of the church, and it’s members like her that are making the church a better place.

I still struggle with guilt, shame, my feelings of inferiority and body dysmorphia growing up in the church. It did teach me a lot though. I still like to serve my neighbors and friends, it taught me to be reliable and taught me a lot of patience. I also know some amazing hymns and scripture. I think now my perspective is mixed.

[longwindedbore]

Perhaps Conservative Christians should worry less about the 10 Commandments in Public Schools and INSTEAD ACTUALLY PROMINENTLY DISPLAY the Commandments in their OWN Churches facing the parishioners in the pews?

Then ACTUALLY REMOVE from Church leadership positions those pastors, ministers, elders, youth ministers, counselors, teachers, etc who violate the Commandments by theft, sexual assault, pedophillia, adultry etc.

We see reports weekly of ‘straying’, ‘falling’, being tempted beyond their strength’ and other mealy-mouth platitudes that IGNORE that these people ‘called’ to Service then DELIBERATELY chose to HURT other people.

Although FORGIVING is a virtue reinstalling these people to leadership is idiotic.

Certainly Public Schools don’t reinstate teachers and administrators who steal or assault people.

==================================

Is it just me? But I cannot recall any Church I attended on Sundays or went to for a baptism, wedding or funeral.

I guess it just isn’t me.

===================================

Of course the sad reality is that many/most of these denominations are simply non-profit corporations in the business of selling - on the installment plan - ‘protection’ from the alleged wrath of the Supreme-Narcissist-in-the-sky.

In order to do so it’s ESSENTIAL that the the non-profit corporation began terrorizing five and six year old children of parishioners who were themselves terrorized at five or six years old. Just as their parents and all their ancestors back through centuries

So that as adults they donate regularly and they aren’t going to expel the ‘called-to-service’ appointees placed over them.

Because to question any platitude, however inane, is to open the door to ‘Satan tempting you to eternal punishment’. A Terror instilled at a very young age.

In the 21st Century as US Christian numbers decline and their denominations splinter into ever smaller spin-offs, their only hope to expand is to shove the Terror down our throats.

They don’t get it there’s nothing inherently scary about the 10 Commandments that are going to terrify public school kids. There’s no punishment described.

It’s the Terrorizing INDOCTRINATION they received in their individual denominations as small children that makes everything about their Deity and their Bible so terrifying to them.

====================================

{Yes, in my time in various denominations I encountered many who were not in terror. Who lived the virtues extoled by Jesus}. But every denomination and a large segment of the terrorized-by-narcissists.}

[fenris-returns]

sorry if this is cringe or too personal of a question, but what does north euro pagan living day-to-day look like? are there daily prayers or rituals you do, do you talk to family members that have passed? do you take any aspects of Christianity and repurpose them towards your faith? like baptisms or confessions or really anything I guess, since they're repurposed a lot of pagan holy days and rituals for themselves, idk I'm still really new to this and its hard to find guys that aren't cringe or like, wiccan lol. or OLD

Not cringe at all! I think it’s fair. To be honest my daily habits probably aren’t terribly different from most peoples, although I do make sure to find time in the middle of the day and the evening to at least say thanks or prayers. It’s nothing special, just reaching out. As far as holidays and baptism and things of that nature, it’s important to know that Europeans were baptizing by sprinkling water over children long before Christianity came to Europe. Norse naming ceremonies for a newborn child included the father sprinkling water over the child and speaking their name. The more you can absorb historically to give yourself context for how many “Christian” ideals are actually just European traditions and morals, the better.

Weekly I sit down in front of the altar and bow my head and pray with an offering, usually of something worthwhile like alcohol or food that’s been made from scratch, and offerings should be left outside as often as possible. It’s important to remember two things, in my opinion, regarding prayer and offerings.

Number one, the gods are not vending machines. I don’t sit down every week and ask to win the lottery or for a raise at work or something like that. I ask for guidance, I ask for strength, I ask for wisdom, and I thank them for everything they’ve done for me so far. I make offerings because I love the gods and they take care of me, not because I’m hoping to get something out of it. This separates me from Christians because this is not an attempt at getting a ticket into heaven by going to church and making offerings. This is from my heart and soul, straight to the gods themselves.

Number two, you are not equals with them. They are the GODS, not just some human ancestors. We are their flesh and blood, and you ought to take pride in this, but we are simply still human beings. You need to make offerings, and it needs to be something worthwhile. It should cost you blood, sweat, and tears if possible. It’s not about your suffering, or to fulfill the monetary needs of a church - it is to show your continued devotion and your thankfulness for what has been given in the past.

Oh, and on one last thing, on your question about speaking to dead family members, do not do that. They’re dead. Don’t disturb their peace, or worse yet, get something else in your home in the mix. My cousin spent many years trying to communicate with her late brother, my other cousin, and she has suffered greatly for it. The dead can speak to us when we die and join them, and those that ride with the wild hunt are doing more important things, anyway. Just my two cents.

Also hey man I’m KIND of old now. I’m turning fucking 30 in a couple months 🥲

[skyloftian-nutcase]

Hey lofty

So your Catholic right? Im curious and kinda considering becoming a Catholic but don’t really know anything about it, if it’s not to much could you give like a basic explanation of what you believe, what you have to do, what you can’t do, etc?

