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himebushou · 10 months

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I've basically been doing very little with my time besides watching Shaman King 2021 so phew, here are some thoughts on Episodes 10-32!

Episode 10

The bit with everybody hanging out at the inn was adorable, hee.

I LOVE BOZ THEY'RE SO FUNNY

It's odd that Yoh is already paying that much attention to "Hao" considering the name has come up once? But yeah...

Ryu comes back!! And damn, he already qualified for the main tournament?

Bason and Ren are too cute. Also, it's interesting to watch Ren's mindset change and hee, we get the showdown against Tao En!

Episode 11

Phew — Ren gets captured by his Pops and the Zoldyck vibes INTENSIFY.

I don't remember the Tao family having their own Super Sentai Squad, but hey, it tracks!

It's a bit of a shame that these battles were concluded so quickly, but it was cool to see Horohoro and Ryu's upgrades!

Can't believe Tao Rn squeezed that poor baby panda to death only for it to be resurrected as a zombie in the next scene! SHEESH!

Episode 12

This episode also went at THE SPEED OF LIGHT! I cant believe we got Jun's dramatic rescue and the whole Tao En reveal and fight in the same episode! I mean, at this speed, Ren's deep loyalty to the gang does seem a bit goofy, but hey, I'll deal!

Ryu saying, "Just what exactly do you think wavering is?" had me laughing so much, oh man.

Episode 13

How is SO MUCH happeningin EVERY EPISODE?

Yoh and the crew leave home!

They meet Hao!

They get dropped out of a plane!

They meet Lilirara, who's really cool! There's sone backstory!

They go on their way — AND THEN LILIRARA DIES???

Wild!!!!

Horohoro continues to be adorable and guh, I'm really enjoying watching the episodes dubbed... honestly, the dub iis really, really good!

Episode 14

WHEEE LYSERG THE DOOFUS IS HERE... to be honest he's a lil green Sherlock. Isn't it nice that everyone has a colour-coded Oracle Bell lol Yoh's is orange and Lyserg's is green... it's been like 15 years but I still don't know if I've forgiven him for what comes later. Whoops.

Anna is such a great character and I love how much bearing she has on the story.

New ending! And it's Iron Maiden Jeanne!!

Also, the goof with 6 years versus 8 years... Lyserg's parents definitely weren't killed 6 years ago, sheesh.

Episode 15

Okay, so this was one of the eps where the pacing was definitely painful. Anna got a (hodgepodge) version of Hao's backstory — honestly, why didn't Yohmei just tell her the whole deal if he was going to reveal so much? And then, she dealt with Hao's familiars SO QUICKLY that there was like. No threat to them at all. I was expecting more boom bang...

But she did use the 1080 beads! We love the 1080 beads!

Horohoro is just one of the best characters and I loved his upgrade, gosh. Again, we could have had a whole episode dedicated to his time with Apollo, rather than 10 mins. I also don't know HOW Ranger Bluebell knew bout him wanting to become the Shaman King since that wasn't discussed

For obvious reasons, Morphin is renamed Morphia in the dub, hue.

Episode 16

Not much that I can say about this episode (I was a bit sleepy when I watched it). Ryu is getting an upgrade — at lastl! And this episode had some of the humour I love from Shaman King: the whole bit with the vampiric guys was SO funny. "If there are only 5 in the group, why do two of them look the same?!" Yoh/Ren/Horohoro are such a darling trio.

Episode 17

/inhales

THE X-LAWS ARE HERE

WHICH MEANS MARCO IS HERE

WHICH MEANS... ERIC STUART!!!

And man I hate Marco (thought ťhe X-Laws are great villains who basically permanently impacted mine and my friends' psyches; they're a specific type of evil) but boy oh boy, it is sooo good to hear Seto Kaiba in an anime again, sobs.

Lyserg... tbh, I don't think I ever forgave his betrayal back from 2001; THERE'S STILL A PART OF ME THAT'S MAD. I wonder if I might feel differently this time around but I half-expected the little green bean to run off with the X-Laws in this very episode so I was a bit surprised when he didn't.

And then a surprise! Hao chatted to Anna and Manta and Tamao! Anna looks so cool with the sunglasses, lol. Though... I feel like Manta's being from money is largely a plot device (because how else would everyone get to the States)... but I often find this with rich/wealthy characters. sighs!

Oh, also! The Shaman King timeline is SO WHACK. Like, Ryu says to Yoh: "You forgot about me in Izumo which is when I trained to be a shaman." But here's the problem. I think Ryu only went to Izumo in the he first place to take Manta there and THEN he trained with Yohmei — but the flashback reveals that Ryu had to wait for a week to get Yohmei to train him (why is Mikihisa Like That btw) which means that. Yoh would have already been back and fighting and drawing against Ren and therefore concluding prelims in the same time that Ryu was supposedly waiting for Yohemi to train him? And yet Ryu somehow had an Oracle Bell AND qualified for the main tournament? While Ren had only completed two battles?

fudjdjd stuff like this drives me absolutely cuckoo I NEED WRITERS TO HAVE CHARTS AND TOURNAMENT TABLES AND TIMELINES AND ALL ELSE. URHFJFJD

Episode 18

JOCO!!! HEART EMOJIIIS

Anna slapping Hao with her free hand!

