April 28, 2026

The Sun Is Shining

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Yesterday I found
That everything I knew was wrong
It was upside down
The life I thought I had was gone

But You came and whispered love to me
And You gave me strength to carry on

Oh, the sun is shining
There is hope for me again
A new day’s dawning
The sun is shining

Yesterday I lost
Everything I had and loved
Then I cried out for You, Lord
And You came and picked me up

And the sorrow lasted through the night
But the joy came with the morn

I will lift my voice
No, I won’t be silent
For You heard my cry
And You turned my mourning into dancing
And so forever I’ll sing

Singer/Songwriter: Mac Powell, along with Third Day

  *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

It’s still the beginning of January…the beginning of a new year but sometimes we are stuck looking at the past.  All the things we were going to do in 2014 aren’t done.  The patience we were going to master towards our kids?…well, we are still impatient and saying some words we regret at the end of the day.  The wife we were going to be—the one who had dinner on the table and clothes clean and in their right places and an immaculate house?…well, we still have baskets of socks that don’t match and frozen lasagna still goes into the oven at the end of a long day.

But we are NOT failures in Jesus.
We ARE more than conquerors when we have God as our Father.

Maybe you’ve lost someone or something that meant the world to you and stepping into this year without them seems impossible.  But God does whisper in your ear today and says, “You are mine, and I am yours…and together we can do this.”

You are not alone, my friends.  His strength is your strength.  And always there is darkness before the dawn, and the sun always comes out…always.  Joy does come in the morning.  And doesn’t a new day bring some hope?

Some seasons are harder than others and some days seem to last forever.  There were days that I myself just had the strength to lift up my head and cry out to Jesus for the strength to make it through one more minute.

He always showed up and He still does.

And when you do see His face and the light of the new day starts peeping through, don’t be silent.  Use your voice to give hope to others who may be where you have been.  I leave you today with the verses that I clung to during a particularly hard, long season:

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
Romans 12:12

Lord, You know the hopes of the helpless.
Surely You will hear their cries and comfort them.
Psalm 10:17

Faith is the assurance of things you have hoped for,
the absolute conviction that there are realities you’ve never seen.
Hebrews 11:1

For His anger is but for a moment, and His favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes in the morning.
Psalm 30:5 ESV

And my favorite:
But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you,
for the power is made perfect in weakness.”
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses,
so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
2 Corinthians 12:9

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Let’s pray:
Dearest Lord, You are mighty and awesome.  You are our Strength in our struggles, the Light in the darkness, and our Peace that passes all understanding.  You love us so much and forgive our every debt.  Thank You for walking with us into this new year. Help us to make lists of all the good You do and not the failures that we see…for You see us so much better than we see ourselves.  You see us as precious children that You saved with Your only Son, Jesus.  We love You and praise You.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Stuffed Cabbage Soup

Stuffed Cabbage Soup

In the dead of winter, there’s nothing better than a hot bowl of soup.  With this Stuffed Cabbage Soup, you get all the flavors of a delicious, labor-intensive meal, without all the hard work!

I based this soup on a dish your Polish grandmother might make—called galumpkis—meat, rice and vegetables rolled up in soft cabbage leaves and baked in a savory tomato sauce.  Don’t have a Polish grandmother?  Never fear!  This soup comes together in half an hour and is very forgiving.  No green onions?  Garnish with dill!  Don’t eat rice?  Serve with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt!  You can use ground beef, pork, or even turkey here.  Or do what I did and use leftover meatloaf or hamburgers.  See?  Easy!

Stuffed Cabbage Soup

Ingredients:

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil or bacon fat
  • 4 cups thinly sliced cabbage
  • 2 cups chicken, beef, or vegetable stock
  •  2 cups water
  • 1 pound cooked ground beef (I used last night’s leftover meatloaf and broke it into small pieces)
  • 1/2 cup minced carrots
  • 1 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon toasted and ground fennel seeds (or use ground fennel or anise)
  • 2 green onions, minced
  • rice, to serve

Directions:

  1. In a very large pot, sauté the minced garlic in the oil for one minute.  Add the sliced cabbage and stir.  Cook for about 5 minutes.
  2. Add the stock and the water.  Crumble the meat into the soup and add the carrots.  Stir to combine.
  3. Add the tomatoes, paprika, and ground fennel.  Turn the heat to medium-low and cover with a lid.  Cook for about 15 minutes.
  4. To serve:  Ladle soup into a big bowl.  Add a scoop of rice and sprinkle with minced green onions.  Eat hot!

