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church, deception, discerning the spirits, exhortation, experience, following Jesus, God's voice, knowing God, love, Satan, spiritual strength, T.A. Sparks, thankfulness, the devil
Maybe you, like me, were inclined to believe that we are to express thankfulness toward God whenever something good, in our view, has happened to us. That is not wrong an attitude in itself, however, where is our gratitude when God allows bad things in our sight again (!), happen to us as well? 🤔
I have come to know several people over the years who usually express thankfulness as they discern a glass half-full and not half-empty. Nonetheless, it is not necessary to be a Christian to be able to do so. It is a matter of personality alone that decides whether we have to do with an optimist or with a pessimist. Indeed, it is nothing but innate thinking and behavior of our old nature that makes people appear as if they were Christians. Bold words, huh? 🙄 If you happen to read my blog more often, you might presume that I primarily point to the social gospel type of Christian here, people who work hard for the Lord in their own and other people’s view. However, they have never come to know Jesus on a personal and intimate level themselves. All they know about God was what they read and heard and saw other ‘Christians’ do. Our Lord will make it clear one day what the difference between those who were known and famous Christians in this world and those who were unknown nobodies, yet being known by God, will be.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” (Mt 7:21-23 ESV)
But today I want to go one step further. My observation over the years was that some people who left Christendom and also eventually left Jesus Christ behind had, from the outside, solid reason to do so. In fact, not knowing the difference between soul and spirit myself, I struggled several years to discern the right from the wrong Christian (spirit). If you have come to know a lot of harshness and rudeness in Christian circles, you will be drawn toward more loving and kind people. If these, then, are no Christians, you might wonder how this could be possible. God is love, they say, and there are people who are loving, even more loving than Church Christians at times… Since the devil does not sleep, he will put in great efforts to push the doubting believer into other religions or esoteric where the love bombing type of personality plays Satan’s devilish game of deception through exhibiting a phony sort of kindness.
Dear brothers and sisters, unless we have been freed from needing other people’s approval toward all we do, say or write, we will fall prey to deception again and again. If you and I want to be approved or even admired by people, we are in big danger of submitting to THEIR spirits more than to God’s. This is particularly difficult if we have to do with loved ones. Nonetheless, we are only brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ as we really follow HIM by carrying our crosses daily and ask for God’s will in our lives in any given situation. I admit that it is sometimes both exhausting and not easy to find out God’s will. However, He will see us through even if we fall at times. Mistakes included, God convicts us of having done the wrong thing until we finally set it right. It is anything but fun to feel the burden He puts on our heart and spirit as we have drifted into the wrong direction. But, dear reader, it is much better than to believe that we always hear God’s voice properly and are never convicted because we have unknowingly submitted to Satan.
T. Austin Sparks said,
“There is a difference between being strong in ourselves and standing up in a crisis and emergency and setting our teeth and saying we will see the thing through, we are not going to be beaten, and being strong in spirit. The difference is an experimental one almost impossible to set forth in teaching. But you can know, and if you have that understanding with the Lord that He will make the cross good in your own life, and bring you to the place where in your spirit, the forces of hell and earth no longer have power over you. The measure in which we live the resurrection life of the Lord Jesus is the measure in which Satan has lost his power. As we go on to that side, we have come to the place of strength.” (1)
May God help us to discern His voice from all others that close in on us every day. Amen.
(1) https://www.austin-sparks.net/english/books/004886.html
“In keeping with T. Austin-Sparks’ wishes that what was freely received should be freely given and not sold for profit, and that his messages be reproduced word for word, we ask if you choose to share these messages with others, to please respect his wishes and offer them freely – free of any changes, free of any charge (except necessary distribution costs) and with this statment included.”
