God’s Peace Runs Deep

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John 16:33 “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Some heartaches do not heal with time. Some settle in like fog—thick, disorienting, and slow to lift.

Horatio Spafford knew that kind of grief.

He and his wife had built a full life in Chicago. He was a respected attorney. They were raising four daughters in a home filled with purpose, joy, and love. Church friends became extended family. Laughter came easy, and life was steady.

Until it was not.

The Great Chicago Fire tore through the city and burned up most of his investments. The financial blow was deep, but survivable. Horatio believed God would carry them through. So, when the chance came for a trip to Europe—some time to breathe, to rest—he sent his wife and girls ahead while he wrapped up business.

Then came the telegram from his wife with just two words: “Saved. Alone.”

Their ship had gone down. His daughters were gone.

When Horatio boarded a vessel to meet his wife, the captain called him to the deck as they passed over the waters where his daughters had drowned. Somehow, in that dark space, Horatio felt a deep peace.

He returned to his cabin and began to write.

When peace, like a river, attended my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

That hymn was not written by a man who had moved on. It came from a man who had met God in the storm. Maybe your storm is not loud or visible. Maybe it looks like keeping your head up at work while your heart quietly breaks, or it looks like showing up for others while wondering who sees you.

Dear one, you do not have to explain your grief for it to be real.

You only need to know this: God is not shaken by your storm. He stays steady. So, if your soul feels unsteady today, you can still say it.

Even here. Even now.

It is well.

LYRICS

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

It is well (it is well)
with my soul (with my soul)
It is well, it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

Words: Ho­ra­tio G. Spaf­ford, 1873.
Tune: Ville du Havre, Phil­ip P. Bliss

MODERN VERSION OF IT IS WELL

(C) 2015 Jesus Culture Music

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Only God Could Do This

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Zechariah 4:6 – “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.”

There were no backup singers. No retakes. Just one quiet studio, one open mic, and one woman asking God to do what only He could.

Taya had no idea that day would change her life.

She was not trying to amaze anyone. In fact, she was a little unsure why she had been asked to sing this new song at all. But she showed up, steady and open, hoping the Holy Spirit would meet her in the moment.

They pressed record.

And she sang.

“You call me out upon the waters…”

Each line asked something deeper of her, and she felt it.

She continued, “Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders”

At this point she was praying. Every note felt like walking further out on water. Her heart raced, but she kept going. Just obedience. One step. Then another.

When it ended, no one said much. There was no breakdown of how to fix it. No call for a second take. Just a quiet kind of peace that settled in the room.

So, they left it. One take. Done.

And somehow, that raw, trembling take spread farther than anyone could have dreamed. Not for a week. Not for a month. But for 61 non-consecutive weeks at the top of the charts.

But maybe that was the point.

The track wasn’t impressive. It was honest, Spirit-led, and that made all the difference.

People ask her now what it felt like to sing a song that became a global anthem. She smiles, sometimes a little stunned. Because she knows—that wasn’t me.

It was never about her voice. It was about what the Spirit was doing behind the scenes—moving hearts, calming storms, calling people out onto deep waters.

And maybe that’s where God meets us best—not when we’re confident, but when we’re completely out of our depth.

Because the world doesn’t need more perfect voices.

It needs more people willing to step in faith.

 

Oceans (where feet may fail)

VERSE 1:
You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep my faith will stand

CHORUS:
I will call upon Your Name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

VERSE 2:
Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You’ve never failed and You won’t start now

BRIDGE:
Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Saviour

LAST CHORUS:
I will call upon Your Name
Keep my eyes above the waves
My soul will rest in Your embrace
I am Yours and You are mine

Words and Music by
Matt Crocker, Joel Houston & Salomon Ligthelm
© 2012 Hillsong Music Publishing (APRA).

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The Blessings in the Pain

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Romans 5:3-4 “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.”

Laura didn’t expect Facebook to hurt. But somehow, it did.

She had just signed up for it, like everyone else she knew. It was new. Easy. Harmless. A place to scroll through happy faces, birthday dinners, and funny stories from people she hadn’t seen since high school.

