Podcasts about inscribed

'I' didn't bring you here to leave you.Do you trust that?Do you trust Me?Then show me. Relax enough to feel Me. That Feeling IS My Name. Call It."Become conscious of Being Conscious. Eventually, the false 'I' will vanish, leaving only the unbroken awareness of the real, immanent 'I', Self-Consciousness Itself." - Ramana Maharshi******I call It Jesus. I call It Christ. I call It Love, still. Only Love is here.But when I say, 'Only Jesus is here',there is a dimension of feeling that has yet to be experienced. It feels more personal.It makes me take things less personally.It makes me more humble.I live in a posture of bowing,of worshiping everything,of seeing Him everywhere. Which is why one prayer is not better than another one.One religion is not better than another.Love is Love,and it does not belong to any one religion.This body goes into a Catholic church daily and serves as often as possible.It receives the Eucharist as often as possible.But the Spirit,this Awareness, that's Here, the church is in It,the temples,the ashrams are all in Here.I can't fit in them.Nikki goes to them.She likes to visit them,but I can't fit in any box.I Am That, and You are That.And every time you remember that,"All the saints salute you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, is with you." - 2 Corinthians 13-14I Love you, nik p.s. CHANGE IS HERE.nikki@curlynikki.comPlease support the show: ▶▶https://www.patreon.com/goodmornings▶▶ Cash App $NikWalton __________________________________________Day 3- Surrender Novena How many things I do when the soul, in so much spiritual and material need, turns to me, looks at me and says to me; "You take care of it", then closes its eyes and rests. In pain you pray for me to act, but that I act in the way you want. You do not turn to me, instead, you want me to adapt your ideas. You are not sick people who ask the doctor to cure you, but rather sick people who tell the doctor how to. So do not act this way, but pray as I taught you in the our Father: "Hallowed be thy Name", that is, be glorified in my need. "Thy kingdom come", that is, let all that is in us and in the world be in accord with your kingdom. "Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven", that is, in our need, decide as you see fit for our temporal and eternal life. If you say to me truly: "Thy will be done", which is the same as saying: "You take care of it", I will intervene with all my omnipotence, and I will resolve the most difficult situations. O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything! (10 times)Mother, I am yours now and forever. Through you and with you I always want to belong completely to Jesus. Amen_______________________________"Once (people] let go of the reins and just kind of put their trust in the divine, in God - He will basically change your entire life the way He did mine." Jonathan Roumie"There are times when the burden of need and our own limitations might tempt us to become discouraged. But precisely then we are helped by the knowledge that, in the end, we are only instruments in the Lord's hands; and this knowledge frees us from the presumption of thinking that we alone are personally responsible for building a better world. In all humility we will do what we can, and in all humility we will entrust the rest to the Lord. It is God who governs the world, not we. We offer him our service only to the extent that we can, and for as long as he grants us the strength. To do all we can with what strength we have, however, is the task which keeps the good servant of Jesus Christ always at work: "The love of Christ urges us on" (2 Cor 5:14). - Pope Benedict XVI, God is Love: Deus Caritas Est"The Light you give off did not come from a pelvis. Your features did not begin in semen. Don't try to hide inside anger, radiance that cannot be hidden." - Rumi "People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered; Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway. If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; Succeed anyway. If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway. What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; Be happy anyway. The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you've got anyway. You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God; It was never between you and them anyway." -Inscribed on the wall of Mother Teresa's children's home in Calcutta'Prayer is the natural outgushing of a soul in communion with Jesus. Just as the leaf and the fruit will come out of the vine-branch without any conscious effort on the part of the branch, but simply because of its living union with the stem, so prayer buds, and blossoms, and fruits out of souls abiding in Jesus' -Charles Spurgeon

Michelle Teeter grew up in a home where her faithful mother took her to church. In God's world there are no accidents. Almost 45 years ago many questions and many desires were put on her heart which led her to Messianic Judaism . Michelle‘s love of the arts was the inspiration for creating jewelry and items with a Hebraic flavor and Jewish heart.  “Inscribed on My Heart” was born with the idea of starting conversations. Michelle and Dave have been married 40 years, have four beautiful daughters and three grandchildren.

