TLDR: 3 different GIS jobs in 3 years and still feeling burnt out. Is this normal for a recent graduate or is this the wrong field for me.
I graduated in 2021 with degrees in environmental science and archaeology. After a few months I was lucky to find a GIS tech role with a telecommunications company. It was basic QA / QC work and I was happy for about 6 months until I began to feel burnt out by the repetitive nature of the job. I transitioned to GIS Analyst role at a university. I enjoyed working with the students and teaching them how to use the software but due to poor management and staff changeover I decided to leave. Now I’m at my 3rd job in 3 years working for a CRM company as a GIS Analyst. I’m coming up on my one year anniversary with the company and I’m still feeling burnt out by the work that I’m doing.
Is this a normal feeling in the industry / for a recent graduate or am I in the wrong field.

My 10 year old daughter plays soccer. This is her fourth season on the league and this year she’s in U11, so fourth and fifth graders. This league emphasizes learning the game while having fun. It is also run by volunteers. The coaches are volunteers, the refs this year are parent volunteers. Etc.
Our head coach, his daughter has been on my child’s team all four seasons. There is always a scramble to find coaches, especially at this age because kids have more of a desire to win and the parents have expectations and you probably know how sports parents can be. The head coach can’t really do much because of medical issues. He has an assistant coach and found another assistant coach who is an actual coach and has a lot of experience. He is one of the girls mom’s boyfriend.
So the team is 14 girls. Several of them are straight up disrespectful and sassy. When they start acting up, it spreads to other girls and gets out of hand quickly. Practices are an hour twice a week so he’s trying to teach them and is volunteering his time to do so. When it’s gotten out of hand, he has had them run short distances. Like he might say run to the goal and back. Sometimes he’s had the entire team do it as well. He’s also stopped practice and called out back talking and how he doesn’t appreciate it. The last time he coached at practice he told the team they would all run if they weren’t going to pay attention and be rude.
I am the only parent who is consistently at the practices. I have seen nothing inappropriate or out of line considering the behavior I’ve seen. I’m not a super strict person myself by any means, but I’be been rustrated watching this. It takes away time from learning the game. My kid has been frustrated because she wants to learn and practice for games.
So, I guess three parents complained and the league told the head coach that guy had to go. The league isn’t focused I strategy and discipline. They want kids to come away having fun and a good experience. I absolutely 100% agree with this. But the parents who complained, their kids are the ones who cause problems and they are never at practice to see this.
There is another team we play, they are crazy intense. Like they practice on the field next to us. They practice in their full game uniforms and the coaches wear their coaching polos. (No other coach wear them ever). I was watching and their coaches make players run for missing a goal during a drill. They outplay everyone and it’s very clear. The league is supposedly all about balanced teams too, but it’s very obvious this team has very advanced players and they are allowed to request that coach each season.
I’m just a little frustrated. I don’t think having kids run a short distance is unreasonable for being disrespectful. Sometimes getting the wiggles out helps with focus. How are kids going to walk away having fun if they are going to constantly be outplayed by a team who can get away with being a lot more intense? Yesterday I’d say about half the practice was spent trying to get the kids to focus and listen to the instructions for the drills. The head coach is frustrated the guy couldn’t stay because he really understood how to integrate strategy into the drills and they were winning games. The last two seasons we won zero games. And I get the emphasis is on having fun but it’s crazy to me you can’t have minimal expectations for discipline and learn more aspects of the game when you are playing against more experienced teams.
I’m not super experienced in sports, is this a normal dynamic?

Summary; TLDR
The student’s presentation turned (accidentally or on purpose) into an attempt to undermine my authority and the purpose of the assignment.
Long story
There was some attraction between me, a young teacher, a PhD student and her involvement too. I don’t know whether this is connected to her behaviour or not, but I found it important enough to mention this in the details below.
The first thing that kind of raised my eyebrows (this was about 3rd week of the semester) was that I heard her say in class to one of her male friends, that she thinks I am handsome. After this lecture, she approached me and asked me whether she could also attend other labs I have (despite being scheduled at labs of different teachers on different days). Since the standard practice in our department is usually to allow these transfers of students between the labs of the same class, I said that this is not a problem. Then something happened and she changed her behaviour. She hasn't attended my labs as she requested, and started to miss out on even the lectures in the original class and when she attended, she started to look extra bored, playing with her mobile all the time.
I tried to continue to sound professional 100% and I was trying to keep my distance from her. Way more than my friend, who is also a PhD student (one year more experienced than me) and who seems very attracted to her and now speaks to her basically like a friend to a friend. I partially blame him for this situation too, since he couldn't resist and couldn't draw more distinct borders between him and her (he also teaches her).
In recent weeks, it seemed that it all settled down. She started to attend my lectures again (I mean the ones that she should attend in the first place, not the second one).
But for the last two weeks, there was a presentation scheduled. Basically about any topic students find interesting, they should exhibit the right practice of presenting in front of a class. The week before, she asked me whether she could make this presentation “funny”. I said that's completely fine. Well... It turned out, it was not fine.
The incident
However, the presentation seemed to me not as an attempt to make a funny presentation, but an attempt to make fun of the assignment and undermine the ground of a whole class (and maybe to make fun of me and an attempt on purpose to undermine my authority in front of the class).
She ruined the day in my eyes. Everyone took this presentation seriously, even the ones who seemed bored the whole semester, took this seriously and it was all super nice and clean. Until she rushed late to the class, headed straight away to the computer, called me by my first name like we were some close friends (not sure, whether the class noticed, but I heard that pretty clearly) and started to present this in a way that she basically exhibited how much she doesn't give a sh** about this assignment, she said that she picked her data and topic just because she didn't know what else to do. Then, she asked the whole class whether they did it in the same way and then skipped the last slides in a rush by saying (“And there are some pictures because I needed to fill out the space”).
Some of the students laughed, some didn’t. I tried to stay cool, although I felt I was getting red-faced and felt like I wanted to be in a different place at that time. Thankfully, I think I managed it quite well since another student came to my lecture afterwards and was very polite and kind to me.
I told everyone about the positive rating right in the class. I tried to joke a little about her presentation and said that she probably followed the principles of “How not to do a presentation”, rather than “How to do a presentation” and then tried to swing the attention from her to my funny story related to her topic, because I feel like I needed to react, swing the attention from her ASAP and I couldn’t rate her presentation anyway, because I was too angry at that time.
Now I have the chance to write the rating and response and think it through.
What should I do to at least partially regain the respect of this student (and there is also a chance she shares my response, so authority to others is at stake)? Rate this presentation in a good way would be not fair to others who took this assignment seriously.
The worst thing is that she is partially right. The assignment was quite ridiculous (it was more of high school than college level) and it was not even my idea, but that’s the way it goes in university/the whole education system/job/and generally in life. Sometimes you gotta do something you don’t want to do. After all, students need to know how to do a presentation right to defend their thesis to receive the degree.
It is also tricky in the sense that the slides themselves look kind of funny and cute (that's why I agreed in the first place the week before), but the presentation itself with her lazy talking was a complete disaster.
How should I respond?

• Should I just write a cold and dry response that I could not rate her higher, because other students took this assignment seriously?
• Or should I ride the wave of not being serious with her? My best response I could come up with is: “I appreciate the attempt of being creative and original, however, I expected that this comedy skit would be even more funny?” (or something similar).
• Should I acknowledge that this assignment was not that great and that she was basically right? But that would be unfair to my colleagues and university and to the other students who took this seriously.
• Should I respond, that I don't care about her ruined presentation, but older professors in hard classes may not be so happy with this attitude?
• Should I ask her whether she found this assignment ridiculous and why?

So, here I am, probably overthinking my response. I already spent hours thinking about my response to her. But I feel like this may be the most important thing in my short career as a teacher. So far, I think I am quite popular among the students (I was voted to the faculty senate as a second from our department despite not actively promoting myself). They exhibited some dissatisfaction about doing some of the assignments (they said it took too much time). Otherwise, it was kind of good. I don’t want to ruin everything with my response now though.
I also feel like this situation will emerge in the future again, so I hope I haven't wasted my time wanting to handle this well.
I don’t want to sound like an idiot who can't take jokes, or like a weak teacher without any authority and I don’t have many experienced people to ask about what to do in my situation and I can't ask my friend since he is obviously biased toward her due to his attraction to her.
I feel like the position of PhD students teaching undergraduates is especially tricky in this manner. Because you are still kind of a student and you feel for the students, but you also need to be their teacher and leader and lead them in the right direction, so doing and saying stuff that may not be popular is probably a necessary part of this.
That’s why I’m asking you and trying the power of this sub.
Thanks so much just for reading this long post!

I'm not a member of the organization, but I am trying to understand the JW organization. I've been watching JW videos, going through a free bible study, going to weekly meetings, etc., so if you can help me understand the organization better, I'd be grateful.
I noticed the recent changes in practice regarding growing beards, women wearing pants, men wearing suits, and so forth. My understanding is that this is "new light" and that they now understand God's commands better.
People have commented about being disfellowshipped over beard prohibitions in the past and how it wrecked families and caused apostacy. It seems the policy was a well-established custom and known to cause division, but accepted for ~100 years with all of the harm it caused people and families. I can find a video of one of the men (maybe he is a GB member?) saying that there is a new understanding of the bible. and explaining growing beards is now okay. What did it look like when the Governing Body repented from allowing (and maybe even enforcing?) unbiblical rules on those whom they are supposed to teach and protect?
This seems like a huge deal to me - like a sack cloth and ashes kinda deal. Are there videos of the Governing Body repenting for their sins of causing this harm to the members of the organization? I'm mostly interested in seeing how they repent when confronted with serious sins like misunderstanding God's commands and enforcing such an understanding on those under them.
What does it look like when the Governing Body repents? Do they issue a formal statement apologizing for their role in misleading people, or do they commit to actions like fasting? What do they pray? I'm just looking for an understanding of what repentance typically looks like for the Governing Body.

My 3rd grade son refuses to ask for help. He is a timid boy, but overall a good kid. Most people compliment on how well behaved he is. This school year has been a struggle for him. We aren't sure if he isn't paying attention in class, if the teacher isn't doing her job, or if there is something in between. He regularly has no idea how to do his math homework and it seems like it is the first time he has ever heard of these concepts when I explain it to him.
The last 2 years he has had good grades, mostly As, but the last 2 report cards he has had Cs and Ds. When the first one came home, we asked him what was going on and he couldn't tell us. We looked over his grades online and found that he had 0s on in class assignments. When we asked about it, he would look shocked and not know why. We found out by talking with his teacher that he was just not doing assignments. We don't know why. He mostly says he didn't understand or got stuck and just quit. After a few conversations with him and some encouraging, his grades got better, but his understanding on new assignments has not. He still regularly doesn't understand the concepts they are working on. He tends to understand after working with him for a few minutes, but it's like the first time he is ever hearing this stuff.
Over the past 2-3 weeks, he was supposed to be working on a research assignment. The teacher gave all the kids a historical figure and a list of questions to answer. She even gave the reference material for them to read. They were to work on this both at home and school. I asked him a few times leading up to the deadline if he needed any help, and he said no, that they were working on it in school, so I didn't question it and went on about our normal routines. I checked his grades yesterday and he had a 0 on the assignment. I asked him about it and he just looked shocked that it was a 0. When I pressed, he said he got stuck on the second question and didn't do it. When I asked him why, he couldn't answer. I specifically asked why when I asked if he needed help he told me no, and he couldn't answer. The 0 on this assignment is likely going to cause him to have to repeat the 3rd grade because his teacher thinks she's a college professor and it's 50% of his grade for social studies.
I just don't know what to do. I already contacted the teacher and asked if he could make it up. I just don't understand how the teacher could let this happen as well. She has not once contacted us to let us know there was a problem. I have no idea if she even actually teaches or even cares about these kids. It's just so frustrating. There are only 16 kids in the class, so it's not like she is completely overloaded. Idk if I'm actually looking for anyone to answer, I'm just kind of venting.

(SORRY AXOMIYA T likhiboloi xomoi nasil) 😔
So here's my story guys, born in a well to do family in India. So my family had poultry business and it was running great but it got closed just before I was born. So my father shifted to Restaurant businesses and that too run well for 1-2 years then got closed too. So, we shifted from our small town to the capital city for other opportunities and my father got into Teaching career and did quite at that time and when we're becoming stable, my father got diagnosed with Kidney failure. And that time I was quite young (3rd standard) So I didn't knew how serious it was. My parents left me in My grandmother's Home in my hometown and they went to Delhi (Capital of India) for medical treatment. After 9-10 months of Treatment he got transplanted successfully. And due to heavy costs of medical we had to sold our house. After coming from Delhi my father agained got into Teaching Career and did quite well again. But after 3 years of stability he got a stroke and got paralysis. So I was in 7th standard at that time and I knew few things about that time. And then he got into a government job (made for physically handicapped people as he got a stroke).
And time went pass and I was quite well in studies but had this types of problems in my family but I managed to do somewhat good and now I can get into a good College (government engineering college called NIT) and still trying to get into the better college called IIT. (Indians know it quite well). But in this time I didn't got the chance to make friends and was quite a nerd and my mental health became worse.( I started to shout on my parents and God or anyone else).
Can anyone suggest me any advice?

So here's my story guys, born in a well to do family in India. So my family had poultry business and it was running great but it got closed just before I was born. So my father shifted to Restaurant businesses and that too run well for 1-2 years then got closed too. So, we shifted from our small town to the capital city for other opportunities and my father got into Teaching career and did quite at that time and when we're becoming stable, my father got diagnosed with Kidney failure. And that time I was quite young (3rd standard) So I didn't knew how serious it was. My parents left me in My grandmother's Home in my hometown and they went to Delhi (Capital of India) for medical treatment. After 9-10 months of Treatment he got transplanted successfully. And due to heavy costs of medical we had to sold our house. After coming from Delhi my father agained got into Teaching Career and did quite well again. But after 3 years of stability he got a stroke and got paralysis. So I was in 7th standard at that time and I knew few things about that time. And then he got into a government job (made for physically handicapped people as he got a stroke).
And time went pass and I was quite well in studies but had this types of problems in my family but I managed to do somewhat good and now I can get into a good College (government engineering college called NIT) and still trying to get into the better college called IIT. (Indians know it quite well). But in this time I didn't got the chance to make friends and was quite a nerd and my mental health became worse.( I started to shout on my parents and God or anyone else).
Can anyone suggest me any advice?

The Incredible Hulk books have been claimed!
The great debate: Which is the first appearance; Incredible Hulk 180 or 181? You decide! Want the third appearance, too? Here's your chance! Want more first appearances? How about a Miles Morales first appearance?
I bought a new car and don't collect the same stuff I did when I got these, so I'm going to let these books find a new home. All of these are complete, everything is attached including the MVS.
What I get for selling these will partially go towards purchasing a high grade TMNT #1 2nd print, but if you have one I'll accept it as a trade toward these books. I prefer graded so there's no questions about the value, and am looking for around an 8.0. I'm not interested in a 3rd print, sorry. Because of the possibility of getting scammed, I'm going to be very very weary of new accounts with little to no flair. Sorry, I hope you understand.
Shipping costs are included. Shipping will be Priority Mail and fully insured, 181 and Ultimate Fallout 4 will require adult signature. They'll ship in a reused CGC or CBCS box, not a flat rate mail box.
I priced these using GPA, I'm open to reasonable offers.
180: https://imgur.com/a/FI4dkLb CGC 3.5 OW/W pages, Grader Notes: heavy creasing to cover, large tear left top of front cover. moderate wear spine breaks color
CGC certification: 3787230002
GPA 90 day average is $426, asking $425 shipped
181: https://imgur.com/a/ZKlzTPi CGC 3.0 OW/W pages, Grader Notes: light creasing to cover, moderate bends to cover, moderate staining to cover, writing center of front cover
CGC Certification: 2126354001
GPA 90 day average is $2408, asking $2300 shipped
182: https://imgur.com/a/UZI3lKM CGC 6.5 White pages, Grader Notes: fade front cover, fingerprints back cover, fingerprints front cover, light foxing full right of cover, light spine stress lines to cover, very light creasing to cover, very light wear to cover
CGC Certification: 4007705002
GPA 90 day average is 160, asking $160 shipped
Take all 3 for $2500 (sorry, typo for those who saw $2300!)
Ultimate Fallout 4: https://imgur.com/a/l3yaMkG CGC 9.6 White pages, no grader notes. CGC Certification: 371428001
No GPA on this one, asking $600 shipped.

