Foundation 10

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Hi, welcome back to Hope Mindfulness and Prayer for Day
10 of Foundation. Yesterday we talked about
letting God influence your way of thinking and your
perspective. Today we're going to talk about
setting realistic expectations for yourself and enjoying the

(00:21):
journey. OK, let's start in the usual
way. Find your seat and get
comfortable. Start with some nice deep
breaths. In through the nose, out through
the mouth. Then on your next exhale, let

(00:49):
your eyes slowly close. Gently bring your awareness back
to the breath. This time just let the breath
pick up a nice, natural, effortless rhythm.

(01:14):
Watch the breath. Watch the rise and the fall of
the chest. Listen to the sound of the
breath. Become aware of all of the

(01:43):
sensations around you. Feel the space you're in.
Notice your feelings and emotions, just noticing them.

(02:05):
No need to do anything with them.
Notice your body resting and nownotice your heart.
Let your awareness settle onto the heart and the heart beating,

(02:35):
just noticing, just feeling. Now move inward and see if you
can find a place inside that feels safe within.

(03:05):
Feel a sense of security. Feel loved, calm.
Feel this place. Remember, you can come to this

(03:34):
place any time now.
Take a moment to rest with this verse.

(04:00):
Come near to God and He will come near to you.
And again, come near to God and He will come near to you.

(04:30):
When learning to meditate, we often talk about the practice
changing over time as you changehow this exercise is about the
journey and not the destination.This is especially important
when setting your expectations for the exercise.

(04:52):
Maybe you feel like you haven't had a breakthrough moment yet,
and that's OK. You will improve every single
day you meditate and pray. Maybe you feel like you have had
an enormous breakthrough and that's great.
But beware the aha moment. Sometimes you may have a great

(05:17):
experience and a really feeling God's presence in your life.
You feel like you finally figured it out.
You know what it means to truly know God and experience His calm
in your life. But this emotion can be
misleading. It's fleeting and can change

(05:41):
over time, And if you don't havesome grand experience, it
doesn't mean that you aren't progressing or that God's not
moving in your life. It's about the journey, not the
destination. Meditation and prayer are
spiritual habits, and habits areimportant because they give you

(06:06):
a regular structure to notice God in your life.
In life, there are very few grand mountaintop experiences
that change the course of your life.
Typically the changes that last are gradual and sometimes

(06:31):
imperceptible. Mountaintop experiences are
great, but it's your day-to-day habits that change your life.
It's water rubbing on stone. The truth is life is often very
hard and it might feel like God's love is far away.

(06:58):
The solution is not searching for some grand aha moment, but
to continue forward on your journey, accepting what is and
what is not living moment to moment with gratitude.

(07:20):
Commitment to the process teaches us to trust God.
He's always there, guiding your path even when you can't feel
it. As you draw closer to Him, He
will draw closer to you. Sometimes God will speak in

(07:40):
grand gestures or happenstance, but many times His guidance and
love comes in quiet whispers, inheart breaks and
disappointments, in intuition, and even in obstacles and
struggles. Life will always have highs and

(08:04):
lows, but they're woven togetherto make a grand tapestry.
There's a plan and a design, youjust won't be able to see it all
the time. But as you spend more time with
God, you'll begin to recognize the patterns and see His hand at

(08:26):
work in your life. God, thank you for being here
now with me. Help my faith grow stronger and

(08:51):
stronger. Help me rest into your love,
even when life is hard and I'm overwhelmed with thoughts and
emotions. Help me to not become distracted
by the lows or the highs. I trust your way, not mine.

(09:22):
Gently bring your awareness backto the body and back to the
feeling of weight. Feel the contact of the body on
the chair. Feel the space around you slowly

(09:45):
open your eyes and sit back. Relax.
Give yourself a stretch if it feels good.
Remember, all lasting change is gradual.
Trust the process and commit yourself to the daily habit of
connecting with God. Take care and we'll see you back

(10:12):
next time for Day 11 of Foundation.