Miracles can happen on Christmas Eve.Based on a post by auguy86, in 2 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at My First Time. Ken Dix flipped through the TV guide at a moderate pace; “500 channels, and nothing but Christmas specials on.”Finding nothing but disappointment at every turn. As it was Christmas Eve, every show was a mushy feel-good romp spouting lines about family and goodwill to others. None of that spoke to Ken in the slightest.“Ken?” a voice came from the kitchen.“What's up, Mom?”“I've got my hands full with making everything for dinner tonight, but I'm going to run short on a couple of ingredients,” Helen Dix said, poking her head into the living room. “Can you run to the store real quick for me please?”“Sure thing,” Ken replied, seeing as he had nothing better to do.“Great, thank you. I made a list on the counter for you. The store should be open for another hour or two. The main things would be the eggs; I don't have enough to finish my famous chess pie. If they have tea by the gallon, grab one sweet and one unsweet. The rest are great if you find them, but not essential.”“Got it,” Ken said as he took the list from the counter.Heading out to his car, Ken cranked up his Honda Civic and pulled out of the driveway. As he made his way into town, Ken reflected on his current situation. Though he loved his mom, being home for the holidays was always nerve-wracking for him. His hometown of Alpharetta, Georgia was crawling with former high school classmates of his, people he'd just as soon never see again. But up at MIT, he was actually among peers that he could relate to on an intellectual level. Not that he'd made that many friends up there. As a nineteen-year-old freshman, he was still stuck in the same boring math and science classes as everyone else. He couldn't wait until he could start his health sciences training. Maybe then he could meet some decent people, perhaps of the female variety.Ken soon arrived in the parking lot of the local Kroger. It was soon obvious that the place was packed with last-minute shoppers, all trying to find that one final ingredient they were missing. Locking his car, Ken sauntered into the store, grabbing a shopping basket along the way. He found the shelves of the store well picked over, striking out on the nonessential items on his mom's list. Making his way to the drinks aisle, he was pleased to see that the store was keeping the gallon jugs of tea well stocked for the holidays, and picked up a pair.Ken soon arrived in the refrigerated section of the store. Almost every shelf was empty, but he did manage to find one last carton of six eggs, just what his mom needed. Depositing the carton in his shopping basket, Ken made his way back to the front of the store, checking out in the express lane. He gripped the shopping bags tightly, being careful that the eggs weren't harmed from the swinging of the bags. Arriving back in the parking lot, he was pleasantly surprised to see one of his former classmates, Jacqueline Brown. As he approached, she saw him coming.“Ken? Kenneth Dix?”She was extremely pretty, as was befitting one of the most popular girls in school, and kept her chestnut-brown hair cut just below her jawline. Her soft, warm facial features and bubbly personality belied the sharp intellect hiding underneath. She and Ken had been partners a few times in various subjects, and he had helped craft her entrance essay to the University of Washington. This earned her a full ride scholarship. In spite of her popularity, they had worked well together, and Ken even dared to call her a friend, at least in his own mind. They had never hung out on a social basis; her circle of friends would never have let her live that down. Still, times had changed. They were both out of high school, after all. What could it hurt to ask?“Jacqueline? Wow, I never thought I'd see you back here. Thought you escaped to cooler climates?”“Yeah, Seattle is nice, but nothing beats Christmas at home,” she replied, adjusting her UW sweatshirt. “You back for the same reason?”“Uh huh. Mom pretty much insisted. She won't settle for anything less than a full family gathering on Christmas Eve. I'm just grabbing a few last things for her. But yeah, it's great seeing you again. You, uh, you look good.”“Um; thanks,” she replied with hesitation.“I'm, uh, gonna be home for a couple of weeks. Would you want to, I don't know, hang out sometime? Maybe grab a bite to eat? My treat.”“Well, Ken, that's sweet of you to ask.” she said almost to herself. As she paused, her eyes suddenly lit up as if she had gotten an idea. “Alright! Here, let me give you my number.” She scribbled a series of digits down on a scrap piece of paper, writing her name next to them. “I'll, um, talk to you later, I guess?”“Sounds great!”Ken couldn't believe it; he had actually done it! He had asked out the prettiest girl he had ever known! Moreover, she had given him her number! Things were definitely looking up.“Dick!” a voice behind them yelled.Ken turned, immediately recognizing Jason Brown, Jacqueline's fraternal twin brother, along with his two flunkies, Brian and Barrett Sullivan. Jason had been the star quarterback at his high school, and the Sullivan boys were his best offensive linemen. They often served as his muscle off the football field, as well. Ken was intimately familiar with these three, as they had made it their mission in high school to make his life a living hell. Being stuffed in lockers, having his wallet stolen, all were commonplace with them. The three approached, attempting to appear imposing, which they were from the perspective of the ever-scrawny Ken.“I've got nothing to say to you guys,” Ken muttered as they approached.“Well I've got something to say to you, Mr. Kenny Dick,” Jason growled.“Just shut up and leave me alone,” Ken replied, his blood boiling at the use of Jason's longtime nickname for him.“No! You shut the fuck up and listen!” Jason said, grabbing Ken by the collar of his tee-shirt and flinging him against his car. In the process, Ken dropped his shopping bags, the jugs of tea landing directly on the egg carton.“Jason! Stop it!” Jacqueline protested.Undeterred, Jason threatened. “Listen fuck-wad, you stay the hell away from my sister!”“She's an adult, dickhead! She can have anyone she wants as a friend!” Ken protested.“You don't belong on the same Planet as her! You're nothing'! A pathetic sack of guts your dumbass mother decided to give a name to! Know what? Just do us all a favor and drop dead!”Enraged at the insult to his mom, Ken swung a wild haymaker at his assailant, but Jason was more than ready, pinning Ken's arm back against his car. Jason then delivered a crushing punch to Ken's gut, dropping him down to his knees. Before leaving, Jason knelt down next to his gasping victim.“Next time, I won't be so nice. Next time; I might just kill you myself. See ya around. Dick.” Turning to his sister, Jason said, “Come on, time to go home.”Jacqueline looked down at the pitiful form of Ken before muttering, “Sorry, Ken.”The trio of boys sauntered off across the parking lot, laughing and high-fiving at their antics. Jacqueline followed right behind them. Ken picked himself up and inspected his groceries, discovering the crushed eggs in his bag. Swearing and cursing, he grabbed the misshapen carton and went to throw it in a nearby trash can.“No chess pie tonight.”As Ken returned to his car and began his drive home, Jason and his flunkies watched on from his car, still pleased with their efforts.“You shouldn't have done that,” Jacqueline said in a lecturing tone.Jason turned to face his sister. “I do what I gotta do, Jacqueline. That fuck-wad has no business getting friendly with you. He needs to learn his place.”“Be that as it may, I can take care of myself,” she replied firmly.“Take care of yourself? Wait; you didn't?”“I did. Jason, someday you'll learn that there are more subtle and effective ways to ward off undesirables. Trust me, Ken won't bother me ever again.”Back at Home.Upon arriving back home, Ken couldn't bring himself to tell his mom about the incident with the eggs. He instead told her that the store had run out altogether. She had spent many sleepless nights in the past worrying about the constant bullying her son was subjected to in school. Ken didn't want to give her anything else to worry about. By this time, has uncles had started arriving, and the living room was soon filled with the sounds of football games. In Ken's mind, these were no more thought provoking that the mindless Christmas specials he had found earlier. Ken went up to his room to take a hot shower, as well as get some alone time in the process. As he stripped down, he saw a bruise beginning to form on his stomach from Jason's punch. He winced in pain as he touched the tender skin.Shit; that's not going away for a while.Ken took some Tylenol for the pain before stepping into the shower. The hot water helped relax his body, and the steam gradually built up, clearing his mind a bit. He finished after a while and, after making sure his door was shut, flopped facedown onto his bed. After laying there for around an hour or so, his mom finally called him down to rejoin the family for dinner.Taking his seat at the table, Ken glanced around the room at his various family members. His mom had two older brothers, Lee and Stan. Though Lee was tall and still relatively youthful looking at forty-five, Stan was shorter and beginning to bald as he approached fifty. Still, both of them had one notable thing in common as far as Ken was concerned: they were both still jocks at heart. Ken had never known his father; it had always just been him and his mom. He could tell that his uncles tried to be male role models for him, but their efforts were usually ill-conceived attempts to “man him up.” Never once did they understand his introverted tendencies, and always tried to get him to be more of a people person. After a while, Ken stopped paying their advice any attention.It was striking to Ken how similar Lee and Stan's families were. They had both married beautiful, blonde cheerleaders, and now both had sixteen-year-old daughters, both of whom were among the most popular girls in school. It all sickened Ken; they were just perpetuating the stereotype of pretty and popular being the be-all, end-all in life. As the family ate, Ken remained silent for the most part. The adults were engrossed in discussions about their jobs, and the two daughters were giggling and playing on their phones the entire time. None of this was relevant to Ken.“You know, I saw something interesting today,” Lee said as dessert was being brought out. “I was at Kroger filling up my car, and saw you in the main parking lot, Ken. Looked like you were, uh, having some words with a few guys out there.”Shit! He saw that?Not wanting to worry his mom, Ken replied, “It; it was nothing.”“Nothing, eh? Is that why that punk punched you in the gut?”With a worried look on her face, Helen asked, “Ken, sweetie, what is he talking about?” She walked around the table to Ken's seat and lifted up his shirt, seeing the bruise on his abdomen. “Was it that Jason boy again?”“Mom, just let it go.”“No! Ken, you know I worry about you!”“You worry about Me? I think you need to worry more about your brother!” Ken shouted, his anger exploding at last. “Right, Uncle Lee? Come on, you see your own nephew being ganged up on in a parking lot, yet you do nothing to help him out?!”“A man's gotta learn to fight his own battles,” Lee replied in a calm voice.“No. You want to know what a man does? A man sticks up for his Family! No. Matter. What! You stood there and watched your own nephew get beaten up. That says a hell of a lot more about you than it does me. And if that's family; I don't want any part of this one.”Without a word, Ken stood and left the dining room. He then grabbed his MIT hoodie and headed for the front door. As he was about to get into his car and drive off, he saw to his frustration that his uncles' cars were parked in the driveway behind him, blocking him in. Cursing under his breath, he prepared to leave on foot.“Ken! Come back inside, please!” Helen called after him, running down the driveway.“No. I've got to go out; clear my head.”“Ken, it's Christmas Eve. Please, come be with your family.”“Mom, aside from you, not a single person in that house feels like family to me,” Ken replied coldly. “I'll; I'll call you after while.”Ken walked off into the cold Georgia night, not knowing for sure where to go or what to do. Nobody else was out, as they were all at home with their families. Remembering the square in historic downtown Alpharetta, he decided to head in that direction. Maybe the quiet walk would do him some good.Arriving in the town square, Ken walked along the sidewalks for a bit, peering into the darkened windows of the various shops and restaurants. Everything looked so different to him with everyone gone for the day; it all seemed so peaceful. As he continued to walk, he soon saw City Hall in the distance. In front of the building was a large green space, which was teeming with a surprising amount of activity for it being Christmas Eve. Ken moved closer, now spying a large gathering of people sitting on picnic blankets, all bundled up in coats and hats. Ahead of them, a large screen projected the classic film, It's a Wonderful Life.Though Ken was never into the Christmas cheer, as it were, he felt strangely drawn to watch a few minutes of the film from a distance. He soon began to regret that decision, as the movie had reached the point where George Baily had an arrest warrant out for him, lashing out at his family in anger. Watching him get drunk and punched in a bar fight, Ken began to feel sick with anger. Despite all his efforts to help better the world around him, the universe conspired against George Baily; just as it seemed to be conspiring against Ken. Unable to watch a moment more, he turned and walked into the nearby park.Again alone with his thoughts, Ken sat on a bench near the fountain in the center of the park. He contemplated many things, as he often did in solitude. He thought about his piss poor excuse for a family, intent on changing him into what they say he should be. If only they could love him as he is. He thought about Jason Brown, a perpetual asshole that managed to get all the beautiful women his heart desired. If only the universe would serve up his just desserts, rather than conspiring against Ken. Sighing in frustration, he stuffed his freezing hands into his jeans pockets.Jacqueline!Feeling the scrap of paper still in his pocket, Ken suddenly felt a glimmer of hope in an otherwise dreary day. He needed something, anything to lift his spirits, and hearing her kind, sweet voice might just do it. Hell, he didn't even care anymore if she was interested in him in a romantic sense; he just needed someone to listen and understand him. Digging out his phone, he dialed the number. After a single ring, a message began to play, seeming to be read by a game show host.“Congratulations! You've reached Live 95.5 FM's world-famous Loser Line! Live 95.5; featuring the best entertainment in Seattle! If you've reached this message, you have attempted to hit on a girl Way out of your league! That poor young lady wants nothing to do with you, but you just couldn't help creeping on her! That's where we come in! Now you know what a loser you really are! So leave the girl alone, loser! You're doing everyone a favor! If you'd like to leave a message for the world-famous Loser Line, begin speaking at the tone!”Beep!Ken hung up the phone in quiet disbelief. How could he have been so wrong about Jacqueline? They had worked so well together in school, and he even considered her a friend! She always spoke so kindly to him, how could this have happened? Was she really as nasty and shallow as her dumbass brother? Was she really just that good of an actress? As he pondered all this, Ken's rage finally exploded out of him.“That two-faced bitch! Who the fuck does she think she is?! I trusted her! Hell, she would never have gotten a full scholarship without my help! All I ever did was Like her! And after all that, she doesn't even have the decency to turn me down to my face?! What The Fucking Hell? At least her brother was honest about his disdain. She's far worse! I can't imagine how evil she'd be if a person actually offended her?”Slumping back down onto the park bench, every thought that entered Ken's mind brought him lower. Jason was an ass, but then again, he didn't know how to act any different. Uncle Lee was a moron, but then again, he had no malicious intent. But Jacqueline; she was the last straw. He had trusted her, opened up to her, and she repaid him by committing the single most cruel and senseless act Ken could ever imagine. Everything was crashing down around him. As he continued to sulk, Jason's words entered into his mind once more.“I should just do everyone a favor and drop dead; is that what you want, Jacqueline? Seems like you agree with your brother, or you wouldn't have given me that number.”Ken reached into his pocket, withdrawing a folding knife. It had been a high school graduation present to him from his grandfather, before he passed a few months later. A far cry from the typical Swiss Army knife, he unfolded the shiny, four-inch blade, which stood in beautiful contrast to the wooden handle. Inscribed in the wood were Ken's initials. He had not used it for anything yet, never had any need to. As he stared at his reflection in the blade, Ken kept replaying Jason's cruel words in his mind, to do the world a favor and drop dead.“Maybe that's not such a bad idea.” Ken mumbled.Just as he took a firm grip on the handle, preparing to take the knife to his throat, an unfamiliar voice came from off to the side.“Hey!”Gabrielle's Christmas night.Gabrielle Libertine relaxed in a lawn chair, savoring the crisp, cold air of Christmas Eve. This was her favorite time of the year, and being able to enjoy an outdoor showing of her favorite Christmas film, It's a Wonderful Life, made it even better. It all fit in perfectly with her life philosophy: live for happiness. Not only her own, but as much as could be had for the world around her too.“You want the moon? Just say the word, and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down.”“Oh, Jimmy Stewart, you charmer you.” Gabby sighed.Soon, her emotions welled up as the hopeless romantic that was George Bailey began to succumb to the pressures and injustices of life. He had blamed his own uncle for destroying their business, lashed out at his wife and children in anger, and gone crawling to his hated rival for a loan. The hardest scenes for her to watch were always the bar fight and the car crash. Still, she always stuck it out. The best was yet to come.Just as George stood atop the bridge, Gabby caught sight of something out of the corner of her eye. A young man of about nineteen or twenty was watching the movie from a distance away, leaning against a tree near the road. His face twisted in angst as he saw the pain on display in the film, and he soon spun around, walking into the nearby park. Gabby couldn't explain why, but something compelled her to follow him and make sure he was okay.Collecting her lawn chair, she walked along the perimeter of the green space, soon arriving at the entrance to the park. As she went, she began to hear angry shouting up ahead of her; it sounded like the young man was in distress. After a few minutes, she came upon the fountain situated in the center of the park. On a bench sat the man from earlier, appearing to be deep in thought. By the glow of the lamppost, Gabby could now get a good look at him. He appeared to be of average height, maybe 5'7”, and had shaggy black hair that seemed a bit unkempt. Still, it's color shone in the light of the park, and his white skin provided for quite a striking appearance. A pair of black horn-rimmed glasses framed his face, which combined with his red MIT hoodie to project a very specific image into Gabby's mind. He had to be incredibly intelligent.As she studied him, she saw the young man pull an object out of the pocket of his jeans. Catching a glimpse of something reflective, she could now see that he was holding a small folding knife. Gabby tensed up and wondered if she should run, but soon decided against it; he didn't seem to have even noticed her presence. In fact, the way he looked at the knife was quite unsettling. It was as if he saw that little blade as his best friend in the world. She knew the look in his eyes. She knew what would happen in a moment if she did nothing. Taking a deep breath, Gabby decided to act.“Hey.”Intervention.Ken was startled by the unfamiliar voice. Looking up, he now saw a woman in her early twenties standing across the way. She gazed at him with intent, but for what reason he did not know. Looking back at her, Ken's typical awkwardness began to kick in, as he could see that she was quite beautiful. Dressed warmly in a black winter coat and blue jeans, she wore a grey knit cap over her long blonde hair. Upon first glance, she appeared to be of some sort of Scandinavian descent, or perhaps German, though Ken couldn't be sure. His mouth went dry as he tried to find the words to speak.“Everything okay?” she asked.“Uh; fine. Why do you, um; why do you ask?”Smiling, she replied, “I saw you over on the green, watching the movie. By the look on your face, you were having a tough time with it. When I saw you walk off towards the park, I felt I should come and see if anything was wrong.”“No, nothing's wrong.”“Good. Then I shouldn't be concerned about the way you're looking at that knife of yours, right?”Shaking his head, Ken answered, “I'm not going to hurt you. Promise.”“That's not what I'm concerned about.”“Wha; what do you mean?” Ken asked, his eyes growing wide.“I've seen that look before,” she said, taking a couple of steps closer. “I am, sadly, all too familiar with it. You were about to hurt yourself, weren't you?”“You don't know a thing about me, lady,” Ken muttered, preparing to leave.“I don't have to know anything about you to be concerned,” she fired back.“Concerned,” Ken snorted. “How could you be concerned about me? You don't even know me!”“Easily rectified. Gabrielle Libertine. My friends call me Gabby,” she said, sticking out her hand with a warm smile. When he didn't respond, she smirked and continued, “This is the part where you tell me your name.”Sighing, he replied, “Ken. Ken Dix.”“A pleasure, Ken,” she said as they shook hands.“So; Gabrielle, eh? You supposed to be my Clarence or something?”With a playful gasp, she responded, “Oh my God! Does that mean you're Jimmy Stewart?! I've had the biggest crush on you for Years!”Ken gave a nervous laugh. “Alright, alright, I walked into that one. But in all seriousness.”“No, I'm not a Guardian Angel or the Word of God or anything like that. Just an average person like you.” Motioning to the bench, she asked, “May I?”“Sure, I guess,” Ken answered, scooting to the edge.“Thanks.” Taking a seat, she continued, “So tell me this, Ken: why would you want to hurt, maybe kill yourself?”His face twisted in pain. “You don't want to know.”“I do. Believe me, I do.”Sighing with reluctance, Ken relented and began to tell Gabby of the events of the day. He started with Jacqueline and Jason, then the confrontation with his uncle, and finally the fake phone number showing Jacqueline's true colors. Through it all, Gabby sat in silence, maintaining eye contact and nodding whenever appropriate. At last, he finished his story, and Gabby could feel her heart breaking within her chest.“Ken; I'm so sorry. I can feel the pain in your voice. No one deserves what you've gone through today. I know it's of little help, but I do understand what you're going through.”“Understand?” Ken said, incredulous. “How could a girl like you understand any of this? I mean, look at you. You're gorgeous, and I bet you've always been popular. Just like Jacqueline. Just like Jason. Just like Uncle Lee. None of you could ever imagine the world I live in.”With a stern look on her face, she replied, “I'm going to choose to let that slide, considering everything you've told me. Still, you need to know that what you just said was quite hurtful. Almost as hurtful as the things that have been said to you today.”Ken recoiled. He knew she was right. “I'm; I'm sorry. You're right; I should never have said that. You've been nothing but nice to me tonight.”“Apology accepted,” Gabby said with a smile. “Humility is a rare trait in men these days. Hang on to that.”Ken thought she might be mocking him, but bit his tongue nonetheless. He had already insulted her once, and he wasn't going to chance a second time.Seeking to turn the conversation to happier topics, she asked, “M I T, huh? You're an awful long way from home, aren't you?”“Huh? Oh, the hoodie. Yeah, I'm a freshman there this year, just home on break right now.”“Nice. Major?”“Health sciences. I want to go to medical school after MIT, though I'm still figuring out a specialty.”“Plenty of time to decide that. I'm sure you'll find the right career path,” she said with a grin.As nice as it was to talk about a familiar topic, a few things still bugged Ken's mind to no end. “I still can't figure it out; why would Jacqueline do this?”Frowning, Gabby replied, “Some people are cruel. Often the ones that are the cruelest disguise it with a kind, warm public demeanor. Jacqueline sounds like she fits that mold to a T.”“And she hid it all that time while we were in school?”“You were useful at the time, in her mind. She wasn't going to chance losing that. Once she got what she needed, she had no more reason to hide her true feelings.”“Yeah, but still. Why be all friendly to me in the store?”“In her twisted mind, she probably felt she was doing you a favor. She wanted to ensure you never tried to contact her again. To a cruel person like her; that's her idea of doing you a kindness,” Gabby replied sadly. “We just have to hope that there's enough real kindness in this world to counteract such cruelty.”Now noticing a silver cross hanging from her neck, Ken pointed to it and asked, “I guess this the part where you start lecturing me about suicide? That I'm being selfish and trying to go against God's plan?”“No,” she replied with simplicity.“No?”“No. Ken, I meant it when I said that I've seen that look before. I know better than most that suicidal thoughts are rarely that simple. There's no switch that can turn them off. It's a tide that must be turned back, bit by bit.”Stunned, Ken started to see that this woman understood what was important in life. Realizing he still had the knife in his hand, he folded it closed and put it back in his pocket.“Bit by bit,” she said with a smile. “My car's around the corner. Is there somewhere I can take you? Where do you live?”“I'm not going home. Not yet,” Ken replied. “Not with my uncles still there.”“No problem. I'm not going to force you.” Thinking a moment, she continued, “It's pretty cold out here. Why don't you come back to my place for a bit?”“That's; unnecessary. I'm fine on my own.”“Nice try, but no cigar,” she said. “I'm not leaving you alone with that knife, mister. And I'm certainly not leaving you alone on Christmas Eve. Nobody should be alone for the holidays.”“Thanks, but; won't your husband mind?”“He would, if I were married.”“Boyfriend?”“Nope, just my townhouse and me. Pretty cozy, all things considered. No problems with you coming over, but I do have one condition.”“And what's that?”Smirking, Gabby replied, “You call your mom right now and tell her you're okay.”Hesitating a moment, Ken soon relented. “Fine.” Tapping his phone, Ken waited as it rang. “Hey Mom, it's me; Yeah, I'm okay; No, seriously. I'm fine; Yeah I'm just hanging with a friend. I probably won't be back ‘til tomorrow; I will; Love you too; Bye.”“See? Now that wasn't so bad, was it?” Gabby teased him.Eying her, Ken asked. “You're seriously okay with bringing me to your home?”“Positive.”Taking his hand, Gabby led him to her car.Gabby's guest.The drive had been silent for the most part. Ken was still trying to comprehend everything that was happening. Who was this woman? Why would she go to such great lengths for a stranger she didn't even know? Gabby seemed to pick up on this, refraining from prodding him for any further conversation. She could tell he was still processing the events of the day. Soon, they arrived at her townhouse complex and pulled into her garage.“Come on in, make yourself at home,” she said as she turned on the lights. “Can I offer you something to drink? Coffee? Hot chocolate?”“Hot chocolate sounds good, thanks.”“Coming right up!”As she hung her hat and jacket up on a rack, Ken couldn't help but stare. He now saw that she wasn't just a pretty face; her entire body was sublime. She wore a tight burgundy sweater and a pair of tight, form-fitting jeans. This ensemble only served to accent her body even further. Her hourglass figure was delectable, her slim waist contrasting with her curvy hips and ample bust. She was also just as tall as him, perhaps a bit taller, with legs for miles. Though Ken had fantasized about some of his classmates, none of them could come anywhere close to Gabby. She was a woman, not a girl, and in the prime of her life no less.“Here you go,” she said, handing Ken a mug.After blowing on the hot drink, he took a sip, feeling the warm liquid spreading through his body. “Thanks,” he sighed.“No problem,” she replied with a smile. “Come on, let's go relax in the den.”She led him into an intimate area with a sofa and a loveseat. The only illumination came from the twinkling multicolored lights on her Christmas tree in the corner. As Ken took in the relaxing surroundings, smelling the delicious scent of her Frazier fir tree, Gabby stepped over to the fireplace opposite the sofa. Flipping a switch, she soon had a comfortable fire roaring from the gas logs. She then sat on the sofa, placing her mug on the side table and patting the spot next to her.“Come sit. I promise I don't bite,” she said with a playful grin.“Um, okay.” he mumbled, scooting as close to the armrest as he could to give Gabby plenty of space.“Tell me about M I T,” she inquired. “You mentioned you want to go into health sciences. Does that include medical school?”“Uh, yeah with any luck. Harvard would be my top choice, but I don't know if I could afford it. But assuming so, my dream has always been to be a brain surgeon.”“Brain surgeon?! That's so cool! They're like; the most badass of all the badass doctors! Not just surgeons, brain surgeons!” Gabby gushed.“It's, uh, not that big a deal,” Ken replied as he blushed with embarrassment.“Well, I could totally see you as a brain surgeon. Don't ever give up on it.”“Thanks.”“So, what then for you, Dr. Dix? What happens once you reach your dream?”Ken began to feel a strange amount of comfort with this woman, and started to open up to her. “Honestly; I don't know. I mean even if I become a brain surgeon, I'm still hopeless around girls. Maybe Jason's right. I'm gonna die a virgin.” Realizing what he had confessed to her, he turned to Gabby and blurted out, “Not that it's your problem, or anything. S-sorry, I just; I shouldn't have gone that far.”Gabby just smiled and moved closer to him, brushing her hand against his arm.“Don't worry about it. You have goals, both personal and professional, but aren't sure exactly how to achieve them. So you're a virgin. That's nothing to be embarrassed about, and it's healthy to express your anxiety about it. That can help you overcome your fears. In all seriousness, I think you underestimate yourself, Ken.”“Underestimate myself?”“Of course,” Gabby replied. “You're smart, considerate, polite, you even held the car door for me earlier! Any girl you'd want to be with is gonna swoon at traits like that. I can also tell that you still think of yourself as unattractive, but I disagree. You wear glasses, yes, but that doesn't make you a dork. Your hair is a little shaggy, but not greasy or anything. You may not have a tan, but your skin complexion is damn near flawless. You have nothing to be ashamed of, be it your looks or your personality.”“You're about the only woman who thinks so,” he sighed.“Doubtful, but if it's that big a worry for you, I can give you a couple of pointers, if you like.”“Um, oh, okay I guess.”“Great! Okay, so you definitely give off the ‘geek' vibe, but that's not a bad thing. Don't fight it; own it.”“How?”“Well, you can make just some slight alterations to your outward appearance that can change the way others see you. For example, you could switch to wire-framed glasses instead of your horn-rimmed ones. Your hair is a great color, and would do well in a short, clean-cut style, if I do say so myself. You can also change out your usual t-shirts for some casual polo shirts.”“So; the secret to getting women to notice me is to change who I am?” Ken asked, feeling more than a little offended.Cocking her eyebrow, Gabby replied, “Are you saying your glasses, hair length, and shirt choices define who you are?”“Oh, uh; fair point,” Ken conceded.“See? Humility. Such a rare quality these days,” Gabby said with a grin. “To be honest, all the changes I suggested are things my brother did a couple of years back. He was a complete geek, maybe even bigger than you. The poor boy was helpless around the fairer sex. But after he made these changes, he no longer came off as the socially awkward geek. He came off as a self-assured, confident geek, one who loves himself for who he is. I see that potential in you, Ken.” Grabbing her iPad from the side table, she pulled up a couple of pictures for him. “See? Here's before. And here's after.”“Woah,” Ken marveled. He could see the drastic difference. The guy hadn't done anything to make himself stronger or bulkier, nothing to increase his manliness, but the things he did change just popped in all the right ways. Was it really that simple?“That's great and all, but can new clothes and a haircut get rid of social awkwardness? I still don't have even a shred of confidence around women,” Ken said.“They can help, but a change in your mental confidence is completely based on your willpower. You have to love yourself as much as you want others to love you. If you don't, everyone else will pick up on it.”“Knew there was a catch.”Gabby bit her lip in frustration. There had to be a way she could give him the confidence boost he needed to love himself, but how? Getting one somewhat crazy idea, she moved closer to Ken.“I'm guessing from your previous statements that; you've never kissed a girl before. Is that right Ken?”Poor Ken Dix didn't even know what had hit him. Here he was, sitting with the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid eyes on, and the unthinkable was beginning to happen. She was moving closer, running her fingers through his hair, and now wanted to know if he'd ever been kissed! This was too much, way beyond any of his hottest dreams. Unable to find the words to respond, he managed to slowly nod his head.“Close your eyes,” she instructed in her sweet voice. When he only blinked in reply, she whispered, “Close; your eyes, Ken. Trust me.”Guided by an unseen force, Ken felt compelled to obey her. His eyes finally fluttered closed, and his breathing became more labored in anticipation of what was to come. A small part of him doubted that she was being truthful, thinking that she'd fake him out just like Jacqueline had. Those doubts were soon quashed, as he felt the warm sensation of Gabby's face leaning close to his. He could feel her breathing. He could smell her perfume. If there was a God, Ken prayed, then and there; that He could make this incredible moment last forever.After what felt like eons, Gabby finally released their building tension and touched her lips to Ken's. Her kiss was soft at first, allowing him to savor the new sensations he was feeling. Ken was so terrified and excited all at once that he could barely even move his lips in reply. Not that it mattered to Gabby. She had expected his fear, and made sure to keep her technique simple yet enjoyable. After around thirty seconds, she withdrew at last, her face aglow in the Christmas tree light.“Wow,” Ken managed to mutter as he opened his eyes. He soon noticed that he couldn't see Gabby at all; his glasses had fogged up from their kiss.“Here, let's just take these off,” Gabby said with a giggle. She slipped his glasses off and laid them on her side table. “Now then, since we've gotten your first kiss out of the way, ready to really dive in?”“Dive in to what?” Ken asked, his nerves beginning to fray.“Kissing, silly! You do know there's much more to it than what we just did, right?”“More?”“Of course! Look, one day you'll get the prime opportunity to kiss a special lady, and I want you to be ready when that chance comes.”To be continued in part 2, based on a post by auguy86, in 2 parts for Sex Stories.

