Elizabeth's Blog - ELizabeth Mahusay

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Happy New Year!

January 21, 2021

I hope this finds you enjoying a great end to 2020 and filled with hopeful anticipation for 2021! We've had a challenging year, but God has seen us through. As my last newsletter, I've labored over what to write. How can I express all that is in my heart! My mind is flooded with images of your faces, the conversations shared, the prayers offered, and the lives impacted. What I know is that my heart is full. Full of love for each of you. Full of respect for your fortitude in the face of all the challenges we've experienced over my time serving. Full of awe for your selflessness. Full of wonder for how you care for aging parents, or manage single motherhood, or juggle multiple children's schedules, or support your husband, or work a full-time or part-time job doing one or more those things. Full of gratitude for how you've loved me, served alongside of me, encouraged me, and supported my vision for the Women's Ministry.
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Obeying the Voice of God

November 30, 2020

“Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice.” I love this translation of 1 Samuel 15:22. The prophet Samuel was in the middle of a rebuke of King Saul. Earlier in the chapter, Samuel had given very clear instructions on what the Lord required of King Saul, but he did not obey. Samuel asked, “Why did you not obey the Lord?” Saul replied, “But I did obey the Lord.” (1 Samuel 15:19-20) Saul obeyed some of what God said and then set out to justify his actions. Some might argue that his partial obedience is better than complete disobedience, but in God’s eyes partial obedience is disobedience. I’ve also heard it said that delayed obedience is the same as disobedience. Ouch! I know that I have been guilty of both of those scenarios. What about you? Today, my heart is to encourage you to be fully and immediately obedient to the voice of God.
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Discerning the Voice of God

November 30, 2020

I love hearing the sound of waves on the shoreline of a beach. Whether the wind brings them crashing in, or calmer weather causes them to gently lap the sand, there is a consistency, a repetition to waves that fascinates me. I find myself listening for their rhythm and discernible pattern. “Crash!” The waves impact the shore and are drawn back out to sea. “Crash!” The white foam of the waves crests, then diminishes as the sand absorbs the blow. To me, the sound of waves is a ministry to my mind. I deal with tinnitus, which is a loud ringing in my ears. At its worst, tinnitus can bring on a panic attack. But it’s best managed when I am able to focus my brain on something other than the annoying ringing. Listening to waves helps me do that. Truly, their sound is a ministry to my soul and mind.
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Decide to Decide

August 13, 2020

Sunsets are one of my favorite things. I love the vast array of hues that a sunset paints onto the sky. I'm always amazed at how quickly the sun goes from what seems like a huge ball of fiery oranges and reds, to a small dot quickly escaping over the horizon. Sometimes our window for decision making can feel like that as well. There is a decision that needs to be made and it feels like a huge blinding ball of what ifs, what thens, and other questions of uncertainty. Yet, just as quickly as the sun goes down, our time to decide can also feel like it is quickly escaping our grasp, our view, or our opportunity to "get it right." Who can relate to the desire to get it "right"? That has been on my mind since I last wrote. You see decisions are before each of us and there comes a time where we need to decide to decide the direction we will take.
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Heat Can Refine or Ruin

July 31, 2020

I grabbed the shot above from our front steps one afternoon when it had reached 100 degrees feeling like 104. It was a couple of weeks ago. We have entered what is typically our hottest season here in Texas. Likely for you as well regardless of where you are while reading it. Many resort to pool time, staying in the air conditioning, while others are sunbathing to develop that golden tan. The question I want us pondering today is how do we respond to the "heat" of God's work in our lives? You see in life heat can refine and it can ruin. It is all in how it is applied. In the kitchen if I neglect to watch the amount of heat on the dish I am cooking, the heat can ruin it because it burns to the bottom of the pan. But in gas production, heat is a critical component of refining oil so that we have the fuel we need to drive our vehicles.
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Welcome to Summer!

June 13, 2020

2020 is almost half over and in many ways it feels like we've experienced a years worth of life in these last few months. How did you spend the weeks of shelter in place? How did God show Himself faithful to you during your extended time at home? What hopeful anticipation do you have for the months ahead? These are all questions I'd love to ask you if we could sit down over coffee or tea at my favorite hangout, Sweetwaters Coffee and Tea, located off Custer and Stacy Road. Here is an overview of how I would answer each one. As far as ministry, my time was spent looking for creative ways to encourage you online. How did God show Himself faithful? Well, going live everyday for weeks and developing a podcast style interview allowed me to get to know more of the Cottonwood women! As a church we have improved our online offerings, and we have hopeful anticipation for how God will use these new online offerings to share the hope of the Gospel well beyond our local community!
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Moms are difference makers.