Mihihisa being revealed to be Yoh's dad!!

And the whole bit with Ren deciding the teams fhdjd man I am CRACKING UP!

(I rewatched some scenes in English and Japanese and wow, some of the changes are completely unnecessary fjdjd)

Episode 19

I... finally caught the Mic the Jaguar / Mic Jagger joke.

After almost 20 years.

SHEESH.

(I love Boz they're so funny fjljjd)

Episode 20

I never knew that Joco's backstory was so sad... my poor little guy...

I love how Ren pointed out that Horohoro did nothing, zero and zilch in the match dhdjd

Episode 21

Phew... to say that the X-Laws are brutal is putting it lightly... and looking at Jeanne and the way she was in this episode and knowing that she ends up with Ren is very. HUH?

I kind of can't believe just how laidback Yoh is sometimes. It kinda irritates me a tiny bit? Back in the day, I couldn't choose between Yoh, Ren and Horohoro for the Favourite Character Spot, but I'm not firmly Team Horohoro, ehe.

Poor Team Niles. Gosh.

Episode 22

Crying and sobbing... why won't Shaman King just give me. A TIMELINE? So now I discover that it's been TWO MONTHS since they were in the Patch village (???) and it's already the last battle of the first round of the tournament (???) and that Anna already taught Team Funbari Hot Springs EVERYTHING in Hao's big bad book (???) and? We didn't get to see any of that? Like I understand this decision if that's how it went down in the manga and the double OS was a major, unprecedented reveal, but if not... I LOVE A TRAINING MONTAGE. Give me these arcs...

Also, the dub's choices for which terms to leave in Japanese are messy. They use words like Onmyoji and Ultra Senji Ryakketsu, but 'Mana' replaces 'furyoku'... like I'm pretty sure the 4Kids dub used furyoku because it was a term I was v. familiar with.

Anyway, its nice to see a battle span two eps!

Episode 23

Wowee... this episode got me teary. Ryu's upgrade is NICE and Anna talking about the flexibility of Yoh's furyoku was so sweet. I also love the Icemen and their design — and it was particularly cute to see Pino and Horohoro chatting together at the end.

And then Hao's whole convo with Ren (the 4Kids dub called him Len and Yoh nicknamed him Lenny which was the cutest; gah, things I miss!) was really interesting

BUT WHY HAS YOH SOUGHT OUT LYSERG THE TRAITOR... ooft!

Episode 24

WAAAA WHAT A COOL EPISODE?

Okay, so it turns out that I was wrong about all the matches being over because this ep was HAO VS THE X-LAWS and damn, Hao using OXYGEN as his medium? That's bloody cool!!!

The OST in this ep was top tiiieeer and freaking — the X-Laws being humanised? A bit? I am SHOCKED.

Episode 25

Revelations galore... and Yohmei Tries to Commit Infanticide: Extended Edition.

Blimey. This anime is getting me so emotional.

(I love Horohoro I love what a good friend he is he is my FAVOURITE.)

Episode 26

WOW I LOVED THIS EPISODE.

The senior Asakura and Tao folks coming together to discuss Hao's bigtime book and the gang finally finding out about Yoh's origins! I got to see TAO RAN again (I love her) and freaking heck, Mikihisa is so cool? I guess jury has to be out with him a liiiittle bit because I've seen people commenting that he sucks. But. I have a major soft-spot for shounen dads (Goku, Echizen Nanjiroh, Van Hohenheim, Kurosaki Isshin...) and I reckon Mikihisa ticks cool points.

And freaking Ren! Why is everyone so cool??

Episode 27

NO TIME YO RECORD THOUGHTS MUST WATCH NEXT EP

Team Flower vs Jun / Anna / Tamao yeah!!

GOTTA SAVE REEEEN!!!

Episode 28

HOWLING

HOWLING!!

The Iron Maiden will save Ren (oh my GOSH — NOW, CERTAIN THINGS make more sense) and Yoh will be withdrawing from the tournament (?) and we got a new opening AND a new ending and Horohoro had that whole speech and buuu MY TEARS!

Episode 29

Mikihisa appears and just adopts everyone on sight and oh my gosh, the babies? Forget everyone else I want THEIR happiness and dhdhd what is this stuff about a golem?

HOW CAN I GO TO SLEEP WHEN THERE IS SO MUCH HAPPENING IN THIS ANIME

Episode 30

Ahhh we're entering a flashback! So this is what people were talking about when they kept bringing up "Osorezan Arc", huh?? YOH AND ANNA'S FIRST MEETING!

AND SHE WAS SO DISGUSTED.

Once again, the timeline is WHACK because there's really no way it can be the year 2000 at the time of the Shaman Fight unless I'm missing something huuuge... Yoh and Anna really should've been 8 when they met, not 10?

And I'm finally meeting Matamune!

But he was in the last Shaman Fight dhdhd i guess Hao couldn't have participated since he was a Patch that time but what happened at the fight 1000 years ago?

SO MANY MYSTERIIIES

Episode 31

Oh man, I can see why people were so obsessed with this arc... there is just so much emotion here from all sides: Matamune (having to defeat Hao!!), Yoh and Anna, Kino — everything.

You can see why Yoh and Anna are the dream team, wow.

