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How To Build Trust In God

It’s Another Podcast!

I’m catching a flight back home in about 3 hours, but I wanted to get this posted now.  Why?

The topic of trusting God is so often misunderstood.  And, in the days we are living in it is very critical that you understand what it means to really trust God.

The information in this podcast is very timely, very practical, and applying it could change your life.  In other words, this is a big deal!

Discover in this podcast (23:27) how to build your trust in God, from a biblical perspective.  Find out if you have been relying on misconceptions.  Get the solid information that you need to trust God regardless of the uncertainty of our times.

Enjoy the podcast!

[If you cannot see the player below, just click the title above]

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Related Posts:
Economic Turnaround In 24 Hours?
This Economic Mess Just Isn’t Fair!
Is He Willing?

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Why Are People Poor?

Today I am posting an article that I published a couple of years ago about poverty.  Just like then, I am sure today there will be people who will not agree with what I have to say.  So, see what you think.

I believe what I wrote two years ago is still true, even during these very uncertain economic times we are living in.

Poverty

The cause of poverty is not a lack of money.  Does that statement shock you? It’s true.  A lack of money may be an effect of poverty, but it is not the cause of poverty.

The cause of poverty is poverty thinking.  Poverty comes from poverty beliefs and poverty attitudes; it comes from a poverty mindset.

Not having Money Is Not Poverty

Here’s another statement that might shake you. Not having money does not mean you’re impoverished.  Let me explain.  Suppose your checkbook gets all the way to zero.  You are flat broke now.  But, being flat broke now does not mean that you will be flat broke permanently. It absolutely does not guarantee that you will forever stay flat broke.

There are countless millionaires who at one time or another were flat broke.  Why didn’t they stay flat broke?  Some have even confessed going broke a number of times.  A lack of money is not the issue.  What’s in your mind is the issue.

Why Are People In Poverty?

Have you ever asked someone who is indeed in poverty why they are in that state?  They will tell you exactly why. They will give you one poverty-minded statement after another.  They will point out every lack that they have.

They come from a poor family.  They lack education.  Good jobs are hard to come by these days.  The price of everything today is too high.  They never get a decent break like a lot of other people do.  The government doesn’t really care about them enough.

They have ingrained these thoughts into their minds and hearts. They have allowed that kind of thinking to actually take root in their heart, and become their belief system.

Is There A Choice?

What we choose to believe is what we will manifest in our lives.  This universal law works with accuracy and precision no matter who the person is and no matter what the circumstances are.

I have visited a number of foreign countries.  It is just amazing to me how anyone in the United States can stay in poverty.  There is so much wealth, abundance and opportunity in the United States that it staggers the mind.

Now just above the poverty line there are those who are just struggling to get by. Many are working very hard to make ends meet each month.  Some work two and three jobs.  They are labeled as the “lower middle class.”

They may put forth a great effort, but they still seem to get nowhere except just above the poverty line.  They will stay there because that’s what they choose to believe.

Life Is Not Luck Or Fate

So, is that their fate?  Nothing could be farther from the truth.  Are we to believe that some people are just blessed with a better life than others?  Does the God show more favor on some but less on others? No!

Once you identify and accept that you are in a certain category in life and you really believe that in your heart, that is where you will stay. It really makes no difference where you are today. Whether you qualify as in poverty, just above poverty, lower middle class or middle class, none of those descriptions really mean anything unless you continue to accept them as true for your life.

The point is, where you are today is a result of your own belief system.  Wherever you are today in life is a direct result of what you have decided to believe.

You Can Change Your Life

If you can accept that truth, you can change your circumstances because you recognize what very few ever recognize.  The power to change your life is in your brain. The thoughts that you consistently entertain will form your own personal belief system.

Change your life and your circumstances by first changing your thoughts, hour by hour and day by day.  Fill your mind with thoughts of where you want to go, not where you are today.

