The night before brain surgery, I thought about death. I searched out my larger values, and I asked myself, if I was going to die, did I want to do it fighting and clawing or in peaceful surrender? What sort of character did I hope to show? Was I content with myself and what I had done with my life so far? I decided that I was essentially a good person, although I could have been better--but at the same time I understood that the cancer didn't care.I asked myself what I believed. I had never prayed a lot. I hoped hard, I wished hard, but I didn't pray. I had developed a certain distrust of organized religion growing up, but I felt I had the capacity to be a spiritual person, and to hold some fervent beliefs. Quite simply, I believed I had a responsibility to be a good person, and that meant fair, honest, hardworking, and honorable. If I did that, if I was good to my family, true to my friends, if I gave back to my community or to some cause, if I wasn't a liar, a cheat, or a thief, then I believed that should be enough. At the end of the day, if there was indeed some Body or presence standing there to judge me, I hoped I would be judged on whether I had lived a true life, not on whether I believed in a certain book, or whether I'd been baptized. If there was indeed a God at the end of my days, I hoped he didn't say, 'But you were never a Christian, so you're going the other way from heaven.' If so, I was going to reply, 'You know what? You're right. Fine.'I believed, too, in the doctors and the medicine and the surgeries--I believed in that. I believed in them. A person like Dr. Einhorn [his oncologist], that's someone to believe in, I thought, a person with the mind to develop an experimental treatment 20 years ago that now could save my life. I believed in the hard currency of his intelligence and his research.Beyond that, I had no idea where to draw the line between spiritual belief and science. But I knew this much: I believed in belief, for its own shining sake. To believe in the face of utter hopelessness, every article of evidence to the contrary, to ignore apparent catastrophe--what other choice was there? We do it every day, I realized. We are so much stronger than we imagine, and belief is one of the most valiant and long-lived human characteristics. To believe, when all along we humans know that nothing can cure the briefness of this life, that there is no remedy for our basic mortality, that is a form of bravery.To continue believing in yourself, believing in the doctors, believing in the treatment, believing in whatever I chose to believe in, that was the most important thing, I decided. It had to be.Without belief, we would be left with nothing but an overwhelming doom, every single day. And it will beat you. I didn't fully see, until the cancer, how we fight every day against the creeping negatives of the world, how we struggle daily against the slow lapping of cynicism. Dispiritedness and disappointment, these were the real perils of life, not some sudden illness or cataclysmic millennium doomsday. I knew now why people fear cancer: because it is a slow and inevitable death, it is the very definition of cynicism and loss of spirit.So, I believed.

Glory of the world makes life meaningless. Glory of God fulfills it.

life love truth inspirational knowledge philosophy happiness wisdom fame faith hope pride joy god beauty religion self self-respect adoration spirituality conceit humility recognition motivational meaning-of-life writing ego self-love worship vanity happy-life education honor admiration wonder glory nobility blessing phenomenon modesty selfishness reputation greatness humble elegance grandeur praise popularity arrogance celebrate gentle self-importance self-righteous egocentrism narcissism self-worship joy-of-life tame delight acclaim acquiescent applaud biddable bless boast commend compliant conceitedness deferential diffident distinction docile egotism eminence eulogize exaltation exaltation-of-god extol extolment glorify-god glorify-god-in-everything glorify-self-vs-glorify-god glorifying-god glorifying-god-quotes glory-of-god glory-of-life glory-of-man glory-of-me glory-of-one glory-of-self glory-of-self-vs-glory-of-god glory-of-the-world glory-to-god glory-to-self god-s-exaltation god-s-glorification god-s-glory god-s-grandeur god-s-greatness god-s-honor god-s-magnificence god-s-majesty god-s-praise grandeur-of-god greatness-of-god honor-of-god how-to-fulfill-life hubris humbleness immodesty imperiousness joyful-living kudos lamblike life-fulfillment lionize magnificence magnificence-of-god magnify majesty majesty-of-god marvel meaningful-life meaningless-life meek mild modest obedient opulence pay-tribute-to pomposity pompousness praise-of-god prestige quotes-that-glorify-god rave renown resplendence self-admiration self-adoration self-centeredness self-conceit self-effacing self-exaltation self-extolment self-glorification self-glorifying self-glory self-glory-vs-god-s-glory self-honor self-magnification self-magnifying self-opinion self-praise self-pride self-regard self-satisfaction smugness splendor submissive superiority tractable ultimate-purpose-of-life unassuming unprotesting unresisting vainglory

