Matthew 5:3 r “Blessed are s the poor in spirit, for u theirs is the kingdom of heaven.4 “Blessed are v those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.5 “Blessed are the w meek, for they w shall inherit the earth.6 “Blessed are those who hunger and x thirst y for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.7 “Blessed are z the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.8 “Blessed are a the pure in heart, for b they shall see God.9 “Blessed are c the peacemakers, for d they shall be called e sons [1]of God.10 f “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, foru theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 g “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely h on my account. 12 i Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for j so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Sermon Manuscript: A Place Called Hope
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Thursday, July 2, 2009
BACK PACK and SCHOOL SUPPLY DRIVE
First United Methodist Church of Andover is having a MAD Summer! MAD=Making a Difference BACK PACK and SCHOOL SUPPLY DRIVE We will be collecting new back packs and school supplies this summer to help children in need for the upcoming school year. We will have large containers to collect the items available in the children’s hallway. We will be handing out these backpacks and school supplies on August 1, 2009 in the Woodhill Subdivision. We will also need help with the event that morning. We will keep you posted. Here is what we are collecting: Backpacks: both clear and colored. Pencils, Pens, Crayons, Map Pencils, Note Book Paper, Pencil pouches, Erasers, Rounded Scissors (small), Bottles of Glue and Construction Paper. Anyone wanting to financially donate to this project, please contact Lisa Michelle Wilson Lisa@1stumc.orgor 859-797-2651.
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Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Practical Tips for Christian Parenting- Lisa Michelle Wilson
Teach Your Child to Pray for Others When Kevin was four he noticed a woman I knew in a neck brace and prayed, “Dear Jesus, please help the lady with the neck cast to get it off.” I thought the prayer was cute and mentioned it to the woman. A couple of weeks later Kevin received a letter, “Dear Kevin. Since you prayed for me I haven’t had to wear my neck brace. Thank you.” “God answered my prayer!” Kevin shouted as he danced around the room. It is a special when God answers a child’s prayers and he gets a new bicycle, but nothing can match the joy a child experiences when God answers his prayers for someone else. Help your child make a prayer list. Encourage him to pray systematically for others; teach him to claim Bible promises for those in need; keep a prayer diary and remind your youngster to thank God for answers. It won’t take your child long to find a new friend in God when he begins talking creatively with Him, sharing what’s really current in his thoughts or feelings and telling God about his other friends and loved ones. Why not encourage your child to have a little talk with God right now?
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Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Devotional Thought from Shannon
Love Your Enemies? In the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew Chapter 5-7, we find some of the most direct teachings Christ Jesus gives us during his ministry on Earth. But it’s one specfic teaching, that of loving our enemies, that has been among the hardest to put into practice. You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.Matthew 5:43-48 (NIV) Love is something we do quite easily. We love our family, our friends, perhaps even where we live, our job, or maybe even our favorite sports team or some other hobby. These are easy loves. While each individually may provide their own specfic challenges or frustrations, for the most part they are easy to love because the love that we give is being returned to us as well. But there are those that are difficult to love. These are the people that might be a thorn in our sides. We can all think of people that have been or continue to be difficult to love. I can think of a few, such as those who used to riddicule me in school and also my step-father growing up. It’s not easy to love these people, who are our enemies, because the bonds of a relationship have been shattered or broken. Yet, we are called to love our enemies, to pray for them even. This summer as we consider what it means to make a difference in our own lives and the lives of those around us and our communities, I can think of no better way to do so that by looking at our enemies through the lens of love instead of hatred or bitterness. To do so opens the door for change, healing, and restoration, not just in the lives of our enemies but in our own lives as well. So how are we to love our enemies? This is something for us to think about and consider as we work through what it means to make a difference in our lives and the lives of those around us. If we can begin to look at our enemies not through the lens of hate, but through that of love then we can begin the work of truly promoting transformation and cooperation in the lives of all. Perhaps no one in the history of the American church articulated it better, what it means to love our enemies than Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In a November 17, 1957 sermon, King addressed the importance of loving our enemies and the transformation and healing that can take place when we do so. He also offers some practical steps on how to love our enemies, as well. I invite you to read King’s sermon on loving our enemies and consider these three questions as you do so. Who are the enemies (people, institutions, etc.) in my life? Why do I consider them an enemy? What would it mean to love them as God so desires? I pray that as you do your heart will be open to looking at those who frustrate us the most in a new and loving way. MLK Sermon on Enemies: http://www.mlkonline.net/
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Shannon Blosser
mountaineer.wordpress.com
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Monday, June 29, 2009
WebSite Statistics

With June just about finished, we wanted to post the latest statistics on unique visitors and page views. The trend over the past 10 months has been decidedly upward. What this tells us is that more and more of us are getting information about Andover from the site. It is working! More of us are using this medium as a means to connect Sunday to Sunday which is a big hope of ours this year.
