May 3, 2026

Inward and Outward

April 14, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

We have now entered the season of Lent.  For many Christians, Lent is taken as a time of preparation for the celebration of Easter where God miraculously redeemed mankind by resurrecting His Son from the dead. It is also a time to consider what Jesus said and did; and how we should be living in light of His Words.  ✞ ♥

During this season, here on the Seeking Him devotional blog, we have chosen to focus our devotionals on Jesus’ instructions and admonition communicated in Matthew chapter 5—the Beatitudes.  Jesus said, “Blessed are…” and He went on to give instruction as to how to be “blessed.”  To be ‘blessed’ is to ‘be happy, or to be envied.’   Truly for the Christian, we ARE blessed—oh, how very blessed we are!  Those who observe our lives should clearly be able to tell that we ARE blessed—and that we KNOW it! ✞ ♥

Please consider Jesus’ instructions along with us.  We pray that our words will encourage you and spur you on to be prepare your hearts for the joyous celebration of His Resurrection!  ✞ ♥

Blessed (happy, enviably fortunate, and spiritually prosperous—
possessing the happiness produced by the experience of God’s favor
and especially conditioned by the revelation of His grace,
regardless of their outward conditions) are the pure in heart, for they shall see God!
Matthew 5:8 AMP

Easton’s Bible Dictionary defines the heart as the “…centre not only of spiritual activity, but of all the operations of human life.  The words, “heart” and “soul”, are often used interchangeably. The heart is the “home of the personal life”. The heart is also the “seat of the conscience” , all definitions we would agree with. Then, what is it to be pure in heart?

Most people would agree that to be pure in heart is to be cleansed, spotless.  But Chuck Smith presents the idea that one who is pure in heart mourns because of their sin and because their heart is divided.  A pure heart is one that is undivided; fleshly desires do not compete with Godly desires in the pure heart.  A pure heart embraces God and finds joy in Him.  None of which can be accomplished on our own.  A pure heart comes from God.  It is an attitude we desire.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Psalm 51:10.

It is heart knowledge, not head knowledge…
and must be experienced inwardly before we can share it outwardly.

Proverbs 21:2
People may be right in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their heart.

Proverbs 4:23
Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.

Matthew 12:34
For out of the fullness (the overflow, the superabundance) of the heart the mouth speaks.

Matthew 15:18
But whatever comes out of the mouth comes from the heart,

Luke 6:45
…for out of the abundance (overflow) of the heart his mouth speaks.

Being pure in heart is WHO we are, shown in WHAT we do

The blessing of being pure in heart is the ability to see God.  Many people believe this speaks to the future when we will actually, physically, see God face-to-face. What a joy that will be!  But we can also see God now.

The promise of seeing God in the present is twofold as well. We are able to see God inwardly by experiencing greater intimacy and communion with Him. God will make Himself known to us through His Word and we will become more aware of Him and His companionship. We will see His hand over us, in our lives. And as we see Him more clearly inwardly, we will begin to recognize Him more outwardly.  We will see God in the ordinary and recognize His favor on a daily basis.

When You give it to them, they gather it up; You open Your hand and they are filled with good things.
Psalm 104:28

Purity of heart leads to the inward desire to “see” God. “Seeing” God enables us to recognize the outward daily blessings and favor of God upon us.  Are you gathering up the good things God has for you?

*  ~  ♥  ~   ✞   ~  ♥  ~  *

Heavenly Father, thank You so much for the blessing of being able to see You in our lives.  Increase our desire to be pure in heart so we can experience greater intimacy with You.  We recognize that being pure in heart is not something we can achieve on our own but comes through our faith by knowing You.  We lift up praise to You for the favor You rain down upon us each and every day.  In Your precious Son’s name.  Amen, so be it!

