Psalm 54 ~ God, save me by your name

Psalm 54

O God, save me by your name,
and vindicate me by your might.
2 O God, hear my prayer;
give ear to the words of my mouth.

3 For strangers^{[insolent men]} have risen against me;
ruthless men seek my life;
they do not set God before themselves. Selah

4 Behold, God is my helper;
the Lord is the upholder of my life.          
5 He will return the evil to my enemies;
in your faithfulness put an end to them.

6 With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you;
I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good.
7 For he has delivered me from every trouble,
and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies.


Psalm 54 is a Psalm of David.  A Psalm written by a man who saw war, homelessness, being overlooked by his father and brothers, marked as a criminal, a mercenary.  And he lived through victory, indulgence, defeat and into old age.

We live in time when the news generally isn't great.  People have doubts about their children's futures.  Most of us are amazed at least once a month by a new phone app or a computer application.  And we have so many debates about nutrition, carbs. Sometimes it helps to remember my grandmothers grew old after facing life's hardships. I know they had years life shook them like waves. They were not like the centenarian documentaries of self-reliance and hard core assurance. Yet they found they endured and looked forward to more with God in eternity. 

How are we saved? By the blood of Jesus. I wouldn't turn this down, especially at the Communion Table. By the cross of Jesus?  It is the symbol of victory of the LORD over the enemy of death, despair, false witness.  Yet David grasps something very important here. We are saved by the name of Jesus. The Christ. The Son of God. The LORD.

Philippians 2:10
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth

What shall we say about our JESUS?

Jesus

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

He was in the beginning with God.

All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, ¹³ who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.


Genesis 1:3-4
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good.



Proverbs 8

This post was picked at random and includes the Proverbs 8 we saw yesterday. We live in faith.

The Lord created me at the beginning of his work,
the first of his acts of old.
23 Ages ago I was set up,
at the first, before the beginning of the earth.
24 When there were no depths I was brought forth,
when there were no springs abounding with water.
25 Before the mountains had been shaped,
before the hills, I was brought forth,
26 before he had made the earth with its fields,
or the first of the dust of the world.
27 When he established the heavens, I was there;
when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,
28 when he made firm the skies above,
when he established the fountains of the deep,
29 when he assigned to the sea its limit,
so that the waters might not transgress his command,
when he marked out the foundations of the earth,
30 then I was beside him, like a master workman,
and I was daily his delight,
rejoicing before him always,
31 rejoicing in his inhabited world
and delighting in the children of man.


Romans 1:16-17
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”


Isaiah 55:11
so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Hebrews 6:13
When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself

Acts 2:21
And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.



Father God,
We consider the Salvation of the Saints and realize this is Your Work and Your Word and Your Will. Placing ourselves, the ones we love in Your Capable and Loving Will and Ways.

Help us to abide in You and Your Words. We invite You again.

Bless our prayers with hope, faith and Love, please Jesus. And we lift up our cares to you. For our Communities, Churches, State and Nation to Have Your Blessing of Love and Joy. For all the World calling upon Jesus to have Your assurances and Promises. Amen in Jesus.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Psalm 105 ~ He brought His people out with joy

Psalm 105

1 Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;
make known his deeds among the peoples!
2 Sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell of all his wondrous works!
3 Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!
4 Seek the Lord and his strength;
seek his presence continually!
5 Remember the wondrous works that he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,
6 O offspring of Abraham, his servant,
children of Jacob, his chosen ones!

7 He is the Lord our God;
his judgments are in all the earth.
8 He remembers his covenant forever,
the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,
9 the covenant that he made with Abraham,
his sworn promise to Isaac,
10 which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute,
to Israel as an everlasting covenant,
11 saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
as your portion for an inheritance.”

12 When they were few in number,
of little account, and sojourners in it,
13 wandering from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another people,
14 he allowed no one to oppress them;
he rebuked kings on their account,
15 saying, “Touch not my anointed ones,
do my prophets no harm!”

16 When he summoned a famine on the land
and broke all supplya of bread,
17 he had sent a man ahead of them,
Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
18 His feet were hurt with fetters;
his neck was put in a collar of iron;
19 until what he had said came to pass,
the word of the Lord tested him.
20 The king sent and released him;
the ruler of the peoples set him free;
21 he made him lord of his house
and ruler of all his possessions,
22 to bind his princes at his pleasure
and to teach his elders wisdom.