You may not be in poverty, but, are you where you really desire to be in your life?  If not, why not?  Do you need to change your thoughts to form a new belief system?

Get honest with yourself and really examine your thoughts.  A good indication of your thoughts is what comes out of your mouth.

You can change your life and your circumstance by changing your belief system.  And you can change your belief system by changing your thinking, one thought at a time.

Michael A. Verdicchio
2008

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Related Posts:
Opposite Thoughts
Are you Going To A Pity Party?
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Choose Your Friends Wisely

When I was growing up my dad used to say, many times, “Choose your friends wisely.”  I passed on the same advice to my children as well.  But it still holds true for adults as well.

The weekend is here and usually people have a little more time to spend with family and friends.  But whether it’s the weekend, a weekday, or even a lunch hour, we ought to always choose our friends wisely.

Being around positive people inspires us because they give us hope and possibilities and anticipation of good things to come. For them, the glass is not just half full, but rather, “There must be even more water around here someplace!”

And that’s why we like to be around positive people.

On the other hand, it is depressing to be around negative people.  I’m not talking about when you’re trying to help and inspire someone who is lacking hope.  I’m talking about hanging out with negative people who relate one negative defeating story after another.

It is just too depressing.  It certainly doesn’t encourage or inspire you does it?

Choose your friends wisely.  And, try to be an inspiration to other people. Think of the positive impact that you can have on the people you hang out with this weekend.

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Independence Day – 2010

If you live here in the United States of America, then you know that today we celebrate our Independence Day.

In honor of this day here in my country, I have a video, and some history.  The video captured something no one was expecting.  The history is about Adams and Jefferson, who both died on July 4th, 1826.

On The 50th Anniversary

There were many who played a role  in our independence.  Two of those men were John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Both died on the 50th anniversary.

Both of these architects of the document that gave birth to this new Nation died, 50 years to the day from the birth of the country they founded.

On July 4, 1826, the celebration of our Nation’s 50th birthday was saddened by the death of our second president, John Adams. It was the eloquent Adams who had so persuasively defended Thomas Jefferson’s DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE before the Continental Congress in 1776, ultimately leading to the birth of this new Nation. It may have been the last time Adams and Jefferson agreed on anything.

Thomas Jefferson

Jefferson’s Declaration was born on June 7, 1776 when Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee laid before the Congress a resolution calling for the 13 colonies to be “free and independent states, absolved of all allegiance to the British crown.” Moderates argued against the historic resolution, pointing out that the middle colonies of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware were undecided about complete separation of the colonies from crown rule.

By day’s end there was little consensus, but members of the delegation appointed a five-man committee to draft a declaration of independence for consideration at the July 1st meeting.

Why Not Franklin Or Adams?

The task of drafting the declaration should have fallen to elder statesman Benjamin Franklin, but his illness precluded a timely completion of the task. The task then should have fallen to Adams, who argued instead that Jefferson should write it. Jefferson at first attempted to defer to Adams until, in frustration, the Massachusetts delegate grudgingly stated, “You are 10 times the writer I am.” Thus Jefferson prepared the draft with suggestions for revisions coming from both Franklin and Adams.

The finished document was presented to the Second Continental Congress on June 28th. A poor speaker, Jefferson’s written work impressed the Assembly, despite some reservations. The more eloquent Adams vigorously defended the work, which was adopted on July 2nd. That evening Adams wrote his thoughts on the new declaration to his wife, stating in part: “The second day of July 1776 will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival.”

John Adams

Actually Adams was two days off. Editing of the document continued until it was formally approvedby 12 of the 13 colonies on July 4th. (The New York delegation abstained from the vote, but approved the Declaration five days later.) On August 2nd the 53 delegates present signed the document, and the 3 absent members subsequently added their names. Among the 56 signers were both of the men most responsible for the Declaration’s existence, Adams and Jefferson.

