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Lessons on being a father and a husband by Selena Day

Chuck and Selena Day

When I was falling in love with my husband, I didn’t stop and ask myself what kind of father he would be. After we were engaged, a woman told me to watch how he treated his mother. If he treated her well then he would treat me in the same manner. No words have been any truer, and I have extended this same advice to my own daughters.  

I am very lucky though that my husband has turned out to be a pretty amazing dad. He is the kind of father that helps when it is time for birthday parties. He is the kind of father that the night before Halloween or Thanksgiving, he’s designing an outfit for the girls to wear to school. He is the kind of father that on our girls’ 16th birthday, he took them all out to a very nice restaurant of their choice, bought them flowers and showed them how a man should treat a woman. When our girls went to prom, he not only drove them to the Prom, he stayed in the area just to peek in from time to time to watch them as they danced and enjoyed their special night.  

The greatest gift I believe that he has given them is his love for me. Men, if you really want to show daughters how they are to be treated, then treat your wife the way you want a husband to treat them. If you want your sons to know how to treat their wives, men, then set that example. And if you treat your wife in a manner contrary, then your sons should call you out.  

Selena Day and her daughter, a bride-to-be

I was told this story from a couple – that during a difficult season with their son – he started being very disrespectful to his mother. The father one day took his son out to his workshop and placing his arm around him, he softly and a little menacingly told him, “she may be your mother, but she was my wife first. I don’t let any man treat her the way you have been treating her. Now that you are becoming a man, consider this your one and final warning.” Needless to say that their son’s attitude got considerably better.

I am so thankful for the example that my father set for me with my own mother. I can always remember how my dad would go out in the morning during the wintertime and crank my mom’s car for her while she was getting ready so that she would get into a warm car for her drive to work.  

If you are a true student of God’s Word, you know that the father nature of God is to provide. I have seen this so many times in my own father and in my husband. Whenever our girls are in need, he does whatever he can to help. Having three girls, he has at times been stretched in their need for his time and attention.  

To be honest, I have been struggling with parenting lately. I have found that this season of parenting adult children has been the hardest so far. So, I wanted to take the time to honor my own father and my children’s father in this article.

CHUCK AND SELENA DAY

No parent is perfect, and I think that is one of the hardest parts of parenting – your own imperfection and how it affects those which you most treasure. My own father had his faults, but to me, he is a hero.   

I do have memories of times that my father or my husband may have missed the mark, but I choose not to remember those as much and to focus on the moments when they did. I believe that as our girls grow older, they will see that their father was an amazing example of the Father’s perfect love in an imperfect vessel, just as I see this about my own father. How thankful I am of the reflection he has shown me over the years of God’s grace and unfailing love. Even when I have hurt my daddy, he has always been there to extend grace and love, with consistency.   

If it were not for my daddy’s imperfect, perfect love, I would not have seen the true nature of God … nor would I have sought out our heavenly Father to lean on during some of my formative moments in life.  

I am very fortunate and grateful to have such amazing men in my life – men who are authentic and real. They are men who always try to be the best versions of themselves, men who have chosen to love me and my imperfections and who are willing to see the best version of me in all that I do.

Thank you, Chuck Day and Bruce Brantley, for loving me. And in the words of my grandmother, “thanks for being mine.”

Selena Day is a motivational speaker and is available to speak at your conference or event.  You may contact her at selenaday@me.com http://www.queenliving.org  http://facebook.com/queenismsbyselenaday. Photographs courtesy of Selena Day.

By Selena Day

June 2017 SGNScoops Magazine

First published by SGNScoops Magazine in June 2017.

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“But in the Valley, He Restoreth My Soul” – Wisdom from Dusty Wells

Dony McGuire. Reba Rambo McGuire. Dusty Wells

I have sung about it from the time I was a young kid of 14 years old, right after I got saved. I have talked about it over and over with many troubled hurting people through the years. I have lived it, and I have been in the valley numerous times. I sure have, and I am fairly certain each of you have had those times in your own life where you have been there. We’ve all been in the dark lonely valley of life. And if you haven’t, let me assure you, you will in time. It’s just a part of the journey that we all have to go thru and deal with. It’s so painful yet so necessary for us to go to that new place in Him.