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana


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

 

 

Jesus Prays For You

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Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him,
because He always lives to intercede for them.

Hebrews 7:25

Those words really resonated with me as I read them over and over.  This week I gave Him all my problems… then took them back.  I played that game for a while.  Isn’t it just like God to lead us right to the words we so need—His words of comfort? And knowing that Jesus intercedes for us and He saves us and delivers us is the Truth; well, I think we all need to hear that.

I encourage you to read Hebrews 7:23-28.  Before Jesus, there were many priests, but they were human and they eventually died. In this passage above, we see that one of Jesus’ favorite things to do is to save us. (The word save translated means “any kind of deliverance.”)  Have you ever wondered what He was doing up there, after He left His disciples and went to prepare a place for us? I know He is hard at work on our behalf… and don’t we give Him plenty of things to work on!  We know that Jesus sits at the right hand of His Father, and He is our High Priest.  He lives to pray for us, to look deep into our lives, and knows what we need before we ask.  He knows God’s Will and fully understands it.  He knows our desires and He knows God’s total plan for our lives.

See, Jesus tore the veil that stood between us and God so that we can go straight to God.  We have total access to our Father and so does Christ.  And He uses that access for our gain.  They both love us so very much that, together, they are working all things together for our good and answering our prayers and petitions in God’s timing. Think about what is occupying your thoughts right now…are you at peace or is there turmoil going on?  When our minds focus too much on the problems and we take our minds off the Solver of those problems, the Holy Spirit nudges us, and Jesus intercedes and helps us to pray, and God answers our prayers.

Here is the main point; We have a High Priest who sat down
in the place of honor beside the throne of the majestic God in Heaven.
Hebrews 8:1

And in verse 6 it says,

But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry
that is far superior to the old priesthood,
for He is the One Who mediates for us
a far better covenant with God,
based on better promises.

Promises like this: that you have the gift of salvation by faith, and can trust entirely in Jesus.  Jesus has done it all.  Nothing you can do will improve His work. Nothing you can do to make Him not love you.  Accept these truths today…

  • He came to this earth to live a hard life so that we would know how to do this
  • He died on the Cross so that you can live forever with Him
  • He left us the gift of the Holy Spirit to guide us and help us on this journey

   *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   * 

Let’s all pray this simple prayer together:

Dear God, I trust in Jesus alone. Please forgive my sins through Him, and give me the eternal life secured by Him. In Your name, amen.

Did you pray this prayer for the first time today? If so, leave us a comment so that we can celebrate your spiritual birthday with you!  God sees you….

This Week…Let Your Light Shine (Matthew 5:16)

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In the same way, let your light shine before men,
so that they may see your good works
and give glory to your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:16 HCSB

Oh, I have so enjoyed reading the devotionals this week here on the Seeking Him blog!  Our theme verse is such a glorious one.  And Ahmee, Ann, Cynda, and Laura have shed light on it (no pun intended!) in ways that really encouraged me; how about you?

Here’s my thoughts:

– we simply have to ‘let’ our light shine (it has already been given to us)
– as our light shines it will help others to ‘see’ our good works
– and (best of all!) they will then give glory to the One Who deserves it

Now listen to a few thoughts that our sisters have shared….

In Being The Light, Laura gave the analogy of a flashlight.  She wrote: “We need to be a flashlight now more than ever.  By accepting Christ, we can bring light to an ever-darkening world.  There are many ways that we can bring light to the world.  We can serve in local and foreign ministries.  We can serve our church by volunteering our time.  We can help our neighbors when they need it.  We can watch out for one another.  By being a light for God, we can show others that God loves them too.”

Cynda asked us two questions about light in Let Your Light Shine

1) What is the Source? … and … 2) What does it DO?

“Jesus told us He is the Source of our light:

Then Jesus spoke to them again: ‘I am the light of the world.
Anyone who follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.’
John 8:12(HCSB)

While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.
John 9:5 (NASB)

Jesus is the only Source of our light.

So what does light do?  It expels the darkness.  It illuminates…and that’s what we are called to do.  Others must see the Light of Christ in us before we can share His Light with them.”

In Good Works, Ann focused on the benefit of light shining so that others can see our good works and then praise God.  She also had a question for us…and gave some great answers.

“This shows us that we are required to always do good as Christians. As we are doing that then we are doing the work of God of which we are called to do. How do we do good works which praise the Lord?