I am curious if any of you guys were obsessed with attending the Ivy Plus (Ivy League + MIT, Stanford, Duke, Caltech, or Chicago) because for my (43M) son (currently 13M) who was diagnosed with autism at age 3 and could not speak until 3 and a half years old, during his time at elementary school until we moved to a bigger house in late 2022 in 6th grade, he got straight A's except in English/PE. Even though his English grades hovered between A-/B+ since 5th grade, it has significantly improved from a C+/B- when he was in 1st grade. During elementary school, he was even in advanced math (one grade level ahead), got straight A in that class, and he also won some school/district wide awards in STEM. He has won a district wide math award, a regional engineering award, as well as win the school's Geography Bee. Once we and the school helped pull him out of a special ed homeroom during the middle of kindergarten (around January 2017) to a mainstream homeroom (he is still on an IEP however), he nonetheless caught out and his behavior has massively improved. Starting 1st grade in 2017, we started buying him supplementary workbooks so he could learn English, Math, and Science during his free time and he was quite good at it. Even though he is a bit weaker in ELA, he nonetheless shown massive interest in STEM fields, such as math, chemistry (he took a glance at the periodic table when he was 6), physics (he loved reading Physics and Space/Astronomy books), engineering, and of course, technology, where his favorite thing to do is to use the computer. He started becoming obsessed with technology/computers at around 5 years old, and due to the fact we have multiple computers, he started knowing the basics about macOS, Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP at the time. In fact, he also learned about the basics of iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod), and Android, and his passions on computers deepened when he watched a video on "Every Windows Startup Sound". When we were 5, we also bought him a globe where he basically explores various countries and their capitals during his free time, and we bought him large sheets of paper at Walmart showing all 45 presidents, the times and division table (up to 12), the Solar System, the periodic table, and the human anatomy. We also bought him a visual dictionary and he really loved reading it. Despite the fact he only took one advanced course, he was 2-4 grade levels ahead, often using the supplementary books we bought for him to learn and he finished these books in a matter of weeks.
Even though we are totally fine with him attending community college, ever since he was 7, he has been dreaming of attending HYPSM universities, knowing that many of the people he aspire to such as Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Larry Page, Sergey Brin, and Larry Ellison attended some of those top schools. During my son's free time, he loves to watch tech videos, science/history documentaries, learn computer programming (Java, C++, C, Python, Swift, Kotlin, Go, Ruby, R, etc), and explore around with technology and computers. He has been infatuated with computers since he was 5 and would spend hours tinkering around with technology. We even hired a piano tutor for him and even though the piano tutor mostly helps with his fingers/notation, he has self taught and memorized some pieces such as Claire De Lune, Arabesque, Waltz No 7, Grande valse brillante, Moonlight Sonata 1st/2nd movement, Mozart Fantasy No 4, and Schubert Impromptu Op 90 no 2 in a matter of months or even weeks. In Summer of 2022, he even won a piano competition in Boston. Even though we don't pressure him, he is very self motivated and wanted to be at the pinnacle.
By the time he reached 2nd grade, we started taking him to piano lessons, and that was where he developed an interest for classical music, making classical music his favorite genre. He even studied various composers, including some medieval (Hildegard von Bingen) and renaissance (Josquin Des Prez) as well as baroque (Bach), classical (Mozart), romantic (Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin), and modern (Debussy, Ravel) ones as well. Also by this point, we started buying him 4/5th grade math books and science books and his 1st grade teacher even gave him a high school US history and World history textbook and he enjoyed reading several pages of it per day to explore various historical events, such as Louis XIV, Napoleon, the Dutch East India company, the European Scramble of Africa, the Weimar Republic, and US reconstruction after the Civil War. By this time, he was also obsessed with figures such as Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, Galileo Galilei, Leonardo Da Vinci, Rene Descartes, Jean Jacques Rousseau, and current tech entrepreneurs Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Jeff Bezos, Larry Ellison, and Elon Musk. Basically, after a year of playing piano at 8, he started playing pieces such as Mozart Facile Sonata No 16, Mozart Turkish March, Beethoven Fur Elise, Bach Prelude No 1, and Beethoven Ecossaise. Also, the most important thing happened in his life by the time and that is, he started learning how to install various VMs on Virtualbox/VMware, and the year after at 8 years old, he was introduced to programming by his older cousin (something that will change his life), where he started learning HTML and CSS first, then moved on to JavaScript and Python, and afterwards, to Java and now, he is learning C, C++, Swift, Kotlin, and and R on his own on Udemy and edX and is currently working on a mobile game.
In 3rd grade, the school principal realized my son was very smart in math and after my son asked the principal to be put to advanced math, he was put in a 4th grade classroom for math. He essentially excelled in that class, and in one instance during 4th grade in a 5th grade math homeroom in early 2021, he was the only student out of 25 to receive over an 80 on one test (he received a 95) and therefore, he was the only student who didn't have to retake the exam. Even though the 4th grade teacher back in 2019 really wanted him to be in her science and social studies and he excelled on those, showing my wife and I extremely high grades, the principal and 3rd grade homeroom teacher didn't authorize the move, instead insisting on making him stay in the 3rd grade for these two subjects which made him kinda unhappy. By the time he reached 4th grade when the grading system got changed from numbers to letters, whenever you get an A in conduct and effort in every class, you get to eat ice cream every quarter in the cafeteria and eat pizza at a local Pizza store every June. Turns out, my son got an A in conduct and effort in every class in every quarter, even in English and PE, where he would usually get a B to A- grade but an A in conduct and effort. Also, despite the fact my son is weak in English, he nonetheless got his grade up from a C/C+ (equivalent to a 2) during 1st grade to a B/B+ during 6th grade (2022). The school started enrolling students in FirstInMath during 4th grade and during 4th grade, my son would play some math games and learn math along the way, and he essentially scored higher than any student at his school and amongst the top in his school district, and by the end of 4th grade, my son had some knowledge in Algebra/Pre-Algebra already. During 5th grade in early 2022, my son won the school's science fair where he developed an LED glove and he was inducted to the local science museum to compete with 5-8 graders in his county. He was ready to do the next big project in Robotics and computer science during 6th grade but because we moved to another district next door by buying a bigger house, he wasn't able to continue. In the early half of 6th grade when he was still at the old district, everybody at his school (4-6th grade only, no K3) was made to take the Geography Bee for the first time, and he came out as a winner and was inducted to a county-wide tournament (again, for another subject). Even though he couldn't map every single country (some obscure island nations in the Pacific), he could nonetheless map every European/Asian/North/South American country and list the capitals of every European country and most Asian/North/South American countries. He even won a county-wide math award as well early in his 6th grade. He has gotten perfect math MCAS scores during 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade, but his ELA hovered around Partially Meeting Expectations and Meeting Expectations and has not taken the MCAS since. During summer 2022, before 6th grade and right after his 11th birthday, he also registered to a music competition at the NE Conservatory in Boston where he actually won against 11 year olds playing Mozart Fantasy No 4 and Chopin Grande Valse Brilliante. Even though we have a piano tutor for my son who mostly helps with his fingers/notation, he has self taught and memorized some pieces such as Claire De Lune, Arabesque, Waltz No 7, Grande valse brillante, Moonlight Sonata 1st/2nd movement, Mozart Fantasy No 4, and Schubert Impromptu Op 90 no 2 in a matter of months or even weeks. Even though we don't pressure him, he is very self motivated and wanted to be at the pinnacle.
After starting online school and moving to my uncle and aunt's house in Quincy in February 2023 because he wanted to push himself further, he started with the 2nd half of 6th grade and 7th grade math at an online self paced school he wanted to attend to try to accelerate his education and by mid-April, he started the 7th grade and Algebra. By mid-August, he finished that and took a month break, travelling to Europe (Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Ljubljana, Salzburg, and Munich) with my uncle (78M) and aunt (76F). In October, he started 8th grade and took Geometry/Algebra II and even though he got straight A, his English grades actually did improve to an A- at the online school, and by mid-January, he started the 9th grade as well as Pre-Calculus while waiting for his 65k private school to answer to him.
My uncle and aunt is also talking to the online school about allowing his 9th grade credits to transfer (he does take some courses at a local community college in the meantime to make himself more competitive and to help those transfer as 9th grade credits). I have heard that my son is looking at SAT content and doing some practice problems for the SAT, looking up AP courses he will take during 10th grade like AP World History, AP Calculus BC, AP Computer Science A, AP Chemistry, AP Physics C, AP French, etc, and he is also looking at the possibility of taking Multivariable Calculus and LineaAbstract Algebra in alter years. He has also thought about joining several STEM related clubs at the new school and joining the student government at his future school, and is considering hard on AMC 12, currently working on some AMC 12 problems as well as looking up IMO, USACO, USAPhO, USNCO, as well as Intel's ISEF.

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On the Northern Continent...
Norah's team had just regrouped with Tai's after they had thoroughly searched their expedition area. They encountered many types of wildlife, thriving without the disturbance of people and unbothered by the incoming chaos, that was about to unfold.
Plumes of fire and screams of dying men, rang across the valley, like a beacon, forcing Norah and Tai to race towards Helio's direction. They tried to reach him on the way, but they quickly found out, that comms were down. Then, they looked up.
As the sky, as they last remembered it, turned from, blue to gray and orange. While ships and aircrafts engaged in an intense one-sided struggle. Leaving carnage, rubble, and corpses falling out of the sky. Their soldiers and their way out.
"I'll be back." Norah said, as she quickly spun around and raced back, while cladding herself in electricity and leaving Tai, to go on ahead.
As he got to Helio's site, Norah made it a few seconds behind him. She didn't want to regret not informing their teams to retreat and leave the Rennayan Solar System, as soon as possible. She knew something wasn't right. Still, with shock, what they witnessed seemed like something out of a nightmare.
Helio and his team were excavating and exploring a destroyed ancient city surrounded by a lush forest. That forest was now on fire and decorated with the blood, corpses, and parts of the androids and human members of his expedition team.
They could tell the fire had been started intentionally, as the path of the fire, raged from blue to purple. It wasn't possible for anyone to still be alive in within the forest, but as if rotating, within the circle of flames, they noticed flashes of ice, bursting out, then turning into mist.
Norah raised her hand, then dropped it in the direction, of the last ice burst. With incredible speed, a large streak of blue lightning struck down, breaking through the domain of fire and striking its target.
Moments later, Helio was thrown flying into them, but they caught him safely, as a figure, appeared with a blur in front of them. "So glad of you to gather here, all at once. I knew, I sensed, strong iko on this continent."
Norah instinctively raised her guard at the sight of her. Switching into second gear.
Tai braced himself, but he was more concerned about Helio. He checked the Nova's pouch, noticing Helio had already used a booster, and his spare was destroyed. He gritted his teeth and gave him his own. Knowing it wouldn't be good for him. However, the burns, Helio was suffering from, were too severe.
Tai, could not help but sweat at the sight of the monster, looking them over. However, he still found the courage to speak. His country was watching him. His people. He could not fall here. "Who are you?!"
The child of Atlas, raised a finger to her lips, biting it. "Oh my. How feisty you are. I'm sure you could have come up, with a better pickup line."
She threw her hand back and gave him a slight bow. "I am Princess Zelha, the 94th child of Atlas. Pleased to meet you... and you must be his friends, from the Nova Division. Let's get to know each other!"
In a moment, the distance between her and Tai closed up faster than he could blink, as she zipped towards him, trailing fire. The only thing, stopping his imminent death, was Norah, reacting with incredible speed and aided by a lightning strike, she called down ahead of time. She and the princess, crashed down a few hundred meters before Zelha threw her back and regained her footing in the air.
Norah glanced back at Tai. "Get Helio, out of here, you guys can still make it to the shuttles!"
Tai shook his head. "There's no way, we're leaving you!"
Zelha was shocked, by how they were just ignoring her. "What do you mean leaving? This place, used to have an important temple, you know. Let's pay homage to it. With a temple, dedicated to me!"
As she raised her hands, high up into the air, walls of fire, rose, all around the city. Burning red, blue, then purple into an intricately sculpted, ridiculously large temple, spanning, across the entire, abandoned city. "Zelha's Temple!" She yelled out, beaming at the Novas and excited about her work. "What do you think?!"
The Novas, who were not too thrilled, were struggling, to breathe from the sudden build-up of smoke and carbon monoxide. Yet, Helio stood up, with Tai's support.
"I can still fight!" He spoke, while raising one hand, to form a transparent swirling dome, filtering the air around them.
Tai looked earnestly at the Novas. "Do you guys trust me?"
They were a bit put off, by the timing of the question. Sure, he'd been a bit distant from them, in the beginning, but over time, they had been treating him, as part of the family.
"Of course!" The two spoke in unison.
He nodded back, then proceeded to switch into first gear. He had a lot of trouble at first, but with Nate's help and the training he received from the Rahmanaka clan, he was able to better maintain it, without draining him. On his command, a flame barrier, manifested and layered itself over Helio's dome, charged with the limits of his own iko. "Helio! Crash us through the walls."
Helio looked at Norah, then at Tai. "Are you sure, you can do this? I can't withstand that much heat."
Tai shook his head. "If I can drop the heat around us just a bit, we can! Norah, we'll need your energy."
Norah, who had supercharged herself with electricity, prior, nodded. She placed her hands on both of their backs, as Zelha watched them attempting suicide through her flames.
She laughed and concentrated the majority of the heat on the area, they were targeting. "If you're trying to leave, burn! Burn along with your stupidity!
The Novas were well adept at using sani iko. As such, part of Tai's plan, involved sensing, where Zelha had spread out her energy. The moment she concentrated it all to stop them, was the moment they needed to escape.
"Helio! Now!" Tai yelled out.
Their dome, lurched upwards, away from the violet burning spot, then dove diagonally to the right, through another part of the wall, cooler than the rest. They crashed through, with intense turbulence, as Tai and Helio coughed up blood while struggling against the pressure of Zelha's iko. Norah continued sharing as much of her energy, as they could take.
"Ignite: Yándi Zhī Dùn!"
"Frost: Dominio!"
They broke through, while the dome dissipated into mist, leaving them falling out of the sky. Norah gained flight quickly and grabbed hold of both of them before they dipped low, near the fire and got them to safety.
She got up to watch for the princess, after laying them down. They were both unconscious. She couldn't blame them. This was not a monster, they should face.
The flaming temple crumbled down, within itself, birthing a gigantic version of Zelha instead, and towered over several hundreds of meters, into the sky. The princess then appeared above them, furious. "If there are no worshippers, the temple crumbles doesn't it?" The gigantic, flaming clone of her, raised its fist, getting ready to strike down. "Sinners shall be punished!" She yelled, raising her hands to her sides.
On the Eastern continent...
Kayed was worried about the others. He had just figured out that comms were down and his site was a lot further away from the other Novas & their meeting spot. He ordered his expedition team, to return back to their ships, even before he heard drones racing through the sky, feeling something wrong. Then, without wasting a moment, he rushed towards the clashes of energy, he felt, off in the distance.
The Nova stopped, over a field of plains, with Simon, gravely wounded in third gear, with Carina, whose side effects were starting to kick in. She was assisting him by blocking, volleys of magma, thrown by a child of Atlas.
He was around 6 ft tall, with a stocky build, adorning a cape, he had discarded earlier while fighting the Hashin. His skin tone was pale and complimented by grey, serpent-like eyes. He had the same black slits running down from his eyes to his chin, just like the rest of his family.
Further to their left, the remaining disfigured halves of the Hashins sent to guard them, laid smouldering. Slowly being eaten away, by leftover blobs of magma.
Kayed was seething with anger. He began making his way, aiming to join his comrades, when the child of Atlas, threw their hand into the air. Tremors began below them, followed by a violent earthquake, then an eruption of lava, greater, than they had ever seen before, concentrated into a massive serpent-like wave and dipped down towards them.
Kayed didn't hesitate, although shocked and feeling a bit of despair in the situation they were in, he shifted into second gear, placing all of his might in a quick ball of lava, as Simon and Carina launched attacks of their own, in a last futile attempt. He joined in with them. "Erupt: Burkania!"
Their attacks were completely overwhelmed, as the downpour pressed down, heavier than their force. However, not all of their efforts were wasted. Giving Kayed enough time, to create a platform around their footing with rails and yanked them safely out of there.
"Kayed!" Carina called out, relieved to see him.
He regretted getting there so late. He had still not mastered picking up iko, from long distances, but as he focused, for just a second. He felt all of the chaos unfolding on the majority of the planet.
Simon dropped to his knees at the sight of him. Kayed could tell he was at his limit, with burn marks from his own side effects and some from contact with lava. The fact that, that they had not opted for first aid, made him realize, that they had already used it.
Simon uttered a few words, but Kayed could barely hear them. Not only because of the raging hot winds and the splashing flow of lava below them but because of his anger, clouding his vision. Still, he was able to make out a little of what he had said. "...Don't worry about me, take Carina, and run..."
Kayed raised one hand towards them and reinforced the platform into a diamond dome, complete with see-through windows all around it. Then raised the dome into the sky, as Carina tried breaking the walls and called out to him.
He planned on relinquishing control to her, but he first had to keep them safe. Both of them were precious to him. His first few friends at Beyond. He was grateful for all of the memories he had with them.
Kayed was born weak and sick. It took everything his parents had to keep him alive, as well as his siblings. When the war and famine came, he watched, helplessly, as one by one, they died, because of their circumstance and how powerless he felt to stop it.
His mother had died of sickness, soon after his sister's birth. His little sister was next without enough nutrients, she passed quietly in her sleep.
His father, continued overworking himself day and night, in the high heat, for meager wages. Suffering with their farm, barely producing anything, with his former job holding back his pay. Then one day, his family woke up to airstrikes and explosions, with shots being fired all over his village.
He remembered, his older brother grabbing him and rushing him out of the door, while his father piggybacked his sleepy twin sister. As they ran with the other villagers to safety, a building collapsed, from a nearby explosion. Falling on many villagers, including his father and sister. The tears and screams he let out, were devastating, as his brother continued to drag him away, screaming with and at him. 'Don't look back!'
His older brother never blamed him for anything, not even for being a burden, as he raised him. Nor complained or showed any hints of hunger, when they ate. Even though he knew, his brother always gave him the bigger portions. One day, however, he never came back.
With most of his extended family, killed in the war and famine, he was all alone. Starving to death, in an alley corner. With no one giving him a passing thought.
Until Sarah landed out of the sky, aiding those in need in his neighbourhood and coming across him. She later confirmed to him, that his brother was killed, stealing food, from a shop to keep them fed. With little order, being upheld, his body was almost forgotten.
He owed her everything and wanted to pay her back. His new family, he wanted to protect. However, this monster was standing in the way.
The child of Atlas, floated to his eye level, curious about the newcomer. "And who might you be?"
Kayed dropped his palm, facing the ground. "Erupt: Warrior!"
A warrior made out of lava rose out of the ground and jetted towards the child of Atlas, aiming to bring him down, however, it was roundhouse kicked into oblivion, with little effort. "That's rude. Fine, I'll go first. My name is Demil, the 67th child of Atlas. I'm not sure why you got in my way, you're not even as strong as one of the ones you're trying to protect."
Demil glanced down disappointed, at the dead Hashin. "They weren't even much fun either. This planet isn't as fun as it used to be. Why did father, need to drag me here again."
Kayed shook his head, shaking away any fear he had left. 'I have to use it.'
Since he had excelled in the other aspects of iko faster than the others and had often trained alone, he asked Roku, after the general caught him once, training at night. To teach him more about the flow of earth and magma. How to better access power from their abilities, when they were in a pinch.
That's when the General asked him if he was willing to learn about the forbidden arts. Techniques used only in last resort situations passed down only among the royal family and Hashin.
Sealing his resolve, Kayed made two fists and then punched them into each other, while gathering all of the energy he could muster, for the technique. "Sorry about that, I was a little hot-blooded there. There's no need for anger when God will judge you."
Demil started to laugh."You're kidding, right? You think God will save you from this situation?"
The Nova chuckled lightly, thinking about all of his regrets, then laughed. "No, no, I've already done that myself. You though, should prepare yourself. I'll be sending you to see him soon if you even have a soul."
Demil sneered. "Is that so?"
Kayed smirked, then completed his focus, releasing all of the energy he had been gathering, within his body. "Oh God, please forgive me."
His eyes became fierce, as he locked in his resolve. "Forbidden Art, Self-Volcanization!" He yelled out loud, as he set his heart on fire.
Notes:
Yándi Zhī Dùn means shield of the flame emperor in Chinese.
Dominio means Domain in Spanish.
The Forbidden Arts are a series of moves that use or sacrifice something equivalent, to gain something greater. The sacrifices are typically taboo, hence why the series of moves is called the Forbidden Arts. Self Volcanization is a limit-breaking technique, that will further be explained in the next chapter Kayed is fighting :D
Next chapter drops on May 5th. After volume 1, I plan on taking a month break, to extend the backlog for volume 2, but there are still about 9-10 more chapters left so dw.
Previous First Chapter Next

