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houseofbrat · 3 months

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For the record, I wish Kate well and a speedy recovery for whatever problem she has been admitted to The London Clinic for.

Because I do not believe for one second that she was admitted for "abdominal surgery." That was "planned." And needs to be in the hospital for 10-14 days, even though it's "non-cancerous."

Once you've eliminated surgeries related to cancer, then you've eliminated a whole bunch of surgeries that have long recovery times.

Hernia surgeries don't require three months of "recovery," and in the US, they certainly don't require you to be in the hospital (aka germ factories) for 10-14 days.

I suppose being in the hospital on iv antibiotics for a diverticulitis procedure is a possibility, except that the recovery from any kind of diverticulitis surgery is A LOT LESS than three months.

Easter is on 31 March 2024. Saying she won't do any public duties UNTIL April is two and a half to three months of "recovery."

And no, hysterectomies do not take that long to recover from.

Just ask Camilla.

12 APRIL 2012 The Duchess of Cornwall is to have a hysterectomy, it was announced last night. Camilla will undergo surgery to remove part or all of her womb at the beginning of next month. She will spend around four days in hospital then a further six weeks recovering. The 59-year-old duchess will still go on a ten-day visit to the Gulf states with Prince Charles, beginning next Monday. It is thought royal gynaecologist Marcus Setchell will carry out the operation at the private King Edward VII Hospital for Officers in London soon after she returns. She has cancelled a string of engagements.

That's right.

Clarence House announced when Camilla would be out of the public eye BEFORE the surgery happened. Not after she was admitted to the hospital.

Somehow Kate's "abdominal surgery" was "planned," yet William's entire schedule needs to be reworked all of the sudden? As in, announcing today that he needs to not do any public duties for a certain period of time until Kate is okay at home. Hey, it's not as if Kate has two parents who are retired. Two siblings. Other relatives. Or a nanny. Housekeeper. Other staff. Etc.

Because if this really was a "planned" surgery and not a sudden emergency, then why were KP comms teams leaking a trip to Rome less than a month ago?

And Russell Myers was leaking that Will & Kate were going to go abroad to visit the British military LAST WEEK???

Someone isn't being honest about what is going on, and it's definitely not me.

It sounds to me that The Princess of Wales had a nervous/mental breakdown and needed to be hospitalized. Except that they can't say that, so they're going with "planned" "abdominal surgery."

Because if it really was "planned" and not cancerous, then why wouldn't William be able to do an engagement here or there over the next few weeks? If the KP comms team is going to pretend that this is just a routine surgery--not urgent or emergent--then why is their behavior NOT matching the statements?

Crown Prince Haakon does engagements even when his wife, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, has been ill.

Prince Albert works even when Princess Charlene has been ill.

But William's ENTIRE schedule needs to be reworked even though Kate's parents are retired and she has two siblings nearby and other friends and relatives? (And and other helpers...)

Yup. There is another announcement coming soon.

Not one that anyone else in the world is expecting--well, except for @mysteriouslytransparentwitch and myself.

It's that Dragon energy already coming in even though the lunar new year doesn't start until 10 February. That Green Dragon is bringing lots of surprises with it.

Super cold in the USA. Volcanic eruptions in an area of Iceland that hadn't had anything in 800 years.

And Princess Basement Baby!

Because Wales fandom ARMAGEDDON is almost upon us.

And is the Wales fandom prepared for it? Nope.

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courage-doodles-blog · 4 months

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Felix the Pomeranian (CTCD OC)

Design and ref

About them:

Gender: Non-binary

Sexuality: Bisexual

Species: Pomeranian

Nationality: English

Likes: Maxwell(Best friend/platonic love interest), spending time with Maxwell, hanging out with their friends, Courage(good friend), plums, tennis balls, hanging out with Courage, making new friends, happy plums

Dislikes: Katz(enemy), putting themselve in danger, their friends in danger, Courage in danger, being judged for having autism, Muriel in danger

Friends: Courage, Muriel, Clive(fatherly figure), Justin, Olive, Maxwell, Bunny, Kitty, Charlie the Mouse, Barry, Nathan, Teresa, Shirley, Computer, Charlene,

Neutral: Eustace, Fred

Enemies: Katz, Le Quack, Cajun Fox, Weremole, Black Puddle Queen, Clutching Foot, Grinz and Frownz(arch-enemies), Sirius

Fun Facts about them

They do like cats except evil ones like Katz, Grinz, Frownz and Sirius

They like watching 1970s-90s cartoon shows like Scooby Doo and Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy

Felix is shown to be skilled at tennis and gymnastics

They like tennis balls and plays with them like a normal dog

They have a bandage on his mouth, which covers their wound from a razor.

After wounding themselve with it, Felix began being traumatised by razors

They're neutral around Fred, they find him as a nice man but until they knew that he is about to shave Felix's fur off which started traumatising the poor pomeranian

They sometimes wear a non-binary badge, this is representing their gender

Felix is mostly good friends with former war veteran husky Clive and Southern speaking sheepdog Justin, even Felix thinking of the Clive as father figure and Justin as a older brother to them

Their arch enemies are Grinz and Frownz, the two cat twins who want to kidnap them and take them to Sirius in order to kill them due to his hatred against dogs. Though luckily, they safely get out of their plans

Felix is autistic and has ADHD

Felix has speech impediment, which is lisp

#oc info #ctcd oc #dog oc #pomeranian oc #ctcd #courage the cowardly dog #oc #my oc stuff #my ocs #about my ocs

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aubreysheadspace · 1 year

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Hello, I hope you are having a wonderful day! Are you able to write a platonic x Rw Aubrey of Reader joining the Hooligan’s and being besties with her, as well as her being protective of reader from anyone that threatens or hurts them. (As well as hugging and bonding over their rough home situations.)

For more context, Reader was apart of the friend group, being the youngest by one year, though they were a little distant due to shyness and anxiety, as they had a rough home life with an alcoholic parent. They were closest with Mari, Sunny, and Aubrey, but still good friends with Basil, Kel, and Hero.

I hope you have a great day!

REALWORLD AUBREY WITH READER JOINING THE HOOLIGANS (PLATONIC)

thank you!! I hope u have an amazing day!~ this is such a bittersweet idea <3 hope u enjoy!!

here’s part two and part three!

AUBREY

AUBREY’s known you long ago from when both of you were still in the friend group

and since you joined the friend group, SUNNY was no longer the baby of the group since you were the youngest by one year from SUNNY, AUBREY, BASIL, and KEL while you were younger than HERO and MARI by 4 years!

like with everyone else that was younger than her, MARI would treat you like a little sibling. SUNNY would relate to you about being shy and anxious and would be there for you.. but would understand if you wanted to be left alone, and AUBREY would try and be another big sister to you!

