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Wonders of Wonders
Episode 49 • 4th February 2025 • Creative Spiritual Journey • Judy Cooley and Ghia Cooley
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Today is day 400 of our mission! Can you believe it? We just returned home from exploring Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana. the highlight being Victoria Falls, one of the 7 natural wonders of the world. Which got me pondering on this word "Wonder" and how we experience the Love of God through wonder. I think I say the word wonder about a thousand time,. check it out and you count. And I'lll see you on the trail.

Transcripts

Yeti X:

Welcome France to season two this year.

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We're going on a journey.

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The creative, spiritual journey.

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Thank you for choosing to join us.

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My name is Judy Cooley.

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Uh, along with my sister-in-law

Ghia, Cooley, where your host,

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but we'd rather you consider us

more like your hiking buddies.

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Following Christ.

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We traverse a pass through the wilderness.

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Share the joys and wonders.

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We discover along the way.

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And celebrate the small

steps we take each day.

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So will you shake the dust

off those hiking boots?

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Pick up your packs.

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And join us on the trail.

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And incredible journey awaits us.

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Let's go.

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Sonny Bonanni today is day 400.

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I've been numbering the day

nd,:

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when we were called on a mission

and set apart from our world and

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life in Utah and traveled to what is

called KwaZulu natal in South Africa.

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Here in this corner of the vineyard

and told to go to work and serve with

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all our heart, my mind and strength.

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So here we are.

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I honestly didn't think we'd

make it this far 400 days.

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Only 300 more days ago.

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My dear friends.

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Where are you working today?

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In his kingdom?

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It doesn't have to be on

the other side of the world.

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There's so much just

outside your front door.

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So step out.

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Ask the Lord to direct you to those

who need you Maybe you wonder, as

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I do some days, how do we do that?

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Or how can we be a good cheer when we

find our hearts and smiles upside down?

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And our feet hurt and our legs

are weary from the journey.

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Don't fear, the Savior's promise

to walk and work beside us.

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Hopefully today I can share what

I've discovered along the way

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that will help you on the trail.

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For today's episode.

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I want you to think back.

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On a moment when you experienced wonder.

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When you stood in the presence of

something so big and awe inspiring.

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That may be you wept.

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You were so moved by the wonder

and grandeur of God or the moment

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or the scene or the experience.

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Some of my wonders.

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I remember a moment when backpacking

the Sierra mountains in California.

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And reaching a glacier fed lake

surrounded by these wild flowers.

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You could hear the birds singing.

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Oh, Beautiful colors in the sky.

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It was wonder field.

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My soul.

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Sword with joy.

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How great thou art.

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I remember a time watching a sunset.

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On a beach and the clouds were just

magnificent as a storm rolled in.

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I felt small.

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And weak yet.

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So loved Well, Eric and

I just returned home.

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Promote adventure.

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Venture.

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From seeing the Victoria

falls in Zimbabwe and Zambia.

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It is one of the seven

natural wonders of the world.

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This got me to pondering on this word.

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Wonder.

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And what makes it one of the seven

natural wonders of the world?

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First, let me share my experience there.

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This is breathtaking.

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This waterfall.

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So huge.

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You can't.

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Take it all in, in one little.

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Window.

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You have to travel to.

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15 little view sites on the Zimbabwe side.

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And then same with those Ambius side,

separate little windows of viewing this.

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Spectacular.

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Waterfall.

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The amount of water, the mist

is like you're standing in

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a beautiful, warm rainstorm.

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And.

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The sound.

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The sound of the.

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Roaring waters.

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Uh, it was breathtaking.

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I did feel.

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Small, but yet.

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Wonder field.

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With, um, God's love.

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the word wonder.

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As a noun is a feeling of

surprised mingled with admiration.

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Caused by something beautiful.

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Unexpected unfamiliar.

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And inexplicable.

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That right there sums up.

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What I experienced.

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The word wonder is similar

to ah, An admiration.

