Traveling is often about discovering new landscapes, cuisines, and cultures. But what if your journey also included exploring ancient wisdom and healing traditions? In the heart of Himachal Pradesh, homestays offer more than just a place to stay; they provide a gateway to the rich heritage of local medicinal plants and traditional healing practices. Whether you're at the best homestay in Shimla or one of the luxury homestays in Himachal you're in for an enlightening experience that connects you with nature's pharmacy and the time-honored wisdom of the locals.

The Best Homestay in Shimla: A Gateway to Nature's Pharmacy

Shimla, known for its serene beauty and colonial charm, is also a treasure trove of medicinal plants. Staying at the best homestay in Shimla, such as Apple Blossom Retreat, offers a unique opportunity to delve into the world of traditional healing. The hosts, who have deep-rooted knowledge of the local flora, often take guests on guided walks through nearby forests and meadows, pointing out various medicinal plants and explaining their uses.
During one such walk, I was introduced to the “Himalayan Yew,” known for its anti-cancer properties, and “Rhododendron,” whose flowers are used to make a soothing tea that helps alleviate headaches and cold symptoms. The hosts shared fascinating stories about how these plants have been used for centuries in local remedies, providing a deeper appreciation of the region's natural resources.

Luxury Homestays in Himachal: Blending Comfort with Traditional Healing

For those seeking a more opulent experience, luxury homestays in Himachal, like the Royal Pine Palace in Manali, offer both comfort and a connection to traditional healing practices. These homestays often have beautifully maintained gardens where medicinal plants are grown. Guests can learn about the cultivation and uses of these plants, and even participate in workshops on making herbal infusions, balms, and other natural remedies.
At Royal Pine Palace, the hosts organize regular sessions with local healers and Ayurveda practitioners who share their knowledge of traditional medicine. One evening, I attended a session on Ayurveda, learning about the principles of this ancient healing system and how it integrates with the local traditions of using medicinal plants. The experience was both relaxing and educational, providing insights into how these practices promote holistic well-being.

Discovering Traditional Healing Practices

Himachal Pradesh is rich in traditional healing practices that are passed down through generations. At the best homestay in Shimla, I had the opportunity to meet a local healer who demonstrated the use of “Nagkesar,” a plant used to treat digestive issues and joint pain. He explained how the plant's bark is made into a paste and applied to the affected areas, a practice that has been effective for centuries.
In the luxury homestays in Himachal, such as Royal Pine Palace, the integration of traditional healing with modern comforts is seamless. The homestay offers spa treatments that incorporate locally sourced medicinal plants. A massage with oils infused with “Kuth” (Saussurea lappa) and “Ashwagandha” not only relaxes the body but also rejuvenates the mind, showcasing the powerful benefits of these ancient remedies.

Immersive Experiences

The beauty of staying at these homestays lies in the immersive experiences they offer. At Apple Blossom Retreat in Shimla, evenings were spent learning to prepare herbal teas and concoctions using plants like “Tulsi” (Holy Basil) and “Giloy” (Tinospora cordifolia). The hosts explained how these plants boost immunity and detoxify the body, emphasizing the importance of using fresh, locally sourced ingredients.
Similarly, at Royal Pine Palace, I joined a cooking class that incorporated medicinal herbs into traditional Himachali cuisine. Dishes like “Siddu,” a steamed bread stuffed with a mixture of poppy seeds and ground nuts, were enhanced with herbs like “Ajwain” (Carom seeds) known for their digestive benefits. These classes highlighted how traditional knowledge is seamlessly woven into everyday life, making the experience both delicious and enlightening.

Conclusion

Staying at the best homestay in Shimla or one of the luxury homestays in Himachal offers a unique opportunity to connect with the region’s rich heritage of medicinal plants and traditional healing practices. These homestays provide more than just a luxurious stay; they open the doors to a world of ancient wisdom and natural remedies. Whether through guided nature walks, hands-on workshops, or immersive cooking classes, guests leave with a deeper appreciation of how traditional knowledge can enhance modern living. Embrace the chance to learn and heal, and let the beauty and wisdom of Himachal Pradesh transform your travel experience.

Okay so some back story, we met at work6 years ago, she was shy and quiet and the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.
She already had a kid I knew that and also thought it was absolutely worth it. She did tell me not to worry about the kid which I did think was weird and I told her I was serious so I would not be doing that.
Anyway 3 years we decide that I had a new very well paying job and we both wanted a baby. It took a while but it worked out eventually and I have a beautiful daughter now. My relationship with her son was constantly strained as she just never allowed me to be a role model or a dad to him just constantly blocking activities of just me or him or if I had to do any sort of parenting she would immediately undermine me and coddle him all the time.
Anyway this is where the problems start. The moment she was pregnant she got aggressive and mean. Now I know that can be part of it, women have it rough. But I mean really mean. This is in the UK she was on benefits (this is not to be rude it was her best choice) so her income was real low and I had to do most of the buying etc.
I did everything for her. Took her out bought her things. Showed her affection took her and her son on things that she could never afford and I did treat her really well. I got a bit distant when the abuse was constant, everyday it was something else. Like literally insulting me for how I looked or dressed or a wet towel literally in the hamper, you get the picture it was not nice.
We even got a house which was a joint effort through a housing scheme. I dropped all my savings into that house even levelled the garden (we didn’t even have a finished bathroom) cos she told me she wanted it. I did a lot of it myself. Laid the floors pulled waste (like almost 2t of concrete) out of the garden ground and levelled it almost completely alone.
This is all to say that I did so much for her I truly loved her and to me it didn’t matter she was yelling and shouting everyday cos we were going to make it work. Anyway a year and a 1/2 in the house and it’s almost daily. Shouting screaming. Not all one sided anymore but I had been chipped away that much.
I left. This is my biggest mistake of my life, as she got to do what she wanted. She truly didn’t want me there.
She swears she begged for me to come back or said we should go counselling. I can tell you she did not even message me. Only responding to me or messaging if she wanted something.
I never should of left I loved those 2 kids (I still try to see the son as much as possible - she still tries to interfere) and I see my daughter less than 50% against my will.
I gave her everything, things she never would have had in her life. The house now would still be unfinished if it wasn’t for what I put in.
This is what I need help with. She is almost 31 and she’s got with a 21 year old at work. This is kind of grim to me. I have been asking to come back try for the kids and I love her so much etc etc.
She’s got with someone a decade younger who doesn’t drive has dropped out of college and she says he’s mature but I have met him and he goes out drinking and partying. To me this is a selfish choice as this is not someone who benefits or even cares for the kids.
She’s allowed to be with whoever she wants I get that. And even though I tried my best together and after and I should feel I tried my best but I just feel defeated
A 21 year old she works with. No drive no ambition, (these are facts not attacks on him, I used to work there too. He’s happy to stay minimum wage and does not care to even learn to drive) over me who gave both those kids everything I could and I really did treat her so well truly sucks
She said it’s cos we didn’t have a good connection??? We had a kid together moved in together and then she begged to get a dog with me for the kids even though she hates dogs? To me that makes no sense
The advice now for me is what am I suppose to do? How do I get over her new partner? Again she can do what she wants and yea she says it’s serious and so does he. And what do I do about the son I care a lot but I get a lot of mixed messages about how it should be handled.
Full clarification i unfortunately do still love her. She was the only person I have ever been with emotionally and physically so maybe there’s strong emotions I don’t understand on my end that she doesn’t have? She truly just tossed me away
Sorry final bit I don’t know where to fit it in
We (just me) tried again this year (05 Jan - 6th March) I spent loads of money treating her and the time I got back with the kids. I played with the kids and gave her breaks from them (which is something I did not do well before) but she did not do anything in return emotionally or even try messaging me I had to do everything. Turned out she was messaging this 21 year old for at least a week before that ended.
Thank you for any input
EDIT: I feel like I just need to be clear about the partner cos I know it’s not all about what you offer and what you can do. I just feel like why not someone your age? Or someone who can at least provide experience to those kids? She has said she never wants kids again and apparently he says he doesn’t want one? To me this is just weird I don’t think a 21 year old would truthfully be able to answer that question? Yeh probably doesn’t want kids now but maybe in future when he’s got more figured out. And like I said he’s got no motivation and no drive. It is truly a hold up point for me.
I loved her and I did so much I don’t get how it can be just thrown away. She won’t even meet in person to talk it out. She just says ‘I’m with someone’ I have given up contacting now cos it seems that is truly what she wants. It’s been very depressing but there’s not much I can do about it

Discover the 7 techniques essential for early childhood reading success. Explore expert tips and strategies to empower your child's literacy journey.

Introduction

In today's fast-paced world, literacy is a cornerstone of success. As parents, nurturing our children's reading abilities early sets a strong foundation for their future achievements. This comprehensive guide dives deep into the top strategies and techniques to foster early reading skills in children. From interactive storytelling to language-rich environments, discover how you can unlock your child's potential and pave the way for lifelong learning.

Use These 7 Techniques to Help Your Child Become an Early Reader

1. Immersive Storytelling Adventures

Immerse your child in captivating narratives that ignite their imagination and curiosity. Explore a myriad of storybooks ranging from classic fairy tales to educational adventures. Incorporate interactive elements like sound effects and role-playing to make reading sessions engaging and memorable.

2. Phonics Fun: Mastering Letter Sounds

Delve into the world of phonics to help your child grasp letter sounds effortlessly. Utilize interactive games and apps designed to reinforce phonemic awareness. Practice blending and segmenting sounds through playful activities, ensuring a strong foundation in phonics principles.

3. Building Vocabulary Brilliance

Expand your child's vocabulary through daily word exploration activities. Create word walls adorned with colorful visuals to reinforce new words. Encourage conversations and storytelling, providing ample opportunities for your child to use and understand diverse vocabulary in context.

4. Sight Word Mastery Made Simple

Empower your child with sight word mastery strategies for fluent reading. Incorporate flashcards, games, and repetition to reinforce high-frequency words. Celebrate milestones as your child confidently recognizes and reads sight words independently.

5. Engaging Literacy Environments

Craft literacy-rich environments at home and in educational settings. Create cozy reading nooks filled with a variety of books catering to your child's interests. Foster a love for reading through frequent library visits and participation in reading-themed events.

6. Interactive Read-Aloud Sessions

Enhance reading comprehension and critical thinking skills through interactive read-aloud sessions. Encourage active participation by asking open-ended questions and prompting discussions. Explore diverse genres and themes, nurturing a well-rounded approach to literature appreciation.

7. Empowering Parent-Child Partnerships

Cultivate strong parent-child partnerships centered around reading and learning. Engage in joint reading activities, modeling fluency and expression. Provide positive reinforcement and encouragement, fostering a supportive environment conducive to reading success.
Also Read: Exploring the Best Preschool Franchise Opportunities in India

FAQs: Your Burning Questions Answered

How can I motivate my child to read regularly?
Encourage reading as a fun and rewarding activity by incorporating incentives such as sticker charts or reading challenges.
What role does technology play in early literacy?
Technology can complement traditional methods by offering interactive learning platforms and digital libraries tailored to young readers.
Are audiobooks beneficial for developing reading skills?
Audiobooks can enhance listening comprehension and pronunciation while instilling a love for storytelling.
How can I identify my child's reading level?
Consult with educators or utilize reading assessment tools to determine your child's current reading proficiency and tailor activities accordingly.
What if my child shows reluctance towards reading?
Address underlying concerns or challenges by exploring alternative reading materials or seeking guidance from literacy specialists.
How do I create a literacy-friendly home environment?
Establish a dedicated reading space, stock it with age-appropriate books, and integrate reading into daily routines like bedtime stories.
Is it normal for children to progress at different rates in reading?
Yes, children develop reading skills at varying paces. Focus on providing individualized support and celebrating each milestone achieved.

Conclusion: Empowering Early Readers for Lifelong Success

In conclusion, nurturing early reading skills in children is a transformative journey filled with joy and discovery. By implementing the seven techniques outlined in this guide and fostering a nurturing reading environment, you're laying a solid foundation for your child's academic and personal growth. Embrace the power of literacy and watch as your child blossoms into a confident and enthusiastic reader, ready to embrace the world of knowledge and imagination.