Miracles can happen on Christmas Eve.Based on a post by auguy86, in 2 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at My First Time. Ken Dix flipped through the TV guide at a moderate pace; “500 channels, and nothing but Christmas specials on.”Finding nothing but disappointment at every turn. As it was Christmas Eve, every show was a mushy feel-good romp spouting lines about family and goodwill to others. None of that spoke to Ken in the slightest.“Ken?” a voice came from the kitchen.“What's up, Mom?”“I've got my hands full with making everything for dinner tonight, but I'm going to run short on a couple of ingredients,” Helen Dix said, poking her head into the living room. “Can you run to the store real quick for me please?”“Sure thing,” Ken replied, seeing as he had nothing better to do.“Great, thank you. I made a list on the counter for you. The store should be open for another hour or two. The main things would be the eggs; I don't have enough to finish my famous chess pie. If they have tea by the gallon, grab one sweet and one unsweet. The rest are great if you find them, but not essential.”“Got it,” Ken said as he took the list from the counter.Heading out to his car, Ken cranked up his Honda Civic and pulled out of the driveway. As he made his way into town, Ken reflected on his current situation. Though he loved his mom, being home for the holidays was always nerve-wracking for him. His hometown of Alpharetta, Georgia was crawling with former high school classmates of his, people he'd just as soon never see again. But up at MIT, he was actually among peers that he could relate to on an intellectual level. Not that he'd made that many friends up there. As a nineteen-year-old freshman, he was still stuck in the same boring math and science classes as everyone else. He couldn't wait until he could start his health sciences training. Maybe then he could meet some decent people, perhaps of the female variety.Ken soon arrived in the parking lot of the local Kroger. It was soon obvious that the place was packed with last-minute shoppers, all trying to find that one final ingredient they were missing. Locking his car, Ken sauntered into the store, grabbing a shopping basket along the way. He found the shelves of the store well picked over, striking out on the nonessential items on his mom's list. Making his way to the drinks aisle, he was pleased to see that the store was keeping the gallon jugs of tea well stocked for the holidays, and picked up a pair.Ken soon arrived in the refrigerated section of the store. Almost every shelf was empty, but he did manage to find one last carton of six eggs, just what his mom needed. Depositing the carton in his shopping basket, Ken made his way back to the front of the store, checking out in the express lane. He gripped the shopping bags tightly, being careful that the eggs weren't harmed from the swinging of the bags. Arriving back in the parking lot, he was pleasantly surprised to see one of his former classmates, Jacqueline Brown. As he approached, she saw him coming.“Ken? Kenneth Dix?”She was extremely pretty, as was befitting one of the most popular girls in school, and kept her chestnut-brown hair cut just below her jawline. Her soft, warm facial features and bubbly personality belied the sharp intellect hiding underneath. She and Ken had been partners a few times in various subjects, and he had helped craft her entrance essay to the University of Washington. This earned her a full ride scholarship. In spite of her popularity, they had worked well together, and Ken even dared to call her a friend, at least in his own mind. They had never hung out on a social basis; her circle of friends would never have let her live that down. Still, times had changed. They were both out of high school, after all. What could it hurt to ask?“Jacqueline? Wow, I never thought I'd see you back here. Thought you escaped to cooler climates?”“Yeah, Seattle is nice, but nothing beats Christmas at home,” she replied, adjusting her UW sweatshirt. “You back for the same reason?”“Uh huh. Mom pretty much insisted. She won't settle for anything less than a full family gathering on Christmas Eve. I'm just grabbing a few last things for her. But yeah, it's great seeing you again. You, uh, you look good.”“Um; thanks,” she replied with hesitation.“I'm, uh, gonna be home for a couple of weeks. Would you want to, I don't know, hang out sometime? Maybe grab a bite to eat? My treat.”“Well, Ken, that's sweet of you to ask.” she said almost to herself. As she paused, her eyes suddenly lit up as if she had gotten an idea. “Alright! Here, let me give you my number.” She scribbled a series of digits down on a scrap piece of paper, writing her name next to them. “I'll, um, talk to you later, I guess?”“Sounds great!”Ken couldn't believe it; he had actually done it! He had asked out the prettiest girl he had ever known! Moreover, she had given him her number! Things were definitely looking up.“Dick!” a voice behind them yelled.Ken turned, immediately recognizing Jason Brown, Jacqueline's fraternal twin brother, along with his two flunkies, Brian and Barrett Sullivan. Jason had been the star quarterback at his high school, and the Sullivan boys were his best offensive linemen. They often served as his muscle off the football field, as well. Ken was intimately familiar with these three, as they had made it their mission in high school to make his life a living hell. Being stuffed in lockers, having his wallet stolen, all were commonplace with them. The three approached, attempting to appear imposing, which they were from the perspective of the ever-scrawny Ken.“I've got nothing to say to you guys,” Ken muttered as they approached.“Well I've got something to say to you, Mr. Kenny Dick,” Jason growled.“Just shut up and leave me alone,” Ken replied, his blood boiling at the use of Jason's longtime nickname for him.“No! You shut the fuck up and listen!” Jason said, grabbing Ken by the collar of his tee-shirt and flinging him against his car. In the process, Ken dropped his shopping bags, the jugs of tea landing directly on the egg carton.“Jason! Stop it!” Jacqueline protested.Undeterred, Jason threatened. “Listen fuck-wad, you stay the hell away from my sister!”“She's an adult, dickhead! She can have anyone she wants as a friend!” Ken protested.“You don't belong on the same Planet as her! You're nothing'! A pathetic sack of guts your dumbass mother decided to give a name to! Know what? Just do us all a favor and drop dead!”Enraged at the insult to his mom, Ken swung a wild haymaker at his assailant, but Jason was more than ready, pinning Ken's arm back against his car. Jason then delivered a crushing punch to Ken's gut, dropping him down to his knees. Before leaving, Jason knelt down next to his gasping victim.“Next time, I won't be so nice. Next time; I might just kill you myself. See ya around. Dick.” Turning to his sister, Jason said, “Come on, time to go home.”Jacqueline looked down at the pitiful form of Ken before muttering, “Sorry, Ken.”The trio of boys sauntered off across the parking lot, laughing and high-fiving at their antics. Jacqueline followed right behind them. Ken picked himself up and inspected his groceries, discovering the crushed eggs in his bag. Swearing and cursing, he grabbed the misshapen carton and went to throw it in a nearby trash can.“No chess pie tonight.”As Ken returned to his car and began his drive home, Jason and his flunkies watched on from his car, still pleased with their efforts.“You shouldn't have done that,” Jacqueline said in a lecturing tone.Jason turned to face his sister. “I do what I gotta do, Jacqueline. That fuck-wad has no business getting friendly with you. He needs to learn his place.”“Be that as it may, I can take care of myself,” she replied firmly.“Take care of yourself? Wait; you didn't?”“I did. Jason, someday you'll learn that there are more subtle and effective ways to ward off undesirables. Trust me, Ken won't bother me ever again.”Back at Home.Upon arriving back home, Ken couldn't bring himself to tell his mom about the incident with the eggs. He instead told her that the store had run out altogether. She had spent many sleepless nights in the past worrying about the constant bullying her son was subjected to in school. Ken didn't want to give her anything else to worry about. By this time, has uncles had started arriving, and the living room was soon filled with the sounds of football games. In Ken's mind, these were no more thought provoking that the mindless Christmas specials he had found earlier. Ken went up to his room to take a hot shower, as well as get some alone time in the process. As he stripped down, he saw a bruise beginning to form on his stomach from Jason's punch. He winced in pain as he touched the tender skin.Shit; that's not going away for a while.Ken took some Tylenol for the pain before stepping into the shower. The hot water helped relax his body, and the steam gradually built up, clearing his mind a bit. He finished after a while and, after making sure his door was shut, flopped facedown onto his bed. After laying there for around an hour or so, his mom finally called him down to rejoin the family for dinner.Taking his seat at the table, Ken glanced around the room at his various family members. His mom had two older brothers, Lee and Stan. Though Lee was tall and still relatively youthful looking at forty-five, Stan was shorter and beginning to bald as he approached fifty. Still, both of them had one notable thing in common as far as Ken was concerned: they were both still jocks at heart. Ken had never known his father; it had always just been him and his mom. He could tell that his uncles tried to be male role models for him, but their efforts were usually ill-conceived attempts to “man him up.” Never once did they understand his introverted tendencies, and always tried to get him to be more of a people person. After a while, Ken stopped paying their advice any attention.It was striking to Ken how similar Lee and Stan's families were. They had both married beautiful, blonde cheerleaders, and now both had sixteen-year-old daughters, both of whom were among the most popular girls in school. It all sickened Ken; they were just perpetuating the stereotype of pretty and popular being the be-all, end-all in life. As the family ate, Ken remained silent for the most part. The adults were engrossed in discussions about their jobs, and the two daughters were giggling and playing on their phones the entire time. None of this was relevant to Ken.“You know, I saw something interesting today,” Lee said as dessert was being brought out. “I was at Kroger filling up my car, and saw you in the main parking lot, Ken. Looked like you were, uh, having some words with a few guys out there.”Shit! He saw that?Not wanting to worry his mom, Ken replied, “It; it was nothing.”“Nothing, eh? Is that why that punk punched you in the gut?”With a worried look on her face, Helen asked, “Ken, sweetie, what is he talking about?” She walked around the table to Ken's seat and lifted up his shirt, seeing the bruise on his abdomen. “Was it that Jason boy again?”“Mom, just let it go.”“No! Ken, you know I worry about you!”“You worry about Me? I think you need to worry more about your brother!” Ken shouted, his anger exploding at last. “Right, Uncle Lee? Come on, you see your own nephew being ganged up on in a parking lot, yet you do nothing to help him out?!”“A man's gotta learn to fight his own battles,” Lee replied in a calm voice.“No. You want to know what a man does? A man sticks up for his Family! No. Matter. What! You stood there and watched your own nephew get beaten up. That says a hell of a lot more about you than it does me. And if that's family; I don't want any part of this one.”Without a word, Ken stood and left the dining room. He then grabbed his MIT hoodie and headed for the front door. As he was about to get into his car and drive off, he saw to his frustration that his uncles' cars were parked in the driveway behind him, blocking him in. Cursing under his breath, he prepared to leave on foot.“Ken! Come back inside, please!” Helen called after him, running down the driveway.“No. I've got to go out; clear my head.”“Ken, it's Christmas Eve. Please, come be with your family.”“Mom, aside from you, not a single person in that house feels like family to me,” Ken replied coldly. “I'll; I'll call you after while.”Ken walked off into the cold Georgia night, not knowing for sure where to go or what to do. Nobody else was out, as they were all at home with their families. Remembering the square in historic downtown Alpharetta, he decided to head in that direction. Maybe the quiet walk would do him some good.Arriving in the town square, Ken walked along the sidewalks for a bit, peering into the darkened windows of the various shops and restaurants. Everything looked so different to him with everyone gone for the day; it all seemed so peaceful. As he continued to walk, he soon saw City Hall in the distance. In front of the building was a large green space, which was teeming with a surprising amount of activity for it being Christmas Eve. Ken moved closer, now spying a large gathering of people sitting on picnic blankets, all bundled up in coats and hats. Ahead of them, a large screen projected the classic film, It's a Wonderful Life.Though Ken was never into the Christmas cheer, as it were, he felt strangely drawn to watch a few minutes of the film from a distance. He soon began to regret that decision, as the movie had reached the point where George Baily had an arrest warrant out for him, lashing out at his family in anger. Watching him get drunk and punched in a bar fight, Ken began to feel sick with anger. Despite all his efforts to help better the world around him, the universe conspired against George Baily; just as it seemed to be conspiring against Ken. Unable to watch a moment more, he turned and walked into the nearby park.Again alone with his thoughts, Ken sat on a bench near the fountain in the center of the park. He contemplated many things, as he often did in solitude. He thought about his piss poor excuse for a family, intent on changing him into what they say he should be. If only they could love him as he is. He thought about Jason Brown, a perpetual asshole that managed to get all the beautiful women his heart desired. If only the universe would serve up his just desserts, rather than conspiring against Ken. Sighing in frustration, he stuffed his freezing hands into his jeans pockets.Jacqueline!Feeling the scrap of paper still in his pocket, Ken suddenly felt a glimmer of hope in an otherwise dreary day. He needed something, anything to lift his spirits, and hearing her kind, sweet voice might just do it. Hell, he didn't even care anymore if she was interested in him in a romantic sense; he just needed someone to listen and understand him. Digging out his phone, he dialed the number. After a single ring, a message began to play, seeming to be read by a game show host.“Congratulations! You've reached Live 95.5 FM's world-famous Loser Line! Live 95.5; featuring the best entertainment in Seattle! If you've reached this message, you have attempted to hit on a girl Way out of your league! That poor young lady wants nothing to do with you, but you just couldn't help creeping on her! That's where we come in! Now you know what a loser you really are! So leave the girl alone, loser! You're doing everyone a favor! If you'd like to leave a message for the world-famous Loser Line, begin speaking at the tone!”Beep!Ken hung up the phone in quiet disbelief. How could he have been so wrong about Jacqueline? They had worked so well together in school, and he even considered her a friend! She always spoke so kindly to him, how could this have happened? Was she really as nasty and shallow as her dumbass brother? Was she really just that good of an actress? As he pondered all this, Ken's rage finally exploded out of him.“That two-faced bitch! Who the fuck does she think she is?! I trusted her! Hell, she would never have gotten a full scholarship without my help! All I ever did was Like her! And after all that, she doesn't even have the decency to turn me down to my face?! What The Fucking Hell? At least her brother was honest about his disdain. She's far worse! I can't imagine how evil she'd be if a person actually offended her?”Slumping back down onto the park bench, every thought that entered Ken's mind brought him lower. Jason was an ass, but then again, he didn't know how to act any different. Uncle Lee was a moron, but then again, he had no malicious intent. But Jacqueline; she was the last straw. He had trusted her, opened up to her, and she repaid him by committing the single most cruel and senseless act Ken could ever imagine. Everything was crashing down around him. As he continued to sulk, Jason's words entered into his mind once more.“I should just do everyone a favor and drop dead; is that what you want, Jacqueline? Seems like you agree with your brother, or you wouldn't have given me that number.”Ken reached into his pocket, withdrawing a folding knife. It had been a high school graduation present to him from his grandfather, before he passed a few months later. A far cry from the typical Swiss Army knife, he unfolded the shiny, four-inch blade, which stood in beautiful contrast to the wooden handle. Inscribed in the wood were Ken's initials. He had not used it for anything yet, never had any need to. As he stared at his reflection in the blade, Ken kept replaying Jason's cruel words in his mind, to do the world a favor and drop dead.“Maybe that's not such a bad idea.” Ken mumbled.Just as he took a firm grip on the handle, preparing to take the knife to his throat, an unfamiliar voice came from off to the side.“Hey!”Gabrielle's Christmas night.Gabrielle Libertine relaxed in a lawn chair, savoring the crisp, cold air of Christmas Eve. This was her favorite time of the year, and being able to enjoy an outdoor showing of her favorite Christmas film, It's a Wonderful Life, made it even better. It all fit in perfectly with her life philosophy: live for happiness. Not only her own, but as much as could be had for the world around her too.“You want the moon? Just say the word, and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down.”