Also, I looked up a timeline and I think I can make my peace with it being the year 2000 in canon... but the anime did not explain it AT ALL, which is pretty poor.

Episode 32

Wow.

Yoh and Anna are very, very special.

#shaman king #shaman king 2021 #rambles and rambles!#can't believe that this post doesn't mention amidamaru even once but he is always excellent

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poppy86579 · 4 months

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How Do You Maintain a Clean and Organised Home?

In the hustle and bustle of daily life, maintaining a clean and organised home might seem like an unattainable dream. However, with a few practical tips and a bit of dedication, you can turn your living space into a haven of order and cleanliness. At Doran Bros Construction, we understand the importance of a well-kept home, and in this blog, we'll guide you through effective strategies to achieve just that.

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Declutter Regularly:

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Establishing Cleaning Routines:

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Mindful Decor Choices:

When contemplating how to maintain a clean home, consider the impact of decor choices. Opt for furniture and decor items that not only align with your style but are also easy to clean and maintain. This ensures a harmonious and visually appealing living space without compromising on cleanliness.

Investing in Quality Cleaning Supplies:

The foundation of a clean and organised home lies in the quality of your cleaning supplies. Choose environmentally friendly and effective products to keep your home sparkling. Home Improvement Companies in South London often advise on selecting cleaning supplies that are gentle yet powerful, catering to different surfaces and materials.

Engaging the Whole Family:

Maintaining a clean home is a collective effort. Involve the entire family in the process to instill a sense of responsibility and shared pride in the living space. Allocate specific tasks based on individual strengths and preferences, making the cleaning process a collaborative and enjoyable experience.

In conclusion, achieving a clean and organised home is not an unattainable goal; rather, it is a journey that requires dedication and strategic planning. At Doran Bros Construction, we believe that a well-maintained living space contributes to overall well-being. Implementing these tips, such as creating designated sones, strategic storage, regular decluttering, establishing cleaning routines, mindful decor choices, and engaging the whole family, can transform your home into a haven of order and cleanliness.

Ready to embark on your journey to a cleaner and more organised home? Contact Doran Bros Construction, your trusted partner in home improvement and property refurbishment in South and West London. Let's transform your living space together – because your home deserves the best.

#Home Improvement companies south London #Property Refurbishment west London

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sunriseverse · 2 years

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beloved can i get uhhhh sone eris & othello takes on uhhhh fixations / special interests

yes they are autistic4autisdhd <3 i will tell you about them. sorry if this is incoherent a bit i’m having to retype it so the words are in the right order.

okay so eris’ special interests are interactive fiction and linguistics. he has like a whole account dedicated to buying/finding interactive fiction, especially independently published ones, and writing about everything in them that interests him. he has a large focus on ones with multiple routes and the various paths the pc can go along, and he’ll 100% a story with all the possible routes and once he’s done he’ll write essay length blog posts comparing each route. he has a bit of a following, and people consider their games to have “made it” when he writes about them. (he writes about practically every one he can get his hands on specifically because he knows it brings joy to people.) he actually minored in linguistics and has had a longstanding interest in the field, but specifically he loves experimenting with speculative language evolutions—sort of like conlangs, but grounded in already existing languages. he’s helped a number of his science fiction writing friends with language in their novels because of it.

othello’s special interest is, probably unsurprisingly, shakespeare. she’s attended a number of shakespeare groups, discussing various aspects of his plays, as well as theatrical/preforming groups, where she’s directed a number of plays. funnily enough, her favourite play isn’t othello, but rather the tempest—her friends jokingly nicknamed her othello because she prefers the comedies, and the name wound up sticking. her current hyperfixations are art and the culture surrounding it, specifically contemporary art, with a focus on central and southern asian art, and vintage pin collection, most of which she finds at estate and garage sales and on ebay.

#ask #theo tag #my ocs #eris #othello

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broadwaytheanimatedseries · 6 years

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Things i want more of in sanders sides fics. (Im writing this with human au's in mind but this isnt limited to human au's)

Roman singing dancing (ballet hip hop tap any kind of dance really) acting voice acting/doing impressions playing instuments,specifically piano and harmonica. ALSO ROMAN STEPPING BECAUSE STEPPING IS LOUD AND DRAMATIC AF AND THE BEST THING EVER. And writing he's always writing. Stories,songs,poems,monologues from characters whose names he hadnt even thought of yet. He has multiple notebooks dedicated to his ideas and when he doesnt have any ideas,old or new,he gets exteremly frustrated.

patton playing precussions. Any and all. Patton throwing a ball for his dog and the ball going really far like too far ("i was always more of a thrower than a catcher" also patton with really strong arms just because). Patton the GYMNIST/CHEERLEADER. (Just patton doing flips and splits with a big bright smile on his face). Also patton singing things you'd never expect from him like songs by set it off and psychostick. Bonus points if the others hear it and are shocked.

Logan rapping and writing poetry,the poems he shares with the others are really deep and meaningfull and the ones he doesnt are also deep and meaningfull but also really cheesy and about his feelings which he has trouble sharing with the others anyway so theres no way he's ever gonna let them see those poems. ALSO LOGAN THE ADRENALINE JUNKIE like in that one shot from the uni au by @virgilsjourney i think,correct me if im wrong,where he retrives patton's picture and roman is filming the whole thing? That. More of that plz. ("Make no mistake,im the epitome of a mess" is my favorite line ever.) Also logan playing string instuments. Big and small. Any and all. Just whatever you think suits logan best. Tho i'd love to see him play the guitar or the ukelele or a mandoline or well you get it.

