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thoughts of a Christian Mom on the spiritual side of stephenie meyer's twilight series
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It's time for Bella's happily ever after. From the point of Bella's vampire transformation, we get a glimpse of what her immortal life will look like. She's got the beauty and power she's always longed for, equal to Edward. She's got the perfect little cottage in the woods to call home. She's surrounded by a loving family. And most especially, she's got forever with the one she loves.
In the final
twilightened lesson, we investigate what forever will look like for followers of Christ. The Bible gives us some clues about our immortal bodies, about our new home, about others that will be there, and most importantly, about living forever with the one we love.
Check out Lesson Eight: Immortal on the lessons page.
Who's a monster and who's not? Careful! Before you try to answer that question as it involves the characters in the
Twilight universe, you need to be ready to look beyond the obvious.
The Twilight Saga is peopled with vampires and werewolves and humans. You'd think the answer would be simple - the vampires and the werewolves are the monsters, right?
Throughout the saga, we meet characters that struggle with what they are. They seek to overcome their monster nature. We've examined this, in particular, in relation to Edward; but many of the others also grapple with this tension between what they are and what they want to be.
In
Breaking Dawn, we meet another such character. His name is Nahuel, a vampire/human hybrid that travels from South America to meet the only other hybrid he's ever heard of that isn't related to him. During Nahuel's birth, he destroyed his own mother, so he's shocked when he sees Bella . . . alive, after having given birth to Renesmee.
This is the story of how a man, full of self-loathing, with the self-imposed label of "monster," reacts when his perspective is challenged. Check out this new lesson on the Lessons Page.
Bella was about as well-prepared as any human could be for her transition to immortality. Her in-laws, the Cullens, shared many cautionary tales; she'd experienced the horror of the Volturi taking innocent lives; she'd encountered a tracker and his vengeful mate. Her overriding fear is that her life as a newborn would be wild and uncontrolled.
Upon awakening into her new life, Bella is extraordinarily composed. The Cullens watch in amazement as she cautiously discovers her new body and her new strength. She's able to hold her daughter and even interact with her father. The intense attraction she had for Edward in her old life is uninterrupted and magnified. Perhaps her self-control and her passion for Edward are her special vampire abilities.
Bella's euphoria with her new life is suddenly threatened by an encounter that triggers an epic confrontation with the entire Volturi Guard. Irina, of the Denali coven, happens to see Bella, Jacob, and Renesmee out hunting and mistakes Renesmee for an immortal child. She travels to Italy to inform the Volturi, not realizing they are waiting anxiously for any opportunity to destroy the Cullens.
Tipped off by Alice, the Cullens prepare by assembling a body of witnesses to attest that Renesmee indeed grows and changes and doesn't pose a threat. It's in the midst of this group of supporters that Bella discovers her true gift.
Lesson Six: Gifted takes an in-depth look at the special abilities of the vampires, and how, in the family of Christ, you also have special gifts bestowed by the Spirit. Gifted is now available on the lessons page.
Carlisle Cullen has built his entire philosophy as a "vegetarian vampire" on his respect for human life. Abstaining from human blood himself, and encouraging the same from his family, sets him apart from the majority of the vampire world. Even in facing the frightening prospect of an attack of newborns in which Jasper suggests that drinking human blood would make the Cullens stronger, Carlisle unflinchingly reminds his family that they won't change who they are. The very essence of the Cullens' identity is about giving life, protecting life - not taking it away.
In
Breaking Dawn, a very different problem arises to challenge the Cullens' pro-life resolve: Bella is pregnant. Edward and most of his family can see the horrific episode that will play out if the pregnancy continues. The "fetus" is most certainly a monster that grows supernaturally quickly and will obliterate Edward's new bride in the process. It can't be allowed to live.
Primed by a series of dreams in which she sees a beautiful little boy, hopelessly surrounded by the threatening Volturi, Bella immediately connects the "nudger" in her belly with the boy from the dreams. She turns desperately to Rosalie for help, because she knows Rosalie would do anything to have a baby of her own. Rosalie and Esme form an alliance with Bella in which they resolve to protect Bella and the baby even from their own husbands.
