God's Vision for You
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July 21
 
For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome. 
—Jeremiah 29:11

God’s plan for the people of the nation of Israel was only for their good. Yet they wandered around in the wilderness for forty years on what was actually an eleven-day journey. Why? Was it their enemies, their circumstances, the trials along the way, or something entirely different that prevented them from arriving at their destination in a timely manner?

God called the children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt to go to the land He had promised to give them as a perpetual inheritance—a land that flowed with milk and honey and every good thing they could imagine—a land in which there would be no shortage of anything they needed—a land of prosperity in every realm of their existence.

But the Israelites had no positive vision for their lives—no dreams. They knew where they came from, but they did not know where they were going. Everything was based on what they had seen in the past or what they could presently see. They did not know how to see with “the eye of faith.”

We really shouldn’t view the Israelites with astonishment, because most of us do the same thing they did. We keep dealing with the same problems over and over again. The disappointing result is that it takes us years to experience victory over something that could have and should have been dealt with quickly.

I come from a background of abuse. My childhood was filled with fear and torment, and my personality was a mess! I built up walls of protection to keep people from hurting me, not realizing that while I was locking others out, I was also locking myself in. I was filled with fear, and believed that the only way I could face life was to be in control so no one could hurt me.

As a young adult trying to live for Christ and follow the Christian lifestyle, I knew where I had come from, but I did not know where I was going. I felt that my future would always be marred by my past. I thought, How could anyone with a past like mine ever be all right? It’s impossible!

But Jesus had a different plan. He said, “The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon Me . . . to preach the good news (the Gospel) to the poor; He has sent Me to announce release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth as delivered those who are oppressed [who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down by calamity]” (Luke 4:18).

Jesus came to open the prison doors and set the captives free—and that included me. However, I did not make any progress until I started to believe that I really could be set free. I had to get rid of my negative thinking and replace it with a positive vision for my life. I had to believe that neither my past nor my present could determine my future. Only then could Jesus free me from the bondage of my past—and free me, He did. What a marvelous miracle!

You may have had a miserable past; you may even be in current circumstances that are very negative and depressing. You may be facing situations that are so bad it seems you have no real reason to hope. But I say to you boldly: Your future is not determined by your past or your present!

Most of the generation the Lord called out of Egypt never entered into the Promised Land. Instead, they died in the wilderness. To me, this is one of the saddest things that can happen to a child of God—to have so much available and yet never be able to enjoy any of it.

Start believing that God’s Word is true. Mark 9:23 assures you that with God all things are possible. Because you serve a God who created everything you see out of the unseen realm (see Hebrews 11:3), you can give Him your nothingness and watch Him go to work on your behalf. All you have to do is have faith in Him and believe His Word—He will do the rest!

Pray this...
 
Dear Father, I thank You for loving me and having a vision—a good plan—for my life. I pray that You will help me overcome any negative thoughts of problems, past or present, that come against my mind, and make my life what You want it to be.

Amen.

Everyday Answers:
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The Power of Hope
 
Hope is defined as "the happy anticipation of good things." As we are aggressively hoping for something good to happen to us? We should wake up in the morning excited and expectant about life? We can do that by learning how to celebrate and enjoy this journey called life.

Everything in life is a process in motion. Without movement, advancement and progression, there is no life. Once a thing has ceased to progress, it is dead. In other words, as long as we live, you and I are always going to be heading somewhere, and we should be enjoying ourselves on the way. God created us to be goal-oriented visionaries. Without a vision, we become bored and hopeless. Hope deferred makes the heart sick, according to Proverbs 13:12, but when the desire is fulfilled, it is a tree of life.

There's something about hope that makes people lighthearted and happy. You're not going to be happy if you don't have hope. The more hope you have in God, the happier you become. Biblical hope is a close relative to faith. I don't see how you can have faith without hope because hope is the foundation on which faith stands. Hope believes everything is going to turn out all right—hope is positive! To enjoy life you must maintain a good, positive attitude. God is positive, and He wants positive things to happen to each of us, but that isn't likely to happen if we're not filled with hope and faith.

