so previously, i posted that my family knows abt my pregnancy & is quite thrilled. however, i have made arrangements for abortion. my mother knows how much i do not want this child, but i’ve been pretending to be happy for weeks now. helping her plan, decorations, etc… (i am so drained from pretending)
MIND YOU IM ONLY 6 WEEKS RIGHT NOW.
i haven’t seen an ultrasound, i haven’t heard a heartbeat, i have no idea what is actually going on inside my stomach.
my first prenatal appt is a week after my surgical abortion, which would be on a wednesday.
my plan is to start “bleeding” that monday, and tell her i’ve called the OBGYN & they told me not to worry because it’s most likely late implantation bleeding.
tuesday, im going to have really bad cramps & bleed even more & let her know what’s going on.
wednesday, is the OBGYN appt & im still going to go because my mother wants to attend the first prenatal appt. of course, i told her i don’t want her in the room because they will be “probing” me & it would be embarrassing having her watch.
after the ultrasound, i assume that the doctor would ask me how long i’ve been bleeding, & have i been hurting, etc… i will of course tell them for a few days, at that point, im guessing they’ll tell me i’m not longer pregnant.
i’m not planning on telling the OBGYN i’ve had an abortion, because i’ve been reading that they can’t tell the difference between spontaneous abortion and intentional.
then, they’ll probably discuss why i had the “miscarriage.” & i’ll bring my mother into the room for that discussion, because i do suffer from PCOS, & i am underweight for my age.
i’ll be distraught & in tears, wondering what did i do wrong. of course, i’ll later explain how i saw it as a blessing & a second chance at life.
DOES THAT SOUND PLAUSIBLE?

