Kits character progression as a mother includes:

-going from dog motifs to cat motifs

and

-proving Joseph was right about her being the lion and bringing people into the light, not the entirely "family" of Eden's Gate as he believes, but rather just the one she makes herself

Love being able to glimpse bits of future New Dawn Kit coming through as I write her fc5 canon, it's genuinely so satisfying giving this woman just a little bit of joy (knowing full well I'm taking some of it away from her again in the New Dawn au)

Accidentally deleted my fanfic preview lol

I accidentally deleted my fan fic preview so here it is again. I am almost done with the story, however and will probably post in on AO3 and FanFiction.net. Please give me some feedback, especially with characterization. Obviously everyone has their own perception of different character and this is mine. Enjoy!

Fandom: MCU (Irondad and Spiderson)

Title: Home Videos

Summary: Peter has a dream where he’s in a movie theatre watching Uncle Ben’s home video of the day he was born. As he watches, a familiar voice announces himself and Peter Parker finds Tony Stark smiling in the seat next to him.

                                                             o0o

 Peter Parker found himself sitting in a soft, red plush chair, facing a black screen partially covered in red velvet curtains. He could see a few rows of matching red seats scaling down in front of him, all empty. Turning, Peter saw the seats rising behind him were also empty. The small projector window above glowing faintly. He sat back in his seat, brows furrowed. He was in an older movie theatre, completely empty, with non-reclining seats and yellowed lights. Peter could see patches of discoloration on the red fabric-covered walls and the chipping back paint of the handrails. 

    The lights began to dim into a soft glow as the curtains slowly pulled back. With a quiet click, the black screen illuminated into a stunning white that made Peter’s eyes squint to adjust to the sudden brightness. He was relieved when the screen became gray static and a gentle buzz filled the auditorium. A loud, dull click sounded and the screen became a scene of blurry green trees. The image was shaky and glitched slightly. There was a digital time tag at the bottom right corner that read:  August 10,  2001.

    “Is this thing on?” A soft but gruff voice mumbled close to the camera. Peter felt his heart twinge in his chest at the instantly familiar voice. The camera moved sharply and the screen was filled with a middle-aged man with brown hair and brown eyes behind red-rimmed glasses. Ben Parker was gazing at the camera with eyebrows creased closely together. 

“The red lights on, it’s recording.” Another man called off-camera. 

“Oh!” Ben said before grinning and making a few funny faces at the camera that made Peter smile. 

“Ben, you’re gonna break the lens with that mug of yours.” The other man sounded closer and Peter recognized it as well. The camera moved to confirm that it was his father, Richard Parker. He was standing with his hands on his hips, squinting in the late summer sun. He was smiling brightly as the breeze swept through his curly brown hair.

Peter heard Ben scoff behind the camera. “Your mug ain’t much better.” Ben shot back. The camera rotated and Ben’s face was captured in an unflattering angle. “Let’s hope my niece takes after Mary.” He loud whispered into the camera. 

The camera quickly readjusted back to Richard who gave Ben an unimpressed look. Ben snorted as he zoomed in to Richard’s face. Peter found himself chuckling with him.

“Are you done? Or do you want to wait another nine months to meet my kid?” Richard asked with fake annoyance. The camera was still zoomed in to his face and caught the small smile at the end. 

“Yeah, yeah, lemme just shut this off.” Ben’s voice trailed off. 

The clip soon cut off to the footage of Richard walking in a hospital hallway. “Nervous, Ricky?” Ben asked calmly.

Richard turned to the camera and smiled shyly. “Maybe.” He confessed.

“Why?” Ben’s voice was hushed but sincere.

Richard stopped and stood in front of his brother, disregarding the camera. “‘Cause it’s a kid! They’re super fragile, get sick a lot and about a billion things can go wrong.” Richard whispered. “I don’t have a degree for this.”

Ben hummed thoughtfully. “I hear girls are even more difficult. Good luck, Doc.”  Ben chuckled at the glare Richard was throwing at him.

“What’s all this about a girl?” A low voice announced. Peter’s head whipped to the seat next to him. The young boy’s heart clenched painfully in his chest, his throat closing tightly at the sight of the person seated next to him.

 All that could escape Peter was a pained gasp of surprise.“Mr. Stark?”

Tony Stark turned to look at the boy with a broad grin and a bucket of popcorn in his arms. His dark eyes shining behind a pair of old school red and blue 3-D glasses. “Hey, kid!” Tony greeted Peter, just as he always did. 

Peter’s eyes were wide with disbelief but they quickly turned red and glossy. The crushing waves of grief made Peter double over his seat, gasping fast and shaky breaths. Tony sprung forward in alarm and placed a familiar heavy hand on the boy’s back.

“Hey, hey! Its ok, kid!” Tony exclaimed, tossing the popcorn away. He got out of his seat and crouched down next to Peter while expertly rubbing circles on his back. “Shoot, maybe surprising you like that was a bad idea.” He mumbled.

