Small Steps is part of the Creative Spiritual Journey where we give you small deliberate steps to help you move forward on your journey. This weeks small step: The Open Heart.

Can that which is little contain that which is big?

Can that which is finite encompass that which is infinite?

Join me on your journey to discover how to open your heart and mind like vessels to receive more.

We've also included a guided meditative prayer, so take a moment, breathe, relax and enjoy.

So bona, my friends, you are listening

to the creative, spiritual journey

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podcast, small steps, where we give

you small steps to help you walk with

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Christ deliberately along your journey.

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Today, small step, the open heart.

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I'm Judy Cooley your

host for this episode.

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Thanks for joining me

here in South Africa.

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I want to share with you

something that's dear to my heart.

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Okay.

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Imagine with me that you're holding

in your hand, a little clay jar.

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Let me ask you a question.

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Can that, which is little like this jar.

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Contain that, which is big.

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Can that, which is finite.

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In close, all contain

that, which is infinite.

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Okay, common sense would say no.

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But what if I tell you it can, how.

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Now, imagine you lift

the lid off that jar.

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Now it becomes an open vessel.

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You see a closed vessel can never contain

anything larger than its own size.

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Right?

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It's at its full capacity.

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But by taking the lid off, it's

now an open vessel and has no

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limitations, no limit to its capacity.

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And now it can contain

the blowing of the wind.

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Or an outpouring of the rain.

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It can even contain a river.

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Okay.

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That's deep.

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I know.

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Stay with me.

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Now, let me ask you.

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Which is larger that, which, you

know, Or that what you don't know.

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Well, of course that,

which we don't know, right.

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So then it is wise that we

seek that, which we don't know.

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Right.

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But how do we contain that?

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Which is bigger than ourselves.

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That, which is bigger than

our ability to comprehend.

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You got it by taking off the lid by us.

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Becoming the open vessel.

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Think about it.

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Only by opening yourself up.

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Can you come to know that?

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Which you don't.

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No.

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Only by becoming an open vessel.

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Can you contain that?

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Which is greater than yourself.

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Okay.

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What's greater than self truth is

always greater than our knowing.

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And your mind and your heart are finite.

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They're like that little

clay jar with lids.

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But the truth has no, and God has no end.

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That is infinite.

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Think about that?

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What a special truth.

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The eternal is infinite,

always flowing like a river.

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So when the jar opens itself

up, It becomes unlimited.

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It can contain the waters of a river.

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The truth, the love of God.

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Have you ever noticed in the book

of Mormon there's much to be said

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about the condition of the heart.

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Talks about an open-end a soft heart.

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Or how Satan.

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Hardened their hearts.

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Today in my scripture

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There's this line You have not

applied your hearts to understanding.

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In other words, their

heart was a closed vessel.

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The footnotes.

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At that scripture led me to Proverbs

eight five, where the Lord invites

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Israel to be an understanding heart.

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And the footnote was

also Messiah two nine.

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Open your ears that you may hear and

your hearts that you may understand

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and your minds that the mysteries

of God may be unfolded to your view.

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When I think of that word

unfolded, I think of one of those.

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Old huge roadmaps.

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That was always my job as a little girl,

driving to California with my family.

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One of those huge maps that you

would unfold and never seem to

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be able to fold it back again.

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Remember those days before

GPS in Siri direct me to.

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You'd unfold.

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The map to route your

journey to your destination.

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And folding is another word for opening.

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To unfold, our hearts to

receive the mysteries of God.

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Now that is a river.

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Of understanding.

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I want flowing into my heart

and mind, how about you?

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So how do we unfold or open

the lids to our hearts, our

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minds, our ears, and our eyes.

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In second NEEF.

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I.

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33 1 where you've read about the

role of the holy ghost is to carry

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or pour out his spirit unto the

hearts of the children are man.

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Not into.

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But unto.

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In order for it to go into the heart,

we have to choose to open our heart.

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Be the open vessel.

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So this tells me that our agency is

our superpower to opening the lid.

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Or the unfolding of our hearts.

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So then the holy ghost will

carry the words of Christ.

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Along with his love and

his peace and his grace.

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unto our hearts and we have to choose

to open and receive into our hearts.

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We have to choose to be the open vessel.

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So my invitation to you today is to open

your mind, your heart, your ears and eyes.

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Your whole soul.

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So that you might contain that, which

is greater than yourself, so that

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the love of Christ will overflow

and spill out into your life.

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And those around you, like a river.

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For it is only the open vessel.

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The open-heart that can

contain the infinity of God.

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Thanks for walking with me today.

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Please join Ghia and me each week,

as we share our thoughts about

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how to navigate this journey, one

small deliberate step at a time.

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And if you enjoy this podcast,

please share it with a friend,

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Also this clay jar concept.

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I came from a book Entitled the

book of mysteries by Jonathan Kahn.

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It's a fun thing to read daily.

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And the scriptures.

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We're from the book of Mormon,

which reading from daily brings

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the spirit unto and into my heart.

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It's one of my greatest joys.

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And as a gift to you.

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We've included a guided meditation, the

open vessel, we invite you to slow down.

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Breathe in.

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And enjoy.

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I testify at the infinite love

of our savior and Redeemer Jesus

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Christ that he has for you and me.

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And I say these things in his name.

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And I'll see you.

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On the trail.