AUBREY would always be a bit sad when you’re a bit distant to everyone, especially her. but now that MARI is gone, she grew distant of everyone else because she though everyone was moving on from her death too fast, except.. you

when you decide to join the HOOLIGANS, AUBREY was genuinely a bit taken aback..

she genuinely thought you moved on from the old friend group like she thought everyone else did

but hey, unlike everyone else you were actually trying to reconnect with her at least

she also remembers that you were shy and anxious, so she knows it must’ve taken you some courage

so fuck it! welcome to the HOOLIGANS!

you have KIM and VANCE being nice enough to share some candy with you, as long as it isn’t taffy

ANGEL ranting about how absolutely amazing his master, the MAVERICK, is and how he can get so many girls to you

CHARLENE, or CHARLIE, understands if you’re a bit shy.. she’s like that too! there will always be comfortable silence when you’re around her

and of course, AUBREY, who is a bit overprotective with you the most!

she knows you well, she knows that you’re a bit weak.. but not in a mean way! and due to both of your guy’s home life, she understands you

if you ever run into some trouble, AUBREY will not hesitate to start a fight with the HOOLIGANS right behind her

some kids at school have decided to take advantage of your shy and anxious nature by picking on you. you try to block out most of the harsh words they were saying towards you, but it was hard. you could feel your heart racing, a lump in your throat, and an aching in your chest.

that is.. until you heard a familiar, strong feminine voice call out to the kids and immediately rush over to where you guys were at, automatically saying threats to them

"wh— HEY! who do you think you are, messing with them?! you’ll be messing with my fists and the end of these nails on my bat if you don’t get the fuck outta here! anytime i see you around [READER] again, i won’t hesitate to destroy you."

and she’s honest, she’ll kick their asses. and she also instructs the rest of the HOOLIGANS to do the same if they see those kids around you

they got your back! they’re treating you like them now! like the saying, "if mess with them, you mess with all of us" or something like that

and of course, AUBREY treats you like a little sister. she’ll be the badass older sister that you never had, who deeply cares about you

if you both are alone and with your permission, she’ll drop the tough guy act and talks to you about her problems since she’s known you for a long time

and she’ll gladly let you talk about your problems with her as well, but she won’t force you at all if you’re too scared to of course, but keep in mind she’s horrible at advice

since you both have terrible home situations, she’ll take you out for the rest of the day. hell, she’ll even take you to church to find peace with her, only if you want to of course

and finally, AUBREY would speak for you if you’re too nervous to speak to anyone at any point. just tell her what to say and she’ll say it without a doubt.

#aubreysheadspace!~#🗿 anon!~#aubreys writing!~#omori #omori aubrey x reader #omori x reader

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duchessofostergotlands · 11 months

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And sometimes it’s right to call that out if it’s a big story and it crosses a line (like Princess Charlene’s situation for example) what happened to her? i almost know nothing except that she was sick, i believe (?)

It's hard to summarise 12 years of history in one post but basically since the beginning of the marriage, people have decided that Charlene and Albert's relationship is a sham. That went on for years - even though they denied it, they sued, the press had to give them a settlement and state that they had got it wrong. Then in 2021 Charlene got sick in South Africa and the rhetoric crossed a line from spiteful rumours which, while unpleasant, happen to every high profile couple and instead became stories that Albert was abusive and she'd fled Monaco to get away, Charlene cut her hair because she's having a mental breakdown (because no woman could want short hair for any other reason; I literally had a comment on my IG refer to it as "self harm"), Albert fathered a child while with her (even though the child's parentage hasn't been confirmed and even if he was Albert's he was born before Albert and Charlene started dating, Charlene told us the date of their first date years and years ago). My view is that we have no idea what's going on in their private relationship and it is none of our business, but if you don't know why not just be kind and assume they're telling you the truth and their relationship is fine? Why do they want Charlene to be so miserable? To quote something I said before:

"The two options here are that they’re right and she’s ill and miserable and they’re just sitting there viewing her life as entertainment and talking shit about her hair constantly or they’re not true and she’s had to go through 10 years of people telling her on a daily basis that no matter what she says, does, or thinks they - total strangers- know she’s sick and miserable and so that’s the objective truth which is massively manipulative and problematic in so many different ways."

You can find out more about the origin of all of this in the Mythbuster episode we did in the podcast: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/hXJyMlQicAb

There's also our first episode where we talked about Charlene's health. I will warn you, I had no idea what I was doing and the audio quality is really poor in the first episode! I'm going to try and improve it but it is what it is: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/t5U0fSTicAb

#ask #anon #princess charlene #monegasque princely family #prince albert

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sunskate · 5 months

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Michail Savitskiy's a good guest - he was good commentating at Nebelhorn last season, has positive, enthusiastic energy and a way of saying what he thinks while being gracious and respectful. had some interesting thoughts on the competition, which he saw live--

that T/V float almost soundlessly - fascinated by how he couldn't hear their blades except in the twizzles, that he doesn't know how they skate so silently. one of his favorite FDs this season- love the delicacy, the softness in their skating- emphasizes their strengths and hides their weaknesses a little bit too. something in the RD isn't quite working though "they're obviously really really good skaters"

he trained with R/A in Oberstdorf and is really good friends with them. loves their RD, thinks it's really them, that they deserved bronze

D/LeM - "last year i thought they were good, they were polished, they were delivering very good stability in their programs, but this year they really have that step up, they really improved over the summer and are on a very good road"

loves L/LeG's FD - so fun and entertaining, "all of the elements are so in character, especially that last dance lift where he just drops his hands and she's just holding on on one hand and you think she's floating in the air. it's so good. their choreography and all the elements fit together so well, and i just wanted to appreciate them"

saw G/F for the first time at Lombardia and was watching for their samba in the RD but that it's so well integrated he couldn't tell where it was. as a choreo element it has to be implemented well into the choreography and that G/F do that the best this year. he doesn't think the RD otherwise is the most interesting, that the Brits's RD is more interesting but "my point stands, i think they're (G/F) a little more clean a little more polished" and that he thinks they should have won. but that F/G have improved more than any top team since last season and he likes that they're doing something different, refreshing.