“Oh, Jimmy Stewart, you charmer you.” Gabby sighed.Soon, her emotions welled up as the hopeless romantic that was George Bailey began to succumb to the pressures and injustices of life. He had blamed his own uncle for destroying their business, lashed out at his wife and children in anger, and gone crawling to his hated rival for a loan. The hardest scenes for her to watch were always the bar fight and the car crash. Still, she always stuck it out. The best was yet to come.Just as George stood atop the bridge, Gabby caught sight of something out of the corner of her eye. A young man of about nineteen or twenty was watching the movie from a distance away, leaning against a tree near the road. His face twisted in angst as he saw the pain on display in the film, and he soon spun around, walking into the nearby park. Gabby couldn't explain why, but something compelled her to follow him and make sure he was okay.Collecting her lawn chair, she walked along the perimeter of the green space, soon arriving at the entrance to the park. As she went, she began to hear angry shouting up ahead of her; it sounded like the young man was in distress. After a few minutes, she came upon the fountain situated in the center of the park. On a bench sat the man from earlier, appearing to be deep in thought. By the glow of the lamppost, Gabby could now get a good look at him. He appeared to be of average height, maybe 5'7”, and had shaggy black hair that seemed a bit unkempt. Still, it's color shone in the light of the park, and his white skin provided for quite a striking appearance. A pair of black horn-rimmed glasses framed his face, which combined with his red MIT hoodie to project a very specific image into Gabby's mind. He had to be incredibly intelligent.As she studied him, she saw the young man pull an object out of the pocket of his jeans. Catching a glimpse of something reflective, she could now see that he was holding a small folding knife. Gabby tensed up and wondered if she should run, but soon decided against it; he didn't seem to have even noticed her presence. In fact, the way he looked at the knife was quite unsettling. It was as if he saw that little blade as his best friend in the world. She knew the look in his eyes. She knew what would happen in a moment if she did nothing. Taking a deep breath, Gabby decided to act.“Hey.”Intervention.Ken was startled by the unfamiliar voice. Looking up, he now saw a woman in her early twenties standing across the way. She gazed at him with intent, but for what reason he did not know. Looking back at her, Ken's typical awkwardness began to kick in, as he could see that she was quite beautiful. Dressed warmly in a black winter coat and blue jeans, she wore a grey knit cap over her long blonde hair. Upon first glance, she appeared to be of some sort of Scandinavian descent, or perhaps German, though Ken couldn't be sure. His mouth went dry as he tried to find the words to speak.“Everything okay?” she asked.“Uh; fine. Why do you, um; why do you ask?”Smiling, she replied, “I saw you over on the green, watching the movie. By the look on your face, you were having a tough time with it. When I saw you walk off towards the park, I felt I should come and see if anything was wrong.”“No, nothing's wrong.”“Good. Then I shouldn't be concerned about the way you're looking at that knife of yours, right?”Shaking his head, Ken answered, “I'm not going to hurt you. Promise.”“That's not what I'm concerned about.”“Wha; what do you mean?” Ken asked, his eyes growing wide.“I've seen that look before,” she said, taking a couple of steps closer. “I am, sadly, all too familiar with it. You were about to hurt yourself, weren't you?”“You don't know a thing about me, lady,” Ken muttered, preparing to leave.“I don't have to know anything about you to be concerned,” she fired back.“Concerned,” Ken snorted. “How could you be concerned about me? You don't even know me!”“Easily rectified. Gabrielle Libertine. My friends call me Gabby,” she said, sticking out her hand with a warm smile. When he didn't respond, she smirked and continued, “This is the part where you tell me your name.”Sighing, he replied, “Ken. Ken Dix.”“A pleasure, Ken,” she said as they shook hands.“So; Gabrielle, eh? You supposed to be my Clarence or something?”With a playful gasp, she responded, “Oh my God! Does that mean you're Jimmy Stewart?! I've had the biggest crush on you for Years!”Ken gave a nervous laugh. “Alright, alright, I walked into that one. But in all seriousness.”“No, I'm not a Guardian Angel or the Word of God or anything like that. Just an average person like you.” Motioning to the bench, she asked, “May I?”“Sure, I guess,” Ken answered, scooting to the edge.“Thanks.” Taking a seat, she continued, “So tell me this, Ken: why would you want to hurt, maybe kill yourself?”His face twisted in pain. “You don't want to know.”“I do. Believe me, I do.”Sighing with reluctance, Ken relented and began to tell Gabby of the events of the day. He started with Jacqueline and Jason, then the confrontation with his uncle, and finally the fake phone number showing Jacqueline's true colors. Through it all, Gabby sat in silence, maintaining eye contact and nodding whenever appropriate. At last, he finished his story, and Gabby could feel her heart breaking within her chest.“Ken; I'm so sorry. I can feel the pain in your voice. No one deserves what you've gone through today. I know it's of little help, but I do understand what you're going through.”“Understand?” Ken said, incredulous. “How could a girl like you understand any of this? I mean, look at you. You're gorgeous, and I bet you've always been popular. Just like Jacqueline. Just like Jason. Just like Uncle Lee. None of you could ever imagine the world I live in.”With a stern look on her face, she replied, “I'm going to choose to let that slide, considering everything you've told me. Still, you need to know that what you just said was quite hurtful. Almost as hurtful as the things that have been said to you today.”Ken recoiled. He knew she was right. “I'm; I'm sorry. You're right; I should never have said that. You've been nothing but nice to me tonight.”“Apology accepted,” Gabby said with a smile. “Humility is a rare trait in men these days. Hang on to that.”Ken thought she might be mocking him, but bit his tongue nonetheless. He had already insulted her once, and he wasn't going to chance a second time.Seeking to turn the conversation to happier topics, she asked, “M I T, huh? You're an awful long way from home, aren't you?”“Huh? Oh, the hoodie. Yeah, I'm a freshman there this year, just home on break right now.”“Nice. Major?”“Health sciences. I want to go to medical school after MIT, though I'm still figuring out a specialty.”“Plenty of time to decide that. I'm sure you'll find the right career path,” she said with a grin.As nice as it was to talk about a familiar topic, a few things still bugged Ken's mind to no end. “I still can't figure it out; why would Jacqueline do this?”Frowning, Gabby replied, “Some people are cruel. Often the ones that are the cruelest disguise it with a kind, warm public demeanor. Jacqueline sounds like she fits that mold to a T.”“And she hid it all that time while we were in school?”“You were useful at the time, in her mind. She wasn't going to chance losing that. Once she got what she needed, she had no more reason to hide her true feelings.”“Yeah, but still. Why be all friendly to me in the store?”“In her twisted mind, she probably felt she was doing you a favor. She wanted to ensure you never tried to contact her again. To a cruel person like her; that's her idea of doing you a kindness,” Gabby replied sadly. “We just have to hope that there's enough real kindness in this world to counteract such cruelty.”Now noticing a silver cross hanging from her neck, Ken pointed to it and asked, “I guess this the part where you start lecturing me about suicide? That I'm being selfish and trying to go against God's plan?”“No,” she replied with simplicity.“No?”“No. Ken, I meant it when I said that I've seen that look before. I know better than most that suicidal thoughts are rarely that simple. There's no switch that can turn them off. It's a tide that must be turned back, bit by bit.”Stunned, Ken started to see that this woman understood what was important in life. Realizing he still had the knife in his hand, he folded it closed and put it back in his pocket.“Bit by bit,” she said with a smile. “My car's around the corner. Is there somewhere I can take you? Where do you live?”“I'm not going home. Not yet,” Ken replied. “Not with my uncles still there.”“No problem. I'm not going to force you.” Thinking a moment, she continued, “It's pretty cold out here. Why don't you come back to my place for a bit?”“That's; unnecessary. I'm fine on my own.”“Nice try, but no cigar,” she said. “I'm not leaving you alone with that knife, mister. And I'm certainly not leaving you alone on Christmas Eve. Nobody should be alone for the holidays.”“Thanks, but; won't your husband mind?”“He would, if I were married.”“Boyfriend?”“Nope, just my townhouse and me. Pretty cozy, all things considered. No problems with you coming over, but I do have one condition.”“And what's that?”Smirking, Gabby replied, “You call your mom right now and tell her you're okay.”Hesitating a moment, Ken soon relented. “Fine.” Tapping his phone, Ken waited as it rang. “Hey Mom, it's me; Yeah, I'm okay; No, seriously. I'm fine; Yeah I'm just hanging with a friend. I probably won't be back ‘til tomorrow; I will; Love you too; Bye.”“See? Now that wasn't so bad, was it?” Gabby teased him.Eying her, Ken asked. “You're seriously okay with bringing me to your home?”“Positive.”Taking his hand, Gabby led him to her car.Gabby's guest.The drive had been silent for the most part. Ken was still trying to comprehend everything that was happening. Who was this woman? Why would she go to such great lengths for a stranger she didn't even know? Gabby seemed to pick up on this, refraining from prodding him for any further conversation. She could tell he was still processing the events of the day. Soon, they arrived at her townhouse complex and pulled into her garage.“Come on in, make yourself at home,” she said as she turned on the lights. “Can I offer you something to drink? Coffee? Hot chocolate?”“Hot chocolate sounds good, thanks.”“Coming right up!”As she hung her hat and jacket up on a rack, Ken couldn't help but stare. He now saw that she wasn't just a pretty face; her entire body was sublime. She wore a tight burgundy sweater and a pair of tight, form-fitting jeans. This ensemble only served to accent her body even further. Her hourglass figure was delectable, her slim waist contrasting with her curvy hips and ample bust. She was also just as tall as him, perhaps a bit taller, with legs for miles. Though Ken had fantasized about some of his classmates, none of them could come anywhere close to Gabby. She was a woman, not a girl, and in the prime of her life no less.“Here you go,” she said, handing Ken a mug.After blowing on the hot drink, he took a sip, feeling the warm liquid spreading through his body. “Thanks,” he sighed.“No problem,” she replied with a smile. “Come on, let's go relax in the den.”She led him into an intimate area with a sofa and a loveseat. The only illumination came from the twinkling multicolored lights on her Christmas tree in the corner. As Ken took in the relaxing surroundings, smelling the delicious scent of her Frazier fir tree, Gabby stepped over to the fireplace opposite the sofa. Flipping a switch, she soon had a comfortable fire roaring from the gas logs. She then sat on the sofa, placing her mug on the side table and patting the spot next to her.“Come sit. I promise I don't bite,” she said with a playful grin.“Um, okay.” he mumbled, scooting as close to the armrest as he could to give Gabby plenty of space.“Tell me about M I T,” she inquired. “You mentioned you want to go into health sciences. Does that include medical school?”“Uh, yeah with any luck. Harvard would be my top choice, but I don't know if I could afford it. But assuming so, my dream has always been to be a brain surgeon.”“Brain surgeon?! That's so cool! They're like; the most badass of all the badass doctors! Not just surgeons, brain surgeons!” Gabby gushed.“It's, uh, not that big a deal,” Ken replied as he blushed with embarrassment.“Well, I could totally see you as a brain surgeon. Don't ever give up on it.”“Thanks.”“So, what then for you, Dr. Dix? What happens once you reach your dream?”Ken began to feel a strange amount of comfort with this woman, and started to open up to her. “Honestly; I don't know. I mean even if I become a brain surgeon, I'm still hopeless around girls. Maybe Jason's right. I'm gonna die a virgin.” Realizing what he had confessed to her, he turned to Gabby and blurted out, “Not that it's your problem, or anything. S-sorry, I just; I shouldn't have gone that far.”Gabby just smiled and moved closer to him, brushing her hand against his arm.“Don't worry about it. You have goals, both personal and professional, but aren't sure exactly how to achieve them. So you're a virgin. That's nothing to be embarrassed about, and it's healthy to express your anxiety about it. That can help you overcome your fears. In all seriousness, I think you underestimate yourself, Ken.”“Underestimate myself?”“Of course,” Gabby replied. “You're smart, considerate, polite, you even held the car door for me earlier! Any girl you'd want to be with is gonna swoon at traits like that. I can also tell that you still think of yourself as unattractive, but I disagree. You wear glasses, yes, but that doesn't make you a dork. Your hair is a little shaggy, but not greasy or anything. You may not have a tan, but your skin complexion is damn near flawless. You have nothing to be ashamed of, be it your looks or your personality.”“You're about the only woman who thinks so,” he sighed.“Doubtful, but if it's that big a worry for you, I can give you a couple of pointers, if you like.”“Um, oh, okay I guess.”“Great! Okay, so you definitely give off the ‘geek' vibe, but that's not a bad thing. Don't fight it; own it.”“How?”“Well, you can make just some slight alterations to your outward appearance that can change the way others see you. For example, you could switch to wire-framed glasses instead of your horn-rimmed ones. Your hair is a great color, and would do well in a short, clean-cut style, if I do say so myself. You can also change out your usual t-shirts for some casual polo shirts.”“So; the secret to getting women to notice me is to change who I am?” Ken asked, feeling more than a little offended.Cocking her eyebrow, Gabby replied, “Are you saying your glasses, hair length, and shirt choices define who you are?”“Oh, uh; fair point,” Ken conceded.“See? Humility. Such a rare quality these days,” Gabby said with a grin. “To be honest, all the changes I suggested are things my brother did a couple of years back. He was a complete geek, maybe even bigger than you. The poor boy was helpless around the fairer sex. But after he made these changes, he no longer came off as the socially awkward geek. He came off as a self-assured, confident geek, one who loves himself for who he is. I see that potential in you, Ken.” Grabbing her iPad from the side table, she pulled up a couple of pictures for him. “See? Here's before. And here's after.”“Woah,” Ken marveled. He could see the drastic difference. The guy hadn't done anything to make himself stronger or bulkier, nothing to increase his manliness, but the things he did change just popped in all the right ways. Was it really that simple?“That's great and all, but can new clothes and a haircut get rid of social awkwardness? I still don't have even a shred of confidence around women,” Ken said.“They can help, but a change in your mental confidence is completely based on your willpower. You have to love yourself as much as you want others to love you. If you don't, everyone else will pick up on it.”“Knew there was a catch.”Gabby bit her lip in frustration. There had to be a way she could give him the confidence boost he needed to love himself, but how? Getting one somewhat crazy idea, she moved closer to Ken.“I'm guessing from your previous statements that; you've never kissed a girl before. Is that right Ken?”Poor Ken Dix didn't even know what had hit him. Here he was, sitting with the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid eyes on, and the unthinkable was beginning to happen. She was moving closer, running her fingers through his hair, and now wanted to know if he'd ever been kissed! This was too much, way beyond any of his hottest dreams. Unable to find the words to respond, he managed to slowly nod his head.“Close your eyes,” she instructed in her sweet voice. When he only blinked in reply, she whispered, “Close; your eyes, Ken. Trust me.”Guided by an unseen force, Ken felt compelled to obey her. His eyes finally fluttered closed, and his breathing became more labored in anticipation of what was to come. A small part of him doubted that she was being truthful, thinking that she'd fake him out just like Jacqueline had. Those doubts were soon quashed, as he felt the warm sensation of Gabby's face leaning close to his. He could feel her breathing. He could smell her perfume. If there was a God, Ken prayed, then and there; that He could make this incredible moment last forever.After what felt like eons, Gabby finally released their building tension and touched her lips to Ken's. Her kiss was soft at first, allowing him to savor the new sensations he was feeling. Ken was so terrified and excited all at once that he could barely even move his lips in reply. Not that it mattered to Gabby. She had expected his fear, and made sure to keep her technique simple yet enjoyable. After around thirty seconds, she withdrew at last, her face aglow in the Christmas tree light.“Wow,” Ken managed to mutter as he opened his eyes. He soon noticed that he couldn't see Gabby at all; his glasses had fogged up from their kiss.“Here, let's just take these off,” Gabby said with a giggle. She slipped his glasses off and laid them on her side table. “Now then, since we've gotten your first kiss out of the way, ready to really dive in?”“Dive in to what?” Ken asked, his nerves beginning to fray.“Kissing, silly! You do know there's much more to it than what we just did, right?”“More?”“Of course! Look, one day you'll get the prime opportunity to kiss a special lady, and I want you to be ready when that chance comes.”To be continued in part 2, based on a post by auguy86, in 2 parts for Sex Stories.

