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How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
I awake, and I am still with You.
Psalms 139:17-18
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click here to listen to a beautiful chorus to help us memorize this passage.
The Verses Project
written by Ryan Delmore
In this quiet place with You
I bow before Your throne
I bare the deepest part of me
To You and You alone
I keep no secrets
For there is no thought
You have not known
I bring my best and all the rest
To You and lay them down
With all my heart
I want to love You, Lord
And live my life
Each day to know You more
All that is in me
Is Yours completely
I’ll serve You only
With all my heart
You faithfully supply my needs
According to Your plans
So help me, Lord, to seek Your face
Before I seek Your hand
And trust You know what ‘s best for me
When I don’t understand
Then follow in obedience
In every circumstance
Singer / Songwriter ~~ Babbie Mason
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Our Heavenly Father, the Great I AM, deserves our all—all our love, all our obedience, all our worship, all our devotion, all our service, all our focus, all our praise, all our whole heart—our everything. Actually, He requires our all. Listen to these three examples from the Scriptures where God’s people (you and me, too!) are given the command to love God with all their heart…
When Moses gave the Law to the Israelites, he said:
These are the commands, decrees and laws
the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe…
so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God
as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you,
and so that you may enjoy long life.
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your strength.
Deuteronomy 6:1-4 (excerpts)
The prophet Jeremiah was given this compelling message to send to the exiled Israelites who had been carried into captivity by Nebuchadnezzer and his army. Think about how comforted they must have been hearing God’s words!
For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord,
thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil,
to give you hope in your final outcome.
Then you will call upon Me,
and you will come and pray to Me,
and I will hear and heed you.
Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity]
and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
I will be found by you, says the Lord….
Jeremiah 29:11-14
Our Lord spoke this convicting message to His followers.
And one of the scribes…asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?”
Jesus answered, “The most important is,
‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
And you shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart and with all your soul
and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Mark 12:28-32
We know from the Scriptures that God desires us to
Here are a few questions that I have asked myself…perhaps you have asked yourself the same things, too:
What would it take for you, {your name here}, to…
♥ Give God your all?
♥ Be sold out for God?
♥ Be His completely?
♥ Serve Him only?
♥ Love Him with all your heart?
Have you answered them yet?
If so, would you share your answer with us (in the comments below)?
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Friends, whether the words of this anointed song—this prayer—cause you to throw your hands in the air raised in praise, or fall on your knees in humble submission, may you voice your commitment to your Father with all your heart! <3
{hu·mon·gous}
(h)yo͞oˈmäNGɡəs,-ˈməNG-/
huge; enormous; extraordinarily large
Yup…that describes the two zucchini that have been (literally) hanging out on our kitchen counter for a while now. What to do…what to do…what to do with them; I think I have asked myself this almost every day for a week. So, this is what I did.
And they were sooo yummy! They made a complete meal. I think that this ‘stuffing’ mixture would work equally well in any number of ways: in portobello mushroom caps, in stuffed peppers, in acorn squash. Anything else you can think of? (I’d love to hear your suggestions in the comments below!)
Here’s the other thing about this recipe (besides fitting perfectly into our healthy but oh-so-yummy POV!) — really quick and so easy! Enjoy!
ingredients:
1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water
1 humongous (or 2 medium) zucchini
1/4 teaspoon (each) sea salt, freshly ground pepper
1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
12-16 ounces italian seasoned chicken sausage (sweet or hot)
1 small red onion, diced
2 tablespoons of minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 cup halved grape or cherry tomatoes
4 tablespoons (or more) shredded mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese
2 tablespoons freshly grated Asiago (or Parmesan) cheese
directions:
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
God loves you! ♥ (Please don’t ever forget that!)
♥ coleen
More of You
Less of me
Make me who I’m meant to be
You’re all I want all I need
You’re everything
Take it all I surrender
Be my King
God, I choose
More of You
Less of me
More of You
This life I hold so close
Oh, God, I let it go
I refuse to gain the world and lose my soul
So take it all I abandon everything I am You can have it
The only thing I need is
All to You, I surrender
All to You, my blessed Savior
I surrender all
Colton Dixon
written along with Ben Glover, David Arthur Garcia
traditional hymn, I Surrender All, by Judson W. Van DeVenter
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Walking through life everyday, we can become complacent. Not searching for any more than what we have right now, right here. But, God does not want us to live that way. He wants us to live life to the fullest. He wants us to seek Him and seek His ways. Until we do that, we will never experience the life He holds. We can be safe…we can be ‘free’; but are we really? Are we really, truly free if we come to the same job everyday, perform the same tasks everyday—but are not living for Him?