Previous First Chapter Next
On the Northern Continent...
Norah's team had just regrouped with Tai's after they had thoroughly searched their expedition area. They encountered many types of wildlife, thriving without the disturbance of people and unbothered by the incoming chaos, that was about to unfold.
Plumes of fire and screams of dying men, rang across the valley, like a beacon, forcing Norah and Tai to race towards Helio's direction. They tried to reach him on the way, but they quickly found out, that comms were down. Then, they looked up.
As the sky, as they last remembered it, turned from, blue to gray and orange. While ships and aircrafts engaged in an intense one-sided struggle. Leaving carnage, rubble, and corpses falling out of the sky. Their soldiers and their way out.
"I'll be back." Norah said, as she quickly spun around and raced back, while cladding herself in electricity and leaving Tai, to go on ahead.
As he got to Helio's site, Norah made it a few seconds behind him. She didn't want to regret not informing their teams to retreat and leave the Rennayan Solar System, as soon as possible. She knew something wasn't right. Still, with shock, what they witnessed seemed like something out of a nightmare.
Helio and his team were excavating and exploring a destroyed ancient city surrounded by a lush forest. That forest was now on fire and decorated with the blood, corpses, and parts of the androids and human members of his expedition team.
They could tell the fire had been started intentionally, as the path of the fire, raged from blue to purple. It wasn't possible for anyone to still be alive in within the forest, but as if rotating, within the circle of flames, they noticed flashes of ice, bursting out, then turning into mist.
Norah raised her hand, then dropped it in the direction, of the last ice burst. With incredible speed, a large streak of blue lightning struck down, breaking through the domain of fire and striking its target.
Moments later, Helio was thrown flying into them, but they caught him safely, as a figure, appeared with a blur in front of them. "So glad of you to gather here, all at once. I knew, I sensed, strong iko on this continent."
Norah instinctively raised her guard at the sight of her. Switching into second gear.
Tai braced himself, but he was more concerned about Helio. He checked the Nova's pouch, noticing Helio had already used a booster, and his spare was destroyed. He gritted his teeth and gave him his own. Knowing it wouldn't be good for him. However, the burns, Helio was suffering from, were too severe.
Tai, could not help but sweat at the sight of the monster, looking them over. However, he still found the courage to speak. His country was watching him. His people. He could not fall here. "Who are you?!"
The child of Atlas, raised a finger to her lips, biting it. "Oh my. How feisty you are. I'm sure you could have come up, with a better pickup line."
She threw her hand back and gave him a slight bow. "I am Princess Zelha, the 94th child of Atlas. Pleased to meet you... and you must be his friends, from the Nova Division. Let's get to know each other!"
In a moment, the distance between her and Tai closed up faster than he could blink, as she zipped towards him, trailing fire. The only thing, stopping his imminent death, was Norah, reacting with incredible speed and aided by a lightning strike, she called down ahead of time. She and the princess, crashed down a few hundred meters before Zelha threw her back and regained her footing in the air.
Norah glanced back at Tai. "Get Helio, out of here, you guys can still make it to the shuttles!"
Tai shook his head. "There's no way, we're leaving you!"
Zelha was shocked, by how they were just ignoring her. "What do you mean leaving? This place, used to have an important temple, you know. Let's pay homage to it. With a temple, dedicated to me!"
As she raised her hands, high up into the air, walls of fire, rose, all around the city. Burning red, blue, then purple into an intricately sculpted, ridiculously large temple, spanning, across the entire, abandoned city. "Zelha's Temple!" She yelled out, beaming at the Novas and excited about her work. "What do you think?!"
The Novas, who were not too thrilled, were struggling, to breathe from the sudden build-up of smoke and carbon monoxide. Yet, Helio stood up, with Tai's support.
"I can still fight!" He spoke, while raising one hand, to form a transparent swirling dome, filtering the air around them.
Tai looked earnestly at the Novas. "Do you guys trust me?"
They were a bit put off, by the timing of the question. Sure, he'd been a bit distant from them, in the beginning, but over time, they had been treating him, as part of the family.
"Of course!" The two spoke in unison.
He nodded back, then proceeded to switch into first gear. He had a lot of trouble at first, but with Nate's help and the training he received from the Rahmanaka clan, he was able to better maintain it, without draining him. On his command, a flame barrier, manifested and layered itself over Helio's dome, charged with the limits of his own iko. "Helio! Crash us through the walls."
Helio looked at Norah, then at Tai. "Are you sure, you can do this? I can't withstand that much heat."
Tai shook his head. "If I can drop the heat around us just a bit, we can! Norah, we'll need your energy."
Norah, who had supercharged herself with electricity, prior, nodded. She placed her hands on both of their backs, as Zelha watched them attempting suicide through her flames.
She laughed and concentrated the majority of the heat on the area, they were targeting. "If you're trying to leave, burn! Burn along with your stupidity!
The Novas were well adept at using sani iko. As such, part of Tai's plan, involved sensing, where Zelha had spread out her energy. The moment she concentrated it all to stop them, was the moment they needed to escape.
"Helio! Now!" Tai yelled out.
Their dome, lurched upwards, away from the violet burning spot, then dove diagonally to the right, through another part of the wall, cooler than the rest. They crashed through, with intense turbulence, as Tai and Helio coughed up blood while struggling against the pressure of Zelha's iko. Norah continued sharing as much of her energy, as they could take.
"Ignite: Yándi Zhī Dùn!"
"Frost: Dominio!"
They broke through, while the dome dissipated into mist, leaving them falling out of the sky. Norah gained flight quickly and grabbed hold of both of them before they dipped low, near the fire and got them to safety.
She got up to watch for the princess, after laying them down. They were both unconscious. She couldn't blame them. This was not a monster, they should face.
The flaming temple crumbled down, within itself, birthing a gigantic version of Zelha instead, and towered over several hundreds of meters, into the sky. The princess then appeared above them, furious. "If there are no worshippers, the temple crumbles doesn't it?" The gigantic, flaming clone of her, raised its fist, getting ready to strike down. "Sinners shall be punished!" She yelled, raising her hands to her sides.
On the Eastern continent...
Kayed was worried about the others. He had just figured out that comms were down and his site was a lot further away from the other Novas & their meeting spot. He ordered his expedition team, to return back to their ships, even before he heard drones racing through the sky, feeling something wrong. Then, without wasting a moment, he rushed towards the clashes of energy, he felt, off in the distance.
The Nova stopped, over a field of plains, with Simon, gravely wounded in third gear, with Carina, whose side effects were starting to kick in. She was assisting him by blocking, volleys of magma, thrown by a child of Atlas.
He was around 6 ft tall, with a stocky build, adorning a cape, he had discarded earlier while fighting the Hashin. His skin tone was pale and complimented by grey, serpent-like eyes. He had the same black slits running down from his eyes to his chin, just like the rest of his family.
Further to their left, the remaining disfigured halves of the Hashins sent to guard them, laid smouldering. Slowly being eaten away, by leftover blobs of magma.
Kayed was seething with anger. He began making his way, aiming to join his comrades, when the child of Atlas, threwt their hand into the air. Tremors began below them, followed by a violent earthquake, then an eruption of lava, greater, than they had ever seen before, concentrated into a massive serpent-like wave and dipped down towards them.
Kayed didn't hesitate, although shocked and feeling a bit of despair in the situation they were in, he shifted into second gear, placing all of his might in a quick ball of lava, as Simon and Carina launched attacks of their own, in a last futile attempt. He joined in with them. "Erupt: Burkania!"
Their attacks were completely overwhelmed, as the downpour pressed down, heavier than their force. However, not all of their efforts were wasted. Giving Kayed enough time, to create a platform around their footing with rails and yanked them safely out of there.
"Kayed!" Carina called out, relieved to see him.
He regretted getting there so late. He had still not mastered picking up iko, from long distances, but as he focused, for just a second. He felt all of the chaos unfolding on the majority of the planet.
Simon dropped to his knees at the sight of him. Kayed could tell he was at his limit, with burn marks from his own side effects and some from contact with lava. The fact that, that they had not opted for first aid, made him realize, that they had already used it.
Simon uttered a few words, but Kayed could barely hear them. Not only because of the raging hot winds and the splashing flow of lava below them but because of his anger, clouding his vision. Still, he was able to make out a little of what he had said. "...Don't worry about me, take Carina, and run..."
Kayed raised one hand towards them and reinforced the platform into a diamond dome, complete with see-through windows all around it. Then raised the dome into the sky, as Carina tried breaking the walls and called out to him.
He planned on relinquishing control to her, but he first had to keep them safe. Both of them were precious to him. His first few friends at Beyond. He was grateful for all of the memories he had with them.
Kayed was born weak and sick. It took everything his parents had to keep him alive, as well as his siblings. When the war and famine came, he watched, helplessly, as one by one, they died, because of their circumstance and how powerless he felt to stop it.
His mother had died of sickness, soon after his sister's birth. His little sister was next without enough nutrients, she passed quietly in her sleep.
His father, continued overworking himself day and night, in the high heat, for meager wages. Suffering with their farm, barely producing anything, with his former job holding back his pay. Then one day, his family woke up to airstrikes and explosions, with shots being fired all over his village.
He remembered, his older brother grabbing him and rushing him out of the door, while his father piggybacked his sleepy twin sister. As they ran with the other villagers to safety, a building collapsed, from a nearby explosion. Falling on many villagers, including his father and sister. The tears and screams he let out, were devastating, as his brother continued to drag him away, screaming with and at him. 'Don't look back!'
His older brother never blamed him for anything, not even for being a burden, as he raised him. Nor complained or showed any hints of hunger, when they ate. Even though he knew, his brother always gave him the bigger portions. One day, however, he never came back.
With most of his extended family, killed in the war and famine, he was all alone. Starving to death, in an alley corner. With no one giving him a passing thought.
Until Sarah landed out of the sky, aiding those in need in his neighbourhood and coming across him. She later confirmed to him, that his brother was killed, stealing food, from a shop to keep them fed. With little order, being upheld, his body was almost forgotten.
He owed her everything and wanted to pay her back. His new family, he wanted to protect. However, this monster was standing in the way.
The child of Atlas, floated to his eye level, curious about the newcomer. "And who might you be?"
Kayed dropped his palm, facing the ground. "Erupt: Warrior!"
A warrior made out of lava rose out of the ground and jetted towards the child of Atlas, aiming to bring him down, however, it was roundhouse kicked into oblivion, with little effort. "That's rude. Fine, I'll go first. My name is Demil, the 67th child of Atlas. I'm not sure why you got in my way, you're not even as strong as one of the ones you're trying to protect."
Demil glanced down disappointed, at the dead Hashin. "They weren't even much fun either. This planet isn't as fun as it used to be. Why did father, need to drag me here again."
Kayed shook his head, shaking away any fear he had left. 'I have to use it.'
Since he had excelled in the other aspects of iko faster than the others and had often trained alone, he asked Roku, after the general caught him once, training at night. To teach him more about the flow of earth and magma. How to better access power from their abilities, when they were in a pinch.
That's when the General asked him if he was willing to learn about the forbidden arts. Techniques used only in last resort situations passed down only among the royal family and Hashin.
Sealing his resolve, Kayed made two fists and then punched them into each other, while gathering all of the energy he could muster, for the technique. "Sorry about that, I was a little hot-blooded there. There's no need for anger when God will judge you."
Demil started to laugh."You're kidding, right? You think God will save you from this situation?"
The Nova chuckled lightly, thinking about all of his regrets, then laughed. "No, no, I've already done that myself. You though, should prepare yourself. I'll be sending you to see him soon if you even have a soul."
Demil sneered. "Is that so?"
Kayed smirked, then completed his focus, releasing all of the energy he had been gathering, within his body. "Oh God, please forgive me."
His eyes became fierce, as he locked in his resolve. "Forbidden Art, Self-Volcanization!" He yelled out loud, as he set his heart on fire.
Notes:
Yándi Zhī Dùn means shield of the flame emperor in Chinese.
Dominio means Domain in Spanish.
The Forbidden Arts are a series of moves that use or sacrifice something equivalent, to gain something greater. The sacrifices are typically taboo, hence why the series of moves is called the Forbidden Arts. Self Volcanization is a limit-breaking technique, that will further be explained in the next chapter Kayed is fighting :D
Next chapter drops on May 5th. After volume 1, I plan on taking a month break, to extend the backlog for volume 2, but there are still about 9-10 more chapters left so dw.
Previous First Chapter Next

Dad speaking here - My 9 year old (3rd grader) son that I walk to school in the mornings has started this year to become a bit more hesitant to hold hands walking to school from the car (from school parking lot), which is pretty understandable as he doesn’t need it really.
Now I use to get big hugs, I love you and nice goodbye. Now he seems to be a bit more socially conscious as we get closer to the school, and presumably recognizes some friends walking in, he will just sort of quickly give a hug and an “ok bye”. The few times I’ve said “ok I love you bye!”, he’ll give a quick “love you” and scurry off.
Normally in the house and out and about he’s very affectionate and wrestles with me and gives me big hugs and says “I love you” and “I love you more”, so it’s not really concerning , I just think it’s part of him getting older.
I started alleviating his anxiety on these school dropoffs by just saying bye without the “I love you” so he didn’t feel awkward or forced with it. But deep down I do want to say “I love you bye”, I’m just trying to be sensitive his feelings and circumstances. I’m probably over thinking it, but how would you all handle it?

