“…the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus…. whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right,whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable— if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard or seen…put into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.…“
thedailylily.com 
What a beautiful picture to think on, Sara… a real bright spot!
It made me want to go back and review and think on one of my favorite lessons from your book, “Dressing for His Glory”. The chapter was, “A Flower of “THE SUN” – The Work of the Lord”. The featured flower and lesson focus was the sunflower! The lesson told us that, “this flower abounds in the work of the Lord” and listed so many wonderful uses for a sunflower for both people and animals… from food to beauty to health benefits, etc. Such great things to think on regarding this plant.
One of the key verses of the lesson was I Corinthians 15:58, “So then, my dear friends, stand firm and steady. Keep busy always in your work for the Lord, since you know that nothing you do in the Lord’s service is ever useless.”
I think this went right along with Sara’s blog words, “… “put into practice”
Debi, delighted with your appreciation of the visual of the Sunflower and honorable mention of it’s multi uses.
I so often find comfort in visuals when things seem out of control as it does with the coronavirus the universe is facing. I was thinking of the story of Moses and his making of the brazen snake. Then he placed it on a pole and lifted it up. There was a reason and John revealed its universal healing symbolism.
John 3:14 “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,”…”that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.”
Healing of the sin sick soul is available for the universe. Lift Jesus Higher🎹 Lift Him up for the world to see. He said if I be lifted up I will draw all men unto me. Symbols yes for He created the heavens and the earth and all that dwells within. (Ref Psalms 24:1) Beauty belongs to The Lord and those that belong to Him are beautiful.
Thanks for sharing the beautiful picture of the sunflowers above, they are gorgeous. 🌻🌻🌻 I thought the footnotes for Philippians 4:8, from the NLT, gave more helpful instruction to consider. “What we put into our mind determines what comes out in our words and actions. Paul tells us to program our mind with thoughts that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and worthy of praise. Do you have problems with impure thoughts and daydreams? Examine what you are putting into your mind through television, Internet, books, conversations, movies, and magazines. Replace harmful input with wholesome material. Above all, read God’s Word and pray. Ask God to help you focus your mind on what is good and pure. It takes practice, but it can be done.”
I endear Footnotes confirming truth and it’s foundation of faith truths. While reading Tammy’s signature gift of sharing footnotes I thought, footnotes are like a stamp on an envelope. No stamp no travel. Then the upbeat song we often sing in faith groups appeared in my mind, “whose report do you believe, we believe the report of the Lord…. “ How can we believe His report without the exercise in action given in T’s footnotes?
Oh God! By Rena Oynes
Nations of the World have been shaken.
People fall left and right as the COVID 19 like a wind wipes
One after another away and they are no more.
The people seek a cure.
They forget God is in control of all.
Look to Him and He will provide it.
God made a covenant with His people.
That covenant to love only Him.
They broke.
Sadly, people have broken every law of God
They are self serving with little or no thought for others.
Addictions plague them , emptiness overwhelms them, their little gods of pleasures don’t fill them.
Their tanks run on empty.
God waits,
God listens
God pursues
God speaks, come repent, I love you!
The line before Him is few.
The other line chooses to do life their way.
God saw man did not pursue Him.
His love and the price He paid for their sins did not seem to matter.
Repentance from sin seemed to be bent into doing more of it.
They threw the gift back to the giver and walked away
God withdrew.
Hearts failed
Judgement fell.
Come back to me Jesus said.
Repent and believe, I AM who I said I AM.
Scriptures to think and pray and believe. God penned them, Help is on the way.
Psalms 121: 1 & 2
I lift up my eyes to the hills– where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. Indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
2 Chronicles 7:14
If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
Rena’s poem brought to mind what we learned from the book of Judges…”everyone doing what was right in their own eyes.”
Rena, your words in your poem, “The line before Him is few. The other line chooses to do life their way”… remind me of this scripture from Matt.7:13, 14: “Enter through the narrow gate because the gate and road that lead to destruction are wide. Many enter through the wide gate. 14 But the narrow gate and the road that lead to life are full of trouble. Only a few people find the narrow gate.”
And your “Scriptures to think and pray and believe” goes along with Tammy’s footnotes above, “Above all, read God’s Word and pray. Ask God to help you focus your mind on what is good and pure. It takes practice, but it can be done.”