All images by Susanne Schuberth 2017
Michael said:
Susanne, as I read your latest blog my mind kept flashing on the experiences (my own as well) in the lives of many Christians and ex-Christians I have met over the years. Interestingly enough, I had just finished watching a NOVA documentary, “The Day the Dinosaurs Died.” It seems that these creatures had everything going their way and because of this they ruled over the earth.You might say that they had lives where their might made right in all that they did. BUT in one cataclysmic moment that all changed. The greater the creatures were before this disaster, the more subject to extinction they became in the days that followed.
What does this have to do with your article, you might ask? Well, some of us who have set our hearts on following Jesus no matter what and asked Him to put an end to our old carnal natures have had life altering events much like this one that have changed the coarse of all that we once thought would happen because of Christ. And so many verses that we had glossed over in our early days as pampered Christians started to take on new meaning as our lives were altered by one crisis after another. Jesus warned…
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household.” (Matt 10:34-36, ESV2011)
“I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three.” (Luke 12:49-52, ESV2011)
“Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets. “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. “Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. “Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.” (Luke 6:22-26, ESV2011)
Many Christians who let the words of today’s false teachers enter into their hearts — once the Lord started to deal with their soulish ways — they turn against Him, become cold and bitter or run after false Christs. The more we harden our hearts because of the offenses we have suffered, lick our wounds and blamed God, the longer His purifying process in our hearts takes. As Jesus also warned,
And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. (Matt 24:10-13, KJV)
Only by letting our hearts turn fully back to the Lord will we overcome the chilling effects that offenses (especially from other Christians) have on us. “Enduring to the end,” what does this mean? It is a process in which we begin to love Jesus more than we love our own lives. Jesus spoke of this process as well saying,
Whoever finds his [lower] life will lose it [the higher life], and whoever loses his [lower] life on My account will find it [the higher life]. (Matt 10:39, AMP)
Only as we have our hearts changed can we embrace these words in Hebrews,
“… we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;” (Heb 12:9-15, ESV2011)
Brothers and sisters we must grow-up and come to the place where we care about others and the effects our lives have on them more than we care about our own lower lives. THIS is what the love of God does when it is shed abroad in our hearts. Like TAS said,
“He will make the cross good in your own life, and bring you to the place where in your spirit, the forces of hell and earth no longer have power over you. The measure in which we live the resurrection life of the Lord Jesus is the measure in which Satan has lost his power.”
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Michael said:
PS. Susanne, that is an interesting Chinese name on that ship who’s picture you posted above, T’ ai Shang – The Exalted One.
Father once showed me in my early years as a Christian, I was like a young man who was running to and fro with my umbilical cord in my hand, looking for an older man to plug it into. My own father never gave me affirmation and I was seeking other men for it instead of turning to my Father in heaven. It took many years for me to understand the wisdom in Jesus’ words, “…for only ONE is your Father and He is in heaven.” Only HE is the Exalted One.
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
Yes, Michael, only HE is the Exalted One. I believe it needs a ‘strong’ revelation like a spiritual earthquake to turn people’s hearts away from men toward God. Without having ever experienced the fear of God, connected with the awareness of Christ keeping the whole world and universe in His hands, I would still run after men and their teachings, I am sure.
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Michael said:
Susanne, I have been thinking just what major changes have taken place in me and my attitudes toward men both before my soul killing wilderness and afterwards. Before I was idolatrous towards high profile Church teachers and leaders. I longed for one of them to “mentor” me so that I could grow up and be admired by other Christians like they were. But after God worked me over in the wilderness and gave me a new fear of His power (and love) over my life, I grew to disdain these human idols and shun those who want to put me in that place of high esteem I once desired. Everything has been turned on its head. Like Job said,
“I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42:5-6, ESV2011)
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
Michael, your description of your attitude toward men and God before and after your wilderness experience sounds VERRRRRY familiar to me! 🏆🎉🎈🎊 Same here, whether you call it the wilderness that dries you out 🏜 or ‘the dark night of the soul’ 🌃 where our own light gets kind of overruled by His true light over time. 🕯(not so) 🔜🕎 That is how a true saint 😇 is being made, not by discipling through self-appointed men, but through disciplining by God. 🔮🔨🗡🔧(not so)🔜💎
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
Michael, I do appreciate your comment as you share a bunch of wisdom! ⭐ Looking at the length of your entry (101 words more than my own article), I have wondered, though, whether you might have written another blog post of your own here? 😉 Just kidding, my dear brother. 😊
Your remark about the dinosaurs that had to die (through meteorite impact) reminded me of another dream, out of waaaay too many to remember them all, that I had last night.