No man having drank old wine, immediately desires new wine: for he says, "The old is better." - Luke 5:39
The thing that stands between us and the good news of eternity with God, is the intoxicating spirit of the world. Even when we want to be closer to God, our power and pleasure are not things we want to stop indulging. I only know of two things that can sober us up. The first one is suffering; the second is the realization of how serious our sins are.
When things are going well, we take our next breath for granted. We live as if death is something that happens to other people. We're asleep to the eternal lessons God desires to teach us. We only have so much time. "Night comes when no man can work." (John 9:4, Hebrews 9:27) We are called to work out our salvation today. (Philippians 2:12-13, Hebrews 3:15, Psalm 95:7-8)
The Bible can teach us life's lessons the easy way. We can learn how to love our neighbor as ourselves by meditating on scripture. If we're drunk with the world's logic, though, we don't want anyone telling us to do anything. We humans are not naturally open to receiving instruction from God in matters of daily life. The Bible tells us mankind is in a state of hostility toward God. (Romans 8:7, Ecclesiastes 7:20, Psalm 37:21)
When we're suffering, our mind demands that we look at the consequences of sin. It forces us to admit that death should not be, "part of life." Death is our enemy. The Bible explains death is the wages we've earned for sinful behavior. (Romans 6:23, Deuteronomy 32:35, 1 Corinthians 15:55-57) Two men, recorded in the Bible, escaped death. They were Enoch and Elijah. (Genesis 5:24, Hebrews 11:5, 2 Kings 2:1-14) They still left earth to be with God once they had completed the school of life. They became like their Teacher, having mastered the eternal lessons we are here on earth to learn. (Luke 6:40, Isaiah 30:20-21)
God allows suffering into our lives for at least two reasons that I'm aware of. First of all, a good parent has to let us live with the consequences of sin. so we will sober up stop rebelling against truth and love. This is God's last ditch effort to get back to His classroom so we don't end up in hell. We could come to Jesus without suffering, but most of us won't. When we're under the influence of the world, spiritual matters are an annoyance. Have you ever tried to talk to a drunk person about death? They'll call you a buzz-kill or a party-pooper and get away from you as fast as they can. That's how we treat God's tug on our conscience when we're spiritually drunk with the "old wine" - the spirit of the world. (Proverbs 21:2, Luke 5:39) When people are feasting their eyes on the world, they don't prepare for times of weakness. (Proverbs 22:1-3, Matthew 24:48-51) They don't care if they're wasting their lives. They don't want to believe they have to grow up to be like Christ. (Psalm 17:15, Matthew 10:25) They don't imagine what's next when the money runs out, or when they bring something deadly home to their wife. They don't want to think about when the drug wears off in this life. It's often nowhere on the happy person's radar to prepare for what's going to happen when they die. It is appointed for man once to die, and then comes the Judgment - when God makes things fair for the oppressed. (Hebrews 9:27, Luke 16:25, Exodus 23:7*)
The other reason God allows suffering is to purify us from toxic, selfish thinking. Selfish desires cause division. There is no selfishness in heaven. For God to trust us with eternal bodies, we have to prove we will love, even when we don't get our way. Peter explains this in his letters, and Job understood it during his darkest days. (1 Peter 4:12-19, Job 23:8-12)
Jesus explained the purification of the cross this way: He said, "I have a cleansing to be washed with, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished! (Luke 12:50, Hebrews 2:10-18, Isaiah 53:10-12) He proved He was worthy to inherit all things while shedding His blood as payment for our sins. (Leviticus 17:11, Acts 13:35-39) He never stopped loving us, even when we were shouting, "Crucify Him!" and nailing Him to the cross. (Luke 23:33-34, Hebrews 12:4, Isaiah 53:5) He suffered these things, not only so we would be forgiven, but so we could have an example to follow. (Titus 2:14, Isaiah 53:5, Matthew 10:38)
In light of all these things, I'm praying my heart out that we will learn our lessons quickly and completely. May our trials serve their purpose to sober us up so we can progress in our walk with Jesus. He can lead us safely home when we follow His example of patience and love toward one another. (Luke 21:19, John 15:13-14)
Scripture references:
When we fail to contemplate the afterlife, we fail to prepare for it.
John 9:4 NKJV

4 "I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.

Hebrews 9:27 NKJV

27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,

Tomorrow is not promised to any of us. The best time to get right with God is today.
Philippians 2:12-13 NKJV

12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

Hebrews 3:15 NKJV

15 while it is said: "Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion."

Psalm 95:7-8 NKJV

7 For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture, And the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice: 8 "Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, As in the day of trial in the wilderness,

When we acknowledge our frailty, we are thankful for God's help. Once we have a little power, we are inclined toward a state of rebellion against God.
Romans 8:7 NKJV

7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.

Ecclesiastes 7:20 NKJV

20 For there is not a just man on earth who does good And does not sin.

Psalm 37:21

The wicked borrows and does not repay, But the righteous shows mercy and gives.

Death is not a natural part of life, it's the wages we've earned for working injustice in the world.
Romans 6:23 NKJV

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Deuteronomy 32:35 NKJV

35 Vengeance is Mine, and recompense; Their foot shall slip in due time; For the day of their calamity is at hand, And the things to come hasten upon them.'

1 Corinthians 15:55-57 NKJV

55 "O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Genesis 5:24 NKJV

24 And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.

Hebrews 11:5 NKJV

5 By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, "and was not found, because God had taken him"; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

2 Kings 2:1-14 NKJV 1 And it came to pass, when the LORD was about to take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. 2 Then Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here, please, for the LORD has sent me on to Bethel." But Elisha said, "As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!" So they went down to Bethel. 3 Now the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, "Do you know that the LORD will take away your master from over you today?" And he said, "Yes, I know; keep silent!" 4 Then Elijah said to him, "Elisha, stay here, please, for the LORD has sent me on to Jericho." But he said, "As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!" So they came to Jericho. 5 Now the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho came to Elisha and said to him, "Do you know that the LORD will take away your master from over you today?" So he answered, "Yes, I know; keep silent!" 6 Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here, please, for the LORD has sent me on to the Jordan." But he said, "As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!" So the two of them went on. 7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood facing them at a distance, while the two of them stood by the Jordan. 8 Now Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water; and it was divided this way and that, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground. 9 And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?" Elisha said, "Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me." 10 So he said, "You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so." 11 Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!" So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces. 13 He also took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan. 14 Then he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, and said, "Where is the LORD God of Elijah?" And when he also had struck the water, it was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over.
We remain in this temporary life until we've learned how to behave like other responsible, morally upright, eternal beings.
Luke 6:40 NKJV

40 "A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.

Isaiah 30:20-21 NKJV

20 And though the Lord gives you The bread of adversity and the water of affliction, Yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore, But your eyes shall see your teachers. 21 Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left.

We often fail to make provision for anything eternal while we're distracted by pleasure and our false sense of power over our lives. We may even fail to prepare for times of weakness here on earth.
Proverbs 21:2 NKJV

2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the hearts.

Luke 5:39 NKJV

39 "And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, 'The old is better.' "

Proverbs 22:1-3 NKJV

1 A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, Loving favor rather than silver and gold. 2 The rich and the poor have this in common, The LORD is the maker of them all. 3 A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, But the simple pass on and are punished.

Matthew 24:48-51 NKJV

48 "But if that evil servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' 49 "and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, 50 "the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, 51 "and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Learning from the Master is its own reward. Even when it makes the world hate us, we have the joy of His presence.
Psalm 17:15 NKJV

15 As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.

Matthew 10:25 NKJV

25 "It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!

It's wise to think of Judgment Day, when choosing what we do and say.*
Luke 16:25 NKJV

25 "But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.

Exodus 23:7 NKJV

7 "Keep yourself far from a false matter; do not kill the innocent and righteous. For I will not justify the wicked.

Some suffering comes to us as consequences of our unfair or neglectful behavior. Other suffering enters our lives in order to purify us for greater blessings.
1 Peter 4:12-19 NKJV

12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. 14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people's matters. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter. 17 For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 Now "If the righteous one is scarcely saved, Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?" 19 Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.

Job 23:8-12 NKJV

8 "Look, I go forward, but He is not there, And backward, but I cannot perceive Him; 9 When He works on the left hand, I cannot behold Him; When He turns to the right hand, I cannot see Him. 10 But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. 11 My foot has held fast to His steps; I have kept His way and not turned aside. 12 I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth More than my necessary food.

*Our sins ruin earth and make us unfit for eternity in heaven. We earned our death sentence. Our precious Lord and Savior suffered more than any man, to pay the debt we all owed to Justice. He has purchased our freedom to live. Because He loved us to the end, God has given Him all power in heaven and on earth.
Luke 12:50 NKJV

50 "But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished!

Hebrews 2:10-18 NKJV

10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12 saying: "I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You." 13 And again: "I will put My trust in Him." And again: "Here am I and the children whom God has given Me." 14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. 16 For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. 17 Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make payment for the sins of the people. 18 For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

Isaiah 53:10-12 NKJV

10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand. 11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.

Leviticus 17:11 NKJV

11 'For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.'

Acts 13:35-39 NKJV

35 "Therefore He also says in another Psalm: 'You will not allow Your Holy One to see corruption.' 36 "For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption; 37 "but He whom God raised up saw no corruption. 38 "Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; 39 "and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.

Luke 23:33-34 NKJV

33 And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. 34 Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." And they divided His garments and cast lots.

Hebrews 12:4 NKJV

4 You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.

Isaiah 53:5 NKJV

5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

Jesus gave us an example of truth and love to follow, so we can be with Him in eternity.
Titus 2:14 NKJV

14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

Matthew 10:38 NKJV

38 "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

Luke 21:19 NKJV

19 "By your patience possess your souls.

John 15:13-14 NKJV 13 "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. 14 "You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.
Shalom

No man having drank old wine, immediately desires new wine: for he says, "The old is better." - Luke 5:39
The thing that stands between us and the good news of eternity with God, is the intoxicating spirit of the world. Even when we want to be closer to God, our power and pleasure are not things we want to stop indulging. I only know of two things that can sober us up. The first one is suffering; the second is the realization of how serious our sins are.
When things are going well, we take our next breath for granted. We live as if death is something that happens to other people. We're asleep to the eternal lessons God desires to teach us. We only have so much time. "Night comes when no man can work." (John 9:4, Hebrews 9:27) We are called to work out our salvation today. (Philippians 2:12-13, Hebrews 3:15, Psalm 95:7-8)
The Bible can teach us life's lessons the easy way. We can learn how to love our neighbor as ourselves by meditating on scripture. If we're drunk with the world's logic, though, we don't want anyone telling us to do anything. We humans are not naturally open to receiving instruction from God in matters of daily life. The Bible tells us mankind is in a state of hostility toward God. (Romans 8:7, Ecclesiastes 7:20, Psalm 37:21)
When we're suffering, our mind demands that we look at the consequences of sin. It forces us to admit that death should not be, "part of life." Death is our enemy. The Bible explains death is the wages we've earned for sinful behavior. (Romans 6:23, Deuteronomy 32:35, 1 Corinthians 15:55-57) Two men, recorded in the Bible, escaped death. They were Enoch and Elijah. (Genesis 5:24, Hebrews 11:5, 2 Kings 2:1-14) They still left earth to be with God once they had completed the school of life. They became like their Teacher, having mastered the eternal lessons we are here on earth to learn. (Luke 6:40, Isaiah 30:20-21)
God allows suffering into our lives for at least two reasons that I'm aware of. First of all, a good parent has to let us live with the consequences of sin. so we will sober up stop rebelling against truth and love. This is God's last ditch effort to get back to His classroom so we don't end up in hell. We could come to Jesus without suffering, but most of us won't. When we're under the influence of the world, spiritual matters are an annoyance. Have you ever tried to talk to a drunk person about death? They'll call you a buzz-kill or a party-pooper and get away from you as fast as they can. That's how we treat God's tug on our conscience when we're spiritually drunk with the "old wine" - the spirit of the world. (Proverbs 21:2, Luke 5:39) When people are feasting their eyes on the world, they don't prepare for times of weakness. (Proverbs 22:1-3, Matthew 24:48-51) They don't care if they're wasting their lives. They don't want to believe they have to grow up to be like Christ. (Psalm 17:15, Matthew 10:25) They don't imagine what's next when the money runs out, or when they bring something deadly home to their wife. They don't want to think about when the drug wears off in this life. It's often nowhere on the happy person's radar to prepare for what's going to happen when they die. It is appointed for man once to die, and then comes the Judgment - when God makes things fair for the oppressed. (Hebrews 9:27, Luke 16:25, Exodus 23:7*)
The other reason God allows suffering is to purify us from toxic, selfish thinking. Selfish desires cause division. There is no selfishness in heaven. For God to trust us with eternal bodies, we have to prove we will love, even when we don't get our way. Peter explains this in his letters, and Job understood it during his darkest days. (1 Peter 4:12-19, Job 23:8-12)
Jesus explained the purification of the cross this way: He said, "I have a cleansing to be washed with, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished! (Luke 12:50, Hebrews 2:10-18, Isaiah 53:10-12) He proved He was worthy to inherit all things while shedding His blood as payment for our sins. (Leviticus 17:11, Acts 13:35-39) He never stopped loving us, even when we were shouting, "Crucify Him!" and nailing Him to the cross. (Luke 23:33-34, Hebrews 12:4, Isaiah 53:5) He suffered these things, not only so we would be forgiven, but so we could have an example to follow. (Titus 2:14, Isaiah 53:5, Matthew 10:38)
In light of all these things, I'm praying my heart out that we will learn our lessons quickly and completely. May our trials serve their purpose to sober us up so we can progress in our walk with Jesus. He can lead us safely home when we follow His example of patience and love toward one another. (Luke 21:19, John 15:13-14)
Scripture references:
When we fail to contemplate the afterlife, we fail to prepare for it.
John 9:4 NKJV

4 "I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.

Hebrews 9:27 NKJV

27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,

Tomorrow is not promised to any of us. The best time to get right with God is today.
Philippians 2:12-13 NKJV

12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

Hebrews 3:15 NKJV

15 while it is said: "Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion."

Psalm 95:7-8 NKJV

7 For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture, And the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice: 8 "Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, As in the day of trial in the wilderness,

When we acknowledge our frailty, we are thankful for God's help. Once we have a little power, we are inclined toward a state of rebellion against God.
Romans 8:7 NKJV

7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.

Ecclesiastes 7:20 NKJV

20 For there is not a just man on earth who does good And does not sin.

Psalm 37:21

The wicked borrows and does not repay, But the righteous shows mercy and gives.

