YMI -- ODB: 19 September 2025

Sep. 19th, 2025 03:24 am
sparowe: (Fell)
[personal profile] sparowe

ODB: The Change Christ Brings

September 19, 2025

READ: Proverbs 28:13-14 

 

Whoever . . . confesses and renounces [their sins] finds mercy. Proverbs 28:13

When a patch of irritated skin formed near my left eye, I used makeup to cover it. Temporarily this kept my problem a secret. After a while, though, the swollen red spot didn’t clear up, and I knew it needed medical attention. On the morning of the doctor’s appointment, I was tempted to apply makeup as usual, but I didn’t. I wanted the doctor to see the problem clearly and treat it so it could heal.

Have you ever tried to hide a sin problem? Maybe you’re aware that some action or thought is controlling you, but you’ve avoided praying about it or mentioning it to friends and family. Maybe you think it’s no big deal because many other people are dealing with similar issues. But it’s impossible to thrive spiritually when sin is secretly fouling up our lives. As Proverbs 28:13 says, “Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper.” Thankfully the verse continues, “but the one who confesses and renounces [sin] finds mercy” (v. 13).

It can be hard to adopt God’s view of our actions and admit that certain practices are wrong. However, His kindness eases the process of humbling ourselves. When we welcome the power of Christ’s Spirit into our struggle, we can reject the wrong that tempts us (Galatians 5:16-1722-24). As God guides us, change is possible, and our spiritual health is worth the effort!

— Jennifer Benson Schuldt

As you consider confessing sin, why is God’s everlasting love encouraging? How might the enemy deceive you in your struggle with sin?

Dear God, please help me yield the areas of sin in my life to You.

Source: Our Daily Bread

Signups are closed!

Sep. 18th, 2025 06:43 pm
pumpkinkingmod: (pic#8274963)
[personal profile] pumpkinkingmod posting in [community profile] trickortreatex
Just an update that signups are closed! I'm going to finish fine-tuning matching tomorrow morning (East Coast time), so don't wait up for unmatchable emails tonight :)
sinesofinsanity: For use in leading quests and destorying balrongs (Default)
[personal profile] sinesofinsanity posting in [community profile] fancake
Fandom: Avatar the Last Airbender
Pairings/Characters: Zuko, Iroh, the GAang in the background
Rating: G
Length: 2,889 words, 19min 30s
Creator Links: Haicrescendo
Theme: Food & Cooking, character development, family, families of choice, going home, missing scenes,

Summary:

[Zuko’s greatest failing, not his only but just one that stands out the most in a very long list, is that he’s never known quite what he had until it’s gone. Or, on the opposite hand, he covets the things that don’t matter, that seem to matter so much at the time and turn out, in the end, to be something that Zuko’s made up in his head.

And then Zuko finds, of all things after it all, that he misses Uncle Iroh’s tea.]

Or,

Zuko screws up his life and in the process of fixing it, figures out some tea wisdom along the way.


Reccer's Notes: This story is so beautiful and gentle. I absolutely love seeing how Zuko's growth and character development is mirrored with his finally learning to make a decent cup of tea. Plus the neat detail of how he despite learning from and trying to emulate his uncle, he makes it his own way. Zuko and Iroh's relationship is lovely in this too. Just an all around lovely story. klainelynch does a beautiful job with the podfic as well

Fanwork Links:
Heat, Wait, Steep, Repeat
and the Podfic both on AO3

YMI -- ODB: 18 September 2025

Sep. 18th, 2025 03:38 am
sparowe: (Bible)
[personal profile] sparowe

ODB: Of Megalodons and Leviathan

September 18, 2025

READ: Job 41:1-510-14 

 

Who has a claim against me that I must pay? Everything under heaven belongs to me. Job 41:11

Years ago, a lumpy package arrived in my mailbox. I noticed my best friend’s return address on it and smiled. Joe sometimes sends me unexpected things. This package qualified: Inside was a dark brown shark’s tooth—five inches long.

Joe’s letter explained it was a fossilized tooth from a prehistoric shark, a megalodon, many times bigger than a great white shark. I tried to fathom how big a fish’s jaw would have to be to contain rows of such teeth. Scientists offer a speculative answer: nine by eleven feet. What a sight these creatures must have been!

Scripture doesn’t mention megalodons. But in the book of Job, God describes a sea beast called Leviathan. Job 41 details its impressive frame. “I will not fail to speak of Leviathan’s limbs, its strength and its graceful form,” God tells Job (v. 12). “Who dares open the doors of its mouth, ringed about with fearsome teeth?” (v. 14).

