The canvass of our lives is not only painted by us. Life can take so many different directions. Although the picture can end up a masterpiece. A beautiful picture of the story of our lives. You may not see the beautiful picture right away but yours is being created.
You may wonder what I mean by that. I don't even know what I mean. I just write things that come out of my head. I am joking of course I know where I am going with this. If we were to paint the perfect picture of our lives how would it look? Do we really know how it's going to look? We can paint an idea but life is not a perfect picture. Although it's good to have an idea in mind. You can't take it for granted it's going to look like that.
God has a picture in mind for us. If we look to Him, He will help us paint it. He will add colour where there is none. He can't paint the picture for us though. We have to be the artists of our own lives. He can't force us to paint His picture. God's not the only one that adds to our pictures. Each person we meet adds something. Whether it's darkness or light shades in the picture of our lives we will have both from different people.
What we've got to remember is that ultimately we can draw the same as God's picture. We may not be perfect artists but that's fine, we can copy our work. God lets us copy. He doesn't just let us copy, he teaches us how to draw. From the stroke of the brush to using different colours to completion. Like with any lessons it does help if the student shows up for class. It may be surprising how many times someone can be sick or absent for lessons from God. What benefit is it by not showing up other than more inexperience.
Yes we can learn a lot from people. We can get 3 million opinions on how the picture of our lives should look. We can paint someone else's idea. That would be like getting an amateurs advice when we can have an experts. God's already the expert and we can turn to Him for help. He can replace the dark patches in our picture and make them bright. He will show us the beauty in our pictures.
Ultimately whatever you go through God is always there for you. Whether you notice Him or not He's always there. There are no entrance exams to God's class. It's open for everybody. That's what we've got to realise. That we have the help we need when we need it. That creating a masterpiece is not as hard as it seems.
What is a masterpiece? It's the picture of your life that God has for you. No picture starts off a masterpiece but by working on it and by all the colours and shades added to it, it can become one. The dark and light shades in your picture add to it. So the dark and good times in our lives add to who we are. Different people add different things by being a part of our lives just like the colours in our picture.
What we have to decide is what do we want our picture to look like. What picture do we want people to remember long after we are gone. In other words what do we want our lives to be about and what do we want to be remembered for. God knows what the best thing for our lives is.
Sit and think, look at your picture so far, then grab your paintbrush and keep painting. It may not be perfect but it's the picture of your whole life and when it's finished it can be a beautiful masterpiece.
Until I write again,
God Bless,
Nicola Hill
Monday, 12 August 2013
Sunday, 21 July 2013
Social Media
What amuses me is how much the world of social media has advanced. Among some of the popular sites are Facebook, Twitter and Instagram so I am going to focus on those here. There are so many social media sites! Those sites seem to be the sites most people I know use. Although you have to think how it affects our world today in the good and not so good ways.
The first is Instagram capturing photos and moments. Tweaking photos to make them look better. Some completely edited photos which show little comparison to the original. You see a photo of a friend looking great and glamorous which the original didn't look as good in their eyes. A photo captures you as you are. We're all together in not liking a certain photo of ourselves. I see many pictures of glamorous cups of coffee and normal pictures when edited look greater than they are. I've had fun myself editing a photo here and there. However I've found for me I prefer real photos. I prefer seeing things as they are and seeing people as they are. Therefore I don't edit many of mine. If we were to meet up in person no chance to edit how you look. That's my personal preference I am not saying anyone should listen to my way. I enjoy all the photos and I like some edited cool ones. Some photos of people I would prefer the original.
Secondly we got to twitter. Little tweets of all kinds of things. I've put a few which say one thing such as - exhausted. While I am exhausted sometimes, I do wonder how interesting it must be for my twitter followers to read a one word tweet about my tiredness. Very interesting I imagine. I suppose a tweet saying "excited" is an acceptable one word tweet because it's showing something is happening. People wait for follows and some follow you for a short time and then unfollow you. That's a common instance in the twitter land. The most frustrating is when someone follows you then you follow them, then they unfollow you. Great thank you for that waste of time.
Now we go to facebook. I enjoy facebook for helping keeping in touch with friends and family around the world. I enjoy seeing what people are up to and posting things I'm doing or find interesting. It's nice seeing photos of weddings and birthday parties you weren't able to attend. The one thing about facebook I find funny is the whole "people don't like my status or write on my wall so they don't love me anymore" syndrome. Or someone didn't ask how I am doing in a while so they don't care about me anymore. Not everybody uses facebook often. Some friends I know have not even logged in for months. You can't rely on social media for your relationships. Maybe people aren't writing to you but what's stopping you from writing to them. Or better so picking up the phone or Skyping someone.
The same way the world revolves around the sun is becoming the same way the world revolves around social media. Social media is becoming more and more depended on. Imagine the catastrophe when a certain site doesn't work for the day. Imagine the outrage when they update the way a certain social media site looks. It affects our whole life. How will we go on. Imagine if social media went down, would life on Earth still exist?
Yes, yes the world can exist without social media. It existed before without it quite fine. Although social media has bridged international barriers where people can communicate across the world in a matter of seconds. I don't think it should be banished. I do however think people have to be careful not to get lost in it. Not to substitute in person communication where possible for a facebook message. Not to substitute phoning or talking to someone via skype etc to find out about their life for a facebook message.
I've seen my photos and others take a whole new level where you document a whole lot more pictures of what you're doing making social media more visible than ever. You have an insight in to people lives. You see a photo capture of moments of their day from their morning coffee to tanning by the pool to eating dinner. I know my family love my photos of my sandwich or my cereal. They sit waiting to see what I will eat every day.
You do notice I am pulling the leg in some respect of social media. This may come as a shock to you but I am sarcastic. I am not taking a dig exactly, I am more explaining my amusement and common instances where the world of social media has taken over. I have all three of the sites - facebook, twitter and instagram. I've done everything I've given examples of above. I am not a perfect social media user but I have become more aware of it as time has gone on.
I think it's a natural human thing to be interested in the lives of those we care about. It's natural to want to hear from people we care about. It's our freedom to post what we like and do what we like. It will be our stupidity though if we invest more in the social media world than in the real world. There's a world out there. No I am not joking, it exists. Look out your window what to do you see and what can you feel. You can see things as they really are, you can actually feel and touch. It's not a screen it's a live feed, a real live feed, it's life.
