<script data-pm-proxy="intercept"></script><?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:googleplay="http://www.google.com/schemas/play-podcasts/1.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Seven's Highlight ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Let's unravel life together, one story at a time.🤭]]></description><link>https://sevennshades.substack.com</link><image><url>https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yBXg!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F555d2fb2-899d-4250-999c-59278efb0c9a_720x720.png</url><title>Seven&apos;s Highlight </title><link>https://sevennshades.substack.com</link></image><generator>Substack</generator><lastBuildDate>Wed, 02 Sep 2026 11:58:19 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="/__u/sevennshades.substack.com/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><copyright><![CDATA[Perfection]]></copyright><language><![CDATA[en]]></language><webMaster><![CDATA[sevennshades@substack.com]]></webMaster><itunes:owner><itunes:email><![CDATA[sevennshades@substack.com]]></itunes:email><itunes:name><![CDATA[Perfection]]></itunes:name></itunes:owner><itunes:author><![CDATA[Perfection]]></itunes:author><googleplay:owner><![CDATA[sevennshades@substack.com]]></googleplay:owner><googleplay:email><![CDATA[sevennshades@substack.com]]></googleplay:email><googleplay:author><![CDATA[Perfection]]></googleplay:author><itunes:block><![CDATA[Yes]]></itunes:block><item><title><![CDATA[I Never Got to Fly My Kite]]></title><description><![CDATA[Some things we stop asking for, but never really stop wanting.]]></description><link>https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/i-never-got-to-fly-my-kite</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/i-never-got-to-fly-my-kite</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Perfection]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 31 Aug 2026 19:58:32 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/65366956-575c-4ae4-bd84-b52c634db285_493x740.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="preformatted-block" data-component-name="PreformattedTextBlockToDOM"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false">Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published</label><pre class="text">As a little kid, I always wanted to fly a kite.

I made my request known.

I asked, and asked again.

I was promised that I would fly my kite, so I held on to that promise with the kind of faith only a child can have.

I dreamt about it.


I imagined myself outside, holding the string between my little fingers, watching the kite climb higher and higher until it became a tiny speck against the sky.

I was so happy when my dad told me we would make one.

Finally.

My kite.

I troubled everyone with my request. I persisted. I reminded. Sometimes, I cried.

Not because a kite was the most important thing in the world, but because when you are a child, the things you want can feel like the most important things in the world.

I wanted a kite because I had never flown one. I had only admired them on television, dancing freely in the sky while the people beneath them held their strings.


I was curious.

I loved how beautiful they were.

And there was something wonderful about holding the string of something that could go so high.

I wanted to be a kite if I wasn't going to be a bird.

I wanted a kite because I was just seven.

But as my wanting grew, my hope slowly began to shrink.

The waiting became longer.

The promise remained a promise.


And after asking for something so many times, there comes a point when you begin to wonder if asking is even worth it anymore.

So, little by little, I stopped asking.

Maybe I didn't stop wanting.

Maybe I just stopped believing that wanting would make a difference.

Life moved on.

I grew older.

The kite never came.


There was no afternoon where I stood beneath the open sky, running with a string in my hand. No moment where I watched my kite catch the wind and thought, There it is. I finally have it.

I never got to fly my kite.

For a long time, I thought that was the end of the story.

But perhaps it isn't.

Because sometimes, we grow up carrying little unfinished stories inside us.

Things we wanted but never got.

Promises that were made and never fulfilled.

People we waited for.

Words we hoped to hear.

Dreams we quietly abandoned because waiting became too painful.

Eventually, we learn how to live without them.

We tell ourselves that maybe we didn't really need them.


Maybe it wasn't meant for us.

Maybe we wanted too much.

Maybe we should have stopped waiting.

Maybe the kite wasn't made for us after all.

But I don't want to say that.

I don't want to rewrite the little girl's longing just because she didn't get what she wanted.


She wanted the kite.

She had every right to want it.

She was hopeful.

She was curious.

She was seven.

And the fact that she didn't get to fly it then does not make her desire foolish.

It only means the story wasn't finished.

I don't want to confuse delay with denial.

I don't want to believe that because something didn't happen when I wanted it to, it can never happen at all.


So no, I won't say the kite wasn't made for me.

I will say I didn't get to fly it then.

That's all.

Then.

Not never.

<em><strong>And someday, I will fly my kite.</strong></em>

Maybe I'll be much older than seven. Maybe my hands won't be as small anymore. Maybe I'll have forgotten exactly how much I wanted it.

But when that kite finally rises into the sky, I think I'll understand something.

That little girl was never foolish for wanting.


She was simply a child who believed that someday, someone would hand her a string and tell her,

&#8220;Go. Let it fly.&#8221;

And when I finally do,

I think she will be there too.

Seven years old.

Still looking at the sky.

Still dreaming about being a bird.

Still waiting for her kite.

