You're listening to Encounter, a simple daily podcast of sacred and mindful meditations

to help you encounter the divine presence of God all throughout your day.

If you want to have free access to the entire library of 500 meditations, I encourage

you to download the Encountering Peace app where all the meditations are free as they should be.

J.R.R. Tolkien, the author of The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings,

he once wrote that it does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations if you live near him.

I love that quote. I realized that by failing to prepare, we prepared to fail,

but regardless of the plans we make, life still happens. Live dragons keep appearing.

Do you set goals? We all do. What are yours? To save more money, exercise more, lose weight,

quit a bad habit? Well, those are all worthy goals, but have live dragons ever shown up out of nowhere

and eaten them. Well, this guided audio meditation from Matthew chapter 6 is a reflection on balancing

the plans and resolutions that we make with the path that the Lord directs for us, trusting in God

to determine our way around live dragons we can't yet see. The next 15 minutes are a divine gift

for you to retreat from the stress of planning. So begin by allowing your eyes to drift now into darkness.

You're breathing to become deep and comforting. And take this next quiet moment

to consent to the priorities and paths of God. Surrender a moment to the guidance of the Holy Spirit

and the loving fellowship of Christ.

Continue on in this time of mindfulness by listening and replying to this passage from John chapter 14

and as I lead us respond, Heavenly Father, guide me to first seek your way.

May the Lord bless the hearing and reading of his word.

God says, peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. And Heavenly Father, guide me to first

seek your way. Not as the world gives do I give to you. So Heavenly Father, guide me to first

...