Tuesday 1/14/25

Monday 1/13/25

We sit with the team at Bitmap Studios and discuss all things metaverse on Bitcoin and DMT. Bitmap Studios is launching a new avatar collection called The BitAvatars in a few days (Oct 24th) on Mscribe. This will be a UNAT collection, sharing the same element pattern as Natcats, giving the non-arbitrary supply of 8,064.BitAvatars are unique 3D models with interoperable use cases in mind. Already these avatars will be functional with FOXXI's Bitverse, Inscribed.Space, and The NATRIX. This focus gives tremendous ability to these avatars and their access to a wider range of experiences for holders. We discuss how Avatars can serve as a killer onboarding vehicle for new users of a Bitmap. We then discuss Bitmap Studios recent developments in the NATRIX which showcase the ability for creators to leverage MML and Bitmap parcels to produce engaging and showcase worthy experiences. We go deep on DMT application within the metaverse economy and highlight how blockdrops are being leveraged to amplify the metaverse economy. Topics: First up, the guys sit with the team at Bitmap Studios and discuss all things metaverse on Bitcoin and DMT Next, what is BitAvatars, and how will it impact the web3 space and Finally, how Avatars can serve as a killer onboarding vehicle for new users of a Bitmap Please like and subscribe on your favorite podcasting app! Sign up for a free newsletter: www.theblockrunner.com Follow us on: Youtube: https://bit.ly/TBlkRnnrYouTube Twitter: bit.ly/TBR-Twitter Discord: bit.ly/TBR-Discord

The kebaya has been successfully inscribed onto the UNESCO representative list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity. It was jointly nominated by five Southeast Asian countries - Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand - and is the largest nomination from Southeast Asia to date in terms of nominating countries. The collaboration comes as the kebaya celebrates the shared cultural identity across the five countries, promotes cross-cultural understanding, and continues to be present, actively produced and worn by many communities across Southeast Asia. On this episode of Morning Shot, Melissa Tan, Director of Heritage Policy & Research at the National Heritage Board and Ratianah Tahir, Owner & Designer of Kebaya by Ratianah share their insights. Presented by: Audrey Siek & Emaad AkhtarProduced & Edited by: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg)Photo credits: pixabay & its talented community of contributorsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

AP correspondent Walter Ratliff reports the oldest known stone tablet inscribed with the Ten Commandments has been sold at an auction.

Your morning briefing, the business news you need in just 15 minutes.On today's podcast:(1) Emmanuel Macron said he will serve out the remainder of his presidential term as he seeks to quickly stymie the political turmoil in France after Marine Le Pen's far-right party allied with leftist lawmakers to topple his government.(2) A measure of France's bond risk fell amid hopes lawmakers will strike a deal on next year's budget sooner than many investors had expected, ending months of political impasse that has weighed on markets.(3) The words “delay” and “depose” were written on a shell casing and a live round recovered in front of the New York Hilton Midtown, where UnitedHealth Group Inc. insurance chief Brian Thompson was fatally shot on Wednesday, according to people familiar with the matter.(4) UK household incomes will be held back by budget tax increases in a blow to Prime Minister Keir Starmer's new goal of “raising living standards in every part of the UK,” according to the Confederation for British Industry.(5) Citigroup has named 344 new managing directors, the most in at least six years for the Wall Street bank.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ABC News Crime and Terrorism Analyst Brad Garrett talks about how the UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was gunned down outside a Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan in a brazen targeted attack with the assailant shooting Thompson in the back and the leg.