The only problem was that their picture-perfect highlights looked nothing like the life she was living.

Not long before, she and her husband, Martin, sat in a sterile hospital room, listening to words no one ever wants to hear. Brain tumor. Surgery. Risks. She held her breath, hoping for healing. He survived—but the man who came home was not the same. His memory slipped. His vision blurred, and he struggled with basic skills.

While other people posted milestone moments, Laura sat in rehab waiting rooms, coaching her husband through how to button a shirt.

Facebook became unbearable. Everyone else seemed to be moving forward. Her life had slammed to a halt. Eventually, she stopped opening the app altogether. It hurt too much to compare her pain to their joy.

She stopped scrolling, and started praying. Not polished prayers. Just questions. She brought her anger and grief. And somehow, God didn’t flinch. Even when she had nothing to say.

In time, they found their way. It was not a perfect life, but it was still life. And it was theirs.

Later, sitting at the piano, Laura put words to what her heart had learned the hard way:

“Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops?
What if Your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near?
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?”

Friend, we can be so quick to scroll past pain—to hide it, mute it, deny it. But what if it is the very place God chooses to meet us? And the God who walks with us through fire is faithful to shape even our suffering into something good.

 

Lyrics

We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand
To ease our suffering
And all the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

‘Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops?
What if Your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near?
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?

We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your word is not enough
And all the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we’d have faith to believe

‘Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops?
What if Your healing comes through tears?
And what if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near?
And what if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?

When friends betray us
And when darkness seems to win, we know
The pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It’s not our home

‘Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops?
What if Your healing comes through tears?
And what if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near?
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst
This world can’t satisfy?

And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise?

Songwriters: Laura Mixon Story
Blessings lyrics © New Spring Publishing Inc., Laura Stories, New Spring Publishing Inc.

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The Love That Defines Me

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Psalms 8:3-4 – “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?”

Mark Hall had spent years trying to keep up.

He wasn’t the smartest kid growing up—dyslexia made sure of that. Reading was hard, school was harder, and no matter how much he tried, he always felt a little behind. So, he learned to compensate. Work harder. Push more. Don’t let anyone see the struggle.

By the time he became a youth pastor, that mindset hadn’t changed. He poured everything he had into ministry, convinced that if he just gave enough, maybe he’d finally stop feeling like he was falling short.

But one night, long after the last teenager had left youth group, he sat alone with his guitar.

Not to write a song. Not to impress anyone. Just to breathe.

And as his fingers found familiar chords, the words came.

“Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth would care to know my name?”

He stopped.

That lyric was his question. The one that had been chasing him since childhood. The one he had been too busy to face.

Who was he, really? Just some guy trying too hard? A pastor with good intentions but a heart that still wondered if God was really as steady as He claimed to be?

And then, the answer settled over him.

It was never about who he was. It was always about who God is.

For the first time in years, Mark let go of the pressure to be “enough.” He let himself believe that God was not waiting on him to measure up, and He had loved him long before he had anything to offer.

That song—Who Am I?—would go on to remind millions of people of the same truth. But for Mark, it started in that quiet room, on an ordinary Wednesday night, when he finally stopped striving.

And maybe that is a moment you need too.

Maybe you have spent years chasing approval, measuring your worth by what you do instead of resting in what has already done.

But here is the truth: You don’t have to fight for a love that was never based on your performance in the first place.

God’s grace has never been about your ability to hold on to Him. It has always been about His ability to hold on to you.

 

Lyrics:

Who am I, that the lord of all the earth
Would care to know my name
Would care to feel my hurt?
Who am I, that the bright and morning star
Would choose to light the way
For my ever wandering heart?

Not because of who I am
But because of what you’ve done
Not because of what I’ve done
But because of who you are

I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
A vapor in the wind
Still you hear me when I’m calling
Lord, you catch me when I’m falling
And you’ve told me who I am
I am yours

Who am I, that the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love
And watch me rise again?
Who am I, that the voice that calmed the sea
Would call out through the rain
And calm the storm in me?

