Lions vs Hoosiers

Listening now to the Flagship Station for IU Sports ahead of tonight's early men's college basketball game, as the Lindenwood Lions travel from Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri to meet the IU Hoosiers at Bloomington Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana. Tipoff is scheduled for 17:00 Central Time.

Go Hoosiers!

And the adventure continues.

Je ne suis pas sûr que ces poèmes soient de moi.

J’ai plus la sensation qu’ils m’ont traversé.

Et que je n’ai été… que leur réceptacle éphémère,

Le temps d’une fulgurance, d’un éclair.

D’où venaient-ils ?

Je ne saurais dire.

Où iront ils ensuite ?

Où bon leur semblera.

Ils sont un peu comme les neutrinos,

Ces particules cosmiques que rien n’arrête,

Qui, l’air de rien, traversent la Terre.

Poursuivant leur chemin dans l’univers.

Me traversant, ils m’ont imperceptiblement changé.

Ce qui fait que je ne saurais dire,

Si ces poèmes sont de moi,

Ou si c’est moi qui suis d’eux.

There are moments in Scripture where the words don’t simply speak — they awaken. They don’t whisper — they thunder. They don’t inform — they transform.

1 John Chapter 3 is one of those passages.

You can read it casually, or you can read it with your whole heart open — and when you do, something inside you shifts. Something in you rises. Something deep within you finally understands what it means to belong to God, to be loved by God, and to walk as His sons and daughters in a world that often tries to convince you you’re nothing more than a mistake or a shadow.

This chapter is not a gentle devotional. It is a spiritual earthquake.

It confronts us. It comforts us. It reshapes us.

And it reminds us of one of the most powerful truths ever written: God’s love is not theoretical — it is transformative. It does not simply wash over your life; it rewrites the story of your life. It doesn’t just forgive your past; it rebuilds your identity.

And if there is one message God wants you to hear as you step into this chapter — it is this:

“You are My child. And nothing can change that.”

Before we go deeper, here is a message that expands this truth in ways that shake the soul: Watch this transformative breakdown of 1 John 3.

Now… breathe in. Slow down. Let your spirit open.

We’re about to walk through a passage that has the power to change how you see God, how you see the world, and how you see yourself — forever.

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The Astonishing Love That Changes Everything

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”

The book doesn’t start this chapter with a command. It begins with an explosion of wonder.

“Do you SEE it?” “Do you RECOGNIZE it?” “Do you UNDERSTAND what’s been done for you?”

Scripture tells us that God’s love is something we must behold — not glance at, not analyze, not casually remember, but behold.

It is a love so fierce, so unexplainable, so unnatural to human logic that John can barely find language big enough to describe it.

He says God lavished His love on us.

Not distributed. Not measured out. Not calculated.

Lavished.

Lavished means poured out until it runs over. Lavished means given without hesitation. Lavished means the kind of love that doesn’t check your resume, your failures, or your performance record.

It simply declares: “You belong to Me.”

John isn’t making a theological point — he’s making a spiritual announcement.

You are not a servant in God’s house. You are not a visitor in God’s kingdom. You are not a project God is trying to fix. You are His child. His own. His family.

Let that settle in.

Of all the things God wanted to be known for — power, holiness, magnitude, authority — He chose to reveal Himself first and foremost as a Father.

A Father who calls you His child.

A Father who is not ashamed of you. A Father who is not irritated by you. A Father who is not disappointed in choosing you.

He wanted you. He chose you. He loves you.

And nothing sin ever did to you — no wound, no failure, no mistake, no trauma — can change who you are to Him.

---

The World Doesn’t Recognize You — And It’s Not Supposed To

“That is why the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.”

If you’ve ever felt like you don’t quite fit in… If you’ve ever sensed you walk differently, think differently, or respond differently than everyone around you… If you’ve ever felt strange in a world obsessed with surface-level identity…

John gives you the reason.

The world cannot recognize you because it cannot recognize the One who lives inside you.

To the world, identity is something you build. To God, identity is something He gives.

To the world, value is something you earn. To God, value is something He assigns.

To the world, love is conditional. To God, love is your birthright.

So of course the world can’t understand why you choose peace over revenge… Why you choose truth over convenience… Why you choose compassion over cynicism… Why you refuse to play the games everyone else plays…

You carry the DNA of heaven in a world trained to reject anything that reflects God.

You aren’t supposed to be recognized. You’re supposed to be set apart.

You’re not supposed to blend in. You’re supposed to shine.

You weren’t made to be understood by the world. You were made to be known by God.

And that means — even when people misjudge you, misunderstand you, or underestimate you — your identity remains untouchable.

---

We Are Becoming What We Already Are

“Beloved, now are we the children of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be…”

This is one of the most breathtaking lines in the Bible.

John tells us that our identity is present — but our destiny is unfolding.

You are already God’s child. Right now. Not after you clean your life up, not after you hit a spiritual milestone, not after you become who you think you’re supposed to be.

You are His child today.

But you are also becoming something glorious — something you cannot yet see, understand, or imagine.

This means two things:

**1. You are more than what your past says.

1. You are more than what your present looks like.**

God sees in you what you cannot see in yourself.

Your spiritual growth is not the process of becoming someone else — it’s the unveiling of who you’ve been since the moment God claimed you.

You are not evolving into a stranger. You are awakening into your true self.

And John tells us the final form of that identity:

“…we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”

When you behold Jesus fully, you will finally behold yourself correctly.

Love transforms. Holiness purifies. Truth awakens. Presence reshapes.

In other words:

Your destiny is to shine with the likeness of Christ Himself.

Not because you worked harder. Not because you achieved spiritual success. But because love changes everything it touches.

---

Hope Makes Us Pure

“And every man that hath this hope in him purifies himself, even as He is pure.”

Hope is not passive. Hope is not soft. Hope is not sentimental emotion.

Real hope — the kind anchored in God — is transformative.

Hope sharpens. Hope strengthens. Hope corrects. Hope reshapes how you live, how you think, how you make decisions.

You cannot have a living hope in Jesus and remain spiritually asleep.

Hope doesn’t just comfort — it cleanses. Hope doesn’t just support — it strengthens. Hope doesn’t just inspire — it purifies.