You may say, ‘I am too old’ or ‘I am too young.’ Perhaps you may even say, ‘I am not physcially able to do anything.’ Sister in Christ, you are able. You can pray. You can say positive words to a hurting person. You can even post things to your Facebook page to encourage someone. You never know when your words, your actions, your kindess will impact a person who needs a touch from God.
There is power in the name of Jesus
There is power in the name of Jesus
There is power in the name of Jesus
To break every chain
Break every chain
Break every chain
You’re the all-sufficient Sacrifice
So freely given such a price
Bought our redemption
Heaven’s gates swing wide
There’s an army rising up
There’s an army rising up
There’s an army rising up
To break every chain
Break every chain
Break every chain
Digital Age
Songwriter: William Andrew Reagan
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For in that day,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
“I will break the yoke from their necks and snap their chains.
Foreigners will no longer be their masters.
Jeremiah 30:8
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
John 8:36
As I started off this year, I had two goals in mind:
1. Let God lead 2. Take care of my temple, offering it as a living sacrifice
But, a month into this journey, I realize I have allowed earthly chains to bind me.
The sad thing is, I wasn’t even aware of the chains. Not until I started seeking God and delving deeper into His Word. I am learning that I need to turn to Him more often, especially when trying to conquer unhealthy habits or when I want to go my own way. Sometimes it just seems so much easier to continue on as is. Change of any kind is hard.
That’s it. We all must choose our hard. For me, if I am going to do hard, I want to do it with Someone who has already conquered hard.
Now I will free you from their control [break his yoke from you]
and tear away your chains [shackles].
Nahum 1:13 EXB
I want to do hard with the One who can free me from the control of temptations and bad habits. I want to do hard with the only One who can break my chains of bondage and set me free. For only then, will I be free indeed. How about you?
Choose your hard.
Make my life a prayer to You
I want to do what You want me to
No empty words and no white lies
No token prayers, no compromise
I want to shine the light You gave
Through Your son You sent to save us
From ourselves and our despair
It comforts me to know You’re really there
Well I want to thank You now for being patient with me
Oh it’s so hard to see when my eyes are on me
I guess I’ll have to trust and just believe what You say
Oh you’re coming again…coming to take me away
I want to die and let You give
Your life to me so I might live
And share the hope You gave to me
The love that set me free
I want to tell the world out there
You’re not some fable or fairy tale
That I’ve made up inside my head
You’re God the Son and You’ve risen from the dead
Keith Green
written by Keith and Melody Green
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You will seek Me and find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:13
This verse always reminds me of seeking my God during my ‘quiet time.’
David wrote about his ‘quiet time’ in the following verse. Does the Lord hear you expressing your heart to Him in the same way? I believe that as we are intentional and seek Him that, yes, this is how God sees us.
In the morning You hear my voice, O Lord;
In the morning I prepare [a prayer, a sacrifice] for You
And watch and wait [for You to speak to my heart].
Psalms 5:3
Here is a great example of God’s design for our prayer life:
Be earnest and unwearied and steadfast in your prayer [life],
Being [both] alert and intent in [your praying] with thanksgiving.
Colossians 4:2
Those are some very intentional words <earnest, unwearied, steadfast> used at the beginning of that verse, yes? Other versions use similar words: devote, persevere, continue…. This reminds me so much of David’s heart—he was earnest, devoted, steadfast in his desire to be in God’s presence.
Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything,
but in every circumstance and in everything,
by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving,
continue to make your wants known to God.
And God’s peace [shall be yours, that peace]
which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard
over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6 and 7 AMP
Now, of course, that time you spend alone with Your Lord—your quiet, devotional time—is certainly not the only time to pray! Actually, I think, being intentional—seeking Him first and foremost in our quiet, devotional time—prepares our hearts for the rest of our day to be filled with continual little prayers and petitions directed to our God. We make our life a {continual} prayer to Him.