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The verb wonder.

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Is to be curious to know something.

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Which is similar to pondering.

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To ask oneself.

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And it's even defined as to feel doubt.

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The Hebrew word for wonder is PLA.

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And it means being wonder

field To have wonder is to be

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overcome with awe and amazement.

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So let's go back to this Victoria falls.

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Dr.

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Livingston.

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A missionary.

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Was the first.

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White man from Europe to write

and tell the people of Europe.

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About the waterfall.

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He was a physician and missionary

from Scotland that in the total,

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he served in Africa for 30 years.

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Each his first encounter of

seeing the natural wonder.

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Dr.

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Livingston beautifully described

in what he saw in his diaries.

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Quote, no one can imagine the beauty.

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At the view from anything

witnessed in England.

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It had never been seen

before by European eyes.

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But seen so lovely must have been

gazed upon by angels in their flight.

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He names the waterfall.

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after queen Victoria of England,

The natives called the falls.

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Mossi.

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Una.

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Ooh, I hope I said that.

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Right.

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Which translated means

smoke that thunders.

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That describes it pretty

well smoke that thunders

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The natives people of Zimbabwe

and Zambia, their history cords,

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The people that lived around Mossi.

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Una.

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We're odd by the

magnificence of the falls.

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They revered it as a religious shrine.

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A place of worship.

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and as such.

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A sacred place.

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Yeti X-11: Yeah, and I would agree.

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It feels.

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Like a sacred place.

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Yeti X: I started off having you think

back on a time you were wonder field.

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What about the wonders all around you?

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I asked Eric this to share with

me times he experienced wonder

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And it's funny how ours lined up.

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So maybe they'll line

up with yours as well.

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Kneeling across the alter

when we were married.

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Holy place holding hands.

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And just looking into each other's eyes.

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And being sealed for

time and all eternity.

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And this is, this one is a biggie.

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Giving birth.

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Becoming a mother.

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Holding each one of our

babies for the first time.

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Looking into their little faces.

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And wondering.

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Who they are.

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Where they've come from.

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And the life ahead of them.

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Ah, such a experience of wonder.

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And then experiencing the death.

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Have a loved one or mom or dad?

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Her grandma.

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And.

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Holding their hands.

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And knowing that their

spirit was no longer there.

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And also that piece.

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That wonderful piece of knowing

that it wasn't goodbye forever.

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So.

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How do you witness God's love for you?

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Where have you seen his marvelous works?

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And wonder.

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Yeti X-12: So, let me go back.

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To there we were.

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Witnessing the marvelous.

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Grand jury of Victoria falls.

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And of course we're not

experiencing this just on our own.

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There were people around us.

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And.

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As I had mentioned there were

different viewing stations.

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And as we walking along, there are

butterflies fluttering around us

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and you're walking through this.

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Magnificent mist.

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It feels like a warm rain.

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And you're just breathing in

this fresh air and the sky.

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So blue, above and.

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That just the smells of the rain forest.

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Just like I said, it just

felt like a sacred space.

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Yeti X-6: Ahead of us.

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There was a group, Of women.

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That we're so busy and distracted.

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Taking selfies.

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They would have their umbrellas

and they'd be twirling.

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They'd be jumping, holding

their arms up in the air.

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Always with their back.

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To the waterfall.

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Yeti X: And I wondered.

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Are you missing it?

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I didn't even feel like they

were looking at the waterfall.

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They were posing I wasn't even sure

that they experienced the wonder that

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I was feeling because they were so

distracted with selfies Now the opposite.

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Of wonder is disinterest.

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Apathy

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in attention.

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. Disregard.

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And.

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Overlook.

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To be standing.

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At an overlook.

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But overlooking the wonder

and the majesty of the moment.

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I asked myself as I

watched those young women.

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What wonders in life am I missing?

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What about you?

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Are you missing out on

viewing the wonders of God?