Peter’s body was shaking with the sudden and intense emotion. He took shuddering breaths to try to calm himself down. He concentrated on how real and warm the hand on his back felt.

“It’s ok, Peter,” Tony said softly, a tinge of sadness washed over his voice. 

Peter gathered himself with deep breaths and turned to his former mentor, the hand never leaving his back. He still couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Tony removed the 3-D glasses without turning away from the boy. His eyes were dark and warm just as Peter remembered them. 

He turned away to rub his face. “This is a dream, just another dream.” He mumbled to himself.

Tony quirked his head a bit. “Another dream?” 

Peter sighed. “Yeah, that’s all this is. I’m aware now so I’m probably going to wake up soon.” He said in distress. 

Tony shook his head. “This isn’t a dream, kid. At least not a normal one.” Peter looked at Tony skeptically and received a sympathetic expression in return. “I’m actually here.” 

“How!? How are you possibly here!” Peter cried. Tears finally fell down his face as he stared at the uninjured face of his dead mentor. “If this isn’t a dream, is this an illusion? A hologram? Beck’s dead so I don’t think that could be it.” 

“Pete,” Tony cut him off. “This is none of that stuff. To put it simply, I guess you could call this a Limbo of sorts.”

“Limbo?” Peter said, alarmed. “Am I dead?” 

Tony chuckled slightly as he shook his head, patting Peter on the shoulder. “No, you’re not, kid. Jeez.” 

Peter stared at Tony’s smiling face. There was some sadness in his eyes but no shadows or bags of exhaustion under them. His face was relaxed instead of the tension that was frequently lined on his brow. He looked younger, at peace. 

Sighing, Tony sat back in his seat. “We’re essentially in a pocket of reality where I, a ghost, can Jacob Marley one person,” Tony explained. “It’s like an I.O.U from the universe since I literally saved it.” 

Peter nodded his head, mulling it over in his brain. “You’re here ‘cause you used the Infinity Stones.” He concluded.

“Basically.” 

“You’re really here? With me? In my mind?” 

“Triple affirmative.”

“Why?” Peter asked softly, confused.

Tony shrugged casually, an amused smirk on his lips. “Because I wanted to see you.” 

“Are you going to see Pepper or Morgan?” 

Tony took a breath, his face was momentarily stricken at the mention of his wife and daughter. “No. I can only do this once.”

Peter’s eyebrows rose in alarm. “Shouldn’t you be doing this with Morgan? She’s your daughter, I’m sure she’d want to see you. To talk to you again.” Peter pleaded. “Or Pepper! She was the last person to talk to you. They miss you, they need you!”

“The one who needs me most right now is you, Peter,” Tony stated with conviction, his hand landing firmly on the young boy’s shoulder. “And you’re the one I wanted to see most, too.” 

The boy stared at him in confusion, his brown eyes still shiny from tears. “Me? But, but why I’m not…”

“Family?” Tony finished. Peter stared at the older man, his lips drawn tightly in a straight line as more tears spilled from his eyes. Tony stared back at the boy, sniffing slightly as his own emotions were bubbling forward. He knew this would be the last time he would ever talk to Peter like this. Every emotion and instinct he restrained when he was alive had been his greatest regrets. “Yes, you are, kid.” 

We’re Inevitable - Part 3

Fandom: Newsies Pairing: eventual Davey x reader Word Count: ~2,000 Tag List: @helplessfor-fictionalcharacters @races-cigar @ghostiex-x @theresagoodchanceicouldfly @benniebadeend @rxcer @the-navistar-carol A/N: Hey everyone! I’m back with an update. I hope that you enjoy it. Taglist is still open! (Strikethrough means that your tag didn’t work)

Part One  Part Two -- Part Four

The day started with you waking up before dawn to find Jack gone. You soon remembered that Jack was most likely on his way to, or on the way back from, Brooklyn. Starting to wake-up more fully, you slowly got up. It wouldn’t be long before the morning bell rang and the newsies started getting up. Carefully, you made your way down the fire escape and rushed to Medda’s theater. Today would be an interesting day, you could just feel it. It didn’t matter how things ended up. After today, things would be different. The better or worse hadn’t been decided yet.

Although your room at Medda’s theater was technically an extra dressing room that was semi-attached to the costume closet, you were happy to call it home. Fabric was draped across chairs and the edges of the hanging rack in the corner that held unfinished and torn costumes.

Quickly, you flipped through the dresses on your clothes rack before deciding on one. The one you chose was care-worn, but maintained its simple charm. You smiled, catching your reflection in the mirror once you got the dress looking just the way you wanted. It would be perfect for whatever happened in the day ahead. You exited the theater just as the morning bell rang.