The answer? Only Leviathan’s creator. And here, God reminds Job that as great as this beast might be, it’s nothing compared to its Creator: “Everything under heaven belongs to me” (v. 11).

That meg tooth sits on my desk, a visual token of our Creator’s majesty and creativity. And that unlikely reminder of God’s character comforts me when it feels like the world might eat me up and spit me out.

— Adam Holz

How do certain aspects of creation remind you of God’s powerful, creative nature? How does His work in creation encourage you?

Dear Father, Your creation speaks of Your splendor and power. Please help me trust You when life feels overwhelming.

Source: Our Daily Bread

full_metal_ox: A Chinese gold Metal Ox charm, with a textured teal frame. (framed)
[personal profile] full_metal_ox posting in [community profile] fancake
Fandom: Mo Dao Zu Shi; Chen Qing Ling
Pairings/Characters: Gen; M/M; Lan Wangji/Wei Wuxian; Jin Zixuan, Wen Qing, Wen Ning, Nie Mingjue, Nie Huaisang, Jiang Fengmian, Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng, Jiang Yanli, Lan Xichen, Lan An, Lan Wangji
Rating: General Audiences
Length: 1,209 words
Content Notes: No Archive Warnings Apply, arrant pedantry, Author Showed Her Work, Food Porn, gastrotravelogue, tea nerdery, Tumblr work
Creator Tags:
headcanon, the untamed 陈情令, cql, mo dao zu shi, mdzs, wei wuxian, lan wangji, nie huaisang, jin zixuan, wen qing, nie mingjue, wangxian headcanon at the very end because that's what i'm here for, tea, i really like tea, heicha, oolong, white tea, green tea, dragonwell, my ramblings, qi is a thing for some tea drinkers

Creator Links: (AO3) [archiveofourown.org profile] Haoppopotamus; (Instagram) [instagram.com profile] haoppopotamus; (Tumblr) [tumblr.com profile] watch-grok-brainrot (formerly [tumblr.com profile] wangxianbunnydoodles)
Theme: Food & Cooking, Cultural Differences, Meta, Research, Worldbuilding

Summary: Since watching ep 3 for the first time (i.e. january), this has been knocking around in my brain. In ep 3, we see JZXuan waltzing into the same inn as the Yunmeng Trio, booting them, and then rejecting “bad tea”. Ever since, I’ve watched a lot of tea being poured in CQL. It got me thinking, what kind of tea would different sects prefer and what would different characters drink?

Reccer’s Notes: In which Haoppo uses her tea connoisseurship as a vehicle for characterization and worldbuilding (and invites her imaginary friends to illustrate and share her interest.) For the likes of me (with no claim to Asian cred by birth or upbringing, and whose blunted sensory range reduces almost all tea to hot leaf juice), this serves as a window into an unfamiliar area of interest and body of cultural reference frames (the idea that tea might possess qi, not necessarily related to its flavor, was a new one on me—but of obvious importance to cultivators.)

Fanwork Links: Tea Preferences by CQL Sects - a Headcanon

(The original post, preserved on the Wayback Machine, includes a beautiful and apropos GIF header: Tea Preferences by CQL Sects - a Headcanon ([tumblr.com profile] wangxianbunnydoodles)

YMI -- ODB: 17 September 2025

Sep. 17th, 2025 03:27 am
sparowe: (Strength)
[personal profile] sparowe

ODB: God’s Strength

September 17, 2025

READ: Judges 3:7-11 

 

The Spirit of the Lord came on him. Judges 3:10

Her husband’s death began a period of transition for Nora. She took over his hardware business and cared for their three children on her own. “Be strong,” friends often told her. But what does that mean? she’d think. That I must deliver without fail in my responsibilities?

God gave great responsibilities to Othniel in a time of transition for the people of Israel. As discipline for the nation’s idolatry, God had given them “into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim . . . to whom the Israelites were subject for eight years” (Judges 3:8). Under the cruel king of Mesopotamia, the Israelites “cried out to the Lord,” and “he raised up for them a deliverer” (v. 9)—Othniel, whose name means “God’s strength.”

As the first judge of Israel, Othniel had no predecessor to help him. This military leader had to guide the Israelites back to living out their covenant relationship with God and defend them from their enemies. But because “the Spirit of the Lord came on him” (v. 10), he succeeded. With God’s strength sustaining Othniel’s leadership, “the land had peace for forty years, until [he] died” (v. 11).

