Howdy y'all. I'm running a homebrew setting that features the Olympian gods as the main divine powers. As such, I decided to lift the Piety rules from Mythic Odysseys of Theros and write up some piety rewards for each god. My initial assumption was that the rules would encourage the PCs to be connected to their gods in some meaningful way and fit the theme of a Greek Epic. In practice, I'm running into some problems. Here's some context:

• Per the rules from the book, the party should be gaining 1 piety per session just by virtue of "showing up"
  • This is to make sure that all the party members slowly increase their power at the various tiers of piety (3/10/25/50) in the course of an adventure.
• The party can spend piety to gain inspiration and have been doing so pretty regularly, which seriously buffs the party's overall ability to land hits, success on saves, and overall makes a lot of encounters a lot easier.
  • I can balance this out by just throwing harder monsters in front of the party, but I don't love it.
• The one player who chose iconoclast (they don't gain piety) has been noticeably weaker because they don't get that piety inspiration every session and only get a free 1st level spell (at 5th level, they'll get a 3rd level spell, but the rest of the party will also be getting additional spells soon enough, too.)
  • I decided to give the iconoclast character the ability to re-roll one attack/save/check once per day to keep up with the rest of the party, so it's temporarily solved, but still annoying design.

Here's the problem:
The piety rules are not actively encouraging the characters to care about their god.

• They can get an additional point of piety for something really special for their deity, but because they're already getting 1 per session, there's not a whole lot of motivation to do that
• So long as they don't go out of their way to do something to offend their god, they just continue to gain piety.
• If I restrict piety gain to only when they do something special for their god, piety becomes a much scarcer resource but there could be months that go by before certain characters have chances to please their god.
  • The PCs might never get their really cool abilities because they just never got a chance to gain enough piety
  • (Not a whole lot of chances to please Aphrodite while crawling through a dungeon or to honor the wild god, Pan, while you're solving a murder mystery in the city.)
• I want the PCs to be motivated to come up with their own way to connect with and care about their patron god, but I feel like the piety system isn't doing that.

Has anyone else run into these problems with the piety system? Am I missing something with how I'm running this? Are there some alternative systems that you've used to encourage PCs to connect with their gods?
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My son is in 2nd (entering 3rd) grade and joined a local recreational summer soccer league. It’s regional so no kids from his school are on his team, and it draws kids from all over. The league that hosts has a great reputation and parents, myself included, love it. They have competitive soccer beginning at 3rd and 4th grade level, which requires try out.
I signed my son up and the league coordinator asked if I was interested in volunteer coaching. I volunteer in my son’s classroom once or twice a week for an hour each, I do parent activities at school, and I’d generally consider myself pretty involved with his grade. I use attention getters his teacher uses (“shhhh! Waterfall.. eyes on me”) when I have a big group and I always try to check in with kids and find something to remember about them.
The recreational handbook for coaches states, literally: “1st and 2nd grade boys: the point is to get them moving and engaged. Practice is held for 30 minutes with volunteer trainers, then 30 minutes by coach. Coach leads full 1 hour game.” There are no instructions for how scrimmage should be conducted and when I asked the coordinator he said “just have them play and make sure to sub out.”
I have never played soccer as an adult, and I didn’t as a kid. I figured I’d watch some videos online and read some guides. When the ball goes out, it gets thrown in. I told the coordinator I had no experience coaching and he said it wasn’t an issue.
The kids on our team are probably all in 1st grade with a couple exceptions (my son included). They’re all much more rambunctious than I expected but nothing I can’t handle; that said they don’t have a lot of focus and I didn’t expect them to. There are a few parents who are REALLY eager to step on the field and did so during the game, and even asked why I had specific kids do certain things (eg: why didn’t he kick the ball in instead of throw?). I tried to be cordial and kind and say “It’s recreational! I just want them to move and get familiar, first game is always tough!” But that seemed to frustrate one parent even more. None of the parents seem super interested in chatting with me post game, and I feel like I may be doing something wrong. A few of the kids lamented my lame post-game snack and asked where the Gatorade was.
Have you coached recreational sports for kids? Do you have tips on how I could make this season good for them and handle the parents? Again, I know I don’t have the /skill/ in terms of the sport, but they’re in 1st and 2nd grade. In my mind it’s a win they want to play, listen, and engage with their teammates in sportsmanship.

1. Symbolism Exploration:
   
   • Research and write about the symbolic significance of each candle on the Hanukkah menorah. How do these symbols relate to the historical events of Hanukkah?
2. Traditional Foods Investigation:
   
   • Explore the traditional Hanukkah foods, such as latkes and sufganiyot. Investigate their origins, variations, and the cultural importance of consuming these during the festival.
3. Dreidel Origins and Variations:
   
   • Dig into the history of the dreidel game. What are the origins of this Hanukkah tradition, and how has it evolved over time? Are there regional variations in how the game is played?
4. Hanukkah Music and Songs:
   
   • Research traditional Hanukkah songs and music. Explore their origins, lyrics, and the role they play in Hanukkah celebrations. Are there specific melodies associated with the festival?
5. Hanukkah Customs Around the World:
   
   • Investigate how Hanukkah is celebrated in different parts of the world. Are there unique customs or variations in traditions based on cultural influences?
6. Modern Hanukkah Traditions:
   
   • Explore contemporary ways in which people celebrate Hanukkah. How have the traditions evolved or incorporated new elements over time? Are there innovative practices within modern Hanukkah celebrations?
7. Hanukkah Decorations and Art:
   
   • Research the artistic aspects of Hanukkah, including decorations and visual representations. Explore traditional and contemporary Hanukkah art, and consider how it reflects the essence of the festival.
8. Hanukkah and Education:
   
   • Investigate how Hanukkah is incorporated into educational settings. Are there specific lessons, activities, or educational programs designed to teach the significance of Hanukkah?
9. Hanukkah in Literature:
   
   • Explore how Hanukkah is portrayed in literature. Look for Hanukkah-themed books, poems, or stories and analyze how they contribute to the cultural understanding of the festival.
10. Hanukkah Events and Celebrations:
    
    • Research public Hanukkah events, festivals, or gatherings. Explore how communities come together to celebrate Hanukkah on a larger scale and the various activities organized during these events.

Btw I know I’m not cracked but I think I have a not so bad chance at getting in. The overconfident part is just clickbait. I do not think I’m guaranteed or even am going to get in.
What are my chances for Harvard?
Demographics: Asian American 😭 , Male, First Generation College student and Immigrant, low income student, 33k income, Uncompetitive and Underfunded, title 1 funded and eligible high school in fringe rural Ohio with basically no clubs and extracurriculars aside from music and sports. The school is surrounded by cornfields. School average ACT is 19. I got the highest ACT in my school and probably the only 36 in my county but idk.
ACT :36 Composite 36E 36M 35R 36S ✨
Unweighted GPA and Rank: current unweighted GPA 4.0UW / 4.622 weighted
Ranked 1/141 Coursework: 2 AP, school only offers 2, 17 dual enrollment in total by senior year, 8 Honors. Took the hardest classes available at my school.
Awards: 1. Prom Prince 💀 2. Student of the Month nominated by 3 different teachers at once and got Chick-fil-A 10th grade💀 3. Young Author Conference Award 4. Clark County Internship Award 5. Junior Homecoming Court 6. Probably NMQST Semifinalist (1480 PSAT)
Extracurriculars: 1. Family Responsibilities: worked at my parent's restaurant since 6th grade because child labor is awesome. Acted as a co-managecashiewaiter of the restaurant. Primary Translator and helped pay bills for the family since my parents don't know much English. Around 32 hours per week on weeks with sports. 40 hours per week during summer weeks when I have cross-country practice. This prevented me from doing any extracurriculars after school until the spring of sophomore year because of transportation and time issues. 6-12

1. Varsity Outdoor and Indoor Track: I train off-season and in my free time for all my sports because I really like doing them, researched effective ways to train instead of only doing my coach's ineffective workouts, Varsity Cross Country: varsity junior year 11-12
   
2. Newspaper Editor in Chief, established many new features as a founding member, junior year to senior year, the club is also becoming a class with yearbook so that too
   