Death is not a natural part of life, it's the wages we've earned for working injustice in the world.
Romans 6:23 NKJV

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Deuteronomy 32:35 NKJV

35 Vengeance is Mine, and recompense; Their foot shall slip in due time; For the day of their calamity is at hand, And the things to come hasten upon them.'

1 Corinthians 15:55-57 NKJV

55 "O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Genesis 5:24 NKJV

24 And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.

Hebrews 11:5 NKJV

5 By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, "and was not found, because God had taken him"; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

2 Kings 2:1-14 NKJV 1 And it came to pass, when the LORD was about to take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. 2 Then Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here, please, for the LORD has sent me on to Bethel." But Elisha said, "As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!" So they went down to Bethel. 3 Now the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, "Do you know that the LORD will take away your master from over you today?" And he said, "Yes, I know; keep silent!" 4 Then Elijah said to him, "Elisha, stay here, please, for the LORD has sent me on to Jericho." But he said, "As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!" So they came to Jericho. 5 Now the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho came to Elisha and said to him, "Do you know that the LORD will take away your master from over you today?" So he answered, "Yes, I know; keep silent!" 6 Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here, please, for the LORD has sent me on to the Jordan." But he said, "As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!" So the two of them went on. 7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood facing them at a distance, while the two of them stood by the Jordan. 8 Now Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water; and it was divided this way and that, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground. 9 And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?" Elisha said, "Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me." 10 So he said, "You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so." 11 Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!" So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces. 13 He also took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan. 14 Then he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, and said, "Where is the LORD God of Elijah?" And when he also had struck the water, it was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over.
We remain in this temporary life until we've learned how to behave like other responsible, morally upright, eternal beings.
Luke 6:40 NKJV

40 "A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.

Isaiah 30:20-21 NKJV

20 And though the Lord gives you The bread of adversity and the water of affliction, Yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore, But your eyes shall see your teachers. 21 Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left.

We often fail to make provision for anything eternal while we're distracted by pleasure and our false sense of power over our lives. We may even fail to prepare for times of weakness here on earth.
Proverbs 21:2 NKJV

2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the hearts.

Luke 5:39 NKJV

39 "And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, 'The old is better.' "

Proverbs 22:1-3 NKJV

1 A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, Loving favor rather than silver and gold. 2 The rich and the poor have this in common, The LORD is the maker of them all. 3 A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, But the simple pass on and are punished.

Matthew 24:48-51 NKJV

48 "But if that evil servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' 49 "and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, 50 "the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, 51 "and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Learning from the Master is its own reward. Even when it makes the world hate us, we have the joy of His presence.
Psalm 17:15 NKJV

15 As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.

Matthew 10:25 NKJV

25 "It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!

It's wise to think of Judgment Day, when choosing what we do and say.*
Luke 16:25 NKJV

25 "But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.

Exodus 23:7 NKJV

7 "Keep yourself far from a false matter; do not kill the innocent and righteous. For I will not justify the wicked.

Some suffering comes to us as consequences of our unfair or neglectful behavior. Other suffering enters our lives in order to purify us for greater blessings.
1 Peter 4:12-19 NKJV

12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. 14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people's matters. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter. 17 For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 Now "If the righteous one is scarcely saved, Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?" 19 Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.

Job 23:8-12 NKJV

8 "Look, I go forward, but He is not there, And backward, but I cannot perceive Him; 9 When He works on the left hand, I cannot behold Him; When He turns to the right hand, I cannot see Him. 10 But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. 11 My foot has held fast to His steps; I have kept His way and not turned aside. 12 I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth More than my necessary food.

*Our sins ruin earth and make us unfit for eternity in heaven. We earned our death sentence. Our precious Lord and Savior suffered more than any man, to pay the debt we all owed to Justice. He has purchased our freedom to live. Because He loved us to the end, God has given Him all power in heaven and on earth.
Luke 12:50

50 "But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!

Hebrews 2:10-18

10 For it was fitting for Him, whom all things are for, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12 saying: "I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You." 13 And again: "I will put My trust in Him." And again: "Here am I and the children whom God has given Me." 14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. 16 For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. 17 Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make payment for the sins of the people. 18 For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

Isaiah 53:10-12 NKJV

10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand. 11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.

Leviticus 17:11 NKJV

11 'For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.'

Acts 13:35-39 NKJV

35 "Therefore He also says in another Psalm: 'You will not allow Your Holy One to see corruption.' 36 "For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption; 37 "but He whom God raised up saw no corruption. 38 "Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; 39 "and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.

Luke 23:33-34 NKJV

33 And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. 34 Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." And they divided His garments and cast lots.

Hebrews 12:4 NKJV

4 You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.

Isaiah 53:5 NKJV

5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

Jesus gave us an example of truth and love to follow, so we can be with Him in eternity.
Titus 2:14 NKJV

14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

Matthew 10:38 NKJV

38 "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

Luke 21:19 NKJV

19 "By your patience possess your souls.

John 15:13-14 NKJV 13 "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. 14 "You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.
Shalom

Prompted by a thread earlier today I thought I'd put this analysis here
First let's dispel the myth that we have had a bunch of underperforming wonderkids the last 15 years. Let us look at the early career stats of kids that made it compared to kids that didn't. In both the a league and nsl era since the mid 90s there have been 3 types of players that have made it at a top level
1) players who have broken through in a 2nd tier euro club by 23. 2) players who dominate the a league/nsl at a sufficiently young age. Now what do I mean by dominance - for a striker you want the all round game to be at least competent and at least 9-10 goals in a single season before leaving. For a striker we only have 1 example in mark viduka who was scoring nearly a goal a game before he was 19. 3) late bloomers who reach insane heights in the a league by their mid 20s
In principle there is a 4th category of players that break through in a big 5 club by 23 but we only have had 2 of those in our history in kewell and simunic where the latter didn't play for us. So too small a sample size to draw conclusions though we might have 2 players in this category in circati and volpato where the latter might anyway do a simunic.
Anyway, lets go through our history of players in each category and we will see a peak of players in this category just before the gg appeared as well as now. This list is incomplete and no doubt the older players have a sample bias regarding players that made it and ignores players that didn't. So any player that fits into these categories that I am missing, please let me know. To increase the sample size of historical successes I'm also including kiwis. The larger the sample size the more reliable the comparison
Early breakthrough in Europe
I could use some help with history here but as far as I can tell, we have the following players in category 1

1. Vince Grella (just, was turning 24 the year he broke through)
2. Bresciano
3. Tim Cahill
4. Emerton who is also in category 3
5. Alex Gersbach
6. Tommy Oar
7. Mat Ryan
8. Matthew Leckie
9. Tom Rogic (just, was turning 24 the year he broke through at celtic)
10. Culina (just, was turning 24 the year he broke through)
11. Hrustic (just, was turning 24 the year he broke through)
12. Viduka
13. Aloisi
14. Brett holman
15. Jackson irvine
16. Luongo (just, was turning 24 the year he broke through in the championship)
17. Christian vieri (didn't play for us but we developed him) broke through in the seri b at u21
18. Jason Davidson broke through at eredivisie at u23. 19, Scott mcdonald broke through at u22 in scotland
19. Liberto circaci (NZ) was first choice at u22 in belgium
20. Chris wood (NZ) was first choice at u21 in the championship
21. Ersam Gulum (turkey) broke through in the turkish league at u22 and played a ton of games for besiktas
22. Vince grella broke through in seri b at 23 (was turning 24)
23. Okon broke through in belgium at u22
24. Josh Kennedy was a buli 2 regular at u23
25. Kevin muscat (just, was turning 24 when he broke through in the english 2nd tier)
26. Skoko broke through in croatia at u22
27. Kilkenny has a career that is tricky to make sense of as he had a breakthrough season in the epl at u21 then never reached the same height. Added him late but perhaps he is the biggest disappointment of the a league era crew though didn't get much focus
28. Metcalf. Silly me he was born nov 1999 and broke through last season with 31 games in buli 2 which means he was 22/23 when breaking through

Apart from this we have Harry Kewell who broke through in the epl rather than a 2nd division at a young age, bosnich who was a regular in the epl at u23 and Simunic who just broke through in the first division before turning 24. These two players were truly exceptional even by the standards of our very best. So I'm aware of 31 players in total before the current mob and nearly all of them are our elite socceroos/other national teams as well as 2 nz players and 1 turkish player. I'm also only including golden gen players that made it. As you might note, I've included 3 a league era players that didn't reach great heights in Gersbach, Davidson and Oar who both had great starts to their careers. So these are 3 wonderkids that didn't live to their potential but still all made a good impact for the socceroos.
Notice how few a league era players in this category there were! We wanted there to be wonderkids but sadly were a bit subjective and seeing things we wanted to see.
The fact a few wonderkids peaked early isn't a surprise, given that a pfa analysis found that 1/3rd of players who get u20 minutes in the a league are lost to the game a few years later. About a 3rd of young players inexplicably peak early - in fact oars best season in his career was as a 22 year old eredivisie player. Still it appears to be a big green flag in a career to break through in europe before 23. Note also that players who achieve this earlier tend to be better as a mob than those who achieve it later, but every player that has achieved this has done something decent for the roos with the exception of scott mcdonald and most are standouts by our standards. So which players do we have now that are achieving this?

1. Tyrese Francois (just breaking through in denmark before 24)
2. Harry souttar (just broke through in the championship before turning 24)
3. Samuel Silvera (just breaking through in the championshi before turning 24)
4. Yazbek u22 (broke through last season)
5. Neiwenhof u23 broke through this season
6. Triantis u21 seems to be first choice on loan in the spl at a very young age
7. circati u21 and been first choice at the top of seri b and broke through last season. He could be in the freakish harry kewell category of breaking through in the big 5 before 23.
8. Volpato at u21 if we get him to play for us (I think he will since he is behind others in the italy team) is in and out of the starting spot in the seri a also putting him in that freakish category of breaking through in a 1st div league while young
9. bos has done great in the juliper league at u22
10. Genreu who played 37 games in ligue 2 at u23

Note that the current players that have achieved this are a larger group than the rest of the a league era combined with the younger players breaking through earlier. Note also that only 2 of these players were with the olyroos
I am also optimistic about kuol, toure and robertson. - Robertson is widely believed to be the best player in league 1 this year and has time, perhaps with portsmouth. His next loan move is crucial - Kuol was first choice for 7 games in the eredivisie before his club sacked their manager, technical director and they started parking the bus and having no wingers. He did quite well with a goal of the month and a neat little highlights package from a fan. Born in 2004 time is on his side but his next loan is vital and he looked bereft of confidence this tournament. - Toure was getting starts in ligue 2 in france before a big injury. Finishing was a feature of his game before the injury which he just came back from. He has come off the bench the last 2 games. Born in 2004 he has so much time on his hands to reach this green flag
Early dominance of the a league
The second green flag is dominating the league at a young enough age. Lets look at the age and year of succesful roos and how many goals they scored. Again I would love some examples of nsl era roos that achieved this but had a less notably euro career.

1. Brett emerton (winger) u21 scored 9 in 31 games
2. Robbie Kruse (winger) u23 scored 11 and in 21 games
3. Mile Sterjovski (winger) u21 scored 11 in 31 games
4. Viduka (striker) 27 goals in 27 games at u20
5. Nikita Rukavytsya (strikewinger) 10 goals in 19 games at u22
   
6. Marco Rojas (winger) scored 15 goals at u22
   

Taking note of the positions they play is important. A goal every 4 games is strong for a winger and 1 goal in 2-3 games is dominant. However, for a striker a strong season is a goal every 2 games and dominant season is a goal every game. Note that all but rojas of them had at least 1 good season in the big 5 in their careers and rojas is a handy international player with a bunch of ok seasons in 2nd teir euro leagues
What about the current mob? We have a few who have achieved this green flag

1. Riley mcgree (wingecam) u22 scored 13 in 28 games
2. Marco Tilio (winger) u22 scored 10 goals in 31 games
3. Milanovic (winger) u23 scored 8 goals in 24 games so far
4. Brook (winger u23 scored 8 goals in 22 games so far
5. irankunda (winger u19) scored 8 in 24 games with the all star game to come
6. Samuel silvera (winger u23) scored 8 in 29 games
   
7. Milanovic 9 goals for the season (winger u23)
   
8. Brook 9 goals for the season (winger u23)
   

I am also optimistic about Clayton Taylor, a u20 who has 7 goals in 24 games, Grimaldi (u21) with 5 goals, Rodriguez (u21) with 5 goals and Daniel Bennie because he first choice at u18. In CAM I am most optimistic about Bernando who had 5 goals from 16 games this season before injury and is u20, so time is on his side. For strikers I would only look at Waddingham (u19) who has 10 goals in 26 games in all comps, Max Caputo and Jovanovic are also u19 and have held starts for periods with both getting goals. I'm afraid all of them are behind viduka at the same age by a distance but well above anything we have produced in the a league era in terms of stats at the same age. So unfortunately the absolute elite attackers of the golden gen are ahead of our current mob. In any case note we have more players in this category than the rest of the a league era combined
Late bloomers
The third green flag are late bloomers. This category absolutely dominates the a league at a late age or they work their way slowly through europe, picking up huge amount of experience. Players I would put in this category are

1. Aaron mooy at u26 got 11 goals and 10 assists
2. chipperfield at u26 got 17 goals in 24 games from wing
3. Lazaridis left at u23 and took a while battle hardening in europe
4. Milos Jedinak spent ages in lower divisions of europe before breaking through in the epl as a u30
5. Tony Vidmar finally broke through at rangers at u29 after pottering around in australia, the eredvisie and fighting for game time at the rangers
6. Frank farina, hard to get stats but seems to have broken through in mid 20s for club brugge after dominating as a u24 for marconi
7. Schwarzer broke through at u27 in the epl after pottering around in lower divisions. Gks often break through later
8. Zelic broke through at u28 after a bunch of years getting game time in first divisions in the big 5
9. Tony popovic played in a lot of leagues but did peak in the epl where he managed 23 games in a season. Not a breakthrough but listing him due to his prominence
10. Robbie Slater played a ton of nsl and ligue 2 games before playing a bunch of epl games after 30
11. Tiatto's breakthrough season in europe was as an u27 player in the english 2nd tier after a ton of domestic games and he did well in the epl
12. Tony vidmar brokethrough in the eredivisie at u26 after a ton of domestic games and ended up playing for the rangers
13. Aurelio vidmar broke through at u25 in europe after a ton of domestic games then managed a 25 game season in the la liga

Of the current mob I am optimistic of the following 1. Nisbet u24 cm with 3 goals and 15 assists in 36 games at u25 2. jackson irvine u31 in automatic promotion spot with 4 games left 3. metcalf. Scapegoated for the national team is in automatic promotion at u25 and first choice and has a great skill set. I suspect fans will warm to him when he gets climatized more 4. Luongo u31 and in auto promotion spot most of the season after pottering round lower divisions. Very tight finish 5. Cameron burgess u29 and in an autopromotion spot most of the season after pottering around lower divisions. Again a tight finish
Again we have more current potential late bloomers than the rest of the a league era combined. Having said that, potential is not reality and this should only be pencilled in.
Conclusion
I would put to those saying "we have hyped players before" to look at their early career stats objectively. When did they first break through in europe? If they did well in the a league how many goals did they get from how many games before they left? What age were they when they achieved any of the above feat?s Keep in mind that a 3rd of players peak early, so its no surprise if a few players fade, these players are anyway replaced by the occasional late bloomer that comes from nowhere. So taking the next generation as a whole, we have, for the first time in 25 years objective reasons to be optimistic. I expect the nst will make a difference in helping kids get early minutes too as well as bringing back clubs who developed the golden gen back into the fold to some degree. So yes we had 3 poor games with a 2nd string olyroos, but look at how few of the players I lister were part of that squad and also 3 games as bad as they are, contrasted with our performance against good opponents in waff, in qatar last november and in france last summer. Yeah it hurts, but here is another fact from history There is only one olyroos squad that failed to get a single point at the olympics between 1992 and 2004
It is the 2000 side that had - home ground advantage - mark viduka - an unavailable harry kewell - lazaridis - skoko -emerton -neill -culina -bresciano - grella
This mob after losing to hondurus went on to be the best we ever had. By contrast the team that made the final of a youth world cup was the worst we have ever produced. Youth players are inconsistent which is why tournament results at this age are such a poor predictor compared to club achievements.

