1 00:00:02,660 --> 00:00:20,349 Speaker 1: Life audio. Hey friend, have you ever thought about reaching 2 00:00:20,430 --> 00:00:23,220 Speaker 1: out to someone, but then talked yourself out of it? 3 00:00:23,790 --> 00:00:27,670 Speaker 1: Maybe you thought we're not really that close or it's 4 00:00:27,710 --> 00:00:31,480 Speaker 1: probably been too long. Maybe you've even wondered if the 5 00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:35,520 Speaker 1: relationships that really matter are the ones with the best friend. 6 00:00:36,300 --> 00:00:40,100 Speaker 1: But what if even the relationships that aren't your deepest 7 00:00:40,140 --> 00:00:45,180 Speaker 1: friendships can be good for your emotional wellness? Today, we're 8 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:48,880 Speaker 1: going to explore the science of friendship, how God feels 9 00:00:49,090 --> 00:00:52,479 Speaker 1: about friendship, and why acting on a little spark to 10 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:57,270 Speaker 1: connect with someone might matter more than you think. to 11 00:00:57,310 --> 00:01:01,980 Speaker 1: your wellness and your soul. Well, friend, welcome to Breathe, 12 00:01:02,340 --> 00:01:07,620 Speaker 1: the stress-less podcast. I'm your host, Bonnie Gray. I'm a 13 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:12,060 Speaker 1: soul care mentor, and I'm the best-selling author of Breathe, 14 00:01:12,060 --> 00:01:16,120 Speaker 1: 21 Days to Stress Less and Transform Chaos to Calm. 15 00:01:16,740 --> 00:01:21,430 Speaker 1: I've written four books on soul care, wellness, and faith. Well, 16 00:01:21,590 --> 00:01:27,470 Speaker 1: this fall, we're continuing our science and scripture wellness series. 17 00:01:27,950 --> 00:01:31,810 Speaker 1: And we've been exploring one question together. What does science 18 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:36,800 Speaker 1: tell us about how God designed us? And how does 19 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:40,640 Speaker 1: scripture help us to live it out? Today, we're going 20 00:01:40,660 --> 00:01:44,720 Speaker 1: to talk about friendship and relational wellness and how it 21 00:01:44,940 --> 00:01:49,570 Speaker 1: ties into boosting your emotional wellness. You know, sometimes we 22 00:01:49,630 --> 00:01:54,030 Speaker 1: think the relationships that really count are the ones where 23 00:01:54,050 --> 00:01:57,990 Speaker 1: we've known people forever. The friend who knows everything about us. 24 00:01:58,410 --> 00:02:00,730 Speaker 1: The person we can call at two in the morning. 25 00:02:01,150 --> 00:02:05,390 Speaker 1: But what about the other relationships in our lives? The 26 00:02:05,540 --> 00:02:09,440 Speaker 1: ones that are still growing. The people we enjoy, but 27 00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:14,200 Speaker 1: maybe we wouldn't call a best friend. Could those connections 28 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:20,190 Speaker 1: matter more? to our emotional wellness than we realize? Today, 29 00:02:20,410 --> 00:02:22,710 Speaker 1: I want to share something that happened to me recently 30 00:02:22,750 --> 00:02:26,930 Speaker 1: that sparked this whole episode, and I hope it inspires 31 00:02:27,310 --> 00:02:32,669 Speaker 1: your own soul care this week. Well, before we dive in, 32 00:02:32,770 --> 00:02:36,370 Speaker 1: I want to just invite you to pick up my book, 33 00:02:36,669 --> 00:02:41,540 Speaker 1: Whispers of Rest, 40 Days of God's Love to Revitalize 34 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:44,340 Speaker 1: Your Soul. This book is really near and dear to 35 00:02:44,380 --> 00:02:46,890 Speaker 1: my heart. I wrote it during a time where I 36 00:02:46,950 --> 00:02:51,329 Speaker 1: just healed from severe anxiety and a period of depression. 