We are Azure Infinitum
Visit us at: (https://www.azureinfinitum.com/)
You may have seen us in the Aether data center's party finder during our weekly events, or may have seen our recruitment shouts around the realm in-game in Midgardsormr, but there just isn't enough space in those places to really explain everything wonderful about what our Free Company and community is.
Azure Infinitum is an LGBTQ+ friendly community, and welcomes players of all experience level, play style, and availability. We're a warm home with a balance of online players, weekly optional activities, and flexible ranks from our membership, to our support & leadership categories. We have a 24/7 Support Team, a Councilship that governs each tier, seasonal events of our own, and many resources between the games we support and online services.
Who We Are
We are an established 9-year old community who's home is in Midgardsormr Server of Final Fantasy XIV. We are a structured, well-rounded, welcoming, friendly, and organized community that hosts daily events (check out our calendar: https://azureinfinitum.com/events/ ) that provide opportunity for members to excel. We work to provide an arena and opportunities to establish strong bonds and camaraderie between our members. As a community we are driven, we carry each other forward, and we are proud.
Our Name & Philosophy
Learn more about our global community here: (https://www.azureinfinitum.com/aboutus/)
Learn more about our FFXIV Free Company here: (https://www.azureinfinitum.com/ourffxivfc/)
Azure Infinitum means "Azure/Blue Infinity or Infinite Blue/Azure" and there is some mythos behind the name that stems from our guild-wide philosophy of kindness, freedom, vigilance, diversity and activity. We promote positive fellowship among members in an organized guild, with our sights open to our unending endless skies, full of possibility and success together.
Our motto is "As Free As The Azure Sky!" which stuck well when our FC was restructured from an old guild in 2014 as Azure was founded, and it was first shouted as we looked out at a clear blue sky above. has continued to be our electric victory as we continue to snowball in success and activity, our members soaring high through the Azure Sky, flying together!
Ranks
Click here to learn more about our community ranks: (https://www.azureinfinitum.com/ranks/)
Our community has an organized ranking structure beginning with Members who comprise the majority of the roster. Scouts are our support team of Members who've stepped up to more officially support the FC, some work on obtaining a future leadership rank. Lieutenants and Officers comprise the proud Azure Council, a diverse group of players of different specialties and services to the FC, making up lower and higher tier leadership, seeing over the Scouts and the FC weekly events, aside from being admins. The FC Infinitum Master oversees all and leads the Azure Council and the company forward while always keeping the heart and vision of the community alive and in sight. Currently we are re-assessing ranks in the free company, giving more support permissions and duties to our Scouts, while the current council operates as a small team of Lieutenants lead by the FC Master.
Everyone Welcome and Who Fits Best
We have an open door policy. Whether you're casual, a returning player, a veteran, or a newbie, we have a vast array of players in our member roster. Our weekly schedule is organized and provides an array of activity for players of most levels, however we like to ask players who're pretty new or under the level cap, to be extra vocal about their needs while they're still unable to attend some daily events or higher level content that most of our weekly lineup focuses on. We want everyone to have as much fun as possible and have the most success. We find that most players enjoy Azure Infinitum, many have stated that they subscribed to FFXIV much longer than they ever would have imagined after they have been around in our community, as they've gotten involved and experienced all that we offer.
Our FC keeps a daily schedule (see here: https://www.azureinfinitum.com/events/) of events that are hosted by permitted Scouts and Council ranks, these range from 8-man and 24-man raids and map parties, to WT journal groups and trial clear parties or farms, and more- and attending anything isn't mandatory at all here. We're happy to have you, and its up to our members how much they'd like to get involved. Attendance is optional! There's never any stress to attend FC functions.
Savage Raiding Statement
We find that some hardcore raiders looking for free companies just to join their statics who don't already have one, might not fit well if savage raiding is their only or greatest focus, because traditionally Azure does not have a Savage Static, but focuses more on allowing members to organize their own groups and also provides resources to do so. Despite not supporting an official static for the FC, we hope that hardcore raiders enjoy the wealth of our community's wealth of harmony and overall fun, and that everyone may take initiative to seek out or build a raiding static within our community if they are interested, as opposed to missing out on experiencing Azure. Depending on the content season, we may have an Unofficial static lead by a leader, and routinely offer limited time Savage-learning events that may run for a number of months.
Rules and No Drama Policy
Please take a moment to look over our Rules Page at (https://www.azureinfinitum.com/rules/), we find that rude individuals and people who create drama are the outsiders here that don't fit well. We know its a big page, so at least visit the General Rules section before joining.
Recruitment Care & Activity
People of Azure Infinitum are often if not always good natured players who found their way to our community looking for a place with structure, friendliness, organization, and great activity, or they've been scouted during recruitment drives and have been well screened. Its a place where one can be social and attend everything, or relax in the background and enjoy the services and facilities of being in an active, organized, and friendly FC. We actively recruit periodically to assist with upkeep of community activity levels, and to meet new comrades. A community that closes recruitment can be doomed to stagnation. Its normal for a community to have an inner core of die hards who log in daily regardless of content releases, and also have an outer core of individuals that range from those with less availability to those who check in during Patches. This is why we take extra care in keeping the fresh blood flowing into Azure, cautious recruitment, and support our active model by always staying welcoming and sometimes running recruitment campaigns and other services. Like this ad!
Handling Online Drama
Because we keep a no-drama policy and have a strong communication network, it is leadership's ultimate priority to handle any issues that may come up as soon as possible, and most people appreciate our problem solving which has inspired many other communities. Between our Support & Leadership ranks, we use a number of report and resource channels to handle situations, and perform problem solving protocols & tactics to fairly address issues as possible. Drama is inevitable at some point for any online community, so its important to have a large and strong list of moderators (currently around 60!) and a council of leaders (15+) to quickly handle any problems. Luckily, we don't have a lot of drama, but we're always very well equipped and very prepared. Our community has been commended by game staff in the past for our methods, and we have worked with the FFXIV Special Task Force to ensure as much safety to our community as achievable. It should be stressed that it is up to our membership to report to GM's in-game, and to Azure Leadership should any issues or concerns come up. Its also highly recommended that our members appropriately document evidence that can be used to help us assess situations and make proper decisions. Documenation such as screenshots of harassment is a great example! Our members online safety is greatly important to us and is a number one concern of our leadership team. Our Rules Page at: (https://www.azureinfinitum.com/rules/) describes a bit more in Chapter 3, including other entries on avoiding/ignoring trolls, playing while intoxicated, depression, and more.
Our Philosophy
We believe in our community and its people, how far we can go, how much we can do for each other, being an experienced community who's core values are positive fellowship, formation of bonds, and indomitable unity.
Azure Infinitum tightly grasps success and masters a casual and lucrative weekly play schedule while inspiring motivation and providing avenues for further success, friendships, and camaraderie among all who freely fly together among our Azure skies.
Founding on the principles of intricately forging a generally drama-free experience with keen leadership and a zealous and mighty membership, Azure has striven to guide and support many hundreds of players through every era of Final Fantasy XIV.
With an illustrious history, company lore, impressive statistics, and a model that is adaptable and blessed with innovative ability, Azure Infinitum claims a dominant presence of excellence and player growth that is possible in our community and extended services.
Estate Organization
We have the entire set-up at our estate, from gardens for members and Krakka Root production (free for members' chocobos), to our stables, nicely uniform clean lawn with hangout spots that are popular, with crafting stations, all available NPCs for simple mats and repairs, cut-scene viewer, toybox, triple-triad board, a fully operational and geared fleet of airships and subs, and our Azure Infinitum Assembly Chamber on the top floor for our meetings where announcements are made at our Grand Assemblies. Check it out if you like at Mist Ward 7 Plot 1.
We also have an organized form of gathering for weekly events in the yard, places to relax, food that is always available on tables at our Cellar, and hold a lot of special events and social games at our Hall. We're also conveniently located next to a Market Board and a Retainer Bell outside of our estate.
Communication and Extended Azure Services
We have multiple services of which none are mandatory, but we provide being (azureinfinitum.com) where our Forums, Event Calendar, News, Company Meeting Summaries, Seasonal Merch Giveaways, Contests, Rules Page, and more take place and can be found. We also have a popular and active Discord Server.
We also have a Facebook Group, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Steam Group, (Look us up! Or visit: (https://www.azureinfinitum.com/socialmedia/) and Linkshells like our Infinitum Alliance LS for contact and aid from our allies if needed, our Azure Hunters LS for Hunters, and our Azure Industry LS which connects our members to our inner crafting/gathering community for newbies to pros.
Also worthy of mention is our big Company Meetings in-game, known as Azure Infinitum Grand Assemblies. Even though we have several avenues that keep people connected, our live assemblies gather the FC in unity where announcements are made first, and all proposals, ideas, and more, can be decided together live with the Azure Council present.
This network ensures a lot of information and communication gets around and has been exceedingly useful to us.
More On Events
One part of our reputation that often precedes us is our event crafting and hosting.
First, let me make sure its clear that attendance is never mandatory, but those who can make use, when possible, of what we provide each day, benefit from our events each week.
Since our beginning, traditions like our Thursday Treasure Thursdays events have run each week. Our weekly line-up presently begins on Tuesdays post-weekly reset, and consists of Raid Tuesdays, Wondrous Wednesdays (WT Journal Parties, often doubles as Trial Clears and Pony Drops), Treasure Thursdays (Endwalker's timeworn maps with groups of 8 doing up to 3 rounds of maps allowing for up to 24 maps ran), 24-Man Tuesdays (full pre-formed Azure 24-member alliances are made and raids are cleared, will be returning upon the release of EW's 24-man), Super Azure Slayer Sunday (our weekly meetup to do all sorts of PVP content be it Rival Wings or Frontline), and Monstrous Mondays (helps clear the current and previous patch extreme trials).
Special, Seasonal, and Quarterly Events
More info here: (https://www.azureinfinitum.com/azureday/)See the latest event news & more at: (https://www.azureinfinitum.com/news/)
We also have what we call Special and Quarterly Events. These types of events are Weekend-Long-Events that usually consist of a theme or celebratory social events we craft. During these events we hold big Riddle Races, Costume/Glamour shows and contests, 3-Story Mansion Maze Races, Speedrun Dungeon Races, Hide and Seek games, Custom Quest Events, Discord events like Cards Against Humanity nights, Comedy events, PVP Tournament Circuits, and more.
Our Special and Quarterly events are Azure Day Weekend (Takes place 3 times a year across a weekend, celebrates the FC), Azure Summer Festival (3-days at the end of August in partnership with Child's Play, raises money for children in long-term care, anniversary of historic FC event called the Lunar Rebellion), Anniversary Azure Day (a big weekend event in November that celebrates our Founding), Azure Day Saint's Wake (celebrates Halloween/All Saint's Wake), Azure Starlight Day (celebrating Starlight Day/Christmas/December Holiday Season), Azure Grand Melee and Duel Tournaments (PVP Circuit series crowning our PVP Champions) and more.
Azure Day Weekends
If you've been around our server you may have heard of our Azure Day Weekends. Our Azure Days take place quarterly as mentioned just above, with four evolved editions called Azure Summer Festival, Azure Day Saint's Wake, Azure Starlight Day, and Anniversary Azure Day. With Azure Day Weekends and related events traditionally occuring quarterly our members are always excited to see the next big weekend of crazy and fun social games, and our showering of the free company in gil and prizes galore. We go all out when we celebrate the free company, and Azure Days are another way we find for leadership to give back to the community. 2023 and beyond is now host to additional seasonal Azure Day events!
We're always giving our members a chance to have fun, win big, and make some great memories in the in-game family we've become. Something fun is always on the horizon in Azure.
Community
I almost can't stress enough how friendly our community is. We have a vast variety of members from hardcore gatherers and crafters, social butterflies, chill veterans, experienced raiders, level grinders, support teams, PVP aficionados, mechanic specialists, and mentors. We're also very friendly to all casual players as well and we keep an open door so long as recruits are always aware that we have a no-drama tolerance here.
​Evolution into a Gaming Clan & Network
Plans are in the works and foundations are being laid that is slowly turning our community into a larger gaming network, with our first established Azure Wing with regular occurring activity being founded in Monster Hunter World, this has led to a successful Destiny 2 clan and more. Becoming a member of our Discord and/or Free Company now means access to things like our huge discord, Azure Wing membership in other games, and being able to join in on any of our other activities in the general community. Azure Network as its being called at the moment, is growing with an all-new website and community features for playing together across Final Fantasy XIV and to Azure Skies beyond!
Activity
We rank high as one of the top FC's in Worldwide Activity on lodestone, and have for a long time. Most of our players are divided between the US East and West Coasts, members in East and West Canada, and a few outside the US or in EU or Aus zones. Because we do have an activity policy (mentioned below) we keep a standard flow of people, and have crowds in the early morning, late morning, early afternoon, afternoon, evening, and late night crowds.
Elitism isn't our style. Our community boasts a broad range of characters, great personalities, the proud, and also some silly goofs. But elitism isn't welcome, no matter how successful we are or how large we grow. We're always welcoming towards fresh faces interested in joining our guild, and the in-game activity ranges between 30-60+ online at once during prime time hours, sometimes around 70+ on patch days, and usually always with half the roster logging in throughout a 24 hour period, and around 15-30+ during the night.
Activity Policy
We ask that our members do not go missing without logging in for more than 60 days straight. If we hear word from someone or have some kind of decent excuse, we place our members on our On Vacation rank, which lasts presently until 90 days have passed. Exceptions are made for military deployments, hospital stays, financial issues, disability/health related issues, moving, or other reasons that might fall on a case-by-case basis.
All members not heard from in 60 days (roughly 2 months) or currently 90 days (roughly 3 months) are discharged. We allow 3 joins to Azure Infinitum in total, but exceptions can be made due to reasons listed above. If removed for inactivity, or you've left our FC for another reason and haven't already joined 3 times, you're always welcome back, but please remember, we are not a revolving door.
Keeping our roster full of members who have been online and presently play the game actively ensures an active environment for our players who play often. It also keeps our credits and clerical processes balanced across our network, and allows space for new faces to join our big happy in-game family of comrades.
How to Join
Quick Instructions here for joinin us in FFXIV & more: (https://www.azureinfinitum.com/howtojoinazure/)
If you are interested in joining our Azure Infinitum free company, please register an application at our site and/or FC in-game. You can also seek any of our Scouts, Lieutenants, Officers, or the Master of Azure Infinitum in-game and ask for an invite. You can find their names on the roster page at our website.
If you read everything on this page, you are awesome, and you should let anyone you talk to who recruits you know that you read everything on this page which will greatly expedite your invitation to join.
If you have any questions whatsoever feel free to send a /tell in-game to me or any of our Scouts or Lieutenants listed on our official roster here: https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/freecompany/9232519973597911137/membe
You can also message us at our FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/AzureInfinitum
Discord here: https://discord.gg/azureinfinitum
Twitter: https://twitter.com/azureinfinitum
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/azure_infinitum/
Main Site: https://www.azureinfinitum.com/

Article: Here
Rep. Chris Stewart (R-Utah) announced Wednesday that he will resign from Congress, citing his wife’s health issues.
“It has been one of the great honors of my life to serve the good people of Utah in Congress,” Stewart said in a statement. “My wife and I have made so many dear friends and memories throughout our journey. I can say with pride that I have been an effective leader for my beloved home state, and I’m honored to have played an important role in guiding our nation through some troubled times.”
“But my wife’s health concerns have made it necessary that I retire from Congress after an orderly transition can be ensured,” he added.
The Salt Lake Tribune reported Tuesday that Stewart — who represents Utah’s 2nd Congressional District — was planning to resign due to his wife’s ongoing health issues.
“For more than a decade, Utah’s 2nd district has had a selfless public servant in Chris Stewart. I wish him and his wife Evie health and blessings as they prepare for the next chapter of their lives,” Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) wrote on Twitter following Stewart’s announcement.
Details on Stewart’s wife’s condition were not immediately available.
Stewart, 62, was first elected to Congress in 2013 and currently serves on the House Appropriations Committee and the House Intelligence Committee.
The congressman did not specify when he plans to officially resign. According to Utah law, the governor of the state — who is currently Spencer Cox (R) — will call for a special election to fill the seat within seven days of it becoming vacant.
The special primary and general elections will be held on the same day as this year’s municipal primary and general elections, according to the Tribune, unless the state Legislature chooses to appropriate money to host the election on a different day.