May 25, 2020

Moms are difference makers. It has been our tradition at Cottonwood to honor you on Mother's day during the service, and then give you a gift as you exit. Since we are meeting online right now, we wanted a way to honor all moms through giving a special gift to a community ministry. Be sure to watch the preservice video this weekend to see and hear how the Cottonwood family is making a difference in our community in honor of moms! Speaking of mothers, I am sure if we could sit across from each other over coffee or tea, there would be plenty of conversation over memories of our mother's raising us into the women we are today. In the good, the bad, and let's face it - the sometimes ugly, our moms did the best they could to equip us for life. With each passing year of our boys growing and maturing, I have a whole new appreciation for my own moms.
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What we see in the mirror…

April 25, 2020

I have spent the last year pondering mirrors and what they mean in our lives. How they impact us, influence us, and often instigate poor thinking in our minds. As women we likely see our reflection hundreds of times a day. The messages we allow to develop our self-image can radically impact what we see in our reflection. I was honored to share a five-minute message on this topic for the Chapel Sessions that Bridgette Hammers and Creek Worship are producing! I invite you to take the time to click the link and watch.
Chapel Session: Living A Life That Reflects Christ
Watch another Chapel Session with Creek Worship and learn how to live a life that reflects Christ with our Women's Minister, Elizabeth Mahusay.#cottonwoodfamily #chapelsessions #creekworship
Posted by Cottonwood Creek Church on Friday, April 10, 2020
I also want to encourage you to join in the Transform My Thinking, God Bible study that will air on cottonwoodcreek.tv Mondays at 8pm starting April 20th! The videos stand-alone but if you want to complete the Bible study, you can purchase a book on Amazon by clicking the title above. I'll be on live chat during the lessons to engage you!
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In Times Like These...

March 26, 2020

So much has happened since I last wrote to you. I was rereading the opening letter from last month and feeling the hopeful expectation of God moving as we prepared for our 2020 Vision Women's Conference. And then COVID-19 began surfacing in the news. Here we are multiple days into a quarantine and there is still so much uncertainty swirling around us. And thus my title, "In Time Like These." You see, God keeps bringing this hymn to my mind throughout the day. It has so much truth for our present-day circumstances. I've provided the lyrics below. Please take the time to read them. In times like these you need a Savior In times like these you need an anchor Be very sure, be very sure Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock! Chorus This Rock is Jesus, Yes He's the One This Rock is Jesus, the only One Be very sure, be very sure Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!
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Breathe: Take Every Thought Captive

January 1, 2020

Vision for Right Thinking Welcome to 2020! A year sure to be filled with metaphors relating to vision. See your future with clarity. Focus your attention on achieving your goals. Check your spiritual eye sight. Vision is one of the primary senses God gifts us with so we can interact with the world. When our vision is poor we look for ways to correct the cause. I've worn glasses for a long time so I know the value of corrective lenses. I wear my glasses to read better, drive safely, see people and objects with greater detail. The vision FROM my glasses makes a difference in my life. I want us to apply this concept of corrective vision to our spiritual lives. God's Word provides needed correction in our lives because God's Word corrects our thinking. Romans 12:1-2 helps us. "Present your bodies as a living sacrifice for this is your reasonable act of worship.
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Family Photo

November 30, 2019

This fall we've focused on Hebrews 6:19 - 20a. "This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God's inner sanctuary. Jesus has already gone in there for us." I've enjoyed pondering and writing about the need for our anchoring! This time of year it is easy to feel like we are being carried away by shopping, parties, hosting family, and all the other busyness that fills our days. We need to be sure we remain anchored in Jesus. Jesus is the reason for the season, AND He is the reason for every other season. Jesus is the baby born in Bethlehem, AND the Son of Man crucified to take away our sins. Jesus is our resurrected Savior, AND He is our anchor for today and forever. May this Christmas and New Year give you many opportunities to reflect on all the ways Jesus is your anchor.
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Anchored in Thankfulness

