November 17, 2024

This Week…PEACE (Advent, week two)

December 12, 2014 by

SHpeaceluke1

Here on the Seeking Him blog this past week, we have focused on the subject of PEACE as part of our Advent devotionals.  Jesus came to be our peace…to bring the peace that comes from redeeming us from sin.  Here are some excerpts from this week’s devotionals…

*    ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Tina reminded us in Sweet Peace of the angels’ words to the shepherds.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men in whom He is well pleased. And it came to pass, when the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing that is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in the manger. And when they saw it, they made known concerning the saying which was spoken to them about this Child. And all that heard it wondered at the things which were spoken unto them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, even as it was spoken unto them.
Luke 2:13-20 ASV

In her devotional, Peace Which Passes Understanding, Ann encouraged us to remember the following promise.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding,
shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:7

 

Ahmee also reminded us of another of God’s promises…of great comfort in Peace, Be Still

Be still, and know that I am God!
Psalm 46:10a

 

Writing on the Prince of Peace, Cynda shared with us the prophecy that Isaiah spoke about the coming Messiah.

For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given;
and the government shall be upon His shoulder,
and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father [of Eternity], Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6 AMP

At the conclusion of their devotionals,Tina, Cynda, Ann, and Ahmee each shared a beautiful prayer or a blessing; and I thought it would be a joy to revisit them here at the end of the week.

May the Lord turn His face toward you
and give you peace this Christmas season and all year long.
2 Thessalonians 3:16

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 1:2

~   ♥   ~

Father, we pray for Your peace during the Christmas season.  We want to understand and learn about You and Your Son in a new and unexpected way.  Holy Spirit, open our eyes and hearts to receive You in a new and exciting way.  Let us have a new passion for Your word and Your ways, Lord.  In Jesus’ name we pray and ask these things, amen.

~   ♥   ~

Rest.
Be at peace.
Then ask the Lord what’s next so that you can tackle all you need to
…but at peace.

~   ♥   ~

Lord, I thank You for the peace that passes all understanding.  I thank You for the peace I have within that is moving me from one level of glory to another.  I really appreciate You, Abba Father, for this is not unto me alone, it is also to my friends who are reading this devotion.

May You give us the grace of increased faith in You which will bring peace into our hearts.  May our hope be in You as You are PEACE Yourself, Lord.  Blessed be Your name now and forever more.  In Jesus’ name, I pray.

Amen!!!

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Peace Peace

December 11, 2014 by

SHpeaceluke1

Peace, peace, it’s hard to find
Trouble comes like wrecking ball
To your peace of mind
And all that worry you can’t leave behind you

All your hopes and fears
All your hopes and fears, oh
All your hopes and fears
Are met in Him tonight

Peace, peace, it’s hard to find
Doubt comes like a tiny voice that’s so unkind
And all your fears
They conspire to unwind you

And in your dark street shines
The everlasting Light
And all your hopes and fears
Are met in Him tonight

Peace, peace
Peace, peace
Peace, peace

Singer/Songwriter: Sara Groves

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

God With Us

December 11, 2014 by

phssChristmasgraphic2014

You’ve come to bring peace, to be Love
To be nearer to us
You’ve come to bring life, to be Light
To shine brighter in us

Oh, Emmanuel
God with us

Our Deliverer, You are Savior
In Your presence we find our strength
Over ev’rything, our Redemption
God with us
You are God with us

Oh, You’ve come to be hope to this world
For Your honor and name
And You’ve come to take sin, to bear shame
And to conquer the grave

You are here
You are holy
We are standing in Your glory

Singer/Songwriters: Jason Ingram, Leslie Jordan  ~ All Sons and Daughters

*   ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Joy
Love
Hope
Light
Peace
Savior
Strength
Deliverer
Redemption
Emmanuel—God with us!

In this beautiful song, these names are sung in praise of Jesus.  They are just a few of the names/titles by which Jesus is referred to throughout the Scriptures…some proclaimed by God, some through His prophets and some given by man.  One of the most significant is Immanuel.

The name Emmanuel (also Immanuel or Imanu’el) of the Hebrew עִמָּנוּאֵל ” God [is] with us” consists of two Hebrew words: אֵל (EL, meaning ‘God’) and עִמָּנוּ (ʻImmānū, meaning ‘with us’). **  And this very special name, as Matthew tells us, means “God with us.” Jesus Christ is Immanuel, “God with us.” This name was first given by the prophet Isaiah more than 700 years before Jesus’ birth.

Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign:
Behold, the young woman who is unmarried and a virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and shall call his name Immanuel [God with us].
Isaiah 7:14

God’s people trusted and waited for the fulfillment of this promise for a long time.  Mary and Joseph, having been raised by parents who believed this promise and taught them about the coming Messiah, also had it in their own hearts.  Can you only imagine what stirred in Joseph’s heart as the angel told him,

…an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife,
because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
She will give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus,
because He will save His people from their sins.
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

Matthew 1:20-23
{read the whole passage here}

When God sent His Son to ‘dwell among us’ it was as if God was with us.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God; and all things were made through Him
and apart from Him nothing was made which was made…
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory,
glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth
John 1:1-3, 14

This verse speaks that ‘God with us’ to me so clearly!  What an incredible plan Almighty God had from the beginning to rescue and redeem us—to save us by sending His Son to live among us.

Jesus always gave honor and glory to His Father…never placing it upon Himself (even when others tried to).  I am sure His example constantly showed His disciples that He always did His Father’s will…and that they should do so also.

Even towards the end He faithfully and lovingly prepared and comforted their hearts. During the Last Supper, when He was alone with just those closest to Him, Jesus told them many times and in many ways that He no longer would be with them BUT they would not be alone…He would send the Paraclete—the Comforter, the Holy Spirit.  And reminded them again and again how He had been Emmanuel—God with {them}.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.”  Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.”  Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know Me, Philip? Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?  Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own authority, but the Father who dwells in Me does His works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.  Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in My Name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My Name, I will do it.”

John 14:6-14

*   ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

What a loving Lord and Savior!  He came to be Immanuel ~ God with us.  In this one name, everything mankind has ever needed—and still needs!—was brought to earth.   God’s promise of salvation was fulfilled in His Gift of Jesus.  How blessed we are that it was His plan for Jesus to become Immanuel—God with us. May we be thankful for that provision as we wait for the fullness of Immanuel when Jesus returns to gather the Church and we live for eternity in His Presence…truly God <will be> with us!

The songwriter of the carol, Hark, The Herald Angels Sing, Charles Wesley, wrote his understanding of the awesome glory of Jesus being Emmanuel with the words below; may we echo the same!

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased as man with man to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel.

** click here for more info from the Strong’s Concordance of the Bible

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

Squash Fries

December 8, 2014 by

Yup!  You certainly read that correctly!   FRIES!  Check ’em out!

2014-12-07 21.38.18

And they were DEEEE-licious!  OK, so i have to tell you…my sister’s boyfriend, Mark, made a version of these for us when we went up to visit at his lakeside home in the fall.  They were so yummy!  And I have been meaning to make a batch but just hadn’t gotten around to it.  So when I asked Robert to pick from these squash in our pantry…I really didn’t think this would be his choice.  (I really thought he was going to ask for the pumpkin with stew baked in it.)

2014-12-07 20.45.53

Now, you probably have heard me mention once or twice (or more!) how much I love Butternut squash… 😉  But these Delicata squash are a very close contender in my estimation.

Delicata are smaller than most other winter squashes. Their skin is also much thinner (think like a baked apple skin).  Making them super-easy to clean and cut—no peeling involved!   These fries fit so well into our healthy but oh-so-yummy POV, don’t you think?  Here is some additional nutritional info about Delicata squash.

Now, remember do NOT peel these Delicata squash…the skin is totally edible!!!  I hope you will give them a try.  Enjoy!

Squash Fries

ingredients:2014-12-07 20.54.51

2-3 Delicata squash
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil  (I use ‘cold-pressed’)
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning, freshly ground
additional salt & lemon-pepper

directions:

  • preheat oven to 425
  • line a baking sheet with parchment paper *
  • wash and dry the squash
  • cut the ends off
  • cut each of the squash in half lengthwise
  • scrape out the seeds
  • slice into 1/2″ thick slices (half-moon shape)
  • use a large bowl, and toss the sliced squash, the oil and seasonings together
    NOTE: you probably won’t need all of the oil; use just enough. I used only 1+1/2 tablespoons
  • pour the seasoned squash pieces onto the lined baking sheet; place in oven
  • bake for 15 minutes; flip each piece over
  • bake for an additional 6-8 minutes ‘til squash is tender and nicely caramelized
  • remove from oven, and season liberally to taste
  • serve immediately

* of course, you can use foil as an alternative but they will be a bit greasier

 ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥

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

♥  coleen

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You Are The Voice of Hope

December 6, 2014 by

SHhopeadvent

As high as the heavens are above the earth
So high are Your ways to mine
Ways so perfect they never fail me
I know You are good all the time
And through the storm yet I will praise You
Despite it all yet I will sing
Through good or bad yet I will worship
For You remain the same King of kings

You are the voice of hope
The Anchor of my soul
Where there seems to be no way
You make it possible
You are the Prince of peace
Amidst adversity
My lips will shout for joy
To You the Most High

You were the One before time began
There’s nothing beyond Your control
My confidence my assurance
Rest in Your unchanging word

Singer/Songwriter: Lara Martin along with the Abundant Life Church choir & orchestra

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This Week…HOPE (Advent, week one)

December 5, 2014 by

SHhopeadvent

This week, here on the Seeking Him devotional blog, Ann, Ahmee, Cynda, and Tina have written such wonderful devotionals encouraging us to hold onto the hope that comes through our Lord, Jesus Christ.

