1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:16,520 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:21,920 Speaker 2: Welcome to Breathe the stress Less Podcast. I'm Bonnie Gray. 3 00:00:22,360 --> 00:00:25,599 Speaker 2: You're a soul care guide for this time, designed just 4 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:30,040 Speaker 2: for you to rest and refresh your soul. You're going 5 00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:32,960 Speaker 2: to pick up a practical soul care tip based on 6 00:00:33,080 --> 00:00:36,560 Speaker 2: science and scripture, as well as a loving word of 7 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:41,560 Speaker 2: affirmation from God in his word. Well, I'm the author 8 00:00:41,800 --> 00:00:45,760 Speaker 2: of Breathe. It's my best selling book twenty one Days 9 00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:50,240 Speaker 2: to stress Less and Transform Chaos to Calm, and I'm 10 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:55,360 Speaker 2: a soul care mentor and guide for you here on 11 00:00:55,400 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 2: this podcast. Well, I'm curious. Let me ask you. When 12 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 2: life feels heavy or stressful, do you find yourself waiting 13 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:10,560 Speaker 2: until things calm down before you allow yourself to feel 14 00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:15,560 Speaker 2: joy again, or maybe choose to do something joyful, or 15 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:22,240 Speaker 2: maybe you find peace, curiosity, or delight something that comes 16 00:01:22,360 --> 00:01:27,199 Speaker 2: after hard things pass. What if you could have small 17 00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:31,840 Speaker 2: moments of joy during hard times, right in the midst 18 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:35,080 Speaker 2: of hard times. What do you think of that idea? Well, 19 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:39,280 Speaker 2: today's episode, we're going to look at learning how positive 20 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:44,240 Speaker 2: emotions actually strengthen us in the mist of hard times. 21 00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:47,400 Speaker 2: And it might seem as if they're two polar opposites 22 00:01:47,520 --> 00:01:52,440 Speaker 2: when in fact, God has designed our nervous system to 23 00:01:52,960 --> 00:01:56,800 Speaker 2: heal and be more resilient when we actually take time 24 00:01:56,840 --> 00:02:00,160 Speaker 2: out or maybe things we don't even feel like we 25 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:03,160 Speaker 2: are in the mood for, but when we do them 26 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:08,919 Speaker 2: by faith, we find that we actually feel better well 27 00:02:08,960 --> 00:02:10,880 Speaker 2: as usual. I want to share right from my own 28 00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:13,840 Speaker 2: personal story from this past week, something that I've learned, 29 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:16,760 Speaker 2: and we're both going to be encouraged together by what 30 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:20,160 Speaker 2: God has to say and learn more about how God 31 00:02:20,200 --> 00:02:22,800 Speaker 2: created our bodies and what we can do to restore 32 00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:27,360 Speaker 2: calm and peace. You know, one of the things that 33 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:33,440 Speaker 2: I love doing is encouraging women to take practical steps 34 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:38,240 Speaker 2: to help ourselves feel better when life gets tough. Because 35 00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:41,359 Speaker 2: life is full of challenges, we're so busy to take 36 00:02:41,440 --> 00:02:44,840 Speaker 2: care of other people, so easy to forget about ourselves. Well, 37 00:02:44,919 --> 00:02:49,720 Speaker 2: here I have made four different soul care courses is 38 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:52,240 Speaker 2: thousands of women have taken them on and invite you 39 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:55,960 Speaker 2: to take one of these their self paced and see 40 00:02:55,960 --> 