General
I am looking for a lady between 28 and 35 years old, for a committed monogamous childfree relationship. My goal is to become a true team, supporting each other, caring for each other, nurturing each other and helping each other grow and realise our goals and dreams as much as possible. I'm hoping to find someone that values a relationship as much as I do and takes it seriously. It's not the only thing my life revolves around, but it's also not just something 'nice to have' for me.
I tried to be as concise as possible while still providing what details I think are crucial to know; I realise this post turned out very long, but I prefer those because I can get as good an idea as possible with detailed descriptions, bar actually talking to the person, and find that very valuable, so if that also applies to you, that would be awesome.
Basics
I am 186cm tall, slim/fit built, dark brown hair, brown eyes. Both my arms are tattooed (full sleeve), as are my calves and the areas above my ankles. Regarding pictures see below. I am a runner (ranging from 5k to full marathon), training multiple times a week. I'm also vegan. My love languages are physical touch and words of affirmation. While I am mostly securely attached, withdrawing from me triggers anxiety and I have made a horrible experience with a fearful avoidant partner in the past, so that is something I fear I cannot deal with again.
I am also an atheist.
I am a very warm, soft and sensitive person, I think I am humorous, I am self reflecting a lot and I can also be really passionate and romantic. Those are traits that also are really important to me in a woman.
I can be quite social, I am a good talker, but also love to listen to really get to know someone on a deeper level. I can enjoy an evening out with friends just as much as the silence of sitting at the shores of the river and watching the sunset in solitude (although I've been craving to watch it together with a partner for a really long time now). I can be out in a pub, at a rave, a metal show or in the stadium watching football and have the time of my life, but I cannot do these things every day; I need recharge time (on the sofa, in the woods for a run, a lazy Sunday staying in bed etc.). This should give you an idea; basically, I am a homebody that thoroughly enjoys going out in moderation.
I won't say too much about hobbies; suffice it to say I am into the dark, the obscure, the macabre, the occult, the mysterious, the erotic. It won't surprise you that I had a gothic phase in my youth, bonus points if you did too!
What I am looking for
Although similar hobbies and interests are a plus (and there have to be at least a couple things we have in common), emotional and sexual compatibility are more important to me. I am a very sensitive and emotional person (I do cry easily and by this point I don't think I'll ever be able to change that, sorry), so if you're too, we will definitely understand each other. I need someone who I can open up to (which I do rather quickly, anyway), be myself, bare my soul to and I need these things from you, too. I've had my share of emotionally unavailable women who were afraid of intimacy so I know I can't deal with that again because of the way how those things affect me. I am always emotionally invested with the woman I pursue and in those cases that was to my detriment. But my ability to feel so deep is also something I wouldn't want to change because as of yet, although it's getting harder, I haven't given up on finding someone.
With those emotional needs come two requirements that I found to be vital over the years: First, being able to be silly and cutesy together and to accept each other's inner child and care for it. I am not talking about having to deal with another person's immaturity or inability to perform basic adult skills, rather with the way sadness, hurt, anxiety and being overwhelmed manifests for me (and maybe for you, too?). I need someone who is able to comfort me, to hold me, to allow me to be weak and needy for a while until I've calmed down, and I'm more than ready to offer the same. Your inner child can come out for a while, no problem (: Also in a positive way: Thankfully, today everyone seems to be understanding of the cuteness overload cats (or any animal baby, really) can cause; I need that with a partner. I also still have plushies as comfort animals (some of which in quite a litteral sense as they make for really amazing pillows) and ideally, you do too.
There is a saying that in every relationship, one person is the stronger one. In the past, I have been with women who obviously were stronger than me, but that doesn't mean they always had to be strong, far from it. I certainly, like I said, need to be able to feel protected, but it's not like I'm a particularly needy partner, like everyone, I have my ups and downs, but I can pull my weight and have been told by past partners that I am very caring and that they felt safe and understood with me, and providing that for my partner is really important for me as well – this just to put the picture I'm (somewhat haphazardly) trying to paint into perspective.
Second, sexual compatibility. I have a high libido and I have kinks, so you should, too, in order that we can explore and enjoy them together. I found out how fulfilling living out those fantasies can be after years of never being able to try and in a relationship, sexual fulfillment for both partners is a must for me. Someone on here has coined the term 'filthy best friends and partners' which I have no shame to be stealing because it's such an apt description.
I'm looking for a balance between healthy independence and being emotionally present. A relationship where we 'get' each other; we're both each other's number one and treat each other like royalty. Where a disagreement leads to more intimacy between us as we understand better, not to resentment. Where we're comfortable baring our souls to each other, becoming a safe haven and secure base for each other. I don't like the modern notion that you 'should never feel too safe in a relationship' because that sounds like running from the mafia (and believe me, I love mafia movies); you should always put in effort, yes, but safety is one of the things I always want to experience and provide in a relationship. We shouldn't fear that a disagreement leads straight to breakup. I know ‘self-sufficiency’ is trending right now, but I feel like as partners, we’re partly responsible for each other and not our own but also each other’s happiness. Being dependant and dependable at the same time is important; making each other’s wellbeing a priority. I love the relationship model outlined in Stan Tatkin’s ‘Wired for Love’ and you should, too. If you’re not able to healthily depend on someone and their support while you’re having a hard time, look elsewhere. I know codependency is the latest thing everyone’s afraid of, but experiencing someone you’ve grown very attached to just bailing because they’re counterdependent and can’t stand working on themselves while simultaneously letting you in is something I’d rather not go through again. If I have to be afraid you’ll run at the first major problem that surfaces, even if it’s a ‘you’-problem, it’s not going to work. I think that all things can and need to be talked about. If you think ignoring someone for days is a form of communication, please look elsewhere. If you think’s it’s okay to lovebomb someone and then leave after a couple of months with the minimum amount of information and no proper conversation because you’re not ready to own up to what’s happening to you emotionally, please look elsewhere.
I am looking for someone real. We all have our problems, I don't want or need a 'perfect' person. You don't have everything figured out or 'all your shit' together. Be imperfect. Admit when you feel sad and angry, lonely, hopeless or even helpless – it's all relatable. Don't hide it. Be quirky, be dorky, be witchy, be opinionated, be yourself. Don't pretend.
I'm looking for someone to share romance with. Not great gestures, but small, meaningful ones. Poems for each other, expressing our feelings; cards with heartfelt messages that we put our perfume/cologne on, and a symbol that means something to us only, the print of your lips with lipstick, the way I sign and seal my letters for you.
Just as important to me is agreeing on living a healthy life, staying in shape both for ourselves and for each other, regularly working out and eating healthy. I am drug and disease-free and expect the same of you. I do drink as I love a good beer or glass of wine, rum or whiskey, but I've never really been drinking much and especially during the past year have further reduced it. One vice I have is that I enjoy a couple of cigars a year, but I can definitely accommodate you in this regard.
Another important point is aligned life goals: many childfree people seem to be adventurous, but that is a trait I don't associate with myself at all. I value safety more than adventure. I want to build a home together with my partner, a safespace for the both of us, where we always feel loved and protected, a place that we create together, make it cozy together so we just love to get back home there wherever we might have been, a home we decorate together for Halloween (my favourite holiday) or Christmas or Springtime, as we live in tune with the seasons, seeing them change around us, enjoying nature on a walk or the rain outside, reading in our cozy home. I value stability and harmony.
Appearance-wise, I am into ladies on the smaller side (albeit not regarding height), so I'm looking for someone petite/slim/skinny/healthy-fit. Likewise, I am not really muscular and don't have visible abs; like I said, I'm a runner, so if you're more into the gym-type, I'm not a good fit.
The natural progression for me would be to move from text to voice calls, videochat and then meeting up, all of that rather sooner than later. Not that there’s a need to rush anything, but having my heart broken because I already developed feelings due to a longer timeframe and then everything unexpectedly turning to shit is not something I want to have to live through again. I’d rather see earlier if we’re compatible or not; as someone who catches feelings fast I need to protect myself, I unfortunately had to learn that
Caveats/Possible red flags

• I don't like travelling as it stresses me out; I don't mind being somewhere else for a week or two, but the organisation part of it drains my energy very quickly and dealing with stuff that doesn't work out is overwhelming to me. Smaller trips are ok, but I'm not the right person to travel the world with.
• I am not the most awake person in the morning (i.e. I identify as nightowl)
• I need space for my own projects/time to recharge after social interaction.
• While I feel like I am in tune with my inner child and working on/with it through therapy, I realise this is something that could be a turn-off for people.
• I have been diagnosed with depressive episodes in the past and am taking anti-depressants right now. I realise that I am a work in progress, maybe more so than in times past, but I manage and the fact that I'm putting myself out here is based on me being ready to get to know someone new.
• I want to create a home together here, as I'm firmly rooted where I was born; I realise this is a lot to ask, but I have seen many people here being open to moving, so I want to at least try reaching out to them.

If you're interested, feel free to message me and include some pictures of yourself and I will reply with my own. Have a nice day (:

"Why Did Jesus Die on the Cross?"

The main reason Jesus died on the cross was to defeat Satan and set us free from his oppressive rule. Everything else that Jesus accomplished was to be understood as an aspect and consequence of this victory (e.g., Recapitulation, Moral Influence, etc.).
This understanding of why Jesus had to die is called the Christus Victor (Latin for “Christ is Victorious”) view of the atonement. But, what exactly was Christ victorious from, and why? To find out the answers to these questions, we have to turn to the Old Testament, as that's what the apostles would often allude to in order to properly teach their audience the message they were trying to convey (Rom. 15:4).
The OT is full of conflict between the Father (YHVH) and false gods, between YHVH and cosmic forces of chaos. The Psalms speak of this conflict between YHVH and water monsters of the deeps (an ancient image for chaos) (Psa. 29:3-4; 74:10-14; 77:16, 19; 89:9-10; 104:2-9, etc).
The liberation of Israel from Egypt wasn’t just a conflict between Pharaoh and Moses. It was really between YHVH and the false gods of Egypt.
Regardless of whether you think the aforementioned descriptions are literal or metaphorical, the reality that the Old Testament describes is that humanity lived in a “cosmic war zone.”
The Christus Victor motif is about Christ reigning victorious over wicked principalities and Satan's kingdom, and is strongly emphasized throughout the New Testament. Scripture declares that Jesus came to drive out "the prince of this world” (John 12:31), to “destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8), to “destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb. 2:14) and to “put all enemies under his feet” (1 Cor 15:25). Jesus came to overpower the “strong man” (Satan) who held the world in bondage and worked with his Church to plunder his "palace" (Luke 11:21-22). He came to end the reign of the cosmic “thief” who seized the world to “steal, and to kill, and to destroy” the life YHVH intended for us (John 10:10). Jesus came and died on the cross to disarm “the principalities and powers” and make a “shew of them openly [i.e., public spectacle]” by “triumphing over them in [the cross]” (Col. 2:15).
Beyond these explicit statements, there are many other passages that express the Christus Victor motif as well. For example, the first prophecy in the Bible foretells that a descendent of Eve (Jesus) would crush the head of the serpent (Gen. 3:15). The first Christian sermon ever preached proclaimed that Jesus in principle conquered all YHVH's enemies (Acts 2:32-36). And the single most frequently quoted Old Testament passage by New Testament authors is Psalm 110:1 which predicts that Christ would conquer all YHVH’s opponents. (Psalm 110 is quoted or alluded to in Matthew 22:41-45; 26:64, Mark 12:35-37; 14:62, Luke 20:41-44; 22:69, Acts 5:31; 7:55-56, Romans 8:34, 1st Corinthians 15:22-25, Ephesians 1:20, Hebrews 1:3; 1:13; 5:6, 10; 6:20; 7:11, 15, 17, 21; 8:1; 10:12-13, 1st Peter 3:22, and Revelation 3:21.) According to New Testament scholar Oscar Cullman, the frequency with which New Testament authors cite this Psalm is the greatest proof that Christ’s “victory over the angel powers stands at the very center of early Christian thought.”
Because of man's rebellion, the Messiah's coming involved a rescue mission that included a strategy for vanquishing the powers of darkness.
Since YHVH is a God of love who gives genuine “say-so” to both angels and humans, YHVH rarely accomplishes His providential plans through coercion. YHVH relies on His infinite wisdom to achieve His goals. Nowhere is YHVH's wisdom put more on display than in the manner in which He outsmarted Satan and the powers of evil, using their own evil to bring about their defeat.
Most readers probably know the famous story from ancient Greece about the Trojan Horse. To recap the story, Troy and Greece had been locked in a ten-year-long vicious war when, according to Homer and Virgil, the Greeks came up with a brilliant idea. They built an enormous wooden horse, hid soldiers inside and offered it to the Trojans as a gift, claiming they were conceding defeat and going home. The delighted Trojans accepted the gift and proceeded to celebrate by drinking themselves into a drunken stupor. When night came and the Trojan warriors were too wasted to fight, the Greeks exited the horse, unlocked the city gates to quietly let all their compatriots in, and easily conquered the city, thus winning the war.
Historians debate whether any of this actually happened. But either way, as military strategies go, it’s brilliant.
Now, there are five clues in the New Testament that suggest YHVH was using something like this Trojan Horse strategy against the powers when he sent Jesus into the world:
1) The Bible tells us that YHVH's victory over the powers of darkness was achieved by the employment of YHVH’s wisdom, and was centered on that wisdom having become reality in Jesus Christ (Rom. 16:25, 1 Cor. 2:7, Eph. 3:9-10, Col. 1:26). It also tells us that, for some reason, this Christ-centered wisdom was kept “secret and hidden” throughout the ages. It’s clear from this that YHVH's strategy was to outsmart and surprise the powers by sending Jesus.
2) While humans don’t generally know Jesus’ true identity during his ministry, demons do. They recognize Jesus as the Son of God, the Messiah, but, interestingly enough, they have no idea what he’s doing (Mark 1:24; 3:11; 5:7, Luke 8:21). Again, the wisdom of YHVH in sending Jesus was hidden from them.
3) We’re told that, while humans certainly share in the responsibility for the crucifixion, Satan and the powers were working behind the scenes to bring it about (John 13:27 cf. 1 Cor. 2:6-8). These forces of evil helped orchestrate the crucifixion.
4) We’re taught that if the “princes of this world [age]” had understood the secret wisdom of YHVH, “they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Cor 2:8 cf. vss 6-7). Apparently, Satan and the powers regretted orchestrating Christ’s crucifixion once they learned of the wisdom of YHVH that was behind it.
5) Finally, we can begin to understand why the powers came to regret crucifying “the Lord of glory” when we read that it was by means of the crucifixion that the “handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us [i.e., the charge of our legal indebtedness]” was “[taken] out of the way [i.e., canceled]” as the powers were disarmed. In this way Christ “triumph[ed] over” the powers by "his cross” and even “made a shew of them openly” (Col. 2:14-15). Through Christ’s death and resurrection YHVH's enemies were vanquished and placed under his Messiah's feet, and ultimately His own in the end (1 Cor. 15:23-28).
Putting these five clues together, we can discern YHVH's Trojan Horse strategy in sending Jesus.
The powers couldn’t discern why Jesus came because YHVH's wisdom was hidden from them. YHVH's wisdom was motivated by unfathomable love, and since Satan and the other powers were evil, they lacked the capacity to understand it. Their evil hearts prevented them from suspecting what YHVH was up to.
What the powers did understand was that Jesus was mortal. This meant he was killable. Lacking the capacity to understand that this was the means by which YHVH would ultimately bring about the defeat of death (and thus, pave the road for the resurrection itself), they never suspected that making Jesus vulnerable to their evil might actually be part of YHVH's infinitely wise plan.
And so they took the bait (or "ransom"; Matt. 20:28, Mark 10:45, 1 Tim. 2:5-6). Utilizing Judas and other willing human agents, the powers played right into YHVH’s secret plan and orchestrated the crucifixion of the Messiah (Acts 2:22-23; 4:28). YHVH thus brilliantly used the self-inflicted incapacity of evil to understand love against itself. And, like light dispelling darkness, the unfathomably beautiful act of YHVH's love in sending the willing Messiah as a "ransom" to these blood-thirsty powers defeated them. The whole creation was in principle freed and reconciled to YHVH, while everything written against us humans was nailed to the cross, thus robbing the powers of the only legal claim they had on us. They were “spoiled [i.e., disempowered]” (Col. 2:14-15).
As happened to the Trojans in accepting the gift from the Greeks, in seizing on Christ’s vulnerability and orchestrating his crucifixion, the powers unwittingly cooperated with YHVH to unleash the one power in the world that dispels all evil and sets captives free. It’s the power of self-sacrificial love.

Why Penal Substitution Is Unbiblical

For the sake of keeping this already lengthy post as short as possible I'm not going to spend too much time on why exactly PSA (Penal Substitutionary Atonement) is inconsistent with Scripture, but I'll go ahead and point out the main reasons why I believe this is so, and let the reader look further into this subject by themselves, being that there are many resources out there which have devoted much more time than I ever could here in supporting this premise.

"Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:"-1 Corinthians 5:7

The Passover is one of the two most prominent images in the New Testament given as a comparison to Christ's atonement and what it accomplished, (the other most common image being the Day of Atonement sacrifice).
In the Passover, the blood of the lamb on the door posts of the Hebrews in the book of Exodus was meant to mark out those who were YHVH's, not be a symbol of PSA, as the lamb itself was not being punished by God in place of the Hebrews, but rather the kingdom of Egypt (and thus, allegorically speaking, the kingdom of darkness which opposed YHVH) was what was being judged and punished, because those who were not "covered" by the blood of the lamb could be easily identified as not part of God's kingdom/covenant and liberated people.
Looking at the Day of Atonement sacrifice (which, again, Christ's death is repeatedly compared to throughout the New Testament), this ritual required a ram, a bull, and two goats (Lev. 16:3-5). The ram was for a burnt offering intended to please God (Lev. 16:3-4). The bull served as a sin offering for Aaron, the high priest, and his family. In this case, the sin offering restored the priest to ritual purity, allowing him to occupy sacred space and be near YHVH’s presence. Two goats taken from "the congregation” were needed for the single sin offering for the people (Lev. 16:5). So why two goats?
The high priest would cast lots over the two goats, with one chosen as a sacrifice “for the Lord” (Lev. 16:8). The blood of that goat would purify the people. The second goat was not sacrificed or designated “for the Lord.” On the contrary, this goat—the one that symbolically carried the sins away from the camp of Israel into the wilderness—was “for Azazel” (Lev. 16:8-10).
What—or who—is Azazel?
The Hebrew term azazel (עזאזל) occurs four times in Leviticus 16 but nowhere else in most people's canon of the Bible, (and I say "most people's canon," because some people do include 1 Enoch in their canon of Scripture, which of course goes into great detail about this "Azazel" figure). Many translations prefer to translate the term as a phrase, “the goat that goes away,” which is the same idea conveyed in the King James Version’s “scapegoat.” Other translations treat the word as a name: Azazel. The “scapegoat” option is possible, but since the phrase “for Azazel” parallels the phrase “for YHVH” (“for the Lord”), the wording suggests that two divine figures are being contrasted by the two goats.
A strong case can be made for translating the term as the name Azazel. Ancient Jewish texts show that Azazel was understood as a demonic figure associated with the wilderness. The Mishnah (ca. AD 200; Yoma 6:6) records that the goat for Azazel was led to a cliff and pushed over, ensuring it would not return with its death. This association of the wilderness with evil is also evident in the New Testament, as this was where Jesus met the devil (Matt. 4:1). Also, in Leviticus 17:1-7 we learn that some Israelites had been accustomed to sacrificing offerings to "devils" (alternatively translated as “goat demons”). The Day of Atonement replaced this illegitimate practice.
The second goat was not sent into the wilderness as a sacrifice to a foreign god or demon. The act of sending the live goat out into the wilderness, which was unholy ground, was to send the sins of the people where they belonged—to the demonic domain. With one goat sacrificed to bring purification and access to YHVH and one goat sent to carry the people’s sins to the demonic domain, this annual ritual reinforced the identity of the true God and His mercy and holiness.
When Jesus died on the cross for all of humanity’s sins, he was crucified outside the city, paralleling the sins of the people being cast to the wilderness via the goat to Azazel. Jesus died once for all sinners, negating the need for this ritual.
As previously stated, the goat which had all the sin put on it was sent alive off to the wilderness, while the blood of the goat which was blameless was used to purify the temple and the people. Penal substitution would necessitate the killing of the goat which had the sin put on it.
Mind you, this is the only sacrificial ritual of any kind in the Torah in which sins are placed on an animal. The only time it happens is this, and that animal is not sacrificed. Most PSA proponents unwittingly point to this ritual as evidence of their view, despite it actually serving as evidence to the contrary, because most people don't read their Old Testament and don't familiarize themselves with the "boring parts" like Leviticus (when it's actually rather important to do so, since that book explains how exactly animal offerings were to be carried out and why they were done in the first place).
In the New Testament, Christ's blood was not only meant to mark out those who were his, but also expel the presence of sin and ritual uncleanness so as to make the presence of YHVH manifest in the believer's life. Notice how God's wrath isn't poured out on Christ in our stead on this view, but rather His wrath was poured out on those who weren't covered, and the presence of sin and evil were merely removed by that which is pure and blameless (Christ's blood) for the believer.
All this is the difference between expiation and propitiation.

The Content of Paul's Gospel Message

When the New Testament writers talked about “the gospel,” they referred not to the Protestant doctrine of justification sola fide–the proposition that if we will stop trying to win God’s favor and only just believe that God has exchanged our sin for Christ’s perfect righteousness, then in God’s eyes we will have the perfect righteousness required both for salvation and for assuaging our guilty consciences–but rather they referred to the simple but explosive proposition Kyrios Christos, “Christ is Lord.” That is to say, the gospel was, properly speaking, the royal announcement that Jesus of Nazareth was the God of Israel’s promised Messiah, the King of kings and Lord of lords.
The New Testament writers were not writing in a cultural or linguistic vacuum and their language of euangelion (good news) and euangelizomai would have been understood by their audience in fairly specific ways. Namely, in the Greco-Roman world for which the New Testament authors wrote, euangelion/euangelizomai language typically had to do with either A) the announcement of the accession of a ruler, or B) the announcement of a victory in battle, and would probably have been understood along those lines.
Let’s take the announcements of a new ruler first. The classic example of such a language is the Priene Calendar Inscription, dating to circa 9 BC, which celebrates the rule (and birthday) of Caesar Augustus as follows:
"It was seeming to the Greeks in Asia, in the opinion of the high priest Apollonius of Menophilus Azanitus: Since Providence, which has ordered all things of our life and is very much interested in our life, has ordered things in sending Augustus, whom she filled with virtue for the benefit of men, sending him as a savior [soter] both for us and for those after us, him who would end war and order all things, and since Caesar by his appearance [epiphanein] surpassed the hopes of all those who received the good tidings [euangelia], not only those who were benefactors before him, but even the hope among those who will be left afterward, and the birthday of the god [he genethlios tou theou] was for the world the beginning of the good tidings [euangelion] through him; and Asia resolved it in Smyrna."
The association of the term euangelion with the announcement of Augustus’ rule is clear enough and is typical of how this language is used elsewhere. To give another example, Josephus records that at the news of the accession of the new emperor Vespasian (69 AD) “every city kept festival for the good news (euangelia) and offered sacrifices on his behalf.” (The Jewish War, IV.618). Finally, a papyrus dating to ca. 498 AD begins:
"Since I have become aware of the good news (euangeliou) about the proclamation as Caesar (of Gaius Julius Verus Maximus Augustus)…"
This usage occurs also in the Septuagint, the Greek translations of the Jewish Scriptures. For instance LXX Isaiah 52:7 reads, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news (euangelizomenou), who publishes peace, who brings good news (euangelizomenos) of salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.'" Similarly, LXX Isaiah 40:9-10 reads:

"…Go up on a high mountain, you who bring good tidings (ho euangelizomenos) to Sion; lift up your voice with strength, you who bring good tidings (ho euangelizomenos); lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Ioudas, “See your God!” Behold, the Lord comes with strength, and his arm with authority (kyrieias)…."-NETS, Esaias 40:9-10

This consistent close connection between euangelion/euangelizomai language and announcements of rule strongly suggests that many of the initial hearers/readers of the early Christians’ evangelical language would likely have understood that language as the announcement of a new ruler (see, e.g., Acts 17:7), and, unless there is strong NT evidence to the contrary, we should presume that the NT writers probably intended their language to be so understood.
However, the other main way in which euangelion/euangelizomai language was used in the Greco-Roman world was with reference to battle reports, announcements of victory in war. A classic example of this sort of usage can be found in LXX 2 Samuel 18:19ff, where David receives word that his traitorous son, Absalom, has been defeated in battle. Euangelion/euangelizomai is used throughout the passage for the communications from the front.
As already shown throughout this post, the NT speaks of Jesus’s death and resurrection as a great victory over the powers that existed at that time and, most importantly, over death itself. Jesus’ conquest of the principalities and powers was the establishment of his rule and comprehensive authority over heaven and earth, that is, of his Lordship over all things (again, at that time).
This was the content of Paul's gospel message...

Justification, and the "New" Perspective on Paul

The following quotation is from The Gospel Coalition, and I believe it to be a decently accurate summary of the NPP (New Perspective on Paul), despite it being from a source which is in opposition to it:

The New Perspective on Paul, a major scholarly shift that began in the 1980s, argues that the Jewish context of the New Testament has been wrongly understood and that this misunderstand[ing] has led to errors in the traditional-Protestant understanding of justification. According to the New Perspective, the Jewish systems of salvation were not based on works-righteousness but rather on covenantal nomism, the belief that one enters the people of God by grace and stays in through obedience to the covenant. This means that Paul could not have been referring to works-righteousness by his phrase “works of the law”; instead, he was referring to Jewish boundary markers that made clear who was or was not within the people of God. For the New Perspective, this is the issue that Paul opposes in the NT. Thus, justification takes on two aspects for the New Perspective rather than one; initial justification is by faith (grace) and recognizes covenant status (ecclesiology), while final justification is partially by works, albeit works produced by the Spirit.

I believe what's called the "new perspective" is actually rather old, and that the Reformers' view of Paul is what is truly new, being that the Lutheran understanding of Paul is simply not Biblical.
The Reformation perspective understands Paul to be arguing against a legalistic Jewish culture that seeks to earn their salvation through works. However, supporters of the NPP argue that Paul has been misread. We contend he was actually combating Jews who were boasting because they were God's people, the "elect" or the "chosen ones." Their "works," so to speak, were done to show they were God's covenant people and not to earn their salvation.
The key questions involve Paul’s view(s) of the law and the meaning of the controversy in which Paul was engaged. Paul strongly argued that we are “justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law” (Gal. 2:16b). Since the time of Martin Luther, this has been understood as an indictment of legalistic efforts to merit favor before God. Judaism was cast in the role of the medieval "church," and so Paul’s protests became very Lutheran, with traditional-Protestant theology reinforced in all its particulars (along with its limitations) as a result. In hermeneutical terms, then, the historical context of Paul’s debate will answer the questions we have about what exactly the apostle meant by the phrase "works of the law," along with other phrases often used as support by the Reformers for their doctrine of Sola Fide (justification by faith alone), like when Paul mentions "the righteousness of God."
Obviously an in-depth analysis of the Pauline corpus and its place in the context of first-century Judaism would take us far beyond the scope of this brief post. We can, however, quickly survey the topography of Paul’s thought in context, particularly as it has emerged through the efforts of recent scholarship, and note some salient points which may be used as the basis of a refurbished soteriology.
[Note: The more popular scholars associated with the NPP are E.P. Sanders, James Dunn, and N.T. Wright. Dunn was the first to coin the term "The New Perspective" in a 1983 Manson Memorial Lecture, The New Perspective on Paul and the Law.]
Varying authors since the early 1900's have brought up the charge that Paul was misread by those in the tradition of Martin Luther and other Protestant Reformers. Yet, it wasn't until E.P. Sanders' 1977 book, Paul and Palestinian Judaism, that scholars began to pay much attention to the issue. In his book, Sanders argues that the Judaism of Paul's day has been wrongly criticized as a religion of "works-salvation" by those in the Protestant tradition.
A fundamental premise in the NPP is that Judaism was actually a religion of grace. Sander's puts it clearly:
"On the point at which many have found the decisive contrast between Paul and Judaism - grace and works - Paul is in agreement with Palestinian Judaism... Salvation is by grace but judgment is according to works'...God saves by grace, but... within the framework established by grace he rewards good deeds and punishes transgression." (Paul and Palestinian Judaism, p. 543)
N.T. Wright adds that, "we have misjudged early Judaism, especially Pharisaism, if we have thought of it as an early version of Pelagianism," (Wright, What Saint Paul Really Said, p. 32).
Sanders has coined a now well-known phrase to describe the character of first-century Palestinian Judaism: “covenantal nomism.” The meaning of “covenantal nomism” is that human obedience is not construed as the means of entering into God’s covenant. That cannot be earned; inclusion within the covenant body is by the grace of God. Rather, obedience is the means of maintaining one’s status within the covenant. And with its emphasis on divine grace and forgiveness, Judaism was never a religion of legalism.
If covenantal nomism was operating as the primary category under which Jews understood the Law, then when Jews spoke of obeying commandments, or when they required strict obedience of themselves and fellow Jews, it was because they were "keeping the covenant," rather than out of legalism.
More recently, N.T. Wright has made a significant contribution in his little book, What Saint Paul Really Said. Wright’s focus is the gospel and the doctrine of justification. With incisive clarity he demonstrates that the core of Paul’s gospel was not justification by faith, but the death and resurrection of Christ and his exaltation as Lord. The proclamation of the gospel was the proclamation of Jesus as Lord, the Messiah who fulfilled Israel’s expectations. Romans 1:3-4, not 1:16-17, is the gospel, contrary to traditional thinking. Justification is not the center of Paul’s thought, but an outworking of it:
"[T]he doctrine of justification by faith is not what Paul means by ‘the gospel’. It is implied by the gospel; when the gospel is proclaimed, people come to faith and so are regarded by God as members of his people. But ‘the gospel’ is not an account of how people get saved. It is, as we saw in an earlier chapter, the proclamation of the lordship of Jesus Christ….Let us be quite clear. ‘The gospel’ is the announcement of Jesus’ lordship, which works with power to bring people into the family of Abraham, now redefined around Jesus Christ and characterized solely by faith in him. ‘Justification’ is the doctrine which insists that all those who have this faith belong as full members of this family, on this basis and no other." (pp. 132, 133)
Wright brings us to this point by showing what “justification” would have meant in Paul’s Jewish context, bound up as it was in law-court terminology, eschatology, and God’s faithfulness to God’s covenant.
Specifically, Wright explodes the myth that the pre-Christian Saul was a pious, proto-Pelagian moralist seeking to earn his individual passage into heaven. Wright capitalizes on Paul’s autobiographical confessions to paint rather a picture of a zealous Jewish nationalist whose driving concern was to cleanse Israel of Gentiles as well as Jews who had lax attitudes toward the Torah. Running the risk of anachronism, Wright points to a contemporary version of the pre-Christian Saul: Yigal Amir, the zealous Torah-loyal Jew who assassinated Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin for exchanging Israel’s land for peace. Wright writes:
"Jews like Saul of Tarsus were not interested in an abstract, ahistorical system of salvation... They were interested in the salvation which, they believed, the one true God had promised to his people Israel." (pp. 32, 33)
Wright maintains that as a Christian, Paul continued to challenge paganism by taking the moral high ground of the creational monotheist. The doctrine of justification was not what Paul preached to the Gentiles as the main thrust of his gospel message; it was rather “the thing his converts most needed to know in order to be assured that they really were part of God’s people” after they had responded to the gospel message.
Even while taking the gospel to the Gentiles, however, Paul continued to criticize Judaism “from within” even as he had as a zealous Pharisee. But whereas his mission before was to root out those with lax attitudes toward the Torah, now his mission was to demonstrate that God’s covenant faithfulness (righteousness) has already been revealed in Jesus Christ.
At this point Wright carefully documents Paul’s use of the controversial phrase “God’s righteousness” and draws out the implications of his meaning against the background of a Jewish concept of justification. The righteousness of God and the righteousness of the party who is “justified” cannot be confused because the term bears different connotations for the judge than for the plaintiff or defendant. The judge is “righteous” if his or her judgment is fair and impartial; the plaintiff or defendant is “righteous” if the judge rules in his or her favor. Hence:
"If we use the language of the law court, it makes no sense whatsoever to say that the judge imputes, imparts, bequeaths, conveys or otherwise transfers his righteousness to either the plaintiff or the defendant. Righteousness is not an object, a substance or a gas which can be passed across the courtroom. For the judge to be righteous does not mean that the court has found in his favor. For the plaintiff or defendant to be righteous does not mean that he or she has tried the case properly or impartially. To imagine the defendant somehow receiving the judge’s righteousness is simply a category mistake. That is not how the language works." (p. 98)
However, Wright makes the important observation that even with the forensic metaphor, Paul’s theology is not so much about the courtroom as it is about God’s love.
Righteousness is not an impersonal, abstract standard, a measuring-stick or a balancing scale. That was, and still is, a Greek view. Righteousness, Biblically speaking, grows out of covenant relationship. We forgive because we have been forgiven (Matt. 18:21-35); “we love" because God “first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Love is the fulfillment of the law (Rom. 13:8, 10, Gal 5:14, Jam. 2:8). Paul even looked forward to a day when “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10), and he acknowledged that his clear conscience did not necessarily ensure this verdict (1 Cor. 4:4), but he was confident nevertheless. Paul did in fact testify of his clear conscience: “For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation [i.e., behavior] in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward” (2 Cor. 1:12). He was aware that he had not yet “attained” (Phil. 3:12-14), that he still struggled with the flesh, yet he was confident of the value of his performance (1 Cor. 9:27). These are hardly the convictions of someone who intends to rest entirely on the merits of an alien righteousness imputed to his or her account.
Wright went on to flesh out the doctrine of justification in Galatians, Philippians, and Romans. The “works of the law” are not proto-Pelagian efforts to earn salvation, but rather “sabbath [keeping], food-laws, circumcision” (p. 132). Considering the controversy in Galatia, Wright writes:
"Despite a long tradition to the contrary, the problem Paul addresses in Galatians is not the question of how precisely someone becomes a Christian, or attains to a relationship with God….The problem he addresses is: should his ex-pagan converts be circumcised or not? Now this question is by no means obviously to do with the questions faced by Augustine and Pelagius, or by Luther and Erasmus. On anyone’s reading, but especially within its first-century context, it has to do quite obviously with the question of how you define the people of God: are they to be defined by the badges of Jewish race, or in some other way? Circumcision is not a ‘moral’ issue; it does not have to do with moral effort, or earning salvation by good deeds. Nor can we simply treat it as a religious ritual, then designate all religious ritual as crypto-Pelagian good works, and so smuggle Pelagius into Galatia as the arch-opponent after all. First-century thought, both Jewish and Christian, simply doesn’t work like that…. [T]he polemic against the Torah in Galatians simply will not work if we ‘translate’ it into polemic either against straightforward self-help moralism or against the more subtle snare of ‘legalism’, as some have suggested. The passages about the law only work — and by ‘work’ I mean they will only make full sense in their contexts, which is what counts in the last analysis — when we take them as references to the Jewish law, the Torah, seen as the national charter of the Jewish race." (pp. 120-122)
The debate about justification, then, “wasn’t so much about soteriology as about ecclesiology; not so much about salvation as about the church.” (p. 119)
To summarize the theology of Paul in his epistles, the apostle mainly spent time arguing to those whom he were sending letters that salvation in Christ was available to all men without distinction. Jews and Gentiles alike may accept the free gift; it was not limited to any one group. Paul was vehement about this, especially in his letter to the Romans. As such, I will finish this post off by summarizing the letter itself, so as to provide Biblical support for the premises of the NPP and for what the scholars I referenced have thus far argued.
After his introduction in the epistle to an already believing and mostly Gentile audience (who would've already been familiar with the gospel proclaimed in verses 3-4), Paul makes a thematic statement in 1:16: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” This statement is just one of many key statements littered throughout the book of Romans that give us proper understanding of the point Paul wished to make to the interlocutors of his day, namely, salvation is available to all, whether Jew or Gentile.
In 1:16 Paul sets out a basic theme of his message in the letter to the Romans. All who believed, whether they be Jew or Gentile, were saved by the power of the gospel. The universal nature of salvation was explicitly stated. The gospel saved all without distinction, whether Jew or Greek; salvation was through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Immediately after this thematic declaration, Paul undertakes to show the universal nature of sin and guilt. In 1:18-32 Paul shows how the Gentile is guilty before God. Despite evidence of God and his attributes, which is readily available to all, they have failed to honor YHVH as God and have exchanged His glory for idolatrous worship and self-promotion. As a consequence, God handed them over in judgment (1:18-32). Paul moves to denunciation of those who would judge others while themselves being guilty of the very same offenses (2:1-5) and argues that all will be judged according to their deeds (2:6). This judgment applies to all, namely, Jew and Greek (2:9-10). This section serves as somewhat of a transition in Paul’s argument. He has highlighted the guilt of the Gentiles (1:18ff) and will shortly outline the guilt of the Jew (2:17-24). The universal statement of 2:1-11 sets the stage for Paul’s rebuke of Jewish presumption. It was not possession of the Law which delivered; it was faithful obedience. It is better to have no Law and yet to obey the essence of the Law (2:12-16) than to have the Law and not obey (2:17-3:4). Paul then defends the justice of God’s judgment (3:5-8), which leads to the conclusion that all (Jew and Gentile) are guilty before God (3:9).
Paul argues that it was a mistaken notion to think that salvation was the prerogative of the Jew only. This presumption is wrong for two reasons. First, it leads to the mistaken assumption that only Jews were eligible for this vindication (Paul deals with this misunderstanding in chapter 4 where he demonstrates that Abraham was justified by faith independently of the Law and is therefore the father of all who believe, Jew and Gentile alike). Second, it leads to the equally mistaken conclusion that all who were Jews are guaranteed of vindication. Paul demonstrates how this perspective, which would call God’s integrity into question since Paul was assuming many Jews would not experience this vindication, was misguided. He did this by demonstrating that it was never the case that all physical descendants of Israel (Jacob) were likewise recipients of the promise. In the past (9:6-33) as in the present (at that time; 11:1-10), only a remnant was preserved and only a remnant would experience vindication. Paul also argued that the unbelief of national Israel (the non-remnant) had the purpose of extending the compass of salvation. The unbelief of one group made the universal scope of the gospel possible. This universalism was itself intended to bring about the vindication of the unbelieving group (11:11-16). As a result of faith, all (Jew and Gentile) could be branches of the olive tree (11:17-24). Since faith in Christ was necessary to remain grafted into the tree, no one could boast of his position. All, Jew and Gentile alike, were dependent upon the mercy and grace of God. As a result of God’s mysterious plan, He would bring about the vindication of His people (11:25-27). [Note: It is this author's belief that this vindication occurred around 66-70 AD, with the Parousia of Christ's Church; this author is Full-Preterist in their Eschatology.]