37 00:02:51,910 --> 00:02:55,570 Speaker 1: And it really brought my soul that life spark again. 38 00:02:56,010 --> 00:02:59,440 Speaker 1: I combined science and scripture and it's really what inspired 39 00:02:59,460 --> 00:03:02,780 Speaker 1: this podcast right here because it's just become a life ministry. 40 00:03:02,820 --> 00:03:05,440 Speaker 1: It's really renewed my own life and I hope that 41 00:03:05,460 --> 00:03:08,400 Speaker 1: it blesses you too. So if you're looking to slow 42 00:03:08,419 --> 00:03:11,390 Speaker 1: down this fall... And just cozy up with a book 43 00:03:11,430 --> 00:03:14,910 Speaker 1: that can really help you experience God's peace and care 44 00:03:14,950 --> 00:03:17,670 Speaker 1: for your soul as well as your body and emotions. 45 00:03:18,389 --> 00:03:21,030 Speaker 1: I really think this book will encourage your heart. It's 46 00:03:21,090 --> 00:03:24,130 Speaker 1: from my own life. And it's just been such a 47 00:03:24,180 --> 00:03:27,220 Speaker 1: blessing to me. And I hope it blesses you. So 48 00:03:27,260 --> 00:03:29,340 Speaker 1: I'll leave a link in today's show notes. And I 49 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:46,240 Speaker 1: hope you check it out. And we'll be right back. Well, 50 00:03:46,340 --> 00:03:50,640 Speaker 1: let's ease into our time with God's Holy Spirit bringing 51 00:03:50,720 --> 00:03:54,540 Speaker 1: His peace to our hearts with a breath prayer. We 52 00:03:54,580 --> 00:03:58,520 Speaker 1: just use a natural breathing rhythm to refresh our body 53 00:03:59,140 --> 00:04:01,860 Speaker 1: so it can go into rest mode, as well as 54 00:04:02,380 --> 00:04:06,830 Speaker 1: soaking in God's promise to renew our hearts. Our scripture 55 00:04:06,890 --> 00:04:13,050 Speaker 1: comes to us from 1 Thessalonians 5.11. Encourage one another 56 00:04:13,750 --> 00:04:20,240 Speaker 1: and build one another up. Just inhale, encourage one another 57 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:26,070 Speaker 1: and exhale and build one another up. Think of the 58 00:04:26,110 --> 00:04:30,510 Speaker 1: beautiful fall leaves as they shed their leaves. They're beginning 59 00:04:30,550 --> 00:04:35,890 Speaker 1: to move into a new season. Again, inhale, encourage one 60 00:04:35,950 --> 00:04:42,110 Speaker 1: another and then exhale and build one another up. Continue 61 00:04:42,150 --> 00:04:46,190 Speaker 1: to relax, relax your hands, relax your shoulders, breathe in 62 00:04:46,230 --> 00:04:52,310 Speaker 1: God's loving encouragement to you as we continue our time together. Well, 63 00:04:52,330 --> 00:04:56,890 Speaker 1: last month, I traveled with my oldest son, Josh, to Durham, 64 00:04:57,190 --> 00:05:03,320 Speaker 1: North Carolina, where he moved for his fall internship. Josh 65 00:05:03,380 --> 00:05:06,120 Speaker 1: is a college senior, and I went with him to 66 00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:10,279 Speaker 1: help him get settled. So I told my podcast manager, 67 00:05:10,460 --> 00:05:13,960 Speaker 1: Kelly Givens, that I wouldn't be able to record that 68 00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:18,270 Speaker 1: week's podcast episode because I would be traveling and helping 69 00:05:18,350 --> 00:05:23,110 Speaker 1: Josh with his move. And Kelly said something like, oh, 70 00:05:23,430 --> 00:05:26,810 Speaker 1: you're in my neck of the woods. I had no idea. 71 00:05:27,339 --> 00:05:32,140 Speaker 1: Kelly works with Life Audio, which produces this podcast, and 72 00:05:32,180 --> 00:05:33,640 Speaker 1: she lives in Virginia. 