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Hi everyone!
I wanted to give a detailed review of my experience with sm global package for taemin’s metamorph concert in tokyo at the nippon budokan. I am months delayed in posting this (thanks to grad school) but I initially wrote it out of post-concert depression prior to returning to the states back in March.
buying the global package, twin ver:
the package was announced sometime in december 2023 if im not mistaken and I stayed up until midnight (pst) on 1/22 to book a twin package for ‘course c’ which was 2N3D (sunday concert 3/10) for my friend and I. The packages that included all three nights (5D3N) of the show sold out the quickest, but there were still packages available for individual show days. As a tip to make things easier, make sure to have your friends’ passport info to input in advance so the booking goes easier if you are booking a twin package. If you are the one making the booking, make sure to have the global package app downloaded as they will send you notifications along the way about day of show schedule, merch preorder, etc. They ask that you relay this info to your partner when you purchase a twin package, as you are the primary reservation holder. You also cannot split the cost while booking, it must go on one card through paypal. When booking, you have the option to request extending your stay at the hotel through sm c&c, but since we were planning to go to Kyoto after the concert, we just checked out the day after the concert as planned. Also we didn’t have any ACE memberships, but if I remember correctly, you can enter that info to get an exclusive MD benefit.
merch preorder:
Prior to arriving in Japan, we got a notification at around 6pm pst on 2/28 (11 days prior to the show) with our exclusive merch preorder links which went live at midnight that same night. The prices were in yen and you pay using paypal. I had no problem getting the MD I wanted, however since there were limits on the amount of MD you could purchase (including the 2 different pins, which were 1 per order) I had to ask my friend if I could purchase an additional pin through his MD preorder link since there were 2 different pins in this specific concert MD. The day of the show (3/10) at around 10am, we picked up the MD we preordered with ease and pulled our concert seat tickets and received our global package exclusive gift (a mag safe wallet) and let the staff know which transports we would be taking (round trip bus or one way to/from the venue). I was a ljttle disappointed in the global package benefit MD as I had seen what the metamorph show in Korea had received (I think it was a handwritten letter from Taemin and a little lego figurine of him 🤧). Everything was smooth and efficient. Even after the concert, I was able to get into the MD line to purchase more, even though most of the MD was sold out.
checking in/out of the hotel & hotel review:
We stayed at the Hotel Monterey Hanzomon which was really close to the venue and across the street from the Hanzomon subway line, so it was very accessible by public transit. My friend and I both flew into Haneda and it took a little less than an hour to get to the hotel from the airport via public transit, but after a 12.5 hour long flight it was exhausting. When I asked the people at the airport if there was an airport limousine to the area, they said it wouldn’t take me close enough to the hotel and recommended I take the subway. We had met a few people in line for the MD pickup who said that we (allegedly) had a nicer hotel than those who did the NCT 127 global package for their Tokyo dome show (same weekend) but all in all, Hanzomon was an economy hotel with nothing to write home about. I will say the breakfast buffet included was really nice and I’m glad we didn’t skip out on it. When we checked in the day before the show, we just showed our passports and checked in like any other hotel. In the lobby there was a whiteboard with all of the concert info (opening times for md pickup, bus schedules, and concert schedule) displayed in english, korean, chinese, and japanese. I was a little bummed to find out that the concert (which took place in the middle of the afternoon) was only going to be an hour and a half maximum, even though NCT’s concert was almost 4 hours (!!!) in length.
day of show:
We had breakfast in the lobby around 8:30/9ish then after that we got to the sm desk at 9:45am to pick up our md and pick our tickets for the show (thanks to the tip from another fan on reddit, well worth getting there a little before the booth opened). I did notice the ACE membership MD benefits were nice, but neither me nor my friend have any fanclub memberships. It was relatively straightforward, they checked our passports and handed us a lanyard that acted as our bus pass and then one person per twin package picks the pair of tickets at random (in sets of 2 so you sit with your friend) and we got seats in section A3 (floor) which were great. They asked us if we wanted a seat on the bus ride round trip or one way and we originally said only one ride to the venue, but my friend decided to take the bus back too once we got to the venue so we notified the SM staff and they added us to the roster for the ride back easily. When we got to the venue (an hour and a half-ish before doors) they escorted us to the front and we were let in immediately. The efficiency was incredible. They didn’t check my bag prior to entering like how they would for a concert in the US so I didn’t bring a water bottle into the venue but thankfully they had vending machines inside and concessions on the top levels of the venue. We also went to a booth upstairs to pair our lightsticks for the show, since the Japanese Shinee Lightstick app is only available for Japanese phones, so we showed our ticket locations and they were able to calibrate. The show was short yet sweet, we did not see anyone ejected for taking photos/videos but we were too scared to risk it. If you are caught filming or taking photos they will make you delete the photos/videos and kick you out with no sign of return, but I think because it was the last day and we were in the middle of a crowd, it was a little easier to get away with. There was a sadness in the air because it was Taemin’s last concert as a soloist under SM, but overall the show was incredible. One thing of note though is Japanese audiences are very quiet, they tend to clap rather than scream in between songs and there were times where you could hear someone from the rafters sneeze and it would resonate, so be prepared for that cultural difference. We still screamed when it felt appropriate to do so and the fanchants were loud but it was definitely strange to be golf clapping in between songs, especially in comparison to shows in the US where fans are barking 💀. It was nice to be able to hear Taemin speak uninterrupted during the ments, without pick-me fans interjecting their screams. He spoke exclusively in Japanese and there was no translator so we were left to guess what he was saying. A K-fan next to us was live Papago-ing his ments to Korean and I would peek and read what the translation was. Also shout out to this lovely K-shawol because she let my friend borrow one of her lightsticks! Once the show ended, everyone queued up to leave the venue in an orderly fashion and we cleaned up any trash we saw and we went out to the MD booth to buy any last minute MDs before going to the bus. On the bus, they gave us each a (unthemed) bag with some strawberry cookies and a waterbottle and we had a fun time air-dropping photos and videos from the show with other (braver) global package attendees. Everyone we met was so lovely and everything about the global package went very smoothly and efficiently.
closing thoughts:
the day after the show, we took advantage of the free breakfast and checked out with ease. The SM C&C staff left the whiteboard in the lobby and left a nice note for us and we wrote our thank yous on there. Overall, the package cost was $1559 for 2 people ($779 ea, 2 twin beds for 2N3D) and even though it was pricey it was so worth the convenience of not having to try to buy tickets locally, which I heard sold out entirely during fan club presale. Please note that this cost did not include airfare or transit to/from the airport. The concert coincided with my spring break and Taemin is one of my ults, I just wrote a paper on him for grad school so it was a no brainer, I had to be there no matter what lol. I was a bit disappointed in the lack of theming (I heard the concerts in Korea come with themed rooms, themed snacks, etc) and the lack of transportation to and from the airport (which I heard is sometimes an option for shows in Korea and would have been a great benefit). But otherwise the hotel was clean and convenient (a little small, but that’s how it is normally in an economy hotel in Japan), breakfast was good, SM staff were helpful and nice, and we made some new Shawol friends in the meantime :)
overall, I would absolutely book with global package again, but I would definitely want to see a show in Korea to compare the benefits. It was an unforgettable experience to be apart of the pearl aqua ocean 💎
if you have any questions ask away! prior to booking this package, I took the advice of another fan under and it was really helpful so I wanted to offer any insight based off my experience.

