#worries โ Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #worries, aggregated by home.social.
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๐ค๐ฉถ๐คฃ๐ฉถ๐ฉถ๐ฉถโฌโชโฝโป๏ธโซ๏ธ๐ค๐ฒ๐ณ๐๏ธ๐คโฌ๐ฉถโซ๐ฉถโพ๐ฉถโผ๏ธ๐ฉถโช๏ธ๐ฉถ๐ณ๐ฉถ๐ฒ๐ฉถ๐คญ๐ธ๐คฃ๐น๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐คญ๐ธ๐คฃ๐น๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฉถ๐๏ธ๐ฒ๐ฉถโพโป๏ธโผ๏ธ๐ฉถโฝโชโซ๐ณ๐ฉถ๐คโช๏ธโซ๏ธ๐ฉถโฌโฌโช๐ฉถโซ๐ฉถ๐คฃ๐ค๐ค*"There's that special magical place that exists when you forget everything else because you are laughing hysterically!*It's the only truly safe place!*& it can happen with a stranger!*or a best friend!"๐ค๐ฉถ๐คฃ๐ฉถ๐ฉถ๐ฉถ๐ค๐ฉถโฌโฌ๐ฉถโชโซ๐ฉถโฝโพ๐ฉถโป๏ธโผ๏ธ๐ฉถโซ๏ธโช๏ธ๐ฉถ๐ค๐ณ๐ฉถ๐๏ธ๐ฒ๐คญ๐ธ๐คฃ๐น๐๐ ๐๐คญ๐ธ๐คฃ๐น๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐คญ๐ธ๐คฃ๐น๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฉถ๐ค๐ฉถโซโช๐ฉถโฌโฌ๐ฉถโซ๏ธโช๏ธ๐ฉถ๐ค๐ณ๐ฉถโฝโผ๏ธ๐ฉถโป๏ธโพ๐ฉถ๐ฒโพ๐คฃ๐ฉถ๐ค
~ Natasha Lyonne
#Quote #Fun #Laughing #In #Your #Own #Magical #Place #Escaping #Forgetting #Worries
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๐ค๐ฉถ๐คฃ๐ฉถ๐ฉถ๐ฉถโฌโชโฝโป๏ธโซ๏ธ๐ค๐ฒ๐ณ๐๏ธ๐คโฌ๐ฉถโซ๐ฉถโพ๐ฉถโผ๏ธ๐ฉถโช๏ธ๐ฉถ๐ณ๐ฉถ๐ฒ๐ฉถ๐คญ๐ธ๐คฃ๐น๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐คญ๐ธ๐คฃ๐น๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฉถ๐๏ธ๐ฒ๐ฉถโพโป๏ธโผ๏ธ๐ฉถโฝโชโซ๐ณ๐ฉถ๐คโช๏ธโซ๏ธ๐ฉถโฌโฌโช๐ฉถโซ๐ฉถ๐คฃ๐ค๐ค*"There's that special magical place that exists when you forget everything else because you are laughing hysterically!*It's the only truly safe place!*& it can happen with a stranger!*or a best friend!"๐ค๐ฉถ๐คฃ๐ฉถ๐ฉถ๐ฉถ๐ค๐ฉถโฌโฌ๐ฉถโชโซ๐ฉถโฝโพ๐ฉถโป๏ธโผ๏ธ๐ฉถโซ๏ธโช๏ธ๐ฉถ๐ค๐ณ๐ฉถ๐๏ธ๐ฒ๐คญ๐ธ๐คฃ๐น๐๐ ๐๐คญ๐ธ๐คฃ๐น๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐คญ๐ธ๐คฃ๐น๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฉถ๐ค๐ฉถโซโช๐ฉถโฌโฌ๐ฉถโซ๏ธโช๏ธ๐ฉถ๐ค๐ณ๐ฉถโฝโผ๏ธ๐ฉถโป๏ธโพ๐ฉถ๐ฒโพ๐คฃ๐ฉถ๐ค
~ Natasha Lyonne
#Quote #Fun #Laughing #In #Your #Own #Magical #Place #Escaping #Forgetting #Worries
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๐ค๐คญ๐ธ๐คฃ๐น๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐คญ๐ธ๐คฃ๐น๐๐ ๐๐๐๐คญ๐ธ๐คฃ๐น๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ค*"There's that special magical place that exists when you forget everything else because you are laughing hysterically!*It's the only truly safe place!*& it can happen with a stranger!*or a best friend!"๐ค๐คญ๐ธ๐คฃ๐น๐๐ ๐๐คญ๐ธ๐คฃ๐น๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐คญ๐ธ๐คฃ๐น๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ค
~ Natasha Lyonne
#Quote #Fun #Laughing #In #Your #Own #Magical #Place #Escaping #Forgetting #Worries
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๐ค๐คญ๐ธ๐คฃ๐น๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐คญ๐ธ๐คฃ๐น๐๐ ๐๐๐๐คญ๐ธ๐คฃ๐น๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ค*"There's that special magical place that exists when you forget everything else because you are laughing hysterically!*It's the only truly safe place!*& it can happen with a stranger!*or a best friend!"๐ค๐คญ๐ธ๐คฃ๐น๐๐ ๐๐คญ๐ธ๐คฃ๐น๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐คญ๐ธ๐คฃ๐น๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ค
~ Natasha Lyonne
#Quote #Fun #Laughing #In #Your #Own #Magical #Place #Escaping #Forgetting #Worries
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*~*"There's that special magical place that exists when you forget everything else because you are laughing hysterically!*It's the only truly safe place!*& it can happen with a stranger!*or a best friend!"*~*