There are loads of benefits to social media. You learn all kinds of things, engagements, weddings and where everyone is travelling to, what they are up to day by day, funny things they share, keeping in touch and making people not seem too far away. There's a lot of good in social media. I love social media. I am a great user of a lot of sites. There is a good way and a not so good way to use it.
I am just raising a thought that I have spoken to a few people about in the past of how we as people and as a world are becoming more and more active in social media and how we have to be careful of how we use it.
One very important fact is to remember that although a vast majority of people in your life use social media sites there are also people who don't like them. Social Media is not for everybody. There are other ways to contact people besides the sites and we can't rely on them using it like we do.
This is a blog post which I have thought about writing for a while and I have gone with the flow of how my thoughts have come to me while I am writing it. I am not super social media person and I am not the best at using it smartly but I am learning more like we all are. It's just my general thoughts put together to illustrate what we already know but don't always realise that social media is becoming more and more dependable some instances staying on a healthy level and some heading towards the bad diet side.
Let's stick to the healthy diets of social media.
Until I write again,
God Bless,
Nicola Hill
The first is Instagram capturing photos and moments. Tweaking photos to make them look better. Some completely edited photos which show little comparison to the original. You see a photo of a friend looking great and glamorous which the original didn't look as good in their eyes. A photo captures you as you are. We're all together in not liking a certain photo of ourselves. I see many pictures of glamorous cups of coffee and normal pictures when edited look greater than they are. I've had fun myself editing a photo here and there. However I've found for me I prefer real photos. I prefer seeing things as they are and seeing people as they are. Therefore I don't edit many of mine. If we were to meet up in person no chance to edit how you look. That's my personal preference I am not saying anyone should listen to my way. I enjoy all the photos and I like some edited cool ones. Some photos of people I would prefer the original.
Secondly we got to twitter. Little tweets of all kinds of things. I've put a few which say one thing such as - exhausted. While I am exhausted sometimes, I do wonder how interesting it must be for my twitter followers to read a one word tweet about my tiredness. Very interesting I imagine. I suppose a tweet saying "excited" is an acceptable one word tweet because it's showing something is happening. People wait for follows and some follow you for a short time and then unfollow you. That's a common instance in the twitter land. The most frustrating is when someone follows you then you follow them, then they unfollow you. Great thank you for that waste of time.
Now we go to facebook. I enjoy facebook for helping keeping in touch with friends and family around the world. I enjoy seeing what people are up to and posting things I'm doing or find interesting. It's nice seeing photos of weddings and birthday parties you weren't able to attend. The one thing about facebook I find funny is the whole "people don't like my status or write on my wall so they don't love me anymore" syndrome. Or someone didn't ask how I am doing in a while so they don't care about me anymore. Not everybody uses facebook often. Some friends I know have not even logged in for months. You can't rely on social media for your relationships. Maybe people aren't writing to you but what's stopping you from writing to them. Or better so picking up the phone or Skyping someone.
The same way the world revolves around the sun is becoming the same way the world revolves around social media. Social media is becoming more and more depended on. Imagine the catastrophe when a certain site doesn't work for the day. Imagine the outrage when they update the way a certain social media site looks. It affects our whole life. How will we go on. Imagine if social media went down, would life on Earth still exist?
Yes, yes the world can exist without social media. It existed before without it quite fine. Although social media has bridged international barriers where people can communicate across the world in a matter of seconds. I don't think it should be banished. I do however think people have to be careful not to get lost in it. Not to substitute in person communication where possible for a facebook message. Not to substitute phoning or talking to someone via skype etc to find out about their life for a facebook message.
I've seen my photos and others take a whole new level where you document a whole lot more pictures of what you're doing making social media more visible than ever. You have an insight in to people lives. You see a photo capture of moments of their day from their morning coffee to tanning by the pool to eating dinner. I know my family love my photos of my sandwich or my cereal. They sit waiting to see what I will eat every day.
You do notice I am pulling the leg in some respect of social media. This may come as a shock to you but I am sarcastic. I am not taking a dig exactly, I am more explaining my amusement and common instances where the world of social media has taken over. I have all three of the sites - facebook, twitter and instagram. I've done everything I've given examples of above. I am not a perfect social media user but I have become more aware of it as time has gone on.
I think it's a natural human thing to be interested in the lives of those we care about. It's natural to want to hear from people we care about. It's our freedom to post what we like and do what we like. It will be our stupidity though if we invest more in the social media world than in the real world. There's a world out there. No I am not joking, it exists. Look out your window what to do you see and what can you feel. You can see things as they really are, you can actually feel and touch. It's not a screen it's a live feed, a real live feed, it's life.
There are loads of benefits to social media. You learn all kinds of things, engagements, weddings and where everyone is travelling to, what they are up to day by day, funny things they share, keeping in touch and making people not seem too far away. There's a lot of good in social media. I love social media. I am a great user of a lot of sites. There is a good way and a not so good way to use it.
I am just raising a thought that I have spoken to a few people about in the past of how we as people and as a world are becoming more and more active in social media and how we have to be careful of how we use it.
One very important fact is to remember that although a vast majority of people in your life use social media sites there are also people who don't like them. Social Media is not for everybody. There are other ways to contact people besides the sites and we can't rely on them using it like we do.
This is a blog post which I have thought about writing for a while and I have gone with the flow of how my thoughts have come to me while I am writing it. I am not super social media person and I am not the best at using it smartly but I am learning more like we all are. It's just my general thoughts put together to illustrate what we already know but don't always realise that social media is becoming more and more dependable some instances staying on a healthy level and some heading towards the bad diet side.
Let's stick to the healthy diets of social media.
Until I write again,
God Bless,
Nicola Hill
Sunday, 9 June 2013
Leap Of Faith
Sometimes you have to jump and have faith that God will catch you.
It reminds me of this quote:
"With God's strength behind you and His arms beneath you, you can face whatever lies ahead of you."
What is your life? Your life is what was given to you by God. God has a plan for your life. He wants to be beside you throughout your life. Whether you keep Him in your life or not depends on you.
What are people? All people go through problems. They have good times and bad times in their lives. They are kind when they love and evil when they hate. They all have hopes and dreams.
What is faith? Faith is putting trust in God to direct your life.
