March 13, 2026

Sweet Potato – Spinach Mash

Like many of you, I am sure, we have refocused our healthy eating lifestyle. Preparing and eating LOTS of soup in January was so helpful! One good habit we are working on is having half the plate (or more!) full of veggies. Often that works out just fine. And a side salad is always a good and simple answer. But I find myself desiring some ‘comfort food’ especially during these cold and snowy months. And most of the dishes that I consider ‘comfort food’ don’t easily fall into the ‘healthy but oh-so-yummy’ parameters. However, the other night a recipe came together that fit the bill perfectly!

Sweet Potato and Spinach Mash…oh, yeah!

2015-02-03 20.46.17

I think that this is a ‘non’-recipe…you know…a basic idea where you can tweak it using what you have on hand. Like this: the frozen spinach could be switched out for finely sliced fresh spinach or some baby arugula or kale. You could use ricotta or greek yogurt or even cream cheese for the goat cheese. Try some different spices…cinnamon or nutmeg would be good; even your favorite curry spice blend. And I used some leftover baked sweet potatoes…that made it super quick and simple! If you try this recipe, I would love to hear of your variations!  Enjoy!

ingredients:
12 ounce bag frozen chopped spinach
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon minced garlic (I use jarred)
1-2 teaspoons dried herbs (thyme or marjoram or tarragon)
6 small baked sweet potatoes, skins removed
additional 1/2 cup broth or milk (use if mixture is too dry)
sea salt, freshly ground pepper (I use lemon-pepper blend)
3-4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

2015-02-03 20.32.19

directions:

  • place the spinach and broth in a medium-sized saute pan with a lid; cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes
  • stir in the minced garlic, s&p, and herbs
  • add the sweet potatoes and mash the whole mixture together
  • cover again and simmer gently ‘til heated through
  • taste for seasoning, and add in the goat cheese
  • remove from heat and serve

♥  ♥  ♥  ♥ 

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

♥  coleen

Selfless Love

SeekingHimLogo

Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking,
it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Selfless love is love that is not self-centered.  What do I mean by self-centered?  That is, thinking of oneself instead of others.  Examples of self-centered minds are like the ones below.
• If it is s blessings…then let me be the first to receive; forgetting we are “…more blessed to give than to receive.”
• If it is a prize someone received, you ask question ‘why them and not me?’ and then pick an offence with others in the process.
• In a family you want your decisions only to be applicable and do not care about others, i.e., spouse or children.
• No conscience when you wrong a person instead of saying ‘sorry’
• Can’t compliment another after they have done something that is good.

Rather, selfless love must always…

Think of others first and you will be more blessed.
[Abraham and Lot]

Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me.
If you take the left hand,
then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand,
then I will go to the left.
Genesis 13:9

Not keep record of wrongs, is always kind
[Joseph and his brothers]

“No, don’t be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children.”
So he reassured them by speaking kindly to them.
Genesis 50:21

Not envious
[Moses]

But Moses replied “Are you jealous for my sake?
I wish that all the Lords people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!”
Numbers 11:29

Protects
[Paul]

Even as I try to please everybody in every way.
For I am not seeking my own good
but the good of many so that they may be saved.
1 Corinthians 10:33

Perseveres
[Jesus Christ]

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich,
yet for your sake He became poor,
so that you through His poverty might become rich.
2 Corinthians 8:9

As believers let us encourage one another to have selfless love and do as the Word says in the passage (1 Corinthians 13:4-8) we are focusing on this week.  We were made in His own likeness and so we have to show the likeliness of God.  In whatever we do, how we speak, the way we carry ourselves…let those who see us thank God and turn to God. We should not grieve the Spirit with our deeds and cause the name of the Lord to not be worshipped.

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Oh Lord, my God, how wonderful You are!  You loved us and gave us Christ so we are co-heirs in your Kingdom.  Renew our minds that we should not be conformed to the things of the world but represent Christ in all we do.  Let us bear love that is selfless, Lord.  In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

Utterly Unselfish

SeekingHimLogo

<If I>…have not love (God’s love in me), I gain nothing.
Love endures long and is patient and kind;
love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy,
is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily.
It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride);
it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly.
Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way,
for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful;
it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].
It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness,
but rejoices when right and truth prevail.

