May 2, 2026

Fix My Eyes On You

July 30, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Hit rewind, click delete
Stand face to face with the younger me
All of the mistakes
All of the heartbreak
Here’s what I’d do differently,

I’d…Love like I’m not scared
Give when it’s not fair
Live life for another
Take time for a brother
Fight for the weak ones
Speak out for freedom
Find faith in the battle
Stand tall but above it all
Fix my eyes on You
On You

I learned the lines and talked the talk
(Everybody knows it, everybody knows it)
But the road less traveled is hard to walk
(Everybody knows it, everybody knows)
It takes a soldier
Who knows his orders
To walk the walk I’m supposed to walk, and

The things of earth are dimming
In the light of Your glory and grace
I’ll set my sights upon Heaven
I’m fixing my eyes on You, on You
I’m fixing my eyes on You, on You
I’m fixing my eyes

I’ll fix my eyes on You, on You
I’ll fix my eyes on You, on You

Performed by For King & Country
Songwriters: Luke Smallbone, Joel Smallbone, Seth Mosley

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What would you do differently if you could talk to a younger you?  I would tell myself to rest in Him and know that all is going to be okay.  We serve an amazing God and He is good and all He gives is good.  I would tell the younger me to really search and learn His Word.  There is truly a verse for all things that you encounter—the happy and the sad.  And I would tell myself to fix my eyes on only Him and let the things of this earth fade away.

I would tell myself that God encounters are so much more important and meaningful than earthly consumption.  And that gratitude always comes before the miracle.  God has an answer to everything.  Sometimes it’s ‘yes’ and sometimes it’s ‘wait’ and sometimes it’s ‘no.’  I would tell myself to trust that even though I don’t like ‘no,’ that it is for my own good; and that if I could see the big picture, I would be so glad that He knew what was best for me.  I would tell myself to enjoy God and to look for the beauty in everything.

I would tell myself to love like He does and to live intentionally for His purpose.  To look for ways to really get in the game and get dirty sometimes.  All that really is going to matter when Jesus comes for us is just this: did we love like we weren’t scared…forgive when it hurt…take time to see the ones hurting…remember that He loves us and dances over us with singing.

So, today, if you would, leave a comment below on what you would tell a younger you!  Just one phrase will do!  And do remember to enjoy Him and all He is.

Need some verses to hold onto today?

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.
Isaiah 41:10 NLT

No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, Who loves us.
Romans 8:37 NLT

Then I pray to You, o Lord.
I say, “You are my place of refuge.
You are all I really want in life.”
Psalm 142:5 NLT

God, You did everything You promised, and I’m thanking You with all my heart.
You pulled me from the brink of death, my feet from the cliff edge of doom.
Now I stroll at leisure with God in the sunlight fields of life.
Psalm 56:12 MSG

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Let us pray: Dear Lord, thank You for Your grace that gives us chance after chance to get it right.  You are the Lover of our souls and You want to walk with us daily.  Help us to remember to rest in You and that You will do all You promised in Your Word and when we are lost, guide us back to Your promises.  You never change.  Your love never changes.  And victory is ours through Christ Who died for us and loves us unconditionally.  We love You!  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Exaltation

July 30, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Be Thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let Thy glory be above all the earth.
Psalm 57:11

God must be exalted.

Why do we exalt Him?

  • He is a great God who created the heavens and the earth. His supremacy is beyond our imagination. He must be glorified.

Be exalted O God above the heavens and let your glory be over all the earth
Psalm 108:5

  • He is Holy.

Exalt the Lord our God and worship at His footstool, He is holy.
Psalm 99:5

  • He is my God in whom I trust. For He is faithful and loves us unconditionally.

You are my God and I will give thanks; You are my God and I will exalt You.
Psalm118:28

  • He has done great things. You know God has done so many great things in our lives. We are alive today because of His grace and mercy and favour, protection. He must be exalted for all this.