I am looking for a lady between 25 and 35 years old, for a committed monogamous childfree relationship. My goal is to become a true team, supporting each other, caring for each other, nurturing each other and helping each other grow and realise our goals and dreams as much as possible. I'm hoping to find someone that values a relationship as much as I do and takes it seriously. It's not the only thing my life revolves around, but it's also not just something 'nice to have' for me.
I am 186cm tall, slim/fit built, dark brown hair, brown eyes. Both my arms are tattooed (full sleeve), as are my calves and the areas above my ankles. Regarding pictures see below. I am a runner, training multiple times a week. I'm also vegan. My love languages are physical touch and words of affirmation. While I am mostly securely attached, withdrawing from me triggers anxiety and I have made a horrible experience with an avoidant partner in the past, so that is something I fear I cannot deal with again.
I am also an atheist.
I am a very warm, soft and sensitive person, I think I am humorous, I am self reflecting a lot and I can also be really passionate and romantic. Those are traits that also are really important to me in a woman.
I can be quite social, I am a good talker, but also love to listen to really get to know someone on a deeper level. I can enjoy an evening out with friends just as much as the silence of sitting at the shores of the river and watching the sunset in solitude (although I've been craving to watch it together with a partner for a really long time now). I can be out in a pub, at a rave, a metal show or at a football game and have the time of my life, but I cannot do these things every day; I need recharge time (on the sofa, in the woods for a run, a lazy Sunday staying in bed etc.). This should give you an idea; basically, I am a homebody that thoroughly enjoys going out in moderation.
I won't say too much about hobbies; suffice it to say I am into the dark, the obscure, the macabre, the occult, the mysterious, the erotic. It won't surprise you that I had a gothic phase in my youth, bonus points if you did too!
What I'm looking for
Although similar hobbies and interests are a plus, emotional and intimate compatibility are more important to me. I am a very sensitive and emotional person (I do cry easily and by this point I don't think I'll ever be able to change that, sorry), so if you're too, we will definitely understand each other. I need someone who I can open up to (which I do rather quickly, anyway), be myself, bare my soul to and I need these things from you, too. I've had my share of emotionally unavailable women who were afraid of intimacy so I know I can't deal with that again because of the way how those things affect me. I am always emotionally invested with the woman I pursue and in those cases that was to my detriment. But my ability to feel so deep is also something I wouldn't want to change because as of yet, although it's getting harder, I haven't given up on finding someone.
With those emotional needs come two requirements that I found to be vital over the years: First, being able to be silly and cutesy together and to accept each other's inner child and care for it. I am not talking about having to deal with another person's immaturity or inability to perform basic adult skills, rather with the way sadness, hurt, anxiety and being overwhelmed manifests for me (and maybe for you, too?). I need someone who is able to comfort me, to hold me, to allow me to be weak and needy for a while until I've calmed down, and I'm more than ready to offer the same. Your inner child can come out for a while, no problem (: Also in a positive way: Thankfully, today everyone seems to be understanding of the cuteness overload cats (or any animal baby, really) can cause; I need that with a partner. I also still have plushies as comfort animals and ideally, you do too.
Apparently in every relationship, one person is the stronger one. In the past, I have been with women who obviously were stronger than me, but that doesn't mean they always had to be strong, far from it. I certainly need to be able to feel protected, but it's not like I'm a particularly needy partner, like everyone, I have my ups and downs, but I can pull my weight and have been told by past partners that I am very caring and that they felt safe and understood with me, and providing that for my partner is really important for me as well.
Second, intimate compatibility. I am rather insatiable and love to experiment when it comes to the bedroom, so you should, too, in order that we can explore and enjoy together. I found out how fulfilling living out those fantasies can be after years of never being able to try and in a relationship, this kind of fulfillment for both partners is a must for me. I found the term 'filthy best friends and partners' to be a perfect description.
I'm looking for a balance between healthy independence and being emotionally present. A relationship where we 'get' each other; we're both each other's number one and treat each other like royalty. Where a disagreement leads to more intimacy between us as we understand better, not to resentment. Where we're comfortable baring our souls to each other, becoming a safe haven and secure base for each other. I don't like the modern notion that you 'should never feel too safe in a relationship' because that sounds like running from the mafia (and believe me, I love mafia movies); you should always put in effort, yes, but safety is one of the things I always want to experience and provide in a relationship. We shouldn't fear that a disagreement leads straight to breakup. I know ‘self-sufficiency’ is trending right now, but I feel like as partners, we’re partly responsible for each other and not our own but also each other’s happiness. Being dependant and dependable at the same time is important; making each other’s wellbeing a priority. If you’re not able to healthily depend on someone and their support while you’re having a hard time, look elsewhere. If I have to be afraid you’ll run at the first major problem that surfaces, even if it’s a ‘you’-problem, it’s not going to work. I think that all things can and need to be talked about. If you think ignoring someone for days is a form of communication, please look elsewhere.
I am looking for someone real. We all have our problems, I don't want or need a 'perfect' person. You don't have everything figured out or 'all your shit' together. Be imperfect. Admit when you feel sad and angry, lonely, hopeless or even helpless – it's all relatable. Don't hide it. Be quirky, be dorky, be witchy, opinionated, be yourself. Don't pretend.
I'm looking for someone to share romance with. Not great gestures, but small, meaningful ones. Poems for each other, expressing our feelings; cards with heartfelt messages that we put our perfume/cologne on, and a symbol that means something to us only, the print of your lips with lipstick, the way I sign and seal my letters for you.
Just as important to me is agreeing on living a healthy life, staying in shape both for ourselves and for each other, regularly working out and eating healthy. I am drug and disease-free and expect the same of you. I do drink as I love a good beer or glass of wine, rum or whiskey, but I've never really been drinking much and especially during the past year have further reduced it. One vice I have is that I enjoy a couple of cigars a year, but I can definitely accommodate you in this regard.
Another important point is aligned life goals: I value safety more than adventure. I want to build a home together with my partner, a safespace for the both of us, where we always feel loved and protected, a place that we create together, make it cozy together so we just love to get back home there wherever we might have been, a home we decorate together for Halloween (my favourite holiday) or Christmas or Springtime, as we live in tune with the seasons, enjoying nature on a walk or the rain outside, reading in our cozy home. I value stability and harmony.
Appearance-wise, I am into ladies on the smaller side), so I'm looking for someone petite/slim/skinny/healthy-fit. Likewise, I am not really muscular and don't have visible abs; like I said, I'm a runner, so if you're more into the gym-type, I'm not a good fit.
I’d prefer to move from text to voice calls, videochat and then meeting up, all of that rather sooner than later. Not that there’s a need to rush anything, but I’d rather see earlier if we’re compatible or not; as someone who catches feelings fast I need to protect myself.
Caveats

• I don't like travelling as it stresses me out; I don't mind being somewhere else for a week or two, but the organisation part of it drains my energy very quickly and dealing with stuff that doesn't work out is overwhelming to me. Smaller trips are ok, but I'm not the right person to travel the world with.
• I am not the most awake person in the morning (i.e. I identify as nightowl)
• I don't want children and had a vasectomy
• I need space for my own projects/time to recharge after social interaction.
• While I feel like I am in tune with my inner child and working on/with it through therapy, I realise this is something that could be a turn-off for people.
• I have been diagnosed with depressive episodes in the past and am taking anti-depressants right now. I realise that I am a work in progress, maybe more so than in times past, but I manage and the fact that I'm putting myself out here is based on me being ready to get to know someone new.
• I want to create a home together here, as I'm firmly rooted where I was born; I realise this is a lot to ask, but I have seen many people here being open to moving, so I want to at least try reaching out to them.

