Let Go of Control! (The overdue stigma)
In this day in age we have the presumed assumption that we can control outcomes. In fact, people go crazy when you DON’T TRY to control a situation.
For instance, the birth of our fourth chid. God has taught us so much through this past year of what trusting in God is all about. I am trusting that his birthday was planned at the very beginning of time for a purpose. My plans will always fail, but His are always perfect. I also am trusting the knowledge God gives me of my body, what it is capable of, and how it is meant to work.
We may not always understand it all. Are we supposed to? I’m thinking no. Why would trust be necessary if I knew all of the answers?
This goes for anything and everything in life you are going through…this just happens to be my particular trust situation right now.
Don’t underestimate this God we serve…He’s got this.
Surrender
Obviously, my post recently have had the common trend of waiting, contentment, and trying to not let my mind take over all of the truths in my heart.
Nevertheless, this is where God has me at this point in time. Surprisingly, my anxious heart has given way to absolute surrender to God. Not by my might I can guarantee you of that , but of God’s consistent work. I am amazed over and over at how I think I know best of when and how something should happen. I quickly forget the big picture and all of the spiritual things going on around me in the major tapestry of life. It so isn’t about me. To surrender to God’s will is pretty easy in my case when I don’t have a choice but to sit and wait for the Baby boy to make his arrival. What about surrendering when I can still tweak outcomes? Surrender is to cease resistance and submit to God’s authority. That is not in our nature until our choices are taken from us.
Is it possible to surrender when we feel the ball is in our court and our backs aren’t up against the wall? I would venture to say yes, but we must be intentional about the surrender. We must place it all in His hands every second of the day INTENTIONALLY because it is the only way to truly feel freedom.
What are you surrendering today?
The Wait
40 weeks tomorrow.
…Good gracious!
And so…we wait. Sometimes letting go and being content is easy, other times it’s not, and you have to fight for it.
The past couple of days I have had many swaying emotions. One minute, I am so aggravated I have to go upstairs by myself and have a pep talk with God, the next I want every child cuddled on my lap. One minute, the thought of food is unappealing, then the next I want a cheeseburger. One minute, I am organizing a cabinet, then the next can’t get my butt off the couch.
This waiting for labor thing is new to me. Really, I don’t like waiting for anything in life. But man, how sweet it is when your waiting efforts are rewarded.
How many of us have heard patience is a virtue? Virtue’s meaning is a behavior showing high moral standards, goodness, honor, dignity, respectability, and purity. THIS is what I want to be. It’s so easy to be that toddler kicking and screaming when things don’t happen right now, when we want it, in our own time frame. The lessons learned in waiting are often the most relevent in life. To be able to emotionally give over control to God through something that belongs to Him all along.
This is where complete trust in God’s sovereignty keeps being compelled in my heart. It’s His sovereignty that started that precious heart beat. It’s His sovereignty that knows the very second I will hold him in my arms. He is sovereign in all and every circumstance we are waiting on. How awesome is that? It is in waiting where we are sanctified. He stretches us and reveals nothing is ever by our own power. It’s easy to feel trapped in our own waiting games, in actuality there is freedom in knowing that our creator knows best when to deliver what we are waiting on…the pressure is off.
I encourage you today to wait with contentment, when you’re not feeling it, fight for it! Every second is a step closer and all part of a master plan by God. In a period of waiting? Subscribe and share!
Lamentations 3:5 The Lord is good to those who WAIT for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.
Psalm 27:14 WAIT for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; WAIT for the Lord.
Psalm 40:1 I WAITED patiently for the Lord; He inclined to me and heard my cry.
Against the Grain (Feminism)
I am fully prepared for some backlash on this post. My only request is that you read it with an open mind and consider alternatives to what has been put in our face on a daily basis.
What if we as a society of women became truly submissive to our husband and families? We know that this is what the Bible says and God only wants what is best for us. Is it true that we can really be happier and get something out of this too besides our husbands and families?
Over my yeas of marriage and having children I have become more and more passionate about the subject of our roles as women. I have found that the more I try to mimic how a woman in the Bible is supposed to act that is when I have been most happiest and fulfilled. The idea of submissiveness goes completely against society. I have seen the benefit from it and that makes me want to share with others this radical viewpoint in hopes someone else can feel the same peace and fulfillment as their role of a woman the way God intended it.