3. Club Volleyball: founding member and helped fundraised to make the team year 10-11
   
4. Spanish Honor Society President: running for president senior year, will probably get the position 9-12
   
5. NHS: joining junior year because the school doesn't allow sophomores to join, also running for Pres 11-12
   
6. Teacher's Aide: helped pass around papers and students with their assignments, also helped teacher do other miscellaneous tasks, nothing much Peer Tutor: First and only peer tutor of my school's new tutoring program, barely tutored anyone since no one wanted to tutor, don't know if the program will last until next year, also help students unofficially, I also taught as a professor for a math class for fun so there’s that 10-12
   
7. Quick Recall, I answered a lot of questions and displayed leadership in a trivia competition club
   
8. Science Honor Society Vice President I created the club along with my friend, organized eclipse glasses project thingies
   
9. MITES Semester (I got in haven’t done it yet tho)
   

LORs: Super strong I'm super close with my teachers. They say I’m a genius (I’m not even close) They also think I’m a nice person 😃 (I am most of the time don’t worry)
Schools: HYPSM and other Ivies and T20s
Additional Info: I don't think my school has sent anyone to an HYPSM ever, most people just apply to local community colleges. The only student that I've heard that got into a T20 was someone who was recruited for Track for Cornell. This might make me stand out in terms of my school but idk how much that'll help. My school doesn't have a lot of resources and student interests in academics so I can't really start a club that much. I got accepted into an internship this summer but had to reject it because of my work at the restaurant and transportation issues. Overall there's not a lot of opportunities at my school and my circumstances also limited the few opportunities I had like sports. I hope my application would be evaluated based on my context and that AOs would see that I really tried to take advantage of anything I could as long as it didn't tax my family's financial situation.
Btw I’m also confident about my app becuz of my school lol. There was one Harvard applicant this year and they got waitlisted. They showed me their app and tbh it wasn’t that good. They didn’t know how to order their activities from most important to least and instead did it in a random order 💀. They also had quite a bit of B’s. They took 20 dual enrollment classes and zero AP classes. They didn’t take calculus and went test optional. They were president of like 3 clubs and was second for congressional art show. They were also very involved in band, played varsity golf for four years, and was section leader for marching band. She did come from a single parent household, but wasn’t FGLI. She applied as a bio premed major. Not saying she’s not smart (she’s definitely more talented than me) but she didn’t care about getting in that much so didn’t try as hard. She mostly applied for fun and still got waitlisted, so I think i have a decent chance tho my thinking might be flawed.

Standard Fabrication Processes on 200mm Silicon Wafers Using Lightwave Logic's Proprietary Slot Modulator Design Achieved Record Breaking sub-1V Drive at 200Gbps PAM4 – Ideal for 800Gbps and 1.6T Pluggable Transceivers.
ENGLEWOOD, Colo., May 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Lightwave Logic, Inc. (NASDAQ: LWLG) a technology platform company leveraging its proprietary electro-optic (EO) polymers to transmit data at higher speeds with less power in a small form factor today announced a collaboration with Advanced Micro Foundry (AMF), a leading Silicon Photonics volume foundry – to develop state-of art polymer slot modulators utilizing AMF's silicon photonics platform.
These modulators have been shown to achieve a record low drive voltage below 1V and data rates of 200Gbps PAM4. This performance will enable a new generation of 800 Gb/s and 1.6T Gb/s pluggable transceivers to address fast growing requirements for optical connectivity for large generative AI computing clusters.
Lightwave Logic and AMF have collaborated over the past year to develop the electro optic polymer slot modulators utilizing AMF's standard manufacturing process flow on 200-mm wafers. This successful demonstration marks a significant milestone in integrated photonics, blending Silicon photonics with polymer materials. Building on this demonstration, both parties are aiming to enhance the modulators to ensure these advanced components are readily accessible to product companies on a manufacturing scale.
Dr. Michael Lebby, Chairman and CEO of Lightwave Logic, commented: "AMF is truly a world class facility with their silicon photonics maturity, and capacity for volume manufacturing. Working with AMF, we not only increased our wafer size to 200-mm, but we also turbo-boosted silicon photonics with our polymer slot modulators to achieve world class performance. Engineers from both sides have worked hard to achieve a silicon photonics design that integrates smoothly with polymer – a process that would have been much more challenging if other next-generation modulator materials had been utilized. This accomplishment puts our company in a very strong position to ramp volume both for our polymers as well as 200-mm silicon wafer volume with AMF."
Mr Jagadish C.V, CEO of AMF, stated: "Lightwave Logic's EO polymer modulators have been demonstrated to support higher baud rates, low power consumption, all while preserving their compact size. These features, integrated with AMF Silicon Photonics platform, make them cost effective options for 4X200 Gb/s (800Gb/s) and next-generation 1.6Tb/s pluggable transceivers applications. This demonstration opens exciting opportunities to develop novel solutions for commercial-grade-compatible EO polymer modulators seamlessly integrated with AMF's standard processes. We are keen to continue to explore the synergies between EO polymer modulation on our foundry processes, to provide innovative and manufacturable technology solutions for data communication."
About Advanced Micro Foundry Advanced Micro Foundry (AMF), Singapore is the world's first specialty Silicon Photonics foundry. AMF offers a full spectrum of manufacturing, prototyping, and testing services, all supported by proprietary technology platforms. These platforms are enhanced by continuously evolving Process Design Kits (PDKs), which are designed in-house for applications in sectors like Telecom, Data Centers, LiDAR, and Sensors. AMF's commitment to device innovation and excellence in delivery has been pivotal in the rapid growth of Silicon Photonics products globally.
About Lightwave Logic, Inc. Lightwave Logic, Inc. (NASDAQ: LWLG) develops a platform leveraging its proprietary engineered electro-optic (EO) polymers to transmit data at higher speeds with less power in a small form factor. The company's high-activity and high-stability organic polymers allow Lightwave Logic to create next-generation photonic EO devices, which convert data from electrical signals into optical signals, for applications in data communications and telecommunications markets. For more information, please visit the company's website at lightwavelogic.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
The information posted in this release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these statements by use of the words "may," "will," "should," "plans," "explores," "expects," "anticipates," "continue," "estimate," "project," "intend," and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or anticipated. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, lack of available funding; general economic and business conditions; competition from third parties; intellectual property rights of third parties; regulatory constraints; changes in technology and methods of marketing; delays in completing various engineering and manufacturing programs; changes in customer order patterns; changes in product mix; success in technological advances and delivering technological innovations; shortages in components; production delays due to performance quality issues with outsourced components; those events and factors described by us in Item 1.A "Risk Factors" in our most recent Form 10-K and 10-Q; other risks to which our company is subject; other factors beyond the company's control.
Investor Relations Contact: Lucas A. Zimmerman MZ Group - MZ North America 949-259-4987 LWLG@mzgroup.us www.mzgroup.us
SOURCE Lightwave Logic, Inc.