Some people are afraid to hope because they have experienced so much hurt and disappointment that they don't think they can face any more pain. They refuse to hope so they won't be disappointed. Disappointment is painful! Rather than being hurt again, they simply refuse to hope that anything good will ever happen to them. This type of behavior sets up a negative lifestyle. Everything becomes negative because their thoughts are negative. Proverbs 23:7 says, For as he [a person] thinks in his heart, so is he....

Your Future Has No Room For Your Past!

Many years ago I was extremely negative because of the devastating abuse that had taken place in my past. The result was that I expected people to hurt me, and they did. I expected people to be dishonest, and they were. I was afraid to believe that anything good might happen. I thought I was protecting myself from being hurt by not expecting anything good to happen. When I really began to study the Word and trust God to restore me, I began to realize that all of my negativism had to go. In Matthew 8:13, Jesus says that it will be done for us as we have believed. I believed everything was negative, so naturally many negative things happened to me.

I needed to let go of the past and move into the future with hope, faith and trust in God. I had to get rid of the heaviness of despair, depression and discouragement. And I did, once I dug into the truth of God's Word! I found out that God is ...a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter of my head (Psalm 3:3). I began to turn my negative thoughts and words into positive ones! Now, I am not saying that you and I can get whatever we want by just thinking about it. God has a perfect plan for each of us, and we can't control Him with our thoughts and words. But we can think and speak in agreement with His will and plan for us. We can practice being positive in every situation that arises. Even if what is taking place in your life at the moment seems negative, expect God to bring good out of it as He has promised in His Word. You must understand that before your life can change, your attitude must change.

Hope is a powerful, spiritual force that is activated through our positive attitude. We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose (Romans 8:28). What Satan means for harm, God intends for good. All things work together for good for those who love God. Satan wants to hurt you and have you spend your life distrusting everyone because somebody hurt you when you were a child, while you were in school, in your marriage, on your job, etc. The list of who, what, where and how you can be hurt is endless. You have to say, "No! That is subject to change! I am a child of the living God! Something good is going to happen to me!"

[After all] the kingdom of God is not a matter of [getting the] food and drink [one likes], but instead it is righteousness (that state which makes a person acceptable to God) and [heart] peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). What this means is that after all the painful things that have happened in your past have come and gone, God still wants you to enjoy every single day of your life. This won't happen, however, until you make up your mind to take hold of the abundant life that Jesus' death and resurrection purchased for you. Until then, the devil will always try to take it away. Jesus said, The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows) (John 10:10).

You are a new creation. You don't have to allow the old things that happened to you continue to affect your new life in Christ. As a new creature in Christ Jesus, you can have your mind renewed according to the Word of God: And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude], and put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God's image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:23,24). Things will change for the better when you keep your thoughts filled with hope.

Rejoice In Hope

The Bible is full of hope-filled promises for you and me. Through Him also we have [our] access (entrance, introduction) by faith into this grace (state of God's favor) in which we [firmly and safely] stand. And let us rejoice and exult in our hope of experiencing and enjoying the glory of God (Romans 5:2). Good things begin to happen to you when you rejoice in the hope of experiencing God's favor on a regular basis. Luke 2:52 tells us that ...Jesus increased in...favor with God and man. You and I are introduced to the favor of God by faith. All of God's promises are activated by faith. We shortchange ourselves when we believe in Jesus but don't believe in His blessings. Believe that you walk in holiness and righteousness (see Ephesians 4:24), believe that you are anointed (see 2 Corinthians 1:21), and believe that you are blessed with every spiritual blessing as promised in Ephesians 1:3. Believe Romans 8:37 when it says you are more than a conqueror!

Everything that is promised in the Bible is for us to rejoice in now. Be glad! Raise your expectancy level. Rejoice in the hope of experiencing God's glory right now. My husband and I believe for many things, but beyond them all, we believe in Someone—Jesus. We don't always know what is going to happen. We just know that it will always work out for our good! The more positive and hopeful we are, the more we will be in the flow of God. In Ephesians 1:17,18, the apostle Paul prayed, [For I always pray to] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation [of insight into mysteries and secrets] in the [deep and intimate] knowledge of Him, by having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints (His set-apart ones).

This glorious inheritance is for you and me! Second Peter 1:3 says, For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness, through the [full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue).