Jacob calls Bella the "classic martyr" who always loves the wrong things. He knows without being told that Bella will want to give her own life in exchange for the child's. And he is mostly right; but Bella has an ace up her sleeve - she believes that Edward will be able to transform her into a vampire to save her life.
This turns out to be that rare pregnancy where the life of the mother is threatened. That one that even the most ardent pro-lifers would say is the case where an abortion would be warranted.
Bella knows this is her only chance of having a baby with Edward. She resolves to have this child - his perfect, green-eyed child. Although Bella's never had a maternal instinct, she suddenly can't think of not having a baby . . . this baby. She envisions the child from her dreams and realizes the undeniable urge to protect his life at all costs begins now.
Lesson Five in the study,
twilightened:BD edition, centers on the issue of life. In it, we investigate where the Biblical perspective about the sacredness of human life originates. We look at four foundational thoughts that shape the view that every unborn child is a life worth protecting. The lesson is now available on the
twilightened lessons page.
I've been wanting to write about Leah Clearwater for a while. Something about that girl just grabbed my heart when I read
Breaking Dawn. And it was really looking like she and Jacob were going to get together there for a while. I think that would have been cool. Seems like they would have been good for each other. Stephenie Meyer had something else in mind for Jacob.
But what about Leah? Will she forever be a dead-end?
I started this character study of Leah by taking a deep look at all the losses she had suffered. There were a lot! Then I looked at how she reacted to all that pain. It sure wasn't pretty. No one could stand to be around her.
When Jacob is finally forced to pay attention to her and try to figure out what makes her tick, he begins to understand the reasons for her awful behavior. She laments that she must be a genetic dead-end. She's undesirable, unwanted, stuck in the past, and not looking forward to the future.
Something happens that changes Leah's life. It alleviates her pain enough for her to look around and see that she has it in her to comfort others who are in pain.
Look at the new lesson, Dead-End, to see how Leah gets turned around. Check it out on the Lessons Page.
San Diego Comic Con 2008 is where the madness began, according the the Twilight cast. They had spent a few freezing cold, wet, and uncomfortable months filming in the Portland, Oregon area earlier in the year, thinking they were making a small, indie film. While they were filming, a new fandom was starting to explode. It wasn't until the cast's arrival at Comic Con to a crowd of thousands of screaming fans, that they realized the magnitude of their new venture. The behind-stage footage from that event documents just how unprepared they were for this phenomenon.
Fast-forward to SD Comic Con 2012, set to open tomorrow. The Q and A panel in Hall H with the Breaking Dawn cast promises to be a packed venue, with some fans having camped out for their spots since Sunday. Teasers of a special appearance to the campers tonight at 9 p.m. and new BD footage in Hall H has fans in a frenzy. Fans have flown in from all over the world to be present for the last Twilight Saga hurrah at Comic Con.
This marks the start of a promotional campaign leading up to the final saga film.
What has Summit given us so far? Teaser posters of Jacob, Edward, and a vampire Bella. A beautiful layout in Entertainment Weekly focusing on Renesmee and how she and her parents look as a little family. A trailer with vampire Bella in action mode and glimpses of the international covens.
Fans have waited patiently (or not) to see this final installment of the Twilight franchise. Splitting the final novel into two adaptations and spreading them out by a year is a bit if a risk by Summit; but it looks as though the fans are sticking with it and will be there to support it to the end.
A lot has happened with the cast in the year since they filmed the final installment: a wedding, a new baby, and more great, new honors and films for many of them. Twilight has been the launching pad for so many of them, and we wish them the best as they all move on to new things. For now, we hope they'll enjoy their reunion as they promote this film.
On a tragic note, I want to extend my condolences to the family and friends of Gisele, a fan who was camping out in San Diego for this year's Comic Con. She was struck by a car in front of the convention center yesterday and died as a result of her injuries. Her memory will be honored with a moment of silence in Hall H during the BD panel tomorrow.
Jacob's been keeping a secret from Bella. She only finds out because Edward hears it in the minds of the wolfpack. Jacob is second in command to Sam's Alpha; Bella calls him the Beta. It seems that Jacob actually has the lineage to lead the Quileute tribe, but he's reluctant to step up. It's probably best, though, because Jacob has some maturing to do before he's ready for a leadership role.