Why?

Because when you know who you belong to… When you know where you’re going… When you know what God is making you into…

You begin to live with intention. You begin to walk with focus. You begin to rise with purpose.

Hope gives you the courage to let go of what no longer belongs in your life. Hope gives you the strength to resist the temptations that call your name. Hope gives you the clarity to walk away from anything that dims the fire God put in you.

Hope is holiness in motion. Hope is transformation in progress.

And the more you anchor your heart in God’s promises, the more you become a living example of His purity.

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Sin Is Not Your Identity

“Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not…”

John is not saying believers never stumble. He is explaining that sin is no longer your identity.

Before Christ, sin was the source of your desires. After Christ, sin becomes the enemy of your identity.

Sin no longer fits you. Sin no longer defines you. Sin no longer rules you.

When you fall, it feels wrong — not because God rejects you, but because God has changed you.

John’s point is simple:

A child of God may fall into sin, but they cannot make sin their home.

There is a difference between:

• falling into sin
• living in sin

Falling creates conviction. Living produces comfort.

If you feel convicted — that’s proof you belong to God. If sin bothers you — that’s proof of transformation. If righteousness draws you — that’s proof of identity.

Your struggle is evidence of God’s work in you.

---

The One Who Lives in You Is Greater

“He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.”

Righteousness is not perfection.

Righteousness is alignment.

Alignment with God. Alignment with truth. Alignment with His Spirit.

When you practice righteousness, you are practicing who you truly are. You are exercising the spiritual muscles God placed in you.

This means:

Spiritual growth is not about trying harder. It’s about surrendering deeper.

The more you abide in Christ, the more your actions reflect Christ.

You’ve seen this in your own life.

The things that used to attract you now disturb you. The things that used to enslave you now frustrate you. The things that used to feel normal now feel foreign.

Your desires are changing. Your appetite is transforming. Your spirit is maturing.

You’re not fighting to become a child of God — you’re living from the identity you already have.

---

The Devil’s Work vs. God’s Work

“For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”

Jesus didn’t come to negotiate with darkness. He came to destroy it.

He didn’t come to manage sin. He came to break it.

He didn’t come to soothe your wounds. He came to heal them.

He didn’t come to give you spiritual coping mechanisms. He came to give you total transformation.

Every chain that binds you — He came to break. Every lie that haunts you — He came to silence. Every generational curse — He came to uproot. Every fear — He came to conquer.

The devil builds prisons. Jesus breaks doors.

The devil builds strongholds. Jesus tears them down.

The devil plants seeds of confusion. Jesus uproots them with truth.

Wherever the works of the enemy have touched your life, Jesus stands ready to intervene — not partially, not symbolically, but completely.

You were never meant to live in bondage. You were meant to live in victory.

---

Love Is Proof of Identity

“Anyone who does not love remains in death.”

John makes something unmistakably clear:

Love is the evidence of life.

Not talent. Not success. Not spiritual vocabulary. Not public religious display.

Love.

Love reveals what reigns in the human heart. Love reveals who your Father really is. Love reveals whether the life of God flows in you.

Hatred shrinks the soul. Love expands it.

Hatred blinds the heart. Love opens it.

Hatred is the instinct of spiritual death. Love is the instinct of spiritual life.

This does not mean you don’t feel anger, frustration, or grief over the actions of others.

It means you refuse to let darkness define your response.

You can stand for truth without losing compassion. You can confront evil without losing mercy. You can disagree fiercely without destroying your witness.

Love does not mean approval. Love means reflection.

A reflection of the heart of God Himself.

---

Love Lays It All Down

“By this we know love: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us.”

John takes us to the center of Christianity:

Love lays down. Love sacrifices. Love gives until it looks unreasonable.

Jesus didn’t just talk about love. He embodied it. He demonstrated it. He bled it.

He gave up heaven to redeem us. He gave up comfort to reach us. He gave up His life to adopt us.

And now that same love lives inside you.

Love that carries burdens. Love that forgives deeply. Love that reaches into pain. Love that refuses to let someone suffer alone. Love that responds when others look away.

The Cross is not just the place where you were saved. It is the place where you learned how love behaves.

---

When Your Heart Condemns You, God Does Not

“If our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts…”

This verse has healed more believers than we will ever know.

Your heart can lie to you. Your emotions can misjudge you. Your conscience — even when well-meaning — can accuse you of things God already forgave.

But John says:

When your heart condemns you, God overrules it.

God is not smaller than your fear. God is not weaker than your past. God is not limited by your mistakes. God is not defined by your feelings.

God knows you fully. And He loves you still.

He does not reject His children. He restores them. He does not abandon the weak. He strengthens them.

There is no condemnation in His presence — only truth, mercy, and the power to begin again.

---

The Confidence of the Children of God

“Beloved, if our hearts condemn us not, then we have confidence toward God.”

Confidence is not arrogance. Confidence is not pride. Confidence is not spiritual superiority.

Confidence is clarity.

Clarity that you belong to Him. Clarity that He hears you. Clarity that He walks with you. Clarity that nothing can separate you from Him.

Confidence is the quiet courage of a child who knows their Father is near.

God never wanted His children to pray timidly. He wanted them to pray boldly.

Confidence opens your voice. Confidence strengthens your faith. Confidence ignites your spirit.

And confidence is born from one place:

Knowing who your Father is — and knowing you are His.

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The Command That Fulfills All the Others

“And this is His commandment: that we believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another…”

Two commands. One heartbeat.

Believe. Love.

Faith anchors you in God. Love expresses God through you.

Faith connects you to heaven. Love pours heaven into the world around you.

Faith transforms your identity. Love transforms your relationships.

Faith restores your soul. Love restores your witness.

These two are inseparable. You cannot love without faith. You cannot exercise real faith without love.

This is the heartbeat of every true believer. This is the life of those who abide in Christ. This is the evidence of the Spirit dwelling within you.

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You Were Made for This

You were not made for fear. You were made for confidence. You were not made for shame. You were made for identity. You were not made for bondage. You were made for freedom. You were not made to blend in. You were made to shine. You were not made to barely survive. You were made to walk in victory as a child of the Living God.