Thank you

Well hi! :D

I am Catholic, yes, and very happy to hear from you. :) There's a lot to Catholicism, but the basic premise of our beliefs can be found in a prayer we call the Nicene Creed. I'll post it below, along with more specific answers to your questions. I feel like it's hard to go into a blanket statement about all of this, but I will try. Please feel free to reach out to me via dm (or if that's too intimidating you can do asks without anon and I can answer privately if you like) for details because it's a lot of info and details and I tend to be hesitant about posting complicated things for the whole world to see an misinterpret. I think I'm still just a little bleh from earlier, though, so if you truly aren't comfortable you can simply ask on anon too.

So! "basic explanation of what we believe" = our Nicene Creed, also called our profession of faith that we pray weekly:

"I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth,  of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,  the Only Begotten Son of God,  born of the Father before all ages.  God from God, Light from Light,  true God from true God,  begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;  through him all things were made.  For us men and for our salvation  he came down from heaven,  and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,  and became man.  For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,  he suffered death and was buried,  and rose again on the third day  in accordance with the Scriptures.  He ascended into heaven  and is seated at the right hand of the Father.  He will come again in glory  to judge the living and the dead  and his kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,  who proceeds from the Father and the Son,  who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,  who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.  I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins  and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead  and the life of the world to come."

There's a lot to unpack in that, so if you want to talk more, please feel free to each out. :)

Next questions! "What you have to do/what you can't do" We have something called the Ten Commandments that serves as a basic rulebook we go off:

I am the LORD your God: you shall not have strange Gods before me. (i.e. prioritize God first)

You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain. (self explanatory)

Remember to keep holy the LORD'S Day. (go to Mass on Sunday)

Honor your father and your mother. (give respect to elders)

You shall not kill. (do not harm others, do not wish them harm in any way, do not hold grudges or anger towards others)

You shall not commit adultery. (do not lust, do not use others or look at others as objects for your own pleasure, respect your body and other's bodies)

You shall not steal. (self explanatory)

 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. (don't lie)

You shall not covet your neighbor's wife.

You shall not covet your neighbor's goods. (these last two essentially are about not being jealous and not being selfish, respecting others' boundaries and their worth)

Jesus himself summarizes it all pretty well into what we call the Golden Rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Essentially, the commandments break down to "respect God and put him first in your life, respect others and treat them with love."

Hope this helps! :)

[crap-copper]

It's not just converting others to Christainity, but their Christainity

I'm Catholic and I was invited to join a weekly game night at some Protestant church (idk what kind it is), which I was excited to join because making friends as an adult is hard

Now everyone there is nice and I enjoy hanging out with them, but the pastor, who leads the game night, hfft, he's nice, friendly, I like hanging out with him, but this "friendship" has continously come with a catch

He asked me and another friend to check out a sermon of his, we were down to do despite not being members of his church 1) to support him (it was a newly open church and he's new to pastoring) 2) to experience a different form of worship (it's a journey we've been on) and that was a mistake on my part

I went to a second one because he seemed to really want me there and I had trouble with setting boundaries, but I eventually told him, I enjoy the game night, but I am not Protestant, I'm Catholic, and I rather be attending my own church (a lie technically, I rather be Catholic, but I don't attend church ever really for my own reasons)

"That's cool, " he said "as long as you're finding Jesus" I disagreed with the statement (Jesus isn't a part of everyone's journey), but I was happy he was respecting my boundaries

Except he didn't

No, he had continued to invite me to his church after I said I didn't want to attend to the point where I couldn't go support a friend's baptism because it was held at his church and I didn't want to make him think I was interested

He always seems so nice and cool, but I've been put in such an awkward position of wanting to keep going to the game nights because of the friends I've made, but I know that I might also have to deal with him pushing against my boundaries

something that rly creeps me out…..occasionally ill see videos or articles for christians or christian missionaries that say something like “what you need to do is make friends with non christians and really get them to trust you and THEN you start preaching to them and bringing them to jesus” and that is….man how much would it hurt to know that the only reason someone’s hanging out with you is to convert you to a religion you were never interested in. maybe this is a real friend, someone you really really feel like you connect to, and all of a sudden you cant hang out with them without being scared they’ll bring out the jesus stuff.

[noctisrosary]

i. 𝐍𝐎𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐀𝐑𝐘 — you've bitten every hand that has ever reached for you because pain is all you've ever known them to be capable of, and it's a lesson you won't suffer twice.

(    willow allen,  cis woman,  she/her    )    𓉸    marrow’s  own REVNA GORE,  age  25,  passed  away  on  FEBRUARY 24TH.  loved  ones  report  that  they  were  extremely  CAPTIVATING  and  express  discontent  with  rumors  that  describe  them  as  ENIGMATIC.  according  to  town  gossip,  their  death  was  due  to  DROWNING IN A BAPTISMAL FONT  —  which  is  strange,  because  i  could  have  sworn  that  i  saw  them  at SANCTUARY  CHURCH last  night.

after evening mass, the sacristan found her body submerged in the font — white dress fanned out like a lily, water still trembling as if she had only just slipped beneath it. a holy accident? a symbolic suicide? or a miracle gone wrong? no one knows why she was alone in the church that night.

VIRTUE : CHASTITY.