Precious mama Dottie Rambo penned her song, “(In the Valley) He Restoreth My Soul” during one of the darkest periods of her own life. There were many times when we would be out on the road traveling, or we would be sitting at her home when she would be in some of the most excruciating back pain, or as she struggled to understand the whys of her own journey, that I would sit there and be praying with her. She would start singing the lyrics to herself, almost as a prayer, and before I knew it, I would be joining in. Within a little bit of time, we both knew that we would come out of the valley.

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Selena Day on Strong Women

Selena Day and her mom, Sue Brantley

Luke 8:22 “Also, some women were with him. They had been cured of evil spirits and various illnesses. These women were Mary, also called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out; Joanna, whose husband Chusa was Herod’s administrator; Susanna; and many other women. They provided financial support for Jesus and his disciples.”

I have been blessed with many strong women in my life. My mother was the oldest of six, and her mother was the oldest girl of 13. These women strongly influenced my life.

In the Christian world, we talk a lot about spiritual mothers and fathers, and to be honest, I have never felt the need for one because of the great support I have had from my parents and from the influence of such a large family. It was not until I was older that I became thankful for their influence in my life. I would like to share the stories about several of those women.

My mother has a strength to her that I have not seen in many. She has really been the constant in my life. She has pushed me and tough-loved me when I needed it. She has blessed my family over and over by giving so much to us. Just yesterday, she took us girls out shopping at the thrift store so we could use her senior discount, and then, she would not let me pay her back. She has taken care of my father through his liver transplant and my aunt and uncle when they battled cancer. She was there for my cousins when those same parents passed away.

Chuck and Selena Day

Then, there’s Chuck’s mother.  She is a female evangelist, and I am thankful for the strong spiritual heritage she has instilled in Chuck. Recently, she began sharing some of her stories of traveling alone and preaching as a young woman. She spoke of the camaraderie she experienced with the older women saints praying for her and encouraging her to keep doing what she felt called to do. She loves being a grandmother. My youngest daughter laughs and talks about how she is the only person she knows that can make you jealous of the younger version of yourself.

Then, there are my grandmothers. Mildred Felice Smith, whom I am named after. She was a spitfire. She was a woman way ahead of her time. Back in the early 1970s when women usually were very grandmotherly, she broke her arm by trying to jump a pile of bricks with her motorcycle. I hope you’re not envisioning a biker chick, because she was far from this. She was very much a junior league southern matriarch. She gave me her sense of adventure. When I was a little girl and would stay at her house, she would load us up in her car and set out to play the “get lost game” … each child would pick the turn at an intersection. It was so exciting as a child to think you were discovering new places.  

Next is Ernestine Brantley Minton. She was your classic southern lady. This is where I got my artistic nature. She was the type of woman who made everyone feel as if they were special. I know that she lead each one of us grandchildren into believing that we were her favorites. She wanted all her girls to be beautiful ladies and all her men to be strong and kind. She called her family “her clan” and always signed her notes and cards with, “thanks for being mine.”

Selena Day

I could go on and on about all the women in my life. I am forever thankful for each of them. Recently, we lost my aunt in a tragic fire, and it made me realize once again how important it is to tell those whom you love and who have made a difference in your life how thankful you are for them. So, if you would allow me to, I would love to say how thankful I am for Sue Brantley, Grace Day, Grace Ward, Jeannie Kyser, Lucy Brantley, Kelly Miller, Ruby Eskew, Nancy Kenney, Gail LaBach, Joy Nesbitt, Carol Pitts, Belinda Dutton, Kathy Brantley, Georgiana Rhea, Carol Byler and Michelle Green. Many of these women are not mothers, but they have made an impact on our ministry. We could not do what we have done without them.   

Don’t forget to celebrate the women in your life.

Selena Day is a motivational speaker and is available to speak at your conference or event.  You may contact her at selenaday@me.com http://www.queenliving.org  http://facebook.com/queenismsbyselenaday. Photographs courtesy of Selena Day.

By Selena Day

Selena Day is a monthly writer for SGNScoops Magazine. As well as all her other accomplishments, she is the better half of Chuck Day, Christian Country artist.