If you're interested, feel free to message me and include some pictures of yourself and I will reply with my own. Have a nice day (:

Hi all,
Would like to get a cross check on my plans. Have been reading about FIRE for a number of years and progressively getting more serious around tracking and forecasting. My goal would be to retire around ~50 (currently 44) but could push this a few years depending on how I feel about my job at that time.
Here is our current situation:
Joint employment income mine 160 + SO 85 = £245k
Share options (early stage company) potentially worth between 0 - 400k (i’m keeping these at 0 in my head for now)
Primary residence £530k mortgage 2.94% worth £1.2m – we have a 6 year old at school and plan on staying for at least another 8-10 years.
BTL (old flat) £260k mortgage @ 5.74% worth £550k - currently rented for 2k per month. – I’ve let this for 8 years so quite a high CGT if I sell, hoping to keep either forever or until i’m paying less tax (in my name only). Not making money at the moment but has over the long term. In 1 year I can put the rent up and 1.5 year will remortgage hopefully lower, or pay a chunk off. Can pay 10% without charge which I am considering
Assets:
Single FANG stock £630K (ex employer RSU’s - gradually unwinding but probably will keep increasing if I avoid CGT)
ISA combined £479k (mix of stocks and index trackers) no contributions this year yet
Premium bonds £50k
Cash £80k savings
Child ISA £28k
Pensions:
Mine £320k
SO £100k
Debts:
0% credit cards £30k (will roll them over or pay off)
No car leases
Childcare wraparound:
£500 per month
Outgoings monthly average £6k including main mortgage (£2.3k) but excluding the BTL as I run that separately - this includes cars / house / bills and holidays
My main thoughts are increasing my pension so I can use my previous years allowances. I am thinking that this would be better than paying my main residence mortgage as I could pay a chunk from my 25% pension at 57 (checking if I can access at 55, unsure if the change impacts me). This might mean that we would not be able to fill ISA’s every year but probably makes sense from a longer term perspective.
One other thought is selling the flat and putting all the cash into pensions and ISA’s + GIA’s, while it is not making much now, over the longer term it will if interest rates drop or I pay down the mortgage. I could also consider an interest only on our main residence and put the rest into our pensions, but holding a large mortgage even with our assets still feels a bit uneasy.
For retirement I think we would need £60k a year to be comfortable – especially in the early years. Also we need to support our child through education / university but have set a child ISA up that we and grandparents contribute too.
Given all of this, is FIRE at 50 realistic for us? – My SO would likely continue working for a few years past me, but would also like to FIRE.
I really appreciate any and all advice!
Thanks
J

Ok some context here.
I'm a dad to an 8yo boy. His mum and I never married and never really lived together for any meaningful amount of time (due to my work location at that time).
She terminated our first baby, even after making a grand announcement to her family that she was pregnant. Despite this, I stuck around and she got pregnant again a few months later. During that pregnancy, I just couldn't get close to her. I was gripped by fear that she would announce out of the blue, again, that she wasn't proceeding. I was ridiculed by her and her family, she even told me not to worry because legally in her country she wasn't allowed another termination so soon after the last one.
I ended our relationship at the end of 2018 (nobody else involved, I could just tell I wasn't appreciated, respected or wanted. I was 'convenient' to keep around from a financial perspective) when our Son was just over 3 and, despite my efforts to engage through mediation, she insisted we go through court as she wanted sole custody and a fat monthly pay-day and I wanted to be with my Son equally and, therefore, joint custody.
To add a little more context
We are from different countries (hers a non-english speaking one) yet I gave up my lucrative career and relocated here, integrated myself (studied the language, taught some English as a volunteer etc.) and went through the local family court system.
Eventually, the Judge ordered joint custody, which she immediately appealed against and, only at the day of the appeal when she was told she may lose the financial package I had been ordered to pay, did she withdraw her appeal.
Ever since then, almost 4 years, she has done nothing but try to make life intolerable. So many things I can't even begin to go into detail but, as an example, just yesterday I went to collect my Son at 3pm. He had a football match planned at 4.30pm and he was visibly upset because he wanted his mum to take him there. I took him for a walk and explained the way things are and he calmed down a bit. Then his mum appeared (she was basically hiding around the corner and eavesdropping on our 'man chat') and he got upset again. She went into this tirade about how I was frightening him and things like "look at our poor little boy, so afraid of you" blah blah blah. Then her Father joined in (they live in a multi-generation home as is common here) and the culmination of this was him spitting at me, in front of my Son (his Grandson) before he scuttled off back to his house.
Anyway, the questions I have are why do you women make this already difficult and complex situation worse? Have you got nothing better to do with your lives than scheme about how to f*&k over your ex? Are you really so bitter about not being wanted by a guy, for whatever reason, that the only focus you have is manipulating your kids and doing everything possible to turn them against their Father?
I know it's not always the case, and there are some real diamonds (all thanks to you, you are appreciated) who go out of their way to foster a collaborative and loving environment for the kids.
EDIT: Typos.

Welcome to the book club New Voices! In this book club we want to highlight books by debut authors and open the stage for under-represented and under-appreciated writers from all walks of life. New voices refers to the authors as well as the protagonists, and the goal is to include viewpoints away from the standard and most common. For more information and a short description of how we plan to run this club and how you can participate, please have a look at the announcement post.
It's time for second chances! I've selected a few books from previous polls, that didn't quite make it and deserve a second chance:

Under Fortunate Stars by Ren Hutchings

Fleeing the final days of the generations-long war with the alien Felen, smuggler Jereth Keeven's freighter the Jonah breaks down in a strange rift in deep space, with little chance of rescue—until they encounter the research vessel Gallion, which claims to be from 152 years in the future. The Gallion's chief engineer Uma Ozakka has always been fascinated with the past, especially the tale of the Fortunate Five, who ended the war with the Felen. When the Gallion rescues a run-down junk freighter, Ozakka is shocked to recognize the Five's legendary ship—and the Five's famed leader, Eldric Leesongronski, among the crew. But nothing else about Leesongronski and his crewmates seems to match up with the historical record. With their ships running out of power in the rift, more than the lives of both crews may be at stake.

Bingo squares: book club

The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen

The book tells an intergenerational story of a mother and son struggling to relate to each other—the mother an immigrant to the United States who wants to make a home for her family in an unfamiliar country; the son trying to figure out the best way to come out to his parents. Through telling each other fairy tales, they're able to find common ground.

Bingo squares: bookclub

Bacchanal by Veronica Henry

Evil lives in a traveling carnival roaming the Depression-era South. But the carnival’s newest act, a peculiar young woman with latent magical powers, may hold the key to defeating it. Her time has come. Abandoned by her family, alone on the wrong side of the color line with little to call her own, Eliza Meeks is coming to terms with what she does have. It’s a gift for communicating with animals. To some, she’s a magical tender. To others, a she-devil. To a talent prospector, she’s a crowd-drawing oddity. And the Bacchanal Carnival is Eliza’s ticket out of the swamp trap of Baton Rouge. Among fortune-tellers, carnies, barkers, and folks even stranger than herself, Eliza finds a new home. But the Bacchanal is no ordinary carnival. An ancient demon has a home there too. She hides behind an iridescent disguise. She feeds on innocent souls. And she’s met her match in Eliza, who’s only beginning to understand the purpose of her own burgeoning powers. Only then can Eliza save her friends, find her family, and fight the sway of a primordial demon preying upon the human world. Rolling across a consuming dust bowl landscape, Eliza may have found her destiny.

Bingo squares: bookclub

The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas

Mexican Gothic meets Rebecca in this debut supernatural suspense novel, set in the aftermath of the Mexican War of Independence, about a remote house, a sinister haunting, and the woman pulled into their clutches...
In the overthrow of the Mexican government, Beatriz’s father is executed and her home destroyed. When handsome Don Rodolfo Solórzano proposes, Beatriz ignores the rumors surrounding his first wife’s sudden demise, choosing instead to seize the security his estate in the countryside provides. She will have her own home again, no matter the cost.
But Hacienda San Isidro is not the sanctuary she imagined.
When Rodolfo returns to work in the capital, visions and voices invade Beatriz’s sleep. The weight of invisible eyes follows her every move. Rodolfo’s sister, Juana, scoffs at Beatriz’s fears—but why does she refuse to enter the house at night? Why does the cook burn copal incense at the edge of the kitchen and mark its doorway with strange symbols? What really happened to the first Doña Solórzano?
Beatriz only knows two things for certain: Something is wrong with the hacienda. And no one there will help her.
Desperate for help, she clings to the young priest, Padre Andrés, as an ally. No ordinary priest, Andrés will have to rely on his skills as a witch to fight off the malevolent presence haunting the hacienda and protect the woman for whom he feels a powerful, forbidden attraction. But even he might not be enough to battle the darkness.
Far from a refuge, San Isidro may be Beatriz’s doom.

Bingo squares: bookclub

The Heretic‘s Guide to Homecoming by Sienna Tristen

WINNER OF THE 2019 READERVIEWS AWARD FOR FANTASY! WINNER OF THE 2019 IPPY AWARD FOR FANTASY!
“Life is transformation. You change or you die.”
Ashamed of his past and overwhelmed by his future, Ronoah Genoveffa Elizzi-denna Pilanovani feels too small for his own name. After a graceless exit from his homeland in the Acharrioni desert, his anxiety has sabotaged every attempt at redemption. Asides from a fiery devotion to his godling, the one piece of home he brought with him, he has nothing.
That is, until he meets Reilin. Beguiling, bewildering Reilin, who whisks Ronoah up into a cross-continental pilgrimage to the most sacred place on the planet. The people they encounter on the way—children of the sea, a priestess and her band of storytellers, the lonely ghosts of monsters—are grim and whimsical in equal measure. Each has their part to play in rewriting Ronoah’s personal narrative.
One part fantasy travelogue, one part emotional underworld journey, The Heretic’s Guide to Homecoming is a sumptuous, slow-burning story about stories and the way they shape our lives.

Bingo squares: bookclub
Do you like the selection? Have you already read one of the books and want to recommend it to others? Do you know any additional Bingo squares for any of the books? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Click here to vote

Voting will run until May 27 and the winner will be announced on May 28

Here's an incomplete guide for the different beasts you might encounter when you enter the lawless jungle that is Indore's traffic.

1. The early 20s adrenaline junkie: Usually on a ktm, with blonde dyed hair and chappals instead of protective gear. Will speed through then cut you off and ignore your angry shouts at him.
   
2. Old uncles on TVS/Splendor: Older version of the ktm boy above, he's 40-50 now and uses his old skills to drive on the wrong side and suddenly swerving his bike in a random direction shocking the drivers around him. Only difference is he now has a baldness and can't use sports bikes.
   
3. The magic van: It's called magic because no one knows how the driver stuffs 14-15 people like cattle in a vehicle for 6-7 people. Also great for contracting covid.
   
4. The scooter girl: Often seen covered in flowery bandit costumes to save themselves from the sun and men's eyes. Might almost cause an accident with you and then either drive away like nothing happened or give you the angry/awkward eye, when it's not even your fault, sometimes(rare) might even blame you for it and pronounces bhaiyya like bhaayaa with an english accent.
   
5. The auto wala with attitude: Will charge you 80rupees even for a nearby house, no negotiation, chalna ho to chalo. You might get a chance to hear some exquisite gaalis from the him anytime someone drives badly around him even though he himself drives like he owns the road.
   
6. The daydreaming pedestrian on foot: Walks in the traffic among vehicles like he's in a garden while crossing the road. Has no situational awareness of his surroundings. Thinks he can magically stop vehicles by raising his hand at them and making the congress symbol.
   
7. Bully Car Driver: Dominates the road and overtakes smaller two wheelers like the huge fat bully from your school. Will drive really fast and not let other vehicles cross, kyonki apne 5-10 second bhi to bachane hain, itni der rukne mein jaan nikal jaati hai. And if you confront him, he'll ignore you while keeping a poker face, staring at the front, won't do eye contact. If you confront him more, he will say "chalo chalo, nikalo nikalo" while gesturing his hand telling you to move forward, all without making eye contact. Like all the different creatures mentioned here, he never takes any accountability for his actions.
   

Hope this helps anyone that's new in Indore 🤗🥳

This is just my opinion and you're free to disagree or discuss further in the replies because I'm kinda just venting my thoughts, but I personally believe that the story of FFXV would've been a bit more coherent if LuNoct was a familial relationship and I'll explain why. I mainly say this because due to the game's emphasis on brotherhood, fatheson bonding, familial ties, etc., Luna and Noct's bond inevitably got pushed to the background, mainly with how Luna's character as a whole had so little screen time.
The fact that there's such a large amount of people who came to the consensus that Luna and Noct's relationship was poorly written, or that they were never even attracted to each other in the first place, kind of cements that regardless of whether or not LuNoct is "canon" isn't the issue, it's that its overall reception by players was below average at best because honestly, Luna and Noct...barely talk.
Normally, I'm okay with love stories in Final Fantasy games because they're generally well executed, but FFXV specifically is probably the one Final Fantasy game that I genuinely believe shouldn't have had any romance at all, because the relationship Noct has with Prompto, Ignis, Gladio, and Regis (and the overall theme of "family") is obviously meant to have more impact on the player and serve more importance to the story by comparison. But something that made me start considering a hypothetical solution with how many consider the romance shoehorned/unnecessary/etc., is specifically the scene where Luna dies.
In a vast majority of the scene, Noct is presented as his childhood self, while Luna transforms into her adult self fairly quickly and they remain that way until Noct blips into an adult at the very end. Contrary to what some people believe, Luna and Noct's physical states in Luna's death scene isn't actually meant to be a metaphorical representation of their maturity levels/mental states, but very, very literal. This is because in Japanese, young Noct in that cutscene uses the pronoun 僕 (boku), a pronoun mainly used by young boys, instead of 俺 (ore), the more masculine and rough pronoun used by adult Noct. Basically, throughout almost the entire cutscene Luna is speaking to an actual small boy, not a man merely in the image of a child.
When I remember that their relationship is meant to be romantic when presented with the image of the literal adult Luna speaking so fondly to the literal child Noct, it comes off as a very odd writing choice to me that could have some problematic implications. But I feel like a way to ease the discomfort of that scene's implication is if Luna and Noct's relationship was changed from romantic, to familial.
Here's my reasoning behind that.
There's barely any mention of her in-universe so I don't really blame anyone for forgetting her character exists, but the game briefly touches on the fact that Noctis's mother, Aulea, died when he was so young that he doesn't even remember her at all. IIRC, he was still a baby at the time. Regis was unfortunately too occupied with his duties as king to truly be there for Noct as a father, and although he had Ignis and Gladio, and later Prompto to ease the pain of his father's absence, Noct had nobody to fill in that familial gap that his mother left behind. Luna is important in that sense because she's his first source of guidance and warmth that isn't a boy, but an older girl.
(And as a side note: No, just because Ignis is a man that happens to cook, look after Noct, etc., doesn't make him Noct's "mother". A caretaker, yes, but the FFXV fandom's insistence on using the term "mom" to describe Ignis's role to Noct is honestly really irritating and overdone at this rate, not to mention it perpetuates a very outdated view on sewing, cooking, caretaking, etc. being "a mother's job". Ignis is not a "mother", that is a grown man with a cock and balls.)
Even more than the fact that their marriage is repeatedly mentioned to be arranged by King Regis and Emperor Aldercapt and solely meant to serve as a symbol of Lucis and Niflheim's armistice, Luna's emphasis on watching over (Or "protecting", if you translate the Japanese version literally.) Noct, and even more than Luna's fondness for looking back on her childhood with Noct and yearning for those days of innocence, I feel like it's Luna's actual role as Oracle that gives the most support to my opinion that making their relationship romantic wasn't necessarily a good decision. As Oracle, Luna's duty is to be a guiding force for Noctis to help him on his journey, from teaching him all about his destiny when they are children, to paving the way for Noct to forge covenants with the Astrals when they are adults. Despite her mentioning "I do not seek to guide him, merely to stand beside him." in one cutscene, it doesn't change that her very birthright is intrinsically tied to being a guiding force for Noct. The way the bros react after Luna's death prove this: Without Luna, they are borderline aimless.
All of this honestly would've felt more understandable if Noct and Luna's sentiments towards one another were meant in a familial context, like perhaps a mother-figure to her son-figure, thus filling the gap that Aulea's death had left behind and tying in better with FFXV's theme of "familial bonds".
In that sense, Luna's role as Oracle would be less like an overly selfless, obedient, and devoted girlfriend endlessly breaking her back to support her wayward, immature boyfriend, while never questioning this relationship dynamic or even getting anything in return, until she ultimately dies, and more like a mother-figure wanting to guide her child-figure into fulfilling his destiny/reaching adulthood with what little time she has left, since canonically the covenants are shown to be slowly killing her regardless and she would've died soon anyway, with or without Ardyn stabbing her. And her death scene in particular would then come off less like an 8 year old boy is losing his 24 year old crush (...That alone feels even more bizarre of a concept now that I had just typed it out.), and more like a small child being orphaned, losing his one remaining source of familial guidance and security after his beloved father had passed.
I think that small bit of tweaking to their relationship would've resonated more with players overall, and would also prove that stories don't always need to include a romance. But as I said at the beginning of this post, this is just my own personal thoughts and my reasoning behind them. Whether you agree or not, I'd love to hear what y'all think.

