Brothers and Sisters of the Sword:
After my somewhat lengthy (“extended”) newsletter last week, you’ll be relieved to discover that this week’s edition is a tad more abbreviated due to the weather-induced cancellation of last Thursday's profession-relevant Bible study. That said, we should be “good to go” this Thursday and I’ll post a detailed recap for everyone in next week’s newsletter – stay tuned!
As you know, prayer is a major part of what God is calling us to do through this ministry. An email from my friend and fellow Fellowship of Christian Peace Officers (FCPO) board member Paul Lee in Tennessee helped confirm that emphasis and I wanted to share some of his thoughts with you. Like many of us, the forty percent increase in line of duty deaths (LODD) in 2010 along with our tough start to 2011 has been very much on Paul’s heart. Paul writes,
I really can’t put into words what I am feeling. I guess the best way would be the uneasiness before a battle or an aggressive SWAT action that you know is about to happen. I do believe if Christ is preached to those in law enforcement and to those in the highways and byways, the alleys and streets, to the victim and the criminal, God is going to use FCPO as a driving force. We need to get ready and make sure all our brothers and sisters have all their armor on.
Well said my brother, well said! Paul will be sharing more with us in the coming weeks but his email has me once again urging you to take on a profound sense of exigency – a “CALL TO ARMS” if you will, to:
(1) submit your life to Christ if you have not already done so
(2) get off the “stinkin” fence” and be “all in” if you do know Him as Savior
(3) become battle-hardened prayer warriors for each other, our families and marriages, our profession, FCPO and this ministry, our nation and the world as a whole.
Jesus is coming soon – are you ready?
The Latest PRAYER REQUESTS & FCPO-Denver Area MEETING SCHEDULE are both updated and posted here on our website (next post). Check back frequently and be sure to take note of our new relationship with Calvary Aurora where we will be meeting once a month starting February 17th. Yes, we’re still meeting weekly at Calvary South Denver in Littleton – we’re just moving one of those meetings to Aurora in a "missionary" effort to be more inclusive of others in the metro area. All are welcome and we encourage spouses to attend. Please keep us in prayer regarding this endeavor.
ON PRAYER & HEALING
In lieu of my regular recap, I am instead sharing a brief devotional on the subject of healing. Biblically speaking, it is important to understand that while our Lord does in fact heal, He does not do it “on demand” or as if He is some kind of divine “Santa Claus.” On the contrary, our Lord heals in response to our prayers solely in accordance with His loving, perfect will. Accordingly, our goal should be to become more and more “like Christ” (Romans 8:29) in all we do – to seek God’s will and plan over our own. Jesus modeled that for us perfectly: "Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know" (Acts 2:22). Jesus Christ said of Himself, "The Son can do nothing by himself; he can only do what he sees the Father doing" (John 5:19). In the Greek the word nothing has a unique meaning -- it means "NOTHING" -- just like it does in English! Jesus displayed two main distinctions of His humanity:
(1) He had no sin to separate Him from the Father.
(2) He was completely dependent on the power of the Holy Spirit and God the Father working through Him.
So what then are the distinctions of our humanity? We are sinners cleansed ONLY by the blood of Jesus. Through His sacrifice Christ has successfully dealt with the power and effect of sin for all who believe and have placed their trust in Him. As such, nothing now separates us from the Father.
There remains only one unsettled issue - how dependent on God are we willing to live?
That is indeed THE question – how say you? Yes, we should absolutely pray for healing but we must do so while seeking first His perfect will and plan for our lives.
Our friends at GotQuestions.org have written some great articles on the subject of healing that I encourage you to read. See http://www.gotquestions.org/healing-Bible.html and the Related Topics section below it.
Warrior TRAINING!
(1) Yesterday I received the much-awaited after-action report on the Greeley (CO) shooting/LODD of Weld County Dep. Sam Brownlee. The report is both very well done and compelling in its conclusions. Please take the time to read it, discuss it and apply it. The report has the potential to save lives – and that will be a fitting legacy for Sam. See http://www.weldsheriff.com/assets/9387362c32c1cCDD8661.pdf.