  • Speech
  • Character
  • Attitude
  • Personality
  • Spiritual life
  • Giving”

And Ahmee shared a great life example in How Will They Know based on her daily interaction with children at her pre-school job….

“When a child learns to walk, they walk! What is the purpose of being able to walk if you are not going to walk? Many of our kiddos learn to walk…and then you can’t stop them! Sometimes, you wish they would just crawl. (Although, some of them can crawl as fast as a person can run!) The point is why be given something and then not use it?
The same applies for our relationship with the Lord. When we come to know Him, we are changed, and people see this. Don’t try to hide it…you will be different! People notice you are different! LET THEM SEE! Why? Because that difference—that light—that change is what is going to make them ask the question…’why?’ And then, your actions have already set the foundation for the words that are about to come out of your mouth.”

Being The Light

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In the same way, let your light shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:16

My kids love to play with flashlights—mainly my son.  He and his sister can come up with some of the most vivid imaginative uses for the flashlights.  Flashlights have become an every year stocking stuffer either at our house, my parents’ house, or my in-laws’ house.  They have gone looking for monsters, camping, and acting like the lights are out just to be able to play with a flashlight.  When they shine the light into your eyes, it is blinding.  Thankfully, I am usually in the living room when they do this to me.

Here is the point: think about how bright the light projected by a flashlight can be….  It can be so bright it can blind someone for a moment.  However, if it is dim (because the batteries are getting weak) then it is easier to look into.  Now think about yourself and your walk with Jesus.  Our daily lives should be shining examples of Christ’s love for us.  Like a flashlight, we should shine bright with Jesus’s love.

Our world is growing darker and diving deeper into chaos every day.  We need to be a flashlight now more than ever.  We can’t count on other people to be the ultimate flashlight.  Yes, people can be a flashlight.  They can shine bright for the people in this world, especially if they have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  By accepting Christ, we can bring light to an ever-darkening world.

There are many ways that we can bring light to the world.  We can serve in local and foreign ministries.  We can serve our church by volunteering our time. We can help our neighbors when they need it.  We can watch out for one another.  By being a light for God, we can show others that God loves them too.  By shining our light, we can show others that Jesus loves them, too, and help lead them to God.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Dear Heavenly Father:  Thank You for being our flashlight.  Your light brings hope to a world that is darkening.  Be with those that serve You and bless those who are in a relationship with You already.  Give them the strength to carry on Your work.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Go Light Your World

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

There is a candle in every soul
Some brightly burning, some dark and cold
There is a Spirit who brings a fire
Ignites a candle and makes His home

So carry your candle, run to the darkness
Seek out the helpless, confused and torn
Hold out your candle for all to see it
Take your candle, and go light your world
Take your candle, and go light your world

Frustrated brother, see how he’s tried to
Light his own candle some other way
See now your sister, she’s been robbed and lied to
Still holds a candle without a flame

So carry your candle, run to the darkness
Seek out the lonely, the tired and worn
Hold out your candle for all to see it
Take your candle, and go light your world
Take your candle, and go light your world

‘Cause we are a family whose hearts are blazing
So let’s raise our candles and light up the sky
Praying to our Father, in the name of Jesus
Make us a beacon in darkest times

Songwriter: Kathy Troccoli ~ Singer: Chris Rice
*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *  
Listen to what Jesus told His disciples and the crowd:

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;
nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket,
but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
Let your light shine before men in such a way
that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 5:14-16

This strong encouragement is for us (you and me!) too!   We have this light within us.

So carry your candle, run to the darkness
Seek out the helpless, confused and torn
Hold out your candle for all to see it
Take your candle, and go light your world

You can do it!  You can carry your candle…you ARE a light (Jesus said so!).  Whether your candle is the size of  a votive or the size of a lighthouse, do what God has put into your heart to do.  Each one provides light, each in their own setting.  This world is dark…and seems to grow darker each day.  But the light of Christ in your heart is bright…and fueled by something you could never provide.  The light that shines out from our lives comes from one, and only One, Source—God.  The psalmist knew clearly that the LORD God had provided light for his life.

The LORD is my light and my salvation–whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life–of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 27:1

The LORD is God, and He has made His light shine on us….
Psalm 118:27

For us, Jesus is the Light that God provided. Jesus’ coming as the ‘Light’ was prophesied throughout the ages.