This is the equation:
People + Faith In God = Life
We all have lives that we want to live our way and when we do that our journey looks like this:
When we live our lives God's way our journey looks like this:
Maybe you were expecting a straight path with no bumps when you live a life with God. If that's the case you may have to take back your life with God package and request a refund. Bumps will always come in life but with God we'll go over them. God will also test us and we have to get over the bump to continue our journey with Him.
I don't know about you but I'd rather walk with God with bumps that He will help me over anyway than a messy squiggle of all kinds of challenges without Him. Even if that means taking a leap of faith over the bumps, I will walk with God. A leap of faith means that you haven't physically got over the bumps yet but you know that with God you will.
You have to build your faith and you do that by praying when those bumps come in life. The bumps aren't all bad things, they're good and bad things ahead of you that you have to get over. Whether it's finding a new job, passing an exam, learning to cope with the loss of a loved one, trouble with people, paying for something there are endless kinds of bumps. With God we don't see the bumps we see the road and that road goes on.
In a leap of faith before we have actually moved over the bumps we've already leaped over them with God. If that doesn't make sense, faith doesn't make sense by human standards. I can not explain it to you. You can't scientifically define faith. The level of trust you have in God is the level of your faith.
This is what the road looks like when you take a Leap Of Faith:
Would you look at that! A road with no bumps! Wow! Isn't that what we all want a life with no problems! Where can we sign up for this? Brace yourself, I have to break it to you, the bumps are still there but with God you don't notice them, you take a leap of faith over ALL of them. Don't expect an easy life but God guarantees a happy one.
After all what do we have to worry about, this is what God has got planned for us:
"For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek and find me; when you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you, says the Lord." ~ Jeremiah 29: 11-14
I hope I see you all leaping like spring chickens around the place. And we all say to each other, "Bumps pfft, what are those?"
I pray that you all go on this journey with God. It'll be the most incredible journey of your life. God's always around waiting for us to come to Him, He's there! Right there! God isn't going to jump out in front of your face and wave. He isn't going to force you to acknowledge Him. You know He is there and you have to go to Him. It isn't hard for you to approach Him, He'll welcome you with open arms. Once you've gone to God and grow with Him you'll be able to make leaps of faith.
The only question you have to ask yourself is which road will you choose?
It may be simple that a straight road taking a leap of faith is an easy choice but it's amazing how many people don't go that way. They see a little bump in their lives and they panic and think "It's a mountain :O!" However you see your bumps you will glide over them with God in your life.
I have a new equation:
People + No Faith and Problems = Disaster
Speed bumps may slow us down but they don't keep us from moving forward.
Reach out for the life God has for you and take a Leap Of Faith!
With that I love and leave you,
Until I write again,
Nicola Hill
It reminds me of this quote:
“Faith is taking the first step even when you can't see the whole staircase.” ~ Martin Luther King Jr.
I like this quote I found this morning:"With God's strength behind you and His arms beneath you, you can face whatever lies ahead of you."
What is your life? Your life is what was given to you by God. God has a plan for your life. He wants to be beside you throughout your life. Whether you keep Him in your life or not depends on you.
What are people? All people go through problems. They have good times and bad times in their lives. They are kind when they love and evil when they hate. They all have hopes and dreams.
What is faith? Faith is putting trust in God to direct your life.
This is the equation:
People + Faith In God = Life
We all have lives that we want to live our way and when we do that our journey looks like this:
When we live our lives God's way our journey looks like this:
Maybe you were expecting a straight path with no bumps when you live a life with God. If that's the case you may have to take back your life with God package and request a refund. Bumps will always come in life but with God we'll go over them. God will also test us and we have to get over the bump to continue our journey with Him.
I don't know about you but I'd rather walk with God with bumps that He will help me over anyway than a messy squiggle of all kinds of challenges without Him. Even if that means taking a leap of faith over the bumps, I will walk with God. A leap of faith means that you haven't physically got over the bumps yet but you know that with God you will.
You have to build your faith and you do that by praying when those bumps come in life. The bumps aren't all bad things, they're good and bad things ahead of you that you have to get over. Whether it's finding a new job, passing an exam, learning to cope with the loss of a loved one, trouble with people, paying for something there are endless kinds of bumps. With God we don't see the bumps we see the road and that road goes on.
In a leap of faith before we have actually moved over the bumps we've already leaped over them with God. If that doesn't make sense, faith doesn't make sense by human standards. I can not explain it to you. You can't scientifically define faith. The level of trust you have in God is the level of your faith.
This is what the road looks like when you take a Leap Of Faith:
Would you look at that! A road with no bumps! Wow! Isn't that what we all want a life with no problems! Where can we sign up for this? Brace yourself, I have to break it to you, the bumps are still there but with God you don't notice them, you take a leap of faith over ALL of them. Don't expect an easy life but God guarantees a happy one.
After all what do we have to worry about, this is what God has got planned for us:
"For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek and find me; when you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you, says the Lord." ~ Jeremiah 29: 11-14
I hope I see you all leaping like spring chickens around the place. And we all say to each other, "Bumps pfft, what are those?"
I pray that you all go on this journey with God. It'll be the most incredible journey of your life. God's always around waiting for us to come to Him, He's there! Right there! God isn't going to jump out in front of your face and wave. He isn't going to force you to acknowledge Him. You know He is there and you have to go to Him. It isn't hard for you to approach Him, He'll welcome you with open arms. Once you've gone to God and grow with Him you'll be able to make leaps of faith.
The only question you have to ask yourself is which road will you choose?
It may be simple that a straight road taking a leap of faith is an easy choice but it's amazing how many people don't go that way. They see a little bump in their lives and they panic and think "It's a mountain :O!" However you see your bumps you will glide over them with God in your life.
I have a new equation:
People + No Faith and Problems = Disaster
Speed bumps may slow us down but they don't keep us from moving forward.
Reach out for the life God has for you and take a Leap Of Faith!
With that I love and leave you,
Until I write again,
Nicola Hill
Tuesday, 30 April 2013
Be Yourself
This new blog post has come to life and this is a post about you! It's about you, being you.
As I start this post I've just thought of this quote I found a few years ago:
I've written before on how we're all different and everyone is unique and we all have something different to offer this world. As you are, you cannot be replaced, no two personalities match. You are you. Who's going to be like you? No one. Why do people want to change who they are? Peer pressure. How do you get comfortable with who you are? By accepting who you are.