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Beautiful, Terrible Cross

April 13, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

There is a beautiful terrible Cross
Where though You committed no sin
Savior, You suffered the most wicked fate
On the cruelest creation of men

Yet on that beautiful terrible Cross
You did what only You could
Turning that dark-inspired evil of hell
Into our soul’s greatest good

We see the love that You showed us
We see the life that You lost
We bow in wonder and praise You
For the beautiful terrible Cross

There on that beautiful terrible Cross
Though darkness was strong on that hill
You remained sovereign, Lord, still in control
As Your perfect plan was fulfilled

We see the love that You showed us
We see the life that You lost
We bow in wonder and praise You
For the beautiful terrible Cross

Oh, we gained the riches of Heaven
Jesus, You paid the horrible cost
We stand forgiven and praise You
For the beautiful terrible Cross

        ♥  ~   ✞   ~  ♥

In the Cross, in the Cross
Be my glory ever
Till my raptured soul shall find
Rest beyond the river

 ~  Songwriters: Todd Smith, Chad Cates, Tony Wood  ~

Performed by Selah

Additional lyrics to ‘Near The Cross‘ by Fanny Crosby and William Doane

*  ~  ♥  ~   ✞   ~  ♥  ~  *

Despite the utter depravity, the evil, the darkness and destruction which was intended by the enemy of our soul’s on that dark, dark day…there truly never was nor ever will be any thing MORE perfectly and purely beautiful than the Cross on which the Christ accomplished God’s perfect plan. When the time came, Jesus willfully, intentionally, purposefully gave up His life. All because of love.

And Jesus cried again with a loud voice and gave up His spirit.
And at once the curtain of the sanctuary of the temple was torn
in two from top to bottom; the earth shook and the rocks were split.
The tombs were opened and many bodies of the saints
who had fallen asleep in death were raised [to life];
Matthew 26:50-52

It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three,
because the sun’s light failed. The curtain of the sanctuary was split down the middle.
And Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into Your hands I entrust My spirit.”
Luke 23:44-46

When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.
And at three Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lemá sabachtháni?”
which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “Look, He’s calling for Elijah!”
Someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, fixed it on a reed, offered Him a drink,
and said, “Let’s see if Elijah comes to take Him down!”
But Jesus let out a loud cry and breathed His last.
Then the curtain of the sanctuary was split in two from top to bottom.
Mark 15:33-38

Magnificent, incredible, beautiful acts of nature happened at the very moment of Jesus’ laying down His life and offering Himself as the perfect, spotless Lamb—

  • the sky became as dark as night for three hours
  • the massive (60 foot high and four inches thick) curtain in front of the Holy of Holies in the temple at Jerusalem tore in half from TOP to bottom
  • the tombs opened and many of the believers were raised to life
  • there was an earthquake

There was nothing…at all…beautiful about the Cross itself.  But there is no denying the beautiful awesomeness, the absolute perfection in the events surrounding Jesus’ death on the Cross.

To me, the love that Jesus proved by His sacrifice of Himself…is beautiful.  The redemption of all mankind and Jesus’ presenting us all back to God the Father…is beautiful.  And the mercy and grace that was poured out on each of us…is beautiful.  What can be more beautiful than having the Hope of spending eternity in the Presence of Almighty God and our Lord, Jesus the Christ?

In the words of another songwriter, I sing,

“Oh Lord You’re beautiful…
Your face is all I seek
For when Your eyes are on this child
Your grace abounds to me!

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

In The Name Of The Lord

April 12, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Crowds have lined the narrow street
To see this Man from Galilee
Just a carpenter some say leading fools astray
Yet many kneel to give Him praise

And in His eyes they glimpse the power
That sees the heart of all men
And He knows His Father’s mind
And He speaks His Father’s words
For He comes in the Name of the Lord

There Is Strength In The Name Of The Lord
There Is Power In The Name Of The Lord
There Is Hope In The Name Of The Lord
Blessed Is He Who Comes In The Name Of The Lord
In The Name Of The Lord

And when my plans have fallen through
And when my strength is nearly gone
When there’s nothing left to do but just depend on You
And the power of Your Name

And when we call upon Your Name
Your Strength through weakness to show
We can know the Master’s plan, extend the Master’s Hand
When we come in the Name Of The Lord

His Name will be worshipped forever
Creator, Redeemer, and King

Lyrics written by Gloria Gaither and Phill McHugh
Music written by Sandi Patty
Performed by Sandi Patty

*  ~  *  ~   ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥    ~  *  ~  * 

It was the Passover, and the Jewish people were gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate.  Then Jesus entered the city riding on a donkey, fulfilling the prophecy of their coming king (Zechariah 9:9).  No wonder they shouted “Hosanna!”  We find this important event recorded in all four of the Gospels: Matthew 21:4-9, Mark 11:7-10, Luke 19:35-38, and John 12:12-15.

