May 1, 2026

One Thing Remains

October 6, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Higher than the mountains that I face
Stronger than the power of the grave
Constant through the trial and the change
One thing…remains

Your love never fails, never gives up
Never runs out on me
On and on and on and on it goes
It overwhelms and satisfies my soul
And I never, ever, have to be afraid
One thing remains

In death, In life, I’m confident and
covered by the power of Your great love
My debt is paid, there’s nothing that can
separate my heart from Your great love…

Written by: Brian Johnson, Christa Black Gifford and Jeremy Riddle
Performed by Jesus Culture

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And I am convinced that NOTHING can ever separate us from God’s love.
Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—NOT EVEN THE POWERS OF HELL can separate us from God’s love.
No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, NOTHING in all creation
will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38-39 NLT

Go back and read those two verses again. And again…and again.  Until it completely sinks in that NOTHING can or will EVER separate us from God’s love. When all else fails, when everyone else abandons you, when sin has defeated you His love STILL remains!  Is that not the most comforting, reassuring thought ever?!?  No matter how far we have fallen, no matter what our past or present looks like, we can never fall out of the reach of His love.  Neither can our loved ones.  We are all held tightly in His hand and our names are written on His palm.

I give them eternal life, and they will never perish—ever!
No one will snatch them out of My hand.
John 10:28 HCSB

Behold, I have indelibly imprinted [engraved, inscribed (tattooed a picture of)
you on the palm of each of My hands;
Isaiah 49:16a AMP

What hope, what reassurance there is in each of these Scriptures!  Let us hold tightly to them.  Be confident in His great love and remember:

“Your love never fails, never gives up, never runs out on me!”

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Father, thank You for such a great love.  Thank You for the hope, the reassurance we find in these Scriptures.  Let us hold tightly to them and always be mindful of them, for NOTHING can separate us from Your love.  In Your Holy name we pray, Amen – It Is SO!!!

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

A Guiding Hand

October 5, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

A Guiding Hand

The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
and all of them are righteous.
They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
They are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the honeycomb.
Psalms 19:7-10

My son has been learning about Moses and the Ten Commandments at church on Wednesday nights. I was probably about his age when I was first introduced to them myself. When I stop to think about them, I always imagine Charlton Heston playing Moses in the movie, The Ten Commandments, and receiving the tablets from God. Just seeing the fear on Moses’s (Heston’s) face is enough to invoke trembling in anyone’s mind.

When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.” Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”
Exodus 20:19-20

When Moses came down from the Mount, the people could tell that he had seen and talked with God. They themselves became scared. They had been trembling in fear when the thunder and lightning and the trumpet sounded. They knew that Moses had spoken to God, but they were afraid to speak to God themselves. They told Moses they would listen to what God said if Moses spoke it to them.

God gave His people His perfect Law through Moses. Moses’s face radiated the glory of God when he descended from the Mount with the Ten Commandments—the same commandments that many people are fighting over displaying today. God made these Laws to help guide us and protect us from the temptation of sin. His Laws are firm just like those of parents’ rules for their children.

God knew what human nature was like even before Adam and Eve bit the forbidden fruit. God knew that without guidance that man would fall into sin and not be able to return Him. It is wonderful to know that we have a God Who already knows about us and knows how to guide and take care of us.

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Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your guiding hand. Without it we would surely be stuck in slavery to sin. You are always with us and always showing Your love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Holy

October 5, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

What heart could hold the weight of Your love
And know the heights of Your great worth
What eyes could look on Your glorious face
Shining like the sun

You are holy, holy, holy
God most high and God most worthy
You are holy, holy, holy
Jesus, You are
Jesus, You are

Your name alone has power to raise us
Your light will shine when all else fades
Our eyes will look on Your glorious face
Shining like the sun
Who is like You, God?

Who shall we say You are
You’re the living God
Who shall we say You are
You’re the Great I AM
The highest name of all
You’re all You say You are

And You shall come again in glory
To judge the living and the dead
All eyes will look on Your glorious face
Shining like the sun
Who is like You, God?