00:02:59,079 Speaker 2: if one of these rings about in terms of something 41 00:02:59,160 --> 00:03:03,359 Speaker 2: you're looking for. Breathe rest with Jesus if you're in 42 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:07,040 Speaker 2: a season thinking, I just love more ways to rest 43 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:11,160 Speaker 2: and refresh. Second is Breathe Joy you just want to 44 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:14,960 Speaker 2: start the new year with more joy or praying the 45 00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:19,320 Speaker 2: psalms for wellness. I found that the psalms was such 46 00:03:19,320 --> 00:03:24,080 Speaker 2: a comfort during the seasons where stress was strongest, and 47 00:03:24,160 --> 00:03:26,359 Speaker 2: so I will guide you into learning more about the 48 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:28,840 Speaker 2: psalms and how you can use it to pray for wellness. 49 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:31,600 Speaker 2: And of course, and just a couple of weeks, we're 50 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:35,360 Speaker 2: gonna be stopping into Lent. It's a wonderful time to 51 00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:38,280 Speaker 2: walk with Jesus to the cross and also learn about 52 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:41,560 Speaker 2: our wellness. So I have a Lent wellness course as well. 53 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:44,240 Speaker 2: So just look at the show notes and I have 54 00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:47,680 Speaker 2: a different link for each of those courses. Check it out, 55 00:03:47,760 --> 00:03:50,000 Speaker 2: and I hope to meet you in one of those 56 00:03:50,080 --> 00:04:07,960 Speaker 2: courses and we'll be right back well. Our scripture for 57 00:04:08,040 --> 00:04:13,520 Speaker 2: this week is a beautiful, powerful verse to encourage us. 58 00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:17,520 Speaker 2: It comes to us from Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew, 59 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:23,520 Speaker 2: Chapter seventeen, verse twenty. This is Jesus speaking truly. I 60 00:04:23,720 --> 00:04:28,160 Speaker 2: tell you, if you have faith as small as a 61 00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:33,559 Speaker 2: mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, move from 62 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:39,440 Speaker 2: here to there, and it will move. Nothing will be 63 00:04:39,560 --> 00:04:46,800 Speaker 2: impossible for you. Faith doesn't have to be big to 64 00:04:46,880 --> 00:04:52,120 Speaker 2: make a difference, it just needs to be planted. Let's 65 00:04:52,279 --> 00:04:58,360 Speaker 2: turn this into our breath prayer inhale faith as small 66 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:06,039 Speaker 2: as a mustard seed, nothing will be impossible for you. 67 00:05:08,480 --> 00:05:13,800 Speaker 2: It's beautiful that whatever mountain looks so great in front 68 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:18,760 Speaker 2: of us, God says, faith as small as a mustard seed, 69 00:05:19,240 --> 00:05:24,040 Speaker 2: the smallest of plants. God will take that and allow 70 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:27,760 Speaker 2: it to grow. We just need to plant that seed. 71 00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:32,600 Speaker 2: Breathe in and breathe out slowly, and just let this 72 00:05:32,880 --> 00:05:39,120 Speaker 2: word of God slowly begin to nourish each of our 73 00:05:39,160 --> 00:05:44,360 Speaker 2: hearts as we continue our time together. Well, one of 74 00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:47,960 Speaker 2: the things I've been noticing during my sabbatical it's now 75 00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:52,360 Speaker 2: week two just started, as I shared in last week's show, 76 00:05:52,839 --> 00:05:56,440 Speaker 2: is something surprising. You know, even though I've stepped away 77 00:05:56,520 --> 00:06:02,360 Speaker 2: from the daily responsibilities and deadlines of soul Care School. 