Foundation 11

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Hi, welcome back to day 11 of your Journey with Hope.
Over the past 10 days, we've talked about being easy with
your thoughts. Hopefully you feel like you have
more control over your emotions and a little more room in your
mind. But it's OK if you feel like you

(00:21):
haven't yet. Observing your thoughts and not
engaging with them is difficult.It takes time.
Today, we're going to focus on finding peace and contentment by
letting go. OK, find yourself a comfortable
seat and let's go ahead and get started.

(00:43):
Take a few nice deep breaths in through the nose and out through
the mouth. On that next exhale, let the
eyes gently close like the sunsets.
Feel how the body naturally begins to let go.

(01:09):
Feel the body become heavy and sink into your chair.
Now gently bring your awareness to the space around the body.
Feel the air on your skin. Notice the feeling of your

(01:35):
clothes on the body. Soften from the top of the head.
Relax the face and let go of theshoulders.

(01:57):
Allow the body to open, allow itto let go.
Let the arms become heavy and let go of the hands.
Allow the whole body to settle. And if thoughts take you away,

(02:30):
be easy with them. Bring your awareness to the
breath and simply noticing the breath.

(03:00):
Feel the breath come into the body and feel the breath go out.
There's no need to change the breath.
Listen to the sound of the breath.

(03:28):
Now let go of the breath and letyour awareness be free.
Simply let go and let your awareness rest.

(04:02):
Gently bring your awareness to rest with this verse.
Peace I leave with you, My peaceI give you.
I do not give to you as the world gives.

(04:22):
Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
And again, peace I leave with you, my peace I give you.

(04:43):
I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

(05:05):
The hardest thing about meditating and trusting God is
letting go. Letting go of our want for
control. We feel like it's only right
that we should be driving the car.
Since it's our own life, it's hard to let go of the idea that

(05:32):
if you don't take control, your life won't turn out right.
It's strange to imagine that theGod who designed the universe
also personally and specificallydesigned you for a reason.

(05:55):
Hard to believe that you weren'tjust made, but you're personally
known to Him by name. It's hard to believe that His
love for you is real and tangible, but that's the truth.

(06:16):
God's love for you is real, and you're not alone.
Life's too hard to do alone and Jesus wants to share those
burdens with you. So much of life we spend our
time holding on, holding on to control, white knuckling on to

(06:41):
what was or even what is, too afraid to let go of the past and
missing your opportunity to enjoy the present.
Your life only happens in the here and now.

(07:01):
The present is all that we're given.
The only time to grow, to love, or even to just simply relax and
be thankful for the gift that isyour life.
Good or bad, you are eternal, and God's perspective on your

(07:25):
life is in the context of eternity.
As your perspective changes, you'll begin to recognize that
all of your pain and struggles are temporary, as well as your
earthly goals and desires. They're all temporary.

(07:50):
All we really have is this moment.
There isn't a promise of a life without struggle, but there is a
promise to give you the strengthto move through it and hopefully
you'll enjoy life along the way.Your life is full of things to

(08:13):
be thankful for. It's just about your perspective
in looking for those things. Changing your perspective allows
you to let go of what doesn't matter.
Letting go of hurts or hang ups,depression or anxiety, maybe

(08:40):
even complacency. It allows you to let go of the
past and to let God handle it. Whether it's past mistakes or
current struggles, there is a plan for your life and no matter
the circumstances, God is working it out to your eternal

(09:05):
benefit. Take a moment right now and take
a nice deep breath in. Let it out with an exhale and
let your body relax. Let your mind soften and let go.

(09:36):
There's nowhere to go, there's nothing to do.
You're exactly where you need tobe.
You are a child of God and He loves you.
You're known to him, your hopes,your dreams, your inner doubts,

(10:05):
anxieties. He knows your heart and your
name is written on his. You're safe and you're loved.

(10:26):
Peace I leave with you, my peaceI give you.
I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

(10:59):
God, thank you for your love to help me loosen my grip on
control. I want to live life with open
hands to help my faith grow strong, even when my heart is

(11:24):
troubled and I'm full of fear. I know your love is real.
I feel it in my soul. Thank you for this gift of
peace. Gently begin to bring your

(11:53):
awareness back to the body and back to the feeling of weight.
And on your next breath in, slowly open the eyes.

(12:15):
Remember, you don't have to think your way through life.
Relax a little. There's someone looking out for
you. I hope you feel a little better
and we'll see you tomorrow for our final day of the Foundation
package. Take care and remember be easy

(12:40):
with it.