Virgil being a really good ice skater,(he's been taking lessons and practicing ever since he was a child,just because he wanted an excuse to buy and wear the "knife shoes". In the process he actually started really enjoying ice skating,he finds it really relaxing. As long as he's alone,of course.) Virgil playing the theremin cuz its spooky and weird like him. Also cuz its fUCKING AMAZING.

VIRGIL BONEBREAKING. In case you dont know what that is,you know breakdancing? Yea so like that,but on a whole other level. Its insane. As the name would suggest,the dancer seems to have no bones in any part of his body when dancing,and can twist and bend and contort their body in impossible and inhuman ways. (My sister has a friend that can do this,its honestly insane and can be kinda creepy but mostly its awsome). Virgil bonebreaking is just an extention of the flexable virgil headcannon that i absolutely adore.

Also here are some ways to combine some of these things in the same story:

Patton and virgil doing their warm ups together,streching and practicing new dance/cheer moves together,giving each other tips on how to improve and words of encourgement,logan and roman writing poems and sometimes even raps together,sometimes logan helps roman focus on certai ideas that need more atention and development. For example,logan read a monolouge and started asking roman questions about who is saying these things and why,guiding roman's train of thought in the right direction,preventing it from wondering off to new ideas. Roman always gives him credit for the stories and characters that these brainstorming sessions help create,but logan says the ideas are all roman's and refuses to take credit for them. He simply helped him focus. Roman tries to argue that without him he wouldnt even know where to start and they always agree to disagree over who deserves credit. roman and virgil having friendly dance competitions that get really intense,its the only times virgil feels comfortable dancing in front of anyone else. (The first time romab ever saw him dance was an accident. Virgil thought he was alone and put on some music and started bonebreaking and roman walked in on him and just said softly but in his naturaly loud voice "holy shit". Virgil tensed up. He was used to insults and even horiffied screams that one time but that was a reaction he never got before and he didnt know what to make if it. "Well dont stop on my account!" Roman smiled brightly at him,his voice enthusiastic and reassuring. "Unless you prefer i leave so you can dance in private." His voice sounded hesitent but he tried to cover it up with a wider smile. Virgil blushed and chuckled lightly and wordlessly continued dancing.) logan and roman giving each other crazy dangerous dares and neither one is willing to back out,sometimes patton and/or virgil have to step in and put their foot down when it goes too far,patton teaching roman how to do some flips and splits and other acrobatic stunts so he can incorporate them into his step routine,virgil using his theremin to make background music for logan when he reads his poems. It always sounds amazing and adds a whole new layer to the poems,virgil also using his theremin to play spooky music on halloween when the gang is all together inside the house and roman is telling scary stories. (Also here's a weird one) patton and logan like watching rwby together. They listen to the songs and notice that a lot of the songs have a rap verse in them. They never really agree to do this,it just happens one day when patton starts singing quietly to himself while only he and logan are home. "Come at me and you'll see,im more than meets the eye" he keeps singing,allowing himself to sing a little louder at some point,by then logan had already noticed him and was listening,he recignized the song was "burn" and smiled as patton was nearing the rap verse,and he got an idea. "I get what i want so dont bother and just watch me burn" before he could talk himself out of it,logan jumped in and started rapping. "Hotter than the sun,feel my fire,pyromaniac,my desire" the huge smile on patton's face was worth the discomfort sone of the lyrics brought him. Ever since then they like to sing a lot of the songs together. If there isnt a rap verse logan will usually just listen to patton sing,save for one time,where he couldnt help but sing along,the lyrics spoke to him,especially in patton's company. That song was "not fall in love you".

Thats a lot of shit. Maybe i should write my own damn fanfic.

...nah.

(I just...there are so many concepts i love that im too afteaid to write cuz im scared i might ruin them)

Hope you liked whatever the fuck this was!

#sanders sides #concepts i will never write because im a coward #fanders

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optimatravels · 4 years

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Awe-inspiring Ayodhya Welcomes You

The religious and historical city of Ayodhya, named after King Ayudh, one of the forefathers of Lord Rama, is also his birthplace. Ayodhya is situated on the banks of the River Saryu and is a centre of great importance in the epic Ramayana, which tells the story of Lord Rama. His return to his hometown after years of exile is celebrated as Diwali.

There’s a lot to see and experience in the holy town of Ayodhya. In fact, there are close to 80 Ayodhya Tours that you can choose from. You can take a typical Ayodhya Tour and see the following sites:

Ram Janmabhoomi Temple

This Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Rama, was demolished by Emperor Babar. Later, a mosque was built on the same site. This is believed to be the birthplace of Lord Rama. Ram Navami, Dussehra and Diwali are celebrated here with great pomp.

Hanuman Garhi

This holy spot is a wish-fulfilment shrine, so it is throned throughout the year. The reigning deity is Mata Anjani who holds baby Hanuman in her lap. It is situated on the top of a mountain and looks stunning when decorated.

Nageshwarnath Temple

Legend has it that this temple was built by Kush, the son of Lord Rama. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva and depicts Nagas worshipping the Lord. Shivratri is celebrated here with great gaiety.