Because I missed playing Baldur's Gate with you... when Thu came out... So I'm hoping I can catch you for the 3rd Release 😇
I’m going to describe “you”:
You barely remember your childhood because you pretty much completely disassociated and lived in beautiful or tragic but interesting and always changing fantasy worlds you thought of on your own or consumed from others’ ideas from in media of all different types. Fictional characters have felt more real to you than people because it is the emotion that is familiar to you that tells you what is alive, not a heartbeat or breath. And the emotion is so dead in so many of their eyes.
Each character in a story you lived in and friend you make and love you fall into, they are music to you in your memories, and they still speak to you through their emotion you know is so familiar, but maybe your inner sight forgot it can or how to 💩 back to them.
You can visualize information moving through origins through networks through code through radio waves through information packets through language through thought through decisions through gut through emotion through decision makers through societal and organizational constructions through propagation and control… and also see the “emotion” in control at each context gate.
And you can do the same for energy.
And money.
And you see something that you know not many people do. And you’re not sure if you do, but your brain keeps clic- clicking back to thinking about it, and it feels like it’s so clear, but you also can’t articulate it because there’s a block.
You know you only see such a small fraction of the world, but your mind is honed to calculate and make inferences from every piece of knowledge and conversation that flows in and changes and tries to make your understanding of reality closer to… this one. Because truth is law to you, it always has been, but that’s why you can lie yourself into or out of any situation because when the truth is on your side she speaks through your mouth.
You see the pain in the world, you fix what you can handle, always when it doesn’t cost you a thing, and are always thinking about how to fix the same thing at scale. You are Machiavellian as fuck though, and you can project out the outcomes of decisions into different future paths, feel their variabilities and probabilities, and incorporate new information into the model that is always running in your head.
You know how to cultivate.
Your mind: you have thought about how to sharpen it, grow it, make it denser, more flexible, faster, wider, how to store information, relate it, operate on relations, query, view it from different perspectives, cast it into bullets when pointed at _ , and speak it as life from your mouth.
Your body: you can manipulate the pressure and suction of energy, matter, gas, and liquid through the channels of your body. When you straighten your back an energy flows from your spine, and you can point it through your forehead and direct it within and without. You know exactly where God is. And you can name where the convergence points form spirals within your body. Right is in. Left is out.
Your people: ask you for help because they know you will always give it. A problem is a game for you, and solving it is a quest. Because you have always been… “Free.” And you couldn’t articulate the word but you knew something was different about you, something that set you apart, but you always felt closer to... More.
And wherever you are in the world there is an injustice that you have a perspective on… a way money works or flows, or how power is established and counted as voted, an abuse of privilege, an oversight of potential. You see greed stepping on pain, and know the world’s wealthy won’t solve what you’re thinking because despite what they say, stepping on pain is how they have always gotten their pleasure.
But you know the world is an engineering problem. And a logistics problem. And a leadership problem.
But you also know it’s not a financial problem, because if it was we could solve it with more numbers we could just make up.
Because when the same power structure that can create its own money is the same one that tells you there is not enough of it to solve the pain that they jack off to… You have been preparing to teach that power structure a thing or two about money, and what value really is. But to learn it, the initiation ritual requires a needle, an eye, and a camel. You have given all of your money away to start the game over on new game+ at least once… so far. For shits and giggles 🤷🏻‍♂️😉💩
And wherever you are in the world, you have your eyes… on what feels like a “piece” of a plan that your mind keeps click- clicking in your mind as you work out how to annihilate what sort of looks like the Soft White Under Belly of a $nake
🌈So if that sounds like it might be you… want to play Baldur’s Gate 3 with me and dad? We’re trying to form a Party 🦄… and I am so sick of doing all the math.
🔥🪑🪑💩
Seriously Bro, he keeps rolling 69s and it's completely ruining the fun, so if you're here he won’t fucking cheat as much if there are 3 of us, thu yous, and N Party 🦄 🤷🏻‍♂️
And he's been so bored waiting for you to come home and join our Party 🦄 that he won't stop jiggling his controller and keeps fucking clic-- clicking...the 😮
🤫
Hey Joy 👋... 👨🏻 Put that stick down babe 😘
😇🤣

I’ve occasionally seen the question posted here of “who as gonna have kids and then decided not?” But interested if anyone here was once pro life?
Back when I was in later middle school and high school i was intrested in politics such as gun control and global warming. Abortion wasn’t something that i nesscaraily paid attention to really understood. I wouldn’t say I was pro life but the idea of abortion was something that seemed surreal? (I don’t how exactly describe it but it didn’t exactly sit right with me when I learned what it was. But I was always pro choice).
When I was in High school I had a friend (a person who I wouldn’t consider a friend anymore) told me why he was pro life (he was a Christian conservative who also always quite kinky) he said that he saw video of an abortion done by the suction method where some fetus tried to use its arms to crawl out (although he did not explain if this abortion was elective or not, when the woman found out she was pregnant, if she got pregnant through rape, at what stage it was done, etc.) And my senior gov teacher although did not explicitly say he was pro life implied he was while talking about roe v wade stating that America is one of the few countries that allows 3rd trimester abortions (even though only a very small amount take place that late and even then it’s almost always for medical reasons and not elective ones.) (this was when the Supreme Court was hearing Dobbs).
When Roe vs Wade was overturned I saw almost everyone on my instagram saying this was terrible (even accounts that leaned conservative disagreed). It really opened my eyes to how many people were really upset at the overturning of Roe and just how important it was to a lot of people. And it showed me that maybe those pro lifers in high school were wrong.
Back during December I decided to self teach myself sex ed as well as abortion and I’ll just say I am STRONGLY and unapologetically pro choice. And learning about how right wingers/ pro lifers have been persecuting women all over the country (even before Dobbs) just enraged me.
All I can hope is that one day abortion becomes legal in every state in America again.
Fuck pro lifers especially Shelly Shannon, Scott Philip Roeder, Paul Jennings Hill, Eric Rudolph, and Robert Lewis Dear Jr

** ALL WEEKEND (FRI 5/3 - SUN 5/5) *\*
10 AM - 2 PM Beetlejuice Tea Party Snapdragon Tea, 115 Harvard Dr. SE We’re hosting a specially themed tea party in tribute to Beetlejuice coming to Popejoy Hall! Enjoy three themed courses of small bites, accompanied by two pots of hot tea of your choice. Available for one weekend only! We welcome kids of all ages to our tea parties, children’s menus are available upon request. Gluten free, vegetarian and vegan menus are available upon request as well. Reservations required
** BOTH FRI 5/3 AND SAT 5/4 *\*
8 AM - 2 PM Old Fashioned Church Rummage Sale Hope in the Desert Episcopal Church, 8700 Alameda Blvd. NE Snag amazing deals on really good stuff - from furniture to kitchen items, household essentials, electronics, and much more!
New MexiChords In Concert! Sentimental Journey St. John's United Methodist Church, 2626 Arizona St. NE A Capella Live Concert! Join us for as we reminisce through favorite songs. Special guest: Quartet of All Time! $15 Tickets at Door

• Fri 7 - 9 PM
• Sat 2 - 4 PM

** BOTH SAT 5/4 AND SUN 5/5 *\*
Mother's Day Kid's Gift Making Workshop Pinspiration, 6271 Riverside Plaza Ln. NW, Ste D1 Join us for a unique and fun way for your kiddos to honor and celebrate their mom, aunts, grandmas or any important mother figure in their lives. A hand-crafted gift from your child will really show mom how much they love them! Drop off the kiddos for an afternoon of crafting to make something very special! Workshop fee – $35.00 per child (Special gift, Gift wrapping, Snack and drink). Limited spots available and will sell out fast, so register early! Workshop fee is non-refundable so if your unable to attend, a studio credit will be given for another workshop, crafts or our splatter experience

• Sat -- 3 - 5 PM
• Sun -- 2 - 4 PM

4 PM American Music - Then and Now Spring has arrived in New Mexico and the Albuquerque Civic Chorus is delighted and excited to welcome you to our spring concert - American Music - Then and Now. If you’re not familiar with our music, we are a group of over sixty vocal musicians with different backgrounds, professions, and musical training. But what we share is our love for music and sharing it with the community. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Tickets purchased online will be available at the door and are good for either day

• Fri -- First Christian Church, 10101 Montgomery Blvd. NE
• Sat -- Asbury United Methodist Church,10000 Candelaria NE

