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Speaker 1: Life Audio.

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Speaker 2: Hey friend, have you ever wanted to get together with

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Speaker 2: a friend but you felt too tired, or too busy,

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Speaker 2: or maybe you even felt guilty because too much time

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Speaker 2: had already passed. Today we're going to explore the surprising

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Speaker 2: science behind why time with friends is so important for

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Speaker 2: our emotional wellness, and how letting friendship that your actual

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Speaker 2: capacity can help you reconnect, let go, and experience the

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Speaker 2: joy God designed you to have well, friend, Welcome to

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Speaker 2: Breathe this.

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Speaker 1: Dress less podcast.

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Speaker 2: I'm your host, Bonnie Gray. I'm your soul care guide.

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Speaker 2: I'm a sole care mentor, best selling author of Breathe

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Speaker 2: twenty one Days to Stressless, and I'm the founder of

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Speaker 2: Soul Care School. We're now in week six in our

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Speaker 2: summer Soul Glow Up series. This is your space to

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Speaker 2: refresh your spirit, rediscover joy, and feel radiant again from

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Speaker 2: the inside out. Let me ask you a fun question.

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Speaker 2: When was the last time you shared a simple meal

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Speaker 2: with a friend or sat around a table and have

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Speaker 2: a good time chatting and reconnecting. You might think those

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Speaker 2: moments are just fun and ordinary, but science and scripture

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Speaker 2: says otherwise. Today's episode, it's all about this soul nourishing truth.

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Speaker 2: Joy is meant to be shared. We're going to talk

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Speaker 2: about how we can make it happening when we're just

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Speaker 2: feeling too tired. There's a powerful way sharing a meal

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Speaker 2: can bring joy back into our hearts, our wellness, and

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Speaker 2: our spirit. Now, before we dive in, today's episode is

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Speaker 2: brought to you by my book Whispers of Rest. When

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Speaker 2: it came out, it became the number one devotional and

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Speaker 2: I want to just invite you to slow down experience

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Speaker 2: God's peace and joy in a more personal way so

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Speaker 2: you can take better care of yourself as we move

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Speaker 2: into fall. I think this book will encourage your heart,

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Speaker 2: just as it encouraged me with science and soul care.

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Speaker 2: I'm going to leave a Lincoln today's show notes, and

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Speaker 2: I hope you pick it up to be a companion

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Speaker 2: for your wellness.

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Speaker 1: And we'll be right back.

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Speaker 2: Well, let's begin with a breath of God's loving peace

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Speaker 2: and joy from his word. Our scripture today comes to

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Speaker 2: us from Acts two forty six. They broke bread in

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Speaker 2: their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.

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Speaker 2: There's something about sharing a meal, breaking bread and eating

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Speaker 2: together that brings us God's love and joy back in

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Speaker 2: our hearts. Let's turn this word into our breath prayer.

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Speaker 2: In Hell, they broke bread and ate together, Exhale with

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Speaker 2: glad and sincere hearts Again. In Helle, they broke bread

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Speaker 2: and ate together, Exhale with glad and sincere hearts. Just

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Speaker 2: breathing this wonderful warm reminder. Relax. Now, did you know

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Speaker 2: that simply sharing a meal with others literally improves your

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Speaker 2: well being? Studies show that eating with others reduce stress,

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Speaker 2: lowers are cortisol levels, and releases oxytocin. That's the bonding

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Speaker 2: hormone that helps you feel safe and connected, and our

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Speaker 2: brain activates dopamine. You know when we laugh and we

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Speaker 2: greet each other. This is the chemical responsible for pleasure

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Speaker 2: and motivation. In short, joy multiplies when it's shared. Now

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Speaker 2: here's the hard part. In today's world, people are getting

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Speaker 2: together less and less. A recent survey found that nearly

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Speaker 2: one in three adults hasn't shared a meal with someone

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Speaker 2: outside their household in over a month. And yet, our

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Speaker 2: souls were designed for connection, to experience joy through shared presence,

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Speaker 2: shared laughter, shared food. When Jesus walked to this earth,

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Speaker 2: he did just teach truth. Jesus sat at tables, he

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Speaker 2: broke bread, he laughed, he loved, he played with children.