Most of the Manhattan newsies had yet to arrive when you reached newsies square. Your pace sped up you saw Jack standing with some of the other newsies in front of the ‘The World’ gate. As you made your way toward them, you noticed that none of the Brooklyners were there. Your expression faltered, but you refused to let any of the boys see any loss of hope. Optimism and perseverance would be everything if they had any hope of winning against Pulitzer and the other papers. Of course, more people wouldn’t hurt either, but the newsies would do the best with what they had. It was what they had always done. “Brooklyn waitin’ to make a dramatic entrance or something?” You asked sarcastically with a light chuckle.

The guys chuckled and nodded their heads in hello as you passed them. “What’d you do, leave the new kid in Brooklyn?” you asked Jack jokingly to cover your curiosity as to where Davey was.

“Hm?” Jack’s gaze focused on you, “Oh, nah. He just had to run home to get Les. Said he’d be right back.” Jack attempted to subtly, yet critically take a look at you. “You look nice...”

“Thanks,” you answer with simple caution, “So do you. Tryin’ to look nice for the papes, or the reporter?” you ask in a cheeky fashion. Casually, you glanced around to see if any other newsies had joined the group and more had.

Jack smirked, “I could ask you almost the same question.”

Your brows furrowed in fake confusion and shook your head. “I got no idea what you’re talking about..”

“Look, I get it. You’ve liked him for a long time, so you took this opportunity to look nice. Maybe you’se thinking that he’ll finally see what’s in front of him...” He pushed verbally, leaning forward slightly.

Anxiety coursed through your body. You were so busted. You were sure that Jack knew, but you had to try and play it off. You shrugged when he paused, acting casual. You wouldn’t say that you liked Davey for a long time, you met him almost a week ago. Wait, who was Jack talking about?

When you didn’t respond, Jack continued, “I just don’t want you getting hurt, alright? And if Racetrack hurts you, I’ll kill him, there ain't no doubt about that,” he smiled protectively, “But, I can’t stop you from going after somebody that makes you happy. ...Unless it’s a Delancey, then we’d talk.” Jack cracked a more easy-going smile and you chuckled. Jack continued with a tired grin,“I just want you to be happy.”

Relief washed through you. You weren't busted after all. “I know, you just want the best for me,” you smiled warmly. When all of this calmed down, you really needed to tell Jack what was going on with you. “Could you do me a favor and just not say nothin’?” There was already enough going on and you didn't feel like adding to the chaos. You looked around once more and noticed that Race, Buttons, and Finch had arrived.

“Not a problem. Tell him when youse is ready.” Jack smiled, and squeezed your upper arm.

“Tell who, what?”

You tensed at the newly familiar voice that came up from behind. You turned with an easy smile on your face. There was curiosity and a tinge of worry gracing Davey’s features. “Nothing. Everything’s fine. It’s nothing that can’t wait until this is through,” you reassured. Davey’s expression seemed to lighten. “I’m gonna go check in with some of the other newsies.”

“Yeah, you do that.” Jack sounded amused. You were sure that he thought you were looking for Racetrack, but in reality you knew that being seen interacting with Davey would more than likely give you away. That was something you just weren’t ready for.

~~Time skip~~

With Wiesel and the Delanceys gone to get reinforcements, there was a moment to breathe. All of the triumphant faces made your heart swell. You hadn’t even noticed that Katherine had arrived. Next thing you knew, you were being pulled into the photo by Davey. You posed and smiled as the flash of the camera felt like it temporarily blinded you.

Then suddenly, everyone was celebrating and hugging, some were even playfully throwing papers in the air. You happily turned and hugged Buttons, and then Racetrack, who embraced you tightly before he handed you pages of newspaper to toss with a playful smile.

All of the celebrating ended with the sound of two hits of a club against metal.

The chaos that ensued soon after was exhilarating and terrifying. Papes were flying, barrels and wagons were rolling, and everywhere you turned there were newsies fighting. Everything seemed to be going alright. The newsies seemed to be more than holding their own.

Then the cops showed up, and things turned ugly real fast.

Adrenaline pumped through your veins as you ran around, attempting to help and avoid the cops. Someone grabbed you at the waist and started to pull you away. Instantly, your instincts kicked in. You looked back to find that it was Morris, then turned quickly to elbow him in the face and stomp his foot. You didn’t have time to appreciate his look of surprise before you escaped from his embrace.

Newsies were starting to clear out of newsies square. Not fully paying attention, you run into Davey and Les. “Gotta stop meeting like this,” he said with a tired smile, “Follow me.”

“Where to?” You asked.

Davey grabbed your hand and smiled. “Trust me.”

-----------------------

The three of you ran a few blocks before figuring out that no one was chasing you.  Davey had yet to let go of your hand, and you hoped that he wouldn't any time soon. “It's so pretty here,” you noted, before looking over at Davey. He seemed to be carrying himself a certain way, the adrenaline wearing off. His pace slowed. Your gaze took in the park that you had no idea existed while Davey guided you slowly to a nearby bench, without you realizing he let go of your hand when he sat down.