Beware ! Discipline goes to two different directions : success and self glory. Self glory is the biggest failure of life.

fame pride beauty self-respect adoration conceit humility discipline success recognition ego self-love worship vanity honor admiration wonder glory nobility blessing phenomenon modesty selfishness reputation greatness success-quotes humble temptation elegance grandeur praise popularity arrogance celebrate gentle self-importance self-righteous egocentrism narcissism self-worship tame delight acclaim acquiescent applaud biddable bless boast commend compliant conceitedness deferential diffident distinction docile egotism eminence eulogize exaltation exaltation-of-god extol extolment glorify-god glorify-god-in-everything glorify-self-vs-glorify-god glorifying-god glorifying-god-quotes glory-of-god glory-of-life glory-of-me glory-of-one glory-of-self glory-of-self-vs-glory-of-god glory-to-god glory-to-self god-s-exaltation god-s-glorification god-s-glory god-s-grandeur god-s-greatness god-s-honor god-s-magnificence god-s-majesty god-s-praise grandeur-of-god greatness-of-god honor-of-god hubris humbleness immodesty imperiousness kudos lamblike lionize magnificence magnificence-of-god magnify majesty majesty-of-god marvel meek mild modest obedient opulence pay-tribute-to pomposity pompousness praise-of-god prestige quotes-that-glorify-god rave renown resplendence self-admiration self-adoration self-centeredness self-conceit self-effacing self-exaltation self-extolment self-glorification self-glorifying self-glory self-glory-vs-god-s-glory self-honor self-magnification self-magnifying self-opinion self-praise self-pride self-regard self-satisfaction smugness splendor submissive superiority tractable unassuming unprotesting unresisting vainglory discipline-quotes direction-of-discipline temptation-of-succes temptation-quotes

Dear my strong girls, you will all go through that phase of life making a mistake of helping a toxic girl whose friendship with you turns into her self-interest. This kind of girls is a real burden towards the empowerment of other females as they can never get past their own insecurity and grow out of high-school-like drama. Despite how advanced we are in educating modern women, this type will still go through life living in identity crisis, endlessly looking for providers of any kind at the end of the day. They can never stand up for others or things that matter because they can't stand up for themselves. They care what everyone thinks only doing things to impress men, friends, strangers, everyone in society except themselves, while at the same time can't stand seeing other women with purpose get what those women want in life. But let me tell you, this is nothing new, let them compete and compare with you as much as they wish, be it your career, love or spirit. You know who you are and you will know who your true girls are by weeding out girls that break our girlie code of honor, but do me a favor by losing this type of people for good. Remind yourself to never waste time with a person who likes to betray others' trust, never. Disloyalty is a trait that can't be cured. Bless yourself that you see a person's true colors sooner than later. With love, your mama. XOXO

Failure to put the relationship on a slower timetable may result in an act that was never intended in the first place. Another important principle is to avoid the circumstances where compromise is likely. A girl who wants to preserve her virginity should not find herself in a house or dorm room alone with someone to whom she is attracted. Nor should she single-date with someone she has reason not to trust. A guy who wants to be moral should stay away from the girl he knows would go to bed with him. Remember the words of Solomon to his son, “Keep to a path far from her, do not go near the door of her house” (Proverbs 5:8). I know this advice sounds very narrow in a day when virginity is mocked and chastity is considered old-fashioned. But I don’t apologize for it. The Scriptures are eternal, and God’s standards of right and wrong do not change with the whims of culture. He will honor and help those who are trying to follow His commandments. In fact, the apostle Paul said, “He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear” (1Corinthians 10:13). Hold that promise and continue to use your head. You’ll be glad you did.