How can we truly “be strong”? It’s by knowing we’re not strong and by trusting God to give us His strength. His “grace is sufficient for [us], for [His] power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). God’s strength works through us, doing things only He can do.  

— Karen Huang

How have you tried to “be strong”? How does Othniel’s story impact your understanding of strength?

Father God, please enable me to rely on Your strength.

Source: Our Daily Bread

pumpkinkingmod: (pic#8274963)
[personal profile] pumpkinkingmod posting in [community profile] trickortreatex
Hello, sweet and spooky Trick or Treaters! Signups close in just under two days (September 18 at 7:59 PM EDT/23:59 UTC). Here is the signup information post!

And for this year's Community Challenge, we're going retro again. Your collective goal is to treat every participant.

*except for the ones who opt out of treats. do not treat them!

This will be managed in a similar style to the 2021 community challenge (see here) with percentage tiers of success. I'll post the exact tier targets after signups close and we have the numbers.

Get excited, and good luck!
mific: (Dief is happy)
[personal profile] mific posting in [community profile] fancake
Fandom: due South
Characters/Pairings: Diefenbaker
Rating: Gen
Length: n/a (artwork)
Content Notes: may induce donut cravings!
Creator Links: Wagnetic on AO3
Theme: Food and cooking, Happy endings, Crafts, Textiles

Summary: A bag featuring Dief and the imminent demise of some donuts.

Reccer's Notes:
I will never stop reccing this! An excellently crafted bag with a felt appliqué of Dief about to enjoy a stack of donuts. It's so good, and a perfect likeness of Dief with a "donuts incoming" gleam in his eye!

Fanwork Links: Hungry Like the Wolf

Round 179 Theme Poll

Sep. 16th, 2025 08:44 am
runpunkrun: combat boot, pizza, camo pants = punk  (punk rock girl)
[personal profile] runpunkrun posting in [community profile] fancake
Poll #33623 round 179 theme poll
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: Just the Poll Creator, participants: 104

Pick the next theme of fancake:

Mystery & Suspense
37 (35.6%)

Platonic Relationships
32 (30.8%)

Uncommon Settings
35 (33.7%)

YMI -- ODB: 16 September 2025

Sep. 16th, 2025 03:42 am
sparowe: (Bible)
[personal profile] sparowe

ODB: Overcoming Evil with Good

September 16, 2025

READ: Romans 12:14-21 

 

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:21

Doctor Dolittle, the fictional doctor who converses with animals, has delighted fans through books, movies, and plays. However, few people know that author Hugh Lofting first wrote the Dolittle tales to his children from the ghastly trenches of World War I. He later said that the war was too awful to recount in his letters—so he wrote and illustrated stories instead. These whimsical, joy-filled tales were Lofting’s way of pushing back against the war’s horror.

It’s inspiring to see a person moving against the menacing, degrading forces that seem too powerful to thwart. We admire this resilient courage because we fear that injustice, violence, and greed will triumph. Sometimes we fear that the whole world will be “overcome by evil” (Romans 12:21). And these fears are well-founded if we’re left to ourselves. However, God has not left us to ourselves. He fills us with His divine strength, places us in the action, and calls us to “overcome evil with good” (v. 21).

We each overcome evil with good in whatever ways God has put into our hearts. Some of us write beautiful stories. Some of us care for the poor. Some of us make our homes places of welcome. Some of us share God’s story through melody, poetry, or conversation. In a myriad of ways, we carry His goodness and peace into the world (v. 18), overcoming evil as we go.

— Winn Collier

Where do you see evil lurking? How can you be part of overcoming evil with good?

Dear God, please help me be part of overcoming evil with good.

Source: Our Daily Bread

denynothing1: (Default)
[personal profile] denynothing1 posting in [community profile] fancake
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Pairings/Characters: Rodney McKay/John Sheppard
Rating: Mature
Length: 7,571 words
Creator Links: whateverrrrwhatever on AO3
Theme: Food & Cooking

Summary: John decides that California doesn't seem like such a bad idea.

It's an AU where John Sheppard inherits a supermarket right next to Cal and meets Rodney McKay, physics professor. They kiss. That's it, that's the fic.