Published by SGNScoops Magazine in May 2017. For the latest SGNScoops Magazine, click here.

For more Gospel music news click here. 

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Rob Patz: Fast Trains and Life Regrets

Rob Patz: Fast Trains and Life Regrets. Photo courtesy of https://www.virginexperiencedays.co.uk/

2017 June SGNScoops Rob Patz: Publisher’s Point

Welcome to the June edition of SGNScoops Magazine. Can you believe that we are almost halfway through the year of 2017? It’s hard for me to imagine how fast this year has flown by. When we’re younger, we think time moves so much slower than it really does, and when we get older, we realize how fast time really is moving.

As many of you know, I usually avoid talking about Father’s Day during the month of June in the Publisher’s Point. If you don’t believe me, go back and read past years of SGNScoops. Now that I look back on it, it was not necessary, but each of us mourn the loss of someone in a different way. I’m coming to grips with that, so this month I want to tell you a story about my dad.

My father loved trains, and in fact, my grandfather worked for the Canadian National Railroad as an arbitrator, so trains are in our family. I can remember my father buying me my first train, which progressed to a larger train, and a larger train, and then a larger train. My father would lay on the floor with me, and we would play with these trains. To be honest, I think he was having as much fun or maybe more than I was.

Rob Patz and his dad, Rev. Don Patz

I remember at about eight years old, my dad and I were laying on the floor playing with the larger model train that he had gotten me. Now, I know my dad … he would never miss an opportunity for a life lesson. I think that was the pastor in him. As we were laying there on the floor, he said, “Our lives are a lot like a train. We are on a track to a destination. Unfortunately, some engineers push their train, and those trains derail. They are much like people who push life outside of the speed limit, go too fast for the tracks and miss their station. Then, there are people who stay within the recommended speed. They move along the tracks safely and get to their destination.”

I remember him looking at me and saying, “Rob, that is much like people and our relationship with God. If we try to speed things up and move past what God wants, we are going to derail our life. If we listen to God, who is the ultimate engineer – and stay within the parameters that He has laid out for our lives – not only are we going to get to our location but we are going to get there safely.”

Being a boy of eight years old, at first that story didn’t sink in. In fact, it was many years later before the story really hit home with me. If I remember correctly, my first words after he made this great analogy were, “Hey Dad, can you set up my race car set now, because I can switch lanes, and we don’t have to go around on the same track.” I’m sure my father was wondering if I had listened at all. I wish more than anything he could read this and know that I listened and understood.

So many of us today want to rush to the destination. We want to get to the place that in our mind we think is the most important, sometimes cutting corners on our own convictions, much like the engineer who knows better but still gives the train too much fuel and accelerates past the recommended traveling speed. He knows he’s pushing it to the limit and probably hoping he doesn’t derail. Unfortunately in life, if we cut corners or go past the recommended traveling speed, we more than likely are going to suffer derailment in our lives.

Rob Patz

I’m thankful that I serve a God who watches over us even after we’ve derailed. Much like me as as a child, when my train would derail because I would push it to the limit of speed, God is willing to reach His hand down and put our lives back on the track. He doesn’t think twice about it if we ask Him and if we seek to move in the right direction.

So many of us rush through life. I think that’s my biggest regret. I haven’t taken the time to enjoy moments. If I could go back to that moment at eight years old, I would. If I could tell my father I loved him one more time, I would for all the money in this world. So if your dad is still with you, tell him you love him and tell him you appreciate what he has done for you.

I hope each and every one of you have an amazing month of June, and please join me for Vernon Alabama’s Gospel Music Weekend, Sept. 8-9 in Vernon, Ala.

I also encourage you to be with us Oct. 30 through Nov. 2 for Creekside Gospel Music Convention in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. It’s going to be an awesome four days of Gospel Music and renewal for your soul.

June 2017 SGNScoops Magazine

And that’s this month’s Publisher’s Point.

Read the Publisher’s Point and more in the 2017 June issue of the SGNScoops Magazine:

Faith and Fitness for the Courageous Man by Laurette Willis

Laurette Willis

“And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers” (Malachi 4:6).

