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Speaker 1: Hi, this is Jolan Victoria. Thanks for listening to our

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Speaker 1: podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry.

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Speaker 2: If you enjoy today's message, why don't you be a

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Speaker 2: blessing and share it with a friend.

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Speaker 1: We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in

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Speaker 1: your life.

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Speaker 2: Listen, I want to remind us to spend our time

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Speaker 2: investing in our future, don't invest in the past.

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Speaker 3: Investing in the past is when.

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Speaker 2: You relive your hurts, your pains, your disappointments.

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Speaker 3: See it's easy to.

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Speaker 2: Focus on who hurts you, what didn't work out, what

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Speaker 2: mistake you've made. But you know what that is is

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Speaker 2: a big waste of time and energy. We can't do

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Speaker 2: anything about what happened in our past. It's done, it's

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Speaker 2: over with, it's finished. But we can do something about today.

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Speaker 2: And when you begin to focus on what you can

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Speaker 2: change and not what you can't change, that is a

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Speaker 2: good investment in the future. You know, we weren't designed

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Speaker 2: to carry around a lot of unnecessary negative baggage, and

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Speaker 2: sometimes we fill our bags with bitterness, resentment, heartache. But

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Speaker 2: can I tell you that you've got to get up

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Speaker 2: every day and let that stuff go. Forgive the people

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Speaker 2: who offended, you release them, forgive yourself. You see, when

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Speaker 2: you are wayed down with all of this junk, it's

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Speaker 2: hard to see where you're going.

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Speaker 3: It's hard to even be ready to get there.

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Speaker 2: One time, Joel and I we had scheduled back to

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Speaker 2: back work trips. We really don't ever do this, but

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Speaker 2: this just happened to be an instance that we did this.

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Speaker 2: We had come home from a week out and we

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Speaker 2: came back in and we only had like two hours

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Speaker 2: to be at home, and then we'd have to turn

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Speaker 2: around head back to the airport. Well, on the way home,

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Speaker 2: all I could think about was those dirty clothes in

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Speaker 2: my suitcase. There was a week's worth of dirty clothes

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Speaker 2: in my suitcase. When I got home, I dumped all

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Speaker 2: those dirty clothes and I began to refresh my suitcase.

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Speaker 3: Something amazing happened.

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Speaker 2: Where I was tired and anxious on my way home

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Speaker 2: just thinking about all that in my suitcase, I became refreshed,

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Speaker 2: and you know what, I was prepared to go on

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Speaker 2: my next trip because I had exchanged that dirty clothes

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Speaker 2: with fresh new clothes. And do you know a lot

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Speaker 2: of times we get so wayed down with this emotional

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Speaker 2: baggage of clutter that's full of pain and heartache, that

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Speaker 2: we lose our passion and excitement for Libby. In fact,

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Speaker 2: we're not even prepared where God wants us to go.

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Speaker 3: We're just too way down and anxious.

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Speaker 2: Can I tell you that you need to refresh your

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Speaker 2: emotional baggage every single day.

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Speaker 3: You need to.

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Speaker 2: Learn to travel light because I can tell you this,

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Speaker 2: where you're going it's far more important than where you've been.

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Speaker 3: But you can't be way down from the past.

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Speaker 2: You know, too often people don't even enjoy what they're

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Speaker 2: doing today. They can't enjoy the opportunities that they're living

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Speaker 2: in today because they're too focused on yesterday. There was

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Speaker 2: a woman who had been divorced for a couple of years,

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Speaker 2: and one day she met this man and he was

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Speaker 2: a very nice man. He seemed to be very happy,

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Speaker 2: he was successful, he went to church.

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Speaker 3: She was excited about the possibilities. But she made a

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Speaker 3: mistake when she went into that relationship.

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Speaker 2: She began to constantly talk about her hurts and pains

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Speaker 2: of the past. She would describe why she acted certain ways,

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Speaker 2: why she said certain things. It was because she was

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Speaker 2: so hurt by her first husband you know, after a while,

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Speaker 2: that man told one of her friends, he said, you know,

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Speaker 2: she's so focused on what happened to her, she can't

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Speaker 2: move forward. We're not making any kind of connection here,

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Speaker 2: and I really don't feel like the relationship is right.

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Speaker 3: So he decided that he was.

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Speaker 2: Just going to quit seeing her because she made the

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Speaker 2: mistake of living in the past. She failed at an

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Speaker 2: opportunity that she had for her future. See, when you

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Speaker 2: carry negative baggage into your relationships, you can ruin many relationships. See,

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Speaker 2: we've got to decide that it's time to let it go.