Yesterday i was clever so i took the glory for me. Today HE makes me wise so i give the glory to HIM.

fame pride god beauty self self-respect adoration conceit humility recognition ego self-love worship vanity honor admiration wonder glory nobility blessing phenomenon modesty selfishness wise reputation greatness today humble yesterday elegance grandeur praise popularity arrogance clever celebrate gentle self-importance self-righteous egocentrism narcissism self-worship tame delight acclaim acquiescent applaud biddable bless boast commend compliant conceitedness deferential diffident distinction docile egotism eminence eulogize exaltation exaltation-of-god extol extolment glorify-god glorify-god-in-everything glorify-self-vs-glorify-god glorifying-god glorifying-god-quotes glory-of-god glory-of-life glory-of-man glory-of-me glory-of-one glory-of-self glory-of-self-vs-glory-of-god glory-of-the-world glory-to-god glory-to-self god-s-exaltation god-s-glorification god-s-glory god-s-grandeur god-s-greatness god-s-honor god-s-magnificence god-s-majesty god-s-praise grandeur-of-god greatness-of-god honor-of-god hubris humbleness immodesty imperiousness kudos lamblike lionize magnificence magnificence-of-god magnify majesty majesty-of-god marvel meek mild modest obedient opulence pay-tribute-to pomposity pompousness praise-of-god prestige quotes-that-glorify-god rave renown resplendence self-admiration self-adoration self-centeredness self-conceit self-effacing self-exaltation self-extolment self-glorification self-glorifying self-glory self-glory-vs-god-s-glory self-honor self-magnification self-magnifying self-opinion self-praise self-pride self-regard self-satisfaction smugness splendor submissive superiority tractable unassuming unprotesting unresisting vainglory

Big things in the glory of the world mean nothing. Small things in glory of God mean everything. Truly..., size doesn't matter in this world or in the world to come.

fame pride god beauty self self-respect adoration conceit humility recognition ego self-love worship vanity honor admiration wonder glory nobility blessing phenomenon modesty selfishness reputation greatness humble nothing elegance grandeur praise popularity arrogance celebrate gentle self-importance self-righteous egocentrism narcissism self-worship tame delight everything acclaim acquiescent applaud biddable bless boast commend compliant conceitedness deferential diffident distinction docile egotism eminence eulogize exaltation exaltation-of-god extol extolment glorify-god glorify-god-in-everything glorify-self-vs-glorify-god glorifying-god glorifying-god-quotes glory-of-god glory-of-life glory-of-man glory-of-me glory-of-one glory-of-self glory-of-self-vs-glory-of-god glory-of-the-world glory-to-god glory-to-self god-s-exaltation god-s-glorification god-s-glory god-s-grandeur god-s-greatness god-s-honor god-s-magnificence god-s-majesty god-s-praise grandeur-of-god greatness-of-god honor-of-god hubris humbleness immodesty imperiousness kudos lamblike lionize magnificence magnificence-of-god magnify majesty majesty-of-god marvel meek mild modest obedient opulence pay-tribute-to pomposity pompousness praise-of-god prestige quotes-that-glorify-god rave renown resplendence self-admiration self-adoration self-centeredness self-conceit self-effacing self-exaltation self-extolment self-glorification self-glorifying self-glory self-glory-vs-god-s-glory self-honor self-magnification self-magnifying self-opinion self-praise self-pride self-regard self-satisfaction smugness splendor submissive superiority tractable unassuming unprotesting unresisting vainglory truly small-things this-world big-things size-doesn-t-matter size-matter world-to-come

Sweet wine makes drunk, sour wine (insult) is "tetelestai". Life is not about what we have done and become, but how God to be fully glorified.