Two Friends Drift Apart

From that point forward the clashes between Adams and Jefferson were widely known. During Adam’s two terms as vice president under George Washington, more than one conflict arose between him and Secretary of State Jefferson. As a Federalist, Adams found his political views quite at odds with the man who would become the leader of the rival Democratic-Republicans.

When Washington left the Presidency the battle for a successor was bitterly fought between Vice President Adams and Secretary Jefferson. Adams defeated Jefferson by a 3 vote margin (71-68 electoral votes), becoming our second president. That bitter campaign was renewed in 1800 when Jefferson defeated Adams to become our third President.

So intense was their rivalry that, on the day of Jefferson’s inauguration Adams was carriage-bound out of the new Capitol City when the new president assumed office. (The recent death of his son in New York provided a convenient excuse not to attend the inauguration of the incoming president.)

The Friendship Rekindled

Jefferson served two terms as President after defeating the incumbent Adams, then retired to his home in Monticello. Meanwhile from his retirement farm in Quincy, Massachusetts Adams began to write long and elaborate letters to his old adversary. A grudging admiration for each other may have developed in their later years. Nonetheless, Adams always proclaimed that, though Jefferson was 7 years younger than himself…

“I will out live Jefferson.”

On his death bed on Independence Day, 1826 John Adams uttered his last words.  They were “Thomas Jefferson survives.”

It is rumored that upon Adam’s death the messenger dispatched to carry the news to Jefferson’s Virginia home actually passed a messenger dispatched from THAT site to Adam’s home, also bearing sad tidings.

Just a few hours earlier Thomas Jefferson had passed away….both architects of the document that gave birth to this new Nation dead, 50 years to the day from the birth of the country they founded.

MAY GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!

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Sleep On It

Yesterday I posted Last week’s article in The pep Letter, called, “How To Face Another Day.”  If you’re not a subscriber to the free Pep Letter, then you can see a sample of what you get in your email once a week.

This morning I wanted to post a followup to that article.  It’s called, “Sleep On It,”  and it really presents some great information about our subconcious.

Isn’t amazing the way God created us!

The information in both of these articles is simple and practical.  It can change your life.

Sleep On It

What thoughts do you think before you go to sleep?  Does it really matter?  Actually, what you think about before you drift off into dream land could be very beneficial and profitable to your life.

While your conscious mind takes a much needed break as you sleep, your subconscious mind actually stays very active. Because of this, the thoughts that you think about shortly before you fall asleep are vitally important.

Junk Before Bed?

Many people end their day by watching the news, which is usually negative and often depressing. When they go to sleep after pouring all that junk into their minds, they are basically saying, “Okay subconscious mind, work on all that stuff.”  And then people wonder why they wake up depressed, negative, and with no ambition for the new day ahead?

Your subconscious mind is at work day and night, including throughout your slumber. Maybe you have heard someone say, “I’m going to sleep on it?”  I remember watching a movie and when faced with a problem, the main character said, “I’ll sort it out in the morning.”  Many times after, “sleeping on it,” a person wakes up with a solution, or at least, a new direction in which to proceed.

A Solution

Perhaps you have heard the story about the man who had diligently worked for many, many hours towards a solution to a problem, yet still knew that there was something missing. He went to sleep, still trying to grasp that missing piece. His thoughts before he fell asleep were focused on unearthing the solution.

He said the next morning he suddenly woke up feeling “the greatest excitement.”  In a short amount of time thereafter, Albert Einstein wrote his first draft of a new article – a full thirty pages. It was the start to his theory of relativity.

Time To Get Up

There are a lot of people who wake up right before their alarm goes off. Does that happen to you?  Is it just a habit, or, before falling asleep, do you consciously think about what time you want to get up?  I think it is the latter.

Personally, the only time I use an alarm clock is when I need to get up much earlier than usual.  However, every time I set the alarm clock, it seems like I still wake up before it goes off.  I really believe that is because before falling asleep, I am very aware that I need to get up earlier.  I am very conscious of setting the alarm for a specific time.  And then, the next morning, my subconscious mind steps in, telling me it is 4:30.