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Speaker 2: It's time to put it in the past, to shut

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Speaker 2: the door to it. One time, Joel and I were

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Speaker 2: going to this like highly secure government building, and so

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Speaker 2: there was two sets of double doors. So we stood

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Speaker 2: in front one of the first set of doors and

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Speaker 2: it opened up and we begin to walk past those

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Speaker 2: doors to go through the second set. But we noticed

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Speaker 2: the second set would not open until the first set closed.

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Speaker 2: And do you know, in life, you're not going to

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Speaker 2: be able to walk through open doors until you close

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Speaker 2: the doors that are behind you. When you're holding on

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Speaker 2: to bitterness, regret the mistakes you've made, it'll get you stuck.

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Speaker 3: It's like a trap you can't get out of.

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Speaker 2: Years ago that the way hunters used to trap monkeys

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Speaker 2: was they would take a big barrel and they would

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Speaker 2: fill it full of bananas, and at the end of

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Speaker 2: that barrel they would cut a very small hole, just

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Speaker 2: big enough for the monkey to get its hand and

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Speaker 2: arm through. Now, the monkey, unaware that this was a trap,

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Speaker 2: would stick his hand in there and grab a fistful

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Speaker 2: of anita. But the problem was, as long as he

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Speaker 2: was holding on to those bananas, he couldn't get his

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Speaker 2: hand out of the barrel.

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Speaker 3: You See, he could have just simply.

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Speaker 2: Let the bananas go, taken his hand out of the barrel,

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Speaker 2: and gone on his way. But see, because he was

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Speaker 2: holding on to the barrel, he was trapped and he

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Speaker 2: couldn't get away. See, we can't let yesterday trap us.

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Speaker 2: We cannot be trapped in the past when God has

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Speaker 2: a bright future. Unfair things happen to all of us.

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Speaker 2: We experience loss, we all make mistakes, People hurt us,

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Speaker 2: we become offended. But we have to make a decision

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Speaker 2: that we're not going to invest in those things. You see,

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Speaker 2: we'll have negative seasons. The Bible says that trouble will come.

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Speaker 2: We will have seasons of disappointment, seasons that we don't

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Speaker 2: always care for. We can't allow that season to define

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Speaker 2: our life. We can't wear the labels of that season.

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Speaker 2: You see, We've got to put our foot down and

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Speaker 2: say no more. God wants to give you beauty for ashes,

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Speaker 2: the scripture says, but you cannot receive the beauty if

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Speaker 2: you don't give God your ashes. The best way is

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Speaker 2: to give God your hurts, your pains, and then open

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Speaker 2: up wide so that you can receive the beauty that

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Speaker 2: He has in store for you. The scripture says, this,

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Speaker 2: think on these things, things that are good, things that

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Speaker 2: are pure, things that are trustworthy of a good report. See,

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Speaker 2: these are the things we are supposed to set our

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Speaker 2: mind on. When we set our mind on the good

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Speaker 2: things that God has for us, When we begin to

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Speaker 2: set our mind on what God says about us, when

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Speaker 2: we begin to count our blessings. That is investing in

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Speaker 2: our future. That is the best investment that we can make.

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Speaker 2: I want to say it one more time, let it go,

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Speaker 2: Just let it go. If there's anything holding you back today,

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Speaker 2: it's too high of a price to pay.

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Speaker 3: Let it go.

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Speaker 2: Because God's got bigger and greater things in your future,

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Speaker 2: and where you're going is way more important than where

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Speaker 2: you've been.

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Speaker 3: Amen.

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Speaker 2: I just want to take an opportunity right now for

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Speaker 2: every one of us to let go of the ashes,

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Speaker 2: to release them to God. You know, we can hear

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Speaker 2: a sermon and we can say we're going to do it,

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Speaker 2: but I just want to take this time right now

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Speaker 2: because how important it is for us to just give

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Speaker 2: God these hurts and pains, to release them so we can.

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Speaker 3: Receive our bright future.

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Speaker 2: So right now, just through your eyes of faith, let's

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Speaker 2: just pray.

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Speaker 3: Father, thank you.

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Speaker 2: Right now we've heard this message, we know it to

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Speaker 2: be true. God, we've experienced this phenomenon of living in

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Speaker 2: our past and how it holds us back, and Father,

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Speaker 2: we don't want that anymore. We want to close the

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Speaker 2: door to our past, so Father, you can open the

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Speaker 2: door to fresh new opportunity. God, you said that your

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Speaker 2: mercies are fresh and new every single day, So Father,

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Speaker 2: we want to pick up those fresh new mercies.