Reccer's Notes: This is an *almost* complete AU, shot through with wonderful location details, wherein John is a veteran who spent time in Antarctica and Rodney is a professor at Berkeley. In a series of snapshots, John inherits a run-down local market, decides he likes the neighborhood, and sets about making a place for himself. Then one day, an "unnecessarily dramatic" (as described in the tags) Rodney walks through the door.

This was one of the first SGA AUs I read and it stayed with me. I truly enjoyed following John as he problem solved; first the store, then Rodney. (Spoiler: the solution is snacks.)

Fanwork Links: Story on AO3
sparowe: (Bible)
[personal profile] sparowe

Open the Book


I’ve listened to lesser voices. Locker-room know-it-alls. Godless teachers. Messed-up movie stars. Self-absorbed talk show hosts. They don’t know what they are talking about. I need an authoritative voice, an owner’s manual. And so do you.

I played catcher in Little League baseball, Pony League baseball, and high school baseball. I noticed something: the width of home plate never changed. It was always seventeen inches wide. The width of the plate was permanent.

So is the truth of God. It’s why Jesus said in John 8:31-32 (NIV), “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Healthy thinking happens as we submit to Scripture. Do you want to know God’s thoughts about anything? Open the book!
 

Read more Tame Your Thoughts: Three Tools to Renew Your Mind and Transform Your Life

YMI -- ODB: 14 September 2025

Sep. 14th, 2025 10:28 am
sparowe: (Bible)
[personal profile] sparowe

ODB: God’s Tender Care

September 14, 2025

READ: Isaiah 40:10-1129-31 

 

He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart. Isaiah 40:11

Sitting in the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit, I visited with a mother as her newborn baby cuddled up against her chest. In this technologically advanced medical facility, the doctors had recommended a very low-tech “prescription” to improve and strengthen the child’s health—the new mom was to spend extended periods of time simply holding her daughter.

There’s almost nothing like the overwhelming love and tender compassion of a parent providing healing comfort for a child. We see this powerful imagery in the prophet Isaiah’s description of God with His people.

Even after prophesying impending exile for the nation of Israel because they’d rejected God (Isaiah 39:5-7), Isaiah emphasized to the people that God still loved them and would always provide for them. God’s tender compassion and secure care is evident in the beautiful metaphor where He is described as a shepherd who, much like a loving father, gathers His sheep “in his arms and carries them close to his heart” (40:11).

God’s presence grants us peace and protection and reminds us that He carries us close to His heart, like a newborn baby with its mother. As He “gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak” (v. 29), the Spirit’s healing comfort allows us to meet the challenges of each day.

— Lisa M. Samra

What comes to mind when you think about the love of a mother for her newborn baby? How has God’s protective and loving care strengthened you?

Heavenly Father, I'm so grateful that You hold me close to Your heart.

Source: Our Daily Bread

YMI -- ODB: 13 September 2025

Sep. 13th, 2025 08:09 am
sparowe: (Bible)
[personal profile] sparowe

ODB: Searching for Mercy

September 13, 2025

READ: Exodus 16:11-16 

 

Then you will know that I am the Lord your God. Exodus 16:12

Her fans knew her as Nightbirde. Singer-songwriter Jane Kristen Marczewski won a following in 2021 on a popular TV talent show. In 2017, she’d been diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer. In 2018, she went into remission. She started touring, but months later the cancer returned, giving her little chance of survival. Amazingly she recovered and was declared cancer-free. But on February 19, 2022, Nightbirde died.

During her difficult journey, she blogged, “I remind myself that I’m praying to the God who let the Israelites stay lost for decades. They begged to arrive . . . but instead He let them wander, answering prayers they didn’t pray. . . . Every morning, He sent them mercy-bread from heaven . . . . I look for the mercy-bread . . . The Israelites called it manna, which means ‘what is it?’ That’s the same question I’m asking . . . . There’s mercy here somewhere—but what is it?”

The exodus story reveals much about God’s mercy. First, His mercy was promised to the Israelites. “You will be filled with bread” (Exodus 16:12). And second, His mercy may surprise us. “They did not know what it was” (v. 15). Mercy often doesn’t look like what we think. But it’s mercy nonetheless. For the Israelites, it looked like morning manna. For Nightbirde, she wrote of the gift of a blanket from a friend, and her mother’s hands.

— John Blase

How has God’s mercy surprised you? What might it mean for you to look for mercy today?

Merciful God, thank You for Your mercy. Please help me search for it. For further study, read A Child’s Compassion.