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And I don't mean traveling to one of

the seven natural wonders, like the

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grand canyon or viewing the Rora.

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Borealis.

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Yeti X-1: But what life wonders?

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That are just all around you.

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Yeti X-13: In the 2020.

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General conference

address from our prophet.

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Russell M.

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Nelson.

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Titled hear him.

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He says, quote, I love this.

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We live in the day that our

forefathers have waited with anxious.

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expectation.

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We have front row seats to witness live.

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with the prophet ne.

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I saw only in vision.

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That the power of the lamb of God.

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Would descend upon the

covenant people, of the Lord.

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You and me who are scattered

upon all the face of the earth.

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And they were armed with righteousness

and with the power of God in great glory,

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you, my brothers and sisters.

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are among those men, women and

children who need, if I saw.

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Think of that.

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And

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quote.

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Our profits asked us to think about that.

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We have front row seats.

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To what Neefa saw envision.

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Of this latter days.

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Yeti X-3: What about the

wonder of the atonement?

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Of Jesus Christ, our savior and

Redeemer to stand in awe and

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wonder at his willingness to be the

sacrificial lamb to take upon himself.

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My sins.

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And all our sorrows,

afflictions and pains.

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So he can heal us and redeem us.

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To be able to return back home again.

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He broke the bands of death.

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That's pretty magnificent.

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Remember the definition of wonder or PLA.

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A feeling of surprise.

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Mingled with admiration.

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Caused by something beautiful,

unexpected, unfamiliar, and inexplicable.

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To me.

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That defines the

atonement of Jesus Christ.

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I hope when you take

the sacrament next time.

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The bread and the water,

you are wonder field.

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And that your soul is overcome.

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Just like standing and viewing a

grand waterfall or the ocean or.

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View from the mountaintop.

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That you are filled with amazement

for such love for you personally.

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Yeti X-2: Okay.

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What about this wonder?

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Of being you.

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The wonder of you.

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Uh, daughter or son of God, the father and

God, the mother created in their images.

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So in Psalms 1 39, 13 to 14.

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For you, God formed my inner most being,

you wove me together in my mother's womb.

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I praise thee because I am fearfully.

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And wonderfully made.

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Wonderful.

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Are your works and my

soul knows it very well.

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And that beautiful.

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You were knitted together

in your mother's womb.

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Wonderfully.

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Yeti X-7: Please don't miss.

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Please don't miss the wonder.

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Have you.

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Of being you.

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There are things that you were sent here.

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To do that only you can do.

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I know at times we get discouraged.

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But you have to see.

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Take time.

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Ponder.

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Look deep inside.

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There is a beautiful.

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Fearfully is that what the word he used?

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Made.

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Wonderfully made.

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Son or daughter of God.

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Don't miss it.

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Don't miss it because of the lies.

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Of the world, the lies of the adversary.

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Believe That you.

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Our wonderful.

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And God loves you for who you are.

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The last wonder I want us to explore

is the restoration of the gospel

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of Jesus Christ His marvelous

work and wonder that's happening

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today, all around the world.

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His kingdom is being built.

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Are you witnessing it or missing it?

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Yeti X-4: And we read in second Neefa.

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25 17 and the Lord will

set his hand again.

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The second time to restore his people.

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From their lost and fallen state.

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Wherefore, he will proceed

to do a marvelous work.

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And a wonder.

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Among the children of man.

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I want to take you back to

the:

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I had this thought the other day.

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Um, when we heard that the Olympics

were coming to Utah, we were not happy.

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Like most of my friends were.

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And I did not sign up.

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To participate in it at all.

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We thought we're going

to take off to Hawaii.

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Ran out our house and just not be around.

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Now don't get me wrong.

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I love the Olympics.

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I just don't like crowds.

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So.

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We didn't go to Hawaii.

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And we didn't ran out our house and

we didn't participate in the Olympics.

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Now my friends that volunteered.

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Have memories of such a wonderful time.

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And such grand experiences

that I missed out on.