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Sunday, June 28, 2009
Miscellaneous Thoughts...
1) Summer is in full swing and I for one am thankful for the change of pace. It has been just as busy, but a different type of focus. Many of us have been and are continuing to be in far flung places like Aldersgate Camp, Paris (France that is), California, and lest I forget Florida to name but a few of the places Andoverites have travelled so far this summer. As you leave or return from your travels, let me encourage you to take advantage of Sundays in order to check out new places of worship. I would love to hear about what other churches are doing. Also, my prayer is that your travels will be safe, restful, and full of joy.
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Friday, June 26, 2009
Be Devoted to One Another In Love
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Romans 12:10a (NIV) At first glance we might believe, we have this one covered. We can check that box on the list of things a Christian must do for the week. We gather for worship, some of us come for Sunday School, or even other events in the life of the church. But if we simplify Paul’s statement to just being about coming then we are missing what Paul is saying. What Paul is getting at is more than just being another warm body in the pew when it comes to Christian fellowship. Being devoted to one another means we are intentional about being in community and fellowship with one another. This means that we make being in community within an intentional aspect of the worship that we direct to God. Imagine what it would look like if we are intentional about being in community with one another? Imagine what it would like if the church universal was in communion with one another in Holy Love? I think we would see a church that grows and seeks the love of Christ in the life of the church and in the communities we serve. Ask yourself what would it look like for a church to be devoted to one another in Christ’s love. What it would look like to share that devotion in all areas of your life - your family, your friends, your work. Pray about it and let the love of God shape what it means, for you, to be devoted in love with one another.
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Shannon Blosser
mountaineer.wordpress.com
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Thursday, June 25, 2009
Ideas are the beginning point
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Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Devotional Thought from Shannon
Patience is a Virtue in Obedience to God’s Will Last week, Abbi and I were in Wal-Mart when we were stuck in the check-out line that never would move. Most days, I don’t find this that annoying, but on this particular day I was anxious and forced myself to read about the struggles of Jon and Kate Plus 8 to calm my agitation. It was a stark difference from the man who stood in front of me. He was never bothered by the 5-minute inconvenience. He simply smiled and waited his turn ... patiently. Patience is one of the virtues that Paul often writes about in connection to a life lived worthy to the gospel of Christ Jesus. The dictionary says that being patient means we are “steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity.” It’s easy to look at examples of the world to see where we can all be more patient. Perhaps more patient with a frustrating situation at work, or with a family member, or even road construction. However, it is perhaps more challenging to see patience as it relates to our walk with God. We are called to be patient in our obedience to the will of God, being steadfast despite the temptations that may come our way. Often we find ourselves becoming less patient with God when it comes to hearing his voice, his calling for our lives, or even healing or transformation from some pain, because we want things now. Patience, as Paul tells us, is to be obedient to the will of God and letting his will and timing win the day. The sign of real growth and transformation is when we no longer look at our watches and think “OK, God, I’m waiting” and submit ourselves to God’s will and his timing for our lives.
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Shannon Blosser
mountaineer.wordpress.com
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Monday, June 22, 2009
Personal Reading List
Last week I posted a reading plan for the Bible. I suggested that rather than randomly read through the Bible, there is a better way by reading a selected order of books. This week, I am going to post a list of NON-SEMINARY books that have been formative in both my spiritual growth as well as personal and professional growth. This is in a "stream of consciousness" order only and not meant to be a complete list. I will post a list of SEMINARY reads that were particularly helpful next week. If you are looking for a book to challenge you a bit or give you a new perspective, try one or two from this list.
