March 18, 2026

The Lord Protects Me

February 16, 2014 by

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Then I called on the name of the Lord : “Please, Lord , save me!”
How kind the Lord is! How good He is! So merciful, this God of ours!
The Lord protects those of childlike faith; I was facing death, and He saved me.
Let my soul be at rest again, for the Lord has been good to me.
Psalms 116:4-7

The Lord is my protection.

I had almost forgot.  In my busy daily routine, I’d almost forgotten this important fact.  I’ve been spending quite some time creating a comfortable and safe environment for myself.  I’ve got my group of close friends, established myself at both jobs, gotten my apartment fixed up and feeling “homey” and established comforting routines.  All factors that contribute to me feeling safe.

But things are changing too fast and I feel like my safety zones are falling apart.  I’m moving back home with my parents.  So, packing and the “un-homey” feeling in my apartment is a current task.  I’m significantly reducing my hours at one job.  I’m feeling isolated from my friends and family and, to top it all off, I’m facing a dilemma at the other job that is directly assaulting my safety zone and I feel nothing is being done to address the issue.  I no longer feel safe.

The Lord is my protection.

After relying on company policies and trying to do things, in what seemed to be, the right way; and, in my opinion, being shot down, I’ve pondered and mulled over trying to make sense of my world.  The world that I thought I’d isolated so well; that I was untouchable from the injustice of this world’s system.  Then it dawned on me: I was relying on the comforts and safety I could set up to protect me.  (I must have forgotten I am only human.)

During all of this, I’ve talked to the Lord and explained how I feel.  I’ve taken each emotion to Him.  I’ve even stared into the sky and told Him that I didn’t feel this was something I should have to deal with.

Then I called on the name of the Lord:
“Please, Lord , save me!”  How kind the Lord is!  How good He is!
So merciful, this God of ours!  The Lord protects those of childlike faith;
I was facing death, and He saved me.  Let my soul be at rest again,
for the Lord has been good to me.
Psalms 116:4-7

The Word of God says that the Lord protects those of childlike faith.  Given my current situation I can bring nothing to the table but childlike faith—because I have nothing left.  After I paused and went to the Word, I found a Scripture that fits my situation perfectly:

Proverbs 29:25
Fear of man will prove to be a snare,
but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.

Ultimately, what I’m struggling with is fear. My ‘safe’ doesn’t feel safe and I’m afraid. The fact that I already have a lot going on does not help the situation, and neither do my sleepless nights.  The fact that I feel helpless and misunderstood doesn’t help either, but God’s Word says trusting Him is safety.  And, as we know God’s Word is truth, I need to trust Him.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Lord, I am thankful that no matter what I’m going through You always have something for me in Your Word to guide me.  And although fear is threatening to paralyze me, I know that You are greater.  Thank You for watching over me, and I trust that Your understanding of these situations is far greater than mine. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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CHRISTLife — Week Six

February 16, 2014 by

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So! I have briefly read through each of the chapters we will be studying this week in CHRISTLife: Embracing Your True and Deepest Identity.  As always, Mrs. Myers shares the Truth and additional godly images that encourage us to say “I AM what God says I am!”  (Are you more and more believing it? Can you say it wholeheartedly?)

This week’s chapters are:

Always A Receiver…focusing on grace, grace, and more grace!

1 Corinthians 15:10
But by the grace of God I am what I am,
and His grace to me was not without effect.

New Altogether…take God at His Word; and see yourself as the new creation that He has made you to be!

Colossians 3:9 and 10
Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self
with its practices and have put on the new self,
which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its Creator.

Empowered…In Christ we have absolutely all the strength we will ever need to do any thing that He calls or commands us to do!

Philippians 4:13
I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me
[I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him
Who infuses inner strength into me;
I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].

Enlightened…No longer do we dwell and walk in darkness! Let your little light shine!

2 Corinthians 4:6
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”
made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light
of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

(And then as we jump into Part Three, Three Pillars of our New Identity)
Belonging… to God because of His love that accepts us into union with Himself!

Ephesians 2:19
Therefore you are no longer outsiders (exiles, migrants, and aliens,
excluded from the rights of citizens), but you now share citizenship
with the saints; and you belong to God’s [own] household.