SIN : ENVY.

chastity — rose - limned, frost - wrapped crown. how pale and luminous you burn in the cloistered hollows of her ribcage, nestled between psalms and stifled sighs, like a votive candle guttering before an apparition. she walks, that girl, not upon pavement but upon mystery, her shoes hushed by the velvet gravity of half - truths. her presence is a benediction — your eyes blur from the scent of frankincense and withheld affection.

she speaks in parables, not language. her rosary beads are not only for prayer but for concealment, clicking like tiny bones with every clandestine thought she threads into them. there is virtue in her silence, a cloistered thing — tight - lipped, pale - throated, preserved not by innocence but by the terrible beauty of self - denial.

but envy, how it stirs in your viscera at the sight of her perfection, her opaqueness, her sovereign right to remain unknowable. you, who long to touch even the hem of her interior world, who burn to be chosen among her confessions — how you hate those whom she allows closer. every glance she gives another is a theft. every secret kept from you is an execution in slow degrees.

and yet, what divine torment it is. the distance, to be damned by longing for what she will never reveal. she is cathedral and confessional, both sanctuary and judgment. you would set fire to her veil just to see the soul it conceals — then burn with guilt forever after.

SECRETS.

i. " borrowed " a saint’s relic — just a sliver of bone. a fragment tucked into her sock after a church trip to rome. she says she just wanted it close, wanted to know what holiness feels like against the skin.

ii. she pretends to go to confession, but never speaks — she kneels in the confessional weekly, breathing in the incense - drenched silence — but she never says a word. she likes how it feels to be almost known, with the priest waiting behind the screen, never guessing she’s there for the hush, not the absolution.

iii. she was in love with her theology teacher — not a schoolgirl crush — a sacred, terrifying, poetic kind of love. she thought god might be punishing her with it, or maybe she’s being tested. either way, she prayed for him every night, then touched herself after.

iv. she doesn’t believe in hell — but pretends to — she knows what she’s supposed to believe, but in her bones, she’s sure : no potency, no gnashing of teeth. just silence. she never tells anyone, because doubt, in her house, is worse than sin.

v. she once buried a bible in the garden — she wanted to see if it would grow into something. a tree, maybe. or a voice.

[americanfiberpools]

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Less brushing is needed.

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Use a fine-mesh skimmer to remove leaves, bugs, and debris floating on the water.

Doing this daily helps prevent debris from sinking and staining the pool surface.

2. Vacuum Weekly

Use a manual or automatic pool vacuum designed for fiberglass surfaces.

Target the pool floor and hard-to-reach corners.

Tip: Avoid stiff-bristled brushes that can damage the gel coat.

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Brush the pool walls and steps once a week using a soft-bristle brush.

Focus on waterline areas where sunscreen, body oils, and dirt tend to accumulate.

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Chemical Ideal Range

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Alkalinity 80 – 120 ppm

Calcium Hardness 200 – 400 ppm

Chlorine 1 – 3 ppm

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5. Shock the Pool Bi-Weekly

Apply a non-chlorine shock or oxidiser every 2 weeks.

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6. Clean the Filter Regularly

Backwash sand or DE filters.

Remove and rinse cartridge filters.

This ensures maximum water circulation and filtration.

7. Inspect for Stains

Fiberglass is stain-resistant, but not stain-proof.

Common stain culprits:

Organic debris (leaves, berries)

Metals (iron, copper in water)

Sunscreen or oils

Use a vitamin C tablet to test. If it lightens the stain, it’s metal-based. Use an appropriate stain remover.

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No! Avoid household cleaning products like bleach or abrasive scrubs.

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Use pool-specific fiberglass-safe cleaners.

Avoid anything that could dull or scratch the surface.

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[the-single-element]

Good morning.

Since Jesus's baptism, Luke has described Jesus going from town to town, teaching, working miracles, and "proclaiming the good news".

But so far, even if we're reading Luke's account directly and not just the weekly Missal excerpts, only the miracles have really happened "on camera". Perhaps those are enough for Jesus to be "praised by all", enough to have "news of him spread throughout the whole region". But it makes it easy to wonder: what exactly was he teaching in those early days?

We know that, later, Jesus will use various parables to get his ideas across, to try to communicate the logic of another world, at once bewilderingly alien and achingly familiar. He'll find that there are no words to directly express what he has to say that won't be misunderstood.

But that's not his strategy in today's excerpt from Luke, where we first start to see his doctrine discussed in detail. He's not carefully climbing up to his point with metaphor and allusion. No, Jesus is throwing a refreshingly straight pitch – and it's all the more jarring for being so simple and unambiguous.

Because when we heard this litany of aphorisms – often called the "beatitudes" – from Matthew, they were about a person's state of mind. To be "poor in spirit", to be "pure of heart" or "merciful", to "hunger and thirst for justice". These fit the pattern of the Kingdom as Matthew's Good News framed it: a revolution that must begin as change of heart and perspective.

But the version we hear from Luke is different. It cuts past those qualifiers and says that the poor – not "in spirit", the literal poor – are more fortunate than the rich. That we should be more worried about earthly fortune than earthly misfortune. That we should be glad if we're doing something unpopular but morally correct, and apprehensive if we seem to be too popular (because it's evidence we may have damaged our moral sense to preserve that popularity).

In short, we're hearing Jesus clearly explain, from the very beginning, the moral dangers of setting our hedonic treadmills too high, of being "bribed" by our comfortable lives (and the threat of having to give up that comfort) to not respond to the Kingdom's opportunities.