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Practical Tips for Christian Parenting- Lisa Michelle Wilson
Parenting Tip : Talk to God (from Dr. Kay Kuzma’s How to Mold Character from the Inside Out) You can’t have much of a relationship with someone if you never talk to each other. Prayer is the way we talk to God, but too often it ends up being a mere bedtime, mealtime, and church ritual time. What our children really need is to learn how to talk to God all day long, not just when they are expected to say, “I’m sorry,” Please give me,” or “Thank You.” I doubt that you would have many friends if you only talked to them when you did something wrong, when you needed something, or when you wanted to say thank you. Relationships grow on chitchat, brainstorming, discussing ideas and plans, telling stories and jokes, sharing feelings, laughing and crying together. Why not encourage your children to talk to God this same way? Help them express their true feelings and put a little life into their prayers. I’ll guarantee that their relationship with God will grow. There is something powerful about prayer. The more honest and sincere you are in your prayer life, the most peace and intimacy you find in your relationship with God. It is my prayer that as parents you will experience deeper prayer conversations with God and that your children will learn to talk to God about anything and everything. I hope you all have a prayer filled week. Prayerfully, Lisa Michelle Wilson
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Sunday, June 21, 2009
Sermon Manuscript: It Does The Body Good...Fellowship
I will not be posting the manuscript from this week's sermon on the internet since I will be preaching it three more times at our Downtown campus. If you want a copy, just drop me an email (jtoddnelson@gmail.com) and I will be happy forward it to you.
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Friday, June 19, 2009
Pictures from M.A.D. (Make A Difference) Fellowship Thursday Nights
Great fun, food and fellowship. Can't wait for next week. I believe burgers and the trimmings are on tap.
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Thursday, June 18, 2009
Stuck in my head
It took about a week, but it is finally happening! My kids are just now beginning to STOP singing all those VBS songs. Now please don't think that I have something against the songs. I THINK THEY ARE GREAT. But...They are addictive and simply get stuck in our heads. You wake up humming the tune and you go to bed with those words in your head like "Boomerang Express, it all comes back to Jesus." If you have ever gotten a song stuck in your head, you know what I mean.
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Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Practical Tips for Christian Parenting- Lisa Michelle Wilson
Greetings to all of our wonderful readers, This morning I am spending time at home prayerfully considering the importance of delivering a true picture of our God to our children. I truly believe that I hold a position in the church which God desires to be taken most seriously and done with care and love. As I seek out the Holy Spirit to guide me in serving God and ministering to your children, I find this following tip to be one of great importance. I hope you are blessed by this insightful tip from Dr. Kay Kuzma. Teach your child to be open to the Holy Spirit’s influence. Although it’s quite easy to teach a child about God and Jesus through the Bible and by pointing out Godly traits in friends and relatives, it is much more difficult to teach a child to know God through the influence of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is more abstract. It speaks to each us( including our children) through providential daily experiences, through our meditation, and through prayer. Children should be led to understand that God’s Spirit can speak most clearly to their minds when their lives are in harmony with their parents and with God—when they have nothing to hide. Indeed, when children feel good about themselves and about their behavior (when they are living a Spirit-filled life), they are eager to learn more about God. This is the final tip of this series on how to paint a correct picture of God for your child. I hope you have enjoyed these helpful Christian parenting tips from Dr. Kay Kuzma’s How to Mold Character From the Inside Out. Next week we will learn about prayer and children praying for others. I pray that the Holy Spirit of God is alive and working in your life as well as the lives of children. I am so thankful o be able to minister along side of you to your children. Blessings of the Holy Spirit, Lisa Michelle Wilson
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Reading List
Over the past year in Grand Sweep (a Sunday evening small group study where we read the Bible in a year and talk about it weekly), we have talked about where the best place is to begin reading the Bible. To randomly read the Bible could be quite confusing and even fearful for those new to the text. To this end, I have been thinking about what I would tell someone who has never before read the Bible and is new to, or even still questioning, the Christian faith. Where might be a good place to start?
- Gospel of John - biography of Jesus' life, death and resurrection. Provides a wonderful foundation of who Jesus is and why He is significant for the world and us personally.
- Genesis - From the Creation story to the beginnings of the Hebrew people make this an important book to read. So much of our understanding of God comes from what is contained in this first book.
- Acts - this book answers how and why the church exists. It also makes the case for what a true disciple of Jesus looks like.
- Psalms - the Bible's "book of worship" contains timeless truths about God and His relationship to humanity.
- Revelation - I am reluctant to add this to the recommended reading. It has caused many a Christ follower to be distracted but it also contains an image of where this planet and those who occupy it are heading. The end of the story is this, "God and those who trust in Christ are victorious over death and sin!"