The definition of submission is to unresistingly and humbly serve others. For me the key word is unresistingly. How often do we here of women today who are resisting the type of label such as the cook, the cleaner, homemaker, or the one who takes care of the kids etc… We resist because we deem it unimportant. The opposite is true. It’s not only about submitting to our families but to our God-given roles and not resisting. No wonder there are so many unhappy women today. Any one who is in a constant state of resistance is bound to feel frustrated.
Let’s take a look at submission as a woman for her family in action. She is a nurturer, caregiver, and the rock where her family can find rest. When she is in her role (if married to a Christian God-fearing man) he will treat her above all others because of how well he and his children have been taking care of. Ladies, that is what is in it for us. We give and empty ourselves out on a daily basis only to be refilled by a well taken care of husband, children, and therefore we all glorify God. A submissive woman is NOT a doormat. She is strong and takes care of her household in ways no-one else can. Is it always easy? Nope, but that is what keeps us calling on the name of the Lord.
Lets take a look at the typical woman today. She is out working outside of the home. She and her husband share an equal partnership of household chores, cooking, and taking care of the children. This can seem all fine and dandy but what if the other isn’t taking up their end? It’s usually not the people at work that suffer, it’s family life that suffers. That is exactly where satan wants us. Before my husband and I had children this was the way we were. I thought at the time that it worked perfectly and that it was the way marriage should be. Looking back it seems there was always something that wasn’t being done or taken care of assuming the other one was going to do it. There was confusion. God isn’t a God of confusion. He is a God of order and efficiency.
There should be eyes on the home front at all times protecting it. Homes are being shattered all around us and I strongly believe it is because we have lost the art as woman of making it a priority. Let’s get back to what true feminism really is. Not the kind where we burn our bras, but we burn the mentality that there is any job more important than building up our homes.
I want to be the backbone, the pillar, and the soft place to land. Yes, I want to be the cook, the cleaner, and the teacher. I want to be that hug, that smile, and the eyes that says everything is ok. I want to be the protector standing with guns loaded against the wiles of the devil that seeks to destroy my family. I want to be the hands, the heart, and the confidence of Christ.
Who is with me? Let’s start a new feminist movement! Subscribe and share!
Here are my other Going Against The Grain Series:
Going Against The Grain (Birth Control)
Going Against The Grain (Industrialized Food)
Going Against The Grain (Debt)
Photo credit Pixabay
As of Today…
As of today there are 8 days left until the finish line of your due date, but my sweet baby Easton, only God knows the very second you will draw air into your lungs for the first time.
As of today I am feeling sweet arms and legs wiggle for room, but my sweet baby Easton, only God knows when my arms will be extended to welcome you into this world.
As of today your face is only a sweet dream, but my sweet baby Easton, only God knows when I can smell and kiss the sweetness.
As of today your sweet cry is only imagined, but my sweet baby Easton, only God knows what my heart will do when I hear it for the first time.
As of today your big bother kisses my belly, but my sweet baby Easton, only God knows when he will kiss you forehead for the first time.
As of today your Daddy leaned in asked how his boy was doing, but my sweet baby Easton, only God knows when you will fall asleep on his chest for the first time.
As of today your sisters asked when you were coming, but my sweet baby Easton, only God knows when their face will light up when they are told you are home.
As of today my arms are aching to cuddle your warm body, but my sweet baby Easton, only God knows how full my heart will be when the day arrives.
As of today I am thankful for life, blessings, and miracles; but my sweet baby Easton, only God knows how you will encompass them all and bring joy to our family.
As of today I am joyful, blessed, and ready for you sweet baby Easton. Thank you for all of the lessons you have already taught me and for always pointing me to God.
We love you…
Praise Them
Monday morning the kids and I were out running errands. To most we looked like a freak show. (9 month pregnant lady, grocery cart overflowing, a 5-year-old, 3-year-old, and 20 month old) At this point it was our third stop of the morning, so far so good, but you never know when the toddler meltdown will happen.
We made it to checkout when the manager came over to help. She said the words that every Momma craves to hear, “Wow, this is the way well behave children should act!” Yep! She was talking about MY kids?! I looked at them, saw them standing beside me at the buggy with smiles on their faces and I said, “Yes your right they are being very well-behaved.”