<strong>And this time,

I will let her fly it.</strong></pre></div><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption"></p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!itNi!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F688747e7-9b11-419c-9302-70b8a964b183_493x740.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!itNi!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F688747e7-9b11-419c-9302-70b8a964b183_493x740.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!itNi!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F688747e7-9b11-419c-9302-70b8a964b183_493x740.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!itNi!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F688747e7-9b11-419c-9302-70b8a964b183_493x740.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!itNi!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F688747e7-9b11-419c-9302-70b8a964b183_493x740.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!itNi!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F688747e7-9b11-419c-9302-70b8a964b183_493x740.jpeg" width="493" height="740" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/688747e7-9b11-419c-9302-70b8a964b183_493x740.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:740,&quot;width&quot;:493,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:36745,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/213599262?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F688747e7-9b11-419c-9302-70b8a964b183_493x740.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!itNi!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F688747e7-9b11-419c-9302-70b8a964b183_493x740.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!itNi!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F688747e7-9b11-419c-9302-70b8a964b183_493x740.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!itNi!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F688747e7-9b11-419c-9302-70b8a964b183_493x740.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!itNi!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F688747e7-9b11-419c-9302-70b8a964b183_493x740.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Seven's Highlight ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p><em><strong>P.S.</strong></em></p><p><em><strong>Hi miloves</strong></em></p><p>How was August for you?</p><p>I hope it was kind to you, but even if it wasn't, I'm glad you made it this far. In just few hours, we'll be stepping into a new month, and I hope September brings you something you've been quietly hoping for.</p><p></p><p>And before you go, tell me something.</p><p><strong>What was one thing you really wanted as a child but never got?</strong></p><p><em><strong>Maybe it was a toy, a trip, a pet, a birthday party, a particular pair of shoes, or something that sounds completely insignificant now but meant the world to you then.</strong></em></p><p></p><p>Tell me in the comments, and if you can, tell me how not getting it shaped you.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/i-never-got-to-fly-my-kite/comments&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Leave a comment&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/sevennshades.substack.com/p/i-never-got-to-fly-my-kite/comments"><span>Leave a comment</span></a></p><p></p><p>Maybe there are more stories about forgotten kites than we realise.</p><p></p><p>Till  next time &#128149;</p><p><em><strong>_sevenshadeswriter</strong></em></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[July Couldn’t Lie to Me]]></title><description><![CDATA[The highs, the lows, and everything in between.]]></description><link>https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/july-couldnt-lie-to-me</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/july-couldnt-lie-to-me</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Perfection]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 31 Jul 2026 16:00:53 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zdKs!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe85dfb91-1119-4fde-a11f-740223d67a33_1086x1448.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hi miloves &#128075; July is finally coming to an end.</p><p>Hmmm... July.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Seven's Highlight ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>All I can say is that <strong>July couldn&#8217;t lie to me.</strong></p><p>This month... I can&#8217;t even capture it in one word. There are so many words I could use to describe it and so many emotions I felt. It was a prayer answered, filled with love, success, tears, joy, friends, crushes, fun moments, intentionality, movies, concerts, and so much more. So many memories were made, and honestly, I have no doubt why I was born in such a lovely month.</p><p>So, let&#8217;s dive in. Journey with me.</p><p>I had my first professional exams earlier in the month, by July 1st and 2nd, and guess what? <strong>We all passed!</strong> &#129346; Cheers to <strong>Level 500!</strong> What a wonder. </p><p><em>Trust me, this was only the beginning.</em></p><p>A few days later came my birthday, and we had already moved from school premises for our laboratory posting. Low-key, I was sad because I thought I&#8217;d be spending my birthday in the lab. Eventually, I just said, <em><strong>Que sera, sera.</strong></em></p><p>Birthday came, and I received so many birthday wishes that I am grateful for (Sadly my BMW didn't come &#128517;). Of course, my birthday pictures turned out so beautifully. A huge shout-out to <strong>Sharon, Fela, and Temi</strong> for bringing those pictures to life. I love you guys so much. &#10084;&#65039; The compliments I received on those pictures were overwhelming in the best way</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zdKs!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe85dfb91-1119-4fde-a11f-740223d67a33_1086x1448.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zdKs!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe85dfb91-1119-4fde-a11f-740223d67a33_1086x1448.png 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zdKs!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe85dfb91-1119-4fde-a11f-740223d67a33_1086x1448.png 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zdKs!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe85dfb91-1119-4fde-a11f-740223d67a33_1086x1448.png 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zdKs!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe85dfb91-1119-4fde-a11f-740223d67a33_1086x1448.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zdKs!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe85dfb91-1119-4fde-a11f-740223d67a33_1086x1448.png" width="1086" height="1448" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/e85dfb91-1119-4fde-a11f-740223d67a33_1086x1448.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1448,&quot;width&quot;:1086,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:1560127,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/209238766?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe85dfb91-1119-4fde-a11f-740223d67a33_1086x1448.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zdKs!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe85dfb91-1119-4fde-a11f-740223d67a33_1086x1448.png 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zdKs!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe85dfb91-1119-4fde-a11f-740223d67a33_1086x1448.png 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zdKs!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe85dfb91-1119-4fde-a11f-740223d67a33_1086x1448.png 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zdKs!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe85dfb91-1119-4fde-a11f-740223d67a33_1086x1448.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Screaming beauty beauty &#128525; </figcaption></figure></div><p></p><p>Now, let me tell you another part. Man, I was <strong>so broke</strong> on my birthday. &#128514; Thankfully, God came through, and my savings came to the rescue. I spoiled myself a little... and then regretted it later.  </p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!K_qr!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8844412b-fe11-480f-ae6f-2cacf51225c4_736x722.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!K_qr!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8844412b-fe11-480f-ae6f-2cacf51225c4_736x722.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!K_qr!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8844412b-fe11-480f-ae6f-2cacf51225c4_736x722.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!K_qr!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8844412b-fe11-480f-ae6f-2cacf51225c4_736x722.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!K_qr!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8844412b-fe11-480f-ae6f-2cacf51225c4_736x722.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!K_qr!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8844412b-fe11-480f-ae6f-2cacf51225c4_736x722.jpeg" width="736" height="722" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/8844412b-fe11-480f-ae6f-2cacf51225c4_736x722.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:722,&quot;width&quot;:736,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:63055,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/209238766?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8844412b-fe11-480f-ae6f-2cacf51225c4_736x722.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!K_qr!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8844412b-fe11-480f-ae6f-2cacf51225c4_736x722.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!K_qr!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8844412b-fe11-480f-ae6f-2cacf51225c4_736x722.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!K_qr!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8844412b-fe11-480f-ae6f-2cacf51225c4_736x722.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!K_qr!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8844412b-fe11-480f-ae6f-2cacf51225c4_736x722.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p> To round off the day, I had a movie night with my friends, and honestly, that became the highlight of my birthday. We watched <strong>Michael</strong>, and oh my goodness... what a movie! I could literally write another article just talking about it, so let me stop here before this post becomes twice as long. (So here&#8217;s an unsolicited PR: <strong>Go and watch </strong><em><strong>Michael</strong></em><strong> if you haven&#8217;t.</strong> &#127770;)</p><p>It was such a beautiful night. After the movie ended and everyone went to sleep, I couldn&#8217;t sleep immediately. You know that feeling when you&#8217;ve just experienced a beautiful moment and you don&#8217;t want it to end? That was me. I just kept lying there, smiling and replaying every memory in my head.</p><p>The week went by, and then another surprise came my way. My mum was supposed to send me some things through someone, so I was expecting just a simple delivery. Then, all of a sudden, I saw my entire family standing in front of the lodge where we were staying for posting. I was so confused. And they came bearing gifts.</p><p>Another surprise?!</p><p>Oh my God!</p><p>The way I ran across... I even removed my slippers. (I am actually so dramatic. &#128514;) That moment felt so surreal. They got me really, really good, and I&#8217;ll never forget it.</p><p>Before I forget, a friend invited me to a Sip and Paint event, and yes... I unleashed the artist in me. &#128514; Can I paint to save my life? Absolutely not. &#128557; But I genuinely enjoyed every single moment of it, and that&#8217;s what mattered.</p><div class="image-gallery-embed" data-attrs="{&quot;gallery&quot;:{&quot;images&quot;:[{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/109a0e4c-0cb7-4537-b260-51e67eea55af_868x1280.jpeg&quot;},{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/4347b6e2-ffb5-45dd-8cf9-5a84840c7b5e_810x1080.jpeg&quot;}],&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;What I was meant to paint vs what I painted&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;staticGalleryImage&quot;:{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/1dd17aea-a82d-4f84-a970-35c256d0bfeb_1456x720.png&quot;}},&quot;isEditorNode&quot;:true}"></div><p></p><p><em>Am I forgetting something?&#129300;</em></p><p><s>Yes</s>.</p><p><strong>FashionFest!!</strong></p><p>I saw the flyer back in June, and immediately I knew there was no way I was missing that event. AEO and Bidemi Olaoba were coming, and you expected me to stay at home? Nothing was stopping me. Selah. &#128514;</p><p>July 11 came. I finished my shift, got dressed, got a free ride to the venue, took pictures, and entered the hall. Everything was going smoothly until my friend and I stepped out to get something for her to eat. The weather started acting funny, and the drizzle suddenly became heavy, so we stood under a canopy.</p><p>When the rain reduced a little, our plan was simple: run back into the hall. The man under the canopy was trying to push out the water that had collected on top using a chair. As I ran through the side he wasn&#8217;t working on, everything happened in one second. The entire pool of water landed on me.</p><p>&#128557;&#128557;&#128557;</p><p><code>Blur blur blurship.</code></p><p>I was shocked, confused, and completely drenched, but guess what? I still kept running. &#128514; Trust me, that wasn&#8217;t ordinary water. It felt like more than <strong>five buckets</strong> of water had just been emptied on my head. I was soaked right down to my underwear. My hair became a dripping tap, and my phone, watch, and AirPods all joined the soaking crew. I honestly wanted to cry. My friend just stood there staring in complete shock.</p><p>I told her I was going back to the hostel, but it was quite far, and the rain was still falling. Then the contemplation began. The man who caused everything couldn&#8217;t even apologise or say a word of comfort. (I forgive him now. &#128514;</p><p>My friend practically forced me back into the hall. I squeezed as much water out of my clothes as I could, and as I walked across the tiles, you could literally see water dripping behind me. I became the character from <strong>Fire and Ice</strong>. I was definitely <strong>Ice</strong>. &#128514;&#128557;</p><p><span>Everyone kept staring, and I hated every second of it.</span></p><p>I went to the welfare desk to ask for a towel. The welfare aunty kept us waiting for over thirty minutes, only to come back and say she couldn&#8217;t find one and there was nothing she could do. Y&#8217;all... there really are different shades of bad character. Her attitude genuinely upset me, but I simply chose peace.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!40xV!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbdee1120-c9a8-4d8e-b11e-38ac53c654c0_735x788.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!40xV!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbdee1120-c9a8-4d8e-b11e-38ac53c654c0_735x788.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!40xV!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbdee1120-c9a8-4d8e-b11e-38ac53c654c0_735x788.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!40xV!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbdee1120-c9a8-4d8e-b11e-38ac53c654c0_735x788.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!40xV!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbdee1120-c9a8-4d8e-b11e-38ac53c654c0_735x788.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!40xV!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbdee1120-c9a8-4d8e-b11e-38ac53c654c0_735x788.jpeg" width="735" height="788" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/bdee1120-c9a8-4d8e-b11e-38ac53c654c0_735x788.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:788,&quot;width&quot;:735,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:47788,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/209238766?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbdee1120-c9a8-4d8e-b11e-38ac53c654c0_735x788.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!40xV!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbdee1120-c9a8-4d8e-b11e-38ac53c654c0_735x788.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!40xV!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbdee1120-c9a8-4d8e-b11e-38ac53c654c0_735x788.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!40xV!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbdee1120-c9a8-4d8e-b11e-38ac53c654c0_735x788.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!40xV!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbdee1120-c9a8-4d8e-b11e-38ac53c654c0_735x788.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>I found a fan and tried drying myself. It helped... just a little, but I was still very wet. Encouraged by Tummy, I eventually returned to my seat. What made it even worse was seeing so many familiar faces. Sitting there felt so uncomfortable. Everything felt sticky, and I couldn&#8217;t stop wondering whether the water that landed on me was even clean.</p><p></p><p>Eventually, Bidemi Olaoba ministered, and I started dancing&#8212;throwing some serious steps.  Thankfully, I became a little drier. The fashion parade was amazing to watch, with different brands showcasing beautiful outfits, but the highlight of the night was <strong>AEO</strong>.</p><p>Oh my God.</p><p>That moment felt unreal.</p><p>Especially when he started singing <strong>System Euphoria</strong>, everywhere around me suddenly became quiet, but I was screaming every lyric at the top of my lungs on some very questionable high notes. &#128514; At that moment, social anxiety had absolutely nothing on me. People kept asking, <em>&#8220;How do you know all the lyrics?&#8221;</em></p><p>Trust me... I just know them. &#128514;</p><p>For those few moments, I felt completely free. Completely myself. My friends and I sang our hearts out, and the media team loved our energy so much that they kept bringing the cameras over to us.&#128517;</p><p>One more funny thing... I didn&#8217;t eat throughout that entire day. I intentionally forgot.&#128517;.Whenever I&#8217;m overwhelmed with joy and adrenaline, I lose my appetite. I can't just stomach food. &#128514;(yeah, I know right another fun fact about me).</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!X7su!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4714d0d7-694e-4a8a-ac76-92152dd139ae_1920x2560.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!X7su!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4714d0d7-694e-4a8a-ac76-92152dd139ae_1920x2560.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!X7su!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4714d0d7-694e-4a8a-ac76-92152dd139ae_1920x2560.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!X7su!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4714d0d7-694e-4a8a-ac76-92152dd139ae_1920x2560.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!X7su!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4714d0d7-694e-4a8a-ac76-92152dd139ae_1920x2560.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!X7su!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4714d0d7-694e-4a8a-ac76-92152dd139ae_1920x2560.jpeg" width="1456" height="1941" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/4714d0d7-694e-4a8a-ac76-92152dd139ae_1920x2560.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1941,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:473351,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/209238766?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4714d0d7-694e-4a8a-ac76-92152dd139ae_1920x2560.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!X7su!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4714d0d7-694e-4a8a-ac76-92152dd139ae_1920x2560.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!X7su!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4714d0d7-694e-4a8a-ac76-92152dd139ae_1920x2560.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!X7su!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4714d0d7-694e-4a8a-ac76-92152dd139ae_1920x2560.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!X7su!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4714d0d7-694e-4a8a-ac76-92152dd139ae_1920x2560.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><div><hr></div><p>But this doesn't mean July was perfect.</p><p>There were days I didn't quite feel like myself. Days I had doubts, questioned my existence, and wondered what exactly I was doing. God, however, helped me through those moments in ways I can't fully explain.</p><p></p><p>You know that point where your usual routine comes to an end, and you're suddenly left searching so desperately for purpose, direction, or simply what to do next? I found myself in that phase. Thankfully, I realized it early enough and, by the help of God, His Word most especially, and the people He placed around me, I was able to pull myself out of it.</p><p>It's funny how dangerous idle time can be. Imagine just staring at the ceiling during your free time, with no zeal to do anything. If we aren't careful, that's how the devil quietly creeps in with disruptive thoughts, trying to interrupt our life's flow and steal our peace.</p><div class="callout-block" data-callout="true"><p><code>But not today.</code></p><p><code>Peace, be still! &#128168; (blows powder) &#128514;</code></p></div><p>So many other beautiful moments happened this month that I simply can't fit into one post. From watching the World Cup matches together at the lodge, to searching for food at odd hours, late-night walks with my friends, impactful and life-changing conversations, intentional moments, International Friendship Day, and so much laughter in between. It wasn't just the big events that made July special; it was the little moments too. Those seemingly ordinary memories reminded me that life is beautiful, and sometimes it's the little things that quietly become the biggest highlights.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3tFY!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fee7a4a46-4dd4-4a33-83f3-08cd7655f08d_4480x1666.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3tFY!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fee7a4a46-4dd4-4a33-83f3-08cd7655f08d_4480x1666.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3tFY!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fee7a4a46-4dd4-4a33-83f3-08cd7655f08d_4480x1666.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3tFY!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fee7a4a46-4dd4-4a33-83f3-08cd7655f08d_4480x1666.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3tFY!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fee7a4a46-4dd4-4a33-83f3-08cd7655f08d_4480x1666.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3tFY!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fee7a4a46-4dd4-4a33-83f3-08cd7655f08d_4480x1666.jpeg" width="4480" height="1666" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ee7a4a46-4dd4-4a33-83f3-08cd7655f08d_4480x1666.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1666,&quot;width&quot;:4480,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:986319,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/209238766?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc1e32949-812d-4641-84ca-04985d8524d1_4480x2016.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3tFY!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fee7a4a46-4dd4-4a33-83f3-08cd7655f08d_4480x1666.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3tFY!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fee7a4a46-4dd4-4a33-83f3-08cd7655f08d_4480x1666.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3tFY!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fee7a4a46-4dd4-4a33-83f3-08cd7655f08d_4480x1666.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3tFY!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fee7a4a46-4dd4-4a33-83f3-08cd7655f08d_4480x1666.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>More than anything, this month made me realize that I am truly surrounded&#8212;surrounded by good and intentional people whom God has placed in my life. I am deeply grateful for my friends, my coursemates, my roommates, and most especially, my family. I love you all more than words can express.</p><p></p><p>Now, I can't end this without sharing what God taught me this month.</p><blockquote><p>I was reminded that <strong>God is a constant, while we are variables.</strong> The more I think about it, the deeper it becomes. God never changes; we are the ones who change. Being variables means God can use us however He chooses. He can move us from one place to another. He can position us exactly where we need to be. He is the Game Player, the Potter, and our Creator. Like pieces on a chessboard, He can arrange, rearrange, and reposition us according to His perfect purpose. Our responsibility is simply to trust Him, surrender to Him, and allow Him to shape us until His purpose is fulfilled.</p><p></p><p>If you really sit and think about it, it's actually so deep.</p><p></p><p>He also taught me not to stress over the things I cannot control, but instead to trust the One who is in control. His Word truly tells us not to worry about tomorrow, and this morning, He reminded me once again that He is the One who sits upon the throne.</p><p>Just imagine... the God before whom the twenty-four elders bow, crying, "Holy, holy, holy," is the very same God who chooses to dwell within you. He has a throne, yet He still chose to make your heart His dwelling place. What a wonder. What a privilege. God is indeed good, and <em><strong>I sincerely wish the whole world would come to the knowledge of Him.</strong></em></p></blockquote><p></p><p><strong>P.S</strong>. July was beautiful, and by God's grace and mercy, August will be even greater. Happy New Month in advance! I pray this new month brings you good tidings on every side. &#128591;</p><p>Thank you for staying with me till the very end. I love you, miloves.</p><p></p><p><code>Till next time. &#10084;&#65039;</code></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!EErH!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fefaa5e3b-18b5-4160-80d4-9de4dc12cd83_720x960.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!EErH!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fefaa5e3b-18b5-4160-80d4-9de4dc12cd83_720x960.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!EErH!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fefaa5e3b-18b5-4160-80d4-9de4dc12cd83_720x960.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!EErH!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fefaa5e3b-18b5-4160-80d4-9de4dc12cd83_720x960.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!EErH!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fefaa5e3b-18b5-4160-80d4-9de4dc12cd83_720x960.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!EErH!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fefaa5e3b-18b5-4160-80d4-9de4dc12cd83_720x960.jpeg" width="720" height="960" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/efaa5e3b-18b5-4160-80d4-9de4dc12cd83_720x960.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:960,&quot;width&quot;:720,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:26928,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/209238766?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fefaa5e3b-18b5-4160-80d4-9de4dc12cd83_720x960.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!EErH!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fefaa5e3b-18b5-4160-80d4-9de4dc12cd83_720x960.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!EErH!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fefaa5e3b-18b5-4160-80d4-9de4dc12cd83_720x960.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!EErH!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fefaa5e3b-18b5-4160-80d4-9de4dc12cd83_720x960.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!EErH!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fefaa5e3b-18b5-4160-80d4-9de4dc12cd83_720x960.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Seven's Highlight ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[June, Juned]]></title><description><![CDATA[The gentle whisper: "Involve Me."]]></description><link>https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/june-juned</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/june-juned</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Perfection]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 30 Jun 2026 14:00:39 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!a9gR!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf34c2db-235d-42c9-b794-a8fbe9699bb5_736x920.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="pullquote"><p>June in one word: Juned. &#128514;</p></div><p>It was a busy month for me, from lectures to tests to exams, surviving on just a few hours of sleep. The stress... Omo, uni is not for the weak. &#128557;</p><p>Through it all, I bless God for seeing me through.</p><div class="captioned-button-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/june-juned?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="CaptionedButtonToDOM"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Seven's Highlight ! This post is public so feel free to share it.</p></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/june-juned?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/sevennshades.substack.com/p/june-juned?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p></div><p></p><p>One thing the Lord taught me this month, and the lesson is still ongoing, is never to neglect His presence.</p><p>Life got really busy. There were days I'd wake up and, without even checking if I was breathing, I'd already be opening lecture slides to read. I'd spend several minutes studying before remembering to acknowledge the One who gave me life. Personal devotion became a struggle. I was practically just going wherever the wave took me, but deep within me, I knew I wasn't okay with what was happening.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CdxI!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7c9ab987-71b3-47dd-97fa-d02c2ff6dd42_736x249.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CdxI!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7c9ab987-71b3-47dd-97fa-d02c2ff6dd42_736x249.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CdxI!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7c9ab987-71b3-47dd-97fa-d02c2ff6dd42_736x249.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CdxI!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7c9ab987-71b3-47dd-97fa-d02c2ff6dd42_736x249.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CdxI!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7c9ab987-71b3-47dd-97fa-d02c2ff6dd42_736x249.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CdxI!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7c9ab987-71b3-47dd-97fa-d02c2ff6dd42_736x249.jpeg" width="736" height="249" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/7c9ab987-71b3-47dd-97fa-d02c2ff6dd42_736x249.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:249,&quot;width&quot;:736,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:14944,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/204263335?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcaa3fe8f-2ab2-4602-9cdc-68ba2166b0cf_736x960.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CdxI!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7c9ab987-71b3-47dd-97fa-d02c2ff6dd42_736x249.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CdxI!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7c9ab987-71b3-47dd-97fa-d02c2ff6dd42_736x249.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CdxI!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7c9ab987-71b3-47dd-97fa-d02c2ff6dd42_736x249.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CdxI!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7c9ab987-71b3-47dd-97fa-d02c2ff6dd42_736x249.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p></p><p>Most times, we get so carried away by the busyness of life that we forget the essence of our being. God isn't saying we shouldn't pursue our dreams. He just doesn't want those dreams to become our only focus while we push Him aside. Imagine forgetting the One who gave you the dream, the ambition, and even the life to live it.</p><p></p><p>So, no matter how busy life gets, never forget to involve God. I genuinely believe the Holy Spirit is always there, gently whispering,<em><strong> "Involve Me,</strong></em>" yet so often we silence Him. He wants to be involved in everything we do, and there's no way life won't be greater when we walk with Him.</p><p></p><p>Trust me, it isn't as easy as it sounds. Some people hustle every day and barely have time for themselves. Between business, career, and trying to make ends meet, life can become overwhelming. You may even feel distant from God, but He's right beside you with open arms, waiting for you to turn to Him, rest in Him, and journey through life with Him.</p><p></p><p>Lately, I've found myself saying, "I'm busy," more often than I'd like. Then I realized something. If I'm this busy now, life certainly won't become less busy. The outside world is even more demanding. My earnest prayer is for God's grace and strength to help me see life through His lens, so that I will never become too busy for my King.</p><p></p><p>I want to embody Christ-consciousness, to intentionally involve Him in everything, even down to the food I eat, the clothes I wear, and the smallest decisions I make.</p><p></p><p>Some time ago, I was listening to a message by the 31 Lineage (Minister Kaestrings' wife), and she shared something that really stayed with me. She spoke about practical ways to cultivate God's presence even with a tight schedule and reminded us that devotion isn't just about setting aside a particular time. Our lives themselves should become a devotion.</p><p>I also recommend you watching the movie titled &#8220;Lagos to Gomorrah&#8221; on YouTube (it's worth the watch if you'd ask me&#128517;)</p><p>Someone can spend two hours in devotion every day, yet their life still doesn't reflect Christ.</p><p></p><p>God doesn't ask us to come to Him perfect. He's already perfect for us. Scripture says His strength is made perfect in our weakness. That means we aren't living this life by our own strength but by His.</p><p></p><p>Something happened to me during the month, and through 2 Corinthians 12:9, the Holy Spirit made me realize that I was slowly beginning to lean on my own strength instead of His, and honestly, it made me teary.</p><p>"Each time He said, 'My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.' So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me."</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!a9gR!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf34c2db-235d-42c9-b794-a8fbe9699bb5_736x920.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!a9gR!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf34c2db-235d-42c9-b794-a8fbe9699bb5_736x920.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!a9gR!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf34c2db-235d-42c9-b794-a8fbe9699bb5_736x920.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!a9gR!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf34c2db-235d-42c9-b794-a8fbe9699bb5_736x920.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!a9gR!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf34c2db-235d-42c9-b794-a8fbe9699bb5_736x920.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!a9gR!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf34c2db-235d-42c9-b794-a8fbe9699bb5_736x920.jpeg" width="736" height="920" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/df34c2db-235d-42c9-b794-a8fbe9699bb5_736x920.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:920,&quot;width&quot;:736,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:50249,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/204263335?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf34c2db-235d-42c9-b794-a8fbe9699bb5_736x920.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!a9gR!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf34c2db-235d-42c9-b794-a8fbe9699bb5_736x920.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!a9gR!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf34c2db-235d-42c9-b794-a8fbe9699bb5_736x920.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!a9gR!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf34c2db-235d-42c9-b794-a8fbe9699bb5_736x920.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!a9gR!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf34c2db-235d-42c9-b794-a8fbe9699bb5_736x920.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Seven's Highlight ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p><p></p><p>Trust me, if you lean on your own strength, you will eventually fall. The more we drift away from God, the more we disconnect from our Source, and life begins to lose its meaning. The enemy is always watching for moments when believers drift so he can devise strategies to keep them trapped in cycles.</p><p>But we refuse to go in cycles!.</p><p><em><s>Selah</s>. &#129293;</em></p><p></p><p>Today also makes it one week until my birthday, and honestly, I don't even know how I feel.</p><p>Moments like this usually leave my emotions all over the place, but above everything else, I feel happy, thankful, and deeply grateful. I'm getting older, and it can only be God who has kept me through it all.</p><p></p><p><strong>As a birthday gift to me, let's increase the publicity and help me get to 200 subscribers! &#129401;&#129293;</strong></p><p>Please send prayers my way. I really need them.&#128525;</p><p>Thank youuu. &#129293;</p><p></p><p><strong>Till next time, Mi loves.</strong></p><p></p><p><em>If there's anything you'd like me to talk about, let's have it in the comment section.</em></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/june-juned/comments&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Leave a comment&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/sevennshades.substack.com/p/june-juned/comments"><span>Leave a comment</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Emotions at the edge? ]]></title><description><![CDATA[In Loving Memory of My Fried Rice]]></description><link>https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/emotions-at-the-edge</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/emotions-at-the-edge</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Perfection]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 30 May 2026 19:39:04 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!md7C!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F54d45145-6487-4e0d-ac38-119d36efdbca_320x314.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="pullquote"><p><em><strong>Disclaimer Alert! This contains a tale of tears, tiled floors, a plate of fried rice, and unexpected lessons.</strong></em></p></div><p><strong>Emotions at the edge?</strong></p><p>Is that you?</p><p>Have you ever wondered how and why you could be so happy, cheerful and carefree in a moment, then the next moment the sad note hits and the tears come welling down your eyes? Emotions you&#8217;ve tucked up your sleeves come relieving themselves. The silence note has been on for too long and suddenly the cymbal comes falling, hitting the ground with so much tremble that it shakes your inner walls and constraints.</p><p>So poetically serious for an intro, yeah? Pardon me&#128517;</p><p>This was how I felt on a not so funny day. The night where my sister, who cooks the best meal, the best fried rice to be precise, did her thing. I was so happy this particular evening. My sister had just performed her magic with her hands and I planned out my devouring of the meal whilst I streamed a movie of my choice.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vad7!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5ba4465a-e157-4152-a6b0-55ac562b614a_250x307.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vad7!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5ba4465a-e157-4152-a6b0-55ac562b614a_250x307.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vad7!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5ba4465a-e157-4152-a6b0-55ac562b614a_250x307.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vad7!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5ba4465a-e157-4152-a6b0-55ac562b614a_250x307.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vad7!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5ba4465a-e157-4152-a6b0-55ac562b614a_250x307.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vad7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5ba4465a-e157-4152-a6b0-55ac562b614a_250x307.jpeg" width="250" height="307" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/5ba4465a-e157-4152-a6b0-55ac562b614a_250x307.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:false,&quot;imageSize&quot;:&quot;normal&quot;,&quot;height&quot;:307,&quot;width&quot;:250,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:250,&quot;bytes&quot;:13773,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/199851293?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5b74d0a0-1426-4a0e-bac6-459fb2fd3ee9_720x1611.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:&quot;center&quot;,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vad7!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5ba4465a-e157-4152-a6b0-55ac562b614a_250x307.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vad7!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5ba4465a-e157-4152-a6b0-55ac562b614a_250x307.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vad7!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5ba4465a-e157-4152-a6b0-55ac562b614a_250x307.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vad7!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5ba4465a-e157-4152-a6b0-55ac562b614a_250x307.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>The food was done cooking. She served our meal, I helped take others&#8217; portions to the table. Then this was where the whole tragedy story started.