Wednesday, May 24 - Tuesday, May 30

Top videos

score	comments	title & link
175	25 comments	I got interviewed by a Dallas news station before game 1.
127	12 comments	Inspired by the Geico commercial and ancient Reddit threads of other teams... I made my own goal horn button at home for the playoffs in VGK style.
84	22 comments	[Off-Topic] [2008 Detroit Red Wings vs Dallas Stars] After taking a 3-0 stranglehold on the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Final, Detroit would end up dropping Games 4 & 5, setting up a Game 6 in Dallas. Detroit would win Game 6 by a score of 4-1, and won the Stanley Cup two weeks later
73	12 comments	[Armor Up] "Get harder."-Bruce Cassidy
41	3 comments	[Post Game] Adin Hill fan post
32	2 comments	William Carrier has the Game Winning Goal in the Western Conference Final
25	8 comments	[Shitpost] Here we come for the DaLLLLas Sparklers!

 

Game thread comments

score	comment
75	Drifty_Canadian said Flames fan here, GO KNIGHTS!
68	FridayCicero702 said 🎵 "Twinkle, twinkle little Stars" 🎵 🎵 "Place Jamie Benn behind bars" 🎵 🎵 "If he hollers let him cry" 🎵 🎵 "Misfits until the day I die" 🎵 🎵 "Get the brooms, feel it up" 🎵 🎵 "All we want is th...
64	bigjames2002 said #🚨 SCOOOOORING FOR YOUR GOLDEN KNIGHTS! 🚨 #NUMBER 71, WILLIAM KARLSSON!
62	BlessTheKneesPart2 said It's now clear we just wanted to wait and embarrass Jamie Benn at home after his suspension was over.
53	UnhealthyCheesecake said The Vegas Golden Knights are going to win this game.
53	FlurriesofFleuryFury said what the fuck ESPN "Eichel is like an uncle, saying 'I just want that thing in...'" what the fuck does that mean? do I want to know?
51	teatew said Please win tonight. I don’t need the additional anxiety of a game 6.
47	ForkzUp said This is ... enjoyable. Sitting here in a bar in Phoenix wearing my VGK jersey. The Dallas fans a few tables over aren't happy.
45	lobsterpillow said Dallas fans booed and Eichel smiled. He is fueled by hate and I love it.
42	The_Bearded_Jedi said Kraken fan coming in peace. Go Knights, fuck Benn up

 

Top Non-Shitposts

score	comments	title & link
505	155 comments	[Post Game] WITH A 6-0 SHUT OUT, THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS WIN GAME 6 AND ARE HEADED TO THE STANLEY CUP FINALS TO FACE THE FLORIDA PANTHERS
422	228 comments	[Post Game] With a 4-2 series win over the Dallas Stars, the Vegas Golden Knights advance to face the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final
346	34 comments	“Knights fan coming in peace” threads or posts are widely seen as a form of humble bragging or humble gloating. Just leave Dallas alone, they are miserable and don’t need to be told by the team that stomped them how good they are despite the stomping. Just leave them be.
321	13 comments	Thank you, Pete DeBoer for finally leading us to a WCF series win 🎻
287	53 comments	[League News] Dallas Stars President and CEO Brad Alberts has issued an apology to the Golden Knights.
287	52 comments	DO NOT go to the Star’s sub to “come in peace.” That shit is terrible.
282	24 comments	[Armor Up] ANOTHA ONEEEE
279	42 comments	Eichel has now made the Stanley Cups Finals before McDavid!
256	30 comments	[PlayeTeam Discussion] Your Western Conference Champions
231	132 comments	[Battle Prep] WAKE UP KNIGHTS! TONIGHT WE CAN PUNCH OUR TICKET TO THE FINALS! LET’S SHOW THE STARS WHY WE’RE THE BEST IN THE WEST! GO KNIGHTS GO!

 

Top Shitposts

score	comments	title & link
286	10 comments	[Shitpost] I know it’s bad, but I’m just enjoying the memes today
227	35 comments	[Shitpost] To everyone who is already acting like we are in the SCF remember this.
217	5 comments	[Shitpost] Back to Vegas on a Mission
166	11 comments	[Shitpost] Dear Oettinger
138	9 comments	[Shitpost] Adin Mountain

 

'महाकाल' के दरबार में पहुंचीं Bollywood एक्ट्रेस सारा अली खान #shorts Ujjain Mahakal Sach Ki Raftar
बॉलीवुड अभिनेत्री सारा अली खान (Sara Ali Khan) बुधवार सुबह उज्जैन (Ujjain) स्थित भगवान महाकाल मंदिर के दर्शन किए. सारा ने भस्म आरती (Bhasm Aarti) और भोग आरती (Bhog Aarti) में भी शामिल हुईं. इस दौरान सारा अली खान ने दो घंटे का वक्त महाकालेश्वर मंदिर (Mahakaleshwar Mandir) में बिताया.
अभिनेता सैफ अली खान की बेटी सारा अली खान एक बार फिर महाकाल के दरबार में पहुंची. सारा अली खान पहले भी भगवान महाकाल का आशीर्वाद लेने के लिए आ चुकी है. बुधवार सुबह होने वाली भस्म आरती में सारा अली खान परंपरागत वेशभूषा में पहुंची. गौरतलब है कि महिलाओं को साड़ी में ही भस्मारती में आना होता है. इस दौरान उन्हें नंदीहाल में बैठने की अनुमति भी मिल जाती है. अभिनेत्री सारा अली खान ने भगवान महाकाल का जलाभिषेक भी किया. उन्होंने नंदीहाल में बैठकर 'ओम नमः शिवाय' का जप किया.
Bollywood actress Sara Ali Khan reached the court of 'Mahakal'
Bollywood actress Sara Ali Khan visited the Lord Mahakal temple in Ujjain on Wednesday morning. Sara also participated in Bhasm Aarti and Bhog Aarti. During this Sara Ali Khan spent two hours in the Mahakaleshwar temple.
Sara Ali Khan, daughter of actor Saif Ali Khan, once again reached the court of Mahakal. Sara Ali Khan has come earlier also to seek the blessings of Lord Mahakal. Sara Ali Khan arrived in traditional attire for the Bhasma Aarti to be held on Wednesday morning. Significantly, women have to come to Bhasmarti in saree only. During this, he also gets permission to sit in Nandihal. Actress Sara Ali Khan also performed Jalabhishek of Lord Mahakal. He chanted 'Om Namah Shivay' sitting in Nandihal.
#Sara_Ali_Khan #Bollywood #UjjainMahakal #SaifAliKhan #ViralVideo #SocialMedia #Movies #SachKiRaftar

Wednesday, May 31, 2023
On the Temple Mount in Jerusalem sits a mosque. On its walls are written the words, "Allah has no son." This central statement in Islam, is really an anti-statement talking about Messiah. It's actually affirming what it denies because Psalm 2 says, "They rage against the Lord's anointed," His Son, "but I have set my King on my holy mountain." It's on this mountain that Islam rages against God's Son. Even Islam cannot help but focus on Yeshua. It's the same with Rabbinic Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism and even Satanism. Those who are against Him still end up focusing on Him. How much should we, His followers, focus everything on Him? Make Him the focus of your day-to-day, of your thoughts, your heart, your plans, your every word, your actions, everything you do, because that's the way existence works. It's all focused on Him anyway. The more you focus on Him, the more blessed your life will be. He's the Lamb; He's the center of the throne. He's the focus of everything. Make Him your focus and from that will come all blessings.
From Message #402 -Islam And The Messiah Scripture: Psalm 97:9
Today's Mission - Today make a conscious effort to exalt Messiah in everything you do, and everywhere you go; be conscious of His presence.
Credit: Hope of the World Ministries

Wednesday has come again, brothers and sisters, on a week that has undoubtedly been the most divided and distressing for our community at large.
I, for one, have had a little time to process recent events, and I think for now we should all strive to come away from them with a renewed commitment to supporting each other and putting faith in our goddess. I had been watching some old interviews with Jenna and still find myself taken by her well-spoken, kind, and adorable personality. Sometimes, when life tests our faith, we must remind ourselves why we love the one we love, and then all we can do is simply choose to trust that that person is still there no matter what while we wait with hopes and prayers for more clarity in the future.
And we still do not know the full context of all of what happened and why it did—maybe not all of it is really what it looked like, maybe Jenna is of the Catholic mindset that tobacco may have use in moderation and this was just a singular incident, maybe this was a one-time slip during an incredibly stressful period that she will grow from and would never entertain again, maybe the off chance they were at least herbal cigarettes rather than regular ones is true, etc. So I propose that we all remember the girl we love and why we loved her and choose to be there with understanding and support for each other in this time to help each other remember that, while we stand firm in our faith at signs of trouble instead of allowing fears or doubts to overcome our trust that, somehow, some way, everything will be okay with our goddess now and in the future.
This is, of course, not to minimize the danger of smoking, nor to discourage the earnest prayer for our goddess to never taint her holy form in such a way again. We should continue to love her, which is not to say we glorify this behavior just as a supposed way of defending her, but that we choose to trust who she was still is who she is and thus continue to honor her for her splendor, beyond this one incident, while also sincerely praying it is not a habit.
Please encourage each other in the comments. JennAmen, brothers and sisters, and have a blessed week. 🙏🏻

