March 16, 2026

Through the Praise of Children and Infants

July 26, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Psalm 8
LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is Your name in all the earth!
You have set Your glory
in the heavens.
Through the praise of children and infants
you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.
When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?
You have made them a little lower than the angels
and crowned them with glory and honor.
You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
you put everything under their feet:
all flocks and herds,
and the animals of the wild,
the birds in the sky,
and the fish in the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.
LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Growing up in church, I participated a great deal in children’s programs, and my relationship with God grew and became a source of strength.  But the impact that a child’s faith could have on me changed greatly when I had my own children.  When I saw them praising God, and sharing their faith with their peers…and when I can use the Word of God to help direct their daily journey.  My own journey has a different impact and takes on a different meaning when I look at it through the eyes of my kids.

“When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers….”  When I look around at the beauty of the world…at the beauty of my family and my home…when I look at the wonderful people around me…I am thankful.  God has created beauty. And He has given us the gift of caring for this beauty.  There are times when my husband or kids ask to borrow something of mine, something that perhaps I treasure, I am not as willing to share as I should be.  I worry that what I lend may be lost or broken. God is not like this.  He created beauty, His most prized possessions, and He placed us in charge.  He gave us the honor of caring for what He created.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for using the innocence of children to silence Your enemies. Their untarnished love and honesty can bring a clarity to situations often that we need. Thank You for the responsibility of raising these children, the responsibility of looking after Your magnificent creations—the beauty all around us. Please help us to care for these creations as You would have us care for them. In Jesus’ Name, we pray, amen.

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

10,000 Reasons

July 26, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before, O my soul
I’ll worship Your holy name

The sun comes up, it’s a new day dawning
It’s time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes

You’re rich in love, and You’re slow to anger
Your name is great, and Your heart is kind
For all Your goodness I will keep on singing
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find

And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near and my time has come
Still my soul will sing Your praise unending
Ten thousand years and then forevermore

Jesus, I’ll worship Your holy name
Lord, I’ll worship Your holy name

 Singer/Songwriter Matt Redman with Jonas Myrin

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear this song?  For me, it’s all the things God has redeemed me from….  God has been so good to me!

Here is what God wants from us in return:

For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.
Do all things without murmurings and disputings….
Philippians 2:13-14 (KJV)

We are to do ALL things without murmurings and disputings (or complaining).  I heard Joyce Meyer once say, “Complain and Remain, or Praise and Be Raised.” This reminds me of the Israelites who complained on the 40 year journey that should have only taken them 11 days.

Does this mean that we have to like our current circumstances?  NO!!  In fact I haven’t liked most of my circumstances.  But it does mean that we trust God’s faithfulness so much.  And that we hold onto the joy that is only found in Him. And we choose to remember and be thankful for what He has done for us and then be obedient to what He calls us to do.  Obedience is at the core of receiving this new life of blessings.

He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
Luke 11:28 NIV

No matter what we are currently walking through…God is worthy to be praised!

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Heavenly Father, I bless Your Holy name and thank You that whatever may pass or whatever lies before me…I will be singing before the evening comes.  Bless the Lord, O my soul!  Lord, I’ll worship Your Holy Name. Amen.

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

From the Mouth of a Child

July 25, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is Your name in all the earth!
You have set Your glory above the heavens.
Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
You have established strength because of Your foes,
to still the enemy and the avenger.
Psalms 8:1-2

Last week my children were preparing to go to their Nana’s house for the last weeks of summer break.  (Our son goes back to school on August 5.)  One morning as my son was rolling around in the bed, I asked him if he was ready to go to Nana’s house for a while.  He answered, “We have to go to Nana’s now because Jesus will come to get us next year.  Mommy, when is Jesus coming back to get everybody?”  Let’s just say, my eyes went wide and my heart jumped for joy!

No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven,
nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah,
so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
Matthew 24:36

All I could tell my son was that no one knows the day or hour that Jesus will return.  No one knows.  However, out of the mouth of a child comes the yearning for Christ.  It is amazing.  The kid has been listening even though it sometimes looks like he hasn’t.  That right there is enough to make a mother happy!

God is glorious and majestic, even in the eyes of a child.  My son will be six in a few weeks, but he already knows that Jesus is coming back.  Most people don’t learn this until they are in the upper elementary school or in middle school.  Out of the mouths of babes comes part of the story of Christ: He will return!  Children soak up much in their young lives, and I am glad that mine are soaking up the story of Christ.  Just like children soak in the story, so should we.  Just as my son wants to see Jesus, so do I!!!