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Speaker 3: We want to unload that emotional.

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Speaker 2: Baggage, those things that didn't work out, and God, we

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Speaker 2: want to refresh our mental aspect in our mental life. Father,

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Speaker 2: we want to know that you are for us and

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Speaker 2: not against us. So we declare right now Father, as

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Speaker 2: we let go of the ashes, we are receiving your beauty.

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Speaker 2: Thank you Father for good opportunity. Thank you for great families,

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Speaker 2: wonderful relationships. Thank you Father that everything we put our

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Speaker 2: hand to will prosperous succeed because God, we've got a

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Speaker 2: fresh new mental attitude. Thank you Father, that you're blessing

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Speaker 2: for out seats anything we've ever done in the past.

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Speaker 2: Thank you for everything that you're doing and everything that

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Speaker 2: you're going to do in Jesus' name, and everyone said Amen, Amen.

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Speaker 4: Every day we can live discouraged, angry, depressed, defeated. Is

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Speaker 4: it possible to turn these negatives into an outlook filled

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Speaker 4: with purpose, happiness and joy.

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Speaker 1: Every day we make choices how we see ourselves, how

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Speaker 1: we respond to challenges, how we approach what's in front

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Speaker 1: of us. I've written a devotional called Today I Choose

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Speaker 1: Devotions for a Better Line. It's designed to help you

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Speaker 1: make those choices on purpose, to choose faith over fear,

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Speaker 1: peace over frustration, and kindness over offense. Each day is

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Speaker 1: filled with scripture and practical encouragement to help you live

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Speaker 1: with confidence and victory. You can't wait to see what

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Speaker 1: kind of day it's.

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Speaker 3: Going to be.

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Speaker 1: You have to decide ahead of time when you do

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Speaker 1: step into a more blest fulfilled line.

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Speaker 3: I'd love to send.

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Speaker 4: You a copy as our way of saying thank you

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Speaker 4: for your gift of any amount, we would like to

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Speaker 4: send you a copy of Today, I Choose Devotions for

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Speaker 4: a Better Life. Every day begins with a choice, and

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Speaker 4: this inspiring book is packed with powerful devotional truths that

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Speaker 4: will help you in the specific challenges you face in life,

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Speaker 4: including today, I choose to turn down the noise, to

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Speaker 4: believe what I cannot see, to be happy, to trust

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Speaker 4: God's timing. They will transform your attitude, your outlook, your

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Speaker 4: entire day. As you embrace these biblical principles, you'll see

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Speaker 4: problems dissolve, hope, restored mountains move, choose the joy and

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Speaker 4: happiness God has chosen for you. Be sure to request

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Speaker 4: your copy of Today, I Choose Devotions for a Better Life,

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Speaker 4: available this month by simply visiting us at Joelostein dot

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Speaker 4: com or call eight eight eight Fife sixty seven Joel

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Speaker 4: call or click anytime twenty four hours a day.

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Speaker 1: When you make choices based on what God says about you.

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Speaker 1: You're going to live happier, have more peace, and you'll

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Speaker 1: be a bigger blessing to others. Thanks so much for

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Speaker 1: being with us today, Victoria. Do I pray for you

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Speaker 1: and your family every day. We sure appreciate your prayer

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Speaker 1: and support. Your generosity helps us take this message to

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Speaker 1: people around the world. Now, special thank you to our

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Speaker 1: Champion of Hope partners for all you do to make

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Speaker 1: the ministry possible. And until we meet again, May the

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Speaker 1: Lord bless you and keep you.

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Speaker 4: Be sure to request your copy of Today I Choose

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Speaker 4: Devotions for a Better Life available this month by simply

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Speaker 4: visiting us at Joelostein dot com or call eight eight

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Speaker 4: eight five six seven Joel call or click anytime twenty

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Speaker 4: four hours a day. You can also receive that Today

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Speaker 4: I Choose to Rejoice. Signature edition art print created to

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Speaker 4: encourach faith and purpose filled living. This beautifully framed twelve

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Speaker 4: by fifteen hour piece features the powerful promise of Psalm

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Speaker 4: one eighteen twenty four. This is the day the Lord

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Speaker 4: has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.

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Speaker 4: Choose every morning to begin with a declaration of God's

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Speaker 4: eternal promise. You can request these inspiring resources by calling

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Speaker 4: eight eight eight five six seven Joel or logging on

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Speaker 4: to joelostein dot com today. Call or click any time,

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Speaker 4: twenty four hours a day. Request your copies today