(2) With both Sam’s death and that of others fresh in our minds, I direct you to the following article: http://www.policemag.com/Channel/Recruit/Articles/2011/01/Stopping-Gun-Grabs.aspx.
(3) Tulsa PD Captain and fellow ministry leader Travis Yates (www.tenfourministries.org) has put together an outstanding police driving video that is a must-see: http://www.policeone.com/policeonetv/videos/3229237-travis-yates-importance-of-good-eyesight/.
(4) I strongly support retired Illinois police Lt. Jim Glennon’s outstanding training seminars and website (excellent articles). Check out http://www.lifelinetraining.com/index.html and consider scheduling Jim for a seminar in your area (the website contains Jim’s current training calendar).
(5) One of my own God-given law enforcement gifts is in the area of interview and interrogation and this month’s Reid I & I tip is a great read on the subject. Check out The Lie, the Bluff and False Confessions: http://reid.com/educational_info/r_tips.html.
(6) Finally, consider attending any of Lt. Col. Dave Grossman’s outstanding seminars. Dave will be partnering with Travis Yates and I this coming April 7th in Oklahoma for a very special presentation that we strongly encourage you to attend. For details, see Travis’s http://warriormissions.org/ and Dave’s http://www.warriorsciencegroup.com/.
These and other training resources are available on our website under the Law Enforcement Training – The Way of the Warrior section (scroll down on the left side). I’ve also added a number of new links and other profession-relevant info – check it out.
Lastly, the long-awaited family-oriented and law enforcement-based film The Grace Card will be begin showing at theaters on February 25th! This is a “must see” flic. Check it out at http://www.thegracecardmovie.com/.
Hope to see you Thursday if you’re in the Denver-metro area. Regardless, let’s make an extra effort to keep up with your time of worship, prayer, godly fellowship and Bible study (spiritual readiness) along with your ongoing physical training and warrior skills (note – being a sheepdog should not end with retirement).
To arms! The time is now and the battle is upon us.
Showing posts with label Dep. Sam Brownlee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dep. Sam Brownlee. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Shattered!
Fellow LEOs:
My schedule this week necessitates an abbreviated but early newsletter (given my general verbose nature, I don’t think anyone will mind). That said, please take the time to review the updated prayer requests (then PRAY) and announcements in the next (Saturday) post. I’ve also included some new pics, new links and more. Speaking of prayer requests, please say one for me as I will be attending slain Weld Co. S.O. Dep. Sam Brownlee’s police funeral in Greeley tomorrow. More importantly, keep Sam’s family and colleagues in prayer during this difficult time.
-- We’re on FACEBOOK!!
If you’ve not already checked out our Facebook pages, take the time to give them a look. Please understand that given the nature of what we do for a living, I’m being extremely careful (and don’t waste a ton of time) when it comes to social media. That said, I do see it as an effective communication and ministry tool.
(1) FCPO-Denver community page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/FCPO-Denver/131117176940739
(2) The Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry community page:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/The-Centurion-Law-Enforcement-Ministry/144305698947079
(3) My page: Search “Mike Williams” from your own Facebook page and ask to be added as a friend.
-- Local MEETING Schedule!
The updated FCPO-Denver meeting schedule is included in the previous (next one below) post. Speaking of, this Thursday (Dec. 2nd) we’ll gather for a special viewing of the profession and family-relevant DVD Shattered. I’ll also post a recap next week with instructions on how you can obtain your own copy. Stay tuned.
-- TRAINING Corner: “Sovereign Citizen” warning.
