What a fun surprise and a great conversation. I have learned the value of silence in the past couple of years such that it has become a daily priority for me to carve out time every day to spend time getting quiet and listening. What the two of you said about having divided focus really hit home for me. I've always prided myself on being able to multitask, but it makes so much sense to me to realize that when I do that, I can't possibly have singular intention which is what I believe God wants for me and from me. And that singular focus does allow God to use the subtleties of His voice to speak to my heart. I also loved when you were talking about not just knowing Scripture but having a personal relationship with God so that we can hear for ourselves through the Holy Spirit what God says through His word. I love the growth I see in both of you and want that continued growth for myself as well. It's kind of funny to me that you were talking about distractions and they kept showing up in this walk, yet you managed to keep the conversation about alignment flowing. I'm delighted you and Graham got to spend some quality time together having some meaningful conversation. Thanks for sharing part of that time with us!
I am with you Cathey on the value of silence as a daily practice as the past couple of years for me have been stressful/emotional due to the health of my parents and depending how the day has gone will go on a walk to clear the noise/voices in my head.
Sometimes when I'm trying to embrace silence, the thoughts and worries want to swirl and I have to be intentional about chasing those out and connecting to God. Caring for aging parents can be such a challenge! I'm glad you are setting time aside to take care of your own emotional needs as well!
Wow, what a great prayer walk this morning. It is important for me to spend time with God and praying each morning before I I start my day. I have been trying to step out of my comfort zone and do things I haven't done before. For instance, the other afternoon as I was returning home from shopping, I saw a law enforcement car pull over on the side of the road, and I pulled up beside him and thanked him for his service and then I asked him if he minded if I prayed for him. He was very kind and said he would appreciate it. So I prayed for him and he thanked me. I had never done anything like that before. I felt like the Holy Spirit was leading me to be bold. I hope I can continue to be bold. Thank you for your wonderful prayer walk with Graham. I continue to pray daily for both of you.
Donny and Graham, a fun surprise to have both of you on the prayer walk this morning. It was an interesting topic..the process of alignment. The past couple of years I have learned the process for me is quiet time, letting my inner guide talk to me. It can be quiet time on a walk, sitting in morning with cup of coffee, and sometimes it's quiet time with others just being together in stillness. When you talked about putting side other thoughts, Donny you called it putting a cap on it, Graham used the term surrender, so you can fully listen from your heart..for me it's inner guide. Recently I was really struggling with a problem, stressing so much I couldn't sleep or eat, my mind was going 90 miles an hour thinking I should do this, no do that, trying to find the answer. I started
praying about it, but my mind was still going. At beginning of a Sunday service during quiet prayer time, I said, "Lord, help me find the answer, I am giving this over to you." As the service continued I asked for guidance again, at the close of service during quiet prayer time as I was sitting in quiet with others around me, I felt a calm, warm feeling pass over me, my heart told me it's all going to be okay. The feeling was like a comforting hug. When I got home, checked my messages, there was a message that gave me the answer to my problem...it was sent about the same time the calm, warm feeling came over me during church. I realized that when I finally surrendered the problem, and was listening with my heart the answer came to me. As I think about that moment now, I realize I was also present in the moment and aware of what was happening. It reminded me once again to trust my faith, answers will be shown to me if I my heart and mind are truly open to hear. The walk was inspiring and a joy to watch as you two kept your focus, even with the little squirrels along the way and the runner, it brought a smile to my face and joy to my heart! Blessings to you both as you continue down the path of life!
Donny and Graham, thank you for sharing your thoughts on alignment. Lots to take in. One thing I took to heart and it is something Graham's mother shared yesterday on the "LIVE" podcast with his parents was being still, quiet enough, to be able to hear the whispers of guidance. Those gentle whispers as you mentioned Donny I believe are from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit speaks to me in so many different ways, but I need to be aligned and totally surrendered in seeking His face first for any of that to come about. When you feel the Holy Spirit speaking, it brings such release of a peaceful and calming feeling. everyone else, I'm fallible, but I try. Creating boundaries and forgiveness is essential. Forgiving others is essential whether it is direct, inwardly (forgiving yourself), and receiving the forgiving grace from God. If we don't forgive others, who are we hurting ourselves or the other person? If we don't forgive those whom have hurt us, create the needed boundaries, then all we're doing is holding on to the hurt which hurts us and not the other person. Not forgiving others and forgiving ourselves can and I believe does hamper our own spiritual growth and maturity. Healthy boundaries are needed. Of course this is never easy, but I believe essential. Lastly, we are all going to face challenges in our lives. God never promised us a life free from that on earth. I agree we should walk through those challenges or even challenging thoughts. We can't run from them as we learn from them as to what God wants to teach us. I believe they help us grow in spiritual maturity. I can't pick and choose them, so I do what I feel necessary to walk through them with God's guidance. Recently, I've been challenged about some things. God has used those challenges to teach me always to come back "Home" to Him to rely on His strength and courage to face them. Seeking God first through prayer, reading, meditating, and studying the Bible while asking God how to apply what we learn to our lives is essential to me in the process of alignment. We grow as we learn and seek God's presence. I really enjoyed this prayer walk because it is so essential to share these things, learn from others, but then take what we learn and ultimately ask God to reveal how He wants us to apply them to our lives. Thank you Graham and Donny!
