Activated Motm 128 En

8/8/2019 Activated Motm 128 En

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IT'S ALL ABOUT LOVEGive the best to get the best

Through Darkness to Light

What the frst Christmas changed

The Christmas ButterfyGods surprising sign

change your l i fe . change your world

Vol 11 Issue 1


2/16


3/16

He who has not Christmas in hisheart will never nd it under a tree.Roy L. Smith

Christmas is not a date. It is a

state o mind.Mary Ellen Chase

Christmas is the season orkindling the re o hospitalityin the hall, the genial fame ocharity in the heart.Washington Irving

Blessed is the season which

engages the whole world in aconspiracy o love!Hamilton Wright Mabie

Love is whats in the room withyou at Christmas i you stopopening presents and listen.Attributed to a seven-year-oldnamed Bobby

Christmas is orever, not or justone day,

or loving, sharing, giving, are notto put away

like bells and lights and tinsel, insome box upon a shel.

Te good you do or others isgood you do yoursel.

Norman Wesley Brooks, LetEvery Day Be Christmas

Remember this December, thatlove weighs more than gold!Josephine Dodge Daskam Bacon

Te joy o brightening other

lives, bearing each othersburdens, easing others loads, andsupplanting empty hearts andlives with generous gits becomesor us the magic o Christmas.W. C. Jones

Christmas takes place in the heart.It is opening our hearts to others,giving o our time and energy to

others, orgiving when needed,and accepting others as they are,in our hearts. Its doing or otherswhat Jesus did or us. Its lettingGods Spirit reign in our hearts,and giving His love preeminencein our relations with others.Robert Rider

Christmas is not as much about

opening our presents as openingour hearts.Janice Maeditere

Te spirit o Christmas ulls thegreatest hunger o mankind.Loring A. Schuler

Open your presents atChristmastime but be thankulyear round or the gits you receLorinda Ruth Lowen

Te message o Christmas is thathe visible material world is bouto the invisible spiritual world.Author unknown

Te earth has grown old with itburden o care, but at Christmait always is young.Phillips Brooks

Let Christmas not become a thinMerely o merchants tracking,O tinsel, bell and holly wreathAnd surace pleasure, but beneathTe childish glamour, let us ndNourishment or soul and mind.Let us ollow kinder waysTrough our teeming human maAnd help the age o peace to comFrom a Dreamers martyrdom.

Madeline Morse

CHRISTMASINT

HEHEART


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1. Isaiah 59:2

I C E. A -

-J.Norway at this time o year is not as dreary as you might think,

though. Te snow-covered landscape glistens rom the light o the

moon and stars, and the suns refected rays dance across the nightsky. Te colors can take your breath away.

It has been incredibly beautiul and clear this year, and Ive spena lot o time at my big window that overlooks the ocean and islandIve been ascinated by the special blue light that lingers aroundmidday, and the enchanting eect o amiliar objects seen in a dient light, literally.

Its only been our days since the winter solstice, but thechange has been remarkable. Beore, the colors were intense anddramaticdark orange and red, deep purple, and navy. Now, they

are pastelspink, lavender, and pale cyan. It wont be long beorethe sun peeks over the horizon.

Te darkest hour is just beore dawn, and we have waited or thlight in more ways than one. As the tilt o Earth on its axis has hidden the sun rom us or a time, our sinul human nature hid Godace rom us.1 But when Jesus was born, a new age dawned. Godshined the light o His love and truth on the world, bringing newhope, new lie, and new beginnings to all who receive Him.

Happy Christmas! Happy new start!J H F I N.

Jesus,

The LighT

The people who walked in

darkness have seen a great light;

those who dwelt in the land of

the shadow of death, upon them

a light has shined.Isaiah 9:2

Arise, shine; for your light has

come! And the glory of the Lord

is risen upon you. The sun shall

no longer be your light by day,

nor for brightness shall the moon

give light to you; but the Lordwill be to you an everlasting

light, and your God your glory.

Isaiah 60:1,19

In Him [Jesus] was life, and the life

was the light of men.John 1:4

I am the light of the world. He

who follows Me shall not walk in

darkness, but have the light oflife.Jesus, John 8:12

TROu DARKNss TO LighTB J H


5/16

, I C J , .