78 00:06:02,640 --> 00:06:07,120 Speaker 2: You know, as I had been teaching every quarter, well, 79 00:06:07,240 --> 00:06:11,479 Speaker 2: my mind didn't automatically rest, and I noticed that my 80 00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:15,440 Speaker 2: thoughts were still scanning about things that I need to 81 00:06:15,440 --> 00:06:18,320 Speaker 2: get done or things that I needed to be concerned 82 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:21,520 Speaker 2: with or worry about. It was like my brain had 83 00:06:21,680 --> 00:06:27,040 Speaker 2: learned to stay alert, guarding against what I might forget 84 00:06:27,880 --> 00:06:32,400 Speaker 2: something I didn't do well enough, or something that could 85 00:06:32,480 --> 00:06:35,279 Speaker 2: go wrong, so I can make sure that I get 86 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:37,760 Speaker 2: whatever I needed to do to make sure it goes right, 87 00:06:38,320 --> 00:06:42,680 Speaker 2: even though there really was nothing urgent to protect. Do 88 00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:46,880 Speaker 2: you relate to that feeling. That's when I began to 89 00:06:47,440 --> 00:06:53,840 Speaker 2: notice something that is called negativity bias. It's our brain's 90 00:06:53,920 --> 00:06:58,680 Speaker 2: tendency to focus more easily on what's wrong or unfinished 91 00:06:59,640 --> 00:07:04,880 Speaker 2: rather than what's good or growing. Now, this is just 92 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:07,640 Speaker 2: a way when our brain is just on all the time. 93 00:07:07,720 --> 00:07:10,520 Speaker 2: That's it's kind of a hyper vigilant mode. It's just 94 00:07:10,560 --> 00:07:13,680 Speaker 2: scanning for things that are left undone or something that 95 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:18,080 Speaker 2: might go wrong. Well, even in my second week of sabbatical, 96 00:07:18,160 --> 00:07:22,520 Speaker 2: when there truly weren't any deadlines pressing in, I noticed 97 00:07:22,560 --> 00:07:27,160 Speaker 2: how easily worry could still slip in. And then something 98 00:07:27,680 --> 00:07:32,040 Speaker 2: happened this past week that gently interrupted that pattern for me. 99 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:36,320 Speaker 2: My son, Caleb, he's a junior in high school and 100 00:07:36,360 --> 00:07:39,640 Speaker 2: he attends a public school here in Silicon Valley. I 101 00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:42,520 Speaker 2: live here in Silicon Valley and Caleb is part of 102 00:07:42,560 --> 00:07:47,920 Speaker 2: the leadership team of the Christian Club on campus. Now, 103 00:07:47,920 --> 00:07:51,600 Speaker 2: it was Caleb's turn this week to lead the teaching 104 00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:55,680 Speaker 2: at one of their weekly lunchtime gatherings, and Caleb said 105 00:07:55,680 --> 00:07:59,640 Speaker 2: to me, Mom, I realized that kids probably don't want 106 00:07:59,640 --> 00:08:03,360 Speaker 2: to sit through a sermon during lunch at school, and 107 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:06,240 Speaker 2: he went on to say, I think it would be 108 00:08:06,320 --> 00:08:09,360 Speaker 2: more interesting to guide them through a Bible study and 109 00:08:09,440 --> 00:08:12,840 Speaker 2: actually do it together. Go verse by verse, break into 110 00:08:12,840 --> 00:08:15,960 Speaker 2: small groups, and let everybody share what they notice, and 111 00:08:16,040 --> 00:08:18,920 Speaker 2: then I can share my thoughts too as we go 112 00:08:19,360 --> 00:08:23,840 Speaker 2: verse by verse. He explained that he was planning to 113 00:08:23,880 --> 00:08:29,400 Speaker 2: walk them through the four steps of inductive Bible study, observation, interpretation, 114 00:08:30,120 --> 00:08:35,920 Speaker 2: identifying the Biblical principle, and application. And here's the key thing. 115 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:38,319 Speaker 2: He said, instead of just teaching the steps, he wanted 116 00:08:38,360 --> 00:08:42,160 Speaker 2: to practice them together with everybody. And Caleb said that way, 117 00:08:42,600 --> 00:08:45,280 Speaker 2: the kids who are new to Bible study will be 118 00:08:45,320 --> 00:08:47,200 Speaker 2: able to see that they can read the Bible on 119 00:08:47,240 --> 00:08:50,439 Speaker 2: their own, and those who already know the Bible they 120 00:08:50,440 --> 00:08:54,760 Speaker 2: can share and encourage others. It'll be more interactive. Now, 121 00:08:54,760 --> 00:08:58,440 Speaker 2: as Caleb was talking, I had this strong urge to say, 122 00:08:59,040 --> 00:09:01,160 Speaker 2: I know, son, and that's what Dad and I've been 