Week 3: Limericks and the Art of Humor
Day 1: Decoding Limericks - Activity: Analyze classic limericks for rhythm and humor. - Lecture: Discuss the AABBA rhyme scheme and distinctive rhythm. - Discussion: Share favorite humorous poems and discuss elements that make them funny.
Day 2: Crafting Limericks with Wit - Activity: Write limericks individually, focusing on humor and rhythm. - Lecture: Explore the balance of humor and structure in limericks. - Discussion: Share and discuss individual limericks, highlighting successful elements.
Day 3: Understanding Free Verse - Activity: Analyze free verse poems for structure and expression. - Lecture: Introduce the concept of free verse and its flexibility. - Discussion: Discuss the liberation and challenges of writing without a strict structure.
Day 4: Writing Exercise - Expressing Emotions in Free Verse - Activity: Explore emotions and write a free verse poem. - Assignment: Craft a free verse poem exploring a personal experience or emotion. - Vocabulary Words: Enjambment, Cadence, Anapest.
Day 5: Peer Review and Feedback - Activity: Peer review workshop for free verse poems. - Lecture: Discuss the artistic freedom and impact of free verse. - Discussion: Share insights gained from reviewing peers' free verse poems.
Study Guide Questions for Week 3: 1. What defines a limerick, and how does its rhythm contribute to its humor? 2. Discuss the importance of the AABBA rhyme scheme in limericks. 3. How does free verse differ from structured forms of poetry? 4. Explore the challenges and benefits of writing without a strict form in free verse. 5. Reflect on the emotions and experiences expressed in your free verse poem.
Quiz: Assessment on limericks, the AABBA rhyme scheme, and the principles of free verse.
Week 4: Free Verse and Acrostic Poetry
Day 1: Embracing Free Verse - Activity: Analyze diverse free verse poems for individual expression. - Lecture: Discuss famous free verse poets and their impact on the genre. - Discussion: Share personal reactions to the artistic freedom of free verse.
Day 2: Crafting Emotion in Free Verse - Activity: Write a free verse poem expressing a specific emotion. - Lecture: Explore the role of emotions in free verse and the use of vivid imagery. - Discussion: Share and discuss individual poems, highlighting emotional impact.
Day 3: Understanding Acrostic Poetry - Activity: Analyze acrostic poems for clever wordplay. - Lecture: Explain the concept of acrostic poetry and its various forms. - Discussion: Share examples of creative acrostic poems.
Day 4: Writing Exercise - Personal Acrostic - Activity: Craft an acrostic poem using your name or a chosen word. - Assignment: Write an acrostic poem exploring a theme or concept. - Vocabulary Words: Strophe, Stanza, Consonance.
Day 5: Peer Review and Feedback - Activity: Peer review workshop for acrostic poems. - Lecture: Discuss the playfulness and creativity of acrostic poetry. - Discussion: Share insights gained from reviewing peers' acrostic poems.
Study Guide Questions for Week 4: 1. Explore the role of emotions in free verse poetry. How does it differ from structured forms? 2. Discuss the impact of vivid imagery in free verse. How does it contribute to the overall message? 3. What defines acrostic poetry, and how is it different from other forms? 4. How can clever wordplay enhance the impact of an acrostic poem? 5. Reflect on the creative process and thematic exploration in your acrostic poem.
Quiz: Assessment on understanding free verse, emotional expression in poetry, and the principles of acrostic poetry.

Ive never so so scared, lonely, and insecure in my entire life. All i do all day is either be alone and have constant negative thoughts about myself swarming me to the point where i cant even stay still or think straight or I distract myself with pointless shit.
Im finishing up Junior year and before the start of the year my mother said "try your hardest this year, Junior year is really important for colleges, if you get all As I'll be happy". Like everything she said that was a lie. I finished with all As and twice the amount of classes i normal take and our relationship has never been more horrible
Rn im looking at my college application and im genuinely scared for the future. During my Freshman and Sophmore years i was really immature. I was loud, attention seeker, never shut up, and mostly importantly didnt take school seriously. Because of that, my College resume is dogshit for any college i want to attend. For one i got shit grades in both my science classes (bio and chem) during Freshman and Sophmroe year. Im going into college as a PRE MED student majoring in BIOLOGY.
Thats not the worst of it, i basically slacked off all year for extracurriculars and my application is dry AF. No leadership positions, hardly any volunteering hours, barely participation in clubs. I also quit soccer due to stress reasons. Im doing the same for archery too. Ive done archery up until this year but like soccer it stressed me tf out and put me in another depression so im yet again quitting another activity. Another knock for applications.
And again that's not even the fucking worst part about it all. My STUPID. FUCKING. LAZY. ass hardly studied for the ACT. I just blew off the ACT classes my mom gave me during Junior year because im lazy and now my ACT scores are shit. I got a 25 the first time, second time i was feeling confident but only got a 26. Both scores not even in the ranges of the colleges i am expected to go to.
"Actually taking school seriously this year", what a fucking joke. Im still the same pathetic mf i was during underclassmen. So now ACTs off the table since im so shit at it. I took an SAT however it was right in the middle of finals, midterms, and AP test for all my classes so i could barely study. I got a 1290 on it which is about 27 on the ACT. My mom was fucking furious at me. I have basically one more chance to not fuck it up. The only dates left for the SAT is Aug and Oct. Oct way too close to the application deadline so i really only have one more chance. One more chance to study my ass off after the worst year of my life to get at least a 1400 on the SAT, and it's all my fault. Because i was lazy like always.
I dont know, rn im lying in bed alone after making myself depressed again with my thoughts with tears on my face and i just dont know what to do. I got really emotional suddenly and typed this up. I was gonna type about a bunch more stuff but the college thing took me so long and now the emotions gone.
I just feel so shameful about my entire status rn. I feel like some lazy, pathetic, skinny, ugly bitch rn and not like a talented, hardworking, academically successful, attractive child like my mom clearly wants. We're Asian so im basically a tool. Her bare minimum college is University of Pittsburgh, Ohio State, and UIUC, all of which are clearly not 'match' colleges for me. Downsizing and going to anything lesser just feels like failing to me.
I look at other kids in my grade who got like 30s first try on the ACT, have better GPAs, do extracurriculars, have leadership roles, etc and they're hardworking, honest, have friends, better looking, etc, etc, etc. Theyre just good people and im literally NOT. Everytime im in class i sit alone while they are all in groups chatting, and just being better i feel like dying. That's why im not gonna get together with my crush, shes literally infinitely better than me.
Again i dont know, im just so lost in thought and emotion, I have so much shit rn. College, being alone, start powerlifting, new gym routine, i wanna start calisthenics, i need a new diet, i want a different haircut, i need a new skincare routine, day and night study for the SAT, i need to get a job, i need to start making money this year, i have to do college classes this summer, i have to fix my eyebrows, i need a new clothes style, my body dsymorphia is getting really bad, my instrusive thoughts are getting really bad, i CLEARLY have an inferiority complex i REALLY need to fix, learning about college resumes, planning out college applications, college essays, colleges letters of rec,......
Like im so fucking confused and angry all the time and NOBODY is helping me. EVERYONE in my life either tells me im useless and wrong or just doesnt talk to me at all. Its always something new. Before this archery stress put me in depression for like a month, before that it was loneliness, before that it was more body dysmorphia, and more, and more, and more.
Im so confused and angry and i dont know what to do. I didnt even scratch the surface. Im mad again and so i just wanna conclude this. All in all i guess ill just keep on going.

Hello!
I've just completed my 12th grade and am preparing to move out of the country for my education, so I'm selling my books from the past year. If you're interested in any of the books I've listed or any others, do reach out. Here's the list.
These books are still in good condition and can be valuable resources for others. Each listing includes the year of publication so you know the edition, along with my offering price.
If you're interested or have any questions, please reach out to me on Instagram @sisubook (I'm not that active on reddit). Shipping costs will be added based on the pincode. Thank you and good luck!