73 00:05:33,660 --> 00:05:33,740 Speaker 2: Yeah. 74 00:05:34,190 --> 00:05:37,330 Speaker 1: I looked at the map and Richmond was only about 75 00:05:37,450 --> 00:05:40,729 Speaker 1: two hours away. And suddenly I had this spark of 76 00:05:40,770 --> 00:05:45,710 Speaker 1: an idea. Why don't I drive up and finally meet Kelly? Friends, 77 00:05:45,790 --> 00:05:49,630 Speaker 1: Kelly and I have been working together since Breathe became 78 00:05:49,710 --> 00:05:52,590 Speaker 1: one of the first podcasts to launch with Life Audio 79 00:05:52,850 --> 00:05:58,419 Speaker 1: back in February 2020, just one month before the pandemic 80 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:03,680 Speaker 1: changed everything. But our working relationship goes back even further. 81 00:06:04,810 --> 00:06:09,750 Speaker 1: We started working with each other around 2012 when Kelly 82 00:06:09,790 --> 00:06:15,650 Speaker 1: was an editor at the Christian women's website, Ibelieve.com. So 83 00:06:15,750 --> 00:06:19,539 Speaker 1: for about 14 years, we've been exchanging emails, working on 84 00:06:19,700 --> 00:06:23,960 Speaker 1: articles and podcasts and sharing ideas and pieces of our lives. 85 00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:28,140 Speaker 1: But we never met in person. And I thought, I'm here. 86 00:06:28,620 --> 00:06:32,180 Speaker 1: She's just two hours away. And Josh will be at work. 87 00:06:32,589 --> 00:06:36,390 Speaker 1: all day, why not go visit her? And so I did. 88 00:06:36,410 --> 00:06:40,050 Speaker 1: I drove from Durham to Richmond. And when Kelly and 89 00:06:40,110 --> 00:06:42,950 Speaker 1: I finally saw each other and hugged, it did not 90 00:06:43,010 --> 00:06:45,830 Speaker 1: feel like meeting someone for the first time. It felt 91 00:06:45,870 --> 00:06:49,390 Speaker 1: like seeing a friend I'd already known. We sat down 92 00:06:49,450 --> 00:06:51,870 Speaker 1: to eat and started talking. And of course, we talked 93 00:06:51,890 --> 00:06:57,990 Speaker 1: about everything, our lives, our work, books, writing, God's word, faith, family, stories. 94 00:06:58,680 --> 00:07:02,100 Speaker 1: All those years of email suddenly had a face, a voice, 95 00:07:02,500 --> 00:07:06,580 Speaker 1: a hug, and a meal around our table. Yes, the 96 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:10,240 Speaker 1: food was delicious, but you know how food somehow tastes 97 00:07:10,320 --> 00:07:14,500 Speaker 1: even better when you're enjoying it with someone? That's what 98 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:17,700 Speaker 1: it felt like. I'd driven two hours to get there, 99 00:07:18,140 --> 00:07:20,610 Speaker 1: and I would drive another two hours back, and those 100 00:07:20,670 --> 00:07:24,230 Speaker 1: four hours of driving for one lunch, friends, it was 101 00:07:24,290 --> 00:07:28,650 Speaker 1: completely worth it. It's a feast for the soul. On 102 00:07:28,690 --> 00:07:31,590 Speaker 1: the drive, I listened to prayer podcasts, the Bible, some 103 00:07:31,630 --> 00:07:35,990 Speaker 1: of my favorite music, and it didn't feel like time wasted. 104 00:07:36,710 --> 00:07:39,730 Speaker 1: I was so grateful I had followed that little spark. 