I've answered enough questions so I can conclude this blog post now. No of course not, this blog post is not over yet so sit back, grab some coffee or something if you like and keep reading :). I have a story I want to tell you first before I get in to everything else, this is a part of my story.
A long time ago, (ok not too long ago I'm not that old yet), I was a teenager starting off in high school. High school is a big step. It's where you go from being a kid who had fun to thinking about what you want to do with your life. It's where you want to make new friends and be accepted among your peers. You go from not having a care in the world and running around having fun to worrying about what's going on around you.
I spent some of my high school years feeling like I wanted to be someone else. That no one was going to like me for me. I wanted to be more of this and less of that. I was in my shell and I couldn't express myself or show the world me. I felt like I couldn't show people who I was and people didn't understand who I was so they came up with their own ideas. I was quiet and kept to myself a lot. There were times when I felt isolated and alone.
Before I go on this is not a sad story it's just a journey I had in my life to figuring out who I was. As the years in high school went by I got a little bit more comfortable and started to be more of me, just being myself. Then I realised some people liked who I am even with my crazy sense of humour. The whole time I wanted to be something different but the more I was me the more I got comfortable in my own skin and started to be happy with who I am.
The person you will be best at being is you. No one knows how to be you better than you. I'm talking about being the good, best version of yourself. If you've got bad qualities and your character is showing bad behavior a lot or all the time then don't be that, you can change. That's not being yourself. You may think that's you but you have good in you too. There is that person in you that God created you to be and when that person comes out that's the you that should stay.
We're all different personalities and comparing ourselves to others is never going to get us anywhere. You can't be compared, there's no one that matches you to compare to. Let them be who they are and you be who you are. If you're not being yourself you're starving the world of who you are because no can take your place.
Life is a journey and part of it is a discovery of who you are. You know what you want to be. You know what you don't want to be. You know what you like. You know what you don't like. No outside person should be able to change that. People can't tell you what to be. You know how to be you better than anyone. Especially if you be yourself, the best version of yourself. No one has control over you except you.
You've got to learn to love the person you are. However you are. You're not going to be perfect all the time. You will make mistakes. You're not going to have all the other qualities you like in people around you. You're not going to be accepted by everyone. Not everyone will like you. If you be yourself you will find the right people that do like you.
We are not mistakes. We are not our failures. We are not other people's disappointments. We are not other people's targets. We each have something special about us. We each have a light to shine. We each have a smile to give. We each have a hope and future. We are all God's children. We are all different. We are all loved. We can all be the best good version of ourselves.
Would you like to know "How to Be Yourself?" I cannot tell you. Yes that was a helpful answer... I cannot tell you because I am not you. I don't know who you are but God does. He knows exactly who you are. He knows you to the core of your being. Take God's hand and step out of the shadows and be yourself! Be happy with the person God made you to be. Then you will find the right people who love you for who you are.
I try to be me despite what the world thinks of me. Even if I do seem like I got thrown against a wall as a baby or something must have smacked me in the head as a teenager that's me and I'm happy being me. I'm not going to be a lot of things but there are a lot of things I already am and I like those things. Yes it would have been nice if I could do things that I cannot do but I am thankful for the things I can do. I am thankful for my life and for the people in my life.
It's easy to fall in to the trap of what people think and to get hurt but it's not about what the world thinks of you, it's about what God thinks of you.
God will bring out the best version of yourself. You will have to work on yourself every day but every day God will be right by your side. You're never going to be perfect all the time but you can be better.
I appreciate all the different people in my life and I like that we're all different and we are all unique. I said on my birthday this year about all people, I'm glad you were all born in to this world and the world would not be the same without you because it wouldn't. You're special and cannot be replaced. Be Yourself :)!
Until I write again,
Keep being the awesome person you are :-)
God Bless,
Nicola Hill
As I start this post I've just thought of this quote I found a few years ago:
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
I've written before on how we're all different and everyone is unique and we all have something different to offer this world. As you are, you cannot be replaced, no two personalities match. You are you. Who's going to be like you? No one. Why do people want to change who they are? Peer pressure. How do you get comfortable with who you are? By accepting who you are.
I've answered enough questions so I can conclude this blog post now. No of course not, this blog post is not over yet so sit back, grab some coffee or something if you like and keep reading :). I have a story I want to tell you first before I get in to everything else, this is a part of my story.
A long time ago, (ok not too long ago I'm not that old yet), I was a teenager starting off in high school. High school is a big step. It's where you go from being a kid who had fun to thinking about what you want to do with your life. It's where you want to make new friends and be accepted among your peers. You go from not having a care in the world and running around having fun to worrying about what's going on around you.
I spent some of my high school years feeling like I wanted to be someone else. That no one was going to like me for me. I wanted to be more of this and less of that. I was in my shell and I couldn't express myself or show the world me. I felt like I couldn't show people who I was and people didn't understand who I was so they came up with their own ideas. I was quiet and kept to myself a lot. There were times when I felt isolated and alone.
Before I go on this is not a sad story it's just a journey I had in my life to figuring out who I was. As the years in high school went by I got a little bit more comfortable and started to be more of me, just being myself. Then I realised some people liked who I am even with my crazy sense of humour. The whole time I wanted to be something different but the more I was me the more I got comfortable in my own skin and started to be happy with who I am.
The person you will be best at being is you. No one knows how to be you better than you. I'm talking about being the good, best version of yourself. If you've got bad qualities and your character is showing bad behavior a lot or all the time then don't be that, you can change. That's not being yourself. You may think that's you but you have good in you too. There is that person in you that God created you to be and when that person comes out that's the you that should stay.
We're all different personalities and comparing ourselves to others is never going to get us anywhere. You can't be compared, there's no one that matches you to compare to. Let them be who they are and you be who you are. If you're not being yourself you're starving the world of who you are because no can take your place.
Life is a journey and part of it is a discovery of who you are. You know what you want to be. You know what you don't want to be. You know what you like. You know what you don't like. No outside person should be able to change that. People can't tell you what to be. You know how to be you better than anyone. Especially if you be yourself, the best version of yourself. No one has control over you except you.
You've got to learn to love the person you are. However you are. You're not going to be perfect all the time. You will make mistakes. You're not going to have all the other qualities you like in people around you. You're not going to be accepted by everyone. Not everyone will like you. If you be yourself you will find the right people that do like you.
