April 28, 2026

You Are The Voice of Hope

December 6, 2014 by

SHhopeadvent

As high as the heavens are above the earth
So high are Your ways to mine
Ways so perfect they never fail me
I know You are good all the time
And through the storm yet I will praise You
Despite it all yet I will sing
Through good or bad yet I will worship
For You remain the same King of kings

You are the voice of hope
The Anchor of my soul
Where there seems to be no way
You make it possible
You are the Prince of peace
Amidst adversity
My lips will shout for joy
To You the Most High

You were the One before time began
There’s nothing beyond Your control
My confidence my assurance
Rest in Your unchanging word

Singer/Songwriter: Lara Martin along with the Abundant Life Church choir & orchestra

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

Whole Wheat Ginger Snaps

December 5, 2014 by

Whole Wheat Ginger SnapsI saw Coleen’s post on Monday for her delicious-looking cupcakes, and I could almost taste them!  She used molasses, which got me thinking about that dark, almost smoky-sweet flavor.  I knew what I wanted – ginger snaps!  So I poked around online, found a recipe I liked, modified it for my house, and voila:  Whole Wheat Ginger Snaps!

These go great with milk for the kids, or coffee for grown-ups.  Heck, get a double dose of spicy and have these cookies with a chai latte!  There are plenty of pantry staple spices here, but the two kickers are molasses and candied ginger.  Check in the dried fruit section of the store.  I keep my candied ginger in the freezer – it will keep indefinitely (and if it’s out of sight, I won’t eat the whole bag in one sitting!)  I like to have it in the house because a big bite of it can calm a nauseous tummy.

If you have a cookie exchange this season, wow them with these boldly flavored cookies.  Your friends will thank you!

Whole Wheat Ginger Snaps

Ingredients:

  • 1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala (or use 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves and 1/4 teaspoon finely ground pepper)
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 1/4 sticks butter, room temperature
  • 1 egg, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 1/2 cup candied ginger, minced

Directions:

  1. First, put the butter in a large bowl and let it come to room temperature.  Put the egg next to it.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour with the baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and garam masala.
  3. In a large bowl, cream the butter with the brown sugar.  Mix in the egg and molasses.  Add in the minced candied ginger.
  4. A little at a time, mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture.  Refrigerate for one hour.
  5. Preheat the oven to 350*F.  On a Silpat liner or parchment paper, scoop out teaspoon-sized balls of cookie dough.  These will spread out, so give them some room.  I used a melon baller and it worked well.  Bake for 13 minutes.
  6. Let cool on the cookie sheet for a minute, then remove to a wire cooling rack.
  7. Don’t let the kids see these before dinner or you will be pestered until it’s time for dessert.

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: , , , , , , , ,

He Will Always Provide

December 5, 2014 by

encouragementbloggraphicromans15

When Abraham took Isaac up on that mountain, I can only imagine the heartbreak he must have felt.  That only son of his…talking to his father like he did most every day. He probably talked about his day, asked some questions, maybe he even hummed on the way up. The one thing we KNOW he did ask was, “Where is the lamb for the offering?”  Abraham’s response: “God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.”

“When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called out to him from Heaven,”Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am”, he replied. “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. Now I know that you fear God because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” Abraham looked up and there in the thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called the place The Lord Will Provide.”

Genesis 22: 8-14

What if we named all that we have provision? Isn’t that really what it is? The food that is in your pantry…the clothes that you put on daily…the warm bed… the table where you share laughs—all provision from Him. And all He really asks of us is to walk with Him, to love Him, to trust Him, and to accept His only Son Whom He really did sacrifice for us.

Yes, it is the season of tinsel and lit trees with beautiful ornaments. It is filled with baking and wrapping and giving and togetherness, but it can be hard. Instead of visions of sugar plums, you have visions of not having enough. You may be feeling like you are the only one who God forgot this season. You just knew that this one would be better than the last one, it just had to be! You want to turn on the Christmas music and smell the apple cinnamon candles and feel the joy that you felt once before.

Well, my friend, hang on—because God does see you. He knows when you are sleeping and He knows when  you’re awake!  He knows when you’re sad and He knows, too, exactly what you need. He loves you so much that He wants to give you blessings upon blessings.  And the very first one of those blessings was Jesus.

His Son did climb with a cross on His back and because of that, you are going to be okay.  Can you put your trust in Him today?  Let all worry and stress fall away, and let His grace rain on you. He is everywhere, and His provision is everywhere and so is His love.  God can always find a ram!

“Now I know.  Now I know.  Since You did not spare Your only Son, how will You not also graciously give us—even me—all things You know I need?  (Romans 8:32)” *

*The Greatest Gift: Unwrapping the Full Love Story of Christmas;  by Ann Voskamp

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Do you know Him?  Do you know that He really did die for you?  If you need hope this season, Jesus is waiting to give you all you need.  If you do, then I encourage you to pray this prayer with me.

♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  

Dear God, I know that I am a sinner. I need forgiveness. I believe that You loved me enough to send Jesus, Your Son, to die in my place. I accept You, Jesus, today as my Lord and Savior. Walk with me and be my Lord. In  Jesus’ name. Amen.

Filed Under: encouragement Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

This Week…HOPE (Advent, week one)

December 5, 2014 by

SHhopeadvent

This week, here on the Seeking Him devotional blog, Ann, Ahmee, Cynda, and Tina have written such wonderful devotionals encouraging us to hold onto the hope that comes through our Lord, Jesus Christ.

At the beginning of the week, in Advent Week One…Hope, Tina shared a wonderful resource that outlined some ideas about Advent and specifically about the symbolism and Scriptural background of lighting the candles on an Advent wreath.  She also wrote,

“The first week of the Advent season is to acknowledge hope. Hope is where we realize that God will always fulfill His promises. It does not mean we will not see troubles, but we will see God’s best, as long as we seek His Will first. As we celebrate this Christmas season, let’s just forget the political correctness…let us worship and proclaim our Savior’s birth as never before!”

~   ♥   ~

In Living Hope, Cynda shared this great perspective.

“Look at it this way:

  • Without Christ…there is no Christmas.
  • Without that miraculous birth…there is no crucifixion or resurrection.
  • Without Christ’s resurrection…there would be no hope.

Christ alone is our eternal hope, our living hope.”

~   ♥   ~

In False Hope, Ahmee helped us to see what TRUE hope is…and what FALSE hope is.

“Hope is a good thing. Hope means ‘to trust in, wait for, look for, or desire something or someone; or to expect something beneficial in the future‘. I’ve also heard it said that hope is a confident expectation of good.

False hope is a powerful tool, as well. I would say that false hope is hope in something that either is not real, distorted, (but most clearly) not grounded in God Almighty. False hope is putting your trust in human beings and believing that they have the ability to do what only God can do.”

~   ♥   ~

In Hope in the Lord, Ann reminded us what God has promised in Isaiah 40:31—

“Those who hope in the Lord have His promise of…

  • strength to revive them in the midst of exhaustion and weakness and suffering and trial
  • the ability to rise above their difficulties like an eagle that soars into the sky
  • the ability to run spiritually without tiring
  • being able to walk steadily forward without fainting at God’s delays”

~   ♥   ~

Dear Lord, we rest on the promises You have made knowing You are a faithful God.   Thank You for Your promise of a Savior, a Redeemer and the birth of Your Son that fulfilled that promise.  Thank You for Your promise, Lord, that You will return and Your will gather Your church and You will bring us to our eternal home.  As we continue through this season of Advent…focusing on all that the birth of Immanuel means…may our hope be sure and steadfast.  We love You and adore You…and pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

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

Mary’s Little Boy Child

December 5, 2014 by

phssChristmasgraphic2014

Long time ago in Bethlehem
So the Holy Bible say
Mary’s boy child Jesus Christ
Was born on Christmas day

Hark now–hear the angels sing
A new king born today
And man will live forevermore
Because of Christmas day
Trumpets sound and angels sing
Listen what they say
That man will live forevermore
Because of Christmas day

While shepherds watch their flock by night
They see a bright new shining star
Then hear a choir sing
The music seemed to come from afar

Now Joseph and his wife Mary
Come to Bethlehem that night
Then find no place to born the Child
Not a single room was in sight

By and by they find a little nook
In a stable all forlorn
And in a manger cold and dark
Mary’s little Boy was born

 Songwriter: Jester Hairston ~ Singer: Mandisa

*   ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

This song really makes me think about things from Mary’s perspective.  How she must have felt the night the angel told her should would become pregnant with Jesus.

Upon entering, Gabriel greeted her: Good morning!
You’re beautiful with God’s beauty, beautiful inside and out! God be with you.
She was thoroughly shaken, wondering what was behind a greeting like that.
But the angel assured her, “Mary, you have nothing to fear.
God has a surprise for you: You will become pregnant
and give birth to a son and call his name Jesus.
He will be great, be called ‘Son of the Highest.’
The Lord God will give Him the throne of his father David;
He will rule Jacob’s house forever—no end, ever, to His kingdom.”
Luke 1:28-33 MSG

I wonder if she was afraid of what people would think…. Or if she thought, ‘Why me, Lord?’ Yet honored and overwhelmed that God had chosen her to be the one. Those are some of the things I wonder; and yet Mary received the task before her and trusted God in it.