The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”
John 12:12-13

We, the Church, celebrate this event as Palm Sunday.  During this Easter season we are reminded over and over that Christ came, died, and was resurrected for our salvation and eternal life.

Most of us reading this today have chosen to welcome Christ’s coming into our hearts and lives.

Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
1 Peter 1:8-9

Rejoice greatly…Behold, your King is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is He…
Zechariah 9:9

If you haven’t welcomed Jesus Christ into your life yet, if your “plans have fallen through, and your strength is nearly gone,” today is the day to reach out and take “the Master’s Hand” and allow Christ to fulfill His “Master’s Plan” in your life. Then you, too, will sing, “There is hope in the Name of the Lord.  Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the Lord!”

Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord!
We bless You from the house of the Lord. The Lord is God,
and He has made His light to shine upon us.
Bind the festal sacrifice with cords,
up to the horns of the altar!
You are my God, and I will give thanks to You;
You are my God; I will extol You. Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
for His steadfast love endures forever!
Psalms 118:26-29

AMEN!

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Beauty Will Rise

April 11, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

It was the day the world went wrong
I screamed ’til my voice was gone
And watched through the tears as everything
Came crashing down
Slowly panic turns to pain
As we awake to what remains
And sift through the ashes that are left behind

But buried deep beneath
All our broken dreams
We have this hope:

Out of these ashes…beauty will rise
And we will dance among the ruins
We will see Him with our own eyes
Out of these ashes…beauty will rise
For we know, joy is coming in the morning
in the morning, beauty will rise

So take another breath for now,
And let the tears come washing down
And if you can’t believe I will believe for you

Cause I have seen
the signs of spring!
Just watch and see:

Out of these ashes…beauty will rise
And we will dance among the ruins
We will see Him with our own eyes
Out of these ashes…beauty will rise
For we know, joy is coming in the morning
In the morning

I can hear it in the distance
And it’s not too far away
It’s the music and the laughter
Of a wedding and a feast
I can almost feel the hand of God
Reaching for my face
To wipe the tears away, and say
“It’s time to make everything new”

“Make it all new”

This is our hope
This is the promise
This is our hope
This is the promise
That it would take our breath away
To see the beauty that’s been made
Out of the ashes
Out of the ashes
That it would take our breath away
To see the beauty that He’s made
Out of the ashes…
Out of the ashes…

Out of these ashes… beauty will rise
And we will dance among the ruins
We will see Him with our own eyes
Out of this darkness…new life will shine
And we’ll know the joy is coming in the morning
In the morning…beauty will rise

Oh, Beauty will rise
Oh, Beauty will rise
Oh, oh, oh, Beauty will rise
Oh, oh, oh, Beauty will rise
Oh, oh, oh, Beauty will rise

~  Steven Curtis Chapman, songwriter and singer  ~

*  ~  *  ~   ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥    ~  *  ~  * 

Steven Curtis Chapman is no stranger to tragedy.  Of all people, he knows ashes and he knows the beauty that God can make out of the ashes of tragedy and loss and suffering.  On May 21, 2008, Steven’s youngest daughter, Maria, was killed in their front yard, by a vehicle driven by their son. She was the youngest of the three girls the Chapmans had adopted from China; she was a vital part of the family, loved and adored by all.

In the days and week to come, Steven thought about leaving the music industry altogether.  Then God came to him, and inspired him to make music out of his pain.  That just maybe his mess that became his ministry would help others see that there is hope and healing in His name. And it became his mission to SEE God in the details of this.

Since Maria was from China, they traveled there and opened a home for special needs orphans called “Maria’s Big House of Hope” where children can live and be ministered to and loved.  Because of the tragedy of losing her, tens of thousands of children will be saved from life-threatening illnesses and have a place to call home, with loving nannies and nurses and doctors to care for them. Beauty from ashes, right?  And, while they were there, the whole family went to visit the site of that terrible earthquake of 2008, where over 70,000 people lost their lives. and left 5,000,000 homeless.  The Chapman family knew loss and they were able to relate to these people who had lost their sons and daughters, their mothers and fathers.  And the only comfort that they knew to share was God’s comfort through Scripture.  So they shared with the people of  China God’s unconditional love—that even in earthquakes, He never left them.