November 29, 2019

We are focusing on being anchored this fall and our focal passage is Hebrews 6:19 - 20a. "This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God's inner sanctuary. Jesus has already gone in there for us." Let's review what we have covered so far. Jesus is our anchor! Jesus secured our anchor in "God's inner sanctuary." Jesus compels hopeful expectancy. This month we focus on the need to have anchored thankfulness. It seems easy to be thankful when our lives are good, when people are kind, generous, consistent, and gracious. But, what happens when life is hard, people are mean, finances are lean, and unmet expectations dominate our days? That is when thankfulness is of the utmost importance. Let's look at three important areas to show thankfulness. Thankful for God's Past Mercy Psalm 136 repeats over and over again, "Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, His mercy endures forever." The Psalmist recounts many of the ways God had shown mercy to the Israelites and it compelled him to give thanks.
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Anchored in Hopeful Expectancy

November 29, 2019

We are focusing on being anchored this fall and our focal passage is Hebrews 6:19 - 20a. "This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God's inner sanctuary. Jesus has already gone in there for us." Let's review what we have covered so far. Jesus is our anchor! Jesus secured our anchor in "God's inner sanctuary." This month I want to focus on something that has been a huge difference maker in my life - Hopeful Expectancy! When Jesus is our hope and we know that He has secured our anchor we can cultivate hopeful expectancy in our lives. Hopeful means feeling or inspiring optimism on a future event. Expectancy is thinking or hoping that something positive will happen. Here is how I've learned to define hopeful expectancy. Because of who Jesus is, what Jesus has done, and all that Jesus has promised to do, I can anchor my mind on an optimistic and positive outcome in every situation.
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Hope is an Anchor

October 1, 2019

Hebrews 6:19 - 20a states, "This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God's inner sanctuary. Jesus has already gone in there for us." Last month we established our need for Jesus, our anchor! The question I want to answer this month, is to what are we anchored? The imagery used here by the author of Hebrews is that of a ship entering into a harbor where it can securely drop anchor. Our harbor is "God's inner sanctuary." Jesus has already gone in there. Jesus secures our anchor there. Our hope is strong and trustworthy because we aren't hoping in a theory. We aren't hoping in a religious system. We aren't hoping in doing enough, being enough, giving enough in order to prove ourselves acceptable to God. No! Our hope is in the salvation Jesus secured for us (John 3:16, Romans 10:9).
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Anchored

September 11, 2019

What a joy to write to you as we close out summer and gear up for fall. We are blessed to know Who holds our fall. As a matter of fact, God knows the details of every victory, every challenge, every loss, and every disappointment we will face. We can have hopeFULL anticipation of how He will use each and every detail! Starting this fall I am introducing a theme for each season. This goal is that our theme provides overall vision as we connect, worship, and serve together. The Lord impressed upon my spirit to choose Anchored for the fall. An anchor serves an important purpose for a boater especially when it is necessary to hold the boat in one place. My dad was a commercial fisherman for 10 year and I weathered many bad storms on an anchored boat. Imagine your life is like a boat on a storm-tossed sea.
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Summer of Freedom

July 31, 2019

He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me. ~Psalm 18:19 I pray your summer has been wonderful. I'd love to sit down with you and find out how God brought opportunities for you to practice dependence and rejoicing. As I considered my encouragement for this month, I came across Psalm 18:19. It was sometime right after 4th of July and freedom was on my mind. I started thinking about how greater dependence and greater rejoicing can lead to greater freedom! Yet many of us feel imprisoned. Imprisoned by an overrun schedule that we try to convince ourselves we can manage by controlling everyone and everything. Imprisoned in what feels like a life of drudgery, a missing significance, or a fear of going unnoticed by those around us. The walls feel like they are closing in around us and we have no place to run!
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Summer of Rejoicing

July 2, 2019

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say rejoice! Rejoicing has been on my mind. Not just rejoicing when all seems right with my world, but rejoicing when the world would say all is NOT right in my world. We are traveling through some challenging times in our family. There are days, that if I am not making a conscious effort to look to Jesus, I can feel overwhelmed, isolated, and weary. Here's the thing. I am good at putting on "the face." You know what I am talking about - the "I am just fine face. I am smiling so you won't notice face." But, God has not called us to a life of putting on "the face" but of rejoicing! It is a conscious choice to rejoice in the present moment, with my present circumstances, while placing my future uncertainties securely in God's hands. Here are some things I am learning about rejoicing.
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Summer of Dependence

