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Well, welcome back to Rising 365, a podcast committed to inspiring and supporting others

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to embrace the opportunity to rise with each new day.

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I'm Mike Penney and I'm your podcast host, I guess.

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And I just want you to know that Rising Daily can be a challenge for many, including myself.

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And that's why I created Rising 365.

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It is my hope that what you hear in these episodes will assist you in rising every day

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of the year.

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It's been a few weeks since I recorded a podcast because of our summer schedule is extremely

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busy.

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My family and I are full-time missionaries.

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And as you have heard in the previous two episodes, we're in the middle of our summer

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ministry and that consists of two things.

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Leading our Christian Youth in Action leaders, which are teenagers, we spend a week training

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to go and out into the communities and do these pop-up VBSs, Vacation Bible Schools,

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Monday through Thursday.

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So we've been doing that.

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I'm also in a musical here in Kearney, Nebraska with Crane River Theater doing Beauty and

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the Beast.

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You know, when it comes to live performing arts, there's a lot that goes into it.

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A lot of steps, a lot of long hours and work and practices and rehearsals.

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Everything you do, we're lucky enough with Crane River Theater to have two locations.

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We'll have our beginning location for rehearsals and this wide open space.

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And when we're in that space and we start the process of getting the show ready by the

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direction of our performing director, you know, the space becomes second habit.

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We get used to the space and when we're in this rehearsal space, eventually we come to

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a point where the show is ready.

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But then things change and we moved into the real performing theater, which was at Kearney

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High School.

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And then we added set and we added this big, elaborate costumes and this big, elaborate

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set and light and music and things change.

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As a live performing artist, it doesn't matter if you're performing dance on stage, music,

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orchestras, whatever you're doing in front of a live audience.

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It's never the same day after day.

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So you have to be willing to be flexible in the process.

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And that's what inspired me to do this episode.

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That's why it's called Take the Stage.

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And understanding that it's not always going to be the same.

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You rehearse and you follow the guiding directions of the director.

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We have a fabulous director who carries the big picture of what the story we're trying

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to share with the audience.

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The story of Beauty and the Beast.

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As the director, he has the big picture in mind.

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He understands what he wants the audience to feel.

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So he gives us specific blocking and timing, timing of lights and timing of musics and

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our choreography directors.

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There's certain things they want us as performers to portray.

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So we rehearse it hour after hour, day after day.

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And hope that it becomes second nature.

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So when it finally comes time to take the stage, we're ready.

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But as a performer and as individuals, we have a choice to make here.

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We have a choice when it comes to live performing arts.

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Are we going to accept the direction of the director?

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A good director is going to hold true to the story, the truth that the story is meant to

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share.

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He's going to give the performers blocking.

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And like I said, he's going to give us step by step instructions of what he would like

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to see, what he wants seen.

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Some of those things are set in stone.

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When we enter our lines, the delivery.

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But a good director like what we have, he allows us as performers to find what works

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for us in the environment that he has set in the story, in our blocking and in the lighting

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and in the timing.

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As a good director, he says, it's up to you now as the actor.

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I've given you direction what he would like to see.

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Now try things to bring your character in this story to life.

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And that's where we're at with this episode.

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We see it as a process of helping others, being able to rise to meet what they're facing.

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There are so many processes that can help you.

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Some things are set in stone.

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If you go back to some of the episodes, we've unpacked certain things that must take place

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in order to meeting the new day to even be possible.

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Putting your life in order, cleaning things up in your life, changing your diet, having

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things set the night before to make things more manageable for you the next day.

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Those things can help.

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But then you have to find your own way.

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You have to find your own way to tell the story of your life that you want to tell.

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You can't tell the story of your life by being stuck in bed or trapped in your house.

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There's freedom amongst the direction of a good director when it comes to live performing

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arts.

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Knowing that the character he has given you and entrusted to you, he trusts that you will

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bring that character to life within the concept of the story that is meant to be told as a

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whole.

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And that's what God is doing with you in your life each and every day.

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He has, if you will, a play set before you.

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You are the character in the play he has chosen.

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And he's asking you to do your part, play your part, your story.

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What do you want it to look like?

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So many times we allow bad things in our play to make our play a tragedy or a horror story

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or a story that has no hope because we allow a situation to overwhelm us.

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God that I know that you see in scripture, he doesn't want that for your life.

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He tells us in the gospels that he is the way, the truth, and the life, that there is

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hope only found in him.

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So if you want a story, a play, if you want the play of your life to be one filled with

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hope, joy, peace, love, patience, and kindness, then you have to be the character who reveals

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that.

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And it's impossible to do that if you don't understand where it comes from.

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And for me, it comes from the main character in acting alongside the man and the Savior

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of Jesus Christ.

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When we act alongside him and with him leading the play of your life, we can change the story.

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He changes the story.

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He brings light into darkness.

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He lights the stage of your life.

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He gives you the melody, the theme, the... gives you all that you need.

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And it's your choice to play your role.

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He's a good director.

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He's not going to force you to play a role you do not want to play.

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But he's entrusting that you will play the role.

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The choice is on you.

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What do you want the play of your life to look like?

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Are you ready to take the stage in this endeavor?

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God is directing your life each and every day.

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He gives you each new day.

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He gives you breath into your lungs and awakens you.

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He's saying your story is not done yet and the stage is ready for you.

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Will you go play the part?

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Will you be and go show kindness to others?

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Will you share a lending hand?

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Will you be a listening ear, a warm embrace for somebody?

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So ask yourself, what character are you playing in your life?

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Are you the hero?

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There's only one hero.

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Spoiler alert, that hero is Jesus.

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But what side of the story are you on?

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Are you in the tragedy or are you looking for an adventure?

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I just want to encourage you to seek ways to be a part of the story that God is writing

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for you.

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And trust that he sees the big picture, like a good director does.

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And that the role he's asking you to play is a role that only you could play.

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No one else can do it for you.

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And you have a choice to make.

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Will you take the stage and be ready for it?

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I know you can do it.

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You're ready for it.

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The Lord is there to help you each and every day.

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He'll give you exactly what you need.

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So go take the stage.

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Thank you for tuning in.

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I hope each episode brings you inspiration to embrace every new day.

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To support this podcast, consider booking me as a speaker for your next conference,

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school assembly, youth event, Bible study, or any special occasion where I can share

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the message of Rising 365.

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To arrange this, simply send me a message or email at rising247365atgmail.com.

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Additionally, you can support by liking, sharing, and rating the podcast when your preferred

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listening platform.

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You can also support this podcast by supporting my family and I as we are full-time missionaries

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with CEF of Central Nebraska.

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Until we meet again, I'm Mike Pena reminding you to rise and seize the gift of a new day.

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See you next time.