March 10, 2026

His Love Surrounds Us

August 12, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

You hem me in behind and before,
and You lay Your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
Psalms 139:5 and 6

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

You have to admire how David praised God; there is so much we can learn about how we should praise God everyday of our life.

hem:

to surround in a restrictive manner
to confine—usually used with in <hemmed in by enemy troops> (from Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

If we can follow this, we can see how God covered the Israelites in Egypt. He tells Abraham…

Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring
will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there,
and they will be afflicted for four hundred years.”
Genesis 15:13

And then God prepared Moses to come and to take the people out of Egypt. God made sure Moses had the best education and best upbringing available at the time.  Then Moses had to be taken out of that atmosphere to become a man God could use to bring His people out—someone who would be patient and understanding; someone who would become a shepherd.

Next God prepared Joshua to lead the people into the promised land.  He had had years to learn from Moses’ leadership.  Joshua watched how Moses interceded for the Israelites and won God’s favor most of the time.  Joshua learned how to pray to God and wait for His answer. Again, God surrounded His people with love and protection. A hemming in for the people…if only they would see and understand.

How often are we like the Israelites?  There can be a blessing waiting for us to grasp…if only we will let down our defenses and kneel before our God in holy reverence.  God sends angels to watch over us and to protect us everyday.  Can you feel the presence of them?  Yes, sometimes you can: when you are taken out of a near accident, when you witness a child being born, when you wake up every morning.  These are gifts.

Just as we pray for our families, we are to pray and minister to the people who believe.  God sees us.  In public and in private.  He knows our heart. He loves our intentions and can use them for His glory.

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Father, help us take self out of our actions.  Help us to be like the man praying in the temple, the humble one, who said he was a sinner and not worthy to be thought of.  I want to be humble as he was.  Forgive me of my pride and help me to learn to submit to Your will for my life.  Help me to be an example of someone who ministers to the saints.  In Jesus’ name, amen!

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

I Will Trust You, Lord

August 12, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

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

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

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

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

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

Twila Paris
singer/songwriter
*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *
I sing this song, often, when I am tempted to doubt and to waffle in my trust in my God.  It encourages me and spurs me on to stand on His promises and choose to continue to trust.  And I trust (a tiny pun!) that it is not just my heart that is stirred up thinking about this trust issue…yes?  But here is where I stand and I am not moving:  God is worthy of my completely and totally trusting Him with my life.  Our God is absolutely trustworthy and He will never let us down!

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

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

As you read the following Scriptures, hear the praises and the struggles of others who have gone before us who have made the choice to trust God.

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

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

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

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

When I am afraid,
I will put my trust in You.
In God, whose word I praise,
In God I have put my trust;
I shall not be afraid.
What can mere man do to me?
Psalms 56:3 and 4
click here to read all of Psalm 56

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

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

In closing, here’s something to ask ourselves…
“When others think of me, am I a woman whose life reflects a heart that trusts God?  Is there an outer beauty that is the result of a submitted, grateful, yielded, trusting spirit that shows on my face?  Or is it the ‘worry lines’ and chapped, bitten lips or nails that show the lack of resting/trusting in my God?”
I would love it if you would share your thoughts….

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

Mango Lassi

August 11, 2015 by

This past weekend, my sister and niece were visiting from Minnesota <happy me!>.  On Sunday, rather than cooking another meal together, we decided to treat ourselves to some yummy Indian take-out…yup!  (Actually, Amy “treated” us all!)

So I wanted to add a couple of special beverages and decided on these lovely shakes and a big pitcher of iced sweet&spicy chai tea.  They turned out to add just that extra touch to our smorgasbord (I know, I know…crossing cultures here!) of delightful Indian curries, chickpea salad, lovely appetizers…and, of course, a pile of naan to scoop it all together!  According to Wikipedia, a lassi is a traditional, yogurt-based drink and is popular in India.

Whether you enjoy this beverage to cool yourself on a hot summer’s day or, as we did, to accompany some hot & spicy Indian food—this is refreshing and delicious.  And it fits perfectly into our POV—healthy but oh-so-yummy!  I used a few ripe mangoes as the base for ours, but this would be equally delightful prepared with strawberries, or papaya, or bananas!  Enjoy!

