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Bombadil
Half-elven
Jan 23 2015, 11:19am
Post #1 of 29
(936 views)
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A Non-SERIOUS Discussion about ELVES..?
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1. Immortal {That's a cool thing to have in YOUR Hand-basket}
Like Thranny said "A Hundred Years is a Mere Blink in the Eye
in the Life of an Elf..." AND guess what? He didn't die of a Broken Heart over his WIFE.
2. COOL to the Touch..? Well, there had been SSOooo..
MUCH HOT Thoughts about THRANNY after DOS...
BUT not much after his appearance in BOT5A...
Has Thrandy lost his Cool? w/ our TORn THRALLS, Yet?
3. LEGGY was WAyAwesome, MUCH more Awesome than his DADDY? Who jus' across as an
"NOT Really WITH the Program" MUCH
4.He pissed off Gandalf? HOW is THAT in your Mind..?
5. HE PO'd Tauriel & Leggy...SSOoo he comes off as a, a, a,
WHAT?..Anything BUT a HERO...
where as... most everyone ELSE was..?
6. SURE! it was GREAT that Leggy abandoned him...Wouldn't you?
7. Leggy was SMARTER than him...
8. IF he gets his Long Prized Necklace in the EE..
SO WHAT?
Izz he gunna WEAR IT?
...{It seems to kinda "GO with his Groovy Gowns"}
9. BASICALLY he is a Pretty Bad HERO, after all.
AND is SSOoo..used to having the Very Ground he walks on WORSHIPed by many...SEEMS a Bit Screw-Ball..
10. Bomby always wondered what it is?
that Makes our THRALLS SSOoo..En-Thralled...His Eyebrows...?
His Kissable LIPS..or is it
that HE has the Most Shiny Bling?
www.charlie-art.biz
"What Your Mind can conceive... charlie can achieve"
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Glorfindela
Valinor
Jan 23 2015, 1:19pm
Post #2 of 29
(618 views)
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I think the Thralls love Thranduil not just because of his eyebrows. I think he is the most Elf-like of the Elves, being ethereal and beautiful. He has wonderful make-up and hair, beautiful costumes, a wondrous Elk (which is not dead), a fabulous fighting style, and a cool and distant manner. What is there not to like?
I believe he is portrayed ever so well, though I feel there should have been more of him – and the gems should have been explained as far back as AUJ, because they provide an important link to his character, which is not really seen until the third film, and that too briefly.
I wish the Thralls would return. :( They could provide a far better written explanation for Thranduil's popularity than I can.
MUCH HOT Thoughts about THRANNY after DOS... BUT not much after his appearance in BOT5A... Has Thrandy lost his Cool? w/ our TORn THRALLS, Yet? 10. Bomby always wondered what it is? that Makes our THRALLS SSOoo..En-Thralled...His Eyebrows...? His Kissable LIPS..or is it that HE has the Most Shiny Bling? |
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DanielLB
Immortal
Jan 23 2015, 1:34pm
Post #3 of 29
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Questions that need answering ...
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I think the Thralls love Thranduil not just because of his eyebrows
Why does Thranduil have such big eyebrows? Elephants have big ears to keep themselves cool. Ergo, Thranduil needs them to stay chic.
(This post was edited by DanielLB on Jan 23 2015, 1:37pm)
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dormouse
Half-elven
Jan 23 2015, 1:48pm
Post #4 of 29
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It's to stop the creepy crawlies from his crown
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..from dropping into his eyes
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Elarie
Grey Havens
Jan 23 2015, 2:20pm
Post #5 of 29
(572 views)
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Hey, Elf kings have feelings, too, you know!
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Snort...
__________________
Gold is the strife of kinsmen,
and fire of the flood-tide,
and the path of the serpent.
(Old Icelandic Fe rune poem)
(This post was edited by Elarie on Jan 23 2015, 2:21pm)
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Otaku-sempai
Immortal
Jan 23 2015, 3:01pm
Post #6 of 29
(557 views)
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1. The treatment of his Teleri kin by the sons of Feanor.
2. The fate of Thingol and his wife and kingdom.
3. The death of his father Oropher at the Battle of Dagorlad.
4. The threat of Dol Guldur and the Darkening of the Greenwood.
And, from the films:
5. Dragon-scarred.
6. The death of his wife.
7. Betrayal of King Thror.
You really can't blame him for being a bit peevish.
