7 Quick Takes 5 July 2013

1. Happy Independence Day! God bless these United States!


2. I was teaching my daughter the Jesus Prayer (Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.) I wanted to make sure Princess understood the prayer so I asked her, "Do you know what a sinner is?"
"Yeah, that's Father Damien"
"Why do you say that?"
"He says so."
Then it dawned on me while celebrating the Divine Liturgy every Sunday the priest says "O God be propitious to me a sinner" three times bowing before the altar.
I explained to her as best I could what sin is and that all of us are sinners, but her answer was amusing.
By the way, Father Damien is now the abbot of Holy Transfiguration Monastery.

3. Another time while praying the Lord's Prayer with her Mermaid Man came to mind. He always had the funniest reaction when he heard the word evil. I had a mental image of him freaking out after the last word of the Lord's Prayer.

A Google search has revealed that I am not the only one with this funny thought:

4. Pope Francis is releasing his first encyclical today. It was started by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. The subject is faith.
Could a Pope Emeritus send out an encyclical or would it be called something different?

5.  I saw this picture on the Facebook page for the Ordinariate of the Chair of St Peter.

The picture is of a transitional diaconate ordination. The boy next to the deacon is his son.

6. Hulkamania!


7. O Heavenly King, Consoler, Spirit of Truth, Who art everywhere and fillest all things; Treasury of Blessings, and Giver of Life - come and abide in us, and cleanse us from every impurity, and save our souls, O Good One.

You can check out other people's Quick Takes at Conversion Diary.

May God bless all who read my ramblings,

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7 Quick Takes 21JUN2013

1. Father's Day went well. I got to spend the whole day together with Princess!  At the end of the day we visited with her Nana and Papa. Her gift to me was at Nana/Papa's. She picked out a nice pocket watch with deer on the cover. Its definitely the best gift I've received in years. I went home and put it in the drawer of my nightstand, not because I didn't want it but because I'm afraid that I will break it otherwise. I have a tendency to break things. I am the reason my parents couldn't have nice things.

2. Two parts from the Psalms always come to mind for me on Father's Day:

Just as a father has compassion on his children,	Behold, children are a gift of the Lord,
So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.	The fruit of the womb is a reward.
--Psalm 103:13	Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
	So are the children of one’s youth.
	How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them;
	They will not be ashamed
	When they speak with their enemies in the gate.
	--Psalm 127:3-5

3.I've really struggled this year to write in this blog. I'm not going to quit writing on it, but I think I need to think and pray about new subjects to write about. I always had something to write about when I was in the seminary (most days 2 or 3 posts) but the inspiration has diminished since then. After a while in Iraq I stopped writing here altogether and forgot I had this blog for over a year before I began posting again. Maybe a retreat is in order.

4.Would anyone in my limited audience care to guest post here at 50 Days After? I've asked before but I only ever got one taker.

5. I read about a shooting in Utah during Mass. The man who was shot is expected to survive. Please say a prayer for those involved and a prayer for the shooter that he may repent.

6. I finished reading Willie Robertson's autobiography. I previously read Phil Robertson's autobiography. I like how each chapter starts with a Bible verse. I was thinking what I could put for Bible verses at the beginning of chapters if I wrote an autobiography, but all I could think of was Jonah when he was swallowed by the whale.

7. Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true Man.

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7 Random Thoughts

1. Never trust a skinny cook or a bald barber.

2. Prisoneralert.com helps you to write letters to Christians around the world persecuted for the faith.

3. Justin Bieber is going into space. Maybe he'll stay there?

4. Its been raining for the last three days here. With this tropical storm it looks like 3 or more days of rain ahead. By the time I finally get to mow my lawn, its going to be about a foot and half high.

5. At least we don't have a drought this year.

6. I had wanted to pick blueberries this weekend, but it looks like that will have to wait.

7. Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true man.