Not because of who I am
But because of what you’ve done
Not because of what I’ve done
But because of who you are

I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
A vapor in the wind
Still you hear me when I’m calling
Lord, you catch me when I’m falling
And you’ve told me who I am
I am yours

Not because of who I am
But because of what you’ve done
Not because of what I’ve done
But because of who you are

I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
A vapor in the wind
Still you hear me when I’m calling
Lord, you catch me when I’m falling
And you’ve told me who I am
I am yours
I am yours
I am yours

Whom shall I fear, whom shall I fear?
‘Cause I am yours
I am yours

“Who Am I”
(Mark Hall)
© 2003 Be Essential Songs (BMI) (admin. at EssentialMusicPublishing.com) / My Refuge Music (BMI) (admin. at CapitolCMGPublishing.com)

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From Hardship to Hope

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“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” 

Romans 8:18 

Albert Brumley had been working since sunrise, and he felt every minute of it. His back ached. His hands were raw. His mind ran in circles, weighed down by worries that had nothing to do with the field in front of him. The country was in crisis, people were struggling, and the work never seemed to end. 

He exhaled hard and pressed his palm against the plow. Lord, how much longer? 

That was when he saw it—a bird lifting off the fencepost. One beat of its wings and it was free, soaring higher and higher, carried by nothing but the wind. 

Something deep in his chest cracked open. That’s what I want. To be lifted. To escape this heaviness. 

He knew he wasn’t alone in feeling this way. He saw it in the faces around him—people carrying more than they could bear, pushing forward because they had no other choice. But what if there was something greater waiting beyond all of this? What if one day, every burden would be lifted? 

That longing didn’t leave him. It stayed with him as he worked, as he walked, as he hummed a tune under his breath. A song was forming. 

By the time he got home, he was writing as fast as his hands could move. That simple song—born from sweat and struggle—would go on to bring comfort to millions. It would be sung in churches, at funerals, in quiet moments when hope felt far away. 

Because it wasn’t just a song. It was a promise. 

Some glad morning, when this life is over 
I’ll fly away 
To that home on God’s celestial shore 
I’ll fly away

I’ll fly away, oh glory 
I’ll fly away 
When I die, hallelujah, by and by 
I’ll fly away 

If your heart is tired, if the weight feels too much, remember this: it won’t last forever. God has prepared a place where every burden is lifted. Hold on—because on the horizon, joy is coming. 

 

LYRICS

Some bright morning when this life is over
I’ll fly away
To that home on God’s celestial shore
I’ll fly away

CHORUS:
I’ll fly away, oh glory
I’ll fly away, in the morning
When I die, Hallelujah by and by
I’ll fly away

When the shadows of this life have gone
I’ll fly away
Like a bird from these prison walls I’ll fly
I’ll fly away

CHORUS

Oh, how glad and happy when we meet
I’ll fly away
No more cold iron shackles on my feet
I’ll fly away

CHORUS

Just a few more weary days and then
I’ll fly away
To a land where joys will never end
I’ll fly away

CHORUS:
I’ll fly away, fly away, oh glory
I’ll fly away, in the morning
When I die, Hallelujah by and by
I’ll fly away
I’ll fly away

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Hope and Victory in Jesus

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“In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

The doctor’s words cut deep. “You will never fully recover.”

The stroke had left Eugene Bartlett weak, unable to travel, and unable to play as he once had. Music had been his life’s work—his way of sharing the gospel—so this news was devastating.

What was a man supposed to do when the thing he loved most was taken away?

At first, the grief threatened to crush him. But slowly, something else rose up—something stronger. Hadn’t he always believed that Jesus was enough? That victory wasn’t in having a perfect life but in knowing a perfect Savior?

He had watched war-torn families cling to that truth. He had seen broken men find hope when nothing around them changed. And now, it was his turn to live what he had preached.

If he could no longer stand before a congregation, he would find another way to share the truth. If he couldn’t sing, he would write.

And so, with unsteady hands, he put pen to paper. The lyrics flowed from his heart like a battle cry. It was a song of triumph in the face of suffering. He had victory in Jesus, and that was the truth.

Maybe you feel like you’re fighting a battle you can’t win. Maybe everything you counted on has changed. But the victory Eugene wrote about is not just for the strong. It is for the weary, the broken, the ones who are barely holding on. It is for you. Right now.