Synopsis:
Carlos was an ordinary software engineer on Earth, up until he died and found himself in a fantasy world of dungeons, magic, and adventure. This new world offers many fascinating possibilities, but it's unfortunate that the skills he spent much of his life developing will be useless because they don't have computers.
Wait, why does this spell incantation read like a computer program's source code? Magic is programming?
___
Here we go with book 2!
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Carlos lounged comfortably on one of the mayor's fancy sofas. At 23 years old with a healthy body he really didn't need cushioned upholstery, but he liked how it felt. Honestly, he was probably more comfortable with high quality furniture than someone of his relatively low-income background should be in this world. Spoiled by the mass production factories of modern Earth, I suppose. All of this stuff here is probably handmade. Er, make that definitely handmade. Unless they have magic factories I haven't heard about, or something. He mentally shrugged. There was no point trying to change his attitudes toward furniture now. While this world might have higher prices for a lot of things than he was used to, he was also a lot richer than he was used to thanks to having become a noble lord. People would expect him to treat fine furniture as cheap because of his station.
I might have the physical habits of a couch potato, but at least I don't look like one. Too skinny. Not as skinny as Amber, though. He smiled as he watched the young woman next to him on the sofa continue animatedly expounding on their recent adventures together. She was lanky, with few curves to speak of and spindly limbs, far from any conventional picture of feminine beauty. Her hair, a slightly lighter shade of brown than his own, was cropped short. He thought she was 18 or 19 years old, but wasn't sure. Have I really never asked her age before? ... Would that be a rude question here? Regardless of her age, she had grown her confidence a lot since their first meeting a few weeks ago. She'd found her footing in a new life that she'd seized with utter determination, and he saw no sign of the shyness that she'd first greeted him with. The way her potential was finally blooming was beautiful to watch.
Carlos turned his gaze to the sofa across from them and carefully held back from laughing at the expressions Trinlen was making as Amber wrapped up explaining the events and developments they'd gone through since their introduction to him at the Royal Mage Academy. Carlos had contributed a fair amount to the explanation at first, but Amber had taken to it with enthusiasm when she arrived, and he could tell she was enjoying it. The young man in front of them, newly graduated from said academy, was on the edge of his seat and leaning forward, hanging attentively on every word. His casual attire, plain and made of cheap materials, looked thoroughly out of place on the finely embroidered velvet of the sofa, but he'd shown no sign of even noticing the finery around him. Excitement warred for control of his face with surprise, disbelief, envy, and dismay.
Amber finished her impromptu monologue, and Trinlen slowly schooled his face into a neutral expression. His voice was tense and tightly controlled. "So... In short, you're telling me that in the mere two weeks since you met me, you discovered a mana-poaching conspiracy of nobles, were abducted right under the noses of two royal guards without them even noticing, absorbed mana so fast that you gained 6 levels in a day and a half - so unfair, by the way - somehow learned an obscure portal spell from just its name and description, found evidence of a conspiracy against the Crown, and personally met a princess." He paused, then threw his hands up as he wailed in frustration and disappointment. "And I missed it!?"
Carlos threw back his head and burst out laughing. He couldn't help it. Trinlen just sounded so much like a little kid who'd barely missed out on a candy store giving away its entire stock for free. It was such an incredible light-hearted contrast with how everyone else viewed these same events that the sheer ridiculousness of it was overwhelming. Amber joined the laughter a moment later, shaking her head in amused disbelief, and after a few more seconds Trinlen started chuckling too.
Carlos's laughter eventually trailed off, and he took a deep breath to settle down. "Thanks, Trinlen. It's been a very stressful two weeks, and laughing like that helped release a lot of it. Feels good. Anyway, what have you been up to? I thought you would take a whole month to graduate?"
"Technically I only said 'next month', not that it would be at the same point in the month. But yes, this is earlier than I expected. The normal graduation ceremony is still a week and a half away." Trinlen shrugged. "They didn't explain the reasons, but after what you said I'm guessing your meeting with the princess prompted her to do something. The vice headmaster called me to his office yesterday morning, a few teachers grilled me on my classwork, and they declared I'd passed my exams. Then they told me to pack because I'd be teleported to my new employers the next day, and here I am." He sighed. "Hmph. Now I won't get to humiliate Norla in front of the whole academy when she gives her speech." Then he perked up and grinned widely. "But it sounds like you two are going to be so much fun that I'll get over it in no time!"
"I'm not sure if I agree with your idea of fun, Trinlen, but if it motivates you to help us more then that's good enough for me." Carlos chuckled again. "Anyway, do you need some time to get settled in? You might need to think about lesson plans for us too. We don't need just catalogues of incantations to learn anymore, at least not for simple ones, but I believe you learned other things in the academy too. You mentioned creating your own spells, as I recall."
Trinlen nodded. "I did mention that, yes. I'm guessing your lack of need for a catalogue is because of your newfound ability to somehow pull entire incantations from thin air? You'll have to at least tell me about the limitations of that so I'll know what I still need to teach you, but yeah, there are other things. For one thing, there's your sloppy terminology! Why does no one outside of the academy care about properly distinguishing between the states of mana? Is it really that hard to understand that calling aether, mana, and essence all by the same term obscures your meaning and often causes confusion? Or are people so stupid that they can't even understand the difference?"
Carlos blinked and exchanged a look with Amber. His comprehension aid informed him about the distinction the instant Trinlen spoke the terms. That would have been nice to know earlier. The comprehension aid is a house secret, so we should let him explain. "At least for us, it's just ignorance. I don't think I've even heard the other two terms you mentioned, and certainly no one ever explained them. So, what is the difference?"
Trinlen paused, cocked his head for a moment, and slowly deflated after his impassioned rant. "Yeah, okay, that's fair. I don't think I ever heard about it before going to the academy either." He sat up straight. "Aether is what you've been calling ambient mana. It's thin like air, and it's everywhere. Its only use is converting it to mana or essence. Mana, using the term with proper precision, is thicker but still fluid like water. It exists primarily in people or creatures and is used as fuel to supply power for spells and magical effects. Essence is hard and solid. It is the material that soul structures are made of, as well as the forms of active spells and enchantments. Am I clear so far?"
Amber answered first. "Yes, I'm familiar with each of the forms you described. I have questions about more details - so many questions - but you should get properly settled in, and maybe eat lunch, before we really get down to it. Have you spoken with Mayor Stelras yet? Do you have lodging sorted out?"
"I went by his office first. He's having someone take my luggage to an inn. The Adventurer's Haven, I think? He said something about a 'low-value target' and having an empty suite already booked." Trinlen's eyes widened. "Waaait a minute. Is he putting me in the room you two were abducted from?"
Carlos shrugged. "Sounds like it."
"Nice! Think there'll be any evidence left of how it was done?"
"Haha! Probably not by this point, but you're welcome to look. Now go get unpacked, eat a meal, and start planning your lessons for us. I'm glad you're here, but we have some other things to do too."
Trinlen nodded and stood up. "Sure. I'll be back before you miss me."
Carlos waved as Trinlen sauntered out the door. He and Amber sat in companionable silence for a while as he felt the mana - or essence? - of Trinlen's soul moving off into the distance. "Well. That was interesting. It's good to have him, but I was expecting a bit more time to think and plan before he'd get here."
"Yeah." Amber stretched and then leaned back into the sofa's cushions, luxuriating in their soft firmness. "So, how much are we going to tell him? How useful will his knowledge even be for us, now that we have, what did you call it, the reference documentation? That bit about the states of mana is good to know, but is it really relevant and important, and how much more can there be that's not in the documentation?"
"Be careful talking about that out loud, remember?" Carlos relaxed and draped his arms across the sofa's back as he focused his mind on their mental bond through Purple, their friendly dungeon core. [On Earth, we made many languages similar to the language of incantations, and we had the reference documentation for all of them. We even published that documentation free for everyone to have. Teachers for those languages were still useful, and even critically important for many people. Having access to knowledge doesn't mean you automatically understand how to properly apply it. There may be related knowledge we have no idea even exists. There could be techniques and patterns for how to use the language that are simply outside the scope of the documentation. Perhaps most importantly, a teacher can use their experience to notice a student's mistakes and correct them before they become problems.]
[Hmm.] Amber bit her lip, thinking. [Like how I knew about making soul structures and synergies between them, but had no idea about the importance of being able to examine and fix them, I suppose.]
Carlos nodded. [Yeah. And that's a really simple example. I know some that are a lot more complex, though I'm not sure how many of them are even applicable for incantations. Inversion of control, dependency injection, factory patterns...] He shook his head. [Just the context knowledge needed to be able to fully understand those could take days or weeks to teach well enough for you to use them. I could maybe explain the basic ideas faster with some simplified analogies, but that would lose so many details that I doubt it would still be useful.]
Amber paused. [... Even my comprehension aid is baffled by the terms you just said. It translated the individual words that you said, but all I got for the phrases is a confusing jumble.] She chuckled. [Anyway, I concede the point. Trinlen will still be able to teach us important and useful things. We still need to decide what secrets to share with him.]
[A lot depends on how good he is at keeping secrets. We don't actually know him all that well yet. He's certainly fun, and he seems clever, but for assessing his integrity we're leaning pretty hard on just a janitor vouching for him.] Carlos frowned in thought. [In order for him to do his job, he needs to know that we can only "pull an entire incantation from thin air" if it's a simple one. He does not need to know the full details of help, however, and most certainly does not need to learn to use it himself. That secret is a very sensitive one, where even just letting too much knowledge of it spread would lose us a major advantage.]
[Definitely. No casting help where he can hear it, and don't say anything about it that's not directly relevant for his teaching, either. Not until he's earned our full trust.] Amber lapsed into silent consideration. [We should introduce him to Purple. We'll kind of have to at some point anyway, and the really valuable thing there is Purple himself, not just the knowledge of his existence.]
Carlos nodded. [True. I think that probably is the least sensitive of our house secrets, and being able to call him through a bond with Purple would be useful.] He chuckled. [And maybe his cleverness will end up producing some good ideas for Purple to use. See if he can find a more productive outlet than pranks for his creativity. And then... If he keeps that secret well enough for long enough, we can consider trusting him with more secrets.]
Amber sent back wordless agreement.
Carlos started sitting up, lifting himself out of the comfortable cushions. "Well, we should get some food ourselves, too. And maybe introduce Trinlen to everyone else along with Purple." He stood up and spotted a letter he'd set aside when Trinlen arrived. "Oh yeah, and what do you think we should do about Kindar?"
"Wait, what's this about Kindar?"
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Hi everyone,
I'm looking forward to our Tuesday meeting on "Our biggest game changers and life hacks after diagnosis/identification". At this time, I'm collecting shares on that theme to be read anonymously at our meeting on Tues, May 21.
Anonymous written shares are read at the beginning of the meeting to provide inspiration for our live spoken and written shares, which make up the majority of our meeting time.
If you would like to provide a written share for our meeting, please DM about 4-6 sentences to me, u/annie_m_m_m_m. I will compile the shares in a document to be read at the meeting. I will not include your username on the document. Or feel free to use a throwaway account for your DM for even more security :)
Our questions for the week will be:

• What has been your biggest “aha!” moment post-identification? In terms of lifestyle? In terms of your own psychology and self identity? In terms of socializing? Other?
• What life hacks have made life easier and more pleasant post-identification?
• What resources (online or in real life) can you recommend that have made life easier and more pleasant post-identification?
• Anything else to add?

Thank you so much to all contributors. Your share will help kickstart our discussion.

As much praise as the game deservedly gets It is still a modern Live Service game with a Premium Currency in the form of Super Credits or SC.
As SC can be found in missions, Is given as rewards from spending medals in Warbonds and as some people have found ways to grind SC moderately quickly people gloss over the fact it can also be bought for real money.
For a consistent player who has been playing from launch you likely have had enough SC to buy every Warbond on day of release if you wanted too.
However for players who could only play at weekends or got in to the game at a later point, especially those who didn't buy the Super Citizen bundle and got one 'Free' Warbond, will likely be coming up short on SC to buy Warbonds and so may be inclined to shell out real money to get the SC needed for the latest Super Store Armour or Warbond.
These Players who are behind the curve are the target of the MTX model Arrowhead have implemented and is enforced by Sony who hold the pursestrings.
The issue lies with "the curve" and the ability to be "left behind", If Arrowhead Releases 1000sc of content per month then the curve is that players have to earn 1000sc per month and those who don't would in theory have to pay real money to make up the difference. However the content is being rushed out to meet that deadline and players are wanting them to not rush and release things when they are ready.
But by delaying they are then stretching the curve, Players then have 1.5 months to earn 1000sc or 2 months to earn 1000sc which means more players will meet that goal and less players will need or feel obligated to spend real money on buying Super Credits.
I do get the feeling the Dev team doesn't want to be having to go at this speed and would love to be given more/any time to polish & test things before they go live but the ones writing their paychecks have decreed that the content must be available to buy on that 1000sc a month cycle and not meeting that will cut in to the revenue for the Live Service.