And in that day you will say,
“Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name.
Make known His deeds among the peoples;
Make them remember that His name is exalted.”
Isaiah 12:4

Lord, You are my God;
I will exalt You and praise Your name,
for in perfect faithfulness
You have done wonderful things,
things planned long ago.
Isaiah 25:1

  • He is a God of justice and covered with righteousness. And this righteousness it was imputed in us when we accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

The Lord is exalted for He dwells on high, He will fill Zion with justice and righteousness.
Isaiah 33:5

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Lord God Almighty, we exalt You for You are proved to us to be a Great God.  No one is like You, Lord.  Wonderful, faithful, righteous, glorious, You are!  The Lord that loves unconditionally and Who judges with justice.  We exalt You in everything.  Let us dwell in You…for in You there is no darkness.  We exalt You!  In Jesus’ name, I pray!  Amen.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Power of Prayer

July 29, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

My heart, O God, is steadfast,
my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and make music.
Awake, my soul!
Awake, harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.
I will praise You, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of You among the peoples.
For great is Your love, reaching to the heavens;
Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let Your glory be over all the earth.
Psalms 57:7-11

When times are tough, who do you turn to?  Do you cry on someone’s shoulder?  Do you go looking for your own solution?  All of us should have someone who will stand with us when we need them to.  With today’s world crumbling around us, we all are going to need someone to lean our heads on sooner or later.

We have had some health and other issues come up in our home and in our family.  We also have friends who are suffering from health issues, and other issues, as well.  But the first thing we do when these issues appear is to pray and to ask for prayers.  There is power in prayer—healing, reassurance, love, answers, and much much more.  Through prayer, we can offer our brothers and sisters in Christ a shoulder to lean on and the knowledge to know that they are not alone.

Through this power of prayer and love, our hearts are steadfast in God.  We have a solid foundation in which to get up from our struggles and move forward.  Our souls awaken when we talk to God or pray for others.  Through prayer, we praise God and reach out to those who need Him most.  When people know you are praying for them, it makes them feel loved and helps to strengthen their walk their God.

God’s love is for everyone.  He is with us all no matter what we believe.  It is through this love that we will spend eternity with Him.  We will praise and worship Him when we live with Him in Heaven.  What a wonderful promise to exalt and praise through song.

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Dear Heavenly Father:  Thank You for listening to us and being our Rock.  Thank You for Your wonderful love.  We share this love through praise, prayer, and service to others.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Whom Shall I Fear

July 29, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

You hear me when I call
You are my morning song
Though darkness fills the night
It cannot hide the light
Whom shall I fear

You crush the enemy
Underneath my feet
You are my Sword and Shield
Though troubles linger still
Whom shall I fear

I know Who goes before me
I know Who stands behind
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side

The One Who reigns forever
He is a Friend of mine
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side

My strength is in Your name
For You alone can save
You will deliver me
Yours is the victory
Whom shall I fear
Whom shall I fear

And nothing formed against me shall stand
You hold the whole world in Your hands
I’m holding on to Your promises
You are faithful
You are faithful

Singer/Songwriter: Chris Tomlin with Ed Cash and Scott Cash

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Fear.  It is one of the biggest things the enemy uses against us to keep us from the purpose and plans that God has for us.

Fear is…

False
Evidence
Appearing
Real

You cannot have fear and faith at the same time. You will either have one or the other. With God by our side we, as Believers, have nothing to fear.  As Jeremiah 29:11 says,

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD,
“plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future.

God’s plans for us are for our good.  And with the God of angel armies by my side…I have NOTHING to fear!

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Romans 8:31

We must trust and have faith in the One Who reigns forever.  That—no matter what—in ALL things, they will work together for our good.  Just as Romans 8:28 says,  “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.”  That is a promise we can hold onto!

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Heavenly Father, I thank You that You hear us when we call…in Jesus’ Name, AMEN!!!