life fame pride god beauty self self-respect adoration conceit humility recognition ego self-love worship vanity drunk honor admiration wonder glory nobility blessing phenomenon modesty selfishness reputation greatness humble elegance grandeur praise insult popularity arrogance celebrate gentle self-importance self-righteous egocentrism narcissism self-worship tame delight acclaim acquiescent applaud biddable bless boast commend compliant conceitedness deferential diffident distinction docile egotism eminence eulogize exaltation exaltation-of-god extol extolment glorify-god glorify-god-in-everything glorify-self-vs-glorify-god glorifying-god glorifying-god-quotes glory-of-god glory-of-life glory-of-man glory-of-me glory-of-one glory-of-self glory-of-self-vs-glory-of-god glory-of-the-world glory-to-god glory-to-self god-s-exaltation god-s-glorification god-s-glory god-s-grandeur god-s-greatness god-s-honor god-s-magnificence god-s-majesty god-s-praise grandeur-of-god greatness-of-god honor-of-god hubris humbleness immodesty imperiousness kudos lamblike lionize magnificence magnificence-of-god magnify majesty majesty-of-god marvel meek mild modest obedient opulence pay-tribute-to pomposity pompousness praise-of-god prestige quotes-that-glorify-god rave renown resplendence self-admiration self-adoration self-centeredness self-conceit self-effacing self-exaltation self-extolment self-glorification self-glorifying self-glory self-glory-vs-god-s-glory self-honor self-magnification self-magnifying self-opinion self-praise self-pride self-regard self-satisfaction smugness splendor submissive superiority tractable unassuming unprotesting unresisting vainglory fully-paid it-is-finished last-words-of-jesus saying-of-jesus-on-cross sour-wine sweet-wine tetelestai

Whatever we have in the glory of man is "away". Those are just not enough before we go "home" to the glory of God.

fame pride home god beauty self self-respect adoration conceit humility recognition lost ego self-love worship vanity honor admiration wonder glory nobility blessing phenomenon modesty selfishness reputation greatness humble away enough elegance grandeur praise popularity arrogance celebrate gentle self-importance found self-righteous egocentrism narcissism self-worship sufficient tame delight acclaim acquiescent applaud biddable bless boast commend compliant conceitedness deferential diffident distinction docile egotism eminence eulogize exaltation exaltation-of-god extol extolment glorify-god glorify-god-in-everything glorify-self-vs-glorify-god glorifying-god glorifying-god-quotes glory-of-god glory-of-life glory-of-man glory-of-me glory-of-one glory-of-self glory-of-self-vs-glory-of-god glory-of-the-world glory-to-god glory-to-self god-s-exaltation god-s-glorification god-s-glory god-s-grandeur god-s-greatness god-s-honor god-s-magnificence god-s-majesty god-s-praise grandeur-of-god greatness-of-god honor-of-god hubris humbleness immodesty imperiousness kudos lamblike lionize magnificence magnificence-of-god magnify majesty majesty-of-god marvel meek mild modest obedient opulence pay-tribute-to pomposity pompousness praise-of-god prestige quotes-that-glorify-god rave renown resplendence self-admiration self-adoration self-centeredness self-conceit self-effacing self-exaltation self-extolment self-glorification self-glorifying self-glory self-glory-vs-god-s-glory self-honor self-magnification self-magnifying self-opinion self-praise self-pride self-regard self-satisfaction smugness splendor submissive superiority tractable unassuming unprotesting unresisting vainglory complete not-enough

If we glorify God (not self) in everything we do then everything on earth will glorify God.

fame pride beauty self-respect adoration conceit humility recognition ego self-love worship vanity honor wonder glory nobility phenomenon modesty selfishness reputation greatness humble elegance grandeur praise popularity arrogance celebrate gentle self-importance self-righteous egocentrism narcissism tame delight acclaim acquiescent applaud biddable commend compliant conceitedness deferential diffident distinction docile egotism eminence eulogize exaltation exaltation-of-god extol extolment glorify-god glorify-god-in-everything glorify-self-vs-glorify-god glorifying-god glorifying-god-quotes glory-of-god glory-of-life glory-of-me glory-of-one glory-of-self glory-of-self-vs-glory-of-god glory-to-god glory-to-self god-s-exaltation god-s-glorification god-s-glory god-s-grandeur god-s-greatness god-s-honor god-s-magnificence god-s-majesty god-s-praise grandeur-of-god greatness-of-god honor-of-god hubris humbleness immodesty imperiousness kudos lamblike lionize magnificence magnificence-of-god magnify majesty majesty-of-god marvel meek mild modest obedient opulence pay-tribute-to pomposity pompousness praise-of-god prestige quotes-that-glorify-god rave renown resplendence self-admiration self-adoration self-centeredness self-conceit self-effacing self-exaltation self-extolment self-glorification self-glorifying self-glory self-glory-vs-god-s-glory self-honor self-magnification self-magnifying self-opinion self-praise self-pride self-regard self-satisfaction smugness splendor submissive superiority tractable unassuming unprotesting unresisting vainglory everything-on-earth-glorify-god