G/F have "always had interesting lifts- our coach used to show us their lifts all the time and was like look at their lifts and maybe you can take something from there, maybe you can do your own spin on it. i feel like in the past few seasons, when it comes to lifts couples usually tend to take easier lifts and just polish them to an extent where it just looks very very easy and judges are rewarding that really really much. you tend to see way more lifts that are a little bit easier today than let's say for example Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. they were known for their complex new lifts, and i feel like that trend kind of died off. people tend to take easier lifts and polish them to an extent to where they look very very light, very easy, and judges are rewarding that. and i think Charlene and Marco choosing more difficult lifts is a very good thing. this year i feel they're a little bit better on the lifts, they execute them better"

on the FD - "because usually the top couples tend to take slower music to show off their skating skills, their great body lines, how parallel they are, and the Brits take a completely different approach, and i really appreciate that as well" (he said this with zero shade, but🙃) "cause it shows you can take a different route, still be one of the best couples in the world, but i still feel like the Italians are a little more polished. i'm not a judge, maybe i see something they don't see, or they see something i don't see, i don't know, but i feel like they are very close to each other- it's not like the Italians are 10 points better than the Brits, i'm not saying that. i'm saying they are a little higher for me, personally, and i think they should have taken the gold in my opinion, but Lilah and Lewis also deserved the gold" (it's a balancing act😅he's competing at the JGPF next week)

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detectivelokis · 1 year

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1 and 12 for Charlie, and 13 and 15 for Annie on that OC ask game you reblogged, please? - fourlittleseedlings

1. How does your OC feel about their full name?

I would say she’s fairly ambivalent about it. I’m not sure she would have chosen it for herself, especially since no one in Hope County has ever pronounced her last name right. There is something about John calling her Charlene that does something to her, though. No one else is allowed to use it and she prefers Charlie, except for when it’s him saying it.

12. How do they show affection to someone they love?

Through touch. Even with platonic relationships she’s a very touchy person once she feels comfortable with them. Hugs, kisses on the cheek, and what not are things you might get if you’re a partner, a bestie, or her kid. She also loves being able to gift people things now that she’s in a position to too. She loves seeing the look of surprise on their faces.

13. Do they make strong/frequent eye contact when they talk to someone?

Annie tends to look you in the eye the entire time that she’s speaking to you. She was raised to believe that it’s improper to not make eye contact and she’s all about following the rules of the society she grew up in. Even if it can sometimes be unsettling for the other person.

15. Are their greatest flaw and their greatest strength related and in what way? (ie very caring and helpful but a doormat, or very observant and shrewd but often paranoid)

I would say so. Annie is a very curious and ambitious person by nature. Unfortunately, that can and will lead her into very dangerous situations down the line.

#thank you!#Annie and Charlie are both pretty similar in the way that they’re both unsettling little freaks #and by society I mean Annie only abides by Templar rules #not so much Victorian era rules lol #also thank you to Mika for the banners #always saving my ass #oc: charlie berger #oc: annie king #answered #fourlittleseedlings

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romistav · 1 year

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”if i were you i’d have all the love island therapists on hand tonight.”

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO ABOUT REUNITING WITH THE OTHER VILLA? WHAT ARE YOU DREADING THE MOST?

”i am most looking forward to seeing josh and dylan, obviously. i have always known that i love them and i feel close to both of them but being away even just for a couple of days proved to me how much i care about them, you know? like, i miss them both so fucking much. i hope they’ve been getting along in their other villa. i’m not dreading seeing marcus, i’m not going to say that. it’s not as if things ended because we both fucking hate each other or something. i’m dreading maybe how i’ll feel but there is a bigger part of me that’s looking forward to seeing him because, yeah, i’ve missed him, too.”

IF YOU WERE TO STICK, WHY WOULD YOU? WHY WOULD YOU CONSIDER SWITCHING?

”if i was going to stick it would be because there’s a part of me that still clings onto what i think marcus and i could have been if you guys hadn’t brought in dejan here for the specific purpose of ruining our relationship. i think everyone here is expecting me to jump back into marcus’ arms as soon as we see each other again but that’s not how any of this works. it’s a lot more complicated than that and i wish that it wasn’t. i’d consider switching, well, the most obvious answer is because i know that marcus is bringing someone back but also because i think i deserve a shot at someone who genuinely cares about me and is willing to fight for what we have together, someone who is all in with me. no backups, no questioning what other people say about us.”

IS THERE A BOMBSHELL THAT’S AT THE TOP OF YOUR ‘LIST’? WHO WOULD YOU BRING BACK?

”dante, duh.” the grin on their face is apparent, they almost feel like they’re glowing. “i think we’ve gotten along really well since the first day and i know that maybe he isn’t the type of person my friends pictured me with but i do think we fit together pretty nicely. he makes me feel safe and, well, that means a lot to me.”

IF NONE OF THE BOMBSHELLS COULD COME BACK, WHO WOULD YOU MISS THE MOST?

”i think i’d miss all of them except jude, if i’m being honest. angel and zeke are very fun to have around. stella i know has had a hard time being here but i think she’d have a great time being brought back. charlene, god, don’t we all love her already? she’s so much fun. her whole thing with naomi isn’t really surprising ‘cause they’re both super hot. even if all her group activities ended on a sour note, i’d miss her trying to get us all together regardless.”

WHAT CONVERSATIONS DO YOU NEED TO HAVE MOST WHEN YOU REUNITE?

"marcus is the obvious one. that guilt has been eating away at me the whole time we’ve been here but there are also other things i’d like to say to him. things we’ve sort of touched on that i’d love to discuss further. there are also things i have to talk to dylan about, though, we had this sort of....important conversation the night before casa and i want to know where his head is at regarding everything we discussed. i don’t know that it’s, like, an important conversation i need to have with josh but i can’t fucking wait to talk to him.”

WHAT ARE YOU FEELING ABOUT THE DECISIONS OF THE OTHER ISLANDERS? WHO DO YOU THINK HAS MADE THE BEST CONNECTION?

”i’d say callie and angel have the possibility of being pretty solid and, honestly, i’m just glad to see callie having a good time with someone. i don’t know about anyone else having a solid connection or even a good connection but i’m sure angel won’t be the only bombshell coming back.”

#crackon:prompt #interviews

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gabriellademonaco · 1 year

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For your top 10 gowns, I am surprised you did not include CP Mary’s blue and pink gowns for her 50th birthday portraits. Did you like those?

Oh by blue you mean this one?

I completely forgot about it lol. TBH, I like the colour, the silhouette, and the pearl details... except for the weird see-through design on the chest area. It probably would've made it to Top 10 though, maybe replacing one of Charlene's?

Anyway, honourable mention!

Not sure which pink one you were referring to?

#ask #reply #anonymous #crown princess mary #royal fashion

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omori-food-administration · 10 months

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’m thinking about making a blog. if i may ask, what characters are currently available ?

Polly

Charlene

Boss

All the HS Playground characters except for Berly & Van

Daphne & Bowen (technically, though they’re effectively claimed by @bowenbakesbread & @welcome-to-the-bank-of-bread)

Slime Girls (except Molly)

Rosa

Sir Maximus (all 4 are available)

Snaley

Earth

Ye Old Sprout

King Carnivore

Shady Mole

Jash

Vance

Unbread Twins

insignificant NPCs- (except Aubrey’s mom)

Most blackspace NPCs (ask if you have one in mind)

Perfectheart

Mutantheart

#not OFA

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heatwayve · 1 year

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day 34 beach hut : naomi.

how are you feeling in your decision to couple up or stay single ?