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Dear Heavenly Father:  Please give us the heart of child so we can soak up Your promise to return.  We run to You just as the little children do.  We bask in Your glory and look to Your heavens with hope.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Bacon Corn Fritters

July 25, 2014 by

Last week at the grocery store, my older girl informed me that she had never had corn on the cob.  What kind of monster am I to deprive her of that experience? We bought corn and she liked it.  Then more corn came in my CSA box, and I was stumped: what else can I do with it? I like this recipe but I wanted to try something new. So I flipped open this old dear:

danamennoniteckbk

And I stumbled upon this recipe for corn fritters. Yum! But since I can’t leave well enough alone, I added bacon and summer squash to mine. My new recipe: Bacon Corn Fritters!

These mix up quickly and fry quickly too. My girls ate these like pancakes with a little maple syrup. I ate mine with a dollop of plain yogurt (or you can use sour cream) and some shredded cheddar cheese. Fantastic! I bet these would be great with some cheese and lots of fresh sliced tomatoes. Sound interesting? Let’s go!

Bacon Corn Fritters

danabaconcornfritters

· 3-5 slices of bacon, diced
· 3 ears fresh corn
· 2 zucchini
· 2 eggs
· ¼ cup flour
· ½ teaspoon salt
· 1/8 teaspoon pepper
· 1 teaspoon baking powder
· 2 tablespoons plain yogurt (or use sour cream, or whole milk)

Directions:
1. In a large pan, fry the bacon. When crispy, remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Leave the bacon grease in the pan!
2. Using a box grater, grate the corn from the cob into a bowl. Grate the zucchini too.
3. Beat the eggs, and then add to the corn and zucchini. Stir in the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and yogurt.
4. Heat the pan again. Drop the corn batter by large spoonsful into the hot bacon fat. Flip and brown again.

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana

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

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

Love is the Home for Both

July 25, 2014 by

encouragementbloggraphicromans15

In the fifteenth chapter of Luke, starting with verse 11, we read the story of the prodigal son.  I’m sure you have read or heard this so many times but bear with me for a minute.  The actual word ‘prodigal’ means the squanderer or the waster. And the “prodigal son” did squander his inheritance and totally wasted all that his father gave him.

If you think about it, we have all played both roles at some time in our lives. Maybe at one point we are the older, responsible son—keeping everything in order and never disappointing our Father, and looking down on those who do and those who give the sinner a break. We have also been the younger one—wasting our inheritance from our Father, turning to anyone or anything that will make us “happy”, and running so far the other way.  But instead of finding happiness and freedom, we find ourselves in slavery to this other life that we thought we wanted so desperately.  We find ourselves starving for real substance and we are desperate for the life we had before.

And then there’s the father who never gave up on his son, and continued to search and wait and believe that they will one day be a family again. The son returns and the father lavishes love and compassion and hugs. He gives him his best robe and a ring and acts as if nothing happened. Even when the older son gets mad and protests, the father does not judge him. He is fair and just, resembling our Father in Heaven.

Here is the story:

Luke 15:11-32 (NIV)
The Parable of the Lost Son

Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.  After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.  When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’  So he got up and went to his father.  But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’  But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.  Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.  ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’  The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’  ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ”

Which son do you relate to?  Have you run so far or are you a slave to something other than God?  Have you wasted all that God has given you for something you thought was better?  Or are you the older brother, looking down on the one who made the bad choices, and maybe a little bitter when he is given mercy by others?

God is your Father and He loves you.  If you have run away, He is ready to meet you where you are.  He is willing to accept you just the way you are and give you the finest life and the abundant blessings that are yours!  All you have to do is ask.  God’s arm reaches so far and you can’t ever outrun Him.

 *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   * 

Do you know this Father I’m talking about?  Do you want this unconditional love that you’ve just read about?  Then pray this with me:

Dear God, I know I am a sinner and I need forgiveness.  I believe that Jesus, Your Son, died on the cross to save me from my sins and I will have Him in my heart forever.  I love You.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Filed Under: encouragement Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Do You Have an “All or Nothing” Attitude?

July 23, 2014 by

all or nothing
This weekend, I had the most amazing get-away with my husband.  Obviously, it was a time where we did splurge a little on food.  While it was enjoyable, I was glad to return to normal eating habits and exercise routine.  Those occasions are going to happen and we have to keep it mind it is not a sign of failure if we do not follow a perfect eating regimen for a few days.  It does not mean we have blown it forever.  Having an ‘all-or-nothing’ attitude is what leads to feeling defeated and then giving up completely.

I have worked with so many women who feel that if they indulge on occasion, it is useless to pick back up and keep on going.  The key to staying healthy and fit is consistency.  What we do on a consistent basis (or 80% of the time) is what matters.  These small, continual, consistent steps are what build us to be healthy women inside and out.