Source: Our Daily Bread

birdylion: picture of an exploding firework (Default)
[personal profile] birdylion posting in [community profile] fancake
Fandom: Leverage
Pairings/Characters: Alec Hardison/Parker/Eliot Spencer, Peggy Milbank, Amy Palavi
Rating: General Audiences
Length: 21452 words
Creator Links: [archiveofourown.org profile] page_runner
Theme: food & cooking, casefic, competence, outsider pov

Summary:
She was only here for a long weekend, using this convention as an excuse to see Alice for the first time in over a year, or using Alice as an excuse to get away for a convention, or using both as a reason to finally take a vacation, because it was about damn time.
At least, that was the original plan.

Reccer's Notes:
Peggy Milbank is a side character who appears in 2 episodes: once when Parker's alias "Alice White" gets called in for jury duty, and once when Parker, Sophie and Tara sneak into a ball at an embassy for an event where Peggy does the catering.

This fic has her meeting the team once more, and has her involved in a job in Portland when they investigate a sketchy business man who drives independent food cart owners out of business, not shying away from inflicting violence on them in the process.

While the team does their thing, Peggy offers to take over the food cart, and does so with remarkable competence - learning a whole new cuisine on the fly. Food plays a big role in the whole story, because of their case, but also because now there are several people in one place who care a lot about food. It's also about a community of food cart owners. And just like Eliot found a way out of his violent life by learning how to cook, there's a side plot in this story how he does that for others too.

While the ship Eliot/Parker/Hardison isn't the main focus, it is definitely in the background, and Peggy's perspective is a really nice outsider POV on them, so I tagged it as such as well.

Fanwork Links: The Food Cart Job on ao3
birdylion: picture of an exploding firework (Default)
[personal profile] birdylion posting in [community profile] fancake
Fandom: Leverage
Pairings/Characters: Maggie Collins, Eliot Spencer, Alec Hardison, Parker (Leverage), Amy Palavi
Rating: General Audiences
Length: 711 words
Creator Links: [archiveofourown.org profile] Hagar
Theme: food & cooking, gen

Summary: Her ex-husband's associates are occasionally useful. For example, when Maggie has a really bad feeling about her latest client.

Reccer's Notes:
Maggie visits the brewpub looking for help regarding a client of hers. It's lovely how the food she is served there acts as kind of character description for the relationship between her, Eliot, Hardison and Parker.

Fanwork Links: What friends are for on ao3

YMI -- ODB: 12 September 2025

Sep. 12th, 2025 03:21 am
sparowe: (Bible)
[personal profile] sparowe

ODB: Guarding Thoughts in Christ

September 12, 2025

READ: Philippians 4:4-9 

 

Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure . . . think about such things. Philippians 4:8

Lap after lap, Katie Ledecky was in a familiar spot during the 1500-meter freestyle race at the 2024 Paris Olympics. For some fifteen minutes, she was far ahead of the rest of the swimmers and alone with her thoughts. What was Ledecky thinking about during the long race? In an interview conducted immediately following her gold-medal-winning performance in which she set a new Olympic record, Ledecky said she was thinking about her training partners and saying their names in her head.

Distance swimmers aren’t the only ones who need to focus their minds on the right things. We as believers in Jesus also need to guard our thoughts throughout our faith journey.

The apostle Paul encouraged the Philippian church to “rejoice in the Lord,” not be “anxious about anything, but pray about everything (Philippians 4:46). The result? “The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (v. 7). Jesus, the Prince of Peace, helps put our worries and troubles in perspective.

Paul also encouraged believers: “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (v. 8).

As we go about our day, let’s be aware of our thoughts. When we see God’s hand in our life, we can count our blessings and worship Him.

— Nancy Gavilanes

What have you been thinking about lately? How can you honor God with your thoughts?

Dear God, may my thoughts be pleasing to You.

Source: Our Daily Bread

Boo! Signups are open!

Sep. 11th, 2025 05:02 pm
pumpkinkingmod: (pic#8274963)
[personal profile] pumpkinkingmod posting in [community profile] trickortreatex
First, if you nominated Batman AMT, Digimon Adventure, or Sonic AMT, please check out this query post!

Second, signups are now open! 🎃 They will close on September 18 at 7:59 PM EDT/23:59 UTC.

Please review the signup instructions in this post before signing up.

The community challenge post will be up sometime this week.