My first best friend, who I'll call Melissa, and I met in kindergarten and were both 5 at the time. We both looked and smiled at each other. That was the day we became friends and it was the most happiest day of my childhood. I sat next to her and we were hanging out with each other every day.
We would do so many things at school with each other. We would sit on the carpet to play with the items the teacher put out for the class each morning. We would always do fun activities in the gym. We would sit at lunch, laugh about funny things we told each other, and hang out at recess every day. My favorite moment was when we were on the swings to see who would go the highest and just look at each other and smile. We did go to other parts of the playground but the swings was our favorite.
When we weren't in a classroom together with our teachers due to them having a different assigned classroom, we would still hang out in lunch and in recess because they released everyone at a certain time by grade level. For example, if we were in 1st grade and students were in a different classroom, the 1st graders would all be released at the same time while the other students in different grades remained in the same classroom. So even if Melissa and I were in different classrooms, we would always meet up and have a great time.
In 3rd grade, I found this girl who I'll call Leah. Leah and I would do pretty fun things together since we were in the same classroom and were hanging out with each other, but I'd still go and hang out with Melissa sometimes. I introduced Melissa to Leah and we basically became a friend group, or at least I thought it was a friend group.
During this time I was constantly having to pick sides with some of our things we were making up as kids. First, it was who I was to sit with at lunch. (Sometimes I wasn't lucky enough to sit with either of them because of a rule where we had to sit in a boy-girl pattern to apparently make everyone quieter during lunch time.) Then it was with some group or clan we made up during recess, Melissa was in "unicorn squad" and Leah was in "girl squad" (I made up the name of girl squad.) I would try to bring them both together but Melissa's friends and Leah's friends didn't get along too well. I had no other best friends besides the both of them and it kinda broke my heart to see them not get along as well as I was with them. Then on a very traumatic day in fourth grade that I still regret for the rest of my life, Melissa and Leah both came up to me and said "You have to pick one best friend." I said I wanted them both to be my best friends but Leah kept pushing that I only pick one. Then we made up a stupid contest to see who would win (my idea) and I was a little tired of it and made Leah win. I have never seen such a sad look on Melissa's face when we were about to leave for home. I ran after her and apologized, I tried to comfort her and I think it worked since we stopped the argument.
Later on in the year of 4th grade, Melissa and Leah had some new friends they were hanging out with. I was fine with it at first, but seeing as their friends were experiencing many joyful moments with my best friends without me, I grew hatred towards their friends. I became jealous of what they were doing. I tried everything as a 9 year old girl could possibly do to keep the relationship going between me and my best friends. I still sat with both of them at lunch and joined them in recess. When they were busy hanging out with their friends, I was left alone, wandering around the playground, doing the things my best friends and I used to do but alone this time. It became depressing just thinking about memories of me and my friends playing together in the past and having fun. Now I had to have fun but alone as I watch my best friends have fun with theirs instead of me. I became even more depressed and angry seeing other random friendships because they were having fun and not me. I felt so alone, hurt, betrayed, so much emotion. This grew into more extreme hate towards the friends of my best friends.
In 5th grade, I did everything I could to have fun with them, but for some reason, something felt off. We hung out less. We didn't sit at lunch every day. Then I found out something shocking. Leah was hanging out with other girls who would give her lunch money, (I gave her lunch money for quite a long time now so we would get snacks with my money I gave her) and was making videos with these girls. I then hated the girls because apparently in my mind, they were controlling and possessing my friend. They stole her away from me. Leah and I still hung out and I considered her my friend because I didn't understand the concept of being used for money. Leah would always invite me to make videos but I wasn't comfortable. I realized how much of a fake friend she was but I still gave her a chance to change but never happened. I went to hang out with Melissa more after this but this felt a bit off too. She was hanging out with this one girl a lot. She seems pretty happy to be with her instead of me more. Melissa was into anime and I wasn't, so that drifted us apart but I didn't see it. I wasn't really into any of my best friend's interests because I was still depressed and full of rage against these girls. I grew to hate everyone and everything and I only wanted to be with Melissa.
It was near the end of the year when I went to go with Melissa in the playground where we always used to go, the swings. She constantly kept moving away, switching swings of just walking away from me. This hurt a lot coming from a close friend like her. I went to hang out with Leah because I still had no friends besides the two of them. Leah as well, left me behind and I was there alone again. All this just fueled my anger against everything. I hated other people, I hated activities, I hated everything, including myself. I thought this was weird since I didn't express my hate that badly towards these other girls, although I did want them to through horrible and horrendous things because in my mind, they were stealing my friends. They took away the people who made me happy. I was getting worse from my mental health because I wanted nothing but my happiness and my best friends back. I had a few thoughts of kidnapping my best friends so they could be with me forever. I would be happy and experience all the happy moments we would share together again. It was pointless anyway because I was just a 10 year old and couldn't do anything.
During these final months before everyone was all homeschooled for a year, I noticed whenever I tried to be with Melissa, she moved away from me again. I tried many times to catch up with her but she continued moving away. I thought absolutely nothing of it because of a funny joke by the teachers saying we hung out too much and we should be separated. I found it funny because at the time, our friendship was strong and I thought nothing would ever separate us from having fun. So I just thought about it as if she was playing around with that joke. I gave up catching up after Melissa because I was tired and I thought she was playing the joke on me. It turns out, I overheard something she said and she said I was too clingy. I didn't know what it meant and I thought she said a funny word and thought nothing of it. Later on she asked me for a break. I said that it was fine and I thought she meant a break for one day (I thought breaks were meant to be short at the time) and we left each other alone.
It came a few days later where she said she didn't want to be my friend anymore. I then went to hang out with Leah, who I didn't hang out with for a long while, said she also didn't want to be friends with me anymore. I was broken by their words but I just thought it was all a joke to me, because I thought it was dumb to unfriend someone for hanging out with them every day.
Fast forward to 6th grade where we were homeschooled for a year, I was full of hope that I was going to be friends with Melissa again after a long time. Then came 7th grade where I was 12 and I continued to sit with her at lunch again, but this time I felt nothing. There were no fun conversations like we usually had back in elementary. I just felt like I wasn't meant to be there. I still felt the same loneliness, rage, and sadness back like I was in 5th grade. That's when I finally realized I was no longer her friend, and I had so much hate in myself for taking a year to realize I had been blind to all of this. I never felt so much sadness like that in my life. The two friends I had left me, I was really depressed by this reason, and now I constantly question myself wondering what I did wrong. I still grovel over them both. It's been a few years now. Did I do something wrong?

Hey, I'm a 20-year-old guy from Utah County, and no, I'm not Mormon, so dating here is always an adventure /S. I'm posting here because it feels more personal than swiping on dating apps.
I'm a confident, upbeat guy with a knack for being a smartass, but I can also have deep, meaningful conversations. If you need someone to listen, I'm your guy, but I expect the same in return. I like to stay active, often doing things that might get me in trouble or banged up, but that's half the fun. I'm into calisthenics and running—I'm fit, though not exactly bulking up like a bodybuilder.
When I'm not working out, I'm diving into video games, especially military simulations like Arma and OHD, or classic platformers like Mario and Sonic. History, particularly WW2 and the Cold War, fascinates me, and I'm even working on a Cold War-themed board game. Despite my nerdy interests, I have a sensitive side—yes, I write poems and love to flirt once I get comfortable with someone.
I'm looking for someone sweet and caring around my age, preferably in the USA. I'm liberal and an atheist, just to put it out there upfront. If we click, that's what matters most to me.
If you're interested, hit me up. We can swap Snap or Discord and take it from there.

Hi! I (bi 20f) am dating a (straight 22m) person I met online 3 years ago. For context, in the whole time we’ve known each other, I have only met him in person once and it cost over 1K. When we met, I was grieving my late fiancé. I had met her (let’s call her R) when I was 10, and we both had a crush on each other. We started “dating” in 5th grade and never broke up. We were together for just short of 8 years and she had proposed to me when we were 16. Our wedding was planned for Aug 19th, 2023, the day we met. On Feb 1st 2022, she was it by a drunk driver and died in a hit and run. My now bf helped me grieve in health ways and called everyday to make sure I got out of bed to eat. A year ago, he asked me to be his girlfriend and I said yes. Well, R’s birthday was last week and I had a breakdown about it, and bf got upset. Saying things like “so I’m not enough to make you happy?” And “it’s already been 2 years, get over it”. I told him it’s not that easy and I lost someone I thought I was going to be with forever. This made him even more angry and he stormed off. He hasn’t returned my calls or texts since then and I don’t think I did anything wrong. Should I apologize or wait for him to come to me? I really like him but I’m not sure I LOVE him after this.
TLDR: fiancé of 8 years died and bf is mad at me for being upset on her birthday 2 years after she died.