We are not mistakes. We are not our failures. We are not other people's disappointments. We are not other people's targets. We each have something special about us. We each have a light to shine. We each have a smile to give. We each have a hope and future. We are all God's children. We are all different. We are all loved. We can all be the best good version of ourselves.
Would you like to know "How to Be Yourself?" I cannot tell you. Yes that was a helpful answer... I cannot tell you because I am not you. I don't know who you are but God does. He knows exactly who you are. He knows you to the core of your being. Take God's hand and step out of the shadows and be yourself! Be happy with the person God made you to be. Then you will find the right people who love you for who you are.
I try to be me despite what the world thinks of me. Even if I do seem like I got thrown against a wall as a baby or something must have smacked me in the head as a teenager that's me and I'm happy being me. I'm not going to be a lot of things but there are a lot of things I already am and I like those things. Yes it would have been nice if I could do things that I cannot do but I am thankful for the things I can do. I am thankful for my life and for the people in my life.
It's easy to fall in to the trap of what people think and to get hurt but it's not about what the world thinks of you, it's about what God thinks of you.
God will bring out the best version of yourself. You will have to work on yourself every day but every day God will be right by your side. You're never going to be perfect all the time but you can be better.
I appreciate all the different people in my life and I like that we're all different and we are all unique. I said on my birthday this year about all people, I'm glad you were all born in to this world and the world would not be the same without you because it wouldn't. You're special and cannot be replaced. Be Yourself :)!
Until I write again,
Keep being the awesome person you are :-)
God Bless,
Nicola Hill
Saturday, 30 March 2013
Bullying
The Wikipedia definition of bullying is this, "Bullying is the use of force or coercion to abuse or intimidate others. The behavior can be habitual and involve an imbalance of social or physical power. It can include verbal harassment or threat, physical assault or coercion and may be directed repeatedly towards particular victims, perhaps on grounds of race, religion, gender, sexuality, or ability".
I find bullying sad. Sad that people can deliberately hurt others and feel nothing. Sad that words get used to bring people down instead of build them up. Sad that it gets to the point of making someone else cry. Sad that people abuse their power given to them and use it to hurt others. Bullying can crush someone's spirit. In this blog post I'm concentrating on bullying with words. Words can cause serious harm.
Everyone must have witnessed or been a victim of some form of bullying. It's not only something that happens in schools, it happens in work places too. It can happen anywhere. Wherever someone attacks another. Bullying with words is saying something that drags a person down in a harsh way without feeling sorry. Words are a form of communication but they are also a very strong tool that can encourage or damage others. Are your words building people up or tearing them down?
No one wants to feel hurt, isolated or unwanted. No one wants to be made fun of. No one wants to be a target of someone else. No one wants someone constantly putting them down. No one wants to cry. No one wants people talking behind their back. Which leads me to ask, why bully? If people don't want to be on the receiving end then why do they put someone else there?
We're all different. In a whole world of personalities there is no one else like you. There are billions of personalities out there. In a whole world of all kinds of people not everyone will get along. Although we are all different we all have something in common. We all have feelings and the potential to be good.
Remember we all have feelings. Every person can experience feeling happy and they can feel sad. Which would you rather be? If you choose sad... Actually sad is not an option, I know no one will choose to be sad. Why would you choose to be sad anyway? Do you like feeling upset or hurt? Does it make you feel good? No it does not. Then my question is why do people make someone else go through that? Why do people bully others and make them feel something they don't want to feel?
I found Proverbs 15 is a good verse for this post if you'd like to read it through.
There are a lot of things words can do to people.
Beating with words or building with words? That is the question. Beat them down or build them up.
It's like giving someone a lift or hitting them with your car. That's the difference between the type of words that get thrown at people. If you give them a lift you carry them to go further with your words. If you hit them you injure them with your words. Sometimes the damage isn't so bad but sometimes it can be.
The reason I am talking about bullying with words and the extent of watching our words is because too much abuse of words can lead to bullying.
Thank you for reading my blog. You can follow me on twitter @nicolahill7. You can also subscribe to this blog by email on the right hand side of this post. I write when I have something on my heart that I want to write about. When I'm feeling inspired to write.
I have written many blog posts on a range of topics. You're welcome to look through all my posts.
I'd like to end with this quote I found today. I actually found it before I even thought about this blog because I only thought of this post later but I think it fits really well.
Trouble with this world is that everybody's out to get everybody else. I mean why can't people be more like me? I love everybody. ~ Bugs Bunny
Until I write again,
Build people up,
God Bless,
Nicola Hill
I find bullying sad. Sad that people can deliberately hurt others and feel nothing. Sad that words get used to bring people down instead of build them up. Sad that it gets to the point of making someone else cry. Sad that people abuse their power given to them and use it to hurt others. Bullying can crush someone's spirit. In this blog post I'm concentrating on bullying with words. Words can cause serious harm.
Everyone must have witnessed or been a victim of some form of bullying. It's not only something that happens in schools, it happens in work places too. It can happen anywhere. Wherever someone attacks another. Bullying with words is saying something that drags a person down in a harsh way without feeling sorry. Words are a form of communication but they are also a very strong tool that can encourage or damage others. Are your words building people up or tearing them down?
No one wants to feel hurt, isolated or unwanted. No one wants to be made fun of. No one wants to be a target of someone else. No one wants someone constantly putting them down. No one wants to cry. No one wants people talking behind their back. Which leads me to ask, why bully? If people don't want to be on the receiving end then why do they put someone else there?
We're all different. In a whole world of personalities there is no one else like you. There are billions of personalities out there. In a whole world of all kinds of people not everyone will get along. Although we are all different we all have something in common. We all have feelings and the potential to be good.
Remember we all have feelings. Every person can experience feeling happy and they can feel sad. Which would you rather be? If you choose sad... Actually sad is not an option, I know no one will choose to be sad. Why would you choose to be sad anyway? Do you like feeling upset or hurt? Does it make you feel good? No it does not. Then my question is why do people make someone else go through that? Why do people bully others and make them feel something they don't want to feel?
I found Proverbs 15 is a good verse for this post if you'd like to read it through.
There are a lot of things words can do to people.
Beating with words or building with words? That is the question. Beat them down or build them up.
It's like giving someone a lift or hitting them with your car. That's the difference between the type of words that get thrown at people. If you give them a lift you carry them to go further with your words. If you hit them you injure them with your words. Sometimes the damage isn't so bad but sometimes it can be.