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QkqU!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2f3f863d-5ba8-401f-9bfb-7a5eb8333005_662x719.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QkqU!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2f3f863d-5ba8-401f-9bfb-7a5eb8333005_662x719.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QkqU!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2f3f863d-5ba8-401f-9bfb-7a5eb8333005_662x719.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QkqU!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2f3f863d-5ba8-401f-9bfb-7a5eb8333005_662x719.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QkqU!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2f3f863d-5ba8-401f-9bfb-7a5eb8333005_662x719.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QkqU!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2f3f863d-5ba8-401f-9bfb-7a5eb8333005_662x719.jpeg" width="662" height="719" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/2f3f863d-5ba8-401f-9bfb-7a5eb8333005_662x719.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:719,&quot;width&quot;:662,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:298733,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/199851293?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2f3f863d-5ba8-401f-9bfb-7a5eb8333005_662x719.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QkqU!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2f3f863d-5ba8-401f-9bfb-7a5eb8333005_662x719.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QkqU!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2f3f863d-5ba8-401f-9bfb-7a5eb8333005_662x719.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QkqU!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2f3f863d-5ba8-401f-9bfb-7a5eb8333005_662x719.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QkqU!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2f3f863d-5ba8-401f-9bfb-7a5eb8333005_662x719.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>The devil for sure struck when I was about to take my food to eat.</p><p>I missed a foot and my lovely plate filled with hot, steaming, condiment enriched fried rice came falling to the floor with me as I hit the ground.</p><p>It didn&#8217;t dawn on me until I heard my family scream for me. I couldn&#8217;t even let out a shout. You know the feeling of the world taking a pause and you view your surroundings through blurry visions and everything goes floating in the air? As my sister ran towards me I could see her floating in a very slo mo mode. My brain couldn&#8217;t comprehend what had just happened, then the tears came streaming down my cheeks.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vED8!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F62cf82c2-5cc3-42c8-939c-52b8d8ecc444_635x648.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vED8!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F62cf82c2-5cc3-42c8-939c-52b8d8ecc444_635x648.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vED8!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F62cf82c2-5cc3-42c8-939c-52b8d8ecc444_635x648.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vED8!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F62cf82c2-5cc3-42c8-939c-52b8d8ecc444_635x648.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vED8!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F62cf82c2-5cc3-42c8-939c-52b8d8ecc444_635x648.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vED8!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F62cf82c2-5cc3-42c8-939c-52b8d8ecc444_635x648.jpeg" width="635" height="648" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/62cf82c2-5cc3-42c8-939c-52b8d8ecc444_635x648.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:648,&quot;width&quot;:635,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:168800,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/199851293?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F62cf82c2-5cc3-42c8-939c-52b8d8ecc444_635x648.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vED8!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F62cf82c2-5cc3-42c8-939c-52b8d8ecc444_635x648.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vED8!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F62cf82c2-5cc3-42c8-939c-52b8d8ecc444_635x648.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vED8!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F62cf82c2-5cc3-42c8-939c-52b8d8ecc444_635x648.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vED8!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F62cf82c2-5cc3-42c8-939c-52b8d8ecc444_635x648.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>Soon enough, after what felt like an eternity, realization dawned on me.</p><p>I looked at the floor and I saw my sweet rice shattered on the floor.</p><p>There was no way I could save it.</p><p>All I did was cry. In fact, I began wailing. One would have thought that it was more than a plate of rice hitting the ground. (Big girl like me crying on top plate of rice. Eh ehnn&#129394;)</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!md7C!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F54d45145-6487-4e0d-ac38-119d36efdbca_320x314.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!md7C!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F54d45145-6487-4e0d-ac38-119d36efdbca_320x314.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!md7C!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F54d45145-6487-4e0d-ac38-119d36efdbca_320x314.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!md7C!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F54d45145-6487-4e0d-ac38-119d36efdbca_320x314.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!md7C!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F54d45145-6487-4e0d-ac38-119d36efdbca_320x314.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!md7C!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F54d45145-6487-4e0d-ac38-119d36efdbca_320x314.jpeg" width="320" height="314" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/54d45145-6487-4e0d-ac38-119d36efdbca_320x314.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:314,&quot;width&quot;:320,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:12061,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/199851293?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7aefafa2-7a5c-492e-911d-39401c53cc6b_720x1611.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!md7C!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F54d45145-6487-4e0d-ac38-119d36efdbca_320x314.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!md7C!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F54d45145-6487-4e0d-ac38-119d36efdbca_320x314.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!md7C!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F54d45145-6487-4e0d-ac38-119d36efdbca_320x314.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!md7C!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F54d45145-6487-4e0d-ac38-119d36efdbca_320x314.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>I blamed myself for missing a foot. My sister tried to lift me off the ground to console me but I didn&#8217;t want to be consoled. I found solace in the cold hard tile. I blamed it for swallowing up my food and plans.</p><p><strong>Pause for a beat.</strong></p><p>I know what you are thinking...</p><p>I should have used the two seconds rule and packed the food, bah? (I don&#8217;t even know who made that rule&#128517;)</p><p>Or as a meme I once saw said, the floor is only a larger surface area and it could serve as a plate.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-tTK!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2c26f836-0daa-4111-9948-e4a9356acdb8_582x592.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-tTK!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2c26f836-0daa-4111-9948-e4a9356acdb8_582x592.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-tTK!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2c26f836-0daa-4111-9948-e4a9356acdb8_582x592.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-tTK!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2c26f836-0daa-4111-9948-e4a9356acdb8_582x592.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-tTK!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2c26f836-0daa-4111-9948-e4a9356acdb8_582x592.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-tTK!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2c26f836-0daa-4111-9948-e4a9356acdb8_582x592.jpeg" width="582" height="592" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/2c26f836-0daa-4111-9948-e4a9356acdb8_582x592.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:592,&quot;width&quot;:582,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:206834,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/199851293?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2c26f836-0daa-4111-9948-e4a9356acdb8_582x592.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-tTK!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2c26f836-0daa-4111-9948-e4a9356acdb8_582x592.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-tTK!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2c26f836-0daa-4111-9948-e4a9356acdb8_582x592.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-tTK!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2c26f836-0daa-4111-9948-e4a9356acdb8_582x592.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-tTK!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2c26f836-0daa-4111-9948-e4a9356acdb8_582x592.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">I found the tweet&#128517;</figcaption></figure></div><p></p><p>I was willing to do that fr, at that moment. Because what do you mean the food is gone just like that&#129394;&#8230;We read, we don&#8217;t judge. Do you understand?&#129487;</p><p>Then I remembered Manny, the parlour dog we owned then, <em>and I wailed once more. I wailed in oma se oo&#128557;</em>, in loss of my baby fried rice.</p><p>I took up the bold courage and rose up from my pain and swept it off the floor and guess what?</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HYqL!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F890db53a-905c-4d77-bf15-f9e9cf26871d_526x360.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HYqL!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F890db53a-905c-4d77-bf15-f9e9cf26871d_526x360.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HYqL!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F890db53a-905c-4d77-bf15-f9e9cf26871d_526x360.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HYqL!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F890db53a-905c-4d77-bf15-f9e9cf26871d_526x360.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HYqL!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F890db53a-905c-4d77-bf15-f9e9cf26871d_526x360.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HYqL!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F890db53a-905c-4d77-bf15-f9e9cf26871d_526x360.jpeg" width="526" height="360" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/890db53a-905c-4d77-bf15-f9e9cf26871d_526x360.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:360,&quot;width&quot;:526,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:36284,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/199851293?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9a4a8c59-dc5d-4599-9ba0-c24915477e91_720x1611.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HYqL!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F890db53a-905c-4d77-bf15-f9e9cf26871d_526x360.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HYqL!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F890db53a-905c-4d77-bf15-f9e9cf26871d_526x360.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HYqL!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F890db53a-905c-4d77-bf15-f9e9cf26871d_526x360.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HYqL!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F890db53a-905c-4d77-bf15-f9e9cf26871d_526x360.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Na so I sha stand up oo&#8230;</figcaption></figure></div><p></p><p>Manny later ended up getting to eat it. (Lucky dog &#128517;)</p><p>And no, there wasn&#8217;t any more food in the pot. Others offered to give me a share of theirs, but it couldn&#8217;t be compared to my initial plate of rice with chicken and coleslaw.</p><p>I ate the food offered to me, sniffling that night.</p><p></p><p>I know I have been dramatic with this write up. For someone who claims not to have a best food, I discovered my love for my best food that night. But permit and pardon me. Anytime I remember this scenario it saddens my heart and how I reacted makes me laugh.</p><p>But what can a girl do, right?&#128521;</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8OMS!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F866f8ba7-fd49-4699-befa-5ecabde3d97f_543x633.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8OMS!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F866f8ba7-fd49-4699-befa-5ecabde3d97f_543x633.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8OMS!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F866f8ba7-fd49-4699-befa-5ecabde3d97f_543x633.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8OMS!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F866f8ba7-fd49-4699-befa-5ecabde3d97f_543x633.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8OMS!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F866f8ba7-fd49-4699-befa-5ecabde3d97f_543x633.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8OMS!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F866f8ba7-fd49-4699-befa-5ecabde3d97f_543x633.jpeg" width="543" height="633" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/866f8ba7-fd49-4699-befa-5ecabde3d97f_543x633.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:633,&quot;width&quot;:543,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:244558,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/199851293?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F866f8ba7-fd49-4699-befa-5ecabde3d97f_543x633.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8OMS!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F866f8ba7-fd49-4699-befa-5ecabde3d97f_543x633.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8OMS!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F866f8ba7-fd49-4699-befa-5ecabde3d97f_543x633.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8OMS!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F866f8ba7-fd49-4699-befa-5ecabde3d97f_543x633.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8OMS!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F866f8ba7-fd49-4699-befa-5ecabde3d97f_543x633.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>I am just a girl, durr.&#129325;</p><p>Or was it the day I decided to mop the room?</p><p>I was plugged in, blasting to a Hillsong music, then I started my journey of cleaning the room. Lo and behold, all of a sudden the soapy water in the bucket tilted and came flooding the room.</p><p>I was so confused as to how it all happened.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FLXc!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1bfca5e7-c162-470a-84bb-a13f3c44730d_569x470.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FLXc!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1bfca5e7-c162-470a-84bb-a13f3c44730d_569x470.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FLXc!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1bfca5e7-c162-470a-84bb-a13f3c44730d_569x470.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FLXc!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1bfca5e7-c162-470a-84bb-a13f3c44730d_569x470.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FLXc!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1bfca5e7-c162-470a-84bb-a13f3c44730d_569x470.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FLXc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1bfca5e7-c162-470a-84bb-a13f3c44730d_569x470.jpeg" width="569" height="470" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/1bfca5e7-c162-470a-84bb-a13f3c44730d_569x470.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:470,&quot;width&quot;:569,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:220993,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/199851293?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1bfca5e7-c162-470a-84bb-a13f3c44730d_569x470.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FLXc!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1bfca5e7-c162-470a-84bb-a13f3c44730d_569x470.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FLXc!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1bfca5e7-c162-470a-84bb-a13f3c44730d_569x470.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FLXc!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1bfca5e7-c162-470a-84bb-a13f3c44730d_569x470.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FLXc!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1bfca5e7-c162-470a-84bb-a13f3c44730d_569x470.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>I didn&#8217;t even allow myself to dwell in the moment. I proceeded to clean it up asap and then I went about my day.</p><p>Looking back, I find it funny how differently I reacted to both situations.</p><p>A plate of rice falling had me mourning like I had lost a treasured possession, while a bucket of soapy water flooding the room barely earned a second thought. Yet both incidents taught me something.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/emotions-at-the-edge?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/sevennshades.substack.com/p/emotions-at-the-edge?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p></p><p>I am not going to end these stories without a moral lesson.</p><p>Sometimes things happen in our lives that we cannot explain. We just cannot understand the reason behind their occurrence. No matter how funny these scenarios I have shared are, or how irrelevant you might think they are, there is a lesson I have come to learn from them as the Holy Spirit jokingly reminded me of it.</p><p>Not all occurrences should we take lightly or simply shrug off with a weird feeling and say in pidgin, <em>e go dey be.</em></p><p>I know you are probably saying in your mind, &#8220;See where she go hang ball.&#8221;</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WkeV!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F677bca34-ba52-4155-8824-db03fdb9df75_235x240.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WkeV!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F677bca34-ba52-4155-8824-db03fdb9df75_235x240.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WkeV!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F677bca34-ba52-4155-8824-db03fdb9df75_235x240.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WkeV!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F677bca34-ba52-4155-8824-db03fdb9df75_235x240.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WkeV!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F677bca34-ba52-4155-8824-db03fdb9df75_235x240.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WkeV!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F677bca34-ba52-4155-8824-db03fdb9df75_235x240.jpeg" width="235" height="240" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/677bca34-ba52-4155-8824-db03fdb9df75_235x240.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:240,&quot;width&quot;:235,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:58682,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/199851293?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F677bca34-ba52-4155-8824-db03fdb9df75_235x240.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WkeV!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F677bca34-ba52-4155-8824-db03fdb9df75_235x240.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WkeV!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F677bca34-ba52-4155-8824-db03fdb9df75_235x240.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WkeV!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F677bca34-ba52-4155-8824-db03fdb9df75_235x240.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WkeV!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F677bca34-ba52-4155-8824-db03fdb9df75_235x240.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>But stay with me.</p><p><em><strong>We are humans and God placed those feelings and emotions in us. We are not any less of ourselves when we feel or dwell in our emotions. Even Jesus wept. Well, not over a plate of rice&#128517;.</strong></em></p><p>It shows that the person we yearn to be like showed His emotions. He sympathized with us.</p><p>It is okay to feel what you are feeling when certain situations don&#8217;t turn out in your favour. Situations and how we react to them test us, build us and make us into who we are.</p><p>And it just so happened that in those scenarios there was no one I could blame for how the events played out.</p><p>I tripped and fell.</p><p>The water poured away.</p><p>No one&#8217;s fault.</p><p>It would have felt a little better if there was someone to blame.</p><p>Instead, it taught me responsibility and not playing the blame game.</p><p>Things happen in your life. You don&#8217;t like it. Feel your feelings. Do not let them weigh you down. Take the lesson and push forward.</p><p>I  feel like those annoying motivational speakers that would bring out a quote from literally anything right now &#128514;&#128517;.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!c2T4!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1d8c2e54-026d-45f8-a91d-5e79ba27a1b7_569x470.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!c2T4!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1d8c2e54-026d-45f8-a91d-5e79ba27a1b7_569x470.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!c2T4!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1d8c2e54-026d-45f8-a91d-5e79ba27a1b7_569x470.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!c2T4!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1d8c2e54-026d-45f8-a91d-5e79ba27a1b7_569x470.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!c2T4!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1d8c2e54-026d-45f8-a91d-5e79ba27a1b7_569x470.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!c2T4!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1d8c2e54-026d-45f8-a91d-5e79ba27a1b7_569x470.jpeg" width="569" height="470" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/1d8c2e54-026d-45f8-a91d-5e79ba27a1b7_569x470.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:470,&quot;width&quot;:569,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:220993,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/199851293?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1d8c2e54-026d-45f8-a91d-5e79ba27a1b7_569x470.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!c2T4!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1d8c2e54-026d-45f8-a91d-5e79ba27a1b7_569x470.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!c2T4!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1d8c2e54-026d-45f8-a91d-5e79ba27a1b7_569x470.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!c2T4!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1d8c2e54-026d-45f8-a91d-5e79ba27a1b7_569x470.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!c2T4!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1d8c2e54-026d-45f8-a91d-5e79ba27a1b7_569x470.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>So cry over the rice if you must.</p><p>Laugh about it later.</p><p>Learn from it eventually.</p><p>Life will continue to hand us moments we don&#8217;t understand, moments that frustrate us, embarrass us and sometimes leave us sitting on a cold tiled floor mourning a plate of fried rice.</p><blockquote><p><em>Feel the disappointment.</em></p><p><em>Acknowledge the emotions.</em></p><p><em>Learn the lesson.</em></p><p><em>Then get up and keep moving.</em></p></blockquote><div class="callout-block" data-callout="true"><p><strong>Feel deeply but choose consciously.</strong></p></div><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Seven's Highlight ! If you enjoyed this, please Subscribe!</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/emotions-at-the-edge/comments&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Leave a comment&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/sevennshades.substack.com/p/emotions-at-the-edge/comments"><span>Leave a comment</span></a></p><p><strong>P.S</strong>. Hi Miloves &#128075;, I hope May has been good to you. As the month comes to an end I wish you the very best from my heart. Always remember that Jesus loves you and cares for you. Happy new Month in advance&#10024; </p><p>Till next time&#129325;</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[When Words Fail, God Still Speaks]]></title><description><![CDATA[The more I drink from him the more I thirst]]></description><link>https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/when-words-fail-god-still-speaks</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/when-words-fail-god-still-speaks</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Perfection]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 30 Apr 2026 20:34:43 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yBXg!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F555d2fb2-899d-4250-999c-59278efb0c9a_720x720.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>Like, oh my God&#8230; it is April 30th already. It feels like I blinked and boom, the month is over. God abeg ooo &#128557; this year is really moving so fast.</em></p><p><em>I really did not know what to write to you, mi loves. I felt so blank. Then I pleaded with God to grant me inspiration &#128557; and I truly believe He did. I'll be sharing  few lessons I learnt this month.</em></p><p><em>Enjoy your read &#129325;</em></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Seven's Highlight ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts from me&#129325;</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p><blockquote><p><strong>God Is Intentional About Me</strong></p></blockquote><p>God is really so intentional about my life.</p><p>Earlier this month, I was learning communication in my devotion. I had come to understand that prayer is communicating with God, and I should not be the only one speaking. If God is my Father and also my friend, then prayer should be conversational. I cannot talk to my friends without them responding, so why should it be different with God?</p><p>So I began to ponder on it. In my prayers, I would literally wait to get something back. Sometimes my mind would get clouded, and I would feel frustrated because I could not clearly hear what the Lord was saying. But I stayed. I dwelled. I cried. I journaled. I remained in that moment.</p><p>My heart posture was this:</p><p>You are in me, You can hear me, I must get a response.</p><p>Then one evening, after crying earlier that morning, I stumbled on a video by Ezinne Zara on YouTube title centered around &#8220;How to hear God's voice&#8221; Immediately I saw it, I knew it was for me. While listening, I was teary. It felt like I spoke and God answered.</p><p>This was not the first time such would happen, but it stood out deeply. I prayed, God listened, and He sent me an answer.</p><p>It reminded me that God is always speaking. We just need to be still, conscious, and patient.</p><p>&#8220;As it is written, &#8216;Be still, and know that I am God&#8217; (Psalm 46:10).&#8221;</p><p>God may not always speak loudly, but He will always give you a word to hold on to.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9K8c!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc2853100-77b8-4d3d-a4eb-a940997d5736_720x634.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9K8c!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc2853100-77b8-4d3d-a4eb-a940997d5736_720x634.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9K8c!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc2853100-77b8-4d3d-a4eb-a940997d5736_720x634.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9K8c!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc2853100-77b8-4d3d-a4eb-a940997d5736_720x634.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9K8c!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc2853100-77b8-4d3d-a4eb-a940997d5736_720x634.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9K8c!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc2853100-77b8-4d3d-a4eb-a940997d5736_720x634.jpeg" width="720" height="634" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/c2853100-77b8-4d3d-a4eb-a940997d5736_720x634.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:634,&quot;width&quot;:720,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:96073,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/196025034?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F498bbe6e-234b-41a9-b71b-402698917678_720x1611.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9K8c!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc2853100-77b8-4d3d-a4eb-a940997d5736_720x634.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9K8c!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc2853100-77b8-4d3d-a4eb-a940997d5736_720x634.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9K8c!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc2853100-77b8-4d3d-a4eb-a940997d5736_720x634.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9K8c!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc2853100-77b8-4d3d-a4eb-a940997d5736_720x634.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p></p><blockquote><p><strong>Not Every Encounter Is Loud</strong></p></blockquote><p>Have you ever been in a spiritual gathering where miracles are happening all around, and you are there praying sincerely, yet it feels like nothing is happening to you?</p><p>That was me some gatherings ago. I saw people fall under the anointing, and because I did not, I began to feel like I was not having an encounter.</p><p>But encounters do not only come through physical manifestations. Even in silence, God is still working.</p><p>Sometimes we get carried away by the dramatic and the rhema that we forget that God is not complicated. We are the ones complicating things. We shouldn't get carried away by drama that we miss out on what God has in store for us.</p><p></p><blockquote><p><strong>Winning the Battle of the Mind</strong></p></blockquote><p>The battle of the mind is one of the common strategies of the enemy, often expressed through intrusive and conflicting thoughts. However, such thoughts are to be countered with the Word of God.</p><p>&#8220;Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God&#8230; bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ&#8221; (2 Corinthians 10:5).</p><p>&#8220;Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true&#8230; think on these things&#8221; (Philippians 4:8).</p><p>These scriptures serve as anchors, providing stability and direction in moments of mental conflict. By speaking and declaring the Word, thoughts are brought into alignment with God&#8217;s truth.</p><p>It is also understood that the battle belongs to the Lord, and the victory is assured.</p><p></p><blockquote><p><strong>The Bible Is Our Manual for Life</strong></p></blockquote><p>Earlier in the week, I was discussing with my roommate and we spoke above the Bible and how it is is like a manufacturer&#8217;s manual, and how God is our manufacturer. He created us with a purpose, and to fully live out that purpose, we must follow His manual.</p><p>It is filled with guidance. It is like a treasure map leading to hidden riches.</p><p>Sometimes I wonder, if the people in the Bible had the complete Word that we have now, how much differently would they have lived?</p><p>So much has been given to us, and so much is expected.</p><p>&#8220;To whom much is given, much will be required&#8221; (Luke 12:48).</p><p>If we truly want to be like Jesus and reflect Christ, then what better way than to study the Word that reveals Him and the fullness of God&#8217;s will?</p><p>It takes devotion to intentionally set time apart to study God&#8217;s Word, and I pray that God grants us the grace to do so.</p><p>Have Your way, Lord.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XsJ9!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a424b67-452e-4c0f-8a9d-df1a4dcfae61_720x514.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XsJ9!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a424b67-452e-4c0f-8a9d-df1a4dcfae61_720x514.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XsJ9!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a424b67-452e-4c0f-8a9d-df1a4dcfae61_720x514.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XsJ9!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a424b67-452e-4c0f-8a9d-df1a4dcfae61_720x514.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XsJ9!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a424b67-452e-4c0f-8a9d-df1a4dcfae61_720x514.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XsJ9!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a424b67-452e-4c0f-8a9d-df1a4dcfae61_720x514.jpeg" width="720" height="514" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/5a424b67-452e-4c0f-8a9d-df1a4dcfae61_720x514.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:514,&quot;width&quot;:720,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:109022,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/196025034?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fff89e5f0-10c6-482a-9ecf-c02b59468781_720x1611.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XsJ9!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a424b67-452e-4c0f-8a9d-df1a4dcfae61_720x514.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XsJ9!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a424b67-452e-4c0f-8a9d-df1a4dcfae61_720x514.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XsJ9!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a424b67-452e-4c0f-8a9d-df1a4dcfae61_720x514.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XsJ9!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a424b67-452e-4c0f-8a9d-df1a4dcfae61_720x514.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p></p><blockquote><p><strong>A Journey of Refinement</strong></p></blockquote><p>The believer&#8217;s life is a journey. Perfection is not attained the moment we give our lives to Christ.</p><p>We are like gold going through a refining process. And on that day, I pray we are found worthy.</p><p>We are being transformed daily.</p><p>&#8220;Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect&#8221; (Matthew 5:48).</p><p></p><blockquote><p><strong>Letting Go and Letting God In</strong></p></blockquote><p>This month was a good one. Not everything went the way I planned, but God gave me everything I needed.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1500!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6eef22e3-478c-4c8b-abb6-56d411912cc8_584x575.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1500!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6eef22e3-478c-4c8b-abb6-56d411912cc8_584x575.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1500!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6eef22e3-478c-4c8b-abb6-56d411912cc8_584x575.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1500!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6eef22e3-478c-4c8b-abb6-56d411912cc8_584x575.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1500!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6eef22e3-478c-4c8b-abb6-56d411912cc8_584x575.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1500!,w_2400,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6eef22e3-478c-4c8b-abb6-56d411912cc8_584x575.jpeg" width="1200" height="1181.5068493150684" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/6eef22e3-478c-4c8b-abb6-56d411912cc8_584x575.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:false,&quot;imageSize&quot;:&quot;large&quot;,&quot;height&quot;:575,&quot;width&quot;:584,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:1200,&quot;bytes&quot;:52936,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/196025034?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8ecef3dc-252f-4a22-92fd-ff808c93e054_720x1611.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:&quot;center&quot;,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-large" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1500!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6eef22e3-478c-4c8b-abb6-56d411912cc8_584x575.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1500!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6eef22e3-478c-4c8b-abb6-56d411912cc8_584x575.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1500!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6eef22e3-478c-4c8b-abb6-56d411912cc8_584x575.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1500!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6eef22e3-478c-4c8b-abb6-56d411912cc8_584x575.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>I learned a lot. I gained insight. I rediscovered and reignited a passion I once had.</p><p>I learned the importance of communication. Communication is the foundation of every relationship. I also learned the value of having friends who guide you, support you, and push you to grow. The importance of a fellowship community cannot be overstated.</p><p>And most importantly, this journey of growth with God.</p><p>Sometimes I imagine how God sees me, and I laugh and shake my head, because there is still so much work to be done. Toni, the nations are waiting.</p><div class="captioned-button-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/when-words-fail-god-still-speaks?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="CaptionedButtonToDOM"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Seven's Highlight ! Spread the word, the nations are waiting!</p></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/when-words-fail-god-still-speaks?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/sevennshades.substack.com/p/when-words-fail-god-still-speaks?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p></div><p></p><p></p><p><em><strong>P.S. </strong></em>And once again, I am proud to be the first to wish you a happy new month in a few hours.</p><p>I pray this new month brings you good tidings, God&#8217;s favour, and alignment with His will. </p><p>Also the subtitle used was randomly mentioned by me and I was like oh rhema! (The more I drink water (Jesus- the well that never runs dry) the more I thirst&#8212; you can't get enough of him)</p><p>It is also my sister&#8217;s birthday tomorrow, please do well to wish her in the comment section.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/when-words-fail-god-still-speaks/comments&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Leave a comment&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/sevennshades.substack.com/p/when-words-fail-god-still-speaks/comments"><span>Leave a comment</span></a></p><p></p><p><strong>Till next time, mi loves &#128149;</strong></p><p>  </p><p>My current favorite song&#129325;&#129401; &#129325; </p><iframe class="spotify-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;image&quot;:&quot;https://i.scdn.co/image/ab67616d0000b273be24ed0e0911c0ee7604a0cf&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;What I Needed - Live&quot;,&quot;subtitle&quot;:&quot;Chandler Moore&quot;,&quot;description&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://open.spotify.com/track/6BiI13xlpCs11DNdChqkoU&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;noScroll&quot;:false}" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/track/6BiI13xlpCs11DNdChqkoU" frameborder="0" gesture="media" allowfullscreen="true" allow="encrypted-media" loading="lazy" data-component-name="Spotify2ToDOM"></iframe>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Devil's Doom]]></title><description><![CDATA[From guilt to grace]]></description><link>https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/devils-doom</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/devils-doom</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Perfection]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 31 Mar 2026 22:01:52 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!W4ns!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9b61bed9-a5a0-4c01-874d-b12df9715360_736x736.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="pullquote"><p><strong>Disclaimer Alert! Quick and concise&#8212;prepare your hearts!</strong></p></div><p>The devil always finds a way into your mind, planting thoughts you might follow without realizing it. If you do not take note of these cycles, they can become your doom.</p><p>The devil is very tricky, cunning, and smart, but not wise. I remember reading a faith-based book when I was much younger that talked about how the devil condemns and traps us in cycles by reminding us of the wrong we have done in the past and how unworthy we are of God's love. But that is a lie&#8212; A very Big Lie</p><p>It&#8217;s striking how the devil deceives and lures us, even when his schemes are not new. He refuses to stop, because he knows his end, and he seeks to draw as many people as possible into that same destruction.</p><p>One thing the book taught me is this: when the devil keeps reminding you of your past, remind him of both his past and his future. Remind him of how he chose to leave God's presence&#8212; oh what a shame, and how he is already condemned and will face final judgment under Christ, with his end in the lake of fire.</p><p></p><p>What he presents as freedom is actually bondage in disguise, while Jesus gives <em><strong>TRUE FREEDOM.</strong></em></p><p>The truth is, if you are in Christ, your past does not define you. As it is written in Romans 8:1,</p><p>&#8220;Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.