See other people's Quick Takes at conversiondiary.com

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7 Quick Takes 24May2013

1. I forgot to do these this week but still set this to publish at midnight this morning. Sorry if your feed had the blank post.

2. Today's the last day of school for Princess. We're going to spend all of next week together. Not sure what we'll do yet, but its a safe bet we'll go to the zoo.

3. The Christmas Cactus has finally died. I guess its time to throw it out.

4. I saw multiple headlines stating variants of "Pope says atheists are saved". Some things never change, the media misinterpreted and warped Pope emeritus Benedict XVI's words too.

5. "What the heart gives away is never gone ... It is kept in the hearts of others." St John of the Cross



image source

6. Have a blessed Memorial Day! Please remember Memorial Day means something besides time off of work and the start of summer. Please pray for those who died in the service of our nation.

7. From the Archdiocese of Detroit:
Heavenly Father,

On this Memorial Day, we pray for those who courageously laid down

their lives for the cause of freedom. May the example of their sacrifice

inspire in us the selfless love of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Bless the families of our fallen troops, and fill their homes and their

lives with your strength and peace.

In union with people of goodwill of every nation, embolden us to

answer the call to work for peace and justice, and thus, seek an end

to violence and conflict around the globe.

We pray through Christ our Lord.

Amen

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7 Quick Takes 5April2013

1. I hope everyone has had a great Bright Week. I've had this song stuck in my head all week:

Shine! Shine! O New Jerusalem!

The Glory of the Lord has shone on you!

Exalt now and be glad, O Zion!

Be radiant, O Pure Theotokos, in the Resurrection of your Son! 

2. One of the songs during the Pascha Liturgy mentioned Christ as resting on the seventh day. I had never thought about Holy Week as echoing the Creation Story.

3. Speaking of Creation, I read a blog post that talked about Noah's flood as the reverse of creation and six other thoughts about the Flood. Definitely worth checking out for yourself.

4. I can't wait for Spring Break next week. My daughter and I have the same week off of school so we'll spend it together.

5. This Sunday is St Thomas Sunday. I've always liked the story of Doubting Thomas. I think he gets criticized more than he deserves.

6. I've been doing some spring cleaning. Its amazing how many things I have found that I haven't seen in months or years.

7. Christ is risen!

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7 Quick Takes

1. I saw that the Ecumenical Patriarch attended the Papal Installation Mass.
2. I also saw that Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church stayed at home and still is demanding that the Catholic Church return the churches that the ROC took from us in collusion with Soviet authorities.
3. I also read that the Gospel was read in Greek.
4. I am getting excited for Spring Break. Mine and my daughter's coincide this year and we're going to spend most of that time together.
5. I'm going to see a play tonight called "Noah and the Gopher Boat". My friend is playing Japheth and I talked another friend into going to see it with me. I'll post sometime this weekend on the play.
6. Its hard to believe that Lazarus Saturday is already tomorrow and then of course Palm Sunday the next day. Easter is almost here!

7. Can you tell that I ran out of things to say?  In closing here is some nerd humor.

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7 Quick Takes 25JAN2013

1. Last Sunday was the Sunday of the Pharisee and the Publican and this Sunday is the Sunday of the Prodigal Son. Lent is coming up fast!

2. Which means that Easter is also coming up soon!

3. I get to spend another weekend in a row with Princess.

 4. So even despite the crass language I enjoy the Epic Rap Battles of History Youtube series. Maybe its just me but I think it would be neat to have a Catholic Rap Battles of History. Perhaps St Nicholas v Arius? St Augustine v Pelagius? St Ignatius of Antioch v Martin Luther?

5. I was reading about the lady in Conyers, GA who claimed to have seen Mary on a number of occasions through the 1990s. I couldn't find any clear information on the Church's stance regarding this. Does anyone have anything to add?


6. I also saw that there is a Ukrainian Catholic Church adjacent to the area. There seems to be some implied support from the local eparchy. I thought that was random.


