March 10, 2026

We are Stewards of Our Bodies

SeekingHimLogo

Do you not discern and understand that you
[the whole church at Corinth]
are God’s temple (His sanctuary),
and that God’s Spirit has His permanent dwelling in you
[to be at home in you, collectively as a church and also individually]?
1 Corinthians 3:16 AMP

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Who are we in relationship to the things around us?  God made it very clear that we are His stewards.  Paul says, in 1 Corinthians 4:2, “Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful.”  Remember this as you continue to read.

I have always been overweight.  I cannot remember a time that I was ever a size that would be considered “normal weight.”  Weight is often one of those things that make people uncomfortable.  Here recently I have been teetering on 300 pounds.  According to health charts, for my height I am supposed to weigh 140-160 pounds.  I weigh almost twice as much as recommended.

Why am I mentioning this?  Well, because!  Because God made us stewards of our bodies.  Our body is a temple.  Temples are regarded as holy places.  Have you ever met a person who would cuss anywhere under the sun except for in a church?  There are many things that people would do OUTSIDE of a church that they would never do INSIDE of a church.  I suppose it makes sense.  People often view a church as God’s house.  When people go searching for God, they often go to a church.  People somehow understand that inside the church is a sacred place.

Just as we would treat the inside of the church, we should treat our bodies.  This means taking care of ourselves.  This means maintaining a healthy lifestyle.  We are stewards of our bodies and should not do anything to intentionally hurt the gift we have been given from the Lord above.  This does not just pertain to weight alone, but also our mental and emotional health are important, along with not smoking or excessive drinking.

I’d venture to say that we should also utilize the tools that have been provided to us, i.e., doctors.  God loved us enough to provide a shelter for our souls to dwell within.  He Himself dwells inside this body in the form of the Holy Spirit.  So!  As you would behave in a certain way inside a church, so you should behave within your own body.  God dwells in us and we are stewards of His little personal temple that is our body.

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Lord, help us to be good stewards of the body that you have provided in whatever fashion that looks like in your eyes for us. Help us to have open minds and to seek your guidance in how you would have us care for this gift you have given us. Thank you, amen.

Soul On Fire

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

God, I’m running for Your heart
I’m running for Your heart
Till I am a soul on fire
Lord, I’m longing for Your ways
I’m waiting for the day
When I am a soul on fire
Till I am a soul on fire

Lord, restore the joy I had
I have wandered, bring me back
In this darkness, lead me through
Until all I see is You

Lord, let me burn for You again
Let me return to You again
And Lord, let me burn for You again
And let me return to You again

Third Day
Mac Powell, Tai Anderson, Mark Lee, David Carr,
along with Brenton Brown, Matt Maher

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Restore to me the joy of Your salvation.
Psalm 51:12 AMP

To have found God and still to pursue Him is the soul’s paradox of love, scorned indeed by the too easily satisfied religionist, but justified in happy experience by the children of the burning heart” – A. W. Tozer

This song has been stuck in my head for weeks.  I finally gave in and decided to use it for my blog.  Why was I so unwilling to write about it?  I am not sure.  I want to believe I am longing for His ways instead of my own. But perhaps I am not….

We are all pursuing something.  We are chasing after dreams and desires, seeking to secure the things we are passionate about.  Sometimes pursuing our own goals and pursuing God become mutually exclusive.  We run hard after success and security.  And sometimes along the way we lose our joy and our passion for God.  We become consumed by obtaining more worldly wealth and lose sight of our eternal wealth.

Why do we waste our time running after things that will never satisfy us?  Too often it takes a disaster, a tragedy, a major loss or failure for God to regain our attention.  It would be so much easier on us if we would continually seek revival in our souls…if we made a conscious decision daily to run hard after God.

Matthew Henry stated,
“Wherever there is true grace there is a desire for more grace.”
King David put it like this,
“My soul follows hard after You: Your right hand upholds me.” (Psalm 63:8)

We should be hot on the heels of God—earnestly, and expectantly, seeking Him.  It requires effort and endurance on our part but the rewards we reap cannot be counted or contained.