But something happens that causes Jacob to snap and decide he wasn't born to be enslaved to another's rule. Jacob finally takes ownership of his birthright.
In Lesson Three of
twilightened: BD edition, we explore Jacob's journey from pack member to leader and apply what we learn about being an effective leader. The lesson is now available on the Twilightened Lessons Page.
As if the Volturi need another reason to come after Bella.
Word comes to them from an emotionally tortured Irina that Bella and Edward have committed the unthinkable, the unspeakable, the taboo. . . they've created an immortal child. This is just the trigger the Volturi need to pay a personal visit to Forks.
Irina is spurred to action because of an ancient wound. She and her sisters once had a baby brother they knew nothing about - their mother had never betrayed his existence. They didn't know till the day the Volturi came for him and for their mother and immediately executed them for the hidden transgression. Tanya, Irina, and Kate escaped the same fate only because Aro was feeling merciful; but their fate of eternal existence without their mother and with the knowledge of her hidden sin may have been far worse. They never even speak her name; at least, Carlisle has never heard it.
The story of the Denali sisters' mother serves as a tale of caution for Bella, outlining the consequences of breaking the cardinal rule of the vampire world: keep the secret. It serves as a cautionary tale to us, too, illustrating the effects of hidden sin.
Check the Lessons Page for Lesson Two of
twilightened bd edition, entitled "Hidden."
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| Consider the birds of the air (agd photo) |
Bella's constant stream of worries doesn't change much throughout
The Twilight Saga from the first novel up into the fourth. She hates being the center of attention, because she's insecure enough to always be wondering what people think of her. Edward worries equally as much; but his worries are for Bella's safety.
True to real life, Bella's focus changes completely once she becomes a mother. She still worries incessantly - now it's about the health of and provision for her daughter.
Now that Bella's more "durable," Edward's worries turn more toward the only ones who can really harm his little family - the Volturi.
It's time to begin our final study together. Lesson One of
twilightened: BD edition, entitled, "Worries," is now available on the Lessons Page.
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| Maisel Synagogue, Jewish Quarter, Prague. 2006 khd photo |
Does Edward have a chance of getting into heaven?
He doesn't really know; but Bella thinks he does. As they discuss whether they should have premarital sex, Edward insists on keeping this one rule unbroken. It's the only one he hasn't broken, he says.
Edward equates being allowed to enter heaven with keeping a list of rules, because most religious people seem to agree that that's the requirement.
He's right. Most people really do think that if you're a good, moral person, then you'll go to heaven. Edward knows that he's broken most of the moral laws - he's murdered, stolen, lied, coveted. And the rest of us, if we're honest, know that we have broken some laws, too.
If everyone has broken the laws, who will get to go to heaven? Jesus had this same discussion with a young man who was a religious leader in Israel. He had done his best to keep all of God's laws all his life; and he told Jesus so. But Jesus told him that there was more . . .
We are down to the last lesson in the third twilightened Bible study. This one is called, "List of Rules," and you'll want to check it out on the Lessons Page.
Throughout the story
Eclipse, Bella is bombarded with perspectives about her future. Her future path will actually depend on two related decisions: a life with Jacob or with Edward; a human life or an immortal life. Even if Bella does choose Edward, he still wants her to remain human and is intent on reminding her of all the people and things she'll miss if she chooses immortality.
Bella receives input from both of her parents, friends at school, Rosalie, Jasper, and Alice, and Edward and Jacob. She's surprised to realize that even her enemies give her perspective. Finally, she meets Bree Tanner, whose perspective haunts her. Which perspectives are helpful and which are useless? Which are true reflections and which are distorted? Whose perspective means the most of all?
In Lesson Seven: Perspective, we follow the trail of Bella's decisions through the novel and also explore a theme of mirror images. By following the trail of Bella's decisions, you can find perspective on yours, too.
Check the twilightened lessons page to see Perspective.
The threat of an army of vengeful, newborn vampires is upon them. The Cullens try to assess the danger and the possible motives. Fortunately, they have an expert in their midst. Jasper spent the first several decades of his immortal life creating and training newborn armies for territorial battles. Coupled with his Confederate Army experience as an officer and his immortal gift of manipulating the emotions of everyone around him, Jasper makes a formidable soldier.
