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Speaker 1: Life Audio. This is Donna Jones and you are listening

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Speaker 1: to That's just what I needed. Hey, friend, If you've

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Speaker 1: ever been in a conversation where you've walked away thinking, Wow,

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Speaker 1: that was just what I needed, you know how life

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Speaker 1: giving that can be, Well, that's what this podcast is

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Speaker 1: all about. We're women who want to know, love, and

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Speaker 1: follow God in our real lives, but sometimes wonder just

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Speaker 1: how to do it. So each week we'll talk about

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Speaker 1: what following God looks like in the midst of daily

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Speaker 1: demands and crazy cultural chaos. Because this isn't just what

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Speaker 1: we need, it's actually exactly what we need. Hey, hey,

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Speaker 1: my friend, welcome to the podcast, and happy summer. Can

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Speaker 1: you even believe that summer is almost here? Since it's

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Speaker 1: June and probably your kids are out of school, and

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Speaker 1: I know for sure the days at your house are longer. Man,

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Speaker 1: it's it's not getting dark till like eight o'clock at

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Speaker 1: my house. And I know if you live north of

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Speaker 1: where I live in southern California, it's probably staying dark

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Speaker 1: really late where you are. And so the days are

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Speaker 1: longer and they're warmer, and just summer brings about a

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Speaker 1: whole different flavor. So what we're going to chat about

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Speaker 1: today is how to have your best summer. Yet It's

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Speaker 1: funny because every year when summer rolls around, I find

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Speaker 1: myself thinking, Okay, this is going to be the summer,

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Speaker 1: the summer I'm going to get organized, or this summer

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Speaker 1: I'm going to spend more time with the people I love,

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Speaker 1: or the summer I go closer to God, or this

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Speaker 1: summer I start something new, or just the summer I

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Speaker 1: relax and rest. And sometimes I have summers like that.

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Speaker 1: But to be honest with you, a lot of times

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Speaker 1: I end up at labor day and realize where did

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Speaker 1: the summer go? So many of my hopes and dreams

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Speaker 1: for summer just didn't pan out. So in the hopes

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Speaker 1: that today's episode would motivate both you and me to

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Speaker 1: have that best summer, yet, we're going to talk about

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Speaker 1: what that looks like. In my mind, the best summer

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Speaker 1: is not the busiest summer. It's not the most productive summer.

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Speaker 1: It's not the most instagram worthy summer. It's a summer

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Speaker 1: that leaves me healthier, happier, closer to God, closer to the

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Speaker 1: people I love, and more refreshed when it started. And

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Speaker 1: I'm guessing that's probably what a great summer would look

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Speaker 1: like for you too. So I want to give you

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Speaker 1: some practical ideas in five areas of life your body,

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Speaker 1: your mind, your soul, your relationships, your rest. So grab

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Speaker 1: that iced coffee, take a walk, fold that laundry, and

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Speaker 1: let's talk about how to have our best summer yet.

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Speaker 1: K Let's start with our bodies. The older I get,

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Speaker 1: the more I realize that how I feel physically affects

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Speaker 1: every other area of my life. And honestly, it doesn't

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Speaker 1: matter how old you are. We all understand how we

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Speaker 1: feel physically affects everything about us. If I'm tired, I

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Speaker 1: have less patience. When I'm not taking care of myself,

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Speaker 1: everything just feels harder. Honestly, because we are body, soul,

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Speaker 1: and spirit, each affects the other. So my body affects

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Speaker 1: my soul, which affects my spirit. My soul affects my

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Speaker 1: spirit and my body. It's just like it's this loop.

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Speaker 1: First Corinthians six nineteen reminds us that our bodies are

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Speaker 1: actually the temple of the Holy Spirit. Now, let's be honest, dear,

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Speaker 1: summer can go one of two ways when it comes

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Speaker 1: to this whole issue of just caring for our bodies.