"The Great Scaly One protects us from alien invaders and ourselves with his fiery atomic love. It can be a tough love - the “folly of man” and all that - but Godzilla is a fair god.
"Godzilla is totally accepting of all people and faiths. For it is written that liberal or conservative, Christian or Muslim or Jew, straight or gay, all people sound pretty much the identical as they are crushed beneath his mighty feet." - Tony Isabella, The First Church of Godzilla (Reform)
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Lena
The Shire
Jan 23 2015, 3:24pm
Post #7 of 29
(546 views)
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Fresh but eager to learn :)
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arithmancer
Grey Havens
Jan 23 2015, 4:34pm
Post #9 of 29
(533 views)
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Thranduil's considerable appeal as a character
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1.He didn't die of a Broken Heart over his WIFE.
No, but I would think the whole story adds to, rather than detracts from, his character's appeal.
2. COOL to the Touch..? Well, there had been SSOooo..
MUCH HOT Thoughts about THRANNY after DOS...
BUT not much after his appearance in BOT5A...
You are looking in the wrong places.  You also seem to be forgetting recent history here (the Thranduil Thralls were busier than ever in the post-Bo5A release period!).
3. LEGGY was WAyAwesome, MUCH more Awesome than his DADDY? Who jus' across as an "NOT Really WITH the Program" MUCH
It is hard to argue with Legolas's ME politics, yes. But that's hardly the basis to judge someone's "awesomeness" and appeal. While Thranduil did not fight any "major" baddy - from what we were shown, I think Legolas takes after Dad.
4.He pissed off Gandalf? HOW is THAT in your Mind..?
That is made of WIN.
5. HE PO'd Tauriel & Leggy...SSOoo he comes off as a, a, a, WHAT?..Anything BUT a HERO... where as... most everyone ELSE was..?
In what sense are you using that word? I find it suits Thraduil well.
6. SURE! it was GREAT that Leggy abandoned him...Wouldn't you?
I saw that scene differently. In particular, I did not find Legolas' primary, or even secondary, motivation to be a desire to get away from his father. I would list those, in some order, as needing to get away from Tauriel for a time, and having been awakened, through the events of the films, to the realization that there is Stuff Happening that he wants to be part of out in the wide world. He is, for example, still receptive to his father's advice (I presume he will in fact seek out this "Strider").
7. Leggy was SMARTER than him...
How so?
8. IF he gets his Long Prized Necklace in the EE..SO WHAT? Izz he gunna WEAR IT?
It does not matter to me whether he will or will not. Far more important, to me, is that there has been a change in him regarding the underlying issue (his grief for his wife). We see this in his willingness, for the first time, to mention her in the end of the film.
9. BASICALLY he is a Pretty Bad HERO, after all. AND is SOoo..used to having the Very Ground he walks on WORSHIPed y many...SEEMS a Bit Screw-Ball..
So OK, you agree he is a hero after all.  By "bad" hero, I am guessing you mean flawed. (In his particular case, the flaws would be his isolationism, and his insularity/prejudice, especially towards Dwrves.) I am not sure why this would prevent a fan who is so inclined, from fangirling/fanboying this character quite intensely. He is *interesting*! Heck, my pre-Bo5A fave, Thorin, is also. His unfairness to Bilbo, prejudice against perfectly helpful,generous, and courteous Elves like Elrond, and family tendencies towards mental instability only make him more so.
10. Bomby always wondered what it is? that Makes our THRALLS SSOoo..En-Thralled...His Eyebrows...? His Kissable LIPS..or is it that HE has the Most Shiny Bling?
And do not forget his silky smooth speaking voice, his grace, his tall (what is Pace, 6'5" or so?) slender yet strong physique, his eyelashes (and eyes!) and awesome wardrobe while we are at it. I think his ability to cut through 20 Orcs in a few second whirlwind of twin swords does not detract, either. 