You looked over to find Davey sitting rigidly and looking up at you. Les was sitting on the grass beside the bench. You looked discreetly down at your hand and smiled fondly. When you looked back at Davey’s posture, you figured out that was feeling some pain was starting to set in. Your smile faded with worry as you sat close to him. “Are you alright?” You asked, turning yourself to take him in.

“Yeah, I just need a moment,” he sighed tiredly and glanced over at his younger brother. “Les, you alright?”

Les was holding onto his left arm as he looked up at Davey. “My arm hurts a bit.”

Your lips pursed as you leaned slightly over Davey. “If you two can handle it, I should have fabric back at the theatre to make a sling. It ain’t too far from here, I think,” you offered, leaning back to where you were.

The Jacobs brothers shared glances, silently debating before coming to a conclusion moments later. “Alright, lead on.” Davey stated, slowly rising from the bench before helping Les.

-----

Getting back to the theatre took slightly longer than you thought it would. You sighed in relief when you finally reached your destination. “Home sweet home,” you smiled triumphantly before opening the door to the costume closet that was attached to your living quarters. “Feel free to sit anywhere that there isn’t stray fabric.” You casually picked up pieces of fabric to clear seating options while also keeping an eye out for one that would work for Les.

You returned triumphant minutes later with a random piece of neutral looking fabric and an ice pack for Davey. You handed Davey the ice pack and crouched down close in front of Les and gestured for his arm, the fabric ready. He winced in pain as you maneuvered the fabric to where it needed to be. You checked with Les before tying the sling closed. He said that it felt good and thanked you for your help. “It’s the least I can do,” you smiled, “Now, you try to relax. And, no more fights, Okay?” Les nodded tiredly and relaxed back into his seat.

Up until now, you had been trying not to think about the fact that you had been able to feel Davey’s full attention on you. Clearly, you were failing miserably. Though, maybe this meant something. Maybe he felt the same way. Or, it could just be that you were taking care of his brother and he was eyeing you like a hawk, like any protective older brother would do. You looked back at Davey when you heard him speak. “You’re good with him,” he stated.

“He’s a good kid. Quite the trooper out there today,” you smiled coyly as you took in his features, “you all were.” A bruise was starting to show on his cheek. “I think I might have something for that bruise...” You were in the middle of rising when Davey cut you off.

“It’s fine. Doesn’t even hurt,” he reassured you as he rose to stand, “Thank you, for ah, makin’ the sling for Les.” He moved himself subtly closer to you.

“Like I said, it’s the least I can do. You guys got me outta there. I should be the one thanking you...” You trailed off, looking down. You sat the refused jar of ointment down on the desk beside you. “So, thank you Davey.” You quickly grabbed his hands, before your courage left you, leaned in and kissed his un-bruised cheek. The kiss only lingered for a moment before you pulled back slowly, realizing how close your faces were. You could see a hint of a smile grace his face. You tried pulling away, taking a step or two before Davey pulled you back in.

Davey’s eyes glanced down to your lips before returning to your gaze. One of Davey’s hands let go of yours and cupped the side of your face. He leaned in slowly as if asking for permission. You smiled and closed your eyes before you started leaning.

When you were merely centimeters apart, the door of the costume closet shot open, banging against the wall, and you and Davey jolted apart. Racetrack pushed his way into the area seemingly not realizing immediately that he might have interrupted something. He paused for a moment with a smirk. “What’s going on here?” You could hear the humor in his voice as Les rubbed his eyes.

“Nothin’ Race, I was just helping Davey and Les,” you covered, tucking a piece of hair behind your ear. “Everything alright?”

“Uh huh, sure.” He said, with a look that suggested ‘we’ll talk later’. “Everything’s not alright. They got Crutchie. He’s gone to the refuge.”

01/17/2019 DAB Transcript

Genesis 35:1-36:43, Matthew 12:1-21, Psalms 15:1-5, Proverbs 3:21-26

Today is the 17th day of January. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I'm Brian and it is a pleasure, it is a joy, and man we’re so fortunate, right, we’re so fortunate to be able to get together around this global campfire and live in a time where this sort of technology…I mean…like we're living in science-fiction world to our brothers and sisters who were here just 100 years ago. So, it's…I mean…look at what God has done and allowed us to find each other and to be in each other's presence as we take the next step forward. And that next step forward will take us back into the book of Genesis and back into the story of Jacob, whose name has become Israel. And, so today we'll read Genesis chapter 35 and 36.

Commentary:

Okay. So, in the book of Genesis we said goodbye today to Isaac and Rachel. So, this is Jacob's father and Jacob's beloved wife. And, of course, Jacob's name has been changed to Israel and his kids are now the children of Israel, literally, and that Rachel has died giving birth to the final of those children and his name is Benjamin and this won’t be the last time we interact with these kids. Now, as we go further into the Bible we’ll be interacting with their progeny, right, their descendants who become tribes but this isn’t the last time we’re actually gonna be dealing with these actual kids, the original children of Israel, the true vintage ones. We’ll continue to follow their story in the coming days.