 Singer/Songwriter: Matt Redman

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To me, this song is simply telling God Who He really is. He is holy and He is worthy of our praise. He is glorious and He is the Most High. What is He to you? As you listen to this song, try to really press in to Him and figure out what God is to you.

He can be a Stronghold, to replace the holds of the flesh. If you’re struggling with an addiction or you have simply placed life in front of Him, let Him be your all.

He can be your Provider. He is always our Provider, maybe you are struggling financially and you are crying out to Him today asking for His favor on your finances, He is able to do so much more than we can even ask. Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now to Him Who is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us.”  And Romans 4:21, “Being fully persuaded that God had the power to do what He had promised.”  What do you need today?

Maybe He is Your Holy God, the light in your life that helps you make it day to day. He is light in this dark world and hope to all Who know Him. He is God the Father and God the Son and God the Spirit. He is all You need and He fulfills and gives strength to the weary. And He loves each one of us so much. Unconditionally forgives and forgets all our wrongs. All we have to do is ask!

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19

Surely God is my Help; the Lord is the One Who sustains me.
Psalm 54:4

Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His presence continually.
1 Chronicles 16:11

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Let us pray:  Dear God, You are amazing and awesome! You are worthy of all praise and worship. You are everything to us. You meet our every need and You never change. Thank You so much for meeting our every need and for the promises in Your Word that we can go to in times of doubt and see where You came through for Moses and Jacob—and You will do the same for us. And for the ones still trying to figure out exactly Who You are and where You fit in in there life, I pray that sooner than later they find You and really hear You.  And may we, the ones Who follow You, be the example for them to see.  We love You and we praise You.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Great Things

October 4, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

I will come with the mighty deeds of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness, Yours alone.
O God, You have taught me from my youth, and I still declare Your wondrous deeds.
And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake me,
Until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to all who are to come.
For Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the heavens,
You who have done great things; O God, who is like You?
You who have shown me many troubles and distresses will revive me again,
And will bring me up again from the depths of the earth.
May You increase my greatness and turn to comfort me.
Psalms 71:16-21

God has such a great love for us.  He holds no account of the wrongs we have done once we have confessed our sins to Him. God is so faithful to toss them away.  We are the ones that  holds onto so much unforgiveness.

God wants us to love as He does.  Without limits or conditions.  He also wants us to have confidence.  Confidence in God’s ability to rescue us from our troubles.  David knew God was there for him no matter what was going on. All David needed to do was talk to God and let Him take care of the situation.

God will even choose us to further His kingdom among the nations.  We so often limit what we could do by our self-doubt.  God wants us to look at things from His point of view.  A limitless future awaits us if we choose to follow the Holy Spirit.  We do not have to go overseas to serve.  We can serve from where we are.  We just have to be aware of His promptings. It could be our paying it forward to the wait staff or taking the time to pray for someone when you feel the tugging in your mind.  There have been too many stories of people getting out of situations when the odds seemed against them.  And all because of the pressing of the Holy Spirit to pray.

Father, thank you for your Holy Spirit. Thank you for watching over us everyday and for giving us new opportunities to get it right. Some of us know Your words and do not want to be like the Israelites that wondered the desert for 40 years because of unbelief and disobedience. Help us to know when we need to stop and listen to and for you. Help us choose to put away the things that will distract us from your word. Give us strength to say no and help us to have a peace that only you can bring. Thank you again, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

You Are, I AM

October 4, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I’ve been the one to shake with fear
And wonder if You’re even here
I’ve been the one to doubt Your love
I’ve told myself You’re not enough

I’ve been the one to try and say
I’ll overcome by my own strength
I’ve been the one to fall apart
And start to question who You are

You’re the one who conquers giants
You’re the one who calls out kings
You shut the mouths of lions
You tell the dead to breathe
You’re the one who walks through fire
You take the orphan’s hand
You are the one Messiah
You are I AM
You are I AM

I’ve been the one held down in chains
Beneath the weight of all my shame
I’ve been the one to believe
That where I am You cannot reach

The veil is torn
And now I live with the Spirit inside
The same One, the very same One
Who brought the Son back to life

Hallelujah, He lives in me

~ Mercy Me ~
singer/songwriters: Daniel Muckala, Jason Ingram, Seth Mosley, Robby Shaffer, Barry Graul, Jim Bryson, Bart Millard, M ike Scheuchzer, Nathan Cochran
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Do you ever feel like your life is just weighed down with many burdens?  Do you feel a great weight on your shoulders even though you have worked to take some of the pressure off?  Ever feel like you’re just walking around with imaginary chains wrapped around your body?  When sickness or other difficulties hit our lives, we can often feel this way.