The reason I am talking about bullying with words and the extent of watching our words is because too much abuse of words can lead to bullying.
Thank you for reading my blog. You can follow me on twitter @nicolahill7. You can also subscribe to this blog by email on the right hand side of this post. I write when I have something on my heart that I want to write about. When I'm feeling inspired to write.
I have written many blog posts on a range of topics. You're welcome to look through all my posts.
I'd like to end with this quote I found today. I actually found it before I even thought about this blog because I only thought of this post later but I think it fits really well.
Trouble with this world is that everybody's out to get everybody else. I mean why can't people be more like me? I love everybody. ~ Bugs Bunny
Until I write again,
Build people up,
God Bless,
Nicola Hill
Sunday, 10 March 2013
Walking with God
There were people broken down by life. There were people lost and couldn't find a way out. There were people who focused on material things and what life had to offer them. There were people who didn't realise the great life in store for them and settled for what they had. All these people found something amazing. Something to hold on to. A new hope. A new life. An incredible journey. This journey began when they started walking with God. When they turned their lives over to God.
What is your story? I am sure everyone can think of hard times in their lives and how their lives have improved. Everyone thinks "I've had it harder" than others. The poor me syndrome that many fall in to. We're not in a competition of who had the biggest struggle. Sure life can be tough and people have bigger struggles than others but I am talking about moving beyond the tough times on the greatest journey you will ever take in your life and that is walking with God.
If you keep on your walk with God you will walk through everything. Any hurdles that come along your way, job loss or failing something even if they set you back a bit or delay you on your journey, you will keep walking. Sudden accidents, loss, heartache that can paralyze you, you will keep walking. People who hurt you, stand in your way, you will keep walking. No matter what life throws at you, you will keep walking because God walks with you.
God doesn't see things like we do. He doesn't worry like we do. Looking at the same view, we will see a mountain and God sees an anthill. Walking with God is not just a walk through your troubles it's a walk in to the plan God has for you. It's a walk where you will look around and see how God has blessed you in your life. A walk where God brings you on this amazing adventure better than you can imagine.
Remember God chooses the path we walk on and He leads the way. If you walk with Him it doesn't mean He's going to hand you everything you want but He will give you everything you need. Of course God wants us to be happy and feel loved and no matter how many times He's been rejected by us, He cares and loves us unconditionally. He doesn't love you only if you've done right (no one has done right or does right all the time). He loves you in spite of what you've done. He loves you and nothing you do can stop the love He has for you.
Will you trust someone that loves your more than any other person you will ever meet with your life? Will you go walking with God? He's got His hand out to us and He's always there wanting us to walk with Him. He created us and the walk of life after all. Walking without God is like trusting someone's opinion of something over the person who created the actually thing. Who knows more than the creator?
God doesn't make us sign a contract that says we have to follow Him. The choice to walk with God is entirely up to you. Have you ever heard of people's lives that have been changed by God? Have any of those stories had a bad ending? Have all those people seemed happy now that they had God in their life? Yes of course they're happy because they're on the greatest journey ever. Of course they're not immune to hurdles and hardships life throws their way but they make it through. They keep on walking. They don't walk because they're strong and on their own ability. They walk because they pray and trust God with their lives and whatever happens they believe God is good all the time.
God is good ALL the time! Bad things in life don't happen because of God, bad things happen because evil was let in to the world and there are bad people too because of it. To qualify for a walk with God, God doesn't have high requirements and He doesn't say you have to have been an angel all your life. In fact there is only one requirement and that is to ask Him to forgive your sins, give your life over to God and trust Him. Simple as that.
If you're walking with God, stay close to Him. Walk with Him every day and every day you will see how your day changes. He changes us for the better. He changes our lives for the better. It's not a walk where one day you walk with Him, one day you don't. If things are getting too hard for you to handle then maybe you've got to get back to regular walks with God. In the same way you've got to keep your fitness up or else you'll lose it, you've got to walk with God to keep feeling peace. A peace that can survive whatever comes your way comes and you get this peace by putting your in trust God.
God is always there ready to go for a walk, are we ready to go walking with God? Let's walk daily and exercise our Faith!
Thank you for reading my blog. I have twitter too @nicolahill7. You can subscribe to this blog at the top right of this page if you want to get notified instantly whenever I post something. I have written many blog posts on here, you're welcome to go through them. I also have a link on the right hand side to my other writing blog on tumblr where I have written a few posts and some poems. I write when I feel inspired to write. I love writing, always have, always will.
Until I write again enjoy walking with God ;)
God Bless,
Nicola Hill
What is your story? I am sure everyone can think of hard times in their lives and how their lives have improved. Everyone thinks "I've had it harder" than others. The poor me syndrome that many fall in to. We're not in a competition of who had the biggest struggle. Sure life can be tough and people have bigger struggles than others but I am talking about moving beyond the tough times on the greatest journey you will ever take in your life and that is walking with God.
If you keep on your walk with God you will walk through everything. Any hurdles that come along your way, job loss or failing something even if they set you back a bit or delay you on your journey, you will keep walking. Sudden accidents, loss, heartache that can paralyze you, you will keep walking. People who hurt you, stand in your way, you will keep walking. No matter what life throws at you, you will keep walking because God walks with you.
God doesn't see things like we do. He doesn't worry like we do. Looking at the same view, we will see a mountain and God sees an anthill. Walking with God is not just a walk through your troubles it's a walk in to the plan God has for you. It's a walk where you will look around and see how God has blessed you in your life. A walk where God brings you on this amazing adventure better than you can imagine.
Remember God chooses the path we walk on and He leads the way. If you walk with Him it doesn't mean He's going to hand you everything you want but He will give you everything you need. Of course God wants us to be happy and feel loved and no matter how many times He's been rejected by us, He cares and loves us unconditionally. He doesn't love you only if you've done right (no one has done right or does right all the time). He loves you in spite of what you've done. He loves you and nothing you do can stop the love He has for you.
Will you trust someone that loves your more than any other person you will ever meet with your life? Will you go walking with God? He's got His hand out to us and He's always there wanting us to walk with Him. He created us and the walk of life after all. Walking without God is like trusting someone's opinion of something over the person who created the actually thing. Who knows more than the creator?
