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From Waiting to Witness: Simeon's Story of Faith · Arise Women of God

• 0:00
  If you felt the impression to go somewhere spur of the moment, would you be brave enough to do it, even though you didn't know what you were going there for?
• 0:12
  Today we're going to talk about an amazing man who was a witness of the infant Jesus Christ and he'd been promised this his whole life, but he wouldn't have made it there if he hadn't followed an impression.
• 0:27
  Stay tuned.
• 0:29
  Welcome to Bible Women in Bathrobes, the podcast where faith meets comfort.
• 0:36
  Join us Tuesday morning as the gals from Women warriors of Flight and their guests don bathrobes and dive into the inspiring stories of women in the Bible and the teachings of Jesus Christ.
• 0:48
  From Esther's bravery to the Sermon on the Mount, we explore it all with warmth, laughter, sisterhood and maybe even a few sleepy eyed moments.
• 0:59
  Tune in live or at your leisure as we learn lessons from Scripture which empower women today.
• 1:11
  Hello and welcome to another episode of Bible Women and Bathrooms.
• 1:15
  I'm your host, Tamara K.
• 1:16
  Anderson, and joining me today is my co founder of Women warriors of Light, Wendy Christensen.
• 1:22
  Wendy, thanks for being here today.
• 1:25
  Thanks for having me on, Tamara.
• 1:27
  Oh my gosh, you guys.
• 1:28
  Well, we are so excited to be talking about the Nativity this holiday season and the people who got to be the voices of the Nativity, the people who witnessed and were part of that in some way.
• 1:42
  And we've talked all about Mary and Elizabeth and Zacharias and the angels and the shepherds and Jesus is born.
• 1:50
  And now we're to the first person who gets to witness him after the shepherds.
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  At least that's in recorded history in the scriptures.
• 1:58
  So today we're going to talk about Simeon and we're just going to dive in.
• 2:02
  And if you would like to follow along with us, we are in Luke chapter two and we're going to be covering verses 22 through 34.
• 2:10
  So 22 it just kind of talks about how after Mary gave birth they had certain laws in the law of Moses that meant that she had to wait a certain amount of time before they presented their son at
• 2:24
  the temples called Days of Purification.
• 2:27
  And this is for the law of Moses.
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  And 23con also explains that.
• 2:34
  And then the reason they're going to the temple is that when a child was born it says that part of this ritual was to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord,
• 2:50
  a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons.
• 2:54
  And so they were going to offer this as sacrifice, gratitude that they had had a son born in the family and so that's kind of where we pick up the story, Mary and Joseph going to the temple.
• 3:08
  And here we'll start in verse 25, reading.
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  And it says, and behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.
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  The same man was a just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel.
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  And the Holy Ghost was upon him.
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  So he's waiting for Jesus.
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  And then we read a little bit more about why he's waiting for him in verse 26.
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  And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
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  So I'm just going to pause right there.
• 3:46
  So here we learn a little bit of the background of who Simeon is and a promise that he received from God about not dying before he'd seen his Savior.
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  So how cool is that?
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  Wendy, any thoughts on those verses?
• 4:05
  Yes, I just.
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  I look at this man who I love that it describes him as a devout man, that he obviously listened to God.
• 4:17
  Because I was just thinking, would.
• 4:19
  Would I have listened?
• 4:21
  Would I have known a promise that God had made to me that strongly as in the day that we live in?
• 4:29
  You know, before the show, Tamara and I, we talk, and we were just talking today about our busy day, our busy days, our busy week, how busy life has been.
• 4:37
  And I thought, sometimes I think the opposition throws busyness at us right where we're doing so much.
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  Do we actually hear the Holy Ghost?
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  Well, Simeon was a man who did.
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  He heard the Lord, the Lord spoke to him.
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  And sometimes I think we have to pause.
• 4:54
  I'm sure we'll talk more about this.
• 4:55
  But just the pausing to hear the Lord and the fact that he heard this promise that.
• 5:01
  That the Lord spoke to him and shared a promise, and Simeon knew the Lord well enough to know that he was going to keep that promise.
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  Right.
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  Because sometimes I think we doubt the Lord, or we think, was that really from him?
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  Is he really speaking to me?
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  And do I really believe that?
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  And was that just my head making things up?
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  No.
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  Simeon didn't doubt.
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  He didn't think.