Love bears up under anything and everything that comes,
is ever ready to believe the best of every person,
its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances,
and it endures everything [without weakening].
Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end].
1 Corinthians 13:3b-8

Does reading this passage make anyone else uncomfortable?  It is like reading a list of my most glaring faults.  I strive to live and love this way, but, mostly, I fall exceedingly short.

My Life Application Study Bible has this note for the above passage:

“God’s kind of love is directed outward towards others, not inward toward ourselves. It is utterly unselfish. This kind of love goes against our natural inclinations. It is impossible to have this love unless God helps us set aside our own natural desires so that we can love and not expect anything in return.”

Look at it like this…

{Love} is patient/long-suffering  {Love} is NOT envious
{Love} is kind                                       {Love} is NOT jealous
{Love} bears all things                      {Love} is NOT proud
{Love} believes the best                   {Love} is NOT rude
{Love} does not celebrate evil     {Love} is NOT self-seeking
{Love} rejoices when truth wins   {Love} is NOT irritable
{Love} never gives up
{Love} does not keep score
{Love} is always hopeful
{Love} is enduring
{Love} never fails

Utterly unselfish love, possible only with God’s help

Whew!!!  That’s a tall order.  Try reading that passage with your name in place of {Love}.  (Did anyone besides me just say OUCH?!?) I am not all those things yet…but I can continue to work towards them. What I need to remember is that is not important how many times I fail, but how many times I get back up. Perseverance is key. Hebrews 12:1b (NIV) encourages us to “run with perseverance the race marked out for us….” James 1:4 tells us we must “Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” God will always be there to help if I am willing to persevere and ask Him for help. The neat thing—God has already provided us with everything we need. Paul reminds us of this in Galatians 5:22-23 (AMP):

But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence).

We have been given the Holy Spirit Who can strengthen these characteristics in us and bring them to light in our lives!

By this all people will know that you are My disciples,
if you have love for one another.
John 13:35 HCSB

The measure of Christian maturity is how we display love. We are nothing if we don’t have love. I want to be more than that. What I desire most is to display love as Christ did.

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Father, help me persevere. I want to love as You love. Let my natural desires fade away as I seek to show love outwardly toward others…not considering myself. It is only possible with Your guidance and the Holy Spirit working in me. In Jesus’ name I ask this – Amen, So Be It!

Whatever You’re Doing

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

It’s time for healing time to move on
It’s time to fix what’s been broken too long
Time to make right what has been wrong
It’s time to find my way to where I belong
There’s a wave that’s crashing over me
All I can do is surrender

Whatever you’re doing inside of me
It feels like chaos somehow there’s peace
It’s hard to surrender to what I can’t see
but I’m giving in to something heavenly

Time for a milestone
Time to begin again
Revaluate who I really am
Am I doing everything to follow your will
or just climbing aimlessly over these hills
So show me what it is you want from me
I give everything I surrender

Time to face up
Clean this old house
Time to breathe in and let everything out
That I’ve wanted to say for so many years
Time to to release all my held back tears

Singer/Songwriters ~~ Sanctus Real
(D. Gartley, M. Hammitt, M. Graalman, C.Rohman, P. Prevost)

  *  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

How many times do I have to remind myself to just breathe.  The world can be a really hard place and sometimes things are thrown at us when we are not ready.  How would I react if I actually expected it?  What if you knew that a person was about to shove you while you were standing in line? If you didn’t see it coming, you would stumble. If you saw it coming and  were prepared, you would stand firm where you were, feet planted.

God tells us that we will have trouble and hardships and chaos in our lives. And He has given us a way to prepare ourselves—His Word.  The Bible gives us direction and guidance in every situation.  We can read how David lived and defeated a giant with a stone and slingshot.  We can see how Jonah ran from God and yet God sought him and went to all the trouble to have him swallowed by a fish.  He really needed Jonah to spread the Good News to a specific city.  And then there’s Gideon who doubted that he could do anything, even with God proving over and over to him that he was really equipped to defeat his enemies.  And the list goes on and on….  Each one of these men went on to do great things. Because they didn’t let it defeat them.