TL;DR: I have way less opportunities for building up ECs than one'd expect, residing in a close-to-vilage town; financially or otherwise. Do I have a chance for studying Biology (most likely PG) abroad (such as the US or UK)?
my_qualifications: ICSE 10th grade, 98.8% Bo5
Starting with what I mean by "situation" in the title, it, as a matter of fact, doesn't symbolize some excruciatingly painful or physically deranging position or anything even close to that; it's something a lot more commonplace (at least from what I've seen in real life): I reside in a pretty small and isolated town and this alone ticks off a lot of boxes for a reduction in chances I'd ever get out of India. What I have gathered over the course of my obviously inadequate research on the Internet that it is pretty inevitable that those who get in have exceptional academics, even out of the stipulated curriculum. - One that I've seen often being mentioned is the AP classes administered by the College Board; a typical applicant takes anywhere between 5 and 20 (!) AP courses and somehow gets a 5 in all of them – the highest score, I presume – all the while acing the exams held in their respective curricula. I was interested, of course, although I was stumped by noticing the testing fee for one AP itself; courses themselves are a whole another thing. - The other option I stumbled upon was Olympiads. Some googling led me to the official websites administering the regional, state, and national level Olympiads in different sciences. They were cool and all, but – as far as I understand – you'd need an educational institution or anything similar to apply for such a thing, which is most likely not possible to do here. I might be incorrect though, and while this is a clear tangent to the original question, I would like to know if I can self-teach myself the kind of skills different Olympiads like IPhO, IMO or IBO (or anything similar that would look fine on my resume) demand, as well as if I can apply for them by my own.
My academics? Just a "class topper" tag multiple times and winning a few very localised competitions. Haha.
Even with exceptional academics, it's only a barebones requisite for actually having a chance. I was acquainted of the fact that people who get in have gone out of their way to do stuff that's very unique - and I believe stuff like this is a differentiator for selecting people. Especially at the top Unis. - The most popular EC were starting / leading clubs or similar. An applicant usually started one on their own due to a lack of such an organised body at their schools for interested people. This is out of my reach, too – where I studied till 10th grade in did have clubs, but they were taken down on account of pandemic and since then the Principal has been hesitant to restart them. No real activity was happening in these clubs, anyway. - The other niche thing I saw was publishing research papers or participating in essay competitions where you formally put forth a unique standpoint about something. I'm once again incapable to do so, as far as I could see: my understanding is that you're supposed to conduct experiments or at least partake in a STEM-based research body that does these experiments, and either unanimously or otherwise publish the findings and conclude certain things. I might be wrong, again, but this is what I've come to know – and I definitely have no opportunities where I live to even start doing anything; more specifically, a bigger problem is that I have no idea what to do at large for getting into stuff like this. - Raising money for a cause? Nope. Nada. Zero possibility. - Starting public awareness camps / hosting conferences related to my major / NGO? Also not possible.
Now I know there are many (a lot many, I presume) cases where someone didn't have stellar ECs on their profile but still got in, which would allow someone to hurl back at me with the following points, in my opinion:

The AOs do not see a huge brag-list of near-perfect grades and out-of-the-world ECs; they only see if what you've done over your high school period is helpful.

That's the most common point I see everywhere. While I do understand what it implies, I honestly don't think I ever had a chance to do so - my school, as it is now inherently deducible, is pretty dogsh*t at providing opportunities for stuff like that. On top of that, the place I live, and the contacts I have with people, have almost no knowledge of what it takes for someone to apply to abroad colleges. Therefore, the long and the short is, the number of notable activities I've undertaken during or before 9th grade is infinitesimally small.

You can try your best to have a very good CGPA in 11th and 12th and partake in international-level exams.

I certainly can ensure the first half of it; the second half? I don't even know where to start - I feel what I've gathered till now is just an innate cloud of tension and presumably erratic bits of information with no continuity.

You can move outside and study in an international board such as IB, A-levels, etc.; for the most part, these have a higher weightage in foreign colleges than ISC or CBSE.

Sadly not possible because those are waaaay outside my affordability.
I think that's a pretty feasible summary of the information I've congregated beginning from the past year up-till now. If there is any mistake or misconception that I might bear, please let me know! And going back to my initial question: Do I still have a chance to open up a whole new pathway to pursue studying abroad? Should I stick with being in India?

Gabriel, Lord of Patience:

Its essence is the fixation of states and responding to unforeseen situations.
Fixation: Allows the user to fix something into its current state, effectively locking it inside of temporal stasis.
Eternal World: A World System Skill that brings everything in the user's domain to an absolute halt, isolating, and locking them in place and nullifying all kinds of attacks. It is powered by the target’s power
Fate Weaving: This ability allows the user to peer into the past, present and future and manipulate their selves to alter events. (this one is not mine)
Temporal Manipulation: The user can manipulate time freely.
Info Management: Great Sage sub-skills but on the ultimate level
Cosmic Order: restore the target to their original state
Cultivation: a ritual that strengthens the target’s Ego to reach higher place through holding items that they originally possessed, it is a very slow and time-consuming process that requires the target to always be in control of themselves while in it. The plus side is that the target can still do daily activities like before the ritual without much difference

Raguel, Lord of Charity:

Its essence is Support that lies in the Enlargement of Effect that freely manipulates all energy or Amplification
Energy Domination: manipulate all energy of the world at will, amplify something infinite, giving them limitless power. When used on a person it can be used to either increase their strength to or past the limit of their bodies, resulting in living things being burned alive by their body heat or otherwise falling apart. When used on an attack, the result is unmistakably catastrophic, increasing its power to the absolute limit and creating the strongest offensive power. The true purpose of this one is the ability to uplift the state of one’s being to a higher place, when used on gear, it can make them a God Grade Equipment
Reality Vision: overseer the world’s events, and even potentially see one’s fate, also has Thought Acceleration effects
World Leap: a dog water version of Dimensional Leap
Luck Domination: idc about this one, you could made an explanation for it or whatever (Multilayer Barrier integrated into this)
Faith System
Wish Granting: manifest desires into reality, the limits being the strength of the desire itself. Also, it has unlimited potential as the user can realize anything.
Power Distribution
Art
Eden: a world of grassland filled with all types of vegetables, once consume the food in this world, the consumer will get their wounds healed and increase their power to an all-time high, reaching the pinnacle of their being at the present moment
Any suggestions or feedback are welcome.

When it comes to providing quality education, Calicut boasts some of the finest CBSE schools in Kerala. Among these, Sadhbhavana World School stands out as a premier institution, offering an exceptional educational experience. In this blog, we will explore what makes Sadhbhavana World School one of the best CBSE schools in Calicut and why it should be your top choice for your child's education.

Why Choose Sadhbhavana World School?

Holistic Education Approach

Sadhbhavana World School is committed to providing a holistic education that goes beyond academics. The school integrates a variety of extracurricular activities, sports, and arts into its curriculum, ensuring that students develop into well-rounded individuals. This balanced approach helps in nurturing both the intellectual and emotional growth of students.

Experienced and Qualified Faculty

The faculty at Sadhbhavana World School is highly experienced and well-qualified, dedicated to providing quality education and personal attention to each student. The teachers employ innovative teaching methods that make learning engaging and effective. Their commitment to continuous professional development ensures that they stay updated with the latest educational practices and technologies.

State-of-the-Art Infrastructure

Sadhbhavana World School boasts state-of-the-art infrastructure that provides a conducive environment for learning. The school is equipped with modern classrooms, well-stocked libraries, science and computer labs, and sports facilities. The emphasis on providing a safe and comfortable learning environment helps students to focus on their studies and extracurricular activities.

Comprehensive CBSE Curriculum

As one of the leading CBSE schools in Calicut, Sadhbhavana World School follows a comprehensive CBSE curriculum that prepares students for various competitive exams and future academic pursuits. The curriculum is designed to develop critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and a deep understanding of subjects. The school's focus on academic excellence ensures that students achieve high academic standards.

Emphasis on Global Education

Sadhbhavana World School also offers the Cambridge International curriculum, making it one of the few Cambridge schools in Calicut. This international curriculum provides students with a global perspective and prepares them for higher education opportunities worldwide. The integration of global education standards ensures that students are well-equipped to compete on a global platform.

Admission Process

Eligibility Criteria

The admission process at Sadhbhavana World School is straightforward and transparent. The school admits students from Kindergarten to Grade 12. The eligibility criteria vary based on the grade level, and parents are advised to check the specific requirements for the grade they are interested in.

Application Procedure

1. Application Form: Parents need to fill out the application form, which is available on the school's official website or can be collected from the school's admission office.
2. Submission of Documents: The completed application form must be submitted along with the required documents, including birth certificate, previous academic records, and photographs.
3. Entrance Test: Depending on the grade level, students may be required to appear for an entrance test. The test assesses the student's proficiency in subjects relevant to their grade.
4. Interview: Shortlisted candidates may be called for an interview with the principal or admission committee. This is an opportunity for the school to understand the student's background and for parents to discuss their expectations.
5. Admission Confirmation: Upon successful completion of the entrance test and interview, parents will be notified of the admission status. The final step is to pay the admission fee and complete the necessary formalities.

Why Sadhbhavana World School?

Focus on Individual Attention

One of the key strengths of Sadhbhavana World School is its focus on providing individual attention to each student. The school maintains a low student-to-teacher ratio, allowing teachers to understand and cater to the unique needs of each student. This personalized approach helps in identifying the strengths and areas of improvement for every student, ensuring their overall development.