2015-08-10 16.29.24

Mango Lassi

(this makes enough for (4) four tall glassfuls)

ingredients:

2 large mangoes, pitted&peeled – cut into chunks (about 2 cups)
8 ounces plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup sweetened almond milk (or regular milk)
2 tablespoons honey
dash or two of ground cardamom
1 cup ice cubes

directions:

  • place mango and milk into blender; puree
  • add balance of ingredients; blend thoroughly ’til ice is crushed and all is frothy

♥     ♥     ♥     ♥     ♥

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

♥  coleen

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

Your Hand Is Upon Me

August 11, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

You have enclosed me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is too high, I cannot attain to it.
Psalms 139:5 and 6

Dear Lord, such a picture that is—‘enclosed…behind and before’…with ‘Your hand upon me’!!  Truly that IS too wonderful for me…and if I did not read it in Your Holy Word quite possibly I wouldn’t believe it.  You are such an awesome God!  You remind us in the most tender ways of Your great love and care for us.  We are held in Your hand and protected, provided for, guided, loved.  Lord, help us to hold this vision—this Truth—in our minds and hearts so that when those times of worry and doubt and fear come (and they do!) we will be drawn quickly back to You and Your providential lovingkindness.  Thank You, dear Father, thank You!  In Jesus’ name, we pray.  Amen.  <3

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

Divine Hand

August 10, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

You hem me in – behind and before
You have laid Your hand upon me.
Psalm 139:5

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

The hand of God signifies-

• the presence of God
• the favor of God
• the availability of God

The hand of God will guide us if we let it do so as we submit ourselves wholly to Him.  Check out the following verses:

Psalm 139 :10
…even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast.

Psalm 23:3
He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

Romans 8:14
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.

Psalm 108:6
Save us and help us with Your right hand,
    that those You love may be delivered.

Isaiah 41:10
So do not fear for I am with you, do not be dismayed for I am your God;
I will strengthen you and help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

Psalm 89:21
With whom My hand shall be established:
Mine arm also shall strengthen him.

In that day the Egyptians will be like women.
They will shudder with fear at the uplifted hand
that the Lord almighty raises against them.
Isaiah 19:16

Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save nor His ear to dull to hear.
Isaiah 59:1

But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath He swore to your ancestors
that He brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery…
Deuteronomy 7:8

The hand of God will rest upon us to fight for our battles
Isaiah 25:10

Stretch out Your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders
through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.
Acts 4:30

And as Jabez cried out to the God of Israel 1 Chronicles 4:10,
“O Lord that You bless me and enlarge my territory!
Let Your hand be with me and keep me from harm
so that I will be free from pain…
and God granted his request.

I therefore beseech you, brethren, to call on God in righteousness for His hand to rest upon us for our benefits (as stated above).

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Dear heavenly Father, I thank You for You are the great Lord.  Adonai, we worship You, we exalt Your majesty. Let Your hand be upon us all to the glory of Your holy name. By Your hand, Lord, may we be saved from enemies, may we be delivered, may we be uplifted, may we be strengthened, sustained, and favored in Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

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

Step By Step

August 10, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv
Sometimes the night was beautiful
Sometimes the sky was so far away
Sometimes it seemed to stoop so close
You could touch it but your heart would break
Sometimes the morning came too soon
Sometimes the day could be so hot
There was so much work left to do
But so much You’d already done

Oh God, You are my God
And I will ever praise You
Oh God, You are my God
And I will ever praise You
And I will seek You in the morning
And I will learn to walk in Your ways
And step by step You’ll lead me
And I will follow You all of my days

Sometimes I think of Abraham
How one star he saw had been lit for me
He was a stranger in this land
And I am that, no less than he
And on this road to righteousness
Sometimes the climb can be so steep
I may falter in my steps
But never beyond Your reach

Rich Mullins
written along with David Strasser

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

This was one of the very first ‘contemporary’ Christian songs I ever heard.  I fell in love immediately.  Little did I know how much this song would affect me or that I would continue to carry it with me “all of my days.”

Rich Mullins considered this a prayer song because, as he said,  “Sometimes I find it hard to pray.”  (Don’t we all?)  Rich also talked about trying to impress God with our prayers: “We don’t have to impress Him…He is already knocked out about you…God takes the junk of our lives and makes the greatest art out of it.”

