March 19, 2026

Prince of Peace

December 10, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogo

Each week during the season of Advent, our blogs will focus on a central theme which is associated with the coming of Christ—His Advent.  This week’s theme is PEACE. Christians throughout the world celebrate Advent. Some light candles or sing songs; some give gifts or  hang wreaths.  All of these are simple joyous ways of extending the celebration of Jesus’s coming beyond a mere 24 hours on December 25. Our prayer is that these devotionals throughout this season of Advent would help you to celebrate His first Coming and anticipate with HOPE and joy His second Coming.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

For a child is born to us…
And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6b

 ***********************

Prince of Peace. Often times the Lord’s many names don’t mean much to us until we have experienced them personally–that’s never been the case with this name.  I’ve always favored Prince of Peace.  Don’t get me wrong, I like all of His names, but peace just sounds so calm.  The Lord’s peace is like no pill you could ever be prescribed.  It’s like no goose egg you could ever accumulate. It’s like no budget or plan you could conceive.  Philippians 4:7 best describes this peace, “…Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

I always wondered how a person could have peace when they didn’t understand their circumstances… until I experienced this peace for myself.  I’m the type of person who needs to know all the details and I need to know what all my options are and then I maul over (a fancy way of saying worry!) the problem until its over!  Then, and only then, do I have peace.

The day I was informed that my cousin was murdered was the day I understood Philippians 4:7.  I mean, what kind of plan do you make for that? What kind of options do you have?

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Since then I have leaned into a Lord Who promised, “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give.  So don’t be troubled or afraid”  (John 14:27).

And a God Who says He “will keep in perfect peace all who trust in [Him], all whose thoughts are fixed on [Him]!” (Isaiah 26:3).

Do I understand this tragic situation?  Not a chance.  Do I have the Prince of Peace’s peace? Absolutely.  And it’s something I grasp for each day.  I grasp and hold tight to my Savior who, being God, saw it fit to come to Earth, lay in a manger, and die on a cross.  The Prince of Peace.

* * * * *

Lord, I am thankful that You knew one day I would need Your peace.  Your peace that penetrates all circumstances.  You are amazing and gracious.  Thank You.  In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

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

Away in a Manger

December 10, 2013 by

gchcarolsbloggraphic

If you were to ask me what my favorite Christmas carol/song would be, my first instinct would be to say “Away in a Manger”, by Mahalia Jackson.  (THAT version – it MUST be Mahalia!)  When I was in middle school my family moved to Nashville from Ohio, where we had literally lived around the corner from my grandparents.  Each year at Christmas break we would travel back to Ohio to spend two weeks with my grandparents and extended family.  I loved those times, we had too many people in too small of a house, but it was always a time of laughter, movies, cards, a TON of food and music – LOTS of music. One particular compilation album my grandparents owned included “Away in a Manger” by Mahalia Jackson.  I had never heard anyone sing like her!  What I didn’t realize then was that she had been an incredible gospel singer – and when she sang about Jesus, sisters, you were having worship! She sang “Away in a Manger” like she was singing in the presence of God.  Even at a young age, that song affected me at such a spiritual and emotional level that it still brings me to tears and worship – every time I hear it.

Fast forward to me as a college student, and the compilation album has been lost.  This track of Mahalia’s is nowhere to be found. No record, no tape (this shows you how old I am…), no CD of hers had it available, and I couldn’t find it on iTunes. I searched for this song for YEARS, sisters, no exaggeration.  Then one year, my closest friend at the time gave me a Christmas gift. “It’s not much,” she said, “but it was all I could get for you.”  I opened it to find….. a CD with the Christmas music of Mahalia Jackson and Nat King Cole – with “Away in a Manger” included.  SHE FOUND IT!! It was the one thing that mattered the most to me and she presented it to me in her true humble fashion. The best gift I had ever been given.  Well, by a person….

The best gift I have ever been given is the gift of Jesus.  And He, in turn, gives the best gifts!  James 1:17 says; “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”  We are given the gift of the Holy Spirit when we receive Christ as our Lord (Acts 2:38).  Romans 12:6-8 tells us that we are all given gifts in order to strengthen the body of Christ.   We are also given grace (thank You, Lord!): “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).