Signup form
Tagset
Requests summary
Signup summary
FAQ post


Sign up details )
full_metal_ox: Lan Wangji from Mo Dao Zu Shi, with his bunnies. (bunnies)
[personal profile] full_metal_ox posting in [community profile] fancake
Fandom: Mo Dao Zu Shi
Pairings/Characters: Gen; M/M; Lan Wangji/Wei Wuxian; Lan Yuan, Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji, OCs
Rating: General Audiences
Length: 2,442 words
Content Notes: No Archive Warnings Apply, anonymous author, autobiographical incident, Chinese diaspora feels, inappropriate choice of rabbit food, racist microaggression, secondhand embarrassment
Creator Tags:
Based on a True Story, yes my mom really couldn't find a basic cake and so we had to go with bread, Fluff, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Baking, Icing, Frosting, AHAHAHAAHAHAHAHH THOSE ARE TAGS, Michael's (the store) makes a big appearance, Father's Day, but idc if it's not father's day yet, I was inspired, Inspired by Real Events
Creator Links: none
Theme: Food & Cooking, Cultural Differences, Family, Fluff, Modern AU, Slice of Life

Summary: In which Sizhui and his Baba ice a loaf of bread for Father's Day (plus some angst, but we don't really have to get into specifics do we?)

Author’s Notes:

something i wrote while having writers block

enjoy

(also stay safe and wash your hands and quit going outside if you are)

this isn't really asian rep it just happened when i was 10 and i typed for two hours also its may and here we are with a fictionalized crackheaded version of what happened

yes there were mean girls

… lan zhan's the one getting the cake because his personality's the closest to my dad's but like my dad cut off the frosting and we ended up using the bread for other stuff


Reccer’s Notes: The Chinese-American author posted this anonymously on 8 May 2020 for U.S. Asian and Pacific Islander Month, apologizing that “this isn’t really asian rep”; given that the canon creator is Asian, her target audience is Asian, the characters are Asian, and the OP is Asian fictionalizing their Asian family’s real-life experience, I personally don’t see how it can avoid being Asian Rep.

The author’s self-consciousness—both at the time of writing and in retrospect—is flying from the ramparts, and arguably an integral part of the story. They never did emerge from anonymity, and they’ve since deleted the story—which is a shame, because this is a valid slice-of-life in the Lynda Barry vein, with the OP’s imaginary friends as proxies. Since there seems to be no identifying information that could be used to trace them, I don’t think posting a Wayback Machine capture will expose them to further embarrassment.

And let’s not be like the Mean Girls at Michael’s, okay?

Fanwork links: a loaf of bread is not a substitute for a blank cake
pronker: barnabas and angelique vibing (Default)
[personal profile] pronker posting in [community profile] fancake
Fandom: Dark Shadows

Pairings/Characters: Roger Collins, CC Female, Which Would Give Away Too Much If Named

Rating: G

Length: 2,394 words

Creator Links: AO3 Profile

Theme: Food & Cooking

Summary: Roger meets a friend for dinner who shares his discomfort regarding marriages.

Reccer's Notes: Roger remains one of my favorite Dark Shadows characters, acted superbly by Louis Edmonds, a veteran of stage costume dramas. He always wears period clothing with impeccable insouciance despite figure-hugging trousers, wing collars, and Victorian handlebar moustaches. In this fic, we see how much food presents an opportunity for revealing, soul searching reflections with a sympathetic friend, in fact so much that they don't even eat until the last paragraph or so. The universality of sharing food provides a letting down of the hair, so to speak, voluminous in his friend's case and not-so-much in his. There's an absolutely delightful twist at fic's end. Also, the AO3 profile mentions Author's website, WickerManStudios which contains stories along with more personal content.

Fanwork Links: Mysterious Circumstances

YMI -- ODB: 11 September 2025

Sep. 11th, 2025 10:46 am
sparowe: (Compassion)
[personal profile] sparowe

ODB: Lamenting to God

September 11, 2025

READ: Lamentations 1:20-22 

 

See, Lord, how distressed I am! I am in torment within, and in my heart I am disturbed. Lamentations 1:20

I viewed the opening displays of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York City with curiosity but kept my emotions in check. That changed when we entered the inner exhibit, which the curators have wisely closed off from children and those wanting to shield themselves from the more heartrending images. As I encountered story after story of heartbreak and loss, waves of lament rose within me.