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  Was the Lord just making something up?
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  Was that just me?
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  Did I create that?
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  He knew in his heart, in his whole soul, and I would say his whole being, he knew that God had spoken to him and had given him this promise, and he believed in it, and he was waiting.
• 5:40
  And what faith that must have taken for him to wholeheartedly believe in this promise.
• 5:47
  Yeah, well, and I think that's something that the adversary does when we get a spiritual impression from God.
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  Is he immediately Just starts throwing doubts at us.
• 5:58
  Right.
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  So one of the things that I've started doing when I've had a powerful impression, usually it's I'm praying or I'm in a quiet place, which, as you were talking about, you have to make time for that.
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  For me, it's usually early morning.
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  And so I write those down in my journal because I.
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  When those doubts come, it's not if.
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  It's a when I can go back and reread it and say, no, God promised me this.
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  And if you're still doubting at that point, you can even ask again, God, did you send this to me?
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  And he can then re.
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  Witness, yes, I did.
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  I promise that will happen, or whatever it is that he promised you.
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  And so just know that if you're thinking maybe I'm the only one who doubts what God gives me, you're not.
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  That the adversary's role is to counter God, and he does it magnificently.
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  He had thousands and thousands of years of experience.
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  So don't doubt.
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  Write it down.
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  That's something I do.
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  You look like you were going to say something, Wendy.
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  All right, I.
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  Just as you were talking, I had another thought.
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  That he must have looked with hope to knowing that my Savior is going to be born.
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  And just what a beautiful thing that also must have been for him to wait and to know that he was going to see the Son of God before he died, that he was coming, that his Christ, his Savior
• 7:33
  was coming.
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  And don't we sometimes feel that same way today?
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  We are kind of like Simeon, right?
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  Sometimes I'm, I, I look forward to Christ coming again in a little bit different way.
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  But I do.
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  I look forward to Christ coming again.
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  And what a powerful promise that he knew before he died, he would see the Son of God, the face of the Son of God, and what hope that must have brought him in his day.
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  What a beautiful thing for him to experience and how we can also look with faith to the coming of our Savior again.
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  But he actually, of course, we get to read more of his story of what happens, because that's going to be something that's really amazing as well.
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  Absolutely.
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  Well, let.
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  Let's get on with the story here.
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  Let's pick it up in verse 27.
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  And this is what I was talking about at the beginning of the podcast before, as we started recording it says, and he came by the Spirit into the temple.
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  So cool.
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  And when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him after the custom of the law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, lord, now let us, thou, thy servant, depart in
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  peace according to thy word.
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  And then he goes on to say how he felt.
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  But I'm going to pause right here and we'll.
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  We'll get to this next part in just a few minutes.
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  I love that he came by the Spirit into the temple.
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  I've had several times, many times actually, throughout my life when I felt impressed to do something.
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  I'm like, why?
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  You know, I'm like showing up at a friend's door and just knocking on it.
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  I'm like, hi, I'm here.
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  And I've had a friend say, I don't know how.
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  You always know when I need somebody to talk to.
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  Do you know what I mean?
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  I'm just.
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  I'll just show up.
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  And I'm like, I don't know why I'm here, but I'm here.
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  And, you know, something traumatic has just happened in her family, and she's like, I.
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  I don't know how you know, I'm like, well, I don't.
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  Obviously it's God.
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  And.
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  And I love that it says he came by the spirit unto the temple.
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  And that is powerful.
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  Learning to listen to God, to listen to those feelings.
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  Go to the temple or go see this friend or whatever it is, because God inspires us.
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  But you're right.
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  You talked about the world being loud and noisy.
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  We have to quiet our minds enough that we can hear it through the busyness.
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  And I think the Spirit knows how to best get our attention.
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  But I think sometimes we are so busy that we miss things, you know, Thoughts on this?
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  Wendy?
• 10:26
  I.
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  I agree with you.
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  I think there are so many times where I've had a thought that I should go do something.
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  And you really, again, you wonder why.
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  And you look at this story and Simeon knew by the Spirit to go.
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  And when I first read that, just in preparing, I thought, wow, the fact that Mary and Joseph were going at that time to sacrifice and Simeon was there at the exact same time, how aware the Lord is of
• 10:59
  him, was of him, and is of us, that just made me go.
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  God is so aware of everything that we do to orchestrate that they would meet, that they would be there, that they would meet at the exact time that they needed to meet.