Perhaps you are like me. You have searched for years for the thing that would make you happy, but have never found it.  It is Jesus. Just like that song ushered (and still ushers) me into the Presence of God.  That Savior, born away in a manger, brings us boldly into the Presence of a God that loves you and wants to shower you with gifts – gifts that no one (but He!) could ever give you. Won’t you receive His gifts today?

I LOVE THIS SONG!!!  I hope you enjoy it, too. When she sings: “I love thee, Lord Jesus! I ask thee to stay close by me forever, and love me, I pray,” it brings me to tears every time.  “I DO love You, Lord Jesus. Thank you for loving me!  Stay close.”

 

Merry Christmas!  May God bless you abundantly with His good and perfect gifts!

Away in a Manger, no crib for a bed, the little Lord Jesus lay down hHs sweet head. The stars in the sky looked down where He lay, the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.

The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes, but little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes; I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky and stay by my cradle till morning is nigh.

Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay close by me forever and love me I pray; bless all the dear children in Thy tender care, and take us to heaven to live with Thee there.

Filed Under: Women's Ministry Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Cream of ‘Just About Anything’ Soup and Sauce Mix

December 9, 2013 by

2013-12-08 20.35.59So, if you are like me, you are in the thick-of-it-all…the sewing/knitting/painting of gifts; the baking of cookies (and more cookies); the caroling and school concerts; the shopping (online AND out in the stores); and the wrapping of all these treasures you have shopped for and made with love!  But supper is still expected (I KNOW, right?) on our tables each evening by our loved ones.  Most of us really don’t want to be going through the drive-thru and bringing home ‘less than the best’ to feed our families.  However, time escapes us some days and we have not prepared for suppertime!

2013-12-08 21.36.25

 

One great solution to this dilemma is to put together a yummy CrockPot meal early in the day.  At this time of year, my CrockPot remains out on the counter…handy and ready to be filled with yummy goodness.  However, I find that many recipes designed for the CrockPot call for a can of condensed soup of one variety or another.  And that creates a problem in our household: 1) canned condensed soup contains wheat (we eat gluten free, remember), and 2) there is just too much sodium (and a few other not-so-good-for-you ingredients) in a can of condensed soup.  Below is a recipe for a mix you can put together and keep in your pantry (OR gift to someone else in a cute little jar with a label giving directions).  Here, too, is a link to a great resource for quite a few ways to use this ‘Cream of Just About Anything’ soup and sauce mix.  Enjoy!

Ingredients: 2013-12-08 20.23.15
3 cups nonfat instant dry milk
1 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup chicken bouillon granules
2 tablespoons dried minced onion
1 teaspoon dried thyme

Directions:

  • Mix all the above ingredients in a large bowl with a whisk.
  • Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place.

On our menu for this week are two recipes using the CrockPot and a portion of this healthy but oh-so-yummy ‘cream of just about anything’ soup.  One will be Chicken and Mushrooms in Wine Sauce and the other will be Beef Stroganoff.  How about you?  Are you already planning on utilizing your CrockPot to save you time but still feed your loved ones a yummy, healthy, satisfying meal?  Please share with us about what’s on your menu this week in the comments below!

 ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥

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

♥  coleen

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

Peace

December 9, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogo

When I think of the word, peace, I think of the feeling of taking a deep breath and letting go of all the weight we carry on our shoulders, all of the situations swirling around us. I think of the feeling of peace we get when we know and believe without a doubt that our Father is taking care of things, that He is surrounding us with His unconditional love.

You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.

Isaiah 26:3

The other day I was mentally planning my Christmas list: we’ve already bought the kids’ big gift and I was trying to figure out the little presents and stocking stuffers that we would be buying. During this brainstorm session I also began to think about all the other people we needed gifts for, and about the potlucks and gift exchanges at work and the decorations and the kid’s time off of school. I felt my peace slipping away.

This time of year peace is a word we see on almost every display, in songs, and in decorations. This time of year is also a time when that peace can seem far away when we allow the stress of the holiday season to overshadow what the season is truly about.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

It can be difficult to keep our focus on our Prince of Peace when we are thinking of piles of presents and of parties…when we have situations in our life that don’t line up with the joyous image of what Christmas is supposed to be…when we take our eyes off of Him. Christmas should be fun, filled with friends, family, and food; we should enjoy it and have fun. But throughout these festivities we need to remember the Giver of peace, and to remember what His birth did in our lives.

Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you.
Isaiah 54:10

Dear Heavenly Father, Lord let us not take our minds off of the peace You have given us. Let us find that peace in the gift of Your birth that we celebrate each year. Thank you for that deep breath we can take. Lord for those who are struggling with peace this season, please give us the words and the heart to show them love. This time of year can generate many mixed emotions we desire to keep our eyes fixed and focused on you. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

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

Breath of Heaven

December 9, 2013 by

gchcarolsbloggraphic

Breath of Heaven (Mary’s Song) ~ Amy Grant

Do you wonder as you watch my face
If a wiser one should have had my place
But I offer all I am
For the mercy of your plan
Help me be strong
Help me be
Help me

In this beautiful ballad, the point of view is Mary’s–the mother of Christ.  She, as portrayed in differing accounts, always wondered why God chose her. She had always been faithful to God, as was Noah, when she was chosen to be a virgin mother. She questions if someone wiser should have been chosen. Yet, she still offers herself to God’s plan of love, hope, joy, peace, and mercy. She knows that the Lord will never leave her as God does not leave His children to suffer alone.

I am waiting in a silent prayer
I am frightened by the load I bear
In a world as cold as stone
Must I walk this path alone
Be with me now
Be with me now

I like to believe that Mary was silently praying when the angel appeared to her to tell her she would bear God’s Son. I would have been frightened, too, if I had been in her shoes. She was favored by God for her faithfulness to Him. That is why God chose her. From Mary’s point of view in the ballad, she knows that she must walk the path laid before her alone. This was from an earthly standpoint, but she was not alone. God never left her. God was with her. Even though her world was cold, she was warm with the light of God.

Breath of heaven
Hold me together
Be forever near me
Breath of heaven
Breath of heaven
Lighten my darkness
Pour over me your holiness
For you are holy
Breath of heaven

The ‘Breath of Heaven’ was on Mary from the moment that God chose her to bring forth the first Christmas. God poured His holiness on her as she requested. God lightened her darkness through the gift of His only Son. Mary held God as the most holy, and she asked God for His breath to be upon her—before and after Christ’s birth. She knew that God would hold her together through the difficulty she would face as being a virgin with child.

We should be as faithful to God as Mary was. God breathes on us every day of our lives—from the moment of our creation to our death. He is forever with us. Jesus is the Light that clears away the darkness and brings holiness to all that accept Him. What a great holiday gift!

* * * * *

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your gift of light, peace, hope, joy, and mercy. Without it we could not be close to You. Thank You for lighting our darkness and never leaving us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Filed Under: Women's Ministry Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus

December 8, 2013 by

gchcarolsbloggraphic

The first candle in the Advent wreath is the Candle of Hope.  This past Sunday my pastor referred to it, interestingly, as the Candle of Waiting.  How are “Hope” and “Waiting” related?  I think the link between the two is in one definition of the word faith—we have a need, and we turn to God to fill it.  In other words, we put our hope in His power and compassion, and we wait for His perfect timing.  David writes on this often in the Psalms:

Psalm 27:14
Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

Psalm 130:5-6
I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.

This is one of the reasons I love the hymn “Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus”.  It perfectly describes not a tiny baby in a manger, but instead the Savior’s mission, His whole reason for being:  to deliver us from our sins, and from captivity (of all kinds).  All we have to do is wait for Him.

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.

Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus ~ Prichard/Wesley; sung by Ashley Spurling

The hymn shows our relationship to God:  we are weak, and He is strong.  We are tired and can’t go it alone, so Jesus was born to deliver us, give us rest, and console us.  We are captive to sins and fears, so God sent His son free us.

I love the Christmas carols that show the innocence and fragility of a newborn baby, and how amazing it is that God poured Himself into such a fragile vessel.  This song is not one of those!  This is a song about a Hero, a Man with a Plan.  This carol shows Jesus’s purpose in His life’s ministry, and how He fulfills the promises God has made to His people.

I like the dual message in this hymn, as well.  “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus” is a Christmas carol, describing the birth of the Messiah — but it also is a plea for the second Coming!  We light the Candle of Hope—the Candle of Waiting—and we have faith that the Lord will keep His promises today, just as He kept them to Israel when he sent The Savior.  We have faith in the blood of the Lamb who washes our sins away, and we wait for Him to come again!  Hallelujah!

* * * * *

Please pray with me:  Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of Your Son.  Thank You for sending a Hero to save us from ourselves.  Strengthen our faith as we wait, and help us to continually seek You and praise You and be Your hand in this world.  Come, Thou long-expected Jesus, come!  In His Holy name, Amen.