Do you remember the movie Courageous from a few years ago? Our family really enjoyed it. There is lots of action, a compelling story, humor, top-notch acting, and the movie is built on a solid foundation (the Word of God and the Father’s great love for us.) The movie’s subtitle is “Honor begins at home.”

As the promotions for this movie stated, “Four men, one calling: To serve and protect. When tragedy strikes home, these men are left wrestling with their hopes, their fears, their faith, and their fathering. Protecting the streets is second nature. Raising their children in a God-honoring way? That’s courageous.”

How does the Courageous Man Combine Faith, Family and Fitness?

When we come home from a hard day at work, the last thing many of us want to do is think about anything more physical than elbow-bending (as in fork-to-mouth, repeat, 40 reps.)

In the movie Courageous, police officer Adam Mitchell (played by director and co-writer Alex Kendrick, father of six) and his teenage son Dylan start building a new relationship with one another, and fitness becomes an important part of it. All Dylan seems to want to do is “…play video games and run a 5K,” says Adam.

Parents realize that in order to build (or rebuild) a relationship with their child, it takes becoming interested in what interests them. Adam decides to lay aside his personal comfort zone for the greater good of blessing his son. He and Dylan begin running together, and their relationship deepens as Dylan sees his Dad’s love in action, not just in words.

Love is spelled T-I-M-E.

Why compartmentalize faith (Sunday only), family (around the dinner table…when we’re not watching TV) and fitness (does watching football on TV count?)

The courageous man (and woman) puts God first–so why not ask the Lord how to make fitness a part of your family time together? No matter what the age of your children, you can begin making fun physical activity a part of “what we do as a family.”

Here are just a few ideas to get your wheels turning – and your bodies moving!

* The family that walks together, talks together. Take a leisurely stroll 30 minutes after dinner. Make it a new family tradition. Enjoy each other’s company and walk at a gentle pace for 15-20 minutes to help digest your food. This will also keep you from snacking after dinner. Take a portion of scripture and talk about it. How can you apply it to your lives?

* Go to the gym or church fitness center with your son or daughter. Work out with light weights (not on the machines). Show your kids how it’s done.

* Indoor fitness games. Remember Twister? You can still play that as a family! Add an element of scripture memorization by writing verses on cards. Call out all or part of a verse with each move. See how many verses you can remember (if you don’t wind up collapsing into a giggling pile before too long!).

* Train for a charity race — a walk, run, or bike race! Train as a family team, or with one of your children. Use the time to encourage your child.

In the movie Courageous, Adam says, “I think the Lord is requiring me to call out the man in my son.”  That’s something dads get to do for their children; emulating our heavenly Father by “calling out” and encouraging the best in their sons, daughters and wife.

Take the lead, Dad. Be Courageous. Be a Fit Witness for Christ in spirit, soul and body. Your family will follow–and will HONOR you for it.

Laurette Willis – Praise Moves

Laurette Willis is a Certified Health Coach, published author, and Founder of PraiseMoves Fitness Ministry. You may contact Laurette Willis at the email address above, 918-458-1800 or www.PraiseMoves.com. Join Laurette Willis at www.Facebook.com/LauretteWillisPage ©2016

By Laurette Willis

First published by SGNScoops Magazine in May 2016. For the latest SGNScoops Magazine click here.

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For inspirational stories and Gospel music news click here.

Are You Blooming? by Lorraine Walker, Editor, SGNScoops Magazine

Dean Hopper in May 2017 SGNScoops Magazine

2017 May SGNScoops Editor’s Last Word By Lorraine Walker

It’s May and with this fifth edition of SGNScoops for 2017, I hope you will find a feature, an article, or even just a photograph, that is educational, entertaining or encouraging. We look for stories that will be intriguing to you and we believe we have included many this month.

A special thanks to Dean Hopper for sharing with Craig Harris the difficulties of his health scare recently. There has been so much written about this special family over the years and we hope you enjoyed this feature. Please remember to keep them all in your prayers.

We appreciate all of our writers and staff here at Scoops, and they have all performed beyond expectations this month. These ladies and gentlemen do what they do because they believe they are making a difference. I believe they are as well.

As I look out into our backyard and see all the flowers that are now in bloom, I see what a difference they make to a rather dull scene. Color and fragrance attract bees and birds, enlivening the yard and our street. I’m so glad everything is flourishing in the warmth and moisture of spring.