…the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light.
And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined.
Matthew 4:16

Because of God’s tender mercy, the Morning Light from Heaven
is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness
and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.
Luke 1:79

And just as Jesus told His disciples and the crowd when He taught them what we call the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew chapters 5, 6 and 7), He also spoke this truth to Saul (soon to be Paul) when He came and confronted him while on his way to persecute the Christians in Damascus.

I am delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—
to whom I am sending you to open their eyes,
so that they may turn from darkness to light
and from the power of Satan to God,
that they may receive forgiveness of sins
and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
Acts 26:17-18

Like Paul we, too, have something to offer to the world—the Light that will open their eyes, will turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of satan to God!

So carry your candle, run to the darkness
Seek out the helpless, confused and torn
Hold out your candle for all to see it
Take your candle, and go light your world

  *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

may this be our praise and prayer…

Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
Your faithfulness to the clouds.
How precious is Your steadfast love, O God!
The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.
They feast on the abundance of Your house,
and You give them drink from the river of Your delights.
For with You is the Fountain of life;
in Your Light do we see light.
Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know You,
and Your righteousness to the upright of heart!
Psalms 36:5, 7-9

Roasted Butternut and Apple Soup

Did you know that January is National Soup Month?  That is a fact that my husband does not let me overlook.  He loves soup…and would eat soup every single day!  Here on our healthy but oh-so-yummy! segment of the At Home w/ GCH blog, we are celebrating our third annual Soup-Palooza!  Each week this month we will feature soup, soup, soup...and soup!  Use the search feature here on our website to explore other soup recipes that Dana and I have posted in the past.

This week’s recipe spotlights three ingredients that are good for you, and really yummy, too: butternut squash, organic chicken meatballs, and baby kale. Interesting combination, you say? You betcha! I do believe this soup would be equally delicious without the chicken meatballs…making it perfect to serve as a vegan dish.  This soup also freezes (and defrosts) beautifully!  A note on the chicken meatballs: There are a number of brands out there to choose from.  These are the ones that I use…they have no preservatives, no filler, and are organic.  This company offer quite a variety of products—meatballs and sausages.

Enjoy…see you back here next week with another soup!

2015-01-05 12.51.20

Butternut-Apple Soup with Chicken Meatballs

ingredients:
1 medium butternut squash
1 tablespoon olive oil
cinnamon
1 teaspoon EACH sea salt, freshly ground pepper (I use lemon-pepper blend)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 pkg chicken apple meatballs, cut in quarters
1 small onion, diced
1-2 stalks celery, thin slices
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 tablespoon minced garlic (I use jarred)
1-2 teaspoons herb medley of your choice (thyme, tarragon, crushed rosemary, marjoram)
1-2 large apples, peeled and cubed
6 cups chicken stock
1 cup apple cider
1+ cups water (optional)
baby arugula
finely shredded sharp Cheddar (optional)

directions:

  • preheat oven to 4002014-12-31 17.26.48
  • line a baking sheet with parchment paper
  • cut butternut squash in half; clean out seeds
  • peel the skin; cut the squash into 1+1/2″ cubes
  • place in large mixing bowl along with 1 tablespoon olive oil, a couple of good shakes of cinnamon, and the seasonings; mix together and pour onto lined baking sheet
  • roast for 20 minutes or so ‘til the butternut yields easily when you pierce with a knife; remove from oven and set aside

meanwhile…

  • heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in medium stockpot
  • add cut-up chicken meatballs and saute ‘til lightly browned (6-7 minutes)
  • remove from pan and add the onion, celery and carrot; cook about 5 minutes until vegetables are starting to get soft and caramelized
  • add herbs, apple chunks, garlic, season w/salt and pepper saute for 1 minute, stirring constantly
  • add stock, water and cider; stir to bring together
  • bring to a boil and add roasted butternut squash
  • reduce heat to medium low and let simmer about 30 minutes
  • using immersion blender (or carefully in a blender/mixer), puree about half the veggies, leaving the rest whole
  • adjust the consistency of the soup to your liking, adding up to 1 cup of water (or additional broth) to thin it out if you prefer
  • add in the browned chicken meatballs and heat through

to serve:2014-12-31 18.57.10

  • put a bit of raw baby arugula (I put in a small handful) in the bottom of your mug or soupbowl; ladle the finished soup on top
  • taste for additional seasoning (arugula will make it peppery!)
  • finish with a sprinkle of shredded cheese, if you like

   ♥      ♥      ♥      ♥      ♥ 

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

♥  coleen

In The Light

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I wanna be in the Light
As You are in the Light
I wanna shine like the stars in the heavens
Oh, Lord be my Light and be my Salvation
‘Cause all I want is to be in the Light

There is no other place that I’d rather be
No other place that’s right for me
Than in Your Light…in Your Light

Singer / Songwriter: Toby McKeehan

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

What does it mean to be in the light ??