O victory in Jesus
My Savior, forever
He sought me and He bought me
With His redeeming blood

He loved me ere I knew Him
And all my love is due Him
He plunged me to victory
Beneath the cleansing flood

 

LYRICS:
Chorus
Oh victory in Jesus
My Savior forever
He sought me and bought me
With His redeeming blood
He loved me ere I knew Him
And all my love is due Him
He plunged me to victory
Beneath the cleansing flood

Verse 1
I heard an old, old story
How a Savior came from glory
How He gave His life on Calvary
To save a wretch like me
I heard about His groaning
Of His precious blood’s atoning
Then I repented of my sin,
Christ won the victory!

Verse 2
I heard about His healing
All His miracles revealing
That He alone can save a soul
And set the captive free
I’m happy in His promise
How soon He’s coming for us
And home with Him I’ll sing again:
Christ won the victory!

Verse 3
I’ll tell the old, old story
Till my Savior comes from glory
I’ll tell of all the Lord has done
To set this sinner free
That all who will believe Him
By Faith can still receive Him
And share in that redemption song:
Christ won the victory!

Victory in Jesus (Christ Won the Victory)
Words and Music by E.M. Bartlett, Matt Boswell, Keith Getty, Kristyn Getty

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A Deeper Experience of God

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“Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; tell of all His wondrous works!”

1 Chronicles 16:9

Darlene Zschech had always loved leading worship, but this was different. God’s presence felt closer than ever. Every time she opened her Bible, every moment of prayer, every song she sang—it all felt alive in a way she could not explain.

She was not the only one feeling it. Her church leaders had noticed a shift. People were desperate for more than just another song. They wanted to know God in a way that was personal and transformative.

So, when Darlene and the worship team met, they kept circling back to the same question: How do we lead people into a deeper experience of God?

They did not want to write songs that just filled a setlist. They wanted to create something that made space for real worship—something that could be sung in living rooms, in cars, and in quiet moments alone with God.

That night, as Darlene sat with her guitar, she let go of all expectations. She was just worshiping and pouring her heart out before God. And as she lifted her voice, the words and melody began to form together.

“Shout to the Lord, all the earth, let us sing
Power and majesty, praise to the King
Mountains bow down and the seas will roar
At the sound of Your name” 

What happened next took her breath away. The song “Shout to the Lord” did not stay within her church. It spread like wildfire. Because people everywhere—no matter their denomination, their background, or their struggles—were desperate for the same thing: a real encounter with God.

Maybe you are, too. Maybe stress has dulled your joy, and you are longing for something to break through the noise. Worship is not about singing; it is about surrender. It is about lifting your eyes and letting your heart remember who He is.

Right now, in this moment, will you worship?

 

Lyrics
Verse 1:
My Jesus
My Saviour
Lord there is none like You
All of my days
I want to praise
The wonders of Your mighty love

Verse 2:
My Comfort
My Shelter
Tower of refuge and strength
Let every breath
All that I am
Never cease to worship You

Chorus 1:
Shout to the Lord
All the earth let us sing
Power and majesty
Praise to the King
Mountains bow down
And the seas will roar
At the sound of Your Name

Chorus 2:
I sing for joy
At the work of Your hands
Forever I’ll love You
Forever I’ll stand
Nothing compares to
The promise I have in You
—
‘Shout To The Lord’
Words & Music by Darlene Zschech
© 1993 Hillsong Music
CCLI #: 1406918

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Turning Pain into Hope

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“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.”

Romans 5:3-4

Eliza hated the silence. Her life had always been so full of movement and things to do. She spent her days teaching, writing, and serving others. But now, all of that was gone.

The injury had taken it from her.

She lay in bed, her body aching, her spirit restless. The days felt unbearably long, and the quietness stretched on. At first, she fought against it. She asked the same questions over and over: Why me? What now? Where are you God?

But as the days passed, she started to read her Bible. This was not the casual kind of reading for passing the time. No. She was desperate.

