Category: Book quotes

Posted on in Aging, Book quotes, Challenge, Faith, Humor, Just do it, medical treatment, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Yield

Streams in the Desert

Mrs. Charles E. Cowman compiled quotes from Sunday School lessons, sermons, books and Scriptures that were published under her title “Streams in the Desert” in 1925. A friend gave me a copy that was in the 29th printing in 1950. My friend did not like it due to the older style of speaking. Now it has even been published in contemporary English.

In 2005 Bob bought me a copy that was published as a journal with lines to make notes. I have noted things over the years. IN 2018 I posed the question, “Molly can you read sea charts and navigate by the stars? No.” This morning when I opened it the bookmark fell to June 1st. Ha! I love her quote from Charles Spurgeon, known as a “Prince of Preachers” during the late 1800’s.

Why dost thou worry thyself? What use can thy fretting serve? Thou art onboard a vessel which thou couldst not steer even if the great Captain put thee at the helm, of which thou couldst not so much as reef a sail, yet thou worriest as if thou wert captain and helmsman. Oh, be quiet; God is Master!

C. H Spurgoen

It reads something like: Why do you worry yourself? What use can your fretting serve? You are aboard a vessel which you could not steer even if the great Captain put you at the helm, of which you could not so much as reef a sail {I do not even know what that means!} yet you worry as if you were captain and helmsman. OH BE QUIET; God is Master!

I got the OH BE QUIET part. Aren’t there times when we need to tell ourselves to shut up and sit down? Lately I have been in an orthotic boot trying to recover from Plantar fasciitis. That pesky ligament in the bottom of your foot that can get inflamed. My trusty foot surgeon basically told me to go sit down, do icing, stretches, rest, Tylenol, steroid tablets, wear the boot and rest: i.e., quit walking so much. Once out of school, does anyone heed when they are told to go sit down? Well, if the pain is bad enough this one does.

Molly, OH BE QUIET. You are not a foot surgeon and you do not know what is best for you. Sit down and hush. As the weeks have plodded on with me thumping along in this orthotic boot, strapping and unstrapping the front blade on with the tearing sound of Velcro, I have repeatedly told myself, “Buckle up, Buttercup and Hush! Stop complaining and be grateful you have good medical care. How many women on the run from Ukraine need an orthotic boot and do not have access to one?”

What am I worried about? Bob has had to do the dog walking a minimum of twice a day for the long walks. I do the short ones at 11 AM and 8 or 9 PM if I am able. Bob has been doing the shopping except when I go to a store and get a wheelchair cart. I am really trying to get better and store the boot until next time I need one. We have not walked along the lake road in a long time. No museums. An occasional movie. yep, fairly sedentary here. It is truly a pain for me to drive any place as it is my right foot and I cannot drive in the boot. If I drive for more than about 30 minutes it hurts to drive even with a slipper on.

Oh be quiet, Molly. Go sit down and write your blog.

Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for Him;

    do not fret 

Psalm 37:7 NRSV

Three times this psalm says ‘do not fret.” I always say God knew to write it 3 times because I would not catch it otherwise. Be quiet. Be still. Jesus, my Captain says: “Do not fret, over dog walks or shopping lists, or housework or other errands. Yield to this current situation and heal. Ride the storm of right now and let Father be in charge, because Molly dear, you are not.”

Posted on in Aging, Book quotes, Challenge, Spiritual growth

Rumination

What do you think of when you hear that word? Perhaps animals chewing their “cud?”

A ruminate animal means it has a four-chambered stomach. Each chamber has a different and specific function that allows the beast to eat a variety of different foods, digesting it at a later time in a safe area of cover.

Even this fawn is a ruminate

How about cud?

1. Zoology: partially digested food regurgitated from the first stomach of cattle and other ruminants to the mouth for a second chewing

2. chew the cud to reflect or think over something

Farlex Free Dictionary

Rumination is also a term used in psychology. I first heard about Dr. Winch on a Podcast called Being Well with Rick Hanson. It just so happened I was in a situation of emotional upset and very much needed to find out how to NOT ruminate about what was written and done during that time.

