Small Steps: The Heart

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So bona, my friends, you are listening

to the creative, spiritual journey

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podcast, small steps, where we give

you small steps to help you walk with

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Christ deliberately along your journey.

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Today, small step, the open heart.

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I'm Judy Cooley your

host for this episode.

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Thanks for joining me

here in South Africa.

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I want to share with you

something that's dear to my heart.

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Okay.

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Imagine with me that you're holding

in your hand, a little clay jar.

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Let me ask you a question.

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Can that, which is little like this jar.

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Contain that, which is big.

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Can that, which is finite.

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In close, all contain

that, which is infinite.

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Okay, common sense would say no.

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But what if I tell you it can, how.

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Now, imagine you lift

the lid off that jar.

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Now it becomes an open vessel.

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You see a closed vessel can never contain

anything larger than its own size.

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Right?

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It's at its full capacity.

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But by taking the lid off, it's

now an open vessel and has no

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limitations, no limit to its capacity.

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And now it can contain

the blowing of the wind.

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Or an outpouring of the rain.

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It can even contain a river.

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Okay.

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That's deep.

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I know.

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Stay with me.

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Now, let me ask you.

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Which is larger that, which, you

know, Or that what you don't know.

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Well, of course that,

which we don't know, right.

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So then it is wise that we

seek that, which we don't know.

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Right.

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But how do we contain that?

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Which is bigger than ourselves.

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That, which is bigger than

our ability to comprehend.

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You got it by taking off the lid by us.

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Becoming the open vessel.

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Think about it.

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Only by opening yourself up.

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Can you come to know that?

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Which you don't.

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No.

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Only by becoming an open vessel.

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Can you contain that?

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Which is greater than yourself.

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Okay.

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What's greater than self truth is

always greater than our knowing.

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And your mind and your heart are finite.

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They're like that little

clay jar with lids.

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But the truth has no, and God has no end.

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That is infinite.

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Think about that?

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What a special truth.

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The eternal is infinite,

always flowing like a river.

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So when the jar opens itself

up, It becomes unlimited.

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It can contain the waters of a river.

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The truth, the love of God.

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Have you ever noticed in the book

of Mormon there's much to be said

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about the condition of the heart.

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Talks about an open-end a soft heart.

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Or how Satan.

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Hardened their hearts.

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Today in my scripture

study in mosaic: 1227

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There's this line You have not

applied your hearts to understanding.

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In other words, their

heart was a closed vessel.

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The footnotes.

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At that scripture led me to Proverbs

eight five, where the Lord invites

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Israel to be an understanding heart.

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And the footnote was

also Messiah two nine.

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Open your ears that you may hear and

your hearts that you may understand

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and your minds that the mysteries

of God may be unfolded to your view.

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When I think of that word

unfolded, I think of one of those.

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Old huge roadmaps.

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That was always my job as a little girl,

driving to California with my family.

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One of those huge maps that you

would unfold and never seem to

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be able to fold it back again.

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Remember those days before

GPS in Siri direct me to.

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You'd unfold.

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The map to route your

journey to your destination.

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And folding is another word for opening.

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To unfold, our hearts to

receive the mysteries of God.

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Now that is a river.

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Of understanding.

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I want flowing into my heart

and mind, how about you?

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So how do we unfold or open

the lids to our hearts, our

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minds, our ears, and our eyes.

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In second NEEF.

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I.

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33 1 where you've read about the

role of the holy ghost is to carry

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or pour out his spirit unto the

hearts of the children are man.

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Not into.

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But unto.

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In order for it to go into the heart,

we have to choose to open our heart.

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Be the open vessel.

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So this tells me that our agency is

our superpower to opening the lid.

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Or the unfolding of our hearts.

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So then the holy ghost will

carry the words of Christ.

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Along with his love and

his peace and his grace.

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unto our hearts and we have to choose

to open and receive into our hearts.

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We have to choose to be the open vessel.

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So my invitation to you today is to open

your mind, your heart, your ears and eyes.

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Your whole soul.

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So that you might contain that, which

is greater than yourself, so that

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the love of Christ will overflow

and spill out into your life.

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And those around you, like a river.

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For it is only the open vessel.

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The open-heart that can

contain the infinity of God.

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Thanks for walking with me today.

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Please join Ghia and me each week,

as we share our thoughts about

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how to navigate this journey, one

small deliberate step at a time.

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And if you enjoy this podcast,

please share it with a friend,

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Also this clay jar concept.

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I came from a book Entitled the

book of mysteries by Jonathan Kahn.

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It's a fun thing to read daily.

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And the scriptures.

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We're from the book of Mormon,

which reading from daily brings

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the spirit unto and into my heart.

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It's one of my greatest joys.

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And as a gift to you.

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We've included a guided meditation, the

open vessel, we invite you to slow down.

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Breathe in.

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And enjoy.

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I testify at the infinite love

of our savior and Redeemer Jesus

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Christ that he has for you and me.

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And I say these things in his name.

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And I'll see you.

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On the trail.