~ Natasha Lyonne
#Quote #Fun #Laughing #In #Your #Own #Magical #Place #Escaping #Forgetting #Worries
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*~*"There's that special magical place that exists when you forget everything else because you are laughing hysterically!*It's the only truly safe place!*& it can happen with a stranger!*or a best friend!"*~*
~ Natasha Lyonne
#Quote #Fun #Laughing #In #Your #Own #Magical #Place #Escaping #Forgetting #Worries
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The new uncomfortable normality
No Worries? Australian attitudes to national security, risk and resilience (report): National security starts at the front door โ not at the territorial borders."For most Australians, the 18-month research project revealed, national security starts at their front door โ not at the territorial borders of the island continent. It showed they are worried the country is not prepared for the demands of a volatile 21st century in a polluted information ecosystem, where the rules-based international order is crumbling, economic precarity has become uncomfortably normal and trust is more fragile." >>
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/mar/29/surging-anxiety-australia-national-security-patriotism-ntwnfbReport: No Worries? Australian attitudes to national security, risk and resilience >>
https://nsc.anu.edu.au/research/no-worries-australian-attitudes-national-security-risk-and-resilience#PublicAnxiety #anxiety #Australia #worries #trust #precarity #inequality #polycrisis #instability #safety #stability #participation #SocialIntegration #FarRight #SocialCohesion #belonging #HyperIndIvidualisation #UncomfortableNormality #climate #NationalSecurity #war
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https://www.evshift.com/382411/magician-atlas-insane-specs-but-heres-what-worries-us-bosch-stops-e-bike-theft-twr-ep-65/ Magician Atlas: INSANE Specs, But Hereโs What Worries Us + Bosch Stops E-Bike Theft? TWR Ep 65 #Atlas #Bosch #BoschEbikes #CaliforniaEbikeLaws #ebike #EbikeNews #Ebikes #ElectricBicycle #ElectricBike #ElectricBikeReport #ElectricBikeReview #ElectricBikeReviews #ElectricBikes #ElectricMotorcycles #ElectricVehicles #EV #Heres #insane #Magician #MagicianAtlas #motorcycles #Specs #stops #Theft #TWR #worries
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A quotation from George Carlin
And now, ladies and gentlemen, that weโve enjoyed some good times this evening, and enjoyed some laughter together, I feel it is my obligation to remind you of some of the negative, depressing, dangerous, life-threatening things that life is really all about; things you have not been thinking about tonight, but which will be waiting for you as soon as you leave the theater or as soon as you turn off your television sets. Anal rape, quicksand, body lice, evil spirits, gridlock, acid rain, continental drift, labor violence, flash floods, rabies, torture, bad luck, calcium deficiency, falling rocks, cattle stampedes, bank failure, evil neighbors, killer bees, organ rejection, lynching, toxic waste, unstable dynamite, religious fanatics, prickly heat, price fixing, moral decay, hotel fires, loss of face, stink bombs, bubonic plague, neo-Nazis, friction, cereal weevils, failure of will, chain reaction, soil erosion, mail fraud, dry rot, voodoo curse, broken glass, snake bite, parasites, white