23 Then Israel came to Egypt;
Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.
24 And the Lord made his people very fruitful
and made them stronger than their foes.
25 He turned their hearts to hate his people,
to deal craftily with his servants.

26 He sent Moses, his servant,
and Aaron, whom he had chosen.
27 They performed his signs among them
and miracles in the land of Ham.
28 He sent darkness, and made the land dark;
they did not rebelc against his words.
29 He turned their waters into blood
and caused their fish to die.
30 Their land swarmed with frogs,
even in the chambers of their kings.
31 He spoke, and there came swarms of flies,
and gnats throughout their country.
32 He gave them hail for rain,
and fiery lightning bolts through their land.
33 He struck down their vines and fig trees,
and shattered the trees of their country.
34 He spoke, and the locusts came,
young locusts without number,
35 which devoured all the vegetation in their land
and ate up the fruit of their ground.
36 He struck down all the firstborn in their land,
the firstfruits of all their strength.

37 Then he brought out Israel with silver and gold,
and there was none among his tribes who stumbled.
38 Egypt was glad when they departed,
for dread of them had fallen upon it.

39 He spread a cloud for a covering,
and fire to give light by night.
40 They asked, and he brought quail,
and gave them bread from heaven in abundance.
41 He opened the rock, and water gushed out;
it flowed through the desert like a river.
42 For he remembered his holy promise,
and Abraham, his servant.

43 So he brought his people out with joy,
his chosen ones with singing.

44 And he gave them the lands of the nations,
and they took possession of the fruit of the peoples’ toil,
45 that they might keep his statutes
and observe his laws.
Praise the Lord!




Does our Father God enjoy His wonders!!!

He brought His People out with Joy.
Father God was singing.

Jesus walking on water, might very, very well have reminded Him of Genesis Chapter One.

Proverbs 8

22 ““The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works,
before his deeds of old;
23 Ages ago I was set up,
at the first, before the beginning of the earth.
24 When there were no depths I was brought forth,
when there were no springs abounding with water.
25 Before the mountains had been shaped,
before the hills, I was brought forth,
26 before he had made the earth with its fields,
or the first of the dust of the world.



27 When he established the heavens, I was there;
when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,

28 when he made firm the skies above,
when he established the fountains of the deep,

29 when he assigned to the sea its limit,
so that the waters might not transgress his command,
when he marked out the foundations of the earth,

30 then I was beside him, like a master workman,
and I was daily his delight,
rejoicing, laughing before him always,
31 rejoicing in his inhabited world
and delighting in the children of man.




Proverbs 8 describes John 14, 15 and 16. Numbers 6.

Jesus countenance shines, His face lifts in Joy.

God sees this as His Fruit:

Galatians 5
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, forbearance,
kindness, goodness,
faithfulness,
gentleness and self-control.

This is looking up to the Gates of Heaven's  (about as close as I can get to what I saw the night I dreamed of my great-aunt  entering Heaven that night forever.) The Biblical Description of the Mansion with many rooms of Abba:

Isaiah 35:10

Those the LORD has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away




Abba, our Abba,

At a time of favor, You will answer us. The Day of Salvation.

They shall feed along the ways;
on all bare heights shall be their pasture;
they shall not hunger or thirst,
neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them,
for he who has pity on them will lead them,
and by springs of water will guide them.

And I will make all my mountains a road,
and my highways shall be raised up.
Behold, these shall come from afar,
and behold, these from the north and from the west

Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth;
break forth, O mountains, into singing!
For the Lord has comforted his people
and will have compassion on his afflicted.

A highway shall be there,
and it shall be called the Way of Holiness!

Then all flesh shall know
that I am the Lord your Savior,
and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.

May the God of hope fill us
with all joy and peace as we trust in our God,
that we may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

We will cast our cares upon Abba, and He will care as His Beloved for us.

That Love carries our Loved ones, and our very cares. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. God is love. His Glory will be in favor of our communities and Churches and Nation. For all of the prayers of His Chosen Beloved that this earth will see more Heaven. In Jesus we Pray, Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Psalm 91 ~ he will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.

