Category: Growing

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Step by Step

The other morning Dave and I were out on our walk and another couple we see quite frequently were also walking. We stopped long enough to say our “good mornings” and she asked if we keep track of how far we have walked. I told her I knew each days’ walking but I wasn’t sure about so far this year.

This morning I decided to find out. I went to the fit bit app and checked it out. I was surprised by what I found; so far this year we have walked 236 miles. Now, if you’re a runner or a workout enthusiast this is far from extraordinary but to this 67 year old great grandmother it is a goodly distance.

But how did it happen? I never could have accomplished this in a week or even a month but over time it adds up. One step at a time; step by step.

And that’s how it is with our Christian walk. It’s step by step. We don’t start out spending hours each day reading the Bible or praying. We don’t conquer fear in one single situation or learn to control our temper with one confrontation. No, it’s step by step.

“Let the wonderful kindness and the understanding that come from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ help you to keep on growing. Praise Jesus now and forever! Amen.” II Peter 3:18 CEV

We grow in our understanding of God’s grace and love on a daily basis. When we take time to think about just those two amazing characteristics of our heavenly Father it’s mind boggling. Questions arise: How could He love and forgive me the way He does? Does He never get tired of me and the amount of times I fail? Will I ever exhaust His grace?

Our heavenly Father is the Father of all fathers. Does an earthly parent get tired of helping their child learn to walk? Do they ever just throw up their hands and say “forget it, they’ll never learn”? No! They are there to help, to steady, to encourage until walking is mastered and then it’s on to the next skill that needs to be learned.

“And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. 7 Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” Colossians 2:6-7 NLT

Follow Him! Step by Step – walk with Jesus through the pages of the Bible. Watch Jesus relate to a dishonest tax collector, a prostitute, a man eaten up with leprosy and the easily distracted disciples. It’s here we gain understanding of the love that Jesus freely gives to all of us and it’s here we grow in grace, receiving blessings from the Lord that we don’t deserve and can’t earn.

“Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” Ephesians 3:17-19 NLT

Yes, our Christian walk is a growing process. We grow in our understanding of God’s love, His grace and so our faith grows too. Day by day and step by step.

Enjoy the journey!

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Life At Farmville

How many of us used to occupy our free time with Farmville?

You remember don’t you. We got a little plot of ground, tilled the soil, planted crops and had to have the help of our friends to get a good harvest. It was just a silly game but some of us made real friends with our Farmville neighbors.

This morning I sat here thinking about what to share. Two words came to mind – Survive or Thrive.

When we face a crisis in life we can do one or the other. We can pull in and emotionally block out all that is around us and hope we survive or we can utilize the resources we have at our disposal and thrive.

Jesus was teaching his disciples about thriving when He told them this parable.

“A farmer went out to sow his seed. Some of it fell on the road; it was tramped down and the birds ate it. Other seed fell in the gravel; it sprouted, but withered because it didn’t have good roots. Other seed fell in the weeds; the weeds grew with it and strangled it. Other seed fell in rich earth and produced a bumper crop.

“Are you listening to this? Really listening?” 9 His disciples asked, “Why did you tell this story?”…11-12 “This story is about some of those people. The seed is the Word of God. The seeds on the road are those who hear the Word, but no sooner do they hear it than the Devil snatches it from them so they won’t believe and be saved.

13 “The seeds in the gravel are those who hear with enthusiasm, but the enthusiasm doesn’t go very deep. It’s only another fad, and the moment there’s trouble it’s gone. 14 “And the seed that fell in the weeds—well, these are the ones who hear, but then the seed is crowded out and nothing comes of it as they go about their lives worrying about tomorrow, making money, and having fun. 15 “But the seed in the good earth—these are the good-hearts who seize the Word and hold on no matter what, sticking with it until there’s a harvest.” Luke 8:5-15 MSG

Jesus told his disciples that the seed being planted was God’s word. Many things would try to keep the seed from producing a good harvest; hard hearts, troubles, being too busy, too focused on making a living.

And then there’s the good soil. The rocks have been removed, the soil has been cultivated, watered and some one is there to remove the weeds. Seed planted in that soil will bring a harvest of blessing.

During my lifetime I have been all of those different kinds of soil. God’s word, the seed, has been the same but I have thwarted its growth. But now, I am prepared to pull out the weeds of worry and fear, hard heartedness and selfishness.

Just like we needed our “friends” in Farmville to help us achieve a good crop we need our true friends to pray for us and encourage us, helping us as God’s word grows in our garden.