7. O Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, Who art everywhere present and fillest all things, Treasury of good things, and Giver of life: come and abide in us, and cleanse us from every sin, and save our souls, O Good One!

May God bless all who read my ramblings,

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7 Quick Takes 21DEC2012

1.Woo hoo! Christmas is just a few days away!

2. The sign of the cross explained in OT and NT


3.

4.I LOVE the Divine Liturgy for Christmas! Too bad its a vigil liturgy and Princess will be very cranky by the time its over.













5. If you are reading this the world is apparently still here.

6. Princess is sick with a cold. Its not a big deal, but her mom is one that worries about every little scratch and ailment that afflicts her little one. She seems about ready to take her to the doctor. Its rather tedious.

7. Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true Man.


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7 Quick Takes 14DEC2012

1. I have a job interview today. Please say a prayer for me.

2. Hands down, my favorite Christmas song of all time is O Come O Come Emmanuel.

3. This post makes 884 on this blog. I had a goal of 1,000 posts on this blog by the end of the year, but that appears to have fallen through. I just don't seem to have the time/inspiration of other people to post 3 or 4 times a day.

4. Somehow I still need to get presents for my parents and brother and get them sent across the country before Christmas. It'll work out somehow.

5. My favorite image thus far from Catholic Memes.



6. "O God and Lord of the Powers, and Maker of all creation, Who, because of Thy clemency and incomparable mercy, didst send Thine Only-Begotten Son and our Lord Jesus Christ for the salvation of mankind, and with His venerable Cross didst tear asunder the record of our sins, and thereby didst conquer the rulers and powers of darkness; receive from us sinful people, O merciful Master, these prayers of gratitude and supplication, and deliver us from every destructive and gloomy transgression, and from all visible and invisible enemies who seek to injure us. Nail down our flesh with fear of Thee, and let not our hearts be inclined to words or thoughts of evil, but pierce our souls with Thy love, that ever contemplating Thee, being enlightened by Thee, and discerning Thee, the unapproachable and everlasting Light, we may unceasingly render confession and gratitude to Thee: The eternal Father, with Thine Only-Begotten Son, and with Thine All-Holy, Gracious, and Life-Giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen." -- prayer from Saint Basil the Great

7. "And we know that to them that love God all things work together unto good: to such as, according to his purpose, are called to be saints." -- Romans 8:28


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7 Quick Takes 07DEC2012

1. Catholic Memes is going strong, but I can't remember the last time LOLSaints had a new post. Its too bad LOLSaints was my favorite Catholic humor blog for quite a while. I also like that they didn't just post the meme, they also explained it and taught about the faith.

2. My neighbors across the street have set up their Christmas lights again. Its quite festive and the nativity scene is very prominent. I feel lazy since I haven't even gotten a Christmas tree or done any of my Christmas shopping. Heck, I even forgot to get an Advent calendar for my daughter.

3. Christmas is my second favorite holiday (Easter is my favorite) and it brings great joy to my heart that God deigned to become one of us and dwell among us. Not only that but He offers His human flesh and blood to us in the Eucharist, that most precious gift and intimate union of the faithful and God. Also, Christmas began the wonders that led to Easter! The Resurrection is the cornerstone of our faith and if not for Christmas there would be no body to resurrect.

4. Other reasons I like Christmas: Dr Who Christmas episodes, cooler weather, presents.

5. Life needs more guacamole.

6. Finals week next week. I can't wait for it to be over and go on Christmas break.

7. I had a random quote from Coneheads stuck in my head for the longest time: Narfle the garthok!


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7 Quick Takes 30NOV12

1. Today is the commemoration of St Andrew the Apostle.

2. So far I've posted 40 reasons I like our local Melkite parish (1-10, 11-20, 21-30, 31-40). I think I'll post another ten and leave it be.

3. Going to see Beauty and the Beast play tomorrow with Princess. I'm not sure how well she'll sit through it.

4. I found out about Ora et Labora et Zombies. I'm ordering the first few parts of the series and I'll let everyone know how that goes.