I was lying in bed, looking at the sky right above me. There was no ceiling that hindered my view into the universe. Far above me I could observe a meteorite stream. My eyes got caught on two particularly beautiful rectangular meteorites that were side by side. They were of ocean green color and transparent, too. All of a sudden I heard the news anchor to my right say, “One of these stones broke away and now enters the atmosphere of the earth.” I watched this beautiful meteorite come closer rather quickly. As I saw how fast it approached me, I sat up at once (still in the dream) and held my breath, praying….. About one or two kilometers before me, which is pretty close, I saw that this former beautiful stone had turned into a huge military airplane, though looking innocently like an origami bird (made out of paper only), even with eyes looking at me. All frightened I awoke, wondering what that might mean, still… 🙄
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Michael said:
Susanne, I am sorry that my comment was so long. When you write a blog that resonates with what the Spirit has been saying to me, I can’t help but share it with you. We truly are of ONE Spirit more often than not. It is a rare thing to have this kind of unity with another Christian and is a gift from our Father.
As for your dream, if and when the earth does get hit by a large asteroid or meteor again, it will probably be the result of one that broke apart and changed its coarse as a result. They say that one the size of Manhattan Island (21km long) would end life on the earth as we know it. The one that hit Yucatan (10km long) caused its mostly gypsum rock structure (which contains sulfur) to fly into the air above the atmosphere and literally rain down fire and brimstone upon the earth and it burned up all vegetation and acid rain that killed much of the sea life resulted. But even one that is 1/4 that size will change civilization as we know it, (thus you saw the military plane observing from above) and chaos and marshal law that would result. The meteor that blew up over Chelyabinsk, Russia and caused so much damage was only 20 meters long!
Jesus seemed to prophesy that this would happen at the end.
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” (Matt 24:29, ESV2011)
The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and these were thrown upon the earth. And a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up. The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. A third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. (Rev 8:7-9, ESV2011)
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
Oops, I just found this comment by you, Michael, in my WordPress trash folder!!! 😨 No clue how it got there… 🤔
Very good and interesting explanation regarding my dream! Yet I was inclined to believe this frightening UFO had to do with my own life as it is normally the case with my dreams and visions. Often times God warns me about something that might happen soon.
No worries about the length of your response! 📝 God made us one and I am happy He did!! 😊🥇😊
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Judi said:
*Like 🙂
Wonderful topic Susanne! Has me going in several different directions lol.
I have a bit of clutter on my mind tonight so meditation on this is needed. Will chew on my cud awhile and be back if anything comes up to share 😉
Quote: “May God help us to discern His voice from all others that close in on us every day. Amen.”
I add my Amen to that!
Love to you and all the saints! XXOO
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
Thank you, dear Judi! 🙂
May this clutter on your mind form into something we can all enjoy as it has come from God. Btw, you reminded me of an older, humorous, and not very long article of mine. If you like, see my clutter here. 🙂
Much love to you, my sister,
Susanne XOXO ❤
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Judi said:
🙂 Like****
I so appreciate the post on clutter that you shared! That trash can picture gave me a chuckle. It sure looks like the condition I found myself in trying to comment. I prayed,ate,and drank from the word, and then tried to comment but only found myself discarding the boxes and wrappers of the thoughts I was having. LOL 🙂
Not that any of God’s word is discard-able but it must line up with the mind of Christ for what the Spirit is saying through you here and it did not seem to do so.