Maybe this song has been stuck in my mind as a personal reminder to be running after God’s heart.  Maybe it is to bring me back from my worldly wanderings and restore the joy that can only be found in an intimate relationship with God.  Perhaps this song will remain in my mind and in my heart until I, again, have a soul on fire.

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Lord, please help me return to You again.  Restore my joy, let it abound in me.  May I daily run hard after Your heart and may Your right hand uphold me.  In Jesus’ name, Amen – it is so!

Sanctuary

SeekingHimLogo

Don’t you yourselves know that you are God’s sanctuary
and that the Spirit of God lives in you?
1 Corinthians 3:16

Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary
Pure and holy, tried and true
With thanksgiving, I’ll be a living
Sanctuary for You

It is You, Lord
Who came to save
The heart and soul
Of every man
It is You, Lord
Who knows my weakness
Who gives me strength,
With Thine own hand

Lead Me on, Lord
From temptation
Purify me
From within
Fill my heart with
Your Holy Spirit
Take away all my sin

Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary
Pure and holy, tried and true
With thanksgiving, I’ll be a living
Sanctuary for You

Unknown vocalists
Written by Randy Scruggs, John Thompson
additional lyrics by Lloyd Larson

Cast My Cares

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

When fear feels bigger than my faith
And struggles steal my breath away

When my back’s pressed up against the wall
With the weight of my worries stacked up tall
You’re strong enough to hold it all

I will cast my cares on You
You’re the Anchor of my hope
The only One Who’s in control
I will cast my cares on You
I’ll trade the troubles of this world
For Your peace inside my soul

This war’s not what I would’ve chosen
But You see the future no one knows yet

And You’re still good when I can’t
See the working of Your hands
You’re holding it all

I’m finding there’s freedom
When I lay it all on Your shoulders

Cast my cares, I will
Cast my cares, I will
Cast my cares on You

Finding Favour
Writers: Blake NeeSmith, Casy Brown & Sam Tinnesz

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Cast your cares on the LORD and He will sustain you;
He will never let the righteous be shaken.
Psalm 52:22

Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.
1 Peter 1:7

Why is it that we still worry and doubt, even when He has proven to us over and over again that He will always come through for us and that all the resources that are our Father’s are ours, too?  I can look back, week after week, and see His hand in my life and His provision; yet I can still get myself all worked up and anxious.

I have areas in my life that are so easy to hand over to God…

  • my children’s safety
  • protection over us
  • my parents well-being
  • …and the list goes on.

But there is one that I continue to give Him…and then take back (and it is on-going).  But God is always faithful and He reminds me over and over again in His Word that His promises always come true (Deuteronomy 7:9, 2 Corinthians 1:20) and that if He cares about the birds in the air, how much more does He care about us (Matthew 6:25-34)?

What are you holding onto today that is keeping you from the joy that is yours?  Our God is so capable of handling all of our problems all at once. He is everywhere and He is so close to you.  His love reaches to the ends of the earth and knows no end.  Today I challenge us all to make a list of three things that we need to give to Him and let Him handle.  Journal them and see if your load is a little lighter and your smile is a little brighter!  And look in the Bible and seek those verses on just this topic, casting it all on God!

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Let us pray: Dear God, You are so loving and so true.  You are always the same even when everything around us is changing.  You are so capable of holding all of our burdens on Your shoulders.  Oh Lord, we are Your children and we need You.  Help us to love You more each day and to remember to give You all our problems, believing that You will take care of it.  We love You and we trust You.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Storyteller

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

On a Sunday evening I’m looking back over all the years
And where I’ve been looking at a photograph
Remembering You were right there and You have been ever since
With very page that turns, I see Your faithfulness

The mountain where I climbed
The valley where I fell, You were there all along
You brought the pieces together, made me this storyteller
Now I know it is well, it is well, that’s the story I’ll tell

There were some nights I felt like they would last forever
But You kept me breathing, You were with me right then
And all that You have done for me, I could never hold it in
So, here’s to me telling this story over and over again

You hold the broken
You hear my every cry, every cry
My eyes are open, I know that it is well, it is well

 Morgan Harper Nichols
written along with Paul Mabury

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As a counselor, one fact I try to stress to all of my bereavement clients is that each of us have a story.  I encourage them to share it with me, with others…to write it down so it can be remembered. This does happen at times, but the usual response I receive is one of resistance.