5. Go on and prosper! You are renowned throughout the whole world; Catholics revere and look up to you as the restorer of the ancient faith, and— which is a token of yet more illustrious glory — all heretics abhor you. (St Jerome in a letter to St. Augustine) source

6. It's an Orthodox vocations poster, but it's still awesome.

 7. O Jesus, our Good Shepherd, bless all our parishes with numerous priests, deacons, monks and nuns according to the needs of the entire world which You love and wish to save.
We especially entrust our Melkite Church to You. Grant us the spirit of the first Christian faithful so that we may be a cenacle of prayer in loving acceptance of the Holy Spirit and His gifts.
Guide the steps of those who have responded generously to Your call and are preparing to receive holy orders or to profess the evangelical counsels.
Look with love on so many well-disposed young people and call them to follow You. Help them to understand that in You alone can they attain complete fulfillment.
To this end, we call on the intercession of the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, mother and model of all vocations. We beseech You to sustain our faith with the certainty that the Father will grant what You have commanded us to ask. Amen.
Borrowed from here

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7 Quick Takes 23NOV12

1. Happy belated Thanksgiving to everyone! Has anyone ever wondered why summer sausages are only sold in the winter?

2. Its been a great week. My princess had the week off from school, her Mom had to work most of the week, and I had the week off from college so I got to spend every day this week except Wednesday and Thursday with her.

3. Maybe tomorrow I can get caught up on my readings for grad school.

4. I really like the troparion for the entrance of the Theotokos into the temple: Today is the prelude of the benevolence of God, and the announcement of the salvation of men. In the Temple of God the Virgin is seen openly, foretelling to all the coming of Christ. Wherefore let us cry to her in a loud voice, "Hail! O fulfillment of the Creator's plan!"

5. Our parish will have a new priest in January. We've been without our own priest for about a year and a half. Thankfully, our parish priest only moved as far as Atlanta and there is a Ukrainian Catholic priest in town and one of them has been around most Sundays to celebrate the Divine Liturgy.

6. This video is one of my favorite Christmas stories:


7.A thanksgiving prayer from St Basil:
We bless Thee, O most high God and Lord of mercy, Who art ever doing numberless great and inscrutable things for us––glorious and wonderful; Who grantest to us sleep for rest from our infirmities, and repose from the burdens of or much toiling flesh.  We thank Thee that Thou hast not destroyed us with our sins, but hast loved us forever; and though we are sunk in despair, Thou hast raised us up to glorify thy power.  Therefore, we implore Thine incomparable goodness: enlighten the eyes of our understanding and raise up our mid from the heavy sleep of indolence; open our mouth and fill it with Thy praise, that we may be able––without distraction––to sing and confess Thee, Who are God glorified in all and by all, the eternal Father, with Thine Only-begotten Son, and thine All-Holy and good and life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen



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7 Quick Takes 16NOV

1. No one got that Saint Quiz XVIII was St John Chrysostom. Saint Quiz XIX is now up. Can anyone guess this great musical saint?

2. I'm picking up my daughter today from Pre-K. I'm looking forward to spending a lot of time with her these next several days. Her mom is working and as a grad student I have this time off to spend with my princess. This is the two of us from a few years ago:

3. I found out Thursday night that my university offers a gifted endorsement for my Masters of Arts in Teaching program. That would be spectacular to put on a resume. It could sure use the boost. I don't have any background in teaching before the beginning of this semester.

4. Maybe this coming week I can take Princess to Georgia Southern's museum. She LOVES dinosaur fossils and they have some. She went into overload when I took her to the Smithsonian Natural Science Museum!

5. I'm also looking forward to an opportunity sometime this week (probably Thanksgiving Day) to finally see Skyfall, the new James Bond movie.

6. I saw this passage and reflected on how important it is to pray for the cities and governments where we live: "And seek the peace of the city, to which I have caused you to be carried away captives; and pray to the Lord for it: for in the peace thereof shall be your peace." Jeremiah 29:7

7. Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true Man!