And throughout each of the chapters we study this week, there seems to me to be an underlying message that is communicated throughout—giving praise to God for the Truth of our identity.  As we continue to look at the facts of just who we are in Christ and faithfully replace the old, negative images (lies) with the Truth and reality of our True eternal, spiritual life.

  • We can praise Him for the new creation we are and the new life we are living.
  • We can praise Him that through Jesus we, who are weak, are made strong.
  • We can praise Him that we can see because ‘in His light we see light.”
  • We can praise Him for all that His precious, unconditional, everlasting Love brings into our lives.
  • We can praise Him that we will never again be on the outside…through Jesus’ blood we now belong.
  • We can praise and thank Him wholeheartedly declaring “I AM who God says I am!”
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Take My Life And Let It Be

February 16, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

~  Listen while you read, please!  ~

Take my life, and let it be 
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee; 
Take my moments and my days, 
Let them flow in ceaseless praise, 
Let them flow in ceaseless praise. 

Take my hands, and let them move 
At the impulse of Thy love; 
Take my feet and let them be 
Swift and beautiful for Thee, 
Swift and beautiful for Thee. 

Take my voice, and let me sing 
Always, only, for my King; 
Take my lips, and let them be 
Filled with messages from Thee, 
Filled with messages from Thee. 

Take my silver and my gold; 
Not a mite would I withhold; 
Take my intellect, and use 
Every power as Thou shalt choose, 
Every power as Thou shalt choose. 

Take my will, and make it Thine; 
It shall be no longer mine. 
Take my heart; it is Thine own; 
It shall be Thy royal throne, 
It shall be Thy royal throne. 

Take my love; my Lord, I pour 
At Thy feet its treasure-store. 
Take myself, and I will be 
Ever, only, all for Thee, 
Ever, only, all for Thee.


  ~Frances Havergal-lyrics; Henri Malan-melody; performed by School of Worship~
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Psalm 19:14
The psalmist, David, certainly seemed to have the same praise-filled thoughts in mind as did Ms. Havergal!  In this beautiful song of commitment, not only does she pledge her life (moments, days) but her physical selves (hands, feet, voice and lips) as well every thing of value she had (silver&gold, intellect) but all that was intriciscally ‘them’ (will, heart, love…and whole self).  How about you?  I am sure you have voiced words similar to these to Almighty God.

God deserves our all, every bit of what makes you…you; and what makes me…me. Anything that is in us that is good and righteous and pure and holy He has given to us…none of it is of our own doing.

Which is your favorite verse of this song?  Is there a particular one that your heart just sings out?  (Would you take a moment and leave a comment below sharing your thoughts?)  I love each and every one the verses but I think my current favorite is

Take my love; my Lord, I pour  at Thy feet its treasure-store. 
Take myself and I will be ever, only, all for Thee (ever, only, all for Thee).

The love that I have is only pure and good and perfect love because God has placed it into my heart.

Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us,
for God’s love has been poured out in our hearts
through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us.
Romans 5:5

 And so, I have this beautiful love—truly my ‘treasure-store’—to pour at His feet symbolically as a sacrifice.  It symbolizes my promise, my commitment, my pledge of my whole self to the One Who loves me so!

Consider these verses, friends, as further statements of dedication and commitment. God truly deserves all that we are—proof of our love for Him!

I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg you in view of [all] the mercies of God,
to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God,
which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship.
Romans 12:1 (Amplified)

I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy.
Leviticus 11:44

*   *   *   *   *

Dear Lord, we do SO want to dedicate ourselves—every part of us—to You, our Maker!  Please help us to change our hearts in any areas that may get in the way of this.  Today may we choose to offer ourselves—all we are and all we have—to You!   You deserve our ALL!  We ask these things in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

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Forgiveness – Matthew West

February 15, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

~  Listen while you read, please!  ~

It’s the hardest thing to give away and the last thing on your mind today
It always goes to those that don’t deserve
It’s the opposite of how you feel when the pain they caused is just too real
It takes everything you have just to say the word—”forgiveness”