Kanak Bhavan Temple

This temple is so richly decorated with gold idols of Lord Rama and Goddess Sita that it is generally called Kanak Sone ka Mandir.Musical performances are held here in the courtyard in the evenings which are a great draw among tourists. Depending on the Ayodhya Tour Packages you choose from, you will experience a musical performance here.

Sumantanath

This is a group of vintage Jain temples, on the outskirts of Ayodhya. It is identified by its beautiful inscriptions on its walls and the fact that it houses five tirthankaras out of 24 who were believed to be born here. This temple complex was built by the treasurer of the Nawab of Faizabad, Kesari Singh.

Sita kiRasoi

In the north-western side of the city, you will find Sita kiRasoi, a temple converted into Goddess Sita’s royal kitchen. This temple has an ancient kitchen with all its utensils. Idols of Rama, Lakshman, Bharat and Shatrughan and their wives can also be seen here. The symbolism behind this temple is that Goddess Sita is also known as Annapurna or the Goddess of Food. No one who comes here goes back hungry as free food is distributed to everyone who comes here.

Ayodhya Tourism isn’t restricted to seeing the sites mentioned above. You can take a walk in the hills and weekend getaways to Varanasi and Lucknow. If you don’t know how to go about this, it means that you need a local person or agency to help you with making the perfect itinerary for you. In fact, an Ayodhya Travel Guide would be the best solution for you, someone reputable and experienced like Optima Travels.

By having a discussion with them on your specific needs, they can help you to draw up the best plan for you and your team. If they know all the particulars of your intended trip and if you have any special needs they should take care of, that will help him draw up a better plan for you. To know more, visit at optimatravels.com.

#Ayodhya Travel Guide

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mrlnsfrt · 7 years

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The Stonecutter

There is a story from Japanese folklore that I believe illustrates this well. The tittle of the story is "The Stonecutter." There are several versions of this Japanese folktale available, here is my version.

(This was originally a part of a thanksgiving post)

The Stonecutter

The stone-cutter was skillful and experienced. He had spent his life going up to the mountain and laboriously cutting out chunks of stone to sell in the market. He would make decorations for gardens, parts to fix walls, or tables, or benches, street lamps. You name it he had done it. His work was not easy. Working with stone takes skill, practice, patience, wisdom, and quite a bit of effort. The stone was hard, heavy, and unforgiving. The stone cutter’s hands were strong and rough. His joints ached, but his shoulders were broad, his legs strong, his back had many scars and strong muscles from pulling and carrying heavy stones. His toes were crooked his fingers likewise scared, one does not become an experienced stone-cutter without a fair share of scars.

But overall, his labors had their positive side. He knew everyone in his town and was well respected as an honest, hardworking and skillful man. His clothes were full of patches and as rough as he was. But the daily exercise had kept him mobile and strong even as his age advanced. Because of his experience his work continued to be in high demand even though there were other, younger, stone-cutters in the town.

The sone-cutter enjoyed walking around the town and seeing his handiwork helping hold up bridges, in the walls of houses, in beautiful gardens, in shops and parks. He felt like his work mattered, his skill and dedication were appreciated and he felt like he continually made valuable contributions to the lives of those around him.

However, on one particularly hot day, the stone-cutter found himself up on the mountain working to get a specifically difficult piece of stone to adorn the garden of a very rich man. The stone he wanted to cut was in a narrow spot, his elbows were scraping against the rock, his fingers were beginning to bleed from the constant and heavy work, not to mention the sun, the heat, the sweat dripping down his face and oftentimes into his eyes, as well as the mosquitoes flying around his ears and nose. The day seemed to drag on forever, until finally he got the piece just the way he wanted. The color and texture was perfect, the shape was just right. He knew the wealthy man would be happy, and he was happy that his hard work would decorate a beautiful garden.

Carefully, the stone-cutter put the stone on top of his cart and with great difficulty brought it down the mountain, sometimes pushing, other times pulling, other times trying to hold it to keep it from overturning. There was no road at first and then the road was uneven and full of holes and sandy in some parts. With a great deal of effort the stone-cutter made it to the rich man’s house.

The stone-cutter was directed to the garden where he placed the stone where its proper place It looked perfect. Difficult as it had been to get it, the stone was the perfect complement to the rich man’s beautiful garden. The color, shape, and texture were perfect, just as he had intended them to be. Content he went inside the house to announce he had finished. As a servant left to announce it to the rich man, the stone-cutter was left inside the house waiting.

Hat in hand, the stone-cutter waited. The mansion was very big, and beautiful. The high ceiling caused the house to feel cool even though outside had been so hot. There was fine furniture, beautiful artwork, and the house smelled of the most wonderful aroma of fresh flowers. The rich man came and thanked the stone-cutter for his work and paid him even more than they had agreed to. The rich man complimented the stone-cutter in the quality of his work, and sent him on his way.

On his way home, the stone cutter became more aware of his fatigue, his aches and pains. When he arrived at his own house it looked small, felt cramped, crude, bare. His house felt stuffy inside, warm. It was not as cool as the rich man’s house. There was no art or beauty, no scent of flowers. As the stone-cutter nursed his bleeding fingers, patched the holes on the knees of his pants, and massaged his sore legs and feet he began to talk to himself.