As we are walking through life we don’t always see the significance of our own story.  Most times we feel we don’t even have one.  We minimize our lives and situations, with the word ‘just‘—I’m just a mom. I’m just a wife. I’m just one person. Whatever our “just” is, we cling to it; for whatever reason, we are unable to see the power behind our story.

God wrote a story for each one of us.  He penned every detail.  Every situation and every event was written by His hand.  Our story was not written for our benefit only, but to be used as a testimony for others.  Our stories are beautiful and inspirational.  They are our stories.  God made us the storyteller but (as the words of the song says), He was there when we climbed and when we fell, He knew what would be on our pages.  Yet He still made us the storyteller.

I hope this song inspires you to embrace your story and to tell it.  May it help you to understand that what we have experienced in life has a purpose, and to understand that He has a plan.

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Let’s Pray:

Lord, thank You for the beauty behind our story.  Please help us to see this beauty and to embrace it as our testimony.  You wrote our story and You made us the storyteller.  Please allow our story to bless others…allow it to bless ourselves. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Living the Good Life

SeekingHimLogo

For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship),
recreated in Christ Jesus,
[born anew] that we may do those good works
which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us
[taking paths which He prepared ahead of time],
that we should walk in them
[living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].
Ephesians 2:10 AMP

Did you catch that?  We are ‘predestined for…living the good life’!  Not only has God prepared us to do the good works He planned before we were born, He also prearranged a good life for us.  Psalm 16:11 HCSB states, “You reveal the path of life to me.”  God reveals the paths He has made ready for us.  We don’t have to earn the good life.  We don’t have to work for it.   It is a gracious gift from God (should we choose to receive it).

John 10:10 NKJV tells us Christ came so “…that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”  In Jeremiah 31:12 NLT it says, “They will be radiant because of the Lord’s good gifts—the abundant crops of grain, new wine, and olive oil, and the healthy flocks and herds. Their life will be like a watered garden….”  Not once does it mention that we must work to receive these blessings.

I love this quote from the Jamieson, Fausset & Brown Bible Commentary:
“Works do not justify, but the justified man works.”

Works will not save us.  Works will not earn us the love of God.  But works are something we do because we love God.  When we carry out the good deeds God has predestined for us, it is a way of expressing our gratitude for the good life He has provided for us.  In turn, God blesses us even more.

The Lord will open for you His abundant storehouse….
Deuteronomy 28:12 HCSB

I promise this very day that I will repay two blessings for each of your troubles.
Zephaniah 9:12 NLT

Job was blessed more in the latter part of His life than in the beginning (Job 42:12).  As if His abundant gift of mercy and grace wasn’t enough, God chooses to bless us even more.  We cannot outdo God.  His gifts are never ending!

Why does God give us gifts we could never earn or hope to repay?  Because we are His handiwork—His masterpiece—born anew through the death of Christ on the Cross; which is the greatest gift of all.  All because God loves each one of us more than we could ever imagine!

He Knows My Name

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

He counts the stars one and all
He knows how much sand is on the shore
He sees every sparrow that falls
He made the mountain and the seas
He’s in control of everything
Of all creatures great and small

He knows my name
Every step that I take, every move that I make, every tear that I cry
And He knows my name
When I’m overwhelmed by the pain and can’t see the light of day
I know I’ll be just fine ‘cause He knows my name

I don’t know what tomorrow will bring
I can’t tell you what’s in store
I don’t know a lot of things
I don’t have all the answers to the questions of life
But I know in Whom I have believed

He knows my name
Every step that I take, every move that I make, every tear that I cry
And He knows my name 
When I’m overwhelmed by the pain and can’t see the light of day
I know I’ll be just fine ‘cause He knows my name 

He knew who I was when He carried the cross
He knew that I would fail Him but He took the loss

 The McRaes
Written by Annie and Kelly McRae

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This passage seems to have been my almost constant confession this past week or so…listen.