Chuck Puett from Kansas City (FBI, I believe) sent out the following regarding the threat posed to law enforcement by some who fall into the “sovereign citizen” category. Chuck writes, “This is a link sent to me by a Missouri Highway Patrolman. It's worth watching. These "Sovereign Citizen" types are in our area. The "Embassy of Heaven" and "Little Pembina Band" are two groups operating in our area that I can think of off the top of my head. The true believers in these groups believe you, as a federal officer, have no jurisdiction or authority over them; that obviously can be a very dangerous situation. Fraud Inspectors in particular are quite likely to encounter these people because they routinely engage in scams to defraud financial institutions and use registered, certified, and other special service mail extensively.
The events depicted in this video occurred in May 2010. Viewer discretion is advised. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_y-gLm9Hrw.
On ROD Officers!
President Theodore Roosevelt – who served as a police chief (“Commissioner”), understood the “retired on duty” (ROD) concept and detested it as much as I do. Being a ROD is NOT something to be emulated by the Christian officer. This true American hero and warrior – speaking in France (of all places) in 1910 – said, “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."
Amen!
Finally, let me conclude this week's newsletter by sharing the following from Billy Graham:
Q: I've given up trying to be a Christian. I've tried and tried to be what I think God wants me to be, but no matter how hard I try, I keep failing. God must be very disappointed in me.
A: Would you be shocked if I told you that everything you've done up to this point was actually keeping you away from Christ? It's true -- but let me explain.
You see, many people have the same idea you've had -- that the only way we can win God's favor and be saved is to be as “good” as possible. To put it another way, many think God is going to weigh our good deeds and bad deeds on a scale -- and if we have more good deeds than bad ones, then He'll let us into heaven. In other words, they believe it's all up to them, and if they fail, they won't go to heaven.
But this isn't what the Bible says! The Bible says that God's standard is nothing less than perfection, and if we commit even one sin -- just one -- it will be enough to keep us out of heaven. The Bible says, "Whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it" (James 2:10). No matter how hard we try, we'll never be good enough to go to heaven on our own.
But listen: God loves us, and because He loves us, He has provided the way for us to be saved. That way is Jesus Christ. He was without sin -- but on the cross all our sins were placed on Him, and He took the judgment that we deserve. Don't trust yourself; you'll always fail. Instead turn to Jesus and put your faith and trust in Him today.
Billy Graham
Let's take good care of each other out there!
My schedule this week necessitates an abbreviated but early newsletter (given my general verbose nature, I don’t think anyone will mind). That said, please take the time to review the updated prayer requests (then PRAY) and announcements in the next (Saturday) post. I’ve also included some new pics, new links and more. Speaking of prayer requests, please say one for me as I will be attending slain Weld Co. S.O. Dep. Sam Brownlee’s police funeral in Greeley tomorrow. More importantly, keep Sam’s family and colleagues in prayer during this difficult time.
-- We’re on FACEBOOK!!
If you’ve not already checked out our Facebook pages, take the time to give them a look. Please understand that given the nature of what we do for a living, I’m being extremely careful (and don’t waste a ton of time) when it comes to social media. That said, I do see it as an effective communication and ministry tool.
(1) FCPO-Denver community page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/FCPO-Denver/131117176940739
(2) The Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry community page:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/The-Centurion-Law-Enforcement-Ministry/144305698947079
(3) My page: Search “Mike Williams” from your own Facebook page and ask to be added as a friend.
-- Local MEETING Schedule!
The updated FCPO-Denver meeting schedule is included in the previous (next one below) post. Speaking of, this Thursday (Dec. 2nd) we’ll gather for a special viewing of the profession and family-relevant DVD Shattered. I’ll also post a recap next week with instructions on how you can obtain your own copy. Stay tuned.
-- TRAINING Corner: “Sovereign Citizen” warning.
Chuck Puett from Kansas City (FBI, I believe) sent out the following regarding the threat posed to law enforcement by some who fall into the “sovereign citizen” category. Chuck writes, “This is a link sent to me by a Missouri Highway Patrolman. It's worth watching. These "Sovereign Citizen" types are in our area. The "Embassy of Heaven" and "Little Pembina Band" are two groups operating in our area that I can think of off the top of my head. The true believers in these groups believe you, as a federal officer, have no jurisdiction or authority over them; that obviously can be a very dangerous situation. Fraud Inspectors in particular are quite likely to encounter these people because they routinely engage in scams to defraud financial institutions and use registered, certified, and other special service mail extensively.