At the beginning of the week, in Advent Week One…Hope, Tina shared a wonderful resource that outlined some ideas about Advent and specifically about the symbolism and Scriptural background of lighting the candles on an Advent wreath.  She also wrote,

“The first week of the Advent season is to acknowledge hope. Hope is where we realize that God will always fulfill His promises. It does not mean we will not see troubles, but we will see God’s best, as long as we seek His Will first. As we celebrate this Christmas season, let’s just forget the political correctness…let us worship and proclaim our Savior’s birth as never before!”

~   ♥   ~

In Living Hope, Cynda shared this great perspective.

“Look at it this way:

  • Without Christ…there is no Christmas.
  • Without that miraculous birth…there is no crucifixion or resurrection.
  • Without Christ’s resurrection…there would be no hope.

Christ alone is our eternal hope, our living hope.”

~   ♥   ~

In False Hope, Ahmee helped us to see what TRUE hope is…and what FALSE hope is.

“Hope is a good thing. Hope means ‘to trust in, wait for, look for, or desire something or someone; or to expect something beneficial in the future‘. I’ve also heard it said that hope is a confident expectation of good.

False hope is a powerful tool, as well. I would say that false hope is hope in something that either is not real, distorted, (but most clearly) not grounded in God Almighty. False hope is putting your trust in human beings and believing that they have the ability to do what only God can do.”

~   ♥   ~

In Hope in the Lord, Ann reminded us what God has promised in Isaiah 40:31—

“Those who hope in the Lord have His promise of…

  • strength to revive them in the midst of exhaustion and weakness and suffering and trial
  • the ability to rise above their difficulties like an eagle that soars into the sky
  • the ability to run spiritually without tiring
  • being able to walk steadily forward without fainting at God’s delays”

~   ♥   ~

Dear Lord, we rest on the promises You have made knowing You are a faithful God.   Thank You for Your promise of a Savior, a Redeemer and the birth of Your Son that fulfilled that promise.  Thank You for Your promise, Lord, that You will return and Your will gather Your church and You will bring us to our eternal home.  As we continue through this season of Advent…focusing on all that the birth of Immanuel means…may our hope be sure and steadfast.  We love You and adore You…and pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

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The Christmas Hope

December 4, 2014 by

phssChristmasgraphic2014

Her wish this Christmas
Was that Christmas would just pass her by
Nothing could reach her
Or answer her questions why
She feels so alone
And she wonders if all hope is gone

Hope is a candle
A light in the window
Showing the way for
A heart to come home
Hope is a Savior
Who was born in the manger
Sent down from Heaven
To rescue our hearts
Our Christmas hope

She never imagined
That for her there was hope to find
But isn’t it amazing
How God brings a heart back to life
She’s smiling now she’s finding out
What Christmas hope is all about

Hope is a present
A gift freely given
To all who receive
And open their hearts
Hope is a promise
For a better tomorrow
In a world filled with sorrow
We always have hope

Songwriters: Eddie Carswell and Matthew West ~ Performed by NewSong

 *    ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Hope is a Savior
Who was born in the manger
sent down from Heaven
to rescue our hearts

Yes!  This IS part of our Christmas hope!  This is our daily hope!  This is the foundation of our eternal hope!  And accompanying our hope—trust and faith that He is coming back again!

This song was written as part of the soundtrack for the movie ‘Christmas Hope’ a faith-based movie about the lives of hurt, sad people and how they intertwine through times of tragedy and hope and restoration. (If you haven’t already seen this movie, it is a wonderful one to add to your holiday playlist!)

Just like the fictional folk who are part of the story of ‘Christmas Hope’ we, too, desperately need hope…sometimes it seems…at every turn of our lives. And, just like Patty, Mark, Nathan, and little Emily, we HAVE been given the greatest Hope there could possibly be—a Savior, a Redeemer—Jesus Christ!

God’s people waited for hundreds of years for the fulfillment of the promise of a child to be born of the line of David in Bethlehem. They believed and trusted and waited with HOPE for the promise to be fulfilled.

Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign:
Behold, the young woman who is unmarried and a virgin
shall conceive and bear a son,
and shall call his name Immanuel [God with us].
Isaiah 7:14

(See also Micah 5:2; Jeremiah 23:5 and 6; Isaiah 9:1-2, 6-7…among many other verses.)

God also made promises to a young Hebrew girl.  She had been taught by her parents about the promised Redeemer and had this hope within her heart.  God sent His messenger Gabriel to give her another promise.  This surely must have increased her hope!