The chaos going on in your life is also creating something beautiful and heavenly.  God wastes nothing…no hardship, no affliction. He makes something good out of the hard things that we just knew would be the end of us.  It is time for healing, dear friend.  And the only way that can happen is to totally surrender to Him and His will for you…whatever that may be. Are you ready?

I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace.
In this world you will have trouble.
But take heart, I have overcome the world.
John 16:33

Seek the Lord while He can be found: call upon Him while He is near.
Isaiah 55:6

And God is able to bless you abundantly,
so that in all things at all times, having all you need,
you will abound in every good work.
2 Corinthians 9:8

When times are good, be joyful; when times are bad, consider this:
God made the one as well as the other,
so people won’t seek anything outside of His best.
Ecclesiastes 7:14 ISV

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Let us pray:
Dear Lord, You are mighty and awesome.  Your name is to be exalted above all!  Your love knows no end and we are so blessed to be Your children.  Oh, Lord, it is time to surrender, clean house, and let You take control of our lives.  What may seem like chaos may just be the beginning of a change that was so needed and You are to be praised for it all.  Lord God, thank You for Your precious Word!  A Light in this dark world and a Guide to make it through it all.  May we turn to You and be patient and just breathe.  Knowing that all will be well…because in Him, all IS well!  In Jesus’ name, amen.

You Are My Healer

SeekingHimLogo

 Then they came, bringing a paralytic to Him, who had been picked up and was being carried by four men.  And when they could not get him to a place in front of Jesus because of the throng, they dug through the roof above Him; and when they had scooped out an opening, they let down the [thickly padded] quilt or mat upon which the paralyzed man lay.  And when Jesus saw their faith [their confidence in God through Him], He said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven….”

Mark 2:3-5 AMP

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

You hold my every moment
You calm my raging seas
You walk with me through fire
And heal all my disease

I trust in You
I trust in You

I believe You’re my healer
I believe You are all I need
I believe, Lord

I believe You’re my portion
I believe You’re more than enough for me
Jesus, You’re all I need

For nothing is impossible for You
Nothing is impossible
Nothing is impossible for You
You hold my world in Your hands

Singers ~ Aaron&Amanda Crabb / Songwriter ~  Michael Guglielmucci

In The Hands Of God

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

We have raised our hopes and our cities high
We have followed fragile dreams
But only One could take the measure of our goals
And we’ve stumbled over the trials of life
And we’ve wrestled the unseen
But only One can calm the storm inside our souls

In the hands of God we will fall
Rest for the restless, and the weary
Hope for the sinner
In the hands of God we stand tall
Hands that are mighty to deliver
Giving us freedom

When our strength gave way to the weight of guilt
‘Til we strained for every breath
Only One could lift our shame and make us well
And when all is finished and we face
The fearsome power of death
Only One has overcome the gates of hell

You’re amazing
You’re amazing, You are
And we praise You, Lord
For what Your hands have done

 Steve Taylor, Jeff Frankenstein, Peter Furler  ~~ Newsboys

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

You have a mighty arm; strong is Your hand, high Your right hand.
Psalm 89:13

The hands of God are huge and His reach is long.  He created the universe, the Earth, and all that live and breathe.  His hands are the only ones strong enough to defeat evil and bring victory to us all.  Yet these hands are gentle and comforting.

There is a movie that my kids and I got for Christmas; we watch it a couple of times each week.  “Wreck-It Ralph” is that movie.  In the movie, Ralph (the main character) is the villain of an arcade video game.  He is huge—600 pounds, tall, and his hands are huge.  He uses those hands to destroy things in the arcade game.  Yet, in the movie, he and his huge hands become a hero by helping to rescue another a game.  For once, Ralph is not the bad guy but the good guy.

When I watch that movie, I imagine God’s hands as infinitely bigger than Ralph’s.  They can build or destroy anything.  That is how strong God is.  He can be fierce enough to destroy but loving enough to create or fix.  He is the only One that can lift us up and save us.  He is bigger than Ralph. Because of God, we have a solid base and an endless love.