&#8221;</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!W4ns!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9b61bed9-a5a0-4c01-874d-b12df9715360_736x736.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!W4ns!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9b61bed9-a5a0-4c01-874d-b12df9715360_736x736.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!W4ns!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9b61bed9-a5a0-4c01-874d-b12df9715360_736x736.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!W4ns!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9b61bed9-a5a0-4c01-874d-b12df9715360_736x736.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!W4ns!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9b61bed9-a5a0-4c01-874d-b12df9715360_736x736.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!W4ns!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9b61bed9-a5a0-4c01-874d-b12df9715360_736x736.jpeg" width="736" height="736" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/9b61bed9-a5a0-4c01-874d-b12df9715360_736x736.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:736,&quot;width&quot;:736,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:64713,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/192783734?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9b61bed9-a5a0-4c01-874d-b12df9715360_736x736.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!W4ns!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9b61bed9-a5a0-4c01-874d-b12df9715360_736x736.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!W4ns!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9b61bed9-a5a0-4c01-874d-b12df9715360_736x736.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!W4ns!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9b61bed9-a5a0-4c01-874d-b12df9715360_736x736.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!W4ns!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9b61bed9-a5a0-4c01-874d-b12df9715360_736x736.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>So when those thoughts come, remember this: God is not the one condemning you. He is the one calling you back with mercy.</p><p>To anyone out there doubting, I once wrote this in my notepad after a meeting:</p><p>"God&#8217;s mercy never finishes. You just stopped having mercy on yourself."</p><p>Things that can hinder the mercy of God:</p><blockquote><p>Losing hope in yourself and stopping your prayers for mercy</p><p>Not confessing your sins 1 John 1:9</p><p>Not being merciful James 2:13</p></blockquote><p>If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Seven's Highlight ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p><p>I was wondering what I would write to you, mi loves, then I found this and I knew it had to be shared. So that we do not miss it and end in eternal separation, but that we are able to receive the <strong>Word who made the world, </strong>that we do not reject Him, and that we are able to recognize Him.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/devils-doom/comments&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Leave a comment&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/sevennshades.substack.com/p/devils-doom/comments"><span>Leave a comment</span></a></p><p></p><p><strong>P.S</strong>. Always remember that there is peace in Christ. May His peace and joy be with you.</p><p>I think I might just be the first to say this again, <strong>happy new month</strong> in few minutes my lovelies. May this month bring you good tidings, strength, and true rest in Christ.</p><p></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[From Hurdles to Healing]]></title><description><![CDATA[February in Different Shades]]></description><link>https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/from-hurdles-to-healing</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/from-hurdles-to-healing</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Perfection]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 28 Feb 2026 22:17:10 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Olhq!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faf879ebb-9f25-464e-a144-73462935b0e4_720x448.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Hi mi loves,</strong> I hope you're doing well. It is nice to be here &#10024;</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/from-hurdles-to-healing/comments&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Leave a comment&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/sevennshades.substack.com/p/from-hurdles-to-healing/comments"><span>Leave a comment</span></a></p><p>It's that time of the month again.</p><p>The month of February is finally coming to an end and we hope and wait for what March has to bring to us.</p><p>For the month of February I can say I was in a better place. God has been so so good.</p><p>The month started off rough with different hurdles but God came through.</p><p></p><p>Now tell me why I waited till the last day of February to send a highlight to you. At this point this is our commitment and comfort niche &#128517;</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Olhq!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faf879ebb-9f25-464e-a144-73462935b0e4_720x448.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Olhq!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faf879ebb-9f25-464e-a144-73462935b0e4_720x448.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Olhq!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faf879ebb-9f25-464e-a144-73462935b0e4_720x448.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Olhq!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faf879ebb-9f25-464e-a144-73462935b0e4_720x448.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Olhq!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faf879ebb-9f25-464e-a144-73462935b0e4_720x448.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Olhq!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faf879ebb-9f25-464e-a144-73462935b0e4_720x448.jpeg" width="720" height="448" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/af879ebb-9f25-464e-a144-73462935b0e4_720x448.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:448,&quot;width&quot;:720,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:23185,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/189500804?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff35f60b1-7cf4-444c-9cdd-1fc0c96d62b9_720x1612.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Olhq!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faf879ebb-9f25-464e-a144-73462935b0e4_720x448.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Olhq!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faf879ebb-9f25-464e-a144-73462935b0e4_720x448.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Olhq!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faf879ebb-9f25-464e-a144-73462935b0e4_720x448.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Olhq!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faf879ebb-9f25-464e-a144-73462935b0e4_720x448.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>February came with love, love in different shades, valentine, panranran, love notes, tears, joy, heartbreaks, surprises, giftings and so on, but for me it taught me life lessons and also letting go of things that are not yours. What's yours would not come with trouble or fear but with peace. And some people are not just into you and there's no need forcing that energy. Do not pour into people who do not value you. It was a hard pill to swallow, trust me.</p><p></p><p>I also had to deal with grief. I realized I was not so good at grieving and I acted like everything was alright when I knew it was not. God was really big on that with me. Also back on track with my devotion with God and it's been splendid.</p><p>I was talking to one of my friends during the week and one thing we spoke of that stood out for me was that when we begin to see things from an angle of God's love and sovereignty it would help us through life's journey. E.g ; &#8220;This happened because God loves me and he's sovereign and his will for me is good&#8221;. Trust me it is not always easy to think this way but it goes a long way and comes with a lot of understanding and insight.</p><p></p><p>The devil dug pits for me this month but I thank God for pulling me through them and giving me the strength to jump and pass.</p><p>A quick write up I wrote back in January .</p><div class="pullquote"><p><strong>Readers Alert! It's dark, different and raw.</strong></p><p></p></div><blockquote><p>&#8206;I said don&#8217;t tempt me, yet closer I went.</p><p>&#8206;I stepped on a thin line, knowing it was thin,</p><p>&#8206;knowing a small wave could pull me under,</p><p>&#8206;yet further I went.</p><p></p><p>&#8206;</p><p>&#8206;Don&#8217;t tempt me, I said to the devil,</p><p>&#8206;yet I fed myself with its gifts.</p><p>&#8206;Like a maniac, I smiled, feeling the pressure.</p><p>&#8206;I told myself it would not kill me,</p><p>&#8206;so I took another bite.</p><p></p><p>&#8206;</p><p>&#8206;Another bite,</p><p>&#8206;until I drank its soup</p><p>&#8206;and licked its blood off the plate.</p><p></p><p>&#8206;</p><p>&#8206;Then the devil came, draped in a cloak.</p><p>&#8206;With a dagger, it came, feeding me more of its gift,</p><p>&#8206;smiling at me like I was its greatest accomplishment.</p><p></p><p>&#8206;</p><p>&#8206;Suddenly, it brought out a red apple</p><p>&#8206;and told me to take a bite.</p><p>&#8206;I did. A big chunk.</p><p></p><p>&#8206;</p><p>&#8206;Then I heard the clock ticking,</p><p>&#8206;ding, ding, ding.</p><p>&#8206;A quarter past six, I guess.</p><p></p><p>&#8206;</p><p>&#8206;Blood began to drip from my mouth.</p><p>&#8206;My teeth loosened as I chewed the apple.</p><p>&#8206;I tasted death.</p><p></p><p>&#8206;</p><p>&#8206;Death tasted sour,</p><p>&#8206;like a rusted iron and old blood</p><p>&#8206;I could hardly breathe.</p><p>&#8206;I was drowning in the smell</p><p>&#8206;and taste</p><p>&#8206;of death.</p><p></p></blockquote><p><strong>P.S. I wish you a happy new month in few minutes, may this month be the best month yet, I love you and Jesus loves you more&#10083;&#65039;&#10024;. Stay blessed.</strong></p><p>I love the fact I get to wish you a happy new month first&#127770;.</p><p>So cheers to March&#127863;. Clock it&#128524;</p><p><strong>To anyone grieving, I pray the Lord comforts you&#10084;&#65039;.</strong></p><p>This write up was written under a lot of pressure &#128517; bear with me. Thanks to my roommate ( Fela, Sharon and Precious) for standing by me. I love you more than you can imagine &#9786;&#65039;.</p><p></p><p><strong>Till then&#128158;</strong></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Seven's Highlight ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[January Came Like a Slap ]]></title><description><![CDATA[The longest and fastest January , I'm still here]]></description><link>https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/january-came-like-a-slap</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/january-came-like-a-slap</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Perfection]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 31 Jan 2026 20:52:27 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mkOF!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F70fd1cfe-9f05-4377-9b81-db128bfd5a89_736x732.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>January taught me that new years don&#8217;t always arrive gently.</p><p>Sometimes they come loud, confusing, and heavy with things you didn&#8217;t plan for.</p><p>This is not a tidy story/highlight. It&#8217;s a true one. </p><div class="pullquote"><p><strong>My diary entry to you.</strong></p><p></p></div><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Seven's Highlight ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts&#128158;</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><div class="image-gallery-embed" data-attrs="{&quot;gallery&quot;:{&quot;images&quot;:[{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/9070df0f-9550-41f3-a140-523aead4b62f_736x736.jpeg&quot;}],&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;staticGalleryImage&quot;:{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/9070df0f-9550-41f3-a140-523aead4b62f_736x736.jpeg&quot;}},&quot;isEditorNode&quot;:true}"></div><p></p><p><strong>December 30th, 2025</strong> came, and I still hadn&#8217;t figured out how I would go about the resolutions I had written for the year 2026.</p><p><strong>December 31st, 2025 c</strong>ame. I wrote to you and felt all happy and excited for 2026. Evening came, and I went to church for crossover.</p><p><strong>January 1st, 2026</strong> came. I was excited and bubbly, I made it to the year 2026. I was very happy.</p><p>My first meal of the year was chicken barbecue my sister made. I think I took malt with it. The memories of the remaining meals that day are blurry. If I tried hard enough, I&#8217;d remember, but I won&#8217;t push it. What I can remember clearly is ending the day happy.</p><p>Fast forward to&#8230;</p><p><strong>January 4th, 2026.</strong></p><p>That was when it all began, the feeling of unfulfillment. I still hadn&#8217;t figured anything out. I had no idea what I was doing with my life, even with my resolutions. I was basically just existing and going with the flow.</p><p>I know I posted here on December 31st, all happy and inspired. But 2026 came suddenly. It felt like a slap in my face. Most times, I was confused&#8230;</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mkOF!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F70fd1cfe-9f05-4377-9b81-db128bfd5a89_736x732.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mkOF!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F70fd1cfe-9f05-4377-9b81-db128bfd5a89_736x732.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mkOF!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F70fd1cfe-9f05-4377-9b81-db128bfd5a89_736x732.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mkOF!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F70fd1cfe-9f05-4377-9b81-db128bfd5a89_736x732.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mkOF!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F70fd1cfe-9f05-4377-9b81-db128bfd5a89_736x732.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mkOF!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F70fd1cfe-9f05-4377-9b81-db128bfd5a89_736x732.jpeg" width="736" height="732" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/70fd1cfe-9f05-4377-9b81-db128bfd5a89_736x732.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:732,&quot;width&quot;:736,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:37618,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/186438827?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F70fd1cfe-9f05-4377-9b81-db128bfd5a89_736x732.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mkOF!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F70fd1cfe-9f05-4377-9b81-db128bfd5a89_736x732.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mkOF!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F70fd1cfe-9f05-4377-9b81-db128bfd5a89_736x732.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mkOF!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F70fd1cfe-9f05-4377-9b81-db128bfd5a89_736x732.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mkOF!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F70fd1cfe-9f05-4377-9b81-db128bfd5a89_736x732.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>Then I resumed school so quickly, I couldn&#8217;t even adjust. School hit me with premium stress right from the gate. Not just physical stress, but mental and emotional stress too.</p><p><strong>January 7th.</strong></p><p>I cried.</p><p>You&#8217;re shocked, right? So was I. Not so tough, innit?</p><p>I felt overwhelmed. I had no time to myself. I was stressed from planning to resume, stressed from getting to school, stressed from being there. I laughed and thought, this year doesn&#8217;t like me.</p><p>I felt unprepared. Dejected.</p><p>It was like I was standing alone in the middle of the sea, cold waves hitting every part of my body. I shook in fright. So I let myself cry &#8212; and I continued moving in that sea of waves.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!A193!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3ee125c3-120d-41cf-98ca-80dab6e05509_736x490.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!A193!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3ee125c3-120d-41cf-98ca-80dab6e05509_736x490.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!A193!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3ee125c3-120d-41cf-98ca-80dab6e05509_736x490.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!A193!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3ee125c3-120d-41cf-98ca-80dab6e05509_736x490.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!A193!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3ee125c3-120d-41cf-98ca-80dab6e05509_736x490.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!A193!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3ee125c3-120d-41cf-98ca-80dab6e05509_736x490.jpeg" width="736" height="490" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/3ee125c3-120d-41cf-98ca-80dab6e05509_736x490.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:490,&quot;width&quot;:736,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:63127,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/186438827?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3ee125c3-120d-41cf-98ca-80dab6e05509_736x490.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!A193!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3ee125c3-120d-41cf-98ca-80dab6e05509_736x490.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!A193!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3ee125c3-120d-41cf-98ca-80dab6e05509_736x490.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!A193!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3ee125c3-120d-41cf-98ca-80dab6e05509_736x490.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!A193!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3ee125c3-120d-41cf-98ca-80dab6e05509_736x490.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p><strong>January 14th </strong>came, and the feeling was still there.</p><p>That was when I became scared and started asking myself when it would end.</p><p>I tried so hard to hold everything together, but I still felt the same, <s>empty</s>. Existing like a robot. It felt like I had no purpose.</p><p><strong>January 19th.</strong></p><p>On my way to the hospital, sitting in a bus, I suddenly had the urge to write. I opened my notepad and wrote like a <s>possessed maniac</s>. It was dark. It was rare. Days later, I posted it on my Medium account.</p><p><strong>January 20th.</strong></p><p>I started panicking about everything I said I&#8217;d do and hadn&#8217;t done. All the things I wanted to achieve in January but couldn&#8217;t, mostly because of my state of mind.</p><p>I began freaking out internally. So I withdrew. From everything. Including myself.</p><p>I slept a lot. I didn&#8217;t allow my thoughts to take me there. I didn&#8217;t want to feel hopeless, so I did what I do best, I tucked it all in and waited for the right time, even though I feared that the right time might never come.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cghs!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7eebe918-05b2-4727-9ed4-97dcf8df0617_680x675.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cghs!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7eebe918-05b2-4727-9ed4-97dcf8df0617_680x675.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cghs!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7eebe918-05b2-4727-9ed4-97dcf8df0617_680x675.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cghs!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7eebe918-05b2-4727-9ed4-97dcf8df0617_680x675.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cghs!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7eebe918-05b2-4727-9ed4-97dcf8df0617_680x675.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cghs!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7eebe918-05b2-4727-9ed4-97dcf8df0617_680x675.jpeg" width="680" height="675" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/7eebe918-05b2-4727-9ed4-97dcf8df0617_680x675.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:675,&quot;width&quot;:680,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:47345,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/186438827?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7eebe918-05b2-4727-9ed4-97dcf8df0617_680x675.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cghs!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7eebe918-05b2-4727-9ed4-97dcf8df0617_680x675.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cghs!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7eebe918-05b2-4727-9ed4-97dcf8df0617_680x675.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cghs!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7eebe918-05b2-4727-9ed4-97dcf8df0617_680x675.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cghs!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7eebe918-05b2-4727-9ed4-97dcf8df0617_680x675.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p><strong>January 24th.</strong></p><p>I searched desperately for comfort. For love. For fulfillment within myself. But all I met in return was my void self.</p><p>I shook my container, hoping something would fall out, but it only vibrated and gave a silent hum &#8212; a hum at the edge of violence. That was when I knew I was nearing my limit. I knew that if I didn&#8217;t find my way back soon enough, I might lose myself in that sea of waves forever.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wMH3!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3d96c22e-5ac3-45ca-a752-2a228d10d89f_736x736.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wMH3!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3d96c22e-5ac3-45ca-a752-2a228d10d89f_736x736.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wMH3!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3d96c22e-5ac3-45ca-a752-2a228d10d89f_736x736.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wMH3!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3d96c22e-5ac3-45ca-a752-2a228d10d89f_736x736.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wMH3!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3d96c22e-5ac3-45ca-a752-2a228d10d89f_736x736.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wMH3!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3d96c22e-5ac3-45ca-a752-2a228d10d89f_736x736.jpeg" width="736" height="736" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/3d96c22e-5ac3-45ca-a752-2a228d10d89f_736x736.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:736,&quot;width&quot;:736,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:71471,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/186438827?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3d96c22e-5ac3-45ca-a752-2a228d10d89f_736x736.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wMH3!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3d96c22e-5ac3-45ca-a752-2a228d10d89f_736x736.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wMH3!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3d96c22e-5ac3-45ca-a752-2a228d10d89f_736x736.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wMH3!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3d96c22e-5ac3-45ca-a752-2a228d10d89f_736x736.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wMH3!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3d96c22e-5ac3-45ca-a752-2a228d10d89f_736x736.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>Some of you reading this might wonder, why didn&#8217;t I run to God &#8212; my rightful source and creator?</p><p>Oh, I did. I tried.</p><p>But at the same time, I didn&#8217;t want to and couldn't find the strength to.</p><p>It felt like darkness was taking advantage of my weakness.</p><p><strong>January 26th.</strong></p><p>I watched the movie &#8220;Me Before You&#8221; and cried at the end. You can love someone so much that they become your reason to live &#8212; and still let them go by choosing to die, so they can live fully. ( I still don't quite get it...)</p><p><strong>January 29th.</strong></p><p>I made my first post on LinkedIn around 11 a.m. I was so proud of myself. At least I took a step toward something I&#8217;ve always wanted to do.</p><p>Then, just like that, in the evening, on getting back to my hostel from my daily posting at the hospital, I got a message.</p><p>A message that worsened everything.</p><p>I lost someone. Someone dear to me. Not just to me, but to many of us. I lost her to a coward called death &#8212; a coward that didn&#8217;t have the balls to give us notice before taking her.</p><p>I screamed. I couldn&#8217;t accept it. I was in denial. I fell deeper into the hollow of loneliness.</p><p>I was angry at this wicked world, angry at how it takes the ones we love away. I kept asking why?</p><p>A sharp pain sat in my chest, like someone pierced my heart with a knife and twisted it. It hurt, and I still carry that wound around.</p><p>Moments like this hurt even more when you&#8217;re in a hospital environment. Seeing people struggle with their health. Seeing dead bodies moved in and out of the mortuary. Seeing families weep.</p><p>Someone&#8217;s last hope.</p><p>Someone&#8217;s breadwinner.</p><p>Gone just like that.</p><p>Debts and loans still waiting. Lives altered forever. Loved ones never to be seen again.</p><p>It makes you see life through a different lens. And one can only be grateful?</p><p><strong>January 30th.</strong></p><p>I slept on it, still angry at the world. I wasn't my usual self. I felt guilty when I got hungry and ate. I was angry at myself for continuing life after such news and loss.</p><p>I held myself together and wrote to you, though I don&#8217;t know when it will be posted.</p><p><strong>January 31st.</strong></p><p>I realize I hadn&#8217;t shared this with you. I can&#8217;t believe the month is already coming to an end.  This was one of the longest &#8212; and yet fastest &#8212; Januaries I have ever experienced.</p><p>I&#8217;m still existing, not fully living yet, but I&#8217;m grateful to have made it to the end of the month.</p><p>For now holding on is enough.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!y4qx!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc9924f69-0114-4e93-87f4-f67199472c25_512x512.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!y4qx!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc9924f69-0114-4e93-87f4-f67199472c25_512x512.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!y4qx!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc9924f69-0114-4e93-87f4-f67199472c25_512x512.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!y4qx!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc9924f69-0114-4e93-87f4-f67199472c25_512x512.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!y4qx!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc9924f69-0114-4e93-87f4-f67199472c25_512x512.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!y4qx!,w_2400,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc9924f69-0114-4e93-87f4-f67199472c25_512x512.jpeg" width="1200" height="1200" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/c9924f69-0114-4e93-87f4-f67199472c25_512x512.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:false,&quot;imageSize&quot;:&quot;large&quot;,&quot;height&quot;:512,&quot;width&quot;:512,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:1200,&quot;bytes&quot;:28980,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/186438827?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc9924f69-0114-4e93-87f4-f67199472c25_512x512.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:&quot;center&quot;,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-large" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!y4qx!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc9924f69-0114-4e93-87f4-f67199472c25_512x512.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!y4qx!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc9924f69-0114-4e93-87f4-f67199472c25_512x512.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!y4qx!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc9924f69-0114-4e93-87f4-f67199472c25_512x512.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!y4qx!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc9924f69-0114-4e93-87f4-f67199472c25_512x512.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/january-came-like-a-slap?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/sevennshades.substack.com/p/january-came-like-a-slap?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p></p><div><hr></div><p><strong>P.S</strong>.</p><p>In all that happened this January, I thought of you, mi loves. I held you dear in my pierced heart, and I hope I heal soon enough.</p><p>The year 2026 may not have started the way I wanted, but I believe God has me in mind. He has said His plans for me are of good and not of evil, and I choose to hold on to that. Never forget that Jesus loves you and is always there to see you through the storm and the seas of waves.</p><p>I may release a post dedicated to the ones lost and gone &#8212; maybe soon enough.</p><p></p><p>Till then mi loves&#8230;</p><p><em><strong>Sevennshades&#128158;</strong></em></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/january-came-like-a-slap/comments&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Leave a comment&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/sevennshades.substack.com/p/january-came-like-a-slap/comments"><span>Leave a comment</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Seven Shades of 2025]]></title><description><![CDATA[Closing 2025 and stepping boldly into 2026]]></description><link>https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/seven-shades-of-2025</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/seven-shades-of-2025</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Perfection]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 31 Dec 2025 14:35:26 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!E1cU!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F73da5efd-cab4-4926-9362-ceac6b4b5bd5_540x540.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>And with that, the year 2025 comes to an end. I honestly can&#8217;t believe it&#8217;s already 365/365 days. I&#8217;m feeling a lot of emotions right now because 2025 was a whole lot. I learned so many lessons, made countless memories, and through both the highs and the lows, <strong>God was always there with me.</strong></p><p>I truly couldn&#8217;t have made it through this year without God. He was my backbone, my rock. He kept me and constantly reminded me, &#8220;Daughter, you can do this.&#8221; He showed me that there&#8217;s always room for improvement with Him. In fact, He was&#8212;and will continue to be&#8212;my biggest supporter. God literally carried my matter on His head. Sometimes I think about how undeserving I am of His love, yet He loves me nevertheless. And for that, I am forever grateful.</p><p>I can proudly say that 2025 was my best year yet. Not because everything went perfectly or according to my expectations, but because God stood by me. There were improvements, testimonies, and visible evidence of growth. Truly, what is life without God? You tell me.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Seven's Highlight ! Subscribe for free to receive and read new posts.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p><p>Looking back at my 2025 resolutions, I may not have ticked everything off, but I can confidently say I partially accomplished most of my plans. I intentionally worked on building and improving my spiritual and prayer life, strengthening my relationship with God. I worked on my personal values, I grew in leadership and public speaking, something I usually shy away from. This year, I pushed myself to show up, speak up, and even ask for honest feedback on how I could improve, and that alone was a huge win for me.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Texe!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf475012-507f-4634-b5eb-65c1810e9be6_736x440.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Texe!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf475012-507f-4634-b5eb-65c1810e9be6_736x440.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Texe!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf475012-507f-4634-b5eb-65c1810e9be6_736x440.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Texe!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf475012-507f-4634-b5eb-65c1810e9be6_736x440.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Texe!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf475012-507f-4634-b5eb-65c1810e9be6_736x440.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Texe!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf475012-507f-4634-b5eb-65c1810e9be6_736x440.jpeg" width="736" height="440" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/df475012-507f-4634-b5eb-65c1810e9be6_736x440.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:440,&quot;width&quot;:736,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:73913,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/183048651?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd1f4ae53-d95b-43ae-b3f1-1d749c891eff_736x981.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Texe!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf475012-507f-4634-b5eb-65c1810e9be6_736x440.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Texe!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf475012-507f-4634-b5eb-65c1810e9be6_736x440.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Texe!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf475012-507f-4634-b5eb-65c1810e9be6_736x440.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Texe!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf475012-507f-4634-b5eb-65c1810e9be6_736x440.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>I earned a few certificates (with some still pending payment), attended several impactful conferences and webinars, improved my writing skills, and learned so much about writing that I hope to establish by God&#8217;s grace next year. I grew academically, met amazing people who poured into my life, launched my small business, lost some friends, and made new ones.  </p><p>I didn&#8217;t read as many books as I wanted to though &#128557;. I didn&#8217;t learn how to drive a car, and I didn&#8217;t post as much as I planned. So we go again next year, and I mean it. On the bright side, I took a lot more pictures compared to last year &#127770;.</p><p>So much happened that I can&#8217;t even remember it all at once, but every time I reflect, all I can say is thank you, Jesus, for the privilege, the growth, and the breakthroughs.</p><p>This year taught me so much, about Jesus, love, God&#8217;s goodness, friendship, consistency, prayer, stability, knowledge, patience, leadership, staying strong, not giving in to pressure, family, fellowship, strength and so much more.</p><p>There&#8217;s still a lot I need to improve on, and I&#8217;m very open to learning, growing, and becoming better. There&#8217;s so much more to be achieved. Truly, the sky is the limit. God has called us to have dominion, authority, to be fruitful and multiply (I won&#8217;t start preaching &#128514;&#128557;).</p><p>There&#8217;s still so much in store for me and for you, mi loves. 2026 is going to be our best year yet, so watch out for me. Watch out for more from Seven Shades in the year 2026. And I am watching out for You &#129781;</p><p>As we step into the new year, set achievable goals. Build the right connections. Have good people in your corner, and also be that good person in someone else&#8217;s corner. Strengthen your spiritual life because the spiritual controls the physical. Live a life with God. Stay away from things that don&#8217;t help you grow. Learn to differentiate true friends from mere acquaintances. True friends support your growth, stay real with you, and lovingly correct you.</p><div class="captioned-button-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/seven-shades-of-2025?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="CaptionedButtonToDOM"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Seven's Highlight! Make my New year by sharing this post &#128584;</p></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/seven-shades-of-2025?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/sevennshades.substack.com/p/seven-shades-of-2025?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p></div><p></p><div><hr></div><p></p><p><strong>P.S. </strong>I know I promised weekly posts this year, but I couldn&#8217;t keep up. I had write-ups ready, but imposter syndrome crept in. I felt like I was sharing too much, and before I knew it, the months flew by. I pray this is the end of that phase, and that I finally find my voice, my solace, and my niche.</p><p>Wishing you a belated Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in a few hours. May this new year bring good tidings to us all. I love you all and Jesus loves you even more. Let Him be your source and pillar in 2026.</p><p><em><strong>And with that, the year 2025 comes to an end! &#127881;</strong></em></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!E1cU!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F73da5efd-cab4-4926-9362-ceac6b4b5bd5_540x540.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!E1cU!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F73da5efd-cab4-4926-9362-ceac6b4b5bd5_540x540.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!E1cU!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F73da5efd-cab4-4926-9362-ceac6b4b5bd5_540x540.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!E1cU!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F73da5efd-cab4-4926-9362-ceac6b4b5bd5_540x540.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!E1cU!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F73da5efd-cab4-4926-9362-ceac6b4b5bd5_540x540.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!E1cU!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F73da5efd-cab4-4926-9362-ceac6b4b5bd5_540x540.jpeg" width="540" height="540" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/73da5efd-cab4-4926-9362-ceac6b4b5bd5_540x540.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:false,&quot;imageSize&quot;:&quot;normal&quot;,&quot;height&quot;:540,&quot;width&quot;:540,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:540,&quot;bytes&quot;:13172,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/183048651?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F73da5efd-cab4-4926-9362-ceac6b4b5bd5_540x540.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:&quot;center&quot;,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!E1cU!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F73da5efd-cab4-4926-9362-ceac6b4b5bd5_540x540.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!E1cU!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F73da5efd-cab4-4926-9362-ceac6b4b5bd5_540x540.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!E1cU!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F73da5efd-cab4-4926-9362-ceac6b4b5bd5_540x540.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!E1cU!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F73da5efd-cab4-4926-9362-ceac6b4b5bd5_540x540.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/seven-shades-of-2025/comments&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Leave a comment&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/sevennshades.substack.com/p/seven-shades-of-2025/comments"><span>Leave a comment</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[To be Loved (Part II)]]></title><description><![CDATA[being loved by "LOVE" himself]]></description><link>https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/to-be-loved-part-ii</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/to-be-loved-part-ii</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Perfection]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 30 Nov 2025 22:01:21 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/cbe61cac-8932-43be-8bb3-c03fefce8342_736x736.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hi Mi loves, I almost didn&#8217;t post this November&#8230; but the devil is a liar.</p><p></p><p>To everyone asking:</p><p>&#8220;Is Seven still a writer?&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;When is she going to post?&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;She hasn&#8217;t been active&#8230;&#8221;</p><p></p><p>Let me be honest with you, I never stopped writing. Writing is therapy for me. It&#8217;s the place I run to when my mind is loud and life feels heavy. And this month? Whew. My department really tried me. It was after my life, but it didn&#8217;t know I already handed it over to Jesus.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Subscribe to Seven's Highlight, trust you won't regret it.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p><p>There were days I questioned if this degree was worth it. Days I cried. Days I screamed. I spent the whole month locking in, crashing out, locking in again &#128517;. And I&#8217;m not exaggerating, trust me &#128557;.</p><p>If you saw me mid-month, you&#8217;d know something was off. But Grace held me. I held on to the hem of His garment &#128584;</p><p></p><div class="pullquote"><p><strong>And yes, Mi lovelies&#8230; this highlight is about the Owner of that garment &#8212; my Owner</strong></p><p></p></div><div class="preformatted-block" data-component-name="PreformattedTextBlockToDOM"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false">Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published</label><pre class="text">Welcome to the long awaited continuation:

To Be Loved By Love

(How can One so terrifying love this deeply?)

From the One who calls Himself Love,
who is Love&#8230;<strong>

</strong><em><strong>The One whose hair is white as snow,
whose eyes burn like flames of fire,
whose feet glow like burnished bronze,
whose voice thunders like many waters,
this same God looks at you and says,
&#8220;I love you.&#8221;

How can we hear that and still doubt it?
How can we go on living empty,
searching in this world for what only His love gives?

The One who holds the seven stars,
from whose mouth comes a sharp two-edged sword,
whose face shines like the sun in its full strength&#8212;
this glorious, terrifying, beautiful God
sets His affection on you.

We are dust. We are small.
Yet He loved us first.
He covered us with mercy and grace.
He caused His shining face to shine upon us.

He is a consuming fire,
yet He loves with a consuming, jealous love.
A love that doesn&#8217;t want anything to stand between you and Him.

What a glory.
What a wonder.
Oh, to be loved by a God like this.

He invites you:
&#8220;Taste and see that My love is good.&#8221;

He is the river that never runs dry.
No matter how many times we hurt Him,
His love does not perish.

He knows the number of your hairs.
He gives bread, not stones.
His love is wide, long, high, and deep,
beyond human imagination.

If not for His love,
none of us would be here.
We breathe because of it.

</strong></em>And then He declares:

&#8220;Nothing can separate you from My love&#8212;not life or death, not angels or demons.&#8221;

This is the part that undoes me.
Words cannot fully comprehend or classify His love.

<strong>Oh, what an honor to be loved by Love Himself.

</strong></pre></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bm6d!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F44638fe8-f3d2-40f3-b3f6-91d859db6942_246x237.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bm6d!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F44638fe8-f3d2-40f3-b3f6-91d859db6942_246x237.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bm6d!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F44638fe8-f3d2-40f3-b3f6-91d859db6942_246x237.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bm6d!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F44638fe8-f3d2-40f3-b3f6-91d859db6942_246x237.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bm6d!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F44638fe8-f3d2-40f3-b3f6-91d859db6942_246x237.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bm6d!,w_2400,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F44638fe8-f3d2-40f3-b3f6-91d859db6942_246x237.jpeg" width="1200" height="1156.0975609756097" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/44638fe8-f3d2-40f3-b3f6-91d859db6942_246x237.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:false,&quot;imageSize&quot;:&quot;large&quot;,&quot;height&quot;:237,&quot;width&quot;:246,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:1200,&quot;bytes&quot;:71880,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/180347987?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F44638fe8-f3d2-40f3-b3f6-91d859db6942_246x237.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:&quot;center&quot;,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-large" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bm6d!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F44638fe8-f3d2-40f3-b3f6-91d859db6942_246x237.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bm6d!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F44638fe8-f3d2-40f3-b3f6-91d859db6942_246x237.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bm6d!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F44638fe8-f3d2-40f3-b3f6-91d859db6942_246x237.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bm6d!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F44638fe8-f3d2-40f3-b3f6-91d859db6942_246x237.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p></p><p><strong>P.S.</strong> Thank you for reading this highlight to the end&#128513;. Let me be the first to wish you a happy new month. December is only a few hours away, and I pray it brings you good tidings. &#127881;</p><p></p><p>Stay tuned, Mi loves &#8212; I bring good news!. I&#8217;ll be posting a highlight every week throughout December&#127881;. And trust me, these highlights will be worth it. They&#8217;re a wrap-up of my year: stories, lessons, love lost, tears, laughter, growth, and all the little goodies in between.</p><p></p><p>Tell a friend to tell a friend to be here for it.</p><p></p><p>Love always.</p><p>Go and spread love, Mi loves. &#128155;&#10024;</p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Writing You Back to Life ]]></title><description><![CDATA[When pictures speak, I write &#8212; returning to the simple joy of letting images stir my words again.]]></description><link>https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/writing-you-back-to-life</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/writing-you-back-to-life</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Perfection]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 19 Oct 2025 15:23:49 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!S9AK!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7e0b69df-f1bd-4287-938b-4ec6c97ed236_640x813.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Hi mi loves,</strong></p><p>Yes, I know, I know what you&#8217;re thinking, I&#8217;m here quite early, earlier than usual. Trust me, I&#8217;m just as surprised (and a little proud) of myself too &#128517;.</p><p>I&#8217;ve realized my writings shouldn&#8217;t only be about when everything is polished and perfectly articulated. I&#8217;m learning to share even the half-baked pieces I create along the way &#8212; so bear with me.</p><p>It&#8217;s been a while since I last did this, but here we are again, writing as I get inspired by pictures.</p><p>Back when I started writing and discovered how much I loved it, most of my inspiration came from pictures, art frames I saw mostly online, and poetic drawings.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Seven's Highlight ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p><p></p><p>So here we go: what do I see, or rather, what do I feel when I look at this picture right now?</p><p></p><p>(I might look at this same picture another day and get a different view or highlight from it &#128517;)</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!S9AK!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7e0b69df-f1bd-4287-938b-4ec6c97ed236_640x813.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset image2-full-screen"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!S9AK!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7e0b69df-f1bd-4287-938b-4ec6c97ed236_640x813.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!S9AK!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7e0b69df-f1bd-4287-938b-4ec6c97ed236_640x813.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!S9AK!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7e0b69df-f1bd-4287-938b-4ec6c97ed236_640x813.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!S9AK!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7e0b69df-f1bd-4287-938b-4ec6c97ed236_640x813.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!S9AK!,w_5760,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7e0b69df-f1bd-4287-938b-4ec6c97ed236_640x813.jpeg" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/7e0b69df-f1bd-4287-938b-4ec6c97ed236_640x813.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:false,&quot;imageSize&quot;:&quot;full&quot;,&quot;height&quot;:813,&quot;width&quot;:640,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:54003,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/176081835?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7e0b69df-f1bd-4287-938b-4ec6c97ed236_640x813.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:&quot;center&quot;,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-fullscreen" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!S9AK!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7e0b69df-f1bd-4287-938b-4ec6c97ed236_640x813.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!S9AK!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7e0b69df-f1bd-4287-938b-4ec6c97ed236_640x813.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!S9AK!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7e0b69df-f1bd-4287-938b-4ec6c97ed236_640x813.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!S9AK!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7e0b69df-f1bd-4287-938b-4ec6c97ed236_640x813.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p></p><div class="preformatted-block" data-component-name="PreformattedTextBlockToDOM"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false">Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published</label><pre class="text"><em>Pages, pages, pages...

Sitting by the sea, I rushedly and desperately scribble words onto paper &#8212;

<strong>trying to write you back to life</strong>.

But they aren&#8217;t adding up.

The words you once told me,

the ones I held on to,

the ones that meant the world to me...



Now that you&#8217;re gone,

it&#8217;s hard to believe in those words.

Still, I hope they stay with me,

even now that you&#8217;re far away.

And maybe, just maybe,

I&#8217;ll piece the words back together&#8212;

and find meaning again in this ruthless world
</em>


&#169; sevennshadeswriter </pre></div><p></p><p></p><p><strong>P.S.</strong> Thank you for reading this highlight/poetry! &#128155;</p><p>To my fellow writers in the house &#8212; let&#8217;s make this fun. Please feel free to share what you see when you look at the picture attached to this highlight, either in the comments or my DM. I&#8217;d also love it if you shared some pictures too, so I can write about what I see from them &#129392;</p><p>You can expect more write-ups from me soon! I wish you splendid moments as we go further into the month. God bless you &#128155;</p><div><hr></div><p></p><div class="captioned-button-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/writing-you-back-to-life?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="CaptionedButtonToDOM"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">If you enjoyed this piece, please feel free to share It! &#127807;</p></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/writing-you-back-to-life?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/sevennshades.substack.com/p/writing-you-back-to-life?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p></div><p></p><div class="directMessage button" data-attrs="{&quot;userId&quot;:133354594,&quot;userName&quot;:&quot;Perfection&quot;,&quot;canDm&quot;:null,&quot;dmUpgradeOptions&quot;:null,&quot;isEditorNode&quot;:true}" data-component-name="DirectMessageToDOM"></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/writing-you-back-to-life/comments&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Leave a comment&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/sevennshades.substack.com/p/writing-you-back-to-life/comments"><span>Leave a comment</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Endings, Endings, Endings ]]></title><description><![CDATA[The ache and the beauty]]></description><link>https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/endings-endings-endings</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/endings-endings-endings</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Perfection]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 30 Sep 2025 18:37:35 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IoCS!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fab95434a-916e-4263-8863-80263512d2ea_736x1472.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="pullquote"><p><em><strong>On goodbyes, grief, and the hope hidden in every ending.</strong></em></p></div><p></p><p>Endings suck &#8212; and that&#8217;s the truth.</p><p></p><p>The beginning of things usually feels light, exciting, or at least manageable. But the ending? That&#8217;s where the emotions hit hardest. Even when it&#8217;s a happy ending, it somehow feels sad. The fact that there&#8217;s no continuation, that what you&#8217;ve been enjoying suddenly stops, leaves a strange emptiness.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IoCS!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fab95434a-916e-4263-8863-80263512d2ea_736x1472.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset image2-full-screen"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IoCS!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fab95434a-916e-4263-8863-80263512d2ea_736x1472.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IoCS!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fab95434a-916e-4263-8863-80263512d2ea_736x1472.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IoCS!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fab95434a-916e-4263-8863-80263512d2ea_736x1472.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IoCS!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fab95434a-916e-4263-8863-80263512d2ea_736x1472.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IoCS!,w_5760,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fab95434a-916e-4263-8863-80263512d2ea_736x1472.jpeg" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ab95434a-916e-4263-8863-80263512d2ea_736x1472.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:false,&quot;imageSize&quot;:&quot;full&quot;,&quot;height&quot;:1472,&quot;width&quot;:736,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:67288,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/174556623?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fab95434a-916e-4263-8863-80263512d2ea_736x1472.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:&quot;center&quot;,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-fullscreen" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IoCS!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fab95434a-916e-4263-8863-80263512d2ea_736x1472.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IoCS!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fab95434a-916e-4263-8863-80263512d2ea_736x1472.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IoCS!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fab95434a-916e-4263-8863-80263512d2ea_736x1472.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IoCS!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fab95434a-916e-4263-8863-80263512d2ea_736x1472.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>It&#8217;s almost like life itself: living fully, then death comes knocking, and just like that, a whole journey becomes a memory. Or like finishing a really good series &#8212; you&#8217;ve laughed, cried, and lived through the characters, but once that final episode rolls, you&#8217;re left in a whirlwind of emotions. It doesn&#8217;t matter if the ending was happy or tragic &#8212; the ache comes from knowing it&#8217;s over. And I know some people may not agree with me, but I believe endings almost always carry that tinge of sadness.</p><p></p><p>It&#8217;s not just movies or shows. Think about finishing a race, or graduating after 5 or 6 years of school. The excitement of accomplishment is there, but so is that silent, awkward battle within: this chapter is really over. Or leaving a place, moving away from people you love, realizing you won&#8217;t see them as often anymore. Endings can feel cruel like that. They demand we let go of things that once made us feel alive.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Seven's Highlight ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p><p></p><p>I once saw a video of a lady on Instagram who had lost her best friend. The clip was filled with memories of him, and her heartfelt writings for him. Watching it broke me &#8212; I cried. You could see how much he meant to her, how losing him disrupted her world and left her in despair. It took me back to the point that endings really are sad &#8212; and most times, we have no power over them.</p><p></p><p>But here&#8217;s the beauty: endings only hurt because what came before mattered. The sadness is proof that something beautiful, meaningful, or life-changing happened. Endings remind us that we were present enough to feel.</p><p></p><p>And maybe, endings aren&#8217;t just &#8220;the end.&#8221; Every ending ushers in the beginning of something new. The close of one story makes room for another to unfold, sometimes quietly, sometimes dramatically.</p><p></p><p>Even in Scripture, endings are never really just endings. The death of Christ became the doorway to resurrection. The close of one covenant opened a new one. God shows us that endings can carry hope, not despair, they hold the promise of beginnings we cannot yet see.</p><p></p><p>So maybe the best thing we can do is live fully, enjoy each moment, and embrace the chapters as they come. That way, when endings arrive &#8212; and they always will &#8212; we can look back not just with sadness, but with gratitude. Because the end won&#8217;t only be an end, but also the beginning of something new.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/endings-endings-endings/comments&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Leave a comment&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/sevennshades.substack.com/p/endings-endings-endings/comments"><span>Leave a comment</span></a></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>P.S.:</strong> Funny enough, this whole piece was inspired by me finishing the Just Us Girls series. I found myself crying at the final episode &#8212; not because it was sad, but because it ended. That mix of emotions made me realize just how much endings affect me. </p><p></p><div class="pullquote"><p>&#8220;<strong>Behind every ending, God is quietly writing a new beginning.&#8221;</strong></p><p></p></div><div class="captioned-button-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/endings-endings-endings?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="CaptionedButtonToDOM"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Seven's Highlight ! This post is public so feel free to share it.</p></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/endings-endings-endings?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/sevennshades.substack.com/p/endings-endings-endings?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p></div><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Echoes Of Myself ]]></title><description><![CDATA[A haunting whisper of who I was&#8212;and who I feared becoming.]]></description><link>https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/echoes-of-myself</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/echoes-of-myself</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Perfection]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 31 Aug 2025 22:59:04 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PAYY!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Feab774b2-6ff9-4c41-9d26-0ed9adf0540c_736x1104.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Hi mi loves </strong>&#129293; It&#8217;s been a little while, and I hope August was kind to us all.</p><p>I came across something I wrote around this time last year on my notepad, and I honestly don&#8217;t know why I never shared it. So here we go &#129303;</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Seven's Highlight ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><div class="pullquote"><p><em><strong>Disclaimer</strong>: This is a work of raw, poetic fiction that draws on dark and unsettling imagery. It was written as a form of healing and self-expression. Please read with an open mind, knowing it is meant to evoke emotion rather than recount literal events</em></p></div><div class="preformatted-block" data-component-name="PreformattedTextBlockToDOM"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false">Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published</label><pre class="text">I woke up to blood on my sheets this midnight.
I wondered where it came from.
I looked at myself, but the blood wasn&#8217;t mine.
It was scarlet red, fresh, dripping down my bed racks.