123 00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:03,959 Speaker 2: doing with you since you're little. But of course I 124 00:09:04,240 --> 00:09:09,160 Speaker 2: bit my tongue. I did not say that Instead, I said, Wow, Caleb, 125 00:09:09,840 --> 00:09:13,120 Speaker 2: it's such an honor to see how Jesus is inspiring 126 00:09:13,160 --> 00:09:16,960 Speaker 2: you to follow him and encourage others at school. This 127 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:19,439 Speaker 2: is going to be such an amazing time for you 128 00:09:19,480 --> 00:09:23,040 Speaker 2: and your friends. You're so loving and I'm so proud 129 00:09:23,040 --> 00:09:28,439 Speaker 2: of you now. Later, I found myself reflecting on all 130 00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:32,320 Speaker 2: those small moments over the years, beginning with you know, 131 00:09:32,559 --> 00:09:37,439 Speaker 2: even when they were toddlers, reading the beginner Bible stories together, 132 00:09:37,800 --> 00:09:41,280 Speaker 2: sharing what encouraged our hearts, and slowly moving into scriptures 133 00:09:41,360 --> 00:09:44,880 Speaker 2: just a few versus at a time as he grew older, 134 00:09:44,960 --> 00:09:49,839 Speaker 2: and God gently reminded me of something important. Time invested 135 00:09:50,640 --> 00:09:55,800 Speaker 2: in love is never wasted. I didn't spend that time 136 00:09:55,840 --> 00:09:58,920 Speaker 2: with my son to produce any results over the years. 137 00:09:59,440 --> 00:10:02,480 Speaker 2: I did it because I enjoyed being with Caleb. I 138 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:06,319 Speaker 2: enjoy sharing with him something that I enjoyed, which is 139 00:10:06,360 --> 00:10:10,599 Speaker 2: I love reading God's word. I love finding what's interesting 140 00:10:10,880 --> 00:10:14,440 Speaker 2: in scripture and hearing from him what is interesting to him. 141 00:10:14,520 --> 00:10:18,120 Speaker 2: And so, in God's time, the Holy Spirit used those small, 142 00:10:18,840 --> 00:10:23,640 Speaker 2: faithful moments to grow something beautiful. I didn't even expect 143 00:10:23,760 --> 00:10:27,320 Speaker 2: Caleb to do what he decided to do this past week, 144 00:10:27,360 --> 00:10:31,160 Speaker 2: which is to teach others this inductive Bible study method. 145 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:34,679 Speaker 2: And you know, it reminded me to ask a different 146 00:10:34,760 --> 00:10:38,640 Speaker 2: question during my sabbatical. Not so much what am I 147 00:10:38,679 --> 00:10:41,480 Speaker 2: going to do during the sabbatical? Is there some new 148 00:10:41,520 --> 00:10:45,880 Speaker 2: goal or project? But how am I nurturing small things 149 00:10:46,720 --> 00:10:51,320 Speaker 2: that bring me joying peace? Not for productivity, but simply 150 00:10:51,440 --> 00:10:56,720 Speaker 2: because enjoying them is a way of spending time with Jesus, 151 00:10:57,800 --> 00:11:01,160 Speaker 2: the way He created me to end joy spending time. 152 00:11:02,679 --> 00:11:06,760 Speaker 2: These small moments matter. These small moments are the seeds 153 00:11:06,920 --> 00:11:11,640 Speaker 2: in God's kingdom. Friend, what is something small that you've 154 00:11:11,640 --> 00:11:17,160 Speaker 2: been investing in, something that is maybe might look totally unproductive, 155 00:11:18,320 --> 00:11:22,400 Speaker 2: but realizing even maybe in this moment as a reminder 156 00:11:22,440 --> 00:11:26,240 Speaker 2: that God has to put that seed on your heart 157 00:11:26,559 --> 00:11:31,000 Speaker 2: to nurture your soul, nurture your body, nurture your well being, 158 00:11:31,800 --> 00:11:37,720 Speaker 2: encouraging you to keep tending. I love that when Jesus 159 00:11:37,720 --> 00:11:41,480 Speaker 2: said that the Kingdom of God is just like a 160 00:11:41,520 --> 00:11:44,160 Speaker 2: seed that grows and a farmer can plant it, but 161 00:11:44,240 --> 00:11:47,400 Speaker 2: without even knowing, just going to sleep every day, getting 162 00:11:47,480 --> 00:11:51,800 Speaker 2: up and going to sleep, the small seed will grow 163 00:11:52,000 --> 00:11:59,200 Speaker 2: into a kernel into grain. God will, dear friend, grow 164 00:11:59,360 --> 00:12:02,360 Speaker 2: things in the soul of your heart through time, not 165 00:12:02,559 --> 00:12:08,240 Speaker 2: through effort or even pushing yourself, but just simply because 166 00:12:08,920 --> 00:12:14,040 Speaker 2: God created you to enjoy it. God restores us through joy, 