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  And it just caused me to stop and reflect.
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  How many times has God orchestrated things in my own life where, like you were saying, where you go somewhere, you feel prompted to go somewhere and to do something for someone, and it's the exact same moment I can't
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  think there have been times where I've gone to worship in my own quote, unquote temple, right.
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  And I've gone there.
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  And I remember one night I ran.
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  I ran into somebody that I hadn't seen in years.
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  And I thought, wow, what are the.
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  What are the chances that we both came at the same time and I got to see you and hug you and catch up with you, and those are not coincidences to me.
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  I feel like God is orchestrating so many beautiful things.
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  It's like we're a big rug and we're the tapestry, right?
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  And he's creating this beautiful pattern, and we don't always see the pattern, but I love that he sees the pattern and he sees the higher picture and he knows how to fit all of the things together to make
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  it this beautiful, beautiful.
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  I guess this beautiful rug, whatever pattern he's creating.
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  But this beautiful rug, how he orchestrates so many different things in our lives and just how powerful that is that Simeon was hearing the Spirit to know, to show up the right time, the right place, and.
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  And speak to Mary and Joseph and how they must have felt like, wow.
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  I think they were in awe as well, to know that here's this man who has been waiting and waiting and waiting to see us, to see our child and our baby.
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  And I think it was another witness for them to have that experience for them.
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  And sometimes that's happened to me where I'll walk away from an experience like, how did we.
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  How did we meet up at the exact same time?
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  What a miracle that is.
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  And I walk away just in awe of God, that he would orchestrate that.
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  And the thought just popped into my mind, kind of building on what you said was that sometimes we feel we are not important enough for God to orchestrate our lives.
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  Yes.
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  You know, I think as women, we, especially Satan especially attacks our worth, our self worth.
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  And so we'll read this and we'll say, well, they were important enough in the story of Jesus Christ that they had to be there, but I'm a nobody.
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  Do you know what I mean?
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  Yes.
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  And so I just want to reaffirm that you are not a nobody, that God knows you, he loves you, and that things will work in your life and miracles will happen because you are God's daughter, because you are
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  his child, and he knows the ins and outs and the minute details of your life.
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  Sometimes we like, well, how he's just.
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  He's that.
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  That amazing and that good of a God.
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  And so I just felt like I needed to Address that.
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  That you are important in the eyes of God and that he can work these little miracles in your life.
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  And maybe if you doubt that, pray that he will open your eyes to see them.
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  Because sometimes we're just oblivious, and sometimes they're such small little miracles that you don't really realize it's a miracle.
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  Last week, we did some podcast recording, too.
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  And so I got out on my walk a little later than usual, and I brought my earbuds along, but I felt like I shouldn't use them, that I should take them off.
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  And so I was just kind of enjoying the beautiful weather and walking, and I saw a lady that just moved into our neighborhood coming towards me.
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  And the spirit was like, you should talk to her.
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  I'm like, okay.
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  So I did, and she was walking a certain direction, so I walked with her to her destination and I walked home.
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  But I felt that even that small interaction was orchestrated by God.
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  I don't know what the.
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  The whole end purpose of it was, but it was nice to meet her and connect with her.
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  And there you go.
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  I.
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  I remember that night writing it as a miracle in my life, even though I still don't see the full reason for it.
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  So God is in the details of the details of our lives.
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  Any thoughts on that, Wendy?
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  Gosh, I love that, Tamara.
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  And I love that it didn't have to be a big thing, and yet it was a big thing because you were willing to hear God and He listened to you.
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  What.
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  What a beautiful example.
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  As you.
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  As you were talking, I was also thinking, how many times did Simeon go to the temple and think, is it today?
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  Will it happen today?
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  And then it wouldn't, and it didn't.
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  And sometimes in our lives, we may not feel those answers coming, right?
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  Sometimes we feel like, what's wrong with me?
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  That the answer isn't coming.
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  When God's really like, just hold on, it's coming.
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  And the fact that Simeon kept listening and listening and listening to the Spirit, what a day of joy it must have been when it finally came.
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  And sometimes that's the fact for us, too.
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  Like, there have been many times in my life where I waited for an answer or waited for a miracle or wondered when was it going to come.
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  Knowing and hoping that it would come my answer, or a solution, or figuring things out and.
