I Believe

We all believe in something, and no matter how hard someone tries, there is no way to change your mind. I, too, have a belief, and no one can change my mind. I believe in the One true and righteous King of the Universe. 

I Believe 

 

Lord! I believe!

I believe You are the Son of God;

That You died for me.

I believe Your arms are open wide-

You are always by my side.

There is nothing more I must decide-

Only to believe!

I believe in Your grace

And the promise of my permanent resting place.

I believe You forgive me in my wrath,

You forgive my wayward deeds,

You forgive my unfruitful seeds.

I believe I am saved-

No longer lost,

And it was You who paid the cost.

Lord!

I believe every scripture verse;

You are the King of the Universe, 

The Bread of Life,

The Light of the World,

The Beginning and the End.

Lord! I believe!

 

Mary Crisp Jameson 2/20/2026

 

“Do not let your hearts be troubles. You believe in God; believe also in me." John 14:1 

 

“But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.” John 20:31 

 

 

 

I Am

In Exodus 3:14, God told Moses, “I Am Who I Am.” God is truly the great “I Am”, However, I wanted to see what other scriptures told me about “I Am”. This is what I found in my search. Jesus said:  

John 15:6        “I am the Vine.”

John 15:1        “I am the True Vine.”

John 6:35        “I am the Bread of Life.”

John 10:11      “I am the Good Shepherd.”

John 8:12        “I am the Light of the World.” 

John 10:7,9     “I am the Door (Gate) of the sheep.”

John 11:25      “I am the Resurrection and the Life.”

John 14:6        “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life.”

 

I end by saying that “I am nothing" without my God and my Jesus1

 

Heart Vs Head

Woe to the one who has to analyze everything! There are just some things the human mind cannot comprehend, like: Why would Jesus leave His heavenly throne; His Father in glory and come to earth to be persecuted and to shed His blood for me? Why would He continually offer grace when I ask forgiveness but keep on sinning? Why would He walk with me through my trials and continue to bless me? Why does my heart leap with joy when I pray to Him? It is not for me to figure out. It is only for me to "Believe!"

Heart vs Head Knowledge 

 

Heart knowledge

Is so much more than college.

To know Him fills me to the brim;

It elevates-

Makes strong the waits.

His love ascends and never ends-

It transcends!

An ounce of heart 

Blows head knowledge off the chart.

To know Christ is not overpriced.

He is the Bread of Life-

The end of heart’s strife.

He is what I panted after.

He is my laughter!

He is my delight, protecting through the night. 

He takes away the dark and gives life its spark.

To know Him is to love Him,

Sending the heart leaping into a happy hymn. 

Heart learning is, Jesus, yearning-

Wanting more of what He has in store.

Heart knowledge, not college,

Makes Jesus my friend as I comprehend;

I’m no longer man born of female-

No longer frail and living just a few more days-

No longer traveling a wayward maze.

Heart knowledge is letting Jesus amaze

Until, upon His face, I gaze.

The more He pulls my heartstrings, 

The higher my heart sings.

 

Mary Crisp Jameson 10/14/2024 

 

“…And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.”  Ephesians 3:17b-18

Bread of Life

Have you had your bread today?

     The Bread of Life

Wherefore cometh my satisfaction;

  my movement to action?
Wherefore cometh my contentment;
  my release from resentment?
Not from the love of man
  who walks this land;
Nor from riches or fame
  or triumphs to proclaim.
It cometh from the Bread of Life;
  from the Living Water;
Jesus Christ, the One who satisfies my hunger,
  my thirst,  though my heart is sad to burst. 
It is He- the Fountain of Water;
The One, rarer by far;
The Spirit resting where heartbeats are. 
The Spirit leading when sins would mar.   
Wherefore cometh my joy and calm?
From faith that I am in His outreached palm. 
                   Mary Nell Jameson

John 6:36  "Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."

 

The Bread of Life

     I didn’t see it coming! It crept in unaware.    What once looked enticing no longer gives joy. What once was comfortable no longer fits quite right. What once looked lean and trim no longer does.  Buttons don’t button. Zippers won’t zip. Tummies bulge, muscles droop, and chins sag.  Not at all the "blast from the past." 
     There is so much that can be said about bread and what its fattening power can impose upon the body.

     Yet, there is good bread, One which can strengthen the heart of man without the fear of gaining weight.
     John 6:33; 35-40 “For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
     “Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. ³⁶ But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. ³⁷ All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. ³⁸ For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. ³⁹ And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. ⁴⁰ For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
     Giving more thought to the Bread of Life, I pray to live more on the Word than on the abundance of food.
     Matthew 4:4 “Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”

The Perfect Diet

     The perfect diet has been researched for years, but people still struggle with weight control.  As I sit here in “A Friendly Shade” I feel myself getting complacent and putting on weight.  Maybe I do need a change of diet; one that fills me up and does not leave me with cravings. I need to change the “bread” I consume.
     Thinking on this, I remember one of my pastors telling about the time he was determined to fast for 21 days.  He was doing pretty good until one day when he became extremely hungry.  He was about to break the fast but then heard a voice saying, “You have not had your bread today.”  Immediately the pastor dropped what he was doing outside, went into the house, and picked up his Bible.  He needed the “Bread of Life.”  After finishing the Bible reading he stated he was no longer hungry.
     Once again I can relate to the “bread” I consume as I remember what a friend told me about a class of children she was teaching.  The friend was explaining to the class how religions practice their faith differently, but they all believed in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life”  The lady then asked one of the children, “How do you practice your faith?”  The child replied, “Well I am a Missionary Baptist and we eat.”   The lady asked, “What do you mean?”  The child continued, “Every Sunday we go to church early and we eat.  Every fifth Sunday we have potluck at church and we eat.  Then every second Friday night our church has a gospel singing and we eat.  So that is how we practice our religion.”    
    Sounds like my kind of church!  I am sure the “Bread of Life” is watching over that congregation.