When we witness or remember such destruction and pain, we can join the cries of those who have voiced their distress to God. This includes the words of anguish found in Lamentations, which many scholars believe the prophet Jeremiah wrote after the destruction of Jerusalem. In the tightly formed structure of this poem, he releases his sorrow and grief over the pain of God’s people: “See, Lord, how distressed I am! I am in torment within, and in my heart I am disturbed” (Lamentations 1:20). And yet he looks to God as the ultimate judge, knowing that only He can deal with the sins and destruction: “Let all their wickedness come before you” (v. 22).

This kind of honest crying out to God can help us to grapple with painful atrocities such as what happened on September 11, 2001, or other current-day evil deeds. We look to God for help, hope, comfort, and justice.

— Amy Boucher Pye

When you witness wickedness, how do you keep your heart tender before God? How might He lead you to pray for those who are hurting today?

God of truth and love, I know that Your heart breaks over the pain in the world. Please envelop me in Your grace and mercy and heal my wounds.

Source: Our Daily Bread

 
 

SGA: Battle Potato by fiercelydreamed

Sep. 11th, 2025 11:09 pm
mific: (Teyla serious)
[personal profile] mific posting in [community profile] fancake
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Characters/Pairings: Gen. Teyla Emmagan & Rodney McKay & John Sheppard & Ronon Dex
Rating: G
Length: 7229
Content Notes: No AO3 warnings apply.
Creator Links: fiercelydreamed on AO3, anatsuno on AO3, anatsuno on Audiofic Archive
Themes: Food and cooking, Team as family, Friendship, Hurt/comfort

Summary: The thing was, John had never been good at patient, and Teyla looked like okay was a couple galaxies over from wherever she was now.

Reccer's Notes: A touching hurt/comfort story set after the team rescues Teyla from Michael. Although Teyla and her baby are back in Atlantis, she's slow to recover and remains low and depleted. Rodney has a plan to cheer her up, though, involving food, and he ropes John in to help. It was I think written in the hiatus before the last season so a few minor details have been jossed, but that doesn't matter. This is the best sort of found family story, with them all rallying around to support Teyla. Lovely.

Fanwork Links: Battle Potato, and there's an excellent podfic read by anatsuno.

pumpkinkingmod: (pic#8274963)
[personal profile] pumpkinkingmod posting in [community profile] trickortreatex
I have some questions for the nominators of the below fandoms! Please reply by Saturday, Sept 13, 11:59 AM EDT, or I'll choose how to handle them without input.

Note that this deadline does overlap with signups, which will open later today (Sept 11). So if you intend to sign up with any of these fandoms, you may want to wait a couple days - my apologies for the inconvenience!

Batman - All Media Types
There are various Batmans already in the tag set. Can this be merged into DCU (Comics)?

Digimon - All Media Types
Digimon Adventure
There are two overlapping Digimon nominations. Can the AMT nominator pick a specific version? And does the Digimon Adventure nominator mean the original anime or the 2020 reboot? (or does the fandom treat them interchangeably?)

Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games) is already in the tag set. Can this be merged with that, or can you pick a different specific version?


---

Tron - All Media Types
Tron: Uprising is already in the tag set. Can you pick a specific version?


The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Other Zeldas are already in the tag set. Can you pick a specific version?


Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
The TV show and video games are already in the tag set. Can you pick a specific version?
mossy_bench: Skyla in a plane with pilot goggles and helmet (strapped-in)
[personal profile] mossy_bench
(i.e., things I hope will merit dedicated write-ups on my journal, should I make enough headway)

Making fanmixes in a post-8tracks era
This is a topic I want to write a proper post about after I've done some more sleuthing. I'm not sure how long that will take, but hopefully I'll have something to show for it by the end of the year.

I adored 8tracks and was devastated when they disappeared, and there still isn't a good replacement for fanmixes. I loved the playlists curated by actual human beings with intention. I would really love to have a Ryuji/Daigo playlist to listen to as I write, but finding songs that actually fit them has been like pulling teeth.

This relates to a larger issue, which is that I find my current music discovery process deeply unsatisfactory. It feels like every method is either too passive, or too glacial. Algorithmic recommendations will just feed you things based on what you've already listened to; picking through databases like Rate Your Music and AllMusic feels very random and inefficient because there's just SO much, and yet they have their blind spots genre- and language-wise; music blogs and forums, as well as indie radio stations, are similarly such a crapshoot and I guess I still haven't found the right ones. And nothing has been all that helpful for locating songs that fit specific themes and dynamics for fanmix purposes. But I'm still testing the waters. And I hope to have more to share about what works and what doesn't for fanmix development today, both when locating songs and when figuring out a place to host and share them.