The metallic scent filled my nose, thick and heavy.
The room felt colder, as though the night had swallowed the air itself.

As I stared, rage brewed inside me.
Still trying to figure out how the blood got there, I heard sirens outside.
The noise drew closer&#8212;shouts, hurried steps, the scrape of metal against the ground.

Then&#8212;a bang!&#8212;my door crashed open.

Figures stormed in. Their faces blurred in the shadows, their uniforms smudged and shifting like smoke.
They wheeled something in, their movements frantic, yet no sound came from their mouths&#8212;only muffled echoes, like voices underwater.

I tried to speak. My words dissolved in the air.
I screamed. No one turned.
Their eyes passed over me as if I wasn&#8217;t there.

Then I saw the body they carried.
And froze.

The body&#8217;s eyes were closed. Mine were wide open.
But only one of us was breathing.

I leaned closer. My hand reached out&#8212;
But my fingers passed straight through the body, like smoke.

My knees buckled. A scream rose in my throat but never left.
The room tilted. The world slipped from its hinges.

That&#8217;s when the faceless figures turned, wheeling me away into the dark.
Not once did they look back.
Not once did they see the other me standing there.

The silence that followed was unbearable.

Minutes &#8212;or &#8212;hours passed before I heard it: footsteps.
Slow. Heavy. Deliberate. Each one striking the floor like a drumbeat.

My chest tightened. The sound drew closer. Into the room.
I hid beneath my covers, praying not to hear the knock.

But I did.
And with it, a voice&#8212;my own voice.

I froze. Terrified to open the door and meet myself.
Terrified of what she might say.
Terrified of the story her eyes would tell when they locked with mine.

Because deep down, I knew&#8212;
she wasn&#8217;t here to warn me.
She was here to take my place.

</pre></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PAYY!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Feab774b2-6ff9-4c41-9d26-0ed9adf0540c_736x1104.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PAYY!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Feab774b2-6ff9-4c41-9d26-0ed9adf0540c_736x1104.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PAYY!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Feab774b2-6ff9-4c41-9d26-0ed9adf0540c_736x1104.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PAYY!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Feab774b2-6ff9-4c41-9d26-0ed9adf0540c_736x1104.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PAYY!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Feab774b2-6ff9-4c41-9d26-0ed9adf0540c_736x1104.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PAYY!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Feab774b2-6ff9-4c41-9d26-0ed9adf0540c_736x1104.jpeg" width="736" height="1104" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/eab774b2-6ff9-4c41-9d26-0ed9adf0540c_736x1104.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1104,&quot;width&quot;:736,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:57701,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/172436969?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Feab774b2-6ff9-4c41-9d26-0ed9adf0540c_736x1104.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PAYY!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Feab774b2-6ff9-4c41-9d26-0ed9adf0540c_736x1104.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PAYY!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Feab774b2-6ff9-4c41-9d26-0ed9adf0540c_736x1104.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PAYY!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Feab774b2-6ff9-4c41-9d26-0ed9adf0540c_736x1104.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PAYY!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Feab774b2-6ff9-4c41-9d26-0ed9adf0540c_736x1104.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><div><hr></div><p><em><strong>P.S</strong></em>. And that&#8217;s it, loves &#129293; I promised myself I&#8217;d share something in August, and even if it&#8217;s just a few minutes before September, I kept that promise. I fell sick late this month but thank God I&#8217;m better now. Wishing you all a blissful new month ahead&#8212;may it bring peace, growth, and joy. &#10024;</p><p></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Seven's Highlight ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[To be Loved (Part I)]]></title><description><![CDATA[beyond measures...]]></description><link>https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/to-be-loved-part-i</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/to-be-loved-part-i</guid><pubDate>Thu, 31 Jul 2025 10:40:45 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yAS-!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3e6a059f-e493-46b8-ad4b-36d9bc7bee9f_736x736.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Hey mi loves!</strong>, I found my pen today &#8212; I have been searching for it all month long and I finally found it. Isn't it lovely? (Yes it is, lol). Please, dive in!</p><div class="pullquote"><p><em><strong>Disclaimer: This was powerfully inspired by the holy spirit&#8212;My best friend and honestly, the best writer! &#128513;</strong></em></p></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6cvJ!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe30dd585-a63a-42cf-89de-c8cea6d3511b_736x736.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6cvJ!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe30dd585-a63a-42cf-89de-c8cea6d3511b_736x736.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6cvJ!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe30dd585-a63a-42cf-89de-c8cea6d3511b_736x736.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6cvJ!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe30dd585-a63a-42cf-89de-c8cea6d3511b_736x736.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6cvJ!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe30dd585-a63a-42cf-89de-c8cea6d3511b_736x736.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6cvJ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe30dd585-a63a-42cf-89de-c8cea6d3511b_736x736.jpeg" width="736" height="736" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/e30dd585-a63a-42cf-89de-c8cea6d3511b_736x736.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:736,&quot;width&quot;:736,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:41971,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/169613968?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe30dd585-a63a-42cf-89de-c8cea6d3511b_736x736.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6cvJ!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe30dd585-a63a-42cf-89de-c8cea6d3511b_736x736.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6cvJ!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe30dd585-a63a-42cf-89de-c8cea6d3511b_736x736.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6cvJ!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe30dd585-a63a-42cf-89de-c8cea6d3511b_736x736.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6cvJ!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe30dd585-a63a-42cf-89de-c8cea6d3511b_736x736.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Seven's Highlight ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>I&#8217;ve been walking a path where I didn&#8217;t really know what love was. I tried so hard to define it, to give it meaning, but nothing I came up with fully captured the weight of what love truly is. And for a long time, I hated being vulnerable, even with my best friend, the Holy Spirit.</p><p>He watched me put on a front, acting like I was okay, not asking for help... not even in the littlest things. I didn&#8217;t know how to be open. Maybe I felt indebted, or maybe I just didn&#8217;t know how to let go.</p><p></p><p>Then this came to me two evenings ago, and I wrote as I felt.</p><p>Perhaps I didn&#8217;t fully capture everything He was revealing&#8212; Pardon me. This is just the tip of the iceberg.</p><p></p><p><em><strong>So have a peek into it:</strong></em></p><p></p><p></p><div class="preformatted-block" data-component-name="PreformattedTextBlockToDOM"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false">Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published</label><pre class="text">And He said, Open up to me. Be vulnerable!

Let me love you and embrace you.

Let me wrap my loving arms around you.

Accept my love &#8212; open up your heart to me.

Come to me naked. Come just as you are.

Do not hide. Do not shy away.





I created you, and I know you &#8212;

more than you even know yourself.

Come, let me love you, for I am Love.

Be open-minded with me. Tell me your struggles.

Cast your cares and burdens upon me.

I will lift the yoke from your neck.





I know it&#8217;s heavy, and I know you&#8217;re tired.

But I never created you to be perfect.

I see beauty in your flaws,

perfection in your imperfections.

Just abide in me.





I saw how they left you,

when you gave everything and got nothing.

I saw you try to be strong,

while breaking silently.

Even when you turned away,

I stayed.

I waited when you wandered.





I whispered when the world shouted over you.

I wish you knew how much I love you!

I am the root and the definition of love &#8212;

I am LOVE. Without me, there is no love.





 Let me love you like I'm making history.

Close your eyes. Come away with me.

When you cry, let me kiss your tears away.

Let me soothe you with the kisses of my lips.





My love is better than wine &#8212;

so don&#8217;t drown yourself in what leaves you empty.

Bring your troubles to me, and I&#8217;ll wipe them clean.

It hurts me to see you hurt.

But I can heal your soul

with the wonders of my touch.





Please, don&#8217;t push me away.

Let your guard down.

We can figure it all out together 

I see it all, yet I choose you.






You are not a mistake.

You are mine.

Royal blood flows in you,

You wear my name on your soul.

When you pass through fire,

I&#8217;ll be right beside you &#8212;

unburnt, unbroken, still loved.





I am LOVE,

and I love recklessly, overwhelmingly, endearingly, powerfully, and forever.