First, remember that perfection will never be attained.  Our health and fitness is a lifetime journey.  Instead of attempting perfection by trying to make so many changes, focus on one or two new behaviors that will lead to a lifetime of good health.

For example:
• Choose one day per week to get up an extra 30 minutes early to exercise or have a quiet time…it does not have to be an early morning every day.
• Cut out one Coke a day instead of trying to quit all together.
• Commit to 2 days per week of exercise instead of 7 days.
• Decide to bring a healthy lunch to work one day each week instead of eating out.

Pick one thing and become consistent with that behavior. Even when you fall off the wagon, pick yourself up and get back to your one consistent behavior. When you do, you will be confident to add another one.

For today, be nice to yourself and focus on your progress, not your imperfections.  Let’s remember that God looks at our life in much the same way. He doesn’t expect “all or nothing” in order to receive His love and grace.  Why should we?

In Good Health,
Crystal

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Glorious Unfolding

July 23, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Lay your head down tonight
Take a rest from the fight
Don’t try to figure it out
Just listen to what I’m whispering to your heart
‘Cause I know this is not
Anything like you thought
The story of your life was gonna be
And it feels like the end has started closing in on you
But it’s just not true
There’s so much of the story that’s still yet to unfold

And this is going to be a glorious unfolding
Just you wait and SEE and you will be amazed
You’ve just got to believe the story is so far from over
So hold on to every promise God has made to us
And watch this glorious unfolding

God’s plan from the start
For this world and your heart
Has been to show His glory and His grace
Forever revealing the depth and the beauty of
His unfailing Love
And the story has only begun

We were made to run through fields of forever
Singing songs to our Savior and King
So let us remember this life we’re living
Is just the beginning of the beginning

Of this glorious unfolding
We will watch and SEE and we will be amazed
If we just keep on believing the story is so far from over
And hold on to every promise God has made to us
We’ll SEE the glorious unfolding

Just watch and SEE (unfolding)
This is just the beginning of the beginning (unfolding)

Singer/Songwriter – Steven Curtis Chapman

 *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

I need a rest tonight for sure and all the things going on in my life that I wish I could just skip.  Anyone with me?  As Christians and children of God, we aren’t immune from hard things.  But the neat thing is that God is in the middle of it all and His plan is perfect.  We just have to walk through with faith, knowing that it is all for His glory and all for our good.  The difference in the valleys now is I know He is with me and His grace is sufficient for everything in my life.  I’m at peace.

Steven Curtis Chapman wrote this song about life and how hard it can be.  But to have faith through it all that God is in control.  Sometimes we have an idea of what we think our life is going to be like, and sometimes it does feel like it is closing in on you but really it’s just the beginning.  God is writing your story and it is perfect.  We have to believe that what God has promised in His Word will come true and we will SEE one day that it was just the beginning.  And we will be amazed, I believe it and I believe in Him.

We were made for so much more than this world.  We are made to praise Him, and sing songs to Him, and just talk to Him. Isn’t it amazing that we don’t have to worry and stress about what will happen next because He already knows and He has got this under control.  And don’t forget that He loves you so much.  Just hang on for the “Glorious Unfolding.”

Let us pray: Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for being constant and in control. Help us to rest in You and have faith that, no matter what we are going through right now, You are still writing our story.  And when we have doubts, lead us to Your Word for encouragement and truth.  We love You and we praise You for planning our lives before we were ever born.  One day we will see all this was for something, and for Your glory.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Majestic Name

July 23, 2014 by

Psalm 8

O Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is Your name in all the earth!
You have set Your glory above the heavens.
Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
You have established strength because of Your foes,
    to still the enemy and the avenger.
When I look at Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
    the moon and the stars, which You have set in place,
What is man that You are mindful of him,
    and the son of man that You care for him?
Yet You have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
    and crowned him with glory and honour.
You have given him dominion over the works of Your hands;
    You have put all things under his feet,
all sheep and oxen,
    and also the beasts of the field,
the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
    whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
O Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is Your name in all the earth!

Majestic – characterized by or possessing majesty; of lofty dignity or imposing aspect; stately; grand.

‘Majestic’ does not seem to totally describe our Lord, does it?  I am not sure there is a word in our English language that would capture the essence of our heavenly Father.  I am sure that is why the name for God is Yahweh. It was once considered to be blasphemous to say ‘Yahweh’ so the original pronunciation was lost.

The God we serve, pray to, and worship is more than words could ever begin to describe.  He is a feeling, a spirit who surrounds us day-by-day, and moment by moment.  We can never know enough or believe enough.  That is why we have been given grace and mercy.  These two things fill the gap where our humanity fails.  Dear ones, God is magnificent. He reigns over all the world, it’s people, and the rest of the galaxies.