For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life,
nor angels nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening
nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation
will be able to separate us {me!} from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38 and 39

Oh, and how I endeavor to cling to these promises!  I want to say, as Paul did, that ‘I am persuaded…’ though, I must admit that I do falter in my persuasion.  And times do come when my little heart doesn’t sing out quite as bravely.  But here’s what I do know….

…Nevertheless I am not ashamed:
for I know whom I have believed,
and am persuaded that He is able
to keep that which I have committed
unto Him against that day.
2 Timothy 1:12

And I remember and am greatly encouraged as I read through the Scriptures and see the strong evidence of God’s provision in the lives of His people…for example, His man Job.  Job went through much but he knew his life was in the Almighty’s sovereign and powerful hand.  And so, he could say this–

But He is unchangeable, and who can turn Him?
And what He wants to do, that He does.
For He performs [that which He has] planned for me,
and of many such matters He is mindful.
Job 23:13 and 14

I know that You can do all things and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.
Job 42:2

See, me, myself, on my own?…well, I get weary; and I am not strong at times.  But not my God!  Oh, He is able!  He is faithful!  He keeps His promises!  And so I trust His Word(s).  Therefore when I remember He has said, “I formed you and made you,” “I will never leave you nor forsake you,” “My grace is sufficient for you…” I am encouraged and strengthened!

One of my favorite Scriptures is Psalm 139.  It is such a beautiful prayer of praise of Almighty God!  Throughout this psalm, David acknowledges God’s providence, His sovereignty, His foreknowledge, His provision, His protection, His wisdom, and truly, His love.

Here are excerpts from this psalm…may I suggest you read these verses aloud, allowing Your eyes and ears and mind to take them in. Consider them, my friend; dwell on them.

And may your heart be reminded and strongly encouraged as you remember that God Almighty, your heavenly Father, truly KNOWS your name.  He knows you—every step, every move, every tear, all your ways. He knows all about you, inside and out, before and behind, sitting down and rising up. He knows your inward parts, your frame, your thoughts, your words, all your ways, all your days.

He knows y.o.u., my friend…He knows your name!

O Lord, You have searched me and known me.
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
You understand my thought from afar.
You scrutinize my path and my lying down,
And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.
Even before there is a word on my tongue,
Behold, O Lord, You know it all.
You have enclosed me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is too high, I cannot attain to it.
For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
I will give thanks to You,
For I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;
Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.
How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand.
When I awake, I am still with You. 

Rustic Sausage, Potatoes, and Veggies

Sometimes you need a few quick and easy to fix meals in your menu plan that are still healthy but oh-so-yummy…wouldn’t you agree?  This is one of those kinds of meals for us—tiny potatoes, onions, mushrooms, and chicken sausage roast in the oven with just a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and herbs.  Start-to-finish this took about 15 minutes or less to prep.   Oh…and only one pan to clean up!  That’s a big plus, too.

I just love sausage!   Finding these chicken sausage products from al fresco  made me very happy!  They make them in a few varieties; and  in links as well as patties.  I like to keep a package in the freezer.  Click the link above and check out the nutrition facts…you’ll be happily surprised, i think!   You can slice up the raw sausage links…(divide each link into fourths.)  I remove the meat from the casings and just dollop it around the pan in smallish little ‘meatballs.’  You choose!

This is a really easy dish to make!  Make sure to cut everything about the same size and don’t crowd the pan.    I served this alongside some steamed fresh green beans.  Enjoy!

Rustic Chicken Sausage, Potatoes, and Veggies

2015-05-15 20.08.25

ingredients:

16 ounce package fresh (raw) Italian chicken sausage
1# baby potatoes, scrubbed and halved
1 large Vidalia onion, cut into half moons
10-12 ounces Baby Bella mushrooms, cleaned and halved
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon EACH  sea salt, freshly ground pepper

directions:

  • preheat oven to 375
  • line large baking sheet with parchment paper (optional)
  • place cut-up veggies in a large bowl with the olive oil and s&p
  • stir together to thoroughly coat the veggies
  • pour out onto the lined baking sheet
  • scatter the sausage pieces evenly around the pan
  • bake for 35-40 minutes ’til potatoes just begin to brown a bit
  • season to taste (if necessary) with s&p

♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥

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

♥  coleen

Good Works

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For we are God’s workmanship
created in Christ Jesus to do good works
which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2: 10

I am reminded of Jeremiah 1:5…

Before I formed you I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart.