May 1, 2019

I started and stopped this opening encouragement multiple times. As I stepped away last night and began preparing for bed, I prayed and asked God what He wanted you to read. After all, I serve at His pleasure and for His glory. It is His message and my job is to be a yielded deliverer of it. I was reminded that I am called to dependence. Here's the thing. Dependence is hard for me. I lean toward self-sufficiency and independence. If I am not careful, God becomes an afterthought to my checklist mentality. The satisfactory feeling I have from accomplishing something becomes an idol that replaces seeking God's will, waiting on God's timing, and giving God the credit! What about you? I am prayerful we each make this summer one of greater dependence! May Psalm 62:5 (pictured below) be our daily prayer so that it becomes a daily declaration! Because when we choose to depend on Him then we can enjoy the peace that comes from the truths expressed in verses 6 - 8.
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Fearfully & Wonderfully Made

April 1, 2019

As women we are bombarded with attacks on who we are: our appearance, our ability, our roles as wife, mother, sister, friend, and coworker. Psalm 139 (pictured below) is one my favorite sources of truth to fight the battle for my thoughts. As believers, we each need to be confident in who we are and whose we are. Here are some simple steps you can take today to capture negative thoughts and make them obedient to Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:4-5) Be alert and sober minded. 1 Peter 1:8 tells us that "our adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour!" Consider what you are thinking. Is it true or is it a lie? A great way to know truth is to see if you can connect it to scripture. Is there a scripture to support believing that thought? If there isn't then make sure you consider carefully before allowing it to hang out in your mind.
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Everything We Need

March 22, 2019

2 Peter 3:3 says, "For by His divine power, He has given us everything we need for life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness" (emphasis mine). As we began planning Night of Worship, we wanted our emphasis to align with the Building Blocks of Faith sermon series. As I meditated on 2 Peter 1 the phrase, "everything we need" stood out to me. Have you ever read something and words seem to leap off the page? Or you pass a sign and a word or phrase seems to be shouting at you? "EVERYTHING WE NEED" is the shout I was hearing. It is hard to escape those words so I want to highlight each one. EVERYTHING we need in our lives, our marriages, our parenting, our jobs, our friendships is ours. Notice the past tense of "He has given us." God has already given us everything we need by His divine power.

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🦋Christian Author
💥Keynote Speaker
🏅Elite Sales & Leadership Coach
👣Follower of Jesus that encourages others to #TransformtheirThinking.

Unlock the power of growth with these actionable mindset shifts! From embracing challenges to celebrating every effort, which of these tips speaks to you? Drop a comment with your pick or tag someone who embodies the spirit of growth. Together, let`s cultivate a community of endless potential! #CultivateGrowth #MindsetMatters

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Unlock the power of growth with these actionable mindset shifts! From embracing challenges to celebrating every effort, which of these tips speaks to you? Drop a comment with your pick or tag someone who embodies the spirit of growth. Together, let's cultivate a community of endless potential! #CultivateGrowth #MindsetMatters

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Fuel your journey with the power of dreams. They`re not just idle thoughts; they`re essential for any meaningful success. 🌟 #ElizabethMahusay #ThinkingThatMatters #DreamToSucceed

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Fuel your journey with the power of dreams. They`re not just idle thoughts; they`re essential for any meaningful success. 🌟 #ElizabethMahusay #ThinkingThatMatters #DreamToSucceed ...

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Happy Friday, everyone! As we`re cruising towards the weekend, we`re curious: How are YOU wrapping up your week? We`ve spun our Wrap-Up Wheel to see where we land, and it`s pointing at `Reflecting on Achievements`. What about you? Spin the wheel in your mind and drop your `landing spot` in the comments below! Let`s share, inspire, and motivate each other to end our week on a high note. #WrapUpWheel #FridayFeeling #WeekendVibes

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Happy Friday, everyone! As we're cruising towards the weekend, we're curious: How are YOU wrapping up your week? We've spun our Wrap-Up Wheel to see where we land, and it's pointing at 'Reflecting on Achievements'. What about you? Spin the wheel in your mind and drop your 'landing spot' in the comments below! Let's share, inspire, and motivate each other to end our week on a high note. #WrapUpWheel #FridayFeeling #WeekendVibes

