The Rainbows In My Life

"Now his mother and his brothers arrived and, standing outside, sent in a message asking for him.

"A crowd was sitting round him at the time the message was passed to him, 'Look, your mother and brothers and sisters are outside asking for you.'

"He replied, 'Who are my mother and my brothers?' And looking at those sitting in a circle round him, he said, 'Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of God, that person is my brother and sister and mother.'"

MARK 3:31-35

"Grant me the courage, Lord, to trust
that the world outside isn't all that bad"

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Crying And Sleeping

"People were bringing their little children to him to have him touch them, an the disciples rebuked them for this.

"When Jesus noticed it, he was very and said, 'Let the children come to me and don't stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.' Then he took the children in his arms and laying his hands on them, blessed them."

MARK 10:13-16

"God, I'm lost! I don't know what to do.
You're my only hope. I'm tired.
Rescue me that I may sleep in Your arms in peace."

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A Tender "I Love You"

"After they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?' He answered, 'Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.' And Jesus said, 'Feed my lambs.'

"A second time Jesus said to him, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me?' And Peter answered, 'Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.' Jesus said to him, 'Look after my sheep.' And a third time he said to him, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me?'

"Peter was saddened because Jesus asked him a third time, 'Do you love me?' and he said, 'Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.'

"Jesus then said, 'Feed my sheep. truly, I say to you, when you were young you put on your belt and walked where you liked. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and another will put a belt around you and lead you where you do not wish to go.'

"Jesus said this to make know the kind of death by which Peter was to glorify God. And he added, 'Follow me.'"

JOHN 21:15-19

"Do we love the Lord on our own terms or on His?"

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Tragedy or Blessing?

"It was before the feast of the Passover. Jesus realized that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father, and as he had loved those who were his own in the world, he would love them with perfect love.

"They were at supper and the devil had already put into the mind of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray. Jesus knew that the Father had entrusted all things to him, and as he had come from God, he was going to God. So he got up from table, removed his garment and taking a towel, wrapped it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel he was wearing.

"When he came to Simon Peter, Simon said to him, 'Why, Lord, you want to wash my feet!' Jesus said, 'What I am doing you cannot understand now, but afterwards you will understand it.' Peter replied, 'You shall never wash my feet.'

"Jesus answered him, 'If I do not wash you, you can have no part with me.' Then Simon Peter said, 'Lord, wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head!'

"Jesus replied, 'Whoever has taken a bath does not need to wash (except the feet), for he is clean all over. You are clean, though not all of you.' Jesus knew who was to betray him; because of this he said, 'Not all of you are clean.'

"When Jesus had finished washing their feet, he put on his garment again, went back to the table and said to them, 'Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Master and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I, then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you also must wash one another's feet. I have just given you an example that as I have done, you also may do."

JOHN 13:1-15

"When things don't seem to go my way,
help me to trust in You, for You know best."

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Little Sin, Long Guilt

"As for Jesus, he went to the Mount of Olives.

"At daybreak, Jesus appeared in the Temple again. All the people came to him, and he sat down and began to teach them.

"Then the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees brought in a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They made her stand in front of everyone. 'Master,' they said, 'this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now the Law of Moses orders that such women be stoned to death; but you, what do you say?' They said this to test Jesus, in order to have some charge against him.

"Jesus bent down and started writing on the ground with his finger. And as they continued to ask him, he straightened up and said to them, 'Let anyone among you who has no sin be the first to throw a stone at her.' And he bent down again, writing on the ground.

"As a result of these words, they went away, one by one, starting with the elders, and Jesus was left alone with woman standing before him. Then Jesus stood up and said to her, 'Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?' She replied, 'No one.' And Jesus said, 'Neither do I condemn you; go away and don't sin again.'"

JOHN 8:1-11

"Lord, take me and make me whole,
worthy of Your great love for me."

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Good Intentions

"Yahweh asked Samuel, 'How long will you be grieving over Saul whom I have rejected as king of Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way to Jesse the Bethlehemite for I have chosen my king from among his sons.'

"As they came, Samuel looked at Eliab the older and thought, 'This must be Yahweh's anointed.' But Yahweh told Samuel, 'Do not judge by his looks or his stature for I have rejected him, Yahweh does not judge as man judges; humans see with the eyes; Yahweh sees the heart.'