This is the cry of my heart, that “I will seek You in the morning and I will learn to walk in Your ways; and step by step You’ll lead me…and I will follow You all of my days!”  I desperately want Him to take the junk of my life and make something beautiful out of it.

My deepest desire is to seek Him each morning and follow Him…truly step by step.  I pray God will “Guide my steps by Your Word, so I will not be overcome by evil” (Psalm 119:133 NLT).  But, being human, I falter and sometimes I fail.  What a relief to know that I am never beyond His reach.  Psalm 139:7 (HCSB) asks the question, “Where can I go to escape Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence?”  Acts 17:27b (HCSB) provides an answer, “He is not far from each one of us.”  Deuteronomy 4:7 (NASB) ties it all up for us, “For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as is the Lord our God whenever we call on Him?”

I think this quote from Jerry Bridges gives a great perspective:

“Our worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God’s grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God’s grace.”

We cannot escape God’s amazing grace.  It is always there for us. We will always have need of it—at our best and at our worst.  That’s why I am so thankful that “Oh God, You are my God….”  Yes, “I will ever praise You!”

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Lord, I am so thankful for Your leadership.  I am grateful You direct my steps.  Teach me to walk closely with You.  Keep my feet on the path You have placed them on that I may follow You all of my days.  In Christ’s name, I ask this, Amen!  It Is SO!

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

Who Am I?

August 9, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

 You hem me in behind and before,
and You lay Your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
Psalms 139:5 and 6

Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth
Would care to know my name
Would care to feel my hurt
Who am I, that the bright and Morning Star
Would choose to light the way
For my ever-wandering heart

Not because of who I am
But because of what You’ve done
Not because of what I’ve done
But because of who You are

I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
Vapor in the wind
Still You hear me when I’m calling
Lord, You catch me when I’m falling
And You’ve told me who I am
I am Yours, I am Yours

Who am I, that the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love
And watch me rise again
Who am I, that the voice that calmed the sea
Would call out through the rain
And calm the storm in me

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

Come To The Water

August 9, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjvCome to the water all who are thirsty
Come and drink
Come to the table all who are hungry
Come and feast

Those who are weary, those who are needy
Come receive
Come to the river,come to the river
Taste and see

Oh, oh my soul thirst for you
You alone

I will taste and see that you are good
Good to me

 HouseFires
Tony Brown, Pat Barrett, Nate Moore, Dave Dalton

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

This song played over and over in my thoughts this week because I was extremely thirsty.  Sometimes as women, we pour into so many and do so much for others, that we forget that we, too, need refreshment from Jesus. Isaiah 55:1 says; “Come, everyone who is thirsty, come to the waters; and you without money, come, buy, and eat!  Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost!”  He’s calling us all!

In the story of Mary and Martha, as we know, one is busy running around doing and the other is sitting at Jesus’ feet, just soaking it all in. At the end of the gathering, who is the one that is most filled?  I don’t mean physical food and water, my friend, I mean spiritual, long lasting and filling.  This is what He desires for us.  This world can really deplete and literally take all that we have.   The only way to survive, no..rather, thrive is with Jesus.

Are you wondering how?  His Word is living water.  It is so full of substance that will fill and will last.  This is how we can sit at Jesus’ feet today—by turning off the TV, muting the cell phone, taking a break from social media, and just listening to Him.  Some of us are really active in our churches.  We may even lead full-time ministries and that is awesome!  But if we, as leaders, are not in tune with Him, we will have nothing worth anything to give.

Listen closely to the words of this song…close your eyes and meditate on them.  Pray and ask God to show you the areas in your life that need watering.  Ask Him to reveal the dry areas that can only be quenched by the Spirit of God.  Then sit at His feet and soak Him in.  And, if you don’t know Him or if you have moved away from Him, I ask that you pray this prayer with me:

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Dear God, I know I am a sinner.  I need forgiveness that only You can give.  I am tired of doing the same things over and over.  I believe that Jesus is Your Son and that He is the Savior of the world.  He died for me!  I ask that Jesus come into my heart to live.  Help me to grow to know You and to let You change me. Thank You for this new life.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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

Refiner’s Fire

August 8, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Purify my heart
Let me be as gold and precious silver
Purify my heart
Let me be as gold, pure gold

Refiner’s fire
My heart’s one desire
Is to be holy
Set apart for You, Lord
I choose to be holy
Set apart for You, my Master
Ready to do Your will

Purify my heart
Cleanse me from within
And make me holy

Purify my heart
Cleanse me from my sin
Deep within

Brian Doerksen
singer/songwriter

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

There are numerous uses for fire.  Fire on a torch will light the way in a cavern.  A bonfire can provide warmth and a place to prepare food for campers.  A fire can also destroy property and lives, as we have seen this summer in the Western states.

