May 5, 2026

Esther – Chapter 6:4-9

October 8, 2013 by

Esther 6:4-9

So the king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the king’s palace to suggest that the king hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him. The king’s servants said to him, “Haman is there, standing in the court.” And the king said, “Let him come in.” So Haman came in, and the king asked him, “What shall be done for the man whom the king delights to honor?” Now Haman thought in his heart, “Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?” And Haman answered the king, “For the man whom the king delights to honor, let a royal robe be brought which the king has worn, and a horse on which the king has ridden, which has a royal crest placed on its head. Then let this robe and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king’s most noble princes, that he may array the man whom the king delights to honor. Then parade him on horseback through the city square, and proclaim before him: ‘Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor!’”

Oh, pride…that little five letter word that I have truly grown to dislike.  A word that has proven to hurt so many lives, ruined so many relationships, guided so many down paths harder than they should have been. Pride doesn’t discriminate; it touches the work place, the home, the church, it wraps itself around our hearts and makes life a difficult place.

Googling verses on pride, I found many more than the word count of this blog will allow.

  • I will break down your stubborn pride.  Leviticus 26:19
  • He grew proud, to his destruction. For he was unfaithful to the Lord his God.    2 Chronicles 26:16
  • In his pride the wicked does not seek Him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.  Psalm 10:4
  • When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.  Proverbs 11:2
  • Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice. Proverbs 13:10
  • Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.  Proverbs 16:18
  • A man’s pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor.  Proverbs 29:23
  • But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory.  Daniel 5:20
  • Your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God.  Deuteronomy 8:14
  • Though the LORD is on high, He looks upon the lowly, but the proud He knows from afar.  Psalm 138:6
  • The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished. Proverbs 16:5
  • Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud.  Proverbs 16:19
  • Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honor.  Proverbs 18:12
  • Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  1 Corinthians 13:4

I would be lying if I tried to say that I haven’t had an issue with pride.  I like being able to do everything myself and I don’t like asking for help and I don’t like admitting that I am wrong.  I had the thought that doing these things made me weak.  They made me less of a woman, less of a wife, less of a mom.  I should be able to handle it all.  I have the skills, the know-how and the desire.  This is pride in a different sense than what Haman showed; but it is pride none-the-less.

Wk6_Ellison_Esther

When these thoughts of pride and inadequacy creep in I remind myself that I have not been doing this without God and that I cannot continue to do this without God.  We are not created to do things alone, to walk our paths alone, we can only do it with God on our side. This is where Haman fell short; he thought that he alone reached the position he was in, he thought that no other man could be held in such high regard as him. His pride was his downfall.  I don’t want to see this in my life and I don’t want to see it in yours.

It’s wrong to be proud of our accomplishments. I don’t think it’s wrong to think that we did a good job at something.  But we need to remember to give honor where honor is due.

_____

Let’s Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, You bless us daily. You give us skills and talents that allow us to accomplish tasks, to succeed in this life. Lord, please forgive us for the times where we allow pride to take over, for the times when we fail to thank You.  Give us a gentle reminder when our pride starts to get too big, when we look to ourselves, and forget to look towards You.

In Jesus’ name we pray.

Amen.

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In His Good Hands

October 8, 2013 by

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I have a child in my class who is very confident with herself.  One day we were standing on the playground. It was a nice calm day (referring to the children and the weather) and there was a nice breeze.  I was admiring the loveliness of the day when I heard, “Ahmee, what is this?”  My sweet girl was pointing upward towards nothing, but what baffled me was the hint of distress in her voice.

I explained to her that I saw nothing, but she insisted, “LOOK!”  The direction she was pointing in was nothing but leaves and trees; I saw nothing else.  She questioned, “It’s moving?”  And then I saw it.  The wind was blowing the leaves.  So, I explained, “The leaves are moving because the wind is blowing.”  “Wind?” she asked.

“Yes,” I explained, “wind.  It’s air that moves.  You can’t see it, but you can feel it.  And you can hear it coming.”  I smiled thrilled at the opportunity to teach her.

Then the weirdest thing happened. She quickly shook her head, cried and ran to me, clinging to my leg for dear life.  I knelt and showed her how we could blow leaves, too.  She mimicked me.  I advised her that wind couldn’t hurt us and asked her if she wanted to go play.  She replied with a firm “No,” and sat down, holding onto my leg.  And that’s where she stayed.