The events depicted in this video occurred in May 2010. Viewer discretion is advised. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_y-gLm9Hrw.
On ROD Officers!
President Theodore Roosevelt – who served as a police chief (“Commissioner”), understood the “retired on duty” (ROD) concept and detested it as much as I do. Being a ROD is NOT something to be emulated by the Christian officer. This true American hero and warrior – speaking in France (of all places) in 1910 – said, “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."
Amen!
Finally, let me conclude this week's newsletter by sharing the following from Billy Graham:
Q: I've given up trying to be a Christian. I've tried and tried to be what I think God wants me to be, but no matter how hard I try, I keep failing. God must be very disappointed in me.
A: Would you be shocked if I told you that everything you've done up to this point was actually keeping you away from Christ? It's true -- but let me explain.
You see, many people have the same idea you've had -- that the only way we can win God's favor and be saved is to be as “good” as possible. To put it another way, many think God is going to weigh our good deeds and bad deeds on a scale -- and if we have more good deeds than bad ones, then He'll let us into heaven. In other words, they believe it's all up to them, and if they fail, they won't go to heaven.
But this isn't what the Bible says! The Bible says that God's standard is nothing less than perfection, and if we commit even one sin -- just one -- it will be enough to keep us out of heaven. The Bible says, "Whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it" (James 2:10). No matter how hard we try, we'll never be good enough to go to heaven on our own.
But listen: God loves us, and because He loves us, He has provided the way for us to be saved. That way is Jesus Christ. He was without sin -- but on the cross all our sins were placed on Him, and He took the judgment that we deserve. Don't trust yourself; you'll always fail. Instead turn to Jesus and put your faith and trust in Him today.
Billy Graham
Let's take good care of each other out there!
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Latest Prayer Requests and Local Chapter Meeting Schedule Update
New Prayer Requests & Funeral Details:
-- Continue to be in prayer for the family and colleages of slain Weld Co. (CO) S.O. Dep. Sam Brownlee. Pray for me as well (ministry op) as I will be attending the funeral on Monday. Here are the details:
The funeral for fallen Deputy Sam Brownlee will be held Monday morning. Services will be at 10 a.m. in Greeley at the University of Northern Colorado's Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion at 20th Street and 14th Avenue. A funeral procession will follow the service, travelling from the campus to Linn Grove Cemetery at 1700 Cedar Ave. in Greeley. A memorial fund has been set up at Chase Bank in Greeley.
Donations can be made to the account number 2973017086. Checks can be made payable to either Sam Brownlee Memorial or to Sam Brownlee. Cards for the Brownlee family can be sent to Weld County Sheriff's Office at 1950 "O" St., Greeley CO 80631.
-- Be in prayer for retired Trooper Marvin Weese who is battleing lung cancer. Pray also for Marvin's wife Charlene as she battles alongside her warrior-husband. Their son Wade is a Longmont (CO) police officer -- keep him in prayer as well.
-- Update on Ranger Brody Young: From a colleague in GJ -- Brody underwent another surgery on Friday and was downgraded yesterday to critical again - they took part of the shrapnel from his gun out of his arm (sounds like the bullet hit his gun and splintered part of it into his arm) but this surgery sounds like it may be another abdominal one. He still has not been conscious so prayers are still appreciated for him too. He is expected to recover but has a long road ahead of him!
-- Continue to be in prayer for the family and colleages of slain Weld Co. (CO) S.O. Dep. Sam Brownlee. Pray for me as well (ministry op) as I will be attending the funeral on Monday. Here are the details:
The funeral for fallen Deputy Sam Brownlee will be held Monday morning. Services will be at 10 a.m. in Greeley at the University of Northern Colorado's Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion at 20th Street and 14th Avenue. A funeral procession will follow the service, travelling from the campus to Linn Grove Cemetery at 1700 Cedar Ave. in Greeley. A memorial fund has been set up at Chase Bank in Greeley.