Author Guy Winch, Ph.D. refers to it as ‘picking at emotional scabs.’ Not a lovely image but apt. In his 2013 book entitled Emotional First Aid he states “What makes rumination a form of psychological injury is that it provides no new understandings that could heal our wounds and instead serves only to pick at our scabs and infect them anew.” Dr. Winch goes on to give treatment guidelines and exercises to help people get free of this tendency.

It is not like ruminating had never happened to me before! Trust me, many times during my life I had fell into that pit and then had to figure out how to get out of it. If you want to hear some his overall teaching you can try the following link.

I was able to get his book through Ohio Libraries. He wrote:

In order to break the self-reinforcing nature of ruminative thoughts and allow our wounds to heal we must interrupt the cycle of rumination once it gets triggered, and we should weaken the urge to ruminate at the source by diminishing the intensity of the feelings that fuel it. We must also make efforts to monitor our relationships and to ease the emotional burden we might be placing on our loved ones.

Guy Winch, PhD Emotional First Aid

His treatment ideas for ruminating are not new to psychology. They include changing perspective, distraction from emotional pain, re-framing anger and managing friendships. I have read about those techniques in other psychology books. However, the idea that someone was able to devote 28 pages to rumination was helpful to me. The book helped me see this was not just my problem, but many others experience it, too. I was able to settle the topic rather quickly (at least this time around) and move on with better mental health.

If you have found yourself ‘stewing over’ a situation or returning to a problem again and again, perhaps you are ruminating. There is a way out of that maze. He also notes that if his suggestions have not helped and the urge to ruminate is still strong …”if your ruminations interfere with your basic ability to function, seek the advice of a mental health professional.”

Rumination is also strongly tied to depression.

Guy Winch, PhD, Emotional First Aid

If you are plagued with ruminations, do not assume that reading this blog or scanning a book on mental health are all you need. Use some common sense and seek a health professional if your situation persists. This was just a report on one of my experiences. I do hope it was helpful.

Posted on in Book quotes, Challenge, Collection of Quotes, Faith, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Yield

Been Studying

Freedom from a Self-centered Life / Dying to Self is an old book of mine described as ‘Selections from the writings of William Law (1686-1761) and edited by Andrew Murray (1828-1917). I return to this title again and again as the topic of dying to self comes up in my Christian walk. The most famous idea notes we are to follow “the way of patience, meekness, humility and resignation to God.” I studied this once years ago as evidenced by all the underlining and highlighting in my book. This time I wanted to not just review what I marked, but truly study it and try to find a way to express the truths therein in today’s language. We might be talking brain strain here?

Basically this is a teaching about not just seeking salvation from the Lord Jesus Christ, but asking Him to help you become more like Him in your day to day walk. We cannot possibly accomplish that in our own strength. Simply cannot be done, for this is a work of renouncing your Adam tendencies and embracing Jesus, “the new Adam” and His indwelling Spirit. Letting the Spirit use His ways to remodel and build your life to be like Jesus.

Amazon’s summary says:

William Law tackles a very difficult subject for many Christians: dying to self. First published in the 1800s, “Dying to Self” is one of Murray’s (and Law’s) lesser known works. Though written many years ago, Murray’s comments on Law’s insightful text have been “pure gold” to the hearts of numerous readers.

The conversational style of the book between two people (Eusebius and Theophilus) seeking further enlightenment on the topic was written by Law, with explanations provided by Murray. Law’s wisdom, combined with Murray’s commentary, makes for an excellent treatment of the subject which will be especially helpful to Christians who don’t fully understand what “dying to self” really means. The good news, as Murray so expertly points out, is that this “dying to self” can and will be wrought by the Spirit of God when we surrender to Him.

Dying to Self is akin to “deny yourself and take up your cross daily.”

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.

Matthew 9:23-24 NIV

This was not a suggestion from Jesus, but a MUST. Oh Lord, I fall so short on this. Come help us to seek You in all of Your glory and shed Your light upon our individual lives.