He went with Mary, his fiancée, who was pregnant.
While they were there, the time came for her to give birth.
She gave birth to a son, her firstborn.
She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger,
because there was no room in the hostel.
Luke 2:5-7 MSG

What an honor it is when God chooses us for Kingdom work to be used for His glory to shine through us! The unthinkable becomes possible when we receive the task before us and allow Him to work through us.

Jesus looked at them intently and said,
“Humanly speaking, it is impossible.
But with God everything is possible.”
Matthew 19:26 NLT

*   ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Heavenly Father, what an honor it is when you choose us for the unthinkable, unimaginable tasks. May we receive the task before us without question and boldly trust in You as we allow You to work through us. To You be the Glory!! In Jesus’ Name!! AMEN!!!

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

Living Hope

December 4, 2014 by

SHhopeadvent

Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
According to His great mercy, He has given us a new birth into a living hope
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
1 Peter 1:3 HCSB

Easton’s Bible Dictionary defines hope as

“one of the three main elements of Christian character (1 Corinthians 13:13). It is joined to faith and love, and is opposed to seeing or possessing. Christ is the actual object of the believer’s hope.”

Hope is when we eagerly look forward to something.

Rebecca VanNoord states “We don’t often realize where we put our hope. We can seek sustenance, energy, or relief in the most transient, innocuous things—from our morning coffee to a vacation we’ve been anticipating for months. These things are not bad in themselves, but if they constantly serve as minor fixes in our daily lives, they can shift our focus. We can end up trading God’s help for caffeine and a few days in the sun.”   (Go here to read the rest of this article.)

Ouch!  (Especially the coffee/caffeine part.)  “Shift our focus.” I don’t know about you, but my focus is easily shifted. How is it then that we are to place our hope in an infant born in a stable and keep our focus on something we have never seen or experienced? Especially in the world today where Christmas has been commercialized and Christ is being taken out of Christmas.

Look at it this way:

  • Without Christ…there is no Christmas.
  • Without that miraculous birth…there is no crucifixion or resurrection.
  • Without Christ’s resurrection…there would be no hope.

Christ alone is our eternal hope, our living hope.

Lamentations 3:24 (AMP) says “The Lord is my portion or share, says my living being (my inner self); therefore will I hope in Him and wait expectantly for Him.”  It is Christ living in us that gives us hope.  1 Timothy 4:10 (HCSB) states,

In fact, we labor and strive for this,
because we have put our hope in the living God,
who is the Savior of everyone,
especially of those who believe.

Our hope is in the living God—the Savior who busted through the gates of hell and conquered death in our place. That’s where I need to keep my focus. It is in that hope I find my joy.  Who knew that one small baby born in a stable would have such a profound affect on the whole world?  God did.  He knew that Holy Infant would be our living hope.

*   ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Father, thank You for the living hope we have in the birth of Your One and Only Son. Let us be mindful that we have that living hope inside of us, to be shared with those whose lives we touch.  Thank You for that precious birth that changed our future and gives us such hope.  In Your Holy name we pray, Amen—it is so!

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

The Christmas Hope

December 4, 2014 by

phssChristmasgraphic2014

Her wish this Christmas
Was that Christmas would just pass her by
Nothing could reach her
Or answer her questions why
She feels so alone
And she wonders if all hope is gone

Hope is a candle
A light in the window
Showing the way for
A heart to come home
Hope is a Savior
Who was born in the manger
Sent down from Heaven
To rescue our hearts
Our Christmas hope

She never imagined
That for her there was hope to find
But isn’t it amazing
How God brings a heart back to life
She’s smiling now she’s finding out
What Christmas hope is all about

Hope is a present
A gift freely given
To all who receive
And open their hearts
Hope is a promise
For a better tomorrow
In a world filled with sorrow
We always have hope

Songwriters: Eddie Carswell and Matthew West ~ Performed by NewSong

 *    ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Hope is a Savior
Who was born in the manger
sent down from Heaven
to rescue our hearts

Yes!  This IS part of our Christmas hope!  This is our daily hope!  This is the foundation of our eternal hope!  And accompanying our hope—trust and faith that He is coming back again!

This song was written as part of the soundtrack for the movie ‘Christmas Hope’ a faith-based movie about the lives of hurt, sad people and how they intertwine through times of tragedy and hope and restoration. (If you haven’t already seen this movie, it is a wonderful one to add to your holiday playlist!)

Just like the fictional folk who are part of the story of ‘Christmas Hope’ we, too, desperately need hope…sometimes it seems…at every turn of our lives. And, just like Patty, Mark, Nathan, and little Emily, we HAVE been given the greatest Hope there could possibly be—a Savior, a Redeemer—Jesus Christ!

God’s people waited for hundreds of years for the fulfillment of the promise of a child to be born of the line of David in Bethlehem. They believed and trusted and waited with HOPE for the promise to be fulfilled.

Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign:
Behold, the young woman who is unmarried and a virgin
shall conceive and bear a son,
and shall call his name Immanuel [God with us].
Isaiah 7:14

(See also Micah 5:2; Jeremiah 23:5 and 6; Isaiah 9:1-2, 6-7…among many other verses.)

God also made promises to a young Hebrew girl.  She had been taught by her parents about the promised Redeemer and had this hope within her heart.  God sent His messenger Gabriel to give her another promise.  This surely must have increased her hope!

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”
Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.”

(excerpts from Luke 1:28-35)

Promises made in olden times have already come to pass—Jesus, the Son of God, was born and ultimately gave His life fulfilling many more promises.  And hope has been realized!  We cling to promises made that are still unfulfilled…promises that fuel our hope because we know the One Who has promised IS faithful!!!  May these be a vital part of our Christmas Hope!

And said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven?
This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven,
will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven.”
Acts 1:11

…so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many,
will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin,
to those who eagerly await Him.
Hebrews 9:28

Awaiting and looking for the [fulfillment, realization of our] blessed hope,
even the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior
Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One)…
Titus 2:13

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

Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus

December 3, 2014 by

 

SHhopeadventI wait for the Lord, I expectantly wait, and in His word do I hope.
I am looking and waiting for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning,
I say, more than watchmen for the morning.
O Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is mercy and loving-kindness,
and with Him is plenteous redemption.
And He will redeem Israel from all their iniquities.
Psalms 130:5-8

Come, Thou long-expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free
From our fears and sins release us
Let us find our rest in Thee
Israel’s strength and consolation
Hope of all the earth Thou art
Dear desire of every nation
Joy of every longing heart

Born Thy people to deliver
Born a child and yet a King
Born to reign in us forever
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone
By Thine all sufficient merit
Raise us to Thy glorious throne

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

False Hope

December 2, 2014 by

SHhopeadvent

I pray that God, the Source of hope,
will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him.
Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13

Hope is a good thing. Hope means ‘to trust in, wait for, look for, or desire something or someone; or to expect something beneficial in the future‘. I’ve also heard it said that hope is a confident expectation of good.

We know that hope is good because Romans 15:13 tells us so!  And we know that “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights…” (James 1:17).

Hope is

  • what pulls you out of bed in the morning when you are going through a depression
  • believing that things are going to turn out okay when you do something that seems impossible or crazy, but you are certain that God told you to do it
  • what motivates us to not give up
  • a powerful tool

False hope is a powerful tool, as well. I would say that false hope is hope in something that either is not real, distorted, (but most clearly) not grounded in God Almighty. False hope is putting your trust in human beings and believing that they have the ability to do what only God can do.

Listen to me carefully as I tred into this territory….

It’s okay to have hope for a positive future.  And it’s okay to hope that God can turn a horrible situation into a good situation.  However, when we fail to see the signs or choose to ignore them and still hope for the best, this is false hope. For example,

If God said that your friendship with a person needs to end because there is no repairing it, for you to stay in the relationship and hope for the best,  would not only be in direct disobedience to God but would not have a solid foundation.

What is (and is not) false hope is something that you have to speak to God about.  He will guide you in your situations.  Remember there is no reason to place your hope in something or someone that is not trustworthy. (Regardless of how much you want things to be a certain way.)

*   ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *  

Lord, keep our hearts and our minds clear so that we trust in Your will and Your will alone.  Please help us to see the truth in our lives, and not just what we want to see. Help us to see through the lies and the schemes of Satan.  You are an all-knowing God. Please share Your knowledge with us.  Amen.

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

When Hope Came Down

December 2, 2014 by

phssChristmasgraphic2014

So this is how it was
a silent night like any other
When heaven sent the One
the One we would call our Savior
And redemption began
in a stable in Bethlehem

All of the angels lifted up their voices
and filled the night with hallelujahs
God is with us now
Everyone come and join the heavenly chorus
Our Savior King is here before us
O to hear the sound
The song creation sang when Hope came down

So this was truly God
wrapped up in a tattered blanket
Hope was finally here
sleeping while the world awakened
And redemption began
with a baby in Bethlehem

So let us sing redemption songs
Let us worship Christ the Holy One
We were lost but we were found
When Hope came down

Words and Music by Chris Eaton ~~ Sung by Kari Jobe

*    ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Glory to God in the highest
And on earth peace among men
with whom He is pleased.
Luke 2:14

God sent us His only begotten Son. To save us. Not to confuse us, not to manipulate us, but to save us. No matter what has happened in our lives, God is faithful to save us. All we have to do is call out His name, to cry out to our Abba Father. Listen to the words of this song and feel God’s hope, joy, and acceptance. There is never a wrong time to ask Jesus to come and live in our hearts, whether we are new believers or someone who has believed for many years. Our hearts need to be stirred by the Holy Spirit.

 

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