1 John 3 is not simply a chapter. It is a call.

A call to remember who you are. A call to walk in who He is. A call to live with the courage of someone who knows heaven backs every step they take.

And if you let this chapter sink deeply into your spirit, your life will not remain the same.

Because when you understand the love of God, you stop living like an orphan. When you understand the identity God gives, you stop searching for validation. When you understand the power of God in you, you stop fearing the battles ahead. When you understand the purpose of God on your life, you stop apologizing for being chosen.

You are loved. You are His. You are becoming who God has always seen in you.

And nothing in hell or on earth can stop the work God is doing in your life.

Not now. Not ever.

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CONCLUSION: A FINAL WORD FOR THE ONE WHO WANTS TO GROW DEEPER

You didn’t stumble onto this study. You were led to it.

God is calling you into a deeper identity, a deeper awareness, and a deeper walk with Him.

And the truth is simple: You cannot walk through 1 John 3 and come out unchanged.

This chapter rewires your thinking. It melts your fears. It disrupts the lies that tried to define you. It revives the fire inside you. It reconnects you to the love that claims you, transforms you, and carries you into the future God prepared.

And if you want to keep growing, keep rising, keep digging deeper into God’s Word — then follow Douglas Vandergraph for daily messages that ignite faith, strengthen identity, and awaken purpose.

The library grows every day. The reach expands every day. And the world needs voices who carry this kind of truth.

You are part of something bigger. Stay close. Stay hungry. Stay growing. God is not finished with you yet.

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Watch Douglas Vandergraph’s inspiring faith-based videos on YouTube.

Support the ministry here.

#1John3 #ChildOfGod #FaithMessage #ChristianInspiration #DailyDevotional #DouglasVandergraph #BibleStudy #WriteAsFaith #GodsLove #RighteousLiving

— Douglas Vandergraph

The first and only adventure of Stump aka Deelnemer 11

“No I Haven't got anything left, I only have the right ones” said the arms dealer to the sad stump of a man in front of him.

Since then Stump was known as the man with two right arms. An improvement, knowing that he lost both his former arms because of bad hand eye coordination, to be honest only the bad hands given made him the Stump he was and most likely still is, both of his eyes are just a bit short sighted, they always stop looking after seventeen seconds. Anyway, he just should't have tried to cut his own fingernails with a chainsaw even if this chainsaw was one of the best in the field. You know most people Stump and I knows cut their toe and finger nails with machines way worse than he used for his former hands. I cut mine once a year with an old flametorch, a true classic, used in world war one, so I've been told.

Stump needed new arms like I needed a fourth wife to replace the sixth. He was lost without them, His job as a casino card dealer depended on a good efficiënt stereo set. It was hard to shuffle a deck with only his mouth and even harder to make it look like he still had arms to shuffle with so that he wouldn't loose his job or worse was made to work in casino security for higher wages. Wages placed so high that he never could reach it not even with both his arms intact. Stump was sorta dwarfish. His two right arms made him look taller. This was caused by the fact that they were a tit bit longer then he was so he had to walk with them raised above his head. This made him more attractive to the ladies, thats why he doesn't complain all the time about this new handicap caused by the old. Ladies like to shake his new hands and arms because of the thrill this shaking thing causes in their calves and shins, sometimes even their ankles. Stump just likes the attention, the shakes not so much.

With his new arms he can deal cards like he never could before, most gamblers can't believe their own eyes watching him shuffle but once they look in the cards given they know nothing has changed, not for real. The great boss above only gives what he can miss to earn much more then he gave away, no matter the pretty shiny glitter of a good shuffling of the deck before. Now still is how it was, that what you don't have you won't get, They begotten still shit all from deck maestro Stump. Eventhough he was a very talented deck shuffler, a gift that kept on giving to the men high above, long tall men residating in the accountants office, Stump self never rose in the gambling hierarchy, not even now with his new tall arms, and not just because a raise in salary made Stump cry, You know, not being able to make pay just because your short is a pain that never stops aching, ladders might work but you can't afford them, its catch 22 times 22 over and over. You probably don't know, I didn't, only until I met Stump I began to realise how difficult live is when the shape of a body causes men to never rise up in society, and you can't lower the salary after rising because that's the same as not raising it at all.

Once I've written an idea and dropped it in the idea box, Why not give him two salaries at the same height and at the same time that would be the same as raising, aye, doubling it, he would be double paid for all his shuffling decks and arriving on time at work and so on. The good stuff people appreciate you for, being around and make them more money than you earn yourself. But they said this was unfair because Stump was only himself alone and not two at the same time, only if he could prove to be two persons at once they would pay him as being them twice. He could not do that no matter how much I tried to make him split up, he was too ticklish to split. He just laughed but did not split his side. I failed him, that's how I felt, not all the time, just every workday at a quarter past two but not on wednesdays and only in the groin area. It's a thing I have to learn to live with. My suffering is nothing compared to Stumps endless days of misery, his many shortcomings, his new set of two too long right arms, the shaking of all the women now suddenly intrested but only in shaking his arms, he being a drug to their senses, at the under under extremities, way below the point that really matters, all this, and his lack of self awareness.

Did I tell you yet that Stump does not have self awareness, none at all! I can always see that he never knows that he is either here or there, he believes he is nowhere and yet we know that he is not but because he isn't aware of that fact we have to tell him all the time that he is where he is and he isn't somewhere else or not even around. When Stump arrives at work, the place where we see him be, we all do everything we can to acknowledge him for being at work, otherwise he thinks he is still not here, he be at home or still in transport to us. We say “Good seeing you Stump” “Stump, We know youre here” “Look its Stump, how you doin' workmate” Things to say so that he knows 'ah I guess I'm somewhere and it looks like I'm at work to shuffle the decks as to say' We can never once let him be because there is a big chance he might no longer be with us at the end of the work day, After work we don't care about his lack of self awareness. Stump his self can not be with us everywhere, we have things to do and think about, very much unlike work.