This is… characteristic of Luke's good news. Of all the evangelists, he was the one who took most firmly to heart Jesus's warnings about the dangers of wealth in particular. Throughout his account of Jesus's teachings this year, we'll find sayings which Matthew phrased as being about the heart, and Luke phrases as being about the physical particulars of our lifestyles (which, after all, affect our hearts too).

Jeremiah certainly recognized the logic of the beatitudes as Luke tells them. For one thing, Jeremiah's story – his prophecies pitted against those of the false prophets – is directly referenced as an example of when being on God's side required being unpopular. But even beyond that, the snippet of Jeremiah's prophecy that we read today reminds us of another factor in play here: earthly comforts pass away. They can be lost, suddenly, without warning or recourse. Thieves steal, rust corrodes, moths eat holes in clothes.

If we get stuck in the logic of this world, what hope do we have to survive such disasters? If we're trusting in the physical world, then physical misfortune can deprive us of everything we'd been counting on to save us.

The answer, of course, is to turn to the Kingdom's logic instead: where great misfortune gives us an opportunity to dig just a little deeper, just a little farther beyond our loss, and touch something nourishing and abundant and eternal.

What Jesus will try to explain by example and parable and implication in the years ahead, he's saying openly here at the beginning: woe to the comfortable who are trapped by that comfort in the paradigm of this world, where death is inevitable and our faith is in vain. Woe to those who have swaddled themselves in so much comfort that they can no longer brave the cold to help the beggar at their door. And blessed are the poor, because – like that widow in Jerusalem who donated her bottom dollar, or the one in Zarephath who shared her last handful of bread – the Kingdom of Heaven and its promise of resurrection is, for them, already within arm's reach.

[brookston]

Holidays 1.7

Holidays

American Bank Day

Charlie Hebdo Day (France)

Distaff Day (Medieval Europe)

Estelle Reel Day (Wyoming)

Flash Gordon Day

Harlem Globetrotter’s Day

Hydrogen Bomb Day

I'm Not Going To Take It Anymore Day

International Programmers' Day

International Silly Walk Day

Invisible Pain Day

Io, Europa, Gandymede, & Callisto Discovery Day (Jupiter’s Moons; 1610)

Jupiter’s Moons Day

Limestone Day (French Republic)

Millard Fillmore Day

National Bobblehead Day

National Job Hunting Day

National Nicholas Cage Day

National Old Rock Day

National Pass Gas Day

National Plagiarism Day (Ghana)

National Run-For-Your-Life Day

No Pants Subway Ride Day

Old Rock Day (a.k.a. Rock Day)

Palestinian Martyrs’ Day (Palestine)

Pioneer’s Day (Liberia)

Remembrance Day of the Dead (Armenia)

Tommy Johnson Day

Tumbes Anniversary Day (Peru)

Usokae (Bullfinch Exchange Day; Japan)

Victory from Genocide Day (Cambodia)

World Day of the Postage Stamp

Food & Drink Celebrations

Jinjitsu (Festival of Seven Herbs; Japan)

Nanakusa no Sekku (Festival of Seven Herbs; Japan)

National Tempura Day

Nature Celebrations

Camellia Day (Japanese Camellia; Alabama)

National Alaskan Malamute Day

Tulip (Broken Heart; Korean Birth Flowers)

Independence, Flag & Related Days

Bascal (Declared; 2009) [unrecognized]

Constitution Day (Ghana)

Empire of Agber (Declared; 1998) [unrecognized]

Festa del Tricolour (Tricolour Day or Flag Day; Italy)

Matthew City (Declared; 2016) [unrecognized]

New Year’s Days

Sekhmet (Ancient Egyptian New Year's)

1st Tuesday in January

Finalize Your Resolutions Day [1st Tuesday]

Taco Tuesday [Every Tuesday]

Takeout Tuesday [1st Tuesday of Each Month]

Target Tuesday [Every Tuesday]

Tater Tot Tuesday [Every Tuesday]

To-Do List Tuesday [1st Tuesday of Each Month]

Tranquil Tuesday [1st Tuesday of Each Month]

Trivia Tuesday [Every Tuesday]

Two For Tuesday [Every Tuesday]

Weekly Holidays beginning January 7 (1st Full Week of January)

Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week (thru 1.14)

No Tillage Week (thru 1.10)

Festivals Beginning January 7, 2025

Consumer Electronics Show (Las Vegas, Nevada) [thru 1.10]

Dakota Farm Show (Vermillion, South Dakota) [thru 1.9]

Keystone Farm Show (York, Pennsylvania) [thru 1.9]

Munich Fasching Carnival (Munich, Germany) [thru 3.4]

The MusicFest at Steamboat (Steamboat Springs, Colorado) [thru 1.10]

Topeka Farm Show (Topeka, Kansas) [thru 1.9]

Feast Days

Aldric (Christian; Saint)

André Bessette (Canada)

Baptism of the Lord (Christian)

Bl. Widukind, Duke of Saxony (Christian; Saint)

Canute Lavard (Christian; Martyr)

Charles of Sezze (Christian; Saint)

Council of the Holy Prophet John the Baptist (Romania)

Distaff Day (a.k.a. Saint Distaff’s Day; Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Easter Day (Sudan)

Feast of Sekhmet (Ancient Egypt)