** Fri 5/3 *\*
Fri 10:45 AM – 12 PM Coffee Concert 4: Early Beethoven South Broadway Cultural Center, 1025 Broadway Blvd. SE Na’Zir McFadden conductor, Anthony Ratinov piano. Beethoven Prometheus (Die Geschöpfe des Prometheus): Overture; Beethoven Concerto, Piano, No. 3, Op. 37, c minor; Beethoven Symphony No. 2, Op. 36, D Major. The last NMPhil Coffee Concert of 2023/24 is sure to leave you excited for next season! Premiered in 1803 in Vienna and conducted by the composer himself, Beethoven’s second foray into the world of big, public symphonies combines his unique artistry with his humor, stated through various musical jokes in the Scherzo and Finale. This is one of the last works of Beethoven’s early period. The program—led by Na’Zir McFadden—also includes Anthony Ratinov performing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 to lighten your early-spring morning (tickets)
Fri 2 – 9 PM Grand Opening NM Rave Cave, 115 7th St. NW Come see our new location and check out our vendors, food trucks and local dj’s playing in store. Complete with an ABQ Live Photo Booth. Big Boss Hotlinks will be on site with Burgers, Dogs , Fries and more! We are teaming up with Viva ABQ, 505 Junglists, Carma Presents, ABQ Live, Unyk Lyfe, ASTRL Entertainment, Otter World Music, Audio Elite NM and Mr.Afterhours to bring you a one of a kind experience! Vendors - Alchemy Beauty - Magic Cup Boba Tea - Rastafari_Mari - Own The Day - The Mexican Witch - High Chi Mandalas - Astrl Ent
Fri 3:30 - 7:30 PM Family Block Party! Coldwell Banker Legacy Paseo, 8200 Carmel Ave NE Great fun for the whole family! Car show, bouncy houses, mechanical bull! Welcome to a celebration for our cherished community and the wonderful clients who make our work so rewarding. Join us for an unforgettable day filled with fun, laughter, and gratitude right at our brokerage!
Fri 5 PM Blueberry Berliner Weisse Release Tractor Brewing - All locations You asked for a sour and now you got one! Hitting your taste buds like spring allergies, the Blueberry Berliner will be available on tap everywhere
Fri 5 - 7 PM Social Hour in the Lounge Historic Lobo Theater, 3013 Central Ave NE Enjoy acoustic covers with Salty Joe's Song Book
Fri 5 – 8 PM Honky Tonk for Hope, Health and Healing The Dirty Bourbon Dance Hall & Saloon, 9800 Montgomery Blvd., Ste 4 As we wrap up our Get Screened Campaign, we invite you to come dance the night away with us at Dirty Bourbon! There will be food, fun, and dancing! This fundraising event benefits Casa Esperanza! For more info, Jacob Romero 505-246-2706 or [jromero@casanm.org](mailto:jromero@casanm.org) (tickets)
Fri 6 PM Country Social Dance CSP Dance Studios, 1624 Eubank Blvd. NE We'll be playing the best country music for dancing where you'll be able to practice your Country Two Step, Night Club, West Coast Swing, East Coast Swing, Cha Cha, Waltz, Rhythm Two Step, 4-count Swing, Line Dancing and more! $10 cash at the door. Welcome lesson 6:00-6:30pm. Call 505-883-9521 for more info
Fri 6 PM 'Burque Bee 2024 Canteen Brewhouse, 2381 Aztec Rd. NE Join us on the patio at the Brewhouse to show off your spelling chops. To give yourself an even better chance of winning, for $5 you can buy coupons like More Time (get 30 more seconds to confer), Stinger (sting your opponents!) and Help (get help from the audience). Team Registration $75. 3 people per team, limited to 12 teams. Gather your teams and get registered today!
Fri 6 PM Luke Bulla Concert Covenant Presbyterian Church, 9315 Candelaria Rd. NE Luke has been singing and playing music most of his life. Touring with and singing in his family band from age four, Luke has won National Fiddle Contest (in Weiser, Idaho) six times in his respective age categories. His seventh win came in the Grand Champion division at age sixteen, making him the youngest to have earned the title at the time. More recently Luke has performed and/or recorded with Brandi Carlile, Jim Lauderdale, Darrell Scott, Alison Krauss, Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, Edgar Meyer, Bela Fleck, Kevin Costner & Modern West, Russ Barenberg Trio, Shawn Colvin, Tony Rice, Chris Thile, Peter Rowan, Rodney Crowell, and Earl Scruggs, to name a few. Doors at 5:30 pm. Show at 6 pm. Presented by Southwest Pickers. Tickets at the door
Fri 6 – 7:30 PM Spring Fling Dennis Chavez Elementary, 7500 Barstow St. NE Join us for our annual Spring Fling family event! This year we will have food trucks, face painters, a balloonist, a mobile petting zoo, School of Rock performances, lawn games, mini golf and a chance to dunk your principal and favorite teachers. Everyone is welcome! (We could still use some extra hands to keep the event fun and seamless, if you could spare some time, sign up here)
Fri 6 – 8:30 PM Pizza Paint & Craft Night Canvas and Coffee, 6700 4th St NW, Los Ranchos Date night for Mom and Dad... Drop off the kids (6+) for a Pizza dinner, then crafting, and painting fun! Each month we will offer a theme and will have 2 projects available for your child to make and take home the same evening! The materials they will be working with will be canvas painting, crafting with wood, beads, ribbon, mod podge, glue, acrylic paint, watercolors, and more! *Children with special dietary needs will need to bring their own snack/meal (tickets)
Fri 7 PM Group Therapy Band Marble Brewery, 111 Marble Ave NW Come dance your jitters away while listening to soothing music to calm a nervous world
Fri 7 PM Roust the House + Rock 101 Music Academy Performance Night Outpost Performance Space, 210 Yale Blvd. SE Roust the House and Rock 101 Music Academy return for another exciting season of performances featuring local teen bands and soloists, from punk rock to classical piano to singer-songwriters, hip hoppers, spoken word artists, and more, including The Hunnies, a Rock 101 alumni band, and other talented up-and-coming musicians.Tonight’s show features winners of Rock 101’s Band League Challenge and more. Founded in 2011 by Director Kevin Herig, Rock 101 Music Academy is a year-round program for musicians as young as 4 years old through their teen years featuring one on one and group lessons, band mentoring, and more. Their goal is “to empower our musicians by unlocking this amazing universal language so that they may walk more confidently and creatively through life.” (tickets)
Fri 7 – 9 PM Tacos & Rides Truck Night Cafe Bella Coffee, 2604 Violeta Cir SE, Rio Rancho Join us at Cafe Bella Coffee for a night where trucks reign supreme. Roll in with your ride—whether it's lifted, lowered, or custom-built. Let's make every Thursday a tribute to the rugged charm of trucks! All trucks welcome! Showcase your pride and joy. Connect & Converse: Swap stories and ideas with fellow truck and auto enthusiasts. Savor: Bite into delicious street tacos and chill out with good eats. Safety First: Courtesy presence by Rio Rancho Police for a safe, fun evening. Drive in, hang out, and fuel your passion for trucks at New Mexico's longest-running automotive meet. Let's keep the wheels turning and the tacos grilling!
Fri 7 – 10 PM Ulthar Sister, 407 Central Ave NW This Bay Area band is sowing the seeds of planetary entropy by way of horrifying blacked cosmic death metal (tickets)
Fri 7 – 10 PM Galactic Funk Star Wars Party w/ Kaleido Tractor Brewing - Westside, 5720 McMahon Blvd. NW Come celebrate Star Wars weekend with killer tunes from the always amazing DJ Kaleido!
Fri 8 – 11 PM First Fridays w/ DJ Flo Fader Tractor Brewing, 122 Tulane Dr. SE He's just too good to not have in Nob Hill at least once a month. Come jam out with one of NM's absolute BEST DJs and kick off your weekend with FLO FADER!
Fri 8:30 PM – 12 AM 1st Fridays SBKZ Alley Kats Tap Company, 219 Truman St. NE Joining the Salsa, Bachata, Kizomba, and Zouk dance communities has been a blast! Please join us as we welcome Albuquerque resident DJ Karla of Metta Dance Collective and welcome back world renowned Ry’el of Zenzouk for another amazing social! Theme: Sparkles -- Let’s sparkle and shine with gratitude for having Ry’el and Rachel with us the last 3 going on 4 months! There will be 2 ROOMS! Room 1: Salsa & Bachata. Room 2: Zouk & Kizomba. Music by DJ Karla - Room 1, DJ Yaz - Room 2. $10 Cover: Cash/Venmo/Cashapp accepted. Snacks and drinks provided
Fri 9 PM The Millennium Video Music Dance Party -“Barbie Prom” Sunshine Theater, 120 Central Ave NW Get ready for a night of electrifying nostalgia Millennium Video Music Dance Party presents the ultimate “Barbie Prom” extravaganza, unlike anything you've experienced before! Brace yourself for the most sensational, dazzling, and downright iconic 90s and 2000s Video Music Dance Party to ever grace our town! Picture this: a world that exudes the glamour, glitz, energy, of your very own Barbie dream world. Prepare to be dazzled into a shimmering oasis of pink, glitter, and all things fabulous. Whether you're channeling the chic sophistication of Barbie herself or embracing the edgy coolness of Ken, this is your chance to shine like never before! Dance the night away to the biggest hits from the 90s and 2000s, (100% Music videos) curated to perfection to keep you grooving all night. Think Beyonce, Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys, Pitbull, One Direction, Kesha, Usher, Justin Timberlake, Gwen Stefani, Eminem, 50 Cent, Lady Gaga, Black Eyed Peas, Flo Rida, Britney Spears…. and beyond – Get ready to strike a pose at our dedicated Barbie Prom photo-booth, make memories that are guaranteed to last for years to come (tickets)
Fri 9 – 11:30 PM LoPhat Juno, 1501 1st St. NW Dance to Live Music by one of ABQ's top R&B-flavored bands! From the Caribbean to Baltimore, from Detroit to El Paso, from the Pacific Islands to Albuquerque… with this melting pot of soul, rhythms, experience, and passion, there isn’t a “skool” that isn’t represented! LoPhat believes there is something to be learned from every soul that crosses your path. This way of thinking has given them the ability to incorporate and masterfully execute most genres of music and makes them a class all their own. Surpassing all “Variety Bands” with more listening choices than your radio, this band is sure to have something even the most skeptical listeners will enjoy. Founded in 2023, this band has gained a committed following. In their first year they have already played for Sandia Casino, the City of Albuquerque, New Mexico State Fair, Gathering of Nations, Ohkay Casino, Route 66 Casino, and so many more! LoPhat is set to release their first album in 2024 showcasing their melding of different cultures to bring you “feel good” music in a way that seems so familiar yet so new! (tickets)
Fri 9 PM – 1:30 AM Back in the Day: A First Friday Experience Backstage at Revel, 4720 Alexander Blvd. NE DJs Gonzo Supreme and Clout will be spinning all your favorite 90s and 2000s Hip Hop & R&B hits and more! 21+ (tickets)
Fri 9 PM – 1:30 AM Callaita Fridays Salt Yard West, 3700 Ellison Dr. NW Get ready for an unforgettable night as DJs Julio & Soiree take the outdoor stage, promising an electrifying journey into Latin music. Let the pulsating rhythms and contagious energy sweep you away as you dance under the stars. This 21+ event guarantees an atmosphere where you can fully embrace the rhythm without inhibition. Whether you're a seasoned Reggaeton enthusiast or simply looking for a night of unparalleled fun and excitement, "Callaita Fridays" promises an experience like no other! (tickets)
Fri 10:30 PM – 12:15 AM OMEN - the debut haunting psychedelic feature by Belgian-Congolese musican/artist Baloji The Guild Cinema, 3405 Central Ave NE Check out the trailer. Dir. Baloji - 2024 - 90m - Democratic Republic of Congo, Netherlands, Belgium - In French, Swahli, Lingala, English with English subtitles. After spending years in Belgium, Koffi (Marc Zinga), a young Congolese man, returns to his birthplace of Kinshasa to confront his family and homeland culture. Secrecy and sorcery erupt when a nosebleed is mistaken for a curse, and Koffi is shunned from his family. Using magical realism to paint a portrait of “undesirables” and “sorcerers,” OMEN delves into the intricacies of identity, culture, and belief systems through a deeply rich and visually captivating lens (tickets)
** Sat 5/4 ** -- Star Wars Day
Sat 8 AM May Volunteer Clean Up Historic Fairview Cemetery, 700 Yale Blvd. SE The monthly volunteer clean up at Historic Fairview Cemetery takes place on the first Saturday of most months (except holiday weekends). Mustard is running rampant! We'll focus on doing what we can to address those weeds. Please dress to protect yourself from the strong Southwest sun. Wear sunscreen, a hat, long pants and shirts, sturdy shoes. Bring tools and gloves to garden, we'll provide the trash bags, water and snacks
Sat 8 – 11 AM Rigs & Coffee Pinon Coffee House, 4545 Alameda Blvd. Get ready for a unique automotive experience! This gathering is all about celebrating the spirit of adventure and the love for off-road vehicles, right in the heart of New Mexico
Sat 8 AM – 12 PM OPENING DAY! 6718 Rio Grande Blvd NW, Los Ranchos WE'RE BACK! Come kick off the opening day of the regular 2024 season of the Los Ranchos Art Market! Plenty of parking and open space for all! Free entry! Pet friendly! Bring your family and friends to kick off the season and pick out that special mom a beautiful high quality hand made gift by our local artists!
Sat 8 AM – 12 PM Downtown Growers' Market Robinson Park, Every Saturday from 8 am - 12 pm at Robinson Park! This vibrant community event connects local farmers, growers, artisans, wellness makers, and hot food vendors with the local community from mid-April to early-November. Bring friends / family or come solo to enjoy fresh food made on sight, a variety of seasonal produce, unique arts and crafts, live music, and special programming all in the heart of downtown
Sat 8:30 AM Workout Fun in the Park! 9709 Layton Ave NE Join BFit505 for a fun community workout! Wear your walking/running shoes, a workout clothes. All ages, all fitness levels. Just $5 drop in to the park!
Sat 9 AM Cinco De Mayo Celebration Osuna Nursery, 501 Osuna Rd. NE Celebrate Cinco de Mayo early with a full day of celebration! You'll find: • chips & salsa • a special mix from DJ Everedy of Red Sapphire Entertainment • Osuna University 'Planting for Pollinators' with local author and landscape designer Judith Phillips from 11am-12pm. It's the perfect opportunity to brighten up your own celebrations with beautiful blooms and gorgeous serving-ware including artisan talavera
Sat 9 AM – 1 PM Herb Day 2024 Sonia Masocco Phytotherapy, 11930 Menaul Blvd NE, Ste 109 This is our Annual Herb Day Open House & Medicinal Plant Sale. Come visit your local herbal apothecary, mingle with like minded people, purchase your plants for your medicinal or aromatic garden or just come and have a cup of tea with us. This event is free, for all ages with parking lot access
Sat 9 AM – 4 PM La Cueva Band Booster Club Annual Spring Craft Fair La Cueva High School, Perfect time to pick up a unique Mother's Day gift from over 140 artists and vendors!
Sat 9 AM – 6 PM Heels & Wheels - Women's Ride Day! Indian Motorcycle of Albuquerque, 4509 Alameda Blvd. NE Ladies, we invite you to come out and ride your bike! Ride on your own, with your significant other, with friends or find some riding partners at the event. You set your pace and ride your ride. We will be at Indian Motorcycle 9am - 11am. Grab some food and some coffee or tea at the trucks on site. We'll have the oldies station on deck to keep you vibing all morning. Check out all the sales on bikes and gear at Indian before or after you stop by registration in the back. We will have a few stations and tables set up that we would love for you to check out. There will be some trivia at the end location for some giveaways. You will be provided a wrist band and a list of participating businesses with their addresses and hours of operation so you can plan your ride. make it a day, make it fun, stop and have lunch but visit as many of the businesses as you like. You will be collecting beads from each business you visit. These beads will only be given to a female who has a wrist band, but all are welcome to ride. Many of the businesses will have their own party going on to celebrate this day with you. Stop in and support these local businesses and collect your beads. Bring all those beads to Hops Brewery, 7222 4th St NW, Los Ranchos between 3pm-6pm. Trade them in for free raffle tickets that you can use to win many great prizes we have collected from our participating businesses. Don't worry, if you didn't collect beads or need more raffle tickets we will have them on sale and everyone is welcome to purchase as many as you like. Then grab a bite and a drink. Mingle, shop some of our vendors, enjoy the giveaways, and performance by live band, Crazy Bird! They are amazing so we hope you can dance in your biker boots (tickets)
Sat 10 AM – 12 PM Fourth Annual Car Show 5111 Wilshire Ave NE All are welcome to participate in our annual car show! Corvette, Porsche, Lamborghini, Mercedes Benz, Rolls Royce, and more! There will be a gift basket raffle, free shirts for the first 10 cars, coffee, and snacks. PLEASE CALL SILVER STAR AUTO HAUS AT 505-881-4855 TO REGISTER YOUR CAR!
Sat 10 AM – 1 PM Eternal Bonds & Bubbles with Link x Lou Sawmill Market, 1909 Bellamah Ave NW Indulge in an intimate setting where every ticket promises an unforgettable experience, featuring a complimentary glass of house wine or mocktail (Rosé, White, Red), a curated charcuterie board available to order, and a special $40 credit towards the permanent jewelry of your choice from Link x Lou (tickets)
Sat 10 AM – 2 PM Craft Fair Second Hand Sam's Indoor Mall,1020 Veranda Drive SE, Rio Rancho Space rentals $20. For more info, call 505-544-2636
Sat 10 AM – 2 PM The 2nd & Coal Pop-up! Flyby Provisions, 201 Coal Ave SW We’re bringing the community together for a day of shopping, music, and delicious food! Get ready to explore an eclectic mix of handcrafted treasures from over 20 local vendors, showcasing their unique creations! From handmade jewelry to artisanal foods and everything in between, there’s something for everyone at our market
Sat 10 AM – 3 PM DLC Truck Parks Spring PopUp! 2520 Jefferson St. NE Come support our local vendors! Variety of fun foods and products!
Sat 10 AM – 4 PM Tracks, Tunes, & Taps: A Steam Locomotive 2926 Fundraiser Tractor Brewing - Wells Park, 1800 4th St. NW • Live Music by RJ Perez at noon! • One of the largest steam locomotives on the Planet! • See History Alive! See her run! Become a volunteer and work on our next project! Hear her whistle! All proceeds go toward the continued maintenance and future operations. New Mexico Steam Locomotive and Railroad Historical Society, in charge of the operation of the historic Santa Fe Railway steam locomotive 2926 have finished renovations on this beautiful train and they'll be bringing it to the tracks next to Tractor Wells Park! Come check out this amazing piece of history and get on board!
Sat 10 AM – 4 PM Art Show Fundraiser Unity Spiritual Center, 9800 Candelaria Rd. NE Come and see the vast array of art from our local artists. Find gifts, beautiful and functional objects, and art to adorn your spaces. This is our first art show at Unity and it promises to be a good one! Our Unity EarthCare Team is hosting this art fair. Funds raised are going toward xeriscaping our property and other earth friendly efforts to save water and support pollinators. Snacks, drinks, and live music on the lawn, weather permitting. Painters, Photographers, Sculptors, Potters, Mixed Media Artists, and More have been invited
Sat 10 AM – 4 PM Albuquerque International Festival San Pedro, between Kathryn and Anderson A day filled with fun and festivities, including live music, kids' play area, delicious food, and local vendors!
Sat 11 AM – 1 PM Fun and Games Fundraiser Albuquerque Speech Language and Hearing Center (ASLHC), 9500 Montgomery Blvd. NE, Ste 215 Join us for a fun-filled afternoon of games and activities, with delicious food provided by @ withlovewaffles. A huge thank you to Eagle Credit Union for their financial support!
Sat 11 AM - 4 PM May The Fourth Be With You Sale - Biggest Sale Yet! Don’s Paperback Book Exchange, 1013 San Mateo Blvd. SE Spring has sprung and that means it’s time to have an event, folks! Let’s do a sale - a really big sale! All books and DVDs 50% off - All comics 25% off - All kids get free books too! This sale will include green label comics, CGC comics, and dollar comics
Sat 11 AM – 5 PM Mother's Day Market ABQ Food Park,6951 San Antonio Dr. NE Get ahead of the game and celebrate Mother's Day in style! Before the big day arrives, join us for a delightful pre-celebration where you can grab something special for Mom, Grandma, or that extraordinary woman in your life. Dive into a world of local craftsmanship, delicious food, live music, and outdoor fun at our enchanting outdoor venue. *Browse through the diverse offerings of local artisans *Treat yourself to a mouthwatering delight from our food trucks *Enjoy live music performed by talented local musician Joseph Velasquez *Bring the family to enjoy the festivities with some outdoor games and activities
Sat 11 AM – 7 PM Albuquerque Turkish Festival Raindrop Foundation, 7901 Mountain Rd. NE Festival will feature exquisite samples of Turkish- Mediterranean Cuisine (Doner Gyro Kebab, Baklava, Turkish Coffee and more), cultural exhibits, folk dances, children's area, arts & crafts and more! You do not want to miss this family event that everyone will find something to enjoy! Admission is FREE and the event is open to the public
Sat 11 AM – 10 PM Star Wars Day Celebration Slice and Dice Pizzeria, 2225 Wyoming Blvd. NE From 1-2 pm, stormtroopers from New Mexico's 501st Legion will be available for photos. Throughout the day, we will have teach-and-play for Star Wars miniatures games (Legion and Shatterpoint), as well as the hottest game in the galaxy: Star Wars: The Card Game. Come dressed in your favorite Star Wars fit or gear for a free churro!
Sat 12 PM Free Comic Book Day Age of Comics, 3700 Osuna Rd. NE, Ste 513 We are excited to announce Andy Kuhn and Mark Fenton will be signing in store!
Sat 12 PM Cheers to Moms Market w/ Live Music by Seth Hoffman Canteen Brewhouse, 2381 Aztec Rd. NE Bring your mom and your friends down for an outdoor market (12-4pm) featuring live local music by Seth Hoffman (12-3pm), local artisans with handmade jewelry, soaps, sweets, DIY craft stations for kids, and more. Celebrate you and shop for yourself or others! Additionally, we will be hosting Petals and Pints: A Floral Arrangement Workshop from 12-2pm. Tickets: $40 for the class, a floral arrangement, and pint of beer or root beer the day of the event. Come treat yourself to a day of fun vendors and activities. Beer, wine, and food will be available for purchase. Local Vendors: Wild Child - Nature inspired self-care products, DESERT STACKS Co. - Permanent jewelry, Candace's Craft Corner - NM inspired gifts and earrings, Loveliest of Lovelies - Handmade jewelry, My Plant Addiction ABQ - Rare Plants in Abq, Suz Clay NM - Handmade pottery
Sat 2 – 4 PM May The 4th Be With You Dance Party! Mirador Del Rio on the Rio Grande In a not so distant future... on the banks of a muddy river not that far from you... there arises a galactic gathering of graceful and geeky groovers sent to this world to throw down and feel the force of infectious beats and the gravity of orbiting moons! Let's dance! Temps are predicted to be on the high 70's with some breezes. Don't forget your water, sunscreen, hat, umbrella or whatevs you need to stay comfy and well! As always, these are free events, but if you feel like donating we are gonna keep fundraising for Haven House, which provides shelter and wraparound services for those experiencing domestic violence. This is a very public space so let's continue to be very aware of all the other folks who use this area. Parking is at the northernmost pond at Tingley Beach, the one closest to Central where they have the remote control boats. From there, take the path straight to the river
Sat 2 – 6 PM Kentucky Derby Party Mandy's Farm, 346 Clark Rd. SW Mandy's Farm hosts its annual signature event, The Kentucky Derby Party, on the same day as the Churchill Downs Kentucky Derby. Our Kentucky Derby Party has a unique twist - we race goats! Launched in 2017, our event has experienced remarkable growth, raising $6,000 in its inaugural year to now reaching an impressive $50,000, (100% of the funds raised dedicated to supporting the programs Mandy's Farm provides to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities). The Kentucky Derby Party invites attendees to don their favorite Derby attire, indulge in delicious hors d'oeuvres, participate in lively auctions, and cheer on the racing goats! (tickets)
Sat 3 PM AND 6 PM AND 9 PM Return of the Jedi The Guild Cinema, 3403 Central Ave NE Join New Mexico Entertainment for an epic May The Fourth Be With You Celebration Screening of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi! Not only will you get to enjoy this iconic movie, but if you purchase your tickets in advance, you'll also be entered to win awesome door prizes from Bubonicon and talented artists Jeremy Montoya and Jon Sanchez! Costumes are strongly encouraged! So dust off your lightsabers, grab your favorite Star Wars attire, and get ready to immerse yourself in the galaxy far, far away! We have three screenings available for your convenience and a special appearance by the 501st Dewback Ridge Garrison. So pick the time that works best for you and get ready for an unforgettable movie experience! Luke Skywalker battles horrible Jabba the Hut and cruel Darth Vader to save his comrades in the Rebel Alliance and triumph over the Galactic Empire. Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Princess Leia reaffirm their love and team with Chewbacca, Lando Calrissian, the Ewoks, and the androids C-3PO and R2-D2 to aid in the disruption of the Dark Side and the defeat of the evil emperor (tickets)
Sat 3:30 - 7:30 PM Kentucky Derby Watch Party Equine Therapeutic Connections, 10308 2nd St. NW Join us for *Live airing of the race *Music by the Watermelon Mountain Jug Band *Meet some of the therapy horses *Silent auction *Best hat contest! Enjoy Food, Drinks and of course Mint Juleps. All funds raised go to building an indoor arena for our therapeutic equine program (tickets)
Sat 4:20 – 9:20 PM May the FORCE Be with You! Urbanmama505 Kombucha, 1014 Central Ave SW Ste A Costume Contest! Star Wars Fun! With Vendors Music and Food! Share time on the patio or dance in the FitiGoGo Art Gallery. Come one, Come ALL! Free non-alcoholic event. Storm Troopers to Patrol. GroGu Fans unite!
Sat 5 – 9 PM Lip Sync Showdown hosted by Misfits of Oz The ABQ Collective, 1321 Eubank Blvd. NE We will be featuring an amazing menu from @ root66foodtruckabq and cold beer from @ flockofmoons to keep your spirits high an performing inhibitions low! Guest judges Fred and Van from @ talkabq will be critiquing the performances to hand out some very special prizes! Best performance: Special event trophy, $100 @ mtuccis_restaurants gift card, 2024 Reel Craft Pass book, @ the_ratliff_renegades original painting, and Misfits Swag! Best dressed/costume: special event trophy, $50 @ root66foodtruckabq gift card, @ abqax gift card for two, $25 @ mtuccis_restaurants gift card, and misfits swag! Tickets for the event are $7 purchased online by 5/3 or $10 at the gate. (100% of ticket sales go to event costs and the animals of Misfits of Oz). Your ticket purchases not only give you the chance to win great prizes, but to support the animals. Come and put on a show, or just come and enjoy the show!
Sat 5:30 PM Celebrate the Force - May 4th Birthday Bash! Poki Poki Cevicheria, 3517 Wyoming Blvd. NE Calling all Rebels, Siths, and Star Wars enthusiasts! Poki Poki Heights transforms into a galaxy far, far away for an unforgettable Star Wars Birthday Bash! 5:30 PM: Test your knowledge with Star Wars Trivia – amazing prizes await! 7:00 PM: Show off your costumes in our Cosplay Contest. Best outfits win gift cards and more! Sip on cosmic concoctions like the "Cantina Cooler" and "Juice Skywalker." Enjoy a 10% OFF on all food for guests in Star Wars attire!
Sat 6 PM May the 4th be with you - Star Wars themed candle making night Boxing Bear Brewing, 8420 Firestone Ln. NE Celebrate Star Wars Day with us! With special wax melts and a chance to make your own candle, may the 4th be with you as you enjoy a drink. Join the fun and embrace your inner Jedi (or Sith, we won't judge) (tickets)
Sat 6 – 9 PM Gone Country Saturdays with DJ Pete Nic Ponderosa Brewing, 1761 Bellamah Ave NW Get ready to kick off the evening with free dance lessons at 5 pm, followed by family-friendly entertainment. Join us for an unforgettable night filled with great music and fun!
Sat 6 – 9 PM May The Fourth Be With You; A Showcase of Star Wars Art Black Wall Gallery Boutique and Events, 2125 San Mateo NE Star Wars Fans, Members of the 501st Legion, Rebels, & Artists from all over the Galaxy bring you one large showcase of Star Wars Art to help benefit Make A Wish Foundation. Join us along with the 501st Crew for this amazing event showcasing some amazing talent to help make life changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Come meet the 501st members, dress up as your favorite Star Wars Character, and help support Make A Wish! A portion of every piece of art purchased will go to Make A Wish. There will also be a silent auction to bid on certain pieces of art. Face painting will also be available for the kiddos! Art by Christian Bigwater, Tasha Nez, Shandiin De Groat, Stephanie Galloway, Estevan Zamora, Michael Meads, Camille Cunningham, Michael Singleton, Gustavo Jimenez, and many more!
Sat 8 PM TEMPLE OF SOUND presents AREA 51 - ALIEN BUNKER PARTY Lizard Tail Brewing Nob Hill, 3417 Central Ave NE Calling all aliens! This month we'll be delving into the world of non-Earth beings and the like. Take off that human suit and get down on the dance floor! DJs $uspence and Red-209 will provide the otherworldly beats, Lizard Tail will offer food and libations, and CHE will transform the place into a makeshift bunker. No cover. 21+
Sat 8 PM - 12 AM BJB Swinco De Mayo Social Dance Flamenco Works, 1010 Coal Ave SW Duke City Swing Presents Burque Jazz Bandits Featuring Keith Cochrane! Let's make sure you're swung over for the Cinco with 3 hours of dancing after a full day of lessons! Dance Included with full Swinco de Mayo Dance weekend pass OR $20 admission at the door. Class 8-9pm, music 9pm - MIDNIGHT!
Sat 8 PM – 1 AM Special Favorite Sister, 407 Central Ave NW Prepare your senses for the seventh emergence of the Special Favorite Club Night. Amidst flickering candlelight, our esteemed DJs return from the mists of time with brand new musical pairings from every corner of the world. Join lil fox, REIGHNBEAU, 1960SFE and bk beats as they sharpen one another’s proverbial blades with select pieces of club music, pop, reggaeton, dancehall, uk bass and everything in between. Plus experience the electrifying dynamic lighting curated by Ethnograph_. 21+ / $5
Sat 8:30 PM – 1 AM SABOR Latin Night - Saturdays! Bama's 1865, 6007 Osuna Rd. NE DJ Gabriel Goza will be serving you the saucy Salsa, Bachata, Cumbia, Merengue y Mas! Ample Parking, Safe Environment, Beautiful Venue, Good Food, Good Music, Good Vibes. 21+ / $10 cover. Salsa or Bachata lesson 9:00-9:45pm