Though darkness fills the night we cannot hide the light
So whom shall we fear
You crush the enemy underneath my feet
You are my Sword and Shield, the One who reigns forever
The God of angel armies is always by my side

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Black Bean, Corn, Mango Salad w/ Honey-Lime Vinaigrette

July 28, 2014 by

Recently I made a happy little find at Trader Joe’s!  These Chile-Lime Chicken Burgers. They were nicely priced at $3.49 for a 16 ounce package of four burgers. They are made with all-natural ingredients, no preservatives…and are high in protein, low in fat. All which fit right in here with our healthy but oh-so-yummy POV! Do you have a Trader Joe’s near to you? If you haven’t shopped there yet, I would heartily encourage you to give them a try! We are always satisfied with our purchases at Trader Joe’s…and will pick up another package or two of these on our next shopping trip.

traderjoeslimechickenburgers

So, these made for a quick meal as they grilled up in approximately ten minutes. But, what to serve with them…this was my question. Hmmmmm….something quick, healthy, fresh…?  I googled ‘…lime, mango, salad…’ and was presented with quite a list and variety of choices. After reading a few recipes, I had a pretty good idea and a plan of action. We were quite satisfied with the burgers and this Black Bean, Corn, and Mango salad with Honey-Lime Vinaigrette to accompany the burgers. This makes quite a large bowlful (I’d venture to say 9-10 cups or so). So consider making this as a side dish to bring along to a BBQ this summer. Enjoy!

Black Bean, Corn and Mango Salad w/ Honey-Lime Vinaigrette

2014-07-23 20.23.00
ingredients :
salad:
2 cup fresh or frozen corn, thawed
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can small white beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 small sweet onion, sliced thin
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large mango, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

vinaigrette:
2 small (or 1 large) limes
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup mango (or orange) juice
1/3 cup olive oil
sea salt, freshly ground black pepper
sprinkle of ground red pepper (optional)

garnish:
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves (optional)
zest from the limes

Directions:

  • in a large mixing bowl, combine veggies, beans, and mango
  • zest the limes (putting the zest aside ‘til the end), and squeeze all the juice from the limes
  • combine lime juice, honey, balsamic, and mango juice using a blender, food processor, or simply whisk by hand
  • slowly pour in the olive oil in a slow steady stream ‘til it is fully incorporated with the liquids
  • season the vinaigrette to taste with salt and pepper (and the red pepper, if using)
  • pour the majority of the vinaigrette over the salad, and stir thoroughly but gently to combine (adding more of the vinaigrette, if necessary)
  • allow to set at room temperature for 20-30 minutes to combine flavors (or place in refrigerator ‘til ready to serve)
  • when ready to serve, garnish with the lime zest and basil strips

♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥

God loves you!  ♥  (Please don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

Filed Under: At Home w/ GCH Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Hope In Front Of Me

July 28, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I’ve been running through rain that I thought would never end
Trying to make it on faith in a struggle against the wind
I’ve seen the dark and the broken places
But I know in my soul no matter how bad it gets, I’ll be alright

There’s hope in front of me
There’s a light I still see it
There’s a hand still holding me
Even when I don’t believe it
I might be down but I’m not dead
There’s better days still up ahead
Even after all I’ve seen, there’s hope in front of me

There’s a place at the end of the storm you’ll finally find
Where the hurt and the tears and the pain all fall behind
You open up your eyes and up ahead there’s a big sun shining
Right then and there you realize, you’ll be alright

There’s a hope still burning
I can feel it rising through the night
And my world’s still turning
I can feel Your love here by my side

You’re my hope
You’re the light I still see it
Your hands are holding me
Even when I don’t believe
Oh, I’ve got to believe, I‘ve got to believe

I still have hope
You are my hope

 Singer/Songwriter: Danny Gokey (with Bernie Herms and Brett James Cornelius)

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Danny Gokey performed on American Idol, Season Eight and finished in third place. Growing up in church, he did not want to go into Christian music…he wanted to do country.  After signing with his first record label and producing an album, he decided to change record labels and move to Christian music.

Gokey married his high school sweetheart who died just before he auditioned for American Idol. She had encouraged him to participate and, four weeks before the auditions, she died from complications after having surgery for a congenital heart condition. After completing the series, he began dating Leyicet Peralta, whom he married in 2012. 

Danny wrote and released Hope In Front Of Me in 2014.  He is inspiring those with his song to know that God is real. God loves no matter what.  When we are angry and shake our fists at Him, God is there.  He is ready to love us and see us through our difficult times.