Felix and Januarius (Christian; Saint)

John the Baptist (Eastern Orthodox Church)

Justicia I: Themis’s Day (Pagan)

Koshogatsu (Shinto Goddess Izanami)

Lucian of Antioch (Christian; Saint)

Merelots (Remembrance Day of the Dead; Armenian Apostolic Church)

Nativity of Christ (Orthodox Christian)

No Knitting Day (Pastafarian)

Numa (Positivist; Saint)

Palestinian Martyrs’ Day

Raymond of Penyafort (Christian; Saint)

Reinold (Christian; Saint)

Rudder Rabbit (Muppetism)

Russ Meyer Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Say No To Knickers Day (Pastafarian)

Synaxis of John the Forerunner & Baptist (Coptic)

Thirty-Three Day (Celtic Book of Days)

Tillo (Christian; Saint)

Valentine (Christian; Saint)

Orthodox Christian Liturgical Calendar Holidays

Orthodox Christmas (a.k.a. ...

Bozic (Serbia)

Christmas (Russia, Eastern Europe)

Christmas Remembrance Holiday (Armenia)

Coptic Christmas (Egypt)

Craciunul Pe Stil Vechi (Moldova)

Eastern Christmas (Sudan)

Genna (Ethiopia)

Krishtlindjet Ortodoske (Kosovo)

Leddet (Coptic; Eritrea)

Secular Saints Days

Charles Addams (Artist)

Nicolson Baker (Writer)

Albert Bierstadt (Artist)

Nicholas Cage (Entertainment)

Pascal Dagnan-Bouveret (Artist)

Zora Neale Hurston (Writer)

Robert Juniper (Artist)

Robert Longo (Artist)

Jeremy Renner (Entertainment)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Fatal Day (Pagan) [2 of 24]

Perilous Day (13th Century England) [5 of 32]

Prime Number Day: 7 [4 of 72]

Sensho (先勝 Japan) [Good luck in the morning, bad luck in the afternoon.]

Umu Limnu (Evil Day; Babylonian Calendar; 1 of 60)

Premieres

Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2), by Pink Floyd (Song; 1980)

The Ascent of Man, by Jacob Bronowski (History Book; 1973)

The Avengers (BBC TV Series; 1961)

Bad Day at Black Rock (Film; 1955)

Batty Man, Parts 1 & 2 (Underdog Cartoon, S3, Eps. 29 & 30; 1967)

The B.B. Beagle Show (Hanna-Barbera TV Pilot; 1980)

The Birthday Party (Disney Cartoon; 1931)

Boston Cooking-School Cook Book (Cook Book; 1896)

Building a Building (Mickey Mouse Disney Cartoon; 1933)

The Butcher of Seville (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1944)

Cannery Woe (WB LT Cartoon; 1961)

Changes, by David Bowie (Song; 1972)

Crossroads of Twilight, by Robert Jordan (Novel; 2003) [Wheel of Time #10]

Empire (TV Series; 2015)

Fame (Film; 1982)

Fred Ott’s Sneeze (Early Short Film; 1894)

Hare-Brained Boris or The Dumb Bunny (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S5, Ep. 246; 1964)

Henry V, by William Shakespeare (Play; 1605)

Homeless Homer (Oscar the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1929)

Hooch Coochie Man, recorded by Muddy Waters (Song; 1954)

Horse Shoo (Loopy De Loop Cartoon; 1965)

The Hustler, by Walter Tevis (Novel; 1959)

The Image of the City, by Kevin Lynch (Science Book; 1960)

Lion Hunt (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1938)

Little Quacker (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 1950)

The Lone Stranger and Porky (WB LT Cartoon; 1939)

Mckeesport on the Prod or The Pennsylvania Poker (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S5, Ep. 240; 1964)

Mules and Men, by Zora Neale Hurston (Folklore; 1935)

The New Homestead (Scrappy Cartoon; 1938)

Operation Shanghai (Chilly Willy Cartoon; 1967)

Paranoid, by Black Sabbath (Album; 1971)

The Pelican and the Snipe (Disney Cartoon; 1944)

Pop Team Epic (a.k.a. Poptepipic, Anime TV Series; 2018)

Pretenders, by The Pretenders (Album; 1980)

Rhapsody in Blue, Score Completed by George Gershin (Composition for Piano & Jazz Band; 1924)

Robinson Crusoe Isle (Oscar the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1935)

Saturnin, by Zdeněk Jirotka (Novel; 1942)

The Shanty Where Santa Claus Lives (WB MM Cartoon; 1933)

Spitfire Girl, by Jackie Moggridge (memoir; 1957)

The Spirit of ’43 (Disney Cartoon; 1943)

Start Mater, by Gioacchino Rossini (Opera; 1842)

Suddenly Last Summer, by Tennessee Williams (Play; 1958)

University of Glasgow founded (School; 1450)

Werewolf of the Timberland (Animated TV Show;Jonny Quest #17; 1965)

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist (TV Series; 2020)

Today’s Name Days

Raimund, Valentin (Austria)

Ioan, Ioana, Ivan, Ivanka, Ivayla, Ivaylo, Ivet, Kaloyan, Vanya, Vanyo, Yoan, Yoana, Zhan, Zhana (Bulgaria)

Lucijan, Rajmund, Zorislav (Croatia)

Vilma (Czech Republic)

Knud (Denmark)