Donations can be made to the account number 2973017086. Checks can be made payable to either Sam Brownlee Memorial or to Sam Brownlee. Cards for the Brownlee family can be sent to Weld County Sheriff's Office at 1950 "O" St., Greeley CO 80631.
-- Be in prayer for retired Trooper Marvin Weese who is battleing lung cancer. Pray also for Marvin's wife Charlene as she battles alongside her warrior-husband. Their son Wade is a Longmont (CO) police officer -- keep him in prayer as well.
-- Update on Ranger Brody Young: From a colleague in GJ -- Brody underwent another surgery on Friday and was downgraded yesterday to critical again - they took part of the shrapnel from his gun out of his arm (sounds like the bullet hit his gun and splintered part of it into his arm) but this surgery sounds like it may be another abdominal one. He still has not been conscious so prayers are still appreciated for him too. He is expected to recover but has a long road ahead of him!
-- Pray for a sister who is battleing one health issue after another (healing, strengthened immune system, etc.).
-- Pray for a Grand Junction PD officer who is scheduled for shoulder surgery on Dec. 16th.
-- Please pray for Englewood PD Sgt. Mark McKay who was admitted to Swedish after suffering a heart attack on 11/24/10. He is currently in critical care. Mark had two different blockages in his coronary arteries. One was 100% occluded and the other was 90% occluded. Mark underwent a procedure to remove the blockages. Although he is very weak and feels terrible, Mark is slowly recovering.
-- Please pray for the families and colleagues of the Chicago officers who have been slain in the LOD over the last few days. There are in a war zone. See http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/11/chicago-police-shot-in-south-chicago.html for more (not the best article but gives you the gist).
More to come...check back frequently for new additions and updates. See also the previous prayer request post (scroll down) for more.
Local (FCPO-Denver) Chapter Meeting Schedule Update:
-- Thursday, Dec. 2nd, 7:00 PM, Calvary South Denver (see http://www.calvarycsd.org/ for directions) in the big Multi-Purpose Room. We'll be showing the DVD Shattered (especially relevant to parents and LEOs alike). Please join us.
-- Thursday, Dec. 9th. Same time/place (except in our "regular" meeting location -- High School Room) as above.
-- Thursday, Dec. 16th. Same time/place as above.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Officer Down!
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
We are in mourning over the loss of Weld County (northern CO area) S.O. Deputy Sam Brownlee who was shot and killed in the line-of-duty today. I've included a couple of news links (media almost always gets it wrong). Sam is survived by his new bride and four kids. Please keep our brother's family and colleagues in your prayers. See http://www.odmp.org/officer/20571-deputy-sheriff-sam-brownlee . UPDATE 11/24/10: Sam was apparently shot with his own weapon after the perp was able to take control of it during a struggle. An Evans police officer returned fire and the suspect died a short time later. Latest story update: http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/25910241/detail.html
Good reminder that we all need to work hard on our arrest control skills!
No, I don't know yet if Sam knew Christ as his Savior. If any of my readers know Sam personally, would you please reach out to me and let me know? That said, this should be a somber reminder to all those who either have not made a decision for Christ or do know him as Savior but are not living "full on" for Him (don't be a ROD -- "Retired on Duty" -- Christian). Get right with Him today! How? Fellow officer and brother-in-Christ Jonathan Parker of the Chattanooga (TN) PD lays it out simply on his website -- http://www.coveredlawenforcement.org/:
Experience Salvation
Getting saved, accepting Christ, being born again…and many other phrases are used to speak of becoming a Christian. So what exactly is “salvation” anyway?