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Eruvandi
Tol Eressea
Jan 23 2015, 6:22pm
Post #10 of 29
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This Thrall is still here and will try to explain (Long, rambly, but good-humored post ahead)
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Kerewyn's still here too, and she's still posting. Lurker has a LOT of RL time constraints and has told me that the Time Capsule thread will probably be the last post on TORn she'll be able to make for a long time, probably even months. I don't know where the others are.
One thing I do know is that all of us Thralls still like Thranduil even if we aren't appreciating him collectively in one thread anymore. I personally reached a point where the appreciation threads themselves weren't "doing it" for me anymore, plus there are some RL time constraints that have come up for me too that keep me from even trying to participate in the manner I once did, but those things haven't changed my continuing appreciation for Thranduil.
10. Bomby always wondered what it is?
that Makes our THRALLS SSOoo..En-Thralled...His Eyebrows...?
His Kissable LIPS..or is it
that HE has the Most Shiny Bling? Erm...no. Sure, talking about and squeeing over Thrandy's looks with other people who like him too is fun, and I did and still do LOVE his costumes and bling, but that's never been the main reason that I like him. Heck, I liked him before I ever saw him on screen and his looks aren't really described in the various books. The main reason I like Thranduil is his complexity as a character. He isn't entirely good, but he isn't entirely bad either. (The only elf who was ever REALLY totally bad that I know of was Eol the Dark Elf in the Silmarillion. He had his own unique set of issues.) The thing I enjoy talking about the most about Thranduil is looking at his history, both from the books and movies and figuring out what makes him tick, why he makes the choices that he makes, and how his past may have had an effect on those things.
Like Thranny said "A Hundred Years is a Mere Blink in the Eye
in the Life of an Elf..." AND guess what? He didn't die of a Broken Heart over his WIFE. There are actually several elves in ME who lost their wives and didn't die of a broken heart. Just off the top of my head, in the Silmarillion Finwe, father of Feanor lost his wife when she died after giving birth to their son. Finwe was extremely sad, but he didn't die over it and actually ended up being the only elf to ever re-marry (his son wasn't happy about it btw). Eol the Dark Elf actually killed his own wife when she tried to stop him from killing their son with a spear. Eol didn't die of a broken heart, but he did die of a broken body when the King of Gondolin had him thrown off the wall of the city as punishment for his crime. Elrond's wife didn't technically die, but she did get attacked by orcs and injured so badly that she had to leave Elrond and their children and sail to Valinor. Obviously, Elrond didn't die of a broken heart or he wouldn't be in the TH or LOTR movies.
You know...come to think of it, I can only think of two elves who actually physically died of a broken heart when their true love died. Luthien laid down her life when Beren died and Arwen laid down her life when Aragorn died, but I really can't think of any other elves who did that. Interesting.
In Thranduil's case Tolkien never wrote anything about his wife much less give her a backstory or say why she wasn't around, so the filmmakers pretty much had to make that up from scratch. According to the bits of things they've said about it, Thranduil did love his wife so much that when she died, it hurt Thranduil so much that he can't even talk about her anymore because the memory of what he's lost is too painful. According to Philippa Boyens, when Thranduil told Legolas that "Your mother loved you more than anything. More than life." he was in fact telling Legolas that his mother had died trying to save her son from some sort of danger. What that danger was supposed to be I haven't heard, but IMHO the fact that Thranduil actually said something to Legolas about his mother loving him was also him saying "I love you too. Enough to start healing from my pain and stop causing you unneeded pain."
2. COOL to the Touch..? Well, there had been SSOooo..
MUCH HOT Thoughts about THRANNY after DOS...
BUT not much after his appearance in BOT5A... Well, some people aren't totally happy with how he was portrayed in BotFA. One major issue that I've heard about people having is that in the book Thranduil says, "Long will I tarry ere I begin this war for gold" but in the movie he's pretty much itching to start the war and Bard's the one having to hold him back. Some people felt like this was a mischaracterization. Also, AUJ, DOS and BotFA brought up a whole lot of backstory and conflict for Thranduil that never got resolved, specifically the whole issue with his wife's necklace. I mean seriously, he says there are jewels in the mountain that he wants in DOS, then in BotFA he repeats that he's there to claim what is his and we see Thorin find the necklace...and then nothing. Zip, zero, nadda, nothing. We never hear about them again. Also, Thranduil said he was leaving the battle, but then after the kerfuffle with Leggy and Tauriel he apparently DIDN"T leave and somehow ended up on Ravenhill. How did he get there? Who knows. They didn't show us.