God doesn't make us sign a contract that says we have to follow Him. The choice to walk with God is entirely up to you. Have you ever heard of people's lives that have been changed by God? Have any of those stories had a bad ending? Have all those people seemed happy now that they had God in their life? Yes of course they're happy because they're on the greatest journey ever. Of course they're not immune to hurdles and hardships life throws their way but they make it through. They keep on walking. They don't walk because they're strong and on their own ability. They walk because they pray and trust God with their lives and whatever happens they believe God is good all the time.
God is good ALL the time! Bad things in life don't happen because of God, bad things happen because evil was let in to the world and there are bad people too because of it. To qualify for a walk with God, God doesn't have high requirements and He doesn't say you have to have been an angel all your life. In fact there is only one requirement and that is to ask Him to forgive your sins, give your life over to God and trust Him. Simple as that.
If you're walking with God, stay close to Him. Walk with Him every day and every day you will see how your day changes. He changes us for the better. He changes our lives for the better. It's not a walk where one day you walk with Him, one day you don't. If things are getting too hard for you to handle then maybe you've got to get back to regular walks with God. In the same way you've got to keep your fitness up or else you'll lose it, you've got to walk with God to keep feeling peace. A peace that can survive whatever comes your way comes and you get this peace by putting your in trust God.
God is always there ready to go for a walk, are we ready to go walking with God? Let's walk daily and exercise our Faith!
Thank you for reading my blog. I have twitter too @nicolahill7. You can subscribe to this blog at the top right of this page if you want to get notified instantly whenever I post something. I have written many blog posts on here, you're welcome to go through them. I also have a link on the right hand side to my other writing blog on tumblr where I have written a few posts and some poems. I write when I feel inspired to write. I love writing, always have, always will.
Until I write again enjoy walking with God ;)
God Bless,
Nicola Hill
Thursday, 7 February 2013
In a relationship with our mobiles
As I start my blog post I find one of the ways I start many of my blog posts goes something like "it's been a long time since I've posted something" and this is the case again. I have to write when I feel an inspiration to write something like I do now and when I have time. I had Christmas and New Year since my last blog post which are working days for me and in January I had a month holiday and I spent the month in Africa visiting South Africa and Zimbabwe. Of course in Africa you have to climb to the top of a mountain with your laptop to pick up the wifi signal from a satellite. If you believed what I just wrote I think you need to put a trip to Africa on your to do list.
Back to my blog and how I appreciate having one that's one of the good sides of modern technology at least it allows us to have an online blog. I imagine if I had to write in a book, the book would have gathered dust many times with my lack of writing haha. It would also make it harder to share my blog with people around the world. And this is where my blog begins today on the subject of technology. Particularly on the subject of mobile phones.
My idea for this blog came when I was on holiday in South Africa. I had a Samsung Galaxy S3 which I'd had for just over two weeks and it was stolen on my holiday. Not having a phone myself (my spare blackberry with missing buttons was hardly a replacement) it made me observe the effect of mobile phones on people a lot more. Of course I am affected myself and seem to have caught this disease too.
This picture I saw online also added to my thoughts:
My blog post fits in to February the month of love with the love of mobile phones. I remember years ago the old "brick" phones that my parents owned that to me were the most amazing piece of technology. Now days your mobiles can do so much more. With the more they can do it seems the more the attachment grows. The more you feel the need to take it out even whilst in present company. The need to look at your phone and disappear into the world of virtual communication while there are people that you can have a live conversation with around you. I've never met a person who can truly concentrate on you and their mobile at the same time. Responses from people using their mobile phones while you are in their company are either delayed or non existent.
The point I am making and I am as much guilty as we all are when it comes to mobiles or at least the majority of the world is that it's distracting us from what is around us and who is around us. Everyone has different levels of attachment to their mobiles, not all are as affected. Considering February is the month of love well every year a lot of people are in a relationship with their mobile phones, myself included.
When you go out with friends or family the amount of mobiles on the restaurant table is amazing. The mobiles have be within reach on the table instead of in our bags or pockets because imagine the catastrophe if people could not look at their phone the second it makes a noise. The whole world could stop turning. We have to use our mobile phones constantly with people or no people around for the environment's sake. Of course I am being sarcastic but I'm illustrating the fact that mobile phones are also glued to the human being. There may even be talks of adding it to a part of the human anatomy. No, no it wont be added, sarcasm again. If you know me, you'll know I'm sarcastic. If you don't brace yourself (I'm joking I'm not that bad :) )!
I am not lashing out about mobiles or people who use them, I love having an awesome phone myself, in fact I am getting the same mobile phone I had before soon. If anything I am more guilty than almost anyone else I know for being on my mobile. I love being on my mobile but maybe it's time to to choose the right time for our mobiles. I do actually use my phone the most when I'm alone because of course it helps me communicate with people I know and that circle I can communicate with on my mobile has even grown to friends and family who aren't in the same country as me because of all the thousands of social applications you get on your phone. I love the fact that you can communicate with everyone you know around the world. That is what I like the most about it.
A thought about this whole subject of mobile phones that stuck with me is when we're in company maybe our mobiles shouldn't be visible or used to the very minimum when we get an opportunity rather than in the middle of a conversation. Mobiles as amazing as they are, they are also a distraction. They distract us from the people or things around us. People talk to us, we don't hear what they said because we have our phone. We're watching a show and we miss a part of it because of our phone. We're walking somewhere and we miss seeing things around us because our eyes are glues to our phones.
I'll even tell you a story that happened to me last year. I was on my phone texting whilst walking down the street in my town and I walked straight in to a pole because I wasn't looking where I was going. Haha! You see mobiles can have people hooked. Not all situations apply to everyone but I am sure anyone can think of a scenario where they have proved as a distraction.
I am not saying I am not going to have a mobile, I like having a latest mobile but I am saying maybe it's time to try and be more considerate to the people around us. Using your phone when you're home or alone is different then you can be inseparable. In company that's where it can be a problem.
On a serious note people die every year in car accidents caused by drivers who were on mobile phones and not paying attention to the road and mostly the innocent people they crash in to are the ones who lose their life. Cars have proper mobile phone sets and Bluetooth to use for driving it's better to use those if you answer call while driving. That's also an area about mobile phones people really need to look at improving. Texting is even more dangerous while driving.