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And this thought came to my

mind When I was thinking about.

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Our mission.

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And the work of gathering Israel.

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And these.

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Last days of preparing our hearts for

the coming of the savior, something

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much bigger than the Olympics.

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And I thought by dang this

time, I am not going to miss it.

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I'm not going to be twirling

around taking selfies.

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I want to participate and I want

to witness and take it all in.

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I want to talk about this

definition of wonder being doubt.

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Wonder as a verb is to be

curious to know something.

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Similar to pondering.

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To ask oneself and to even feel doubt.

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Maybe you wonder if God exists.

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Or wonder if Joseph Smith really

saw God, the father Jesus Christ.

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Maybe you wonder if your life has purpose.

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Maybe you wonder why you were born into

the circumstances you were born into.

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I believe there's odd in

that kind of wondering.

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In that kind of doubting and asking.

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I wonder if you were to add Jesus.

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Prey.

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want to share with you.

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Uh, quote from.

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Elder Horst.

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It says, I wonder if Jesus were to choose

a place where you and he could meet.

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A private place where you would be

able to have a singular focus on him.

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Might he choose your unique

place of personal suffering?

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A place of your deepest need

where no one else can go.

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Somewhere so lonely that you must

feel truly to be all alone, but

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you aren't quite a place to which

perhaps only he has traveled.

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But actually has already prepared

to meet you there when you arrive.

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If you were waiting for him to come.

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Might he already be

there and within reach.

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Where will your pondering.

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And curiosity to know the truth.

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Take you.

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I believe if you pray

as NEEF, I did to know.

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That you will be taken to

the top of the mountain.

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So to speak as the prophet

NEEF, I was and told to look.

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Look witnessed the wonder all around you.

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Yeti X-8: I know that he wants you.

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To take.

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Those doubts.

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That desire, that curiosity

to know something to him.

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He is waiting.

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He is waiting my friends.

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Yeti X-9: to show you the wonders and

to give you the answers that you desire.

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Yeti X-4: I'm going to

close with this scripture

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This is indoctrine covenants 1 28 23.

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Let the mountain shout for joy.

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And all you valleys cry aloud.

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And all the seas and dry lands tell

the wonders of your eternal king.

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And do you rivers and Brooks and

reels flow down with gladness.

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Let the woods and the trees

and the field praise the Lord.

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And E solid rocks, weep for joy.

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And let the sun, the moon and the

morning starts seeing together.

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And let all the sense of God.

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Shout for joy.

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And let the eternal creations

declare his name forever.

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And ever.

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And again, I say how glorious.

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How wonderful is the voice we hear

from heaven proclaiming in our ears.

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Ooh.

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I love the imagery of that scripture.

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Of mountains shouting for joy.

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And the trees and the Brooks.

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With gladness.

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Exclaiming the wonders and the glory.

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I've already eternal king.

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To me.

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That scripture describes a

marvelous wonders of life.

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That you and I are so

blessed to be witnessing.

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Walking upon this earth.

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I want to leave you with an invitation.

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To look.

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Participate in the wonders happening

around and through an, in you.

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You were created wonderfully.

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You are on inspiring.

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Don't miss out on it.

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We have front row seats.

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Don't close off your heart.

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To wonder what distractions

or apathy or by overlooking.

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What is right before you.

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You don't need to travel

to Victoria falls.

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Or to the grand canyon.

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Or any of the other seven

wonders of the world?

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Maybe tonight, you can write down some

of the wonders you've experienced.

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In the past.

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Our even today on your journey.

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Thank you.

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Dear friends for walking

with me for just a moment.

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G, and I appreciate you choosing to

share this wondrous journey with us.

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I joyfully testify of the Messiah.

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As the greatest of all wonders.

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Please.

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Share this podcast with a friend.

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Someone that you're

enjoying the journey with.

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And share with them the wonders.

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And awe inspiring things in your life.

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And I'll see you on the trail.

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