I personally still enjoyed the BotFA TE even without the explanation because I like a whole bunch of the characters and was happy with the overall story, but even I will admit that there are a bus load of loose ends from various story lines that didn't get totally resolved and I, for one, will not be happy if they don't get resolved in the EE.
Speaking of the necklace and the EE, no I don't think Thranduil's going to wear it (But who knows? There *were* actually male elves in Tolkien's stories who wore necklaces. Thingol and the Nauglamir specifically comes to mind.) but it IS his wife's necklace even though the movie didn't do a great job (or any job) of letting people know about that, and according to Legolas there is nothing else to remember her by, so yeah, I figure it's pretty important to Thranduil and I would like to see him get it back.
Actually, in the book, after the battle Bilbo did give Thranduil a necklace before he leaves in order to pay him back for being invisible in his Halls and stealing his food, so they could easily use that as the scene were Thranduil gets the necklace back and also reinforce what a nice hobbit Bilbo is.
4.He pissed off Gandalf? HOW is THAT in your Mind..? I thought that was pretty funny! I mean, lets face it, Gandalf is a great wizard, but his method for handling certain situations like, oh I don't know...starting a bunch of dwarves off on an epic quest before he even knows what is truly at stake should they fail, could...uh...use a little work.
5. HE PO'd Tauriel & Leggy...SSOoo he comes off as a, a, a,
WHAT?..Anything BUT a HERO...
where as... most everyone ELSE was..? No, you're right, he was not a hero. For that matter, he wasn't a hero in the book either. However, one of the main motivators behind his decision to leave the battle after it had started (according to Lee Pace and the filmmakers) was that he wanted to protect his own people. I can hardly blame him for that even if I do think that it would have been more noble for him to have stayed and fought, or at least given his people the option between leaving and fighting.
Personally, I think Tauriel and Legolas did do the right thing in staying in the battle and trying to protect others and should be considered heroes for doing so, however, I think Tauriel was wrong to have tried to stop Thranduil from leaving the battle. Part of the responsibility of being a king is protecting your people. That was Thranduil's decision to make, not Tauriel's and she had no right to try to make it for him.
Anyway, Bomby, I think I've pretty much covered all your points and answered your questions to the best of my humble ability. I know Thranduil appreciation isn't for everyone and that's totally ok, but I do hope you can see now that it's more about the complexity of the character than about the superficial stuff.
"Your love is like radiant diamonds
Bursting inside us we cannot contain
Your love will surely come find us
Like blazing wild fires singing Your name.
God of mercy sweet love of mine
I have surrendered to Your design
May this offering stretch across the skies
And these Halleluiahs be multiplied"
-"Multiplied" by Needtobreathe
(This post was edited by Eruvandi on Jan 23 2015, 6:23pm)
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Kilidoescartwheels
Valinor
Jan 23 2015, 6:25pm
Post #11 of 29
(496 views)
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"10. Bomby always wondered what it is?
that Makes our THRALLS SSOoo..En-Thralled...His Eyebrows...?
His Kissable LIPS..or is it
that HE has the Most Shiny Bling?"
Yes.
"3. LEGGY was WAyAwesome, MUCH more Awesome than his DADDY? Who jus' across as an
"NOT Really WITH the Program" MUCH"
You're kidding, right? After that double-action ninja katana sword fight, when surrounded by 2 dozen orcs? Not to mention slicing off half a dozen heads at once. He was bad to the bone, and way cool in the midst of it all.
"9. BASICALLY he is a Pretty Bad HERO, after all.
AND is SSOoo..used to having the Very Ground he walks on WORSHIPed by many...SEEMS a Bit Screw-Ball.."
Okay, he was a bit arrogant, but he flat-out didn't believe Gandalf about the orcs, saying he thought Gandalf would do anything to save his "dwarf friends" (not that I blame him, I mean there are THOUSANDS of us Thoriners that would have saved our beloved King Under the Mountain given a chance, but I digress). Once he realized the threat was real, he sent his elves leaping into battle, and he rode into Dale to help his ally Bard. So I wouldn't say "bad" hero so much as "flawed" hero, like Thorin (there I go again).