The Bible is a story of God and His love for humanity. It begins with God walking through the Garden of Eden every night with Adam and Eve. When they sinned (you know…the “eating the apple thing”), God’s sadness is sensed when He comes looking for them and they are hiding. Sin is separation from God and the relationship He desires with us.
Salvation is much more than a one-time prayer or an escape from Hell. God’s Son Jesus died for our sins so that there would be no more separation. God wants us to experience His love, grace, protection, and friendship on a daily basis – just like the relationship He had with Adam and Eve.
Salvation is an experience, a journey, a relationship with God that begins by asking Him to forgive our sins so that there is no more separation. The journey begins in this life and continues into eternity…heaven for those who are in relationship with God and hell for those who choose to remain separated.
To begin this relationship with God – to experience salvation – say a prayer like the one that follows and then get connected with another Christian who can help you on this new journey. Don’t forget to contact us to let us know!
Father God, I know that I have sinned and I believe your Son Jesus died for my sins. I ask you to forgive me and remove the separation between us. Help me to live each day in a way that does not offend you in this new relationship. Amen!
Folks -- like Dep. Brownlee, you don't know when you time will come. God has a plan for you both know and for eternity. Turn to Him today as there are no 2nd chances if your life ends without the assurance of salvation!
This week's newletter will be out in a day or two. Also, check out the latest prayer requests and announcements posted here on our website (more to come tomorrow).
We are in mourning over the loss of Weld County (northern CO area) S.O. Deputy Sam Brownlee who was shot and killed in the line-of-duty today. I've included a couple of news links (media almost always gets it wrong). Sam is survived by his new bride and four kids. Please keep our brother's family and colleagues in your prayers. See http://www.odmp.org/officer/20571-deputy-sheriff-sam-brownlee . UPDATE 11/24/10: Sam was apparently shot with his own weapon after the perp was able to take control of it during a struggle. An Evans police officer returned fire and the suspect died a short time later. Latest story update: http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/25910241/detail.html
Good reminder that we all need to work hard on our arrest control skills!
No, I don't know yet if Sam knew Christ as his Savior. If any of my readers know Sam personally, would you please reach out to me and let me know? That said, this should be a somber reminder to all those who either have not made a decision for Christ or do know him as Savior but are not living "full on" for Him (don't be a ROD -- "Retired on Duty" -- Christian). Get right with Him today! How? Fellow officer and brother-in-Christ Jonathan Parker of the Chattanooga (TN) PD lays it out simply on his website -- http://www.coveredlawenforcement.org/:
Experience Salvation
Getting saved, accepting Christ, being born again…and many other phrases are used to speak of becoming a Christian. So what exactly is “salvation” anyway?
The Bible is a story of God and His love for humanity. It begins with God walking through the Garden of Eden every night with Adam and Eve. When they sinned (you know…the “eating the apple thing”), God’s sadness is sensed when He comes looking for them and they are hiding. Sin is separation from God and the relationship He desires with us.
Salvation is much more than a one-time prayer or an escape from Hell. God’s Son Jesus died for our sins so that there would be no more separation. God wants us to experience His love, grace, protection, and friendship on a daily basis – just like the relationship He had with Adam and Eve.
Salvation is an experience, a journey, a relationship with God that begins by asking Him to forgive our sins so that there is no more separation. The journey begins in this life and continues into eternity…heaven for those who are in relationship with God and hell for those who choose to remain separated.
To begin this relationship with God – to experience salvation – say a prayer like the one that follows and then get connected with another Christian who can help you on this new journey. Don’t forget to contact us to let us know!
Father God, I know that I have sinned and I believe your Son Jesus died for my sins. I ask you to forgive me and remove the separation between us. Help me to live each day in a way that does not offend you in this new relationship. Amen!
Folks -- like Dep. Brownlee, you don't know when you time will come. God has a plan for you both know and for eternity. Turn to Him today as there are no 2nd chances if your life ends without the assurance of salvation!
This week's newletter will be out in a day or two. Also, check out the latest prayer requests and announcements posted here on our website (more to come tomorrow).
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