This make me feel small and in awe that God would take notice of us.  Especially when He is surrounded by angels.  But God felt a need to create man in His own image.  He created us for companionship—sweet fellowship with Him that would be like none other.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Father, thank You for caring for us. Thank You for loving us. We will never be able to live up to Jesus’ example, but we do strive to everyday. Sometimes we fail in such a big way…and sometimes we make the right decision.  Forgive us when we miss our target.  Help us to find our way to Your perfection.  Create in us a desire to serve You above all else in our lives.  In Jesus’ name, Amen!

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

What Does God Think Of You?

July 22, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—
    the moon and the stars you set in place—
what are mere mortals that you should think about them,
    human beings that you should care for them?

Psalms 8:3 and 4

Have you ever wondered how valuable you really are to the Almighty God?  When you truly understand His Majesty—how extraordinarily phenomenal He is—then fathoming how our God could find us worthy has the potential of being unimaginable.  The beauty of God is He loves us and His word says, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins,” (1 John 4:10).  The Bible has much more to say on how important and worthy we are to Him.

Ephesians 2:10 says, “…for we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”  We are handiwork…not sloppy work, not an afterthought of work…but His handiwork!  And He has good works for us.  God thought of us, planned our lives and, then, made sure we had purposes.

Matthew 10:30-31 says, “And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”  God numbered the very hairs on our heads. Each one!  Every single one!  That’s far too detailed to be perceived as unworthy.

Psalms 139:13-16 says, “For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.”  Worthy, worthy, worthy!  Oh, so very worthy.  Look at such the delicate detail taken on both you and I.  A God of majesty took all His majesty and used it to create us.

The last verse I have to show how important we are to God is Genesis 1:27.  This verse should leave no doubt in your mind that you are important to God.  This verse is at the very beginning of His love letter to us and it says, “So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them.”  In His own image.  Nothing says important like making one like you.

Are you valuable to God?  Do you know your worth in Him?  Do you believe you are worthy in His eyes?  Because you are!

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Lord, help me to see me like You see me. I pray that Your words be louder than those around me and that I never forget who I am to You. Amen.

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

Love Stepped In

July 22, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

He was preachin’ down off 3rd and Main as I was passin’ by
He was walking talking kinda crazy warnin’ us all ’bout the end of time
So out from the crowd, I just asked him how could God love a mess like me
He said, “Son, I’m a preacher now but that ain’t who I used to be”
He said

You’ll never know, you’ll never know
Just how far Love has brought me
You’ll never know who I used to be
Cause I’ve been around and I’ve been down
To the bottom of hell and back again
I was almost out, I was at my end
But then Love stepped in

She works downtown at the halfway house almost every day
All the love she has she just gives away
So I asked her why she spends so much time on the broken and the poor
And she just smiled at me and said “I’m not who I was before”
She said

You’ll never know, you’ll never know
Just how far love has brought me
You’ll never know who I used to be
Cause I’ve been around and I’ve been down
To the bottom of hell and back again
I was almost out, I was at my end
But then Love stepped in
Love stepped in

I look back sometimes over where I’ve been and just how far I’ve come
Since the day that preacher told me about His amazing love
I was lost and alone, then the lights came on and hope set my heart free
In the darkest hour grace got a hold of me, yeah

You’ll never know, you’ll never know
Just how far love has brought me
You’ll never know who I used to be, oh oh
Cause I’ve been around and I’ve been down
To the bottom of hell and back again
I was almost out, I was at my end
But then Love stepped in
Love stepped in

Written and Performed by ‘Finding Favour”
— along with Carl Cartee, Aaron Tomberlin, Nathan Tomberlin

 *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   * 

I have a question on my heart to ask: Are you one of the ‘church’ people (religious) or do you love unconditionally just like Jesus did?

Love is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious,
never boastful or proud, never haughty or selfish or rude.
Love does not demand its own way.
It is not irritable or touchy.
It does not hold grudges and will hardly even notice when others do it wrong.
It is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever truth wins out.
If you love someone you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost. You will always believe in him, always expect the best of him,
and always stand your ground in defending him.
All the special gifts and powers from God will someday come to an end,
but love goes on forever…
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 TLB

There is no such thing as conditional love. Love is either unconditional or it’s no love. You might like someone conditionally based on their personality or behavior or circumstances. But love accepts no boundaries. So never say ‘I love you just because’, for love has no cause, love comes from God.
Let us be those who love unconditionally and not those who love with conditions….

Excerpt from Campus Crusade for Christ.org.
Here is a  link  to the entire article.

 *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   * 

Heavenly Father, help us to love others as You have loved us with a life-changing love that sees no conditions.  Help us to love others with only the authentic pure love that You have so freely given to us.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen!!

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,
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