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For those wanting to further explore the connection of our faith with how we show up in the world to pursue our dreams, check out Elizabeth’s Bible Study, "Mirror Image." This enlightening journey invites you to see yourself as a reflection of God`s grace, embodying the essence of Christ in every step you take. It`s a call to embrace the divine blueprint within you, to dissolve the shadows of doubt, and to step into the light of your true potential. As you turn each page, allow the words to be a mirror that reveals not just who you are, but who God created you to be. Remember, within you lies a dream, divinely inspired, waiting to unfold. Let "Mirror Image" be the key that unlocks that vision, transforming your doubts into the dust from which your dreams take flight.

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For those wanting to further explore the connection of our faith with how we show up in the world to pursue our dreams, check out Elizabeth’s Bible Study, "Mirror Image." This enlightening journey invites you to see yourself as a reflection of God's grace, embodying the essence of Christ in every step you take. It's a call to embrace the divine blueprint within you, to dissolve the shadows of doubt, and to step into the light of your true potential. As you turn each page, allow the words to be a mirror that reveals not just who you are, but who God created you to be. Remember, within you lies a dream, divinely inspired, waiting to unfold. Let "Mirror Image" be the key that unlocks that vision, transforming your doubts into the dust from which your dreams take flight.

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Master the art of networking. Networking is more than just exchanging business cards; it`s about creating genuine connections that flourish over time. Learn how to engage effectively, listen actively, and follow up purposefully to build a network that resonates with your professional vision. Swipe left to unlock the doors to a community where synergy and collaboration drive success.

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Master the art of networking. Networking is more than just exchanging business cards; it's about creating genuine connections that flourish over time. Learn how to engage effectively, listen actively, and follow up purposefully to build a network that resonates with your professional vision. Swipe left to unlock the doors to a community where synergy and collaboration drive success.

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Leaders, it`s time for a heart-to-heart. We know the pressures, the deadlines, the targets. But let`s not forget: our greatest asset walks out the door each evening. How are we nurturing that? This is about more than just results; it`s about building a team that`s resilient, connected, and driven by more than just the bottom line. If you`re ready to lead with heart, to truly invest in your team`s growth—both professionally and personally—let`s start that conversation. Click to explore how we can transform together. Because true leadership is about lifting others as we climb. #LeadWithHeart #BeyondTheBottomLine #TeamFirstLeadership

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Leaders, it's time for a heart-to-heart. We know the pressures, the deadlines, the targets. But let's not forget: our greatest asset walks out the door each evening. How are we nurturing that? This is about more than just results; it's about building a team that's resilient, connected, and driven by more than just the bottom line. If you're ready to lead with heart, to truly invest in your team's growth—both professionally and personally—let's start that conversation. Click to explore how we can transform together. Because true leadership is about lifting others as we climb. #LeadWithHeart #BeyondTheBottomLine #TeamFirstLeadership

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Celebrating a milestone with Episode 50: 🌟 Leadership Impact 🌟 Dive deep into the essence of transformative leadership where purpose, prayer, and divine power converge. This isn`t just another episode; it`s a pivotal journey to elevate your leadership with a blend of spiritual depth and practical wisdom. Are you ready to lead with unwavering conviction and grace? Join us, and let`s transform the way we lead, together. ✨ #EmpoweredLeadership #PurposeDriven #SpiritLedImpact

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Celebrating a milestone with Episode 50: 🌟 Leadership Impact 🌟 Dive deep into the essence of transformative leadership where purpose, prayer, and divine power converge. This isn't just another episode; it's a pivotal journey to elevate your leadership with a blend of spiritual depth and practical wisdom. Are you ready to lead with unwavering conviction and grace? Join us, and let's transform the way we lead, together. ✨ #EmpoweredLeadership #PurposeDriven #SpiritLedImpact

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Sometimes it is hard to reconcile the amount of time that has passed. There are some precious memories in this look back. Fred Mahusay Kelley Hunziker Parker Hank Parker Brandon NolenAnthony MahusayTracey Long

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Sometimes it is hard to reconcile the amount of time that has passed. There are some precious memories in this look back. Fred Mahusay Kelley Hunziker Parker Hank Parker Brandon NolenAnthony MahusayTracey Long

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