Methods

There are some who suggest deliberately putting specific information into your mind before you fall asleep.  Having noted many examples of people going to sleep with a problem or dilemma, and then waking up with a solution, they suggest doing it on purpose, intentionally.

There are many programs that suggest doing your affirmations right before you go to sleep.  Some recommend reviewing your goals at that time. The Bible talks about not going to sleep angry.  Why?  Because our God designed the brain, and He knows that anger, resentment and bitterness is not something you want to give your subconscious to work on while you sleep.

So before you fall asleep, take note of your emotions.  If you are angry, stop for a few minutes and figure out why.  Our emotions are simply indicators of the thoughts in our hearts and minds.  If you need to forgive someone, then do it before you go to sleep and release that anger from your mind.

Don’t Fall Asleep In A Bad Mood

The point is, don’t allow yourself to fall asleep in a doubtful mood, or in a depressed mood, or in an angry mood.  If you fall asleep in a negative mood, you are impeding the work that your subconscious mind could be doing for you while you sleep.  Deal with the cause of the emotions.  Release the anger and replace it with forgiveness.  Release the depressed feeling with anticipation of God’s help in your life.  Release the doubt and replace it with confidence that God has a solution for you.

Once you release the negative emotions and replace them with something you do want to see in your life, then, deliberately give you subconscious mind something to work on.  Whether it is your affirmations, or goals, or something you are working to solve, be specific and deliberate about your thoughts right before you fall asleep.  Your subconscious mind is going to be working all night on something anyway, so why not give it something profitable?

Successful people develop successful habits; it doesn’t just happen automatically.  You can take charge of your life by doing many little, seemingly insignificant things.  However, those “little” things will reap enormously profitable dividends in your life.

So have a sweet, peaceful, and productive sleep!

Michael A. Verdicchio
2010

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Related Posts:
How To Face Another Day
I Woke Up This Morning
What Do You Expect?
Stop Looking Back!

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How To Face Another Day

Last week’s article in The pep Letter was called, “How To Face Another Day.”  I have received a number of positive responses to that article.  So, I have decided to post it here this morning.

If you’re not a subscriber to the free Pep Letter, then here’s a sample of what you would get once a week.

By the way, I am going to post a followup to this article, tomorrow, here on the blog.  It will be called, “Sleep On It.”  The information in both of these articles gives you some very simple and practical keys to help you live your life to the fullest.

Applying the information in these two articles can be life changing.

How To Face Another Day

Do you wake up every morning ready to take on the world?  Do you jump out of bed enthused and motivated?  Are you genuinely excited at the start of each brand new day?

Most people would answer all three of those questions with a great big emphatic, “No.”  Some people wake up only to realize that nothing in their life has changed and they must now get up and try to face another day.  At best they try to just get through another day.

What’s The Answer?

Some say that the answer is to start each new day with positive thoughts.  But, again, when waking up to the “same old, same old,” it’s difficult to bounce out bed enthusiastic about a new day.  The real secret is what you do before you go to sleep.

At the end of a day your mind is full of many things that happened throughout the day; the pleasant things and the not so pleasant.  And for lots of people the unpleasant outweighs the pleasant.  But before you go to sleep, there are things you can do that will help you greatly in starting your next new day.

This is not a magic formula.  It is simply a way to deal with your own mind.  Countless motivation and self help books will relate similar suggestions.  But it is still up to you to decide what you do with your own mind.  Changes in our lives begin with changes in our own thinking.

Get Rid Of The “Negs”

First, get rid of any and all negative emotions.  Never go to sleep with negative emotions bothering you.  It adversely affects you mentally and physically, and when you wake up, negative emotions will still be present.

Let them go.  As you undress before getting into bed, also remove any anger, bitterness, and resentment you may be feeling.  Toss them to the side; do not take them to bed with you.