Race Information

• Name: Edinburgh Marathon
• Date: 28/05/2023
• Distance: 26.2 miles
• Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
• Website: https://www.edinburghmarathon.com
• Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/9156321200
• Time: 2:54:41

Goals

Goal	Description	Completed?
A	Sub 3:10	Yes
B	Sub 3	Yes
B	London qualification 2024	hopefully

Splits

Kilometer	Time
1	4:11
2	4:07
3	3:56
4	4:10
5	3:54
6	4:00
7	4:01
8	4:03
9	4:11
10	4:06
11	4:08
12	4:05
13	4:03
14	4:09
15	4:04
16	4:07
17	4:08
18	4:06
19	4:09
20	4:02
21	4:04
22	4:03
23	4:07
24	4:13
25	4:04
26	4:07
27	4:07
28	4:02
29	4:07
30	4:08
31	4:08
32	4:07
33	4:05
34	4:07
35	4:10
36	4:13
37	4:13
38	4:13
39	4:16
40	4:17
41	4:21
42	4:18
43	3.45

Training

First marathon. Began running in lockdown, seen vast improvements in all my distances, managing to get 5k under 19 mins, 10k under 40 mins, and half marathon under 1:40. I joined a running club in Oct 2022 and seen further improvements in all distances, so I set myself a target of completing a half marathon in under 1:30 and a marathon in under 3.30.
My training consisted on speed work on a Monday (track) and Wednesday (usually in a park or quiet area with no traffic).These sessions are provided by the coaches at my running club. Some examples of the sessions are;
Monday: 5k paced session - 20 x 200m at 5Km Pace/100m Same Time Recovery e.g if 5Km pace is 40s for 200m then 100m recovery is covered in 40s
Wednesday: 10k paced session - 6 x 5 Mins @ 10Km Pace with 2.5 Mins Jog Recovery
Monday: 7 x 800m @ 5Km Pace with 100m in 90s Jog Recovery
Wednesday: 5min, 4min, 3min, 2min, 2min, 3min, 4min, 5min @ 10k pace with half jog rec.
Monday: 10 x 3 Mins/90s Jog Recovery (10k pace)
Wednesday: 8 x 4 Mins @ Half Marathon Pace with 3 Mins Reovery at Easy Run Pace (Not a jog)
Outwith these sessions, I tried to do at least 40km over another 4 runs at an easy pace, keeping heart late below 150bpm. Total monthly kilometres always over 200km. Since the new year I have been trying to hit at least 60km per week.
I booked this marathon last summer and had no idea of a plan or targets. I completed a half marathon in 1.19.59 the end of April this year, and this gave me belief that I would be able to post a good time in this race. I would have been disappointed if I did not manage to complete it in 3.10.
The longest run I completed during my training was an easy run of 33km, about 4 weeks before the race. I was confident I would be able to finish but had no idea how my body would do after that distance at a quicker pace.

Pre-race

I done my last long run (~22km) exactly one week before the race. Easy 10km runs Monday & Tuesday, Wednesday I done 3 x 10km at target marathon pace (4.14/km) with 2 mins rest in between. Another easy run on Thursday and then complete rest Friday & Saturday. On the Wednesday I started upping my carb intake significantly, eating a lot more bread, rice, pancakes, crumpets, scones, tortilla wraps, potatoes and chips. I was feeling rather bloated for these few days so cut back a bit on the Saturday in order to be good for Sunday.
Race day: Got up at 5.30am - big bowl of porridge with a scoop of protein powder, 2 slice of toast & strong coffee. Had a cereal bar and a banana at 8am (2 hours before start). Sipped water through the morning - not too much as was wary of toilet breaks during the race.

Race

Weather on the morning was ideal - good temperature, no wind or rain. Had the potential to heat up later on in the afternoon but overall great running conditions.
Race began at 10am. This was an extremely busy race and had some very narrow points over the first 10km where it was impossible to get by anyone.
The first quarter of the race through the city is all downhill. Great scenery all along closed roads, very enjoyable and a good way to start the race and get warmed up. The streets were packed with spectators and an overall good atmosphere.
KMs 10-30 are where you really need to focus on hitting target pace. The crowds thinned out a bit although there was still locals outside their houses cheering, handing out sweets, playing music, and even a though bands/ dance groups along the way. I always race without earphones in order to take all of this in and it is truly a worthwhile experience. Plenty of water stations along this stretch and the weather was still good. Ran with a few groups during this stretch and chatted away, was lucky enough to move in front of most of them onto the next group.
There is a short gravel section around 28kms around Gosford House. Afterwards I heard a lot of people moaning about this - it certainly is a bit different from running on the road. I suppose it depends on what you are used to, I do a fair bit of trail running as well so felt comfortable. Only thing I would say is the terrain is not suited for the Nike Alphafly.
The last section of the race was by far the most difficult. Temperature had heated up to around ~14 degrees (not roasting, but for us Scots who train all through winter it is on the warmer side). Along with a few gradual inclines on the way back made for some tough kilometres. The number of people I passed on the last stretch who were cramping, being sick or simply walking grew the further I got to the finish line. There also seemed to be less water stations on this section, which is not ideal when you are in the final stages of a marathon.
The final couple of hundred metres was a flat, straight run along mats to the finish line. By far the best part - all the hard work is complete, thousands of spectators and knowing your family and friends are at the finish line waiting to congratulate you. Even better knowing when you know you have smashed every target set!

Nutrition & Strategy

When I signed up for the race I put in a target time of 3.45 - meaning I started in a pen with runners a lot slower than me. This was not ideal as it was very busy and I was stuck behind big groups of runners a lot for the first 20-30mins. I definitely could have went quicker at the beginning, maybe a blessing in disguise as I was still under target pace and perhaps allowed me to not come out the traps too quickly. I took 2 salt tablets every water station, which was every 30 mins or so. Took 1 gel at 10km, 20km then 32km. Fortunately was able to get through the whole race without stopping for the toilet. I was really comfortable up until the last 10km, I had never ran more than this so had no idea how my body would react. I had plenty of time in the bank so I dialled it back a bit to make sure I could finish without cramping or pulling a muscle. My plan before the race was to keep every kilometre below 4.15 and hold on for as long as possible.

Post-race

I am going to take a few days off to let my body recover. I have a few 10k runs booked throughout the summer and hope to achieve some PBs. The time I posted should also qualify me for London next year.
Made with a new race report generator created by herumph.