I was anorexic from ages 12-14, really skinny and puberty favoured me so I was treated well as I somewhat matched the beauty standard of my region. I was ill, fainting every other day, and developed intense joint pain because I wasn’t getting enough minerals to the point doctors thought I had arthritis. Then I became better. I went to counselling and became somewhat healthier. Started eating. I immediately gained weight. I went from a 49 kg, 5’3 (108 lbs)girl to 60kg, 5’4(134 lbs) girl.
Whenever I sit down in my uniform for school I feel my fat rolls. Whenever I’m not wearing a bra i feel how disfigured my chest has gotten because of the weight gain. My stomach protrudes out more than my chest in everything I wear. I have lost everything that made me worth something to anyone. A guy straight up told me that your face makes up for your mid body. And I’ve been told I’m dumb to my face multiple times. If I don’t have beauty, intelligence or wealth what do I have?
I got diagnosed with bulimia 3 months ago. The binging and purging is only making me fatter and I can’t stop. I wish I was anorexic again. Maybe I’d be ill but I’d be pretty again.

So, in May 2023, my friend (Em f23) and I (f28) had a conversation that started off friendly. Just chit-chat and funny anecdotes from the day. She brought up a situation with her coworker she enjoyed. It involved tourettes and one of her coworkers' specific tics.
I made a comment that I genuinely didn't think much of at the time. It was just some trivia I knew of and thought was interesting. Specifically that people with tourettes can 'catch' or involuntarily copy tics from other people with tourettes. It's something I learned from watching content made by people with tourettes. She made a comment like, "Maybe it's not like that, in this specific situation with my coworker."
Here's where I should have realised she was not interested in my trivia. What I definitely didn't realise was that it in fact made her mad, but I kept pushing anyways because I felt I was correct, that the coworker had picked up the tic from a well know streamer because it was literally identical. Em then stopped answering, after a couple hours of silence I asked her if she was actually mad about what I said and she responded with "Its fucking fine." Cue her not talking to me at all for 3 days. On the third day, she said we needed to have a sit-down conversation about boundaries because she "is having big feelings." her words, not mine.
I was so confused about what would have triggered her wanting to talk about boundaries when the conversation we had was a mild disagreement at worst. I would understand if I said something offensive, but I literally just said a fact and my opinion on her coworker, I didn't try to force her to agree, and there's proof of the streamer with that specific tic so it wasn't like I was lying to be able to one up her or something? I don't know, this whole part of the situation is incredibly confusing to me because she never talked about why that conversation triggered her to give me the silent treatment in the first place or how it led her to wanting to talk about boundaries. In the end, the boundaries she talked about much much later had nothing to do with this conversation even though it seemed to be what caused her to want boundaries. Idk, I'm still very confused about what actually caused her to want to have the discussion after the three days of silence and a minor disagreement.
At this point, still May 2023, I was in severe pain, but I did not know it was cancer yet. I was barely making it through each day with how much I was in pain. The tumor is in my leg, growing out of the top portion of my tibia in a way that has made the tibial platue hollow, or essentially a whisper thin shell of bone filled with slime, sorry but that's the best way to describe it. At any moment, my surgeon told me this later, I could have broken that thin bone and had a collapsed knee joint. I say this so you you know when I talk about pain here, I'm talking excruciating levels of pain.
So walking specifically and everything else was extremely painful, and that was taking a lot of energy and brain space. I told her I was in a ton of pain. I was exhausted and barely scraping by just to keep working while waiting for my doctors visits to hopefully figure out what was wrong. I said I would try to find a day to have "the talk," but things just kept getting worse. By the end of July I had seen four different doctors, three of which thought I was just trying to get drugs, the last one was an orthopedic doctor and she took two minutes of looking at an xray and another minute of looking at my leg to say I most likely had a tumor.
The official on paper diagnosis came in September because of the waiting time to meet with the surgeon, but we knew it was a tumor in August. I was put on essentially bed rest from august to the day I had surgery September 27th. I told Em about the tumor the day I got the MRI results which I had in mid August to prepare for the appointment with the surgeon. Her response was extremely upsetting to me.
Em: "That's a lot to deal with. The possibility of having a malignant tumor is scary and can make you really question life. When you're put into a situation like that, it forces you to look back on your life and reevaluate. You find out what you really want out of life and what you waisted too much time dealing with. That's really tough. I'm sorry I made you feel like you couldn't talk to me about your pain. Being more supportive of each other was something I wanted to talk about. Hopefully, you have a sweet and easy recovery."
That response hurt, it felt like she was saying I had a lot to regret in life and like I didn't have much time left to live to fix my regrets. But I thanked her for the empathy she tried to give and moved on. After that she never checked in on me, never asked how I was or what the plan of treatment was. My surgery was scheduled for the end of Spetember, the day after her birthday. I wished her a happy birthday. Then I let her know after the surgery that everything went well and that I was going to be in the hopsital for a few days. I was loopy on strong pain meds so i also told her that my nurse drew me a cute doodle on my white board, she said ".That's great! Hopefully you heal fast so you can go on a date with her. 😉" which was totally out of the blue. I havent dated anyone in the time Ive know or been friends with Em. Im asexual, and an extreme introvert, dating is not really my thing and she knows this. So that comment was very weird to me. After that she never even texted to check in on me or tried to visit me in the 5 days I stayed in the hospital after the surgery. Keep in mind, we are supposedly best friends.
I almost considered our friendship over by then, but I reached out to her when I was pretty much back on my feet to see what was going on and asked her what the conversation about boundaries was about. I apologized for being too chicken shit to ask about it earlier because I don't do well emotionally with getting criticism even when it's valid and I know I need to hear it. On top of that I was (and still am) dealing with fucking cancer. Not an excuse, it is an explanation though. So I apologized.
Her responses here, copy and pasted from our messages:
Em:
"First off I want so say that it's very respectable that you are willing to admit what you did wrong. Thank you for the apology.
Secondly, I don't know if the the conversation is still worth having. I'd be lying if I said I was devastated that we dropped off and didn't communicate for months. To be brutally honest, my life has drastically improved in our time apart. I'm so much more effective and positive. I'm very proud of how far I've come.
That's not to say I believed that you were the soul cause of all of my misfortune. In fact one of the boundaries I wanted to set was actual planned dates instead of spontaneous ones. Because I realized that I was using you like a form of procrastination. I couldn't do the things I needed to do because I chose to hang out with you instead. With my main distraction gone I've been able to thoroughly work through my shit, mental and physical.
When we last hung out I remembered feeling dark and heavy afterwards because it was nothing special. It was just a normal outing for us. I remember feeling angry that what we should have talked about wasn't addressed. Annoyed that it seemed like nothing had changed and that I had not changed. And scared that opening up communication could lead to me falling back into the pit again.
I don't know if we should have the original talk because so much has changed for both of us. We both equally walked over our own thresholds of hell. What I had to say months ago, I believe was true then, but I don't think it will be true now. I think it's quite possible for us to start anew and correct and develop as we go. But I think it would be just as easy to admit our friendship was a great experience. We were there when we needed each other. But it might be time to go our separate ways.
I will say, if we collectively choose to merge back together. I WON'T let it be the same. I don't want you to tell me every tiny dark secret. But I do want you to tell me that you want to stop at game stop and ask me to take you somewhere. Without fear of gas. I want you to tell me if it pisses you off that I take you to only crystal shops or that I talk about spiritually. Because I want to improve. I have no intention of continuing a relationship that doesn't inspire growth or bring me positivity."
So she stopped talking to me, because she had no self-control. She abandoned me during the worst medical crisis of my fucking life, because she doesn't know how to manage her time or her motivation. She punished me, for her problems. To be very specific the spontaneous hanging out was nearly 100% on her. I would ask to hang out rarely, because I never had the chance to because she would be asking to see me multiple times a week.
I'm not a social person, so other than work I don't have much going on and she was my best friend. I wasn't going to say no if I didn't have any other plans. She never brought up that she was procrastinating anything by hanging out with me. Never a peep. Never a hint. Nothing. I had no idea any of that was going on. If I did know I would have been 150,000% there to support her by asking how her goals were going, how her chores were going. Hell I would have helped her do chores as our hang out if she had asked. I did help her with some stuff. Painting her head board, rearranging and cleaning her room, working on crafts when she needed motivation to finish a piece for a friend, being a study buddy when she needed to focus on her mental health books, things like that.
Also in what world is learning to be accountable for your own actions and vacuuming regularly the same as going through cancer? I don't like comparing pain or life struggles usually, but this was a crossed line for me. For her to say her dealing with procrastination was an "equal threshold of hell" as my bone eating tumor and excruciating pain and the fear of it spreading to other parts of my body, it infuriates me still to think about that.
So I am now hurt and angry as hell, that she stopped talking to me over seemingly nothing that I did. I had no idea what was going on with the tourettes coworker conversation that ended in "its fucking fine" from her and then her next message was about her needing to set boundaries. And then she says her life is better without me in it.
Friendship effectively over. Or it should have been.
Here's where I'm a bit of an asshole.
I took her back. I said we could try again. That we both needed to improve but that we could do it better this time. At the time I genuinely believed it. For a couple weeks.
Then the more I thought about laying in that hospital bed, alone, wishing I had someone to distract me from the pain and fear, the more I started to realise her reasons for cutting contact was bullshit. Her wanting to have this big talk about boundaries and the boundaries she wanted were literally nothing I could do they were all her issues with her own decisions and there's was nothing I could change about myself to fix the problem she was putting 50/50 on my shoulders. Her saying her life was better without me when that whole time I was crying over missing her and trying to figure out what I did wrong where I fucked up, what I could do or say to fix it. It all just added up too much and so I sent her one last message.
"I've been doing a lot of thinking and going through my emotions and I think I'm going to step back from whatever this friendship has turned into. I'll be honest I feel betrayed that you didn't even try to support me going through cancer. I understand things were rocky when I got my diagnosis, however if our friendship was important to you on any level I can't understand why you didn't even text me to see how I was doing for months at a time when you knew I was going through one of, if not the most, difficult medical diagnosis humans can get. I felt completely abandoned, especially since the reason we even stopped talking and hanging out was because of your own procrastination issues which I had nothing to do with. If you had even just told me that you needed to get things done before we could hang out I would have supported you unconditionally. Instead you gave a vague "we need to talk about boundaries and being more supportive of each other." And then never supported me in the darkest time of my life so far. It's taken me a while to get to the root of why I feel the way I do, but I don't think I can just let this go like I wanted to. I loved being your friend and it always felt like you valued my friendship too, until you were cutting me off because of your poor time management. I know that will sound harsh, I'm sorry, but it's true. I have my own issues that hurt you, I know that and I really am sorry. I am sorry I could never reciprocate financially, I'm sorry you were the one always picking me up and driving. I'm sorry that I never gave you the birthday or Christmas gifts you wanted. Thank you for all the amazing times. Goodbye."
To clarify the gift thing, I have been very poor for a long time. I am neurodivergent and I struggle to hold down a job. But I hand made her gifts, or cooked for her. The last thing I made for her was a crochet mandala blanket, please look up Radiance Mandala Blanket to see how much effort I went to, she picked the colors and I made her a lap blanket version for christmas 2022. It took her less than a month to complain that she wished she could have picked the colors. SHE DID. I told her to pick a pallet of colors specifically for her blanket and did my best to match the colors she picked with yarn I already owned. It wasn't perfect but I got it as close as I could. I don't like to make a big deal out of things I do for people because giving to the ones I love is literally the easiest thing in the world for me. But to have her act like I didnt try to make it as perfect for her as I could hurt so much.
Anyways, back to me telling her I was done. Her reply back pissed me off, maybe because I was already angry. It felt so patronizing and dismissive. But that might just be because of all the emotions I was already feeling at the time I read it.
Em: "Your feelings are valid. I'm sorry I made you feel abandoned in the hardest time. I wish you the best of luck on your way through life. Fall in love, have your farm, raise your kids, craft wonderful creations, enjoy the many YouTube videos to come, and don't forget to live your best self. I'll take this harsh lesson and apply it to friendships in the future. Live long and prosper, my friend, and have many pleasant wanderings."
Harsh lesson my ass. If it was harsh for anyone it was harsh for me to learn my best friend gave absolutely no shits about me and couldnt be bothered to try and support me through this medical crisis. We haven't spoken since. I have her blocked on everything. So, aita for cutting off Em? Even though I'm angry, I'm conflicted because I still love her, she was my best friend for 6 years.

To develop a custom WordPress website, plan your site structure and design. Next, install WordPress on your hosting server and choose a suitable theme or create a custom one. Customize the design and functionality using HTML, CSS, and PHP coding as needed. Add content, including pages, posts, and media, to populate your site. Finally, test your site thoroughly across different browsers and devices to ensure it functions correctly before launching it to the public.
What are the initial steps to create a personalized WordPress site?

1. Define your goals and objectives for the website.
2. Choose a suitable domain name for your WordPress site.
3. Select a reliable web hosting provider that meets your needs.
4. Install WordPress on your hosting server.
5. Choose a theme that aligns with your brand and design preferences.
6. Customize the theme settings and appearance to match your desired look and feel.
7. Create essential pages such as Home, About, Contact, and Services.
8. Install and configure necessary plugins for added functionality.
9. Set up user roles and permissions as per your requirements.
10. Develop a content strategy and plan for creating and organizing your website content.