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Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Update from Todd
As we turn the page on a new "church" year with Annual Conference behind us, I am sharing my personal goals for the coming year with you. I want to put these 'out there' in part for you to hold me accountable and in part to be transparent about where my heart is leading me.
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Sunday, June 14, 2009
Thoughts from Shannon
This summer our summer fellowship series will take place on Thursdays from June 18 to July 30 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. There will be good, fellowship, games and opportunities to serve. We will be working with the theme of “Making a Difference.” A part of the fellowship will include devotional offerings, both on Thursdays nights and here at the blog. We invite you to come on Thursday nights to be a part of the fellowship and also to reflect on the devotions and how God’s word may speak to you in making a difference in your life, your family, and your community. What follows is the first blog devotion for the summer. Devotion No. 1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling we have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit throuh the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:1-6, TNIV) Recently I purchased a copy of The Reagan Diaries (2007) edited by Douglas Brinkley. The diary focuses on Reagan’s personal thoughts during his eight years as president. With presidential history as one of my hobbies, it is a book that I have been looking forward to reading. One of my favorite passages is the first from President Reagan following the failed assassination attempt on his life on March 30, 1981. In this passage, Reagan writes “Whatever happens now I owe my life to God and will try to serve him in every way I can.” It’s a powerful sentence, but what does that mean? I think we can find a picture of a life lived for God in Ephesians 4:1-6. Here the Apostle Paul calls us to “live a life worthy of the calling we have received.” Our lives, our service to God, should be such that we are mindful we are children of God, loved by our Father, and thus should express that love towards others. We do so by being humble, patient, bearing with one another in love, and being in unity of the Spirit. What does that look like today? Perhaps it means not seeking the glory for ourselves, but for God alone. Perhaps it means waiting more in a fast-paced world instead of forcing the issue. Perhaps it means building others up in Holy Love and joining together in community, instead of separating ourselves from our church, our communities, and even our families. Whatever that looks like for you, the point is that in whatever we do, we are to do so as servants of the Lord instead of servants of the world. Being humble and loving not because we aspire to be good people, but because we aspire to share the love of a loving Father with the world. I challenge you to think about this passage from Ephesians and what it means to you and your life. For me, it’s my personal challenge and a verse that I go back to to remind myself of how I am to carry my life. But ask yourself these questions when you read the passage over again: How is God speaking to me to live my life worthy of the calling He has given me? In what ways is my life lived according to a life lived for God? What areas may God be speaking to me to grow in a life lived for Him?
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Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Abiding Gratitude
Ever jumped into a freezing cold pool before? You know that feeling you get when you lose your breath and feel your heart pounding? That describes the last week for me. It has been breathtakingly joyful for me and my family. After the Ordination service, someone asked me how it felt and all I could describe to them was that it was a "pure emotional" moment in time.
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Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Sermon: It Does The Body Good
Text: Acts 2:37-47
I made the comment on Wednesday night after the Ordination to someone that I was already thinking, “What now?” to which he responded “That does not surprise me” but don’t tell your wife just yet! The fact of the matter is that in this life there will always be a “what now”. No matter what mountaintop we are on, or what valley we find ourselves peering up from, there is always a “what now”.
It was not different after the day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit descended upon Jerusalem and initiated the New Testament church. We are a direct result of that day and the people who were obedient to the call of Christ. It was a monumental moment for all of human history. IT WAS A MOMENT THAT CREATED A MOVEMENT that we are a direct result of. They had a “what now” mentality as they used this moment in time to launch out. Let me again describe the difference between “what’s next” and “what now.” What’s next is a future focus. What now is a today focus. The Bible clearly tells us to not worry about tomorrow but to focus upon today. “What now” is a commitment to following whatever God puts in front of you today.
Over the course of the next seven weeks we will be exploring what the first century church occupied itself with “now”. How did they go about making disciples of Christ? What were their day to day activities? What were their hopes and dreams and goals? We will be exploring this not as ancient history, but as a practical lesson of application for us today. With this series, the pastoral staff of the church will be rotating between the three different services over the next six-weeks. You will get a chance to hear from all of our pastoral staff along with one of our very own New Testament scholars.
Since we will be exploring what made the church of the first century distinct from all the other religious movements of the day. I wanted to take a moment this morning to set-up our impending journey by talking about what, from my perspective, makes Andover tick. What are the precepts that are molding what we do and who we are. These are not written and placed on a wall, maybe they should be, but are definitely written on our hearts.