The scene opens with a striking panel of Light Yagami, now an old man with graying hair and wrinkled skin, sitting alone in a dimly lit room. His face is partially obscured by shadows, but his eyes burn with a familiar intensity.
In the next panel, a close-up shot shows Light's gnarled hand gripping an ornate black notebook - the Death Note itself. The pages are yellowed and frayed from decades of use. Light's lips curve into a slight smirk as he flips open the notebook, ready to write a new name.
The panels then cut to a series of stylized sequences as Light meticulously writes his own name in the Death Note. Each stroke of the pen is given dramatic focus, with sharp inks and dynamic angles highlighting the tension of the moment.
As Light finishes writing the last stroke of his name, the scene shifts to show the demonic Shinigami Ryuk looming over him. Ryuk's perpetual grin seems even more unsettling than usual as he remarks in his trademark raspy voice, "So, you're really going through with this, Light?"
Light doesn't flinch, keeping his eyes locked on the Death Note as he replies coolly, "Of course. I've spent my life outsmarting you Shinigami and defying the rules of this cursed notebook. Killing myself on my own terms is the ultimate way to transcend death itself."
The panels then zoom in on Light's face, his expression a mixture of grim determination and smug satisfaction. "Just you watch, Ryuk. In 200 years, when my death is finally carried out, I'll use that opportunity to break free from the reaper's grasp forever."
Ryuk throws back his head and lets out a raucous laugh that seems to shake the entire room. "You never cease to amaze me, Light Yagami. Very well, I'll be watching with great interest to see if you can actually pull this off."
The scene ends with a striking final panel that shows Light's name being slowly enveloped by ominous black ink, leaving only his maniacal grin visible in the darkness, as if to suggest that even after two centuries, his thirst for power over death itself remains unbroken.

I had a plan to finish mixing the last few tracks and move on to the next project. I'm thinking about making another music video or two for the current tracks I have out. The problem is, as I learn more about the music production process and learn new things I've come to realize just how bad my mixes are. Everytime I learn something new, I take 1 step forward, 2 steps back.
I learned how to generate music using ai, but the song arrangements are terrible. Okay, I know how to arrange music, but the mix sounds terrible and there's all kinds of noise. Okay, I learned how to apply noise reduction and spectral analysis to reduce the noise, but now I reduced too much and parts of the song are gone making it less interesting. Okay, so I learned how to use equalization and manipulate the frequencies, but I didn't account for how it would sound on differernt speakers.
So that's where I am right now. Okay, I improved the mix somewhat, it does sound slightly better on MY speakers, but if you play it on a different setup, like say a cellphone which most people are probably using these days, and it sounds completely different and it's terrible. So now I'm back to square 1. I've come to realize why it takes months for artists to release music after they're done recording because mixing and mastering is a meticulous process that takes a lot of time and concentration. Aside from that, you must be knowledgeable about all aspects of sound frequency and sound reproduction.
Well I'm not going to give up. All that means is that I have more to learn, that's no problem. The downside is that it might take even longer for me to put more music out. But I have a solution. I'm going to take some time to study for a few weeks. In the mean time, I'm going to focus on growing my channels. Since I'm working with AI music, a good portion of what's required to produce music doesn't apply (recording and working with artists/execs) so I can cut down on the learning curve by avoiding all that and focus completely on mixing and mastering.
The solution I have, is in the mean time, I will produce some more Udio songs to fill out "Legends of the Time Dragon" and have that be an Udio album. I may also produce some stray Suno songs that don't belong to any albums yet and put out the unmixed versions for people to listen to. That should keep some fresh content rolling out to keep people interested while I level up my mixing and mastering for a few weeks and continue to work on the next project, which is amazing and I have been wanting to say a few words about it.
So I will close out this blog post with a preview of what my next project is going to be like. I want all the songs to come out at the same time like an actual release, so I might just be a blogger for a little while and just post blogs to all my lurkers about all the awesome music I'm making that nobody gets to listen to.
So here is what I have to say about it. I want to leave a clue but I can't think of anything that's not going to make it obvious. The clue is "origin of darkness", this is the subject of the album. It's going to be a concept album. It's way more focused than my previous work, which was really just a result of experimentation and didn't have much focus. I have 4 songs so far that are 90-95% finished in recomposition. I'm going to say some words about each song for those people who like to read and can maybe visualize things in their mind. 3 of the songs are gothic pop metal similar to "Time Dragon Warrior" and the last song I just made is a heavier metal song that's more numetal hardcore/metalcore vibe. Another note, I'm doing away with the mirrored halfs structure that I used for some of the previous songs and giving them more variety. I plan to have around 15 songs and I'm not sure yet if it will be a mix of Suno and Udio, or if I should make Suno albums and Udio albums exclusively. So far, this album is all Suno.
- song #1 - This song I want to be in the beginning of the album maybe somewhere 2-3. It has kind of a modern sound. I don't listen to modern music so I don't really know but it's kind of gothic pop metal. It's not very heavy but it's very ominous and eerie sounding. I want it to be in the beginning because that's where it sits in regards to the concept I'm working with. It should actually be the first or second based on that but I don't want a pop-ish song to be the opener for the album, or the 2nd track. It's a great song but I want the album to have a heavier overall sound but we shall see. This song has female vocals. Aside from the gothic aspect it also sounds slightly rnb hip hop ish (in comparison) but that's not to say it's rnb or hip hop, far from it, more like tinted.
- song # 2 - This song will probably go somewhere in the middle. This is another of the goth/pop/metal but is a little more dynamic than the previous song, not to say the other song is not dynamic, this one just has a higher range and is a little bit heavier. Aside from the goth/pop sound, the metal aspect is kind of doomy power metalish. The previous song is catchy, but this song is really catchy (and doomy for those who like doom). There is a section that gives me SOAD polka vibes from one of the songs on their self titled, and the next section is grandiose, epic power metal that sounds like angels proclaiming their glory. Then before you get too comfortable with these feelings of power, some really doomy chords to remind you this song is about doom. The song goes back to that glorious sound but now there is some unease because it feels like doom is just lurking. The metal aspect is all power metal. The end is all doom, it's not too heavy or evil but very doomy. Great for people who like playing rpgs I will say that.
-song #3 - This song is going to be close to the end. This is the 3rd of the goth/pop/metal songs and is very poppy but it's super dreamy and eerie sounding. It gives me similar vibes of "Twin Peaks" theme song at times but is a heaver kind of metal song. The metal aspect is like dark, melodic numetal. It's not a heavy song, but it has some crunch similar to a not so heavy Deftones song. The song is kind of beautiful in a way, but also kind of dark and awe inspiring. Of the 3 of these, I would rank them in the reverse order I listed them, with this one being the best. The other songs are great though, but this song is just..wow. Sound wise and concept wise, it's mind blowing. This song has female vocals.
- song #4 - This song will probably be in the beginning. Out of these 4, this one is definitely my favorite and the last song I worked on. This song is actually half of a suno generation, 10% of another and maybe 25% of another song, but it sounds really badass. The style of the song is more numetal metalcore. This is closer to the music I actually want to make. For example, "Embrace the Chaos", "Through Time Dragons", "A World of Broken Dreams" minus the power metal and instead insert "Time Dragon Warrior" and that's maybe my ideal sound. When I heard the songs though, I thought they sounded pretty good though and is an interesting mix of styles I never thought could go together, so I rolled with it.
This song though, not fully close to my vision but it's getting closer. This song is definitely the heaviest so far. It starts off kind of quiet with eerie piano keys, kind of horror sounding, then it kicks it into a slight metalcore chord progression before kicking into a higher gear, which is similar to the fast verses from the previous tracks on self titled. What I really like about this song is how bouncy and aggressive the chorus is. This whole time I've been wanting to make bouncy, heavy songs but I had a hard time getting that in Suno for a while. I just got some ideas for manipulating Suno though, I will have to try those out. I still have enough credits for maybe 100 songs that expire in a few days so I gotta put those to use.
Well yeah, that is it. That's a description of the first 4 songs I have right now for the next project I'm working on. I already know what I'm going to call it and I can visualize what the cover is going to be like. This is going to be a very dark and bleak album, but the sound will have a very wide variety. Until next time when I make another blog post. I hope you all were able to make it this far.
hasta la vista bebe