105 00:07:40,330 --> 00:07:43,780 Speaker 1: Why not go see Kelly? Because I could have easily 106 00:07:43,800 --> 00:07:46,900 Speaker 1: talked myself out of it. Two hours? You never even 107 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:51,620 Speaker 1: met the person. Maybe another time. But another time might 108 00:07:51,660 --> 00:07:55,770 Speaker 1: have never come. What struck me afterward, friend, was that 109 00:07:55,870 --> 00:07:59,950 Speaker 1: a relationship doesn't have to fit neatly into a category 110 00:08:00,420 --> 00:08:05,200 Speaker 1: before we can receive the goodness in it. Kelly had 111 00:08:05,240 --> 00:08:09,120 Speaker 1: been my podcast manager, my editor, my colleague. And through 112 00:08:09,140 --> 00:08:11,920 Speaker 1: all those years of sharing work, faith, stories, and life, 113 00:08:11,980 --> 00:08:16,390 Speaker 1: she had also become a friend. Maybe there's someone like 114 00:08:16,490 --> 00:08:20,230 Speaker 1: that in your life. Someone you've thought, we should get 115 00:08:20,270 --> 00:08:24,000 Speaker 1: together sometime. I should call her. I'd love to get 116 00:08:24,020 --> 00:08:27,160 Speaker 1: to know her better. Maybe you've had your own little 117 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:32,480 Speaker 1: spark of an idea, but you haven't followed it yet. Friend, 118 00:08:32,580 --> 00:08:36,340 Speaker 1: what if that desire for connection isn't something you need 119 00:08:36,360 --> 00:08:41,000 Speaker 1: to analyze quite so much? What if it's simply God's 120 00:08:41,080 --> 00:08:46,070 Speaker 1: prompting for you to reach out, an invitation for you 121 00:08:46,179 --> 00:08:50,719 Speaker 1: to do something God created you to want to do? Friend, 122 00:08:50,860 --> 00:08:55,560 Speaker 1: our Christian faith is deeply relational. Jesus could have taught 123 00:08:55,640 --> 00:08:59,720 Speaker 1: crowds and just stopped there, but he chose 12 disciples 124 00:09:00,160 --> 00:09:04,640 Speaker 1: to walk with him, eat together, travel together, ask questions, 125 00:09:04,840 --> 00:09:09,380 Speaker 1: make mistakes, share everyday life. And even among the 12, 126 00:09:09,380 --> 00:09:14,700 Speaker 1: there were moments when Jesus invited a smaller trio, Peter, James, 127 00:09:14,860 --> 00:09:17,040 Speaker 1: and John. Those are the three that went with him 128 00:09:17,160 --> 00:09:21,170 Speaker 1: to the Transfiguration and later saw him in the intimate 129 00:09:21,230 --> 00:09:25,430 Speaker 1: time in Gethsemane when he cried. There were crowds, but 130 00:09:25,470 --> 00:09:29,110 Speaker 1: there were also 12 and there were also three. Different 131 00:09:29,190 --> 00:09:35,260 Speaker 1: relationships held different kinds of connection. I think sometimes we 132 00:09:35,300 --> 00:09:40,220 Speaker 1: put pressure on ourselves to have friendships that are very specific. 133 00:09:41,040 --> 00:09:43,170 Speaker 1: We might say, hey, is this person going to be 134 00:09:43,210 --> 00:09:47,340 Speaker 1: a lifelong friend? Are we close enough? Is this relationship 135 00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:51,940 Speaker 1: deep enough to even be worth investing in? But scripture 136 00:09:52,100 --> 00:09:56,849 Speaker 1: gives us a much broader picture. Think about the Apostle Paul. 137 00:09:57,350 --> 00:10:00,280 Speaker 1: You know, his letters, his epistles, they're filled with the 138 00:10:00,340 --> 00:10:04,280 Speaker 1: names of people he loved, he worked beside, he prayed for, 139 00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:09,380 Speaker 1: he missed, and he remembered. And most times, distance separated them. 140 00:10:10,100 --> 00:10:15,179 Speaker 1: Sometimes ministry moved Paul somewhere else, but their relationship still mattered. 