The Hope Of Seeing Change

If there is anything in this world that you can be sure of, it is change. Something is always changing. Why is it, then, that we find ourselves thinking, "Nothing will ever change... I'm always going to be like this... My situation will never change... He'll never change... She'll never change... I'm never going to be as good as so-and-so"? The only thing that will never change is God. For I am the Lord, I do not change... (Malachi 3:6). Everything else can change. If you have no hope of seeing change in your situation, change probably isn't going to come. We endure so many things emotionally that we really wouldn't have to suffer if we put our hope in God and stopped looking at all of the circumstances we can't control. We will never enjoy life unless we decide to! In order to live as God intends for us to live, we must truly believe that it is God's will for us to experience continual joy. Then we must decide to enter into that joy, which is essential to our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health.

Proverbs 17:22 says, A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones. Hope makes joy available, just as a lack of hope produces misery. We can choose to enjoy righteousness and peace or stay in the midst of condemnation and turmoil. There are blessings or curses available, and that is why Deuteronomy 30:19 tells us to choose life and blessings. What do you do while you wait for change? You pray, believe and expect to receive. Maintain a positive attitude, knowing that God is working on bringing your change and that you will see it. Throughout your waiting time, the devil will scream, "It's not going to change; it's going to get worse!" Don't listen to this and become discouraged. Instead, wake up in the morning and say out loud, "This is the day that the Lord has made, and I will rejoice and be glad! Something good is going to happen to me today! Everything in my life that is not right is subject to change! The One who never changes is changing my situation. And while He's doing it, I'm going to enjoy my life!" Put your confidence in God and stop wearing yourself out trying to make things happen. The decision to have a good attitude while your change is coming can change you! Now is the time to decide to enter into the full and abundant life that God wants you to have.

God Is Working Right Now!

Most of us have a hard time believing that God is working on our behalf until we see something happening with our natural eyes. This usually isn't the way God works. He works behind the scenes much of the time. Right now He is changing hearts and drawing sinners unto Him. Right now He is working in our government. Right now God has a plan for your promotion. He may be speaking to your boss about giving you a raise. God is busy working in your life as long as you believe. Hebrews 11:1 says, Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].

This scripture begins with the word now. Although the Greek word from which it is translated actually means “but, and, etc.,” rather than “at this point in time,” I still believe the term can be used to describe faith and hope. Faith and hope operate right now! Without them, life isn't enjoyable. Every time I lay aside faith and hope, I stop believing and I lose my peace. And as soon as I lose my peace, my joy goes with it. Make a decision to be a now person. God has a good plan for your life right now. Trust Him today. Believing God brings you into His rest and puts an end to the torment caused by impatience and anxiety while you're waiting. No matter how hopeless your situation seems to be or how long it has been that way, I know you can change because I did. It took time and heaping helpings of the Holy Spirit, but it was worth it. It will be worth it for you, too. Whatever happens, trust in the Lord and trust in the power of hope! My hope is in God who never changes. Nothing is impossible with Him. He is a big God, and I'm believing Him for big things. How about you?

Never Underestimate the Importance of YOU!
 
July 01, 2010
 
"For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him." -Philippians 2:13 (NLV)
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What gift has God born in YOU? What gift will you leave to generations yet to be? None of us knows.

The sun rises in the morning and sets in the evening. It did so for others and it does, still, for you and me, today. NEVER underestimate the importance of your every day...and the possibility of God using you to leave lasting joy in someone's tomorrow.

Prayer:

Lord, there are days - sometimes many, sometimes few - when I feel like I'm just barely "putting one foot in front of the other." I seek the confidence of self-assurance from You that I might recognize the potential to make a positive difference that You have born in me.

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Last Edited: July 1, 2010, 8:34 am

Direction, Not Intention, Determines Destination

No matter how much you and I intend on doing the right things in life, we need to assure that it is God who is directing and guiding our decisions, and not our individual pursuits and desires. More often than not, the paths many of us find ourselves on are driven by how we feel, and what we see, rather than the paths God may have for us, which are never bound or dependent on our senses.

Is there anything wrong with wanting a better job? Absolutely not. Is there anything wrong with wanting a bigger home, or nicer car? Again, not at all. And yes, I realize the timetable you set for getting married has come and passed, but before you try to grab the wheel and make something happen, allow these words to redirect you as they did for me:

Direction, Not Intention, Determines Destination

If you're heading down the wrong direction, it doesn't matter what destination you intend on reaching, you will never get there (no matter how hard you try or how hard you pray). God's laws of guidance do not bend towards us. We bend towards them.