If you have no armsTo hold your crying child but your own armsAnd no legs but your own to run the stairs one more timeTo fetch what was forgottenI bow to youIf you have no vehicleTo tote your wee one but the wheels that you driveAnd no one else to worry, “Is my baby okay?”When you have to say goodbye on the doorsteps of daycareor on that cursed first day of schoolI bow to youIf you have no skill but your own skillTo replenish an ever-emptying bank accountAnd no answers but your own toSatisfy the endless whys, hows, and whens your child asks and asks againI bow to youIf you have no tongue to tell the truthTo keep your beloved on the path without a precipiceAnd no wisdom to impartExcept the wisdom that you’ve acquiredI bow to youIf the second chair is emptyAcross the desk from a scornful, judging authority waitingFor your child’s father to appearAnd you straighten your spine where you sitAnd manage to smile and say, “No one else is coming—I’m it.”Oh, I bow to youIf your head aches when the spotlight finally shineson your child because your hands are the only hands there to applaudI bow to youIf your heart aches because you’ve given until everything in you is goneAnd your kid declares, “It’s not enough.”And you feel the crack of your own soul as you whisper,“I know, baby. But it’s all mama’s got.”Oh, how I bow to youIf they are your life while you are their nurse, tutor, maidBread winner and bread baker,Coach, cheerleader and teammate…If you bleed when your child falls downI bow, I bow, I bowIf you’re both punisher and huggerAnd your own tears are drowned out by the running of the bathroom faucetbecause children can’t know that mamas hurt tooOh, mother of mothers, I bow to you.—Toni Sorenson

I know that you are preparing to fight." There were screams amongst the students, some of whom clutched each other, looking around in terror for the source of the sound. "Your efforts are futile. You cannot fight me. I do not want to kill you. I have great respect for the teachers of Hogwarts. I do not want to spill magical blood."There was silence in the Hall now, the kind of silence that presses against the eardrums, that seems too huge to be contained by walls."Give me Harry Potter," said Voldemort's voice, "and they shall not be harmed.Give me Harry Potter and I shall leave the school untouched. Give me Harry Potter and you will be rewarded."You have until midnight."The silence swallowed them all again. Every head turned, every eye in the place seemed to have found Harry, to hold him forever in the glare of thousands of invisible beams. Then a figure rose from the Slytherin table and he recognized Pansy Parkinson as she raised a shaking arm and screamed, "But he's there! Potter's there. Someone grab him!"Before Harry could speak, there was a massive movement. The Gryffindors in front of him had risen and stood facing, not Harry, but the Slytherins. Then the Hufflepuffs stood, and almost at the same moment, the Ravenclaws, all of them with their backs to Harry, all of them looking toward Pansy instead, and Harry, awestruck and overwhelmed, saw wands emerging everywhere, pulled from beneath cloaks and from under sleeves."Thank you, Miss Parkinson." said Professor McGonagall in a clipped voice."You will leave the Hall first with Mr. Filch. If the rest of your House could follow.

Some people say, “Once you learn to be happy, you won't tolerate being around people who make you feel anything less.” My Christ says, “Your job is to get off your self righteous butt and start reaching out to the difficult people because my ministry wasn’t about a bunch of nice people getting together once a week to sing hymns and get a feel good message, that you may or may not apply, depending on the depth of your anger for someone. It is about caring for and helping the broken hearted, the difficult, the hurt, the misunderstood, the repulsive, the wicked and the liars. It is about turning the other cheek when someone hurts you. It is about loving one another and making amends. It is allowing people as many chances as they need because God gives them endless chances. When you do this then you will know me and you will know true happiness and peace. Until then, you will never know who I really am. You will always be just a fan or a Sunday only warrior. You will continue to represent who you are to the world, but not me. I am the God that rescues.