slavery, public ridicule, faithless friends, random violence, breach of contract, family scandals, charlatans, transverse myelitis, structural defects, race riots, sunspots, rogue elephants, wax buildup, killer frost, jealous coworkers, root canals, metal fatigue, corporal punishment, sneak attacks, peer pressure, vigilantes, birth defects, false advertising, ungrateful children, financial ruin, mildew, loss of privileges, bad drugs, ill-fitting shoes, widespread chaos, Lou Gehrigโs disease, stray bullets, runaway trains, chemical spills, locusts, airline food, shipwrecks, prowlers, bathtub accidents, faulty merchandise, terrorism, discrimination, wrongful cremation, carbon deposits, beef tapeworm, taxation without representation, escaped maniacs, sunburn, abandonment, threatening letters, entropy, nine-mile fever, poor workmanship, absentee landlords, solitary confinement, depletion of the ozone layer, unworthiness, intestinal bleeding, defrocked priests, loss of equilibrium, disgruntled employees, global warming, card sharks, poisoned meat, nuclear accidents, broken promises, contamination of the water supply, obscene phone calls, nuclear winter, wayward girls, mutual assured destruction, rampaging moose, the greenhouse effect, cluster headaches, social isolation, Dutch elm disease, the contraction of the universe, paper cuts, eternal damnation, the wrath of God, and PARANOIA!!
George Carlin (1937-2008) American comedian
Show (1986-05-02/03), Playinโ with Your Head, โThings to Watch Out For,โ Beverly Theater, Los AngelesSourcing, notes: wist.info/carlin-george/78352/
#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #georgecarlin #anxiety #calamity #concerns #danger #paranoia #problems #worries #troubles
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You were so loved ๐พ
Not just by meโฆ But by so many. Even by some that โjustโ knew you from the stories, snaps and vids that I shared of you online. I asked for financial help, several times, when your health was declining, and people always helped us so much. People saw all the good in you. They saw your gentle smile, your silly happy tail, and all the love in your eyes. And they wanted you to feel good, feel loved. And now, people helped me/us one last timeโฆ To pay all the bills and to get you home again.
Because, unfortunately, 11 days before your 12th birthday, your health declined rapidlyโฆ And we had to say goodbye to each other for the final time. You had given all you had, you held on longer than you should have, because you knew I needed you. But I made you a promise when you came into my life: Iโd never let you suffer for my own โpersonal gainโ (to have you in my life a little longer). When I saw the pain in your eyes, we rushed to the vetโฆ And now, Iโve been alone for several days, missing you like hellโฆ
[โฆ]
https://cynnisblog.wordpress.com/2025/07/10/you-were-so-loved-%f0%9f%90%be/
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Being prepared
Anyone that has been following this blog for a while know, will know that I am someone who plans ahead. Far, far, ahead, if I get the chanceโฆ To everyone that just stumbled upon this post, and has no clue what I am writing about, wellโฆ I am AuDHD, and I need to plan ahead, as much as I am able to do. Time schedules, getting all the necessary information, looking up what I need to do and how to do it, finding the best routes, anything and everything needs to be arranged.