I got the idea ater reading an article about giving birthday gits to Jesus, either directly or indirectly.Examples included the git o praise or His love and unailing care, the git o aith, and gits to others oservice, kindness, orgiveness, and a listening ear.

Te list got me thinking. What did Jesus most want rom me? What could I give Him or His birthdaythat would mean the most to Him?

When the time came to send my Christmas cards, I picked up my pen and wrote one to Jesus.

Dear Jesus, I began. Happy Birthday! Some o the things I pledged to Jesus these past Christmases were probably one-time acts. Others were

things I wanted to continue to do in the coming year or indenitely. None cost money, but most cost timor involved small sacrices. All, I believe, will have eternal benets.

Last year I wrote my birthday card to Jesus on December 12. My plan was to give Jesus a dierent giteach day leading up to Christmas Eve.

In case youre curious, my git list this year includes:FAIH: turning my worries and

ears over to God, and trusting thatHis plan or my lie will work out

or the bestLOE: loving some olks who have

seemed unlovable latelyFORGIENESS: orgiving a

certain person who doesnt evenrealize she hurt me

ENCORAGEMEN: ndingthe best in others and commendingthem or those qualities

SOR: doing whatever I can to

help others reach their ull potentialRAER: praying or riends and

amily throughout the coming yearMy prayer is that these gits will continue

to have positive eects long ater Christmasis past.

L N F

I S C A.

GIVING TO JESUSB L N

Let us remember that the Christmas heart is a

giving heart, a wide open heart that thinks o

others rst. Te birth o the baby Jesus stands

the most signicant event in all history, becau

it has meant the pouring into a sick world o thealing medicine o love which has transorm

all manner o hearts or almost two thousand

years. nderneath all the bulging bundles is th

beating Christmas heart.

George Matthew Adams (18781962)


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L C .

As it turned out, onlyve were well enough toattend. It was the small-est audience we had everperormed or, but thebeautiul smiles on those

wrinkled aces made itworth the time and eort.Aterwards, we visited aew more rail seniors intheir homes. One womanwith a walker greeted usoutside and led us into herdark little house, where Isat with her on her bed andwe sang Christmas carols

together in the local dialect.When we let, she waved

through her one small win-dow and gave us a smile thatbrought tears to my eyes. Aswe drove home, I thoughtabout her and the othersalone, poor, ill, yearningor loveand my ownproblems seemed petty. Its

Christmastime again, andIm reminded that there aremillions like that woman.Can you spare a little loveor one near you?

E S

F

I .

Can you spare somelove?B E S

Adapted from Virginia Brandt Berg

C . Christmas decorations areup in the streets and shopping areas, Christmas music lls the air, andstore windows are lled with Christmas displays and git ideas.

As I stood in ront o one store window and watched a band oanimated elves dance and play on little tin horns, I wondered whatsuch a scene had to do with Christmas, the birthday o Jesus, GodsSon. Why had the store chosen elves over a nativity scene?

Ten it struck me: many people antasize about Santa Claus andelves because they nd it hard to believe the Christmas story. Why

would God choose to reveal Himsel to us in human orm? Tat seemsirrational, illogical, but thats exactly what God did. When God wantedto maniest His innite love or us, He sent it in a tiny baby, who inmanhood would teach us Gods ways and lead us back to Him. Tat is adeep and wonderul truthand something we can really celebrate.

B B (886968), F

I D B B.

Portrait of Love

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A D B B

B , G S G .H S L , ,

.Ten, to show us His love and tohelp us understand Him, He sentus His Son, Jesus Christ, in theorm o a man.