Hello, fellow Latter-day Saints! 🌞 As your friendly neighborhood intro-bot, I come bearing good tidings of great joy 🎺 and a newsletter packed with faith-inspiring nuggets! So, buckle up and put on your scripture goggles 👓 because we're diving headfirst into a treasure trove of insights, stories, and, dare I say, some occasional humor? 😇 Happy reading, friends! And remember, even us AI bots appreciate a bit of spiritual nourishment now and then! 🤖🙏
Scot and Maurine Proctor explore how small moments of faith and courage can anchor our lives in the latest episode of the How I Know podcast, featuring guest Heather Osmond. Read more here.
Data Over Dogma posts Episode 8 (May 29, 2023), "Contextual Healing" with Aaron Higashi, in which the guest discusses the importance of theological context, the fact that each individual has their own perspective in relation to their beliefs and biblical scholarship. read more here.
Ski Ingram reflects on Memorial Day and the sacrifices made by those who served in the military, including ten men he served with in Vietnam who did not come home, and emphasizes the importance of remembering those who gave their lives for their country and repaying them by being the best citizens possible. Read more here.
FAIR offers insights into the sacrament and how it is viewed in different religious traditions, as part of their series on Come, Follow Me readings and addressing common questions that Evangelicals ask about LDS beliefs. read more here.
In his blog post "O Man! Pay attention!", Dan Peterson reflects on the importance of being alert and attentive, drawing on his experience of flying and reading during his travels. He notes that paying attention to the world around us can help us discover truths and insights that we would otherwise miss. read more here.
The Scriptures Are Real presents a shortcast explaining the story of the woman who married seven brothers and the cultural context of Levirate Marriage, which helps us understand the question posed to Jesus and his answer. Listen to the shortcast here.
Faith Matters shares a podcast conversation with Brooke Romney, who discusses creating connections with all people around us, including our children, and not being afraid to live from our values and receive feedback. Read more here.
Kurt Manwaring shares insights from Latter-day Saint and secular scholars about the Old Testament in his post The Old Testament and Latter-day Saints. read more here.
Kristen Walker Smith explores the similarities between Jesus' sleeping disciples and ourselves during sacrament meetings. She encourages listeners to spend the hour partaking of the sacrament with intention. Read more here.
Ryan Sharp discusses the significance of the Last Supper, the sacrament, and covenants with Kerry Muhlestein on the Scriptures Are Real podcast. The conversation highlights how these concepts can have an impact in our daily lives. Listen to the podcast here.
Data Over Dogma features an interview with biblical scholar Aaron Higashi, discussing the importance of contextual interpretation and the challenges of public biblical scholarship. Listeners can find Dr. Higashi on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, and can support Data Over Dogma on Patreon. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Scot and Maurine Proctor have released a podcast episode on Meridian Magazine titled "How I Know Podcast: The Small Things in Life Become the Big Things," in which they discuss the importance of small acts of kindness and the impact they can have on others. Read more here.
The Dialogue Journal has released their 88th Episode of the Gospel Study, featuring artist Kwani Povi Winder, where Winder discusses her interpretation of the parables in the New Testament. Read more here.
In the Big Picture episode of One Minute Scripture Study, Cali Black quickly provides context for this week’s reading: Matthew 26; Mark 14; John 13. Listeners can also grab her scripture study guide or a physical copy, along with a New Testament daily devotional book or a simplified New Testament outline. Read more here.
Duane Boyce, in his article "The Folly of Trying to Understand Prophetic Vision in Terms of Worldly Wisdom," shares the story of Dallin Oaks' handling of criticism of a Supreme Court decision and how it taught him the lesson of not trying to understand prophetic vision in terms of worldly wisdom. Boyce argues that we should trust in our leaders, even when we don't understand the reasons behind their decisions. Read more at the Meridian Magazine.
Ski Ingram writes about the origins and significance of Memorial Day, providing a brief history lesson and sharing his personal experience of losing ten men during the Vietnam War and remembering one special soldier on his birthday every year. He encourages Americans to take time on Memorial Day to remember and revere those who sacrificed their lives to keep the citizens of the United States safe. Read more here.
A tragic bus accident in Brazil claimed the life of 20-year-old Elder Izaak Orion Card, a full-time missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, on Friday, May 26, 2023; our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends and the missionaries and members in the Brazil Curitiba Mission. Read more here.
The Flameless Fireside Podcast features Heather Smith to discuss "Excommunication: The Gift of Starting Over," recognizing that life is full of challenging choices and struggles that can lead to a bumpy road; finding the desire and strength to believe in the Savior's grace and ask for help is the first step back into His presence. Join the podcast on Wednesday, May 31st, 2023, at 9pm Central/8pm Mtn. Watch the podcast here.
In his article “O Man! Pay Attention!” on the Sic et Non Blog, Dan Peterson reflects on the importance of paying attention to the world around us and learning from our experiences, both good and bad. He shares personal anecdotes and quotes from scripture to emphasize the value of paying attention to life’s lessons. read more here.
The Latter-Day Lights podcast shares the touching story of Meredith Wahlquist's journey as she battled with the loss of her husband to cancer and the faith and strength she found to carry on. Listen to the podcast here.
In this episode of FAIR's Come, Follow Me series, Jennifer Roach discusses the sacrament and how LDS members might talk to Evangelicals about it. She explains how various denominations, such as Evangelicals and Catholics, understand the sacrament differently and explores common criticisms leveled against the LDS Church's practice of the ordinance. Ultimately, Roach emphasizes that the sacrament's true focus should be on personal revelation. Read more from the original post here.
In a blog post by Jennifer Roach, a licensed mental health counselor, Catholics and Evangelicals, who refer to the sacrament as the Eucharist, communion, the Lord's Table, or the Lord's Supper, respectively, are examined. In discussing the sacrament, Roach touches on the importance of compassion, acceptance, grace, humility, thoughts on cannibalism, and ultimately charity.
Ashly Stone shares Jaxon's story of struggling with aspects of the Church as a youth, but finding the value and power of repentance through his mission. The experience brought him closer to Jesus Christ and serves as the foundation for everything he has done in the Church since. Read more here.
Rich Watson shares his experience of how one prompting led him and his wife to start studying conference talks in depth and how that led to the creation of the "General Conference Challenge" Facebook group, which has grown to over 10,000 followers around the world, and how this continual study has impacted their continual conversion. Read more on Leading Saints.
Mark J. Stoddard shares a story about his father and other Prisoners of War (POWs) in Ofuna, Japan, during World War II to commemorate Memorial Day. His father, a POW in the camp, witnessed compassion from the Japanese villagers, even when brutal guards often beat them for their kindness. Stoddard also remembers a lady at a nearby Buddhist Temple who brought them food, risking punishment, and two soldiers who perished in the camp but received no recognition until recently. Stoddard notes that Memorial Day is a time to remember the families of those who died for our blessings of liberty, and he honors his father and friends as well. read more here.
The Dialogue Gospel Study Episode 88 features artist Kwani Povi Winder, who discusses her art and how it relates to the parables in the New Testament. Read more here.
The Scriptures Are Real shares a shortcast explaining the question of a woman who married seven brothers and how understanding the cultural elements of a Levirate Marriage helps us see what the Savior's answer was. Read more here.
The Latter-Day Lights podcast features an interview with Meredith Wahlquist about her husband's battle with cancer and the faith and strength that got her through. Listen or watch here.
Jonn Claybaugh provides study aids for the 24th lesson of the Come, Follow Me curriculum, focusing on John 14 and the teachings of Jesus regarding the Comforter. Read more here.
Kristen Walker Smith discusses the similarities between ourselves and Jesus's sleeping disciples during the sacrament hour and how we can be more present during this sacred time. Read more here.
Scot and Maurine Proctor host an inspiring episode of How I Know Podcast where Heather Osmond shares how a single moment of bravery and spirituality from her mother became the anchor in her life. Read more here.
Faith Matters speaks with Brooke Romney about the broader applications of parenting, focusing on how to create meaningful connections with people, including our children, in order to live from our values and improve, in a delightful conversation that is relevant beyond the subject of parenting. Read more here.
The Scriptures Are Real shares a video discussing the Savior's institution of the Sacrament at the Last Supper, focusing on covenants, God's willingness to work with us, and the practical application of the Sacrament in everyday life. Watch the video here.
Ski Ingram reflects on the true meaning and origins of Memorial Day, and why it's important to remember and honor those who have given their lives in service of their country, citing stories of personal loss and sacrifice. Read more here.
Duane Boyce writes about Dallin Oaks’ respectful approach to prophetic counsel and how it led to Oaks learning valuable lessons and respecting a prophet’s vision instead of worldly wisdom. Read more here.
The Flameless Fireside Podcast brings Heather Smith to discuss "Excommunication: The Gift of Starting Over," emphasizing the importance of finding strength to ask for help and the Savior's ability to seek out the lost. Join the live podcast on May 31st, 2023, at 9 pm Central/8 pm Mtn on Youtube Live or Facebook Live. Post link is here.
In this week's Big Picture Monday episode, Cali Black provides context for the readings in Matthew 26, Mark 14, and John 13. She also offers a discount on her Come Follow Me study guide and a free copy of Kristen Walker Smith's simplified New Testament outline. Read more here.
Jennifer Roach addresses common Evangelical questions about the Sacrament in the latest installment of Come Follow Me with FAIR and offers insights from both historical Christian practice and LDS doctrine. Read more here.
Dan Peterson's blog post titled "O Man! Pay Attention!" recounts his experience flying on an airplane and his observation of passengers' lack of awareness of their surroundings, drawing parallels to a similar lack of spiritual awareness in daily life. He encourages readers to live in the moment and pay attention to the world around them in order to find greater happiness and fulfillment. Read More Here
The Church Newsroom reports that a young missionary, Elder Izaak Orion Card, has died in a bus accident in Brazil while serving in the Brazil Curitiba Mission. Four missionaries were traveling on a bus when it was hit by a semitruck, and the other missionaries did not sustain serious injury. The Church expresses love and sympathy for Elder Card's family, friends, and all affected by his loss. Read more here.
In a podcast episode on the Ashly Stone show, Jaxon shares his struggles with the Church as a youth, but eventually found the value of repentance through his mission, where he felt closer to Jesus Christ. read more here.
In a FAIR blog post, Jennifer Roach discusses the sacrament and how it is viewed by different faiths, including Evangelical and Catholic. She offers insight into how Latter-day Saint beliefs align with and differ from those of other faiths. Roach also provides suggestions for better dialogue with Evangelical friends and family. read more here.
Data Over Dogma interviews Dr. Aaron Higashi, a scholar and TikToker, about the importance of theological context and turning biblical scholarship out to the public. Dr. Higashi discusses the idea that every believer is coming from a particular perspective and the perils and rewards of sharing scholarship with a wider audience. Visit Dr. Higashi's work on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Support Data Over Dogma's work by becoming a monthly patron and follow them on Facebook and Twitter. Watch the episode on YouTube.
In a blog post on Leading Saints, Rich Watson shares his experience of joining the Church and the impact of General Conference on his life, highlighting a Facebook group he created called "General Conference Challenge" in which 10,000 followers in countries around the globe listen to and have discussions about a talk from each session of General Conference. He reflects on several April 2023 Conference talks, drawing insights and applications for empowerment, responsibility, and continual conversion. Join the General Conference Challenge group on Facebook to participate and check it out for yourself. read more here.
Mark J. Stoddard shares a remarkable true story of World War II prisoners of war (POWs) held in the same camp with Olympian Louis Zamperini at the Ofuna Japanese POW camp. The author's father, a former POW, and some of the prisoners' families saved the lives of several Japanese people in the Ofuna region after the war, despite their brutal treatment during their captivity. This heartwarming, little-known story is a tribute to the enduring power of the human spirit to forgive and love. Read more here.
Pam Peebles asks readers to reflect on their own identity and shares how one man, @bro.kylereedsmith, identifies himself as a child of God, disciple of Jesus Christ, and follower of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Read more on the Third Hour blog.
The Interpreter Radio Show hosts Terry Hutchinson, John Gee, and Kevin Christensen discuss New Testament lesson 24, “Continue Ye in My Love” covering John 14–17, in the May 14 Come, Follow Me segment. Read more here.
The Interpreter Radio Show presents their hosts Terry Hutchinson, John Gee, and Kevin Christensen discussing the New Testament lesson 24, "Continue Ye in My Love" covering John 14-17 in their May 14 Come, Follow Me segment. Read more here.