Jasper prepares Bella by recounting the story of his stressful life in a War Zone: his first look at the vampires who changed him forever, the loss of innocent lives, the scars, the emotional turmoil. But Bella chooses to focus on the "happy ending," when Alice rescues him and leads him to a new life.
Jasper moves into the spotlight as he becomes the teacher for the Cullens and the wolves to prepare them for life in the War Zone.
Did you know that you live in the midst of a War Zone? Jasper has a lot to teach you, too. Check out the new lesson, War Zone, now available on the Lessons Page.
Lesson Five in the third twilightened study is now available on the Lessons Page. This is the lesson I've known from day one that I would need to write; after all, Twilight is primarily a study in abstinence. Edward's victory over his vampire nature in refraining from drinking Bella's blood is a metaphor for sexual abstinence in itself; but Edward and Bella's decision to refrain from having sex before marriage is an added literal layer. From the beginning of the Twilight phenomenon, adults have praised the series for promoting a pure relationship - so refreshing to find in modern media.
The lesson "Pure" explores many aspects of purity in the series, not just between Edward and Bella, but bringing in Jacob, examining Rosalie, contrasting Victoria/Riley, and studying other vampire and human potential partners. Examples are pulled from Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Midnight Sun. We look at purity as a single person and as a married person, pulling real-life examples from a great variety of sources. Woven throughout are principles of God's plan for purity gathered from Old and New Testament scriptures.
Over the months I've spent developing this lesson, I've continually found more material I wanted to add to it. There's so much more I want to say. I'll be posting more about this lesson on the blog. As it is, "Pure" is already longer than my usual lesson format - it's seven days instead of five. Just so you're prepared. I hope you'll approach it prayerfully and that it will fully explain why you should strive for purity.
Blessings!
Reading Breaking Dawn, I couldn't help but wonder how this could ever translate to film. I nearly convinced myself that I really didn't want to see it. I thought this would be the time I'd forego the midnight premiere and maybe catch it later.
That is, until a few weeks ago when I started watching the cast interviews and promotions.
So, I bought my tickets and arrived at the theater still thinking that I could really cringe through the whole thing. I've got to tell you, I was wrong. When Bill Condon set out to give the fans what they wanted, he really nailed it. Scenes that I felt could never be effective were interpreted in such creative and unexpected ways. There were a lot of minor details that true fans will appreciate from the novel, but also some new elements that added so much to the impact of the story.
There's a great sprinkling of humor this time. It's a pleasure to see the wedding scene and how truly happy all the characters are. They even deliver the honeymoon sex scenes in a light, romantic way that's suggestive, rather like the book, without being graphic. For the first time since the first film, the spotlight is really on the love story of Bella and Edward - and it's beautiful. On the flip side, the drama of Bella's pregnancy and childbirth is powerfully portrayed and intensely emotional. Really solid performances by Kristen, Rob, and Taylor.
I think you'll be amazed at how much is packed into Part 1.
Overall, this is a great movie for fans of the series. It's a satisfying payoff to see our favorite characters come so far.
And now we've got to wait a full year? You've gotta be kidding!
Maybe you have a hard time relating to Rosalie, because you're neither spoiled nor stunningly beautiful; but take a second look. Rosalie's lesson to us is that we can all get stuck in a state of immaturity if we don't have outside forces causing us to change.
Rosalie's intriguing backstory in
Eclipse is like a case study in self-absorption: vanity, materialism, pettiness, and vengefulness. How can we be sure that we're on the road to maturity?
Check out Lesson Four: Me, Myself & I, now available on the Lessons Page.
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Looking through the edge of the forest toward Ruby Beach,
Olympic Peninsula (khd photo) |
For centuries, the nation of Switzerland has taken a stance of neutrality in international affairs. An oasis of peace amidst the struggles for European and world power.
In the midst of a cold war between the Quileutes and the Cullens, Bella waves the Swiss flag. She cares deeply about the people on both sides and she's tired of their barely contained mutual hostility. She wants to be the little island of peace in the middle of Forks.
The question is, is she the one to do it? Can she forge peace between them, or will she stir up trouble?