“I have worked hard my whole life. I have always done my best. I have perfected my craft. I have helped many people. I have been a good man. I have been honest, and dedicated. Yet here I am, in pain, living in a small house. My life is so difficult, my clothes are full of patches, my house is hot, my body aches.”

“Oh how I would like to be a rich man. To wear silk and live in a house that is cool, and had beautiful art, and smells like flowers. To have servants and plenty of food. That is the life I would like.”

Then the stone-cutter looked up at heaven and asked,

“Why can’t I just be a rich man? I want a big house, lots of money, and servants, and food. I want to wear silk, and not have to work so hard.”

To his surprise he heard a voice saying

“your wish is granted!”

He figured he needed some fresh air and left for a walk in the cool evening air. As he came back home, he could not find his home. He made sure he was at the right place, but he could not find his house. Instead he found a huge mansion, with servants. He approached to ask about his house, confused the servant smiled while telling the old stone-cutter that this was his house. Incredulous the stone-cutter walked into the house, it was cool, and had beautiful art and smelled like flowers.

He took a long bath, and dressed himself in fine silk. He then had the biggest dinner he had ever had in his life, and laid down to sleep in the most comfortable bed he had ever laid in.

Weeks passed by, and as much as the stone-cutter, now rich man, was enjoying his wealth and mansion, he could not help but feel bored. He did nothing all day, and as relaxing as that had been, having someone to do everything of him left him feeling empty. All he did was eat and sleep and he wanted more. Being just rich was not fulfilling.

As he mulled over those thoughts in his head he noticed a very important government official coming to town, he was in a fancy horse, with a beautiful umbrella. He had soldiers around him and everyone ran to and fro around him with important documents and decisions that needed to be made by him.

The stone-cutter, who was now a rich man then realized that was what he was missing. He wanted to be an important government official, with a beautiful horse, and soldiers, and responsibilities and power. As he wished for those things out loud, as he had done before, he once again heard the same voice say

“your wish is granted”

The very next day the man who had been a stone-cutter, than a rich man, was now traveling in a very fine horse, under a beautiful umbrella with soldiers and he had many important responsibilities and he had a lot of power. Now he knew he would be happy.

Until, a few weeks later he noticed he was getting a tan on his arm. (In Asia tanned skin is associated with working in the fields and therefore lower class status. I am from Brazil where everyone ones to have a tan, so I find this odd.) Frustrated with his tan the old stone-cutter, who was now an important government official, looked at the sun and exclaimed.

“It doesn’t matter how powerful or rich I am, the sun will always be stronger. If only I could be the sun, then I would truly be happy!”

As before, he heard the mysterious voice announce “Your wish is granted!”

The former stone-cutter, who then became a rich man, then a powerful government official was now the sun!

He was so happy! He could shine brightly on all bellow him. Soon he was out of control, causing droughts and giving people sun burns. Fires broke out and he was delighted at his new found power! Now he was happy, no one could stop him!

Until one day, rain clouds covered him. He tried with all his might, but as the sun, he could do nothing regarding the rain clouds. The rain clouds would come and cover him whenever they pleased and they would negate his power.

Frustrated, the former government official who was now the sun began to complain. How could he be happy as long as the clouds could cover him?

“Oh, I am so powerless, I can’t make the clouds move. If only I could be a cloud! Then I would truly be happy!”

As before, he heard a voice “your wish is granted.”

Now the man who once had been a stone-cutter, then a rich man, then an important government official, then the sun, was a rain cloud.

He was so happy! He loved to cover the sun and to make rain. Soon the farms and forests that had been suffering from the drought grew lush and green. The rivers and lakes were once again full. But the man who had been a stone-cutter and was now a cloud once again lost control and began to rain everywhere, too much, and to not allow the sun to shine. From his perspective he was more powerful than the sun and to allow the sun to shine would mean defeat. No, he was going to win! He was going to make it rain and rain for days without ceasing. Soon there were floods, houses were being washed away, plants were dying, roads were being destroyed, and the stone-cutter who was now a cloud was loving it! He felt powerful!

He felt happy and powerful until he realized the mountain remained unmoved. It didn’t matter how hard he caused it to rain, the rock face of the mountain remained unmoved, unaffected, by the rain.

Once again the stone-cutter turned rain cloud was miserable. He was so sad that he could not affect the rock. That mountain was stronger than he was. He whined and complained saying

“How can I be truly happy while that mountain remains there unmoved? What is the point of being a rain cloud if I cannot change the mountain, if I cannot significantly affect it by raining on it? Oh, if only I was a mountain, then I would be happy. If I was a mighty mountain, unaffected by the weather, then I would be truly powerful, and only then I could be truly happy!”

As the times before, he heard a mysterious voice say “your wish is granted.”

Now the former stone-cutter, who had become a rich man, than an important government official, then the sun, and then the rain cloud, now became a mighty mountain. His rock face would not be affected by the sun or the rain. He was now mightier than all. He was finally happy!

For while. Until he noticed a peculiar sound. A sound he was familiar with. A hammer and a chisel. It could not be! Someone was taking a piece off of him! As mighty and tall and strong and tough as he was as a mountain, a simple stone-cutter was taking away a piece of him, and he could do nothing about it.