It flies in the face of all your pride, it moves away the mad inside
It’s always anger’s own worst enemy
Even when the jury and the judge say you gotta right to hold a grudge
It’s the whisper in your ear saying ‘Set It Free”

Show me how to love the unlovable
Show me how to reach the unreachable
Help me now to do the impossible
Forgiveness, forgiveness
Help me now to do the impossible…forgiveness

It’ll clear the bitterness away, it can even set a prisoner free
There is no end to what it’s power can do
So, let it go and be amazed by what you see through eyes of grace
The prisoner that it really frees is you—Forgiveness

Show me how to love the unlovable
Show me how to reach the unreachable
Help me now to do the impossible—forgiveness
I want to finally set it free so show me how to see what Your mercy sees
Help me now to give what You gave to me—forgiveness

~  Matthew West  ~

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

It’s the hardest thing to give away and the last thing on your mind today
It always goes to those that don’t deserve
It’s the opposite of how you feel when the pain they caused is just too real
It takes everything you have just to say the word—”forgiveness”

Sisters, do you want the most of what God has planned for you?  Do you want to feel the FULL expression of God’s love?  Then you have to step out in faith and forgive. This song by Matthew West came to mind last night after praying for a choir member who is going to see his dying, aged father this weekend for the first time in over 30 years.  He is going to forgive his father, and seeking forgiveness himself.  This song would not leave my mind all night, so I figured God put it heavily on my heart and mind because he needed me to share it with you all—and also make sure my own plate is clean.

It flies in the face of all your pride, it moves away the mad inside
It’s always anger’s own worst enemy
Even when the jury and the judge say you gotta right to hold a grudge
It’s the whisper in your ear saying ‘Set It Free’—Forgiveness

Some of you may feel offended or irritated that I would suggest that to feel the full measure of God’s love that you would need to forgive others.  You might be thinking right now of a person who you should forgive but don’t want to.  You know of someone that justifiably deserves your anger for all of the wrong committed against you, right?  I don’t know what you’re going through.  That’s true…I don’t.  (But God does.)

Show me how to love the unlovable
Show me how to reach the unreachable
Help me now to do the impossible
Forgiveness, forgiveness
Help me now to do the impossible…forgiveness

You see, God does understand.  He sees your life.  He sees you’re hurt.  He knows the pain that has been brought on you by others.  But He says to lay your cares on Him, to let Him avenge your wrongs—He is faithful to do those things for you, because He loves you.  He also knows that when you don’t forgive someone, the person it really hurts is YOU.  The anger, the emotion, the pain – it keeps you in bondage. When you don’t give that person over to God to deal with, you remain a captive to the hurt you feel.  The circumstance has power of you, not the other way around.  And, in case this hasn’t crossed your mind lately, when was the last time you hurt God?

It’ll clear the bitterness away, it can even set a prisoner free
There is no end to what it’s power can do
So, let it go and be amazed by what you see through eyes of grace
The prisoner that it really frees is you—Forgiveness

Was it yesterday that you sinned against God?  Have you even made it this far into the day before you’ve done something that could separate you eternally from the presence of Jesus?  Do you really understand the power of God’s love and forgiveness toward you?  In 1 John 1:9, the Bible says “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” God can (and will) forgive us daily.  If you’ve truly felt the full measure of God’s forgiveness—why not extend that to someone else?

Show me how to love the unlovable
Show me how to reach the unreachable
Help me now to do the impossible—forgiveness
I want to finally set it free so show me how to see what Your mercy sees
Help me now to give what You gave to me—forgiveness

You know, no one said forgiveness is easy.  And you may not forgive others because you don’t fully realize what it feels to be forgiven.  You may not accept the gift that forgiveness is.  But God is here to help you—to help you accept your own forgiveness, and to help you forgive another.  Try it today…and experience freedom from the bondage of hurt!

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Let’s pray:  Dear Lord, thank You for Your abundant forgiveness.  Please help me to forgive others as You have forgiven me.  Help me to extend the same healing power to others as I have received.  Where I am resistant, help me change.  Break down the bondage of unbelief.  Free me from the need to get revenge.  Help me to trust that You will vindicate me.  Help me to see others how Your mercy sees them.  Help me to love those who have hurt me.  Forgive me where I have hurt others and hurt You. Help me to walk in freedom!  In Your Son’s name, Amen.