Love, Love, LOVE this walk!!! It was great to see Graham with you and get his perspective. He always makes me smile, "talking with his hands", but it was great! Alignment...with God, with life - mentally, physically or spiritually....lots to think about.
Thank you so much!!
Hoping you both had a wonderful Christmas and I'm praying for a blessed, prosperous New Year.
It's rare anymore that I have time to listen Donny but I listened to this whole talk. It's interesting that you are examining how you hear from God and the nuances of that relationship. I can only speak from my own experience and I will say that it's not just how I know the feeling of His contact with me but its also how it aligns with scripture and when the two agree that gives me assurance that it was Him that I heard. I like how you include scripture and nature in your walks and experiences.
Both Graham and you mention diet too. At this time of year it's very difficult for me to stick to eating healthy. We have a tradition in our family of making candies and lots of things with sugar. I've gotten away from that myself but when we go visit family one member in particular wants to share the desserts they've made with us. They send it home with us!!! Argh! Its so hard because these desserts are SO DELICIOUS.
Needless to say, I'm planning a healthy meal for dinner so that's a step in the right direction. I will fill the fruit bowl again when I get out this afternoon to the store. So there's hope! And we will turn this around soon.
Walking with the Lord is such a personal thing. I like to start out each day with some reflection and some scripture reading. Then meditate on that throughout the day. Say a quick prayer too. But also keep a prayerful attitude throughout the day by taking quick moments to touch base with God. Maybe just say Thank you! Or I'm grateful or HELP in some cases.
Blessings to you Donny and to Graham! Thanks for sharing this it means a lot.
Hi Donny & Graham -- Enjoyed your Prayer Walk today. What I’m sharing here is just my opinion from my personal experience too. Ha! I think being aligned with God is being on the same path as Him for your Life. In other words, you can have the best intentions, the healthiest diet, the most fervid prayers, the most learned opinions, the ultimate faith; but if those things don’t “meet up” with what God’s has already planned for your Life , you’ll continue searching, trying to find your way. I think God actually sent Jesus as an example of how to get close to Him.
I’m like you, Donny. I love those “hammer-to-the-head” God Winks. I see them as a wonderful Gift -- I take those nudges as reassurances that I’m on the right path – that I’m aligning with His Purpose – like the way we wink at someone to say we like them or that things will be OK. Just recently I was writing my blog about why God sent Baby Jesus at Christmas time. Usually, I walk around the house marinating my ideas before I set them to paper. As I was “marinating,” I walked by the phone & it rang. I looked over at Caller ID and it said “Jesus.” It could have been a Scam or a popular Hispanic name, but my heart started pounding and I got giddy. At that moment I felt – I knew -- I was aligned with God.
Hope I wrote this clearly enough for you to understand my thoughts. Confused? Well, I'm praying all of us can align with God and do His chosen work in 2024 in Jesus’s name. ~ Jan xoxo
What a wonderful walk to hear you and Graham walk and talk together. You both bring me such joy. The subject matter about alignment. I believe when things are not going as well I would like it’s when I’m reaching out to God with the most intensity. Five years ago I went through cancer and treatments for it. What happened as a side effect was my ability to cry was mostly taken away from me. Early Christmas morning I discovered seeing my daughter unresponsive and paramedics working to wake he up. I couldn’t stop the tears they came from my soul’s that knew this was my baby. They took her to the hospital. My husband and I were single in our thoughts and prayers. Part of my alignment was reaching out to my friends not hiding what was going on. I knew you were hearing me because you responded back. This helped my alignment and I could concentrate on what my child was going through. Forgiveness and setting boundaries is often necessary. Trusting my catastrophes are only due to express to those I trust.
Watching you two walking and talking gave me such joy and you were trying to stay focused and on task. God placed those squirrels in your paths to bring you back to His thoughts. You both did that well.