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Dear Heavenly Father: Thank You for taking us into Your loving arms. Your reach is infinite and huge. This reach is what brings us back from the depths of despair. It brings us joy and eternal life. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Napa Cabbage with Peas and Prosciutto

Napa Cabbage with Peas and Prosciutto

Punxatawney Phil, that old son-of-a-gun, just declared there would be six more weeks of winter.  Growing up in Southern California, it didn’t mean much to me—maybe a day or two of drizzle, or a heavier jacket if the temperature dipped into the fifties at night.  Now that we’re in Texas, winter is FOR REAL!  There are no good farmer’s markets, no fresh produce for cheap.  So when it’s the dreary days of February and you can’t plant your garden yet, it’s time to make the most of what you have.  This recipe for Napa Cabbage with Peas and Prosciutto can’t bring spring, but it can warm up your belly!

I had half of a head of cabbage left after making a batch of Stuffed Cabbage Soup and needed a recipe for it.  If you haven’t searched through Epicurious.com, please do.  I used the search function to find recipes for Napa cabbage, stumbled onto this one, and tried it.  Fantastic!  I followed the instructions, except I replaced prosciutto with bacon.  Warm, smoky, sweet, and salty.  Try it tonight!

Napa Cabbage with Peas and Prosciutto (recipe courtesy Epicurious)

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
  • 1 small napa cabbage, trimmed and sliced crosswise
  • 1 ounce prosciutto, chopped (I substituted 3 slices of bacon, minced, cooked, and drained)
  • 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (or more, to taste)
  • 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

  1. In a large heavy skillet, heat oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Add peas, cabbage, prosciutto, and zest and cook, stirring, 4 to 5 minutes, or until cabbage is wilted and tender.
  2. Remove skillet from heat and stir in lemon juice, Parmesan, and salt and pepper to taste.

 

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana


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

Extended Faith

SeekingHimLogo

Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them.
Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd,
they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and,
after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic,
“Son, your sins are forgiven.”
Mark 2:3-5

When I read this passage, I had to stop and read it again.  A couple of things stood out to me in this passage:

1.  These men that were helping the paralytic were not referred to as his friends.
2.  Jesus helped the paralytic based on the men’s faith.

This passage, even in the other Gospels, is kind of vague. It leaves a lot to question…for instance,

  • Who were these men that had so much faith in Jesus that they were willing to climb onto a roof, dig through it, and lower a man down…when they may or may not have been his friend?
  • Why did they care so much?
  • Did the paralytic have faith?

This passage doesn’t say.  This passage actually focuses heavily on the men who brought the paralytic.  Regardless of the answers to these questions one thing remains a fact—Jesus healed the paralytic because of the four men’s faith.  I’ve read over this passage before, and I clearly remember being under the impression that the man asked to be taken to Jesus and he was healed because he believed.  But upon re-reading this passage, I am very baffled by the fact that Jesus healed the man because of the other men’s faith.

This passage is proof that believers are essential to non-believers’ lives.  We are not meant to be sectioned off.  We are not to be put on a pedestal.  We are not better than non-believers.  We are guides, helpers, and intercessors.  Not only can our faith be of use to the non-believer, but believers can help other believers, too.  Our faith is not just our faith. Our faith can extend to the lives around us.  And sometimes that’s what we need.  We need others to believe for us and with us.  This is why fellowship is important.

Faith—your faith—is for more than just you.
Share it. Use it. It has great power.

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Lord, help us to understand that our faith can reach further than just our own lives and the lives of those immediately around us.  Show us that our faith is potentially useful to all those that we encounter.  Amen.

Doer Of Your Word

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I looked in the mirror of Your Word knowing I’d see
A clear reflection of what You saw in me
You gently showed me the state my heart was in
And how the world had deceived me again

Went away determined to take the narrow path
But in a moment my foolish ways were back
It’s elementary there must be something wrong
And I’m starting to realize this can’t go on

(Wanna be a) doer of Your Word
Never, ever forget the truth that I have learned
(Be a) doer of Your Word
I wanna be a doer of Your Word
Keep on obeying everything I’ve heard
(Be a) doer of Your Word

It’s not the first time its happened won’t be the last
I think I’m finally mature but just a little too fast
I close my Bible convinced I’m really changed
But I’m not any different ’til I obey

What does it mean to call You Lord of my life
If I ignore the things You say
Help me remember that my greatest delight
Is following Your commands
And give me strength to stand and be a doer of Your Word

Songwriter: Bob Kauflin ~~ Performed by Glad

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

“If you know…you must do.  Because to NOT do,
when you KNOW, then there is a problem.”
– Mrs. Lisa Bevere

And here’s why she said that…

Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do
and does not do it, to him it is sin.
James 4:17

Ouch. So. True!   This struck my heart and caused me to remember the admonition and encouragement from the Book of James on this very topic.