What have you experienced in your Christian life of ‘dying to self?’ I am not talking about giving up chocolate for Lent. More to the point of ‘taking up your cross DAILY and following Jesus’. Murray says this can only be wrought by the Spirit. Wrought as in worked, shaped. One thought is wrought iron. The dictionary implied a more delicate work or shaping, though in shaping metal hammers would be used. I might be the one in need of a hammer. The photo below reminds me of my need to cling to Him.

Quoting from this book I will not try to differentiate between Law and Murray. The things in quotations are taken from the book, but not always noted as to which one wrote it.

We are instructed over and over in this work to “sink down into our own helplessness and humbly and patiently resign ourselves to God to work in us.” Law makes the point that we are helpless to create these changes in ourselves. God must do it through the power of the Holy Spirit. We must yield. And we must yield to the work again and again and again.

Patience, meekness, humility and resignation to God.

William Law

This resignation is not the attitude of defeat or despair. It is more like an accepting, unresisting attitude. Letting God have His way within us.

Law compares the New Testament seekers who approached Jesus to how we go about trying to change. He said, “You seek these first-rate virtues in the ways they are not to be found. They are not in a multiplicity of human rules, methods, and contrivances, but in that simplicity of faith in which those who applied to Christ immediately obtained that which they asked of Him.” We humans do not have the answer within our selves or our religious establishments. Jesus has the key and dispenses the changes through our giving way to the Holy Spirit.

Are you prepared to go forward, following Jesus, (that is what disciples do, they follow), asking the Holy Spirit to make changes within you so you are more like Jesus? Then will you obey what you are told? Generally, the Lord leads me little by little, a change here, another there. Like Paul wrote,

“Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own.”

Philippians 3:12 RSV

With patience, meekness, humility and resignation to God we will become what He had in mind when He blew breath into our lungs. Yield to His leading again and again.

Posted on in Book quotes, Challenge, Collection of Quotes, Faith, Just do it, Poetry, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Yield

Bears Repeating: One Solitary Life Plus An Additional Prayer

This post has been republished due to a technical issue preventing some followers from seeing the initial publication…. So I guess the pressure to write this week has been taken off!

Years ago we had a cardboard plaque that had the words of this poem on it. I think when we downsized I might have let it go? I recently printed it out for a study group, and then another group. I had to search for it online. Today when I went to find it again for this blog, I found this interesting note from another blogger!

*A reader alerted me to the fact that this sermon may have originally been written and preached by Phillips Brooks, pastor and author of “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” The words are attributed to him in this 1952 newspaper. I will continue to research this, but if you have any additional information, please contact me.

https://www.celebratingholidays.com/?page_id=4456

I keep a photo on my wall of the statue we found in Boston of Phillips Brooks. Wikipedia says: “A statue of Phillips Brooks is installed outside the Trinity Church in Boston‘s Copley Square, in the U.S. state of Massachusetts.”

What is so enthralling to me is the figure of Jesus standing behind Phillips with His hand on Phillips shoulder as he was preaching. A visual wonder of inspiration and being led by the Lord! A few folks over the years have told me when they were speaking it was as if the hand of the Lord was upon them. I always tried to print out a photo of this statue for their encouragement.

Photo online source from Wikipedia

So whether One Solitary Life was written by Pastor James A Francis in a 1925 sermon or by Pastor Phillips Brooks, the impact of the life of Christ is summarized and noted well.

The Text of the Sermon runs:
Here is a man who was born in an obscure village as the child of a peasant woman.

He grew up in another obscure village.

He worked in a carpenter shop until he was thirty and then for three years was an itinerant preacher.

He never wrote a book.

He never held an office.

He never owned a home.

He never had a family.

He never went to college.

He never put his foot inside a big city.

He never traveled two hundred miles from the place where he was born.

He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness.

He had no credentials but himself.

He had nothing to do with this world except the naked power of his divine manhood.

While still a young man the tide of popular opinion turned against him.

His friends ran away.