And then we get the book of Matthew and we’re beginning to see what we were talking about yesterday. Remember when we talking about bearing the burden of light in a dark world and the fact that we are not gonna intellectually be able to figure out our faith simply in our mind without our heart being involved and engaged and intertwined in the process, like every relationship? We begin to see what this actually and practically looks like. So, let's just go with Jesus. He's moving around the Sea of Galilee. He is announcing the good news of the kingdom. He is touching people and they are finding wholeness and healing. Whether that be a physical thing or a mental thing, He’s healing people wherever He goes and it's causing quite a stir and we would think that a person like this, right, a person who’s going around and being kind and healing people miraculously and speaking words that are igniting something that are like, unified, are actually speaking to a person's heart. I mean, you’d think this would be celebrated. So, why is Jesus finding himself in trouble everywhere He goes, especially with the religious people? And let’s pay attention to this as we go through the Gospels. The people who have a beef with Jesus are the people who are the religious Jews. Like, the people who are the keeper of the religion are the people who have a problem with Jesus. And as we continue to go through this story throughout the year we’ll find out, I mean, things have changed but things haven't changed that much. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Jesus is moving around the countryside doing good and revealing the kingdom and announcing it. And, so, He's walking along on the Sabbath day. And this is where we begin to see light in the darkness and we also begin to see what happened, what it is that Jesus is coming into because in the book of Genesis we’re reading this origin story and as we continue through the book of Genesis and further we’re gonna meet a man named Moses, and I don’t want to be a big spoiler here, but we’re gonna meet a man named Moses and a law is going to come from it and now we’re going to zoom into the book of Matthew and come a couple thousand years to the future and we’re to begin to see what became of that law. In effect, the heart connection to the law that was baked in to the giving of the law, and we’ll read all this as the days unfold before us in the coming months, that heart connection, that integration that we've been talking about a was broken. And, so, the law became all law. So, you go to library and you get a law book and you open it up, you’re gonna read laws and it's gonna be some seriously boring stuff, but it's going to be the letter of the law. This is exactly what happens when this particular behavior happens. Like, this is how we have ordered our society. And yet the law of God, right, the law of God revealed through Moses, that can't be just about behavior modification can it ? Like, did Jesus come to earth in the flesh, God in the flesh, to die for the sins of the world so that we could behave better, like, so that we could obey the rules better? Like, is that what a relationship is like? He would give His life for that? No, He wouldn't. And that's what we see revealed throughout His ministry. So, we rub up against this today. The law had become a means of controlling the population and the threat, right, of course, was God's judgment. And, so, they are diligently trying to obey the letter of the law and they have forgotten their heart. Along the way. So, Jesus is walking along and his disciples eat a couple of kernels of grain because they're hungry and they get chastised and persecuted because of it because they worked on the Sabbath day. And the next thing you know, Jesus is about to heal a person with a hurt hand, with the deformed hand. And the religious leaders are watching for whether or not He's gonna do it so that they can come against him for healing someone on the Sabbath. So, that's how far off things have gotten. And Jesus does heal this man and what do they plan to do? They go out and plot to kill him. So, this is bringing light into the darkness and what Jesus is doing is bringing light back to the people that were given a promise of a promised land. Like, these people that we’re reading about in the book of Genesis, we’re going through all of these genealogies and getting to know all these children of Israel. They’re promised this land and they’re promised that God will be their God. Now we’re 2000 years ahead in the book of Matthew and the law has become a means of control and His people have forgotten who they are and Jesus is coming into the scenario to announce the kingdom of heaven, and to remind them of who they are. And part of the way He's doing it is by flying in the face of what they thought was the religious obligations handed down by God. And Jesus is saying that this was…what has become of this law was never what it was intended to be. And, so, of course, you can do good on the Sabbath, of course, you can do God's work on the seventh of course, you can heal someone on the Sabbath, which is exactly what He did. He flew right in the face of, in fact, what they thought and what they assumed was that Jesus was committing a grave and evil sin for working on the Sabbath, which is how backward things had gotten. So, I say all that to say, this is the stuff we want to watch as we’re watching Jesus in the Gospels because we can know the Bible stories and just go, yeah, there were people who were jealous of Jesus and they were evil and they crucified Him and He died for the sins of the world and that would the story but there's a whole back story going on here that informs our lives. And, so, let's pay attention as we continue forward with Jesus in the Gospels and what it is that Jesus is willing to invade. Like, what territory, even what theology is Jesus willing to step into and break in order to set people free?