“ oh, well . . . ” she pauses. “ you’re probably expecting me to say i regret it, right ? but i don’t. ” naomi shrugs her shoulders matter-of-factly. “ i think i did what i needed to do, charlene and i were still getting to know each other and i had some questions about that. i do regret that i made her feel bad, or that i got her hopes up because i was really scared to talk about where i was at with josh . . . but when she gave me an ultimatum so soon, it made things really clear for me. ” naomi grimaces, “ i don’t think josh and i would be where we’re at without that. i, like, totally needed some tough love, i guess. but i hope the person of her dreams comes in soon, i don’t think i ever really felt like that was me anyway. do regret that it got all shit between us, she’s wicked fun to be around. ”

are you happy in your couple or do you think your head could be turned ?

“ technically, my head was turned, right ? or turned back ? i don’t know. but i think this is the happiest josh and i have ever been together, it’s insane. i can’t remember the last time i was this uncool about someone, ” she laughs. “ we’ve been tested so much, i can’t see anything fucking with us now, really. well, except for the fact that it’d be nice to be in an actual couple. honestly, if charlene stops giving me the cold shoulder, i'm seriously considering going back inside . . . because the wind ? the bugs ? we woke up this morning and there was this massive beetle just chilling on the blanket between us, ” naomi shivers, leaning back like she’s raring to jump out of her skin at the memory. she looks at the camera, seriously stressed, “ i can’t do it much longer, i’m actually gonna fucking lose it. ”

what are your thoughts on seb & bash & rhys’ exit last night ? why did you vote the way you did ?

“ i think i’ve had to explain myself to everyone and their mother at this point, really, so i’ll just say it. i care about dylan, and i couldn’t be the reason he left if it came down to it, ” she sighs. “ i know what we had was short-lived, and i’m not sure if he’ll ever know what he meant to me, but . . . at least now i’ve done what i can, you know ? ” she pauses, “ and to be honest, i don’t think he and adela would stand a fucking chance out there without a little more time in here. i’ll miss the boys, but the way they left everything in here was mad toxic. hope they’re doing better on the outside. ”

out of everyone left, who would be the hardest person to see go ?

“ like, besides josh ? i think he’d expect me to go with him anyway, ” there’s a placid little smile on her lips that doesn’t give much away as to whether she actually would or not. “ marcus, for sure. like, i just got him back, and he’s kind of been my rock in here from the start. i thought things might be weird after, you know, ” naomi grimaces, “ but we’ve just bounced back. i’m really hoping it’s him and romi in the end, but i’m worried i might lose him in here if she doesn’t pick him. roms, too, of course, but i don’t think she’s really at risk. be cool if the four of us could finish this whole thing together, though. ”

who seems like the strongest couple right now and why ?

“ it’s hard to say, i think. i think callie and angel are gonna make it work, but i wouldn’t call them the strongest with all the frankie drama, right ? but once it settles, i think they’re so solid – they just seem really compatible to me and i know how much they care about each other. ” naomi pauses, “ honestly, everyone’s starting pretty fresh right now except josh and i. it’s kind of crazy, i would have never expected that in the early days, but . . . yeah, i actually think we’re super strong. fuck. ”

who seems like the weakest couple right now and why ?

“ i guess romi and dante, only because she’s the only person still deciding between multiple options, so it makes sense they’d be the weakest, right ? ” she hopes that’s a good, diplomatic non-answer. “ and i think jude’s proper obsessed with jenny from the conversations we’ve had, it’s actually sort of sweet, but it’d be sweeter if jenny could be in a room with me for two seconds without making a snide remark about josh. ” that’s less diplomatic.

#crackon:prompt #* 🍦 NAOMI / ⠀ 𝙁𝙄𝙇𝙀𝘿 𝙐𝙉𝘿𝙀𝙍 ⠀ ﹕ ⠀ ❪ ⠀ prompts. ⠀ ❫

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pulchritudinous-plants · 2 years

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pottery

ive decided to start posting some of the short writing pieces ive done for Kingdom Keepers over the years. they’re all based off a random word generator (in this case ‘pottery’) and then i pick a random number one through seven to figure out how many characters im using. there’s a few of these already written, though if you’d like you can send in a prompt. the goal is for none of these to be shippy, simply focusing on the keepers friendships and personal lives and i write only until im bored.

Jelly wasn't neat when she worked. Glaze always ended up in her hair and clay was always on her clothes. She’d forget to push her sleeves up and leave them dripping with water from the sink. Her fingernails were almost always stained from oxides.

It was something Maybeck loves about his aunt, just how much she loves her work. She throws herself into it fully, the throwing and slip casting; firing and glazing.

When he’d first come to live with Jelly, face still round with baby fat and not even out of elementary school, he’d been apprehensive. He loved Jelly; had always spent hours whiling away the day in the back rooms painting on pottery shards she couldn’t sell. But it was so different to be surrounded by it all 24/7.

Jelly always got up early to tend to the kilns, restock the bisque wear, and set up shop. She’d be up late doing budget work, figuring out what she had to cut now that she had another mouth to feed.

He’d lived with her for months before she showed him the pottery wheel out back. She didn’t have as much time for it anymore, she had told him. But she showed him the steps; told him he was free to make whatever he wanted.

“We can glaze it and keep it if you want to. Or you can smash it. It’s up to you,”

And so he’d donned a smock and slammed down a ball of clay, already envisioning the giant vases and pitchers he’d be making in no time.

Except, it turned out, throwing on the wheel was hard. Like, really hard. It looked so simple when Jelly did it, experienced hands shaping the clay into a cup in minutes. His first piece that makes it off the wheel is a cup too wide to hold easily with too large of a rim to actually drink from. He glazes it bright blue and gives it to Jelly. She uses it every morning for juice and some nights for wine and says it's the best she’s ever seen.

But it’s nice, to create, even when it does end with him smashing a piece that cracked in the kiln. The slight grit of the clay under his hands, the anticipation of putting a glazed piece into the kiln- how the color would change, how the clay would warp and shrink.

So he keeps working. And he smashes up more pieces than he fires, and there are times when he wants to tear his hair out because he’d just trimmed through the bottom of a pot again, but he keeps going.

Jelly teaches him more as he got older. How to load the kiln, how to properly mix glaze; how to take the wet mush in the reclaim bucket and turn it back into reusable clay. She even takes him down to a lake one day, gathering natural clay just off the banks, and teaches him how to make it usable.