And when the world forgets your name,

I will still call you MINE.
</pre></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yAS-!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3e6a059f-e493-46b8-ad4b-36d9bc7bee9f_736x736.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yAS-!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3e6a059f-e493-46b8-ad4b-36d9bc7bee9f_736x736.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yAS-!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3e6a059f-e493-46b8-ad4b-36d9bc7bee9f_736x736.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yAS-!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3e6a059f-e493-46b8-ad4b-36d9bc7bee9f_736x736.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yAS-!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3e6a059f-e493-46b8-ad4b-36d9bc7bee9f_736x736.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yAS-!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3e6a059f-e493-46b8-ad4b-36d9bc7bee9f_736x736.jpeg" width="736" height="736" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/3e6a059f-e493-46b8-ad4b-36d9bc7bee9f_736x736.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:736,&quot;width&quot;:736,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:15600,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/169613968?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3e6a059f-e493-46b8-ad4b-36d9bc7bee9f_736x736.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yAS-!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3e6a059f-e493-46b8-ad4b-36d9bc7bee9f_736x736.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yAS-!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3e6a059f-e493-46b8-ad4b-36d9bc7bee9f_736x736.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yAS-!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3e6a059f-e493-46b8-ad4b-36d9bc7bee9f_736x736.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yAS-!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3e6a059f-e493-46b8-ad4b-36d9bc7bee9f_736x736.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/to-be-loved-part-i/comments&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Leave a comment&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/sevennshades.substack.com/p/to-be-loved-part-i/comments"><span>Leave a comment</span></a></p><p></p><p></p><p><em><strong>P.S. </strong>A big shoutout to everyone who made my birthday a memorable one, It was my best birthday yet!</em></p><p><em>To those who planned the surprises and everything in between (there&#8217;s a full write-up coming soon &#128524;), I love you all deeply. Thank you!</em></p><p><em>May you experience God&#8217;s love in every aspect of your life.</em></p><p></p><div><hr></div><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Seven's Highlight ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[I Found Peace in the Rain]]></title><description><![CDATA[when thoughts screamed loudest, the sky whispered peace.]]></description><link>https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/i-found-peace-in-the-rain</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/i-found-peace-in-the-rain</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Perfection]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 30 Jun 2025 22:27:43 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zA9I!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5b0a15b2-e946-4c84-b9d7-dfa63e7fbcc3_360x640.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hi mi loves,</p><p>It&#8217;s giving<em><strong> &#8220;pressure makes diamonds&#8221;</strong></em> at this point &#128557;. I have this thing where I write a lot during the month, but when it&#8217;s time to post&#8230; I freeze. I get confused on what to share and then stall until the end of the month (Send help &#128557;).</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption"></p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>Big shoutout to Teniola, she literally sat through me reading five of my own write-ups to her, still couldn&#8217;t decide &#128564;, and she was sooo patient. Honestly, she&#8217;s the real MVP for helping me pick this one.</p><p>Anyway, let&#8217;s dive into this poetic story. </p><div class="pullquote"><p><strong>&#8220;Peace on the Hill&#8221;</strong></p><p></p></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!As9l!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F27e98222-c750-46fc-bbf4-dd7522068f77_1024x1536.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!As9l!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F27e98222-c750-46fc-bbf4-dd7522068f77_1024x1536.png 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!As9l!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F27e98222-c750-46fc-bbf4-dd7522068f77_1024x1536.png 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!As9l!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F27e98222-c750-46fc-bbf4-dd7522068f77_1024x1536.png 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!As9l!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F27e98222-c750-46fc-bbf4-dd7522068f77_1024x1536.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!As9l!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F27e98222-c750-46fc-bbf4-dd7522068f77_1024x1536.png" width="1024" height="1536" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/27e98222-c750-46fc-bbf4-dd7522068f77_1024x1536.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1536,&quot;width&quot;:1024,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:2463954,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/167212609?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F27e98222-c750-46fc-bbf4-dd7522068f77_1024x1536.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!As9l!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F27e98222-c750-46fc-bbf4-dd7522068f77_1024x1536.png 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!As9l!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F27e98222-c750-46fc-bbf4-dd7522068f77_1024x1536.png 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!As9l!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F27e98222-c750-46fc-bbf4-dd7522068f77_1024x1536.png 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!As9l!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F27e98222-c750-46fc-bbf4-dd7522068f77_1024x1536.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>Sitting alone on the hill, far above,</p><p>I watched the wonders of creation &#8212; birds chirping as they soared toward their nests.</p><p>A mother bird flew off, seeking scraps to feed her young.</p><p>The wind blew softly. I inhaled. Exhaled.</p><p>For a fleeting moment, peace settled over me.</p><p>I inhaled again, deeper this time, then closed my eyes to embrace the calm.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>When I opened them, a dark cloud loomed, thick and heavy &#8212; rain was coming.</p><p>I stood, deciding to return home... though I wasn&#8217;t quite sure where &#8220;home&#8221; was.</p><p>As I began my descent, an odd feeling crept in &#8212;</p><p>a weight, like the ghosts of my past clawing their way back.</p><p>Like they&#8217;d been waiting for this moment, dying to meet me again.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Wnbd!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa3816108-ed30-4a1f-b846-52a37511ee44_736x981.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Wnbd!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa3816108-ed30-4a1f-b846-52a37511ee44_736x981.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Wnbd!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa3816108-ed30-4a1f-b846-52a37511ee44_736x981.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Wnbd!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa3816108-ed30-4a1f-b846-52a37511ee44_736x981.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Wnbd!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa3816108-ed30-4a1f-b846-52a37511ee44_736x981.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Wnbd!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa3816108-ed30-4a1f-b846-52a37511ee44_736x981.jpeg" width="736" height="981" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/a3816108-ed30-4a1f-b846-52a37511ee44_736x981.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:981,&quot;width&quot;:736,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:57867,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/167212609?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa3816108-ed30-4a1f-b846-52a37511ee44_736x981.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Wnbd!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa3816108-ed30-4a1f-b846-52a37511ee44_736x981.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Wnbd!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa3816108-ed30-4a1f-b846-52a37511ee44_736x981.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Wnbd!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa3816108-ed30-4a1f-b846-52a37511ee44_736x981.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Wnbd!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa3816108-ed30-4a1f-b846-52a37511ee44_736x981.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>I tried to shake it off, kept walking.</p><p>But the thoughts returned, stronger.</p><p>It felt like something &#8212; or someone &#8212; was following me.</p><p>I turned quickly...</p><p>Nothing. Just a lizard scurrying off, minding its own life.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Was I paranoid? Losing my mind?</p><p>No. I wasn&#8217;t crazy.</p><p>I could feel them &#8212; the demons &#8212; whispering into my thoughts,</p><p>fighting for space in my head.</p><p>I tried to silence them, but they were relentless.</p><p>They felt powerful.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>I quickened my pace, desperate to outrun the voices.</p><p>But like shadows, they stalked me,</p><p>close behind, closer still.</p><p>The faster I moved, the more real they became.</p><p>I could almost see them now &#8212; clear, loud, heavy.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Then I screamed.</p><p>And the sky answered.</p><p>The cloud burst open in rage,</p><p>and the rain came pouring down &#8212; wild and fierce.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zA9I!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5b0a15b2-e946-4c84-b9d7-dfa63e7fbcc3_360x640.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zA9I!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5b0a15b2-e946-4c84-b9d7-dfa63e7fbcc3_360x640.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zA9I!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5b0a15b2-e946-4c84-b9d7-dfa63e7fbcc3_360x640.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zA9I!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5b0a15b2-e946-4c84-b9d7-dfa63e7fbcc3_360x640.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zA9I!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5b0a15b2-e946-4c84-b9d7-dfa63e7fbcc3_360x640.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zA9I!,w_2400,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5b0a15b2-e946-4c84-b9d7-dfa63e7fbcc3_360x640.jpeg" width="1200" height="2133.3333333333335" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/5b0a15b2-e946-4c84-b9d7-dfa63e7fbcc3_360x640.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:false,&quot;imageSize&quot;:&quot;large&quot;,&quot;height&quot;:640,&quot;width&quot;:360,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:1200,&quot;bytes&quot;:88424,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/167212609?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5b0a15b2-e946-4c84-b9d7-dfa63e7fbcc3_360x640.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:&quot;center&quot;,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-large" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zA9I!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5b0a15b2-e946-4c84-b9d7-dfa63e7fbcc3_360x640.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zA9I!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5b0a15b2-e946-4c84-b9d7-dfa63e7fbcc3_360x640.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zA9I!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5b0a15b2-e946-4c84-b9d7-dfa63e7fbcc3_360x640.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zA9I!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5b0a15b2-e946-4c84-b9d7-dfa63e7fbcc3_360x640.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>It felt like heaven had heard me.</p><p>Like the sky cried with me.</p><p>And just like that, the demons began to fade.</p><p>Their voices drowned out by the rhythm of the rain.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>I was drenched,</p><p>but for the first time in a long while,</p><p>I felt peace.</p><p>Real peace &#8212; deep within.</p><p></p><div><hr></div><p></p><p>Thank you for reading, mi loves.</p><p>If this piece spoke to you, even in the tiniest whisper &#8212; I&#8217;m truly grateful.</p><p>Feel free to hit reply or drop a comment; I&#8217;d love to hear your thoughts.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/i-found-peace-in-the-rain/comments&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Leave a comment&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/sevennshades.substack.com/p/i-found-peace-in-the-rain/comments"><span>Leave a comment</span></a></p><p></p><blockquote><p><code>P.S. This piece was inspired by art &#8212; still images that somehow spoke louder than words.</code></p><p></p></blockquote><p>Also&#8230; in just a few minutes, it&#8217;s a new month &#10024;</p><p>and guess what? My birthday&#8217;s just around the corner&#129402;&#9786;&#65039;( say me a prayer)</p><p>So here&#8217;s me sending you early<em><strong> &#8220;Happy New Month&#8221; </strong></em>hugs and quietly hoping July showers us both with good things.</p><p></p><p></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Seven's Highlight ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Come Play Again]]></title><description><![CDATA[for the child I still carry within, she tugs at my sleeve.]]></description><link>https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/come-play-again</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/come-play-again</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Perfection]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 29 May 2025 23:12:23 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe2c041b6-42b4-4639-8bc3-04371c6c05f8_649x485.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I don&#8217;t know what part of growing up feels the heaviest&#8212;Is it the responsibilities? The choices? The thoughts that never stop spinning in your head?</p><p>Or maybe it&#8217;s the loss of the girl I used to be.</p><p></p><p>Lately, I&#8217;ve been missing her&#8212;the one who didn&#8217;t worry about tomorrow, who found peace in cartoons and chilled pawpaw juice with Dodo ( a weird combo). The one who didn&#8217;t have to carry questions like: &#8220;Who am I becoming?&#8221;</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/sevennshades.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C5CP!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7a676624-6390-4937-ab3b-c3764f49fd59_720x970.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C5CP!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7a676624-6390-4937-ab3b-c3764f49fd59_720x970.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C5CP!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7a676624-6390-4937-ab3b-c3764f49fd59_720x970.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C5CP!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7a676624-6390-4937-ab3b-c3764f49fd59_720x970.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C5CP!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7a676624-6390-4937-ab3b-c3764f49fd59_720x970.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C5CP!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7a676624-6390-4937-ab3b-c3764f49fd59_720x970.jpeg" width="720" height="970" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/7a676624-6390-4937-ab3b-c3764f49fd59_720x970.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:970,&quot;width&quot;:720,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:173967,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/164639070?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7522fa22-ea04-42df-a802-3005dcf090da_720x1612.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C5CP!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7a676624-6390-4937-ab3b-c3764f49fd59_720x970.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C5CP!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7a676624-6390-4937-ab3b-c3764f49fd59_720x970.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C5CP!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7a676624-6390-4937-ab3b-c3764f49fd59_720x970.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C5CP!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7a676624-6390-4937-ab3b-c3764f49fd59_720x970.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">An old piece, The Girl in the Mirror. Wrote it years back.  Thought to share it.</figcaption></figure></div><p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>This is for her.</p></blockquote><p></p><p><em><strong>There was a time</strong></em></p><p><em><strong>when my biggest concern</strong></em></p><p><em><strong>was if NEPA would bring the light</strong></em></p><p><em><strong>in time for my Barbie cartoon.</strong></em></p><p></p><p><em><strong>When cold pawpaw juice in the freezer</strong></em></p><p><em><strong>was the definition of joy.</strong></em></p><p><em><strong>When finishing homework fast</strong></em></p><p><em><strong>meant diving into a new book</strong></em></p><p><em><strong>with no guilt,</strong></em></p><p><em><strong>no worry,</strong></em></p><p><em><strong>no pressure.</strong></em></p><p></p><p><em><strong>I danced to good music,</strong></em></p><p><em><strong>sang out loud,</strong></em></p><p><em><strong>savored every slice of hot dodo&#8212;</strong></em></p><p><em><strong>even asked for more.</strong></em></p><p></p><p><em><strong>I believed the world was vast and kind.</strong></em></p><p><em><strong>I felt untouchable&#8212;</strong></em></p><p><em><strong>not because I was strong,</strong></em></p><p><em><strong>but because I was unbothered.</strong></em></p><p></p><p><em><strong>Now, I look in the mirror</strong></em></p><p><em><strong>and sometimes I pause.</strong></em></p><p><em><strong>The reflection blinks back</strong></em></p><p><em><strong>but doesn&#8217;t always look like home.</strong></em></p><p></p><p><em><strong>Now I wonder:</strong></em></p><p><em><strong>Who am I becoming?</strong></em></p><p><em><strong>What am I supposed to do with this life?</strong></em></p><p><em><strong>Will I ever feel as light again?</strong></em></p><p></p><p><em><strong>I worry.</strong></em></p><p><em><strong>about purpose,</strong></em></p><p><em><strong>about deadlines,</strong></em></p><p><em><strong>about if I&#8217;m enough.</strong></em></p><p><em><strong>Sometimes it feels like</strong></em></p><p><em><strong>I carry the world in a heart</strong></em></p><p><em><strong>that was never trained for battle.</strong></em></p><p></p><p><em><strong>And so, I miss her.</strong></em></p><p><em><strong>The little me.</strong></em></p><p><em><strong>The one who just lived.</strong></em></p><p></p><p><em><strong>But maybe she still exists</strong></em></p><p><em><strong>somewhere inside me,</strong></em></p><p><em><strong>tugging at my sleeve,</strong></em></p><p><em><strong>whispering: &#8220;Come play again.&#8221;</strong></em></p><p></p><p>Growing up has been both beautiful and scary.</p><p>I&#8217;m proud of my growth, but I still miss my softness&#8212;my freedom.</p><p>Maybe we all carry an old version of ourselves we&#8217;re still trying to hold onto&#8212; our inner child.</p><p></p><p>Have you felt that lately too?</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/come-play-again/comments&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Leave a comment&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/sevennshades.substack.com/p/come-play-again/comments"><span>Leave a comment</span></a></p><p></p><p></p><p>To every young person silently wishing they could return to a lighter time &#8212; I see you.</p><p>And to every little child still living freely today &#8212; please, don&#8217;t rush it.</p><p></p><p><strong>Happy Children&#8217;s Day, once again. &#128155;</strong></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!I43X!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe2c041b6-42b4-4639-8bc3-04371c6c05f8_649x485.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!I43X!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe2c041b6-42b4-4639-8bc3-04371c6c05f8_649x485.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!I43X!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe2c041b6-42b4-4639-8bc3-04371c6c05f8_649x485.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!I43X!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe2c041b6-42b4-4639-8bc3-04371c6c05f8_649x485.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!I43X!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe2c041b6-42b4-4639-8bc3-04371c6c05f8_649x485.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!I43X!,w_2400,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe2c041b6-42b4-4639-8bc3-04371c6c05f8_649x485.jpeg" width="1200" height="896.7642526964561" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/e2c041b6-42b4-4639-8bc3-04371c6c05f8_649x485.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:false,&quot;imageSize&quot;:&quot;large&quot;,&quot;height&quot;:485,&quot;width&quot;:649,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:1200,&quot;bytes&quot;:54963,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/164639070?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F02248f12-ad2b-46e5-ba5a-f897bc4a4b22_720x1612.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:&quot;center&quot;,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-large" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!I43X!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe2c041b6-42b4-4639-8bc3-04371c6c05f8_649x485.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!I43X!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe2c041b6-42b4-4639-8bc3-04371c6c05f8_649x485.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!I43X!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe2c041b6-42b4-4639-8bc3-04371c6c05f8_649x485.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!I43X!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe2c041b6-42b4-4639-8bc3-04371c6c05f8_649x485.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p></p><div class="pullquote"><p>And never forget: we are all children of the Most High God.</p></div><div class="captioned-button-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/come-play-again?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="CaptionedButtonToDOM"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Seven's Highlight ! This post is public so feel free to share it.</p></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/come-play-again?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/sevennshades.substack.com/p/come-play-again?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p></div><div class="directMessage button" data-attrs="{&quot;userId&quot;:133354594,&quot;userName&quot;:&quot;Perfection&quot;,&quot;canDm&quot;:null,&quot;dmUpgradeOptions&quot;:null,&quot;isEditorNode&quot;:true}" data-component-name="DirectMessageToDOM"></div><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Choose a Side Already!]]></title><description><![CDATA[you can't serve two masters &#8212; get off the fence..]]></description><link>https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/choose-a-side-already</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/choose-a-side-already</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Perfection]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 30 Apr 2025 06:45:41 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/4a34f307-df40-478d-80d0-ed982cd9092c_720x730.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="pullquote"><p><em><strong>You can&#8217;t vibe with the world and worship God at the same time. Pick a side &#8212; heaven&#8217;s not for fence-sitters.</strong></em></p></div><p>God desires a genuine, heart-level connection with His people. It&#8217;s time we stop sitting on the fence and own up to what we believe. Too many people live lukewarm lives &#8212; cold one moment, hot the next. But God warns us that He will spit out the lukewarm. It&#8217;s either you're fully with Him or you're not. There's no such thing as Lukewarm Christians. Living lukewarm shows confusion and a lack of purpose. It&#8217;s like drifting through life without a clear direction. You can't attend church today and party in the club tomorrow while claiming to love God and saying God sees your heart. We need to choose and make that decision once and for all.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dZUc!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0cc5ade4-05de-49ff-b6a1-8c93aeaf59f3_322x286.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dZUc!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0cc5ade4-05de-49ff-b6a1-8c93aeaf59f3_322x286.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dZUc!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0cc5ade4-05de-49ff-b6a1-8c93aeaf59f3_322x286.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dZUc!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0cc5ade4-05de-49ff-b6a1-8c93aeaf59f3_322x286.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dZUc!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0cc5ade4-05de-49ff-b6a1-8c93aeaf59f3_322x286.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dZUc!,w_2400,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0cc5ade4-05de-49ff-b6a1-8c93aeaf59f3_322x286.jpeg" width="1200" height="1065.8385093167701" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/0cc5ade4-05de-49ff-b6a1-8c93aeaf59f3_322x286.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:false,&quot;imageSize&quot;:&quot;large&quot;,&quot;height&quot;:286,&quot;width&quot;:322,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:1200,&quot;bytes&quot;:10688,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/162253409?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F438e682e-4014-40d7-8f01-33997e7df6e8_720x1612.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:&quot;center&quot;,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-large" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dZUc!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0cc5ade4-05de-49ff-b6a1-8c93aeaf59f3_322x286.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dZUc!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0cc5ade4-05de-49ff-b6a1-8c93aeaf59f3_322x286.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dZUc!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0cc5ade4-05de-49ff-b6a1-8c93aeaf59f3_322x286.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dZUc!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0cc5ade4-05de-49ff-b6a1-8c93aeaf59f3_322x286.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>I&#8217;ve been thinking about this a lot lately, especially when I see people caught between two worlds. It&#8217;s unsettling. The Word tells us we can't serve two masters. So why do we keep trying to live double lives? We&#8217;re at a crossroads &#8212; a place where we must let go of the things that pull us away from God. Trust me, I know it&#8217;s not easy. I&#8217;m not perfect, and I don&#8217;t have it all figured out either. But this world is full of its own stresses, and staying away from the pressures it puts on us is a battle we can't fight with our own strength. You see, the strength to live differently, to stay consistent, doesn&#8217;t come from us. If we try to fight these battles in our own strength, we&#8217;ll keep falling. We need something greater &#8212; Someone greater.</p><p>That&#8217;s why we need the Holy Spirit. We need to let His presence come upon us and work through us. The holy spirit is not just our help, He's our power and life source (Galatians 5:16: "Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.")</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Seven's Highlight ! No fence- sitters allowed, come in fully &#8212; Subscribe </p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p><p>I know this is starting to sound like a sermon&#127770;, but bear with me. During the course of this week, reflecting on events and everything we celebrated in April, I was reminded of the power of Easter. The crucifixion of Jesus Christ, it&#8217;s not just a beautiful story, but a truth that stirs my heart every time I think about it. And all of this made me reflect on the foundation of our faith , the very sacrifice that made this relationship with God possible.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xRiG!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F44f33c32-6fb6-4e2a-8be1-79b7474bcd97_736x689.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xRiG!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F44f33c32-6fb6-4e2a-8be1-79b7474bcd97_736x689.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xRiG!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F44f33c32-6fb6-4e2a-8be1-79b7474bcd97_736x689.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xRiG!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F44f33c32-6fb6-4e2a-8be1-79b7474bcd97_736x689.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xRiG!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F44f33c32-6fb6-4e2a-8be1-79b7474bcd97_736x689.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xRiG!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F44f33c32-6fb6-4e2a-8be1-79b7474bcd97_736x689.jpeg" width="728" height="681.5108695652174" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/44f33c32-6fb6-4e2a-8be1-79b7474bcd97_736x689.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:false,&quot;imageSize&quot;:&quot;normal&quot;,&quot;height&quot;:689,&quot;width&quot;:736,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:728,&quot;bytes&quot;:154426,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/162253409?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffc95dfe3-b801-44d4-a4c8-05c433ff32c7_736x1104.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:&quot;center&quot;,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xRiG!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F44f33c32-6fb6-4e2a-8be1-79b7474bcd97_736x689.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xRiG!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F44f33c32-6fb6-4e2a-8be1-79b7474bcd97_736x689.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xRiG!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F44f33c32-6fb6-4e2a-8be1-79b7474bcd97_736x689.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xRiG!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F44f33c32-6fb6-4e2a-8be1-79b7474bcd97_736x689.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>How can a man lay down His life just to save us? We are unworthy. We are sinful. Yet He did it for us, just to save us and call us His own. The Shekinah Glory &#8212; the presence of God &#8212; was once confined to the Holy of Holies. But when Jesus died on Calvary, the veil separating us from God's presence was torn, giving us access to the Father&#8212; he now lives within us. Christ did all of this for us. He paid the price. What manner of love is this?</p><p>He endured unimaginable pain and humiliation &#8212; the flogging, the crown of thorns, the mocking, the nails. He was treated as less than human, yet He endured it all for us. He died so we could live. And He thought of us through it all. What kind of love is that?</p><p>This is the greatest news we could ever hear. Now, some of you might be wondering, &#8220;How can I live a holy life in this evil world?&#8221; I hear you, and I understand. But here&#8217;s the thing &#8212; God saw the world&#8217;s brokenness, and He sent His Son, Jesus, to live in it. Jesus walked this earth, faced every temptation, endured struggles, and yet lived a perfect life, without sin. This shows that through Him, we can live like Him. And He gave us the Holy Spirit, who is now with us, helping us to live holy lives.</p><div class="captioned-button-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/choose-a-side-already?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="CaptionedButtonToDOM"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Don't keep the Word to yourself &#8212; share the light!</p></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/choose-a-side-already?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/sevennshades.substack.com/p/choose-a-side-already?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p></div><p></p><p>God knows we can't do it on our own. That's why He gave us His Spirit to guide us. The Scripture says, &#8220;Be ye perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.&#8221; Some might argue that humans are imperfect. Yes, we are. But we are made perfect in Christ Jesus. We lay our flaws, our weaknesses, and imperfections at His feet, and He makes them perfect. It's a journey of daily surrender and growth, not instant flawlessness.</p><p>The key is to seek Him. Stay rooted in Him. Meditate on His Word. Commune with the Father. Let Him work through you, step by step. Trust me, He will help you. But don't just read the Bible, study to understand it. When faced with life&#8217;s challenges, ask yourself: What would Jesus do?</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!q63h!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd7e3b0f2-c866-4d81-8d56-8f90f8f57672_622x778.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!q63h!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd7e3b0f2-c866-4d81-8d56-8f90f8f57672_622x778.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!q63h!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd7e3b0f2-c866-4d81-8d56-8f90f8f57672_622x778.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!q63h!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd7e3b0f2-c866-4d81-8d56-8f90f8f57672_622x778.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!q63h!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd7e3b0f2-c866-4d81-8d56-8f90f8f57672_622x778.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!q63h!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd7e3b0f2-c866-4d81-8d56-8f90f8f57672_622x778.jpeg" width="622" height="778" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/d7e3b0f2-c866-4d81-8d56-8f90f8f57672_622x778.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:778,&quot;width&quot;:622,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:27981,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/162253409?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff5bfc053-c6f6-44da-9121-648e9c791fa4_720x1612.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!q63h!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd7e3b0f2-c866-4d81-8d56-8f90f8f57672_622x778.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!q63h!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd7e3b0f2-c866-4d81-8d56-8f90f8f57672_622x778.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!q63h!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd7e3b0f2-c866-4d81-8d56-8f90f8f57672_622x778.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!q63h!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd7e3b0f2-c866-4d81-8d56-8f90f8f57672_622x778.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">As Children of God, our actions should  be Christ-like.</figcaption></figure></div><p></p><p>So, please, don't be a hypocrite. Don&#8217;t say one thing and do another. Don't confuse yourself and others. Don&#8217;t lift up hands in worship while using those same hands for things that don't honor God. Choose a side &#8212; and choose wisely. God is calling you. I pray you answer Him.</p><p></p><p><strong>A quick peek at my story:</strong> when I first gave my life to Christ, I struggled. I didn&#8217;t want to let go of certain things. It wasn&#8217;t just about attending church or saying a salvation prayer, it was about letting go of things I had grown used to. Things I enjoyed. Things that felt normal.</p><p>It also meant facing hard questions.</p><p>&#8220;So, you mean I can&#8217;t listen to worldly music anymore?&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;I have to let go of some of my friends?&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;No more gossiping, swearing, or just going with the crowd?&#8221;</p><p>&#8220; Am I supposed to give that all up?&#8221;</p><p>I didn&#8217;t have all the answers, and truthfully, part of me wasn&#8217;t ready to change. It felt like too much. Like I was being asked to tear down everything I was used to. And the truth is, I didn&#8217;t want to let go. I wanted to love God, but I also wanted to stay comfortable &#8212; to keep what felt familiar.</p><p></p><p>But when I started taking my relationship with God more seriously, things began to shift. He started opening my eyes. He showed me how some of the things I held onto were pulling me away from Him, not drawing me closer. The Holy Spirit began to convict me, gently but clearly.</p><p>Suddenly, the songs I used to enjoy didn&#8217;t sit right anymore. The conversations I had with certain friends started to feel off. The things I used to laugh at or repost didn&#8217;t feel so harmless. Every time I was about to make a wrong decision, I felt a nudge. A prompting. A still, small voice saying, &#8220;That&#8217;s not who you are anymore.&#8221;</p><p>And that&#8217;s when I knew that this walk with God isn&#8217;t about rules; it&#8217;s about transformation. The more I walked with Him, the more my desires changed, I felt Him guiding me, and I became more conscious of my choices.</p><p>I&#8217;m still not perfect. I&#8217;m still learning, still growing. But I know that with God&#8217;s help, I can live the life He&#8217;s called me to live. And I pray He helps us all do the same.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/choose-a-side-already/comments&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Leave a comment&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/sevennshades.substack.com/p/choose-a-side-already/comments"><span>Leave a comment</span></a></p><p></p><pre><code><strong>A Quick Prayer:</strong></code></pre><pre><code>Father Lord, please help us not to be lukewarm Christians so we don&#8217;t get spat out. We choose You today, and we ask for Your help and guidance. Help us to stay conscious of You in every part of our lives. Help us to live in the perfect will You have for us. Strengthen us to seek Your face daily. In Jesus' name, Amen.</code></pre><div><hr></div><p></p><p><strong>P.S.