November 25, 2024

GCH: What’s on Your Plate? – Food for Thought by Christi

December 2, 2012 by

~FEAR NOT ~ STAND STILL ~

~HOLD YOUR GROUND~


Exodus 14:13  — Moses told the people, Fear not; stand still (firm, confident, undismayed) and see the salvation of the Lord which He will work for you today.

Ephesians 6:13-14…Therefore put on God’s complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day [of danger], and, having done all [the crisis demands], to stand [firmly in your place]. Stand therefore [hold your ground], having tightened the belt of truth around your loins and having put on the breastplate of integrity and of moral rectitude and right standing with God.

Every Friday, here at Girlfriends Coffee Hour, is my prayer day where I pray over every single prayer request that has come in that week.   I take each prayer request and hold them in my hand, and pray over each and every one of them.  I then place them in my God Box, after they’ve been prayed over, as a symbol of placing each request at the foot of Jesus, and leaving them there.

Some of these requests just break my heart.  I cry over them!  I can’t imagine the pain that some people are going through.  Broken marriages.  Wayward kids.  Cancer.  Financial strain.  And so much more!

What I hear most from those posting the requests is, “What do I do when I’ve done all that I know to do?”  I’ve always answered “You leave it in God’s hands and let Him work!”

Sometimes it is easier to leave it in God’s hands, than other times.

As you can see from the two scriptures above, we are instructed after having done all that the crisis demands, we are to STAND!  STAND FIRM.  DON’T WAVER.  DON’T BUDGE!  HOLD YOUR GROUND!

What does it mean to STAND?  Do I just stand around waiting for God to do something?  What it means to me is that we CHOOSE to believe God.  We choose to trust Him.  We choose to believe that He has our best interest at heart.  We choose to believe that He loves us and His plan for our life is for a fulfilled future, and hope!

We don’t allow our circumstances to cause us to waver to the left, or to the right.  We don’t waver with “But God….”  “What if…..”  “Maybe I should just ….”  NO!  None of those!  You simply do all that God has commanded you to do in that situation, and when you’ve done everything that you know to do….You Step Away From It and ALLOW GOD TO MOVE!!!

Do not allow Satan to lead you astray in taking the situation back again.  Maybe God isn’t working as fast as you think He should be.  Maybe you’re not seeing the results you had hoped you would.  Whatever you are seeing, do not allow Satan to lead you away from God and what He is doing in your life.  REST in knowing that God Is In Control!  He does have YOUR BEST INTEREST at heart!  Trust that.  No matter how hard it may be.  TRUST HIM!  STAND FIRM.

May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else.  May He strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all His holy ones.

Be blessed!

Christi Wilson

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Are you interested in an Online Bible Study?  If so, please check out our sign up page located HERE on our website!  We offer Online Bible Studies for Women, Singles, and Teens.  We would love to have you join us!

 

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GCH: What’s on Your Plate? — Beef Tips & Rice

November 25, 2012 by

I love meals like this one….delicious, and oh so easy!  It’s a family favorite.  I hope your family enjoys it, too!

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Beef Tips & Rice

(no picture available this time)

Ingredients:

2 lb Sirloin Steak – cut in 1-inch strips

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup

½ cup Beef Broth

½ cup White Cooking Wine

1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch Dry Dressing Mix

1 pkg Lipton’s Dry Onion Soup Mix

Mushrooms, optional

Directions:

Mix together all ingredients, except the Sirloin Steak, in a large bowl.  Mix well.  Place Sirloin Steak in crock pot and cover with mixture.  Stir.  Cook on low for 6 hours.

Serve with Rice (White or Brown), Egg Noodles, or Mashed Potatoes.  Other options is to add broccoli florets, carrots, or cabbage.  This is a recipe that is very easy to add options and still have a delicious dish!

Bon appetit,

Christi

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GCH: What’s on Your Plate? – Food For Thought…..

November 18, 2012 by

Today, I want to take a little different approach to this blog, and share some food for thought for this holiday season.  I know the holidays can be a trying and lonely time for some, and I pray that my message today will speak right to your heart!  <3

Image from
www.bibleverses.com

Isaiah 26:3

“You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You.”