No man having drank old wine, immediately desires new wine: for he says, "The old is better." - Luke 5:39
The thing that stands between us and the good news of eternity with God, is the intoxicating spirit of the world. Even when we want to be closer to God, our power and pleasure are not things we want to stop indulging. I only know of two things that can sober us up. The first one is suffering; the second is the realization of how serious our sins are.
When things are going well, we take our next breath for granted. We live as if death is something that happens to other people. We're asleep to the eternal lessons God desires to teach us. We only have so much time. "Night comes when no man can work." (John 9:4, Hebrews 9:27) We are called to work out our salvation today. (Philippians 2:12-13, Hebrews 3:15, Psalm 95:7-8)
The Bible can teach us life's lessons the easy way. We can learn how to love our neighbor as ourselves by meditating on scripture. If we're drunk with the world's logic, though, we don't want anyone telling us to do anything. We humans are not naturally open to receiving instruction from God in matters of daily life. The Bible tells us mankind is in a state of hostility toward God. (Romans 8:7, Ecclesiastes 7:20, Psalm 37:21)
When we're suffering, our mind demands that we look at the consequences of sin. It forces us to admit that death should not be, "part of life." Death is our enemy. The Bible explains death is the wages we've earned for sinful behavior. (Romans 6:23, Deuteronomy 32:35, 1 Corinthians 15:55-57) Two men, recorded in the Bible, escaped death. They were Enoch and Elijah. (Genesis 5:24, Hebrews 11:5, 2 Kings 2:1-14) They still left earth to be with God once they had completed the school of life. They became like their Teacher, having mastered the eternal lessons we are here on earth to learn. (Luke 6:40, Isaiah 30:20-21)
God allows suffering into our lives for at least two reasons that I'm aware of. First of all, a good parent has to let us live with the consequences of sin. so we will sober up stop rebelling against truth and love. This is God's last ditch effort to get back to His classroom so we don't end up in hell. We could come to Jesus without suffering, but most of us won't. When we're under the influence of the world, spiritual matters are an annoyance. Have you ever tried to talk to a drunk person about death? They'll call you a buzz-kill or a party-pooper and get away from you as fast as they can. That's how we treat God's tug on our conscience when we're spiritually drunk with the "old wine" - the spirit of the world. (Proverbs 21:2, Luke 5:39) When people are feasting their eyes on the world, they don't prepare for times of weakness. (Proverbs 22:1-3, Matthew 24:48-51) They don't care if they're wasting their lives. They don't want to believe they have to grow up to be like Christ. (Psalm 17:15, Matthew 10:25) They don't imagine what's next when the money runs out, or when they bring something deadly home to their wife. They don't want to think about when the drug wears off in this life. It's often nowhere on the happy person's radar to prepare for what's going to happen when they die. It is appointed for man once to die, and then comes the Judgment - when God makes things fair for the oppressed. (Hebrews 9:27, Luke 16:25, Exodus 23:7*)
The other reason God allows suffering is to purify us from toxic, selfish thinking. Selfish desires cause division. There is no selfishness in heaven. For God to trust us with eternal bodies, we have to prove we will love, even when we don't get our way. Peter explains this in his letters, and Job understood it during his darkest days. (1 Peter 4:12-19, Job 23:8-12)
Jesus explained the purification of the cross this way: He said, "I have a cleansing to be washed with, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished! (Luke 12:50, Hebrews 2:10-18, Isaiah 53:10-12) He proved He was worthy to inherit all things while shedding His blood as payment for our sins. (Leviticus 17:11, Acts 13:35-39) He never stopped loving us, even when we were shouting, "Crucify Him!" and nailing Him to the cross. (Luke 23:33-34, Hebrews 12:4, Isaiah 53:5) He suffered these things, not only so we would be forgiven, but so we could have an example to follow. (Titus 2:14, Isaiah 53:5, Matthew 10:38)
In light of all these things, I'm praying my heart out that we will learn our lessons quickly and completely. May our trials serve their purpose to sober us up so we can progress in our walk with Jesus. He can lead us safely home when we follow His example of patience and love toward one another. (Luke 21:19, John 15:13-14)
Scripture references:
When we fail to contemplate the afterlife, we fail to prepare for it.
John 9:4 NKJV

4 "I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.

Hebrews 9:27 NKJV

27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,

Tomorrow is not promised to any of us. The best time to get right with God is today.
Philippians 2:12-13 NKJV

12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

Hebrews 3:15 NKJV

15 while it is said: "Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion."

Psalm 95:7-8 NKJV

7 For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture, And the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice: 8 "Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, As in the day of trial in the wilderness,

When we acknowledge our frailty, we are thankful for God's help. Once we have a little power, we are inclined toward a state of rebellion against God.
Romans 8:7 NKJV

7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.

Ecclesiastes 7:20 NKJV

20 For there is not a just man on earth who does good And does not sin.

Psalm 37:21

The wicked borrows and does not repay, But the righteous shows mercy and gives.

Death is not a natural part of life, it's the wages we've earned for working injustice in the world.
Romans 6:23 NKJV

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Deuteronomy 32:35 NKJV

35 Vengeance is Mine, and recompense; Their foot shall slip in due time; For the day of their calamity is at hand, And the things to come hasten upon them.'

1 Corinthians 15:55-57 NKJV

55 "O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Genesis 5:24 NKJV

24 And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.

Hebrews 11:5 NKJV

5 By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, "and was not found, because God had taken him"; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

2 Kings 2:1-14 NKJV 1 And it came to pass, when the LORD was about to take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. 2 Then Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here, please, for the LORD has sent me on to Bethel." But Elisha said, "As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!" So they went down to Bethel. 3 Now the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, "Do you know that the LORD will take away your master from over you today?" And he said, "Yes, I know; keep silent!" 4 Then Elijah said to him, "Elisha, stay here, please, for the LORD has sent me on to Jericho." But he said, "As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!" So they came to Jericho. 5 Now the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho came to Elisha and said to him, "Do you know that the LORD will take away your master from over you today?" So he answered, "Yes, I know; keep silent!" 6 Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here, please, for the LORD has sent me on to the Jordan." But he said, "As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!" So the two of them went on. 7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood facing them at a distance, while the two of them stood by the Jordan. 8 Now Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water; and it was divided this way and that, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground. 9 And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?" Elisha said, "Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me." 10 So he said, "You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so." 11 Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!" So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces. 13 He also took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan. 14 Then he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, and said, "Where is the LORD God of Elijah?" And when he also had struck the water, it was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over.
We remain in this temporary life until we've learned how to behave like other responsible, morally upright, eternal beings.
Luke 6:40 NKJV

40 "A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.

Isaiah 30:20-21 NKJV

20 And though the Lord gives you The bread of adversity and the water of affliction, Yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore, But your eyes shall see your teachers. 21 Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left.

We often fail to make provision for anything eternal while we're distracted by pleasure and our false sense of power over our lives. We may even fail to prepare for times of weakness here on earth.
Proverbs 21:2 NKJV

2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the hearts.

Luke 5:39 NKJV

39 "And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, 'The old is better.' "

Proverbs 22:1-3 NKJV

1 A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, Loving favor rather than silver and gold. 2 The rich and the poor have this in common, The LORD is the maker of them all. 3 A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, But the simple pass on and are punished.

Matthew 24:48-51 NKJV

48 "But if that evil servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' 49 "and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, 50 "the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, 51 "and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Learning from the Master is its own reward. Even when it makes the world hate us, we have the joy of His presence.
Psalm 17:15 NKJV

15 As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.

Matthew 10:25 NKJV

25 "It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!

It's wise to think of Judgment Day, when choosing what we do and say.*
Luke 16:25 NKJV

25 "But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.

Exodus 23:7 NKJV

7 "Keep yourself far from a false matter; do not kill the innocent and righteous. For I will not justify the wicked.

Some suffering comes to us as consequences of our unfair or neglectful behavior. Other suffering enters our lives in order to purify us for greater blessings.
1 Peter 4:12-19 NKJV

12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. 14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people's matters. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter. 17 For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 Now "If the righteous one is scarcely saved, Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?" 19 Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.

Job 23:8-12 NKJV

8 "Look, I go forward, but He is not there, And backward, but I cannot perceive Him; 9 When He works on the left hand, I cannot behold Him; When He turns to the right hand, I cannot see Him. 10 But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. 11 My foot has held fast to His steps; I have kept His way and not turned aside. 12 I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth More than my necessary food.

*Our sins ruin earth and make us unfit for eternity in heaven. We earned our death sentence. Our precious Lord and Savior suffered more than any man, to pay the debt we all owed to Justice. He has purchased our freedom to live. Because He loved us to the end, God has given Him all power in heaven and on earth.
Luke 12:50 NKJV

50 "But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished!

Hebrews 2:10-18 NKJV

10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12 saying: "I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You." 13 And again: "I will put My trust in Him." And again: "Here am I and the children whom God has given Me." 14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. 16 For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. 17 Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make payment for the sins of the people. 18 For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

Isaiah 53:10-12 NKJV

10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand. 11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.

Leviticus 17:11 NKJV

11 'For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.'

Acts 13:35-39 NKJV

35 "Therefore He also says in another Psalm: 'You will not allow Your Holy One to see corruption.' 36 "For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption; 37 "but He whom God raised up saw no corruption. 38 "Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; 39 "and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.

Luke 23:33-34 NKJV

33 And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. 34 Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." And they divided His garments and cast lots.

Hebrews 12:4 NKJV

4 You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.

Isaiah 53:5 NKJV

5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

Jesus gave us an example of truth and love to follow, so we can be with Him in eternity.
Titus 2:14 NKJV

14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

Matthew 10:38 NKJV

38 "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

Luke 21:19 NKJV

19 "By your patience possess your souls.

John 15:13-14 NKJV 13 "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. 14 "You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.
Shalom