And in those long, slow hours spent in the Word, she saw things she had never noticed before. Words she had once skimmed past now felt alive. Promises she had memorized now felt like they were written just for her.

She knew she was not just surviving this hardship—God was doing something in it.

One day, she found herself humming a song she had started writing before the injury. It was just another project back then. But now? The words meant something. It went like this.

“When we all get to heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We’ll sing and shout the victory!”

She had never clung to heaven like this before. She had never needed to. But now, her hope in Jesus felt different. Stronger. More real.

When she finally released the song, it spread like wildfire. People who were hurting and searching found something in those words—something bigger than their pain.

Eliza Hewitt would have never chosen this hardship, but looking back, she saw it clearly. Her pain had not been wasted. God turned her silence into a song of hope, and it was too valuable to keep to herself.

That’s the thing. Sometimes, the greatest good that comes out of our hardship is what we are called to give away. Could it be that the very thing you are wrestling with is the thing that someone else needs to hear?

 

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A Song of Hope in Fear

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“I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.”

Psalm 34:4

Pam e-mailed her story to us, and when I read it, I felt the weight of it—the fear, the waiting, the desperate need for something to break through the anxiety.

I know that feeling. Maybe you do, too. This is what she said:

“I had already beaten cancer once, and I thought I was done with this fight. But then the cough started. 

At first, I told myself it was nothing. But when weeks passed, then months, I started to wonder. I visited the doctor, and he ordered some tests. 

The X-ray was taken, but the weight of the unknown pressed heavier on my chest than any illness ever could. As I left, I climbed into my car, silent, and braced for the worst.

Then, through the radio, Lauren Daigle’s voice broke through, singing, ‘You’re going to be okay.’ Tears spilled down my face. In that moment, I wasn’t just hearing a song—I knew I was hearing directly from God. 

Twenty minutes later, my phone rang. No sign of cancer! Relief washed over me, but something deeper settled in. The fear had been so real, but, I realized, so was God’s presence. 

Even before I knew the results, the healing had already begun. Because in my fear, in my waiting—God was already there. And He used this station to remind me.” 

Wow! Pam’s story is powerful because it’s real. And it is not just her story—it is all of ours. The fear, the anxiety, the nights spent wondering how much more we can take.

But God meets us there. And sometimes, He does it through something as simple as a song on the radio.

That is why this matters. Because of you, someone else will turn on the radio at just the right moment and hear exactly what they need.

Your generosity makes this possible. You are part of stories like Pam’s, and because of you, there will be more—more hope, more reminders that God is near, even in the fear.

Thank you for making that possible!

 

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There is Power in the Blood

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“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.”

Ephesians 1:7

Lewis Edgar Jones had spent years doing all the right things. He worked hard. He was faithful to his church and prayed when he could. And yet, beneath it all, something felt … hollow.

It was not that he doubted God, but deep down, he wondered: Where is the power?

Not just talk. Not just tradition. He needed to know if faith had the power to change things. Could it really reach into the mess of his life and do something about it?

But this week, at the yearly camp meeting, he felt it.

He had not expected to weep the way he had or to feel so undone. But in the presence of Jesus, something deep within him cracked open. Hope had pressed its way back into his heart, alive in a way he had not felt since he was a boy.

But Jones knew revival was not just about what happened here. He thought of the people beyond this place—his coworkers, the folks in the town square, and the families at his church.

His heart ached for them because he knew the question they, like him, were too afraid to ask: Is this real? Can Jesus actually do something in my life?

Yes. A thousand times yes.

The blood of Jesus had changed him. It had given him a hope that no effort, no good works, no routine religion ever could.

So he reached for a scrap of paper and began to write a song. “Would you be free from the burden of sin? There’s power in the blood, power in the blood.”

That night, he sang it softly to himself. It was more than a song. It was a testimony.

Years later, crowds would sing it in unison, and today, that same power still reaches out. To you. To all who long for something real. You do not have to stay the same or figure it out on your own. Come to the One who has never lost His power.

Come to Jesus.

“There is power, power, wonder working power 
In the blood of the Lamb 
There is power, power, wonder working power 
In the precious blood of the Lamb”

 

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