December 23, 2024

I’ll Do My Best For You

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Love
I’ll love
I’ll love You, Lord
Forever

I’ll do my best
I’ll do my best
Oh, I’ll do my best for You
Oh, oh, oh
I’ll do my best
I’ll do my best
Oh, I’ll do my best for You

Serve
I’ll serve
I’ll serve You, Lord
Forever

Praise
I’ll praise
I’ll praise You, Lord
Forever

I’ll love
I’ll serve
I’ll praise You, Lord
Forever

I’ll do my best
I’ll do my best
I’ll do my best
Oh, I’ll do my best for You
Oh, oh, oh
I’ll do my best
I’ll do my best
Oh, I’ll do my best for You

GoFish Guys
Jamie Statema, Jason Folkmann and Andy Selness

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My grandchildren (probably just like yours) love music!  And they know oh-so-very many songs—from little ones Bible lullabies to Sunday School songs to popular praise&worship that their Dad and Mom (and PopPop and Tata!) play while travelling out and about.  But this little song from the GoFish Guys seems to be popular on everyone’s playlist!

I asked them “What does it mean to ‘do my best’ for God?”  Kaylie Joy responded, “Welllllll, I guess it means to obey Him…the best I can.”  Levi, singing away (with his voice AND his body!), “obey my dad and mom…and you, too, TaTa!”  And when I prompted Elijah, a man of few words, singing “God, I’ll love You forever” he signed ‘LOVE’ right back to me.

And I thought to myself that from their perspective, it is pretty darn simple.  But sometime it gets rather complicated for me.   At times, I am tempted to think that my efforts, my good works, my trying hard are the things that i should be doing to do my best for my God.  (Ummmm…no.)  I was convicted in my heart…as I realized it is no more complicated for me (a follower of Jesus Christ for almost 35 years) than for children who have just begun a relationship with Him.  The motivation for each of us is exactly the same—doing my best for God is LOVEHis love for me and me proving my love for Him!

His love for us (oh-how-He-loves-us-so! ) is unconditional.  We cannot earn…or do anything to provoke Him to love us.  He simply DOES love us.

For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up
His only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish
(come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.
John 3:16

And our love for Him  is proven or shown by our adherence to His commands.

But whoever keeps His word, in him truly the love of God is perfected.
1 John 2:5

By this we know that we love the children of God,
when we love God and observe His commandments.
1 John 5:2

For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.
And His commandments are not burdensome.
Verse 3

And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments….
2 John 1:6

If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
John 14:15

So ‘doing my best’ for God is much more about loving Him and wanting to live in such a way that proves my love!  Whether I am serving Him, praising Him, or loving others…it is all to say ‘I love You, Lord!’  And any good works that I do, as I endeavor to do my best for Him, are all for His glory!

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do,
do all to the glory of God!
1 Corinthians 10:31

To the praise of the glory of His grace,
wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved.
Ephesians 1:6

Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage and Veggies

Yummmm…stuffing!  Call me crazy but, if I had to choose just ONE carb-y dish for Thanksgiving dinner, it wouldn’t be pie, or rolls, or potatoes.  It would be stuffing!

This recipe fits well within our healthy but oh-so-yummy POV since it is made with chicken sausage (low in fat) and is loaded with lots of veggies.  Feel free to make this to your family’s preferences:  change up the sausage (spicy is great!), substitute different veggies, season with other varieties of herbs.  This can be made with your favorite cornbread: whether gluten-free or traditional, from scratch or a boxed mix, or even a bag of cubes you purchase.  I would love to hear how you switched it up to please your loved ones!  Enjoy!

2015-11-15 18.25.34

Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage and Veggies

ingredients:

1 batch of your favorite cornbread (I used a GF mix)

coconut or olive oil
1 onion, cut into a small dice
2 stalks celery, sliced thinly
1 fennel bulb, chopped into small pieces
sea salt, freshly ground pepper
1# uncooked sausage, (I used chicken sausage)
2 teaspoons garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon each dried thyme, rosemary, sage
1 large apple, cubed
1 cup dried cranberries
3 to 4 cups chicken broth/stock

directions :