This was a great walk - thank you. The back and forth conversation brought clarity to your topic and questions. Over the past two years I have had to find my path to healing and my alignment within myself. I have walked away from so many toxic people and places in my life over this time and I think that was my "nudge". To find people and outlets that were separate from my past and to face my trauma head-on to begin to find my way back to me. Living that way for so long, coasting through life using a facade of "everything is great" was physically and mentally exhausting me. My 2x4 "whack" moment was an anxiety attack that stopped me in my tracks and then forced me to face what I needed to heal within myself. When Graham said, "many times you are afraid to forgive, because of the fear that this will happen again" honestly, could be my life's motto. I think there are people and situations that you need to forgive, but then you need to walk away from that because you can never forget that pain and hurt. This has been one of the most important realizations for me on my path to healing. Thank you again for this walk - I learned so much from your insight and thoughts on this one. Peace be with you.
Donny what a nice surprise to have Graham along with you on your prayer walk. I loved the beginning where he is moving his mouth and you’re talking. I find myself having to wait till I’m alone where no one is around to sit and be by myself to be quiet. That’s when I can start to calm myself and be in tuned with God. I wake early to pray and thank God for a new day and to try to get the day right. Yesterday I was lying in bed and I could tell I was in alignment because I saw my hand and weather it was God’s hand or my sister Kristi’s hand we touched and this bright light brighter then I’ve ever seen just eliminated my mind. Though it went as fast as it came. It was very peaceful. I try to keep my mind from wandering and ask God to clear my head and open my heart to not only hear God but have the Holy spirt enter my heart. Not always easy. I liked how Graham said to surrender and relax so you can be aware and move into your heart and have courage as well to connect with God. And to take care and nurture you spirit along with eating right for you to feel aligned. Because with out these things we are all jumbled up and we can’t become aligned to be closer to God. Donny thank you again and thank you to Graham for joining you on your walk. I have to be honest I listed to this a few times I did take some notes to ponder and become even more aligned with God. I went to wish you a great evening and a Very Very Happy New Year. God’s blessing to both you and to Graham.
Fantastic prayer walk this morning 🙏. You and Graham sharing alignment put me back on my alignment . A gentle nudge. Thank you Donny and Graham for a very insightful walk. Next time you need to have food for the squirrels 🥰😇
It was great to see you and Graham together again. You are both such deep thinkers.
I know my alignment is not where it should be and I that even when I feel alignment at times, to be honest, I'm probably haven't been for a long time.
How can I be if I can't forgive and move on?
I have moved on from 2 traumas of my past, in that I am doing things outside my comfort zone and things that make me happy. But they are few and far between.
What you and Graham said about forgiving is so true, that if you forgive, you feel like you are condoning what was done to you. This is what I struggle with. I know I am still allowing them to have power over me, but I don't know how to let go. Don't know how to get rid of my anger, my fear, my hatred, my loss. I know all this is a huge burden on my life, and that the memories and anger I have is only harming myself, but I don't know how to stop feeling like this especially when I am triggered. With mental health problems, it's hard to be stable. In good times, I feel I can come to a form of alignment, and I wish this would last, but it doesn't. So in the bad times, all the anger and pain return. Forgive is a big word for me. And is why I struggle with it. I honestly can't forgive the 2 people that hurt me. How can I forgive such horrible deeds? I can't. What they did was so wrong. I need a different word to get past this. I know I am only harming myself with all this anger and fear inside. I know I need to stop thinking about them and what they did to me, but I don't know how. I have been trying, but the demons come back to haunt me. I want them gone so that I can get aligned and learn to love myself.
Your walk was so amazing, and though there were distractions, you were able to refocus. I use distractions a lot so as not to get too deep into thought. For me though, the distractions are a thing I need in order not to go too deep with my mental health issues. I have to be very careful with timing.
I loved all that you and Graham talked about and know I have lots to work on. But I love that you help me remember that God has a plan for me and that path can change over time. That I need to trust and put my faith in him. I do feel him and know when I am being pulled to something. I need to be more in tuned with this so that I don't miss what he's guiding me to.
Thank you Christine for your heart and for sharing.
I don't know the details of what happened to you but God does. No matter what evil was done God wants us to forgive as He has forgiven us.
I understand that it can be hard but I have found separating the sin from the sinner to be helpful. And remembering that vengeance and justice is God's. This is a wonderful thing because only God is righteous and perfectly loving.
I am praying now that God would heal you and bring you freedom to love and forgive as He does.
I have learned something important about forgiveness that I hope will be helpful to you, Christine. I had a person who used to be in my life, but no longer was. Every time I thought about this person, anger & hurt would well up inside me. I knew that Jesus said if we forgive anyone when they sin against us, our heavenly Father will also forgive us. But if we don't forgive others' sins, God won't forgive our sins. (Matt 6:14-15). So I felt very guilty that I couldn't completely forgive this person & have peace. Then I read a devotional where it said if you're having trouble forgiving someone, lift that person's name up to God, & say out loud , "I forgive you". It doesn't matter if you feel anything or not. Each time that person comes to mind, tell the Lord, "I have forgiven____" It might be days or weeks in between thinking about him, her or them, but say this to God & to yourself each time. I found that each time I'd do this, I had less anger or bad feelings about this person & instead, I had more peace, until finally, I could think of this person & have total peace. I knew I wasn't condoning what they'd done; I just wasn't holding onto bitterness against them. I had given them to God to deal with in His perfect mercy and justice. I had released that person from me and all the negative feelings went with them & I was at total peace. This told me that some things take time to work through and God doesn't expect us to do it all alone. He will do the healing. All we have to do is give our burden to him, sometimes again and again and again, and he will do the necessary work to heal your heart and set you free.