Scripture Of The Day: "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye." - Psalms 32:8

In God's Hands
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God has a unique way of providing angels who step into our lives and help us navigate through the tough and uncertain times. Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us to trust God in spite of what we see, feel or think. God has a way of helping us navigate through life’s maze to achieve the ultimate God Goal.
I think about God’s power and authority to guide my life and my journey towards God’s preferred destination. It truly is in God’s hands.

Scripture Of The Day:
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"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)

Daily Devotional

Trust In The Wisdom Of God
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In Genesis 37:18, the brothers of Joseph conspired to kill him and cast him into a pit. In an attempt to hide their evil scheme to get rid of Joseph, they sold him for 20 pieces of silver to the Ishmaelites who pulled him out of the pit and carried him off into Egypt.

How many times have you found yourself in a deep pit of despair, feeling alone and facing problems too hard for you to resolve? A pit is a form of recession. You have more bills than income, or more bad news than good. The enemy uses the pit in your life to hold back your blessings, and he tries to kill your spirit, steal your joy, and destroy your faith.

While Joseph’s brothers were plotting to wipe him out, at that same time, by verse 25, God dispatched a team of deliverers, the Ishmaelites to come to his rescue. This is a great illustration of God’s sovereign wisdom and power over your life. He is a Keeper of your soul. He knows just what your pit looks like; the foreclosure, the doctor’s bad report, the loss of a loved one, a lengthy unemployment.

On the flip side, He also knows your purpose and destiny and the plans He has made for your life. In Jeremiah 29:11, God says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

At the same time you are applying for unemployment assistance, a future boss is reviewing your resume.
At the same time the bank pulls your credit report for a loan, a computer erases the bad information.
At the same time you see yourself skidding into on-coming traffic, God has prepared a guard rail in the road to protect you.

All through the bible God shows His sovereignty and wisdom to watch over us in the hard times. He is a Provider who sees far beyond our scope of vision as He prepares a way out of adversity for His children. The Bible says He will never leave you or forsake you and He will not put on you more than you can bear. In His infinite wisdom, while the devil is sending you a problem, at the same time, God is sending you divine sustaining provisions.

You may have to endure a season of struggle, but your pit is not too deep or too hard for God. Trust in His wisdom to foresee the circumstances of every pit and prepare a way to get out of it. At the same time Joseph’s brothers were throwing him into the pit, God sent the Ishmaelites to be the answer to his problem. God is in control, not man.

The bible says in Isaiah 54:17, No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and in Psalm 121:12, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.”

Stop looking to the weapon that is formed against you. Look to the hills of heaven for God to make a way for you. “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28. It’s not a recession for you, God’s provisions are on the way.
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Scripture Of The Day: “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.” - Psalm 121:1-2

 
Trust and Believe..................................................................

Where to Find Your Personal Info
Online:
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It is literally there for anyone to see just by going to one Website," Rachael says. "Phone number, your age, your address, occupation, relationship status ... right down to things like astrological signs!" Online expert Mario Armstrong says these sites pull together public information that you can use to search for old friends and family, and he’s giving us the scoop on how the sites work!

How do they get your info?
"It's all legal information, first and foremost, because they are using legal public data that already exists - so personal property records, business records," Mario explains. "It used to take private investigators months or years to compile all of this information and now you can get it in a couple of clicks."

Can you remove your information from these sites?
"You have to scroll down to the bottom [of the site] and find the little fine print and it will say privacy," Mario says. "You can click the privacy link and it will show you how you can remove your name from it. Here's the thing though, you're only removing your information from that one site; you're not removing it from all of those public records." Mario adds that if you really are fearful or worried and want to get a handle on your information, there are companies that charge for a service, like ReputationDefender.com, that can help clean it up.

Which sites are doing this?
Spokeo.com and ZabaSearch.com work like Google search engines for searching personal information. You can also share more details about your life with friends and family through location-based social networking sites like Loopt.com. "You take your mobile phone and you check in, whether it's at a restaurant or a movie theater," Mario explains. "When I came to New York, I checked in at the New York Sports Club. So I was working out, and that let people know where I was at that given time. Other people that are following me can find that out and also see what my pattern is."