Psalm 91

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."

3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare
and from the deadly pestilence.

4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,

6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.

8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.

9 If you make the Most High your dwelling—
even the LORD, who is my refuge-

10 then no harm will befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;

12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.

16 With long life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation."



  Prayer is always heard, God has an open door policy

I have loved this photo since seeing it many years ago. Can't you smell the old Church, wax, and polish. Old Churches built with thick walls stay cool in all climates. A refuge, a quiet place of peace. To carry in prayers and leave with peace. The Bread of the Presence, glowing like a heart light.

The aroma of old Church. The Temple smelled of toasting flat bread.

Picture souls as lights, filling the House of Father God.

Peaceful rest. We are in His good and capable Hands. The Heart of Father God. Knowing as we pray, we can say, please pray with me Jesus. And the Great Heart of the Narnia Lion will go with us.


Abba Father God,

Please Jesus pray with us. We approach the gates of Heaven, stroll to the shining water, follow to the Trees of Life, continue on to Your Throne Abba surrounded by Light. And put yourselves next to You, lifting up the ones we love, our cares and theirs. The people we pray for all the time. Our Communities, Churches, State, Nation, and the people circling our planet who pray knowing His Love.

We give Thanks for this day, the Blessings provided. We will see all of this with our Spiritual eyes and Live here with our Loved Ones to the Glory of God our Abba. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

1 Kings 7:13-22 ~ Boaz

1 Kings 7:13-22

13 And King Solomon sent and brought Hiram from Tyre. 14 He was the son of a widow of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in bronze. And he was full of wisdom, understanding, and skill for making any work in bronze. He came to King Solomon and did all his work.


15 He cast two pillars of bronze. Eighteen cubits was the height of one pillar, and a line of twelve cubits measured its circumference. It was hollow, and its thickness was four fingers. The second pillar was the same.e 16 He also made two capitals of cast bronze to set on the tops of the pillars. The height of the one capital was five cubits, and the height of the other capital was five cubits. 17 There were lattices of checker work with wreaths of chain work for the capitals on the tops of the pillars, a lattice for the one capital and a lattice for the other capital. 18 Likewise he made pomegranates in two rows around the one latticework to cover the capital that was on the top of the pillar, and he did the same with the other capital. 19 Now the capitals that were on the tops of the pillars in the vestibule were of lily-work, four cubits. 20 The capitals were on the two pillars and also above the rounded projection which was beside the latticework. There were two hundred pomegranates in two rows all around, and so with the other capital.

21He set up the pillars at the vestibule of the temple. He set up the pillar on the south and called its name Jachin, and he set up the pillar on the north
and called its name Boaz. 22 And on the tops of the pillars was lily-work. Thus the work of the pillars was finished.

 Bethlehem

Pools Solomon built in Bethlehem

Ask God to bring in business, commerce, education, and entertainment to the community that would honor Him and bless the people.



Hometowns.  David had so much time as child to consider all the Works of God told to David and National Joy in being the People of God. David was sentimental, he was crowned with his old donkey who had endured so much with him. Solomon surely carried the oral stories of David with him, Solomon was also crowned in the mighty Nation riding his donkey, just like his father. And then Solomon did something unusual (more unusual than being crowned from riding a donkey?)

Solomon hired a foreigner to do build the Temple. Moses did not. Certainly not.

Why would Solomon want a foreigner? And then go so far as to Biblically record this man - a foreigner?

Hiram from Tyre. 14 He was the son of a widow of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in bronze. And he was full of wisdom, understanding, and skill for making any work in bronze. He came to King Solomon and did all his work.

Hiram was not the only one who was foreign. Boaz was indeed a pillar of Bethlehem. A man extremely godly. A Pillar.


Enter the intriguing reasons why Solomon would want the Pillar to be named Boaz for his great, great grandfather. No songs were sung about Jesse, who was content to let Samuel call the sons anointed future, minus David. Now Boaz, this was entirely different. What would a mighty king bring to a semi-desert? 3 giant pools of water. Not just a donkey, a way a shepherd boy would never be concerned for the flock to be watered.

Solomon could do to help the people of the present and the shepherd boy his father had been.