- People do not care what we know, until they know we care.
I was going to title this point, “If cared for, people will come back even if the preaching is bad! No matter how good the programming is, if people walk through that door and do not feel a sense of welcome, a sense of purpose, and a sense of opportunity for personal growth in this place, they will not be back and we will have lost the opportunity to witness and serve them. We are not focused on programs, we are focused on people. You are what makes this place tick! Your love for people. Your excitement for the Gospel of Christ. And you willingness to welcome others without hesitation.
- Jesus Christ is the answer. Period. (Exodus 24:29)
Once persons are here, we have but one message. Unashamedly, undeniably, and with great fervor we communicate through word and deed that our message is all about Jesus. Jesus is NOT AN answer , but THE answer. When a person comes face to face with the Living Christ, just like Moses’ appearance, things become radically different in their life. Do we want to make the world a better place? Do we want to see an end to abuse and neglect? Do we want an end to hunger? Do we want to see justice done? Christ in every heart is the way it will happen.
We see it in Jesus' ministry time and again. He came into contact with folks, and they were changed. Tax collectors became evangelists. Prostitutes became disciples.
Those afflicted with illness were healed. Those who were mentally unstable became sane. It is our deep held conviction that when our life comes into contact with the one true God, our life is transformed. And in so doing, the world changes one heart at a time.
It is not about slick programming or the latest ministry approaches. The message of Christ crucified is the strategy. I ran across this quote from Leonard Sweet the other day that sums up my thought on this subject.
The church has tried everything except the one thing that is needed. It has tried to be an inclusive church. It has tried to be a confessional church. It has tried to be a program-driven church. It has tried to be a purpose-driven church. It has tried to be a seeker-sensitive church. What if it tried to be a spiritual church? (Leonard Sweet, Carpe MaƱana)
- Deep takes care of wide (Matthew 28:18-20) Jesus' example (1,3,12,120, 3000...)
God will grow a church that is ready to care for the ones He sends. Jesus spent three years mentoring 12 people. It was only after three years that they were ready to care for the people God would be sending their way. And by care, I mean disciple. Instead of worrying about how wide our reach is (ie. how many people are coming), I am most concerned about how deep people are becoming. We will not get deeper by selling out the gospel or the doctrines of our faith. If that is what it takes to attract new people, then I am not interested. But I believe that people are seeking the truth and are wanting to know there is a rock solid place they can anchor their lives. God knows how big we will become and only He knows. I don't spend mental energy on it and neither should you. Does that mean that we shouldn't invite people? Absolutely we should! And as we grow deeper, we will be attracting people by our very lives to this place.
It will not happen by osmosis. We must be intentional and we are. We have a plan to grow deeper together. It is a three legged stool that consists of worship, small groups, and service. We will be talking more about each of these in the coming weeks.
- Multiple points of vision (Joel 2:28-29)
I do not have a master-plan. I do not have a “vision” beyond this fact: “you are the vision”. I believe that God is bringing people into our midst with passions and skills. And as you become more ingrained in Andover, your role will be to show us the direction God is calling us to go. My primary job is to lead by listening. We as staff are called to be equippers of the laity for the work of ministry is what Ephesians 5 says. We are to fan the flames within you and empower you to act upon what God is calling you to do. I reserve the right to have a passion every now and again. When I do, I will see if I can get a few people on board and launch out just like I want you to do when you have a passion for something. Find a few folks and see what can be done. I am placing my full trust in your obedience to God.
- Biblically focused AND obedient (James 1:22-25)
My goal isn't to make up a new theology, but to, as best as I can, faithfully tell the story that God has handed down through the Scriptures. Because of that, we form ourselves around God’s Word. Our worship services are centered upon the Bible. Our Sunday Schools and other small groups are the same way. We seek to be a people who take God’s Word seriously and meditate on it day and night.
Not only do we learn about the Scriptures, but we seek to obey them. This is not a bunch of nice-to-dos or nice-to-think abouts, it is the active Word of God which is able to save our lives. We ask ourselves at every turn, "How can I obey this Scripture."
These are but a few of the things that are making a difference here at Andover. I know that God is not done with us. Nor do I think you are done. Let’s make this commitment together for the next year. Let’s do everything in our power to grow deeper. I will leave the details up to you, but let us commit together as a congregation to do whatever it takes and to support each other throughout. Can I get an Amen? Amen.
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