I am praying for all of you today. I pray that you have the strength and determination to let God’s Word grow and produce a harvest of blessing.

Our heavenly Father wants to us thrive – not just survive!

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Step By Step

Do you get frustrated by small victories? Most of us would like to lose ten pounds at a time, reduce our waist line in inches not by the half inch and be able to run a 5K without being winded on the first day out.

Next to that we would like to see our savings account grow by thousands and not just by ten or twenty dollars. When I was younger I wanted to sit down and play a simple concerto before I knew the scales or where Middle C was on the keyboard.

We see others win the trophies, get the promotion, drive the nicer car or live in the bigger house and feel we deserve one too but without the effort and dedication that “they” put forth.

Little by little. Step by Step. That’s how success and mastery come.

Most of us like to see big, flamboyant results! Great strides of success and not the little daily victories but that’s not how it happens. I was reminded of that while I was reading about the Israelites and what God told them about going into the “Promised Land”. They had already seen some “big” miracles and now the Lord was also revealing Himself to them in their daily living, step by step.

“Worship only me, the Lord your God! I will bless you with plenty of food and water and keep you strong. 26 Your women will give birth to healthy children, and everyone will live a long life. 27 I will terrify those nations and make your enemies so confused that they will run from you. 28 I will make the Hivites, Canaanites, and Hittites panic as you approach. 29 But I won’t do all this in the first year, because the land would become poor, and wild animals would be everywhere. 30 Instead, I will force out your enemies little by little and give your nation time to grow strong enough to take over the land.” Exodus 23:24-29 CEV

The Lord promised to bless them during their daily living, blessings; plenty of good food and water; healthy wives and children; long life and victory over their enemies!

But the victories would come little by little. If they had completely defeated all the enemies in their new land immediately the Lord said the land would have been overrun by wild animals and the land would have been poorly used. They needed time to grow into what God was bringing them too.

We all need time to grow into what God is bringing to us. We would love to have all our enemies defeated and battles over immediately but it doesn’t happen that way. We grow in what God is calling us to do. If we excelled too quickly we would have to fight the wild beasts of pride or boasting, claiming personal glory for what the Lord had done for us.

Each day is a time of growth, each day has miracles of provision and purpose. Each day we need to recognize what the Lord is doing in our lives and through our lives and be grateful. Each day we need to remind ourselves of His abundant blessings – what did the Lord do for us yesterday?

Stop and think – can’t see anything big or noteworthy? Then realize what He kept you from; illness, accident, ruin, attack, and be grateful for the unseen blessings. Each day, little by little, step by step He is growing you stronger and stronger and giving you a land that flows with milk and honey!

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Life’s Programming Updates

Have you ever felt that your “programming” was going through an update? Things are changing and you have to wait for them to be completed.

Yesterday was that kind of day. My friend, Tom, who set up my blog website worked with me on some behind-the-scenes changes that I felt needed to be made. We worked to have my morning blog post automatically to the Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn sites at the same time the emails are generated and sent to your email addresses.

This might sound like a simple step but it was not without its challenges. I am so thankful for Tom’s knowledge and patience. We ran into a few roadblocks. Tom was able to track them down and successfully maneuver past them. We did a test post but this morning will be a full scale effort.

To make this change I had to set up a Facebook page, different from my personal News Feed page. I will be sending each of you who are my “friends” on Facebook an invitation to like and follow Kristi’s Morning Devotional. If you do you will be able to read the blog each morning as usual.

Why this change? I really don’t like change but Dave and I are going to be spending more time traveling this year and sometimes we are in areas that don’t have very good wifi. If I can write my blogs ahead of time and schedule the publication for a few days later it will prevent interruption of posting to social media. I want to make every effort to avoid any days of not posting.

The next few days may have some hiccups but we’ll work them through. Please be patient.

Isn’t that the way it is in life? We know that we are being changed on the inside; things are going on behind-the-scenes but those we love and work with aren’t always aware of the updates.

When the Lord begins to show us things about ourselves, things that need to be deleted, updated and reprogrammed, we begin to change. Sometimes the change is external but most often it is a change of attitude, action, purpose and functionality. The New Testament instructs us to put off the old man and take on the new. Our new life is in Christ and He has a way of changing us for the better.