  • first thing you need to do is make a batch of cornbread.  you can make this a day or two before.  after removing from baking pan, cool thoroughly, wrap loosely, and store in a cool, dry place.
  • when ready to prepare the stuffing, cut up the cornbread into small-ish cubes and place on a rimmed baking sheet. bake at 250-275 for 30 minutes or so ‘til the cubes are getting crispy and drying out. pour into a very large bowl and set aside
  • heat the oil in a large saute pan, over medium heat, warm the oil
    then add the onions and celery and fennel; season well with s&p and cook until the vegetables start to become soft
  • push to the edges of the pan and add the sausage into the middle; cook ‘til the sausage begins to brown
  • add in the garlic, herbs, and apples; stir all together for a minute or so; remove from heat
  • increase oven temp to 375
  • into the bowl holding the cornbread, add the cranberries along with the cooked sausage/veggie mixture and stir together
  • pour 2 cups of the chicken broth evenly over the whole bowl; knead together with your hands (adding additional broth ‘til the bread is very moist but not mushy)
  • taste to check for seasoning, adding additional s&p if needed
    transfer to a large ovenproof dish/casserole and cover with foil
  • bake the stuffing until it is hot all the way through about 30 minutes.
  • if your family likes some crispy bits, too, remove foil and increase oven temp to 425; bake for additional 10 minutes

♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥ 

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

♥  coleen

Steadfast

seekingHimthanksgivinggraphic

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
for His steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods,
for His steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for His steadfast love endures forever;
Psalms 136:1-3 ESV

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One thing remains Your love never fails
It never gives up, it never runs out on me
Because on and on and on it goes…”
One Thing Remains – Jesus Culture

Thank God! He deserves your thanks.
His love never quits.
Psalm 136:1 MSG

The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines steadfast like this:

  • firmly fixed in place : immovable
  • not subject to change

Google’s definition states:

  • resolutely or dutifully firm and unwavering.

I don’t know about you, but there is nothing in my life, outside of God’s love, that is immovable…not subject to change…resolutely firm and unwavering.  Life seems to be constant change. How wonderful it is to know God’s love remains firm. It is enduring. How thankful I am that it is NOT based on what I do or don’t do. Look at what Deuteronomy 7:9 AMP promises:

Therefore know [without any doubt] and understand
that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God,
who is keeping His covenant and His [steadfast] lovingkindness
to a thousand generations with those who love Him
and keep His commandments;

Isn’t it reassuring to know without a doubt that our God is faithful and His steadfast love and covenant extends to a thousand generations? God’s love never fails. He never gives up on us. The Lord will never turn His back on us no matter how many times we turn away from Him. We are always able to run back into His loving arms.

So I will thank God. He deserves it for His love never quits. It is unchanging, immovable, and eternal.

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Lord, thank You for loving me. Your faithful, steadfast love is the rock, the firm foundation on which I stand. Your loving arms are my Refuge and my Strength. That is more than enough reason to give thanks to You each and every day.  Amen- it is so!

Nearer, My God, To Thee

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee
E’en though it be a cross that raiseth me
Still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to Thee

Nearer, my God, to Thee
Nearer to Thee

Though like the wanderer, the sun gone down
Darkness be over me, my rest a stone
Yet in my dreams I’d be nearer, my God to Thee

There let the way appear, steps unto Heav’n
All that Thou sendest me, in mercy given
Angels to beckon me nearer, my God, to Thee

Then, with my waking thoughts bright with Thy praise
Out of my stony griefs Bethel I’ll raise
So by my woes to be nearer, my God, to Thee

Or, if on joyful wing cleaving the sky
Sun, moon, and stars forgot, upward I’ll fly
Still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to Thee

There in my Father’s home, safe and at rest
There in my Savior’s love, perfectly blest
Age after age to be, nearer my God to Thee

 Sharon Singers of the Sharon Mennonite Bible Institute
Written by Sarah F. Adams

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Closer, God, to You.”  What does this look like to you?  For me it is not listening to the self-talk, which says I am not good enough…I am not worthy to sing His praises…I am not worthy to pray over someone who is hurting. {Ever feel this way?}

When we are subject to God’s will in our lives, we are blessed beyond measure.  When we come to Him, asking and laying down all of our requests before the Throne of grace, God is just and true to guide us.  His grace is sufficient to cover all of our sins.  His forgiveness knows no boundaries. If you or anyone continues to sin but asks with a penitent heart, God will hear our cry and toss our sinfulness into the sea.  Know and trust this.  Forgive yourself (and others).  Give your cares to Him Who is more than able to carry the burden.  Jesus has already paid the price at  Calvary for us.

