May 5, 2026

Hunger and Thirst for God

September 30, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogo

O God, thou art my God early will I seek Thee, my soul thirsteth for Thee,
My flesh longeth for Thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is.
To see Thy power and Thy glory so as I have seen Thee in the sanctuary.
Psalms 63:1-2

This psalm is describing a man’s deep longing in his heart for God.  Every believer should pray as David did in this psalm.

My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God; when shall I come and appear before God?
Psalms 42:2

As water is essential for physical life, so God and His presence are essential for satisfaction and wholeness of life.  True believers will hunger and thirst for God and His grace, blessings, and supernatural activity in their lives.  To stop thirsting for God is to die spiritually; thus we must not allow anything to diminish our intense desire for the things of God.

“Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).  The Lord we serve will supply our needs according to His riches in His glory.  When we show ourselves to have a willing heart to interact with Him, we need to seek Him where He may be found.

Do we know God?  Have we come to a point of being passionate for Him?  Those who profess to know God must examine themselves by asking themselves the following: “Do I really possess a strong desire for God and His Presence in my life? Or do I go through life largely consumed with secular pursuits and worldly entertainment, while prayer, bible reading, and a deep hunger and thirst for God and His righteousness have little place?”

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Matthew 5:6

The foundational requirement for all godly living is to hunger and thirst for righteousness.  The spiritual condition of a Christian all throughout their lives will depend on their hunger and thirst for the Presence of God…the Word of God…communion with Christ…fellowship of the Spirit.

It is essential that we be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s convicting work in our lives.

Righteousness—our righteousness—is Christ Jesus Himself living in our hearts. Through this indwelling we might become “…the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).  We must hunger and thirst for the things of God and not of this world.

* * * * *

Father, we come before You giving You all the praise and honor for this good day that You have given unto us.  May You reign over our lives so that we can reign with Christ Jesus.  May You increase our thirst to study Your Word and know You more than now.  Let us embrace the gift of righteousness with gladness!  In Jesus’ name I have prayed.

Amen!!

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Butternut Squash-Sausage Soup

September 30, 2013 by

♪♬  It’s the most wonderful time of the year!  ♬♪  Yes, I know…that’s a song you might sing during the Christmas holiday season…but for me AUTUMN is the most wonderful time of the year!  The weather is delightful…back to sleeping with the windows open a crack, and we get to break out our beautiful sweaters!  And some of my favorite ingredients to cook and bake with are in-season: pumpkin, apples, cider, pears, cranberries, butternut squash (ok…all the winter squashes!), cauliflower, brussel sprouts, kale!

For the next few weeks, our Monday blog here on At Home w/ GCH will focus on these ingredients while keeping to our healthy but oh-so-yummy! point of view.

Today’s recipe is also our first soup of the season…Butternut Squash-Sausage Soup.  Here’s a link showing the incredible nutritional value of butternut squash.  This recipe remain within our healthy but oh-so-yummy parameters as it is l-o-a-ded with veggies and, while very smooth and  creamy, contains not a speck of butter or sour cream or cheese.  Enjoy!

Butternut Squash-Sausage Soup

2013-09-28 13.33.17

 

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash, 3#2013-09-27 16.59.05
2-3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2# italian turkey sausage, removed from casings
1/2# ground chicken (or turkey)
1 large sweet onion
6-8 ounces Baby Bella mushrooms
1 red or yellow bell pepper
3-4 tablespoons chopped garlic
kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon each: dried sage, marjoram, and basil
8 cups chicken broth
1 can of white beans, drained and rinsed

 

Directions:

  • Preheat the oven to 425.
  • Cut and peel butternut squash; dice into 2″ pieces. Place in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons olive oil; liberally season with salt & pepper.  Stir until well-coated.  Pour onto a large baking sheet lined with foil and roast for 10 minutes.  Stir and flip pieces over.  Roast for an additional 10 minutes.  Remove from oven, and set aside.
  • While the butternut squash is roasting, saute meats together in a large frypan, allowing them to brown just a bit.  Use the edge of a wooden spoon (or a potato masher) to break pieces up as they cook into smaller pieces.  Remove to a bowl, leaving the juices in the pan.
  • Dice the onion, the pepper, and the mushrooms into similar-sized pieces, approximately 1+1/2″.  Add the onion to the frypan and saute for 5 minutes on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.  Then add the mushrooms.  Cook for another 5 minutes; allow the veggies to begin to caramelize.  Add in the peppers; cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Finally add the chopped garlic and the seasonings, cook for 1 minute stirring constantly.
  • Pour in the chicken broth, stir, and bring to a boil.  Add the roasted butternut squash and the beans.  Reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.
  • Scoop out about 1+1/2 cups of the chunkier pieces; set aside.
  • With a hand-held immersion blender * carefully puree the soup (or in batches in a countertop blender).
  • Add in the cooked meats plus the veggies you put aside.  Stir all well together, and simmer for 5-10 additional minutes.  Taste (carefully!) for additional seasoning.