“Each of you is now a new person. You are becoming more and more like your Creator, and you will understand him better…Yet Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us. 12 God loves you and has chosen you as his own special people. So be gentle, kind, humble, meek, and patient. 13 Put up with each other, and forgive anyone who does you wrong, just as Christ has forgiven you.” Colossians 3:10-13 CEV

Let’s be patient with one another – we are all going through changes. Updating is in Progress!

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Natural Beauty

Yesterday I had a bit little of time so I went out and did some pruning. A few weeks back we had a cold snap and some of my flowers and plants were frost bitten. They needed my attention.

I took my pruning shears and nipped off the ends that were damaged, loosened the soil and applied a little TLC. As I was getting ready to come in I saw that the hyacinths were beginning to bloom. I love the smell of hyacinths and their rich color makes me smile.

As I sat here with my computer in my lap I was reminded of the beauty that the Lord has placed in my life. Family, friends and even strangers add a touch of color and beauty to my days. Some are likes roses that need regular attention and others are like wild flowers that grow vicariously when their seeds are transported by the wind. But their blossoms bring color and a fragrance that I am grateful for.

“Rain and snow fall from the sky and don’t return until they have watered the ground.
Then the ground causes the plants to sprout and grow, and they produce seeds for the farmer and food for people to eat. 11 In the same way, my words leave my mouth, and they don’t come back without results. My words make the things happen that I want to happen. They succeed in doing what I send them to do…All this will happen to make the Lord known, to be a permanent reminder of his goodness and power.” Isaiah 55:10-13 ERV

God has made my life a well-watered garden. Seeds of family and friendship have been planted, taken root and grown strong. He has added those who are temporary and have a seasonal purpose. They are all reminders of God’s goodness and His power.

God’s word is like a seed and when its planted causes strength, wisdom, faith, joy, love and kindness to grow in my heart. The word of God not only nourishes my soul but it also brings beauty to my life.

I never want to become immune to the goodness of God. I never want to take it for granted. “Lord, let me always see your goodness and power in the beauty of nature and let me see Your marvelous plan in the lives of those you bring to fill my life”.

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Working Together

I love to bake and quite frankly my family and friends like it when I do. They become the recipients of the cinnamon rolls, banana breads, dinner rolls and cookies. It works well. Most of the time I find myself working alone in the kitchen but I really enjoy having someone there with me, working side by side.

That’s the way it is with the things of life; the load is lighter, the chore becomes more enjoyable, when we have someone to do it with. Washing the car turns into a child like experience of playing in the water; yardwork becomes a nature lesson and house cleaning can become a dance party.

Can you imagine a loaf of bread with no leavening? It would just be crackers. All the ingredients are necessary to accomplished the desired end. A car may look pretty but without fuel it will go nowhere; garden soil can be properly prepared and planted but without water and sunshine the harvest will be limited.

The same is true for us who call ourselves Christians. We need one another. The Apostle Paul said we are one body, each with different parts, working together to glorify Christ Jesus, who is the head of the body.

“Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.” Ephesians 4:15-16 NLT

There’s really no reason to be jealous of what someone else can do. We have all been given special talents and abilities to help those around us grow. We are God’s one-of-a-kind design and no one else can do our part as well as we can.

Ask the Lord to show you who you can help today. Who needs a word of encouragement, who needs a helping hand? When we work together we are an example of His love.

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Listening for God’s Voice

This morning I was reminded of an incident that happened some years back. I had been reading about Samuel as a young boy. The Lord called his name in the middle of the night and Samuel thought it was the priest, Eli. After being called several times, Eli realized God was calling Samuel and so he gave Samuel instruction on how to answer the Lord next time he heard God’s voice.

“Speak Lord. Your servant is listening.”

I remember saying that very thing in my morning prayer. Speak Lord, I’m listening. Shortly after that Dave and I headed out to town. We had already stopped at the car wash and Home Depot and now we needed to make a stop at the gas station.

As soon as we pulled in and Dave got out to pump diesel I heard a loud cheery voice saying, “I’ll wash your windows for a quarter. Oh but it doesn’t look like they need washing, do they?” So Dave explained no, we had just come from the car wash. At this, the man walked away to another vehicle.

As I sat there my heart began to race and I knew the Lord was dealing with me. This thought came – give the man the ones you have in your wallet. Really? I figured there were probably 2 or 3 ones but wasn’t sure. So I opened my wallet and looked, only one. I took it out and held on to it thinking when he comes back around I’ll roll down the window and give it to him.