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He Is Our Shield — Psalms 18:30-32

February 15, 2014 by

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As for God, His way is perfect!
The word of the Lord is tested and tried;
He is a shield to all those who take refuge and put their trust in Him.
For who is God except the Lord? Or who is the Rock save our God,
The God who girds me with strength and makes my way perfect?
Psalms 18:30-32

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CHRISTLife — An Intentional Quiet Time (Part 2)

February 15, 2014 by

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Each Saturday for the next few weeks, we will look in-depth at a few of the most important aspects of having a quiet time—or as some folks call it—a devotional time.  Last week we talked about one aspect of a quiet time—reading the Bible. This week we will focus on recognizing how vital it is to include singing praises to God as part of our quiet time.

If you are like me, you have found that singing and praising through song is so uplifting; don’t you think?  Almighty God is the point…He is the focus…keeping my mind and heart set toward Him is my aim.  He is the reason why I sing praises to Him!

Psalms 147:1, 7
Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God,
for He is gracious and lovely; praise is becoming and appropriate.
Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
sing praises with the harp or the lyre to our God!

There are more reasons to praise our God than we have words enough to do so!  Here are just a few of His attributes:
• He is full of glory (Psalm 138:5)
• He is great (Psalm 145:3)
• He is wise and powerful (Daniel 2:20)
• He is good (Psalm 107:8)
• He is merciful (Psalm 89:1)
• He is faithful (Deuteronomy 7:9)

And just some of His wonderful works:
• He is the One who saves us (Psalm 18:46)
• He keeps His promises (1 Kings 8:56)
• He pardons sin (Psalm 103:1-3)
• He gives us our daily food (Psalm 136:25)

There is a day coming when all will praise God by bowing to Jesus the King!

Philippians 2:10-11
That in (at) the name of Jesus every knee should (must) bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
And every tongue [frankly and openly] confess and acknowledge
that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Almighty God is oh-so-worthy to be praised!  Psalm 107 would be a great place to look to be encouraged with reminders of what God has done for His children! Throughout this particular psalm are listed proof after proof of God’s goodness.

Psalms 107:8, 15, 21, 31
Oh, that men would praise [and confess to] the Lord for His goodness
and loving-kindness and His wonderful works to the children of men!

The Book of Psalms has been called the ‘Praise Book’ of the Bible.  In it are literally hundreds of examples of praises and reasons why praise is oh-so-very important. Did you know that every single one of the 150 psalms included in the Book of Psalms is an actual song?  Steve Pearson, a wonderful singer and songwriter, has written and recorded many songs using the words of the Psalms and his own inspired musical accompaniment. To my knowledge, he has now written and recorded a melody to each of the 150 psalms!  Here is a link to his website  www.psalmistry.com  Check it out!  Click on a song you have chosen to listen to…this will give you the particular songs words.  then click on “mp3 or midi” (I usually choose midi and listen to a piano rendition of the song). Also you can choose to view (and print!) the sheet music for the song.  I would love to hear how these wonderful songs and website have been a blessing to you!

As I read the Scriptures, one thing is clear: singing our praises is a good thing!

Join Miss Amy Grant as she sings Sing Your Praise to the Lord!

Psalm 92:1
It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High…

Psalm 138:1-5
I will confess and praise You [O God] with my whole heart;
before the gods will I sing praises to You.
I will worship toward Your holy temple and praise Your name
for Your loving-kindness and for Your truth and faithfulness;
for You have exalted above all else Your name and Your word
and You have magnified Your word above all Your name!
In the day when I called, You answered me;
and You strengthened me with strength
(might and inflexibility to temptation) in my inner self.
All the kings of the land shall give You credit and praise You, O Lord,
for they have heard of the promises of Your mouth [which were fulfilled].
Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the Lord
and joyfully celebrate His mighty acts, for great is the glory of the Lord.

Keep worshipping Him and enjoying your quiet time with your Lord!  As you seek Him, He will be found…He promises!