Our God is in heaven; He does whatever pleases Him.

Psalm 115:3

How often do we let fear of the unknown paralyze us and stop us from enjoying our freedom? The Lord does whatever pleases Him; and this can be scary.  What if what pleases Him is the opposite of what I want?  Waiting has the potential to grow you or strangle your desires.

But we don’t have to fear with God at the wheel.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11

* * * * *

Thank You, Lord that I don’t have to fear the unknown and that I am in good hands with You. Amen.

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Esther – Chapter 6:1-3

October 7, 2013 by

During that night the king could not sleep so he gave an order to bring the book of records,  the chronicles, and they were read before the king.   It was found written what Mordecai had reported concerning Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who were doorkeepers,  that they had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus.   The king said, “What honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?”  Then the king’s servants who attended him said, “Nothing has been done for him.”

 Esther 6:1-3

The favor of a man (in this case King Ahasuerus), while a blessing, is always temporary.  As we read this record, we see that the king realized that something should have been done to show honor, or favor, to Mordecai for saving Ahasuerus’ life. (Look back here to see exactly what had happened.)  For some reason…perhaps God’s timing…it did not happen at that time.

We have seen ‘favor’ being given here in Esther’s story before…let’s look back.

…Now Esther was winning favor in the eyes of all who saw her.
And the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the maidens….
Chapter 2, verse 15-17

And when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, she obtained favor in his sight, and he held out to [her] the golden scepter that was in his hand. So Esther drew near and touched the tip of the scepter.
Chapter 5, verse 2

In the first account, Esther was favored not only by everyone she met but…far more importantly…she was favored by the king.  And, in the second record, because of the favor that Esther received from her husband King Ahasuerus, she was allowed to approach his throne and granted her most unusual request.  When favor is given from person to person, there is always the chance it will be withheld, or delayed…as in the instance between Ahasuerus and Mordecai.

However, God’s favor—His grace to us—is never withheld.  We are never left waiting for His blessing.  When we receive favor from the Lord it is always timely…perfectly on time.   There are many records throughout the Bible of people being favored by the Lord.  Here are a few of my personal favorites!

Noah — found favor in God’s eyes; and we know what came from that!

Genesis 6:6-8
And the Lord regretted that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved at heart.
So the Lord said, I will destroy, blot out, and wipe away mankind, whom I have created from the face of the ground—not only man, [but] the beasts and the creeping things and the birds of the air—for it grieves Me and makes Me regretful that I have made them.
But Noah found grace (favor) in the eyes of the Lord.

Moses — also was favored by God and through His life the children of Israel benefitted from that favor and were led to the Promised Land.

Exodus 33:17 and 18
The Lord said to Moses, “I will also do this thing of which you have spoken; for you have found favor in My sight and I have known you by name.”
Then Moses said, “I pray You, show me Your glory!”

David — Psalms 5:12, 30:5 and 7, 69:13 (and others)

Acts 7:45 and 46
So it was until the days of David, who found favor in the sight of God
and asked to find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.

Mary — Can you only imagine being told these things!

Luke 1:28-31
The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.
But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.
You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call Him Jesus.

As we read through these records and remember the fullness and importance of each account, I think that we recognize the incredible value there is in finding ‘favor with God.’  I have read numerous times that ‘favor’ (Old Testament word) and ‘grace” (New Testament word) are the same thing.  So favor = grace. 

Well, we HAVE found favor, or grace, with God!  And the favor/grace that we have with Him can never be withheld, delayed, or taken away!  (For a beautiful picture of God’s favor, His grace to us, read Romans 5.)

Read through the following verses…I pray that God will enlarge your understanding so that you will see and know of His favor and grace towards you!

