Belonging: A Prayer Journey Meditation

Speaker: 00:00:05

Sonny Bonani Franz.

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I am Judy this week's host for the

Creative Spiritual Journey Podcast,

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where GI and I walk with you and talk

about those things that bring us joy

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along this marvelous journey of life.

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Today is day 610.

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It's also September 2nd, 2025, which means

today is our 20th month mark on mission.

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That's an eighth left, which is.

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By the way, the smallest spoon in my

measuring spoons, and it's a strange

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thing to reflect on the past two years and

look ar and look ahead with anticipation

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of what is to come while still trying

to stay present and doing our best.

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Running to the finish line, Eric said it.

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Well, time went fast, but it

sure felt like it took forever.

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Now for today's episode.

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if you listen to this podcast or

read my daily post on Instagram

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and Facebook, you've heard me

mention a place called Greygoose.

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This is where I teach yoga, where

Eric and I go every Sunday at

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sunset on our marriage walks.

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It has become our sanctuary.

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It's so peaceful.

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They have a beautiful lodge there

and a restaurant, and they also have.

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Animals, zebras, wildebeests,

bless, buck spring, bucks

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ostriches, and occasional mongooses.

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We once even saw a monkey,

beautiful birds, We just love this

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If you listen to last episode, I

spoke about walking the golden grass

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field in search for my golden earring.

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Now when we first arrived to New

Castle, South Africa, this was a

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great find to be able to get out

into nature, so close to our home.

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In fact, it is like a three minute drive.

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Ah, it has become my temple in the

wilderness, much like the shoreline

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trail was for me back at home.

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Do you have a place where you retreat to

a sacred place like a temple to commune

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and pray to your father in heaven?

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If you don't go find one because

it will change everything for you.

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When I first got here, I

remember walking and crying.

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I would listen to podcast and

on my Spotify playlist, there

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is a man named Joe MCC Carro.

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He is a performing poet and author

and the host of a podcast called.

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The deep place.

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He's from Australia, so he has this

beautiful Aussie voice and I just

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happened to have a meditation on my

playlist that I would go back to,

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'cause it helped me feel grounded

when my heart wanted to fly back home.

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And it's titled, you Belong.

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So I'm walking down the field and I hear

some beautiful cellos come in and Joe MCC

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Carroll's voice saying, you belong here.

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You know that, don't you?

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You belong here on this earth,

in this world held here.

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You belong here.

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And Oh, I remember thinking, do I?

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Not sure where I belonged and

why I was here in the moment.

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Okay, now, just this week,

walking down this field on Popped.

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You belong here.

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On my playlist, and I'm gonna tell you

this time I cried tears of gratitude.

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Yes, I do belong here.

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I belong here and home.

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Maybe I can work on that

teleporting superpower.

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I was imagining if I could

go back and tell my: 2024

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anything, what would it be?

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Stop moping.

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Look up and be a good cheer.

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God has a plan for you here.

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I might even tell myself to

quit being such a big baby.

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Do you feel at home where

you are right now in life?

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I've come to find this as a

choice, belonging, joy, faith,

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creating love, and especially how

we see God's hand in our life.

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In the October, 2017 general conference,

Elder Ronald Araz Band of the Quorum

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of the 12 Apostles said The Lord's

hand is guiding you by divine design.

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He is in the small details of your

life as well as the major milestones.

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He also said, our lives are like

a chess board, and the Lord moves

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us from one place to another.

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If we are responsive to

spiritual promptings.

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Looking back, we can see

his hand in our lives.

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Ah, isn't that beautiful?

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Can you see God's hand in your life?

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That's been a big takeaway from this

past 20 months for me to see his hand

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in the small details being guided.

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To just the right place at the right

time in order to meet a certain someone.

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I feel his love all around me.

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That's not saying it's been all roses

and a spiritual high, just the opposite.

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Each day's more like making our way

through a thorny field, pleading prayers

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to know what to do and where to go.

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Okay, that might sound a little dramatic,

but I've sidetracked this episode.

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I want to share with you a prayer

journey meditation, and I thought it

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would be fun to try something different.

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How about you take me on a walk with

you out into your wilderness, to your

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temple, and I will share with you a

pattern that has a catchy acronym, PR.

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A Y four steps to help you remember

when you want to go undo this

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prayer journey meditation solo.

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We won't have any music

playing in the background.

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Um, I want you to experience the

sounds of the life around you, and

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I won't be guiding you step by step.

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Like breathe in, breathe out, because

we're gonna try to create as much silence

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The benefits from this kind of meditation

are that you can access the state of

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mind quickly, or you can take it slow.

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Whatever amount of time you have to walk.

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There's two main thoughts

that this comes from.

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First, a scripture found in the

Book of Mormon Messiah, chapter 26,

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verse 39, to pray without ceasing,

to give thanks in all things.

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When most people hear this, they

wonder, is that really possible

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to pray without ceasing, to pray?