* Note: I simply love my immersion blender (we own the Oster 3-in-1)!  I use it almost every day.  It is so handy for many simple, quick blending jobs…even for smoothies or milkshakes.  The best part—it is extremely easy to clean and most often is used right in the cooking pot you are using…not dirtying yet another thing to wash up!   A good quality immersion blender can be purchased for around $25.

♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥

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

♥  coleen

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Do Not Be Ashamed

September 27, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogo

Let the people praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You.
Then the earth shall yield her increase; God, our own God, shall bless us.
God shall bless us, And all the ends of the earth shall fear Him.
Psalms 67:5-7

Praise God—no matter what.  Praise God in times of happiness, sadness, and strife.  We should praise God all the time—no matter what is going on in our lives.  Praising God in our daily lives and routines lets God know we are His.  It also lets those around us know that we have chosen God over the desires and temptations of the world.

We are living in troubling times.  God has been taken out of almost everything we would like to do or where we go.  There are many people who feel that God needs to stay in the home and the Church and are pushing for laws to prohibit God in public places.  But God did not create us to hide behind closed doors to worship Him.  We were created for open worship of God.   When we praise God through our work and our actions…people see it.  We can influence those around us by being the light that God has made us to be.  By doing this, the earth increases her yield to God.

God blesses those who follow Him and do what He commands.  If we spread His Word and show others what He has done for us, God will bless us in ways that we can never imagine later on—earthly AND heavenly. The ends of the earth shall know God and come to fear Him if we spread His Word and increase the earth’s yield.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation
to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Romans 1:16

We must not be ashamed to praise God.  Praising God is one way of spreading His Word.  The disciples praised God during their time with Jesus.  Then, as Jesus had commanded, they spread Jesus’ message about salvation.  Their work has continued through thousands of years because those who chose to follow Jesus picked up where the disciples left off when their time on earth was over.  They were not ashamed; and so we should not be either.   We should spread God’s word through praise and other actions that glorify God.

* * * * *

Dear heavenly Father, thank You for Your blessings.  We praise Your name in all we do.  We pray that our praise and our actions will lead others to choose the gift of salvation that You have so freely and lovingly given.  In Jesus name.  Amen.

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Esther – Chapter 4:15-17

September 27, 2013 by

What strengths has God given you ‘for such a time as this?’   Think about it for a minute.  God has placed you in a position for a purpose.  Everything that happens to us is either ordained by God or allowed by God.  And as Christians, we know He will deliver us!

Mordecai expected a divine deliverance, didn’t he?  Esther and Mordecai believed in God’s care and, because they acted at the right time, God used them to move His people.  By calling for a fast, Esther is asking the Jewish people to also pray for God’s help on this dangerous mission.  Verse 15: “Go gather together all the Jews that are present on Shushah and fast for me; neither eat or drink for 3 days and nights. I also and my maids will fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though is against the law and if I perish, I perish.”  Fasting and prayer moves mountains. Jesus fasted in the desert and prayed to His Father.

Fasting is the most important and greatest spiritual discipline for seeking God’s intervention. Together, combined with prayer, they’re the most critical weapon in spiritual warfare, which leads to deliverance in our lives.  Fasting does not manipulate God into doing exactly what we want nor does it mean that all our wishes and desire will come into fruition, but it does convey to Him exactly that we desire that His will be done in our lives.  In Mathew 9:15, Jesus told us that fasting would be necessary for His disciples after He ascends into Heaven, “The time will come when the Bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.”

Wk4_Esther_KimSpring

Esther was brave.  When God’s people feel pressed, His mighty power kicks in in a mighty way. In our own power, we are nothing, but God can turn us into mighty warriors if we allow Him to work through us.  Notice in this chapter, the roles are reversed for Esther and Mordecai—Esther is now the instructor, and Mordecai listens and obeys.  You can feel as you read these passages, the commanding power of God through this small, humble, yet beautiful woman moving into action. Isn’t this like our God?  Doesn’t He do this within the body of believers in the church? Regardless of sex or position/lack of position, in 1 Corinthians 11:1 , Paul says for us to “imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.”  God had set Esther under Mordecai to watch over her and guide her. But now, God switched her into a leadership position over Mordecai.  What about you?  Are you ready to step into such a role if or when God needs you?