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”
Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.”

(excerpts from Luke 1:28-35)

Promises made in olden times have already come to pass—Jesus, the Son of God, was born and ultimately gave His life fulfilling many more promises.  And hope has been realized!  We cling to promises made that are still unfulfilled…promises that fuel our hope because we know the One Who has promised IS faithful!!!  May these be a vital part of our Christmas Hope!

And said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven?
This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven,
will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven.”
Acts 1:11

…so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many,
will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin,
to those who eagerly await Him.
Hebrews 9:28

Awaiting and looking for the [fulfillment, realization of our] blessed hope,
even the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior
Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One)…
Titus 2:13

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

Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus

December 3, 2014 by

 

SHhopeadventI wait for the Lord, I expectantly wait, and in His word do I hope.
I am looking and waiting for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning,
I say, more than watchmen for the morning.
O Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is mercy and loving-kindness,
and with Him is plenteous redemption.
And He will redeem Israel from all their iniquities.
Psalms 130:5-8

Come, Thou long-expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free
From our fears and sins release us
Let us find our rest in Thee
Israel’s strength and consolation
Hope of all the earth Thou art
Dear desire of every nation
Joy of every longing heart

Born Thy people to deliver
Born a child and yet a King
Born to reign in us forever
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone
By Thine all sufficient merit
Raise us to Thy glorious throne

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Mini Gingerbread Cupcakes

December 1, 2014 by

2014-11-30 20.38.40

For our family’s Thanksgiving Feast (as the grandchildren call it!), we always divvy up all of the different dishes that make up our spread.  This year I was happy to prepare a side dish (Quinoa Veggie Salad w/ Orange Vinaigrette), the beverages (one <adult> choice of which was Apple Cider Sangria), and a dessert…these spicy-sweet Gingerbread Mini-Cupcakes. Oh, they were so darling! And just the perfect mouthful (and I mean FULL).  <Of course you certainly could make these in a standard cupcake size, too!>

2014-11-27 13.11.15

For those of you who are just beginning to follow the path of gluten-free baking, try this recipe.  When I first made these cupcakes, I used a ‘gf all-purpose flour blend.’ You can pick up a box in the gluten-free section of almost any grocery store. However, if you have a pantry filled with jars of different gluten-free flours, I used 1/2 cup brown rice flour, 1/4 cup tapioca flour, 1/4 cup potato starch, 1/4 cup hazelnut flour).  Note that these are dairy-free if you prepare them with coconut oil…and of course no whipped cream!

This is a quick recipe to pull together…and only takes 10-12 minutes to bake. We enjoyed ours with Spiced Whipped Cream (see the recipe from last week’s blogpost here).  But they would be equally yummy with a cream cheese frosting or a simple buttercream frosting, too.  Enjoy!

2014-11-29 22.51.34

Mini Gingerbread Cupcakes

ingredients:
1+1/4 cup gluten-free all purpose flour blend **
1+1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
4T butter, room temperature (I used coconut oil)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup boiling water

directions:

  • set out the butter (or coconut oil) and egg to come to room temperature
  • fill muffin/cupcake tins with liners (mini = 30; regular = 12)
  • preheat oven to 350
  • mix flour(s) and spices together in a small bowl
  • with mixer, cream together butter (or coconut oil) and sugar
  • add egg, then molasses; beating ‘til nice and creamy
  • microwave the water in a measuring cup ‘til boiling; remove and <carefully> stir in the baking soda; set aside
  • add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl, and blend for about 1 minute ‘til it all comes together
  • continue to blend while pouring in the water; beat for an additional minute or so (batter will seem thin but it very quickly thickens up)
  • fill lined cupcake tins about 3/4 full with batter
  • bake minis for 10-12 minutes (regular for 20 minutes), or ‘til firm to the touch and slightly browned
  • take pan from oven and immediately remove cupcakes to a cooling rack
  • once completely cool, frost as desired

 ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥

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

♥  coleen

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

The Sacrifice Of Praise

November 29, 2014 by

seekingHimthanksgivinggraphic

 

Through Him, therefore, let us constantly and at all times
offer up to God a sacrifice of praise,
which is the fruit of lips
that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify His name.
Hebrews 13:15 AMP

Lord, I lift a song of worship
For Your glory and Your grace
Let my heart reveal all my words fail to say
Lord, receive this sacrifice of praise

On the mountain in the valley
As I wait in my secret place
I will trust trust in the name of the Lord
Now receive this sacrifice of praise
Now receive this sacrifice of praise

You’re my shield, You’re my shelter
From the storm and from the rain
Cover me beneath the shadow of Your wings
Lord, receive this sacrifice of praise

Hallelujah, hallelujah
Hallelujah to Your name
For all You’ve done
You are and evermore will be
Lord, receive this sacrifice of praise

 

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