I am the one that will start packing bags for a (short) trip two weeks in advance. Heck, when I learned in December 2024 that I was going to move in 2024, the first thing I started doing wasโฆ Packing what I could, sorting what I could, making lists and all thatโฆ I like to be prepared, I like to know what to expect, and I just need to feel like I can be in control of things. Even if itโs just a little bit, it helps me to relax better.
[โฆ]
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Not scared, but anxiousโฆ
While I am writing this, I am getting closer to the date of the surgery. When this post will go live, I will have had the surgery. Maybe, I will update it a bit before it goes online, maybe I will be too tired, and I will leave it as it is now, as I am writing thisโฆ If that makes senseโฆ ๐ค
I start writing this on what used to be my grandmaโs birthdat, June 2nd. The surgery is scheduled on June 13th, so just 11 more days. Slowly, I am trying to get everything sorted to be ready in time for the op. But, getting everything sorted, realizing that the date is getting closer, it is messing with my mind someโฆ
[โฆ]
https://cynnisblog.wordpress.com/2025/06/21/not-scared-but-anxious/
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Not scared, but anxiousโฆ
While I am writing this, I am getting closer to the date of the surgery. When this post will go live, I will have had the surgery. Maybe, I will update it a bit before it goes online, maybe I will be too tired, and I will leave it as it is now, as I am writing thisโฆ If that makes senseโฆ ๐ค
I start writing this on what used to be my grandmaโs birthdat, June 2nd. The surgery is scheduled on June 13th, so just 11 more days. Slowly, I am trying to get everything sorted to be ready in time for the op. But, getting everything sorted, realizing that the date is getting closer, it is messing with my mind someโฆ
[โฆ]
https://cynnisblog.wordpress.com/2025/06/21/not-scared-but-anxious/
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Not scared, but anxiousโฆ
While I am writing this, I am getting closer to the date of the surgery. When this post will go live, I will have had the surgery. Maybe, I will update it a bit before it goes online, maybe I will be too tired, and I will leave it as it is now, as I am writing thisโฆ If that makes senseโฆ ๐ค
I start writing this on what used to be my grandmaโs birthdat, June 2nd. The surgery is scheduled on June 13th, so just 11 more days. Slowly, I am trying to get everything sorted to be ready in time for the op. But, getting everything sorted, realizing that the date is getting closer, it is messing with my mind someโฆ
[โฆ]
https://cynnisblog.wordpress.com/2025/06/21/not-scared-but-anxious/
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Not scared, but anxiousโฆ
While I am writing this, I am getting closer to the date of the surgery. When this post will go live, I will have had the surgery. Maybe, I will update it a bit before it goes online, maybe I will be too tired, and I will leave it as it is now, as I am writing thisโฆ If that makes senseโฆ ๐ค
I start writing this on what used to be my grandmaโs birthdat, June 2nd. The surgery is scheduled on June 13th, so just 11 more days. Slowly, I am trying to get everything sorted to be ready in time for the op. But, getting everything sorted, realizing that the date is getting closer, it is messing with my mind someโฆ
[โฆ]
https://cynnisblog.wordpress.com/2025/06/21/not-scared-but-anxious/
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Not scared, but anxiousโฆ
While I am writing this, I am getting closer to the date of the surgery. When this post will go live, I will have had the surgery. Maybe, I will update it a bit before it goes online, maybe I will be too tired, and I will leave it as it is now, as I am writing thisโฆ If that makes senseโฆ ๐ค
I start writing this on what used to be my grandmaโs birthdat, June 2nd. The surgery is scheduled on June 13th, so just 11 more days. Slowly, I am trying to get everything sorted to be ready in time for the op. But, getting everything sorted, realizing that the date is getting closer, it is messing with my mind someโฆ
[โฆ]
https://cynnisblog.wordpress.com/2025/06/21/not-scared-but-anxious/
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When..? ๐ข
Time is slowly, or quickly, depending how how you look at it, running out. Arwen is getting older. She's struggling more with her health. Some moments, she acts like all is OK and she's having the time of her life. Other moments, she seems in distress, and I slip her some extra painkillers to manage it. I know she's getting closer to the point of saying goodbye. Some of you may remember that I feared losing her a few months ago, when I even had a GoFundMe for the upcoming cremation costs. But... She got some new meds and she's still with me... For now... [โฆ]https://cynnisblog.wordpress.com/2025/06/09/when-%f0%9f%98%a2/
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On and on and onโฆ โพ๏ธ
This is definitely not the first time I write a blog post with a topic title like this. And yeah, maybe that is a part of the "infinity" in it all. But, with all the recent and not so recent events happening, my brain is doing that "overthinking" thing again. And often, one of the things that helps me with that, is when I whip out my phone, or my tablet with the BT keyboard, or even my new PC these days... I need to write about it... I don't know if you have been following my blog and all the stuff I've been sharing. Or if you just "stumbled" upon it because of... Well , many reasons can be put here... So I will leave that open, and I just want to say "Welcome ๐ธ " and thank you for checking out my babbling corner of the interwebs. I will try not to repeat too much of what I've been sharing recently, and when I do, I will try to link the original blog post to it, for those that may be interested. ๐ [โฆ]https://cynnisblog.wordpress.com/2025/06/07/on-and-on-and-on-%e2%99%be%ef%b8%8f/
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Quite a scare!