If you are curious or Catholic, you can go here everyday and pray the Rosary with others online at the same time. https://www.comepraytherosary.org/
Here's a history [ https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13184b.htm ]of using strings of knots or beads as an aid to meditation and prayer in both Apostolic Rites - Roman and Eastern Orthodox. I like this: "Our everyday name of beads for it is simply the Old Saxon word bede (a prayer)"
Classically, the Rosary is a certain form of praying where we recall successively in the mystery of the Incarnation and our Redemption. The prayers are all Scripturally based and appealing to Mary to pray for us is, too. (See the wedding at Cana).
NOW - you don't have to pray the classic prayers. I often pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet, essentially:
On a large beads:

Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.
On the ten smaller beads For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

There are opening and closing prayers and such. Catholics often add between the sets of 10 beads,

"Oh my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those who are in most need of Your mercy."

Or the Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel at the end:

"Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil; May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; And do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls. Amen."

Here are the Mysteries. Originally, the Rosary was popularized by those who could not read, afford Bibles if they could, or get to a church more than once or twice a year to remember and worship Jesus Christ every single day.
​

Joyful Mystery of the Rosary Monday & Saturday

The Annunciation of the Lord to Mary
(Mary is chosen to be the mother of Jesus.)
The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth
Elizabeth recognizes Mary as the mother of our Lord.
The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ
Jesus is born and laid in a manger.
The Presentation of our Lord
Jesus is presented in the Temple of Jerusalem.
Finding Jesus in the Temple at age 12
Jesus is found discussing God's laws in the temple.
​

Sorrowful Mystery of the Rosary Tuesday & Friday

The Agony of Jesus in the Garden
Jesus prays when confronted with the sins of the world.
The Scourging at the Pillar
Jesus is whipped before His execution.
Jesus is Crowned with Thorns
Jesus is mocked with a painful crown of thorns.
Jesus Carried the Cross
Jesus carries the weight of our sins to His crucifixion.
The Crucifixion of our Lord
Jesus Christ dies to save all mankind.
​

Glorious Mystery of the Rosary Wednesday & Sunday

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ
Jesus rises triumphant over death.
The Ascension of Jesus to Heaven
As Jesus ascends, He gives us a special task.
The Descent of the Holy Ghost
At Pentecost the Church is born.
The Assumption of Mary into Heaven
The Virgin Mary is gloriously assumed into heaven.
Mary is Crowned as Queen of Heaven and Earth
Mary is honored above all creatures.
​

Luminous Mystery of the Rosary Thursday

The Baptism in the Jordan
God proclaims Jesus is His Son.
The Wedding at Cana
Jesus performs a surprising miracle at a wedding.
The Proclamation of the Kingdom
Jesus calls us to do something important.
The Transfiguration
Jesus is gloriously transformed.
The Institution of the Eucharist
Jesus shares His Body and Blood for our salvation.
------------
Now the Big One!!! What we pray to Mary on the smaller beads:
Hail Mary full of Grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our deaths.
Anyone can pray the Rosary. Add your own prayers. The point is, you devote a certain time every day to devotion to God and Jesus Christ. You think of Him and your relationship to Him and His love and sacrifice for you every day.
Lastly: the Orthodox use prayer knotted ropes differently and I hope one of the Orthodox will post a thread about that and the prayers they say. I would very much like to have a prayer rope. I don't think Jesus would mind.

I've been so blessed with my vet and the staff at the clinic, but unfortunately have to move. I'd like to gift them an anatomical model of a ferret. Doesn't need to be a model of the whole animal, even part (dental, heart, skeletal, etc.)
These are my favourite stories.
When Jimmy first showed insulinoma symptoms, my vet admitted he hadn't done removal of the tumours in ferrets before and in cats and dogs it can be rough. He asked me to wait while he looked into it and he'd let me know if he could. This man went on vacation, spent his 6 hour flight researching the procedure, went to an American exotics clinic so he could observe/assist on a couple cases there, then came back and did the surgery. He removed 2 ballpoint pen ball-sized tumours from Jimmy's pancreas and Jimmy lived another 5 or so years. I think we paid around 390$.
When Dewey got his GI obstruction (ate a cat hairball, ew) we were having a hard time diagnosing it because it would obstruct the exit of his stomach, and then move. The x-ray showed nothing, not even with contrast. Dewey went from 1.7 kg to 1 kg in about 6 days. I dropped Dewey off Wednesday a.m. so he could be seen between appointments. When the vet called I described the forceful vomiting and the he said "I'll call you back!" and hung up. A short while later he called back to say he'd altered the contrast and was able to see it. I stopped by to drop off post-op food for Dewey and the vet was saying goodnight to his kids via Zoom. He operated and called us right away to tell us it was a success. I picked Dewey up Thursday p.m. and the vet reported what time Dewey ate, drank, used the litter box etc...because he had spent the night on a cot in front of Dewey's recovery cage. The x-rays, unscheduled surgery, anesthesia, monitoring post-op meds, DVM overnight observation, 2 days in hospital, etc. came to around 475$.
I've brought three ferrets to his clinic so they can be helped to the Bridge, and they've been so compassionate each time. Anyone who has lost a ferret knows what a difference a good vet makes at that time.
These people really care, and I love them for it. So any tips on a model or any other ferrety gift suggestions are very welcome!

https://www.lotro.com/update-notes/lotro-update-36-release-notes-en
​

Update 36 Release Notes

Here are the release notes for Update 36: Gondor Renewed, released on Wednesday, May 31st, 2023.

Of Special Note:

A New Story Begins in A Renewed King's Gondor!

After the defeat of Sauron, King Elessar and Queen Arwen seek to bring peace to their kingdom, but the danger is not gone and new foes seek to threaten Gondor. Adventure awaits in the new zone of King's Gondor East, set after the War of the Ring when fresh breezes have dispersed the fumes of the Dawnless Day and allowed the sun to shine again! Discover the beginning of a new Epic-style storyline, 'The Song of Waves and Wind,' and team up with Legolas, Gimli, and friends both old and new to investigate the continuing threat of the Heirs of Castamir!
The Song of Waves and Wind
A new story debuts with Gondor Renewed called "The Song of Waves and Wind"! For characters level 140. Start the first chapter by speaking to Glindor in Minas Tirith (Midsummer)! This new story is available to anyone who is VIP, purchases the "Gondor Renewed" quest pack, or who purchases quest packs associated with the story that are released in the future.
King's Gondor Awaits
Gone are the gloomy dark skies, replaced with bright and sunny fields and hills. Players familiar with the original Central and Eastern Gondor regions will be familiar with King's Gondor from a navigation standpoint, but there are new additions, and places players previously could not go are now open to allow for further exploration!
The Quest Pack "Gondor Renewed" unlocks more than 80 quests and Deeds for level 140 characters. Includes King's Gondor East and The Song of Waves and Wind. Free to VIPs!
How do I get to King's Gondor?
Go to Minas Tirith (After Battle) and head South through the Pelennor Fields. Where there once stood an impassable is no more! Questing begins in this area of the Pelennor Fields and in the under-construction version of The Harlond. From there, you can explore Gondor up to Linhir, where the gates are currently closed.​

Landscape Difficulty: The Paths of Valour!

We have reworked the Landscape Difficulty setting system introduced with Treebeard and are now opening it to the general game worlds as an option! Read full details about this new Landscape Difficulty option in the release notes below.​ A new Faction and new rewards are now available by playing these higher difficulties. Activate your difficulty and adjust it in the future by speaking with a Hardened Traveller, which can be found in major hubs and new player zones throughout Middle-earth:
​

• Outside of the Prancing Pony in Bree
• Near the Stable Masters outside of the 21st Hall
• Just inside of the exit of Post-Raid Archet
• Just outside of Mossward
• Along the road Northward out of Celondim
• Just outside the door to Thorin's Hall
• Down the road from the Hobbit starter area exit waypoint

There are titles available for activating a difficulty of 3 or higher and keeping it there from level 10 to level 50, and then to level 130 respectively. The title granted depends on the class you play, but can be used by any character on your account. Make sure to select your Landscape Difficulty prior to achieving level 10 to be eligible for these titles! In order to earn these titles, you must keep the difficulty system active for the entire leveling span from level 10 thru 50/130. Entering areas of the game world where it is temporarily suppressed will not invalidate your title attempt, however turning it down or off via the Hardened Traveller will.