Underlying the attack on psychotherapy, I believe, is a recognition of the potential power of any relationship of witnessing. The consulting room is a privileged space dedicated to memory. Within that space, survivors gain the freedom to know and tell their stories. Even the most private and confidential disclosure of past abuses increases the likelihood of eventual public disclosure. And public disclosure is something that perpetrators are determined to prevent. As in the case of more overtly political crimes, perpetrators will fight tenaciously to ensure that their abuses remain unseen, unacknowledged, and consigned to oblivion.The dialectic of trauma is playing itself out once again. It is worth remembering that this is not the first time in history that those who have listened closely to trauma survivors have been subject to challenge. Nor will it be the last. In the past few years, many clinicians have had to learn to deal with the same tactics of harassment and intimidation that grassroots advocates for women, children and other oppressed groups have long endured. We, the bystanders, have had to look within ourselves to find some small portion of the courage that victims of violence must muster every day.Some attacks have been downright silly; many have been quite ugly. Though frightening, these attacks are an implicit tribute to the power of the healing relationship. They remind us that creating a protected space where survivors can speak their truth is an act of liberation. They remind us that bearing witness, even within the confines of that sanctuary, is an act of solidarity. They remind us also that moral neutrality in the conflict between victim and perpetrator is not an option. Like all other bystanders, therapists are sometimes forced to take sides. Those who stand with the victim will inevitably have to face the perpetrator's unmasked fury. For many of us, there can be no greater honor. p.246 - 247Judith Lewis Herman, M.D. February, 1997

Takamasa Saegusa: 'Seigen, a mere member of the Toudouza, had the effrontery to sully the sacred dueling ground. For that reason, our lord had already decided to subject him to tu-uchi before long. Cut off his head immediately, and stick it on a pike!'Gennosuke could hardly believe his ears. Such an insult to Irako Seigen was unwarranted. It was pride. For Gennosuke, Irako Seigen was pride itself.Takamasa Saegusa: 'Fujiki Gennosuke! It is the way of the samurai to take the head of the defeated enemy on the battleground. Do not hesitate! If you are a samurai, you must carry out the duty of a samurai!'Samurai...Saegusa, Lord of Izu, continued shouting, but Gennosuke did not attend. That word 'samurai' alone reverberated through his body.If one aims at the juncture between the base of the skull and the spine, decapitation is not that difficult, but Gennosuke could muster no more strength than a baby. He grew pale and trembled with the strain. He could only hack with his sword as if he were sawing wood. He felt nauseated, as if his own cells one after another were being annihilated. But this...Lord Tokugawa Tadanaga: 'I approve.'Takamasa Saegusa: 'Fujiki Gennosuke, for this splendid action you have received words of thanks from our lord. As a sign of his exceptional approval, you shall be given employment at Sunpu Castle. This great debt will by no means be forgotten. From this day forward you must offer your life to our lord!'Prostrating himself, Gennosuke vomited.

Don’t do this,” he begged hoarsely against her temple, crumbling inside. Honor wasn’t the type to make empty threats or do something like this on a whim. No, she meant it and was prepared to go through with it. He had one last shot to change her mind, right now, before he lost her forever. So no, even he wasn’t above begging if that’s what it took to make her stay and work this out. “You said you still love me,” he whispered brokenly. He was holding onto that for all it was worth. It had to be enough. He squeezed her tighter. “I know you’re scared and I know you’re hurting but… Don’t do this. Don’t walk away. Please.” Don’t leave me. She’d never know how much it cost him to beg her this way, but he was so damn scared right now he didn’t care how pathetic it made him look. He’d do or say f-ing whatever it took to get her to listen to reason, make her change her mind. Anything except agreeing to live a lie and hide his true feelings for her from the rest of the world, no matter what the reason. A sob tore out of her. Honor stopped shoving at him. She wound her arms around his back and squeezed so hard he felt the muscles in her arms tremble. Liam closed his eyes and pressed his face against her hair, that painful bubble of hope surfacing again. He could feel her torment, her pain. If he could just calm her down long enough to get her to listen, really listen and then think this through… “Sweet pea, just listen to me,” he began softly. “No, I can’t.” Honor tore away from him and grabbed the doorknob. Before he could recover enough to reach out and stop her, she’d slammed the door shut behind her. Gone.