Parental Involvement

Sadhbhavana World School believes in fostering a strong partnership with parents. Regular parent-teacher meetings, workshops, and interactive sessions are conducted to keep parents informed about their child's progress and to involve them in the educational journey. This collaborative approach ensures that students receive consistent support both at school and at home.

Extra-Curricular Excellence

The school offers a wide range of extracurricular activities, including sports, music, dance, drama, and art. These activities provide students with opportunities to explore their interests and talents beyond the classroom. Participation in extracurricular activities also helps in developing teamwork, leadership skills, and self-confidence.

Community Service and Social Responsibility

Sadhbhavana World School encourages students to participate in community service and social responsibility initiatives. The school organizes various programs and activities that instill a sense of empathy and compassion in students. These experiences help students develop into responsible and socially aware citizens.

Conclusion

Choosing the right school for your child is a crucial decision that can shape their future. Sadhbhavana World School, with its commitment to academic excellence, holistic development, and global education standards, stands out as one of the best CBSE schools in Calicut. By providing a nurturing and supportive environment, the school ensures that students are well-prepared for the challenges of the future.
If you are looking for a school that offers quality education, experienced faculty, and a comprehensive curriculum, Sadhbhavana World School is the perfect choice. Visit their website or contact the admission office to learn more about the admission process and secure a bright future for your child.

Hey there guys! I'm a first gen girl from North India in class 12 cbse from a middle class family of 7. Im putting this info here only for 2 days b4 deleting. Guys it would be very helpful if u can chance me and tell me what I can do to improve(advice me here or on pm ) . Im not posting this on chanceme due to the toxicity there . My school is basically a school where people have very little interest in applying abroad there is no counselor and very limited knowledge but yeah couple of teachers are supportive mainly prep for jee or neet is done here. So there are no clubs or extracurricular activities of any kind I have done this all on my own).
Major: physics Uchicago ed1 Sat:1580(800 math) Grades 9-96 10-92 11-70 ( this happened due to bouts of pneumonia and typhoid throughout year due to which I couldn't go to school and even missed a few exams . There was also heavy grade deflation)(this is my applications weakest point pls advice me about what I can do . I'll be mentioning this in sop and my teacher will also mention this in lor) 12-96(expected) AP: my school doesn't provide and they are expensive af Financial aid: no ( loans and external scholarship maybe I'll ask for 18-20k/yr from uchicago cuz coa is 97k/yr)
Awards and honours 1. Research paper award (international) 2. Conrad challenge top50
3.ioqm

1. aknowlegment by hon' PM Modi for continued efforts to bring improvement in society ( also got acknowledged by ministry of education)
   
2. School academic distinction 9-10
   

ECS

1. 2. 3. All three are research papers 1 on math reviewed by UIUC prof and 2 on physics (astro) that have also been acknowledged by iiser profs
2. Astronomy app
3. Braille and sign language educator at local school have held initiatives and workshops as well as working on making a free course right now
4. Research with iit prof ( ongoing)
5. Research project - an innovation hailed by ministry of health and iit profs.
6. Tutor for underprivileged children for 4 years
7. Book on physics (250+ pages still writing)
8. Mun and debates or a research project I'm doing this summer
   Essays i must say are nice ( I'm a good writer as well as quite into philosophy)
   

Letter of recommendation - my teachers love me and must say the draft of my chemistry teacher lor is a piece of art. And I'm hoping if iit prof will also write me one.
So yeah this is it. I know I was a bit vague it's because I didn't wanna get doxxed. PS I have also built a small electromagnetic particle accelerator at home. 🌟

The Scriptures seem to imply that the kingdom of God isn't exactly synonymous with what is called "the Church." The Church was a temporary eschatological community of believers that existed on earth in preparation of a kingdom where God Himself would reign, and said community had Christ reign over them in the meantime. The head of the Church was Christ, with the Father serving as his head (1 Cor. 11:3). The Scriptures teach that, when all Christ's enemies were to be made his footstool, he was to give back all authority to the Father (Psa. 110:1, 1 Cor. 15:22-28), and it is this page's belief that this happened in 70 AD.
The following quotation is from the above hyperlink:

As for the "1000 years" mentioned in Revelation, they are apocalyptic metaphor for the 40 years Christ "reigned" (triumphed) over his enemies both human and spirit, with the final triumph being the judgement of apostate Jerusalem. The "1000 years" began with his ascension, and ended with this judgement.

Thus, the community to replace the Church on earth was to be the kingdom of God. But, what even is the kingdom of God, and why did God have to reclaim authority of His own creation in the first place?
To be as succinct as possible: man sinned, and so the great level of authority God initially granted us ourselves over the creation was stripped. As a result, the human condition has suffered and it must be redeemed for God to allow us to reign with Him in the way that He originally intended for us. God has always been sovereign, of course, but He seeks the good of man to make us stewards over His world with Him, as that was His original plan and this was His original view of what a kingdom of His truly looks like: a kingdom characterized by man's love for Him and love for others.
A Biblical understanding of Adam's sin, contrary to popular thought, isn't that we are guilty of what he did personally. We simply inherit his fallen nature and a fallen world as a result of his sin, the same way a baby could leave the womb already addicted to certain substances because the mother abused said substances while pregnant. It's not the baby's fault for its condition, it was the parent's. But the baby is born with this condition and enters the world like this nonetheless.
The implication of this is that we are all only guilty of our own sins, and whether or not we ever seek to treat (or possibly cure) our condition in the first place is on us. We were dealt a bad hand due to Adam, sure, but God doesn't hold us responsible for what our forefather did. God only holds us responsible for what we do, and whether or not we seek to be liberated from the dark forces which keep us in bondage to our sinful condition (Gen. 4:6-7, Deut. 24:16, Jer. 31:30, Ezek. 18, Matt. 9:9-13).
The whole Old Testament is essentially a record of God's people constantly breaking their covenant(s) with Him. There are individuals mentioned throughout that were, of course, commended by God and the Biblical authors for their righteousness in honestly pursuing to remain faithful to their covenant with Him. But even the best of these people often faltered and, in fact, did rather heinous things in their lives at one point or another. One of the greatest examples of this is king David, who was literally called by the Scriptures "a man after God's own heart" (1 Sam. 13:14, Acts 13:22). Yet, this same man at one point committed adultery and then murdered the man he stole the wife of to try and cover it up. This was a heinous thing, and David repented of what he did with genuine sorrow and guilt toward God. God ultimately forgave him, but not without a heavy hand of chastisement and earthly consequences for his actions.
All throughout the Old Testament, you see various men of God who were deemed righteous, but these same men were usually shown to have some major flaw that prevented them from living a life that could be characterized as consistent obedience to the commandments to love God and love others as themselves. There is something deeply wrong with man's heart, according to the Bible. Something so wrong, in fact, that a whole prophecy had to be given that promised to address the issue of man's seeming incapability to accomplish fulfilling the commandment to love consistently on their own without some sort of divine help from above:

"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh."-Ezekiel 36:26

Naturalistic philosophies see the physical world as all that exists. Humans beings are the result of mindless, chance causes and processes. Humans are essentially animals – highly evolved, but no different in significance than any other living thing. Thus naturalistic views demote humans. But this view leaves a lot unexplained. Why do humans practice altruism, benevolence, or acts of heroism? And what explains acts of incredible evil? Sure, naturalistic arguments have been made that true altruism doesn't exist, and that "unconditional love" is really just an illusion that's been disguised very well by our survival instincts that we've developed over a long period of time at certain stages of our evolutionary process. However, many people have found such arguments to be unpersuasive and naive when compared to their actual experience of the world as they mature in their lives and have what they know to be truly meaningful experiences that can't simply be reduced in the way that the naturalist wishes them to be. This realization was ultimately why I transitioned from hard atheism to agnostic spiritualism at one point or another.
On the other extreme of these things, transcendental worldviews and philosophies say that the physical world is illusory. Only the spiritual world is ultimately real. Humans are an expression of the divine spirit that is the essence of all things. If naturalistic views demote humans to the level of animals, transcendental views promote human beings. God is not “out there” somewhere; we are God. God is all, thus God is us. But this view doesn’t explain real evil. Why are people selfish? Why do they hurt others? What accounts for personal acts of evil like rape or terrorism? If we are all truly "God," then why would we ever do such things to what is ultimately "ourself"? And why can't a person who practices the belief that we are all actually "God" be only loving? There are so many people who adopt this view of reality who are constantly, day by day, finding that they struggle to be as truly loving as they wish to be because they will still sometimes find themselves thinking and doing rather evil and selfish things. I can speak from experience here, remembering throwing myself into the New Age movement when I was desperately seeking what I did not know at the time was forgiveness for and redemption from my sins because of who I was as a person up until that point. I was seeking the mythic "ego death" that promised me that I could truly be loving and find the forgiveness and redemption I was searching for, because I thought that if only I truly realized I was "God" all along, I could then accomplish these things all at once and simultaneously. I eventually found even this philosophy unsatisfactory when I came to the aforementioned conclusions concerning our great capacity for evil, and also realized that forgiveness can only exist if there are two parties: forgiver and forgivee. Such a thing is impossible if there is only really one being at play at the bottom of reality, and I knew deep down that forgiving oneself (at least, on its own) will never satisfy one's pursuit for redemption that we all inherently take part in whenever pursuing to mend even our own relationships with each other as humans. Further, love would be an illusion in this philosophy too, being that there is only really one party behind and in all of existence if "everything is God." Such an idea would make true altruism a farce, as well. There would be no such thing as real sacrifice for another, because there is no "another."
The French mathematician and Christian philosopher Blaise Pascal said, “Man’s greatness and wretchedness are so evident that the true religion must necessarily teach both.” Any philosophy that cannot fully account for human greatness and human depravity at the same time should be abandoned because it misses something obvious about the human condition. The religion of the Bible has a valid explanation for human greatness: people are made in God’s image. Thus we have dignity, value, and capacity for good. The Bible also explains human evil: the image of God has been defaced by sin. Our great capacity gets used for the wrong purposes. Our creativity is placed in the service of evil and our best intentions twisted for selfish gain. Something has gone terribly wrong. While other worldviews unduly demote or promote humanity, the Bible gets the tension just right.
Thus, human nature is puzzling and conflicting. Other worldviews—both secular and religious—struggle to account for this enigma, and don't offer satisfying solutions to the problem itself. The Bible, however, explains what happened when it tells us that man rebelled against God in the paradise that was prepared for him called "the Garden of Eden." We fell into temptation and estranged ourselves from God by tarnishing the image we were created in, and now are born with a natural proclivity to do evil, despite our best efforts to do good (that is, to do good consistently).
And so, the Bible promised a solution in the prophet Ezekiel that God will literally change our natural human condition, if we simply choose to humble ourselves before Him in faith to allow for such a change. While as unbelievers our inner disposition towards God is often rebellious, we at least still have the capacity to choose to do the righteous thing in seeking God that He may change us and forgive us if we so let Him. This is one reason why Jesus, (the one who made the fulfillment of Ezekiel's prophecy even possible by his coming, sacrifice, ressurection, and outpouring of the Spirit upon his ascension), said that only faith the size of a mustard seed was required for something so miraculous as moving a mountian to happen, because so little is required from us to allow God to change us into the kind of person He's always wanted us to be, and yet changing the condition of our own heart can be compared to literally moving a mountain if we were to try and do so on our own strength alone. The mustard seed was the smallest of seeds, and yet if one simply planted it and nurtured it, it could become a bush so large that it was comparable to a tree with branches that stretched to the heavens for the very birds of the air to rest on.
It was when I came to these realizations that I prayed to God for the first time again, having been years since I did so, going so far back as to when I was a little child even. I prayed in the dead of night in my room, and asked God to show me the truth and to reveal Himself to me if indeed these things were true, and in an instant I felt His very presence in my room, and my heart was changed. To describe such an experience would be like trying to describe the taste of something to the man born without tastebuds, the color of something to the man born blind, or the sound of something to the man born deaf; there are no words, and it is only something you can know by experiencing it for yourself. Suddenly and all at once, I knew right then and there that Jesus really was who he said he was, that the one true God is the God of the Bible, and that I have been forgiven. As the time of this post, it's been 5 years since then, I'm 23 now, and I'm still walking with God.
My prayer for anyone reading this that may not know God for themselves yet is that one day, you will too.
Back to the topic at hand.
When Adam sinned, we fell under the tyranny of death, corruption, evil heavenly powers, and sin itself. When Jesus came, Jesus was the new and exalted human, the new Adam, through whom humanity could now realize their original destiny that was laid out for them in the Garden of Eden. Because Jesus, being a man, obeyed unto death, he has defeated the powers which held us so long under bondage; we are now promised liberation so long as we simply place our faith in his sacrifice to wash us of our sins and receive the Spirit of God that is also promised to all who exercise this faith.
We often think of ‘the gospel’ as the part that brings the forgiveness of sins (and of course, that is part of the idea), but ‘gospel’ is the announcement that everything has changed in the coming of Jesus and it leads us to a new kind of living.
The gospel Jesus preached and the gospel the apostle Paul preached were different, in that Jesus preached of a kingdom where God reigns directly and with all His faithful subjects as participants in that reign. The gospel Paul preached was about the exaltation and reign of Christ, and because Christ reigned, the consummation of the kingdom of God with earth could now finally take place (Col. 1:12-13). This consummation was put on hold during Christ's "millennial" reign, which transpired between his ascension and his return. However, the consummation has come to full fruition since that return.
We will be arguing for some of these claims by pointing out how central the kingdom of God actually was to Jesus' earthly ministry and message, and demonstrate what Jesus taught about how it actually looks like.
The term 'kingdom' appears 53 times in 42 places in Matthew, 17 times in 13 places in Mark, and 41 times in 29 places in Luke. When the 'kingdom' is qualified, Luke always refers to the 'kingdom of God' (32 times) and Mark follows this pattern (14 times). Matthew, on the other hand, prefers the term "kingdom of heaven" (31 times), using the phrase to refer to the same idea "kingdom of God" only four times: 12:28, 19:24, 21:31, 43.
The Gospel of Luke records an event where Jesus responds to the population that lived near Simon Peter's house who believed in him after he had done his miraculous work there, but saw that he was leaving them:

"And when it was day, he departed and went into a desert place: and the people sought him, and came unto him, and stayed him, that he should not depart from them. And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore [i.e., for this pupose] am I sent." (vss. 42-43)

The Greek word euangelion is often translated as the word “gospel.” In the Bible, this word is always used whenever it concerns the announcement of the reign of a new king. And in the New Testament, the Gospels themselves use this word or the phrase "good news" to summarize all of Jesus’ teachings. They say he went about “preaching the gospel [good news] of the kingdom [of God]” (Matt. 4:23).
There’s this beautiful poem in the Old Testament, and it’s in chapter 52 of the Book of Isaiah. The city of Jerusalem had just been destroyed by Babylon, a great kingdom in the North. Many of the inhabitants of the city have been sent away into exile, but a few remained in the city, and they’re left wondering, "What happened? Has our God abandoned us?" This was because Jerusalem was supposed to be the city where God would reign over the world to bring peace and blessing to everyone.
Now, Isaiah had been saying that Jerusalem’s destruction was a mess of Israel’s own making. They had turned away from their God, become corrupt, and so their city and their temple were destroyed. Everything seemed lost. But the poem goes on. There is a watchman on the city walls, and far out on the hills we see a messenger. He’s running towards the city. He’s running and he’s shouting, “Good news!” And Isaiah says, “How beautiful are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings [news]” (vs. 7a). The feet are beautiful because they’re carrying a beautiful message. And what’s the message? That despite Jerusalem’s destruction, Israel’s God still reigns as king, and that God's presence is going to one day return with His city, take up His throne, and bring peace. And the watchmen sing for joy because of the good news that their God still reigns (vs. 10).
Jesus saw himself as the messenger bringing the news that God reigns. Jesus also claimed to be the Son of man. This was Jesus' favorite self-designation, being used some 80 times in the Gospels. Notice, not just a son of man, but the Son of Man. Jesus was directing our attention to a vision described by the prophet Daniel:

"I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him:"-Daniel 7:13-14a

At Jesus' trial, the Jewish high priest accused Jesus: "Art thou the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed [God]?" His answer left no room for doubt. "I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." (Mark 14:61-62). Because Jesus' was rejected and killed for threatening the power the religious authorities had over the people, the consummation of God's kingdom with earth had been put on hold until all of Christ's enemies would be put under his feet after his ressurection and ascension.
But again, what is the kingdom of God? What does it look like exactly?
Well, the way that Jesus described God’s reign surprised everybody. I mean, think about it. A powerful, successful kingdom needs to be strong, able to impose its will, and able to defeat its enemies in physical combat. But Jesus said the greatest person in God’s kingdom was the weakest, the one who loves and who serves the poor (Matt. 23:11-12). He said you live under God’s reign when you respond to evil by loving your enemies, and forgiving them, and seeking peace (Matt. 5). To us, this is an upside-down kingdom. But to God, it's right-side up. This was what God had originally planned for us: a kingdom where God reigns in our hearts.