One of them denied him.

Another betrayed him.

He was turned over to his enemies.

He went through the mockery of a trial.

He was nailed upon the cross between two thieves.

His executioners gambled for the only piece of property he had on earth while he was

dying, and that was his coat.

When he was dead, he was taken down and laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.

Nineteen wide centuries have come and gone and today he is the center of the human race and the leader of the column of progress.

I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, and all the navies that were ever built, and all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon the earth as powerfully as has this one solitary life.

Our group “Journey Together In Stitches” met recently and someone brought up the prayer by Phillips Brooks on the back cover of Forward Day By Day. He wrote:

O God; Give me strength to live another day: Let me not turn coward before its difficulties or prove recreant to its duties; Let me not lose faith in other people: Keep me sweet and sound of heart, in spite of ingratitude, treachery, or meanness; Preserve me from minding little stings or giving them; Help me to keep my heart clean, and to live so honestly and fearlessly that no outward failure can dishearten me or take away the joy of conscious integrity; Open wide the eyes of my sou that I may see good in all things; Grant me this day some new vision of thy truth; Inspire me with the spirit of joy and gladness; and make me the cup of strength to suffering souls; in the name of the strong Deliverer, our only Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Phillips Brooks

By the way, I have no credentials. Call me whatever You want, Lord. I am Yours and I will try to always speak Your truth.

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

John 14:26 NIV

As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.

1 John 2:27

Go forward speaking the truth in love in any place the Lord directs you. Never rely on yourself, but His Spirit within you.

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Book quotes, Faith, Humor, Nature, Spiritual discipline, Thanks

Repeat: Another Treasure in Plain Sight

This post has been republished due to a technical issue preventing some followers from seeing the initial publication…. So I guess the pressure to write this week has been taken off!

So did he hitch a ride from the flower grower to the flower shop at Kroger’s to my house or come in to find this fragrant place from outside in our yard? I will never know. I was delightfully surprised when I found him, snapped his photo, then caught him in a tissue and sent him on his way in the yellow begonias outdoors.

Where are you from tiny guy?

I will never know his origins or destination!

Jodi Picault wrote a novel entitled Small Great Things. In it was this quote which had me pondering.

I hear the flow of the fountain behind me, and I think about water, how it might rise above its station as mist, flirt at being a cloud, and return as rain. Would you call that falling? Or coming home?

Jodi Picault
water as vapor

These are the kind of thoughts that make me praise God. We have had severe humidity, then thunderstorms, then water flowing from the yards. Is it falling, or coming home?

“Water flirting at being a cloud” thunderstorm brewing
water on the earth – storm runoff

He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 

Matthew 5:45b NIV
Photo by Molly – He causes His sun to rise on all

Ponder this and share your own discovery in the comments section!

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Book quotes, Faith, Humor, Nature, Spiritual discipline, Thanks

Another Treasure in Plain Sight

So did he hitch a ride from the flower grower to the flower shop at Kroger’s to my house or come in to find this fragrant place from outside in our yard? I will never know. I was delightfully surprised when I found him, snapped his photo, then caught him in a tissue and sent him on his way in the yellow begonias outdoors.

Where are you from tiny guy?

I will never know his origins or destination!

Jodi Picault wrote a novel entitled Small Great Things. In it was this quote which had me pondering.

I hear the flow of the fountain behind me, and I think about water, how it might rise above its station as mist, flirt at being a cloud, and return as rain. Would you call that falling? Or coming home?

Jodi Picault
water as vapor

These are the kind of thoughts that make me praise God. We have had severe humidity, then thunderstorms, then water flowing from the yards. Is it falling, or coming home?

“Water flirting at being a cloud” thunderstorm brewing
water on the earth – storm runoff

He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 

Matthew 5:45b NIV
Photo by Molly – He causes His sun to rise on all

Ponder this and share your own discovery in the comments section!

Posted on in Book quotes, Faith, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Thanks

Happiness and Joy

In a recent Bible study on Philippians we discussed what is happiness and what is joy? There are times in life when the two or wrapped together and difficult to separate in just one category. I will give a few examples.