Step-by-Step Guideline Develop a Custom WordPress Website

Step 1: Choose a Domain Name and Hosting
Your domain name is your website's address on the internet, like www.yoursite.com. Choose a domain name that's easy to remember, relevant to your brand, and not too long. Next, you'll need hosting, which is like renting space on the internet to store your website files. Look for a hosting provider that offers reliable service, good customer support, and enough storage and bandwidth for your needs.
Step 2: Install WordPress
WordPress is a popular platform for building websites because it's easy to use and highly customizable. Many hosting providers offer a one-click WordPress installation, which makes getting started a breeze. Simply log in to your hosting account, find the WordPress installer, and follow the prompts to set up your site. Once WordPress is installed, you can log in to your site's dashboard and start customizing it to your liking.
Step 3: Select a Theme
A WordPress theme determines the overall look and layout of your website. There are thousands of free and premium themes available, so take your time to find one that fits your style and the goals of your site. Look for a theme that's responsive (meaning it looks good on all devices), easy to customize, and well-supported by its developers. Once you've chosen a theme, you can install it on your WordPress site with just a few clicks.
Step 4: Customize Your Theme
Once you've installed your theme, it's time to customize it to make it your own. Most WordPress themes come with built-in customization options that allow you to change things like colors, fonts, and layouts without needing to know any code. Use the theme customizer in your WordPress dashboard to tweak your site's appearance until it looks just the way you want it to. Don't be afraid to experiment until you find the perfect look for your website.
Step 5: Add Content
With your theme customized, it's time to start adding content to your website. Create pages for important information like your Home page, About page, Services page, and Contact page. Use the WordPress editor to add text, images, videos, and other media to your pages. Write clear, engaging copy that tells visitors what your website is about and encourages them to explore further. Remember to proofread your content carefully before publishing to ensure it's free of errors.
Step 6: Install Plugins
WordPress plugins are like apps that add extra features and functionality to your website. There are thousands of plugins available for everything from contact forms to social media integration to search engine optimization. Think about the goals of your website and choose plugins that will help you achieve them. Be selective about the plugins you install, as too many can slow down your site and cause conflicts. Install and activate your chosen plugins from the WordPress plugin directory, then configure them to suit your needs.
Step 7: Optimize for SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving your website's visibility in search engine results. A well-optimized website is more likely to rank higher in search results, driving more traffic to your site. Install an SEO plugin like Yoast SEO or All in One SEO Pack to help you optimize your content for relevant keywords, add meta tags and descriptions, and improve your site's overall SEO performance. Take the time to research keywords relevant to your niche and incorporate them naturally into your content for the best results.
Step 8: Test and Launch
Before you launch your website, it's important to test it thoroughly to ensure everything is working correctly. Check your site on different devices and browsers to make sure it looks good and functions properly. Test all links, forms, and interactive elements to make sure they work as expected. Once you're confident that everything is working as it should, it's time to launch your website and share it with the world. Celebrate your hard work and take pride in your new custom WordPress website!
Step 9: Maintain and Update
Building a website is just the beginning – maintaining it is an ongoing process. Regularly update your content to keep it fresh and relevant, and update your plugins and themes to ensure your site stays secure and performs well. Monitor your site's performance using tools like Google Analytics, and make adjustments as needed to improve usability and user experience. Listen to feedback from your visitors and make changes accordingly to keep your website running smoothly and meeting the needs of your audience.
What do you consider to select hosting and a domain name for your WordPress site?
Firstly, you'll want to choose a hosting provider that offers good speed and reliability. Look for one that has a solid reputation and good customer support in case you run into any issues. Consider your budget too, as hosting costs can vary.
As for the domain name, it's important to choose something that's easy to remember and relevant to your site's content. Avoid using complicated or obscure words that might be hard for people to spell or remember. It's also a good idea to check if your desired domain name is available on social media platforms to maintain consistency across your online presence. Lastly, think about whether you want to use a .com, .net, or other domain extension, keeping in mind what best suits your site's purpose and audience.
How do you evaluate and choose a theme that suits your brand and design preferences?
Firstly, consider your brand identity and the message you want to convey to your audience. Look for a theme that aligns with the style, colors, and overall feel of your brand.
Next, think about the functionality you need. Do you want a theme that's highly customizable or one that's more straightforward? Consider features like layout options, customization options, and compatibility with plugins you might want to use.
It's also important to check the responsiveness of the theme. Make sure it looks good and functions well on various devices, including smartphones and tablets.
Lastly, take some time to browse through different themes and read reviews from other users. This can give you a better idea of what to expect and help you make an informed decision that suits your brand and design preferences.
What essential pages should you create first?

• Homepage
• About Us/About Me
• Contact Page
• Products/Services Page
• Blog
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Service
• Legal Pages (Disclaimer, Copyright Notice, etc.)

How do you decide which plugins to install?

1. Identify Needs: Determine the specific functionality you require for your site.
2. Research: Look for plugins that offer the features you need.
3. Ratings and Reviews: Check plugin ratings and read user reviews to gauge reliability and performance.
4. Compatibility: Ensure the plugin is compatible with your WordPress version and other installed plugins.
5. Active Installations: Choose plugins with a high number of active installations for reliability and community support.

Example:

• Yoast SEO (for search engine optimization)
• Contact Form 7 (for creating contact forms)
• WooCommerce (for e-commerce functionality)
• Jetpack (for security, performance, and site management)
• WP Super Cache (for caching to improve site speed

How do you integrate custom features and functionalities into your WordPress site?
Integrating custom features and functionalities into your WordPress site involves adding extra capabilities beyond what comes with the standard installation. One way to do this is by using plugins. These are like apps for your website, and they can add all sorts of new features, from contact forms to e-commerce shops.
For example, let's say you want to add a feature for visitors to book appointments on your site. You could search for a booking plugin like "Bookly" or "Appointment Booking Calendar." After installing and activating the plugin, you'd typically set it up by following the provided instructions, which might involve configuring settings, creating booking forms, and placing them on your site where you want them to appear.
Another way to integrate custom features is by adding code directly to your site. This could involve writing your own custom functions or modifying existing ones. For instance, if you wanted to add a custom sidebar widget displaying your latest Instagram photos, you might need to write some PHP code to fetch the photos from Instagram's API and display them on your site.
In summary, integrating custom features and functionalities into your WordPress site can be done through plugins or by adding custom code, allowing you to tailor your site to your specific needs and preferences.
How do you manage user roles and permissions?
RoleCapabilitiesHow to Manage AdministratorCan do everything, including managing other users, installing plugins, and changing themes.Go to Users > All Users in the dashboard, find the user, and change their role to Administrator. EditorCan publish and manage posts, including those of other users.Go to Users > Add New, fill in user details, and assign the role of Editor. AuthorCan publish and manage their own posts only.In Users > All Users, select a user and change their role to Author. ContributorCan write and manage their own posts but cannot publish them.Add or edit a user and assign the role of Contributor. SubscriberCan only manage their own profile and read content.Change the user role to Subscriber in the Users section.
What security measures should you implement to protect your custom WordPress website?
To protect your custom WordPress website, you need to implement several security measures. Here are some specific steps:

1. Install a Security Plugin: Use plugins like Wordfence or Sucuri. They offer features like malware scanning and firewall protection.
2. Use Strong Passwords: Make sure all users have strong, unique passwords. A good password includes letters, numbers, and symbols.
3. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): This adds an extra layer of security. Users will need to enter a code from their phone in addition to their password.
4. Keep WordPress Updated: Always update WordPress to the latest version. Updates fix security vulnerabilities.
5. Limit Login Attempts: Use a plugin like Limit Login Attempts Reloaded to prevent brute-force attacks.
6. Change the Default "admin" Username: Don’t use "admin" as your username. Choose something unique to make it harder for hackers to guess.
7. Use HTTPS: Get an SSL certificate to encrypt data between your website and visitors. Most hosting providers offer this for free.
8. Backup Your Site Regularly: Use plugins like UpdraftPlus to create regular backups. If your site gets hacked, you can restore it.

How do you ensure responsiveness and mobile-friendliness in a custom WordPress site?
To ensure your custom WordPress site is responsive and mobile-friendly, follow these steps:

1. Pick a Responsive Theme: Start with a theme known for being responsive, such as Astra or GeneratePress.
2. Use a Mobile-Friendly Plugin: Install plugins like WP Touch, which help make your site mobile-friendly.
3. Apply Media Queries: Add CSS media queries to adjust your layout for different screen sizes. For example:

(Css code)@media (max-width: 768px) {
.sidebar { display: none; }
.content { width: 100%; }
}

1. Flexible Images and Videos: Ensure images and videos resize properly with:

(Css code)img, video { max-width: 100%; height: auto; }

1. Mobile Menu: Use a plugin like Responsive Menu to create a user-friendly mobile menu.
2. Optimize for Speed: Compress images using a plugin like Smush and enable caching with a plugin like W3 Total Cache.
3. Testing: Regularly test your site on different devices and browsers. Tools like Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test and BrowserStack can help.

How do you troubleshoot and debug issues that arise during the development of a custom WordPress site?
Troubleshooting and debugging issues during the development of a custom WordPress site involves several steps. Here are some real-world challenges and specific issues you might encounter:

1. White Screen of Death (WSOD): This issue often occurs due to PHP errors, plugin conflicts, or exhausted memory limits. Solution: Enable WordPress debugging by adding define('WP_DEBUG', true); to your wp-config.php file to display error messages. Check the error log for specific issues.
2. Plugin Conflicts: Plugins can conflict with each other or with the theme, causing functionality problems.Solution: Deactivate all plugins and reactivate them one by one to identify the conflicting plugin. Check for updates or consider alternative plugins.
3. Theme Issues: Custom themes might have coding errors or compatibility issues with WordPress updates. Solution: Use a child theme for customizations to avoid losing changes during updates. Validate your theme code using tools like Theme Check.
4. Database Errors: Corrupt or misconfigured databases can lead to errors or data loss. Solution: Use phpMyAdmin to check and repair database tables. Ensure regular backups are in place to restore data if needed.
5. Broken Links and 404 Errors: Incorrect URLs or deleted pages can lead to 404 errors, affecting user experience and SEO. Solution: Use a plugin like Redirection to manage and fix broken links. Regularly check for 404 errors using tools like Google Search Console.
6. Slow Performance: Poor performance can result from unoptimized images, bulky plugins, or inefficient code. Solution: Optimize images, use caching plugins like W3 Total Cache, and minimize CSS and JavaScript files. Profile your site using tools like Query Monitor to identify slow queries.
7. JavaScript Errors: JavaScript errors can break site functionality, especially interactive features. Solution: Use the browser’s developer tools (F12) to inspect the console for JavaScript errors. Fix issues by debugging the scripts or checking for library conflicts.
8. Security Vulnerabilities: Sites can be vulnerable to attacks if not properly secured. Solution: Regularly update WordPress, themes, and plugins. Use security plugins like Wordfence, and implement strong passwords and two-factor authentication.
9. Responsive Design Issues: Ensuring the site looks good on all devices can be challenging. Solution: Use responsive design techniques and test the site on various devices and screen sizes. Tools like BrowserStack can help simulate different environments.
10. User Role and Permission Problems: Incorrect configuration of user roles and permissions can lead to security and functionality issues. Solution: Use the User Role Editor plugin to manage and troubleshoot roles and capabilities. Ensure that users have appropriate access levels.

How do you create a seamless user experience (UX) in a custom WordPress site?
To create a seamless user experience (UX) in a custom WordPress site, start by choosing a clean, responsive theme that looks good on all devices. Ensure your site loads quickly by optimizing images and using caching plugins like W3 Total Cache. Simplify navigation with clear menus and breadcrumbs, making it easy for users to find what they need. Use readable fonts and sufficient white space to make content easy to read. Add a search bar so visitors can quickly locate information. Implement intuitive forms with clear labels and error messages. Regularly test your site on different devices and browsers to ensure everything works smoothly. By focusing on these details, you can make your WordPress site user-friendly and enjoyable to navigate.
How do you implement e-commerce functionality in a custom WordPress site?
To implement e-commerce functionality in a custom WordPress site, start by installing a reliable e-commerce plugin like WooCommerce. Set up your store by adding products with detailed descriptions, prices, and images. Configure payment gateways such as PayPal or Stripe to accept online payments securely. Customize the appearance of your store using built-in themes or by modifying CSS styles. Create user-friendly navigation with categories and filters to help customers easily browse products. Implement shopping cart functionality to allow users to add items and proceed to checkout seamlessly. Set up shipping options and rates based on location and weight. Test the entire purchasing process to ensure it works smoothly for users. Regularly update plugins and monitor sales to optimize your e-commerce site for success.
Conclusion
Creating a custom WordPress website involves several key steps. You start by deciding on your site's goals and picking a domain name and hosting provider. Then, you install WordPress, choose a theme, and customize it to match your brand. Next, you add content, like pages and posts, and install plugins for extra features, such as contact forms or SEO optimization. You'll want to make sure your site is responsive and works well on mobile devices. Lastly, you test everything thoroughly before launching your site to ensure it's ready for visitors. And don't forget to keep it updated and secure over time!