"Peacemaker," the third installment in the
more twilightened Bible Study, deals with these questions and with how we can apply the principles of the Bible and become peacemakers ourselves. The lesson is now available on the Lessons Page.
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The familiar daydreamy look of a Twilight fan. (AGD photo)
"What's today's date?" I wondered suddenly.
"It's January nineteenth." . . .
"It was a year ago yesterday that I had my first day here," I mused.
"Nothing's changed much," Angela muttered,looking after Lauren and Jessica.
"I know," I agreed. "I was just thinking the same thing."(New Moon, Stephenie Meyer, Little, Brown and Company, 2006, p. 158)
In New Moon, Bella notes her first anniversary at Forks High School as a sign of a new beginning. She wonders if she could erase the last year as if it had never happened and pretend she had never met Edward Cullen. But deep inside, she knows she can't, because Edward has changed her so profoundly.
It's been two years today since I launched this blog. A lot has happened in these two years.
I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for reading. About ten months after I started posting, Blogger started keeping stats on the readership. While I try not to set much store by the numbers, what really fascinates me is where around the world my readers are. So I thought you might be interested in some facts about this site from my perspective.
How do people find me? Top five: Google, Facebook, Scribd, Stumble Upon, and recommendations from friends.
0 Comments on Anniversary as of 1/1/1900
In the pages of Eclipse, Stephenie Meyer introduces the concept called imprinting that weaves into the plot and foreshadows more of what's to come in Breaking Dawn. Even among fans, the subject is pretty controversial. And critics have had a field day with it. Stephenie says that she merely wanted to explore the immediate and unbreakable bond, as between a mother duck and her ducklings, called imprinting, and to see how it would play out among the Quileute wolfpack. The script of Eclipse the film doesn't deal with imprinting in the depth the book does; but the subject has come up frequently in interviews with the director and cast of Breaking Dawn. They have a hard time explaining it. In an interview at the recent Comic Con, Taylor Lautner says, "Read the book. It explains it all. It's complicated." (MTV's Josh Horowitz, interview)
Two and a half years ago, a friend suggested that I write a lesson about imprinting. She gave me a couple of scriptural ideas and I made a note of it and dated it. About a year later, I started trying to outline the lesson. First, I started with what imprinting means in nature. I made a list. Then I combed through each of the imprinting situations in Eclipse, making notes of each. Finally, I looked back at the notes from the initial idea about the spiritual applications. I must have re-written the entire lesson four different ways before putting it away for a year. I was stuck. Every once in a while, I'd pull it back out and try to get farther on it, but it just wouldn't come. Finally, I gave myself a deadline. It had to be up on the site this week. I was determined to combine some of all the ways I had attacked the subject. What I ended up with is a different format than what I've written in these lessons before. I literally juggled the Natural World, the Twilight World and the Spiritual World through each day of the lesson. I tried to take the three views of the definition of imprinting and make them clear and applicable for you. I'm praying it works. Keep in mind that I'm only dealing with imprinting in Eclipse, not in Breaking Dawn just yet. I'll probably revisit the subject again, because there's lots more to be said. more twilightened: lesson two, Imprint, is now available on the Lessons Page. Enjoy! As always, Leader's Guide material will be added soon.
 | | The Space Needle, Seattle, WA. AGD Photo | It seems that Bella is handling her house arrest in a very mature fashion. Charlie thinks so. She's taken her punishment because she knows she deserves it. And because her time with Charlie is growing so short. But just when you think Bella is really acting like a grown-up, rebellion starts to well up and spew out all over. Lesson One in the new study more twilightened is here. Look for it on the Lessons Page and answer a hard question about yourself: Am I a rebel, too? As with our two previous studies, also available on the Lessons Page, there will be a Leader's Guide with sample answers, group study ideas, prayers, sharing ideas and more. Look for it soon on the Leader's Guides Page. So go back and re-read the book, re-watch the film, grab a friend or two and dig in to more twilightened!
You've been asking for more . . . Coming Soon!
more twilightened: a spiritual journey into The Twilight Saga's Eclipse
There's lots more to explore: Rebellion. Imprinting. Purity. and more!
Look for it . . . Starting 11 August 2011.