During the nightly SniffiVerseโข walkies on Wednesday, 28/05/2025, Arwen had a moment where she lost control of her paws. She got all wobbly, and unstable. I sat down next to her, and I held her close to me, while she was recovering... And then, she acted like nothing had happened at all. But, it gave me quite a scare. We got back, safe and sound, and after a bit, I sat down and I wrote this long Toot on Mastodon. As I felt that it was a powerful Toot, I decided to use the long text for this blog post. It's a long post, and I talk about health and death, sadness, scares, worries and fears. So, if you click the "read more" bit, you will see these things discussed. It's nothing too bad, but it can be a trigger for those of you who have dealt with pets, with the journey slowly coming to an end, and all the sadness that comes with it... [โฆ] -
"I am #scared every day": #Experts say #GOP #men #targeting #nofaultdivorce to keep #women "#trapped".
As #worries grow after #DobbsRuling by the #Corrupt #SupremeCourt , #experts #fear #restricting #nofault #divorce could be a #deathsentence for some #women
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"decide, whether or not - the goal is worth the risks involved.
If it is, stop worrying."
cited/origin by: Amelia Earharthttps://www.pinterest.com/pin/749567931750627036/
#quote #life #heart #worry #worries #worth #truth #TruthOverLies #risk #risking #plan #cheer #morning #inspire #inspiration #quote #pinterest
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"decide, whether or not - the goal is worth the risks involved.
If it is, stop worrying."
cited/origin by: Amelia Earharthttps://www.pinterest.com/pin/749567931750627036/
#quote #life #heart #worry #worries #worth #truth #TruthOverLies #risk #risking #plan #cheer #morning #inspire #inspiration #quote #pinterest
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"decide, whether or not - the goal is worth the risks involved.
If it is, stop worrying."
cited/origin by: Amelia Earharthttps://www.pinterest.com/pin/749567931750627036/
#quote #life #heart #worry #worries #worth #truth #TruthOverLies #risk #risking #plan #cheer #morning #inspire #inspiration #quote #pinterest
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"decide, whether or not - the goal is worth the risks involved.
If it is, stop worrying."
cited/origin by: Amelia Earharthttps://www.pinterest.com/pin/749567931750627036/
#quote #life #heart #worry #worries #worth #truth #TruthOverLies #risk #risking #plan #cheer #morning #inspire #inspiration #quote #pinterest
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"decide, whether or not - the goal is worth the risks involved.
If it is, stop worrying."
cited/origin by: Amelia Earharthttps://www.pinterest.com/pin/749567931750627036/
#quote #life #heart #worry #worries #worth #truth #TruthOverLies #risk #risking #plan #cheer #morning #inspire #inspiration #quote #pinterest
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#Georgia #portal for #removing #voters from the #rolls #worries #Democrats.