"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."-John 3:3

Jesus was being quite literal here. You can’t see the kingdom until you’re born again and have the life of that kingdom. When you’re born again, you start 'seeing' differently. You see what others don’t see, you hear what others don’t hear, you know what others don’t know. And yet you may be physically in the same earthly location as they.
The kingdom of God is the totality of God’s influence that covers the world and heaven. It’s everywhere, but its manifestation isn’t everywhere. It manifests on earth wherever there are those who are born again and live as if God reigns in their hearts.
Before Jesus, John the Baptist announced to all people, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Matt. 3:1-2), as he saw a soon coming kingdom of God that would be ushered in by the Messiah. Notice that John the Baptist didn’t say that something “like” the kingdom would come and he didn’t say that the real kingdom might be thousands of years away. He said over and over that THE kingdom was at hand! Do you believe him? Did God inspire him to give a clear and accurate message or a mistaken one? If we dare to believe him, things might become surprisingly clear, simple and exceedingly optimistic.

"Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven."-Matthew 6:10

Jesus taught his followers of his generation to pray that God's kingdom come and that His will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Why pray for something that will just inevitably come by force, unless it was actually through our willing participation? That is, unless God's will is carried out through us "in earth, as it is in heaven"?

"Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel."-Mark 1:14-15

It's very telling that these are the very first words the Gospel of Mark chooses to record Jesus as saying.
The kingdom is NOT something to wait for. Jesus says the kingdom is NOT something visible, and it is NOT something in the sky. The Kingdom Jesus taught is a spiritual reality that comes into the world through us. Considering that Jesus even said the kingdom was in and among the Pharisees in Luke 17, which seems almost offensive to consider, perhaps it is like a spiritual seed that has been planted inside each of us, and that activating faith in God makes it grow.

"Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it."-Luke 13:18-19

Jesus talked about the kingdom as if it would be a present reality, yet one that was growing in the world like a seed grows into a tree.

"And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened."-Luke 13:20-21

To Jesus, the kingdom was something growing in us like yeast through dough, increasing in effectiveness.

"For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost."-Romans 14:17
"For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power."-1 Corinthians 4:20

Paul says the kingdom isn’t something you taste or touch like physical food. It’s not even saying the right words. But rather the kingdom comes in the realities of righteousness, peace, joy and power that flavor our lives when we live empowered by the Spirit of God and God's Spirit in us.
Since Jesus the Messiah returned only 40 years after his earthly ministry, putting all enemies under his feet, the complete consummation of earth with the kingdom of heaven has finally taken place.
The kingdom of God has come, and it continues to come through us as believers. It makes progress like light shining into the world and dispelling the darkness.

"Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."-Matthew 5:14-16

Hi everyone thinking about taking MICR 4600 Immunology with Porter! I wanted to give you a breakdown for the class format and explain how it functions. I just finished Immunology with Porter (was one of my CLS pre-reqs) and this class is no joke. It was one of the hardest classes I have ever taken and I already have my degree in Microbiology. Please be ready for being tested comprehensively on the information you learn. Not only is there lots of content to learn, but Porter will design ways to test your understanding of how to apply the info you learned in lecture.
Grade breakdown - lab and lecture are graded together. There is a total of 1000 points you can earn from each. You need to do well in both to get a good grade:
Lecture Component (600 points total):

• Reflective Essays (20 points)
  • Easyish essay on what you expect from the class at the beginning and then again after the final (2 essays).
• Active Learning (50 points)
  • Randomly during class, there will be a ~2pt assignment just explaining the lecture content you learned. Acts as an attendance checker
  • This isn't tested on if you get it correct its graded by participation and if you get it wrong she just comments the right answer.
• Case Studies (100 points)
  • Five team-based case studies: 10 points each
    • Every other week you get a group assignment. Using information you learned in lecture, you need to assess a medical issue. You must explain the immunological causes, key information why you diagnosed what you did, what diagnostic tests you should run to assess the diagnosis, and some questions that may be applicable for the case.
  • Final team-based case study: 50 points
    • Same as above but this one is presented to the class (powerpoint + 1 question from Porter)
• Seminar Synopsis and Research Question (30 points)
  • You will get two guest lectures during this class. You will need to write a paper on the research/information being presented during one of these lectures.
• Weekly Post-Lecture Quizzes (150 points)
  • Fifteen quizzes: 10 points each
    • These quizzes are really challenging! You get two chances and your grade will be the average of the two. Study the lecture before taking the quiz.
• Midterm Exam (100 points)
  • Free response with a few multiple choice questions
    • About 5 pages of free response
• Final Comprehensive Examination (150 points)
  • Similar to midterm setup.
    • About 11 pages of free response (comprehensive with emphasis on lectures after midterm) plus 20 multiple choice.
• Midterm and Final have an essay portion due the night before the test. You need to find a regular news article(NYT/BBC/etc not actual science or research journals) where you describe news on information from the lessons in class. Should be an easy 10 points for each.)

Laboratory Component (400 points total) ~with Dr. Tapia:

• Weekly Pre-Lab Quizzes (60 points)
  • Twelve quizzes: 5 points each
    • Easy just read manual and due early morning before lab section
• Safety Quiz (10 points)
• Quizzes 1 and 2 (80 points)
  • Two quizzes: 40 points each
    • Open lab notebook. As long as you keep your notebook updated, you'll be okay but be sure you have all the reagents whole names written down.
• Graphs (30 points)
  • Three graphs: 10 points each
    • Will be on lab data given by the professor. Make sure you include all the information required on the assignment or points might be deducted.
• Lab Notebook (50 points)
  • Needs to have images or drawings of experiment if noted in manual.
• Poster Session (50 points)
  • Poster: 30 points (team)
    • Team makes poster but each individual is required to present during a poster session.
  • Poster presentation: 10 points (individual)
  • Poster evaluations: 10 points (individual)
• Final Comprehensive Laboratory Examination (120 points)
  • You get a cheat sheet for this.

General Policies:

• Attendance for both lectures and labs is mandatory.
• No make-up exams or late assignments are accepted unless justified (e.g., doctor's note). She's pretty strict with exceptions without doctor note.
• Participation in lecture will help you accumulate extra credit for your final grade so participate often and go to office hours!!

Feel free to ask any questions below. Happy to answer :)

Hello, I was hoping someone can help me fix a personality problem that I have. I don’t know what the exact term would be, but I would describe it as sticking my head in the sand. When I start to get overloaded with activities or stress, I end up shutting my brain off and pretend like it does not exist.
These are some examples
1. I did not prepare and refused to apply for a job application that happens once a year by the deadline when my mom had gotten a terminal illness even though she hoped to see me get the job before her condition got worse. I continued to not do anything until it was too late, basically delaying my acceptance by another year.
2. I failed a yearlong $5000 course that only required participation to pass because I stopped participating. I also lied about completing the course to my family multiple times and when confronted with the situation, I proceeded to not do anything about it, thinking it would go away.
3. I had a prior full-time tutor who helped me get high grades for previous exams, but I refused to do my work and keep in contact thinking that I can achieve it on my own without his help. I have also never had high marks on my exams by myself prior to this and I continued to ignore the fact that I probably will not get a high score. I received the worst score.
My thought process was that I can get it done or do better the next day and I would sleep without having anything accomplished or do other things and then the cycle ends up repeating. Other people would stay up to pull all-nighters for example, but I would go to sleep and fail it. Based on other people’s advice, I have been trying to maintain a schedule, but I have also been pushing back on making the schedule as well. Are there any other methods people can suggest for me to fix this problem?