But prove yourselves doers of the Word,
and not merely hearers who delude themselves.
For if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer,
he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror;
for once he has looked at himself and gone away,
he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.
But one who looks intently at the perfect law,
the Law of liberty, and abides by it,
not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer,
this man will be blessed in what he does.
James 1:22-25 NASB

I just ♥ the Book of James, don’t you?!?  Here in chapter one, we are being

  • built up to handle the temptations that invariably come our way (verses 2-4)
  • encouraged to ASK God for His wisdom knowing that He gives it generously (verse 5)
  • reminded that rewards await us eternally when we persevere in these trials (verse 12)
  • thankful because our Father only gives what is good and perfect to us (verse 17)
  • warned to be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger (verse 19)

And then James writes, “But prove yourselves doers of the word…” (verse 22).  Yes, oh, yes; yes, I will!  Does your heart respond like that? (I do think that it does!)  Throughout the Scriptures, ‘…men spoke from God as they were moved by the Holy Spirit’ (2 Peter 1:21), and that is how we received the Scriptures.   As we read and consider and contemplate the words in God’s Word we are moved and compelled and motivated and spurred on (and convicted and reproved also!).  They motivate us to be DO-ers and not hearers only.

But if we want to be DO-ers of the Word then we must be HEAR-ers also. Now I don’t think this simply and exclusively means that we are to ONLY be audibly listening to the Scriptures. I think that it means really hearing it…in your mind and in your heart! And trusting and having faith in what is ‘heard.’

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
Romans 10:17

A good friend once said, “Don’t just listen to it…don’t just study it; you have to DO what it says. Otherwise, you fool yourselves. It is wasted…and the Word will NOT be wasted!”  She went on to share a question that she regularly asks herself,

{ Am I doing the things that I am studying and learning and absorbing? }

(Wanna be a) doer of Your Word
Never, ever forget the truth that I have learned
(Be a) doer of Your Word
I wanna be a doer of Your Word
Keep on obeying everything I’ve heard
(Be a) doer of Your Word

Strong Faith

SeekingHimLogo

Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them.
Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd,
they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it
and then lowered the mat the man was lying on.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man,
“Son, your sins are forgiven.”
Mark 2:3-5

Faith is one of the strongest weapons we have as humans when it comes to facing the different trials of the world.  It can carry us through the toughest times and can give us joy during the good times.  Faith is the best tool we have to face evil in a world that is changing before our eyes. Faith is what gives us the strength to keep on searching for answers.

Many people are sick and dying.  Other are living in constant pain or even unable to move.  Yet, for many in this world, medical advances are the only hope that they see as a way to keep living.  They put all their faith in hoping that the medical community will find a cure.

Others, though, put their faith in God. Through prayer to God and their belief in God, some who are sick or disabled have faith strong enough to live their lives while fighting their trials.

The paralyzed man and his companions (mentioned here in Mark chapter 2) had great faith in Jesus.  The four men had to have faith that Jesus would heal the disabled; otherwise, they would not have been willing to bring the man to be healed by Jesus.  Jesus recognized that the men had faith that he would heal the disabled man.  By the power of their faith in Jesus, the paralyzed man was healed.

Jesus can see if we have faith in Him.  He lives in our hearts providing us with the strength to go through good and bad days.  Jesus is the pillar of our faith.  Without Jesus we cannot have faith in God.  As long as we are in a relationship with Jesus, our faith will only grow stronger.

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Dear Heavenly Father: Thank You for Your healing powers and for allowing us to have faith in You.  Without you…we are nothing.  The stronger our faith, the stronger we are.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.