As I got to the car I was convicted and wondered to myself often I praise my children for a job well done. Even though that woman complimented my children I was the one beaming the rest of the afternoon. My point is, everyone needs the praise and encouragement to keep at it and keep going.
How often do we as moms grab the phone right when we get in the car to let our husbands know how terrible the kids acted in he store? I know I’m guilty of that a lot more than calling him to give a praise report. Ouch!
We have to remember that they are always listening. I want them to know that their momma believes in them and talks highly of them to other moms. I don’t mean to lie or talk about their accomplishments, but talk about their character and how God is going to use them. We have the power to speak truth into their lives. If they constantly hear me talking about the bad stories then that is what will infiltrate their mind and hearts.
Start today with me on giving well deserved encouragement and praise and see how differently they act. Let me know if you saw any changes!
Against The Grain (Debt)
Photo Courtesy of Stuart Miles/ Free Digital Photos
This post is intended to be an encouragement for people to get out of debt along with our story that has led us to seek this lifestyle so passionately. None of this is to brag, but is to show how with God’s help you too can go against the grain and be weird…be debt free.
When we were first married neither of us had any debt to our name. We were only 18, neither of us owned anything. Before we said, “I do,” the only things we paid for was our gas, food that we ate out, and other things we wanted (Not needed). When my husband was 16 his dad purchased him an old car and my parents did the same. When we got married we added on a rent payment of 600 a month for our one bedroom apartment plus all of our food, groceries, and utilities. I was just starting nursing school and working part-time while my husband was working for the city utilities department at the time. Our total income was around 18,000 a year! We have never been the kind of people who just blow money for fear we would end up like a lot of people around us. I can remember sitting at our little kitchen table debating on if we should use our coupon that night to go out to dinner or wait for a special occasion. It was a big jump for two eighteen year olds who had only lived with their parents, but we were determined to make it work.
Fast Forward 3 years later…
We bought our first home about an hour away from family since it was cheaper for 85,000. Our payments increased to 660 a month. Not too much of a jump from our rental, plus we had our privacy. It was the cutest little house on an acre you would ever see. My husband now works at the fire department with a slight increase in pay and I finally graduated nursing school. We paid my way through school using grants and by using money we saved up while we were in high school. The month I graduated was the month we literally had zero in our savings account. It was the perfect amount to get me through my education. Praise God!
Once I graduated our money coming in doubled. Like most people who have a big jump in their money we yelled, “We are rich, we are rich!” We went and bought a bunch of stuff we had felt deprived of and added to our monthly payments. Then, like most people, we started saying, “Crap, we are broke!” Ironic how easily that happens! We went and bought me a (new to us, but used) car racking up 15,000 in debt. We bought my husband a truck racking up another 10,000 in debt. We then took out a loan for some family members for a total of another 9,000 in debt. This simple life we used to have with half the money was gone. We now had accumulated over 30,000 in debt within the course of 6 months in the blink of an eye.
The crazy thing is that was all normal! It’s what you do. There were people congratulating us and giving us pats on the back. You upgrade, you buy cars, nicer dinners, nicer houses, better everything because we feel some type of entitlement or that we have earned it somehow. We end up only hurting ourselves and adding to stress in our lives. You can’t tell me satan isn’t behind all of this, and loves to sit back and watch it happen.
Thankfully, God showed up and gave us a wake up call.
We haven’t always done perfectly and we have many regrets on things we wish we had done differently, but we have made progress and now have a God-given vision that can’t be shaken.
I was about 6 months pregnant with our first child when my husband started talking to this guy at his fire station about money. The guy taught a financial peace course by Dave Ramsey. Neither one of us had ever heard of the guy so Tim began to ask question. It was all so simple and eye-opening at the same time. Knowledge that was all common sense that gets lost in our world of materialism. Every day he would tell me more about what he had learned. The man let us borrow his book that laid out the ground work for this simple yet effective plan to get out of debt and stay that way. We read everything we could, listened to his CD’s, and began to practice everything Dave Ramsey preached.