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John 14:27

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I now give and bequeath to you.  Not as the world gives do I give to you.  Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.  [Stop allowing yourself to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]”

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Proverbs 16:7

“When a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, He makes even his enemies live at peace with him.”

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2 Thessalonians 3:16

“Now may the Lord of peace Himself grant you His peace (the peace of His kingdom) at all times and in all ways [under all circumstances and conditions, whatever comes.]”

We can clearly see here that the Lord instructs us to live in peace, in all circumstances and conditions.  But what about times when “life” happens, and you just don’t feel like living in peace?  Or it’s hard to walk in peace because of the circumstances?

Sometimes we have things happen in our lives that are devastating.  They rip the rug right out from under us.  They cause much stress, anger, bitterness, and more.  How in the world are we to walk in peace during those times?

First, we have to recognize who or what is causing the stress, anger, bitterness, and lack of peace in our life.

John 10:10

The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy.

I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance to the full, till it overflows.

The “thief” is satan.  (I refuse to capitalize his name!).  His job is to cause destruction, steal and kill my life, and my joy.  He is the god of the world (for now).  He is a fallen angel that has set his ways against God and all that God stands for.  Anything he can do to turn us from God, or cause those who are not yet walking with God to think that God’s love is not real, he will. It’s his pleasure to try to ruin the children of God!

Cancer, adultery, rape, molestation, divorce, physical abuse, emotional abuse, and more, are just a few of the tactics that satan uses to destroy God’s children!

But what about hatred, grumpiness, anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, depression?  How do we enjoy life, as God wants us to, if our hearts are filled with these things?

You wake up in the morning and you just feel this heaviness that has set its sites on you.  You just can’t shake it.  You feel numb.  You feel like a zombie.  Nothing looks or tastes good.  Even the sunshine outside looks miserable to you!

You feel fat, ugly, mean, nasty, miserable.  You don’t want to talk to anyone.  You just want to be left alone to work through this, if you can.

How do you get past these feelings?  How do you live beyond these things?

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I will say right here that I am absolutely NO expert in this area, but I have learned a few things over the last few years, that I would like to share with you.

I have a tendency to suffer from depression.  Moderate depression.  I’m not talking about clinical depression here, which is far worse and more serious than mild to moderate depression.  If you suffer from clinical depression, please seek counsel from your doctor and/or your pastor.

I do not have any degrees in counseling or psychology.

I am just a person who has struggled with these types of things in my life, and the Lord has brought me through it.  That is what I want to share with you today.  The how’s…..

People used to tell me “Christi, you just need to get over it.”  Yes, I could clearly see that.  But what I didn’t know was HOW!  How was I suppose to just “get over it”?  How do I get past the anger, bitterness, depression, unforgiveness, and even more emotions that sometimes can toy with people’s emotions and hearts?

Stay in the Word.  Stay in the Word.  Stay in the Word.

It can’t be that simple, can it?

When people would tell me this in the beginning, I would think “Right! I’m in the Word every single day! I’m still struggling!”  But you know what?  I had to keep on keepin’ on, as the expression goes.  My “cure” wasn’t going to happen overnight!  I had to learn how to be at peace with who I was and what God was doing in my life!  Without His peace, I struggled every day!!!

 I could only learn about His peace through His word!  

Staying in the word doesn’t always been reading the bible all the time!  It can also include good books by Christian authors.  Watching DVD’s from Christian evangelists.  Turning on praise and worship music to allow your mind to be filled with the word through music!  There is so much more to it than just reading the bible!

You will also notice that in order to suffocate the negativity in our lives, means that you actually have to get up and do something!

 Do something to fight the negativity!

You can’t just sit there and expect it to just go away on its own!  You have to actually do something to fight these emotions daily!  To read the bible, you have to get up, go get your bible, and turn the pages, correct?  To listen to music, you actually have to get up, go to the stereo, choose the music and then turn the stereo on, correct?  You have to ­do something first!!!

James 1:22 — “But be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it…”

To be a “Doer”…

means you have to DO SOMETHING!

So what are some things that we can do to remove the negativity out of our lives?  Below I have listed some tips that have helped me over the years.  If you have other tips, I’d love for you to share them in the comments section below.  The tips below are listed in no particular order.