Bloom where you are planted

It occurred to me that our team here at SGNScoops are also blooming where they are planted. Have you considered where you are in your work, your home life, your hobbies? Are you changing your landscape with the scent and beauty that is Jesus in your life?

Perhaps you are finding things so difficult right now that your spiritual life feels dry and barren. The Bible uses water as an image of the Holy Spirit and His power in our lives to bring life. Let Him wash over you today and quench your thirst, moisten your heart so that your relationship with the Lord will grow afresh. Then not only will you feel rebirth in all areas of your life, but others will catch the color and fragrance of Jesus and seeds will be planted in their hearts.
If you feel you have talents that are lying dormant in your life in the area of writing or other skills you think you might be able to utilize here at SGNScoops, please let me know. We are always looking for fresh ideas and volunteers to enrich our publication. Write me today with any comments, questions or suggestions at lorraine@sgnscoops.com.

May 2017 SGNScoops Magazine

Listen To Today’s Gospel Music Online HERE

Rob Patz and his Publisher’s Point for March: Find Your Strength

Rob Patz

It is the month of March. Can you believe this year is flying by the way it is? I am excited about March. We have Southern Gospel Weekend coming up, March 23rd through the 25th. If you haven’t made plans already, we want you to be with us in Oxford, Alabama for three great days of Gospel music and over 30 great artists. It is going to be a time that you will not forget!

I want to thank each and everyone of you who have subscribed to my YouTube channel over the last month as we continue to see growth in our effort with One Minute Prayer. I am excited to see what God is going to do with One Minute Prayer.

I’ve been asked why I came up with this idea and I wanted to share a little bit with you right here. One Minute Prayer came out of a time in my life where I needed to meet with God more than just in my normal prayer time and I started asking Him in short increments about what was on my heart. That turned into me setting the timer on my phone for one minute and praying for what God knew was on my heart. To be honest, I continue to pray about that

Rob Patz will be at Southern Gospel Weekend March 23-25

need, but God has lit a fire in my soul to share the idea of One Minute Prayer. So many people that I come in contact with daily are hurting and need to be encouraged, so I know that this is a timely theme.

So that’s a little bit of a background. This month, I want to talk to you about your strength. You know that the Scripture says in Nehemiah 8:10 “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” So many people feel so burdened by life, they feel so heavy with the circumstances that are around them, whether it is their family or their job or their church they feel like things are so overwhelming for them that they no longer have any joy. But Scripture says that the joy of the Lord is our strength which means when things seem overwhelming, when life seems bigger than we can handle, that if we rest in Jesus and in His strength we will find joy.

Rob Patz and soldier. What do you rely on for strength?

When I started to think about that, it changed my life. I started to realize that joy doesn’t come from this world. I know you understand that and I understand that. I grew up in church and I have heard that my whole life. But there are times where we need to be reminded that the joy of the Lord is our strength too. Not only is He the One to uplift us with His strength, He is the One that will bring us joy in the midst of whatever is weighing us down. So take a minute today and pray about the strength that God is going to give you. I will stand with you and pray this prayer.

Let’s pray this month together for people who need jobs and for people who need changes in their personal relationships with their family and friends. Let’s pray for a revival to come to those that we know. So many times we pray for revival in our churches, but I have really felt the burden lately to start praying that revival will happen in us. Not to the church but in His people.

I love each and everyone of you and I believe God has great things for you to do this month. So go out and do them because the Bible says, “When God is for us, who can be against us?”

And that is this month’s Publishers Point.

By Rob Patz, Publisher of SGNScoops Magazine.

First published by SGNScoops Magazine March 2017.

For more Gospel music news click here.

Rob Patz asks: “Do You Ever Get Scared?”

February 2017 SGNScoops Magazine featuring Rob Patz in Publisher’s Point

2017 February – Rob Patz – Publisher’s Point – SGNScoops Magazine

Do you ever get scared of what is going to happen? Do you ever wonder if you are really going down the right path that God has selected for you?  These are some of the things I’ve been thinking about this month as I am writing my Publisher’s Point.