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  And sitting in that place of waiting can be hard, too.
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  But the Lord teaches us so many things in the place of waiting so that when it finally does come and you see his hand, you understand how much he does love you.
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  How much he does care for you, and just to keep holding on and that those.
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  Those things will come, those orchestrations will come, where all the pieces come together.
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  They will come, I promise you, because I've seen it in my life that.
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  That the waiting does pay off and that they.
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  He does come.
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  And the beautiful thing, too, about the waiting is he creates so many beautiful things in us.
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  In the waiting.
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  Right?
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  Yes.
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  We become in the waiting as well.
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  It's not just for.
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  Not.
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  And I'm sure that was the case for Simeon, where he grew and knew the Lord even more in the waiting for Christ to show up.
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  Yeah.
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  Yeah, I was at.
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  That is such a true principle.
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  Gosh.
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  We become more patient in the waiting and.
• 18:06
  Oh, developing patience is not one of my favorite things.
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  Sometimes it's really hard when you think, is it ever going to come?
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  Are things ever going to change?
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  We're gonna get better.
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  But I think we have to look at it from a godlike perspective.
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  He's in this for the long haul.
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  Yes.
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  He's with us from the beginning to the end, and he is also in it for our improvement.
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  And so it is that gradual, just minuscule.
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  Okay.
• 18:42
  She's 0.5% more patient today than she was, you know, last year.
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  Oh, great.
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  I mean, I don't know if he measures in percentages or not, but.
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  But that's how it looks in my mind.
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  My husband made a comment the other day.
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  He says, I.
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  I'm not a very patient person.
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  I said, I know, but you have become so much more patient since we got married.
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  I mean, we've been married 28 years now.
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  So I.
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  I pause and think.
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  I think that's how God looks at it.
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  You know, when we were young, we were both much more impatient, and our views on life were so different.
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  We've kind of now been weathered by the storms of life.
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  We're so much more patient.
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  Having had two children on the autism spectrum and a kid with ADHD and depression and all that, that changes you as a person.
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  Right.
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  It can't help but change you as a person.
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  And.
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  And that doesn't even go.
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  We didn't even talk about physical challenges that we both endured through our marriage.
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  And so God is in it for the long haul and.
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  And just keeping that hope.
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  Kind of like Simeon had, that what God promises, he will deliver, and he is in this for our good.
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  So, yes, we're going to go through hard things, but we can choose to go through them by ourselves or with God.
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  And.
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  And we can see here that Simeon was one of those people who chose to go through this long life, which I'm sure had its ups and downs, just like all of ours with the Lord.
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  Yes.
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  And isn't that.
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  It's interesting, when you said that, the thought that popped into my head was, why?
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  Why did God put this story in the Scriptures?
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  Why did he even include it?
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  Why did he include this story of Simeon?
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  And I think you just said it just a second ago.
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  What God promises, God delivers.
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  Simeon is a beautiful example of what God promises, he delivers.
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  And it was important enough that he wanted it included in the scriptures that we could remember what God promises.
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  And especially Simeon was promising the Son of God before he died.
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  Right.
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  It must have been like this pinnacle of.
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  Okay, now I can go.
• 21:00
  Well, yeah, and we've seen, right?
• 21:03
  Absolutely, absolutely.
• 21:05
  Oh, my goodness.
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  So, so good.
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  Well, let's see what Simeon says, because this is prophecy here.
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  So he must.
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  He had to have God's spirit with him in order to utter this.
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  This is beautiful.
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  I can't wait to read this to you.
• 21:20
  So we're picking this up in verse 30.
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  It says, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou hast prepared before the face of all people, a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel.
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  And then it says, and Joseph and his mother marveled at those things which were spoken of him.
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  And Simeon blessed them and said unto Mary his mother, behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many and in Israel.
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  And for a sign which shall be spoken against.
• 22:00
  So he gives these beautiful, beautiful prophecies, first of all pertaining to him.
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  He is so thankful that he had his promise fulfilled by God, that his eyes have seen Jesus.
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  And then he starts prophesying about Jesus's role.
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  And also it's interesting that he says to Mary a few things here, that, that of.
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  Of his mission, of Jesus Christ's mission.
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  And I'm going to pause there and let you comment first before I say anything else.
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  I don't want to say it all.
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  Wendy, any thoughts on those?
• 22:51
  Yeah, I love a light to lighten the Gentiles.