I am thinking of a time when people meet up and have just the pleasure of each others company. I am thinking of a room where people talk while they're in the same room and don't text. I am thinking of a time where people walk and see the world rather than the world and sights around them pass them by because they're on a mobile. Well we can create this every day. Every time we are out we can make a point to not take our mobiles out as much.
We need to call people sometimes. We need to reply texts. We need to be in touch. We don't need our mobile phones in our hand 24/7 to do any of those. In moments there are opportunities, those are the times to use your phone in company. I am not against anyone who using their phone in company but use it properly. Not ignoring everything around you.
Whilst I and the vast population of the world is in a relationship with our mobiles it's time to realise that unlike other relationships our mobiles can't leave us and walk away even if we ignore them for a while.
So while February is the month of love and relationships with those you love and most of it is about love flourishing while I am encouraging less of a flourishing relationship with our mobiles because I am encouraging more love and flourishing relationships with the people in our company.
Thank you for reading my blog :). I love to write, always have, always will.
I would love to hear your feedback or thoughts on this blog post or any of my blog posts :). I have quite a few blog posts on this blog on a range of subjects and you're welcome to browse through them.
If you have twitter you can also follow me @nicolahill7.
Until I write again,
God Bless,
Nicola Hill
Back to my blog and how I appreciate having one that's one of the good sides of modern technology at least it allows us to have an online blog. I imagine if I had to write in a book, the book would have gathered dust many times with my lack of writing haha. It would also make it harder to share my blog with people around the world. And this is where my blog begins today on the subject of technology. Particularly on the subject of mobile phones.
My idea for this blog came when I was on holiday in South Africa. I had a Samsung Galaxy S3 which I'd had for just over two weeks and it was stolen on my holiday. Not having a phone myself (my spare blackberry with missing buttons was hardly a replacement) it made me observe the effect of mobile phones on people a lot more. Of course I am affected myself and seem to have caught this disease too.
This picture I saw online also added to my thoughts:
My blog post fits in to February the month of love with the love of mobile phones. I remember years ago the old "brick" phones that my parents owned that to me were the most amazing piece of technology. Now days your mobiles can do so much more. With the more they can do it seems the more the attachment grows. The more you feel the need to take it out even whilst in present company. The need to look at your phone and disappear into the world of virtual communication while there are people that you can have a live conversation with around you. I've never met a person who can truly concentrate on you and their mobile at the same time. Responses from people using their mobile phones while you are in their company are either delayed or non existent.
The point I am making and I am as much guilty as we all are when it comes to mobiles or at least the majority of the world is that it's distracting us from what is around us and who is around us. Everyone has different levels of attachment to their mobiles, not all are as affected. Considering February is the month of love well every year a lot of people are in a relationship with their mobile phones, myself included.
When you go out with friends or family the amount of mobiles on the restaurant table is amazing. The mobiles have be within reach on the table instead of in our bags or pockets because imagine the catastrophe if people could not look at their phone the second it makes a noise. The whole world could stop turning. We have to use our mobile phones constantly with people or no people around for the environment's sake. Of course I am being sarcastic but I'm illustrating the fact that mobile phones are also glued to the human being. There may even be talks of adding it to a part of the human anatomy. No, no it wont be added, sarcasm again. If you know me, you'll know I'm sarcastic. If you don't brace yourself (I'm joking I'm not that bad :) )!
I am not lashing out about mobiles or people who use them, I love having an awesome phone myself, in fact I am getting the same mobile phone I had before soon. If anything I am more guilty than almost anyone else I know for being on my mobile. I love being on my mobile but maybe it's time to to choose the right time for our mobiles. I do actually use my phone the most when I'm alone because of course it helps me communicate with people I know and that circle I can communicate with on my mobile has even grown to friends and family who aren't in the same country as me because of all the thousands of social applications you get on your phone. I love the fact that you can communicate with everyone you know around the world. That is what I like the most about it.
A thought about this whole subject of mobile phones that stuck with me is when we're in company maybe our mobiles shouldn't be visible or used to the very minimum when we get an opportunity rather than in the middle of a conversation. Mobiles as amazing as they are, they are also a distraction. They distract us from the people or things around us. People talk to us, we don't hear what they said because we have our phone. We're watching a show and we miss a part of it because of our phone. We're walking somewhere and we miss seeing things around us because our eyes are glues to our phones.
I'll even tell you a story that happened to me last year. I was on my phone texting whilst walking down the street in my town and I walked straight in to a pole because I wasn't looking where I was going. Haha! You see mobiles can have people hooked. Not all situations apply to everyone but I am sure anyone can think of a scenario where they have proved as a distraction.
I am not saying I am not going to have a mobile, I like having a latest mobile but I am saying maybe it's time to try and be more considerate to the people around us. Using your phone when you're home or alone is different then you can be inseparable. In company that's where it can be a problem.
On a serious note people die every year in car accidents caused by drivers who were on mobile phones and not paying attention to the road and mostly the innocent people they crash in to are the ones who lose their life. Cars have proper mobile phone sets and Bluetooth to use for driving it's better to use those if you answer call while driving. That's also an area about mobile phones people really need to look at improving. Texting is even more dangerous while driving.
I am thinking of a time when people meet up and have just the pleasure of each others company. I am thinking of a room where people talk while they're in the same room and don't text. I am thinking of a time where people walk and see the world rather than the world and sights around them pass them by because they're on a mobile. Well we can create this every day. Every time we are out we can make a point to not take our mobiles out as much.
We need to call people sometimes. We need to reply texts. We need to be in touch. We don't need our mobile phones in our hand 24/7 to do any of those. In moments there are opportunities, those are the times to use your phone in company. I am not against anyone who using their phone in company but use it properly. Not ignoring everything around you.
Whilst I and the vast population of the world is in a relationship with our mobiles it's time to realise that unlike other relationships our mobiles can't leave us and walk away even if we ignore them for a while.
So while February is the month of love and relationships with those you love and most of it is about love flourishing while I am encouraging less of a flourishing relationship with our mobiles because I am encouraging more love and flourishing relationships with the people in our company.
Thank you for reading my blog :). I love to write, always have, always will.
I would love to hear your feedback or thoughts on this blog post or any of my blog posts :). I have quite a few blog posts on this blog on a range of subjects and you're welcome to browse through them.
If you have twitter you can also follow me @nicolahill7.
Until I write again,
God Bless,
Nicola Hill
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