First step was to get 1,000 in our emergency fund. You would think that would have been simple, but with all of our bills we created it wasn’t easy. We were motivated beyond belief, we talked and breathed it, we discovered something new!! Dave Ramsey’s philosophy behind this is to have it there for just in case stuff happens. It’s a given that things will break so just go ahead and be ready. Second step was to knock out our debts smallest to largest. Don’t worry about interest rates. His idea behind this is to get your momentum going. You want to start sledging a way at your debt iceberg as quickly and efficiently as possible. For us, this was the 9,000 we lent to some family. Wasn’t looking like we were going to get it back, so away we went. Instead of paying the minimum we took every single extra penny we could out of our budget and put it toward that debt. Before our baby girl was born we had it paid off. What a feeling!! Needless to say we were addicted:) We then took what we were paying on the family debt and put that on top of our minimum payments for the 10,000 truck. Our momentum was in full swing. Once that was paid off we worked on my car using the family debt payment, plus the old truck payment, and the minimum on my car all down every month. We flew through that debt quickly! The freedom that came the day we sent our last payment in was indescribable. We wanted to share our news with everyone and show them that they could do this too.
Not too long after…
baby number two was on the way. We decided we needed to move to be closer to family for our children. We then began to think like the rest of America again. We assumed I would always be working and that we would stay in our next house forever. We began to think a little to highly of ourselves and think we deserved bigger and better. Unfortunately, we took the world’s advice and went from our 85,000 dollar house to one for 185,000. Oh just typing that out makes me sick! We made some money off of our house and we were able to put down a decent down payment. We got a 15 year loan at an awesome interest rate and went from paying 660 to 1300! Our budget did allow for this, but remember I am still working a lot, and we went into another 100,0000 in debt by moving into this house. Don’t get me wrong, I love this house but little did we know all the ways God was going to speak to us. We didn’t know he was going to give us two more children with hopefully more. We didn’t know that He was going to want me to stay home and lose over half of my income. We must be ready for the opportunities God wants us to jump on.
Here we are today…
We have been able to remain debt free except the house, we put extra money in retirement, and have a little bit going into an account for the children, then whatever money is left we have been throwing at our mortgage. I have cut back on work significantly as my husband tries to pick up extra work any where he can to make the difference. We sacrifice a lot for the wants we have, but God has ALWAYS taken care of our needs.
I put all of this out there to say that I am fully aware that there are many people who have it a lot worse off than u,s and some who are better off than us. Whatever situation you find yourself in it’s never too late to go against the grain and get yourself out of debt. It’s not the way we were intended to live PERIOD.We all make financial mistakes, but when we commit our plan to God to live the way He wants possibilities will open to get out from under the debt slave feeling. It may not be easy and may not happen overnight but the point is to start. God will bless your efforts.
What’s your story? Tired of going with the norm and ready to break free and go against the grain with me? Subscribe and share!
Here are my other Going Against The Grain Series:
Going Against The Grain (Birth Control)
Going Against The Grain (Industrialized Food)
Sharing this with: The Prairie Homestead, A Mama’s story, Raising Arrows, The Modest Mom, What Joy is Mine, Growing Home, Time Warp Wife, Thankful Homemaker, Mamal Diane, Teaching What is Good, Mom’s the word, A proverbs 31 wife, Some of the best things in life are mistakes, Let this mind be in you, A Wise Woman Builds her home, Deep Roots at Home, Graced Simplicity, Raising Homemakers, Hope in Every Season, Jill’s Home remedies, Our simple country Life, Raising Mighty Arrows, The Purposeful Mom, Happy and Blessed Home, My Joy Filled Life. New Life Steward, Hometead simple,
Circumstance and Conviction
Have you ever been praying and dreaming for something then get a whisper from the Lord that you’ve got it all wrong? I’m sure a lot haven’t. I have always felt that God plants dreams and ideas for a greater purpose and to lead us somewhere. The Lord spoke to my husband this past Wednesday night at church, we HAVE had it all wrong. When we got home that night he shared His God given, “Ah hah,” moment with me and it gave me great perspective.
Ever since we were in high school we dreamed of owning land someday, the simple way of life. This post is my heart for our country dream. We came very close this past August to purchasing an old rundown 26 acre farm. Needless to say, due to many complications from the people buying our house the deal fell through. Looking back, the entire process wasn’t easy. We had many self doubts, were stressed beyond belief, and felt as though we wasted our summer away. From that point on we have been committed to praying that God would show us that piece of land or that property where He wants us (already having our own specifications in mind.) Let me clarify, there is nothing wrong with praying for your dream and God’s leading. For us, we were forgetting to pray about all of the other amazing dreams God had placed on our heart.