My next thought was he’s probably a panhandler or a scammer. I have seen stories about “those people” who hang out at the freeway exits begging for money or food. They aren’t really needy…

Then this thought – “Really? You’re going to argue with what I’m asking you to do. It’s only a dollar. Go give it to the man.” So I jumped out of the truck, walked over and gave him the dollar. I told him our windows were clean but wanted him to have this and before I could get the words out of my mouth to say “God bless you” he said them to me.

“The Lord blesses everyone who freely gives food to the poor.” Proverbs 22:9 CEV

I never want to stop hearing from the Lord. I know His voice and when he speaks I want to be obedient, even if it’s just a dollar. I know I did what my Father asked. Reluctantly, but I did.

Now, from time to time, I find myself thinking of this man, praying for him and asking the Lord to bless him and to protect him. I have never heard the devil tempt me with being kind. It’s not his nature but kindness is our Father’s nature.

Jesus often stopped to talk with beggars. His disciples would try to quiet them as Jesus walked along the road but Jesus would interrupt His day to meet their needs.

“Jesus and his disciples went to Jericho. And as they were leaving, they were followed by a large crowd. A blind beggar by the name of Bartimaeus son of Timaeus was sitting beside the road. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus from Nazareth, he shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!” 48 Many people told the man to stop, but he shouted even louder, “Son of David, have pity on me!”

49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him over!” They called out to the blind man and said, “Don’t be afraid! Come on! He is calling for you.” 50 The man threw off his coat as he jumped up and ran to Jesus. 51 Jesus asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man answered, “Master, I want to see!”

52 Jesus told him, “You may go. Your eyes are healed because of your faith.” Right away the man could see, and he went down the road with Jesus.” Mark 10:46-52 CEV

Each day we should spend time listening for the Lord’s voice and being obedient to His instruction. He’ll always lead us to do what’s right; He will lead us to safety; He will lead us to be like him.

“You, Lord, are my shepherd.  I will never be in need. 2  You let me rest in fields of green grass. You lead me to streams of peaceful water, 3  and you refresh my life. You are true to your name, and you lead me along the right paths. 4 I may walk through valleys
as dark as death, but I won’t be afraid. You are with me, and your shepherd’s rod makes me feel safe. 5 You treat me to a feast, while my enemies watch. You honor me as your guest,  and you fill my cup until it overflows. 6 Your kindness and love will always be with me each day of my life, and I will live forever in your house, Lord.” Psalm 23 CEV

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Growing Happiness

The last week or so I have been reading things that talk about happiness. Just this morning there was a story on Facebook, I have seen a few times before, about a woman who said she decided each morning to be happy. The memories of her life were like deposits of golden joy that she withdrew from her account in her later years. She had six rules to happiness:

“1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less,
6. And enjoy every moment.”

Max Lucado has just come out with a new book, How Happiness Happens. I haven’t started to read it yet but I am involved in taking his seven day happiness challenge. Each day, he encourages us to find someone – friend or foe – and give happiness away. Not just to the deserving and kind but to the aggravating and cynical. It is a challenge! This is day four.

To me, happiness is different from joy but they are related. Joy, which is a gift of the Spirit, is planted in our hearts and grows as we do. Joy grows in difficult situations. It keeps us focused and in control. Joy is a stabilizing factor that gets us through the rough times.

“Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.

3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” Romans 5:1-5 NLV

Troubles don’t come from God but they can be used by Him if we keep our focus on the Father and not the problem. When cast our care (trouble) over on the Lord he takes it and works it out. We need to be patient in the process knowing that He hasn’t forgotten us but is working on our behalf. That’s what produces the hope we have and when we hope in Him we will never be disappointed.

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.” James 1:2-8 NLV

Happiness is an outgrow of joy. Think of it this way. Joy is a tree and happiness is the fruit. The tree needs sunshine and rain; it faces the elements, the daily hardships but it endures. And from the endurance it gathers nutrients that help produce the fruit – the fruit of happiness.

We can then take that happiness that has grown on the tree of joy and share it with others. God loves us and is working in our lives and on our circumstances. We can be joyful as we wait to see how He is working things out for us and then we can pick that fruit, happiness, and use it to bless others.

Grow happiness!

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Growth – A Good Thing

This morning I would like to talk to you about growth. Facebook reminded me that five years ago we were just starting construction of our front courtyard wall. There were only a couple native plants, a short little sidewalk and no wall. It was a blank canvas, a barren land.