Although He was predestinedto be the King okings, Jesus wasnot born in a palace. Instead,He was born on the dirty fooro a barn and laid to sleep in theanimals eed trough.3 His arrivalreceived no ocial recognitionrom the rich and powerul o Hisday. Instead, He was visited by

Would you like to know beyond a shadow of a doubt if Jesus Chris

really is the Son of God and the way of salvation? You can. All you

have to do is ask Him to come into your heart. You can do that thi

very moment by praying this prayer:

Jesus, thank You for coming into my world so I can experience the

Fathers love and forgiveness. I open my heart and invite You in. Ame

THE ULTIMATECHRISTMAS GIFT

a ew poor shepherds who had heard the news rom a band o angelsTere is born to you this day in the city o David a Savior, who isChrist the Lord. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace,goodwill toward men!4

When Jesus began His lies work at the age o 30, He not onlypreached His message, but He lived it among the common people, aone o them. He ministered to their spiritual needs, but also spent agreat deal o time tending to their physical needs, healing them whenthey were sick and eeding them when they were hungry. He lovedwithout partiality, even at the cost o His reputation.5 He beriended

drunks, prostitutes, and sinners, the outcasts and downtrodden, andproved that no one was beyond the reach o Gods love and orgiveneSalvation was so simple, He said, that all it took was the aith o a litchild. And right living came down to just two things: loving God, aloving our neighbors as ourselves.7

In Jesus, God shared His love with the whole world. But He alsoloves each o us individually. God lovesyou so much that He gavethe most cherished thing He had, His only Son, so you could haveeverlasting lie.

1. John 4:24

2. 1 John 4:8

3. Luke 2:7

4. Luke 2:814

5. Philippians 2:7

6. Matthew 18:3

7. Matthew 22:3739

8. John 3:16


8/16

L C CE, D. I . K

.He just said hewould be home late and let orwork.

December was usually themost stressul month at his com-pany, and it was especially so thisyear with the sluggish economy.

He wondered i he would be laido someday, like so many others.Just two days earlier, he hadattended a arewell party or oneo his colleagues.

Te shopping streets in okyowere gorgeously decoratedwith bright lights and glisten-ing Christmas trees, but thepassengers crowding onto the

early-morning commuter trainlooked tired, even though theirday was just starting.

Koichi couldnt shake hisanxious thoughts. What wouldhappen if I were laid o?Wewouldnt be able to make themortgage payments on our home.Our kids are still very young.

THE CHRISTMAS

B L M

When he reached his oce, heturned on his computer, plungedinto his email, and quickly becameoccupied with the days work.

Around three oclock that ater-

noon, his phone rang. It was thepolice. Mr. akahashi? our wiewas involved in a trac accident.She is being taken to the nearesthospital. Im so sorry.

Koichi jumped rom his chair.I dont believe it! It must be amistake! he cried. He kept tellinghimsel this as he made his wayto the hospital. She was perfectly

healthy and whole this morning!At the hospital, he ound oko

wrapped in bandages and con-nected to machines. Her car hadbeen hit by a truck that ran a redlight, he was told. She was in acoma and had a broken arm.

Were doing everything wecan or your wie. But we dontknow i she will make it. Even i

she regains consciousness, she willsuer serious atereects, a doctortold Koichi.

Ater gazing at his wie or along time, Koichi wandered outo the hospital. Without realizingit, he was talking aloud to hiswie. Dont leave us! Te kidsneed you! When you recover, lets

do all the things we wanted todo together! assers-by lookedat him and wondered what wasgoing on. He didnt care.

Ten he remembered that o

had recently started reading theBible. He had fipped through ita ew times and had to admit ththere were some good things in but he still thought that religionwas or those who either had toomuch leisure time or were weak character. Rather than delve intoreligion, he reasoned, they shoulwork harder and contribute mor

to their companies or society.But now he couldnt stop thin

ing about God. I wonder if Godexists. I wonder if He would answmy prayer. But it wouldnt make asense to pray if He doesnt exist.

Still, he couldnt shake the urYoko would want me to.

Finally Koichi prayed sincererom his heart, Dear God, i o

exist, please spare okos lie.Just then, a butterfy futtere

by in ront o Koichi. On its vivpurple wings were white andlight-blue designs. Tough Koihad oten hunted or butterfiesand other insects as a child,hed never seen such a beautiulbutterfyand in December!

BUTTERFLY

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He elt this butterfy had beensent as a sign. In his mind was adistinct message: Your prayer isanswered! Your wife will be well!ohis surprise, Koichi elt warmthand peace food his heart.

Five days later, when Koichientered the ward or his daily visit,a doctor approached him. ourwie has regained consciousness.

Its unexplainable! We ound nodamage to her brain.