Hirvo, Kanut, Nuut, Susi (Estonia)

Aku, August, Aukusti (Finland)

Aldric, Cédric, Raymond (France)

Reinhold, Valentin (Germany)

Gianna, Giannis, Ioanna, Ioannis, Jeannette, John, Prodromos, Yanna, Yannis (Greece)

Attila, Ramóna (Hungary)

Luciano, Raimondo (Italy)

Juliāns, Rota, Zigmārs (Latvia)

Julius, Liucijus, Raudvilė, Rūtenis (Lithuania)

Eldbjørg, Knut (Norway)

Chociesław, Izydor, Julian, Lucjan, Walenty (Poland)

Ioan (Romania)

Bohuslava (Slovakia)

Raimundo (Spain)

August, Augusta (Sweden)

Alda, Aldea, Alden, Aldo, Aldric, Canute, Knut, Knute, Millard, Miller (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 7 of 2025; 358 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 2 of Week 2 of 2025

Celtic Tree Calendar: Ruis (Elder) [Day 17 of 28]

Chinese: Month 12 (Ding-Chou), Day 8 (Bing-Zi)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Coptic: 29 Kiyahk 1741

Hebrew: 7 Teveth 5785

Islamic: 7 Rajab 1446

J Cal: 7 White; Seventhday [7 of 30]

Julian: 25 December 2024

Moon: 58%: Waxing Gibbous

Positivist: 7 Moses (1st Month) [Numa]

Runic Half Month:Peorth (Womb, Dice Cup) [Day 1 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 18 of 90)

Week: 1st Full Week of January

Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 17 of 30)

Calendar Changes

Peorth (Womb, Dice Cup) [Half-Month 2 of 24; Runic Half-Months] (thru 1.21)

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 1.7

Holidays

American Bank Day

Charlie Hebdo Day (France)

Distaff Day (Medieval Europe)

Estelle Reel Day (Wyoming)

Flash Gordon Day

Harlem Globetrotter’s Day

Hydrogen Bomb Day

I'm Not Going To Take It Anymore Day

International Programmers' Day

International Silly Walk Day

Invisible Pain Day

Io, Europa, Gandymede, & Callisto Discovery Day (Jupiter’s Moons; 1610)

Jupiter’s Moons Day

Limestone Day (French Republic)

Millard Fillmore Day

National Bobblehead Day

National Job Hunting Day

National Nicholas Cage Day

National Old Rock Day

National Pass Gas Day

National Plagiarism Day (Ghana)

National Run-For-Your-Life Day

No Pants Subway Ride Day

Old Rock Day (a.k.a. Rock Day)

Palestinian Martyrs’ Day (Palestine)

Pioneer’s Day (Liberia)

Remembrance Day of the Dead (Armenia)

Tommy Johnson Day

Tumbes Anniversary Day (Peru)

Usokae (Bullfinch Exchange Day; Japan)

Victory from Genocide Day (Cambodia)

World Day of the Postage Stamp

Food & Drink Celebrations

Jinjitsu (Festival of Seven Herbs; Japan)

Nanakusa no Sekku (Festival of Seven Herbs; Japan)

National Tempura Day

Nature Celebrations

Camellia Day (Japanese Camellia; Alabama)

National Alaskan Malamute Day

Tulip (Broken Heart; Korean Birth Flowers)

Independence, Flag & Related Days

Bascal (Declared; 2009) [unrecognized]

Constitution Day (Ghana)

Empire of Agber (Declared; 1998) [unrecognized]

Festa del Tricolour (Tricolour Day or Flag Day; Italy)

Matthew City (Declared; 2016) [unrecognized]

New Year’s Days

Sekhmet (Ancient Egyptian New Year's)

1st Tuesday in January

Finalize Your Resolutions Day [1st Tuesday]

Taco Tuesday [Every Tuesday]

Takeout Tuesday [1st Tuesday of Each Month]

Target Tuesday [Every Tuesday]

Tater Tot Tuesday [Every Tuesday]

To-Do List Tuesday [1st Tuesday of Each Month]

Tranquil Tuesday [1st Tuesday of Each Month]

Trivia Tuesday [Every Tuesday]

Two For Tuesday [Every Tuesday]

Weekly Holidays beginning January 7 (1st Full Week of January)

Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week (thru 1.14)

No Tillage Week (thru 1.10)

Festivals Beginning January 7, 2025

Consumer Electronics Show (Las Vegas, Nevada) [thru 1.10]

Dakota Farm Show (Vermillion, South Dakota) [thru 1.9]

Keystone Farm Show (York, Pennsylvania) [thru 1.9]

Munich Fasching Carnival (Munich, Germany) [thru 3.4]

The MusicFest at Steamboat (Steamboat Springs, Colorado) [thru 1.10]

Topeka Farm Show (Topeka, Kansas) [thru 1.9]

Feast Days

Aldric (Christian; Saint)

André Bessette (Canada)

Baptism of the Lord (Christian)

Bl. Widukind, Duke of Saxony (Christian; Saint)

Canute Lavard (Christian; Martyr)

Charles of Sezze (Christian; Saint)

Council of the Holy Prophet John the Baptist (Romania)

Distaff Day (a.k.a. Saint Distaff’s Day; Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Easter Day (Sudan)

Feast of Sekhmet (Ancient Egypt)

Felix and Januarius (Christian; Saint)