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Father, thank You for loving us unconditionally.  Help us to forgive those who have wronged us.  Let us find a way to give thanks in everything and praise You, especially during this holiday season.  Help us to live up to Your standards, not ours.  In Jesus’ name, amen!

What If…

seekingHimthanksgivinggraphic

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods.
His faithful love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords.
His faithful love endures forever.
Psalms 136:1-3

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Being thankful is something that should be done on a daily, hourly, and minute-by-minute basis.  I had heard of people who kept gratitude journals or thanksgiving diaries.  For a complete month, I wrote down what I was thankful for, even on the bad days when I felt like nothing was going my way.  When I started, I was certain it was going to be impossible to write down thirty things.

I’ll admit, I did struggle on some days because I was being stubborn. This was during a time when I was having real issues not being focused on what was wrong in my life. You see, if all you focus on are the things that are wrong…then it sure will be hard to see what is right and good.

Psalm 136:1-3 says to, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods. His faithful love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords. His faithful love endures forever.”  When my brother and I were younger we used to do “what if” scenarios all the time.  Remembering that made me think…

  • What if God’s love did not endure forever?
  • What if God was not the only True God?
  • What if God’s love were not faithful?

Could you even begin to fathom what our lives would be like if God was not the way He is?  I think that if God were different, life would be a lot harder, and potentially unbearable.

  • What if God decided to be more like a dictator than a loving Father?
  • What if God did not care for our well-being, and we were just puppets?
  • What if we didn’t have freewill!?!??!

We can only imagine what our lives would be like if God were different.  So, I’m thankful that He is the way that He is and that He allows me to have freewill.

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Lord, thank You for being who You are—loving, caring, kind, compassionate, forgiving, faithful, trustworthy, honest, helpful, strong, Almighty, and just plain awesome!  Amen.

Glow In The Dark

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Sometimes the world feels like a mess
Full of drama, full of stress
And life puts a fist right in your ribs
You can hide if you choose to
And no one would even blame you
Or you can let ’em see how you deal with it

That even in the darkest place
His love can make you radiate

Doesn’t matter how deep, how dark the night is
Keep hoping, keep on shining
And they’ll see His light burning in your heart
And if the road gets rough, just keep your head up
Let the world see what you’re made of
That His love’s alive in your deepest parts
Like a flame, like a burning star
You can shine right where you are

He made you to glow in the dark

Don’t be ashamed of your past
If you’re shattered like a piece of glass
The more broke you are the more the light gets through
Show your wounds and your flaws
Show them why you still need the Cross
Let them see the work He’s doing in you

That even in the darkest place
His love can make you radiate

Jason Gray, singer/songwriter

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And you, beloved, are the light of the world.  You are like that illuminating light. Let your light shine everywhere you go, that you may illuminate creation, so men and women everywhere may see your good actions, may see creation at its fullest, may see your devotion to Me, and may turn and praise your Father in heaven because of it.

Matthew: 5:14-16 The Voice

For a long time I thought, as a Christian, I needed to hide my struggles, my flaws. Then I realized broken is still beautiful to God.

If you’re shattered like a piece of glass
The more broke you are the more the light gets through
Show your wounds and your flaws
Show them why you still need the Cross
Let them see the work He’s doing in you

This is my favorite part of the song and, I think, the soul of this song. Others need to see our brokenness and how we respond in times of desperation and despair.  Christians are not perfect.  We are imperfect people loved by a perfect God.  We need to let our imperfections, our cracks, and scars show…because His light shines through them. Our imperfections reveal God’s grace to the world. Our weaknesses reveal His strength. It is more about being who we are than what we do. In John 12:46 NLT Jesus says:

I have come as a Light to shine in this dark world,
so that all who put their trust in Me
will no longer remain in the dark.