And then last, ahhh, there’s so much to talk about in today's reading, is what we read in the book of Psalms because a major question was asked at the beginning of Psalm 15, “Who may worship in Your sanctuary, Lord? Who may enter Your presence on Your holy hill?” So, in other words, who gets to be where you are? That's an important question, right? Isn't this what we’re pursuing the presence of God in our lives, a true and intimate life-giving relationship that we can understand so that we can move through life as we were intended to, right? So, the question’s an important question and the question was answered. So, who gets to do this, who gets to be where you are? Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right. Now there's more. I’m pausing so we can think about how much of this applies to us - those who speak the truth from sincere hearts, those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends. Ok now we’re starting to touch some sensitive spots in our heart, right? Because the description we’re being given is who gets to be in the presence of God? “Those who despise flagrant sinners and honor the faithful followers of the Lord and keep their promises even when it hurts. Those who lend money without charging interest”, right, so those who are doing a good thing to take advantage of someone and “those who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent, those people. Such people will stand firm forever.”

Prayer:

Father, once again, You have given us so much to think about just from a few minutes in Your word and You have again continued to press in on us and touch sensitive areas that make us have to stop and consider. And, so, we’re thankful for that even though some of this is heavy lifting, some of this is hard work and some of this we don't want to deal with right now. And for sure, some of us, are going to just five minutes from now we’re gonna forget what we’ve read and we’re gonna be back into our day. But You will not let up, You will keep coming after these things in our lives until we will face them because You will have Your way if we will surrender and Your way will set us free even if we are fighting You for the things that are hurting us. So, we humble ourselves and we invite Your Holy Spirit to all that we’ve read today, plant it in our lives, use it for Your good purposes of sanctifying us and making us whole. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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And that's it for today. I'm Brian I love you and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hi everyone, my name is Doug, from Alabama here in the United States. I’m going to have to talk a little bit more quickly because I initially started listening back in college around 2008 - 2009. I believe I called in once then but, you know, over the years I haven’t listened, you know, on and off, I was never able to totally make it through. The point being I need, you know, when you call it tells you you only have two minutes so, you know, I have to be a little quick here. So yeah, today is the 13th of January and I was listening to the 12th of January’s reading and I was planning on calling in at some point, you know, for myself with some problems I have but I believe there was a lady, I want to say her name was Janet and she has a son named Jared. And listening to her, you know, her problem I guess, you know, her son has a substance abuse problems with alcohol and as someone else who, you know, also has addiction problems, I just really felt moved to call in and just let you know that I can definitely empathize with what you’re going through and also for someone who’s on the other end like your son that I will definitely keep you in my prayers every day as long as I can remember because I can get a bit busy. But I will definitely keep you in my prayers. And then the call that was right after yours, I believe David, I think that he had a son that was going through a separation. And David, you mentioned that you have anger problems. And I have much the same, nothing where, you know, I’m throwing tables and things like that but, you know, a lot of times you have those anger problems, you know, problems with anger where it’s totally up inside of you and you’re just like…arrrr…you know…and…but I do believe me…I call just for both of you Janet and David and Janet your son Jared to let you all know that I’ll…as long as I can remember…I’m going…I’ll keep you all in my prayers. And I do hope to call again soon, but I believe in…

Hi this is Apple of His Eye from St. Louis, it’s Monday, January the 14th and __. I’ve had vertigo since last Thursday and I’m worse and worse with hours and hours of literally spinning and nausea. I have been to the doctor __ in the middle of the year so it’s been a year, but it is getting worse. I take some anti nausea pills but it’s extremely hard to live with. I have __ to help comfort me though as __ Daily Audio Bible and over again including the community prayer. So, I am lifting you up in prayer even as I am lying here spinning __ . Thank you, thank you for your love and care and prayers. Goodbye.

I’m calling for prayer for my 26-year-old son, Matthew, who wrote a suicide note on the 10th of January and he has not been seen since and we’re looking for him. Please lift him up in prayer that he will come back home safe and sound and God would keep a hedge of protection about him and pray for my strengths and his brother strength, his family and siblings. Thank you. Bye-bye.

Hi, this is Beth calling from Canada and it’s my first time calling. I used to listen to this beautiful community years ago and then I stopped, and I just felt a tug in my heart to start up again this year and then today I just really felt compelled just to call to ask for some prayer. I have an immigrations situation and I’m trying to get my green card and it’s been pending for over a year now and I really need God’s supernatural hand on my case to have it turnaround in the next two weeks before one of my documents expires. And definitely looking at the timelines it looks like, you know, it’s not gonna happen but I know with God all things are possible. So, I know He wants what’s best for me. So, I just ask…reach out to everybody just asking if they can just pray for me. I just felt this overwhelming anxiety of this situation and I just want to be a permanent resident of America finally so bad. I just love this country and I would like to also pray for anybody else that is struggling through a similar immigration situation and also thank God for this trial in my life because even though it’s been really difficult it’s helped me realize I can’t rely on my own strength and that I just have to rely completely on Him. And that it also got me closer to Him and it really helped me just kind of burn off some of the impurities in my life and, you know, bad habits and bad attitudes and bitterness and things like that. So, I just thank God for allowing this trial and I also just pray that He will have His divine and on the application and that everything would be turned around with no more delays or denials or any other problems. In Jesus’ name. Thank you all so much and God bless you.

reading + listening 9.29.20

It was another week of soaring highs and middling mediocrity, but fortunately no DNFs. Notably, I’ve been dragging my heels on PIRANESI by Susanna Clarke, which has been sitting on my desk in gorgeous hard cover since release day. You ever want to love a book so much that you’re afraid to actually read it? No, no, me neither. Here’s hoping I get brave this week. In the meantime...

