Faith, Folklore, and Friends

Let the word of Christ dwell in you  richly, teaching and admonishing one  another in all wisdom, singing psalms  and hymns and spiritual songs, with  thankfulness in your hearts to God.   ~Colossians 3:16

  Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You’re not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It’s the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won’t last forever. It won’t be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does. ~1 Peter 5:8-11 The Message

I pray that out of His glorious riches  He may strengthen you with power  through His Spirit in your inner being,     so that Christ may dwell in your hearts  through faith.  And I pray that you, being rooted  and established in love,     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,     and to know this love that surpasses knowledge —that you may be filled  to the measure of all the fullness of God.   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,     to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.                                              ...

Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. ~Philippians 4:6-7 The Message