It was on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918 when WWI ended. Though the cease fire (armistice) was signed at 5am in the morning, it specified that 11 am would be the hour that the actual fighting would stop. Tragically, in the intervening 6 hours of fighting, an additional 11,000 more were killed.In 1921, President Warren Harding had the remains of an unknown soldier who was killed in France brought to Arlington Cemetery and buried in what's known as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Inscribed on the tomb are these words: "Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God." In 1926, President Coolidge began issuing proclamations honoring veterans every year and in 1938, the day became a legal holiday. In 1954, the name Armistice Day was changed to Veterans Day to honor all soldiers of all American wars.4 million Americans served in WWI, 16 million in WWII, nearly 7 million served in the Korean War, nearly 9 million served in the Vietnam War and from the first Gulf War to the present, 7.4 million men and women serve.While Veterans Day honors living soldiers, Memorial Day honors those who died while serving. This broadcast is Crosstalk's way of giving thanks as the phone lines were opened allowing listeners across the nation to honor a veteran on the broadcast.

It was on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918 when WWI ended. Though the cease fire (armistice) was signed at 5am in the morning, it specified that 11 am would be the hour that the actual fighting would stop. Tragically, in the intervening 6 hours of fighting, an additional 11,000 more were killed.In 1921, President Warren Harding had the remains of an unknown soldier who was killed in France brought to Arlington Cemetery and buried in what's known as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Inscribed on the tomb are these words: "Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God." In 1926, President Coolidge began issuing proclamations honoring veterans every year and in 1938, the day became a legal holiday. In 1954, the name Armistice Day was changed to Veterans Day to honor all soldiers of all American wars.4 million Americans served in WWI, 16 million in WWII, nearly 7 million served in the Korean War, nearly 9 million served in the Vietnam War and from the first Gulf War to the present, 7.4 million men and women serve.While Veterans Day honors living soldiers, Memorial Day honors those who died while serving. This broadcast is Crosstalk's way of giving thanks as the phone lines were opened allowing listeners across the nation to honor a veteran on the broadcast.

①Mount Fanjing in southwest China inscribed in IUCN Green List②Hong Kong-born giant panda cubs leave incubators, develop distinctive markings③Beijing plans to expand low-altitude flights for rescue, delivery④5,000-year-old royal tomb discovered in central China⑤A Thousand Whys: Why guardian lions, not tigers?

Mount Fanjing in southwest China has joined the Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The Seven Weeks of Comfort  Part 8:  On Rosh HaShanah, May You Be Inscribed In The Book  -  English and Spanish.  There is a traditional blessing on Rosh HaShanah: May you be inscribed for a good year!  Many people are unaware that the Scriptures speak frequently and forcefully about being inscribed in the book. In fact, the Scriptures speak about several books!  Join us as we explore this very crucial subject!   This is a rebroadcast of a 2020 sermon from our archives. Las Siete Semanas de Consuelo Parte 8:  En Rosh Hashaná, que seas inscrito en el Libro - Inglés y Español.  Hay una bendición tradicional en Rosh Hashaná: ¡Que seas inscrito para un buen año!  Mucha gente ignora que las Escrituras hablan con frecuencia y contundencia sobre estar inscrito en el libro. De hecho, ¡las Escrituras hablan de varios libros!  Acompáñenos a explorar este tema tan crucial.   Esta es una retransmisión de un sermón de 2020 de nuestros archivos.

EPISODE 239 - Clark opens the show by marking the historic achievement accomplished by Shohei Ohtani who became the only MLB player to hit at least 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in one season. On cue, there will be a Topps Now card to commemorate the incredible achievement. Then in this special Friday episode, Clark plays an interview he had with Karlos Diego (aka Sluggers55) live in person in Hyung's studio where he brought some monster cards to show and tell including the Michael Jordan 1984 Star Rookie Card as well as the 1986 Fleer Rookie Card of MJ (and which one he considers the true rookie.) He also brought some amazing vintage cards and shares stories of how he acquired all of them and what he looks for when buying vintage at shows as well as the value of some of these cards. They also talk about what he likes about some of the upcoming card shows such as the local CSC show on Sunday, Sept. 22 and the Fanatics Collect Orlando Show in November where he'll be setting up. -------------------------- CONNECT WITH US! Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@cardstothemoon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@fivecardguys⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Clark) | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@yntegritysportscards⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Hyung) | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@tradeyouatrecess⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (John) Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://fivecardguys.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Daily Auctions (w/ affiliate links): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://fivecardguys.com/dailyauctions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you have any questions about the hobby that you would like addressed, email us at hello@fivecardguys.com or DM us on Instagram at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@cardstothemoon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@fivecardguys⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Welcome back. It's a new season of Soundwalk, the album series / podcast / newsletter that transports you to sound-rich natural places via roving binaural audio field recordings paired to a melodic, ambient score. In this short two-part season we are discovering serene soundscapes within the city of Portland, Oregon. Thank you for tuning in!See that dark green canyon in the foreground? That's where we're going to escape the sound of the city, within the city.Every Portlander knows about Forest Park, the forested hillside roughly eight miles long and one mile wide, northwest of the city. Most Portlanders have visited it. In contrast, my guess is less than one in ten would be able to point to Marquam Nature Park on a map, and even less have visited.Marquam is the “secret” nature park mere minutes from downtown. I've posted field recordings from here before, but this is the first soundwalk I've shared. What's most noteworthy about this place to me is how quickly the canyon spirits you away from the hum of the city as you venture in. It's really quite amazing. The city throbs at full volume just over the hill, and here—provided leaf blowers aren't in use on residential properties along the bluff— you'll find serene quiet; the twitter of birds, the murmur of streams. At the park's main gateway the visitor is greeted by a tile mosaic that forms an amphitheater. Inscribed in its depiction of park flora and fauna is this message: Tranquility reminds us that we are a small part of nature in a place where listening and looking inspire us.Sometimes I wonder if I've become a bit extreme about sound. That is, I wonder if I'm peculiarly bothered by city noise or unusually thirsty for quiet refuges. This message hints to me that I'm not alone. “Tranquility” and “listening” strike me as potent and deliberate word choices. Unlike the new Forest Park entrance north of town, this one embraces the visitor and conveys them quickly to a natural, tranquil setting.Thus, on our soundwalk from Mar 8th of this year, we encounter the sounds of Dark-eyed Junco, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Pacific Wren, American Robin, Golden-crowned Kinglet and others all rising above the many creeks, streams and seeps we pass by on foot. At the 25 minute mark we come to a trail culvert spitting out water in a rhythm. It's an unusual and entrancing sound, worth lingering on. A Pacific Wren sings in the distance. Junco trills percolate through the canyon. Synthesizers pulse and sweep in response. It's a recipe for a reverie, if you're open to it. The instrumentation is comprised of piano, zither, and electric piano—all played solo—with occasional woodwind (clarinet & bass clarinet) and synth pad accompaniment. As always it errs on the side of minimalism.Marquam Nature Park Soundwalk is available on all streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple, Tidal, Amazon, YouTube…) Friday, September 6th. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chadcrouch.substack.com/subscribe

'I' didn't bring you here to leave you. Do you trust that? Do you trust Me? Then show me.  Relax enough to feel Me.  That Feeling IS My Name.  Call It. "Become conscious of Being Conscious.  Eventually, the false 'I' will vanish, leaving only the unbroken awareness of the real, immanent 'I', Self-Consciousness Itself." - Ramana Maharshi ****** I call It Jesus.  I call It Christ.  I call It Love, still.  Only Love is here. But when I say, 'Only Jesus is here', there is a dimension of feeling that has yet to be experienced.  It feels more personal. It makes me take things less personally. It makes me more humble. I live in a posture of bowing, of worshiping everything, of seeing Him everywhere.  Which is why one prayer is not better than another one. One religion is not better than another. Love is Love, and it does not belong to any one religion. This body goes into a Catholic church daily and serves as often as possible. It receives the Eucharist as often as possible. But the Spirit, this Awareness, that's Here,  the church is in It, the temples, the ashrams are all in Here. I can't fit in them. Nikki goes to them. She likes to visit them, but I can't fit in any box. I Am That, and You are That. And every time you remember that, "All the saints salute you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, is with you." - 2 Corinthians 13-14 I Love you,  nik  p.s. CHANGE IS HERE. nikki@curlynikki.com Please support the show: ▶▶https://www.patreon.com/goodmornings ▶▶ Cash App $NikWalton  __________________________________________ LINKS Surrender Novena #1 (All nine days in one place!) Surrender Novena #2 (All nine days in one place!)   Day 3- Surrender Novena  How many things I do when the soul, in so much spiritual and material need, turns to me, looks at me and says to me; "You take care of it", then closes its eyes and rests. In pain you pray for me to act, but that I act in the way you want. You do not turn to me, instead, you want me to adapt your ideas. You are not sick people who ask the doctor to cure you, but rather sick people who tell the doctor how to. So do not act this way, but pray as I taught you in the our Father: "Hallowed be thy Name", that is, be glorified in my need. "Thy kingdom come", that is, let all that is in us and in the world be in accord with your kingdom. "Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven", that is, in our need, decide as you see fit for our temporal and eternal life. If you say to me truly: "Thy will be done", which is the same as saying: "You take care of it", I will intervene with all my omnipotence, and I will resolve the most difficult situations.  O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything! (10 times) Mother, I am yours now and forever. Through you and with you I always want to belong completely to Jesus.  Amen _______________________________ "Once (people] let go of the reins and just kind of put their trust in the divine, in God - He will basically change your entire life the way He did mine." Jonathan Roumie "There are times when the burden of need and our own limitations might tempt us to become discouraged. But precisely then we are helped by the knowledge that, in the end, we are only instruments in the Lord's hands; and this knowledge frees us from the presumption of thinking that we alone are personally responsible for building a better world. In all humility we will do what we can, and in all humility we will entrust the rest to the Lord. It is God who governs the world, not we. We offer him our service only to the extent that we can, and for as long as he grants us the strength. To do all we can with what strength we have, however, is the task which keeps the good servant of Jesus Christ always at work: "The love of Christ urges us on" (2 Cor 5:14). - Pope Benedict XVI, God is Love: Deus Caritas Est "The Light you give off did not come from a pelvis. Your features did not begin in semen. Don't try to hide inside anger, radiance that cannot be hidden." - Rumi  "People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered; Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway. If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; Succeed anyway. If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway. What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; Be happy anyway. The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you've got anyway. You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God; It was never between you and them anyway." -Inscribed on the wall of Mother Teresa's children's home in Calcutta 'Prayer is the natural outgushing of a soul in communion with Jesus. Just as the leaf and the fruit will come out of the vine-branch without any conscious effort on the part of the branch, but simply because of its living union with the stem, so prayer buds, and blossoms, and fruits out of souls abiding in Jesus' -Charles Spurgeon

We're back! This is the second part of our deep dive on drawing. I asked my artist-guests: Jennifer Coates, David Humphrey and Catherine Haggarty to bring along a fave drawing from art history to share and describe what "drew" them to it (please forgive the pun). It was so fun to see what they selected. See images of all of the works on IG @peptalksforartists The drawings discussed were: 1) "The Grotto of Neptune in Tivoli" ca 1640 by Claude Lorrain 2) Rocks near the caves above Château Noir (Rochers à Bibémus) 1895/00 by Paul Cézanne, Watercolor on paper 18¼ by 12 in. 3) "Moon and Clouds" 1945 by George Ault 4) Ledger Drawing ca. 1875-78 attributed to William Cohoe, Cheyenne, Central Plains, Inscribed "Cheyenne Soldiers" Find my guests online here: David Humprhrey: ⁠web⁠ and ⁠IG⁠ Jennifer Coates: ⁠web⁠ and ⁠IG⁠ Catherine Haggarty: ⁠web⁠ and ⁠IG⁠ See more Ledger Drawings at DonaldEllisGallery.com: https://www.donaldellisgallery.com/offerings/plains-indian-drawings Artists also mentioned: Georges Seurat ("Monkey"), Alexander Cozens, Caspar David Friedrich, Julia Gleich (choreographer) Books mentioned: "Lake Superior" by Lorine Niedecker, "Keeping Time: Plains Indian Ledger Drawings 1865-1900" (pub by Donald Ellis Gallery) Catherine's show "Just Drawing" online at Geary Contemporary: ⁠https://geary.nyc/exhibition/just-drawing-catherine-haggarty/ You can watch the original IG Live video of my guests' panel talk at Geary here: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9qMilKRs-f/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==⁠⁠ Thank you for listening! All music by Soundstripe ---------------------------- Pep Talks on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@peptalksforartists⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Pep Talks Website: ⁠https://www.peptalksforartists.com/⁠ Amy, your beloved host, on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@talluts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Amy's website: ⁠https://www.amytalluto.com/⁠ Pep Talks on Art Spiel as written essays: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/7k82vd8s⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BuyMeACoffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Donations always appreciated! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/peptalksforartistspod/support

The Emergence of Modern Human Behaviour: The Pleistocene Occupation Sites of South Africa" (EMHB) has been inscribed as World Heritage site.  Sport, Arts and Culture Minister, Gayton McKenzie announced the news YESTERDAY. McKenzie says this is a great moment for South Africa and the continent to have another site added to the prestigious World Heritage Listing.  The inscriptions were made at the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee in New Delhi in India. 

An exhibition titled 'Sawari Kathaharu' at Kathmandu's Siddhartha Art Gallery featured poetry and art commonly seen on vehicles like trucks, vans, and buses. Curator Urza Acharya spoke with SBS Nepali about the inspiration and planning behind the unique display. - काठमाण्डूको सिद्धार्थ आर्ट ग्यालरीमा ‘सवारी कथाहरू' नामक प्रदर्शनी सम्पन्न भएको छ, जसमा ट्रक, माइक्रो र बस जस्ता सवारी साधनमा लेखिएका शब्दहरू र कोरिएका चित्रहरू सम्मिलित रहेका थिए। यस विषयमा प्रदर्शनी तयार गर्ने योजना कसरी आयो भन्ने विषयमा कार्यक्रमलाई 'क्युरेट' गरेकी ऊर्जा आचार्यले एसबीएस नेपालीसँग गरेको कुराकानी सुन्नुहोस्।

Teresa Gilmore, archaeologist at Birmingham Museums Trust, explains a very rare find of a centuries old ogham-inscribed stone from Ireland in a garden in Coventry, England.