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Always.

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Now I have a very busy mind.

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How about you?

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Nonstop chatter I can understand,

but a sincere, heartfelt prayer

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that will take some practice.

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It will take us also thinking

about this more as counseling

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with the Lord in all our doings.

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Have you ever tried a prayer of

only giving thanks in all things?

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Now that is powerful.

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If you haven't experienced something like

this, I'm so excited for you to taste it.

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It's so delicious.

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Did you know meditations can be delicious?

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This is a spiritual gift we are

going to ask for, to be able

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to give thanks in all things.

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The second thought comes from a man.

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Soren Kirchen Guard, a Danish

theologian and philosopher whose work

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I encountered in my yoga training.

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He wrote, A man prayed.

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At first he thought prayer was talking,

but as he became more and more quiet, he

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realized that most of prayer is listening.

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Isn't that beautifully deep, that

stillness and listening for the spirit.

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Now, this will take practice

as well, and that's exactly

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what this meditative prayer is.

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Practice, so don't get so caught up in,

if you're doing it right or wrong, I'm not

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going to tell you how to do this, but may

I suggest you pause here until you get to

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your sacred space, your temple outside.

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If you can then pick back up here with me

and I'll give you the four steps, PRAY,

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and explain how to walk through this.

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And just so I can end this with

gently fading into the background,

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GIA and I want to thank you for

choosing to walk with us today.

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We know you have many choices in how

to spend your time and attention.

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Your support keeps us going in Gia Kanda.

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Remember, that's is Zulu for I love you.

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Let's begin with number one.

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P.

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P is for prepare for prayer.

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This is done with breath.

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We do this so that we can become

present in our bodies in the moment.

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Breathing in through the nose, hushing

the mind, bringing your focus into breath.

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I, I begin by speaking

out loud how I pray.

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My father in heaven, I come

before thee in this sacred place.

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In the name of Jesus Christ.

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And then I began telling

him the things of my heart.

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As I focus on breathing

in and breathing out,

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opening my heart and just

talking to my father.

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Whatever comes into your mind,

maybe you just walk and consider

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your breath and envision walking

side by side with the Lord.

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This is a time to set yourself apart from

the noise and the chaos of the world.

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Much like Moses on top of Mount

Sinai before the burning bush,

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taking off his shoes because

the ground he stood on was holy.

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Focus on breath.

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You're doing beautifully.

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Step two.

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R is for rest.

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To rest in what is meaning.

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Notice where you are sensing this moment

in your body without judgment or story.

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See if you're holding

onto tension or tightness.

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What is the quality of your breath?

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Your movement?

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Where are you sensing breath in your body?

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We spend too much of our days.

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Up in our head or numbing out of

what our body is saying to us.

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Listen and feel.

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Another word for rest is to allow what is.

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Let breath take you into rest.

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Let breath ground you in this moment,

in this holy temple of your body.

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This to a sacred space.

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You are the temple of the Lord.

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Step three A is for all things.

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Ask for your eyes to be open,

to see the beauty in all things,

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and to be able to give thanks.

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In all things begin with what's

around you, through your senses.

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What do you see?

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Hear, smell, touch, taste, possibly Speak

it out loud if you feel comfortable.

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I,

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and use the word I thank thee.

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I thank thee for the smallest details.

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A blade of grass, a flower.

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I thank thee for the

grand views as you walk.

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What is the earth like beneath your feet?

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What is the sky like above?

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I thank thee.

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Give thanks for it all.

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Now.

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Begin to give thanks for the unseen, give

thanks for the circumstances you're in.

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The people,

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friends, as well as those

maybe that are not so friendly.

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Give thanks for the lessons, the

experiences, and how your heart

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has been prepared for this moment.

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The wisdom, the grace.

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Try even giving thanks for

the things that feel heavy.

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Fearful, broken and ugly.

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Speak these things out loud.

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Give thanks for your body, breath, life.

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Give thanks to the Lord for his

love for you, his atonement for you.

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Give thanks for

forgiveness, grace, and joy.

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You are doing beautiful.

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Just keep walking and praying.

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Step four.

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Why is for you?

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What is the spirit whispering to you?

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This is your time to listen and for

you to receive enlightenment insight.

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Inspiration that the Holy

Ghost is bringing to your

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heart here in this moment.

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It's a safe place to open and soften your

heart to take it in to your very soul.

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What does the Savior want you to

know here in this prayer journey?

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You can ask him,

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what does your heart tell you?

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Listen with your heart.

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As you pray for his love,

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he will be there.

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You can ask for forgiveness.

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You can ask for his grace

to help you overcome

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and listen.

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To the still small voice whisper,

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you are loved.

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You

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are of infinite worth.

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This is where I will leave you

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and when you get to the

end of this meditation.

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Just simply close as you would a

prayer in the name of Jesus Christ,

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and I will see you on the trail