#CivilRights #activists #fear the new system could cause #legitimate #voters to be wrongly #removed from the #rolls. Denying them their #right to #vote.
#Women #Transgender #LGBTQ #LGBTQIA #Georgia #Conservatives #Extremism #Fascism #VoterSupresssion #RepublicanParty #ThePartyOfHate
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#Christian #influenced #curriculum in Texas spurs #worries about #bullying, #SeparationofChurchandState
#Secular #groups and members of other #faiths say the #curriculum gives #schools too much #control over how #children are #taught #religion.
#Women #Transgender #LGBTQ #LGBTQIA #Texas #Conservatives #Extremism #Fascism #Religion #Hategroups #RepublicanParty #Hate #Bigotry #Violence #Genocide #Discrimination #Homophobia #Transphobia #ThePartyOfHate #EmptyThePews
https://www.texastribune.org/2024/07/19/texas-christianity-school-curriculum-worries/
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I boosted this before, but want to reboost this post, because Xmas can be hard for a lot of reasons. Sometimes it's good to know there's someone willing to listen. #JoinIn #SitTogether
From: Petra van Cronenburg @NatureMC
Are you #alone on Christmas? Do you feel #lonely and need some people to #chat? Subscribe to the hashtag # JoinIn (I made a space to avoid spamming it).
It is for connecting people who want to chat with anybody or want to share something these days. Often you find people with an open ear but also people who need some consolation or just distraction.A less known tag is # SitTogether
#isolation #loner #loneliness #selfCare #mentalHealth #worries
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Are you #alone on Christmas? Do you feel #lonely and need some people to #chat? Subscribe to the hashtag # JoinIn (I made a space to avoid spamming it).
It is for connecting people who want to chat with anybody or want to share something these days. Often you find people with an open ear but also people who need some consolation or just distraction.A less known tag is # SitTogether
#isolation #loner #loneliness #selfCare #mentalHealth #worries
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#Worries over #secrecy grow as #Arkansas #Republicans shield #State #records from the #public.
Weeks after #lawmakers in #LittleRock passed #legislation shielding certain #staterecords from public #disclosure, #opponents launched efforts to #amend the #State #Constitution to protect #Public #Access to #government #documents.
#Women #Transgender #LGBTQ #LGBTQIA #Arkansas #Conservatives #Extremism #Fascism #Corruption #RepublicanParty #ThePartyOfHate
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In 2 weeks, the #biggest #annual #HumanMigration on Earth will begin for the #LunarNewYear , lasting about 40 days.
#Travel platforms such as Qunar.com have predicted a #surge in trips throughout #China that could reach 80 per cent of pre-Covid levels.
But as hundreds of millions of people prepare for a long-awaited return home, #worries are growing that the waves of #covid19 #infections sweeping Chinaโs big cities will overwhelm smaller urbans centres and #rural areas.
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3204451/covid-rages-rural-china-ready-biggest-travel-surge-years -
For me, #December brings memories of #Christmas smells & glitter, flickering lights & a growing #excitement.
However, this time of year brings as many #worries & #stresses as it does #wonders & #delights.
Not everyone likes or wishes to remember their past, & places, smells, sounds & #expectations can be too much for many people.
Let this Christmas be the gift that you want & need, whatever that may be.
May love rekindle & maintain the #sacred fire inside us all. ๐
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St. John of the Cross Novena, Day 5: Trust
Reading
In tribulation, immediately draw near to God with trust, and you will receive strength, enlightenment, and instruction.
Sayings of Light and Love, 66
Scripture
Have mercy on me, God, men crush me;
they fight me all day long and oppress me.
My foes crush me all day long,
for many fight proudly against me.When I fear, I will trust in you,
in God whose word I praise.
In God I trust, I shall not fear:
what can mortal man do to me?All day long they distort my words,
all their thought is to harm me.
They band together in ambush,
track me down and seek my life.You have kept an account of my wanderings;
you have kept a record of my tears;
are they not written in your book?
Then my foes will be put to flight
on the day that I call to you.This I know, that God is on my side.