How often do we go along through our day, accomplishing the normal even mundane tasks, all the while fellowshipping and talking with our Heavenly Father? Or driving (yet again) to school to pickup your children; isn’t that a great time to pray? Or waiting for them at dance/soccer/baseball practice or music lessons/cub scout meeting/awana time/_______ (you fill in the blank); yet another small amount of time that can be eked out of our day to pray and seek Him. Paul wrote a number of times in his letters to the Christian believers about the importance of praying. He used terms such as, “pray at all times,” “keep alert and watch,” “pray without ceasing.” Listen to this encouragement to make our lives a life of prayer:
Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit,
with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty.
To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance,
interceding in behalf of all the saints (God’s consecrated people).
Ephesians 6:18
Pray without ceasing;
in everything give thanks;
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 and 18
It is clear that by seeking God first and foremost, by being intentional in our quiet time in our prayers and petitions, we will be better prepared to “pray at all times, and, keep alert and watch, and, pray without ceasing.” We will have made our ‘life a prayer’ to Him.
Give us faith to be strong
Father, we are so weak
Our bodies are fragile and weary
As we stagger and stumble to walk where You lead
Give us faith to be strong
Give us faith to be strong
Give us strength to be faithful
This life is not long, but it’s hard
Give us grace to go on
Make us willing and able
Lord, give us faith to be strong
Give us peace when we’re torn
Mend us up when we break
This flesh can be wounded and shaking
When there’s much too much trouble for one heart to take
Give us peace when we’re torn
Give us hearts to find hope
Father, we cannot see
How the sorrow we feel can bring freedom
And as hard as we try, Lord, it’s hard to believe
So, give us hearts to find hope
Lord, give us faith to be strong
Give us peace when we’re torn
Give us faith, faith to be strong
Singer / Songwriter: Andrew Peterson
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This song is a prayer—an acknowledgment of our great need for God in all things. As in every area of our lives, we need the help, the provision, the supply that only God can give. Even, maybe especially, regarding faith.
It is true that we need to have faith; no doubt. Jesus spoke often to His apostles and the other disciples about faith. In the Gospel of Mark, chapter 5 we hear about the woman with a long-term bleeding disease who is healed simply by touching Jesus’ garments. It is an incredible record! Listen…
She had heard the reports concerning Jesus, and she came up behind Him in the throng and touched His garment, for she kept saying, ‘If I only touch His garments, I shall be restored to health.’ And immediately her flow of blood was dried up at the source, and [suddenly] she felt in her body that she was healed of her [distressing] ailment.
verses 27-29
There is a pivotal point here: she believed—she had faith—that if she could just get close enough to simply touch Jesus’ clothing, she would be healed. Remember she “kept saying, ‘If I only touch His garments, I shall be restored to health.’” And she took the action necessary.
As I think about this scenario, it seems to me there were a number of strong deterrents standing in her way.
In spite of these things she took action because she believed “…the reports she had heard about Jesus…”. Sisters, put yourself in her sandals…would you (would I?) have had the courage, the fortitude, the faith to do what she did? I do believe we could…we would. I do believe we do.
Throughout our lives, we find ourselves experiencing similar circumstances and hard times. Right now, today, I know some of you are living through difficult, demanding, hard situations. Whether they are health-related (like this woman), or difficulties in relationships, or financial problems, or a myriad of other troubles…we need to have faith that God will take care of whatever might be our need. Our faith is based on our knowledge of His promises in His Word.
…So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
Romans 10:17
So that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
1 Corinthians 2:5
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1
And without faith it is impossible to please Him,
for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists
and that He rewards those who seek Him.
Verse 6
We live by faith, not by sight.
2 Corinthians 5:7
Grace and peace be multiplied unto you
through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord.
According as His divine power hath given unto us all things
that pertain unto life and godliness,
through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises:
that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature…”
2 Peter 2:1-4
May we keep all these things in mind as we have faith in the Almighty God Who provides—Jehovah-Jireh.
- When we feel weak, may we ask for ‘strength to be faithful.’
- When we are weary, may we ask for ‘grace to go on.’
- When we are anxious, may we ask for ‘peace when we’re torn.’