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Speaker 2: That means we are invited to do the same. Well

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Speaker 2: this summer, I discovered that sometimes the hardest part about

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Speaker 2: joy is simply getting ourselves to reach out. For the

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Speaker 2: past three months, much of my energy has gone toward

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Speaker 2: my ankle stress fracture. I've had doctor's appointments, MRIs, physical therapy,

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Speaker 2: and facing the possibility of surgery. Between all that, having

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Speaker 2: my college son Josh home for the summer, supporting my

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Speaker 2: younger son Caleb with his summer schedule, and joining a

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Speaker 2: new Bible study fellowship, my social tank was pretty much empty,

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Speaker 2: so getting together with friends for a meal, something I

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Speaker 2: normally love, just kept getting pushed to the side. But

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Speaker 2: praise God, a few weeks ago, my ankle finally started

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Speaker 2: turning a corner. With physical therapy, changes to my nutrition,

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Speaker 2: prioritizing sleep, and so many prayers, I was able to

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Speaker 2: stand up without pain for the first time in three months,

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Speaker 2: and now I'm able to walk about ten minutes a day.

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Speaker 1: As I started.

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Speaker 2: Feeling better, I thought about my friend m We usually

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Speaker 2: got together for dinner once or twice a month, but

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Speaker 2: all summer I kept rescheduling, and honestly, I felt really guilty.

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Speaker 2: I wanted to see her, but dinner was really hard

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Speaker 2: for me. By evening, my energy was gone, and because

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Speaker 2: my college son would be heading back soon, I just

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Speaker 2: wanted to be at home with my family, and so

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Speaker 2: I thought, well, what about lunch? Immediately guilt started talking.

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Speaker 2: Lunch is shorter we usually have dinner. Is my friend

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Speaker 2: going to think? I don't want to spend as much

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Speaker 2: time with her? But I knew how important connection is

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Speaker 2: for our wellness. God didn't create us to walk through

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Speaker 2: life alone. So before I could duck myself out of it,

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Speaker 2: I texted my friend em And here's the funny part.

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Speaker 2: We sat down for lunch and almost immediately AM sad, Bonnie,

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Speaker 2: I've been really so guilty. You've been going through so

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Speaker 2: much with your ankle, and I haven't been there for

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Speaker 2: you this summer. I couldn't believe it. She felt guilty too.

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Speaker 2: So here we were two friends who loved each other,

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Speaker 2: but both caring guilt because we thought we hadn't done

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Speaker 2: enough for the other person. So of course I just

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Speaker 2: smiled and said, well, I've been feeling guilty too, so

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Speaker 2: how about neither of us feels guilty. Let's just have

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Speaker 2: a great time now, let's catch up. And we just

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Speaker 2: laughed and we had the best lunch ever. We couldn't

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Speaker 2: hardly talk fast enough. We ate yummy food, We caught

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Speaker 2: up on everything we missed, We laughed, we just enjoyed

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Speaker 2: being together. And when it was time to go, we

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Speaker 2: hugged and prayed for each other before we headed back

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Speaker 2: to our families. I left with my tummy full, but

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Speaker 2: my heart felt full too, And it just reminded me

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Speaker 2: connection doesn't have to happen perfectly to nourish us. It

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Speaker 2: doesn't have to be dinner. It doesn't have to last

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Speaker 2: two three hours. You don't have to wait until you

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Speaker 2: feel you're a good enough friend to reach out. Sometimes

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Speaker 2: shared joy begins with just one simple text, want to

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Speaker 2: have lunch. So let me ask you, dear friend, is

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Speaker 2: there someone you've been wanting to reconnect with but guilt, tiredness,

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Speaker 2: and just life has just gotten in the way. What

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Speaker 2: would it look like for you to spend some time

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Speaker 2: with your friend if you let it fit the season

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Speaker 2: you're actually in, instead of waiting for the perfect time,

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Speaker 2: or to do it the way you've always done it.

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Speaker 2: Maybe there's somebody who doesn't need more from you, Maybe

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Speaker 2: they would simply be happy to see you. In Romans

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Speaker 2: twelve thirteen, the Apostle Paul encourages us practice hospitality rejoice

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Speaker 2: with those to rejoice. Hospitality isn't about Pinterest or Instagram

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Speaker 2: perfect tables or gourmet meals. It's about making room, room

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Speaker 2: to just be present, room for play, room for peace.

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Speaker 2: It's about saying you are welcome here just as you are.