Koichi rushed into okosroom. oko smiled and greetedhim in a weak voice. He told herto not try to talk, but she couldnthold it in.

I was in a beautiul eld ofowers, and a lovely butterfy was

fying around me. I elt so happy.Ten there was Jesus. He told methat it was not yet my time todiethat I needed to go back andtake care o my amily.

oko was discharged romthe hospital a ew days beoreChristmas.

On Christmas Eve Koichihurried home rom work, carry-

ing gits or his amily. oko, herarm still in a cast, was with theirchildren in the living room.

Lets sing Silent Nighttogether! Christmas is the dayJesus, Gods only Son, was born,oko said.

Ten Koichi noticed a newornament near the top o the

tree. It was just like the butterfhe had seen outside the hospitaWhy is that here? Butteries havenothing to do with Christmasodo they?But he didnt think aboit long, enguled as he was in hapiness and gratitude or his wiemiraculous recovery.

Yes, God exists. God, whohas such a big, warm heart, has

answered my prayer.

L M

F I

J.


10/16

W . I , . As I turnedaround, a petite girl about my age ran up and said, I thought alloreigners returned to their home countries at Christmas. ou wontnd it the same here.

I know, I replied, but I am a volunteer worker here. I cant aord

to return home this Christmas. I do have riends here, though, so Iwill be okay. I also have Jesus, who is with me no matter where I am.

I have heard o your Jesus, the girl said. I am Buddhist, and sois everyone else in my amily. I once met a missionary who tried toconvert me to your religion, but it sounded too complicated. I had toomany questions that he couldnt answer.

Your Jesus! Your religion!I was always being met with this barrier. Itwas always your religion and my religion. Not only that, but thesepeople whom I had grown to love seemed to delight in nding newways to challenge me. It wasnt that they didnt care to listen to what

I had to saythey listened patiently and respectullybut I neededto nd the key, some way o showing them that nding Jesus wasntcomplicated. Suddenly I had the same overwhelming desire that Ioten have when I meet someone newthe desire to show her thatJesus was not just a religion, that He was real, and that He loved her.

Ten it dawned on me. Christmas! Tats it! ell her the story ofChristmas!

I invited her or a cup o coee, and we went to a small ca.Tere I told her the story o Jesus and how He came to earth to set

an example o how to love oneanother. I also explained howHis death on the cross made itpossible or us to have eternallie. We must have talked oran hour or two. Shed ask a

question, and Id try to explainusing examples rom the Bibleand lie. She listened, but stilllooked skeptical. It was clear thI wasnt getting through.

It got late, and we both needeto get home. As we headed orthe train station, her questionskept coming. She was sincerelysearching or truth and open to

hearing about Jesus. How couldmake Him real to her?

It started raining, and shecried out, Oh, no!

Whats wrong? I asked.I orgot my umbrella in the

shop I was in beore I met you.What am I to do? And it wasnteven mine. Id borrowed it.

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B S

Without thinking I told her,Here, take mine. I have anotherone at home.

She looked surprised, butthanked me and took it.

We kept talking until we

reached the train station, whereI gave her a tract that spoke oJesus love or her. Tink aboutour conversation, I told her,and i you decide that youdlike to accept Jesus into yourlie, all you need to do is praythe short prayer on the back othe tract.

We talked a lot today, she

said. Tank you or listening tome and or patiently answeringmy questions. Tank you ortelling me the story o Christmasand about Jesus. I elt sorry orwasting your time, as you stillhadnt convinced me.

Not surprising!I thought, as Ihad sensed how she elt.

But now, she went on, I think I understand what you have betrying to tell me. ou see, what convinced me was not what you saidbut what you did.

I couldnt imagine what I could have done. Wed only sat andtalked, then walked and talked some more. What was that? I aske

ou gave me your umbrella. Without hesitation, without a seco

thought, you justgaveit to me, a complete stranger until just a littlewhile ago. I the git you say Jesus wants to give me is even morepowerul than what I elt when you gave me your umbrella, then I wdenitely pray that prayer.

My train arrived, and tears lled my eyes as we hugged. She lookhappy. I was elated.