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Speaker 1: We either become super active and healthy, or we convince

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Speaker 1: ourselves that ice cream counts as a food group. Listen,

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Speaker 1: I'm totally not against ice cream. We honestly eat it

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Speaker 1: almost every day around our house. But I try to

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Speaker 1: buy them the healthy kind of ice cream. I mean,

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Speaker 1: you know, summer in ice cream are practically biblical, right,

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Speaker 1: But what if this summer we focus less on what

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Speaker 1: our body looks like and more on just keeping our

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Speaker 1: body healthy and moving and strong. Here are just a

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Speaker 1: few ideas. Take a daily walk, not because you're trying

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Speaker 1: to fit into a certain size or look good in

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Speaker 1: that bathing suit, but because walking is good for your body,

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Speaker 1: for your mind, and for your soul. Get outside, Oh

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Speaker 1: my goodness. Researchers consistently show that spending time outside improves

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Speaker 1: our mood and it lowers our stress. So get outside.

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Speaker 1: Even if this summer you find yourself still working in

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Speaker 1: an office job, take a lunch break outside. I remember

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Speaker 1: my first job out of college. I worked for an

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Speaker 1: advertising agency in downtown Los Angeles, and so I was

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Speaker 1: in this high rise building and it was summer came,

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Speaker 1: and I remember it was just beautiful and I was

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Speaker 1: stuck in this office building, but there was a part

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Speaker 1: about a block from my office building, and so I

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Speaker 1: decided that during my lunch break, I would walk just

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Speaker 1: a blalk to the park, PLoP myself down on the grass,

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Speaker 1: and eat my lunch there. And I remember feeling like,

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Speaker 1: oh my gosh, this is like a little slice of heaven.

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Speaker 1: So whether you find yourself a lot inside or a

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Speaker 1: lot outside this summer, make it a habit to be

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Speaker 1: outside as much as you can. Here's another thing we

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Speaker 1: can do for our bodies. Drink lots of water. Now,

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Speaker 1: I know that's not exciting, but sometimes the most powerful

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Speaker 1: changes are the simplest ones. So however much water that

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Speaker 1: you're getting, just increase it by at least a glass

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Speaker 1: or two. A third thing we can do is just

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Speaker 1: get better sleep. Let's just face it, we do not

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Speaker 1: need to be watching the next episode of that show

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Speaker 1: at midnight. I mean, I know I've done it too.

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Speaker 1: We start being watching something, but then we feel terrible

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Speaker 1: in the morning. Let's just remind ourselves we need rest

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Speaker 1: more than we need that next episode of that show

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Speaker 1: that we love on Netflix. Of your body in ways

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Speaker 1: that bring joy, get sleep, Drink water, go on, buy ride, swim,

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Speaker 1: play pickleball, do gardening, dance in your kitchen, do something

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Speaker 1: fun for your body, because summer is such a wonderful

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Speaker 1: time to build healthy bodies in ways that don't feel

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Speaker 1: like punishment. Okay, number two for your best summer. Yet,

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Speaker 1: feed your mind. Have you ever noticed how easy it

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Speaker 1: is to consume content without actually learning anything, or honestly,

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Speaker 1: without actually even remembering what content you just consumed. We scroll,

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Speaker 1: we click, we watch, We absorb thousands of pieces of

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Speaker 1: information every day, and yet our minds are as empty

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Speaker 1: and as stressed as ever. But what if this summer

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Speaker 1: you intentionally grew your mind? For instance, why don't you

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Speaker 1: try reading one good book. Maybe it's a Christian book,

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Speaker 1: maybe it's a biography, maybe it's a book on leadership

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Speaker 1: or parenting or marriage, personal growth. I remember one summer

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Speaker 1: several years ago that I did this. I love to

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Speaker 1: read just for pleasure, and I don't get a lot

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Speaker 1: of time to read just simply for pleasure except for

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Speaker 1: in the summertime. I mean, I read a lot all

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Speaker 1: year long, but just pleasure reading. I usually reserved that

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Speaker 1: for summer, and one summer I decided to read Christian biographies,

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Speaker 1: and I remember I did Corey ten Boom's Hiding Place.

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Speaker 1: I'd read it before years before, but I reread it.

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Speaker 1: I read a book on who did I read CT Stud?