I always thank my God for you because of His grace given you in Christ Jesus.
1 Corinthians 1:4

Romans 6:14

2 Corinthians 9:8

Ephesians 1:2-6

Ephesians 2:5-8

Ephesians 4:7

Philippians 1:7

Hebrews 4:16

Titus 3:4-7

2 Peter 1:2-3

Wk6_Hayden_Esther

Let’s Pray:

Almighty Father, we thank You…we praise You…for the immensity of Your grace towards us!  Where would we be without it?!!  Truly, still dead in our trespasses and sins!  Your grace, your favor, Your blessing for our lives cannot be earned; we are so thankful!  May we hold the TRUTH regarding Your wonderful grace in our hearts…and rest in that truth.  Thank You, Father; we love and adore You!

Amen.

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Praise Him – Use Words

October 7, 2013 by

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Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to Your name give glory, for Your mercy and loving-kindness and for the sake of Your truth and faithfulness!

Psalm 115:1

Sometimes, I think, we sing and speak out our praise of our great God…giving Him glory…but failing to voice why we are glorifying Him.  Y’know…”Praise the Lord!  Praise You, Jesus!  Praise You, praise You, praise You!”  These are the words that come from my mouth at times.  Perhaps my praises should be filled with specific expressions of my gratitude.  We do this when we are relating our praise about others, right?  When I am praising any other person on this earth, I don’t  simply say–for example, ‘Oh, I just praise Megan…she’s so good!’  No; I say, ‘Oh, it was so awesome!  We have reached the end of the ‘Seven’ journey, and Megan was sharing her heart…her words just spoke so eloquently!  I am so thankful for her ability to communicate heart matters!’   Likewise, when praising Almighty God, we should be specific about His awesome lovingkindness, His mercy, His grace, His steadfast love!  Yes?

The Psalmist—King David— was really, really, really good at this!  Of the 150 individual psalms which make up the Book of Psalms in the Bible, approximately 80 have been ascribed to David.  David, who God called ‘a man after my own heart,’ wrote phrase after phrase (praise after praise!)  filled with praises of His God…and praising Him specifically.  Here are a few examples of David’s praises.

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever!
Psalm 107:1

The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation—
The God who gave me vengeance and subdued peoples under me,
Who delivered me from my enemies; yes, You exalted me above
those who rose against me; You rescued me from the man of violence.
For this I will praise you, O Lord….
Psalms 18:46-49

Shout for joy to God, all the earth;
Sing the glory of His name; give to Him glorious praise!
Say to God, “How awesome are Your deeds!
So great is Your power that Your enemies come cringing to You.
All the earth worships You and sings praises to You; they sing praises to your name.”   Selah
Psalms 66:1-4

As is written in Psalm 107:2 “Let the redeemed of the Lord <that is you and me!> say so…”  Be specific when you sing or speak or shout your praises to Your loving Father!  And when you are praising Him to others…use words to tell them about your wonderful, loving, faithful, compassionate, merciful, gracious Father!

* * * * *

Oh, Lord, we do so love to praise You—and we have so very many, many, many opportunities to praise You for Your goodness, Your faithfulness, Your kindness, Your love!  Forgive us, Lord, when we have failed to voice the whys of our praises!  We, truly, have so very much to praise and thank You for…may we not be remiss in telling you exactly why!  We love you, Lord!  Amen.

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Roasted B, B, and B Topping

October 7, 2013 by

Ok, so what do you do when your sister food-blogger posts EXACTLY the same recipe you were going to post?  Well, first you tell her how good hers looked (check it out) then you scurry to the refrigerator to see what else you can throw together!

As promised, we are focusing on Fall in-season fruits and veggies for a few weeks.  This week, we have a Roasted Butternut–Brussels Sprouts–Beet recipe.  We enjoyed this topping a salad with goat cheese and candied nuts.   This recipe makes enough for some leftovers, perfect for a Roasted Veggie Lasagna!  Perhaps you might want to try it as a pizza topping, or over pasta or rice.  Enjoy!