I cannot let the fact that Esther was willing to lose her life for this cause go unnoticed.   She knew her life would be in danger if she approached the King yet she was ok with it.   She was putting the lives of her people above her own life, and showing a great example of selflessness.  How beautifully her words picture this identification of the believer with the death of Jesus Christ.  He died for you, and you died with Him;  nothing you can do will ever affect that.   And just like Esther, the evil one cannot lay his hands upon you any longer.  You are not in bondage.  You are a believer and your deliverance rests upon an unchangeable fact!!!

This is a story of your heritage.  Consider that this story is still going on and you are a character and part of this story.  And just as God was working in the lives of these characters in Esther, He’s busy today working in yours!  It’s His-story and we are all in it, thanks to Jesus Christ.

So today as you go about your life, remember that no matter what you face, or what you need to be delivered from, He is able.  He will deliver you.  His promises are still proving true and He is the same God of Esther and Mordecai.  My challenge for you today is this: think about what role He has you in today; can you see the purpose yet?  Or are you just walking in faith?  Cannot wait to hear from you!

* * * * *

Let’s Pray:

Dearest Lord,  Today we come to You as Your children in need of Your grace and mercy.  You have taught us so much through this study; that the Holy Spirit is ours and is here to guide us in our everyday life as well as in our ministry work for You.  We praise You and worship You. God, You want us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love, like Jesus did in everything. We take our lead from Jesus and He keeps us in step with each other.   May we be filled with the knowledge of Your will and may we clothe ourselves in kindness and mercy and humility.   Above all things, we put on love and let the peace of God rule in our hearts.  May we be one body and may we seek to tell all about the deliverance that we have experienced in our own lives. May we be brave like Esther and obedient like Mordecai. In Jesus’s name we pray.

Amen.

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Meatloaf

September 27, 2013 by

Meatloaf Slices Resized

 

This Meatloaf started out following one of Martha Stewart’s recipes, but over the years I’ve kind of made it my own.  I think what makes this a great meatloaf is that it’s not actually baked in a loaf pan.  It’s a freeform meat sculpture!  But making it on a sheet pan instead of in a loaf pan lets the fat drain away, and all the sides get nice and crusty.  It’s easy, it’s a crowd pleaser, and it doesn’t take long to put together.  Let’s get into it!

Meatloaf

Ingredients:

  • 1 small onion
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 2 stalks celery
  • 1 carrot
  • 4 slices bacon
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herbs, or oregano
  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 2 eggs
  • a big squirt of ketchup (maybe 2 tablespoons)
  • a big squirt of yellow mustard (maybe 2 tablespoons)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, your choice (Sriracha or Tabasco, whatever you have)
  • 1/3 cup coconut flour (you could use 1/2 cup bread crumbs if you like, or even ground oats)
  • salt and pepper
  • 4 tablespoons ketchup
  • 3 tablespoons mustard
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar

 

Let's bake this bad boy!

Let’s bake this bad boy!

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400*F.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
  2. Add the onion, garlic, celery, and carrot to the food processor and blend until combined and kind of pureed.  You don’t want any big chunks.  Empty the veggie puree into a very large mixing bowl, then add the bacon to the food processor.  Blend until ground and add to the veggie puree.
  3. Add the rest of the ingredients—up through the salt and pepper—to the mixing bowl.  Mix with your hands until combined.  Dump out the meatloaf mix onto the baking sheet and form a loaf with your hands.  You want it to be long and flat, kind of like a loaf of French bread.  Smooth it out and make it even.
  4. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar.  Frost the top of the meatloaf with the ketchup mixture.
  5. Bake for one hour, or until internal temperature reaches 165*F.  My kids eat this with lots of additional ketchup!
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Glorious Living w/ Coach Megan: A Scripture Prayer on Decision Making

September 27, 2013 by

GL header

I pray this is a blessing to you….

Proverbs 3:5-6

Lord, I trust in You with all my heart and I won’t rely on just what I understand.
In all my ways, I will rely on You, because You will direct me in the way I should go.

Psalm 32:8

Thank You for being willing to instruct me and teach me the right way to go… even to counsel me and watch over me.