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Speaker 1: I think I'd read a biography on ct STUD. But

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Speaker 1: I read all these Christian biographies and honestly, it was

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Speaker 1: so inspirational. It not only fed my mind, but it

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Speaker 1: fed my spirit. So that might be just something you

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Speaker 1: want to check out. Read a biography this summer or

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Speaker 1: a couple. Another thing is just read a great book,

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Speaker 1: not just we all have those trashy beach reads that

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Speaker 1: you can pick up at Target, but it's so much

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Speaker 1: better to read a book that it's like, oh, this

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Speaker 1: was really well written and it just gives you feeling inspired.

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Speaker 1: A book that I just read recently is theo of

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Speaker 1: Golden and if you haven't read it, pick it up.

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Speaker 1: You will love it. It is such a great book.

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Speaker 1: But there are tons of books like that where they

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Speaker 1: make you feel good. Read one of the classics. I

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Speaker 1: remember one summer I read East of Eden and it's

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Speaker 1: a dense book, but it's so well written, and you know,

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Speaker 1: you kind of have to be into reading books that

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Speaker 1: are well written to get through that one because it's thick,

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Speaker 1: but I loved reading it in the evening. So try

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Speaker 1: something that will really just feed your mind and feed

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Speaker 1: your soul as you read this summer. But maybe reading

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Speaker 1: is not your thing, So to feed your mind, maybe

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Speaker 1: you're going to try a new hobby, or you're going

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Speaker 1: to just study a topic you've been curious about. One

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Speaker 1: of the things that I've planned to do this summer

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Speaker 1: is to learn to play golf GP. My husband got

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Speaker 1: me a beginner golf set for Christmas, and do you

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Speaker 1: know what, I have not used them one time, and

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Speaker 1: I was just thinking why. I mean, I need to

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Speaker 1: carve out time to be outside to try something new,

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Speaker 1: which would be great for my body, great from my mind.

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Speaker 1: And so that's one of the things that I'm going

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Speaker 1: to do this summer. So just feed your mind by

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Speaker 1: trying something new. Okay, we're going to take a quick

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Speaker 1: break and when we come back or we're going to

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Speaker 1: talk about several other practical ways that you can have

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Speaker 1: your best summer yet. Okay, so let's continue our discussion

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Speaker 1: on having our best summer yet. Let's talk about what

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Speaker 1: matters most your soul. Summer can be great because it

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Speaker 1: can often be less structured. But on the downside, it

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Speaker 1: often disrupts our routines because the kids are home from school,

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Speaker 1: or travel happens, or schedules change, and sometimes our time

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Speaker 1: with God can get pushed aside. So let me encourage

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Speaker 1: you not to let that happen. This summer could be

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Speaker 1: one of the most spiritually significant summers of your life,

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Speaker 1: not because you attend another Bible study, not because you

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Speaker 1: complete another read plan, but because you intentionally make space

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Speaker 1: for God. Some forty six' ten says be still and

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Speaker 1: know THAT i Am. God, wow that's kind of a

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Speaker 1: great verse for, summer, Right just be still and know

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Speaker 1: THAT i Am. God summer offers opportunities to slow down

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Speaker 1: enough to Hear god's. Voice so try reading Your bible

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Speaker 1: outside in the, morning or take a prayer, walk or

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Speaker 1: listen to worship music while you're, driving or memorize some

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Speaker 1: scripture this, summer or keep a gratitude, journal or simply

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Speaker 1: sit five minutes each day just doing nothing but just

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Speaker 1: being quiet Before god and just, Saying, lord HERE i

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Speaker 1: am and just listen and see What god would want

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Speaker 1: to speak into your. Soul not, talking not, asking just.

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Speaker 1: Listening some of the deepest spiritual growth happens in quiet.

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Speaker 1: Moments so this, summer don't just fill your, schedule fill your. Soul,

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Speaker 1: okay here's another thing you can do to have your

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Speaker 1: best summer. Yet it's SOMETHING i am going to be,

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Speaker 1: practicing and that's strengthen your. Relationships at the end of our,

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Speaker 1: lives nobody wishes they spent more time answering, emails, RIGHT i,

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Speaker 1: mean that's just not what it's going to fill our.