There are times where I really wonder if where I am is exactly where God has selected for me to be, but I know in the end I have His hand on my life. If we pray, God is going to reassure us and give us peace. As for the first question, do I ever get scared? I would have to say almost on a weekly basis! Does that make me a less of a person? I don’t think so. I think it shows that I am mindful of what God has and what He is going to do.

I do worry a times that I will get headed in the wrong direction. I like to do things right away, I like things to be accomplished immediately so that I can move onto the next task. I’m goal driven. I like to say I can check that off my list of things to do today.

Unfortunately, we as Christians don’t always get clear answers right away. Sometimes, God asks us to wait, as He says, “Peace, be still.” Probably the hardest thing for me to do is to sit still.

Rob Patz

I was in an airport recently and if you know about travel, there is a lot of downtime. For most people, they sit at the gate and wait. Unfortunately, that isn’t me. I walk up and down the main aisle because I don’t like to sit and I don’t like to wait.

I think this year that is one of the things that God is trying to teach me. He is teaching me that there are times where you have to wait, you have to sit still, you have to have the peace that comes from just being still. That is something I’m working on. I’m not sure I will ever be completely comfortable sitting and waiting, but I am starting to understand that God at times needs us to stay in one place to learn something!  

I’ve started to pray almost daily that God will give me peace in the midst of my waiting. Are you at a point right now in your life where you are waiting? It’s God asking you to be still for a moment.

I would love to tell you that over this past time that I’ve been dealing with this, that it’s gotten easier, but that wouldn’t be the truth. While I sit here and wait, I learn to be thankful for the things that are around. Please don’t ever miss an opportunity to be thankful for that moment, even if God has you sitting at the gate, waiting to board your next adventure.

Ready for Adventure!

God is still in control. Until next month, this is the Publisher’s Point.
P.S. Don’t forget, I want to see you in Oxford, Alabama, March 23rd through the 25th. Over 30 great Southern Gospel artists in one location! More news inside SGNScoops.

For more Gospel music news click HERE.

Bryan Hutson announces plans for 2017

Bryan Hutson

Cincinnati, OH –  Exciting news coming from Bryan Hutson of Rescue Me Ministries for 2017. Bryan Hutson, 24-year veteran of gospel music, announces he will continue ministering under the ministry he and his wife, Yvonne, formed four years ago, Rescue Me Ministries. The couple is passionate about ministering to couples, families and spreading the gospel through music, preaching and speaking engagements.

Rescue Me Ministries previously limited their engagements to the holiday season. However, Bryan will continue throughout the year doing limited dates under Rescue Me Ministries. He will be doing

Yvonne and Bryan Hutson. Rescue Me Ministries

solo dates as his calendar allows. Bryan and Yvonne will be available to also do marriage retreats, conferences and special events on a limited basis. Bryan looks forward to opportunities for speaking and preaching as well as continuing his vocal career. The upcoming year will hold a new website along with a new recording for the veteran. Details are coming together about an exciting new tour for the upcoming year.

You can receive more information about scheduling an event by contacting Gordon Lutz at The Lutz Agency at 740-409-1060.

You can also visit Rescue Me Ministries Facebook page or Friends of Bryan Hutson Facebook page for more information.

For more Gospel music news click here.

For monthly blogs by Bryan and Yvonne Hutson on marriage and life, please visit SGMRadio website. Their latest blog entitled, “Love Me Tender,” is posted here. It begins:

From B:
Intimacy. What does that word mean to you?

The very nature of the word means different things to different people. To some, it simply means “physical touch” or being close.

I googled the word: “Intimacy” and it says “close familiarity or friendship; closeness.”
“the intimacy between a husband and wife”.

So, what happens when you CAN’T be “physical” with your spouse?

For more from “Love Me Tender,” by Bryan and Yvonne Hutson, click here.

Reflections by Sherry Anne: “Do You Have a Light?”

No, I am not talking about what people on the streets say when they are bumming a cigarette off someone; I am asking you if YOU have a light, a flame, burning inside of you?

As I hear the latest news and read the biggest headlines, it is ever more apparent to me that this world has become a dark place– and it’s going to get darker. We “need a light,” HIS light, to shine into the dark corners of the earth.

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