Psalm 25:9

I humble my heart so that You will guide me and teach me Your way.

James 1:5

When I need wisdom, I will ask You for it. Thank You for not faulting me for asking, but rather wanting to make me wise.

Proverbs 16:9

Even when I plan my future, I’m so glad that You determine my steps.

Psalm 40:8

Oh God, I truly desire to do Your will.
Thank You for putting Your truth in my heart.

John 16:13

I yield myself to Your Spirit of Truth, who will guide me into all truth.

Matthew 6:10

I pray that whatever is Your perfect will for me in heaven will also be accomplished in my life here on earth.

1 Corinthians 10:31

And, Lord, may whatever I do be truly for Your glory… and Yours alone.

In Jesus’ name.  Amen.  <3

Click the link below for a free download of today’s prayer!

DailyPrayer

You will need Adobe Acrobat on your computer to open this PDF file. If you do not have this program on your computer, you can find a free download HERE.

Blessings,

Megan 🙂

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Let the Nations Praise God Together!

September 26, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogo

May the peoples praise You, O God; may all the peoples praise You.
May the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for You rule the peoples justly and guide the nations of the earth.
May the peoples praise You, O God; may all the peoples praise You.
Psalms 67:3-5

Our great God’s worthy to be praised for Who He is and for the things that have happened in history because of Him, for the things that are currently being fulfilled because of Him, and for the wonderful things that are to come because of Him!  If you follow Christ, how can any day be an ordinary day?

Recently, a friend from college posted on social media the song, How Great is Our God.  The words alone are powerful and true. But what made this particular presentation even more amazing is that Chris Tomlin had worship leaders from around the world on the stage with him, and they were praising God singing with their voices and whole hearts! At designated times, you heard the different languages spilling forth, praising God!  The place was filled with worshippers! (I couldn’t help but wonder if what I was witnessing was a tiny glimpse of what heaven might look like!)

The song starts with the line “The splendor of a King….”  Do you get that God is the King of kings?  He is majestic, powerful, and above all in His rule and reign!  And yet, He is so personal that He hears your deepest thoughts and prayers—even if they are said silently in your heart, not even spoken in a whisper! He is that powerful King, and He is that personal Savior to you, if He reigns in your heart!!!

At one point in the video, there is a man jumping…waiting in anticipation for his part to join in on the singing!  Are we like that?  Are we so in awe of God that we can’t wait to do our part to give Him great honor and glory through song or whatever else He calls us to?  Oh, how I hope so!

TOGETHER they all sang the line, “How GREAT is our God!”  How wonderful is that? VERY! Let’s sing praises to Him together, and let’s do life together when we can.

When I have the great privilege of meeting someone from a different nationality or culture, I hope I always see it as a great move by God’s Hand for me to embrace someone who may be very different from who I am and as an opportunity to build a friendship.  If that person is a believer then, as a brother or sister in Christ, we are family!  It doesn’t matter what language they speak, what clothes they wear, or what color their skin is!!!  And, if they don’t believe, may the Holy Spirit help me to handle this possible relationship in such a way that I may have the opportunity to share Christ or at least show them that a Christian will point the way or shed light in the direction of Jesus.  How?  In the way I reach out, befriend, and love them….  It needs to look as close as it can to how He loves me. (Oh, how I thank Jesus for reaching toward me/us with His love!)

* * * * *

Oh, Lord, help us to reach toward people of other nations and cultures with a heart of love that looks like Yours.  When we extend our hands and hearts toward others, in any given moment, let our hands and hearts look like Yours.  Let us embrace people of different nationalities…like You do…and let us ALL lift our voices of praise and our hands up to You in one extravagant, thankful choir of voices and hearts giving praise that is heard around the world…and, one day, in heaven!  In Jesus’ Precious Name,

Amen.

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Esther – Chapter 4:12-14

September 26, 2013 by

Wk4_Esther_Fox

 When Mordecai hears that Esther is hesitating to go before the king because she doesn’t want to “get her head chopped off,” Mordecai replies, “Let me tell you, little miss (that is, my Queen), how it’s really going to come down if you don’t approach King Xerxes!  If you don’t go to the king and beg for mercy for your own people—with or without you—God will rescue them.”