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CHRISTLife — TwentyFive: Filled

February 14, 2014 by

cl filled

 

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you
to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being,
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—
that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
may have strength to comprehend with all the saints
what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge,
that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly
than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,
to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus
throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

To me—THIS—is the epitome of being “filled.” For oh-so-many reasons…let’s take this passage apart—attribute by attribute—and look at each of these ways in which we are filled. Not only here in Ephesians chapter 3 but also in other Scriptures are these images of how God sees us reiterated. Remember: I AM who God says I am!

I am strengthened with power through His Spirit in my inner being (verse 16)
Philippians 4:13
I can do all this through him who gives me strength

I have Christ dwelling in my heart through faith (verse 17)
John 14:23
If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word;
and My Father will love him,
and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.

I am rooted and grounded in love (verse 17)
Colossians 2:7
Having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith,
just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.

I can comprehend the breadth, length, height, depth the love of Christ (verse 18)
Romans 8:38-39
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities,
nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing,
will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I can experientially know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge (verse 19)
2 Corinthians 5:14-15
For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced
that one died for all, and therefore all died.
And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves
but for Him who died for them and was raised again.

It is God’s desire to fill us with the fullness of Himself.  Through the passage above (Ephesians chapter 3) we see how He works that through the Christ in us.  Through the indwelling Spirit, we can begin to understand these things that ‘surpass’ our knowledge.  And because He is able to do ”far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us!“

In and through Christ Jesus, we have been filled!  Filled with all of this…and more! Here are more truths about who we are in Christ!  Please feel free to add more below in the comments!

As for me, however, I am filled with power
by the Spirit of the LORD, with justice and courage,
Micah 3:8

And when they had prayed, the place in which they were assembled was shaken;
and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they continued to speak
the Word of God with freedom and boldness and courage.
Acts 4:31

….And to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge,
that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:19

…Filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ,
to the glory and praise of God.
Philippians 1:11

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,
and in Christ you have been brought to fullness.
Colossians 2:9 and 10

Personally I am satisfied about you, my brethren, that you yourselves are rich in goodness,
amply filled with all [spiritual] knowledge and
competent to admonish and counsel and instruct one another also.
Romans 15:14

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

These beautiful Scriptures are my prayer for you (and me, too)…
The God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope. Romans 15:13

For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
Colossians 1:9

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
Philippians 1:9-11

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God’s Perfect Way

February 14, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

In my last devotional I wrote that freewill is something I love and dislike at the same time.  With freewill comes some so many choices!  One of the simple, but sometimes most difficult, is whether we will obey God or not.  Often times stubbornness is the culprit!  Stubbornness can create some truly hilarious moments.

Like when I told one of the two-year-olds in my class to be still and stop playing while sitting on the toilet. He looked me square in the face, with a look of defiance, and swung his legs forward, then back, and then forward again—this time higher!  And causing himself to fall into the toilet.  Oh man! I laughed so hard. But stubbornness also has some major consequences.

God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true.
He is a Shield for all who look to Him for protection.
For who is God except the Lord ? Who but our God is a solid Rock?
God arms me with strength, and He makes my way perfect.
Psalms 18:30-32

God gives us His word to guide us.  It’s His attempt at saving us from some serious consequences.  Stubbornness is one way of saying our way is better.  Some of my children have taken to saying “I do it!”  This is awesome!  I love it!  Stubbornness is what I’d like to call “I do it” gone wrong.

There are things in life we can and should want to do.  But not heeding God’s perfect word for the sake of independence is NOTone of those things.

When I read this week’s passage, I immediately thought of one of my favorite kings, King Asa. King Asa’s story is told in 2 Chronicles 14-16. King Asa starts off his reign in a good way and served the Lord. Then he starts relying on man and when the messenger of God confronts him and tells him the error of his way—he gets angry!

In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa developed a serious foot disease.
Yet even with the severity of his disease, he did not seek
the Lord ’s help but turned only to his physicians.
2 Chronicles 16:12

A foot disease?!  Why was he so stubborn that he died from a foot disease…. All he had to do was turn to God, but he would not.  Oh, time wasn’t an issue. King Asa died 2 years later. Was it worth it?