I loved this prayer walk with the two of you sharing about alignment and processing things in our lives. Unfortunately I have never learnt how to process things that have happened over the years. This is probably due to the fact that the first thing that I know (been told) happened to me was when I was 18 months old and at that age processing the hurts and feelings is not a thing you would know to do. Nobody ever told me that I needed to process all these things as I grew up until I started listening to Graham's Podcasts and also now your Prayer Walks. Now at 76 I am just really learning that I need to process things to be free and to allow God to work his will into my life. Only then can I really come into alignment with all that God has for me. Still not sure how to do it but I will persevere and learn.
Wow so profound and deep. I sometime have trouble understanding what both you and Graham mean. On the other hand, I have learned so much from you both. My life has changed so much in the past year thanks to Graham. But without you Donny, teaching me how to really pray, I don’t think any of it would have happened either. I spend a lot of time now talking to God. I spend a majority of my awake time in silence. Theres not usually anyone around. That leads me to prayer. I feel that Alignment maybe has happened and continues to happen. I feel that God has brought me back here for a reason. I will find out at some point. Thanks to both of you for this walk. We all love seeing you spend time with each other.
First I want to say this was a wonderful prayer walk, lots to take in , I love all your prayer walks Donny, looked like a beautiful area to walk
I really don’t know where to start with what I have to say, this is why I haven’t written sooner, I had to listen to your prayer walk twice.
My big issue with alignment and trust me I need it in my life otherwise I’m an emotional wreak, well the issue for me are triggers, I have a tendency to see something, like say for example that’s inhumane or I don’t agree with and it triggers me into voicing my opinions,.
A few weeks ago I made the mistake of voicing my opinion on Grahams SM Instagram page, he had put up some beautiful photography photos that he had taken but it had to do with deer hunting which I’m against, well I was beaten and battered and thrown over the coals if they could have hung me in effigy the would have so to speak. Now I recognize this was a ridiculous move on my part to voice my opinion and of all places on SM and in the process I felt guilty because instead of people commenting on Grahams beautiful photography they where so taken aback by my stance on deer hunting, unfortunately I realized this to late, this was my opinion and this was coming from my ego on wanting to be heard about any cruelty to animals, instead of stepping back taking a deep breathe and realizing it has nothing to do with me and how I felt about it all it was about was Grahams photography …
So what I’m basically saying is I have triggers and I always try to understand both sides in any matter it’s those triggers that creep in from my ego that try to throw me for a loop and shove me right off into the abyss🤷♀️
I guess it all comes down to being quiet asking for guidance and making sure before I open my mouth I’m not hurting anyone or causing separation
Thank you both Donny and Graham for helping me realize this …
thank you for sharing Halina, it sounds like you have thought this through.
With in this Prayer Walk we spoke about intention.
As you said " being quiet asking for guidance" before you speak (or type) is wise. Asking God to give you the words, words that lift people up, is very wise.
Also, asking yourself "what is my intention and desired result"? before sharing thoughts can help one achieve the peace we all want.
Another practice one can do is. Type out what you want to say and then ask God "is this what you would want me to say"? Then you can make edits or delete it all together if needed.
Thank you for your wonderful advise it was a trigger for me for sure but I learned a valuable lesson never comment or have an opinion on SM on any platform as I’ve said I should know better …no judgements or opinions it can be difficult I will ask for Gods guidance 🙏
What a fun surprise and a great conversation. I have learned the value of silence in the past couple of years such that it has become a daily priority for me to carve out time every day to spend time getting quiet and listening. What the two of you said about having divided focus really hit home for me. I've always prided myself on being able to multitask, but it makes so much sense to me to realize that when I do that, I can't possibly have singular intention which is what I believe God wants for me and from me. And that singular focus does allow God to use the subtleties of His voice to speak to my heart. I also loved when you were talking about not just knowing Scripture but having a personal relationship with God so that we can hear for ourselves through the Holy Spirit what God says through His word. I love the growth I see in both of you and want that continued growth for myself as well. It's kind of funny to me that you were talking about distractions and they kept showing up in this walk, yet you managed to keep the conversation about alignment flowing. I'm delighted you and Graham got to spend some quality time together having some meaningful conversation. Thanks for sharing part of that time with us!