Why yes, I DO look like Anna Friel!
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DanielLB
Immortal
Jan 23 2015, 8:20pm
Post #12 of 29
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But it's all the rage ... apparently ... (not for those with limaxaphobia ...)
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Perhaps Thorin would have taken Thranduil more seriously with gastrobrows.
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Starling
Half-elven
Jan 23 2015, 8:30pm
Post #13 of 29
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I feel a retelling of my 'slug in a toaster' story coming on //
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DanielLB
Immortal
Jan 23 2015, 8:51pm
Post #14 of 29
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And I am already disgusted (if it goes where I expect it to).
(I was trying to come up with a slug or toaster pun for you.. I can't think of any though.  )
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Starling
Half-elven
Jan 23 2015, 9:21pm
Post #15 of 29
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Slug in a toaster: Back by popular demand
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Get your sick bucket ready...
[Reproduced from last year's thread to save the nausea of rewriting it...]
Speaking of slugs, many years ago I lived in an area that had a large population of Tiger slugs, which were huge and really rather creepy. My neighbours had plastic lining under their whole house to try and stop them coming up. I lived in an ancient cottage with ample places for slugs to come up into the house at night. In the morning sometimes we would get up and there would be massive slime trails across the carpet.
My worst slug moment came one Saturday morning when I was getting my breakfast. I got out the toaster and put it on the bench, dropped the bread in and pushed down the tab to toast my bread. About 10 seconds later there was a small explosion, which included massive sparks and a puff of smoke. The toaster shorted out and there was a hideous smell.
A massive slug was on the element and had fried.
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Meneldor
Valinor
Jan 23 2015, 11:20pm
Post #16 of 29
(440 views)
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Thranny doesn't want to be an elf!
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Thranny wants to be a dentist!
They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters, these see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep. -Psalm 107
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Glorfindela
Valinor
Jan 23 2015, 11:29pm
Post #17 of 29
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That's truly a revolting image. I like slugs in their rightful places, but not on a face (or any other part of the human body).
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DanielLB
Immortal
Jan 24 2015, 12:02am
Post #19 of 29
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Pfft. Still good for one more use.
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A massive slug was on the element and had fried.
I hope you still use the said toaster. We don't live in a throwaway society, you know.
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Starling
Half-elven
Jan 24 2015, 12:21am
Post #20 of 29
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Well Daniel, I am all for appliance preservation, but
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considering the slug was splattered, fried, and adhered across the entire element (which had endured a small explosion and a teeny tiny amount of shattering), and the aroma was less than savoury, with great regret a decision was made to retire the toaster prematurely. Thus ended the tragic tale, with two shocking and needless deaths.
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Me85
Rivendell
Jan 24 2015, 12:21am
Post #21 of 29
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The main reason I like Thranduil is his complexity as a character. He isn't entirely good, but he isn't entirely bad either. (The only elf who was ever REALLY totally bad that I know of was Eol the Dark Elf in the Silmarillion. He had his own unique set of issues.) The thing I enjoy talking about the most about Thranduil is looking at his history, both from the books and movies and figuring out what makes him tick, why he makes the choices that he makes, and how his past may have had an effect on those things.
This is exactly why i find him so intriguing. I don't find perfect heroes as interesting.
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DanielLB
Immortal
Jan 24 2015, 12:46am
Post #22 of 29
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Well, if you are sure you did need to throw it, this is to fill that toaster shaped-hole in your life ...
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I like mine toasted on the level 3 on the toastiness scale, for when I come round, please.
The bread that is. Not the slugs.
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Starling
Half-elven
Jan 24 2015, 12:55am
Post #23 of 29
(396 views)
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I'll put the kettle on. (Will check inside it first.)
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Eruvandi
Tol Eressea
Jan 24 2015, 1:33am
Post #25 of 29
(395 views)
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I see what you did there.
"Your love is like radiant diamonds
Bursting inside us we cannot contain
Your love will surely come find us
Like blazing wild fires singing Your name.
God of mercy sweet love of mine
I have surrendered to Your design
May this offering stretch across the skies
And these Halleluiahs be multiplied"
-"Multiplied" by Needtobreathe
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