Shelves fill up with his work slowly, though he never gets to pick what goes on display. Jelly always picks pieces that are imperfect, glazes that are patchy and cups that wobble, heavy bottom pots that only barely survive the firing, and slab boxes with uneven seams.

He gives out his work to his friends, on birthdays and holidays and just because days, feigning indifference at their appreciation, acting like he hasn’t spent weeks thinking of what they’d actually use, things that couldn’t be picked up at some store. And he pretends it doesn’t make him grin when he sees Philby using a mug he’s made for tea; Charlene picking out the perfect plant for the new pot he’s given her.

His hands turn dry, clay leaching the moisture out of them. He has lotion on him wherever he goes, something citrus scented that reminds him of the orange groves near Lake Louisa. He keeps his nails cut so short they sometimes hurt and yet still clay ends up wedged between the skin. Clay dust covers his Converse turning them dingy and grey.

He’s never quite as messy as Jelly, keeps his hair pulled out of the way religiously, glaze on his fingertips but never jeans, but he certainly isn’t neat.

He teaches classes at the youth center after the cruise. Uses his DHI money to make sure it's free for anyone who wants it; pays out of pocket for the clay and glazes. He’s not as good as Jelly, not at the throwing or the teaching, but he likes it. He likes to watch the kid's emotions come out in the clay, the joy when a piece finally centers; the relief when it comes out of the kiln unharmed, the frustration when prized pieces crack at the last firing.

And when he’s applying for art schools he fills his portfolio with his best work. Large vases with sgraffito flowers, raku tea sets with feathers burned into the surface, deceptively simple speckled plates that took him months to get right. But he also adds the blue cup, right at the end, stained slightly after near ten years of use, and titles it “A Study in Progress”.

And when he’s accepted into every school he applies to Jelly cries and hugs him and he cries a little too if he’s being honest. And when Jelly gets out the cup and pours him a drink in celebration (which he spills half on himself, because, really, it's not a very functional thing), he thinks, for the first time, that he could do this. Art as a career, not just a hobby. For all his bravado and bluster, the fear of being told his art isn’t good enough, that he isn’t good enough, has been all consuming since he sent out his applications. He doesn’t understand how Willa and Philby are keeping it together waiting for their Ivy league applications to get back to them.

He doesn’t know which school he’ll go to yet: he’s leaning towards California, but Cranbrook and Alfred both have such amazing programs that he knows he’s going to have to think about it. There’s pros and cons to each, he’s sure, namely the distance from Jelly and the closeness to Charlene, but scholarships definitely will influence his decision. He’s got months until final decisions need to be made.

So for now he sits with Jelly, whose forehead is streaked with apple green glaze, planning the best way to nonchalantly tell the Keeper group chat that he got accepted in a way that warrants congratulations and possibly some of Mrs Whitman’s cookies but doesn’t sound like he’s asking for any of it, and breathes.

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graftisms · 1 year

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BEACH HUT CONFESSIONALS 08: CALLIE MICHAELS DAY THIRTY ( CASA DAY 3 )

who did you share a bed with last night ? how did you sleep ?

“ i shared a bed with angel. it was good, i think. i mean, nothing crazy happened. we had a little cuddle, talked a bit. um, i slept good. ” she’s trying to contain her smile.

do you see yourself starting to focus on one person or are you still exploring ?

“ i’m just focusing on getting to know angel better at this point. maybe it’s stupid of me, but it’s hard enough letting myself get past growing feelings for him while i’m still technically with frankie, even if it’s clearly just for show at this point. i don’t really want to lead anyone on—like, i’d rather put all my energy into one relationship at a time, you know ? it was different when i was getting to know liam and kenny at the same time a few weeks ago. i liked them, but i think i knew that neither of those relationships were really going to work out. but... i don’t know, ” she smiles fondly, “ i like angel. i’m not trying to rush into anything again, since that went so shit the last time, but right now i’m just really enjoying getting to know him. i know what everyone’s thinking : me with a bloke, right ? but i feel like we have a lot in common, and it’s been a long time since i dated someone genuinely nice. i’m just trying to enjoy where it’s going, and not get too ahead of myself. ”

are you getting on with any of the bombshells ?

“ yeah, i think so ? i haven’t really talked to most of them since the game yesterday, so that could’ve changed by now. obviously charlene and i had a bit of a tiff last night. i guess she was upset that i was closing myself off from getting to know anyone else here, but the way she had done it just really turned me off. kinda made it feel like she thought i owed her something just for her being so nice to meet day one, which i had thought was just her trying to be friends. whatever, she’s apologized by now and we’re moving on, so i’m trying not to harp on it. i like stella too, but after kissing her in the challenge yesterday and then closing myself off, who knows if she’s going to pull a charlene on me. i guess i wouldn’t blame her. really, i think i like all the bombshells here except jude. i don’t hate his guts or whatever, but it’s clear he’s some kind of man-child who doesn’t actually realize what he’s done wrong. i’m glad romi is seemingly done with him. it’s gonna be real annoying if jenny ends up keeping him around, though. ”

how was the beer pong game ? what was most memorable about it ?

“ i actually scored ! that was really fun, ” she grins, full of her own silly pride. “ getting to kiss the three bombshells i fancy the most was definitely memorable, though i don’t think charlene appreciated it very much. but mate, they can all kiss. ”

what was it like seeing the postcard ? what was the most shocking part of it ?

“ i don’t really know what to make of the postcard, honestly. first of all—dylan and some girl in bed ? i wonder what that’s all about. i hope he found someone he wants to bring back, even if i do think naomi won’t be happy about it. other than him, nothing really shocked me... seeing frankie kiss some bloke had me shocked but not surprised, i guess. clearly she had wanted to kiss other people when we were still together, including naomi, so i can’t be surprised that in two days she already found someone interested. i know i shouldn’t be allowed to be annoyed because i kissed angel yesterday, but... i guess some part of me had thought she’d actually come back and realize that she wants to focus on me. and i’d be pissed about naomi still, but she would wear me down, and that’d be that. but i guess not. ”

did the postcard change anything about your perspective moving forward ?

“ i'm not going to pretend like i still don’t have feelings for frankie, because i can’t just shut those off. but yeah, it’s nice to know what she’s doing in the other villa. i wish i could say it makes me feel better about getting to know angel, but it doesn’t as much as it should. because now seeing that, i feel like everyone will expect me to jump into things with him, whether or not i actually like him ? and i do, he’s not some kind of consolation prize, or me trying to get back at frankie. i guess i’m a little more open to keeping him around after casa than i was yesterday, but i’m also not going to bring him back for the sake of it. so to answer your question, the postcard has me guessing less about what frankie’s doing, yeah. now i’ll just try to ignore it in favor of doing whatever i want. ”

who did you vote for the hideaway ? why ?