Then Moses said to God, “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them,
‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’
What shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”;
and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.'”
God, furthermore, said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel,
‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac,
and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’
This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations.…”
Exodus 3:13-15

Moses had a lot on his shoulders when he became God’s deliverer for the Israelites enslaved in Egypt.  He had the job of delivering God’s message to Pharaoh and then leading Israel to the promised land.  He knew that he would be asked by the Israelites about who had sent him.  He needed a name.  So God said, “I AM WHO I AM” (verse 14).  Moses had a huge task ahead of him, but he had the greatest love and power aiding and shielding him in his mission—God, the great I AM.

Our God, the great I AM, loves us unconditionally.  He broke the chains of bondage of the Israelites by using Moses.  God broke the chains of sin and its consequence—death—by sacrificing His own blood through His son Jesus, so that we could be free from the tyranny of sin.  Instead of being chained to death, we, as Christians, can look forward to an eternal life in Heaven with our Father—the One who freed us from a life of slavery to sin and death.

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Dear Heavenly Father: Thank You for breaking the chains of slavery to sin.  Without Your freeing love and sacrifice, we would certainly burn in the consequences of sin. Thank You for loving us and giving us the life breath of eternity.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Maple-Roasted Chicken and Vegetables

October 3, 2014 by

Maple-Roasted Chicken and Vegetables resize

This recipe is one of those great finds:  Nutritious?  Absolutely…and Paleo too (if that’s your thing).  Easy?  You bet!  It’s a one-pot masterpiece with a quick prep time and easy clean-up.  Delicious?  Incredibly!  My family ate it all and there were no leftovers.  What is this delightful dinner?  Maple-Roasted Chicken and Vegetables!

For this recipe, you need chicken thighs with the bone and the skin still on.  Rubbed with a little olive oil, the skin crisps up and keeps the meat tender.  You can use whatever root vegetables you like.  I used baby carrots, Korean sweet potatoes (red skin with white flesh) and onions.  You could also try parsnips, turnips, butternut squash, apples, or even beets!  This recipe also calls for smoked paprika, which gives it a little smoky bite but not a lot of heat.  If you don’t have it, try a sprinkle of dried herbs instead, or even some curry powder!  Ready?  Let’s go!

Maple-Roasted Chicken and Vegetables

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds chicken thighs, bone-in, skin on
  • 1 cup baby carrots
  • 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into baby carrot-sized fingers
  • 1 onion, cut into small wedges
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika

Directions:

  1. Heat the oven to 400*F.  Use a large Dutch oven or large baking dish.  On the bottom of the pan, toss together the baby carrots, sliced sweet potato, and sliced onion.  Add one tablespoon olive oil and toss with the root vegetables.  Season with salt and pepper.
  2. Place the chicken thighs on top of the vegetables, skin side up.  Pat the skin dry with a paper towel.  Drip a little oil onto the thighs and rub it in with your fingers.  You want a thin coating of oil over all the skin.  Drizzle the maple syrup over the chicken, then season with salt, pepper, and the paprika.
  3. Cook uncovered for one hour or more, until the chicken registers at least 165*F on a meat thermometer.
  4. Serve with the vegetables.

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana

To view even more of Dana’s unique recipe, you can visit her at Frugal Girlmet!

Filed Under: At Home w/ GCH Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

When You Need Grace

October 3, 2014 by

encouragementbloggraphicromans15

Do you ever wonder where God is during all your comings and goings? Do you think that He is so into what He has planned for the world that He’s forgotten your daily life? You know that He wants to be with you more than anything else. He wants a relationship with you and to be included in your thoughts and plans, even the ones you think aren’t worth mentioning. I’m not saying that He doesn’t already know, He just loves to hear your voice when you talk with Him.