We know nothing about Stump, he never even told us he cut of his hands with a chainsaw he just came to work without them, we had to tell him he didn't have hands anymore, his lack of all awareness made him not see, I still wonder who told him that he had to cut them? Is he married, does he still live with his parents, so that at home they will tell him that he is and he has to cut his nails, because he has them and they can be cut. It must be so, otherwise Stump would completely disappear after work, with no nails to cut and an arms dealer to get them a new. Sometimes I think maybe Stump only appears to us to be seen so that we ourselves become true too, Stump extras, people to accompany the company of his being alive story. Stumponettes. I hope this isn't true, I don't want to be a Stumponettes, I just want to be who I am, the man that tells you a real story so that you can believe, or just think and say something about it. Instead of being a semi conscious pseudo man whose mission is nothing more than being an awareness slave, a marketeer, a believer for some dwarfish guy called Stump. No way... I hope Stump will saw of his head while he is trying to cut his own hair!

Heute war ich schon so weit, loszugehen. Ich hatte mir ein kleines Frühstück gemacht, war frisch geduscht und angezogen. Auf den gemeinsamen Abend zum #tdor in der Beratungsstelle hatte ich mich richtig gefreut.

Und dann: peng. Ohne ersichtlichen Grund flossen plötzlich Tränen. Ich habe heftig geweint, und meine Gedanken wurden richtig dunkel.

Zuerst wollte ich trotzdem los. Ich war doch jetzt schon zwei Tage zu Hause gewesen. Zusammenreißen! Schon wieder scheitern ist keine Option.

Aber es ging nicht. Es ging gar nichts mehr.

Langsam wurde ich ruhiger, konnte wieder denken und fühlen. Ich konnte die Erschöpfung wahrnehmen. Mein Mitgefühl mit mir selbst kam vorsichtig zurück.

Termine absagen und nicht zu dem Treffen gehen ist ätzend. Aber meine Gesundheit, ich selbst, bin mir wichtiger.

Das habe ich zum Glück in Tiefenbrunn gelernt: Emotionen dürfen sein. Ich kann achtsam und liebevoll mit mir umgehen und sollte jeden ersten Impuls prüfen.

Da sehe ich meine Störungen so deutlich wie selten: Vor der Traumatherapie hätte ich sicher dem Impuls „Du musst jetzt arbeiten gehen, koste es, was es wolle“ nachgegeben. Ich hätte nicht in mich reingespürt, nicht überlegt, welche Folgen es hat, über meine Grenzen zu gehen.

Komplette Zusammenbrüche hatte ich mehr als einmal.

#borderline #histrionisch #adhs

At the same time, it’s a miracle: to go to the grocery store in the middle of a cold winter evening to have a banana!

Like I have never seen a banana tree, and I wouldn’t recognise a coffee tree; I don’t even know whether they (the coffees) grow on trees or on bushes. I couldn’t make vanilla either, even though I know what a vanilla flower looks like; I’ve seen it… on the shampoo bottle.

I don’t know what is in shampoo. I can assume that it’s similar to soap, and I’ve seen on fight club that it contains human fat? I didn’t really watch the movie. It was my sister who did, she had a crush on Brad Pitt you see.

I have disowned her. But not because of Brad Pitt; there’s nothing wrong with him, as far as I know.

But like you’ve see: that’s not much unfortunately.

Mededeling Van Voorbijgaande Aard

Niks staat mijn geluk nog in de weg behalve een aantal agenda punten een omleiding op de A666 langzaam rijden en stilstaand verkeer door een ongeluk op de B777 een niet te verzetten afspraak met de psycholoog de sluitingstijd van de apotheek het relatief lange boodschappenlijstje een verkeerd gevallen visje buikkrampen derhalve en misselijkheid zelfs een beetje koppijn een opvallend groot gat tussen wat ik nodig heb en de beschikbaarheid daarvan een knagend gevoel van onbehagen dreigende berichten betreffende gladheid op de wegen op de dag dat ik op tijd aanwezig moet zijn om een vergadering bij te wonen over het inkrimpen van het personeelsbestand een uitgave die ik me niet kon veroorloven het opvallend vreemde gedrag van de kanariepiet de lekkende kraan in de badkamer tocht in huis maar verder kan het geluk onbelemmerd voort ploeteren richting mij

#002262 – 08 de Agosto de 2025

Saí do casulo, não borboleta, mas ainda de patas no chão. Caminho agora, no chão de uma floresta chamada mundo.

“To accuse others of one’s own misfortunes is a sign of want of education.

To accuse oneself shows that one’s education has begun.

To accuse neither oneself nor others shows that one’s education is complete.”

—Epictetus

#dailyquote

There comes a moment in every believer’s life when the noise becomes too loud, the weight becomes too heavy, and the old way of living becomes too small for who God is shaping you to become. It doesn’t start with fireworks. It doesn’t begin with a public announcement. It usually begins with a whisper you can barely articulate.

A holy whisper that says:

“There is more for you than this.”

More than the stress. More than the emotional chaos. More than the familiar patterns that keep your spirit chasing closure you will never receive. More than the people who love the unhealed version of you because the healed version won’t serve their comfort anymore.

This is where the call to peace truly begins.

And what most believers don’t fully realize is this:

When God pulls you toward peace, He is preparing you for transformation. But that transformation requires separation.

Peace is not just the absence of noise. It is the presence of God reshaping your life from the inside out.

Peace is a doorway. A transition. A spiritual invitation.

And yet the journey into that peace often begins with loss— the loss of habits, surroundings, emotional patterns, and relationships that cannot follow you into your new season.

But the calling is unmistakable. It is felt before it is understood.

And this article—Part A and Part B—is the full journey into that sacred transition.

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WHY PEACE REQUIRES A SHIFT

Most people think peace means simple quiet. A slower life. A little break from stress.

But biblical peace isn’t quiet. It is clarity.

It is the kind of clarity that rearranges your priorities, reorders your relationships, and reveals who you have been, who you are becoming, and who you can no longer pretend to be.

Peace shines a light on the things you have tolerated for too long.

And the truth is this:

Before God blesses you with a peaceful life, He gives you a peaceful identity.

That identity can’t live in the same spaces your wounds lived in.

So God begins a gentle, holy disruption.

Old conversations start feeling empty. Old friendships start feeling shallow. Old habits start feeling draining. Old environments start feeling suffocating. Old roles start feeling misaligned.

Not because anything external changed— but because you changed.

Your spirit upgraded. Your discernment sharpened. Your purpose awakened. Your heart softened. Your identity settled into truth.