John the Baptist (Eastern Orthodox Church)

Justicia I: Themis’s Day (Pagan)

Koshogatsu (Shinto Goddess Izanami)

Lucian of Antioch (Christian; Saint)

Merelots (Remembrance Day of the Dead; Armenian Apostolic Church)

Nativity of Christ (Orthodox Christian)

No Knitting Day (Pastafarian)

Numa (Positivist; Saint)

Palestinian Martyrs’ Day

Raymond of Penyafort (Christian; Saint)

Reinold (Christian; Saint)

Rudder Rabbit (Muppetism)

Russ Meyer Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Say No To Knickers Day (Pastafarian)

Synaxis of John the Forerunner & Baptist (Coptic)

Thirty-Three Day (Celtic Book of Days)

Tillo (Christian; Saint)

Valentine (Christian; Saint)

Orthodox Christian Liturgical Calendar Holidays

Orthodox Christmas (a.k.a. ...

Bozic (Serbia)

Christmas (Russia, Eastern Europe)

Christmas Remembrance Holiday (Armenia)

Coptic Christmas (Egypt)

Craciunul Pe Stil Vechi (Moldova)

Eastern Christmas (Sudan)

Genna (Ethiopia)

Krishtlindjet Ortodoske (Kosovo)

Leddet (Coptic; Eritrea)

Secular Saints Days

Charles Addams (Artist)

Nicolson Baker (Writer)

Albert Bierstadt (Artist)

Nicholas Cage (Entertainment)

Pascal Dagnan-Bouveret (Artist)

Zora Neale Hurston (Writer)

Robert Juniper (Artist)

Robert Longo (Artist)

Jeremy Renner (Entertainment)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Fatal Day (Pagan) [2 of 24]

Perilous Day (13th Century England) [5 of 32]

Prime Number Day: 7 [4 of 72]

Sensho (先勝 Japan) [Good luck in the morning, bad luck in the afternoon.]

Umu Limnu (Evil Day; Babylonian Calendar; 1 of 60)

Premieres

Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2), by Pink Floyd (Song; 1980)

The Ascent of Man, by Jacob Bronowski (History Book; 1973)

The Avengers (BBC TV Series; 1961)

Bad Day at Black Rock (Film; 1955)

Batty Man, Parts 1 & 2 (Underdog Cartoon, S3, Eps. 29 & 30; 1967)

The B.B. Beagle Show (Hanna-Barbera TV Pilot; 1980)

The Birthday Party (Disney Cartoon; 1931)

Boston Cooking-School Cook Book (Cook Book; 1896)

Building a Building (Mickey Mouse Disney Cartoon; 1933)

The Butcher of Seville (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1944)

Cannery Woe (WB LT Cartoon; 1961)

Changes, by David Bowie (Song; 1972)

Crossroads of Twilight, by Robert Jordan (Novel; 2003) [Wheel of Time #10]

Empire (TV Series; 2015)

Fame (Film; 1982)

Fred Ott’s Sneeze (Early Short Film; 1894)

Hare-Brained Boris or The Dumb Bunny (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S5, Ep. 246; 1964)

Henry V, by William Shakespeare (Play; 1605)

Homeless Homer (Oscar the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1929)

Hooch Coochie Man, recorded by Muddy Waters (Song; 1954)

Horse Shoo (Loopy De Loop Cartoon; 1965)

The Hustler, by Walter Tevis (Novel; 1959)

The Image of the City, by Kevin Lynch (Science Book; 1960)

Lion Hunt (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1938)

Little Quacker (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 1950)

The Lone Stranger and Porky (WB LT Cartoon; 1939)

Mckeesport on the Prod or The Pennsylvania Poker (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S5, Ep. 240; 1964)

Mules and Men, by Zora Neale Hurston (Folklore; 1935)

The New Homestead (Scrappy Cartoon; 1938)

Operation Shanghai (Chilly Willy Cartoon; 1967)

Paranoid, by Black Sabbath (Album; 1971)

The Pelican and the Snipe (Disney Cartoon; 1944)

Pop Team Epic (a.k.a. Poptepipic, Anime TV Series; 2018)

Pretenders, by The Pretenders (Album; 1980)

Rhapsody in Blue, Score Completed by George Gershin (Composition for Piano & Jazz Band; 1924)

Robinson Crusoe Isle (Oscar the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1935)

Saturnin, by Zdeněk Jirotka (Novel; 1942)

The Shanty Where Santa Claus Lives (WB MM Cartoon; 1933)

Spitfire Girl, by Jackie Moggridge (memoir; 1957)

The Spirit of ’43 (Disney Cartoon; 1943)

Start Mater, by Gioacchino Rossini (Opera; 1842)

Suddenly Last Summer, by Tennessee Williams (Play; 1958)

University of Glasgow founded (School; 1450)

Werewolf of the Timberland (Animated TV Show;Jonny Quest #17; 1965)

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist (TV Series; 2020)

Today’s Name Days

Raimund, Valentin (Austria)

Ioan, Ioana, Ivan, Ivanka, Ivayla, Ivaylo, Ivet, Kaloyan, Vanya, Vanyo, Yoan, Yoana, Zhan, Zhana (Bulgaria)

Lucijan, Rajmund, Zorislav (Croatia)

Vilma (Czech Republic)

Knud (Denmark)