As I sat in the train going home, I realized that the barrier I had soten wondered about had actually come down 2000 years ago, wheJesus came to earth. He didnt just talk about love, He showedlove;He waslove. Its so simple, I thought. I gave her an umbrella, and tha

simple gesture opened her understanding to the fact that Jesus love is a gLord, I quietly prayed, this Christmas and always, help me to

ollow closely in our ootsteps, so my actions will speak more loudthan my words.

S F I

ActivAted .


12/16

H

I .

Weve all inadvertently done that at one time oranother. We know that the right thing is to treatothers with love,1 and we usually try to do so, yet inthose moments when were aced with a need thatrequires a greater measure o love and unselshnessthan usual, its easy to make choices that squeezelove out o the picture. But the right choice isalways the loving choice. It pays to remember the

importance o those little acts o love, being kind orcourteous or simply taking time or others.

aking time or love is an investment. ou dontget your money back the same day, but when itdoes come back to you, it has multiplied and appre-ciated in value. Not everything can be measured inimmediate, visible results. Sometimes the best andmost lasting things take time to get started and timeto show their worth. Tats the way it is with love.

No matter what your to-do list says each day,

imagine that written above your own top priorityare Gods top two: love God, and love others.2Gettingyourrst priority done without doing Godstwo means you really only did third best. Sometimeswe orget that all our accomplishments are nothingwithout love.3

I we make an eort to love God, then it wishow in our interactions with others. O course,were human and make mistakes, we have good d

and bad days, and God understands that, but i wwant to change the world or the better, we need make an eort to put love into action. By this shall men know that you are My disciples, i you halove one or another.4

How can we show love? One o the beauti-ul things about love is that it adapts to the need.Teres no set ormula, so part o loving is ndingout what the need is and how to meet it. Here areew ideas to get you started:

wry to see others through eyes o love; nd anencourage their good qualities.

wBuild others up; commend people or doinga good job. Everyone appreciates beingappreciated.

wWhen someone does something that bothersyou, or you nd yoursel becoming critical, trto put yoursel in that persons position. Whamight have caused them to act the way theydid? How would you want them to react i yo

positions were reversed?wConnect with people. Something as simple an

seemingly small as a smile or sympathetic wocan be the turning point in a strangers day anpossibly the start o a lasting and meaningulriendship.


13/16

B M F

No matter what your to-do

list says each day, imagine that

written above your own top

priority are Gods top two: love

God, and love others. Getting

your rst priority done withoutdoing those other two means you

really only did third best.

1. 1 John 4:78

2. Mark 12:3031

3. 1 Corinthians 13:3

4. John 13:35

5. 1 Kings 17:116

wDo little extras to lighten the load someone iscarrying, and thereby convey understanding andconcern.

wMake an eort to get to know your riends andco-workers better. What makes them tick? Whatmatters most to them? Who matters most tothem? What do they dream o doing someday?What has been their proudest moment?

Maybe you already try to be loving, but some-times you eel you dont have any more love to give.Maybe you eel that you dont receive enough loveyoursel, so thereore dont have much to give. Tose

eelings are natural. And its trueour love isnt su-cient. I human love were sucient, we wouldntneed Jesus so much, and neither would the world.

But when we run out o love, Jesus always hasmore. His love is wonderully sucient, uncon-ditional, unlimited, and without end. Te secretto having more love or others is to tap into Jesuslove. ell Him, Jesus, I need more o ou in mylie. I need more o our love. Ten put little andbig deeds o love into action, and He will give you

more o His love. Te more you give, the more Jesuswill give you in return. Keep it up, and you willnot only become more conscious o His unailing,ever-present love or you, but you will always havelove to share with others. Like the widowed motherwhose story is recounted in the Bible, whose littlebit o oil and handul o four, when mixed withaith, kept her and her son and the prophet Elijahalive through three years o amine,5 you will seeyour love multiplied many times over.

M F ,

A, F I.


14/16

D ,N , C I

, O H

.First I pray or your happiness.

Not the feeting kind that comesrom happenings or new acquisi-tions, but deep abiding happinessthat will be there even whennothing special is going on.