Through the ashes, like those left behind in the earthquake, beauty will rise.  New buildings are built; new homes, beautiful new streets and sidewalks.  And also new life with God.  After every tragedy, our relationship with God gets stronger because He is our Comforter and He never leaves us.  He can make beautiful out of ugly.  I know this and believe this…He is able!

Isn’t this like the Cross?  It was painful, hurtful, unfair and i’m sure the crown of thorns hurt and the day was dark.  But then Hope was raised from the dead, and new life…eternal life was birthed! And now we will live in eternity with Him forever!  Because Jesus died, we will live.  Because of the darkness, we see light and God will alway make something beautiful out of our ashes.

*  ~  *  ~   ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥    ~  *  ~  * 

Let us pray: Dear Lord Jesus, thank You so much for taking our tragedies and turning them into triumphs!  Out of the ugly messes we get ourselves in, Lord, You can use them to reach others for the Kingdom.  Sometimes our messes become our ministries ;and we are better equipped to help our fellow-travelers who may also be struggling. Beauty from Ashes…only You have the ability and only You know what we need.  In loss, You never leave us, and as we put one foot in front of the other, You fill us with Your strength and courage.  Thank You for not leaving us the way we are. And thank You for the ultimate beautiful Redeemer and Savior You sent to die in our place so that we can live a full life and live forever with You.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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

The Meaning of Mercy

April 11, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

We have now entered the season of Lent.  For many Christians, Lent is taken as a time of preparation for the celebration of Easter where God miraculously redeemed mankind by resurrecting His Son from the dead. It is also a time to consider what Jesus said and did; and how we should be living in light of His Words.  ✞ ♥

During this season, here on the Seeking Him devotional blog, we have chosen to focus our devotionals on Jesus’ instructions and admonition communicated in Matthew chapter 5—the Beatitudes.  Jesus said, “Blessed are…” and He went on to give instruction as to how to be “blessed.”  To be ‘blessed’ is to ‘be happy, or to be envied.’   Truly for the Christian, we ARE blessed—oh, how very blessed we are!  Those who observe our lives should clearly be able to tell that we ARE blessed—and that we KNOW it! ✞ ♥

Please consider Jesus’ instructions along with us.  We pray that our words will encourage you and spur you on to be prepare your hearts for the joyous celebration of His Resurrection!  ✞ ♥

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 
Matthew 5:7 NIV

mer•ci•ful

: treating people with kindness and forgiveness: not cruel or harsh
: having or showing mercy
: giving relief from suffering

I like definitions.  I like to know the exact meaning of words because I think that a lot of words have been lost in translation.  And, despite the emotional power of words, I like to know the exact meaning in addition to the feeling they bring. Merciful is one of these words.  We know the general concept, but I think we often forget what this word really means.

  • Kindness
  • Forgiveness
  • Not cruel
  • Not harsh
  • Giving relief

Mercy takes another step past the feeling it brings and the words used to define it.   Mercy is something we can have and something we can show—merciful should be our way of life.  The thing I love about mercy is that throughout the day we are constantly presented with opportunities to offer mercy to others: while driving and we get cut off; to our snarky co-worker; to the person in a hurry who bumps into us on their way out; to our spouse; to our children.  Mercy isn’t reserved for the pure of heart, in fact it may be most effective on those we feel don’t deserve it.

There is another category of people who deserve our mercy—perhaps the hardest group to offer it to—ourselves.  When I’m working with patients dealing with guilt issues, I always remind them that in most cases it is hardest to forgive ourselves…hardest to show ourselves mercy.

This week I want to incorporate these words into my daily prayers; I want to be intentional in living and showing them to myself and others.  Not because I know what it feels like, or because I know what it means, but because Christ is merciful to me.  He showers mercy on me daily, and because of this I know that I can show it myself and I can show it to others.