Good catch Cathey. There were a LOT of distractions on this walk compared to other walks.
I am with you Cathey on the value of silence as a daily practice as the past couple of years for me have been stressful/emotional due to the health of my parents and depending how the day has gone will go on a walk to clear the noise/voices in my head.
Sometimes when I'm trying to embrace silence, the thoughts and worries want to swirl and I have to be intentional about chasing those out and connecting to God. Caring for aging parents can be such a challenge! I'm glad you are setting time aside to take care of your own emotional needs as well!
Wow, what a great prayer walk this morning. It is important for me to spend time with God and praying each morning before I I start my day. I have been trying to step out of my comfort zone and do things I haven't done before. For instance, the other afternoon as I was returning home from shopping, I saw a law enforcement car pull over on the side of the road, and I pulled up beside him and thanked him for his service and then I asked him if he minded if I prayed for him. He was very kind and said he would appreciate it. So I prayed for him and he thanked me. I had never done anything like that before. I felt like the Holy Spirit was leading me to be bold. I hope I can continue to be bold. Thank you for your wonderful prayer walk with Graham. I continue to pray daily for both of you.
What a cool story Terri. Thank you for sharing.
Donny and Graham, a fun surprise to have both of you on the prayer walk this morning. It was an interesting topic..the process of alignment. The past couple of years I have learned the process for me is quiet time, letting my inner guide talk to me. It can be quiet time on a walk, sitting in morning with cup of coffee, and sometimes it's quiet time with others just being together in stillness. When you talked about putting side other thoughts, Donny you called it putting a cap on it, Graham used the term surrender, so you can fully listen from your heart..for me it's inner guide. Recently I was really struggling with a problem, stressing so much I couldn't sleep or eat, my mind was going 90 miles an hour thinking I should do this, no do that, trying to find the answer. I started
praying about it, but my mind was still going. At beginning of a Sunday service during quiet prayer time, I said, "Lord, help me find the answer, I am giving this over to you." As the service continued I asked for guidance again, at the close of service during quiet prayer time as I was sitting in quiet with others around me, I felt a calm, warm feeling pass over me, my heart told me it's all going to be okay. The feeling was like a comforting hug. When I got home, checked my messages, there was a message that gave me the answer to my problem...it was sent about the same time the calm, warm feeling came over me during church. I realized that when I finally surrendered the problem, and was listening with my heart the answer came to me. As I think about that moment now, I realize I was also present in the moment and aware of what was happening. It reminded me once again to trust my faith, answers will be shown to me if I my heart and mind are truly open to hear. The walk was inspiring and a joy to watch as you two kept your focus, even with the little squirrels along the way and the runner, it brought a smile to my face and joy to my heart! Blessings to you both as you continue down the path of life!
Thank you for sharing Linda. I like how you describe it as a calm, warm, comforting hug.
In the moment it was the best feeling and I didn't fully realize the "why" until I read the message after getting home....God was answering me!
Donny and Graham, thank you for sharing your thoughts on alignment. Lots to take in. One thing I took to heart and it is something Graham's mother shared yesterday on the "LIVE" podcast with his parents was being still, quiet enough, to be able to hear the whispers of guidance. Those gentle whispers as you mentioned Donny I believe are from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit speaks to me in so many different ways, but I need to be aligned and totally surrendered in seeking His face first for any of that to come about. When you feel the Holy Spirit speaking, it brings such release of a peaceful and calming feeling. everyone else, I'm fallible, but I try. Creating boundaries and forgiveness is essential. Forgiving others is essential whether it is direct, inwardly (forgiving yourself), and receiving the forgiving grace from God. If we don't forgive others, who are we hurting ourselves or the other person? If we don't forgive those whom have hurt us, create the needed boundaries, then all we're doing is holding on to the hurt which hurts us and not the other person. Not forgiving others and forgiving ourselves can and I believe does hamper our own spiritual growth and maturity. Healthy boundaries are needed. Of course this is never easy, but I believe essential. Lastly, we are all going to face challenges in our lives. God never promised us a life free from that on earth. I agree we should walk through those challenges or even challenging thoughts. We can't run from them as we learn from them as to what God wants to teach us. I believe they help us grow in spiritual maturity. I can't pick and choose them, so I do what I feel necessary to walk through them with God's guidance. Recently, I've been challenged about some things. God has used those challenges to teach me always to come back "Home" to Him to rely on His strength and courage to face them. Seeking God first through prayer, reading, meditating, and studying the Bible while asking God how to apply what we learn to our lives is essential to me in the process of alignment. We grow as we learn and seek God's presence. I really enjoyed this prayer walk because it is so essential to share these things, learn from others, but then take what we learn and ultimately ask God to reveal how He wants us to apply them to our lives. Thank you Graham and Donny!