I pray this song blesses you!

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , ,

Confidence in the Lord

July 27, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

My heart is confident in you, O God; my heart is confident.
No wonder I can sing your praises.
Psalm 57:7

Confidence means:

  • faith or belief that one will act in a right, proper, or effective way;
  • a feeling or consciousness of one’s power;
  • a quality or state of being certain

God can place some crazy dreams in our hearts and minds.  Those subtle desires that we think are impossible and even stop to wonder “Where did that come from?”  God is amazing.  Therefore, as His followers we really shouldn’t be surprised when He approaches us with some grand plan and wants to use us to make it come to pass.  What an honor!  But how often do we let us get in the way of God’s grand plan?  He says “Soar!” and, yet, we are too afraid to spread our wings.  God pushes us out of our comfort zone.  He wants to show us what He can do when we follow His lead.

What does any of this have to do with the word confidence?  Let me tell you.  The best part of God’s plan is that we can have full confidence that God will do as He says He will.  Philippians 1:6 says,

And I am certain [confident] that God, Who began the good work within you,
will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

So…has God called you to do something grand?  Something that requires your complete confidence in Him and not your own ability?  Do you have the confidence in Him to do it?

Noah did.  In the book of Genesis, we find Noah, the only one who found favor with the Lord during his time.

Noah was a righteous man,
blameless among the people of his time,
and he walked with God.
Genesis 6:9b

Noah walked with God..meaning Noah had a viable relationship with the Lord. Noah knew God and, because Noah spent time with Him and invested in his relationship with the Lord, he was able to have confidence in the Lord. So, when God told Noah to build an ark, Noah was able to build the ark certain that God would do as He said.

How’s your confidence in the Lord?  Enough to walk out on water like Peter? Rebuild the Jerusalem walls like Nehemiah?  Uproot yourself and not know where you’re going like Abraham?  To slay a giant with just a sling and stones like David? To give birth to the Savior of the world like Mary?  To hang on the cross and give your life for all mankind like Jesus?

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Lord, I pray that my confidence in You would grow.  That I would get to know You more intimately, so that when the time comes I won’t hesitate, or look back, but move forward with You.  Thank you for showing Yourself to me.  Amen.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

July 27, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Come, Thou Fount of ev’ry blessing, tune my heart to sing thy grace.
Streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet sung by flaming tongues above;
Praise the mount, I’m fixed upon it, mount of Thy redeeming love.

Here I raise my Ebenezer, hither by Thy help I come,
And I hope by Thy good pleasure safely to arrive at home.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for Thy courts above.

Jesus sought me when a stranger wandering from the fold of God.
He, to rescue me from danger, interposed His precious blood.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for Thy courts above.

O to grace, how great a debtor, daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness like a fetter bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for Thy courts above.
Seal it for Thy courts above.

Lyrics: Robert Robinson / Tune: ’Nettleton’ Asahel Nettleton,
This arrangement by Mack Wilberg

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Recently I have been struggling with a situation. I keep turning it over and over in my mind, unable to see how it can be resolved. One day last week, while pondering this issue once again, God placed this song in my heart. I kept coming back to the phrase “…tune my heart to sing Thy grace…”.

Finally it clicked.  The light bulb went on.  My responsibility is not to resolve this situation.  My responsibility is to fix my heart on God and praise Him.  He will deal with the rest.  Look at the following verses:

Rejoice in the Lord, O you [uncompromisingly] righteous
[you upright in right standing with God];
for praise is becoming and appropriate for those who are upright [in heart].
Psalm 33:1 AMP

The righteous one rejoices in the Lord and takes refuge in Him;
all those who are upright in heart will offer praise.
Psalm 64:10 HCSB

So that we who first hoped in Christ [who first put our confidence in Him
have been destined and appointed to] live for the praise of His glory!
so that we who had already put our hope in the Messiah might bring praise to His glory.
Ephesians 1:12 AMP & HCSB

Not once in any of these verses does it say it is up to me to resolve my issues.  Not once!  But it does reiterate over and over again that my purpose is to praise and rejoice in the Lord.  Sounds so simple, doesn’t it?  Yet we all struggle with this, don’t we?  I am prone to wander and to take the burden on myself.  I don’t know about y’all, but I am a “fixer.”  Maybe that stems from being a wife and mother.  But nowhere in the above verses does it say it is my responsibility to fix things. In fact, the following verses indicate that it is not my place to fix anything on my own.

Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you;
Give your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you.
Psalm 55:22a AMP & NLT

Blessed be the Lord, Who bears our burdens and carries us day by day,
even the God Who is our salvation!
Psalm 68:19

Doesn’t that lift your spirits and make your heart smile?  God bears our burdens. He is in control.  All we need to do is fix our wandering hearts on Him and sing His praises.  He will handle the rest.

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Sing this verse with me as we make it our heartfelt prayer:

“O to grace, how great a debtor, daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness like a fetter bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for Thy courts above.
Seal it for Thy courts above.”

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Through the Praise of Children and Infants

July 26, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Psalm 8
LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is Your name in all the earth!
You have set Your glory
in the heavens.
Through the praise of children and infants
you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.
When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?
You have made them a little lower than the angels
and crowned them with glory and honor.
You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
you put everything under their feet:
all flocks and herds,
and the animals of the wild,
the birds in the sky,
and the fish in the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.
LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Growing up in church, I participated a great deal in children’s programs, and my relationship with God grew and became a source of strength.  But the impact that a child’s faith could have on me changed greatly when I had my own children.  When I saw them praising God, and sharing their faith with their peers…and when I can use the Word of God to help direct their daily journey.  My own journey has a different impact and takes on a different meaning when I look at it through the eyes of my kids.

“When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers….”  When I look around at the beauty of the world…at the beauty of my family and my home…when I look at the wonderful people around me…I am thankful.  God has created beauty. And He has given us the gift of caring for this beauty.  There are times when my husband or kids ask to borrow something of mine, something that perhaps I treasure, I am not as willing to share as I should be.  I worry that what I lend may be lost or broken. God is not like this.  He created beauty, His most prized possessions, and He placed us in charge.  He gave us the honor of caring for what He created.

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Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for using the innocence of children to silence Your enemies. Their untarnished love and honesty can bring a clarity to situations often that we need. Thank You for the responsibility of raising these children, the responsibility of looking after Your magnificent creations—the beauty all around us. Please help us to care for these creations as You would have us care for them. In Jesus’ Name, we pray, amen.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , ,

10,000 Reasons

July 26, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before, O my soul
I’ll worship Your holy name

The sun comes up, it’s a new day dawning
It’s time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes

You’re rich in love, and You’re slow to anger
Your name is great, and Your heart is kind
For all Your goodness I will keep on singing
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find

And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near and my time has come
Still my soul will sing Your praise unending
Ten thousand years and then forevermore

Jesus, I’ll worship Your holy name
Lord, I’ll worship Your holy name

 Singer/Songwriter Matt Redman with Jonas Myrin

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What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear this song?  For me, it’s all the things God has redeemed me from….  God has been so good to me!

Here is what God wants from us in return:

For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.
Do all things without murmurings and disputings….
Philippians 2:13-14 (KJV)

We are to do ALL things without murmurings and disputings (or complaining).  I heard Joyce Meyer once say, “Complain and Remain, or Praise and Be Raised.” This reminds me of the Israelites who complained on the 40 year journey that should have only taken them 11 days.

Does this mean that we have to like our current circumstances?  NO!!  In fact I haven’t liked most of my circumstances.  But it does mean that we trust God’s faithfulness so much.  And that we hold onto the joy that is only found in Him. And we choose to remember and be thankful for what He has done for us and then be obedient to what He calls us to do.  Obedience is at the core of receiving this new life of blessings.

He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
Luke 11:28 NIV

No matter what we are currently walking through…God is worthy to be praised!

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Heavenly Father, I bless Your Holy name and thank You that whatever may pass or whatever lies before me…I will be singing before the evening comes.  Bless the Lord, O my soul!  Lord, I’ll worship Your Holy Name. Amen.

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,
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