Let’s pray:  Dear Heavenly Father, mercy is a common word, yet most of us don’t know what it truly means. Lord, please play these words over and over in our heads this week—”kindness…forgiveness…not cruel…not harsh…giving relief.”  Remind us of the times we were shown mercy and, because You have done so, we can and should do the same.  In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

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

Mercy to Others

April 10, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

We have now entered the season of Lent.  For many Christians, Lent is taken as a time of preparation for the celebration of Easter where God miraculously redeemed mankind by resurrecting His Son from the dead. It is also a time to consider what Jesus said and did; and how we should be living in light of His Words.  ✞ ♥

During this season, here on the Seeking Him devotional blog, we have chosen to focus our devotionals on Jesus’ instructions and admonition communicated in Matthew chapter 5—the Beatitudes.  Jesus said, “Blessed are…” and He went on to give instruction as to how to be “blessed.”  To be ‘blessed’ is to ‘be happy, or to be envied.’   Truly for the Christian, we ARE blessed—oh, how very blessed we are!  Those who observe our lives should clearly be able to tell that we ARE blessed—and that we KNOW it! ✞ ♥

Please consider Jesus’ instructions along with us.  We pray that our words will encourage you and spur you on to be prepare your hearts for the joyous celebration of His Resurrection!  ✞ ♥

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 
Matthew 5:7 NIV

Do you ever feel like you have been wronged by someone or by a group of people?  We are going through this right now.  It is a struggle to stay Christ-like in our situation.  We have an unfinished fence and an unwilling neighbor.  This neighbor is using part of our unfinished fence to build their own fence.  Yet, this neighbor is complaining about our unfinished fence and our backyard.  My husband works hard to maintain our backyard.  Also, our neighborhood is in the woods.  Critters abound but we get blamed.  It is hard to show restraint and not bow down to this neighbor’s methods.  Instead of coming to us, this neighbor is creating havoc.  We are showing mercy trying to work with this neighbor, and we are not getting any mercy.  Surely, there is a better way (on the neighbor’s end) to work this out.

As Christians we are supposed to show mercy to those who do us wrong. We are supposed to be forgiving of them. We are supposed to look beyond the sin that is committed against us and be forgiving. Yet it is hard to be merciful when the wronging party does not want to be merciful back.

Judge not, and ye shall not be judged:
condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned:
forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
Luke 6:37

It is hard not to be judgmental of our neighbor at this time.  We are trying not condemn them.  It is hard to be forgiving of someone who won’t even come see you face to face.  We are trying not to be judgmental.  We are trying to be merciful and look past human actions.  We are trying to do our part and be forgiving of our neighbor.

God looks past our sins against Him and shows us mercy.  One day He will take us into His Kingdom and bless us with blessings that we can’t even imagine at this time.  We will be given the ultimate mercy.  There will be no more suffering, sickness, sadness, or woe.  There will be ultimate glory and love.

*  ~  ♥  ~   ✞   ~  ♥  ~  *

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your mercy.  Also thank You for giving us the ability to show mercy and be forgiving.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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

Jesus, Messiah

April 10, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

He became sin, who knew no sin
That we might become His righteousness
He humbled Himself and carried the Cross
Love so amazing, love so amazing

Jesus Messiah, name above all names
Blessed Redeemer, Emmanuel
The Rescue for sinners, the Ransom from Heaven
Jesus Messiah, Lord of all

His Body the bread, His Blood the wine
Broken and poured out all for love
The whole earth trembled, and the veil was torn
Love so amazing, love so amazing, yeah

All I hope is in You, all I hope is in You
All the glory to You, God, the Light of the world

Music and Lyrics by Ed Cash, Jesse Reeves, Daniel Carlson, Chris Tomlin
Performed by Chris Tomlin
*  ~  *  ~   ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥    ~  *  ~  * 
There is power in the name of Jesus! Let’s take a look at what the Bible says about the name of Jesus.

And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
John 14:13 NKJV

For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.
Matthew 18:20 NKJV

If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
John 14:14 NKJV

And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you,
whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you.
John 16:23 NKJV

When Jesus walked the earth, His name had great power. The following Scriptures show the use of His name and the power to heal the most terrible afflictions. These people called out to Jesus in faith.

