This Small Step episode is for those feeling stuck in the muck and mire of life? I have a solution for you! It involves waving branches and turning over cups. Interested?

So bona my friends and welcome to the

creative, spiritual journey podcast.

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I'm Judy and I will be your host

for this week's episode of small

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steps, where I share with you a small

step that has helped me along this

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wonderful journey of life today.

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Small step.

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Turn it right side up.

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It's interesting that I'm coming to

you from new castle, South Africa.

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Where my husband and I are serving

a mission for the church of Jesus

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Christ of latter day saints.

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And Ghia, my sister-in-law who is

the other host for this podcast

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comes to you from castle valley.

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Her castle is in the Northern hemisphere.

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And my castle is in the

Southern hemisphere.

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Doesn't that sound like we

live in some kind of fairytale.

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The reality is.

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We all live in the wilderness.

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We have been sent.

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From our heavenly home to journey

through this mortal life in a

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wilderness that we may come to know God.

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And to learn from our own

experiences along the way.

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To choose the good from the evil.

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I find it fascinating how many profits.

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In the book of Mormon and in

the Bible remember Moses and the

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children of Israel and their 40

year journey through the wilderness.

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It kind of seems like to me, it's

a similitude of our life journeys.

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I read A daily verse from a book titled

the book of mysteries by Jonathan Kahn.

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and I have discovered

insights and treasures.

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From reading this book.

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About the Messiah.

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And it's from there that I want

to read to you from day 1 65.

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This is called the Move off..

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If you don't mind, I'm just going

to read right from the book.

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We sat in the midst of the desert,

plain surrounded by mountains.

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The teacher was holding

in one hand, a fruit.

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And in the other cluster

of three branches.

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This, he said, holding up the branches.

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It is called the lulav.

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It comes from the biblical command

to worship God on the feast

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of Tabernacles with branches.

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During that phase, the people

of Israel would remember how God

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led them through the wilderness.

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Through the waving of these branches.

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How, so I asked.

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This the largest of the three branches.

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Is a poem.

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The Palm tree grows in the valleys.

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So the Palm branch reminded

the Israelites, other journeys

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through the valleys that God.

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Was with them.

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And this, he said pointing to the

smaller branch of dark green Leafs.

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Is the Myrtle.

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It grows in the mountains.

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So the Myrtle reminded them other

journey through the mountains.

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And that God was with them there as well.

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And this, he said pointing to the drooping

branch of light green is the Willow.

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The Willow grows by the water Brooks.

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He reminded them of their journeys through

the dry places that God was with them.

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And gave him water in the desert.

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Now, what is the mystery of the Luva?

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He asked.

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I have no idea.

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The wilderness is the world.

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The journey.

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Is this life.

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And to the child of God.

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This is the message of the Lula.

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The Palm tells you that no matter what

valley you go through in your life.

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No matter how dark.

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And how deep you will never be alone.

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He will be with you.

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And the Myrtle tells you that when

you go through the rockiest of

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times, he will go through it with

you and will keep you from falling.

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And the Willow tree tells you that in

the dry and empty places of your life.

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He will never leave you.

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But stay close.

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And we'll ever give you rivers.

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In your desert.

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And what about the fruit I asked.

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The fruit speaks of the

promised land and its messages.

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This no matter what you

go through in this life.

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It is not the end, only the

journey to your destination.

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And when you get there, you'll give

thanks that your journey was blessed

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and that you were never alone.

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And that he was with you every

moment to make sure that you

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would get through it all.

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And make it to the promised land.

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Isn't that beautiful.

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I read that the other night and

it came at a very critical point.

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Of our mission for me.

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Aye.

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Was in the desert.

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I was full of fear.

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I was full of overwhelm that this

mission was just too much, too big.

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And I just wanted to crawl

up in bed and be done.

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My patriarchal blessing reminds me that

I've been blessed with a joyful spirit.

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And I had this gift to see the bright

and the beautiful things of life and

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to overcome darkness and sadness.

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But man, I felt stuck in

the mire of muck and mud.

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Witnessing day after day, the

things that we see here on

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our mission in South Africa.

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Now I want you for a moment

to use your imagination.

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Because I want you to

imagine with me An analogy.

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Let's all sit at.

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Oh, well.

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Much Like the Samaritan woman

at the well and Christ is there.

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He places, two cups on the edge.

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One is right site up.

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On the other is upside down.

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Then he draws water deep from inside

the well and pours it over the cups.

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And says to you.

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This represents my love.

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And all the blessings being

poured out from heaven.

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You notice that the cup.

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That is open.

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Feels up and overflowing and

it's spilling out over the ledge.

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While you notice that the other cup

that is upside down remains empty.

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The cups.

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Represent our heart.

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When our heart is open and looking

upward and receiving, receiving

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so much that it is spilling over.

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Or.

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Is our heart closed by fear and suffering.

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That it's turned inward.

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And upside down and it

becomes all about you.

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The you aren't receiving the love

and the blessings of the savior.

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That are pouring out.

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Over all of us.

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All the time.

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And what is there to give to others

when your cup is upside down?

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Nothing.

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I realized that my cup.

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Wasn't only just not

half full or half empty.

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I had turned it over upside down.

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I had become focused.

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On myself.

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Inward.

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And then more than anything.

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At that moment.

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It's breaking point in my mission.

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I wanted my cup.

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To be upward.

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Open.

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Overflowing and spilling out.

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So.

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How do we do this?

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How do we.

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remember that God is with us in

this wilderness and this journey.

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And how do we open up our hearts?

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To receive the blessings.

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The love that is pouring out over us.

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Constantly.

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I had a thought about this.

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I decided that.

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This mission.

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Is consecrated and sacred time.

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Just like your life and your journey.

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Our life and our journey here.

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All of us is consecrated and sacred time.

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And I want it to be.

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able to look back and refer

to this journey Like Moses

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and the children of Israel.

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I want to be able to

tell our children about.

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The party of our red seas and the.

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Water that we received in the desert.

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I want to be able to tell our

children and our children's children.

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That they too can make it

through their wildernesses.

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Because God's blessing and love is.

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I continually pouring over them.

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So in the morning, I made

a decision to wake up.

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Lay in bed for a moment.

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And Think about what am I looking forward?

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To today.

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And making a choice to open up my heart.

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And Make sure my cup is upright.

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And then.

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The other thing that

keeps my cup and my heart.

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Open upright spilling out.

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His prayer meditation.

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And the scriptures.

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And then in the evenings, after the long

journey through the wilderness Where I'm

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still going to witness the suffering and

the sorrows and the pains In the evenings.

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I take time.

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To waive the branches, so to speak.

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I look.

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And I think about, where have I

seen the hand of God in my day.

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Where can I give?

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Thanks.

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That he has helped me.

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He has been there for me.

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So I invite you in the mornings.

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To make sure your heart.

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And your cup is upright.

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So the blessings of God

can pour down into you.

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And received them.

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And in the evenings, I invite

you to gather your branches.

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And remember to give.

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Thanks.

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Because he is going to be with

you in your valleys and your

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mountains and your desserts.

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And he will always be with us of this.

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I know.

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In Joshua one nine.

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We read.

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Be strong and a good courage.

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Be not afraid.

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Neither be dismayed for the Lord.

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Thy God is with the weather.

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So ever.

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Val go list.

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And this I can testify in

the name of Jesus Christ and

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I will see you on the trail.

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If you know, someone whose cup might have

been tipped upside down today on their

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journey, please send them this message.

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And Hey.

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Before you go, I want to share with you.

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I knew Zulu word.

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.

I love you.