All relationships are give and take…and the one you have with God is no different. He gives and He takes. “What does He take?” you ask.  He takes and bears all of your burdens. Psalm 68:19 says that He intends to take our burdens. He wants you to lay them all at His feet because He is able to carry it all, yours and mine. He may not take it all away but He will definitely carry you all the way through.

Praise be to God our Savior, Who daily bears our burdens.
Psalm 68:19

Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you.
1 Peter 5:7 KJV

He takes our cares and worries and daily bears our burdens for us.  So what does the Lord give?  Mercy!  We can trade our hard times and burdens for His mercies.  He gives us compassion.  He gives us love.  He gives us patience and understanding.  He gives us His hand to hold onto, as a stronghold in place of our fleshly holds.  He gives us a new day, a new morning to start again, and He does it every single day!

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning, great is Your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22-23 NIV

So, it goes like this: We carry a backpack full of hard, difficult burdens. We add to it day in and day out. We fill it until one day we break and spill and we have lost all hope. We are in a dark place and we feel like God is not helping. Then He, in the form of the Holy Spirit, nudges us to let all of it go and trust Him with it. We, in turn, trade our burdens for His mercy.

I know that for far too long I went my own way. I let my strongholds completely control my life and I lost all of my ability to make choices. My flesh chose for me. I almost lost it all. But God! He was always there. Oh it didn’t happen overnight. It took me a long time to get to that hopeless place and it took a awhile to see the full hope. Slowly, the more that I relied on God and the more that I walked closely with Him, and the more I read His Word, I began to change and I laid it all at God’s feet and He gave me mercy and grace.

I got my “new mercies.”  I got to start over.  All because Jesus died to save us all from ourselves and God takes all our hard and bears it.  And you know what?  You can too!

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Let’s pray: Dear God, You are the Almighty God and You are awesome.  Your love bears all things and You give us so much.  You are able to do all things that we ask of You and so much more.  Great is Thy faithfulness!  Lord, we have all sinned and we have all carried our burdens for too long.  Today, we lay them at Your feet.  We ask that You take them from us.  We cannot do this alone anymore.  Give us Your mercy and grace, oh Lord.  Give us a heart to serve You.  And to love all Your children.  You are our Refuge and we are so grateful.  And, Lord, if there is anyone reading this today that needs Your grace today, help them to let their hurts go and to trust You today. Let them know there is hope in You.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Filed Under: encouragement Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Next Generation

October 3, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

With the mighty deeds of the Lord God I will come;
I will remind them of Your righteousness, Yours alone.
O God, from my youth You have taught me,
and I still proclaim Your wondrous deeds.
So even to old age and gray hairs,
O God, do not forsake me,
until I proclaim Your might to another generation,
Your power to all those to come.
Psalms 71:16-18

One of the biggest roles that we are charged with, especially when we become parents, is to raise up the next generation of God’s children in His name.  We are supposed to be teaching them how to live by God’s rules and to follow Him.  For many of our older children (school age and beyond) that means attending a church with a good youth group and youth activities.  These groups can be fundamental in growing our youth into godly young adults.  Our youth are one of the greatest things that a church can invest in.

God is with us from the time we are born.  The first teachers He gives us is our parents. They are the first ones to teach us about God and Jesus.  Then as we grow up, we are introduced to the members of the church we attend: ministers, Sunday School teachers, peers, and other adults.  As a group we learn about God and pass on the teachings of God from the older to the younger generation.  The older generation proclaims the greatness of God and pass these proclamations on to the younger generation.

The glory of young men is their strength, and the honor of old men is their gray hair.
Proverbs 20:29

God is glorified when we pass our knowledge of Him and Jesus on to the younger generation that are being raised in the church.  It is an honor to be able to lead the younger generation into the ranks of God’s children.  The younger generation brings strength and vigor to our churches.  The older generation brings wisdom.  The older generation guides the younger generation as they take their rightful place in God’s family.