So here comes my husbands, “Ah hah,” moment…Instead of praying for the perfect piece of property we should be praying that our circumstances will follow our convictions. Let me try to explain what I mean. Over the years God has given us many convictions, and has put before us a path we feel He is leading our family. It can be so easy to be tempted to push those convictions aside when you see a piece of property that you have dreamed about. Instead, we want to pray that He will help us to keep our situation and circumstances true to all of the convictions He has shown us.
Some examples of our convictions are:
To be 100% out of debt.
For momma to stay home as much as possible raising our children and keeping our home. (I currently work 1 12 hour night shift a week at the hospital)
To joyfully accept all of the children God gives us.
To feed our family food in the most natural state as possible (raw milk, grass-fed meats, homegrown vegetables, etc…)
Home school are children.
Slow down and soak up God’s blessings.
To help others.
With all that being said, if we are always praying for the perfect piece of land then we are missing the point. The PLACE is not our answer or our dream. It’s following God’s will and staying true to the above convictions. I want to be wherever my circumstances will help me live out my convictions. God knows what is best and all we want is to follow Him.
Our new family prayer looks something like this. Lord Jesus, thank you for opening our eyes to the path you have set before our family. Please lead us in whatever direction you may have us go to stay true to what you have placed in our hearts. If that means staying in our current home we gladly accept it knowing that none of it is wasted time as long as we are living the way you have called us to.
How about y’all? Ever had an, “Ah hah,” moment from God that shifted your perspective to see the big picture? Share your thoughts!
Large Families (Do It Well)
I do not consider myself to have a large family yet. When our fourth baby arrives in a few weeks, I’m sure most people will say that we do. I have always been drawn to families with lots of children. They intrigue me. I wonder how the dynamics work, what systems they have in place to care for their children, and basically how they function on a day-to-day basis.
When you mention a family with lots of children to someone they typically think of two different scenarios. They imagine huge Christmas dinners with well mannered children laughing and story telling by the fire. Others may imagine a depleting bank, with rowdy dirty kids going unnoticed, left lonely and lost in the shuffle. Neither scenario is very accurate but both could be a close possiblity depending on how close you cling to God when growing your family.
Don’t get me wrong, raising even one child takes total dependence on the Lord, but logically the more children you have the easier it is to get lazy and turn a blind eye to issues that arise in your family. A very important thing that us parents of growing families (biologically or through adoption) is that we must constantly rely on the Lord to help us DO THIS JOB WELL. It isn’t just throwing your hands up when you give your fertility to the Lord and hoping for the best. If this is our calling we must give our 100% on a daily basis. We don’t just stop when we surrender our entire lives to Him. We must continually seek His guidance in every area. Think about it this way. Missionaries don’t just pray for God’s leading about what country to go to then stop relying on God when they get to their destination. We must remember that just because there are a lot of little bodies around our supper table our work has just begun. Our families are our mission field. Misconceptions of large families come from the ones who gave up trying to sharpen their arrows. We must stay diligent with each and every child that comes along.
Here lately I have been pondering on exactly what God wants me doing with these kids. During pregnancy it’s easy to get consumed with the tangible things you need for the arrival. What about the few months after when sleep deprivation is in full swing and there aren’t any more freezer meals in the freezer? Through all of the distraction I must stay true to my calling. TO RAISE THEM WELL FOR HIM. I felt led to write a little list to help keep me stay focused. I obviously will be adding on quite often…
Ways to do it well
1. Exemplify Jesus. Easier said than done huh? This is so powerful. Jesus said “Let the little children come to me.” Man, I’m convicting myself as I type this! How often do I tell them to give me five minutes of peace, or roll my eyes when they call my name for the gazilionth time? My arms need to stay open and ready for a small one to jump in no matter what time of day. Pretty easy for your arms to be open, but your heart has to be there too. The only way we can do this is constant PRAYER!
2. Let God’s goodness never be far from your lips. Talk about your blessings ALL THE TIME. The positivity will rub off on them and help you keep your head up too.