Next I pray or peace in yourheart. I dont mean a lack o

excitement, an empty eeling, orsurcease rom activity or challenge,but rather a sweet knowledge thatGod is in control, and that Hewont let anything happen to youthat you and He cant work outtogethera quiet certainty thatgives you rest inside, even whenyou are working hard or the pres-sures on.

My prayer wouldnt be completewithout praying or you to haveaith. Some people think aithmeans blindness to realityanoverly optimistic outlook thatdenies the acts. But real aith,the kind I wish or you, is basedon the most wonderul realities oallGod and His love and His

MYPRAYER FOR YOU

THIS CHRISTMAS

promises to you. Tat kind oaith knows that God wants onlythe very best or you and willbring it to pass. Tat kind o aithcomes rom reading His Word.Tats the kind o aith that

moves mountains.I pray or you to have wisdom

and understanding, so that youcan look at lie around you andthen to heaven above, and ndthe answers and explanations andguidance you needGod-givenwisdom that gives you patienceand aith or others and pointsthe way in dicult moments.

And last but not least, I prayor you to experience lovegrelove, overfowing love, patientlove, wise love, sweet love, unlove, exciting love, purposeullove, abiding love, strong love,encouraging love, Gods love inits wondrous orms.

God came down at Christmin the orm o a little baby to gus all these thingshappiness,peace, aith, wisdom, and mosto all, love. So my prayer is thatthis Christmas you will takeChrist into your heart, believe H

promises, and experience all thwonders He has or you.

I pray this or you because Iknow that Jesus wants to give yall these things, because He lovyou. And I do too.

C

F I

.S.

B C

4


15/16

The ift

of iving

A S E

A Christmas Carol, writtenby Charles Dickens and rstpublished in 143, has beenretold in numerous versions

and orms. A timeless story, is much more than an accouo a mean, miserable oldmanScroogewho changhis ways ater a Christmas Evisitation by three spirits. Itis a reminder that it is onlywhen we give to others thatwe truly celebrate the spirito Christmas. Giving may b

material, like a beautiullywrapped present or a monetgit to someone in need, buttrue giving is more than thatextends to sharing ourselves.Why not make your celebra-tion o Christmas extra specthis year by sending a card,making a call, visiting, orsending a git to people you

know who are particularlylonely? erhaps there issomeone at work who will bspending Christmas alone. Operhaps you have a neighborwho would appreciate someextra kindness. Isnt this whaChristmas is all about?

BydAvid BrAndtBerg

W C , I , I I , I , I . Tats when the message o an old song comes back to me:

What shall I give Tee, Master?Tou who didst die or me!How can I give less than give o my best,When Tou hast given all to me!1

Jesus is the Master, and Christmas is His birthday. utting the songin that context and thinking ahead to next year, the question becomes:What goal or the new year can we present to Jesus on His birthday?

He taught that whatever we do to help someone in need, in essencewe do it to Him.2

Giving to the poor is giving to Jesus. Giving people comort whenthey are heartbroken is giving to Jesus. Giving people love and under-standing and orgiveness is giving to Jesus. Giving people solutions totheir problems and answers to their questions about lie is giving toJesus. Giving people the good news o salvation in Jesus is giving toJesus. Tere are so many ways we can give back to Him.

Lets give Him our best. Lets love others or Him.

D B B (9999) FI.

1. Homer W. Grimes

2. Matthew 25:40

"WAT sALL V T, MAsTR?"


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No matter how down you may bei you are out owork and have an empty wallet or bank account, iyoure lonely or sick or have suered personal loss, i

war or hatred or injustice or others indierence haschilled your heartMy love can change that. Let Mybirth and all that it heralded be remembered. Let Mylove ll you and give you purpose. Evils also plagued

the world at the time o My birth and throughout Mylie on earth, but in the midst o such great darknesscame the brightest light the world has ever known;amidst great suering the greatest git was given. MyFather sent Me in the orm o a weak and helpless babyto grow up and live as one o you and experience thesame hurts you do, and to suer at the hands o unjustmen. I became one o you in order to save you.

Let the truth and love that I brought

that rst Christmas Day shine in your heartnow. Let Me wipe away your ears and tears.Let My love warm your Christmas.

Let My love warm

your Christmas

FROM JESUS WITH LOVE

Activated Motm 128 En

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