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Speaker 1: Soul what we treasure most is our. Relationships summer provides

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Speaker 1: unique opportunities connect with our most favorite. People so think

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Speaker 1: about who you want to spend time with this. Summer

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Speaker 1: maybe it's more time with your, Spouse maybe it's more

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Speaker 1: time with your. Kids, Okay i'm gonna pause right here

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Speaker 1: and say something about, that because kids are home in the.

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Speaker 1: Summer i'm going to tell you something that my mother

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Speaker 1: did when she was raising. Us and you, guys it

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Speaker 1: was gold and it's something THAT i did with my.

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Speaker 1: Children and do you know that all three of my

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Speaker 1: children have mentioned us to, me and all three of

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Speaker 1: my siblings mention this to our. Mom so here's what it.

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Speaker 1: Was when we were home in the. Summer other moms

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Speaker 1: would say, like, OH i can't wait till they go

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Speaker 1: back to. School my mom never said, that not one.

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Speaker 1: Time you know what she would say to. Us she would, Say,

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Speaker 1: OH i am so glad you guys are. HOME i

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Speaker 1: just love being with. You and do you, know because

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Speaker 1: my mom said that to me over and over and over,

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Speaker 1: again what kind of relationship do you THINK i have

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Speaker 1: with my? Mom it's, great, right because who wouldn't want

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Speaker 1: to have a relationship with someone who tells You i'm

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Speaker 1: so glad to be with you BECAUSE i like you so.

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Speaker 1: Much and so that's WHAT i did with my. KIDS

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Speaker 1: i never once SAID i can't wait till you go

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Speaker 1: back to. School in, FACT i would be, Like i'm

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Speaker 1: so glad that you're home for the. Summer and then

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Speaker 1: as the summer would be winding, DOWN i would say,

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Speaker 1: Like i'm so sad that you have to go back

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Speaker 1: to school BECAUSE i like being with you so. Much

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Speaker 1: so even if you privately feel like it's just chaotic

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Speaker 1: when your kids are at, home don't speak that out.

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Speaker 1: Loud speak life into your. KIDS i promise you you

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Speaker 1: will not regret. It and what you will be doing

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Speaker 1: is you will be making an investment into the most

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Speaker 1: important relationship you have in your whole, life and that's

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Speaker 1: with your kids other than your husband And, God god

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Speaker 1: your husband and your, kids so you, know speak life

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Speaker 1: and to your. Family maybe the person that you want

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Speaker 1: to spend time with is a friend that you've lost touch,

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Speaker 1: with or maybe it's a neighbor that you've been, THINKING

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Speaker 1: i really need to get to know her. Better so

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Speaker 1: why don't you just choose one relationship that you want

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Speaker 1: to intentionally invest in and pick away that you want

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Speaker 1: to do. That maybe you schedule a coffee, date or

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Speaker 1: a plan a play date with another mom has kids

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Speaker 1: that are similar ages to your, kids or take a

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Speaker 1: grandchild for a special. Outing that's one of the things

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Speaker 1: we're going to do this summer is we've decided that

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Speaker 1: we're going to take each grandchild just one at a,

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Speaker 1: time and they get to spend the night with, us

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Speaker 1: and but the oldest one is the weekend with. Us

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Speaker 1: we're just going to love on one at a. Time

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Speaker 1: so be proactive in your. Relationships here's another thing that

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Speaker 1: you can do in order to deepen your relationships and

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Speaker 1: have the best summer. Ever have conversations that go deeper

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Speaker 1: than you normally. Do, okay here's something THAT i have.

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Speaker 1: Noticed AND i actually was just talking about this with

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Speaker 1: one of my very best friends a few weeks, ago

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Speaker 1: and she was telling me about some extended family members

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Speaker 1: that visited and they just ended up having this wonderful,

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Speaker 1: time and one of the extended family members mentioned to,

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Speaker 1: HER i loved being with you all so much because

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Speaker 1: our conversation was really, rich it was really. Deep and

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Speaker 1: my friend AND i were just talking about how often in,

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Speaker 1: families in, particular the conversation doesn't go very. Deep it's,

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Speaker 1: just you, know how is your, day what are you,

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Speaker 1: Doing let's do this, thing let's do that, thing and

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Speaker 1: nobody ever really talks about you, know how are you?