2013-10-04 21.10.46

Roasted Butternut Squash, Brussels Sprouts, and Beets

Ingredients:2013-10-04 19.36.19
1/2 large Butternut squash, peeled
1 medium sweet onion, peeled
1 bunch beets (3-5) peeled
6-8 ounces Brussels sprouts
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper

optional:
3-4 tablespoons candied walnuts *
2 links fully-cooked chicken sausage
3 ounces herbed goat cheese

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 425.
  • Cut squash and beets into 1″ cubes.
  • Cut off end of each Brussels sprout and any leaves that are brown or dry.  If large, halve lengthwise.
  • Cut onion in half around the middle, and then slice into half-moons.
  • In a large bowl, combine squash, sprouts, and onions; drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil over them, season well and stir to evenly distribute the oil among the veggies.
  • Pour onto 2 rimmed baking sheets.
  • Now pour the cubed beets into the bowl adding up to 1 tablespoon additional olive oil, if necessary.  Add the beets to one area of one baking sheet; this will keep the beets from ‘bleeding’ onto the other veggies.
  • Roast for 15-20 minutes or ‘til the veggies begin to caramelize.
  • Remove from oven, stir well turning pieces over, if possible.
  • Roast for an additional 15 minutes or ‘til the other side begins to caramelize.
  • Test with a knife tip to make sure veggies are cooked through.  Allow to cool.

* Candied Walnuts
1 cup apple cider
3 tablespoons coconut sugar
pinch of sea salt
1 cup raw walnuts

  • Bring apple cider to a boil in a small saucepan; turn down heat but keep at a good simmer.  Let reduce by ½.
  • Lower heat, and add sugar stirring ‘til dissolved.  Add salt and walnuts; stir well.
  • Continue to cook at a low simmer, stirring constantly ‘til liquid is almost evaporated.
  • Remove from heat; pour onto a small plate and allow to harden.

♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥

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

♥  coleen

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With Joyful Lips I Will Praise You

October 4, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogo

My whole being shall be satisfied…and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.
When I remember You upon my bed and meditate on You in the night watches..
For You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings will I rejoice..
Psalms 63:5-7

Take a moment, please, and think back to last night as you laid your weary head down on your pillow…. Did your thoughts turn to praising the Almighty with joyful lips?  Did you remember the blessings and mercies and grace that He had given to you throughout the day?  Did you meditate and consider how very much He had helped you and guided you?  Did you recognize that He had protected you…and did you rejoice?

I think, for most of us, we DO thank God for the day that has just past.  But…then perhaps we get distracted thinking about all that has occurred during the day.  We remember conversations —good AND not-so-good.  We think about unfinished tasks and projects.  We add to the ‘to-do’ list we carry around in our heads.  Maybe we even start worrying over the next day that hasn’t even begun yet.  But there is a better idea!  Try thinking about:

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true,
whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—
if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Philippians 4:8

So take another moment, please.  Think about yesterday….  Was there truth?  Were things right?  Can you remember something lovely that happened?  Did a friend do something you admired?  Did God’s blessings cause your heart to sing His praises?  I venture to say that yes…YES!…there were true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and PRAISEworthy things!!!  Thinking about these kind of things will cause us to praise our great God with joyful lips.  Remembering  the grace and mercy that He gave to us will give us much to meditate upon.  Dwelling upon the goodness of our God will lift our heart and we will rejoice!

Tonight, as you lay your beautiful head down again, sing and speak praises to Your Father!  Instead of worry and concern, allow all the truth, the right and lovely, the pure and admirable, the excellent, the praiseworthy things to fill your heart and mind.  Give praise to the One Who supplied your needs, Who protected you, Who led you and guided you.  Rest, my friend, in the comfort and blessing of His presence…and I am sure you will wake up in the morning, saying as the Psalmist did:

But I will sing of Your mighty strength and power;
yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy and loving-kindness in the morning;
for You have been to me a defense and a refuge in the day of my distress.
Unto You, O my Strength, I will sing praises;
for God is my Defense, my Fortress, and High Tower,
the God Who shows me mercy and steadfast love.
Psalms 59:17 and 18

 * * * * *

Almighty God, You are Holy, You are Faithful, You are Sovereign, You are Love!  Please help us through Your Holy Spirit to remember to think on the truth, the right and lovely, the pure and admirable, the excellent, the praiseworthy things…and to praise You, Lord!   Amen.

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Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

October 4, 2013 by

 

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Fall is here, and I couldn’t be happier!  One of my favorite cool weather veggies is Brussels sprouts.  I remember growing up, my sister hated them so much, she only managed to choke them down if she smothered them in yellow mustard.  If you have someone like that in your family, reintroduce them to this wonderful, healthy vegetable with this recipe for Brussels Sprouts with Bacon!  This side dish comes together quickly…and, yes, you can feel free to double the amount of bacon in the recipe.