In God, whose word I praise,
in the Lord, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I shall not fear:
what can mortal man do to me?I am bound by the vows I have made you.
O God, I will offer you praise
for you rescued my soul from death,
you kept my feet from stumbling
that I may walk in the presence of God
and enjoy the light of the living.Meditation
Oh, blessed tribulation, that sure sign that God is madly in love with you.
Tribulation is a word that is no longer part of our daily vocabulary. It appears in word puzzles and still makes its way into Hollywood film scripts, although it sounds more appropriate coming from the lips of the revered British actor Charles Laughton, whose King Herod once posed the legendary rhetorical question: โWhy does the prophet visit me with worse than the tribulations of Job?โ
Saint Teresa of Jesus understood what Saint John of the Cross meant when he was writing about tribulation because she had seen her fair share of it in her lifetime. Hereโs just one example from Testimony 53 written in Seville, 8 November 1575:
On the octave day of All Saints I spent two or three very troublesome days over the remembrance of my great sins and because of some fears of my being persecuted that had no foundation, except that false testimony was going to be raised [She had been falsely accused before the Inquisition of Seville]. And all the courage I usually have for suffering left me. Although I wanted to encourage myself, and I made acts and reflected that this suffering would be very beneficial to my soul, all these actions helped me little. For the fear didnโt go away, and what I felt was a vexing war. I chanced upon a letter in which my good Father [Jerome Graciรกn, Discalced Carmelite and Apostolic Visitor] refers to what St. Paul says, that God does not permit us to be tempted beyond what we can suffer (1 Cor 10:13). That comforted me a lot, but it wasnโt enough. Rather, the next day I became sorely afflicted in seeing I was without him, since I had no one to whom I could have recourse in this tribulation. It seemed to me I was living in great loneliness, and this loneliness increased when I saw that there was no one now but him who might give me comfort and that he had to be absent most of the time, which was a great torment to me.
On the next night, while reading in a book a saying of St. Paul which began to console me, I was thinking of how present our Lord had previously been to me, for He had so truly seemed to be the living God. While I was thinking about this, He appeared in an intellectual vision, very deep within me, as though on the side where the heart is, and said: โHere I am, but I want you to see what little you can do without Me.โ
I felt reassured right away, and all my fears were gone. While I was at Matins that same night, the Lord, through an intellectual vision so intense it almost seemed to be an imaginative one, placed Himself in my arms as in the painting of the fifth agony. This vision caused me great fear. For it was so clear, and He was so close to me that I wondered if it was an illusion. He told me: โDonโt be surprised by this, for My Father is with your soul in an incomparably greater union.โ
This vision has so remained up till now. What I said of our Lord lasted more than a month. Now it is gone.
Now, we may not be falsely accused before the Inquisition, but in our daily lives, we see plenty of tribulation. And Saint Teresa makes it clear that if we are seeking to make love our ambition, to grow in that untiring love of which St. John of the Cross speaks, then we will be blessed with tribulation.
Blessed with tribulation?
โIt is clear that since God wants to lead those whom He greatly loves by the path of tribulationโand the more He loves them the greater the tribulationโthere is no reason to think that He despises contemplatives, for with His own mouth He praises them and considers them His friends.โ (Way 18:1)
But what if I donโt want to be a contemplative?
For the faithful, this truly is not an option if we desire to be united with Christ in heaven, where we will be contemplatives for all eternity! St. Paul writes, โand we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lordโs glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spiritโ (2 Cor 3:18).
The Catechism reminds us:
Because of his transcendence, God cannot be seen as he is, unless he himself opens up his mystery to manโs immediate contemplation and gives him the capacity for it. The Church calls this contemplation of God in his heavenly glory โthe beatific vision.โ
Citing St. Cyprian, the Catechism continues:
How great will your glory and happiness be, to be allowed to see God, to be honored with sharing the joy of salvation and eternal light with Christ your Lord and God, . . . to delight in the joy of immortality in the Kingdom of heaven with the righteous and Godโs friends. (CCC 1028)
To be able to contemplate Christ for all eternity, the tribulation is worth it.