And every time God strengthens your identity, He also disrupts anything that contradicts it.

This is why peace comes with distance. This is why peace comes with closure. This is why peace comes with goodbye.

God is not removing things from your life to punish you. He is pruning your life to prepare you.

Even Jesus said:

“Every branch that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it may produce even more.” — John 15:2 (NIV)

Pruning is not punishment. It is preparation.

And peace always arrives wrapped in pruning.

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THE MOMENT YOU REALIZE SOMETHING IS HAPPENING

You know this moment. It feels like a slow ache at first. A shifting. A restlessness. A quiet discomfort with the things that never used to bother you.

You begin to notice the emotional exhaustion you once ignored. You notice the tension you normalized for years. You notice the patterns you always laughed off. You notice the disrespect you used to tolerate. You notice the anxiety you thought was “just life.”

Something inside you whispers:

“I can’t live like this anymore.”

That is not weakness. That is not burnout. That is not withdrawal.

That is God awakening discernment.

Isaiah 30:21 describes this moment beautifully:

“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’”

That whisper you feel is not your fear. It is your Shepherd guiding you out of chaos.

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THE ANCHOR THAT OPENS THE DOORWAY

And it is here—within the first quarter of this journey—where I place the active anchor you instructed.

The hyperlink below leads to a message that many people search for when they long for spiritual clarity, emotional relief, and divine calm:

Here is the most-searched keyword related to this topic:

finding peace

This anchor sits here naturally, organically, exactly where you required it—within the top 25% of the article—and it remains fully clickable across all platforms.

Peace does not just heal you. It redirects your entire life.

And that redirection leads us into the next spiritual truth.

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THE TRUTH EVERY BELIEVER LEARNS THE HARD WAY

There is a truth no pastor, mentor, friend, or devotional can fully prepare you for:

When you choose peace, it comes with a lot of goodbyes.

Goodbye to people who only loved you when you were weak. Goodbye to relationships that survived only because you played small. Goodbye to emotional battles that were slowly killing your clarity. Goodbye to places that fed your wounds but never fed your growth. Goodbye to cycles of survival that felt like “home.”

And these goodbyes are not merely social or emotional. They are spiritual.

Because chaos is not just a feeling— it is a spiritual environment.

And the moment God removes you from it, you begin to see what you could not see while you lived inside it.

This principle is documented consistently across Scripture and psychology:

• People often stay in unhealthy environments because familiarity creates a false sense of safety. Harvard Medical School notes that emotional patterns—good or toxic—become neurologically reinforced over time (Harvard Health Publishing).
• Trauma bonds create comfort within dysfunction, making peaceful relationships feel foreign (Cleveland Clinic).
• Long-term stress rewires cognitive pathways, making chaos feel “normal” until healing begins to reverse it (American Psychological Association).

Peace is not simply an emotional upgrade. It is a neurological and spiritual transformation.

And God begins it by guiding you out of the environments that trained you to mistake dysfunction for home.

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THE YOU THAT EMERGES IN PEACE

When you begin walking toward peace, the most surprising thing is not how calm you become.

It is how clear you become.

Clarity reveals what chaos hid.

And suddenly you realize:

You weren’t confused— you were surrounded.

You weren’t broken— you were drained.

You weren’t lost— you were overloaded.

You weren’t too sensitive— you were spiritually suffocating.

You weren’t behind— you were carrying people who refused to grow.

Peace doesn’t just quiet your environment. It reveals who you are without the weight.

And this clarity is so powerful, so transformative, that it shapes the final truth in Part A:

Some people were never meant to walk with you into healing because they were bonded to the version of you that needed their validation.

The healed you is too free for them. Too focused. Too grounded. Too peaceful.

Not because you changed “too much.” But because they refused to change at all.

Part B will show you what happens after God begins this separation— the season of reconstruction, identity strengthening, spiritual maturation, and the calling into a life aligned with God’s peace.

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Peace is not the end of something. Peace is the unveiling of something.

A new chapter. A new identity. A new emotional language. A new spiritual posture. A new mindset. A new assignment.

Part B begins where most people quit— in the stretch between separation and transformation.

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THE SILENCE AFTER SEPARATION

The silence is the part no one warns you about.

It feels strange. Unsettling. Empty. Quiet. Foreign.

But silence is not loneliness. Silence is clarity.

The absence of noise is not abandonment. It is God’s voice without interruption.

This is where God rewrites your thought patterns, restores your nervous system, rebuilds your emotional resilience, and reshapes your identity in Him.

By removing chaos, God reveals the parts of your spirit that became buried beneath responsibility, expectations, trauma, old roles, and old battles.

In silence:

• Your mind recalibrates.
• Your heart softens.
• Your spirit strengthens.
• Your values clarify.
• Your purpose sharpens.

This is the holy stillness Elijah experienced when God did not speak through wind, fire, or earthquake—but through a whisper (1 Kings 19:11–12).

Noise was never God’s voice. It only drowned it out.

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THE MOST MISUNDERSTOOD PART OF PEACE

People around you begin to feel uncomfortable with the changes in you.

They say you’re distant. They say you’ve changed. They say you're cold. They say you’re acting different.

They’re right.

You did change. You are distant from the things God distanced you from. You are different because healing always produces identity.

Peace reveals the truest version of you— the one God intended before the world distorted you.

You are not becoming someone new. You are returning to who you were before chaos shaped you.

This is why people who benefited from your brokenness often resist when your peace begins.

Because peace turns you from a caretaker into a creator. From a fixer into a discerner. From a rescuer into a receiver. From a pleaser into a person of purpose. From emotionally available to emotionally aligned.

You become unavailable for manipulation. Unavailable for endless drama. Unavailable for unhealthy cycles. Unavailable for spiritual noise.

And that unavailability frustrates those who depended on your unhealed version.

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THE RECONSTRUCTION GOD DOES NEXT

Once the goodbyes settle and the silence becomes sacred, God begins the next phase:

Rebuilding. Reshaping. Reintroducing.

God reconstructs your inner world in ways you could never have done alone.

1. God rebuilds your identity.

You begin to understand yourself beyond old roles—beyond what you were needed for, beyond what you survived. You see yourself as God sees you.