Thoughts on shogo makishima
“The game of life”
Makishima is stated to have genius level intellect, charismatic, and physically fit. He’s even managed to inspire a movement, coerce others into committing crimes. Yet, despite being a leader he has no ambition to look on high at everyone else. He wants to live through life as the player rather than the one who makes the rules and has control of the game. Playing the game is what keeps his mind and body involved. When he plays the game of life, his choices for better or worse hold weight. Similar to reading books or Martial arts, what he does is what affirms his existence. From that perspective, playing the game keeps him from feeling ignored by the world (or at least In Japan) which brings me to my next point.
“Loneliness”
Not recognized by society since sibyl is is control in how , not recognized due to his views against the system, and not recognized due to a personality that can take an interest in humans, but not really care about them. There maybe an argument to be made that makishima only does this as a means of lashing out towards his isolation. However, we have to consider that with Sybil’s ability to “read” someone, they can can weed out individuals who antagonize them, which is what happened with masaoka. Not to mention, he tends to be a social critic. Not to mention, rather rather than focus on kogami, he still chooses the destruction of the Sybil. He used his loneliness as fuel to further to antagonize sybil, but loneliness isn’t his only motive.
“Man vs society”
As the tile describes man vs society describes the conflicts of an individual vs the the social norms and customs that are common in their life. With Sybil’s reach branching into various aspects of people’s lives, many citizens see only the benefits, but miss the glaring issues. The limit on self expression as seen through artwork, the will to take action of your own accord, the ability to recognize danger, the rewriting of history, etc. Makishima puts into question how our views, upbringing, and personality put our opinions on society into question. This can also be seen with characters such as kogami, ginoza, akane, kagari (to some extent), and masaoka.
“An ordinary man”
Contrary to his qualities, and the praise that he gets, he considers himself as an ordinary man, similar to Gu-sung Choe. Choe grew up in a country without the Sybil, so it is easy to see how he, like makishima, would be against the Sybil. Makishima believing things should be done in a simple way, or to keep things as they should without tampering with what comes natural to humanity, which bring me to my next point, and Makishima greatest motif.
“Free will”
Makishima embodies the idea of free will. The good, the bad, and the ugly. From his perspective, Sybil has taken something from humanity that shouldn’t have been stolen. Which becomes the basis for his antagonism towards Sybil. I’d have to wonder though. If Sybil’s rule has taken free will from the people, then would makishima be the same individual that he is now if Japan was ruled by our modern day governance ?
Nevertheless, one thing I thought was interesting about makishima was his insistence on free will, but also punishing those who would do the very thing that he speaks on. However, I’ve realized that when makishima gives characters the opportunity to act on their own desires, they weren’t able to realize that Sybil has failed to let them take life into their own hands, for better or worse. Furthermore, by being comfortable in their own desires or placing unshakeable faith in the Sybil, they would do nothing except just be a part of the problem in makishima’s eyes. I believe part of makishimas test was to find other like minded individuals that would antagonize Sybil along with him. (I believe this ties in makishima’s aspect of loneliness). To makishima, it’s not only about free will, it’s about what you choose to do with it that matters.
“Kogami”
Now, I’m at the greatest dynamic in the anime (so far at least). Makishima ability to avoid Sybil’s radar puts the first sign of contempt towards the Sybil. Makishima kills sasayama but is “blessed” by sybil so he avoids capture while enforcing his own will, even if it comes at someone’s expense. Kogami wanted Justice/Revenge for what happened and he was punished for trying to enforce his will. Kogami became aware that the Sybil promoted an idea of perfection, but wasn’t actually perfect. Prior to makishima and kogami meeting, makishima talks about how if someone were to throw a wrench in his plans would be somebody like him, someone who is able to enforce their own will without Sybil directing them. Kogami was even the one who caught to how or you’d painting are “unoriginal”, which made makishima take an interest in him. This was further enforced by his “test” on kogami, who made the decision to act without any external direction.
Once makishima is arrested, kogami sense of Justice compels him to chase makishima while deducing that Sybil refuses to judgement; therefore, he loses faith in the law as makishima continues to be “blessed” for committing criminal actions despite substantial proof against him showing his wrongdoings. His ambition to hunt down makishima has now put him at odds with the Sybil, and in a sense, society as well. These primal aspect of kogami is considered a by product of an era without Sybil”. As a result this isolated him, similar to how makishima is isolated. Once makishima’s was executed, thereby achieving the validation he had always wanted. Consequently, kogami now has to leave Japan due to choosing to enact his own ideal of Justice. Overall, an amazing dynamic.
“Akane”
Although their dynamic isn’t as strong as his dynamic with makishima, I do believe there is some good in it. In a sense, they are both “blessed” by Sybil. Akane growing up only seeing the good of Sybil through its comfort, security, and makishima predisposition only made him see the flaws of Sybil. When the time comes for makishima to tests akane, it puts akane’s faith in Sybil to test. She relied on Sybil to pass judgements, and that faith killed her friend.
When akane is given the opportunity to kill makishima, she refuses due to choosing the collective will of the people (the law) over her own personal wishes.
When akane learns the truth of how their god (Sybil) is a lie, she’s begins to realize the value of the free will that Makishima often preaches about throughout the series. Therefore, she’s resolves to work with Sybil, however on her own terms.
“Lucifer”
The comparison to Lucifer isn’t too strong but I think the similarities are present. While Lucifer’s ambition was to take the throne of god, makishima would rather destroy god. Makishima wanted to return a sense of individuality to society, for better or worse.
Makishima’s wants to start a rebellion gassing gods in order to return to a world where humanity would recognize a quality that’s inherent to them again for better or worse. He wants to assert his existence in society without being cast aside. In spite of his psychopathic tendencies, he wanted a world where he could forge connections with others in ways that the current world cannot. Lucifer also started a rebellion to reach the level of god. Lucifer’s rebellion came from dissatisfaction with the role god assigned for him. Lucifer desired to surpass the limitations that were put on to him. Furthermore, both lucifer and makishima antagonist led the environment that they were born into, and acted in violence as a result.
Both makishima and Lucifer get punished for their rebellion with makishima being gunned down as a result of his sins towards humanity and antagonism towards Sybil, but Lucifer gets cast down to the depths hell as a result of his rebellion Agassi god.
“Conclusion”
As he’s bleeding he does his last bit social commentary towards Sybil.
“Everyone is alone. Everyone is empty. People have no longer any need of others. You can always find a substitute for any talent. Any relationship can be replaced.” I believe in this part, makishima remarks on how Sybil’s existence has caused a divide between people due to existence of psycho passes and hue checks, especially in regards to potential criminals. No would want to associate with people who can potentially “damage” them the same way that the latent criminal were damaged. Leading to half hearted relationships. Job aptitude placement that become the only determinant on what who is qualified for what job makes it possible to always have a proper substitute for the workload.
“That's the world I grew tired of… And yet, for some reason... I can't even imagine someone else besides you killing me”
Makishima’s simply can not resonate with the current world of psycho pass, which is why he tested people, and tried to bring down Sybil even if it would take bio terrorism to do it. However, the existence of people like kogami, makes things different. He values kogami existence enough to want to die by his hands due to kogami being the “fallen”. Someone who can choose to kill without an external agent influence their decision.
As makishima desperatly tries to run for his life, he also seems elated. Whether he losing or winning he’ll keep playing the “game of life”. As the sunsets on shogo, I believe this symbolizes that his time in the game is over ( also shogo means sunset so I can’t be wrong lol).
(Also the soundtrack for his death was beautiful)
Prior to his death, he asks kogami if he will replace him. Kogami tells him that’s he hopes that won’t happen.
Although makishima never achieved his goal of destroying Sybil, he got what he wanted it. Someone who take advantage of their individualism, and kill using their own will. Giving makakishima both the acknowledgment, and embodying the free will that was regulated by Sybil.
With a smile of relief, and a Bang! Shogo Makishima is dead.
A fitting conclusion for a 9.5-10/10 character.

Are you a fierce firebender, a nurturing waterbender, an unwavering earthbender, or a freespirited airbender? The beloved Nickelodeon animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender captured the hearts of millions with its rich world inspired by Asian art and mythology. At the center were the four elemental nations - the Fire Nation, Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, and Air Nomads - each with their unique bending abilities, cultures, and philosophies.
If you've ever wondered which of these nations most aligns with your personality and values, an Avatar: The Last Airbender personality assessment can provide fascinating insight. By delving into your traits, tendencies, and perspectives, this Element Nation quiz will reveal which bender you would be in the Avatar universe. Get ready to embark on an inner journey and uncover your elemental identity!

The Power of the Four Elements

In the mystical realm of Avatar, each nation wields the incredible ability to manipulate and "bend" one of the four classical elements - fire, water, earth, and air. More than mere displays of power, these bending arts are intrinsically tied to the philosophies and lifestyles of the respective nations.

1. The Fire Nation, though once representing oppression and conquest under the rule of the Fire Lord, is founded on principles of passion, force, and ambition. Firebenders draw their strength from willpower, determination, and the eternal cycle of existence.
2. The Water Tribes, residing in the Arctic North and Antarctic South, are the spiritual guides of the Avatar world. Waterbenders embody the flow of energy, change, and the ever-shifting tides of life. Patience, empathy, and healing are at the heart of their way.
3. The Earth Kingdom, with its sprawling cities and stubborn persistence, gives rise to earthbenders - steadfast, loyal, and unshakable in their resolve. They find strength in endurance, stability, and an unbreakable connection to their land.
4. The Air Nomads exemplify freedom, evasiveness, and cyclical rebirth. Airbenders are the embodiment of liberation, detachment, and finding joy in the present moment. Their bending reflects the formless, intangible nature of air itself.

Unveiling Your Inner Element

So, how can you discover which of these elemental philosophies resonates most deeply with your core being? An Avatar personality assessment delves into various facets of your psyche, exploring your values, thought patterns, emotional tendencies, and behavior under stress.
By answering a series of insightful questions, the assessment algorithm analyzes your responses and matches you with the nation that best aligns with your inherent nature. Are you driven by ambition and a fiery spirit, akin to the Fire Nation? Do you prioritize harmony, spirituality, and the ebb and flow of life like the Water Tribes? Does your unwavering resolve and grounded disposition mirror the qualities of the Earth Kingdom? Or are you a free spirit, embracing spontaneity and living in the moment, embodying the Air Nomad way?
The assessment not only reveals your elemental affiliation but also provides a comprehensive personality profile, offering valuable insights into your strengths, weaknesses, and fundamental motivations. Understanding your inner element can help you navigate life's challenges with greater self-awareness and make choices aligned with your authentic self.

How to Take the Avatar: The Last Airbender Element Nation Quiz

Embarking on this journey of self-discovery is a simple and engaging process. Here's how you can take the Avatar: The Last Airbender personality assessment:

1. Visit the Avatar Airbender Quiz website
   
2. Read through the instructions carefully to ensure accurate results.
   
3. Answer each question honestly, reflecting your true thoughts and behaviors.
   
4. Upon completion, your elemental nation and personality profile will be revealed.
   
5. Explore the detailed analysis of your bending affiliation and how it aligns with your core traits.
   
6. Share your results with friends and fellow Avatar fans to spark fascinating discussions!
   

This Avatar personality test not only provides an entertaining experience for fans of the beloved series but also offers valuable insights into self-understanding. By embracing your elemental identity, you can tap into the wisdom and strengths inherent in that nation, empowering you to navigate life's challenges with greater clarity and purposeful alignment.

The Wisdom of the Four Nations

Each of the four elemental nations in Avatar: The Last Airbender holds profound lessons and guiding principles that can enrich our lives, regardless of our bending affiliation.

1. The Fire Nation reminds us of the power of passion, drive, and the courage to forge our own paths, even in the face of adversity. Ambition and determination are vital forces that propel us towards our goals, but they must be tempered with wisdom and compassion.
2. The Water Tribes teach us the value of adaptability, empathy, and going with the flow of life's currents. By embracing change and cultivating emotional intelligence, we can navigate challenges with grace and find harmony amidst the ever-shifting tides.
3. The Earth Kingdom's unwavering resilience and connection to the land instill a deep respect for tradition, loyalty, and perseverance. In a world of constant upheaval, these qualities provide a grounding force, reminding us of the importance of roots and steadfast commitment.
4. The Air Nomads' philosophy of freedom, detachment, and living in the present moment offers a liberating perspective. By embracing impermanence and letting go of attachments, we can find joy in the here and now, cultivating a lightness of being that transcends material concerns.

Embracing the diversity and wisdom of these elemental nations can help us lead more balanced, purposeful, and fulfilling lives, fostering personal growth and deeper connections with ourselves and others.

Additional Resources

1. Share Your Results:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sharesharer.php
  
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle
  
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/
  
• Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/submit
  
• Quora: https://www.quora.com/
  

1. Learn More About the Psychology Behind the Quiz:

• Personality Psychology (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personality_psychology
  
• Jungian Archetypes (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jungian_archetypes
  
• Elemental Symbolism (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elemental_symbolism
  

This is my first time posting something on here about League of Legends. I've been playing the game for about ten years. I've achieved M7 Mastery on 13 champions from numerous roles, roughly a dozen I'd M6'd, and today's update took them all away. I had M6 and M7 shards I was working on as well. I know I don't play the game as competitively as others. After all, I only play a few times a week, and even then for only a couple of hours at a time. Even so, I wanted to voice my frustration with the loss of Mastery, to send something out into the void, even if most ignore it or disagree.
I remember champions I struggled with early on, really learning how their kits worked and how to build them. Achieving high mastery on them before reworks was sometimes difficult. I often reviewed my match records to see where I needed to improve. There was a progression to the game for me. Getting M6 and M7 shards was proof of my hard work, and bringing them out in ARAMs or random matches gave me a sense of accomplishment because I had achieved a level of familiarity with them. Even when behind, I knew I could compete at high levels and against tougher opponents.
To see that Riot has taken them away, watering them down to a sum total of overall experience just seems wrong. I have champions I mastered very quickly but don't play them as often, and likewise I have champions I am still learning, even though I have nearly 100k experience with them. Some I shelved because the game became less suitable for them, and some because they are suitable for roles I rarely play anymore. I shifted a team fight into our favor tonight, scoring a triple kill and assists on the other two. As I had done in similar situations many times, I flashed my colors, demonstrating my mastery and my pride for the character I was playing, but it was something generic that I did not recognize, a symbol to illustrate I've played the champion a lot. It didn't matter if I had won or lost, or even if I were good or terrible with them. I've heard players complain about how Mastery tokens means little, but they did to me, especially for those I put in the work necessary to get them there.
I've read nothing of the response to this change, and I doubt I will. If most are fine with the change, so be it. I just wanted to share somewhere that I am not and to encourage others with similar feelings to voice their frustrations as well. To wipe the slate clean of all our achievements with the champions we enjoy just feels wrong to me. To do so to give the appearance of solving the issue of smurf accounts makes it worse. I've had many situations over the years, with patches/ changes, buffs, and nerfs that have angered me, and caused me to step away from League. Tonight, however, is the first time I feel they just lost a player. I don't expect anything to change or improve, or for anything I'm feeling to make a difference. If tonight was my last night as a League player, however, I feel that casting this into the void may provide the needed closure. I suppose, however, that only time will tell if it was enough.

In the vast tapestry of global fashion, few garments possess the iconic status and cultural significance of the kilt. Traditionally associated with Scottish heritage, the kilt represents a rich history of clan identities and Highland pride. However, in a contemporary twist that exemplifies the fusion of diverse cultural elements, the Saffron Kilt has emerged as a unique symbol that marries Scottish tradition with Indian vibrancy.

The Origins of the Saffron Kilt

The Saffron Kilt is not a product of ancient lore but rather a modern innovation that captures the spirit of cultural synthesis. The idea originated in the creative minds of designers who sought to celebrate the rich, colorful textile traditions of India while honoring the storied heritage of the Scottish kilt. Saffron, a color deeply embedded in Indian culture, symbolizes courage, sacrifice, and the quest for knowledge. By incorporating this vibrant hue into the traditional kilt, the Saffron Kilt stands as a testament to the beauty of cultural exchange and innovation.

Design and Aesthetics

The Saffron Kilt retains the fundamental structure and design of the traditional Scottish kilt but incorporates elements that reflect Indian aesthetics. Typically made from wool, the fabric may feature intricate Indian embroidery, such as zari work or mirror embellishments, adding a layer of texture and visual interest that is distinctly Indian.
The saffron color itself is bold and striking, making a statement that is both fashionable and symbolic. Paired with traditional kilt accessories like the sporran (a small pouch worn around the waist), sgian-dubh (a small, single-edged knife), and a kilt pin, the Saffron Kilt maintains its Scottish roots while offering a fresh, multicultural twist.

Cultural Significance

The Saffron Kilt is more than just a piece of clothing; it is a symbol of unity and cultural appreciation. It represents a bridge between the East and the West, blending the sartorial traditions of Scotland and India in a way that honors both. In a world that often grapples with issues of cultural appropriation, the Saffron Kilt stands out as an example of respectful and celebratory cultural fusion.
By wearing the Saffron Kilt, individuals can express a sense of global identity and inclusivity. It encourages a dialogue about cultural heritage and the ways in which we can come together to create something new and beautiful, drawing on the strengths and histories of diverse traditions.

The Saffron Kilt in Fashion

The Saffron Kilt has found a place in contemporary fashion, embraced by designers and fashion enthusiasts who appreciate its unique blend of tradition and innovation. It has been featured in fashion shows and cultural events that celebrate multiculturalism and creative expression. The kilt appeals to those who are looking for clothing that tells a story, combining aesthetics with deep cultural meanings.
Fashion influencers and celebrities have also contributed to the popularity of the Saffron Kilt, showcasing it on social media and at public events. This visibility has helped to cement its status as a fashionable and culturally significant garment.

Conclusion

The Saffron Kilt is a remarkable example of how fashion can serve as a powerful medium for cultural expression and exchange. By blending the traditional Scottish kilt with the vibrant saffron hues and intricate designs of Indian textiles, it creates a garment that is both unique and meaningful. The Saffron Kilt not only celebrates the rich histories of two distinct cultures but also serves as a symbol of unity and mutual respect in our increasingly interconnected world.
As fashion continues to evolve, the Saffron Kilt stands as a testament to the endless possibilities that arise when we open our minds to the beauty of cultural synthesis. It reminds us that the world of fashion is not just about clothing, but about the stories and traditions that these garments represent, and the new narratives they can create when cultures come together.