141 00:10:16,400 --> 00:10:20,429 Speaker 1: Friendship doesn't have to last forever. before it can be 142 00:10:20,470 --> 00:10:25,410 Speaker 1: a gift that you experience today. Maybe someone is part 143 00:10:25,450 --> 00:10:29,690 Speaker 1: of your life for a season. Maybe it's somebody that's 144 00:10:29,730 --> 00:10:32,550 Speaker 1: crossing your path. They can be a friend for that moment. 145 00:10:33,240 --> 00:10:37,260 Speaker 1: A person maybe you've only seen occasionally. There can still 146 00:10:37,340 --> 00:10:42,459 Speaker 1: be very real fellowship there. Wellness and goodness. God can 147 00:10:42,520 --> 00:10:47,500 Speaker 1: encourage us through many different kinds of relationships. And sometimes 148 00:10:47,660 --> 00:10:50,480 Speaker 1: all we need to do is to make room to 149 00:10:50,620 --> 00:10:54,890 Speaker 1: reach out, to follow that prompting. And after the break, 150 00:10:55,190 --> 00:10:57,550 Speaker 1: we're going to look at the science, what science says 151 00:10:57,630 --> 00:11:02,250 Speaker 1: about why even the small social connection can strengthen our 152 00:11:02,410 --> 00:11:20,120 Speaker 1: emotional wellness and help us buffer stress. And we'll be back. Well, 153 00:11:20,160 --> 00:11:24,590 Speaker 1: the science actually supports this broader picture of relational wellness. 154 00:11:25,110 --> 00:11:26,230 Speaker 1: I want to encourage you. I don't want you to 155 00:11:26,250 --> 00:11:28,809 Speaker 1: just feel like if I can't find this best friend 156 00:11:28,870 --> 00:11:32,210 Speaker 1: or this close friend, it means all these other connections 157 00:11:32,590 --> 00:11:36,050 Speaker 1: won't help your wellness. It's the way God created us. 158 00:11:36,550 --> 00:11:42,840 Speaker 1: We need it. Researchers sometimes distinguish between our strong ties— those 159 00:11:42,080 --> 00:11:45,930 Speaker 1: are those close friends and family— and our weak ties. 160 00:11:45,970 --> 00:11:50,930 Speaker 1: These are people like maybe we might call acquaintances, classmates, co-workers, 161 00:11:51,250 --> 00:11:55,340 Speaker 1: or people that we might see, but we don't know deeply. 162 00:11:55,600 --> 00:11:59,620 Speaker 1: And here is what's fascinating. Those what we might think 163 00:11:59,760 --> 00:12:04,620 Speaker 1: are weaker connections, they matter too. In one study, people 164 00:12:04,679 --> 00:12:09,929 Speaker 1: reported greater happiness and stronger sense of belonging on days 165 00:12:09,990 --> 00:12:14,550 Speaker 1: when they interacted with more of their acquaintances than usual. 166 00:12:15,350 --> 00:12:21,230 Speaker 1: So emotional wellness isn't only supported by closest people. The 167 00:12:21,309 --> 00:12:26,480 Speaker 1: smaller connections also count. Another large study looked at the 168 00:12:26,580 --> 00:12:31,600 Speaker 1: social lives of more than 50,000 people. Researchers found that 169 00:12:31,679 --> 00:12:40,540 Speaker 1: people with a greater variety of relationship types in their lives— family, friends, co-workers, acquaintances, others— 170 00:12:41,150 --> 00:12:46,090 Speaker 1: They reported greater well-being beyond how much time they spent. 