Rev. Kenneth Bomberger gives today's prayerful thought based on the day's Scripture readings.

Pastor Tim teaches on Exodus 20.

Evans' excavation of the Linear B tablets at Knossos shed light on the complex and sophisticated nature of the Minoan ...

Join us as we embark on a four-part series on core leadership skills.Inscribed on the Temple of Apollo in the 5th century B.C., the phrase “Know thyself” is considered a universal truth. So it's appropriate that the first leadership skill we're exploring is self-awareness.Too many leaders are tone-deaf or ego-driven to be self-aware. And yet, it's probably the single most important leadership skill, as it makes it possible for other skills to grow.Links* Related Timeless & Timely entries on the topic of reflection* Related Timeless & Timely entries on the topic of self-awareness* Episode 34: Take Charge of You with David NovakContactTo reach Scott to discuss a public speaking engagement or to talk about his executive coaching services, please get in touch here. MusicTheme music: Americana - Aspiring by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source:   http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1200092Artist: http://incompetech.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.timelesstimely.com/subscribe

Series: A living Hope in a dying worldTitle: How to lead your family & your church wellScripture: 1 Peter 5:1-14 NIVBottom Line: We lead our family and church family like Jesus told us to: teaching them to obey all he's commanded us.1. SERMON OUTLINE2. NOTES3. OUTLINES4. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS5. MAIN REFERENCES USEDSERMON OUTLINEIntroductionMy dream last night was like no dream I've ever had. It was clear, not overly weird, and it repeated. And it had a clear point.And I actually remember it.I was at my old church after being gone awhile. We were coming out of the Sunday worship service and old friends were greeting me after being gone a long time. Some invited me to share a word with their Sunday school class. I was thrilled to do that. But I had to come up with something to say. But then I found myself wandering around the campus trying to find that Sunday school class. I spent 55 of the 60 minutes looking for this class. When I finally found it I realized it was right where I started when they asked me to come in and share. I'd been right where I was supposed to be in the first place.I also knew what I was to share in the brief time I had with them. It would be Matthew 28:19-20, especially this part… “Teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you”And then as I was driving in this morning praying about what to do with this dream, I felt led to share this and then I felt like God shared another thought. That just like I wandered all over that church campus looking for the class room, Israel had wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. Why? Because they didn't believe God's words about taking the promise land and so they disobeyed the commands of God. This led me to wonder if we aren't doing the same thing today. Are we leading (shepherding) our families and church family to obey the commands of Christ?This goes with the questions we're wrestling with in 1 Peter 5 today.What is an elder in the Bible?ShepherdPastorBishopOverseerElderThe New Testament uses this interchangeably. Duties include: lead, feed and protect the flock. I (Darien) am speaking as a current elder in our church.I am speaking to our current elders.I am speaking to our future elders.I am speaking to our church members who are responsible for choosing our elders and holding them accountable to lead according to God's word.I am speaking to every person who is or wishes to be a leader in the church—we're all called to lead like our chief shepherd Jesus Christ.I am also speaking as a husband to Anita and father to our four daughters (who are grown and out of the house now)I am speaking to parents and future parents.I am speaking to kids.I am speaking to every church member.This is important because so much rises and falls on leadership. And God has defined leadership for the church is it's broadest terms as shepherds. OUTLINE (Based on E Clowney's outline)1. How do lead your family and church family well? 5:1-11 1. How do pastors/elders do this? 1. Remember who Peter is (1) 1. Apostle 2. Elder/pastor 3. Witness 1. To Christ's sufferings 2. To Christ's glory 2. Remember who I am (1) 1. Fellow apostle (little ‘a') in that I am also sent by Christ 2. Fellow elder/pastor/undershepherd to Christ 3. Fellow witness to all Christ has done in and through me including how we suffering together 3. Shepherd/pastor/oversee Christ's flock under your care (2-4). How? By leading, feeding and protecting them like this: 1. “Watching over them” (overseer) like a general inspecting his troops or better a shepherd caring for his flock; not just looking for flaws but knowing the history, personality, & unique challenges of each individual sheep (2) 1. Not because you must—duty (2) 2. But because you are willing, as God wants you to be—delight (2) 3. Not pursuing dishonest gain (money, position, reputation) (2) 4. eager to serve (not lording it over those “entrusted” to you; remember how we defined that word last week (like the person you entrust your life savings to while gone on vacation when there are no banks like in the first century) (3) 2. By being examples (of Christ) to the flock (3) 3. In a manner worthy of the reward that awaits (4) 2. How does everyone else do this? (5-11) 1. In mutual service to one another (5) 1. Why? 2. Because God opposes the proud but gives favor to the humble. (Cf. Prov 3:34; James 4:6) 2. In humble service to God and each other (5c-7) 1. “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand.” God is able! 2. “Cast all your anxiety on him for he cares for you.” God cares! 3. In triumphant suffering (8-11) 1. The Christian resistance movement (8-9) 1. “Be alert and of sober mind.” Pay attention to the world around you. 2. The Devil is roaring looking to devour. 1. Christians in that day would know about lions in the colosseum in Rome. Lions devouring enemies of Rome for entertainment. 2. Words from elder/pastor Ignatius (AD 108-140) anticipating his death in the Roman Colosseum: “Let me be given to the wild beasts, for through them I can attain unto God. I am God's wheat, and I am ground by the teeth of wild beasts that I may be found pure bread...Come fire and cross and grapplings with wild beasts, wrenching of bones, hacking of limbs, crushings of my whole body, come cruel tortures of the devil to assail me. Only be it mine to attain unto Jesus Christ.” Clowney, p. 172-3 2. The assurance of God's saving purpose (10-11) 1. There is God's glory and life awaiting us at the end of the narrow way 2. There is suffering for us between here and there along the narrow way that leads to life2. Final Greeting (12-14) 1. Silas: Messenger or editor? (12) Messenger and amanuensis (took dictation) 2. Peter's purpose in writing (12) 1. To encourage them 2. To remind them of the true grace of God 3. Greetings from whom? (13) 1. The local church (network of house churches) 2. In Rome (Babylon is symbolic) 4. Peace to whom? (14) Those “in Christ”ConclusionBottom Line: We lead our family and church family like Jesus told us to: teaching them to obey all he's commanded us.Are we shepherding our families to obey the commands of Christ?Are we shepherding our church family to obey the commands of Christ?Other stories/examplesDaniel is a great example of a disciple of Jesus Christ as described by Peter in 1 Peter. He is a literal exile living in a kingdom hostile to his beliefs. He stays faithful over and over even when it costs him.He is thrown into the lion's den when he defies the King's edict and prays to God instead of to the king per the new law. He is maliciously setup to bring his downfall. This seemingly happens when he is thrown into the lion's den until the next morning when we learn that God shut the lion's mouths and he was fine. We will be persecuted for following Jesus Christ.We will be slandered and misunderstood too.We will become targets of hate for our beliefs.God is faithful. He will not abandon us.He calls us to bless them.He will bless us.In successive weeks at [HTB](https://www.htb.org/), I (Nicky Gumbel) interviewed two people of courage and faith. One, Ben Freeth, inspired by his faith in Jesus Christ, had taken a courageous stance against the unjust regime in Zimbabwe. As a result, he was beaten, tortured and forced to watch his elderly mother-in-law and father-in-law undergo torture, from which the latter eventually died. Yet in the midst of his suffering, he chose to love and bless the torturers. The second was a pastor from one of the sixty countries around the world where physical persecution of Christians still takes place. He had been imprisoned and, at one stage, sentenced to death for no other reason than his faith in Jesus Christ. Yet in the face of extreme suffering he refused to deny his faith. PrayQ. What do I want them to know?A. How to lead their family and church well.Q. Why do I want them to know it?A. Because this is God's plan for parenting the family and the family of God.Q. What do I want them to do about it?A. 1. Elders, lead the church like Jesus Christ led his disciples. 2. People, lead one another like Jesus Christ led his disciples.Q. Why do I want them to do it?A. This leads to healthy, reproducing families of faith that impact our broken world for good.Q. How can they begin to do this?A. 1. At home, for those under our roof, we lead, feed and protect the flock through the teaching and applying God's word to our lives and each other. 2. At church, for those in our local fellowship, we lead, feed and protect the flock by choosing qualified men to lead like Jesus Christ.NOTES“Suffering Christians who look to the Lord also gain comfort by remembering the family of believers (2:17). Samuel Bénétreau points out four advantages to be gained from knowing that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings (9). First, there is encouragement in knowing that you are not alone and isolated, suffering in a unique way. Second, you are reminded that the bond that unites you to Jesus Christ also joins you to the family of God throughout the world. Suffering Christians have a caring fellowship with those similarly afflicted. Third, Christians are reminded that suffering is inherent in the Christian faith. Through suffering they have fellowship with Christ and their faith is purified. Peter speaks of the suffering that must be 'accomplished' or 'brought to its end' by the 'family of believers'. Suffering has its place in God's plan for a world destined for justice, peace and glory.Christians know that the 'family of believers' does not suffer in vain; their experience of suffering is being brought to the victorious conclusion that God has designed. Fourth, knowing of these sufferings stimulates hope.The spread of persecution and trials points to the nearness of the consummation: the promised land is in view.50” -Clowney, p. 176“In southern France, overlooking the Mediterranean, stands the Tower of Constance. There, in the eighteenth century, Huguenot women were imprisoned for decades because they refused to surrender their Reformed faith. In the tower room where they were held captive, a stone coping surrounds a round opening in the floor. Inscribed in the stone is the word'Résistez! Marie Durand entered that room in 1729, when she was fifteen years old. Three years later her brother Pierre was hanged at Montpellier.In 1745 she was offered her freedom if she would agree to renounce Protestant worship. She refused all such offers and remained captive for thirty-eight years, resisting the temptations to despair, to suicide, to betrayal. From her imprisonment she began a ministry of encouragement by correspondence. Some of her letters are kept today in the Museum of the Wilderness in the mountains of the Cévennes.” Clowney, p. 1751 Peter 5:10 (ESV): 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.1. Complete/restore2. Establish - strengthen and protect3. Strengthen 4. Place on firm foundation -Clowney, p. 178Elders in the New Testament are tasked with several key duties, including:1. **Spiritual Oversight:** Providing spiritual guidance and leadership to the church community.2. **Teaching and Doctrine:** Instructing and ensuring adherence to sound biblical doctrine.3. **Shepherding the Flock:** Caring for the well-being of the congregation, like a shepherd caring for a flock.4. **Modeling Character:** Demonstrating a godly and mature character for others to follow.5. **Prayer:** Engaging in prayer for the church and its members.6. **Protecting from False Teaching:** Guarding the congregation against false doctrines or teachings.These duties are often outlined in passages like 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9 in the New Testament.I. Living in the Suffering Church of God 5:1-11 1. The humble role/rule (leadership) of Christs' elders (1-4) 1. Their fellowship with Christs' sufferings and glory (1) 2. Their charge as shepherds of God's flock (2-4) 1. The calling of the shepherd/elder/pastor 2. The manner of the shepherd/elder/pastor 3. The reward of shepherd/elder/pastor2. The humble service of Christs' people (5-11) 1. In mutual service (5) 2. In confident devotion: humble service to God (5c-7) 3. In triumphant suffering (5:8-11) 1. The Christian resistance movement (8-9) 2. The assurance of God's saving purpose (10-11)II: Final Greetings 5:12-14 (Clowney)1. Silas: Messenger or editor? (12)2. Peter's purpose in writing (12)OUTLINESShreiners outlineElders—3 exhortations:1. Shepherd and oversee God's flock2. Be eager in fulfilling their task and should not serve for financial gain3. Live as examples of the flock instead of using their authority to domineer the churchHelms OutlineI. An exhortation to elders (1-5) A. The elders role (1-2a) 1. To shepherd the flock of God 2. Elders must not lack character 3. Elders must not misunderstand their calling 4. Elders must emulate their Chief Shepherd B. The elders readiness (2b-3) 1. Not under compulsion, but willingly 2. Not for shameful gain, but eagerly 3. Not domineering, but as examples C. The elders reward (4) D. Everyone else's responsibility (5) II. True Grace and eternal Glory (6-14) Divine Logic of True Grace A. Divine commands & encouragement (6-9) 1. Humble yourselves/God cares for you (6-7) 2. Be sober-minded and watchful and resist (8-9) B. Divine Principle Repeated (10a) - True grace looks like this: present sufferings are intimately connected to eternal glory C. Divine Actions Followed by Our Adoration (10b-11) 1. Restore, Confirm, Strengthen, Establish 2. Our adoration D. Finishing in True Grace (12-14)NIV Study Bible brief outlineAfter the opening (1:1-2), the letter has three main sections:1: Peter first tells his readers to be holy in all you do. As Gentiles they once lived in ignorance (they did not know the ways of God). But they are now a holy nation, part of God's own people, and are called to a new way of life.2: Peter then explains how this way of life will impress those who might accuse and persecute them without just cause.3: Peter acknowledges that his readers are suffering for their faith, but he explains that this is only to be expected. The Messiah himself suffered, and believers all over the world are facing the same challenge. The followers of Jesus are waiting for the day God will visit them, and even in their suffering they can show they belong to God.The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.P Schreiner Commentary“Their ultimate enemy, that roaring lion, stands ready to devour them, but they have the conquering, suffering Shepherd at their side.” - P Schreiner 0. Elect exiles (1:1-2)1. Hope as Exiles - The church has hope amidst trials because of their new future and new family. (1-2) 1. New future - Their new birth grants them an inheritance that can never be taken away. (1:3-12) 2. New family (and new calling) - Their new birth grants them the rights and responsibilities of God's people. (1:13-2:10)2. Exile Identity - In the midst of the world, they are to live as chosen exiles. (2-4) 1. Submit - They are to submit to authority figures because this is how Christ acted. (2:11-3:7) 2. Suffer well - Like Christ, they are to suffer for good because suffering leads to life. (3:8-4:11)3. Stand Firm - To keep their exile identity, they must stand firm to the end. (4-5) 1. Suffer joyfully - They are to entrust themselves to God while doing good. (4:12-4:19) 2. Resist the devil - The elders should shepherd the people, recognizing the danger they are in. (5:1-11)4. In Babylon (5:12-24)Relying on Willmington's Outline Bible1 Peter 5 -Chronological life application, study Bible notesDISCUSSION QUESTIONSDiscovery Bible Study process:1. Retell the story in your own words.2. Discovery the story 1. What does this story tell me about God? 2. What does this story tell me about people? 3. If this is really God's word, what changes would I have to make in my life?3. Who am I going to tell about this?Final Questions (optional or in place of above)- What is God saying to you right now? - What are you going to do about it?Find our sermons, podcasts, discussion questions and notes at https://www.gracetoday.net/podcastAlternate Discussion Questions: Based on this passage:1. Who is God?2. What has he done/is he doing/is he going to do?3. Who am I? (In light of 1 & 2)4. What do I get to do? (In light of who I am)Final Questions (index cards optional)- What is God saying to you right now? - What are you going to do about it?MAIN REFERENCES USED---“1 - 2 Peter and Jude,” by David Helm, Preaching the Word Commentary, Edited by Kent Hughes“1 & 2 Peter ” by RC Sproul“1 & 2 Peter and Jude” by Thomas Schreiner“The Message of 1 Peter” by Edmund Clowney“Look at the Book” by John Piper (LATB)“The Visual Word,” Patrick Schreiner (VW)“1 Peter: A living hope in Christ”, Jen Wilkin Bible study“The Bible Knowledge Commentary” by Walvoord, Zuck (BKC)“The Bible Exposition Commentary” by Warren Wiersbe (BEC)Outline Bible, D Willmington (OB)Willmington's Bible Handbook, D Willmington (WBH)NIV Study Bible (NIVSB) https://www.biblica.com/resources/scholar-notes/niv-study-bible/Chronological Life Application Study Bible (NLT)ESV Study Bible (ESVSB) https://www.esv.org“The Bible in One Year 2023 with Nicky Gumbel” bible reading plan on YouVersion app (BIOY)ChatGPT https://openai.com/blog/chatgptAnswerThePublic.comWikipedia.com