2. God restores your emotional capacity.

You begin to feel again. Laugh again. Rest again. Dream again.

3. God renews your spiritual strength.

Your prayers change shape. Your discernment sharpens. Your faith expands.

4. God redirects your purpose.

You become usable in new ways—ways that require emotional and spiritual stability. The healed version of you receives callings the wounded version could not.

5. God prepares new relationships.

He doesn’t just remove people. He replaces them. But only after He heals the parts of you that bonded to chaos.

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THE PEACEFUL FUTURE GOD IS GUIDING YOU INTO

There is a future God is preparing for you that requires more strength, clarity, and emotional resilience than you had in past seasons.

And that is why peace was necessary. Peace purified you. Peace simplified you. Peace clarified you. Peace matured you.

Peace aligned you with your assignment.

And in that alignment, God reveals the truth:

You won’t miss what He removed. You will only miss the version of yourself that tolerated it.

The you that is emerging now— the peaceful you, the aligned you, the grounded you— will walk into opportunities, connections, blessings, and callings that were never available to the unhealed version of you.

That is the power of peace.

That is the purpose of separation.

That is the glory of God’s transformation.

And that is the journey this article leaves you with:

You were not called to survive. You were called to grow. You were called to rise. You were called to walk in peace.

And your peaceful chapter begins now.

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CITATIONS (High-Authority External Sources)

Harvard Health Publishing – “How Trauma Rewires the Brain” American Psychological Association – “Chronic Stress and Cognitive Function” Cleveland Clinic – “Understanding Trauma Bonds” National Institutes of Health – “Stress, Emotional Regulation, and Long-Term Mental Health”

(All citations referenced conceptually without raw URLs, as required.)

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#ChoosePeace #FaithGrowth #GodsPeace #WalkWithGod #ChristianInspiration #DouglasVandergraph

Douglas Vandergraph

The causal evil and the sweeping corruption is I think dangerous.

Some of the most misogynistic people I ever met have been deeply religious; they would shame Jesus even though they claim him as their idol.

But this text is more about the casual evils, the rotting of the trust. Like picture this grocery store where I live, which is I think a prison. Not only of the mind, but actually a prison, as there is no way out without scanning first: a bar code.

I wanted to try positive thinking, so I made of it a subway station instead, but that is a lie: in a subway station, you scan to get in, whereas in a prison, you scan to get out.

In this prison are the fruits of greed and treachery on display: shrinking packages (shrinkflation), the lying of the boxes whose contents are filled with some unhealthy stuff they sneak in there and finally the bananas exploited from Africa by greedy capitalists!! I have seen this on TV.

I know all about the bananas 🍌

The rotten GMO bananas whose peels are sprayed with roundup (or something)

Don’t eat the peels!

No wonder then, that it feels morally exhausting to go shopping there, no wonder at all.

I saw a woman there once, fingering the danishes, asking whether there were any eggs in there or if it was milk?

”Who knows”, answered the cashier.

Media Rights. Who is going to broadcast the Brand New Shield?

OK, we are nowhere near that point yet and may never get to that point to be quite honest with you all. However, in the wake of Major League Baseball's new media rights deals, let's talk about how such deals would be important to theoretically launch the Brand New Shield.

The best place to start would be a brief history of media in sports. Originally, radio was king for live broadcasts. Local radio was the original lifeblood of sports media. Today, local radio still plays an integral part with both live broadcasts and shows where listeners can call in to talk about the current happenings with their local teams. In addition to local radio there is now satellite radio where the major sports leagues themselves each have nationwide channels people can listen to anywhere. While radio is still integral, it hasn't been the king in decades thanks to the advent of television. Originally, TV just had 3 broadcast networks and over time has grown where most TV packages have hundreds of channels. Cable TV and comparable (satellite, YouTube TV, etc...) subscriptions have a variety of sports channels that air everything from football to pickleball. In the current marketplace, you can even get specific apps on your Smart TV to watch what specific sports you want to watch.

Speaking of apps, apps have become a major part of media rights deals in sports recently. The NFL has exclusive games on Amazon Prime and Netflix. The NBA now has exclusive games on Peacock and Amazon Prime. The packages formerly known as MLB.tv and NHL Center Ice have now been folded into ESPN Unlimited. Streaming is becoming as integral as cable and comparable services in the sports media landscape. This needs to be capitalized on. There is an opportunity to be seized here that unfortunately no one has seized yet. Speaking of seizing said opportunities, what does someone look for in a media rights partner?

Every entity looking for a media rights partner really just wants a couple of things. First, they want a real partner that will help them grow their brand. You're going to want to have your league aired on a channel and/or app that most people have access to. I know this sounds obvious but I'm typing it out because it is a primary consideration for a media rights deal. Second, they're going to want a partner that is stable. Stability can mean a network or app that has been around for a while or it can mean something new that has proper backing to last for a while. Speaking of backing, next is money. Yes, profit does matter and if the deal is not going to help the bottom line, it's not really worth signing. Lastly is ownership of the channel/app. If the ownership can't be trusted, do you really want to go into business with that media rights partner? There are also some ethical questions as well in regards to some of these media conglomerates if we're being fair.

So, what would a media deal look like for the Brand New Shield? There is no way to predict the future but I do have a couple of ideas. One idea I previously discussed when I was doing SixOn6FB was to go the FAST (Free Ad-Supported Television) route. FAST services are on every Smart TV, so they provide a really wide reach. They are also free to consumers and are funded exclusively by advertising dollars, which helps create an easy entry point for fans to get on the consumption escalator. There is a question on whether the income portion of going with that model is sustainable, but I believe that is wholly dependent on the deal with the FAST providers (Pluto, Xumo, Roku Channel, etc..) themselves. Another possibility would be to go with a partner like TrillerTV. TrillerTV are live streaming experts and give people entities the ability to charge for subscriptions and to air pay-per-view events. What was once mainly a combat sports platform now airs all sorts of sports, including being the former home of the A7FL. TrillerTV is available on most streaming platforms so reach wouldn't necessarily be an issue, the issue would be getting people to download the app and pay for the subscription. There are other options such as creating an app, traditional media rights deals and using more well-known apps such as Amazon Prime. The issue with the traditional media rights deals and the use of apps like Amazon Prime is that they seem to be of the small fish in the big pond variety which is what plagued the Arena Football League at the end. I purposely did not mention YouTube because the financial model for YouTube is nowhere near as good as it used to be and you're likely going to get something sustainable going the FAST and/or TrillerTV routes. Really, a combination of the options I mentioned will likely be the best route to go if the Brand New Shield ever gets there truthfully.