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  Just, it's.
• 22:57
  It's beautiful that he starts speaking to Joseph and Mary.
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  And you're right, he starts prophesying these beautiful, beautiful things.
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  And my, my mind's jumping to verse 33.
• 23:09
  So I'm like, hold off, because I love that verse there.
• 23:12
  But just the fact that, you know, we've been talking about Simeon being blessed by the Holy Ghost.
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  He heard God, he's listening to God, finally he's getting to this day where he's seeing this miracle come.
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  And then he has this chance to start prophesying and speaking what he's been prepared for, like all this time and all this effort.
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  Because I'm sure he went many days to the temple, prepared himself many, many times.
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  And he must have spoken to people before.
• 23:44
  But, you know, but the fact that now is the day must have been such a glorious moment for Simeon and then to say the mission of Christ, to be able to talk about what he's going to do, what
• 23:59
  an incredible opportunity for Simeon to share now this beautiful experience all coming together, all been saved.
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  He's all he's been prepared for this moment.
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  And here he gets to talk now about the mission of Jesus Christ.
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  What a beautiful thing to be able to talk.
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  And I, I know there have been times where, you know, as I'm working with people and because they'll come to hear things, you know, what is it that I need answers to?
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  What is it that I'm seeking?
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  And many times I have had and felt the Lord speaking through me to them.
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  And it's not something that I take lightly.
• 24:46
  It's a beautiful experience when not saying necessarily that I prophesy, but there have been moments where the Holy Ghost has touched me to say something specific to people.
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  And sometimes I'm in awe at the things that I say and I'm like, I don't know why, but I just need to tell you this and share this.
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  And I've had people come back and they'll say, how did you know?
• 25:09
  How did you know to say that?
• 25:10
  How did you know to tell me that?
• 25:13
  And I'll just say, I don't know.
• 25:14
  It was the Holy Ghost really was what it is, it's God.
• 25:17
  And to have that experience when you are on the end, that other end of sharing something that people need to hear is really profound.
• 25:28
  And such it a beautiful experience.
• 25:30
  And that's what Simeon was there for at that moment in that time, I'm sure, was to let them know and to hear the things that they needed to hear.
• 25:38
  And I'm sure the people around him needed to know and understand who this baby was as well.
• 25:45
  And I think it was probably also to build Mary and Joseph's faith in who this baby was.
• 25:54
  Yeah.
• 25:56
  Oh my goodness.
• 25:57
  So, so true.
• 26:01
  I love a couple of the words that that Simeon uses here for Jesus Christ.
• 26:10
  My knives have seen my salvation, that Jesus Christ is salvation, that which God has prepared for all people.
• 26:21
  I love that he says all People, some of the, it was interesting.
• 26:26
  We'll, we'll, we'll get into the story here.
• 26:29
  Can't remember if it's this week or next week or the week after, but of the wise men and, and that these are people outside of Israel and yet they came to witness.
• 26:40
  Do you know what I mean?
• 26:41
  Simeon was a witness.
• 26:43
  And, and next week we get to talk about Anna who was a witness.
• 26:47
  And so, so many witnesses of Christ, so many people adding their witness to the vast testimonies that have already been given of the angels and the shepherds who went and told people.
• 27:00
  I mean, oh my goodness, if you were a fly on the wall in, in Bethlehem, you would have heard somebody witness.
• 27:05
  Probably by the end of all this, you would have known something incredible had happened.
• 27:13
  Also, you mentioned a light to the Gentiles and the glory of thy people, Israel.
• 27:21
  So Jesus was glorious.
• 27:23
  He was a light.
• 27:24
  He was one specifically prepared with a purpose for our salvation.
• 27:30
  You just kind of put those together.
• 27:31
  You're like, wow, so beautiful.
• 27:35
  The things he knew from inspiration and probably from studying Scripture.
• 27:41
  The Jews were great record keepers.
• 27:43
  And so they knew that this had been prophesied that a Messiah would be born.
• 27:49
  And, and then they're at the end, set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel.
• 27:57
  He's going to shake things up.
• 27:58
  Yes.
• 27:59
  You know, he was going to change up.
• 28:01
  I mean, the law of Moses was fulfilled in him.
• 28:04
  Some of their traditions had gone a little askew.
• 28:07
  And this is pointing towards that he's going to shake things up that people would speak against him and which would eventually lead to his death course.