There is a fire that I definitely want in my life.  This fire destroys the impurities in my life. It is the Refiner’s Fire.

“Behold, I send my messenger, and He will prepare the way before Me.
And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple;
and the Messenger of the covenant in Whom you delight,
behold, He is coming, says the Lord of hosts.
But who can endure the day of His coming, and who can stand when He appears?
For He is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap.
He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver,
and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver,
and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord.
Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord
as in the days of old and as in former years.
Malachi 3:1-4

Silver doesn’t come right out of the ground pure.  It is found in dirt, surrounded by other minerals such as copper, lead, and zinc.  To get the pure silver that has value, it must be refined.  There are several different refining methods, but the one that intrigues me most is the refining fire.  Silver melts at very high temperatures.  It is lightweight compared to other minerals, so it will float to the top; and the dross (the other minerals and impurities) will separate from the silver so it can be extracted in its pure form.  A similar process is done to purify gold, as well.

Do you see a comparison with our lives?  Each of us is precious in God’s sight since He created us in His image.  But each of us in our carnal nature comes to Jesus imperfect, impure.  We have sin (dirt) in our lives. We have bad habits (copper), bad attitudes (zinc), and even fears (lead) that cling to us and weigh us down. To stay in His presence we must become perfect, pure even as God is pure.

Every word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him.
Proverbs 30:5 KJV
[The Douay-Rheims Bible says, “Every word of God is fire tried:”]

The LORD’s promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over.
Psalm 12:6 NLT

As for God, His way is blameless (pure); the word of the LORD is tested;
2 Samuel 22:13NAS

I want to stay in the presence of my/our pure and holy God.  I can’t do that without allowing Him to refine me.  I sing this song with the sincere desire to be purified, cleansed of all impurities that cling to my life.  The refining fire may hurt because there are things in my carnal nature that I don’t want to let go.  But when I submit to God’s purifying, I find that I’m very glad to get rid of those impurities and their weight.

…let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely,
and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us….
Hebrews 12:1 ESV

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

So I pray today and I hope you will join me:
Lord, purify my heart.  Please cleanse me from deep within.  I choose to allow You to use Your refining fire to cleanse the dross of my life away.  Please forgive me, Lord, for holding onto those things which tarnish the precious creation that You made me to be.  My one desire, Lord, is to be set apart for You—pure and holy—so I am ready to do Your Will.  In Jesus’ pure and holy Name, I pray.  Amen.

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

Muddy Buddies

August 7, 2015 by

… also known as People Puppy Chow.  I really can’t describe for you how delicious and addictive this stuff is.  I first had People Puppy Chow at a friend’s house as a kid, and it was a game changer!  From then on it always showed up at parties and potlucks and is an easy win.

Full disclosure:  I didn’t make this batch.  A friend dropped it off for us, and I’ve had to hide it, because my older girl is allergic to peanut butter, and I didn’t want to salivate over this stuff when she can’t have any.  My days of Muddy Buddies may be limited, but yours don’t have to be.  Make this for the next party / movie night / kids sleepover, and enjoy!

People Puppy Chow

Muddy Buddies / People Puppy Chow

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of chocolate chips
  • 1 cup smooth peanut butter
  • 1/2 stick butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 box of Crispix or Chex cereal
  • 1 box powdered sugar

Directions:

  1. In a saucepan over medium-low heat, stir together the chocolate chips, peanut butter, butter, and vanilla, until smooth and melted.
  2. Empty the box of cereal into the largest bowl you have.  Pour the chocolate mixture over the cereal and stir to completely coat.
  3. In a large paper grocery bag, pour in the powdered sugar, then pour in the coated cereal.  Close up the top and shake and toss to cover the cereal in powdered sugar.
  4. Dump it all out of the bag onto a few baking sheets to cool.  Separate any big clumps.  Try not to eat it all at once!

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana

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

 

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