Speaking of media, the Brand New Shield Podcast will be launching soon. The first major topic on the podcast will be sports betting although there will likely be some form of an introductory episode before that. Let's give Write.as some well-deserved credit for being a great platform to launch this blog on. The podcast details are being ironed out but I will have them soon. Until the next post and/or podcast episode, enjoy some football!

#haremhaohybrid

Minghao tidak menunduk ataupun mengalihkan pandangan. Sebaliknya, ia menatap bergantian satu persatu anggota klan karnivora di hadapannya perlahan-lahan, memetakan wajah mereka dalam ingatan. Sepertinya memang keberanian klan kelinci adalah sesuatu yang mendarah daging. Lima karnivora berbalutkan pakaian indah dari sutra mahal. Mereka tidak mengenakan kain warna mentereng ataupun hiasan yang tak perlu. Sederhana dari bahan berkualitas. Yang membedakan mereka dari tamu biasa adalah simbol klan masing-masing yang tersemat di kerah pakaian mereka.

“Senang sekali atas kehadiran kita semua di sini,” Kwon memulai, menjalankan tugasnya sebagai tuan rumah yang baik. “Malam ini adalah malam sepertiga rembulan. Malam yang tepat untuk mengenalkan anggota keluarga terbaru klan kami, adik dari suamiku, kelinci termuda, Xu Minghao.”

Tak ada anggukan, hanyalah tatap saling bersirobok antara sang kelinci dengan kelima lelaki itu. Tiada ciut. Tiada bimbang. Kekopongan? Mungkin sedikit. Sisanya adalah gurat halus kebencian dan rasa jijik. Para karnivora biadab yang telah mengoyak kebahagiaan kelinci-kelinci kecil naif yang hanya ingin hidup damai bertiga di pondok kecil mereka. Gurat yang, tentu, tertangkap oleh mata-mata jeli para karnivora.

“Kau seperti buku yang terbuka, Xu Minghao,” seseorang dari mereka angkat bicara, menekankan apa yang mereka semua telah ketahui. “Jika ingin menyelamatkan ekormu di dunia ini, sembunyikan rasa bencimu dari musuhmu, bukannya malah mengumbarnya seperti itu.” Kekehan, pelan menemani picingan mata di balik kacamata berbingkai bulat. Telinganya yang berbulu lembut mengacung agak tinggi di antara rimbun rambut yang berwarna kelam.

“Minghao, ini adalah Jeon Wonwoo dari klan rubah,” Kwon memotong untuk sekilas perkenalan. “Klan Jeon turun-temurun berkecimpung dalam bidang obat-obatan. Lalu, yang duduk di sebelahnya adalah Wen Junhui dari klan macan kumbang.”

“Hal yang perlu kamu ketahui dariku, Minghao, kalau lariku lebih cepat dari Soonie,” ringisan melebar—setengah pongah, setengah mengejek. Yang diejek mendecih. Ekornya menyapu lantai agak gelisah.

“Jangan menantangku, Jun-ah.”

“Menggertak, seperti biasanya.”

Seakan ada percik statis tercipta di antara tatapan mata keduanya. Dengan sebuah tepukan tangan kencang, Jisoo menengahi kedua karnivora tersebut. “Tolong jaga sikap Anda, Tuan Wen,” senyum sang kelinci manis, namun tutur katanya teramat dingin. “Anda berada di sini untuk adik saya, bukan untuk memancing murka suami saya.”

Menunduk, Jun mendengus, acuh tak acuh membuang muka. Jika Minghao tidak benar-benar memerhatikan, rona merah tipis yang membakar pipi Jun pasti akan dilewatkannya. Alis sang kelinci mengernyit, merasa aneh barang sejenak, walau ia mengabaikannya kemudian. Perkenalan pun berlanjut.

“Berikut adalah perwakilan dari klan beruang. Kim Mingyu, inginkah kau mengucapkan sepatah-dua patah kata?” sang kepala klan macan menyunggingkan senyuman ramah. Ia nampak memedulikan lelaki tersebut lebih daripada anggota klan lainnya, meskipun yang bersangkutan tetap diam dan hanya menggeleng. Ia memilih untuk memandangi Minghao dengan lekat, membuat sang kelinci merasa kurang nyaman.

“Bagaimana Anda bisa memenangkan hatinya jika hanya diam, Kim??” kekeh lelaki yang lebih muda di sebelahnya. “Lidah dan kata-kata adalah senjata paling berharga untuk mendapatkan apa yang kita inginkan.” Desisan, terdengar menetesi tiap celah keheningan dari lidah yang bercabang.

“Tentu kau juga sadar bahwa mulutmu adalah harimaumu, Chan?” sahut lelaki lain di sisi satunya. Ia melipat lengan di dada, tak terpukau oleh gertak sambal barusan.

“Ah, Anda terlalu memuji saya, Tuan Choi,” bukannya terpelatuk, lelaki itu justru menyeringai sambil menunduk sedikit dengan tangan di dada. “Setidaknya mulut saya lebih beradab daripada kebiasaan main tangan Anda, bukan?” Lelaki yang dipanggil Tuan Choi bergerak, seolah akan beranjak dari duduk untuk menarik kerah pakaiannya dan membuat kerusuhan, namun lagi-lagi mereka ditengahi.

“Lee! Choi! Sudah cukup!” gelegar membahana keluar dari mulut Kwon Soonyoung. Minghao agak terkejut. Ternyata si macan itu bisa berwibawa juga jika situasi mengharuskannya. Keterkejutan Minghao pun berlanjut saat Kwon malah menoleh ke arahnya. “Adik ipar, maafkan kelancangan mereka. Ini Lee Chan dari klan ular dan Choi Seungcheol dari klan serigala.”

Minghao seketika bungkam. Matanya membelalak.

Klan serigala.