  • Read the Word
  • Pray
  • Listen to Praise Music
  • Go for a walk
  • Go outside barefoot
  • Call a friend
  • Go to lunch with a friend
  • Take a warm soothing bath
  • Find a hobby that will take your mind off of problems
  • Seek Counsel
  • Go for a massage
  • Get a new haircut
  • AVOIDS NEGATIVE PEOPLE!
  • Try to find the GOOD in your situation
  • Stop saying negative things to yourself
  • Practice breathing slowly
  • Read a positive book curled up in bed
  • Ask someone to be your “vent partner”
  • Practice grace under pressure
  • Be responsible for your feelings
  • Learn to meet your own needs
  • Exercise every day
  • Learn the words to a new song
  • Write a note to a far away friend
  • Keep a journal
  • Practice a monster smile
  • Quit trying to “fix” other people
  • Get enough sleep
  • Talk less and listen more
  • Volunteer at a Shelter or Food Pantry
  • Freely praise other people
  • Have a support network of people, places and things

These are just a few tips on how to get past a negative attitude and walk in peace and joy!  But truthfully, it all starts with YOU!  What will YOU do to change your circumstances?  Choosing to do something means that you give God Glory for what happens in your life, and you have put satan in his place and he does not win!  He learns that you will not tolerate the weapons that he puts in your life, to keep you down!

I will also say that these tips are not for just a quick-fix.  These are not things you get from a drive-thru window!  They are things that you need to do on a consistent basis!  You can’t just expect life to change overnight, especially if you are dealing with some pretty tough situations!

Don’t just do something….Give it time to work!  Whatever you do, don’t give up!!  Let Jesus set you free!!!!

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I pray this message reaches at least one person!  I know for myself, things did not change overnight.  I had to be patient and allow God to do what He needed in my life.  I am here to tell you that the steps I have shared with you here today, WORK!!  But YOU have to put some effort behind them first!

Be Blessed & Be a Blessing to Others,

Christi

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Winning Him Without Words: Weekly Review

November 16, 2012 by

Hello!  This week, since Martha is out of town, I will be offering our Weekly Review of Chapter 7 of Winning Him Without Words!  I hope you don’t mind!  I know Martha has been doing an amazing job with your Weekly Review, and I can only hope I come close!! 🙂

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Monday:  Beverly shared on the blog.

  • She began by asking the question, “Is it really necessary to win an argument?”  Then she asked “why?”
  • We all have things to learn from some of these battles we go through but we need to discern the unimportant issues and as we have all heard before “simply agree to disagree” with our husband.
  • Our husband needs to see that God has changed us.
  • We need to surrender our need to win a battle and instead embrace and surrender our marriage.
  • Let’s be the peacemaker and let Christ handle all the rest!
  • It’s OKAY to agree to disagree!!

Tuesday:  Jennifer shared on the blog.

  • We all have certain ways of acting and reacting to situations and events in our lives.
  • when hurt, pain, bitterness, and anger take root inside, instead of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and goodness, the Lord cannot do His work in you.
  • Jesus is not going to force you to live in negative emotions.  However, He does not want you to live there!
  • Letting Jesus in to begin transforming your marriage means that He is going to start by transforming YOU, not your husband.
  • This change means loving our husbands with the unconditional love that Jesus pours out on us.
  • God can change your marriage. HE CAN. But it starts with YOU!

Wednesday:  Donna shared on our blog.

  • Death and life are in the power in the tongue, and we will eat its fruit.  Proverbs 18:21
  • We must speak our words carefully.
  • We have the ability to tear down or build up.
  • We will give an account on the day of judgement for every careless word we have spoken
  • The Father feeds us words of LIFE!
  • We should purpose every day to be more like our heavenly Father and speak life words to our husbands.

Thursday: Sarah shared on our blog.

  • A woman uses about 20,000 words per day while a man uses about 7,000.
  • Men are physical beings. The show their emotions through doing, not talking.
  • When it comes to arguing, our words can become mind numbing to our men.
  • When there is a conflict in your marriage that needs to be discussed, it is wise to discuss it with God first.
  • Your husband will listen harder and comprehend more if you are not droning on and on without ever making a clear point.
  • Choose words of “faithfulness, loyalty, friendship and honor”.
  • How do you speak to yourself? Are you continually beating yourself up?
  • God created you to be exactly who you are. You are a woman of God. You are beautiful in his eyes, inside and out.
  • You are now a new body in Christ and He has such great things planned for you!