Kinktober or Schlocktober, using Hello From the Magic Tavern
I'm pretty close to being caught up on this long-ass fantasy podcast. My current hope is that I'll be completely caught up by the end of the month, and that I'll have accumulated enough ideas in the meantime to make a proper go at either Kinktober or Schlocktober. Maybe I'll vacillate between the two. There are so many things in the show that are ripe for cracky PWPs—it's such a huge, silly sandbox to play in. I hope this serves dual purposes: creating more fic for a fandom that has very few, and giving myself a real writing challenge after falling off the wagon for a bit.

Working through my AO3 Marked for Later
Enough! Later is now!
And then relatedly, updating my Calibre fic downloads with any fic I've bookmarked since the last time I did a pass.

Things on the backburner
Topics I've thought about journaling on, but not sure when they'll happen:
- My favorite Pokemon and the merch I've accumulated for it
- Examining the submerged iceberg that is my drawerfic
- Reflections on my time in non-English-language fandom (specifically, trying to do fandom in my heritage language)
- Reviews/reactions to various media I've gotten through in recent months
- How I first got into fandom
chibifukurou: (Psyduck Mystery Dungeon)
[personal profile] chibifukurou posting in [community profile] fancake
Fandom:The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System
Pairings/Characters: Luo Binghe/Shen Yuan
Rating: T
Length: 14.5k
Creator Links: [archiveofourown.org profile] CheckersXIV
Theme: Food and cooking, (Five) Things, Complete AU

Summary: Luo Binghe has accepted his life for what it is: a dull repetition of a burned-out passion for a job. Back when he started his "Not Your Mother's" cooking channel on youtube, he had been ready to face the world. Now he just wants the world out of his face. When he hits one more bump in the road, he can't really say it's too surprising considering that the universe seems to just hate him.

And yet, the universe sends him to Shen Yuan.
_
Or 5 times Shen Yuan accidentally distracts Luo Binghe's attention from his videos, and the one time Luo Binghe gets his.

Reccer's Notes: This theme was a good excuse to go back for a reread. I love a fic where the point isn't so much falling in love as growing into the kind of person ready to love and be Loved. 

5+1 is always a fun framing device. Particularly when combined with in universe comment section. And I love that this js a broad world with various people who know each other from various settings in it. 

Fanwork Links: The Way to a Man's Heart is His Stomach
22degreehalo: (AtLA Zuko/Aang hug)
[personal profile] 22degreehalo posting in [community profile] fancake
Fandom: The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System
Pairings/Characters: Luo Binghe/Shen Yuan
Rating: T
Length: 143,334
Creator Links: [profile] mellicindi
Theme: Food & Cooking, (Secret) Hobbies, Asexual & Demisexual Characters, Alternate Universe - Modern, Book Fandoms, Canon LGBTQ+ Characters, Characters of Color, Disability, Families of Choice, Favorite Fanworks, No Canon Required, Novel-Length Fic, Trauma & Recovery.

Summary: Shen Yuan isn't lonely. He's just overseas in a new city, trying to muddle his way through a business degree, and dealing with the side effects of his stupid intestines trying to kill him. So, maybe he sometimes watches ASMR to cope with his too-quiet apartment. Maybe he has a little bit of a parasocial-relationship-thing going on with one particular cooking ASMR channel. It's 2016, who doesn't? The point is, he's content with his quiet life.

And then Shang Qinghua strong-arms him into watching one Hallmark Christmas movie, and it all goes to hell.

Or: Shen Yuan is a Hallmark movie protagonist, Luo Binghe is a Lifetime movie protagonist, and somehow they make it work.

Reccer's Notes: I read this fic over three days right in the middle of Battleship and it instantly became one of my favourite fanfics of all time. I could seriously gush for hours about this fic and its themes: the recurring thread of food as a love language (especially given protagonist Shen Yuan's digestive disability he's too self-conscious to talk openly about), the differing nature of familial, romantic, and friendship bonds and the varying privileges and presumptions behind each, this Luo Binghe's long-term trauma that manifests in the best goddamn depiction of Borderline Personality Disorder I've seen outside Crazy Ex Girlfriend seemingly entirely on accident - and among all of that, it's just a goddamn well-written story, incredibly easy to read and funny and heartfelt and true to its characters while being 100% readable fandom-blind and just - if any of the above appeals to you, I really can't advise anything other than to read it ASAP. <333

Fanwork Links: Life is (not) a Hallmark Movie

August 2019

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