Breathe on me, Breath of God

Breathe on me, Breath of God,
fill me with life anew,
that I may love the way you love,
and do what you would do.


Breathe on me, Breath of God,
until my heart is pure,
until my will is one with yours,
to do and to endure.


Breathe on me, Breath of God,
so shall I never die,
but live with you the perfect life
for all eternity.

Psalter Hymnal, 1987

The text is a prayer for renewal by God's Spirit (like Ps. 51:10-12), a renewal that is to be expressed in a life of love (st. 1), in purity of heart and will (st. 2), and in an intimacy with God that heralds the perfection of eternal life (st. 3). In both Hebrew and Greek the Word for "spirit" is the same as "wind/air/breath"; thus in this text the Spirit of God is referred to as "Breath of God."
Intended as a hymn for ordination, this text by Edwin Hatch (b. Derby, England, 1835; d. Oxford, England, 1889) was privately printed in 1878 and then published in Henry Allon's The Congregational Psalmist Hymnal in 1886. Hatch evidently had a simple and childlike faith; that description fits this text as well.
 

Who said it?

“Those who know, do. Those that understand, teach."

This is so much better than "Those who can, do and those who can't, teach," attributed to George Bernard Shaw. The truer quote has been mis-attributed to Aristotle, but I can't find a correct attribution.  I can still love the quote, though!

Thanksgiving

Let us come to him with thanksgiving. Let us sing psalms of praise to him.

Psalm 95:2 (NLT)

Loving the Stars

"I have loved the stars too truly to be fearful of the night."

From: The Old Astronomer  (1868) by Sarah Williams

I saw this on the laptop of one of my students amidst a sea of other stickers about nature and being outdoors. When I picked it out and commented on how beautiful it was, she said it was her favorite, too. 

Be an Encouragement

Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

Ephesians 4:29 (NLT)

Joyful

And so, my children, listen to me, for all who follow my ways are joyful. Listen to my instruction and be wise. Don’t ignore it. Joyful are those who listen to me, watching for me daily at my gates, waiting for me outside my home!

Proverbs 8:32-35 New Living Translation (NLT)

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.
2 Timothy 3:16 (NLT)

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Another timely quote as I struggle with improvements and changes I need to make in my life. Scripture is inspired by God and God inspires us through the scripture (and the Holy Spirit). God is good. :-)