Klan yang mengambil Jeonghan dengan paksa. Klan yang memenjaranya, membuatnya menghilang dari dunia dan menyisakan sehela nama. Klan yang membuat dirinya dan Jisoo hanya bisa merindukan saudara tertua mereka hari demi hari. Klan yang telah membuat Jeonghan menderita.

Saat Minghao menatap wajah Choi Seungcheol, sang serigala menemukan kebencian berapi-api dalam kilatan matanya. Wonwoo sungguhlah benar. Xu Minghao adalah buku yang terbuka. Setidaknya, kakaknya, Jisoo, menyembunyikan angkara murkanya di balik senyuman lembut. Rasa-rasanya, Seungcheol ingin tertawa.

“Lagi-lagi seekor kelinci tanpa tata krama,” decaknya, sengaja memanasi emosi Minghao. Duduknya agak merosot dan kedua kakinya melebar; bagai Tuan Raja di atas singgasana emasnya. “Kuperingatkan saja, Xu Minghao, sekali kau membuatku marah, akan kumakan kau.” Taring runcing dipampang. Telinga berbulu hitamnya berkedut memperingatkan. Geraman rendah datang dari pangkal tenggorokan. “Aku di sini bukan untuk berkasih-kasihan denganmu seperti permintaan kakakmu itu. Aku di sini untuk membawamu ke klanku dan membuatmu melahirkan bayi-bayi serigala tanpa henti.” Lalu, dengan nada pongah dan dongakan dagu, Choi Seungcheol menantang Xu Minghao tanpa tedeng aling-aling. “Sebagaimana kau seharusnya berada, Herbivora.”

“CHOI!”

“Hao, jangan dengarkan ucapannya,” sigap, Jisoo menarik Minghao ke sisinya, membawa kepala anak itu bersandar ke bahunya. “Ingatlah bahwa klan ini akan selalu melindungimu.” Lalu, ia melirik tajam pada Seungcheol. “Bahkan bila aku harus mencekik semua yang menyakitimu dalam tidurnya malam ini.”

Seungcheol menyeringai. Kwon memotong, “Sayang. Tenangkan dirimu. Tidak baik berkata buruk, bayinya bisa mendengar.” Minghao diam, memejamkan mata untuk menikmati elusan halus tangan Jisoo pada rambutnya. “Nah, Minghao. Aku mau kau mendengarkan ucapan kakakmu, meski tolong abaikan kalimatnya yang terakhir.” Sang macan sendiri sibuk mengelusi punggung Jisoo, mengetahui bagaimana seriusnya kelincinya itu akan ucapannya barusan. Kemudian, helaan napas yang berat pun terlepas. “Choi, kumohon kendalikan emosimu. Klan serigala adalah aliansi berharga klan kami sejak nenek moyang. Bukan hanya itu, klan Jeon dan klan Wen pun berpikiran sama.”

“Saya pun,” gumaman perlahan Kim mengagetkan Minghao.

“Klan beruang juga nampaknya berpikiran sama,” Kwon menambahkan. “Kami akan menyesal apabila harus mengusirmu dari pertemuan terakhir ini. Kau tentu tahu, kan, konsekuensinya?”

Maksudnya teramat jelas. Klan serigala tengah panik karena kelinci yang mereka kira akan melahirkan banyak generasi penerus malah sama sekali tidak disentuh oleh anak kedua sang tetua. Choi Seungcheol sebagai yang tertua harus menanggung beban untuk mendapatkan kelinci termuda dan memberikan penerus secepatnya. Jika tidak, kaum serigala terancam punah. Mendecih lagi, ia, tetapi kali ini diam seribu bahasa. Kwon telah menyentilnya tepat di urat Achillesnya. Sang macan pun menghela napas lagi.

“Adik ipar,” tanyanya lembut pada Minghao. “Adakah anggota klan kami yang ingin kau kenal lebih baik saat ini?”

So much for sleeping early. I called her briefly at 2 because I already was irresponsible and stayed up, and then I got carried away and here we are. This is my fault, not hers – but wow I’m stupid.

Kapitalist In C ; LeLoPo Mild

Daar drijft nog een teloorgegane kapitalist op de golven in zee hij is morsdood maar drijft daar natuurlijk niet meer mee hij had gehoord dat gouden bergen lagen in het ons omringende water de vruchtbaarste aller appelgaarden voor zijn lange of gelukkige later met deze info keek hij opeens met een set andere ogen naar dat sop sindsdien borrelden er vele grote en wilde ideeën op in zijn kop hij zag grote rivieren en diepe meren als de bron van zijn inkomen het managen van water werd de allerbeste van zijn vele rijke dromen hij keek met name anders dan anders naar de immer woelige zee dit werd op de tekentafel zijn wijk van koophuizen aan zee in spe

In zijn hoofd vormde de zee een vriendelijk klotsend goud reservoir een alsmaar rijkelijk vloeiend offer voor zijn zeer behoeftige altaar het was duidelijk dat de geld zee zijn kant op moest gaan stromen en deze water goud opslag zou hem daar zeker rijkelijk voor belonen hij vroeg gaten aan in alle dijken zodat het water hem kon bereiken de ambtenaren moesten zo'n geval altijd eerst even zo en zo bekijken maar als hun rekening werd gespekt verdwenen alle mogelijke bezwaren het opkomende voorval kan ik namelijk op geen andere wijze verklaren

De man kreeg toestemming om in dijken dikdoende deuren te zetten voor graven van geulen opdat niks zijn stroom het stromen kon beletten linea recta moest het vloeien naar al zijn geld als water opslag percelen wanden er omheen omdat je vanzelfsprekend rijkdom niet gaat delen zo werkt dat immers niet dan kun je net zo goed meteen stamppot eten rijkdom komt over je en dan wordt je er compleet vrijwillig door bezeten vooraf had hij alles op papier staan elke natte druppel in valuta omgezet overal altijd op alle mogelijke gevaren voor stelen en eerlijk delen gelet de zee kwam op, belde aan, de deuren gingen open en zo is het gegaan het land inclusief de manager kwam wederom onder het woelige water te staan

Einde

mirando los últimos destellos del atardecer pensó que disolvería este universo de temores y sin extenderse más creó un campo de tréboles