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Speaker 1: Doing Or one of the things that we used to

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Speaker 1: to play when we were raising our kids is would

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Speaker 1: you rather Like in, fact we've played it with third

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Speaker 1: family just, today just a couple hours. Ago my husband

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Speaker 1: would ask, like would you rather be able to? Swim or? Fly?

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Speaker 1: Like dumb things like. That but what it ended up

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Speaker 1: doing is that it taught our kids and now our

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Speaker 1: grandkids that we valued what do you? Prefer what do you?

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Speaker 1: Like what floats your? Boat in other, words and so

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Speaker 1: just try to go deeper in your conversations with. People

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Speaker 1: and maybe that even means that you share something that's

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Speaker 1: vulnerable with, someone because maybe you just go first and

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Speaker 1: you end up in a deep. Conversation here's another thing

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Speaker 1: that we do when we have family. Birthdays we go

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Speaker 1: around and every other member of the family says one

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Speaker 1: thing that we really appreciate or admire about that other family,

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Speaker 1: member and every person, participates no matter how young or how,

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Speaker 1: old and it is so affirming to talk about what

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Speaker 1: we appreciate in one. Another but it also ends up

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Speaker 1: being really deep because we talk about character qualities that

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Speaker 1: we admire and we talk about how that person makes us.

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Speaker 1: FEEL i, mean, honestly you, guys a lot of families

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Speaker 1: never do stuff like, this and then we, wonder, like

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00:16:09,240 --> 00:16:12,320
Speaker 1: why is our family not? Close so take the, chance

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Speaker 1: take the resk go deep in your relationships this. SUMMER

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Speaker 1: i promise, you if you, do it will be your best. Summer.

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Speaker 1: Yet you, Know jesus modeled this. Right he was very

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Speaker 1: intentional with. People he stopped for, people he noticed, people

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00:16:27,360 --> 00:16:30,040
Speaker 1: he listened to, People he found out what their knees

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Speaker 1: were and what they. Wanted he taught, People he dialogued with.

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Speaker 1: People so this. Summer let's follow his. Example let's put

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Speaker 1: the phone down, Occasionally let's look people in the. Eye

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Speaker 1: let's ask meaningful, Questions let's create. Memories the dishes will,

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Speaker 1: wait the emails will, wait but the relationships they. Won't

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Speaker 1: so here's another thing we can, do an easy thing

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Speaker 1: to have our best. Summer Yet i've already alluded to.

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Speaker 1: It but it's just learn the art of. Rest so

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Speaker 1: many of, us me, included are absolutely. Exhausted. NOW i

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Speaker 1: realize that there are some seasons of. Life i've been

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Speaker 1: in one where you just kind of have to gear

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00:17:08,640 --> 00:17:11,840
Speaker 1: up and get a lot of stuff. Done it's just

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00:17:12,040 --> 00:17:14,600
Speaker 1: that kind of, season and you don't have an option

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00:17:15,160 --> 00:17:17,639
Speaker 1: because you just can't let things fall by the. Wayside

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00:17:17,680 --> 00:17:20,439
Speaker 1: but we need to understand that over the long, term

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00:17:20,760 --> 00:17:24,040
Speaker 1: that kind of pace is not. Sustainable it's okay for

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00:17:24,080 --> 00:17:26,400
Speaker 1: the short, term but it's not okay for the long.

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Speaker 1: Term we were not designed to go twenty four to.

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Speaker 1: Seven AND i have realized recently that so many women

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Speaker 1: are just, exhausted not just, physically but like a soul

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00:17:37,720 --> 00:17:43,280
Speaker 1: level exhaustion because we're always, available we're always, connected we're always.

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Speaker 1: Producing and Yet god himself built rest into. Creation before

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Speaker 1: sin entered the, world before stress entered the, World god

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Speaker 1: established rhythms of work and. Rest rest is an. Optional

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Speaker 1: rest is, obedience it's, trust it's acknowledging That god can

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Speaker 1: run the universe without our constant. SUPERVISION i, know imagine that.