“ angel, ” she admits with a laugh, hand moving to her cheek. “ i don’t think he’ll actually get it, to be honest. i feel like after last night, everyone is going to want to put dante and jenny in their own room. but i’ve obviously never been to the hideaway before, and getting a chance to get to know him without everyone around would be nice. if he picked me. but i’d find it pretty hard not to bring him back after spending a whole ass night with him, so... whatever happens, happens. ”

if you could have voted for an original to go in the hideaway, who would you have voted for ?

“ seb or rhys, for sure. i don’t know if that’d be allowed, but they really need a night to sort out their shit and just commit to each other. i’m rooting for them, really. ”

#the coloring is so bad here but idec #callie ; prompt #crackon:prompt

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guttcd · 1 year

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𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐇 𝐇𝐔𝐓 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐓 ➝ 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐒 .

do you still have a ‘top 3′ ? is it the same or has it changed ? who do you most want to get to know ?

“nah, not really. i kind of spent my first day trying to get to know everyone. everyone has been super nice. think i’d like to get to know naomi a little more. hopefully she isn’t too grossed out by the whole toe thing.” her nose crinkles slightly, “romi and jenny kind of seem spoken for already huh? guess it wouldn’t hurt to see where their heads are at. i thought rhys and seb would be closed off too but apparently they aren’t? confusing. callie... is very much my type but she wasn’t giving me ‘graft me’ vibes so we’ll see! early days and all of that fun stuff. come back tomorrow.”

have any of the islanders surprised you ? in either a good or bad way.

“i think they've all surprised me in like, how stupid hot all of them are. seriously, where do you find these people?” a contemplative hum escapes her as she brings her knees up and wraps her arms around them. “i’m surprised that they aren’t as... fun as i thought they were gonna be? felt like a couple of them had their guard up or something. it’s only been a day though. some of them told me they were a bit put out by the whole casa thing so...” she shrugs. “hopefully they feel a little better today!”

do you get along with any of your fellow bombshells ?

“yes!” she remarks with a wide grin. “jude is a little rough around the edges but underneath all of that vape smoke and crass british lingo i can totally see a heart of gold. zeke has such a calming energy. he's the type to just tell it how it is and i totally dig it. stella is so freaking elegant. if she has one fan, it’s me. if she has no fans, i’m dead. angel is the epitome of human sunshine. for real, the funniest dude ever. dante is the sweetest man i have ever met and honestly? best threesome i’ve had in a while. really. ten out of ten stars, highly recommend.” she laughs, cheeks flushed slightly. “he’s a good sort. they all are. i’m so pumped to be on this journey with them!”

how was the challenge for you ? what moment was most memorable ?

“your girl got to kiss some cuties!” all cheers and whoops, charlene pumps her fist excitedly in the air. “honestly, i don’t even care that we didn’t win, we had such a fun time. except for the toe sucking part.” an accusatory finger waves in the air as she leans in, brows furrowed. “by the way, which one of you freaks put that one in? is dan schneider one of the producers?”

did you share a bed with anyone ? how did that go ? do you think you’ll share with them again ?

“i shared with callie. it was alright. we didn’t cuddle or anything.” she tries her best not to look too disappointed but it’s written all over her face. “i don’t know if we will share a bed again tonight but if we do, maybe this time i’ll have the balls to actually pull a move.” if not with callie, at least someone willing to hold her a little if she gets scared again.

do you think you’ll get chosen at the end of the week ?

there’s a pause, in which charlene takes the moment to consider what she wants to say. “maybe? i’m kind of realizing i didn’t really do much grafting on my first day. i think… i think i was so excited to come to love island and to meet everyone that i kind of forgot this was a competition. bombshells competing to get picked. couples competing to be the most solid. everyone competing for a chance to make it to the end. i don’t know.” she thinks about jenny and dante, about romi and jude, and can’t help but wonder if she would have had a better chance with the two OGs if she had been more aggressive with her grafting. if she had been more sexually forward from the beginning instead of trying to befriend them. “i think i gotta be more assertive! show these people that there’s more to me than just a pretty smile and a couple of lame jokes.” like that one. she gives the camera a determined grin. “i got this! hopefully i made a good enough first impression for them to give me a chance.”

#crackon:prompt #prompt:charlene

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blondcs · 1 year

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𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐇 𝐇𝐔𝐓 𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝟐𝟗: 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚

how was the challenge ? what was the most memorable moment from it for you ?

“the challenge kind of sucked. and like, we didn’t even win. i don’t know, my head just wasn’t really in the game, but i think everyone else enjoyed it. maybe if i actually got to kiss someone,” it’s pointed, as if production was the one that kept her rooted in place and not her own second-guessing. either way, she’s salty about the whole thing, the pointed prompts, the lack of attention, all of it. “

is there anyone you have chemistry with or see yourself wanting to get to know better ?

“i’m all in for dante right now.” well... is she? for the most part, presumably. “he’s so fucking hot and like, sensual and romantic.” she’s speaking with her hands, her shoulders rolling in a sort of half dance that feels sort of italian in itself. “i wasn’t really expecting to jump right into anything, but... i don’t know. he’s kind of hard to resist, and like, i feel like exploring things with anyone else means risking things with him, so... yeah. it’s easy to get kind of lost in him when we’re together.” it’s the rest of the time that could be a problem. “he just seems like a really good guy.”

do you see your fellow islanders hitting it off with anyone ?

“rhys and i are obviously hitting it off.” then for good measure. “kidding. i think he and seb have a thing, but i thought seb and angel kind of looked like they were vibing. although callie and angel were getting kind of cozy too, but she slept with charlene last night who i think has a thing for naomi—like, why else would she have sucked her toe?—but she obviously slept with angel. it’s a little messy right now. lots of overlap, except for romi and jude. they’re kind of all in and all over each other.” the petty part of her that’s jilted by jude and still irritated with romi for dropping the ‘max’ bomb just barely swallows down the ‘it’s gross’ that’s burns on the tip of her tongue.

did you share a bed with anyone ? how did that go ? do you think you’ll share with them again ?

“dante and i shared a bed last night, which was—yeah. it was good.” she aims her smile at her lap. “yeah, i don’t know. i’m a little worried he’s too perfect, but i’m trying to like, talk myself off that ledge. what is ‘too perfect’ you know? what, would i prefer someone more fucked up?” yeah, kind of. “i just... it feels so easy with him, which is kind of scary, honestly. like, i’m sure i’ll fuck it up sooner or later.”

what do you think is going on at the other villa ?