Filed Under: Women's Ministry Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Come On, Ring Those Bells

December 7, 2013 by

gchcarolsbloggraphic

Everybody likes to take a holiday
Everybody likes to take a rest
Spending time together with the family
Sharing lots of love and happiness.
Come on, ring those bells, light the Christmas tree,
Jesus is the King born for you and me.
Come on, ring those bells, everybody say,
Jesus, we remember this is Your birthday.

Celebrations come because of something good.
Celebrations we love to recall
Mary had a Baby boy in Bethlehem
The greatest celebration of all.
Come on, ring those bells, light the Christmas tree,
Jesus is the King born for you and me.
Come on, ring those bells, everybody say,
Jesus, we remember this is Your birthday.

Come On, Ring Those Bells ~ Evie Tornquist

*  * * * *

Isn’t it true—everybody loves to take a holiday, a rest from our normal busy schedules of life. Even our five year old granddaughter said after the Thanksgiving weekend, “We go back to school tomorrow!?”  She loves preschool, but she was loving the relaxed time with the family too.

That weekend we also celebrated “something good,” or should I say “something(s) good.” We had three family birthdays between the end of October and Thanksgiving that we hadn’t had time to celebrate, so all four celebrations were packed into one day. It was a full and fun day!

The greatest celebration of all, though, is to celebrate the birth of Baby Jesus. Why is the birth of a little baby in a dusty, smelly stable so important that we should celebrate? The answer is in this carol—Jesus is the King born for you and me !

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.
And the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father David,
and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever,
and of His kingdom there will be no end.
Luke 1:32-33

Jesus came for you and me! He came to rule and reign in our individual lives so that we can be reborn into new life—a living relationship for all eternity with God. I do believe that is worth ringing the bells and lighting the Christmas tree!  I do want everyone to say, “Happy birthday, Jesus!  We remember this is Your birthday.”

Let’s make a point of teaching our children and our grandchildren that Christmas isn’t about the gifts under the tree.   More importantly, it’s about God’s gift—Jesus as King and Savior—to us.

Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
because He has come and has redeemed His people.
He has raised up a horn of salvation for us….
Luke 1:68-69

Then let’s teach them that they can give the gift of themselves to God as they submit their lives to Jesus.

His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation.
Luke 1:50

Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom.
One generation will commend Your works to another;
they will tell of Your mighty acts…
They will celebrate Your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of Your righteousness.
Psalms 146:3-7

Come on and ring those bells with me, and light your Christmas tree!
JESUS IS OUR REASON TO CELEBRATE!

Filed Under: Women's Ministry Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Roasted Red Pepper Aioli

December 6, 2013 by

Roasted Red Pepper Aioli Resize… or as it’s known at my house—Magic Sauce!  This recipe for Roasted Red Pepper Aioli is easy to whip up at a moment’s notice, and is infinitely customizable.  Like it spicy?  Add some hot sauce of your choice, or a spoonful of adobo sauce from a jar of chipotle peppers.   Depending on my mood and what else I have laying around, this aioli also gets a few shakes of smoked paprika, or a half a teaspoon of ground cumin.  Mix it up in your blender, taste it, and then see where you want to take it.

We eat this on roasted asparagus.  My husband dips steamed broccoli in it.  I love it on oven-roasted sweet potato fries.  And it’s the best sandwich spread in the world!  Try it in place of regular mayonnaise on your next turkey sandwich or veggie wrap and you’ll ditch that jar of Miracle Whip for good!

Roasted Red Pepper Aioli

Ingredients:

  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 cup roasted red peppers from a jar, drained and patted dry (or roast your own!)
  • juice of half a lemon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt or more to taste
  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise (make your own!  Or use store-bought, but not low-fat mayo)
  • optional:  paprika, cumin, hot sauce

Directions:

  1. In a blender or small food processor, blend together the garlic, red pepper, lemon juice and salt until almost smooth.  Add the mayonnaise and optional ingredients and blend again.  Keep refrigerated.

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: , , , , , , ,

Born To Die

December 6, 2013 by

gchcarolsbloggraphic

Almost every day there are precious little babies born to families all over the world,  but one day,  there was one special baby that was born FOR the world…His name was Jesus.