Jesus’ Light shines through us. As this song says

That even in the darkest place
His love can make you radiate

It is the brightest in our darkest situations.  In Matthew 5:16 we are called to let our light shine.  Not only in the good times but in our dark times also.  Then we can illuminate others in the darkness as well. This is such a joy-filled song. We can experience joy in our darkest nights because of His love. It doesn’t matter how deep or how dark our night is—we can still “glow in the dark,” radiating joy and the love of Jesus.

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Thank You, Lord, that Your love makes us radiate even in our darkest place.  I am so thankful You find beauty in my brokenness and can use my imperfections and cracks to shine Your Light through.  In Your Holy Name – Amen, it is so!

Give Thanks

seekingHimthanksgivinggraphic

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods.

His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.
Psalms 136:1-3

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Give thanks to the Lord (for He is good)
For He is good
Give thanks to the Lord (for He is good)
For He is good
Give thanks to the Lord (for He is good)
For He is good
His love endures forever

His love will reign forevermore
His power will reign forevermore
His grace will reign forevermore
His peace will reign forevermore

His love endures forever (praise the Lord)
His love endures forever (Hallelujah)
His love endures forever

This Week…Colossians 3:15-17

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 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts.
For as members of one body you are called to live in peace.
And always be thankful.
Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives.
Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom He gives.
Sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.
And whatever you do or say,
do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
Colossians 3:15-17

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Here on the Seeking Him devotional blog, we are focusing our thoughts for the next few weeks on giving thanks, gratitude, and being thankful.  This week our devotional writers have been so encouraging in their reminders to always give thanks to God through our Lord Jesus.  Please click on the indivdual links to read each complete devotional; here are a few excerpts from their thoughts….

In Good Deeds, Ann posted a few excellent questions to consider regarding our actions, our deeds.  And reminded us of the reasons…

“Sisters, it is good to do good deeds to everyone around us as it gives glory to God…”.

In God’s Peace, Tina shared Jesus’ example of peace…

“I like how Jesus always paced himself.  Taking the time to pray…being intentional about it.  Jesus always had a peace about Him…”.

In Thankful Representatives, Clella encouraged us to be thankful and draw others to Christ…

“When we live in peace, joy, thankfulness, and God’s wisdom, we will be representatives that show the world around us our God of love. With thankful hearts, we can sing, speak, and do that which draws others to Christ…”.

In Be Thankful, Ahmee reminded us of a few of the many things we do have to be thankful for…

“We can decide to focus on what we do have or what we don’t have.  When we choose to focus on what we do have we are generally going to find ourselves in a happier disposition than if we focused on the negative…”.

Do I Trust You, Lord

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Sometimes my little heart can’t understand
What’s in Your will, what’s in Your plan
So many times I’m tempted to ask You why
But I can never forget it for long
Lord, what You do could not be wrong
So I believe You, even when I must cry

Do I trust You, Lord
Does the river flow
Do I trust You, Lord
Does the north wind blow
You can see my heart
You can read my mind
And You got to know
That I would rather die
Than to lose my faith
In the One I love
Do I trust You, Lord
Do I trust You

I know the answers, I’ve given them all
But suddenly now, I feel so small
Shaken down to the cavity in my soul
I know the doctrine and theology
But right now they don’t mean much to me
This time there’s only one thing I’ve got to know

Do I trust You, Lord
Does the robin sing
Do I trust You, Lord
Does it rain in spring
You can see my heart
You can read my mind
And You got to know
That I would rather die
Than to lose my faith
In the One I love
Do I trust You, Lord
Do I trust You

I will trust You, Lord, when I don’t know why
I will trust You, Lord, ’til the day I die
I will trust You, Lord, when I’m blind with pain
You were God before, and You’ll never change
I will trust You
I will trust You
I will trust You, Lord

Twila Paris, singer / songwriter
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I am trusting (a tiny pun!) that it is not just my heart that is stirred up thinking about this trust issue…yes?  But here is where I stand and I am not moving:  God is absolutely worthy of my completely and totally trusting Him with my life.  I sing this song, often, when I am tempted to doubt and to waffle in my trust in my God.  It encourages me and spurs me on to stand on His promises. And choose to continue to trust Him Who is absolutely trustworthy.

Throughout the Scriptures, we find promise after promise as well as testimony upon testimony directing us to see His faithfulness and trustworthiness.  God’s people throughout time have shown incredible faith and trust in their God.  The psalmist gives praise time and time again to the One to Whom he trusted with his life.  Here in Psalm 40 are some of my most favorite words of confession acknowledging my trust in our great God.