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Ingredients:

  • 2 slices bacon
  • 1 pound Brussels sprouts
  • 1/4 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
  • salt and pepper

Directions:

  1. Fry the bacon.  You want it pretty crispy.  When done, remove from pan to cool, but do NOT drain the bacon grease from the pan.
  2. While the bacon is cooking, prepare the Brussels sprouts:  Trim off the bottoms and slice in half lengthwise.  Remove any outer leaves that are yellow or spotty.
  3. Add the sprouts to the bacon grease in the pan.  Saute for about five minutes until they start to color a little.  Add 2 tablespoons of water and cover with a lid, so you are now steaming them.  Cook for another five minutes, then remove the lid and cook them uncovered for about 3 minutes.  They should be getting golden and softening up a bit.
  4. While the sprouts are steaming, combine the yogurt and horseradish in a large bowl.  When the sprouts are done and al dente, pour them into the bowl and toss with the yogurt mixture.  Dice the bacon and add it to the bowl, or you can sprinkle it over the top if you like. Season with salt and pepper, and toss again.  Serve warm!

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana

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

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Esther – Chapter 5:10-14

October 4, 2013 by

Jealousy: a sentiment which is born in love and which is produced by the fear that the loved person prefers someone else. Wouldn’t you say Haman was jealous of Mordecai? He was so afraid that the king would prefer Mordecai over him that he couldn’t even enjoy the fact that Esther had indeed invited him to the banquet that she had prepared for the king. He admits to all that it means nothing as long as Mordecai is seated at the palace gate.  Isn’t that just like us? We let what we don’t have  overshadow what we do have. The desire to have it all might just cost us the riches that we already have.  And for Haman, it cost him his life.

Anger had manifested itself into a dangerous mission to kill. Hatred and bitterness are like weeds with long roots that grow in the heart and corrupt all of life. He couldn’t even enjoy being the king’s right hand man because he was so full of anger that had gone unchecked for so long that it had manifested itself into killer instinct.  Hebrews 12:15 warns us to watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble us corrupting many.  Don’t let hatred and its resulting bitterness build up in your heart. It will backfire against you.  If the mention of someone’s name provokes you to anger, confess it, ask forgiveness, and let it go. Don’t allow it to live in your mind rent-free. It will cost you a lot more than you think.

As Christians, children of God, we cannot ignore anger and bitterness. We don’t need to hide it from our sisters in Christ or just make superficial changes to our behavior or personality. If it isn’t completely eradicated, it will grow back, making everything worse. Your Father knows what’s best for you. He doesn’t want us looking at others and wanting what they have. He knows you better than you know yourself and He loves you more than you can imagine. And He wants us to love each other the way He loves us. In  1 John 1:11, we read “But anyone who hates another brother or sister is still walking and living in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by darkness.

Wk5_Spring_Esther

In the end, this bitterness and resentment caused Haman the ultimate price.  His family and friends even suggested for Haman to set up a sharpened pole so tall that all would surely see Mordecai’s death.  But God had other plans, as He does for us too.  He is the ultimate judge.   Justice was done.  Haman ultimately paid the price.  Our consequences may not be death, but I can promise you we won’t have the joyful life that He promised us if we are consumed with the roots of anger.  Jesus came to set us free.  Free from all chains that bind.

Are you struggling today with any of these? Anger, jealousy, or bitterness?  If so, bring it into the light and tear down the veil of all of these; and then ask Him to take it away so you can enjoy this life He chose especially for YOU!

 *****

Let’s Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, we come to You today praising You for Who You are.  God, we confess to You today all spirits of anger and resentment and bitterness.  We bind them in the name of Jesus and we release them to You today.  We love You and we know You have only good things planned for us and sometimes we mess it up.  Forgive us from our sins and give us a new fresh beginning.  Keep our eyes on You so they don’t wander and lust and covet what someone else has.  Thank You for Your grace and unending patience.  Fill us with Your unconditional love so that we can spread to all who come in contact with us.  For it’s in Your Son’s precious name we pray.

Amen.