- When we can’t see the way out or through or around or beyond, may we ask for ‘hearts to find hope.’
- When we feel we have nothing left, may we ask for ‘faith to be strong.’
We must always remember that there is no need we will ever have that He is not already aware of. He is the Eternal God our Provider—Jehovah-Jireh!
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O Lord, we recognize that we need Your help in everything. As the beautiful lyrics of this song sing out, we too ask You, Father, please give us faith to be strong…give us strength to be faithful…give us grace to go on…give us peace when we’re torn…give us hearts to find hope. We thank You, now in advance, for each of these things because we have already been given a measure of faith by Your grace and mercy. We have faith placing our confidence and trust in You, El Shaddai. And we pray all these things in Jesus’ precious and powerful Name. Amen.
Look what someone who loves me gave me today…oh! happy me!
My daughter, Kassia, lovingly gifted me with a jar of her healthy but-oh-so-yummy pesto (and luscious balsamic reduction)! This is precious stuff…what to make, what to make? Eventually, I just decided to keep it simple: I took a couple of tablespoons to marinate one pound of chicken tenderloins, which we then grilled. Then cooked up some gluten free pasta, steamed a head of broccoli, and sauteed some mushrooms and onions. And combined it all together with an additional few tablespoons of pesto. So yummy!
Kassia graciously is sharing her pesto recipe with us today…. This recipe is vegan and dairy-free (along with being intrinsically gluten free, soy free). Her secret ingredient? Nutritional yeast. Yup! Don’t knock it ‘til you try it! (Oh, speaking of trying it…dust your freshly popped popcorn with it!) Here’s a fun link loaded with lots of good info about nutritional yeast, or noosh, and some ideas where to purchase it. As is, this recipe is dairy-free and vegan. We topped off the finished dish with some freshly grated Asaiago cheese. Enjoy!
ingredients:
1/4 cup pignoli (also called pine nuts)
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic (she uses jarred garlic, like her momma!)
2 cups fresh baby spinach
1 cup fresh basil (leaves only)
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
juice of 1/2 small lemon
1/4 cup+/- extra virgin olive oil
sea salt, freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated parmesan or asiago cheese, optional
directions:
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
God loves you! ♥ (Please don’t ever forget that!)
♥ coleen
Ever get something in your head
It’s nothing you heard
Or something you read
Ever had a cut but you never saw a blade
Brought to your knees
But you never prayed
Jesus in disguise
Jehovah passing by
The burden of a tear
Hanging in your eye
Jesus in disguise
A scar across the sky
You were looking for a king
You would never recognize
Jesus in disguise
Ever feel like you been somewhere before
You hold the key
You know which door
Speak the word your lips have never known
Because your heart
Told you so
So open my eyes wide as I can
Blind as I am, blind as I am
Singer / Songwriter : Brandon Heath
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{Have you ever had a thought pop into your head that made you go “say WHAT?” That happened to me as I was taking a walk. Then I had to literally stop, sit down, and make notes because the thoughts were coming so fast. I’ve waited two days just to see if this is really what God wanted me to write. I’m almost certain it is…so here goes.}
What do the following three things have to do with one another?
Let’s look at them individually then I will put it all together:
Treasure
When treasure is spoken of in the Scriptures it is referring to our time, our talent(s), our motives, and our money. Matthew 6:21 (HCSB) states “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Luke 6:45 (NASB) says “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.” A quick review of how we spend our time and our days, where we put our talents to use, where our money goes, and why we do those things should gives us a pretty good idea of what our treasure is (and where our heart is, too.)
Hurtful Words
Words can hurt. Criticism (constructive or otherwise), gossip, even words spoken in truth, hurt. There is no doubt about that, especially if they are aimed towards us. But take a look at these Scriptures:
Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear….
James 1:19 ESV
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.
Proverbs 12:15 ESV
Cease to hear instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.
Proverbs 19:27 ESV
The bridge of this song
“So open my eyes wide as I can…Blind as I am, blind as I am…“
“Blind as I am.” Oh yes, I can be blind, deaf, AND dumb when it comes to some things. Sometimes it is because I am truly unaware. BUT…sometimes it is because I choose to be blind. Galatians 3:1a (KJV) asks “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth…”. What keeps me from recognizing the Truth? Often it is pride or wanting my own way.