If you’re having a problem tossing them off, then wait before you climb into bed.  Sit down and address those emotions.  Make a decision that you are not taking them to bed.  Make a conscious effort to put them aside.

Forgive

Then as you fluff up your pillow (or whatever you do right before you get into bed) forgive anyone who hurt you during the day; genuinely forgive them, hold no grudge or desire for retaliation.  Wipe it all away.  Ask God to forgive you where you fell short during the day and accept His forgiveness.  And, make sure that you forgive yourself, too.

Never go to sleep with condemnation and sin consciousness.  If you do, you will wake up in the morning feeling lousy about yourself.  Ask for God’s forgiveness, knowing that He will forgive you.  Accept His forgiveness and forgive yourself.  Now you are ready to get into your bed.

As you climb into bed and get comfortable, remind yourself of the blessings that God has bestowed on you, personally.  If things in your life are really bad, then start by thanking Him for being alive; for having a bed to sleep in.  If you have to get back to basics, then do it.  Express your gratitude to God for His blessings.

Gratitude For His Love

Take a few moments to think about some of the things that God has done for you in the past.  Remind yourself that His love for you has not changed.  Remind yourself that His power and desire to bless you have not changed either.

As you begin to relax, talk to God and tell Him the desires of your heart.  Ask Him to open doors for you and to bring to you the things that you need.  Ask Him to show you solutions.  Fall asleep with your trust in God to provide all that you need.

Try this out for a week.  You will be amazed at how different your attitude is when you wake up.  And when you do wake up, pick up right where you left off.  Face the new day with trust in God to provide for you today, expectations of Him showing you solutions, and, anticipation of open doors that will bring you the desires of your heart.

God gave us all free will; we decide what we are going to think about. The thoughts we think will determine the direction our lives will proceed.  We can decide the thoughts we think so that we are genuinely excited at the start of each brand new day.

Michael A. Verdicchio
2010

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Related Posts:
I Woke Up This Morning
What Do You Expect?
Stop Looking Back!

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What’s Love Got To Do With It?

It’s Another Podcast!

This podcast is not about Tina Turner’s hit song, “What’s Love Got To Do With It?” or the movie about her life with the same name.

This short podcast (4:05) is about God’s love.  Find out how much God really loves you.

Enjoy the podcast!

[If you cannot see the player below, just click the title above]

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Related Posts:
Do You Deserve God’s Favor?
Is He Willing?
What Does God Think Of You?

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What In The World Is Going On?

Out Of Control?

Do you get the idea that some people think that the Federal government here in the United States is out of control?  Now, whether you think they are out of control or not, basically everything that they do is outside of your control.

Yes you can vote in an election year, and you can write to your representative.  But when they are in office, the deeds they do are outside of your control.

When you stop and think about it, there are a lot of things that are outside of our control; the weather, oil spills, people’s actions, the stock market, etc.  The current economic situation in our country, and, around the world, is outside of our control.  But we certainly do feel and experience the effects, don’t we?

What’s Your Response?

I think what is important is how you respond to the things going on around you and especially the things that are directly affecting you.  Many people are reacting with anger and disappointment over things that are outside of their control.

Have you noticed that reacting and thinking that way simply leaves you frustrated, negative, and depressed?  All of the energy that you could be using to look for personal solutions is being wasted on something that never helps or solves anything, because it is outside of your control.

It’s Not Fair!

You can say, “This isn’t fair; that’s not right; those are wrong decisions that will bring serious consequences down the road.”   You can say anything you want to say.  But there will always be situations outside of your control.

So then why not put your energy and focus on what you do have control over. You! I can’t control your thoughts and you can’t control mine.  Only you can control your own thoughts.  Only you can decide what your mindset is going to be.

God Has Not Changed

And here’s some “good news.” God is not, and never will be out of business, regardless of the times that we live in,  There are many places that you can read in the Bible of God providing His protection and help in some of the most unpleasant of times.  God has not changed in His desire to help, nor has He lost any of His power.