• 28:17
  So, so interesting how much Simeon knew about Jesus's role and his mission.
• 28:26
  Beautiful.
• 28:26
  He, he, he knew it before he even met him.
• 28:29
  And then you mentioned you wanted to talk about verse 33.
• 28:36
  And Joseph and his mother marveled at those things which were spoken of him.
• 28:42
  Right.
• 28:43
  That's beautiful.
• 28:45
  I'm sure they must have.
• 28:47
  You know, they're, they're young and you were talking a little while ago.
• 28:51
  You know, you and your husband have learned so much over the years.
• 28:54
  Oh, yeah, and I have too.
• 28:56
  I, I've learned so much over the years in just learning patience.
• 29:01
  And, and Simeon was older.
• 29:02
  He was a wise, older man.
• 29:04
  You know, he's towards the end of his life and was prophesying these beautiful things to them about this baby that they're probably feeling a little overwhelmed, I would think.
• 29:15
  Yeah.
• 29:17
  For him to prophesy these big grand things again.
• 29:20
  Yes, I think that was something that, what they would have Marveled at and thought, wow, because they were spiritual.
• 29:30
  Joseph and Mary, so spiritual to understand.
• 29:33
  But there have been times, too, where in.
• 29:37
  In my life where I study the word of God and I try to be faithful.
• 29:41
  But then I'll hear, you know, someone speak and I will marvel at the things that they say and go, wow, I have so much to learn still.
• 29:50
  I'm sure Joseph and Mary thought, wow, we have so much to learn still as we raise this child.
• 29:56
  I love that it's.
• 29:57
  They marveled at things that Simeon spoke.
• 30:01
  Yeah.
• 30:01
  Another testimony, I think, of their son that they were going to be raising and growing and seeing and understanding who he was and his purpose and his role.
• 30:11
  Yeah, absolutely.
• 30:13
  I love this witness of Simeon.
• 30:16
  It is so incredible how neat that God gave him that hope that he would see Jesus Christ before he died, and how neat that he was able to hold on to that hope, keep him going.
• 30:32
  Sometimes it's those things we feel that give us hope to hang on or a goal.
• 30:39
  And I'm thankful that they got to witness.
• 30:42
  Now, we haven't seen Jesus face to face, like, unlike Simeon, but we too have felt witnesses in our hearts.
• 30:54
  And I think that is one of my.
• 30:57
  My takeaways is that I can add my witness whether I've seen Him face to face or not, because I felt the witness of the Holy Ghost in my soul, that I don't have to have seen him to say
• 31:10
  I know he lives because I have felt him with me in some of the deepest, darkest moments of my life, that he was there with me.
• 31:21
  And it's not something you can explain away any other way.
• 31:27
  I've had it happen too many times to say I doubt because I can't.
• 31:31
  I can't deny it.
• 31:33
  Right.
• 31:35
  And so I add my witness to that of Simeon and those witnesses we've been talking about through the Nativity, that.
• 31:43
  That Jesus was born and that he is a light to me and my salvation.
• 31:52
  And I'm thankful for that.
• 31:55
  Any final thoughts before we wrap it up?
• 31:57
  Wendy?
• 31:59
  That was beautiful.
• 32:00
  Tamara.
• 32:01
  I.
• 32:01
  I hope to be able to look forward to seeing the face of my Savior like Simeon.
• 32:09
  And that in the meantime, in the process of waiting until I see him face to face again, I hope to be like Simeon and listen to the Spirit and show up and be in the places that I need
• 32:23
  to be in and be following that Spirit in my daily life until that moment and until that time to be able to follow his example.
• 32:34
  I hope to.
• 32:35
  To be able to do that just to keep following Simeon's example.
• 32:39
  Of showing up and listening to the Spirit until I get to that space and following just the example of my Savior Jesus Christ, who did come.
• 32:51
  Thanks for tuning in to Bible Women and Bathrobes, hosted by Women warriors of Light.
• 32:57
  We've loved exploring the stories of remarkable women or the teachings of the Savior today with you.
• 33:03
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• 33:08
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• 33:15
  Just a friendly reminder.
• 33:17
  All opinions we share are entirely personal as we are trying to decipher and apply Bible teachings just like you are.
• 33:25
  Until next time, stay faithful and may your journey be blessed and illuminated by God's love.