And when he had called unto Him His twelve disciples, He gave them power
against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness
and all manner of disease.
Matthew 10:1 KJV

And the LORD will take away from thee all sickness,
and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt,
which thou knowest, upon thee;
but will lay them upon all them that hate thee.
Deuteronomy 7:15

Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name
that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:9 NIV

That means that everyone ever born will someday bow when the name, “Jesus,”  is mentioned.  They will not only bow but will acknowledge Jesus as Lord.

Right now, those who believe in Jesus and acknowledge Him in this lifetime as Lord and Savior, already have the power to use His name.

But these signs are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah,
the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in His name.
John 20:31

The phrase “in the name” of Jesus denotes His authority and power.  To “believe in the name of Jesus” is to be persuaded in Jesus’ authority (Matthew 28:18) and thus place our trust, acts in His authority.   Acts 4:12 says,  “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under Heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”  Saved, healed, delivered included.  For those who really do believe in the name of Jesus, there is no pit that Jesus cannot deliver you from.

Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for Thou art my praise.
Jeremiah 17:14 KJV

~ quoted from the 1st Wittness blog ~

We can live in Victory all throughout our lives because we have Jesus living inside of us!! We are not Victims—we are Victorious through Him!

*  ~  *  ~   ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥    ~  *  ~  * 

Heavenly Father, thank You for the power in the name of Jesus that is available to us because of the sacrifice made on our behalf. Because the same power that raised Jesus from the dead now lives in us who believe. May we be women who choose to live in Victory and not live as Victims of our circumstances. To You be the glory, Father! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

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

Healthy Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup

April 9, 2014 by

chicken tortilla soupIt is one the busiest times of the year for me. With two kids at baseball park almost every night of the week and balancing work and home life, once again, I could not survive without my Crockpot.

One of my new favorite recipes is this Healthy Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup.  It leaves you feeling full, yet it is  light and healthy, and a crowd pleaser at my home.  Check out these easy ingredients and directions.

Healthy Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

1# boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 (15 ounce) can of sweet whole corn, drained
1 (15 ounce) can of diced tomatoes, drained
1 (15 ounce) can of pinto beans, drained
5 cups of chicken stock
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium red pepper, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
½ teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoon ground cumin
1+½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. Place chicken breast in Crockpot
2. Pour all ingredients over chicken and stir together
3. Cook 4 hours on high or 7 hours on low
4. Prior to serving, remove chicken and shred with fork and knife; place back in Crockpot

Serves 8
Calories – 300
Fat – 3grams
Protein – 30grams
Fiber – 9grams

Tip:  To kick it up a little for the kids, I add a little shredded cheese with a healthy portion of crushed tortilla chips on top.  Add this to your menu this week and double it, if desired.  With this Healthy Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup, you can have two meals in one week for those busy late night evenings.

In Good Health,

Crystalball season

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

Undeserved Mercy

April 9, 2014 by

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We have now entered the season of Lent.  For many Christians, Lent is taken as a time of preparation for the celebration of Easter where God miraculously redeemed mankind by resurrecting His Son from the dead. It is also a time to consider what Jesus said and did; and how we should be living in light of His Words.  ✞ ♥

During this season, here on the Seeking Him devotional blog, we have chosen to focus our devotionals on Jesus’ instructions and admonition communicated in Matthew chapter 5—the Beatitudes.  Jesus said, “Blessed are…” and He went on to give instruction as to how to be “blessed.”  To be ‘blessed’ is to ‘be happy, or to be envied.’   Truly for the Christian, we ARE blessed—oh, how very blessed we are!  Those who observe our lives should clearly be able to tell that we ARE blessed—and that we KNOW it! ✞ ♥

Please consider Jesus’ instructions along with us.  We pray that our words will encourage you and spur you on to be prepare your hearts for the joyous celebration of His Resurrection!  ✞ ♥

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 
Matthew 5:7 NIV

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
It is by his great mercy that we have been born again,
because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead.
Now we live with great expectation….
1 Peter 1:3

Every Christian has received mercy.