But Dave and I had a vision of what we wanted it to become and the work was started…

Fast forward to today – five years later we have a beautiful courtyard wall, a long sidewalk, gates, tons of vegetation and benches so we can sit out front and enjoy the view and the solitude.

Change is good! Growth is good!

That got me to thinking. I can look at our front courtyard and our back patio and see growth. How much growth can I see in my spiritual life? I read once that if we aren’t growing everyday in our relationship with the Lord we are regressing because living things grow.

“My dear friends, you have been warned ahead of time! So don’t let the errors of evil people lead you down the wrong path and make you lose your balance. 18 Let the wonderful kindness and the understanding that come from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ help you to keep on growing. Praise Jesus now and forever! Amen.” II Peter 3:17-18 CEV

Peter had written a letter to Christians everywhere and the verses above were his final admonishment in that letter. This is how he started the letter:

“From Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ. To everyone who shares with us in the privilege of believing that our God and Savior Jesus Christ will do what is just and fair. 2 I pray that God will be kind to you and will let you live in perfect peace! May you keep learning more and more about God and our Lord Jesus.” II Peter 1:1-2 CEV

He wanted us ALL to keep learning about God the Father and our Lord Jesus. It is a continuing growth process; the deepening of our relationship. It’s change that is good.

We may not notice the daily growth but it’s happening. Sometimes we hit a “grow spurt” and it seems that we have shot up over night in our knowledge and relationship with the Lord. At other times the growth is gradual, almost unnoticeable until we look back and see how things used to be.

Our responsibility is to stay attached to Jesus. He is the vine from which we draw our life.

“Get your life from Me and I will live in you. No branch can give fruit by itself. It has to get life from the vine. You are able to give fruit only when you have life from Me. 5 I am the Vine and you are the branches. Get your life from Me. Then I will live in you and you will give much fruit. You can do nothing without Me.” John 15:4-5 NLV

When we stay in our relationship with Jesus good fruit will grow! It’s a natural occurrence, just the same as apples and oranges grow on the branches of the tree we will see fruit growing in our lives. Good and beneficial fruit.

“But the fruit that comes from having the Holy Spirit in our lives is: love, joy, peace, not giving up, being kind, being good, having faith, 23 being gentle, and being the boss over our own desires. The Law is not against these things.” Galatians 5:22-23 NLV

Branches naturally grow when they are attached to a strong trunk. There is no stronger trunk (or vine) than Jesus. We can trust Him to produce spiritual growth in us.

Grow today – grow strong – grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour!


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Our Armor is God’s Word

Did you know that the seeds of God’s word grow and when they are developed they produce a harvest of armor? Think about that for a minute.

What happens when you plant God’s word in your heart? It grows! It provides you with strength, strength for daily living. The Apostle Paul tells us to put on armour for daily living so that we can stand strong. Each piece of armour can be tied to God’s word so it is safe to assume that the crop produced when we harvest the seeds of God’s word is armour.

“Finally, let the mighty strength of the Lord make you strong. 11 Put on all the armor that God gives, so you can defend yourself against the devil’s tricks. 12 We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting against forces and authorities and against rulers of darkness and powers in the spiritual world. 13 So put on all the armor that God gives. Then when that evil day[a] comes, you will be able to defend yourself. And when the battle is over, you will still be standing firm.

14 Be ready! Let the truth be like a belt around your waist, and let God’s justice protect you like armor. 15 Your desire to tell the good news about peace should be like shoes on your feet. 16 Let your faith be like a shield, and you will be able to stop all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Let God’s saving power be like a helmet, and for a sword use God’s message that comes from the Spirit. 18 Never stop praying, especially for others. Always pray by the power of the Spirit. Stay alert and keep praying for God’s people.” Ephesians 6:10-18 ERV

Let’s look at the individual pieces of our armor:
Belt of truth – Jesus said “Thy word is truth” John 17:17
Breastplate of righteousness – “My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness.” Psalm 119:172
Shoes of peace – ” God has spoken to the people of Israel. He sent them the Good News that peace has come through Jesus Christ, the Lord of all people.” Acts 10:36
Shield of Faith – “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17
Helmet of Salvation – “…whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent.” Acts 13:6
Sword of Spirit – “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword,” Hebrews 4:12
Prayer – “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:” I John 5:14

Prayer is effective when we speak the will of God which is his word.

When we plant seeds we will get a harvest. I am praying that you have a harvest of armor from God’s word today and that you stand strong!

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