Her grin tickles me!

Leading a Philippians discussion I said, “Happiness is I had a birthday party with cake, balloons, and presents. All my favorite people came to celebrate.

“What is joy? Joy is a rich attitude in my spirit whether I have a birthday party or not. Joy is always made deeper by gratitude to God for another year of living and seemingly more to come. This joy outlasts any birthday party with all the trimmings. Bill Burke wrote ‘a joy not dependent on circumstances, but rather a relationship with Jesus.’

My friend has been gone to Florida much, much longer than she planned due to illness. Six+ months in fact. A few ‘Ewe sheep’ from the “Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23” book study decided to bless her with dusting, sweeping and a tiny bit of laundry before she arrived back in Ohio. We were tickled to do that together. It took all of about 45 minutes and led to deeper fellowship among us. That created happiness for us.

My same friend is due home in a couple days from this writing. I am almost overwhelmed with a deep and grateful joy over her homecoming. I can relate to Paul when he wrote about Epaphroditus in Philippians 2.

For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. 27 Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. 28 Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety.

Philippians 2:26-28

I have a taste of what the believers in Philippi experienced when they welcomed back Epaphroditus. She and her husband are coming home and I could not be more delighted! I will be so happy to see them. I will have to get accustomed to having someone IN their home, instead of an empty house across the street. I am ready to do just that!

Joy does not come from the ice cream cone company, not candy with almonds, not a talk show host or perfume. There is a common saying about ‘choose joy.’ Perhaps it should be find joy in God or choose gratitude or choose a positive outlook?

Ice Cream Cone Company

Delight, happiness, but also deep joy that the Lord is bringing them back to Ohio. I often get tangles in the yarn I crochet with. I do not even want to try to untangle these feelings. There has been deep joy as the Lord has walked with her through this nasty illness (no, not Covid, though she suffered that recently). She has known His presence and comfort in the dark hours of “alone-ness with sickness”. As many of you know I have a chronic pain condition. I have been able to encourage her through some of the things I have learned about coping, walking through the maze of medical decisions, trusting the Lord in the midst of no medical cure. Assured that He is comforting her and carrying her is the best blessing of all.

This neighbor only lived here 8-1/2 weeks before going to Florida. We became close, fast friends without even trying. Yes, we both now believe the Lord orchestrated our living across the street from one another. We are blessed to know each other. We are the same age, married the same amount of years, husbands are the same age. We both have a son and daughter. We have similar outlooks on our faith, though she is Catholic and I am protestant. The similarities go on and on.

So try to determine in your life where happiness flourishes and where it is in fact joy. https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/how-to-have-unshakeable-joy-like-paul.html says First, unshakable joy is rooted in Christ and what he has done for us. and Second, unshakable joy is rooted in the progress of the gospel. (see the link above for more details. Christ has done so much for us I could write until my fingers fall off and still not tell you all I have experienced of His power and working in my life. The progress of the gospel? Well the gospel has reached almost every single people group in the world. He is coming soon and we can trust Him to keep us until that day.

Joy unshakeable, joy unspeakable, joy beyond our wildest hopes and dreams. Let the Spirit of Christ dwell in you and lead you to His plan for the best you ever. Keep watching and yielding to Him!

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Book quotes, Faith, Nature, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth

Shepherd and Psalm 23

Our neighborhood study group was able to cover chapters one and two in one meeting – barely. We do like to talk! A couple of the gals grew up on farms or with actual sheep. They added a lot to our meeting.

This week we will try for chapters three and four. Three is really long by comparison and I doubt we can get through it. Then when I read four I realized it was rather short. We will see.

Some of my notes from the book in chapter three include:

Keller wrote that “it is almost impossible to make sheep lie down unless they are

  1. free from all fear
  2. free from friction with others of their kind
  3. free from pests like flies or parasites
  4. free from hunger”

Certainly sounds like people, huh? He continues saying “It is actually the owner who makes it possible for them to lie down, to rest, to relax, to be content and quiet and flourishing.” Do you look to our great, good Shepherd for these needs? Do we truly see Jesus as your owner, shepherd? He will even help us when conflict arises from other sheep!