Hi, I'm new to this subreddit, I have DKC2 and 3 physical SNES cartridges (I use to have DKC1 when growing up and yes I 101% it on NSO recently) DKC 2 is my favorite tho. Crocodile Isle is an amazing location and has very different vibes compared to Donkey Kong Island. The atmosphere is amazing and the music is incredible (my favorite themes from this game is Krokodile Kacophony and Krook March). I REALLY enjoy the challenge this game has, I seen people hey really mad, but honestly I never really yelled or felt that angery, I guess I have alot of patience, and I also just have really fun. The levels are fun and creative. I think it has the best bosses in the og trilogy, all of them are fun and challenging. I love getting all the collectables and getting to play the harder levels in the lost world as I go. Diddy Kong is my favorite Kong, Dixie is a close second. It has my favorite version of K. Rool, I seen a lot of people prefer his original design in DKC1 but I think his design in 2 is just as amazing, and makes him fittingly more threatening looking, he's also alot more threatening in this game, he kidnapped Donkey Kong, and you see at the end that he's abusing him as DK is tied up. His final boss is amazing, I actually prefer Krocodile Kacophony over Gang-Plank Galleon, his attacks are really fun to avoid while still having a set pattern (alot more challenging, complex and fun than his fight in DKC1 imo), and the way DK break free at the end to finish him off is just so good, the secret final boss is really good too (not as good as the the first final boss tho imo) where he comes back and you only get to attack him at the end. I also really love th graphics for these games, I think DKC2 did them better tho, I love the pre-rendered 3D models compressed to 2d sprites and the backgrounds and environments so much. What do you guys think of this game? Honestly it's tied with my other favorite 2D platformer, Yoshi's Island for the SNES. :)

As we get into the new season, I just thought it would be fun to track and discuss the themes and motifs this show has kept up throughout the seasons so far so we can see how they play out in Season 4:)
NOTE: I have not read many spoilers. I don't mind if they come into the discussion, but please mark with a tag for anyone who doesn't want to see them!
Honestly, when I really laid all these out, it made me appreciate the writing so much more, even in moments I didn't really care for the first time around.
Plus analyzing stuff like this is fun for super cool people. Join me!
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• What it Means to Save Someone

This is probably the main theme of the series and the thing that becomes the biggest downfall for all our protagonists. "Saving Someone" has now become something that puts the viewer on edge.
How many times has a character exclaimed "I'm trying to save you," when actually all they're doing is trying to serve their own selfish agenda and alleviate their own guilt or affirm their image of themselves?
I could seriously write a whole essay about this and how it ties to the idea of What it Means to Be a Hero. But feel free to discuss it more in the comments.

• Subverting "Truth, Justice, and the American Way

The Boys is constantly exploring how Vought and The Boys bend the truth to serve their own agenda and are constantly asserting that the definition of truth typically belongs to whoever has the power (Power being another big motif).
Justice vs. Vengeance is also a big one that keeps coming up. Starlight is arguably the only character who is earnestly pursuing true justice on this show and tbh, it cramps everyone's style. MM and Hughie also great characters to follow for this because they are both genuinely trying to do the right thing and are often seduced by Butcher's much more attractive Vengeance call.

• Mother and Father Relationships

This is another one that could turn into a whole essay and one that I'd probably have to go back and take more notes to explore. But I think it really ties into this idea of Power and Responsibility. Because isn't that the cornerstone of what it means to be a parent?
Children are seen by society as the ultimate innocents who must be protected at all costs, but they are so often abused and exploited by the people who are supposed to protect them - Even when it's unintentional. Parents so often see children as extensions of themselves rather than individuals. Simply tools to affirm their own existence or be mirrors of themselves (which ties into the whole selfish "I'm trying to save you" theme).
We see this explored with Ryan a lot, but this was beautifully culminated at the end of S3 when MM realizes he needs to be honest with his daughter about what he's been going through, not to justify his mistakes, but to show her respect and acknowledgement of a two-way relationship.

• Power in the Hands of Women and Power in the Hands of POC

Oh man. This is another one that's like... A whole ass paper.
Super powers are definitely a vehicle to explore societal power with woman and POC on this show and the daunting idea that even with superpowers or wealth, race and gender can still be used as kryptonite.
We see it touched on in the ongoing discussions of how to properly "play the game" and achieve real power.
We see the Power and Women explored pretty in depth in Season 2, but Ashley is a really awesome ongoing exploration of this theme through a gender lens as she rises to power at Vought.
A Train and Noir are an obvious example of this exploration through a racial lens, but it's definitely also been touched on through pretty much every character of color on this show. I think they really got into it in a really interesting way on Gen V as well, but I don't want to bog this down any harder.

• Gender Roles and Toxic Masculinity

Just making sure everyone is on the same page - Toxic Masculinity does NOT mean that masculinity is inherently toxic. It is meant to focus on the unhealthy presentations and expectations of performing the role of "being a man."
Toxic Masculinity really became the focus of Season 3. We see that most clearly in the character of Soldier Boy (though I do worry that due to Jensen Ackles natural charisma, it didn't quite achieve the impact the writers intended), but also in Hughie.
Although many people (including me) felt like it was a disappointing step back for Hughie, I'm actually leaning back the other way on the rewatch. I think that the feeling powerless (which is something we feel as ordinary citizens all the time) moment Hughie had when he realized all the work he did with Neuman was built on a lie probably threw a lot out of whack. It makes perfect sense that the comments about his vulnerability and softness might start hitting a little differently than they used to.
Frenchie and MM on the other hand, are great examples of characters of healthy masculinity in their willingness to share power, be vulnerable, and self reflect so that they are able to support the interests of their loved ones.