 



The events were this Way:

Naomi says she is bitter. Mara. The events of life are always going to be mixed.
Naomi, the joyous grandmother, says she is in a bitter providence of God. However saying God is in charge, an important ingredient in the framework for finding Love, Joy, Peace. Solomon said the Hand of Blessing is the Hand of Woe. Solomon has listened well to the Living Parables in his own life.

What did Jesus do with mixed blessings?
What did Jesus do with this - He says we will always have Trouble in Life.

John's Gospel is orderly to John. The flow of events and their importance. John places the 3rd Chapter, very early, saying Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council and he came to Jesus at night. This is indeed a mixed blessing. Jesus dealt with this as authority, because Jesus is God. Jesus spoke saying, "Are you a teacher of Israel?" Jesus told Nicodemus, "Whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God."

One of the purposes of life is to discover the Living Parables in our lives. The understanding of what our parents, grandparents and DNA - probably part of the Book of Life - tells in us.

I'd say the Purpose of Life is this:

Father God sets us on our voyage much like the way we send our children to College. Father God waits with Certain Knowledge and joy HE will run to us in our decision to come Home - to Father God. We owe God some optimism!

Jesus says if we believe what we pray for,
we should have some optimism.


Optimism:
WHAT WILL WE EXPECT from The Lord.
The Providence of the Lord is real.
Straighten up all our paths. Speak the Truth. Give Mercy.

And ask yourselves and tell Father God, what you plan to do with Happiness and the mercies He renews these mornings every day - with Gratitude.

Father God,
I thank You, we live where we may worship as we please. I thank You the soldiers who have fought for us to have freedoms are honored with the Cross Your Innocent Son gave.

Glory to Jesus, who gave me life. In Jesus we are chosen, special, precious. I thank my Father God for the innumerable blessings HE willingly and freely gives. I thank Father God

I thank Father God for the innumerable blessings of having Viral Labyrinth for two years and then recovering, making me realize the joy of a firm foundation in Jesus. We take our health for granted and do not know all the ways He protects us.

I thank God for every opportunity He has given graciously. I thank God I am privileged to live near family. I thank Father God every morning I look out my window and see the variations of sky and light shining on the landscape. I thank Father God, I live in a rather Eden of a place.

I thank God I woke up to see the Light of mankind He has placed here. 

I thank You Father GOD for the new reports of people across this land who witness saving help or sheer Grace - Thank God and Jesus with enthusiasm. I thank God for the news that reports the goodness in mankind.

I thank you

Thank You, Jesus, and help all of us who pray to live in more optimism expecting You to help. Amen and Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Psalm 32 ~ shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

Psalm 32

A Maskil^{[Probably a musical or liturgical term]}  of David.

  Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up^{[my vitality was changed]} as by the heat of summer. Selah

5 I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

6 Therefore let everyone who is godly
offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;
surely in the rush of great waters,
they shall not reach him.
7 You are a hiding place for me;
you preserve me from trouble;
you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
or it will not stay near you.

10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.
11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous,
and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

Saying "I'm very sorry." A very important component to forgiveness is the apology from the heart.

There is a huge blessing in forgiveness. Of course, there is peace in forgiveness. The blessing is also in - Believing. Believing that our lives have meaning to the LORD. We actually matter to Him.

Abraham is a believer. Not a saint without sin. Only Jesus is without sin. God was still talking about Abraham's faith three millenniums later.

Genesis 15:6
Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

Romans 4:3
What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."











Last Night I had the first time I've ever had euphoric insomnia. For about 3 hours. Pneumonia has forgiven my mother - mostly.

On July 26th, my mother sold her rental property she bought with my father in the late 1970s and fell the floor of her den, not to return home really until today.

Why was I so euphoric? Hospice tried to gather my mother 3 times. She has been a fuss pot to the son, daughter, and 11 year boyfriend in recent years. She had begun to save records like her boss did. And as Hospice decided to lean in and take her along for the big hurray, Edward suddenly wept. And we were counseled for 30 minutes this was just us being fussy. We said. No. And the guilt arrived as Mother went suddenly stone cold deaf from the vast, plentiful and harsh treatments for the Pneumonia that would not end. And her reasoning departed. We decided we were really completely stupid people. The hearing aid did not even work. We had ruined Mother's good chance at a pleasant death. And we Mourned. Then we got a call from Deacon Dwight who said if it felt wrong, then we did correctly. And suddenly we all did agree it felt too easy, too inconsiderate, too cold, too calculated. She needed the opportunity to Fight and Fight Hard.