Thank you for sharing Anne
Love, Love, LOVE this walk!!! It was great to see Graham with you and get his perspective. He always makes me smile, "talking with his hands", but it was great! Alignment...with God, with life - mentally, physically or spiritually....lots to think about.
Thank you so much!!
Hoping you both had a wonderful Christmas and I'm praying for a blessed, prosperous New Year.
Thank you for joining us Lillian.
It's rare anymore that I have time to listen Donny but I listened to this whole talk. It's interesting that you are examining how you hear from God and the nuances of that relationship. I can only speak from my own experience and I will say that it's not just how I know the feeling of His contact with me but its also how it aligns with scripture and when the two agree that gives me assurance that it was Him that I heard. I like how you include scripture and nature in your walks and experiences.
Both Graham and you mention diet too. At this time of year it's very difficult for me to stick to eating healthy. We have a tradition in our family of making candies and lots of things with sugar. I've gotten away from that myself but when we go visit family one member in particular wants to share the desserts they've made with us. They send it home with us!!! Argh! Its so hard because these desserts are SO DELICIOUS.
Needless to say, I'm planning a healthy meal for dinner so that's a step in the right direction. I will fill the fruit bowl again when I get out this afternoon to the store. So there's hope! And we will turn this around soon.
Walking with the Lord is such a personal thing. I like to start out each day with some reflection and some scripture reading. Then meditate on that throughout the day. Say a quick prayer too. But also keep a prayerful attitude throughout the day by taking quick moments to touch base with God. Maybe just say Thank you! Or I'm grateful or HELP in some cases.
Blessings to you Donny and to Graham! Thanks for sharing this it means a lot.
Thank you for sharing Marsha. I think most of us can relate to how difficult it can be to eat healthy this time of year. 🙂
Hi Donny & Graham -- Enjoyed your Prayer Walk today. What I’m sharing here is just my opinion from my personal experience too. Ha! I think being aligned with God is being on the same path as Him for your Life. In other words, you can have the best intentions, the healthiest diet, the most fervid prayers, the most learned opinions, the ultimate faith; but if those things don’t “meet up” with what God’s has already planned for your Life , you’ll continue searching, trying to find your way. I think God actually sent Jesus as an example of how to get close to Him.
I’m like you, Donny. I love those “hammer-to-the-head” God Winks. I see them as a wonderful Gift -- I take those nudges as reassurances that I’m on the right path – that I’m aligning with His Purpose – like the way we wink at someone to say we like them or that things will be OK. Just recently I was writing my blog about why God sent Baby Jesus at Christmas time. Usually, I walk around the house marinating my ideas before I set them to paper. As I was “marinating,” I walked by the phone & it rang. I looked over at Caller ID and it said “Jesus.” It could have been a Scam or a popular Hispanic name, but my heart started pounding and I got giddy. At that moment I felt – I knew -- I was aligned with God.
Hope I wrote this clearly enough for you to understand my thoughts. Confused? Well, I'm praying all of us can align with God and do His chosen work in 2024 in Jesus’s name. ~ Jan xoxo
Wonderful story. thank you for sharing Jan
What a surprise to have Graham with you on today's prayer walk Donny!
What a good and pleasant conversation you two had!
It was worth my time dedicated to listening and translating!
I loved seeing the squirrels interrupt you every now and then, that was fun! 🐿️😅
Thank you so much Donny and Graham! I hope to have other episodes like this with you two, you have a calling to do this!
I wish you a Happy New Year in advance! 🙏🏻✨
What a wonderful walk to hear you and Graham walk and talk together. You both bring me such joy. The subject matter about alignment. I believe when things are not going as well I would like it’s when I’m reaching out to God with the most intensity. Five years ago I went through cancer and treatments for it. What happened as a side effect was my ability to cry was mostly taken away from me. Early Christmas morning I discovered seeing my daughter unresponsive and paramedics working to wake he up. I couldn’t stop the tears they came from my soul’s that knew this was my baby. They took her to the hospital. My husband and I were single in our thoughts and prayers. Part of my alignment was reaching out to my friends not hiding what was going on. I knew you were hearing me because you responded back. This helped my alignment and I could concentrate on what my child was going through. Forgiveness and setting boundaries is often necessary. Trusting my catastrophes are only due to express to those I trust.
Watching you two walking and talking gave me such joy and you were trying to stay focused and on task. God placed those squirrels in your paths to bring you back to His thoughts. You both did that well.
I'm praying for you and your family now.
This is why I call you my friend 🙏
Praying for you and your family. God's peace and strength be with you all.