SO this morning I read TAS “Open Windows” for today and decided to read the book it came from. In chapter 1 of “Christ Our All” there was so much that I think has merit. I could copy and paste the whole chapter LOL but hope the few paragraphs I share here say what the Spirit wants to say – not what Judi wants to say and that it complements your post. Much is said about strength – in the Lord or in ourselves:
Quote TAS: from Chapter 1 – The Cross of Christ the Basis of a New Creation
“So we have to be very careful. There is a constant need for heart-searching in this matter. How easily something of the natural man creeps in. Again and again we want to serve and do things – with our best intentions – where we can do nothing, where we must do nothing, where God has to be doing all in us,
where it has to be in the strength of a new life to bring in a new ministry.
There is a need to keep very close to the Cross of Christ. The Holy Spirit must be allowed to keep this natural man on the Cross that all things may be truly “out of God”, and not from ourselves.
Is it not a terrible thing that we can come under judgment even in the work of God? It is impossible to live an acceptable life before God with resources which are under His curse, with that which we produce, in the strength of our ability. […]
“”But all things are of God”. All things are become new. Our wisdom is a new wisdom. Our strength is a new strength.
Our heart is a new heart. Our capacities are new capacities. All things are become new. It is Christ in us!
I realise in a new way that we have to be very diligent to see to it
that we do nothing out of our own strength,
that God is doing all. Looking into the work of my own mind there are my own thoughts,
there is the strength of my own desires, strong passions of heart and will.
But I ask the Lord to keep me in dread of myself, for this whole creation, all of what I am in Adam, is cursed. It lies where God has abandoned it. He cannot use it. Everything now must be of God.
[…]
There is a big difference between that which is done for the Lord, and that which is of the Lord in us. “He that is hanged is accursed of God.” With Christ we have hung upon the tree, and God has forsaken us in His Cross. But that is not the end of all, but the beginning of a far bigger thing, something altogether new. Let me say it again: we cannot come into the new thing unless the old things are passed away. “Behold, I make all things new”!
May the Lord bring us there where it can be said of us in truth:
All things are new!
And may He establish us in it moment by moment. May the Cross be registered in every realm of our lives, working in our spirit, soul and body, in mind, heart and will. May it operate in our words and works, that all may be governed by His Cross, and a clear way made for the glory of God, and the fulness of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
http://www.austin-sparks.net/english/books/002933.html
“And He that sits on the throne said: Behold, I make all things new!” Rev. 21:5.
WOW! We have SO MUCH to be grateful for! deeply grateful for!
I thank God for you, dear Susanne, and all of the saints!
Peace and Love in the Lord Jesus 🙂 XOXOXO…
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
I was happy to read that this old stuff I once wrote still gave you a chuckle, dear Judi! 😀
All things are become new, indeed! TAS is so right! How easily our old nature tries to play God, doesn’t it… 😛 Scripture says,
“Therefore if any man be IN CHRIST, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Cor 5:17 KJV)
[Emphasis in caps mine]
It seems to me that outside of Christ, as we as the branches are no longer connected with the vine (Jn 15:5), our old nature always reigns our spirit and soul.
Thank you for your encouraging words, my sister! ❤
Peace, Love, and a Happy New Year to you, too! 🙂
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Kenneth Dawson said:
I finally had time to read your article and as I finished it I was reminded by our Father about a conversation I had with Him in 2002–I was spending time with a brother-in-law as he was dying in a hospice in Auberndale,FL. I had been reading a book about the three philosophies on sanctification and suddenly Dad told me to get a piece of paper out cause He wanted to show me something–So I did and He said draw a big triangle and who do you put on the top? I said you Papa and He said thats right–Now who goes on the two bottom sides? So I said well on one side I guess is satan and on the other would be humanity–Right? He said yes—Then He said now who can you trust? I said you,and He said not satan right? I said no of course not–Then I said to Him well what about humans? And He said–Well not always and I asked Him–Why not? He said because with humans–They can always be decieved,but I can not so just trust Me.