The fact that we can call ourselves born-again Christians indicates that we have been shown mercy.  God, in all His infinite wisdom and knowledge, gives mercy—freely.  Not only is God’s mercy free, but He offers mercy to everyone.  Jesus told the parable of the unmerciful servant.  The story of the gospel is a story soaked in mercy!  He offered mercy to the women caught in adultery.  He showed mercy to Peter after he denied Him three times.

Each of these stories illustrate God’s mercy, but there is another account I want to focus on….

When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, He changed His mind and did not carry out the destruction He had threatened. This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry. So he complained to the Lord about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord ? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that You are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people. Just kill me now, Lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.”
Jonah 3:10-4:3

Reading Jonah’s response makes me laugh.  Literally, he wants to die because God showed mercy to a repenting city.  The difference between Jonah’s story and our day to day lives is that the people we are asked to give mercy to are the ones who steal from us, who hurt us and our loved ones—the ones who don’t deserve it and for good reason!

Oversimplified, the concept of showing mercy is give because you received. God gave us mercy and so we should give it.  (And before the comparing and contrasting starts…remember, a sin is a sin.)

I personally find it easier to extend mercy by calling it “undeserved mercy.”  This helps remind me that I’m not giving it because it’s deserved, but that I’m giving it because I didn’t deserve it and yet, I got it.

Oh, and don’t forget to accept mercy from God and be merciful to yourself.

The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease.
Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning.
Lamentations 3:22-23

*  ~  ♥  ~   ✞   ~  ♥  ~  *

Thank You, Lord, for Your new mercies.  Thank You for Your endless mercy. And help me to extend the same mercies to those around me.  Praying in Jesus’ name, amen.

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

Take Me Back

April 9, 2014 by
It’s your heart that keeps you running
And it’s your mind that I can’t change
Will you ever be returning
And coming back again, coming back again
Take me back to the place where it started
Take me back to the warmth of the sun
To the place where the rivers meet the ocean
Take me back home
Yeah, that’s where I belong
And have you ever really wondered
As we walk beneath the stars
Will we find the truth, will we discover
It isn’t very far, it’s not so very far

I wonder if I’ve gone too far

Lord, please help me get back home
Where I belong

It’s your heart that keeps you running

~  Sing this song with me as our prayer and worship today.  ~

~  Songwriter: Mac Powell / Performed by Third Day  ~
 *  ~  *  ~   ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥    ~  *  ~  * 
Do you remember the day that your life changed forever?  The day that you gave your whole life to Jesus?  You lay your burdens at His feet that very first day. But what happens from there?  I know…we start slowly picking those burdens back up again, and then some.  We try so hard to be good mothers, good wives, good daughters.  But, ultimately, we must go back to the beginning…lay it all down…and allow Him to take over and help us be like Him.
This song paints such a beautiful scene.  Warm sunshine and rivers meeting oceans and just real peace…makes you really want to go there, right?  I believe this is what Heaven looks like, plus a little gold, maybe.  But here on earth, things get messy and life gets hard and we have to make a conscious effort to look to the Cross and lay all our burdens down.  Every morning we must do that in order to have the life that Jesus died for us to have.  John 10:10 says, “The thief comes only to steal kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”  That’s the life Jesus wants for us. And we can’t have that full life when we are burdened with past sins and shame and regret.  Jesus will only love you through it; He will not condemn you.  He will wrap His arms around you and say that you’re forgiven and that you’re loved.  Our biggest mistake sometimes is letting sins build up on top of each other.  Instead of repenting immediately because of fear, we keep repeating the same sins over and over.  Jesus already knows, and He loves you just the same.
As we enter the Easter season, let’s remember that it is because of the Cross that we are free to ask forgiveness for our sins.  It is because of His death that we will live forever in Heaven with Him.  So today, let this song take you back to the day that you were forever His, and He was forever yours.  Enjoy the song!
 *  ~  *  ~   ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥    ~  *  ~  * 

Dear Heavenly Father,  You are an awesome, amazing, unconditionally loving and perfect God.  Thank You for Your patience, Your longsuffering and for caring so much about the details of our lives.  Thank You for that day, that we came to know Your Son and started a whole new life, a full life with you.  Thank You for letting us lay it down every day.  We love You and we praise You.  For it’s in Your Son’s precious name we pray, amen.

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