167 00:12:15,120 --> 00:12:21,280 Speaker 2: through delight, through love and connection. Positive emotions doesn't mean 168 00:12:21,360 --> 00:12:27,559 Speaker 2: life is perfect. They just mean your soul is receiving nourishment. Sometimes, 169 00:12:27,600 --> 00:12:31,840 Speaker 2: when we've lived under responsibility or pressure for a long time, 170 00:12:32,440 --> 00:12:35,640 Speaker 2: our minds learned to scan for what's missing or what 171 00:12:35,840 --> 00:12:39,360 Speaker 2: might go wrong next. But God invites us to notice 172 00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:44,560 Speaker 2: the small good things he's already growing, or the small 173 00:12:44,600 --> 00:12:47,679 Speaker 2: good things he wants you to nurture and grow and 174 00:12:47,800 --> 00:12:53,480 Speaker 2: quietly over time. You're not being irresponsible when you allow 175 00:12:53,640 --> 00:12:58,720 Speaker 2: joy in your being. Wise, that's the kingdom of God. 176 00:13:00,120 --> 00:13:07,640 Speaker 2: To slow and nurturing speed. It's actually pace. These small 177 00:13:07,720 --> 00:13:10,360 Speaker 2: moments you tend, the ones you enjoy simply because you 178 00:13:10,520 --> 00:13:16,240 Speaker 2: love them. They're not wasted. They are seeds of peace 179 00:13:16,480 --> 00:13:19,880 Speaker 2: and joy from God's very heart to you, and in 180 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:24,360 Speaker 2: God's time he grows them. And when we come back, 181 00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:28,520 Speaker 2: we're gonna look at the neural science about positive emotions 182 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:32,600 Speaker 2: and how our brain responds to them, and we'll be 183 00:13:32,679 --> 00:13:48,280 Speaker 2: right back. Well, there's a beautiful idea in psychology. It's 184 00:13:48,440 --> 00:13:53,680 Speaker 2: called the broaden and build theory. I'll say it again, 185 00:13:53,760 --> 00:13:59,520 Speaker 2: broaden and build theory of positive emotions. Research shows that 186 00:13:59,679 --> 00:14:05,520 Speaker 2: positive emotions briefly reduce activity in the brain's threat response, 187 00:14:06,679 --> 00:14:11,360 Speaker 2: and it broadens our attention, our cognition. That means our 188 00:14:11,400 --> 00:14:15,400 Speaker 2: ability to notice things that are curious, think more flexibly, 189 00:14:16,160 --> 00:14:23,440 Speaker 2: taking more information. That happens. Even though those brief positive emotions, 190 00:14:23,480 --> 00:14:27,360 Speaker 2: those brief moments of peace or joy, you think it 191 00:14:27,360 --> 00:14:29,880 Speaker 2: wouldn't really matter if it doesn't last, It's not true. 192 00:14:29,960 --> 00:14:34,080 Speaker 2: The brain relaxes, and then over time the brain learns 193 00:14:34,120 --> 00:14:40,120 Speaker 2: to build lasting emotional resilience. It returns to that state 194 00:14:40,240 --> 00:14:44,240 Speaker 2: more easily. So in other words, when we're under stress, 195 00:14:44,920 --> 00:14:49,320 Speaker 2: what we put our attention on, it will narrow because 196 00:14:49,320 --> 00:14:52,400 Speaker 2: we hyper focus and we go into a survival mode. 197 00:14:52,600 --> 00:14:56,440 Speaker 2: Remember that negativity bias I was talking about. And when 198 00:14:56,520 --> 00:15:02,720 Speaker 2: we experience a positive emotion, our attention widens and we 199 00:15:02,800 --> 00:15:08,080 Speaker 2: shift into a more broad learning mode. You start to 200 00:15:08,240 --> 00:15:12,160 Speaker 2: notice other things. So over time, when we repeat this 201 00:15:12,320 --> 00:15:16,840 Speaker 2: kind of widening learning mode, it will create more change 202 00:15:17,280 --> 00:15:22,800 Speaker 2: in the way our brain responds to stress. So this 203 00:15:22,880 --> 00:15:26,800 Speaker 2: is why small moments of joy or curiosity or connection, 204 00:15:27,720 --> 00:15:31,040 Speaker 2: spending time with others. They don't just help us feel 205 00:15:31,080 --> 00:15:34,880 Speaker 2: better in the moment, they slowly retrain how our brain 206 00:15:35,120 --> 00:15:40,800 Speaker 2: and nervous system responds to life. Okay, So I hope 207 00:15:40,800 --> 00:15:44,040 Speaker 2: that encourages you. That you know when you're in a say, 208 00:15:44,200 --> 00:15:47,160 Speaker 2: having a tough day or a tough week, that spending 209 00:15:47,400 --> 00:15:51,440 Speaker 2: the small moments of time enjoying something that brings you 210 00:15:51,840 --> 00:15:56,520 Speaker 2: brief peace or brief period of joy, it makes a difference. 