Mordecai knew the history of the Jews.  He had heard and memorized the stories of God’s provision and protection for His People through battle after battle against enemy armies.  He knew the story of Gideon and his small army defeating the Midianites (Judges 7).  Then there was Jonathan and his armor-bearer against the Philistines (I Samuel 14), and the story of David and Goliath, and the defeat of the Philistines (I Samuel 17).  Mordecai had probably told these stories and many others to his family, including Esther, so she knew them too.  These stories built Mordecai’s faith in God.  His confidence that God always has a plan to save His own led him to say in Esther 4:14,

“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place…”

So Esther had a choice to make, not for the Jews’ sake so much, but for herself and her family, because Mordecai goes on to say, “…but you and your father’s family <that includes me> will perish” (Esther 4:14).  God was giving Esther—just a young lady with very little influence—the opportunity to be a big part of His amazing plan to save His people.  Did she remember the stories of the young David, Gideon, and Jonathan?  God had used these young men who had very little influence to play big parts in His plan to save His people and build the Jewish nation.  If she trusted Mordecai and shared in his confidence in God to save the Jews, then she could go into the throne room trusting that God was with her since she was one of His children.

Gideon and Jonathan had been where God intended them to be at the right time to do His Will and defeat the enemy.  David came to the frontlines of the battle against the Philistines at the right time to kill Goliath, send the Philistines packing, and save the Israelites.  That was part of God’s plan to get David into position to eventually become the king of the Jewish nation.  God knew all through Esther’s less than glamorous early life that she would end up in a Persian palace as the wife and queen of King Xerxes.  Now perhaps it was Esther’s turn to participate in  God’s plan.  She was at the right place at the right time…now, would she do the right thing?

And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?
Esther 4:14

No Jew, including Esther, was immune from Haman’s decree of death.  None of us are immune from the judgment of sin.  Romans 3:23, “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

And Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death.…”

BUT GOD (I love that!) always has a plan.  John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, (Jesus) that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” God doesn’t want “anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

I believe that most of us have accepted God’s plan of salvation for ourselves.  But we all have a “nation” around us.  It includes family members, neighbors, co-workers, and strangers in the marketplace.  “…for such a time as this,” God has placed each of us in our “nation” to potentially make an eternal difference in people’s lives.

Romans 10:14, “How, then, can they call on the One they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to <sharing with> them?”

God has a plan for your life.  Jeremiah 29:11, “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.”  Your life may be less than glamorous, and you may think that you don’t have enough clout to make a difference.  BUT GOD has positioned you where you are in life and He knows all about timing. Now, like Esther, it is your decision.  Will you step out in submission, faith, and confidence, and share God’s loving plan of salvation with those in your little “nation?” Darlene Schacht says, “…when God gives us an opportunity to serve Him we must take it. It is an honor and a privilege to serve God.”

How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!
Romans 10:15

* * * * *

Let’s Pray:

Dear Lord, we come before You today with grateful hearts for all that You are doing in our lives as we grow in the knowledge and love of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Lord, through Your Word we see that You have great plans us, and we want to be submissive to You.  We know that You have our best interest in mind.  Through this study we also realize that within Your plan You have planned for us to share Your Good News with our little “nation” around us.  Holy Spirit, please help each of us to be willing to step out in faith and confidence to share when You give us opportunity. “For such a time as this” may be the day of salvation for a friend or a stranger.  In Jesus’ Name.

Amen.

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How to Make Moving a Little Bit Easier

September 25, 2013 by

How many of you have moved, making tons of trips back and forth carrying out your clothes that have been hanging in the closet?  I know I have.  This weekend, my Aunt Karen showed my sister and I a simple idea that was super easy.  I thought it was so amazing I had to share it with you all. Instead of making about 20 trips back and forth to the moving truck, we made two!!!

Items Needed:

  • All you need is a large queen size sheet and some muscles.

Directions:

  • Lay the sheet flat on the floor.

  • Start placing the clothes (still on their hangers) in the middle of the sheet.  We took  6-7 hangers and laid them on the sheet. Then the next 6-7 hangers, we would lay the clothes so the hangers would be in the opposite direction from the first pile.  This makes for better stacking.  Keep doing this until you have your clothes piled up.

  • Taking opposite corners of the sheet, tie them together in a knot. Do the same thing with the other two corners.

Insert1

  • Depending on how heavy it is, you may need two people to carry it out to the truck.  But in some instances you can just pack it on your shoulder.

Insert2
This definitely makes for easier moving, especially when stairs are involved.  Hope you give it a try.  If you know of any moving tips I would love to hear them.  We were moving my mom this past weekend, but I will be moving within the next month, and could use some of your ideas. Thanks a bunch!

Have Fun & Happy Packing!

Amy

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