171 00:12:46,690 --> 00:12:50,890 Speaker 1: And I really love that because maybe relational wellness isn't 172 00:12:50,929 --> 00:12:55,270 Speaker 1: about finding one perfect best friend. It's more like having 173 00:12:55,350 --> 00:13:00,809 Speaker 1: a healthy relational ecosystem. Different people bring different things into 174 00:13:00,970 --> 00:13:05,250 Speaker 1: our lives. And research on social support shows that connections 175 00:13:05,290 --> 00:13:10,080 Speaker 1: can help buffer our response to stress. Our nervous systems, 176 00:13:10,120 --> 00:13:13,120 Speaker 1: the way God created it, it's not designed to just 177 00:13:13,420 --> 00:13:18,760 Speaker 1: navigate every stressful experience completely alone. I'm going to leave 178 00:13:18,800 --> 00:13:20,939 Speaker 1: links to these studies in today's show notes if you 179 00:13:20,960 --> 00:13:23,520 Speaker 1: want to read more, okay? But friend, the main thing 180 00:13:23,540 --> 00:13:24,959 Speaker 1: I want you to take away is that if you've 181 00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:28,420 Speaker 1: been hurt in friendship before, I want to add something 182 00:13:28,480 --> 00:13:31,850 Speaker 1: really important. This doesn't mean you have to force yourself 183 00:13:32,070 --> 00:13:36,989 Speaker 1: into immediate vulnerability, but we also don't heal relational hurt. 184 00:13:37,510 --> 00:13:42,210 Speaker 1: but only thinking about relationships differently. We have to have 185 00:13:42,390 --> 00:13:47,729 Speaker 1: new experiences where we feel safe. There's mutual connection. It 186 00:13:47,790 --> 00:13:52,449 Speaker 1: can rewrite the wounds and it doesn't have to be 187 00:13:52,670 --> 00:13:57,410 Speaker 1: a best friend. Someone that listens, someone that just enjoys 188 00:13:57,429 --> 00:14:01,349 Speaker 1: your company, that you enjoy their company. Someone follows through. 189 00:14:01,710 --> 00:14:07,720 Speaker 1: You laugh together. You can just feel peaceful instead of depleted. Friend, 190 00:14:07,780 --> 00:14:12,099 Speaker 1: those moments matter. So instead of just asking, do I 191 00:14:12,140 --> 00:14:15,280 Speaker 1: have enough close friends? Or is this person someone that 192 00:14:15,300 --> 00:14:19,240 Speaker 1: can be my best friend? Try asking, where is there 193 00:14:19,400 --> 00:14:24,260 Speaker 1: already an opportunity for connection in my life? Who do 194 00:14:24,300 --> 00:14:28,310 Speaker 1: I enjoy talking with? Who I've been curious to talk with? 195 00:14:29,050 --> 00:14:33,430 Speaker 1: And who have I been meaning to see? Who might 196 00:14:33,630 --> 00:14:37,150 Speaker 1: I like to know just a little bit better? I 197 00:14:37,230 --> 00:14:41,990 Speaker 1: wonder what thoughts are stirring. What sparks of inspiration now 198 00:14:42,070 --> 00:14:44,490 Speaker 1: are hitting your heart? Who do you see in your 199 00:14:44,550 --> 00:14:47,810 Speaker 1: heart or think of a name? Because here's your beloved 200 00:14:47,910 --> 00:14:50,630 Speaker 1: challenge for this week. Here's your soul care challenge. I 201 00:14:50,670 --> 00:14:53,050 Speaker 1: want to give you something practical I want you to do, okay? 202 00:14:53,470 --> 00:14:58,430 Speaker 1: Follow one spark of connection. It doesn't have to be dramatic. 203 00:14:59,370 --> 00:15:02,630 Speaker 1: Whoever you've been thinking about, maybe recently or as you've 204 00:15:02,650 --> 00:15:05,030 Speaker 1: been listening to this episode, I want you to send 205 00:15:05,090 --> 00:15:08,730 Speaker 1: a text. Instead of saying we should get coffee sometime, 206 00:15:09,550 --> 00:15:13,930 Speaker 1: make the invitation. Let's get coffee. What is a good 207 00:15:13,950 --> 00:15:16,729 Speaker 1: day or time for you? Maybe there's somebody you already 208 00:15:16,790 --> 00:15:19,730 Speaker 1: see at work, at church, maybe at the gym, at 209 00:15:19,790 --> 00:15:22,810 Speaker 1: school pickup, or in your neighborhood. You don't need to 210 00:15:22,850 --> 00:15:25,550 Speaker 1: decide whether this person is going to be your close friend. 