• What is REAL Power?

This is the final theme I'll mention because it's a big one and I think it's going to be important in the upcoming season. Where does real power come from? Money? Strength? Social influence? Knowledge? Relationships?
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Okay I'm tired of typing and it's likely that only four people will comment on this if I'm lucky.
I hope you enjoy discussing (feel free to add your own big themes if I missed any) and I hope that being aware of these themes make the upcoming season more fun to watch.

{2024-05-16 20:00 (UTC)}
Player count: 4-5.
Duration: 5 Hours.
Communication: A working microphone for Discord voice chat, access to Roll20 for a lobby.
In game location: Seattle.
Game theme: Extraction.
Game type: Pink Mohawk.
Threat level: High.
Prerequisites: Patience & respect for everyone on the table.
IC Response: How does your character feel about train rides.
OOC Response: A link to your character sheet, your role and comfortability with it between 1 and 10. (Take your best guess), your discord username, the date of your last run & if you have had less than 5, and if you have a hard time limit.
Content Warnings: The usual.
What's up chummer? Got a bit of returning business. J is waiting at the meet. 21,000 nuyen, a delicate flower needs to be set free.

I work from home and currently very busy procrastinating, so here I am.
Looking for chat partners, to talk about... whatever. From latest tv show we watched to the deep existential questions of our lives.
I'm a very open-minded guy. Happy to talk with anyone from anywhere about mostly anything.
As for hobbies and interests, I tend to switch interests very often and very fast... but repeating themes are writing and other creative outlets. I like psychology and learning about the nature of people, read, watch too much tv, occasionally play a video game.
You? you just be you.
If you are interested feel free to send a message :)

Hey Guys! Angren with a Season 4 Starter Guide for all Pulverize Lovers that wanna have an easy start!
The Pulverise Druide will be one of the most favourite if not the absolute favourite Build in Season 4 of Diablo 4 for Druid players.
The pulverize Druid is really simple though. Its just generate resource with your basic skill then cast your companion skills on cooldown for more clarity buffs and then just smash with your pulverize.
Blizzard will introduce a themed starter Aspect set for the battle pass for every class and for the druid it will be pulverize. So you will get the shockwave aspect the blood boiling aspect and maybe something like aspect of the stampede for complete free if you will progres in the season pass. So if you want to have a guaranteed smooth and nice lvling experience until you have tempest roar and can go for werenado the Pulver Druid will be the absolute right choice for you in season4.
🧐 I will show you how to go trough in the skilltree, which aspects you should take, also which Spirit boons you should go, your gear and affix priorities.
Below the youtube Video there is an summary of the Build!
there is also a charplaner in the description guide!
Youtube Guide:
https://youtu.be/niQ3TZRsecE
Build overview:
Quick rota:
Rota:

1. Cast companion skills for clarity buff 2
2. keep companions on cooldown
3. smash enemies with pulverize
4. cast maul/Stormstrike for resource gen

Gear Prio:
Defensive:

1. Max Resis
2. Max Armor
3. Max Life

Offensive:

1. maul ranks
2. crit chance
3. overpower damage
4. max life
5. cc dmg till 40% earth paragon node
6. Crit Damage
7. Willpower
8. Int if resis not maxed

Spirit boons:

• Wariness
• iron feather + Avian Wrath
• Packleader
• obsidian slam

Skilltree overview:

• max pulv
• max earth nodes
• max clarity
• max shapeshifter nodes
• envenom

Why CC damage?
because of Earth Legendary Paragon Node Cap 40%
1 Hand or 2 hand?
2 hand because of shockwave aspect
Which glype to max first?
Overpower glyph to 15 first
Shapeshifter 15 first
other Glyphes to 15 first
After 15?:
Same as above
Endgame Guide:
Uber Uniques?
Yes, switch out your helm + Ring against Shako + Ring of starless skies
Which aspects to trade first?
No need thanks to season journey
SPIRIT GEN HOW?

1. spirit per second (TRY TO GET THIS EARLY ON AND MASTERCRAFT IT!)
2. spirit on kill (TRY TO GET THIS EARLY ON AND MASTERCRAFT IT!)
3. resource cost reduction
4. Resource gen

Hello fellow writers! I am once again on the hunt for a roleplay partner 🤗
I want to do a medieval, arranged marriage roleplay where are characters are from rival nations, and perhaps even from different fantasy races. Enemies to lovers is one of my all time favorite plots.
I'd like the story to incorporate the differences between our character's cultures, have them drop their hatred and prejudices for one another, learn from the other and grow closer as their romance develops within their forced marriage.
Let's play up politics, love triangles, espionage, drama, life, death, magic, anything we can think of.
A little about me, I'm 30 female from the States. I've been roleplaying on and off for about 13 plus years. I'm semi to advanced literate, depending on the plot, the scene and my partner. I write mostly in 3rd person, I'm comfortable with themes that are 🌠romantic🌶 in nature, and discord is my preferred platform for roleplaying. I prefer my partner to be 21 plus and also in the States, though I'm pretty flexible in that regard.
I do prefer stories that are long term, that can span over years of the character's lives with numerous plot points throughout. It always creates a more in depth story! I love chatting outside of the roleplay as well 💖
I'm a mom to a one year old and run a small business on the weekends. My day job is very easy, so I'm free on and off for most of my working hours, evenings and the occasional middle of the night feeding lol I'm in desperate need for some creativity in my life
Please send me a message detailing some of your ideas for the story so we can discuss more. I really look forward to hearing from you! Let's get creative!

Hello fellow writers! I am once again on the hunt for a roleplay partner 🤗
I want to do a medieval, arranged marriage roleplay where are characters are from rival nations, and perhaps even from different fantasy races. Enemies to lovers is one of my all time favorite plots.
I'd like the story to incorporate the differences between our character's cultures, have them drop their hatred and prejudices for one another, learn from the other and grow closer as their romance develops within their forced marriage.
Let's play up politics, love triangles, espionage, drama, life, death, magic, anything we can think of.
A little about me, I'm 30 female from the States. I've been roleplaying on and off for about 13 plus years. I'm semi to advanced literate, depending on the plot, the scene and my partner. I write mostly in 3rd person, I'm comfortable with themes that are 🌠romantic🌶 in nature, and discord is my preferred platform for roleplaying. I prefer my partner to be 21 plus and also in the States, though I'm pretty flexible in that regard.
I do prefer stories that are long term, that can span over years of the character's lives with numerous plot points throughout. It always creates a more in depth story! I love chatting outside of the roleplay as well 💖
I'm a mom to a one year old and run a small business on the weekends. My day job is very easy, so I'm free on and off for most of my working hours, evenings and the occasional middle of the night feeding lol I'm in desperate need for some creativity in my life
Please send me a message detailing some of your ideas for the story so we can discuss more. I really look forward to hearing from you! Let's get creative!