Stubbornness is definitely something to be mindful of.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Thank You, Lord, for Your awesome guide in the Holy Spirit and Your Word. I love that You have given us all the opportunity to avoid many heartaches.  Give us the discernment to see these opportunities when they arise.  In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Chocolate-Covered Strawberries

February 14, 2014 by

Chocolate-Covered Strawberries Resize

Nothing says Valentine’s Day like Chocolate-Covered Strawberries!  Surprise your sweetie – or sweeties, because my kids went cuckoo for these!  If you can get your hands on some nice strawberries (and I know it’s still very much winter in some places, but go with me on this), you can make these for dessert and watch their eyes light up!

My trick here is to use a teaspoon of coconut oil in the chocolate.  It keeps the chocolate from becoming brittle and adds the lightest hint of tropical flavor.  Instead of shattering when you bite into it, this chocolate holds tight to the strawberry so you can eat every last bite.  No worries if you don’t have coconut oil.  You can go without and just use the chocolate, but you will definitely want to make sure your berries are blemish-free and thoroughly dried.

Ready to make your loved ones’ hearts go pitter-pat?  Bring out these healthy and gorgeous treats tonight!

Chocolate-Covered Strawberries

Ingredients:

  • 18 strawberries
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 teaspoon coconut oil

Directions:

  1. Wash the strawberries and dry very carefully.  Pull up the stem leaves so they point up; otherwise you’ll get them covered in chocolate!  Make sure you don’t have any open, weepy spots on the berries, or the chocolate won’t stick.
  2. In a small but deep bowl, microwave the chocolate chips and coconut oil for 30 seconds at a time, and stir after each 30 seconds.  It took three 30-second bursts to get everything melted and smooth.
  3. Line a baking sheet or tray with parchment paper.  Holding onto the stem of the berry, dip in chocolate and place on the parchment paper.  When all berries are dipped, place the tray in the fridge (or freezer if you are short on time!)  Serve cold.

I had a little leftover chocolate in my bowl.  I dipped cashews and banana pieces in there to get every last drop.  My 2 year-old’s chocolate mustache was a sight to behold!

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana

To view even more of Dana’s unique recipe, you can visit her at Frugal Girlmet!

 

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

Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)

February 14, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

~  Listen while you read, please!  ~

You call me out upon the waters, the great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery, In oceans deep my faith will stand

And I will call upon Your name, and keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise my soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

Your grace abounds in deepest waters, Your sovereign hand will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me You’ve never failed and You won’t start now

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger in the presence of my Savior

I will call upon Your Name
Keep my eyes above the waves
My soul will rest in Your embrace
I am Yours and You are Mine

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

~ HillSongs United /Songwriters: Matt Crocker, Joel Houston, Salomon Lighthelm  ~

This song speaks to my heart so much!  “You call me out upon the waters, the great unknown where my feet may fail and there I find you…in oceans deep my faith will stand….”

“Will your faith stand in the oceans deep?” This is the question I ask myself….  Just like when Jesus called Peter out of the boat.  As long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he was able to walk on water.  But the minute he took his eyes off of Jesus, He began to sink.

Let’s go to Mathew 14: 28-33 NLT

Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”  “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said.“Why did you doubt me?” When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.

It is when we take our eyes off Jesus that we begin to sink into our circumstances and lose our peace.  But when we keep our eyes focused on Jesus the peace that surpasses all understanding in the midst of the hardest places is evident.

And I will call upon Your name and keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise my soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me,
You’ve never failed and You won’t start now..
My soul will rest in your embrace….

What a beautiful picture!

Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens,
and I will give you rest.

Mathew 11:28 NLT

Will you go to Him?  Will you trust Him even in the midst of the toughest places?  We know His plans for us are for good and to give us a hope and a future. We find this Truth in one of my favorite verses:

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD.
They are plans for good and not for disaster,
to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 29:11

My prayer this day for me and for you is this…

Spirit, lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander and my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior… In Jesus’ name AMEN!!!

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