Then he made the mistake of looking into her eyes and froze. Her expression was so open, so full of tenderness and longing as well as heat that he almost balked. This was supposed to be about closure, about having the goodbye they’d never gotten last time. How was he supposed to leave after if she gave herself to him this completely? Her hand came up to cradle the side of his face, her thumb stroking back and forth across his jaw, her touch gentle and loving. “Need you,” she murmured,It was good. Even better than he remembered. Liam buried his face in the side of her neck and sucked in a breath, struggling to hang on. Being cradled in Honor’s arms, buried to the hilt inside her while she opened her body and heart to him was the most incredible thing in the world. How the f*&^ was he going to walk away later? Without warning his eyes began to sting. As though she sensed how close he was to coming unglued, Honor murmured to him and pressed kisses to the side of his face, her hand urging his head to turn toward her. Liam shook his head, unable to bear that final level of intimacy when he knew this was their last time. Keeping his face in her neck he fought back the swell of emotion and began to move, a slow, shallow rocking motion that was more profound than words could ever be. He loved her. Would always love her, but it wasn’t enough because some things couldn’t be undone and he just couldn’t let her in the way he had before. All they had left was this bittersweet farewell, and he was going to make it memorable. .... A lump settled in his throat and he squeezed his eyes shut, torn between the excruciating pleasure swelling inside him and the need to see her face as he took her this last time. In the end, his heart won out. Powerless to stop himself, he lifted his head and looked down at her. Anguish sliced through his chest when he saw the tears glistening in her beautiful eyes. Don’t. Don’t cry. Shit, he didn’t want either of them to hurt anymore. He was sick of hurting. That’s why he was ending it all tonight. With a low sound of regret he covered her mouth with his, his tongue sliding against hers as he took her. Honor kissed him back deep and slow...Cupping her cheek with his free hand he gave her everything he had left to give, allowing his emotional shields to drop for these final moments.She ran her fingertips up and down his back in a soothing motion, her body limp and pliant beneath his, legs still wrapped around him. And all of a sudden he felt like crying. He felt too much, was in too deep again.He didn’t know what to say to make this any easier. After what they’d just shared he was more conflicted than ever about what to do. “I’ll miss you,” she murmured, and he caught the slight catch in her voice. Ah, fu&%. He gritted his teeth. It would be so much easier if they could just hate each other. For a moment he considered saying something to make her do exactly that, but couldn’t. Even he wasn’t enough of an a**hole to end things that way. And that look on her face… Against his better judgment, Liam sat back down on the edge of the bed and pulled her into his arms. Honor went willingly into his embrace, pressing her face to his chest as she hugged him tight in return. “I’ll miss you too.” Dammit, he should never have come here tonight. “I wish it could be different, but I just… I can’t do this anymore.” I’ll always love you but I can’t afford to let you back in again. “I’m sorry.

Why may you not kiss me?” she had demanded. “Am I a corpse?”“Of course not.”“Do you find me less attractive now that weather and wind have scoured the bloom from my cheeks?”“Skaytha, it’s nothing like that. If anything you are more beautiful now than when we lived on Skyrl. Often enough I have no breath when I look at you. You rob me of any other thoughts.”“So you’re afraid my kisses will take what little brain you have left?”“I’m afraid the angels will do something I don’t want them to do if I fly in the face of their commands, commands I can only assume are divine as well as angelic.”“Did you ever think to ask them the reasons behind their demands?”“When it is an angel I just want to get out of the conversation alive or at least without being struck dumb. So I don’t prolong the chat.”“You might have wanted my kisses more than that. If you had any romance in you you’d have told them you were ready to fight ten legions of angels for my love.”Hawk had reached out to hold her. “If I’d told them that they might have taken me up on it. Angels are not just useful for gallant flourishes the moment you declare your intention to battle all comers for the woman you love. Angels burn like fire and blaze like a hundred suns – they strike fear in my heart.”She had pulled away from his embrace and jumped to her feet. “Oh, no, you don’t. If I’m not good enough to kiss I’m not good enough to take in your arms either. It’s angels or me. Make up your mind whom you fear more. Or love more.”“I don’t love the angels.”“Clearly you don’t love me either.”They had been in a tipi. She’d gone to the opening, lifted the flap, bent, and stalked away, passing by warriors of the tribe with her head as high as a goddess and her back as straight as the shaft of the spear. The chief had poked his head in.“All is well, Hawk?’ he had asked.Hawk had learned their tongue.“It couldn’t be better,” Hawk had responded. “Only being slain in battle would be greater than this.”The chief had thought this over and laughed. "That would bring you great honor.""I am in short supply of honor right now and such short supply never pleases a woman like her. Better to die at the end of a spear and have it for a few moments and win her back."The chief had nodded. "Sound wisdom. Would you like to join a raiding party against our enemy tonight?""I couldn't be happier."(from The Name of the Hawk, Book 2)