This was a great walk - thank you. The back and forth conversation brought clarity to your topic and questions. Over the past two years I have had to find my path to healing and my alignment within myself. I have walked away from so many toxic people and places in my life over this time and I think that was my "nudge". To find people and outlets that were separate from my past and to face my trauma head-on to begin to find my way back to me. Living that way for so long, coasting through life using a facade of "everything is great" was physically and mentally exhausting me. My 2x4 "whack" moment was an anxiety attack that stopped me in my tracks and then forced me to face what I needed to heal within myself. When Graham said, "many times you are afraid to forgive, because of the fear that this will happen again" honestly, could be my life's motto. I think there are people and situations that you need to forgive, but then you need to walk away from that because you can never forget that pain and hurt. This has been one of the most important realizations for me on my path to healing. Thank you again for this walk - I learned so much from your insight and thoughts on this one. Peace be with you.
You're welcome Robin. Sounds like you're headed in a good direction.
Donny what a nice surprise to have Graham along with you on your prayer walk. I loved the beginning where he is moving his mouth and you’re talking. I find myself having to wait till I’m alone where no one is around to sit and be by myself to be quiet. That’s when I can start to calm myself and be in tuned with God. I wake early to pray and thank God for a new day and to try to get the day right. Yesterday I was lying in bed and I could tell I was in alignment because I saw my hand and weather it was God’s hand or my sister Kristi’s hand we touched and this bright light brighter then I’ve ever seen just eliminated my mind. Though it went as fast as it came. It was very peaceful. I try to keep my mind from wandering and ask God to clear my head and open my heart to not only hear God but have the Holy spirt enter my heart. Not always easy. I liked how Graham said to surrender and relax so you can be aware and move into your heart and have courage as well to connect with God. And to take care and nurture you spirit along with eating right for you to feel aligned. Because with out these things we are all jumbled up and we can’t become aligned to be closer to God. Donny thank you again and thank you to Graham for joining you on your walk. I have to be honest I listed to this a few times I did take some notes to ponder and become even more aligned with God. I went to wish you a great evening and a Very Very Happy New Year. God’s blessing to both you and to Graham.
thank you for sharing your story Shari, the lord does work in mysterious ways.
Yes he does he’s amazing Donny I’m surprised every day by the things I can encounter.
Fantastic prayer walk this morning 🙏. You and Graham sharing alignment put me back on my alignment . A gentle nudge. Thank you Donny and Graham for a very insightful walk. Next time you need to have food for the squirrels 🥰😇
Thank you for joining us Sonja.
It was great to see you and Graham together again. You are both such deep thinkers.
I know my alignment is not where it should be and I that even when I feel alignment at times, to be honest, I'm probably haven't been for a long time.
How can I be if I can't forgive and move on?
I have moved on from 2 traumas of my past, in that I am doing things outside my comfort zone and things that make me happy. But they are few and far between.
What you and Graham said about forgiving is so true, that if you forgive, you feel like you are condoning what was done to you. This is what I struggle with. I know I am still allowing them to have power over me, but I don't know how to let go. Don't know how to get rid of my anger, my fear, my hatred, my loss. I know all this is a huge burden on my life, and that the memories and anger I have is only harming myself, but I don't know how to stop feeling like this especially when I am triggered. With mental health problems, it's hard to be stable. In good times, I feel I can come to a form of alignment, and I wish this would last, but it doesn't. So in the bad times, all the anger and pain return. Forgive is a big word for me. And is why I struggle with it. I honestly can't forgive the 2 people that hurt me. How can I forgive such horrible deeds? I can't. What they did was so wrong. I need a different word to get past this. I know I am only harming myself with all this anger and fear inside. I know I need to stop thinking about them and what they did to me, but I don't know how. I have been trying, but the demons come back to haunt me. I want them gone so that I can get aligned and learn to love myself.
Your walk was so amazing, and though there were distractions, you were able to refocus. I use distractions a lot so as not to get too deep into thought. For me though, the distractions are a thing I need in order not to go too deep with my mental health issues. I have to be very careful with timing.
I loved all that you and Graham talked about and know I have lots to work on. But I love that you help me remember that God has a plan for me and that path can change over time. That I need to trust and put my faith in him. I do feel him and know when I am being pulled to something. I need to be more in tuned with this so that I don't miss what he's guiding me to.
Thanks to you and Graham for a great Prayer Walk.
Loved the squirrels🐿️
Thank you Christine for your heart and for sharing.
I don't know the details of what happened to you but God does. No matter what evil was done God wants us to forgive as He has forgiven us.
I understand that it can be hard but I have found separating the sin from the sinner to be helpful. And remembering that vengeance and justice is God's. This is a wonderful thing because only God is righteous and perfectly loving.
I am praying now that God would heal you and bring you freedom to love and forgive as He does.