“fuck you guys,” she laughs, a bitter roll of her eyes. “i miss like, the vibe of everyone together and i miss josh but like, in a past tense way. like, i miss what we were before everything got so messy when i still had this sort of romanticized ideal of what we could be. and that’s sort of dead in the water now, isn’t it? he probably hates me.” her lips purse to one side, looking off thoughtfully. “i hope he’s not grafting anyone, but not for my sake. i’m just kind of like... i’ve resigned myself to the fact that i can’t have him, right? so after all this it better be because naomi gets him. like, if some bitch swoops in and sweeps him off his feet that’s so fucking annoying. i’d hate that. fuck him either way, though. he should’ve let me graft max in peace.”

#crackon:prompt

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shesharesomething · 25 days

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Shared by Pastor Joe Bonifacio

There’s so much that can be said and is being said about the strength of his character and his impact on so many lives. For someone who lived simply and desired nothing more than to support other leaders, his humble service brought him into all kinds of roles that he fulfilled well.

What follows is just a bunch of Pastor Ferdie stories that I treasure and are a bit of comfort to me during this time. Coming from the memorial service in his hometown, I tried to spend the next day writing down some thoughts. By last night I was surprised by how much it was.

OUR YOUTH PASTOR

For so many people, Pastor Ferdie was our youth pastor. A memory burned into my mind is from my freshman year of college. He asked to me to meet him in Kenny Rogers along Katipunan. Pointing at Ateneo, he said, “Joseph, inside that school are people who need to know Jesus. I believe you aren’t just a student there, but a representative for God. Will you partner with me in telling your classmates about Jesus?”

He spoke with passion and fire in his eyes. It was the same energy he preached with, except now it was three feet away and there was just one of me. In what is a common theme of everyone who had an encounter with him, I thought to myself, “This guy really believes in me.”

Pastor Ferdie set the example of a person who valued young people. This is why some bad ministry tropes never made sense to us. Like the youth pastor who sees his position as a stepping stone to “greater heights.” Or the senior pastor who didn’t understand or support the campus ministry. Pastor Ferdie was the opposite of all that.

Since his death, a number of us from his youth group have been texting each other. We’re in different parts of the world. Some are in different churches. But we’re all moved, remembering his life. Even though his title is technically Bishop, we still affectionately call him “Pastor Ferdie,” coz he was our youth pastor.

MY FIRST BOSS

When I went into vocational ministry out of college, my dad said, “Don’t serve in my church. You already know how I think. Learn from someone else. Talk to Ferdie. He and I do things differently, but he’s a good man and I respect him.”

Pastor Ferdie was a firm, energetic, and hardworking boss. He inspired great commitment and effort from his teams because that’s what he brought every day. At the time, we were scrambling to keep up with the increasing attendance so sometimes we’d be shorthanded at Sunday services. I once had to preach at four church services in a single Sunday. Exhausted, I made a comment/complaint/kuwento to Charlene, Pastor Ferdie’s assistant at the time. She responded, “Oh yeah, we’re kinda understaffed. He preached at six services the other week.” Okay, no more complaining from me.

Being a campus missionary under Pastor Ferdie could be a double-edged sword. On the positive side, you never felt like the young people were a secondary priority. There was always support for anything that would help students. But on the other hand, his standards were always high because young people mattered, so you better give your best.

In one staff meeting he said, “Any update on the young people? What’s going on with the campus ministry? Patrick? Dan? Joseph?” None of us made a comment and indicated that nothing out of the ordinary was going on. It was business as usual. At the end of the meeting, he said, “Okay, we’re done. Everyone get to work. You three campus guys stay behind.”

He gave us a stern talking to. “What do you mean you have no updates? What do you mean business as usual? Is the Holy Spirit not doing anything at all with students? When I give you a chance to speak at a staff meeting, it’s not just for logistics. It’s a chance to cast vision! It’s a chance to impart passion. How can we pray for you? How can we support you if you just say “business as usual?!” Ouch, but well-received.

The next week, he made sure to ask for an update from the campus team again. Patrick, our leader, gave his update on the overview of all upcoming events. Then Dan jumped in talking about an exciting new outreach that would become a church plant years later. I know I said something too, but can’t remember what.

He ended the meeting after our report, and asked the three of us to stay behind again. What now? “Next time, I don’t need all three of you to talk. Dan, Joseph, just give your updates to Patrick and he can speak for all of you.” While he encouraged people to be ready to inspire, Pastor Ferdie also did not enjoy when people prolonged meetings with unnecessary comments. It was a matter of respect and humility for him. Know your place, do the job, then get out of the spotlight.

THE PREACHING COACH

Pastor Ferdie embodied the calling of a preacher. He grew in confidence not through positive self-talk, but by focusing on something greater than himself. He could speak to hundreds and thousands because he loved the people. He studied diligently because he revered the Word of God. He was fearless in declaration because he wanted to bring honor to God.

Pastor Ferdie didn’t distinguish between big moments or small ones. He gave the same excellence and energy for a sermon in an air conditioned arena to thousands as in a nipa hut with a dirt floor. I think he would have recoiled at hearing someone say it was their dream to preach at an arena.

Our batch of youth ministers likened Pastor Ferdie to a high school basketball coach – the kind who drilled you in fundamentals. Like the story of legendary basketball coach John Wooden starting his teams on how to tie their shoes properly, Pastor Ferdie always had an eye for excellence in the small things. To this day, I have a mental routine before every sermon that started from those Sunday mornings serving with him.

– is anything hanging from my belt loops?

– is anything bulging out of my pockets?

— is my outfit distractingly good, bad, colorful, offensive, etc? (Pastor Ferdie wanted nothing else to take any attention from the Word of God.)

– is my message pointing to Jesus or pointing to my own works?

When I mentor young preachers, I advise them to look for what he gave me and many others: take as many opportunities as you can to serve and find someone who will give you honest feedback.

“Why don’t you do the transition later? Do you have something to share? (No.) Share anyway. You should always be ready.”

“Why would you use Genesis 11 to talk about unity? The theme of the tower of Babel is rebellion. Aren’t there better passages for unity in the Bible? Don’t twist the Scriptures to fit what you wanna say.”

“Do you realize that the whole time you were talking you said ‘You do this, you do that.’ Do you know how that sounds? How old are you? 22? There are people more than twice your age here. Your grandfather is in the second row. It would sound better if you said “we” and “us.” That would show that you aren’t talking down to the people, but are also under the authority of Scripture yourself.”

“Joseph… keep it up.” Everyone who’s ever worked with him knows the significance of that statement.

(He never called me Joe. Always Joseph. Maybe because he knew me since I was a kid and “Joe” was a later nickname. I found that weird of him until I started working more with Elle and found myself often being the oldest guy in the room and the only one still calling her Ellie.)

These and many more were weekly occurrences. I didn’t realize how generous he was being until I had to train younger preachers myself. Only then did I see that him staying engaged and making the effort to give feedback showed how much he valued preaching and helping us get better.

