wings-of-hope

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Joan of Arc by jinglin Xu

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"O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

1 Corinthians 15:55-57

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Cat resting on a cross of Orthodox church in Perast, Montenegro.

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"not all men" you're right. Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the son of God, would never treat me like this

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My cats have this meow that means "please come with me to fix this" after which they'll lead me to the problem in question, usually a empty (or 'empty') food bowl or a closed door they want open. They look at the 'problem', they look back at me, clear message.

What fascinates me is how this illustrates what they percieve as being in the realm of my 'power.' I control the food, I control the door, sure, but my cats love to sit on the balcony in the sun, and it has happened plenty of times that on a rainy day they come get me, go to the balcony and show me... the rain. "Please fix this" they say. "Please get rid of the wet"

"Silly kitty," I say, "I can't control the rain." I then walk into the shower and turn on the rain.

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*through clenched teeth* All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well

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mary in a flower crown, st gabriel of the sorrowful mother, pennsylvania, usa

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Some of the descriptions of Christ found in early Quaker writings:

The Light. The Teacher. The Guide. The Lord. The Way. The Truth. The Life. The Seed. The Captain of Your Salvation. The Son. A Husband unto You. The Rock Most Sure. The Word. The Voice You Must Hear. The King. The Judge. The Lawgiver. King of Kings. Lord of Lords. Lord of Joy. Lord of Peace. Thy Teacher by His Spirit. The Wisdom of God. The Mediator. The Everlasting Covenant. The Everlasting Priest. A Hammer. A Sword. A Fire. Your Rest. The Head. The Pure, Living Spring. The Water which Washes. The Bread of Life. The Witness in Heaven. The Ingrafted Word. Your Crown and Life. Him from Whom All Your Help and Strength Comes. The Door. The Second Adam. The Preserver. The Sanctuary. Your Savior. The Pearl. The First and the Last. The Word with You in All Places. The Anointing in You to Teach You. The Bright and Morning Star.

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Advocates for women’s ordination hold banners during a protest in Rome just in front of the Vatican, where Pope Francis is holding the Synod of Bishops, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)