I just uploaded the Leader's Guide material for the final two lessons of twilightened 2. You can see them on the Leader's Guides page.
Thanks so much for joining me in this unique study. I hope you found it an exciting way to experience God's Word.
Stay tuned to this blog for information about new studies.
In the new Breaking Dawn Part 1 trailer, the first shot reveals Gianna hand-delivering the wedding invitation sealed with the Cullen crest to the Volturi. Do the Cullens really wish to see the Italian trio at the wedding? You can be sure, they don't. Aro, Caius and Marcus have promised to take matters into their own hands if Bella is not changed into a vampire. Alice sends the invitation to the Volturi - the Cullens' enemies - because she's putting them on notice: the wedding uniting Bella to the Cullen family is imminent, so you can't have her.
The scriptures teach that a wedding will take place someday in heaven, uniting the bridegroom (Jesus Christ) and the bride (all those who believe in Jesus Christ before He comes again.) You can read about it in Revelation 19 and 21.
In Matthew 22: 1-14, Jesus teaches about His future wedding by telling a parable about a king giving a wedding banquet for his son. The king (God) sends out invitations to the prominent subjects of his kingdom (this represents the Jews, who received God's first invitation to be a part of his kingdom); but they haven't RSVP'd. So the king sends out his servants (the Old Testament prophets) to get a response. Those who were invited refuse to come. The king tries sending more servants (more prophets and even Jesus Himself), but the invitees beat and kill the messengers. Still, the king doesn't give up. He sends yet more servants (these represent believers) to ask everyone they can find to attend the banquet. According to custom, the wealthy king provides new wedding garments to each guest, so they'll all be dressed appropriately; but apparently, some of the guests refuse the garments, thereby insulting the king. Those who aren't clothed in the provided clothing (this represents the covering of sins in Christ's righteousness) are tossed out into darkness and torment (hell).
I'll be talking more about this parable and how it relates to Edward's and Bella's wedding.
God's enemy knows all about the wedding. The invitation to worship God and join His kingdom is universal. But Satan is like those in the story who chose to reject the invitation. He was even a part of the uprisings when the messengers were killed. God put Satan on notice long ago. Satan knows that his time is short. He's doing whatever it takes to convince others to denounce God and His invitation.
But God's people have been sealed for salvation with the crest of the Holy Spirit. We belong to our bridegroom. We're already engaged. The wedding is imminent . . . and the enemy can't have us.
If you haven't already accepted God's invitation to the wedding, if you haven't been sealed with His crest, it's not too late.
But you need to RSVP.
Elizabeth Reaser and Jackson Rathbone teased us about it - something we've all been waiting years to see. It would be revealed on the red carpet at the 2011 MTV Movie Awards. What was it?
An invitation.
Isabella Marie Swan and Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
Together With Their Families Request The Honor Of Your Presence At The Celebration Of Their Marriage Saturday, The Thirteenth Of August Two Thousand And Eleven Five O'Clock In The Evening
420 Woodcroft Avenue Forks, WA
Then, in the highly anticipated film clip from Breaking Dawn Part 1, we saw that invitation as it reached several different hands, and we saw the varied reactions of each potential guest.
Breaking Dawn - Edward's and Bella's "beginning of forever" - and who did they choose to invite?
An enemy. Parents. A very dear friend.
"You are cordially invited to the event that will change everything."
Stay tuned. I'll explore this more in my next post.
I'm working to update the twilightened 2 Leader's Guide to catch up with all the lessons I've posted. To date, I've added up through Lesson Five. More to come, until all eight lessons' guides are finished.
Thanks for reading!
Bella can't shake the nightmare that plagues her night after night, that causes her to wake up screaming. Edward is gone from her life and her mind can't accept the reality of it. All day long, she pushes aside every thought of him; but at night, her mind conjures up the longing she really feels. In her dreams, she searches for him. The dream always starts as a longing, but ends up in desperation, because she forgets what she's looking for and finds only nothingness. Bella's search is a vivid example of our pursuit of fulfillment in life. We are endlessly searching. How can we find it? The final lesson of twilightened 2, called Searching, is now available on the lessons page. Check back to the Leader's Guides page later in the week as I get caught up on posting the guides to these lessons.
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