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7 Quick Takes 02NOV2012

1. Today is All Souls Day. I found out recently that the equivalent in the Byzantine Churches is Saturday of the Dead.

2. No one has figured out my latest Saint Quiz yet. Hint: He's one of the Eastern Doctors of the Church.

3. I used to go to a Young Adult Ministry in town. I'm thinking about going again. Is 30 too old for that?

4.The eparchy told me that to change my rite of ascription I had to be in a Melkite parish for 3 years. Its now been 2 1/2 this month.

5. My daughter is 4 and when she asked why we go to church on Sunday instead of some other day I explained that Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday. I don't think she really understands, but she parrots that idea every Sunday.

6. I forgot where I found this ridiculous image but its so amusing! Reagan was old...

Although honestly I think Teddy Roosevelt would have been a much better velociraptor rider.

7. My favorite of the Resurrection Troparia: “Let us, O Faithful, praise and worship the Word coeternal with the Father and the Spirit, born of the Virgin for our salvation. For He has willed to be lifted in the flesh upon the Cross, and to endure death, and to raised the dead by his glorious Resurrection.”

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7 Quick Takes

1. I discovered a new blog this week. It is called Wake Up and Smell the Incense. I highly recommend it. Its written by a teenage Byzantine Catholic and has lots of great Eastern Catholic memes.


2. I had a resolution this year to have 1,000 total posts by the end of the year. This post is my 859th and I'm close, but between grad school, student teaching and other commitments I hardly seem to have any inspiration or time left to write and post about anything. I have a post that I'm going to write after this and schedule for Advent, but I need 140 more post ideas. Any thoughts?


3. 11 days until Election Day, and only two weeks until the new James Bond film coming out on November 9th. I have no idea what this one is about but I'm sure that I will enjoy it nonetheless.

4. I honestly don't like either candidate from the major parties and since I'll be disappointed either way, I just as well look forward to something that does excite me. The meme below speaks to just two of my disappointments with Romney and Obama.

 

4.

5.  Our parish has been without a resident priest for about a year now. We had a Ukrainian Catholic priest who happened to live in town celebrate the Divine Liturgy for us most Sundays/holy days and our former priest traveled from Atlanta to celebrate on some of the other Sundays and holy days. We have been blessed more than other priestless parishes. However, I was glad this last Sunday to meet the priest who will move from California to be our pastor.

6. Reposted from a previous post to fill space:

Lover of Mankind
O Sacrament most holy, O Sacrament Divine
All praise and thanksgiving be every moment Thine
You proclaimed it as You turned the water into wine
Jesus, the Samaritan with oil and wine healed
With the bandage of baptism revealed
The Bread of Life lay in the cross wood of a manger
Feed offered to save mankind from sin's grave danger
In the guise of bread and wine
Is the Lover of Mankind

7.  O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; O Lord, cleanse us of our sins; O Master forgive our transgressions; O Holy One, come to us and heal our infirmities for your Name's sake.

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7 Quick Takes 12OCT2012

1. Filioque is just a funny word to say. Did you know that even in the Latin Rite, when the Nicene Creed is prayed in Greek the Filioque is not said?

2. Mandorla is another funny word to say.

3. Vatican II is now 50 years old. I hope that everyone takes time to read what the documents really say instead of relying on what others say the documents say. How many of us can honestly say that we have read them and know what is really written in them? Too many of us just take other people's opinions as fact.

4. I like setting Babel and Pentecost side by side since they are polar opposites.

5.This picture is recycled from another post, but it still amuses me so I am re-posting it.

6. I posted another installment in my series of posts listing things I like about our local Melkite parish, St Ignatios.

7. O Heavenly King, Consoler, Spirit of Truth, present in all places and filling all things, the Treasury of blessings and the Giver of life, come, O Good One, and dwell in us, cleanse us of all stain and save our souls.