I waited patiently and expectantly for the Lord;
and He inclined to me and heard my cry.
He drew me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay,
and set my feet upon a rock,
steadying my steps and establishing my goings.
And He has put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many shall see and fear
and put their trust and confident reliance in the Lord.
Blessed is the {wo}man who makes the Lord {her} refuge and trust….
Psalms 40:1-4

As we read the Scriptures, they relate to us the confessions (both the praises and the struggles) of others who have gone before us and made the choice to trust in God.

You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace
whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You,
because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You.
So trust in the Lord
(commit yourself to Him, lean on Him, hope confidently in Him) forever;
for the Lord God is an everlasting Rock [the Rock of Ages].
Isaiah 26:3 and 4 AMP

Whom have I in heaven but You?
And I have no delight or desire on earth besides You.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the Rock and firm Strength of my heart and my Portion forever.
But it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have put my trust in the Lord God
and made Him my refuge, that I may tell of all Your works.
Psalms 73:25-26, 28

Answer me quickly, Lord; my spirit fails.
Do not hide Your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit.
Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love,
for I have put my trust in You.
Show me the way I should go, for to You I entrust my life.
Psalms 143:7-9

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to Him,
and He will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5 and 6

Psalm 56

As Holy Spirit-led women, we strongly desire to obey God and put our hope/trust in Him.   We follow the example given to us in 1 Peter 3 of women who trust God:

Instead, it should consist of what is inside the heart
with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit,
which is very valuable in God’s eyes.
For in the past, the holy women who put their hope in God
also beautified themselves in this way, submitting to their own husbands,
just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord.
You have become her children when you do what is good
and are not frightened by anything alarming.
verses 4-6

In closing, here’s something to ask ourselves…

When others think of me, am I a woman whose life reflects a heart that trusts God?  Is there an outer beauty reflecting the inner beauty of a submitted, grateful, yielded, trusting spirit that shows on my face? Or are there  ‘worry lines’ and chapped, bitten lips or nails that might show the lack of resting/trusting in my God?

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Dear Lord, You are…You AREYOU ARE trustworthy!  Please help us, Lord, to ‘trust in the Lord with all <our> heart…and in all <our> ways acknowledge Him, and He will make <our> paths straight.”  We want to be known as women whose trust is in the Almighty God…not to bring attention to ourselves but to bring honor, glory, majesty to You!  May You be pleased, Father, by our sacrifice and our obedience—it is You and You alone Whom we trust with all that we are.  We will trust You, Lord…You never change!  Praise You, Lord!  Amen.

Be Thankful

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And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts.
For as members of one body you are called to live in peace.
And always be thankful.
Let the message about Christ in all its richness, fill your lives.
Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom He gives.
Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.
And whatever you do or say, do it as representative of Lord Jesus,
giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
Colossians 3:15-17

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When I first read this passage, verse 15 stuck out to me, “…and let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.”  The part that I got stuck on was “…and always be thankful.”  I know it’s cliché to say that you should always be thankful—but you should.  It’s so easy to say that you have nothing to be thankful for when you aren’t focused on the bigger picture.

When you focus on what you don’t have it’s easy to forget what you already do have.  For instance, perhaps you want a new car, but you just can’t afford it.  Yes, it would be helpful, but you can still be thankful for what you do already have.

  • Do you have a ride to work? Be thankful.
  • Do you have a vehicle that just needs some fixing up? Be thankful for that.
  • Do you have working legs that can get you to work? Be thankful for that.

Maybe your circumstances might not be exactly the way that you want them to be right now, but at least you do have.  And that is something to be thankful for.

When you can’t find anything at all to be thankful for, the very basic thing to be thankful for is mere life.  Of course, you could say that you would be better off dead…but at this point it’s time to realize that you are having a pity party and it’s time to leave this event.

Being thankful is something that is so simple to do, but it also so simple to not do. It is a choice that we have to make.  We can decide to focus on what we do have or what we don’t have.  When we choose to focus on what we do have we are generally going to find ourselves in a happier disposition than if we focused on the negative.  So be thankful.