"Jesse presented seven of his sons to Samuel who said, 'Yahweh has chosen none of them. But are all your sons here?' Jesse replied, 'There is still the youngest, tending the flock just now.' Samuel said to him, 'Send for him and bring him to me; we shall not sit down to eat until he arrives.' So Jesse sent for his youngest son and brought him to Samuel. He was a handsome lad with ruddy complexion and beautiful eyes. And Yahweh spoke, 'Go, anoint him for he is the one.' Samuel then took the horn of oil and anointed him in his brothers' presence. From that day onwards, Yahweh's Spirit took hold of David. Then Samuel left for Ramah."

1 SAMUEL 16:1b,6-7,10-13a

"Lord, I know that You see into my heart.
Help me to look beyond my own vision
that I may see and follow Your will instead."

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Like Moses

From www.spraypaintstencils.com

"Then Yahweh said to Moses, 'Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have quickly turned from the way I commanded them and have made for themselves a molten calf; they have bowed down before it and sacrificed to it and said: "These are your gods, Israel, who brought you out of Egypt."'

"And Yahweh said to Moses, 'I see that these people are a stiff-necked people. Now just leave me that my anger may blaze against them. I will destroy them, but of you I will make a great nation.'

"But Moses calmed the anger of Yahweh, his God, and said, 'Why, O Yahweh, should your anger burst against your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with such great power and with a mighty hand? Let not the Egyptians say: "Yahweh brought them out with evil intent, for he wanted to kill them in the mountains and wipe them from the face of the earth." Turn away from the heat of your anger and do not bring disaster on your people. Remember your servants, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the promise you yourself swore: I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land I spoke about I will give to them as an everlasting inheritance.'

"Yahweh then changed his mind and would not yet harm his people."

EXODUS 32:7-14

"Teach me, Lord,
to be like Moses in leadership and authority and love."

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Pass It On

"And now, Israel, listen to the norms and laws which I teach that you may put them into practice. And you will live and enter and take possession of the land which Yahweh, the God of your fathers, gives you.

"See, as Yahweh, my God ordered me, I am teaching you the norms and the laws that you may put them into practice in the land you are going to enter and have as your own. If you observe and practice them, other peoples will regard you as wise and intelligent. When they come to know of all these laws, they will say, 'There is no people as wise and as intelligent as this great nation.' For in truth, is there a nation as great as ours, whose gods are as near to it as Yahweh, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him? And is there a nation as great as ours whose norms and laws are as just as this Law which I give you today?

"But be careful and be on your guard. Do not forget these things which your own eyes have seen nor let them depart from your heart as long as you live. But on the contrary, teach them to your children and to your children's children."

DEUTERONOMY 4:1,5-9

"May the blessing You have given me never die out
but be passed on to those that come after me."

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Forgiveness

"Then Peter asked him, 'Lord, how many times must I forgive the offenses of my brother or sister? Seven times?' Jesus answered, 'No, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

"'This story throws light on the kingdom of heaven. A king decided to settle the accounts of his servants. Among the first was one who owed him ten thousand gold ingots. As the man could not repay th debt, the king commanded that he be sold as a slave with his wife, children and all his goods in payment.

"'The official threw himself at the feet of the king and said, "Give me time, and I will pay you back everything." The king took pity on him and not only set him free but even canceled his debt.

"'This official then left the king's presence and he met one of his companions who owed him a hundred pieces of silver. He grabbed him by the neck and almost strangeld him, shouting, "Pay me what you owe!" His companion threw himself at his feet and asked him, "Give me time, and I will pay everything." The other did not agree, but sent him to prison until he paid all his debt.

"'His companions saw what happened. They were indignant and so they went and reported everything to their lord. Then the lord summoned his official and said, "Wicked servant, I forgave you all that you owed when you begged me to do so. Weren't you bound to have pity on your companion as I had pity on you?" The lord was now angry, so he handed his servant over to be punished, until he had paid his whole debt.'

"Jesus added, 'So will my heavenly Father do with you unless each of you sincerely forgive your brother or sister.'"

MATTHEW 18:21-35

"Today I make a decision to consciously forgive those who hurt me
as I ask for an outpouring of God's love and grace."

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My Place Or Your Place?

"Jesus added, 'No prophet is honored in his own country. Truly, I say to you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens withheld rain for three years and six months and a great famine came over the whole land. yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow of Zarapeth, in the country of Sidon. There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha, the prophet, and no one was healed except Naaman, the Syrian.'

"On hearing these words, the whole assembly became indignant. They rose up and brought him out of the town, to the edge of the hill on which Nazareth is built, intending to throw him down the cliff. But he passed through their midst and went his way."

LUKE 4:24-30

"Lord, remind me always that come what may,
I am Your child and You are my Father.
And together we'll work as a team."

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