3. Discipline with diligence. This is equally as important as our job of holding and hugging them. In fact, discipline is another form of love. Don’t give in to the temptation to slack off because you are outnumbered and don’t have the time. Your only hurting yourself and the children in the long run. Weed out disobedience and defiant behavior as soon as you see it. Take your time with this, and when it pops back up weed it again and again. God does this with us continually.
4. Stretch your dollar and show them how to do it. Never talk about not having what you need, but talk of God’s providence each and every time another child was born. Show them what hard work really is and how to save and be good stewards. Prove to them that money is never a factor in God’s callings. Treat them more special then the paycheck.
5. Teach them how to give attention. Of course nothing compares to a parents love and affection, but when you teach your children to give it out to other siblings then someone is ALWAYS getting showered with attention. When or fourth is born they will have five other people to look after them, give them hugs and kisses and be their buddy.
6. Facilitate sibling relationships…I mean really work hard at it. Don’t leave disputes unsettled or let jealousy, anger, or selfishness take root in their hearts. What better way to learn to love this dying world than to start with the people you live with. Take the time to teach conflict resolution and how to be kind to one another and build each other up.
Do y’all have anything I can add to my list? I would love to hear how you do your job well or how your trying to:) Subscribe and share!
Sharing this with: The Prairie Homestead, A Mama’s story, Raising Arrows, The Modest Mom, What Joy is Mine, Growing Home, Time Warp Wife, Thankful Homemaker, Mamal Diane, Teaching What is Good, Mom’s the word, A proverbs 31 wife, Some of the best things in life are mistakes, Let this mind be in you, A Wise Woman Builds her home, Deep Roots at Home, Graced Simplicity, Raising Homemakers, Hope in Every Season, Jill’s Home remedies, Our simple country Life, Raising Mighty Arrows, The Purposeful Mom, Happy and Blessed Home, My Joy Filled Life. New Life Steward, Hometead simple,
Just Follow
I want to thank every one for all of your support and prayers y’all gave me when I wrote about how I was loosing it with my crazy hormones. That night I poured my heart out to God, cried, and was determined to feel better. I did feel some relief as we left church that night but still woke up the next morning in a bit of a funk. I think I prayed all day long for God to help me and to calm me down. It wasn’t instant but as I spoke to Him all day I could feel my heart beginning to soften and some joy returning in its place. I have had to remind myself over and over to let go and let God.
At church this weekend God sent a very powerful message to me. It was about the verse in the Bible where Jesus is calling His disciples. He says Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men. The pastor shared that it has been said by many scholars (rather true or not I’m not sure) that the disciples didn’t truly believe Jesus was the Son of God until they had been following Him for nearly two years. He explained that it is easy as Christians to simply say “Yep I believe”…but we never truly follow. We want to still do things our own way.
He made a profound statement. Sometimes you just have to follow and the believing will come later. I know this seems absurd, but I could completely relate to that. I am constantly questioning God about His ability to take care of us financially when more children come, questioning my ability to care for them the way they should be cared for, questioning if He is really there. But… I do follow, blindly actually. My husband and I have felt so many convictions and we know we are where He wants us but we have a hard time always believing that we are going to be OK. He said that if you just follow where He leads than you WILL believe. He will make a way and always walks side by side hand in hand with us.
So I want to shout from the rooftops…Its OK to be scared and wonder if it’s all going to work out, follow God anyways. You wont be disappointed. Your faith will be richer and He will make you something better than you could have ever imagined. He said “FOLLOW ME AND I WILL MAKE!”
Sharing this with: The Prairie Homestead, A Mama’s story, Raising Arrows, The Modest Mom, What Joy is Mine, Growing Home, Time Warp Wife, Thankful Homemaker, Mamal Diane, Teaching What is Good, Mom’s the word, A proverbs 31 wife, Some of the best things in life are mistakes, Let this mind be in you, A Wise Woman Builds her home, Deep Roots at Home, Graced Simplicity, Raising Homemakers, Hope in Every Season, Jill’s Home remedies, Our simple country Life, Raising Mighty Arrows, The Purposeful Mom, Happy and Blessed Home, My Joy Filled Life. New Life Steward, Hometead simple,
Hey Y'all! My name is Brittany Styron. Sweet Country Roots is a place I hope to encourage, inspire, and bring a chuckle. Grab yourself a cup of coffee and join conversations about marriage, babies, homeschooling, frugal living, good food, and an old fashioned way of thinking.