This just shows us how we were created.  In Genesis 1:26-28 God said, “Let us make man in Our image and Our likeness…”  You will notice God was giving power to man to have dominion over things and what distracted is the sinful nature of man.  However God’s compassionate love gave us Christ Jesus in Whom we are born again.  Now that we are born again, what is required of us?

1. Go back to the drawing board and see the purpose of God over our lives

2. Appreciate God for giving us the second chance

3. Fulfil the call that we have without murmuring or blabbing

The anchor Scripture for this week says we were ‘created to do good works.’  What then are the good works, those that God prepared for us to do in advance?

  • Matthew 5:16
    In the same way let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
  • 1 Timothy 6:18
    Command them to do good to be rich in good deeds and to be generous and willing to share.
  • Titus 2:7
    In everything set them an example by doing what is good.  In your teaching show integrity seriousness.
  • Hebrews 10:24
    And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds.
  • James 2:17
    Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by good deeds, is dead.
  • James 2:18
    But someone will say you have faith I have deeds show me your faith without deeds and I will show you my faith but I do.

Brethren, as we are doing good works it is not unto man but it is unto God (according to the Scriptures).  Let us take up this noble call with our whole hearts and pursue the calling.

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Dear Lord, we thank You for You knew us for all times.  We thank You for You predestined us and You knew our roles on earth for each one of us.  May we come to a full understanding of the good works that we are to do.  Use us to the maximum and all to the glory of your Holy Name.  Open our eyes of understanding to see the best inside us and how we should take action.  On our own we can hardly manage; we need the Holy Spirit—Christ in us—for this to be undertaken.  This we ask in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Flawless

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

There’s got to be more
Than going back and forth
From doing right to doing wrong
‘Cause we were taught that’s who we are
Come on get in line right behind me
You along with everybody
Thinking there’s worth in what you do

Then like a hero who takes the stage when
We’re on the edge of our seats saying it’s too late
Well let me introduce you to amazing grace

No matter the bumps
No matter the bruises
No matter the scars
Still the truth is
The Cross has made
The Cross has made you flawless
No matter the hurt
Or how deep the wound is
No matter the pain
Still the truth is
The Cross has made
The Cross has made you flawless

Could it possibly be
That we simply can’t believe
That this unconditional
Kind of love would be enough
To take a filthy wretch like this
And wrap him up in righteousness
But that’s exactly what He did

Take a breath smile and say
Right here right now I’m ok
Because the Cross was enough

MercyMe
Songwriters:  SOLOMON OLDS, BEN GLOVER, NATHAN COCHRAN, MIKE SCHEUCHZER, BARRY GRAUL, ROBBY SHAFFER, BART MILLARD, DAVID ARTHUR GARCIA

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Aren’t you glad God’s love is unconditional?
Aren’t you glad you and I can experience pure love?
I know I am.

I am glad I do not have to earn it.  I am glad I do not have to do anything but love God and know He loves me.  When I was in my teens, I asked Jesus to be Lord of my life.  His love made my life tolerable.  His unconditional love helped me know I was cherished and, no matter what I was going through, there was a way for me to make it through.

I was able to forgive and to find forgiveness.  I was able to begin to deal with (and sometimes am still working on) feelings of abandonment and rejection.  We have someone that wants to remind us every moment of our faults and failings.  That is where we are instructed to take our thoughts captive and refuse those negative accusing thoughts and feelings.  We are to deny those and replace them with what God’s Word tells us.  We are to dwell on these positive things.

Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,
but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world
and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Therefore put on the full armor of God,
so that when the day of evil comes,
you may be able to stand your ground,
and after you have done everything, to stand.
Ephesians 6:11-13 NIV

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Father, thank You for Your Word reminding us to guard our thoughts and know we are protected by You.  Help us to refocus on You when our thoughts wander towards negative or wrong thinking.  We love You and pray for Your mercy and grace while we struggle with keeping our thoughts pure.  In Jesus’ name, amen.