Thus we arrive at the problem of the relation of religion to the negation of sexual desire. Sexual debility results in a lowering of self-confidence. In one case it is compensated by the brutalization of sexuality, to maintain sexual repression, in the other by rigid character traits. The compulsion to control one's sexuality, to maintain sexual repression, leads to the development of pathologic, emotionally tinged notions of honor and duty, bravery and self-control. But the pathology and emotionality of these psychic attitudes are strongly at variance with the reality of one's personal behavior. The man who attains genital satisfaction, is honorable, responsible, brave, and controlled, without making much of a fuss about it. These attitudes are an organic part of his personality. The man whose genitals are weakened, whose sexual structure is full of contradictions, must continually remind himself to control his sexuality, to preserve his sexual dignity, to be brave in the face of temptation, etc. The struggle to resist the temptation to masturbate is a struggle that is experienced by every adolescent and every child, without exception. All the elements of the reactionary man's structure are developed in this struggle. It is in the lower middle classes that this structure is reinforced most strongly and embedded most deeply. Every form of mysticism derives it's most active energy and, in part, also it's content from this compulsory suppression of sexuality.

Kestrel's eyes slipped shut. She faded in and out of sleep. When Arin spoke again, she wasn't sure whether he expected her to to hear him.'I remember sitting with my mother in a carriage.' There was a long pause. Then Arin's voice came again in that slow, fluid way that showed the singer in him. 'In my memory, I am small and sleepy, and she is doing something strange. Every time the carriage turns into the sun, she raises her hand as if reaching for something. The light lines her fingers with fire. Then the carriage passes through shadows, and her hand falls. Again sunlight beams through the window, and again her hand lifts. It becomes and eclipse.' Kestrel listened, and it was as if the story itself was an eclipse, drawing its darkness over her.'Just before I fell asleep,' he said, 'I realized that she was shading my eyes from the sun.' She heard Arin shift, felt him look at her.'Kestrel.' She imagined how he would sit, lean forward. How he would look in the glow of the carriage lantern. 'Survival isn't wrong. You can sell your honor in small ways, so long as you guard yourself. You can pour a glass of wine like it's meant to be poured, and watch a man drink, and plot your revenge.' Perhaps his head tilted slightly at this. 'You probably plot even in your sleep.' There was a silence as long as a smile.'Plot away, Kestrel. Survive. If I hadn't lived, no one would remember my mother, not like I do.' Kestrel could no longer deny sleep. It pulled her under.'And I would never have met you.

[A man] finds himself forced by necessity to borrow money. He knows that he will not be able to repay it, but sees also that nothing will be lent to him unless he promises stoutly to repay it in definite time. He desires to make this promise, but he has still so much conscience as to ask himself: Is it not unlawful and inconsistent with duty to get out of a difficulty in this way? Suppose, however, that he resolves to do so, then the maxim of his action would be expressed thus: When I think myself in want of money, I will borrow money and promise to repay it, although I know that I never can do so. Now this principle of self-love or of one's own advantage may perhaps be consistent with my whole future welfare; but the question now is, Is it right? I change then the suggestion of self-love into a universal law, and state the question thus: How would it be if my maxim were a universal law? Then I see at once that it could never hold as a universal law of nature, but would necessarily contradict itself. For supposing it to be a universal law that everyone when he thinks himself in a difficulty should be able to promise whatever he pleases, with the purpose of not keeping his promise, the promise itself would become impossible, as well as the end that one might have in view in it, since no one would consider that anything was promised to him, but would ridicule all such statements as vain pretenses.