But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light,
then we have fellowship with each other,
and the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.
1 John 1:7 NLT

So, what does it mean to be in the light?  It means to have close fellowship with God.  I love this excerpt from Taste Heaven Now:

“If we are to walk in the Light as He is in the Light, we need to ask an important question. How is He in the Light? We need to know this because we are to walk in the Light in the same way as He is in the Light.
…Since we are to “walk in the Light as He is in the Light” and we know that He “wraps Himself” with Light, we should do the same.
When you live your life continually wrapping yourself in His Light you have fellowship with God and He continually cleanses you from all sin (1 John 1:7).”

quoted from the Taste Heaven Now website
(click link to read entire article.)

I love that— ‘continually wrapping yourself in HIS light.’  We must make a conscious effort each and every day to put God first.

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously,
and He will give you everything you need.
Matthew 6:33 NLT

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Heavenly Father, thank You for the ability to walk in the light so we may be free of the disease of self and seek You first in all things.  In Jesus’ Name, AMEN!!

Let Your Light Shine

SeekingHimLogo

In the same way, let your light shine before men,
so that they may see your good works
and give glory to your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:16 HCSB

Sounds so easy, doesn’t it?  ‘Let your light shine….’  Letting our light shine is complex but can become easier if we consider two simple points regarding light:

1) What is the source?   2) What does it do?

Jesus told us He is the source of our light:

Then Jesus spoke to them again: “I am the light of the world.
Anyone who follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”
John 8:12(HCSB)

While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.
John 9:5 (NASB)

Jesus is the only Source of our light.  Ephesians 5:8 (NLT) states “For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!”  His Light shines through us.

So what does light do?  It expels the darkness.  It illuminates…and that’s what we are called to do.  Others must see the Light of Christ in us before we can share His Light with them.

Philippians 2:15b (NASB) says we are to be “…children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world…”.

Charles Spurgeon put it this way:

“Poor world, poor world, it is dark and gropes in midnight
and it cannot get light except it receives it through us.”

We must not hide His Light.  If we do, it is of no benefit to anyone but ourselves.  Jesus intended His Light to shine in us to dispel the darkness of those around us and to illuminate His great love for them.  We are to be intentional in letting this Light of love shine.  Otherwise,

“Hear this, ye humble men and women, ye who have made no figure in society,
ye are the light of the world. If ye burn dimly,
dim is the world’s light, and dense its darkness.”
– Charles Spurgeon

Does the Light of Jesus shine through you or has it been dimmed?

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Father, thank You for the light of Jesus shining in me. Do not let it be dimmed. Remind me to share Your light and Your love with those around me. In Your precious name, Amen – So be it!

Good Works

SeekingHimLogo

In the same way, let your light shine before men,
that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:16

This portion of Scripture has also reminded me of Colossians 1:10 “And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way, bearing fruit in every good work growing in the knowledge of God” and also 1 Timothy 6:18 “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, to be generous and willing to share.”

This shows us that we are required to always do good as Christians.  As we are doing that then we are doing the work of God of which we are called to do.

How do we do good works which praise the Lord?

  • Speech
  • Character
  • Attitude
  • Personality
  • Spiritual life
  • Giving

Everything we do should be pleasing unto God.  And therefore I request each one of us to search ourselves whether we have lived a life that is pleasing unto God in the previous year or not.  If not, it is not too late to come back to God and confess our sins.  (I am calling it sin since the Bible tells us, “To him therefore who knows how to do good, and does it not, to him it is sin” James 4:17).

God is faithful and just to forgive us and give us a fresh start. Let the year 2015 be a testimony year to others because of us.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Dear heavenly Father, I thank You for who You are—You are a great God, awesome is Your Name—marvelous, immortal, invisible, omnipresent God.  We honor You for Your good deeds and we pray, Father, that as Your children created in Your own image and likeness, that we will live a life that is pleasing unto You.  Let people give You glory and honor because of us.  Whatever we do, Lord, let it be pleasing unto You. We need Your grace, Lord!  On our own we can’t make it.  Guide us, dear Lord, always. May Your spirit that dwells in us be awakened by our spiritual life and help us to do good.  In Jesus’ name, I pray.  Amen!