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
Thank you so much for sharing this touching story with us on here! 👍🏻
Ken, yours was the third comment I just found in my WordPress trash folder after Michael’s and Anna’s. 😭 I have NO Idea how they got there, still. 🤔
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Pingback: Christ, Our Ladder to the Father « A Wilderness Voice
Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
Thank you very much for the pingback to my blog, Michael! 🙂
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Michael said:
Thanks for sharing the Spirit inspiration with us. 🙂 ⭐
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
You are most welcome, my dear brother. 🙂
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Michael said:
…and the link back, too!
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
😀
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reneerc said:
Susanne sis, I’m loving this blog post and your last one. This one reminds me of a verse Abba opened my eyes to years ago:
John 5:44 How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?
It’s like our Lord Jesus is saying that as long as we desire to receive honor & praise & attention (etc) from one another instead of from God ONLY, we can’t believe. Think about that. Dear God….
Without faith it is impossible to please Him so I wanna believe with my whole heart. May God bless you Sis for sharing a truth that can be so hard to hear but is so needful to embrace in our walk with Him.
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reneerc said:
Btw, I’m not saying that praise from others is bad. This gets back to Matthew 6:33. 🙂 We are seeking His will. Praise from Him lasts. Man’s is subject to change without notice and so often times comes with hidden agendas, sigh.
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
No, praise from men is not bad if their words have had divine origin. Regarding my last reply to you and Jn 5:41 where Jesus insisted on not receiving honor from man, I think He pointed to man’s old nature there. I can tell you that I had to delete several comments on my blogs (i.e., also on my poetry blog) where I seemingly received ‘praise’ in the form of compliments. I like what you wrote here,
So true, Renee!! ⭐
God always makes me aware when one or another wrong spirit tries to sneak in through, for example, sweet talk and flattery. Therefore, such responses usually bite the dust in my trash folder.
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
You are very welcome, Renee. I am glad to hear you liked the posts. 🙂
Yes, it seems to me as if Jesus was against horizontal ‘faith’ that excludes God and listening to Jesus’ voice also. A few verses before He said,
“And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. I receive not honour from men.” (Jn 5:38-41 KJV)
May God bless you immensely in the days ahead, my dear sister! ❤
Happy New Year to you!
– More than two hours already in Germany – 😉
PS
I was amazed to see that you can give comment likes, too. It was new to me that you had a WordPress account. 🙄 Awwww, just checked it out. You are a new blogger, it seems! 🙂 Alas, cannot give you likes there yet…. the dove is really cute! ❤
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reneerc said:
I only joined so I can like (when led by the Spirit) your posts and Michael’s. Yours are the only blogs I read. I am NOT a blogger, ugh! My “blog” is about as developed as it will ever be, lol. May our great OneINThree bless you wonderfully in 2018 Sis as you continue to keep your eyes on Him. 🙂
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
Hahaha …. 🤣
Renee, I never wanted to become a blogger, either! However, finally Michael (or rather God through him) convinced me to launch my blogs in 2014. 😉
Every divine blessing to you 💗💗💗 including His comforting light in your dark night! 🤗🕯🕯🕯🌌
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Anna Waldherr said:
I sincerely join in your prayer, Susanne. Those who are preparing to survive Armageddon always amuse me…as if they could. Almost impossible to read or navigate your blog today. All formatting missing. Text scattered at random across the page, and my cursor only working for moments at a time. Sorry. Have a Happy New Year! Lots of love, Anna ❤
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
WordPress is really nuts, dear Anna! After Michael’s, yours was the second response from regular commenters I just found in my trash folder. 😣🙄🤔 I have not been able to like any WordPress blog on their homepages for almost one year now. 😫 This scattered text thing I sometimes see when I want to publish something as well. It seems to me things are always getting worse when a new year begins. 😭🎼🎵🎙📯🥁⌛🗓🕛💣💥🥂🍹🍾🎉🎈🎊😊
Have a very Happy and Blessed New Year, too, Anna! 🥂🍾🎉🎈😘
Tons of love! ❤❤❤
Susanne
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