There was a time when it was Christian fashion to wear a collar or lapel pin of an angel. They were readily available. I positioned mine on a cork and sat it in my kitchen windowsill as an object lesson for myself. (I just LOVE a kitchen windowsill!)

I named her ANN, not necessarily after my mother, but to remind me to be Anxious for nothing, to be NOW Here and to Not jump to the furthest negative conclusion. I was trying to hone those skills. I had learned anxiety, mind racing and negative thinking so very well that it took a lot of effort to unlearn those things. I still have times I must work at it.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

2 Tim 1:7 NKJV

To enjoy the above mindset, I must allow the Holy Spirit not only access to my thinking, but permission to change my thoughts. I must learn to live and move in “a spirit of power and of love and of a sound mind.” The Shepherd bought this for me, and I must choose to live in it.

Chapter four is “He leads me beside quiet waters.”

“My people have committed two sins:

They have forsaken me,

    the spring of living water,

and have dug their own cisterns,

    broken cisterns that cannot hold water.”

Jeremiah 2:13 NIV
Broken cistern

Keller wrote, “It is a compelling picture. It is an accurate portrayal of broken lives – of shattered hopes – of barren souls that are dried up and parched and full of the dust of despair.”

He gives an example of watching native herds in the ‘blazing equatorial sun of Africa’ being led to clear water in deep cisterns that were like huge rooms dug out of the rock and out of the sun. The owner had to get in there and bale the water into a drinking trough for the animals. Keller was impressed again ‘by the fact that everything hinged and depended upon the diligence of the owner, the shepherd. Only through his energy, his efforts, his sweat, his strength could the sheep be satisfied.”

He draws the parallel that when we are in deep, dark places, Jesus, our Shepherd is there with us in it. “It is His energy, effort, and strength expended on our behalf that even in this deep, dark place is bound to produce a benefit in us.”

Are you trusting Him in all things?

Posted on in Book quotes, Challenge, Faith, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Yield

Resilient with John Eldredge

Ephesians 3 where we started the year, remember? I found this passage read and prayed by John and Stasi Eldredge.

I was researching what our small group might study this autumn. Checking Christian Book Distributors I ordered and have been reading his newest publication, Resilient. I had no idea it was only released in June of this year! I think this is the book we might pursue. A great text for our Christian life in 2022 going into 2023. The study guide will not be ready until the autumn.

In case you are interested, you can listen to chapter one, read by John at the following link.

https://wildatheart.org/rhplay/podcast/wild-heart/johns-new-book-chapter-1

For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Ephesians 3:14-21 NIV

Stay rooted. Keep growing in the things of God. You will be mightily rewarded!

Posted on in Book quotes, Challenge, Collection of Quotes, Faith, Music, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Yield

The Shepherd and Some Bible Verses

There have been many songs recorded over the years about Psalm 23, including the words from the actual Psalm in various translations. Here is one of my favorites composed by Walt Harrah.

A Shepherd looks at Psalm 23 has these Scripture quotes in Chapter one.

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Colossians 1:15-20 NIV

1 COR 6:19-20 NRSV   Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body.

1 PET 2:5 You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

ROM 8:34  NRSV Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us.

JN 15:26 NIV  But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

JN 10:11 NKJV I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

JN 10:14-16 14  I am the Good Shepherd. I know My own and My own know Me, just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father. And I lay down My life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice. So there will be one flock, one Shepherd.

LK 19:10 NKJV “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

MT 11:28   “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

JN 14:27   “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

MT 16:24   Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.           Also in MK 8:34 and LK 9:23

MT 7:22-23   On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and cast out demons in Your name, and do many deeds of power in Your name?’ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.’

I hope you are encouraged and challenged by the song and the verses. Make them your own. Look to Him in all things. May the blessings of God the Father be upon you, Molly Lin