Another popular site, FourSquare.com, uses such information for some friendly competition among friends - you check in from different locations and earn points for repeat visits to businesses and stores. "You can become the mayor of a location if you frequent that location quite often," Mario says. "You might get discounts or prizes - very clever marketing!"

How do these sites affect the workplace? "Getunvarnished.com is a new site that really allows you to spill the beans on your co-workers, your employers," Mario explains. "It's an anonymous posting, you can't take it down, so if someone starts to type something about me ... it's going online about my professional experience." These comments could help you get a better idea of your reputation at work and could be used by potential employers. "Recruiters are also looking at it like, 'Maybe this person isn't the right fit for this organization.' If you see 20 reviews and they all are from different people and they kind of skew a certain way, maybe they are telling you something that is legit about that person." Still, Mario says it's another example of why everyone should be vigilant about their information online. "It's yours; it's who you are!"
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For More Information...
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 FourSquare.com
 GetUnVarnished.com
 Loopt.com
 ReputationDefender.com
 Spokeo.com
 ZabaSearch.com
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Faith Vs. Control
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When you obsess over problems instead of looking to God for solutions, the enemy will magnify your fears. If he can’t get you to worry about the present he’ll remind you of everything that could go wrong in the future! Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “All I have seen, has taught me to trust God for all I haven’t seen.”
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The last time you checked, wasn’t God still bigger than any terrorist attack, financial disaster, illness, accusation, or mess you found yourself in? Well, He hasn’t changed! David said, “He won’t go to sleep…The Lord is…at your right side…[He] will…keep you safe…wherever you go” (Ps 121:3-8 CEV); plus His angels are watching over you 24/7.
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It all comes down to faith vs. control. You can struggle to handle things on your own – or trust your Heavenly Father. That’s the choice! It’s not about ‘blind faith,’ it’s about believing that God is who He says He is. And it’s an issue you need to settle in your mind once and for all, because if you don’t believe He wants only the best for you, you’ll keep trying to run the show. Control isn’t responsibility. Responsibility is doing your part by praying, obeying, and trusting God. Control is manipulating the circumstances to engineer the outcome you want.

Jesus knows how we like holding on to things we’re not wise enough to control, so He said, “If you want to save your life, you will destroy it. But if you give [it] up…for me, you will save it” (Lk 9:24 CEV). Bottom line – you either trust God or you don’t!

Scripture Of The Day: "If you give up your life for me, you will save it.” - Luke 9:24 (CEV)
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National Day of Prayer
59th Annual Observance
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 "The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble.  He cares for those who trust in Him"
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*Statement of Faith>>>>
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I believe that the Holy Bible is the inerrant Word of The Living God. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the only One by which I can obtain salvation and have an ongoing relationship with God. I believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, his virgin birth, his sinless life, his miracles, the atoning work of his shed blood, his resurrection and ascension, his intercession and his coming return to power and glory. I believe that those who follow Jesus are family and there should be unity among all who claim his name.
He saw the best in me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgwt-UhPhhs
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COPYRIGHT © 2010 National Day of Prayer Task Force  Site by:Thirdfloor Media, Inc.
 
http://nationaldayofprayer.org/
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Today's Verse

— Romans 12:12(NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Sometimes the key to survival is simply "setting our jaw" and going on faithfully trusting that God is there helping us, despite the apparent and outward circumstances. Choosing joy through hope rather than despair, choosing patient endurance in times of affliction, and choosing faithfulness in prayer are all decisions of the will trusting that the God who raised Jesus from the dead can also change our circumstances because he hears our voice.

My Prayer...

Create in me, O Mighty God, a resolute and steadfast heart so that I might persevere with joy no matter what the difficulty. This I ask in the name of your faithful Son. Amen.

Spiritual Quotes:

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Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be.
Thomas a Kempis

Life is a pilgrimage. The wise man does not rest by the roadside inns. He marches direct to the illimitable domain of eternal bliss, his ultimate destination.
Swami Sivananda

In the attitude of silence the soul finds the path in an clearer light, and what is elusive and deceptive resolves itself into crystal clearness. Our life is a long and arduous quest after Truth.
Mahatma Gandhi

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