I'm sure you all are probably already aware, but Sizzle Season 2024 is coming really soon for Splatoon 3. And since we're really likely to get a trailer for it this week, I figured I'd go ahead and share my predictions for things like the new kits and stages that will be released in it. I'm not sure how accurate all of these are, but let's have a look at them anyways. To start, here's what I've got for the weapons:
Second Kits:

• Bamboozler 14 Mk II with Toxic Mist and Trizooka
• Custom Hydra Splatling with Ink Mine and Reefslider
• Heavy Edit Splatling Nouveau with Splash Wall and Splattercolor Screen
• Custom Range Blaster with Curling Bomb and Kraken Royale

These kit predictions were made based on qualities like what they consisted of it previous titles, as well as what sub and special weapons other kits in their respective weapon classes have not yet received. As for the Heavy Edit Splatling Nouveau, my prediction for its Nouveau branding is based on the fact that Nouveau is the creator of the vanilla Heavy Edit Splatling. My Splattercolor Screen special prediction is also based on that, as both it and vanilla Heavy Edit were made by Nouveau, and the Splattercolor Screen has yet to be included as part of a Nouveau weapon kit. A lot of people have been saying that the Recycled Brella 24 Mk I and the Douser Dualies FF will be getting second kits this coming season, but me, well, I'm not so sure about that. I can understand why they'd think that, considering the rumors that Sizzle Season 2024 will be the final major update for Splatoon 3, but the idea of two recently introduced weapons getting second kits the season right after the one they were released in just sounds kind of strange to me. But, of course, I could be wrong. We'll just have to wait and see once the season is revealed. Anyways, with that out of the way, let's move on to the possible new kits for the game.
One of the most common rumors for Sizzle Season 2024 is that a new Stringer and Splatana will be introduced in the season. Considering that they haven't received any new models since the start of the game, I guess I can see something like that. However, as far as included subs, specials, or even general themes or gimmicks go for these potential new weapons, I can't think of any possibilities, probably because I don't really use those types of weapons much in the game. Once again, we'll just have to wait and see once the trailer comes out. Anyways, I think that's enough talk about weapons. Let's move on to possible stages.
Returning Stages:

• Saltspray Rig
• Shellendorf Institute
• Skipper Pavilion

Please note that I'm only making a list of possible returning stages because I can't think of any good ideas for possible new stages and, well, if I'm being honest, I feel like Splatoon 3 has enough of those already. I'm sure a lot of you have a good idea for why Saltspray Rig is on the list. That's right, Splatoon 1's server shutdown. You'll also probably notice that Urchin Underpass, another classic Splatoon stage that's now unplayable because of the server shutdown, is not one of my stage predictions. The reason Saltspray Rig is on the list and not Urchin Underpass is because unlike the latter stage, which was included in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe as a battle course, the former stage hasn't had any acknowledgement since the first game. So, between those two stages, I'd say that Saltspray Rig is the more likely to return in Splatoon 3. As for Shellendorf Institute and Skipper Pavilion, those two stage predictions were made based on how locker decorations based on items found in both those stages were introduced in Drizzle Season 2023, specifically the cephalo cipher stone, orca fossil, and Great Zapfish (as well as a Shellendorf Institute-themed skateboard) for Shellendorf Institute, and the closed-mouth mudskipper and open-mouth mudskipper for Skipper Pavilion. Considering that we got locker decorations that were inspired by those two stages, it would make sense for either one of them to return in Splatoon 3. Also, something else to note is that there's no telling what the new stage distribution will be like this season for the most part, Splatoon 3 followed a pretty basic pattern for stages introduced in new seasons: one new one and one from a previous game. However, that hasn't always been the case, as in Drizzle Season 2024, both stages introduced were new ones (Crableg Capital and Shipshape Cargo Co.), and in the current Fresh Season, we only got one stage: Marlin Airport. For all we know, both stages introduced in Sizzle Season 2024 could be returning ones, or we might only get one returning one. Heck, we could even possibly get more than two stages next season. But for now, we'll just have to wait and see what the trailer has in store for us. Anywho, I think I've said enough about stages. Let's move on to my final prediction for the next season: its Big Run.
For the Big Run in Sizzle Season 2024, I'd say that the most likely stage for it to take place on would have to be Sturgeon Shipyard. I mean, for one, the stage is set in a shipyard, which seems to me like a good location for the Salmonoids to try and invade. Another reason I think this stage is likely is because of its size and different locations, which could lead to all kinds of different battle scenarios against the Salmonoids. There are other stages that could potentially host the season's Big Run, like Mahi-Mahi Resort or Shipshape Cargo Co. but out of all those possible stages, I think Sturgeon Shipyard is the most likely site for it. And that's pretty much all I have to say for this category.
And there you go. Those are all my Sizzle Season 2024 predictions. Feel free to share your thoughts on them in the comments, and you can even share your own predictions too if you want. Hopefully some time this week, we'll find out just how accurate these are.

I create new projects. A lot. Whether those projects get finished is variable.
I find it fun to build new stuff. Though, rewriting stuff that I've written 10s of times previously is uninteresting, and boring. I often find it easy to procrastinate adding auth, sessions, database, etc.
Yet, I understand that it is necessary for my projects. So I created KianKit. KianKit is a free, open-source, SvelteKit & Supabase boilerplate that offers super fast development speeds while being hyper extensible.
KianKit provides you with all of the essentials. Auth, components, theming, icons, tailwind css, supabase.
My goal for KianKit is to iteratively update the boilerplate so the newest standards, and frequently add new stuff. Once I feel that it is at a stable place I will release v1 and move all development to a new branch. I will do this for every release. So that you can deploy on a finished boilerplate rather than an in progress one.
KianKit's starter page/auth is hosted at https://kit.fromkian.com. The code is hosted at https://github.com/cowboycodKianKit.
There is much more to come.