Hirvo, Kanut, Nuut, Susi (Estonia)

Aku, August, Aukusti (Finland)

Aldric, Cédric, Raymond (France)

Reinhold, Valentin (Germany)

Gianna, Giannis, Ioanna, Ioannis, Jeannette, John, Prodromos, Yanna, Yannis (Greece)

Attila, Ramóna (Hungary)

Luciano, Raimondo (Italy)

Juliāns, Rota, Zigmārs (Latvia)

Julius, Liucijus, Raudvilė, Rūtenis (Lithuania)

Eldbjørg, Knut (Norway)

Chociesław, Izydor, Julian, Lucjan, Walenty (Poland)

Ioan (Romania)

Bohuslava (Slovakia)

Raimundo (Spain)

August, Augusta (Sweden)

Alda, Aldea, Alden, Aldo, Aldric, Canute, Knut, Knute, Millard, Miller (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 7 of 2025; 358 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 2 of Week 2 of 2025

Celtic Tree Calendar: Ruis (Elder) [Day 17 of 28]

Chinese: Month 12 (Ding-Chou), Day 8 (Bing-Zi)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Coptic: 29 Kiyahk 1741

Hebrew: 7 Teveth 5785

Islamic: 7 Rajab 1446

J Cal: 7 White; Seventhday [7 of 30]

Julian: 25 December 2024

Moon: 58%: Waxing Gibbous

Positivist: 7 Moses (1st Month) [Numa]

Runic Half Month:Peorth (Womb, Dice Cup) [Day 1 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 18 of 90)

Week: 1st Full Week of January

Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 17 of 30)

Calendar Changes

Peorth (Womb, Dice Cup) [Half-Month 2 of 24; Runic Half-Months] (thru 1.21)

[hlmowrer]

Week 93: A Child's Prayer

BACK TO BACK WEEKLY LETTERS BABY

I hope you're all so proud of me :)

This week definitely continued the theme of last week.  Most of you know that I've been kinda going through it the last few months, and while I've seen many miracles and blessings that show how much of an important and powerful time it's been I have definitely found myself praying for some respite.  This new transfer has been a very positive new beginning, you may remember the blessing of being able to attend the Temple and the miracle of Dustin's progress towards making his own sacred baptismal covenant with his Savior!

But this week, missionary life still being very demanding and me being a very weak mortal, I found myself once again on my knees praying that the Lord would grant me some internal peace.  I was pretty aware that the problem was my mindset and not anything actually happening, but I felt powerless to change it.  This was kinda coming to a fever pitch on Friday as I willed myself out of my apartment to go try and meet some people...in the pitch dark (thanks for nothing daylight savings...)

That night I met about 50 generally kind but also profoundly uninterested members of the Catholic faith, and we had a decent lesson with Dustin.  A fairly average night.  But going home I felt a sense of peace and confidence in my soul.  I felt joy as I understood that my prayer was being answered!

The next day had its difficulties but we were met with fantastic success, in an almost uncanny way!  We did well in a friendly competition with some other missionaries and actually had a lot of fun doing it, meeting so many interesting children of God along the way.  It was honestly almost hard to keep up.  For the second day in a row, I felt my burdens being lightened by the Savior.

And then it was Sunday.  I arrived at church to be reminded that it was time for the annual Primary program, an event where the children of the branch sing and talk about all they've learned about Jesus this year.  Hearing their pure first steps towards knowing their creator brought light to my soul!  One of the songs they sang was entitled "A Child's Prayer".

Heavenly Father, are you really there? 

And do you hear and answer ev’ry child’s prayer? 

Some say that heaven is far away, But I feel it close around me as I pray. 

Heavenly Father, I remember now 

Something that Jesus told disciples long ago: “Suffer the children to come to me.” 

Father, in prayer I’m coming now to thee

Though that song was surely written with the thought of a small child seeking to know if God loves them, I could not help but see myself in those words.  "I am a child of God" is a common thing to hear in church, but I fail to remember sometimes that Heavenly Father literally sees us this way.  He cares for us SO lovingly as we slowly but surely discover how to communicate, be clean, understand the need for rules and order, learn compassion, gain work ethic, and all other things which are good.  When we err, it diminishes His love and patience for us no more than a parent who's toddler has just knocked something off a table or forgotten to say thank you for a gift.  

So now, thinking that God had made His point to me, I merrily went on my way.  That night I was invited to visit some member friends of mine for dinner.  As we talked I found myself reassuring this sweet mother that her efforts to have a clean home, raise her sometimes unruly children in the Gospel, and keep a lid on her own mental health really were sufficient in the eyes of God, and it pained me that something so obvious to an outside observer was so hidden from her own view!

I then heard what I was saying...and realized it applied perfectly well to me too.  I'm trying.  I'm doing well enough.  Am I perfect?  Not even close.  But would any reasonable person say that I'm doing more or less okay in life?

Probably.

And you know what's cool about that, to all those of you who have read this far?

I'm not a special snowflake.  This applies to you too.

God loves you more than you know.

If you want to become more sure of this reality, find someone in your life that also happens to be forgetting that.  Tell them the truth.  God will help you listen to yourself talk as you speak truth in the service of others.

In the name of Jesus Christ I bear testimony of that, and I invite all who read this to test it.

I love you all so much, please write back and tell me how it goes!

-Elder Beren Mowrer