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Glorious Living w/ Coach Megan: Breaking Strongholds (w/ free download)

October 4, 2013 by

GL header

2 Corinthians 10:4 
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal,
but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.

Strongholds are birthed and dwell in deception (which are lies and false beliefs), so naturally the cure is to bring in the truth in God’s Word to defeat them once and for all.  You debunk the lies of the enemy with the truth that lies in the Word of God.

The Bible says that our weapons are mighty for the tearing down of strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:4, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.”)  What is our primary offensive weapon?  The sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17, “…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”)  Truth dispels deception and lies, and therefore the more truth you bring into a situation, the more the darkness must flee.  This is where it’s important to grow in God’s Word, is because it is your primary weapon for tearing down the strongholds of deception that the enemy has been feeding you.

If you are not currently spending time in God’s Word every single day, please vow to make this a habit right now.  THIS is how God will most often speak to you and how you will grow in your relationship with Him like never before.  Please make this intentional time with the Lord every single day…ink {not pencil} Him into your precious schedule!

In John 8:31-36, Jesus tells us that we can be held in bondage due to strongholds in our lives. And His solution was to, “…continue in my word… and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (verses 31-32).  Strongholds are torn down as we meditate on God’s Word.

To help you with this, I have a FREE download for you today filled with stronghold-breaking meditations to help you on this journey to break free once and for all!   Click on the link below to download to your computer.

Stronghold-breaking Meditation Scriptures

Blessings,

Coach Megan 🙂

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A Free Hand

October 3, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogo

I will praise You as long as I live, and in Your name I will lift up my hands.
Psalm 63:4

As a child, I was the quiet one.  I was a shy, curly-haired, red-headed little girl who wanted to hide behind others.  If I was thrown into the spotlight, I was not comfortable there, like others. Can you relate?

In third grade, I was about to play in a piano recital. I knew the piece, “Suppose” by memory very well.  But as I stepped in front of the huge crowd, sat on the bench and my long blue skirt brushed over my black shiny shoes, fear captured me!  My hand would not move away from “middle C” on the keyboard.  I played that note over and over again. (My Mom stood to applaud, and everyone else did, too, in order to release me from my agony.  I may be the only person ever to get a standing ovation for playing one note!)  This is only one of many examples when I’d let fear overtake me where I could not move forward—not completely—for fear of mistakes or fear  of hurting someone or fear of letting someone down.  And when the fear cycle began, it easily could snowball into a cycle of bigger fears. Can you relate?

I had asked Jesus into my heart at the age of eight.  I knew I needed a Savior!  But for a long time, it was hard for me to release some of my fears…even some hidden ones.  In my twenties though, in God’s wisdom, He allowed me to come to the end of myself.  I realized in that time of complete brokenness that my focus must be on Him—faith not fears, depth in relationship with Him instead of people-pleasing and swirling circumstances.  My life dramatically changed for the better when I became very God-focused!  (I still have my moments, but I get back on track quickly.)

The freedom, comfort, guidance, and peace that He lavished on me when I needed it most increased my faith and love in my relationship with Jesus!  For many years, I have expressed myself and moved forward—especially where Jesus is concerned!   My hand is no longer like that paralyzed hand that could not move in one direction or the other during that piano recital as a child.  My hand can easily be lifted up to praise Jesus in a worship service.  (It’s just an external expression of the overflow of a thankful heart!)  My hand can write/type words (in various written formats) that praise and glorify Jesus as I share with others about His great saving love!  And with great expression, passion, and boldness, my hands have moved in grand gestures as I have taught Bible studies and directed drama or acted on the stages of churches over the years.  (I share all of this for the great glory of God!  For you see, He took me to a greater level of understanding of freedom and faith in Him and a greater awareness of His Holy Spirit working in me and God’s amazing, continuous grace…or else…those things just listed would not have happened.)

To God…ALL glory and praise! I am nothing without Him!  Oh, how I will praise Him as long as I live…please join me.

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Dear Lord, let us be in awe of You.  Let us move forward each day—with thankful hearts— following You!  Let us give our hearts and lives completely to You to use for Your glory!  We love You, so let us praise You as long as we live, and let us lift our hands to praise You!  Let us keep our focus on You as stated in Hebrews 12:2, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the Cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”  In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

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