Now, here is how God has put all of this together for me…. Perhaps hurtful words are meant to be seen as red flags—and our pride keeps us from seeing. When I hear the same type of comments from multiple sources over a period of time, I first need to examine my motives and my behavior instead of assuming they come from someone who is jealous, bitter, etc. I need to take those comments to God and ask if there is any validity to them. Perhaps my behavior hasn’t crossed the line yet…but when words hurt we should be warned of what could lie ahead.
Ephesians 5:10 (HCSB) says we need to be “…discerning what is pleasing to the Lord.” So I need to ask some hard questions….
Satan is wily. He will always have people in place to encourage and support when we stray from Christ’s desires for us. Satan can whisper “There is nothing wrong with that. After all, Scripture says, ‘Everything is permissible…’.” Yet the Scriptures which deal with this issue also include a caveat. Take a closer look at them:
Everything is permissible (allowable and lawful) for me;
but not all things are helpful (good for me to do,
expedient and profitable when considered with other things).
Everything is lawful for me,
but I will not become the slave of anything or be brought under its power.
1 Corinthians 6:12 (AMP)
All things are legitimate [permissible—and we are free to do anything we please],
but not all things are helpful (expedient, profitable, and wholesome).
All things are legitimate,
but not all things are constructive [to character] and edifying [to spiritual life].
1 Corinthians 10:23 (AMP)
We must always be willing to take a good, hard look at what we are doing and thinking. And willing to ask these additional hard questions of ourselves:
- Is it constructive to my character and edifying to my spiritual life?
- Or have I become a slave to its power?
- Does my behavior glorify God?
- Is my life a reflection of Christ?
I don’t want to be blind to my faults…hidden or not. I want my eyes open as wide as they can be so I am aware of any tricks the enemy might use.
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Lord, please open my eyes. Do not allow me to be blind to anything that is not pleasing to You. Help me discern if the words of others are red flags to warn me of the danger my behavior could bring. Let my life be pleasing to You and bring You glory. Amen – It Is So!
On that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:
We have a strong city. Salvation is established as walls and ramparts.
Open the gates so a righteous nation can come in—one that remains faithful.
You will keep the mind that is dependent on You in perfect peace,
for it is trusting in You.
Trust in the Lord forever, because in Yah, the Lord, is an everlasting rock!
For He has humbled those who live in lofty places—an inaccessible city.
He brings it down; He brings it down to the ground; He throws it to the dust.
Feet trample it, the feet of the humble, the steps of the poor.
The path of the righteous is level; You clear a straight path for the righteous.
Yes, Yahweh, we wait for You in the path of Your judgments.
Our desire is for Your name and renown.
I long for You in the night; yes, my spirit within me diligently seeks You,
For when Your judgments are in the land,
the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.
Isaiah 26:1-9 HCSB
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Every day there are reminders that we are not home yet. That the enemy is still prowling around and people are believing his lies. In the past 24 hours there have been shootings and a campus here in the south is on lockdown because of a hurting soul who thinks violence is the answer.
Are you asking “Where is God in all of this?” He’s exactly where He was when His own Son died on the Cross. The question is…are we close to Him? If God moves, He invites us to go with Him. He never leaves us. Will you accept His invitation?
Fear is a lie from the enemy to keep us in pits of all kinds. Psalm 23:4 says that no matter what we walk through we have His protection. We might feel like we can’t make it another minute but His Word is so full of hope and promises that carry us through. As long as we cling to Him and wait on Him we will never grow weary of doing His will. We might get tired and worn out physically but our spirit will never slow down.
God is the only One to cling to in this world of uncertainty. The absolute certain thing is this: one day Jesus will come back to get us and take us with Him. He died so that we can live free of all the worldly stuff that’s meant to destroy us. If we are with Him, we will survive and thrive.
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Are you in a hard place today? I urge you to take His hand and go wherever He leads you because…
Lets pray! Dearest Lord, we praise You for how awesome You are! Thank You for loving us enough to send Jesus to die in our place. In this world it is so hard; I lift up all who are hurting today. Fill the lost spaces with Your presence and help us keep our eyes on You. We love You! In Jesus’ Name, amen.