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Speaker 2: And when we do that, Jesus shows up in our

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Speaker 2: mist through laughter, through shared joy, through getting a bite

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Speaker 2: to eat, or as if a coffee, just through the

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Speaker 2: sacred ordinary. And when we return, we're going to share

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Speaker 2: this week's soul care glow Up practice. I'm going to

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Speaker 2: invite you into your own moment of shared joy and

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Speaker 2: we'll be right back. So this week's soul Glow Up

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Speaker 2: challenge is simple. It's gonna boost your wellness and bring

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Speaker 2: joy back into your summer. I want you to reach

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Speaker 2: out to one person and make one simple plan that

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Speaker 2: fits your energy and your season. I wonder what that

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Speaker 2: idea would be for you. Let friendship fit your season.

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Speaker 2: My answer was having lunch instead of dinner. What about

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Speaker 2: you dear listener, Could it be coffee instead of dinner,

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Speaker 2: or maybe a walk together instead of a whole afternoon

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Speaker 2: invitings one over without cleaning your house, or maybe doing

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Speaker 2: FaceTime instead of physically getting together, picking up takeout instead

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Speaker 2: of cooking. What is making room for friendship look like?

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Speaker 2: For you? Making room means more than just simplifying what

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Speaker 2: you serve. It means allowing friendship to fit your actual capacity.

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Speaker 2: And say that again, allowing friendship to fit your actual capacity.

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Speaker 2: You don't have to wait until you have more energy.

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Speaker 2: You don't have to wait until your house is clean.

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Speaker 2: You don't have to wait until you can offer the

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Speaker 2: perfect meal or the perfect amount of time. Sometimes share

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Speaker 2: joy begins with one simple text, want to get together.

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Speaker 2: So think of one person you'd love to reconnect with

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Speaker 2: this week, Send that text, make the simple plan, and

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Speaker 2: let yourself receive the joy of being together just as

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Speaker 2: you are. I wonder how the Holy Spirit is touching

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Speaker 2: your heart? What idea? Who is that person that's just

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Speaker 2: surfacing on your hurt? Let's pray together, Jesus, thank you

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Speaker 2: for creating in us that longing for connection and for

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Speaker 2: the simple joy of being together. Thank you for friends

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Speaker 2: who meet us right where we are. Help me to

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Speaker 2: release the guilt and the pressure that can keep me

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Speaker 2: from reaching out. Show me how to make room for

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Speaker 2: friendship in a way that fits the season I'm in.

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Speaker 2: Give me courage to send the text, make the simple plan,

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Speaker 2: and receive the joy you give us through one another.

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Speaker 2: Remind me that you are present in every conversation, every laugh,

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Speaker 2: and every moment of shared joy. Amen, and hey, if

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Speaker 2: today's episode encourage you, would you share it with a friend.

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Speaker 2: Let's keep the soul care summer glow up going, because

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Speaker 2: joy is even better when it's shared and friend If

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Speaker 2: today's episode has encouraged you, would you consider there leaving

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Speaker 2: a rating and a review. I read every single one

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Speaker 2: and they truly keep me going. Here's when that makes

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Speaker 2: me smile when I read it. It's from Lisa. Lisa said,

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Speaker 2: Bonnie has a gift for mixing faith and science in

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Speaker 2: a way that's gentle and powerful. I always walk away

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Speaker 2: with something I can use. Wow, that just really blesses

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Speaker 2: my heart. Thank you, Lisa, your kind words help others

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Speaker 2: find this space of peace and joy too, And come

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Speaker 2: say hello over on Instagram at the Bonnie Gray. I'd

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Speaker 2: love to hear how your soul care journey is going,

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Speaker 2: and if you want to go deeper into soul care

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Speaker 2: as your devotional I just want to offer an invitation

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Speaker 2: for you to pick up my.

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Speaker 3: Book, Whispers of Rest, simple soul care practices rooted in

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Speaker 3: both scripture and science to help you create rhythms of

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Speaker 3: rest in everyday life.

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Speaker 2: I'll leave a link in today's show notes. Until next time, friend,

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Speaker 2: remember your joy matters, because you matter. Your glow up

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Speaker 2: matters to Jesus. I just pray this summer you'll let

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Speaker 2: that joy in. Remember you're loved, You're with it.

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Speaker 1: Just rest and I'll see you next time. Breathe.

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Speaker 4: The stress Less Podcast is a production of Life Audio

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Speaker 4: and Sale Media. If you like what you heard today,

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Speaker 4: please take a second to rate and review this podcast

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Speaker 4: in your favorite podcast app so that more listeners like

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Speaker 4: you can find the show. For more faith filled inspirational podcasts,

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Speaker 4: visit us at lifeaudio dot com