May God bless all who read my ramblings,

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7 Quick Takes 24AUG2012

1. My first week of grad school is complete. What have I gotten myself into?

2. The local Knights of Columbus is on the way home from class. I like having an excuse to drop in and hang out for a little while. On Wednesday I found out there's a cookout every other Wednesday. Fellowship and dinner, sounds like I'll stop in more often.

3. I posted Saint Quiz XVII this week. See if you can figure out who it is.

4. Now for the weekly posting of pictures:

 overgold

5. Cradle Catholic has completed what I think is his only English song so far:


6. Princess is having a hard time grasping the concept that because she's in school now she doesn't get to stay home when Hephzibah has the day off.

7. "...It is written, Not in bread alone doth man live, but in every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God." Matthew 4:4

Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true Man!

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7 Quick Takes 3AUG2012

-1-

Does anyone else find themselves still watching their child(ren)'s show after they have gone to bed?

-2-

 I don't know about anywhere else but the only day people around here seem to boycott Chick-fil-A is on Sunday.

-3-

Because people only seem to visit from Conversion Diary when you have weird picture to catch someone's eye:

-4-

 Did you know that you can direct Google to search only a specific site. You type in site:sitename. For example, site:50daysafter.blogspot.com will only search my blog.

-5-

The Coronation of Mary stained glass window at St Mary on the Hill Catholic Church in Augusta, GA. I like that God the Father is portrayed as only a hand in the upper window.

 -6-

 Is it just me or do most blogs seem to slow down in the summer and pick back up during the school year?

-7-

I can never seem to come up with something to say for the last post. I thought about the Chick-fil-A controversy, but I was done with high school drama when I left high school. I thought about Newland v Sebelius but there's nothing new in the last week or so. This will just have to be the post about nothing.

Blessed be Jesus Christ true God and true Man!

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7 Quick Takes 27JUL2012

1. My What is Truth/Mirror Universe Pelosi post got a visit yesterday from a House of Representatives IP. I've been wondering ever since who? and why? I included a picture from the post for your viewing pleasure.
2. A Catholic owned HVAC company is suing the HHS (Newland vs Sebellius) to maintain their first amendment rights to freedom of religion. I hope they win. I was honestly very disappointed with the ruling from the Supreme Court. I find it interesting though that even though the Supreme Court has ruled that businesses are "persons" with first amendment rights to free speech, administration lawyers are claiming that business owner are not permitted to run their businesses according to their beliefs. The choice argued by the administration is comply or close. What's next? Telling Chick-fil-A they have to open up on Sundays?                                      UPDATE: The Newlands now have the first injunction against the HHS mandate. Its only an injunction and it only applies to their company, but its a start!
3. On a lighter note, I'm excited to see that one of the Dr Who episodes next season will be a Western. Unfortunately it was filmed in Spain. It seems weird to film a Western in Spain, but it worked for the man with no name trilogy.
4. I can't wait for September! Summers in the Deep South are unbearable and I can only imagine what it was like before air conditioning. I miswired my new thermostat the other week right before the weather climbed into the triple digits. That was the most miserable three days (until I gave up and called a professional to fix it) that I've had in a good while.
5. This picture is reason # 29 that I like reading Restless Pilgrim. Reason # 28 is that the post is called "Impressing Girls at Bible Study". I usually enjoy the randomness of it all.                                     
6. Does anyone else use an RSS reader to keep up with 100 or so blogs? Even though I have that many I need to thin out those blogs which have ceased to be or that I don't remember why I subscribed because I just don't read it and/or don't like the material.
7. Blessed be Jesus Christ true God and true Man!

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7 Quick Takes 20JUL2012

 This week I decided to just go with pictures and the usual prayer at the end. So six pictures and one prayer take.

1.

 2.

 3.

 4.

 5.

 6.

7.

Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true Man. May God forgive those who deny Jesus' divinity.

You can see the other Quick Takes here.
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