Mother's birthday came. At age 83, so very, very many of her same age first cousins showered her with their prayers, calls, cards and continued support. Her circle of close, dear friends has amazingly only been reduced (by the ones we Loved) by two dear, dear ones. No one goes to rehabilitation if they are old - it's scary - and for Mother - they did and did.

Euphoria? Well on Mother's Birthday, my brother wrote her between his very expensive plane rides, "Congratulations, you are alive. You are astonishing. You are a complete pain in the ass, but what amazing fortitude you have. When I grow up, I want to have all the audacity, tenacious, and overcoming qualities you have. You Lived !!!" I had the supreme, memorable, and complete joy to watch her, stone cold deaf, read my brother's text. Texas weather changes. Quickly. And she glanced over at me to see my joy and sincere appreciation of genuine love. Sunshine did reign.


Mother has become ... a collector. And we all began to not stay close to her - collections. And we did find a Person God Himself has blessed us with to come and live with Mother. For years, I have cajoled, showed beautiful house pictures of similar collections about the joys of simpler collections. And been blunt and had words. To no avail. I then got to say to Mother with my family, now you have to get the house looking like the magazine of earlier years for someone to find the house lovely. I was told no. And Edward and I damn near gleefully CLEANED HOUSE. MY Sister-in-law turned that Kitchen into Jaw Dropping Wow. We were renegades of box collections with fervor.

And Today, I was awake at 3,4,5 a.m. Telling Jesus of the Joy of Bringing Mother Home from July. And we got up at dawn and took an avalanche of Amazon door shoe containers to make collections go on the back of doors. And Mother? She told me in third person she was going home in the wheelchair. I told her the Rehab had decided since the oxygen tubing was not needed the wheelchair would stay in Rehab. And my mother stood up and her small frame suddenly realized she was a Giant.

Mother waved to her new friends as she left. Chortling. We got to the steep hill of her neighborhood and I said, "Fast, fast, put your arms up in a V!!!" She and I put our arms up in a V. "Anne is Going Home. Victory over Pneumonia. see Victory over Adversity. Onward and UPWARD in JESUS." And as the car went up the hill both women said, arms in the air! "THANK YOU JESUS!!!"


My flip flops went flat. Really. Edward went back and forth and so did our lovely new Person. And what did Unsinkable Molly say to all the changes? "You probably need to just go ahead and empty out the drawers for our new and lovely Person. I don't, om, need all that. Anyway." And then, and then. "Anne Laurel, can we go look at all the changes, again. That is just amazing. Look how good that looks. That is just amazing." So we did that at least a dozen times.

And we had visitors and laughter and much Joy. About 8:30 p.m. Mother asked for pajama help. And we asked her is this one of the best days of your life? And Mother stopped, looked around her new bedroom and dressing area and she said, "This really is." And we found her favorite pink robe in all the world.

Mother said, you know I don't get around so easily. And I said in a month this will be old hat. Mother said, not in a month, in a week, you watch.




Father God,

I thank You for length of days. When we all hang on to some civility with genuine discussions and love - eventually - with Your Good Blessings. With the habit You have of finding ways for the Holy Spirit to triumph - many, many memories are made.

We Bless Your Name Jesus. And Sing this house is Back to the 1980's Aggggaaaain.

Father God, You have given the blessing of life, of love and renewal. Thank You, Thank You, Jesus.

John 21. Jesus is going to show up. Thank God.

Father God with Joy, we lift our concerns to You. We get to lift those we Love to You. We are privileged to pray for our communities, our Churches, our State, Our NATION, and know with Joy that 2/3rd's of the World is going to pray in the Name of God's Only Son Jesus and ask Him to care for their cares. Thank You, Father God of how Good You Are. In Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

<><  <><  <><  <><  <><  <>< <><  <>< <><  <><  <><  <><  <><  <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

JESUS

<><  <><  <><  <><  <><  <>< <><  <>< <><  <><  <><  <><  <><  <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><