What was the point of being a mighty mountain if a little man could come and little by little carry away pieces of him? He felt, helpless, he felt vulnerable, he felt weak, and just like that his happiness left him.

“Oh,” he thought to himself, “if only I could be a stone-cutter. Then I would be mightier than the mountain, then I would be truly happy.”

Once again, the now familiar voice was heard saying “your wish is granted.”

The stone-cutter went back to his life, knowing that he was the happiest he could be, realizing that despite the aches and pains and hardships, he would rather be a stone-cutter than anything else.

#story #short #thanksgiving #content

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mrlnsfrt · 7 years

Text

In Everything Give Thanks

Thanksgiving!

It is thanksgiving weekend. I grew up in Brazil and we don’t have thanksgiving, so I was not introduced to thanksgiving until my teenage years, and it was not until I was married that I began to truly appreciate this American holiday.

I mentioned this in the presence of some children last week and they were shocked that there were places in the world where thanksgiving was not celebrated. I tried to explain that Brazil had a different history than to US, no pilgrims, no harsh winter, etc. I am not sure if I was clear enough, I am not sure I succeeded conveying the differences.

I love thanksgiving, not only because of the beauty of its origin, but just the idea of setting aside a day to be thankful blows my mind. I also find the idea of Black Friday following immediately after a day dedicated to thanksgiving very puzzling. I guess we are not as grateful as we thought we were, or perhaps, the right sale will make us even more thankful!

I will not be addressing consumerism at this time, nor will I talk about the Pilgrims, but I would like to talk about giving thanks.

God’s Will for us includes us giving thanks.

Now Thank We All Our God

The hymn “Now Thank We All Our God” is attributed to Martin Rinkart and is believed to have been written around 1636.

Currently this hymn tends to be sung more often around this time of the year, when many families across the United States gather together to indulge in big meals. But the context in which this hymn was written was very different.

Imagine: “A minister and his family sing this hymn before dinner to thank God for the scraps of food they have on the table in their meager home in a desolate refugee city that is afflicted with famine and disease and war.” (source)

Martin Rinkart lived with his family in the walled city of Eilenburg, which became the refuge for political and military fugitives. This resulted in overcrowding, deadly pestilence and famine. Armies overran Eilenburg three times, pillaging and killing. The Rinkart home was a refuge for the victims, even though he was often hard-pressed to provide for his own family. During the height of a severe plague in 1637, Rinkart was the only surviving pastor in Eilenburg, conducting as many as 50 funerals in a day. He performed more than 4000 funerals in that year, including that of his wife. (source, source)

Imagine this man, singing, with his children, around the table, before each meal

“Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices…” (full English lyrics available here)

in every thing give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus in regard to you.

- 1 Thessalonians 5:18 Young's Literal Translation

Passages like 1 Thessalonians 5:18 are very challenging.

How can I give thanks in everything?

I have found myself in situations, and I believe many of you have as well, where it is incredibly difficult, if not impossible to give thanks.

It’s not easy to be the “the cup is half full” person.

We don’t naturally gravitate towards thankfulness. I personally have seem to have a natural tendency to gravitate towards complaining.

The issue, to me, seems to be that unless I learn to give thanks in everything, I might never give thanks. There seems to always be something that could make us happier, something that could be better.

I believe this is the reason Black Friday is so popular. As grateful as we might be, we could always be happier with one more thing. However, is it possible that the more we practice giving thanks, the happier and more content we will be?

Let’s give it a try? Text someone 3 things you're thankful for.

If you actually do it, what impact did sharing those three things have on you?

I know that life is not perfect. I know there are things we wish were different. I know many things can be improved.

But isn’t it amazing that there are still things we can be grateful for?

Is it not surprising that even in our current imperfect situation, full of reasons for us to grumble and complain we were able to find at least three things to be thankful for?

I remember as a child complaining to my father that my head hurt, and my father replied that it was good news! I looked at him confused, he explained,

“It means you have a head!” What a privilege to have a headache. (I know, "dad jokes", but I now do the same to my kids)

Regardless of the situation, I believe we can always find something to be thankful for. After all, Paul, in his letter to the Thessalonians, told them to give thanks in everything!

I believe a grateful heart is a gift from God. I also believe it is something we must intentionally cultivate. (I will explain it further on this post.)

The Stonecutter

Then the stone-cutter looked up at heaven and asked,

“Why can’t I just be a rich man? I want a big house, lots of money, and servants, and food. I want to wear silk, and not have to work so hard.”

To his surprise he heard a voice saying

“your wish is granted!”

He took a long bath, and dressed himself in fine silk. He then had the biggest dinner he had ever had in his life, and laid down to sleep in the most comfortable bed he had ever laid in.

“your wish is granted”

“It doesn’t matter how powerful or rich I am, the sun will always be stronger. If only I could be the sun, then I would truly be happy!”

As before, he heard the mysterious voice announce “Your wish is granted!”

The former stone-cutter, who then became a rich man, then a powerful government official was now the sun!

Frustrated, the former government official who was now the sun began to complain. How could he be happy as long as the clouds could cover him?

“Oh, I am so powerless, I can’t make the clouds move. If only I could be a cloud! Then I would truly be happy!”

As before, he heard a voice “your wish is granted.”