I know this subreddit gets oversaturated with these posts but I was really hoping to get some honest feedback on what I should do for this cycle :( I just got my MCAT retake score back and unfortunately it’s not as good as I was hoping it would be, but I still plan on applying this cycle to both DO and MD schools.
For context: I'm an ORM; I majored in biomedical sciences & minored in psychology, graduated in 2022 with a 3.35 cGPA and a 3.2 sGPA with a slight upward trend. Latest MCAT score is a 507 (125/128/126/128) which is not as high as I was hoping to get but 🤷🏾‍♀️
I feel like I have a pretty strong theme of communication/language, interpersonal relationships, & community involvement in my app. I'm also very confident in my writing skills, so I'm not too worried about writing a good personal statement. If it helps, one of my LOR writers is a prof whose class I ended up having to retake since I got a much lower grade the first time.
I guess my 3 main questions are: 1) Should I retake the MCAT for a 3rd time? 2) Is it worth trying to do a postbacc or SMP to improve my gpa before applying? 3) What MD schools would be good fits for my gpa/mcat range? For context, here are my stats:
Research experience

• 3500+ hours working full-time in a neuroscience research lab at one of my state's medical schools; 1 pub as a middle author & at least 1 more pub coming probably in the middle of application season. During the cycle I hope to submit an abstract / present a poster to an upcoming conference!

Clinical experience

• 900 hours working as a medical assistant in a psychiatric clinic; I helped administer TMS therapy to patients! I quit this job to work as a research tech, but I really loved this job so once apps are submitted I'm planning to start working here again part-time while also doing my research job part-time.
  
• 400 hours volunteering in our hospital's post-anesthesia care unit
  
• 300 hours volunteering at a free clinic that works with underserved populations
  
• 200 hours volunteering in hospice with dementia/Alzheimer's patients
  

Other experiences

• Volunteering at my temple (~200ish hours)
  
• E-board member for one of my undergrad's mental health awareness clubs (~100ish hours)
  
• Social media chair for my undergrad's pre-health fraternity (~50ish hours)
  
• Website manageevents coordinator for my undergrad's TEDx chapter (~50ish hours)
  
• Co-captain of one of my undergrad's dance teams (~500ish hours).
  
• I also took classical dance lessons growing up for about 6 years and since "graduating" out of the school, I've helped teach classes for the younger kids. (no idea how to calculate the hours for this)
  

Shadowing

• 32 hours neurosurgery (MD)
  
• 32 hours anesthesiology (MD)
  
• 20 hours dermatology (MD)
  

-16 hours hematology/oncology (DO)
-16 hours primary care (DO)
School List [so far]
I used admit.org to start building a school list and out of what they gave me, I’m for sure applying to these schools (and my in-state MD schools):
-Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine
-NYIT-COM
-LECOM
-Touro COM
-PCOM

Hey everyone, this is where my deck is currently at. I have more cards coming but would love to know your thoughts on this build.
Mainly going for a sack theme, so if theres any specific adds you think of let me know! I am adding a [[Protean Hulk]] for the quick combo win
Love to hear what you all think and what I should be taking out. I still need work on my mana base but I have tried to lower my mana curve a bit
Thanks in advance!!
https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/meren-trial-3/?cb=1715700055

Mattana Ministry Welcomes You To: Weekly Bible Study: 14 May 2024 Theme: Bible Basics Explained/Faith Scripture: Heb. 10:35-39 & Heb. 11:1-2 Message: God Exists
Faith may seem a small thing, but it can lead people to some extraordinary actions. Consider this story from Romania. The year was 1989, and the Communist government ruled. The Communism that ruled much of Eastern Europe in the 20th century was built on atheistic ideology and philosophy. Though the government allowed church, it kept a tight grip, and often jailed and tortured pastors and believers who defied their rule.
In the town of Timisoara, a local pastor named Tokes, who was teaching the Bible faithfully, was commanded to leave his home and church because he had criticized the government for human rights violations. On the day the police were to evict their pastor, local Christians surrounded the home to stop them. A crowd grew quickly, and the army was called in to stop them. Shots fired. Many wounded, many killed. But then something incredible occurred. The people didn’t fight back. Instead they knelt and prayed. Can we picture that? Prayer against bullets.
Yet the sight was too much for the soldiers. They refused to shoot any more. By this time, the whole town was there. Another pastor named Dugulescu climbed to the balcony of the local opera house and addressed the crowd. He recited something, only a few lines, and two simple words struck deep in the hearts of the people. They began chanting. Then shouting. Two words in defiance of oppression. Two words that cried out for freedom, equality, and dignity. Again and again, they shouted in unison: God exists.
We’ll come back to that story. For now, those same two words are at the very heart of this little thing called faith. So what is faith? Is it just another word for belief? I believe in God - so that’s faith. Right? Well, James reminds us that demons believe in God, and they tremble over that belief. So faith is more than that.
So what is it then? Is it an action of the heart or a conviction of the mind? Or maybe it’s just a feeling in our gut of what we know is true.
To find some answers, we’re turning to the book of Hebrews, and a chapter known as the Hall of Faith. Hebrews 11. The chapter reads like an Old Testament hall of heroes. It’s a highlight reel from every prophet and warrior who ever made it onto a Sunday School flannel board. If we grew up with Bible heroes, we’ll recognize these names. And even if we missed out on all that, there’s something about these heroes - something they all have in common. Many epic stories, countless grand adventures, one shared attribute. And it’s not just courage, or compassion, or integrity. All of those are beautiful and necessary. But this one, this one changes them all. Faith transforms all of our virtues because it gives them direction and purpose. It points everything about us back to God.
So what is faith? Hebrews 11 verse 1:
“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1). Faith is confidence. The Greek word here can also be translated substance. Faith gives substance to the things that we hope for. Hope is about the future anticipation of good things coming. But hope alone is ephemeral a dream with nothing tangible to grab hold of. It takes faith to give hope substance, and confidently grab ahold of it here in the present. And back in verse 1, faith is also assurance about what we do not see.
Now not seen is not the same as not real. The Greek words here carry a sense that means not yet seen. Just because we don’t see it yet doesn’t mean it isn’t real. That’s where hope comes in. Hebrews 6 calls hope an “anchor for our souls.” It keeps us grounded, stops us from drifting.
See hope without faith is just wishful thinking. Like a lottery ticket - I hope this one changes my life, but it probably won’t. But hope with faith is like a bus ticket. Sure, the road might be rough and my fellow passengers can occasionally get on my nerves, but my ticket says home, and I know that my bus driver will get me there.
And verse 2 tells us:
“This is what the ancients were commended for” (Hebrews 11:2). The ancients here refer to Old Testament heroes, and the rest of the chapter reminds us of their stories. Fantastic stories. But they’re not just here to tell a good story. This chapter was written to encourage us. Chapter 10 ended with a powerful call to stand strong to persevere in the face of trial. Back in 10:35,
“Do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised”(Hebrews 10:35b-36). And chapter 10 ends with one essential Old Testament quote from Habakkuk:
“The righteous shall live by faith” (Hebrews 10:38). Remember, righteous means right with God. And in the Bible it’s the only way to Heaven. And Hebrews reminds us that when we’re right with God, faith is how we live. That short verse is quoted throughout the New Testament.
MM
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