This Baby came with a purpose!   And that purpose was “to die” for me and you. This is the ultimate gifts of gifts we have ever, or will ever, receive in our lives.

Think about His birth for a moment and the three gifts that were brought to Him.  One of those gifts was “myrrh.”    Have you ever studied about these gifts?  Well, check this out!

Myrrh was a gum-like substance that was sometimes used to embalm the dead.  (You are now saying, “WHAT????”    Yes, this is one of the gifts brought from the wise men to the little Baby Jesus.    They recognized that He was the little one that was “born to die” for us all.  Not sure if they truly knew the significance behind the gifts they were bringing; but oh, how fitting that they would bring this one gift that was a representation about why He came!!!   Listen to the beautiful words of this song and let it open your heart to the understanding of why God gave us this precious little baby!

Shepherds gaze in wonder while angel voices sing
This night of nights has come, and brought the world  the long-awaited King.
The earth is filled with gladness, and yet the heavens weep.
For heaven’s eyes can see  He was born to die for me.

Jesus, Baby Jesus, is that a tear in Your eye?
Jesus, sweet Baby Jesus, You must know that You were born to die.

It must have broken God’s heart, for the future He could see.
Yet He formed the hands and feet knowing one day, they’d be nailed to a tree.
So all the world could know Him—a gift came from above
For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son.

Jesus, Baby Jesus, with a tear of love in Your eye.
Jesus, sweet Baby Jesus, You knew You were born to die.

So, Jesus, thank You, Jesus, for Your gift of eternal life.
My Jesus, Jesus, ‘cause for me You were born to die.

 From the day of His birth the reason was known!

Bethlehem happened so Calvary could happen!

Filed Under: Women's Ministry Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Our Hope Lies in The Lord

December 5, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogo

 

Each week during the season of Advent, our blogs will focus on a central theme which is associated with the coming of Christ—His Advent.  This week’s theme is HOPE.
Christians throughout the world celebrate Advent. Some light candles or sing songs; some give gifts or  hang wreaths.  All of these are simple joyous ways of extending the celebration of Jesus’s coming beyond a mere 24 hours on December 25. Our prayer is that these devotionals throughout this season of Advent would help you to celebrate His first Coming and anticipate with HOPE and joy His second Coming.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Hope.

Hope is such a big word. A word not always seen, but felt; a word tied to our heart and our emotions; a word that means so much in so many situations.

I hope I catch the red light. I hope 5pm comes quickly today. I hope my son’s basketball team wins. I hope we don’t lose the house. I hope that the biopsy comes back negative.

Hope in Christ. Hope in His second coming. Hope that His will be done. Hope that He knows how life will play out.

Working with terminally ill hospice patients I have seen how deeply hope and the loss of hope can impact a life; how it can impact so many people around us.

I have seen hope last until the last breath, I have seen hope disappear with a misplaced word or a misunderstood action.

I know what it feels like to feel like there is no hope; I know what it feels like to have that hope renewed.

This time of year hope seems to flow freely, the good nature in humans seems to bubble over, miracles are easier to see, it’s easier to be kind to those in need, it’s easy to see and have hope and it is easier to fuel the hope of others.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 29:11 

The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace.

Psalm 29:11 

God has desired to give us hope since the very beginning, He reinforced that hope when He sent His Son to be born for us and when He gave His Son to die for us.  His hope gives us strength and His hope gives us peace.

This is the dictionary definition of hope: “to cherish a desire with anticipation; to desire with expectation of obtainment; to expect with confidence.”  Consider these words as the holiday season swirls around us: cherish, desire, anticipation, expectation, confidence.

Here is another definition that I only partly agree with: “to want something to happen or be true, and think that it could happen or be true.”

The word I want to change is “think;” we don’t have to think it is true or that it can happen, because we know it is true. We know what is promised to us because He has written it in His word and in our hearts. Our hope is a “know” not a “think.”

This season think about what hope means to you, and about where your hope lies. There are numerous Scriptures about hope…write some down and reflect on them through the day, on days where your hope feels strong and on days when it doesn’t.

* * * * *

Thank You, Father, for the hope that gets us through the day, the situations, the good times and the difficult times.  Thank You for the hope that Your word gives us to stand on at all times. We know that Your will is always going to be done, and that we can live our lives with this undying hope because Your promises are true.  In You, Lord, our hope lies. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,
« Previous Page
Next Page »