It’s Been a Pleasure, Noni Blake (Claire Christian), eBook ARC (US pub date February 2021). I loved this book so much that I’m already looking forward to owning the aBook once it’s available, just so I can relive the magic in a new way. Here’s my five-star NetGalley review: 

I have discovered the antidote to the unmitigated disaster that is the year 2020, and it is IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE, NONI BLAKE. I inhaled this book in under 24 hours and feel soul-satisfied in a way I forgot existed. NONI BLAKE is a rom-com that's so much more than a rom-com; it's as much a character study as LESS and as much a travelogue as WILD, with the sweetness of Mhairi MacFarlane, the delicious heat of Sally Thorne, and the humor of every best friend you've ever gotten drunk with. It is, in a word, perfect.

When I say this book has it all, I am not kidding. In it, you will find: - an average-bodied woman finding sexual empowerment and body positivity - a Scottish book boyfriend for whom you do not need to travel through time - healthy adult friendships - A+ Bechdel Test score - adventurous, consensual sex that is at times hilarious and at other times really, really hot - situational comedy that will legitimately make you laugh out loud - adults who talk openly about their feelings in an authentic, mature way - portrayals of grief that range in severity from mourning the loss of an unborn child to coming to terms with years of self-criticism and negativity - rich, descriptive prose that does not drag down pacing - excellent plotting, perfectly balanced with the protagonist's complex internal journey

...the list goes on. This book is joy exemplified. I can't wait to give it to every woman I know. My only complaint is that the world needs this book immediately to inoculate us against the tidal wave of awfulness bombarding the globe, and yet it won't be released until 2021.

Notably, Australian readers have access to NONI BLAKE as of... today (!), so if you happen to be reading this in Australia, please do yourself a favor and buy this book immediately. And if there’s someone you especially like elsewhere in the world, maybe box up a copy and spread the love.

Act Your Age, Eve Brown (Talia Hibbert), eBook ARC (pub date March 2021). I know, I know -- how many contemporary romcoms with the exact same title structure can I read in a single week? Real answer: 2. But based on how fabulous both these titles were, I’m open to more. Here’s my four-star NetGalley review:

I've decided it's entirely impossible to read the Brown Sisters series without feeling amazing. Hibbert's writing is so smart, funny, and full of A+ banter -- not to mention scorching-hot heat -- that it almost feels like we don't deserve her books' nuances, diverse representations, and patriarchy-shaking feminism.

But we do deserve it, actually, and it's all there in ACT YOUR AGE, EVE BROWN.

If at first Eve seems flighty and difficult to connect with, don't discount the intentionality of her characterization. In a tidy narrative trick, Hibbert gives us the very experience that defines many of Eve's friendships: while the youngest Brown sister may have made a great first impression in Chloe and Dani's books, her flightiness feels off-putting once she takes center stage. But sticking with Eve -- instead of pushing her to the margins of our two-person social circle -- has a massive pay-off, as she soon reveals herself to be intensely focused on helping others, spreading joy, and baking delicious cake. It's a side of Eve too many of her "friends" never get to see -- but Reader, we do. And it turns out, Eve is a wonder.

Many of Eve's quirks align with behaviors on the autism spectrum; while Jacob's autistic presentation is perhaps more conventional, Eve's traits are equally validated by Hibbert's sensitive, nuanced treatment of the disorder. Romance + autism usually means antisocial behaviors, rigidity, and/or Asperger's-like presentation (The Kiss Quotient/Bride Test, The Girl He Used to Know, The Rosie Project... the list goes on). But ACT YOUR AGE explores the all important "spectrum" side of "autism spectrum disorder," and urges us to resist believing we understand what these labels mean just because we understand one small aspect of a very large picture.

All of this happens while a truly compelling, heart-melting romance unfolds. Eve and Jacob are incredibly fun to watch, and Hibbert keeps things moving at a lovely clip. I especially appreciated her resistance to the "h/h have to spend totally unnecessary time apart after an argument/misunderstanding" trope in Act III, which is a convention I would happily see go the way of the dinosaur.

Fair warning to your TBR pile: If you don't reread Chloe and Dani's books prior to picking up ACT YOUR AGE, EVE BROWN, you're going to want to afterward. There's simply no other way to maintain the rosy glow of post-Hibbert reading.

Finally, I'm predicting here and now that Mont, Alex and Tess are the next sibling trio to get the Hibbert treatment. (Please? Like...PLEASE please?)