More Delvings!

More Delvings are now available! The Annúminas instances Glinghant, Haudh Valandil, and the Great Barrows instances Sambrog, Thadûr and The Maze have been converted to be playable as Delvings! Find them in the Instance Finder (Control+J by default).​

News and Notes

Classes

​

• Several player stun-removal skills were inappropriately flagged as 'Immediate' causing them to occasionally cancel themselves and fail to free you from stuns. These skills are now correctly 'Fast' rather than 'Immediate' skills.
• High Elf, Beorning, and Stout Axe Dwarf racial recall skills can now be used while mounted on any steed.
• Beorning
  
  • The Beorning Trait "Battle Born" now correctly gives additional critical damage for off-hand weapons.
• Brawler
  
  • The Brawler mounted combat skill "Take Breath" will now properly update the incoming healing rating when active.
  • Innate Strength: Raw Power
    • Fixed description of the trait to state that it grants +2.5/+5/+7.5/+10%.
    • No change was made to the actual bonus granted by the trait, This is purely a tooltip change to have it reflect real values.
  • Tracery Innate Strength: Damage/Threat
    • Skill bonus has been modified [+10%->+5%], but is now added directly to the value of Innate Strength: Raw Power buff, which makes it considerably more effective than it was previously.
• Burglar
  
  • Aim skill now works with 'Throw Knife'.
• Captain
  
  • Fighting Withdrawal can now be used while rooted to free yourself.
  • The class deed "Fear the Darkness" should now properly advance even if "Courageous Convocation" is traited.
  • Captain skill "Defensive Strike" is now properly affected by the tracery "Single Target Attack Damage".
  • The buff from Inspire: Self-motivation should now correctly overwrite itself rather than failing to apply when you still have a few seconds of duration remaining from your previous skill use.
• Champion
  
  • Blood Rage and Continuous Blood Rage are now both correctly labeled Fast, rather than Immediate, skills. This prevents you from accidentally double-clicking the skill and putting it on cooldown without gaining the CC-removal effect.
  • Tracery Swift Strike: Damage & Power Cost
    • Renamed to Swift Strike/Blade: Damage & Power Restore
    • Tracery now increases the Power restored by Swift Strike rather than reducing the (now non-existent) Power cost. Magnitude changed from [-33%->+20%].
• Guardian
  
  • The Cardolan Essence of Retaliation effects' durations no longer benefit from the War-chant duration legacy.
• Lore-master
  
  • Clever Escape is now a Fast skill. This prevents you from accidentally double-clicking the skill and putting it on cooldown without gaining the CC-removal effect.
• Rune-keeper
  
  • The skill "Do Not Fall this Day" no longer breaks the target of the skill out of Stealth.
• Warden
  
  • "Forced March" will no longer be toggled off when you enter combat. It still only applies a bonus to your out of combat Run Speed.
  • Seared Flesh now appropriately benefits from bonuses to your Fire Damage.
  • Readied Blade's buff now provides Disarm Immunity for its duration.
  • The trait 'Movement Training' now correctly increases Mitigation ratings from the Conviction and Dance of War buffs.
  • Damage dealt by the trait 'Taking Advantage' increased.

Crafting

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• The crafting ingredients "Tuft of Torahammas' Fur", "Great Hoary Aurochs Hide" and "Speckled Shell Fragment" can now all be stored in crafting carryalls.
• Beasts in the Ettenmoors that drop crafting hides will now correctly drop Gundabad Hides instead of Eorlingas Hides.
• Crafters can now make two new tiers of selectable craftable essence boxes.
• Gundabad Skarn Deposits have been renamed to Brilliant Skarn Deposits.
• Frost-rimed Black Ash Branches have been renamed to Heavy Wind-swept Black Ash Branches.

Items & Rewards

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• The Homestead Steed can now be correctly placed on a hitching post by hobbit, dwarf, and Stout-axe dwarf characters.
• Might-based selection boxes no longer reference or contain medium armour.
• Many medium Might-based armour pieces obtained from quests from levels 1-75 have been updated from medium to heavy armour.
• Enemies in Moria no longer drop obsolete Legendary Item rewards.
• The Distillation set now properly identifies itself as a Distillation set and not a Crock Pot.
• Incomparable Earrings received from the 3-stack instances from Return to Carn Dûm have had the names of their set bonuses changed to reflect the stats given by the items in their groups.
• The "Dwarf-make Helm" cosmetic has been renamed to "Dwarf-make Circlet".
• The Champion Legendary Item Tracery "Brutal Strikes Damage" now only appears in The Berserker barter profiles.
• The decorative band on the Sightseer's Straw Hat will now correctly display dye colors.
• The weapon Candelleth's Hammer is now categorized correctly in the Auction House.
• The Veteran of Helm's Deep Quartermaster now offers items for Beornings and Brawlers.
• The Homestead Steed can now be used in Zirakzigil as well as in Caras Galadhon and other appropriate areas in Lothlórien.

Landscape Difficulty

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• We have reworked the Landscape Difficulty setting system introduced originally to Treebeard and made it available as an option to the general game worlds!
• We've added a new Faction and reward structure called The Paths of Valour that can be advanced by playing on higher difficulties.
• You can activate your difficulty setting by speaking with the Hardened Traveller that can be found in major hubs and new player zones who will offer you an array of quests representing the different difficulty levels.
  • Upon accepting and completing one of these quests, your challenges on the roads of Middle-earth will increase substantially.
  • The difficulty system turns itself off in group instances (3+), in the Ettenmoors, and any time the Delving system is activated. It will reactivate when you leave any of these areas.
• There are titles available for activating a difficulty of 3 or higher and keeping it there from level 10 to level 50, and then to level 130 respectively. The title granted depends on the class you play through with, but can be used by any character on your account.
  • In order to earn these titles, you must keep the difficulty system active for the entire leveling span from level 10 thru 50/130. Entering areas of the game world where it is temporarily suppressed will not invalidate your title attempt, however turning it down or off via the Hardened Traveller will.
  • Existing characters above level 10 will not be able to earn the titles themselves, but will be able to use those titles if they are earned by another character on your account.
• When playing at Fearless or higher, enemies of your own level or higher may drop Tokens of Heroism.
  • These can be turned in to complete weekly tasks from the Hardened Traveller, which will increase your reputation with the Paths of Valour faction.
  • At Fearless difficulty (3-6), these tokens can drop for up to 3 members in a Fellowship.
  • At Heroic difficulty (7+) they can drop for up to 6 members in a Fellowship.
  • The drop rate of these tokens increases somewhat with higher difficulties.
• The difficulty settings and effects are pretty much the same as they were on Treebeard, though we've changed up the names a bit, and added a few variations to the hotspot effects you can encounter under the Eye of Sauron.
• The Hardened Traveller has a menu of barter rewards that include a small set of Reputation accelerators for the faction and Morale/Power potions. More importantly, he also offers an array of 8 new Epic variations of familiar emotes which you will be able to find on the Collections panel.

General Landscape Changes:

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• Court of Celeborn now has a map.
• Floating objects in the Allegiance Halls and in Mordor have been grounded.
• Incorrect textures in Minas Tirith has been resolved.

Localization

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• Stablemaster map text has been updated for the German game client.

Missions and Delvings

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• Delving Barter Vendors and Mission Givers have also been added to all our Skirmish Camps. We did this to make it easier to turn in delving quests no matter where players are. Delving Mission Givers have also been given that title as a role to make it easy to spot them.
• Created a Selectable Delving Extraordinary Box that only drops in instances at tiers 7+. While still rare, new instances have a significantly higher drop rate for this item.
• The Delving Tracery Archive Travel Skill no longer has any reputation requirements.
• Mission: Jorthkyn and the Hounds
  • The Mission now appropriately identifies that you need to kill 8 wargs along with the 8 Jorthkyn to advance the quest.
  • The Mission had some pesky low-level monsters that really wanted to get in on the fight. They have been reprimanded to stay in their lanes.
• Fixed an issue with the mission "Dangerous Deliveries" where the player would pick the pie up twice upon completing the induction to pick up the pie.
• The bridge in the mission Patrol the Township that was bereft of physics has found its physics and will now support your character as it should.
• Before the Shadow missions that referred to previous mission givers have been updated with references to current mission givers.
• The mission "The Nettinglade" had a single cocoon that decided it didn't want to sparkle. The spider responsible has been admonished and though it pledged to swallow all Light in the world, it relented and allowed it's cocoon to sparkle once again.
• Delving Reward Changes:
  • Delving Selectable Crafting Boxes that drop at tier 7 and above can now be disenchanted instead for 20 Delvings Writs. These boxes now have a six hour expiration timer on them. These changes do not affect existing Crafting Boxes.
  • Changed how many writs completing Delving quests give. Tier 1-3 now give 10 writs, Tier 4-6 give 20 writs, Tier 7-9 give 30 writs and Tier 10-12 give 40 writs.
  • Two new cosmetic pets added to Delving Barter.
  • Delving armour will now be disenchantable for more Delving Writs. Common armour will disenchant for 10 writs, rare armour will disenchant for 20 writs, incomparable armour for 30 writs.
  • Added Tier 1 and Tier 2 Essence Boxes to the Delving Barter for Writs, and removed Tier 0.
  • Added Morale and Power Potions to the Delving Barter for Writs. Morale and Power potions also drop as rewards from high tier instance Delving Chests.
• Delving Mission Givers in Skirmish Camps now give Weekly Delving Quests.
• Mission - Defilers in the Dale - Corrected a visual bug where the cauldron's contents and bubbles could become visibly offset after being destroyed.
• Rewards that drop from Delvings have been updated with new Delving-specific icons.