We notice that a great Saint and Doctor of the Church like Our Holy Mother Teresa was not immune from tribulation and anxiety. She was suffering terribly: there were โvery troublesome daysโ and fears of being persecuted. She had lost her courage, and every remedy, every action that normally helped in past situations didnโt help at all. She was stuck in her fears and left with what she calls a guerra desabridaโฆ a rather unsavory warโfruitless, vexing, and pointless. Even reading a letter from the priest who meant more to her than any other friar in the world couldnโt console her; his advice was to read St. Paul, but she admitted that it โcomforted me a lot, but it wasnโt enough.โ
Poor St. Teresa, she was really in emotional distress and in a spiritual bind. The next day she became even more upset because Father Graciรกn wasnโt there to encourage and console her in her anxiety. โI had no one to whom I could have recourse in this tribulationโ and for her, the loneliness seemed to be the worst part.
St. John of the Cross says that itโs in times like these that we must โimmediately draw near to God with trustโ and that is exactly what St. Teresa did. She didnโt give up praying, seeking, and hoping, and she didnโt abandon God. Quite the opposite: she continued to draw near to God, even though He seemed distant or hiding. It seems that she may have had difficulty praying with peace, so she turned to spiritual reading instead.
Now, the Lord made himself known to St. Teresa at that moment through a mystical experience. However, that may not necessarily be the path the Lord chooses for each one of us. What St. John of the Cross explains is that if we draw near to God with trust, then we will receive โstrength, enlightenment, and instruction.โ
St. Elizabeth of the Trinity gives the following advice to ordinary folks like you and I for how best to draw near to God when troubled or anxious in those moments that St. John and St. Teresa called โtribulationโ:
You must build a little cell within your soul as I do. Remember that God is there and enter it from time to time; when you feel nervous or youโre unhappy, quickly seek refuge there and tell the Master all about it.
Ah, if you got to know Him a little, prayer wouldnโt bore you anymore; to me it seems to be rest, relaxation. We come quite simply to the One we love, stay close to Him like a little child in the arms of its mother, and we let our heart go (Letter 123).
Prayer
O St. John of the Cross
You were endowed by our Lord with the spirit of self-denial
and a love of the cross.
Obtain for us the grace to follow your example
that we may come to the eternal vision of the glory of God.O Saint of Christโs redeeming cross
the road of life is dark and long.
Teach us always to be resigned to Godโs holy will
in all the circumstances of our lives
and grant us the special favor
which we now ask of you.Mention your request
Above all, obtain for us the grace of final perseverance,
a holy and happy death and everlasting life with you
and all the saints in heaven.
Amen.Letโs continue in prayer
Day 1 โ Self-trust
The Escape of St John of the Cross
Day 2 โ Self-giving
Day 3 โ Cleansing
Day 4 โ Walking in love
Day 5 โ Trust
Day 6 โ Prayer
Day 7 โ Humility
Day 8 โ Eternal Silence
Day 9 โ Silent love
18th c. French
Oil on canvas, 1768
Carmel of Pontoise
ยฉ Ministรจre de la Culture (France), Mรฉdiathรจque de lโarchitecture et du patrimoine, Diffusion RMN-GP. Used by permission.The novena prayer was composed from approved sources by Professor Michael Ogunu, a member of the Discalced Carmelite Secular Order in Nigeria.
John of the Cross, St 1991, The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross, rev. edn, Kavanaugh, K & Rodriguez, O (trans.), ICS Publications, Washington DC.
Teresa of Avila, St 1985, The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, Kavanaugh, K & Rodriguez, O (trans.), ICS Publications, Washington DC.
Elizabeth of the Trinity, S 2003, The Complete Works of Elizabeth of the Trinity volume 2: Letters from Carmel, Nash, A (trans.), ICS Publications, Washington DC.
All scripture references in this novena are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright ยฉ 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.
Donโt become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thรฉrรจse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zรฉlie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Joseph.
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