Now the man who once had been a stone-cutter, then a rich man, then an important government official, then the sun, was a rain cloud.

He felt happy and powerful until he realized the mountain remained unmoved. It didn’t matter how hard he caused it to rain, the rock face of the mountain remained unmoved, unaffected, by the rain.

Once again the stone-cutter turned rain cloud was miserable. He was so sad that he could not affect the rock. That mountain was stronger than he was. He whined and complained saying

As the times before, he heard a mysterious voice say “your wish is granted.”

“Oh,” he thought to himself, “if only I could be a stone-cutter. Then I would be mightier than the mountain, then I would be truly happy.”

Once again, the now familiar voice was heard saying “your wish is granted.”

The stone-cutter went back to his life, knowing that he was the happiest he could be, realizing that despite the aches and pains and hardships, he would rather be a stone-cutter than anything else.

Faith

I strongly believe that ultimately, our ability to be thankful is directly related to our faith in God.

I do not mean simple intellectual ascent, not just being able to say I believe in God, but a faith that trusts in God.

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

- Hebrews 11:1 New International Version (emphasis mine)

Faith is more than mere intellectual ascent. I like how the New International Version puts it, as confidence and assurance. Not in anything I see, but in what I hope for and do not yet see.

Faith can only exist if the one who promised is faithful.

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

- Romans 15:13 New Living Translation (emphasis mine)

Paul, in his letter to the Romans, identifies God as the ultimate source of hope.

Paul also prays that God will fill us with joy and peace, but this only happens as response to our trust in Him. Only when we trust in God will we overflow with confident hope, and that only through the power of the Holy Spirit. According to this verse, we can have hope, joy, and peace, when we trust in God, as an answer to prayer, through the work of the Holy Spirit.

Now, with this in mind, when we read 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 again we gain a deeper appreciation for what the apostle Paul is saying here.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NKJV

When he tells us to rejoice, we now understand that he also prays that God will fill us with joy. Which is connected to the next part, pray without ceasing. Joy comes as an answer to the prayer of those who believe in God.

When we believe in God and pray to be filled with joy and peace and God grants us confident hope, that allows us to give thanks in everything. Because ultimately our hope is found in God who is faithful!

The 99 Club

(Taken from KindSpring.org)

Once upon a time, there lived a King who, despite his luxurious lifestyle, was neither happy nor content. One day, the King came upon a servant who was singing happily while he worked. This fascinated the King; why was he, the Supreme Ruler of the Land, unhappy and gloomy, while a lowly servant had so much joy. The King asked the servant, "Why are you so happy?"

The man replied, "Your Majesty, I am nothing but a servant, but my family and I don't need too much - just a roof over our heads and warm food to fill our tummies."

The king was not satisfied with that reply. Later in the day, he sought the advice of his most trusted advisor. After hearing the King's woes and the servant's story, the advisor said, "Your Majesty, I believe that the servant has not been made part of The 99 Club."

"The 99 Club? And what exactly is that?" the King inquired. The advisor replied, "Your Majesty, to truly know what The 99 Club is, place 99 Gold coins in a bag and leave it at this servant's doorstep." When the servant saw the bag, he took it into his house. When he opened the bag, he let out a great shout of joy... So many gold coins!

He began to count them. After several counts, he was at last convinced that there were 99 coins. He wondered, "What could've happened to that last gold coin? Surely, no one would leave 99 coins!" He looked everywhere he could, but that final coin was elusive. Finally, exhausted, he decided that he was going to have to work harder than ever to earn that gold coin and complete his collection.

From that day, the servant's life was changed. He was overworked, horribly grumpy, and castigated his family for not helping him make that 100th gold coin. He stopped singing while he worked.

Witnessing this drastic transformation, the King was puzzled. When he sought his advisor's help, the advisor said, "Your Majesty, the servant has now officially joined The 99 Club."

He continued, "The 99 Club is a name given to those people who have enough to be happy but are never content, because they're always yearning and striving for that extra 1 telling to themselves: "Let me get that one final thing and then I will be happy for life."

We can be happy, even with very little in our lives, but the minute we're given something bigger and better, we want even more! We lose our sleep, our happiness, we hurt the people around us; all these as a price for our growing needs and desires. That's what joining The 99 Club is all about. (source)

I am not saying that you should live a live without ambitions. I am saying that you should be able to have joy and thankful even as you pursue greater success in life.

Learn to be happy where you are and with what you have, and you will always be happy.

Be thankful for being a child, even as you look forward to growing up. Be thankful for being a student, even as you look forward to graduation. Be thankful for the job you have, even as you look for better employment. Be thankful for the life you have, even as you do what you can to improve it.

As we practice thankfulness, our faith grows stronger. Each time I find reasons to be thankful, I am reminded of the God whom I serve, who daily provides for me.

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Psalm 18:2 New King James Version

Ultimately, trust God to be in control and to provide for all your needs. To fill you with joy and peace, and ultimately to save you!

Because of our God, we are able to give thanks in all circumstances.

I strongly believe that ultimately, our ability to be thankful is directly related to our faith in God.

I do not mean simple intellectual ascent, not just being able to say I believe in God, but a faith that trusts in God, that believes that He is in control and that He has our best interest at heart.

Because of who God is, I can be thankful in everything!

#thanksgiving #faith

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