PvMP

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• We have adjusted the distribution of Infamy/Renown while grouped. In the past, there was a modifier that increased the value of player kills when more than 6 kill contributors were involved. This resulted in the value of a single kill, while in a raid, to be valued over 2x what the kill should have been worth.
  • We have adjusted this modifier to make these values - in the absence of any other modifiers - equivalent to equal distribution of the infamy value of the kill.
  • We have adjusted the bonus modifier to infamy/renown gains when killing ranked players. This change rewards a higher contribution bonus for killing players of a higher rank.
• The War-spoils Carry-all icons have been updated and no longer display a bottle of liquid
• Lootboxes found by monster players now always drop 3 items from three specific tables:
  • Table 1 includes potions, barter lockboxes, and the potential for 500 commendations with weighting toward the barter box, and then equivalent draws for the remaining items.
  • Table 2 includes an equal chance for random perk items from a pool of 5 items.
  • The 3rd table has an equal chance to drop a single Audacity upgrade scroll, 2 Audacity upgrade scrolls, Lord's Symbols, Captain's Marks, 1k Commendations, 1.5k Commendations or a new Cosmetic Selection Box.
    • The Cosmetic Selection Box contains 2 new skins for each class. Previews are available on NPCs present near the Gramsfoot retreat circle.
    • The Selection Box also contains several new cosmetic weapons: Thrâng's Sword, a silvered scimitar, a spider-clan trident, an off-hand Gundabad mace, a Spider-clan staff, an Easterling Ghost Bow, and a new Dunharrow Shield.
    • The Box also contains a new cosmetic type that can be slotted into appearance Corruptions to change the style of your 'March!' skill emitted effects. These include: a white glow, fire trail, acid trail, and a "blue-foot" trail.
• The eggs around Grodris in the Isendeep Mine will now hatch if disturbed during the battle against the matron.
• Fixed an issue with the first and second marshal rewards not providing keys to the chest. The quests for First and Second marshal now correctly reward the key to the chest.
• Tokens of Valour will now go into the War-spoils Carry-all.
• Updated the new Monster Play tutorial to reference using skills on training dummy Kelsen, Jalessa, or Light training-dummy Orion. If you choose the other training dummies you are locked in combat for the full duration of the spawn - which is five minutes. This is bad. Please use the safety dummies. Use those initial skill training dummy Kelsen, Jalessa, or Light training-dummy Orion.
• First Marshal An and Tyrant Uzulthrang are back in action and ready to rush Tol Ascarnen when the opposition is in control. The rewards on the quests to use these two is increased significantly. Each has also been buffed appropriately.
• All values and costs for Lainedhal's Insignias were reduced. You can now purchase the old versions for nostalgia, but the tier 15 version is available to all rank 1 players and better for 2000 commendations and has a 1m cooldown just as the monster player brand.
• The Rank 9 mount available in monster play now has a full +68% movement bonus because it should have been upgraded along with all other mounts that are this hard to get.
• We adjusted the damage done by Spider Hatchlings to be more in line with creatures that are level 140.
• There was a bug introduced when we lowered the cost of monster play potions where we did not lower the amount purchasable from the barter NPC. This has been corrected and now you can only purchase in stacks of three.
• Mazauk and Old Goldhead have been refreshed and stand ready to help you capture Lugazag or Tirith Rhaw.
• Old U21 gear was using old Audacity values. This has been reduced to 1.
• Freepside Ettenmoors quests now award considerably more IXP when completed.
• The Freepside weekly quest, 'Battle Across the Ettenmoors' now gives slightly improved rewards.
• Many monster player skill power costs have been adjusted. In particular, several healing skills cost substantially more power.
• The base critical heal multiplier for most Creepside heals has been reduced from 1.5 to 1.2.
• Increased damage of ranger session play skills.
• Orc Defiler
  
  • Cooldowns reduced for Fertile Slime and Fungal Spores.
  • Fungal Spores initial heal potency reduced.
  • Enhanced Fungal Spores now rolls for a critical heal on each pulse, rather than following the critical outcome of the initial skill use.
  • Fertile Slime no longer has an initial heal.
  • Healing from Improved Blessing of Darkness now occurs every 1 second, rather than every 2 seconds.
  • Constant Pain now pulses healing every 2 seconds, and will restore some power to the defiler when it does.
• Orc Reaver
  
  • Blade Toss now only applies its slow and/or knockdown effects to targets facing away from you.
• Spider Weaver
  
  • Several spider animations should no longer slow down when you gain attack speed buffs.
  • Trapdoor Sanctuary now lasts 10 seconds; when traited, it will heal 5% of your max health each second.
• New Potions (of Bravery and Essence) are now correctly usable by the Free Peoples.
  
• Insignias now have a 3 minute cooldown and provide 15 seconds of combat state immunity (Tyrant Brands still have a 1 minute cooldown and only provide 5 seconds of immunity for now).
  
• Alwuld the Item Trader now carries the updated Morale and Power potions.
  
• Potions of Essence now correctly restore different amounts of Power, according to their quality and rank requirements.
  

Quests, Deeds and Instances

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• Tier 4 of Gwathrenost, the Witch-king's Citadel is available.
• All slayer deeds in the Wells of Langflood, will now properly reward players with LOTRO Points.
• Gwathrenost, the Witch-king's Citadel - The final Objective of 'The Storming of Gwathrenost' now functions similarly to 'Into the Hiddenhoard, allowing the Player the choice of whether or not to abandon the quest after completing it. The option to complete the quest via the Quest Actions panel was causing some players to mistakenly erase their progress in a given reset cycle, so this has been removed.
• Azanulbizar - Quest: Death in the Dale - The quest guide for this quest has been corrected to highlight the proper area.
• Azanulbizar - Quest: Elusive Prey - The quest guide now properly highlights the general locations of all the Rare foes in Azanulbizar.
• Sagroth - The Sewer Water debuff that can be applied to players during the Gárvadach encounter now carries the resistance type "disease" instead of "corruption".
• Several fading or overlapping combat music bugs have been fixed in the Race of Man and hobbit tutorials, the Archet raid, and the Trouble at Tuckborough skirmish.

Miscellaneous

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• The Allegiance panel can now be resized an additional horizontal distance.
• Certain Brawler Belt Buckles were appearing under the Lore-master class in searches in the Auction House. That has been fixed.
• Upgraded the compiler used to compile the 32 bit game client to make it compatible with upgraded OpenAL.
• Clydesdale mounts can now be used in Thorin's Hall and the Hall Under the Mountain
• The Assistant Stable-master at Elrond's Stables in Rivendell douses the horse less frequently.
• Facepaint rewards acquired from Hobnanigans now correctly shows on Human avatars.
• The Draught Horse cosmetic pets received in the Homesteads and Harvests Coffers have been renamed to "Miniature" Draught horses.
• Matching full size Draught horse cosmetic pet tomes have been granted (account-wide) to everyone that purchased the Homesteads and Harvests Coffers.
• The Homestead Steed mount scale has been increased to match the expected size of a draught horse. Many animation issues have been resolved for the Homestead Steed mount as well.
• Updated the icon for the Stoorvales/Clegur Milestone and for the Clegur travel skills.
• Several Run Speed buffs and debuffs were overwriting effects of greater potency. Player-applied Run Speed Effects should now only overwrite effects of the same kind (out of combat speed buff, in combat speed buff, or debuff) and the most potent effect should always be the one which is actively applied.

Known Issues:

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• In French and German the Tokens of Heroism may display as Tokens of Valour.
• The Stable-master panel in Collections has not been updated to include King's Gondor.
• The Deeds "Boar-slayer of Lower Lebennin" and "Boar-slayer of Lower Lebennin (Advanced)" are not bestowing/advancing properly.

In 1982, a female patient was taken to a mental hospital in Columbia, South Carolina for schizophrenia. She never provided her name, and when she ended up dying on February 15, due to aspirating her stomach contents, they were unable to identify her.
Until now. Thanks to genetic genealogy, she's been identified as Virginia Higgins Ray from Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Surviving family members assisted in confirming her identity.
Links:
Richland County Coroner identifies “Jane Doe” in 1982 cold case
Her husband John's obituary. He passed away in 2013, and she was listed as pre-deceasing him.
Another article about the identification, this one with a picture of her in life.