The choice is always ours.  We can choose to focus on everything that we think is going wrong.  We can allow the circumstances to make us angry, frustrated and afraid.  Or, we can choose to focus on God and His promises.  We can look to Him for His help, guidance, and, personal direction for our lives.

I choose the later, how about you?

Michael A. Verdicchio
2010

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Related Posts:
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Are You Discouraged?

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A Test From God?

It’s Another Podcast! ‘

Yesterday was Father’s Day and I was thinking about how often the blame for bad things gets put on our heavenly Father.

People talk about God testing them, or God having a reason for this and for that.  It all adds up to blaming God.

In this short podcast (3:52) discover if God is really testing you.

Enjoy the podcast!

[If you cannot see the player below, just click the title above]

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Related Posts:
Is God Testing you?
God Is Not In Charge

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Today Is Father’s Day

Happy Father’s Day!

I wanted to wish all the Dad’s  a very Happy Father’s Day.  I love being a dad; I love my kids; and, I think it’s real special being a dad, for a million reasons.

Did you know that this year is the centennial celebration of Father’s Day?  100 years of recognizing dear ‘ol dad.

Father’s Day is a celebration inaugurated in the early twentieth century to complement Mother’s Day in celebrating fatherhood and male parenting. It is also celebrated to honor and commemorate our forefathers.

Father’s Day is celebrated on a variety of dates worldwide and typically involves gift-giving, special dinners to fathers, and family-oriented activities.

100 Years Ago

The first observance of Father’s Day is believed to have been held on June 19, 1910 through the efforts of Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington. After listening to a church sermon at Spokane’s Central Methodist Episcopal Church in 1909 about the newly recognized Mother’s Day, Dodd felt strongly that fatherhood needed recognition, as well.

She wanted a celebration that honored fathers like her own father, William Smart, a Civil War veteran who was left to raise his family alone when his wife died giving birth to their sixth child when Sonora was 16 years old.

The following year with the assistance of Reverend Dr. Conrad Bluhm, her pastor at Old Centenary Presbyterian Church (now Knox Presbyterian Church), Sonora took the idea to the Spokane YMCA. The Spokane YMCA, along with the Ministerial Alliance, endorsed Dodd’s idea and helped it spread by celebrating the first Father’s Day in 1910.

Red Roses And White Roses

Sonora suggested her father’s birthday, June 5th, be established as the day to honor all Father’s. However, the pastors wanted more time to prepare, so on June 19, 1910, young members of the YMCA went to church wearing roses: a red rose to honor a living father, and a white rose to honor a deceased one.

It took many years to make the holiday official. In spite of support from the YWCA, and churches, Father’s Day ran the risk of disappearing from the calendar. Where Mother’s Day was met with enthusiasm, Father’s Day was often met with laughter. The holiday was gathering attention slowly, but for the wrong reasons.

It was the target of much satire, parody and derision, including jokes from the local newspaper Spokesman-Review. Many people saw it as the first step in filling the calendar with mindless promotions.

The US Congress Was Not Helpful

A bill to accord national recognition of the holiday was introduced in Congress in 1913. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson went to Spokane to speak in a Father’s Day celebration and wanted to make it official, but Congress resisted, fearing that it would become commercialized.

President Calvin Coolidge recommended in 1924 that the day be observed by the nation, but stopped short of issuing a national proclamation. Two earlier attempts to formally recognize the holiday had been defeated by Congress.

In 1957, Maine Senator Margaret Chase Smith wrote a proposal accusing Congress of ignoring fathers for 40 years while honoring mothers, thus “singling out just one of our two parents.” In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson issued the first presidential proclamation honoring fathers, designating the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day.

Congress finally got on boaad six years later; the day was made a permanent national holiday when President Richard Nixon signed it into law in 1972.

This year, 2010, is the Father’s Day Centennial. Spokane Washington has events scheduled all month long. Celebration occurs in Spokane with a month of events commemorating the day.

Mike

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