211 00:15:57,960 --> 00:16:01,560 Speaker 2: So our soul care practice practical challenge I want to 212 00:16:01,560 --> 00:16:05,440 Speaker 2: give you this week is notice one good thing, and 213 00:16:05,520 --> 00:16:08,080 Speaker 2: I want you to do it. Your mind is going 214 00:16:08,160 --> 00:16:11,720 Speaker 2: to come up with something that's gonna be good for you, 215 00:16:11,840 --> 00:16:15,440 Speaker 2: some kind of goodness. And it's very simple. Once a day, 216 00:16:15,560 --> 00:16:20,560 Speaker 2: just pause and notice one positive emotion something you can 217 00:16:20,600 --> 00:16:24,200 Speaker 2: do that could be from a moment of goodness. Okay, 218 00:16:24,240 --> 00:16:27,400 Speaker 2: it could be a moment of calm. You're taking something 219 00:16:27,440 --> 00:16:32,200 Speaker 2: that sparks your curiosity or brings you a sense of comfort, 220 00:16:32,680 --> 00:16:39,520 Speaker 2: or could be laughter, beauty or love and connection. Spending 221 00:16:39,600 --> 00:16:44,200 Speaker 2: time when you notice it, don't rush past it, okay, 222 00:16:44,360 --> 00:16:50,280 Speaker 2: just let it linger and just put your attention on it, right, 223 00:16:50,440 --> 00:16:54,680 Speaker 2: and then you can even use this week's breath, prayer. 224 00:16:54,840 --> 00:16:59,000 Speaker 2: This is small, like a mustard seed. Right. We can 225 00:16:59,040 --> 00:17:03,360 Speaker 2: move mountain with faith as small as a mustard seed. 226 00:17:04,920 --> 00:17:09,480 Speaker 2: And research shows that these brief moments of positive emotion 227 00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:14,879 Speaker 2: will help calm our nervous system, expand your capacity to 228 00:17:14,960 --> 00:17:18,119 Speaker 2: cope with stress, and over time those moments will build 229 00:17:18,119 --> 00:17:24,680 Speaker 2: that emotional resilience we can draw on when life is hard. Now, 230 00:17:24,720 --> 00:17:28,000 Speaker 2: this is not pretending everything is fine. It's saying it 231 00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:31,160 Speaker 2: is tough. That's why these moments are important. It's allowing 232 00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:34,479 Speaker 2: your soul to be strengthened by something good that's in 233 00:17:34,560 --> 00:17:40,360 Speaker 2: the present. I wonder what ideas have been sparked in 234 00:17:40,400 --> 00:17:43,840 Speaker 2: our time together today. Take a moment and just even 235 00:17:43,920 --> 00:17:49,240 Speaker 2: drop a note down whatever that idea is. Okay, let's pray. 236 00:17:50,320 --> 00:17:54,000 Speaker 2: Lord Jesus, thank you for the ways you restore us 237 00:17:54,080 --> 00:18:00,240 Speaker 2: through joy, through love, through moments of goodness. Help us 238 00:18:00,080 --> 00:18:04,720 Speaker 2: us notice the life you're growing in us and around 239 00:18:04,800 --> 00:18:10,960 Speaker 2: us in small, quiet ways. Amen. Well, friend, if you're 240 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:16,240 Speaker 2: longing to cultivate more joy and more emotional renewal, please 241 00:18:16,359 --> 00:18:20,760 Speaker 2: explore the different soul care courses I'm making available. Just 242 00:18:21,040 --> 00:18:23,320 Speaker 2: look at the show notes and you'll see links to 243 00:18:23,400 --> 00:18:27,920 Speaker 2: four different courses, and I wonder which one you will pick. 244 00:18:29,080 --> 00:18:34,280 Speaker 2: Remember you are loved, you are cherished. And if today's 245 00:18:34,280 --> 00:18:36,679 Speaker 2: episode is something that is encouraged, you share this with 246 00:18:36,760 --> 00:18:41,440 Speaker 2: a friend encourage her. Remember you're loved and you're cherished. 247 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:44,840 Speaker 2: Just rest and I see you next time. 248 00:18:49,640 --> 00:18:50,040 Speaker 1: Breathe. 249 00:18:50,240 --> 00:18:53,439 Speaker 2: The stress Less Podcast is a production of Life Audio 250 00:18:53,520 --> 00:18:56,200 Speaker 2: and Sale Media. If you like what you heard today, 251 00:18:56,320 --> 00:18:59,199 Speaker 2: please take a second to rate and review this podcast 252 00:18:59,280 --> 00:19:02,320 Speaker 2: in your favorite podcast app so that more listeners like 253 00:19:02,400 --> 00:19:06,680 Speaker 2: you can find the show. For more faith filled, inspirational podcasts, 254 00:19:06,840 --> 00:19:16,920 Speaker 2: visit us at lifeaudio dot com.