THE EVANGELIST

I have a memory of Pastor Ferdie. I don’t know if I imagined it. But I’ve had it for a while, so I really think it’s true. In 1997, Trumpets Theater produced an original work of The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe the Musical. It was so excellent that C.S Lewis’ stepson said that in his opinion this was the theater production that was “the closest to Lewis’ intention.” (Source: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe Wikipedia page)

On one of the theater nights, our family went to watch with a lot of other people from church. I think more than half of the crowd were people we knew. The jocular mood of the church people contrasted with the ceremonious halls of Meralco Theater. At the play’s climax, you could feel an energy in the room. Aslan had been slain, but when he made his reappearance the church people were audibly excited. I heard little shouts of “C’mon!” When the girls asked Aslan what power could break the Deep Magic that bound him to death, Aslan triumphantly said, “Deeper Magic!” At this, cheers broke out at the theater like we were watching a sporting event. And I have a memory of Pastor Ferdie standing and pointing his finger at the stage with full passion. His face at maximum expressiveness. This wasn’t just a play to him. It was the Gospel.

I thought about that a lot over the years, when I would pray to be more evangelistic, I would say to myself, “It has to be like THAT.” It wasn’t just a technique for him. It wasn’t a script. It was someone so caught up in the beauty of the Good News that he couldn’t help but share it with everyone.

THE FAMILY MAN

The fastest way to see Pastor Ferdie transform was to hear him talk about his family. Or for a select few, to catch him with them. There he was gentle, relaxed, cracking jokes, and always offering food. As much as he liked the work of the ministry, Pastor Ferdie loved being home.

I only caught this a few times. But I can’t forget how he spoke about then. The pride and joy in his voice as he talked about Elle. How he treasured every moment and interaction with John Philip. He shared some of his family stories in his book, Run 50. Those accounts alone are worth the price of the short, but meaty book. I loved the chapter where he talks about the birth of their son. IYKYK

A few years ago, while on a long drive in the US, everyone else in the car had fallen asleep and I saw he was looking out the window. I asked him a question that had been on my mind for some time.

“Pastor Ferdie, if I may ask, how do you lead and receive love from your wife? I ask because Ms Judy doesn’t seem to fit the stereotype many people have of an emotional, sometimes irrational, and extremely dependent woman. It doesn’t seem like she likes big showy romantic gestures. She’s competent, logical, and capable of standing toe to toe with you.” Then I described how Carla is similar – practical and straight to the point. Our relationship doesn’t have the common expressions of showering her with flowers, chocolates, or love notes.

Pastor Ferdie was quiet then he said something along the lines of “I know Judy loves me in her own way. I don’t compare with how other couples do things. I know she is loyal to me. Her loving our children is a way of loving me. Her improving our home is her love for me. One time, I sat down to rest and she walked in with a list of things for me to do. I didn’t get mad or snap. I just smiled, and she got the message. I needed this time to rest. In short, we know how to love each other.”

That short exchange really helped me be thankful for the uniqueness of my wife and to look for how she loves me and our kids. I’ve shared that insight from Pastor Ferdie to a number of husbands when we talked about being married to strong wives. Their strength is not something to pare down, compete with, or be intimidated by. It’s a gift. Something to celebrate. And husbands need to study their wives, be secure, and find the ways that you both give and receive love.

A MAN OF INTEGRITY

Forty years ago, Pastor Ferdie gave his life to Jesus. He was immediately involved in volunteering and eventually leading others at church. In the past four decades, I haven’t heard of a single hint of inappropriate behavior, financial fraud, or immoral scandals from him.

I’m not saying he’s perfect. In fact, I had many disagreements with him, like many others. A number of people have been hurt by his leadership or rough manner. But many of those people are still mourning his passing. Because despite the hurts and mistakes, they can sense the integrity of the man.

One of them told me he was mourning because “even though we didn’t see eye to eye, he was a good man.” Another said, “He could be harsh. But he was never malicious.”

I think that’s a good point. Even when he would shout, get harsh, or have an overboard response, it was never with an intent to harm. If anything, he was doing it because he thought that was the right thing to do. It is also something he would have been willing to subject himself to if necessary. If there were inconsistencies in his manner, they were unintentional. And when he saw his error, he would acknowledge it.

Harsh? Sometimes. Malicious? Never. Duplicitous? Never. Hypocritical? Never.

A few days after he passed, I was in a Bible study group with a few church planters from different denominational and church org backgrounds.

The discussion led us to Acts 20 when Paul gave his farewell to the Ephesian elders. I was struck by how many of Paul’s characteristics applied to Pastor Ferdie.

– You know how I lived the whole time I was with you… (v. 18)

– I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing… (v. 19)

– You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. (v. 20)

– I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. (v. 21)

– Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. (v. 26-27)

– I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. (v. 33-34)

– In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (v. 35)

– However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. (v. 24)

These verses described Pastor Ferdie well: living simply, hard working to help the less privileged, never coveting money or possessions, preaching the Word to serve and save others, and running the race God had for him.

One of the pastors in the group remarked, “Isn’t it funny that his story is so inspiring, but that should be the norm. Shouldn’t every pastor be that way?”

I think Pastor Ferdie would like that outcome more. Instead of being one of a few shining stars surrounded by fallen pastors, he would prefer being just one of many ministers with integrity. Ministers who work hard, live simply, don’t covet wealth or luxury, preach humbly, fearlessly, and faithfully, and finish the task God has for them.

A LIFE OF DEEP RELATIONSHIPS

On the night of April 1, our oldest son approached me. He’d been giving me concerned glances all day. “Papa, I’ve never heard you cry like that before.” He wanted to know if I was okay. I explained to him that I was sad because someone I deeply respect passed away, but we would see him again in Heaven.

I told him that when we are sad about not being with someone, it’s a sign that we really loved each other and were important to each other. Like when we miss a good friend who moves far away.

Watching the outpouring of messages regarding Pastor Ferdie, we can see that he had that impact with so many. Thousands of people have a personal anecdote or point of contact with him. A timely word. A hospital visit. A note scribbled in a book. I said to a friend that it’s funny, given his grumpy image, how relational he really was. Driving to his hometown for the wake with my parents, we told each other many stories from years of knowing the Cabilings.

Given all those deep connections, it really will be painful when it gets cut. Funnily enough, one of the last messages he preached asked the question if we are living our lives in a way that will be missed when we’re gone. At one point my Facebook feed was full of Victory pastors posting that clip of his preaching alternating with different people proving with their stories that Pastor Ferdie’s life was like that.

So this really hurts and will continue to hurt for a while. Because his was a life well-lived. But we are not like those who grieve with no hope. (1 Thess. 4:13) And we will continue to pray and love the Cabiling family, even as we look forward to a joyful reunion with him and with Jesus.

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