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Speaker 1: Right some of us just need permission to. Stop so

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Speaker 1: let me be the one to give you that. Permission

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Speaker 1: let me be the one to remind myself THAT i

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00:18:18,960 --> 00:18:22,520
Speaker 1: have permission to. Stop so take a, nap take a day,

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00:18:22,520 --> 00:18:26,520
Speaker 1: off take a, vacation sit on the, patio read a,

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00:18:26,560 --> 00:18:32,600
Speaker 1: novel float in the, pool spend the afternoon doing absolutely positively.

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Speaker 1: Nothing the world will survive and you might rediscover. Joy,

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Speaker 1: okay so before we, FINISH i want to challenge you

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Speaker 1: to do something really. Simple grab a notebook and ask

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Speaker 1: yourself these. Questions how DO i want to feel when summer?

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Speaker 1: Ends what memories DO i want to? Create what habits

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Speaker 1: DO i want to? Build what relationships DO i want to?

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Speaker 1: Strengthen and how DO i want to go closer To?

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Speaker 1: God we'll put those questions in the show. Notes those

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00:19:02,280 --> 00:19:04,800
Speaker 1: are great. Questions i'm going to repeat those again in

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Speaker 1: case you're taking. Notes how DO i want to feel

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00:19:07,359 --> 00:19:10,159
Speaker 1: when summer. Ends what memories DO i want to? Create

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00:19:10,840 --> 00:19:14,359
Speaker 1: what habits DO i want to? Build what relationships DO

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00:19:14,400 --> 00:19:16,920
Speaker 1: i want to? Strengthen and how DO i want to

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00:19:16,960 --> 00:19:20,120
Speaker 1: go closer To? God don't make ten goals for each,

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00:19:20,160 --> 00:19:23,479
Speaker 1: area just, one just one simple. Thing one for your,

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00:19:23,520 --> 00:19:26,800
Speaker 1: body one for your, mind one for your, soul one

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00:19:26,800 --> 00:19:31,800
Speaker 1: for your, relationships one for your. Rest simple is. Sustainable

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00:19:32,520 --> 00:19:38,679
Speaker 1: small changes practiced consistently often create the biggest. Transformation, so,

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Speaker 1: friend your best summer won't happen. Accidentally but it doesn't

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00:19:43,240 --> 00:19:45,800
Speaker 1: require a perfect. Plan you don't need a bigger. Budget

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00:19:46,080 --> 00:19:48,359
Speaker 1: you don't need a dream. Vacation you don't need a

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00:19:48,359 --> 00:19:52,720
Speaker 1: color coded. Schedule you simply need, intentionality a little less,

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Speaker 1: rushing a little more, noticing a little less, surviving a

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00:19:57,800 --> 00:20:01,840
Speaker 1: little more. Abiding so for you, is when summer, arrives

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00:20:02,040 --> 00:20:04,960
Speaker 1: you'll look back and, SAY i spent time with the

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Speaker 1: PEOPLE i, LOVE i took care of, MYSELF i learned something,

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Speaker 1: NEW i, rested and most, IMPORTANTLY i grew closer To.

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Speaker 1: God those are the things that make for our best. Summer. Yet,

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Speaker 1: WELL i hope you enjoyed today's. EPISODE i hope it

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Speaker 1: was just what you. Needed AND i hope set you

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00:20:22,720 --> 00:20:25,639
Speaker 1: up to have a great. Summer if you like this,

355
00:20:25,760 --> 00:20:28,640
Speaker 1: podcast don't forget to rate, it review, it share it

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00:20:28,720 --> 00:20:31,680
Speaker 1: with a, friend AND i would love to connect with

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00:20:31,720 --> 00:20:33,920
Speaker 1: you on social. Media you'll find me At donna Ad

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00:20:33,960 --> 00:20:37,240
Speaker 1: jones On, Instagram Donna Jones speaker and author On, facebook

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00:20:37,359 --> 00:20:40,120
Speaker 1: or jump over to my Website Donna jones dot org

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00:20:40,359 --> 00:20:42,560
Speaker 1: where you can sign up to get my free monthly

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00:20:42,640 --> 00:20:47,159
Speaker 1: newsletter and a lot of free. Resources and as, always my,

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00:20:47,240 --> 00:20:49,440
Speaker 1: FRIEND i can't wait to see you next, time for

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00:20:49,960 --> 00:20:51,359
Speaker 1: that's just WHAT i. Needed