A solid and good children’s program and youth group is one of the reasons my husband and I chose to attend the church we attend today.  We have seen many of the youth leave our church and be productive both for God and our country.  The leaders of the children and the youth are great, and they have our children’s best interest at heart—just as parents do for their own.

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Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the godly people You have put in our family’s life. In today’s world it takes more than a parent’s positive influence to raise a child. Putting godly examples in front of our children helps us to guide our children in the way that You would have them go. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Little Ol’ Me

October 3, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

 

Well I was just a kid coming up those steps
All dressed up in my Sunday best
Learning to sing, learning to stand
Right in the front, holding mamma’s hand
I still remember listening to my dad
Even if I didn’t always understand
Cause deep in his heart, deep in his soul
There was a fire that I wanted to know
And those memories are still burning brightly
Oh Jesus how I love the way You’re writing my life

However could it be, to have a part in your story
Bigger than what I can see, little old me, little old me
I may not know Your plan but I’m safe here in Your hands
Cause I know that You believe, in little old me, little old me

Walking through the halls on my way to class
Caught my reflection in the trophy glass
Who was this girl, trying to be
And who in the world is she trying to please
Suddenly ignited by a spark I hear my Savior’s voice speaking right to my heart
“Don’t give up now, and don’t be afraid, you know who you are,
you got something to say”
And those memories are still burning brightly
Oh Jesus how I love the way You’re writing my life

Turning the page, I’m up on stage
But I’m still a kid in a lot of ways
So many dreams, that are coming true
But Lord when they see me, I hope they see You
Nothing but You
(God I know, I know You got big plans for me)
Little old me, little old me

Singer/Songwriter: Jamie Grace Harper along with Morgan H. Nichols, Juan Otero, Joel Parisien
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“Suddenly ignited by a spark I hear my Savior’s voice speaking right to my heart, ‘Don’t give up now, and don’t be afraid, you know who you are…’ “

Do we REALLY believe who God says we are??  Would we walk our walk with Him differently…fully confident with our head held high KNOWING we are more than conquerors??  God never meant for us to be living a defeated life and walking around in despair.

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Romans 8:31 NIV

As long as we have God on our side there is never a reason to lose hope in any situation.  Our hope is in Him.

I pray that God, the Source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace
because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope
through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13 NLT

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Heavenly Father, may we never lose sight of the hope that we have in You and knowing with full confidence that ‘if You are for us WHO can be against us’.  Thank You for the promise in Jesus’ name.  AMEN!!!!

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Until The End

October 2, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Since my youth, God, You have taught me, and to this day I declare Your marvelous deeds.
Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God,
till I declare Your power to the next generation, Your mighty acts to all who are to come.
Psalms 71:17-18

Learning is one of those things that we are going to be doing continually. It never ends! Although, there are some things that you learn that you don’t have to keep learning—like walking—many of the areas in our lives are going to be slightly repetitive.

At one of my jobs I feel like I’ve mastered my job duties and everything is beginning to seem repetitive. To me this is the worst thing that could happen, because I need newness in all areas of my life. When I feel I’ve mastered something, I become disinterested. Oddly enough, in my walk with God, I don’t have this problem. I sometimes long for the day when God will say that I’ve mastered it all…that I’ve mastered life! Funny notion, don’t you think?

Since my youth, God, You have taught me, and to this day I declare Your marvelous deeds.
Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God,
till I declare Your power to the next generation, Your mighty acts to all who are to come.
Psalms 71:17-18

Since the beginning of my relationship with the Lord, I have been aware of all the lessons God has taught me and the blessings He has bestowed upon me. Learning to, and then continuing to, share all the Lord has done for me is a constant struggle. Some days I will pray that the Lord will give me the opportunity to share Him and then that He would give me the courage to follow through. Other days, I am not so brave and want to just curl up in a ball and be left alone.

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.
No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket.
Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.
In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see,
so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”
Matthew 5:14-16

God wants us to share Him until the very end. Learning about God and sharing God are two things in our spiritual walks that just do not end…rather…should not end.

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Lord, help me to remember that as long as I am alive on this here earth my goal is to shine for You. May I keep the flame burning for You and continue to move forward each day. Amen.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , ,
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