A 2,000-year-old bullet inscribed with a nod to Julius Caesar has revealed new insights into the Roman Civil War. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

High surf warnings remain in effect as waves pound against area beaches. How to get around using public transit this New Year's weekend. JPL techs are inscribing a poem and people's names on the Europa Clipper. Support The L.A. Report by donating at LAist.com/join and by visiting https://laist.com.    Support the show: https://laist.com

Zechariah’s fourth vision

OPINION: Piña inscribed in Unesco list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity | December 15, 2023Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.net Follow us:Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebookInstagram - https://tmt.ph/instagramTwitter - https://tmt.ph/twitterDailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital Check out our Podcasts:Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotifyApple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcastsAmazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusicDeezer: https://tmt.ph/deezerStitcher: https://tmt.ph/stitcherTune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein #TheManilaTimes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jesus took a coin and asked, “Whose likeness and inscription is this? They said, ‘Caesar's.” Have you ever thought about whose image you were created in and whose likeness is yours by way of your being born again in the water and word of Holy Baptism? It is the image of Jesus Christ with, as the hymnwriter reminds us, the clear inscription, “Jesus crucified for me.” You, and all who have received the saintliness of God in Christ through the water and word and body and blood and the inscription of the word of Jesus Christ, are the “things of God.” So when Jesus says, “whatever you do for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you do, or render for me,” He is referring to the people for whom He died and rose that they might live like Him and with Him and for Him. When you love one another as He has loved you, in word and deed, you render to God “the things that are God's.” In other words, you place them under God's care in Jesus Christ as His word has its way in your life in love for others. It's what we do as members of the communion of saints. So today we ring the “Communion of Saints” bell. Listen carefully. Inscribed on this bell are the words, “Come, for all things are ready.” Like a dinner bell that rings to tell you that it's time to eat, this bell rings to tell us that it's time for the Lord's Supper, the meal that delivers the saintliness of Christ and fellowship with God, each other, and all those who have gone before us in the faith. It's a meal that nurtures us in such a way that we do indeed “render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” ----- Trinity Lutheran Church, School and Child Care have been "Making Known the Love of Christ" in Sheboygan, Wisconsin and throughout the world since 1853 as a congregation gathering around God's Word and Sacraments to receive forgiveness and life everlasting. Trinity is located in downtown Sheboygan, only one block from the Mead Public Library and the Weill Center for the Performing Arts. We invite you to visit us in person! Trinity Lutheran Sheboygan is a proud member of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Visit their website: https://www.lcms.org/​​​​ Music for this production was obtained through a licensing agreement with One License, LLC. The copyright permission to reprint, podcast, and record hymns and songs is acquired through ID Number: 730195-A #LCMS #Lutheran #DivineService

L'SHANNA TOVA TIKATEVU!  "May you be inscribed for a good year!" This is the greeting Jewish people share with one another during this season as they prepare to observe Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.  Rosh Hashanah literally means, "the head of the year," and thus refers to "the new year." The festival itself is never called Rosh Hashanah in the Bible, though it is the most common name for the feast today. The biblical name for this feast is Yom T'ruah, meaning "a day of blowing" (Numbers 29:1) referring to the blowing of the shofar or "ram's horn," and Zicharon Teruah, "the memorial of blowing" (Leviticus 23:24). 

What does it mean for you that God promised to write his law upon our hearts?

EPISODE 117 - Clark, John, and Will (who is filling in for Hyung once again) talk about a recent article on espn.com about Jud Fabian, a Baltimore Oriole prospect, who signed his first Bowman Chrome autograph card with the inscription, "Hi Dad!" And now his father Eric Fabian is trying to track it down. Check out the IG reel on fivecardguys to see what the card looks like. Then the guys talk about inscription cards in general including whether it's worth the premium over normal autograph cards or if it ruins the aesthetic of the overall card. And they finish off the Friday episode by giving their opinions on some popular examples of inscribed cards such as a Mike Trout "2x MVP" card, a few unique Benny Montgomery inscribed cards including one in which he signed Jordan Lawler's name (in some kind of trade with him), and a few crazy inscriptions by Lavar Ball (father of Lonzo and LaMelo Ball). -------------------------------- CONNECT WITH US! Instagram: @cardstothemoon | @fivecardguys (Clark) | @yntegritysportscards (Hyung) | @tradeyouatrecess (John) Website: https://fivecardguys.com/podcast Daily Auctions: https://fivecardguys.com/dailyauctions If you have any questions about the hobby that you would like addressed, email us at hello@fivecardguys.com or DM us on Instagram at @cardstothemoon or @fivecardguys.

0:00 How violence is provoked by fantasy.2:31 The balcony and the revolution.5:14 How far does mimetic desire go?6:54 Most things happen twice: the story, then reality9:41 Post-terrorist architecture.12:40 Turning the desire into a blueprint (simulation to be de-simulated)  14:37 Recognize that the world is f***ed.16:43 The parable of Bill Clinton or George W. Bush.18:55 The desire to be the simulacra of man. (oh, to be a machine)21:43 The black mirror of capitalism. (Amazon and the state)   

What up Vigilantes?  I hope you caught my last interview with NFT pioneer Gus Grillasca. We discussed Bitcoin Ordinals, NFTs, Liberland, and several other fascinating topics.  Well, get ready for this one, because we're diving even deeper.  Gus and I traced the origins of NFTs back to the 1990s when people first considered creating digital… The post Blockchain Grafitti: The Immutable NFT Art Inscribed in Bitcoin [VIDEO] appeared first on The Crypto Vigilante.

1-15-23

1-22-23A message from Pastor Wilson and Pastor Adriane Wilson

In our 3rd episode with Dr. Scott Stripling and Dr. Peter van der Veen, Scott and Peter share what is by far the most remarkable aspect of the Mount Ebal curse tablet's translation. Inscribed on the inside of this tablet is the divine name of God written in Proto-Alphabetic script - ensuring that this is, in fact, an Israelite text! Also found is the name, "El," a title used for God in the Hebrew text of the Bible. Dr. Stripling and Dr. van der Veen point out that this is devastating for the documentary hypothesis which claims that the Torah was written by different authors hundreds of years after the events it describes. Here, both of the primary names for God are found side-by-side, just as they are found on the pages of the biblical text. This exciting discovery demonstrates that the documentary hypothesis is false. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ➡️ HELP US CONTINUE CREATING BIBLE AFFIRMING PATTERNS OF EVIDENCE FILMS

Cherokee County's Bryce Leatherwood won season 22 of “The Voice” Tuesday night, and the country singer dedicated his win to his family, friends and supporters.  The Hickory Flat native and Sequoyah High School graduate won season 22 of "The Voice" Tuesday, capping off a journey that started in September with blind auditions. As the winner of season 22, Leatherwood received $100,000 and a record deal with Universal. Leatherwood's family was in attendance Tuesday night to cheer him on.Leatherwood also thanked his supporters from Cherokee County and Georgia. When thinking about the future, Leatherwood said he wants to "get on top of the ball and try to get some music out as soon as possible." The Cherokee County Homeless Veterans Program is hosting a candlelight vigil at 5:30 p.m. December 21 at Cherokee Veterans Park, in Canton, to remember veterans who are homeless. The vigil will be held at the nation's only homeless veterans statue. The marble statue depicts two life size veterans, one male and one female, standing on a pentagon base displaying the five branches of the military. Inscribed on the base is the phrase, “No Veteran who fights for this country, should have to fight for a job, a roof over their head, or the care they need when they come home." The event is scheduled to take place at sundown, which is currently targeted at 5:33 p.m. The free to attend event is open to the public. Every night, about 49,000 veterans find themselves on the street homeless, said Jim Lindenmayer, director of the Cherokee County Homeless Veteran Program. In 2018, there were about 8,400 U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan. This means that there are roughly six homeless veterans for every soldier who served in Afghanistan. Homeless veterans are found all over the U.S. In Cherokee County, the intake and processing of homeless veterans is up 32% from last year and what is causing more concern is that Cherokee Homeless Veteran Program is seeing more female Veterans, some with small children, as well as senior veterans who are homeless. A Canton woman is behind bars on charges related to the death of a toddler, police announced Thursday. Phillissa Diallo, 40, is charged with concealing a death and second degree cruelty to children. According to the Canton Police Department, police received a walk-in report of a deceased toddler found inside a residence. Officers responded at about 4:10 p.m. to a home on Hearthstone Landing Drive, where they found the body of a female toddler. The body will be turned over to the GBI Crime Lab to determine the cause of death and identification confirmation. Diallo was arrested by Canton police and booked into the Cherokee County jail Wednesday afternoon, a jail report shows. As of Thursday afternoon she remained in custody without bond. The toddler's death remains under investigation. A Sequoyah High School teacher has earned a top award for instructional excellence from the Cherokee County school superintendent. Superintendent Brian Hightower presented the 2022 Game Changer Award for Instructional Excellence Dec. 13 to Sequoyah High School Career Pathways teacher Brandon Grummer. He made the surprise presentation to Grummer, who leads the school's engineering drafting and design and architectural drafting and design programs, in front of his peers during a faculty meeting. Four Game Changer awards are presented by Hightower each year. These are Instructional Excellence to a classroom teacher, Instructional Support to an employee who serves in a support staff role, Instructional Leadership to a school or district leader and Instructional Advocacy to a non-CCSD employee. Grummer, whose first career was in architecture, is credited with building a successful architecture and drafting career pathway program at Etowah High School. He earned Etowah's 2018 Teacher of the Year and Golden Apple honors and later joined the staff at Sequoyah High School, where he again created a successful program for future architects and engineers.  Cherokee softball coach Tonya Carlisle was inducted into the Georgia Dugout Club Hall of Fame over the weekend, finishing off her 19th season with the Warriors on a high note. Carlisle, the current GADC Softball Vice President, was the 26th person to receive this honor. Carlisle led Cherokee to 21-8 overall in 2022, with an 11-4 record in Region 5 7A. The Warriors earned another trip to the state tournament and finished in the Final Four. It is not the first time Carlisle has seen this type of recognition. For her time on the playing field, she was inducted into the Kennesaw State Softball Hall of Fame in 2008. She played with the Owls from 1992-95 and was a three-time NAIA All-American selection before, along with an NCAA Division II All-American award. Carlile's prowess on the diamond translated to the coach's box, with her imprint all over the Cherokee softball team's success. Carlisle led the Warriors to their first winning season in 2004 and their first state playoff appearance in 2006. She helped the program become a mainstay in the postseason during the ensuing years and through this season. Carlisle continues to put winning teams on the field at Cherokee, and with her Hall of Fame induction, the standard is set. A new brewery in downtown Woodstock officially opened its doors to the public Friday afternoon. Jekyll Brewing in Woodstock, is hosted a grand opening yesterday afternoon.  The brewery, which has two other locations in Alpharetta, offers a variety of year-round, seasonal and limited release beers. Those visiting the restaurant can also enjoy a cocktail or cup of coffee. In addition to its beers and other beverages, Jekyll serves snacks such as pork rinds and crawfish hushpuppies, oysters and shellfish, salads, soups, burgers, wraps and various other entrees and sides inspired by Jekyll Island. After the grand opening, hours of operation will be from 11 to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. all other days. For more information, visit www.jekyllbrewing.com. #CherokeeCounty #Georgia #LocalNews           -          -          -          -          -          -          The Cherokee Tribune Ledger Podcast is local news for Woodstock, Canton, and all of Cherokee County. Register Here for your essential digital news.             This podcast was produced and published for the Cherokee Tribune-Ledger and TribuneLedgerNews.com by BG Ad Group     For more information be sure to visit https://www.bgpodcastnetwork.com/    https://cuofga.org/   https://www.drakerealty.com/   https://www.esogrepair.com/         See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is a recording of Rabbi David Kasher's Parsha class from September 29, 2022 that has been edited for brevity. Watch the full class on IKAR's YouTube channel.

This is a recording of Rabbi David Kasher's Parsha class from September 29, 2022 that has been edited for brevity. Watch the full class on IKAR's YouTube channel.

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