211 00:15:26,030 --> 00:15:30,460 Speaker 1: Just take one small relational step. You can stay and 212 00:15:30,500 --> 00:15:33,400 Speaker 1: talk for 10 more minutes or ask one more question. 213 00:15:33,910 --> 00:15:36,270 Speaker 1: Share a little bit more about yourself or invite her 214 00:15:36,410 --> 00:15:40,050 Speaker 1: over for coffee or a meet somewhere or for boba 215 00:15:40,120 --> 00:15:43,940 Speaker 1: tea or lunch, whatever you do. Even as you're listening, 216 00:15:44,060 --> 00:15:46,840 Speaker 1: maybe after the episode, you say, Jesus, is there someone 217 00:15:46,860 --> 00:15:50,040 Speaker 1: you're inviting me to make a little more room for? 218 00:15:50,060 --> 00:15:54,100 Speaker 1: You don't have to force the closeness. Just notice a 219 00:15:54,160 --> 00:15:59,610 Speaker 1: spark and follow it. Sometimes relational wellness begins with something 220 00:15:59,640 --> 00:16:03,010 Speaker 1: as simple as, would you like to get together sometimes? 221 00:16:04,460 --> 00:16:08,680 Speaker 1: Let's pray. Dear Jesus, thank you that you created us 222 00:16:08,920 --> 00:16:13,970 Speaker 1: for relationship with you and with one another. Help us 223 00:16:14,020 --> 00:16:19,810 Speaker 1: to notice the relationships that bring encouragement, peace, a little light, 224 00:16:20,350 --> 00:16:24,030 Speaker 1: and life. And Lord Jesus, where there has been past 225 00:16:24,090 --> 00:16:27,369 Speaker 1: hurt that has made us hesitant, give us wisdom and 226 00:16:27,670 --> 00:16:32,770 Speaker 1: courage to follow you. to connect with people on our path. 227 00:16:33,560 --> 00:16:37,120 Speaker 1: Bring someone to our mind this week that you might 228 00:16:37,160 --> 00:16:40,040 Speaker 1: be inviting us to reach out to. Help us follow 229 00:16:40,100 --> 00:16:44,920 Speaker 1: those little sparks of connection with you by connecting with 230 00:16:45,040 --> 00:16:50,730 Speaker 1: one another. Encourage us and help us build one another up. Amen. Well, 231 00:16:51,590 --> 00:16:55,070 Speaker 1: hey friend, if this episode encouraged you, would you share 232 00:16:55,090 --> 00:16:57,460 Speaker 1: it with a friend? That's a good way to reach out. 233 00:16:58,310 --> 00:17:00,630 Speaker 1: And if you feel inspired, I would love to ask 234 00:17:00,690 --> 00:17:03,170 Speaker 1: a favor. Would you take a moment to leave a 235 00:17:03,270 --> 00:17:06,550 Speaker 1: review or rating for this podcast? It really makes a 236 00:17:06,609 --> 00:17:11,340 Speaker 1: difference to help this podcast reach more hands and more hearts. 237 00:17:11,710 --> 00:17:17,040 Speaker 1: And of course, I love reading your reviews. Really encourages me. Well, 238 00:17:17,580 --> 00:17:22,980 Speaker 1: come over, say hi on Instagram at TheBonnieGray. Until next time, friend, remember, 239 00:17:23,440 --> 00:17:28,369 Speaker 1: you're loved, you're cherished, and you are worth it. just rest. 240 00:17:28,850 --> 00:17:29,890 Speaker 1: And I'll see you next time. 241 00:17:35,250 --> 00:17:38,650 Speaker 2: Breathe, the Stress Less podcast is a production of Life 242 00:17:38,750 --> 00:17:41,770 Speaker 2: Audio and Salem Media. If you liked what you heard today, 243 00:17:42,010 --> 00:17:44,850 Speaker 2: please take a second to rate and review this podcast 244 00:17:44,950 --> 00:17:47,950 Speaker 2: in your favorite podcast app so that more listeners like 245 00:17:48,020 --> 00:17:52,240 Speaker 2: you can find the show. For more faith-filled, inspirational podcasts, 246 00:17:52,500 --> 00:17:53,820 Speaker 2: visit us at lifeaudio.com. 247 00:17:56,350 --> 00:17:57,250 Speaker 1: Thank you.