I have learned something important about forgiveness that I hope will be helpful to you, Christine. I had a person who used to be in my life, but no longer was. Every time I thought about this person, anger & hurt would well up inside me. I knew that Jesus said if we forgive anyone when they sin against us, our heavenly Father will also forgive us. But if we don't forgive others' sins, God won't forgive our sins. (Matt 6:14-15). So I felt very guilty that I couldn't completely forgive this person & have peace. Then I read a devotional where it said if you're having trouble forgiving someone, lift that person's name up to God, & say out loud , "I forgive you". It doesn't matter if you feel anything or not. Each time that person comes to mind, tell the Lord, "I have forgiven____" It might be days or weeks in between thinking about him, her or them, but say this to God & to yourself each time. I found that each time I'd do this, I had less anger or bad feelings about this person & instead, I had more peace, until finally, I could think of this person & have total peace. I knew I wasn't condoning what they'd done; I just wasn't holding onto bitterness against them. I had given them to God to deal with in His perfect mercy and justice. I had released that person from me and all the negative feelings went with them & I was at total peace. This told me that some things take time to work through and God doesn't expect us to do it all alone. He will do the healing. All we have to do is give our burden to him, sometimes again and again and again, and he will do the necessary work to heal your heart and set you free.
Thank you Mary. I thank you for sharing your own personal journey and am so happy you have found peace🙏💖🤗. Working on it.
I loved this prayer walk with the two of you sharing about alignment and processing things in our lives. Unfortunately I have never learnt how to process things that have happened over the years. This is probably due to the fact that the first thing that I know (been told) happened to me was when I was 18 months old and at that age processing the hurts and feelings is not a thing you would know to do. Nobody ever told me that I needed to process all these things as I grew up until I started listening to Graham's Podcasts and also now your Prayer Walks. Now at 76 I am just really learning that I need to process things to be free and to allow God to work his will into my life. Only then can I really come into alignment with all that God has for me. Still not sure how to do it but I will persevere and learn.
thank you Teresa, Never stop learning.
Wow so profound and deep. I sometime have trouble understanding what both you and Graham mean. On the other hand, I have learned so much from you both. My life has changed so much in the past year thanks to Graham. But without you Donny, teaching me how to really pray, I don’t think any of it would have happened either. I spend a lot of time now talking to God. I spend a majority of my awake time in silence. Theres not usually anyone around. That leads me to prayer. I feel that Alignment maybe has happened and continues to happen. I feel that God has brought me back here for a reason. I will find out at some point. Thanks to both of you for this walk. We all love seeing you spend time with each other.
I'm so glad to hear you are speaking more with God.
First I want to say this was a wonderful prayer walk, lots to take in , I love all your prayer walks Donny, looked like a beautiful area to walk
I really don’t know where to start with what I have to say, this is why I haven’t written sooner, I had to listen to your prayer walk twice.
My big issue with alignment and trust me I need it in my life otherwise I’m an emotional wreak, well the issue for me are triggers, I have a tendency to see something, like say for example that’s inhumane or I don’t agree with and it triggers me into voicing my opinions,.
A few weeks ago I made the mistake of voicing my opinion on Grahams SM Instagram page, he had put up some beautiful photography photos that he had taken but it had to do with deer hunting which I’m against, well I was beaten and battered and thrown over the coals if they could have hung me in effigy the would have so to speak. Now I recognize this was a ridiculous move on my part to voice my opinion and of all places on SM and in the process I felt guilty because instead of people commenting on Grahams beautiful photography they where so taken aback by my stance on deer hunting, unfortunately I realized this to late, this was my opinion and this was coming from my ego on wanting to be heard about any cruelty to animals, instead of stepping back taking a deep breathe and realizing it has nothing to do with me and how I felt about it all it was about was Grahams photography …
So what I’m basically saying is I have triggers and I always try to understand both sides in any matter it’s those triggers that creep in from my ego that try to throw me for a loop and shove me right off into the abyss🤷♀️
I guess it all comes down to being quiet asking for guidance and making sure before I open my mouth I’m not hurting anyone or causing separation
Thank you both Donny and Graham for helping me realize this …
thank you for sharing Halina, it sounds like you have thought this through.
With in this Prayer Walk we spoke about intention.
As you said " being quiet asking for guidance" before you speak (or type) is wise. Asking God to give you the words, words that lift people up, is very wise.
Also, asking yourself "what is my intention and desired result"? before sharing thoughts can help one achieve the peace we all want.
Another practice one can do is. Type out what you want to say and then ask God "is this what you would want me to say"? Then you can make edits or delete it all together if needed.
Thank you for your wonderful advise it was a trigger for me for sure but I learned a valuable lesson never comment or have an opinion on SM on any platform as I’ve said I should know better …no judgements or opinions it can be difficult I will ask for Gods guidance 🙏