</strong></p><p><em>I know I&#8217;ve been a little quiet lately, but I&#8217;ve missed you too mi loves! I&#8217;ve been attending conferences organized in school, and they&#8217;ve been helping me stay focused. I&#8217;m learning that consistency isn&#8217;t just about how much we do, but the quality and value of what we put out. Expect more from me soon, and remember this above all else:</em></p><p><em>Chi h&#7909;r&#7909; g&#7883; n&#8217;anya &#8212; God loves you. Deeply. Fiercely. Constantly. Always.</em></p><div><hr></div><p></p><p>Take a moment to listen to Cycles by Jonathan McReynolds and let the lyrics sink in.&#127925;&#127926;</p><iframe class="spotify-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;image&quot;:&quot;https://i.scdn.co/image/ab67616d0000b273a8b7a755086ccae4f707266a&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Cycles (feat. DOE)&quot;,&quot;subtitle&quot;:&quot;Jonathan McReynolds, DOE&quot;,&quot;description&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://open.spotify.com/track/1DcHJ5TVjaAgFGKPwlp1za&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;noScroll&quot;:false}" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/track/1DcHJ5TVjaAgFGKPwlp1za" frameborder="0" gesture="media" allowfullscreen="true" allow="encrypted-media" loading="lazy" data-component-name="Spotify2ToDOM"></iframe>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Where Words Meet the Wind]]></title><description><![CDATA[You never can tell what happens when the wind blows. Sometimes, you have to flow with the wind.]]></description><link>https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/where-words-meet-the-wind</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/where-words-meet-the-wind</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Perfection]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 31 Mar 2025 21:45:57 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OT1o!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2e9aff88-a921-4013-8ad8-f4d70fd1492f_1080x1193.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OT1o!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2e9aff88-a921-4013-8ad8-f4d70fd1492f_1080x1193.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OT1o!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2e9aff88-a921-4013-8ad8-f4d70fd1492f_1080x1193.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OT1o!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2e9aff88-a921-4013-8ad8-f4d70fd1492f_1080x1193.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OT1o!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2e9aff88-a921-4013-8ad8-f4d70fd1492f_1080x1193.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OT1o!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2e9aff88-a921-4013-8ad8-f4d70fd1492f_1080x1193.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OT1o!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2e9aff88-a921-4013-8ad8-f4d70fd1492f_1080x1193.jpeg" width="1080" height="1193" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/2e9aff88-a921-4013-8ad8-f4d70fd1492f_1080x1193.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1193,&quot;width&quot;:1080,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:159476,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;woman blowing her hair&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="woman blowing her hair" title="woman blowing her hair" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OT1o!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2e9aff88-a921-4013-8ad8-f4d70fd1492f_1080x1193.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OT1o!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2e9aff88-a921-4013-8ad8-f4d70fd1492f_1080x1193.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OT1o!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2e9aff88-a921-4013-8ad8-f4d70fd1492f_1080x1193.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OT1o!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2e9aff88-a921-4013-8ad8-f4d70fd1492f_1080x1193.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Photo by <a href="/__u/sevennshades.substack.com/true">davide ragusa</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure></div><p>Spoiler alert!! This is is half baked short story I wrote out of boredom and I hope you enjoy it. </p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/sevennshades.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p>Let's dive in&#8230;</p><p>                                                             </p><div class="pullquote"><p><strong>The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.&nbsp; </strong></p></div><p></p><p>Some people say, "Go with the wind."But she always said, "Stick to the plan."</p><p>Some said, "Loosen up, don&#8217;t take life so seriously." But still, she clung to the plan.&nbsp; </p><p>But lately, she had been wondering, &#8220;what if the plan wasn&#8217;t actually the plan?*</p><p>Trying to meet deadlines, overthinking everything, striving to become the perfect version of herself&#8230; ugh, it was exhausting. She thought she had it all figured out, until one particular night.&nbsp; </p><p>She had spent the entire day running on fumes, her mind tangled in a hundred different directions. By evening, her thoughts had become too loud, so she did the only thing that ever helped. She took a walk.&nbsp; </p><p>The night air was crisp, the sky stretched out in endless darkness, punctuated by the soft glow of the moon. She sighed, letting herself soak it in&#8212;the stillness, the quiet, the momentary peace. For the first time that day, she wasn&#8217;t thinking about expectations or schedules or the million ways she could possibly mess up her life.&nbsp; </p><p>Dipping her hand into her side pocket, she felt something in it. As she tried to figure out what it was, she pulled out a rumpled piece of paper.&nbsp; </p><p>She hesitated. But curiosity won.&nbsp; </p><p></p><p>Carefully, she unfolded it. The ink was faded in some places, the handwriting elegant but rushed.</p><p>Written on it were the words:</p><blockquote><p>"To the one who dares to seek the truth, the answer lies where words meet the wind. Find what was hidden before it&#8217;s too late."</p></blockquote><p></p><p>She frowned. What was this? A message? A riddle? A joke?</p><p>With a shrug, she crumpled the paper and shoved it back into her pocket. It probably wasn&#8217;t even meant for her and besides she didn't know how the paper got into her pocket.&nbsp; </p><p>But that night, as she lay in bed, sleep refused to come. The words from the note replayed in her head over and over again.&nbsp; </p><p>"Why do I even care?" she muttered to herself, flipping her pillow for the hundredth time.&nbsp; </p><p>And yet, she couldn&#8217;t let it go.&nbsp; </p><p>So, she stood up from her bed, took the paper and broke the words down piece by piece.&nbsp; </p><ul><li><p>"To the one who dares to seek the truth." A challenge&#8212;an invitation to discover something hidden.</p></li><li><p>"The answer lies where words meet the wind." A place where words aren&#8217;t just spoken but carried away.</p></li><li><p>"Find what was hidden before it&#8217;s too late." A warning&#8212;something important was at risk of being lost.</p></li></ul><p>As the realization sank in, she sat up in bed, heart racing.&nbsp; </p><p>Had the note really been meant for her? Or had she just projected her own life onto a stranger&#8217;s cryptic message? She pondered on how the note got into her pocket but she had no clue.</p><p>And maybe that was for a reason.&nbsp; </p><p>Because the more she thought about it, the more she saw herself in those words. She had spent so much time chasing meaning, mapping out plans, constructing this perfect version of herself, only to get tangled in her own thoughts, doubting every move.&nbsp; </p><p>But maybe, just maybe that wasn&#8217;t the truth.&nbsp; </p><p>Maybe there was a  real  version of her waiting to be discovered. Not the overthinker, not the perfectionist, not the one constantly trying to hold everything together.&nbsp; </p><p>"Where words meet the wind."</p><p>It took her a moment, but suddenly, she understood.&nbsp; </p><p>She thought about all the ways words could travel&#8230; stories whispered between friends, songs blasting from speakers, poems shared online. But then it struck her , that place was the <em><strong>Bible</strong></em>. The gospel. The stories she had grown up hearing, the messages of hope and love, spreading across the world for centuries. </p><p>Maybe her words, too, were meant to meet the wind. Maybe her thoughts, her own voice, her way of expressing herself, were meant to be shared, to connect with others. Maybe <em>that</em> was the real version of her waiting to be found.</p><p>And maybe, just maybe, this was the truth she had been searching for all along.</p><p>She only hoped&#8230; it wasn&#8217;t too late.&nbsp; </p><p>Somewhere in the night, the wind carried her answer away.</p><p>Lights out.</p><div><hr></div><p><strong>P.S.</strong> I know what you&#8217;re thinking&#8212;I <em>almost</em> didn&#8217;t post this month.</p><p>I actually wrote this short story earlier, but let&#8217;s just say laziness got the best of me.</p><p>March was a mix of good moments and a whole lot of stress (thanks to school), but through it all, God saw me through.</p><p></p><blockquote><p>Let me know what you think of the story, and&#8230; Happy New Month in advance! &#9786;&#65039;</p></blockquote><div class="captioned-button-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/where-words-meet-the-wind?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="CaptionedButtonToDOM"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Seven's Highlight ! This post is public so feel free to share it.</p></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/where-words-meet-the-wind?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/sevennshades.substack.com/p/where-words-meet-the-wind?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/where-words-meet-the-wind/comments&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Leave a comment&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/sevennshades.substack.com/p/where-words-meet-the-wind/comments"><span>Leave a comment</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Valentine Recap ]]></title><description><![CDATA[unpacking the drama...]]></description><link>https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/valentine-recap</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/valentine-recap</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Perfection]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 28 Feb 2025 18:40:34 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8bl1!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F581df46b-f09e-4276-b029-6eda5a2ef00a_736x758.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hi mi loves, after much deliberation on whether to post this or not, here I am posting it and I hope you are doing well and the February month treated you well.</p><p>Anyways, Valentine&#8217;s Day has come and gone, but even though it&#8217;s been days, the panranran from that day still lingers. The surprises, the grand gestures, the &#8220;God, when?&#8221; moments, everything! At some point, I was even annoyed because, ah ahn, why was the oppression this much? Tears everywhere! But don&#8217;t mind me, I was still part of the &#8220;<em>awwn</em>&#8221;crew.&#128514; Well&#8230; until I switched to the &#8220;<em>it&#8217;s even plastic</em>&#8221; gang, "<em>He can&#8217;t afford real roses," "The chocolate isn&#8217;t even sweet</em>."&#128514; And of course, some people fully joined the haters association but it&#8217;s all good, until love catches them too.  Looking back, it was really just about love in different forms, and that&#8217;s what mattered most.</p><p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8bl1!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F581df46b-f09e-4276-b029-6eda5a2ef00a_736x758.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8bl1!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F581df46b-f09e-4276-b029-6eda5a2ef00a_736x758.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8bl1!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F581df46b-f09e-4276-b029-6eda5a2ef00a_736x758.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8bl1!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F581df46b-f09e-4276-b029-6eda5a2ef00a_736x758.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8bl1!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F581df46b-f09e-4276-b029-6eda5a2ef00a_736x758.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8bl1!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F581df46b-f09e-4276-b029-6eda5a2ef00a_736x758.jpeg" width="736" height="758" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/581df46b-f09e-4276-b029-6eda5a2ef00a_736x758.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:758,&quot;width&quot;:736,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:103371,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/157728820?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff3f7259e-cd8f-47a6-a28a-d4a3ab0b73af_736x1308.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8bl1!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F581df46b-f09e-4276-b029-6eda5a2ef00a_736x758.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8bl1!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F581df46b-f09e-4276-b029-6eda5a2ef00a_736x758.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8bl1!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F581df46b-f09e-4276-b029-6eda5a2ef00a_736x758.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8bl1!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F581df46b-f09e-4276-b029-6eda5a2ef00a_736x758.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Seven's Highlight ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p><p>It&#8217;s funny how single people always complain about what lovers do until they become the ones in love. I&#8217;ve watched people, who once swore they&#8217;d never do certain things for love, suddenly become the main characters in love stories. Hmmm, it is well oo.  </p><p></p><p>For my single geng, I hope you treated yourself. If you didn&#8217;t have a boo, I hope you at least had friends who did, so you could eat out of their goody packages.&#128514; If not, I hope you still made the day count, maybe by watching a rom-com (or horror, if you were in a wicked mood) and throwing popcorn at those cheesy lovers in the cinema.&#128514;  </p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jZC-!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe19cf244-0d96-4c04-a3ee-9b4ebd14b9eb_720x707.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jZC-!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe19cf244-0d96-4c04-a3ee-9b4ebd14b9eb_720x707.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jZC-!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe19cf244-0d96-4c04-a3ee-9b4ebd14b9eb_720x707.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jZC-!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe19cf244-0d96-4c04-a3ee-9b4ebd14b9eb_720x707.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jZC-!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe19cf244-0d96-4c04-a3ee-9b4ebd14b9eb_720x707.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jZC-!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe19cf244-0d96-4c04-a3ee-9b4ebd14b9eb_720x707.jpeg" width="720" height="707" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/e19cf244-0d96-4c04-a3ee-9b4ebd14b9eb_720x707.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:707,&quot;width&quot;:720,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:86471,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/157728820?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2c143776-2865-4b95-86a4-d6508c99655a_720x1612.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jZC-!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe19cf244-0d96-4c04-a3ee-9b4ebd14b9eb_720x707.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jZC-!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe19cf244-0d96-4c04-a3ee-9b4ebd14b9eb_720x707.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jZC-!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe19cf244-0d96-4c04-a3ee-9b4ebd14b9eb_720x707.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jZC-!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe19cf244-0d96-4c04-a3ee-9b4ebd14b9eb_720x707.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">The context behind the popcorn throw &#128514;</figcaption></figure></div><div class="captioned-button-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/valentine-recap?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="CaptionedButtonToDOM"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Seven's Highlight ! This post is public so feel free to share it.</p></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/valentine-recap?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/sevennshades.substack.com/p/valentine-recap?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p></div><p></p><p>But honestly, Valentine&#8217;s shouldn&#8217;t only be about romantic love. It&#8217;s a chance to show love to friends, family, and those who matter. Speaking of love, I was asked a question some weeks ago: Do you believe in love?</p><p></p><p>I said I do. But do I really? Omooo, if I think about it deeply, love is real, but it has its challenges. My actual response was:  </p><p></p><p><em>&#8220;I used to think love was overhyped, but now I believe that true and genuine love is real and still exists. Love is rooted in God&#8212;Christ loved first. Love is kind, calm, and understanding. It comes with reasoning and meaning. It is not wicked, harsh, blind, lustful, or infatuation disguised as something deeper.&#8221;</em></p><p></p><p>I also used to think Valentine&#8217;s was overrated. Like, why do people overdo things when you can celebrate your loved ones any day? But I&#8217;ve come to realize that this day makes people feel special. It reminds them that they are loved, that someone genuinely cares about them and that&#8217;s actually cute. </p><p>So if you were in the &#8220;it&#8217;s even plastic&#8221; crew this year, no wahala, but please leave the group before next year.</p><p>Spread love. Buy your babe a BMW (yes, dream big), get her flowers, get him the shoe he&#8217;s been eyeing. Do not kill yourself over gifts&#128514;, It&#8217;s the thought that matters!  Take your friends out &#8212;Valentine&#8217;s not for only lovers.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ngkI!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb81c19df-bdc0-46d8-a59c-54c94e49a4cb_720x497.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ngkI!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb81c19df-bdc0-46d8-a59c-54c94e49a4cb_720x497.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ngkI!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb81c19df-bdc0-46d8-a59c-54c94e49a4cb_720x497.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ngkI!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb81c19df-bdc0-46d8-a59c-54c94e49a4cb_720x497.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ngkI!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb81c19df-bdc0-46d8-a59c-54c94e49a4cb_720x497.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ngkI!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb81c19df-bdc0-46d8-a59c-54c94e49a4cb_720x497.jpeg" width="720" height="497" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/b81c19df-bdc0-46d8-a59c-54c94e49a4cb_720x497.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:497,&quot;width&quot;:720,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:29199,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/i/157728820?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F12544e10-3f75-4ebd-a16e-447e90d5f1f7_720x1612.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ngkI!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb81c19df-bdc0-46d8-a59c-54c94e49a4cb_720x497.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ngkI!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb81c19df-bdc0-46d8-a59c-54c94e49a4cb_720x497.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ngkI!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb81c19df-bdc0-46d8-a59c-54c94e49a4cb_720x497.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ngkI!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb81c19df-bdc0-46d8-a59c-54c94e49a4cb_720x497.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">The singles should use this has a guide and read those letters!</figcaption></figure></div><p> </p><p></p><div><hr></div><p></p><p>Be thoughtful and put a smile on someone&#8217;s face today. Love is real!</p><iframe class="spotify-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;image&quot;:&quot;https://i.scdn.co/image/ab67616d0000b273bf8f5e6f31bcedcee103bddf&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Love practitioner&quot;,&quot;subtitle&quot;:&quot;Anendlessocean&quot;,&quot;description&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://open.spotify.com/track/0D24y5Rs4Wl1yxqIUFvoc5&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;noScroll&quot;:false}" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/track/0D24y5Rs4Wl1yxqIUFvoc5" frameborder="0" gesture="media" allowfullscreen="true" allow="encrypted-media" loading="lazy" data-component-name="Spotify2ToDOM"></iframe><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/valentine-recap/comments&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Leave a comment&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/sevennshades.substack.com/p/valentine-recap/comments"><span>Leave a comment</span></a></p><p></p><blockquote><p>PS. This was meant to be posted on Valentine's day but due to some unforeseen circumstances it was posted today. I hope you enjoyed each words&#128521;</p><p> It's not bye but see you again!</p></blockquote><p></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Writer's Block keh?]]></title><description><![CDATA[The messy write-ups...]]></description><link>https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/writers-block-keh</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/writers-block-keh</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Perfection]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 29 Jan 2025 07:24:16 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1433162653888-a571db5ccccf?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wzMDAzMzh8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwzMHx8cmFuZG9tfGVufDB8fHx8MTczODA3OTI0MXww&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="pullquote"><h1>"<em><strong>Disclaimer: You&#8217;re about to dive into a messy write-up. Proceed at your own risk&#8212;chaos ahead!"</strong></em></h1></div><p></p><p><strong>Life update!! Here&#8217;s where I&#8217;ve been and why it&#8217;s been quiet on my end.</strong></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1433162653888-a571db5ccccf?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wzMDAzMzh8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwzMHx8cmFuZG9tfGVufDB8fHx8MTczODA3OTI0MXww&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1433162653888-a571db5ccccf?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wzMDAzMzh8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwzMHx8cmFuZG9tfGVufDB8fHx8MTczODA3OTI0MXww&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080 424w, https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1433162653888-a571db5ccccf?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wzMDAzMzh8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwzMHx8cmFuZG9tfGVufDB8fHx8MTczODA3OTI0MXww&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080 848w, https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1433162653888-a571db5ccccf?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wzMDAzMzh8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwzMHx8cmFuZG9tfGVufDB8fHx8MTczODA3OTI0MXww&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080 1272w, https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1433162653888-a571db5ccccf?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wzMDAzMzh8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwzMHx8cmFuZG9tfGVufDB8fHx8MTczODA3OTI0MXww&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1433162653888-a571db5ccccf?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wzMDAzMzh8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwzMHx8cmFuZG9tfGVufDB8fHx8MTczODA3OTI0MXww&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" width="728" height="485.38234700060593" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1433162653888-a571db5ccccf?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wzMDAzMzh8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwzMHx8cmFuZG9tfGVufDB8fHx8MTczODA3OTI0MXww&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:false,&quot;imageSize&quot;:&quot;normal&quot;,&quot;height&quot;:3301,&quot;width&quot;:4951,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:728,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;fawn pug covered by Burberry textile between plants&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="fawn pug covered by Burberry textile between plants" title="fawn pug covered by Burberry textile between plants" srcset="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1433162653888-a571db5ccccf?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wzMDAzMzh8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwzMHx8cmFuZG9tfGVufDB8fHx8MTczODA3OTI0MXww&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080 424w, https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1433162653888-a571db5ccccf?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wzMDAzMzh8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwzMHx8cmFuZG9tfGVufDB8fHx8MTczODA3OTI0MXww&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080 848w, https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1433162653888-a571db5ccccf?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wzMDAzMzh8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwzMHx8cmFuZG9tfGVufDB8fHx8MTczODA3OTI0MXww&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080 1272w, https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1433162653888-a571db5ccccf?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wzMDAzMzh8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwzMHx8cmFuZG9tfGVufDB8fHx8MTczODA3OTI0MXww&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption"></figcaption></figure></div><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Seven's Highlight ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p><p><strong>It&#8217;s the 29th of January, and though the month is coming to an end, I hope it&#8217;s not too late to wish you a Happy New Year. So here it is&#8212;Happy New Year, mi loves!&#8221;</strong>. Oh, please don&#8217;t mind my inconsistency&#8212;I know I made a promise to myself to write more this year. But honestly, I just laugh at myself because every time someone asks why I haven&#8217;t written in a while, the first word that pops into my head is writer&#8217;s block.</p><p>The truth is, Yes I have been sort of busy this new year with school but I&#8217;ve also had so many ideas about what to write, but the moment I open my notepad or journal, those ideas go poof into the air. Getting inspiration has been like trying to capture air in between my fingers, but at the end, I lose it. Then, I&#8217;m running, trying to grasp the words, but they keep slipping through my fingers no matter how hard I try to hold on. I stare at the blank page, feeling overwhelmed, and eventually, I quit&#8212;leaving the write-up halfway done and losing all inspiration. </p><p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!r7tu!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6bc5cc90-713e-4873-aeff-69ec4bf87167_604x604.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!r7tu!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6bc5cc90-713e-4873-aeff-69ec4bf87167_604x604.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!r7tu!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6bc5cc90-713e-4873-aeff-69ec4bf87167_604x604.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!r7tu!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6bc5cc90-713e-4873-aeff-69ec4bf87167_604x604.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!r7tu!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6bc5cc90-713e-4873-aeff-69ec4bf87167_604x604.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!r7tu!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6bc5cc90-713e-4873-aeff-69ec4bf87167_604x604.jpeg" width="604" height="604" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/6bc5cc90-713e-4873-aeff-69ec4bf87167_604x604.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:false,&quot;imageSize&quot;:&quot;normal&quot;,&quot;height&quot;:604,&quot;width&quot;:604,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:604,&quot;bytes&quot;:36366,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!r7tu!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6bc5cc90-713e-4873-aeff-69ec4bf87167_604x604.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!r7tu!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6bc5cc90-713e-4873-aeff-69ec4bf87167_604x604.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!r7tu!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6bc5cc90-713e-4873-aeff-69ec4bf87167_604x604.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!r7tu!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6bc5cc90-713e-4873-aeff-69ec4bf87167_604x604.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>This has been my reality for a while now. I haven&#8217;t even written a lot of highlights, so why do I have a block? So, I thought, why not write about my supposed lack of inspiration? Writer&#8217;s block. I hope that by writing this, I can find a little spark again and actually finish this one.</p><p>Omooo, I must finish this one ooo!  </p><p></p><p>But this takes me back to why I started writing in the first place. At a very young age, I remember writing down my thoughts whenever I was conflicted by different emotions. It always came down to how I felt in the moment&#8212;if I was sleepy in class, I&#8217;d scribble down my struggle with sleep at the back of my notebook in a poetic manner. I&#8217;ve written and scribbled so many words, even when they didn&#8217;t make sense to me at the time.  </p><p></p><p>I remember gathering papers to form a short note and writing a story. I really wanted to publish those stories back then, and now that I think about it, if I had been given the chance, I would have. I kept diaries where I talked to myself about so many things. Then, with my sister&#8217;s help, I decided to take some of my work out there. I started by writing captions for images that really inspired me. I would stare at a picture, and suddenly, words would fill my mind.  And just like that, it all continued... until now.</p><p>Let&#8217;s get into it (though, honestly, we&#8217;ve already gotten into it &#128514;).  </p><p>Some people genuinely appreciate the work I do, and that means more than they know. On January 11th, I was on my phone when a message popped up. It said:  </p><p></p><blockquote><p>&#8220;We miss your writing. Please write for us. You are brilliant. Have you been writing in your journal of recent?&#8221;</p></blockquote><p></p><p>This message got me emotional&#8212;filled with mixed feelings, both happy and sad. Happy because someone appreciates my work and is rooting for my growth. Sad because I hadn&#8217;t written in what felt like ages, and I&#8217;d lost inspiration at the time. Mmm Journal keh, to carry pen sef nah wahala. But here I am writing, innit? &#128514;  </p><p>I don&#8217;t know where this highlight is headed, but let&#8217;s go. (Mi loves, abeg follow who know road ooo, and I sabi road &#128524;). So, follow me&#129323;.  </p><p>It&#8217;s happening again&#8212;I&#8217;m losing grip on the words. One by one, they&#8217;re leaving me, and I&#8217;m left with nothing, not even a single word.  </p><p>But you know what? All in all, I wrote something, and I hope you enjoy the messiness. I promise, next time will be better.  (God willing)</p><div class="captioned-button-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/writers-block-keh?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="CaptionedButtonToDOM"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">If you enjoyed reading this highlight, feel free to share!</p></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/writers-block-keh?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/sevennshades.substack.com/p/writers-block-keh?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p></div><p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7bSp!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7dc6e3a0-874d-41c3-aea1-10da7a0baccb_1080x1620.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7bSp!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7dc6e3a0-874d-41c3-aea1-10da7a0baccb_1080x1620.png 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7bSp!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7dc6e3a0-874d-41c3-aea1-10da7a0baccb_1080x1620.png 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7bSp!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7dc6e3a0-874d-41c3-aea1-10da7a0baccb_1080x1620.png 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7bSp!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7dc6e3a0-874d-41c3-aea1-10da7a0baccb_1080x1620.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7bSp!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7dc6e3a0-874d-41c3-aea1-10da7a0baccb_1080x1620.png" width="4480" height="6720" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/7dc6e3a0-874d-41c3-aea1-10da7a0baccb_1080x1620.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:&quot;https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1600188768079-6df9f96e0b86?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wzMDAzMzh8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHw3Mnx8aG9wZWZ1bHxlbnwwfHx8fDE3MzgwODk0Njl8MA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080&quot;,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:6720,&quot;width&quot;:4480,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;woman in black and white floral long sleeve shirt wearing brown fedora hat&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="woman in black and white floral long sleeve shirt wearing brown fedora hat" title="woman in black and white floral long sleeve shirt wearing brown fedora hat" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7bSp!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7dc6e3a0-874d-41c3-aea1-10da7a0baccb_1080x1620.png 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7bSp!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7dc6e3a0-874d-41c3-aea1-10da7a0baccb_1080x1620.png 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7bSp!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7dc6e3a0-874d-41c3-aea1-10da7a0baccb_1080x1620.png 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7bSp!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7dc6e3a0-874d-41c3-aea1-10da7a0baccb_1080x1620.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">A very hopeful illustration of me getting writing inspo</figcaption></figure></div><p></p><p>Even when the words feel far away, I&#8217;ll keep trying. Maybe that&#8217;s what writing is about&#8212;showing up, even in the mess. </p><p>I hope you picked up one or two things from this highlight, even with all its messiness. </p><p></p><div class="pullquote"><p><strong>&#8220;Until the next highlight, mi loves&#8212;trust me, it won&#8217;t be long!</strong></p><p>P.S this was written with many rollercoaster emotions of writing and deliberation on whether to post it.&#8221;</p></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sevennshades.substack.com/p/writers-block-keh/comments&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Leave a comment&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/sevennshades.substack.com/p/writers-block-keh/comments"><span>Leave a comment</span></a></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!eva3!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fce0b2bbb-4d8a-4132-b924-786b4eca0bda_720x235.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!eva3!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fce0b2bbb-4d8a-4132-b924-786b4eca0bda_720x235.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!eva3!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fce0b2bbb-4d8a-4132-b924-786b4eca0bda_720x235.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!eva3!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fce0b2bbb-4d8a-4132-b924-786b4eca0bda_720x235.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!eva3!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fce0b2bbb-4d8a-4132-b924-786b4eca0bda_720x235.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!eva3!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fce0b2bbb-4d8a-4132-b924-786b4eca0bda_720x235.jpeg" width="720" height="235" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ce0b2bbb-4d8a-4132-b924-786b4eca0bda_720x235.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:235,&quot;width&quot;:720,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:29279,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!eva3!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_424, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fce0b2bbb-4d8a-4132-b924-786b4eca0bda_720x235.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!eva3!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_848, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fce0b2bbb-4d8a-4132-b924-786b4eca0bda_720x235.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!eva3!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fce0b2bbb-4d8a-4132-b924-786b4eca0bda_720x235.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!eva3!, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/sevennshades.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fce0b2bbb-4d8a-4132-b924-786b4eca0bda_720x235.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><iframe class="spotify-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;image&quot;:&quot;https://i.scdn.co/image/ab67616d0000b27342efa59849b40e36d9154ce3&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Hope&quot;,&quot;subtitle&quot;:&quot;Twista, Faith Evans&quot;,&quot;description&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://open.spotify.com/track/69Rq57lrGf5syykFBNi3g4&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;noScroll&quot;:false}" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/track/69Rq57lrGf5syykFBNi3g4" frameborder="0" gesture="media" allowfullscreen="true" allow="encrypted-media" loading="lazy" data-component-name="Spotify2ToDOM"></iframe>]]></content:encoded></item></channel></rss>