Set My Heart to Five (Simon Stephenson), aBook (narr. Christopher Ragland, Rachael Louise Miller, Lance C. Fuller). If you combined the signature humor/love combo of David Nicholls, the deeply felt nostalgia of Ready Player One, and the bots-with-feelings hypothesis of Spielburg’s AI, you might come close to understanding what makes SET MY HEART TO FIVE so good. In the year 2054, the world has taken some unexpected turns: humans have accidentally locked themselves out of the internet, Elon Musk blew up the moon (also accidentally), and humanoid bots have been integrated into society as second-class pseudo-citizens. We meet Jared -- bot, dentist, cat-owner -- who has begun to experience curious malfunctions. With a friend’s help, and a heaping dose of old movies, Jared realizes he can feel real emotions. He resolves to journey west to Hollywood, where he’ll write a movie that changes the way humans view bots and paves the way for his bot brothers and sisters to enjoy the full range of human experience. 

Jared’s explanations of human behavior provide a satirical commentary on our curious, often contradictory behaviors (”Humans. I cannot!”). Since films from the pre-bot age figure so prominently in Jared’s emotional awakening, that same satirical analysis is applied to movie synopses, which are rendered with necessary frequency but occasionally feel like overkill. The book relies heavily on a lovely trick of narrative reciprocity; Jared is on an archetypal hero’s journey, even as he strives to write a formulaic screenplay according to the “golden rules” of the fictitious script expert, R.P. McWilliams. But SET MY HEART TO FIVE never feels hackneyed, and in more than one way proves the rule that great stories are all in the telling.

With the innocence and clarity that can only come from being something of a stranger in a strange land, Jared embraces his existence with infectious enthusiasm and charm. It’s virtually impossible not to cheer for his success, even as we’re warned again and again that a great story will “eff us in the heart” at its conclusion. Audio is brilliantly narrated by Christopher Ragland, who manages to imbue the bot cadence we expect with believable nuance and big style. 

Well Played (Jen DeLuca), aBook (narr. Brittany Pressley). I’ve got bad news for fans of WELL MET: If you wondered whether your enjoyment of Deluca’s ren-faire romcom debut of 2019 was due in large part to the book’s setting -- and more specifically, the way h/h’s interactions at the faire advanced the storyline -- the answer is yes. And why is that bad news, you ask? Well, because WELL PLAYED has none of the crackling Emily/Simon tension that carried the first book through its narrative stumbles. In book 2, the glacially slow Act I relies heavily on Stacy’s recitation of what makes her life humdrum, and a long series of email exchanges we *know* are coming from the conspicuously introduced Daniel -- even though Stacy, apparently suffering a traumatic brain injury, convinces herself it’s idiot playboy (and Daniel’s cousin) Dex. Sorry not sorry for the “spoiler,” which is impossible not to see coming from many miles away. Once this pseudo-conflict is resolved, the book boils down to situational fluff: a wedding, a squeaky mattress, the literal number of pumpkin spice lattes Stacy drinks over the course of a month. If it sounds like this is not a plot, that’s because it isn’t. The romance is low-stakes, the “uncrossable divide” that eventually separates h/h is the width and depth of a puddle, and the last third of the book is pretty much solely devoted to setting up a Mitch/April romance in book 3.

Notably, I found references to Stacy’s body-consciousness extremely strange. If we want to normalize average-sized women in romance, maybe we do that by not including, apropos of literally nothing, how “unflattering” woman-on-top sexual positions are?! Stacy is not characterized by self-consciousness, so the moments when her interiority veers toward self-criticism don’t feel necessary. I’m not saying these aren’t authentic thoughts and feelings plenty of women have, but an editor should have pushed DeLuca to answer the question to what end? Why include body hyperawareness in the precise moments when it appears? Like too much of the prose in WELL PLAYED, these inclusions felt like word-count boosting instead of dynamic character development or plot production. Sad as I am to say it, this book was a missed opportunity that shows the danger of rushing book 2 to market. 

The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics (Olivia Waite), aBook (narr. Morag Sims). This book has been on my radar since its publication last summer. Gorgeous cover aside, I’m always here for diverse historical romance. Sadly, for me, the external stakes here were simply too low, and relied overmuch on the baffling revelation that men -- especially in this historical moment --  underestimate and undermine women. I never felt discernible chemistry between Lucy and Catherine. This could be due, in part, to Morag Sims’ narration, which pitches Catherine’s voice in a low, husky range that accentuated the women’s age difference. From the outset, we learn that Catherine is the widow of one of Lucy’s father’s colleagues; while Lucy is the more sexually forward woman in this partnership, there’s something a little An Education about the whole arrangement. 

On my radar this week:

Piranesi (Susanna Clarke) 

A Deadly Education aBook (Naomi Novik)

We Can Only Save Ourselves ARC (Alison Wisdom)

Angel in a Devil’s Arms (Julie Anne Long)

The Project ARC (Courtney Summers)

The Love Square ARC (Laura Jane Williams)

Best Tips on How To Make Money in Real Estate

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