And that leaves us with Friday… today! I want to finish this week by sharing with you the prayer that Lynn wrote at the end of this chapter.  I believe it says a lot more than I ever could!  I hope you have enjoyed this book, so far.  We have just a few more weeks left and we will then take a break for the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.  We will be sharing a preview of our next study with you soon.  So be sure to continue to check in with us daily!

Let’s Pray:

Father, today I surrender my husband wholly to You.  I am relinquishing my desire to save my husband, and I ask You to take Your rightful place in seeking and saving him for eternity.

Lord, show me the areas of conflict I need to stand upon as well as issues I can surrender and trust You to handle.  You tell us in Your Word that if we need wisdom, we should ask You for it and You will be generous in giving it to us. (James 1:5)

Lord, place in my mind Your wisdom that I may be the peacemaker and the one to help resolve conflict with my spouse.  Jesus, our words have the power of life and death, of cutting and healing.  Form this day forward, place a new awareness in my heart to be mindful of the words I speak to others.  Place Your words in my conscious and unconscious mind so that only words that are good and pleasing come from my lips.

Lord, “may the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight”.  (Psalm 19:14)

In Your powerful name, Jesus.  AMEN!

 

Be blessed & Be a Blessing to Others,

Christi

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For the “Winning Him Without Words” Bible Study, you will need the book, your Bible, pen or pencil, a highlighter and a quiet place. You can order the book right through our website by clicking the “sign-up here” button at the top of our webpage; which is also where you can sign up to participate in this awesome bible study!

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GCH: What’s on Your Plate? – Ricotta Cheese Pancakes w/ Lemon Sauce

November 11, 2012 by

Good Morning!  

It’s time for Breakfast! 

Remember last week, when I told you about the awesome B&B we visited, and the amazing Lemon Sauce that was served on our Ricotta Cheese Pancakes??  Well, today I am going to share two recipes with you, including that amazing Lemon Sauce!!

Before I share the recipes though, I want to provide you with a grocery list of the items you will need for these two recipes.  Check your pantry and refrigerator of course, before going shopping, to see what you already have on hand!!

GROCERY LIST:
Ricotta Cheese
Gluten-Free Bisquik
Baking Power
Sugar
Salt
Milk
Eggs
Vanilla
Butter
1 lemon
Lemon Juice
 

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Ricotta Pancakes

1 cup ricotta cheese
3/4 cup Gluten-Free Bisquik
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
pinch salt
3/4 cup milk
3 eggs, divided
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Set ricotta in a fine mesh strainer about 30 minutes before you start cooking, to drain off excess liquid.

Whisk together Bisquik, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Combine ricotta, milk, egg yolks, and vanilla in a separate bowl.

Beat the egg whites in an electric mixer until stiff.  Add the dry ingredients to the ricotta and milk mixture, stirring gently until just combined. Whisk in a small amount of the egg whites to lighten the batter, then fold in the remaining whites.

Heat a griddle over medium-high heat, and brush the surface with butter. Use a ladle or measuring scoop (we used a 1/3 cup measure) to pour batter onto the griddle. Cook pancakes for about 3 or 4 minutes, then flip, cooking until both sides are golden brown.

When serving, top each pancake layer with Lemon Sauce, and then sprinkle the top pancake with powdered sugar and top with fresh strawberries!! Ohhhh, so yummy!!!!

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Nancy’s Secret Lemon Sauce

(Compliments of Nancy Bowman, Innkeeper of Bowman’s Oak Hill Bed & Breakfast, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin)

Ingredients:

1 egg, beaten

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup butter

zest of 1 lemon

juice of 1 lemon, or 1/4 cup bottled lemon juice

dash of salt

 

Directions:

In medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine all ingredients, stirring occasionally.  Bring just to a boil before pouring into a small pitcher.  Serve with warm pancakes.

This is so delicious!!  Thank You Nancy for sharing this amazing recipe!!

Bon appetit,

Christi

 

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GCH: What’s on Your Plate? — Southwest Frittata

November 4, 2012 by

For two days last week, my husband and I went out of town to celebrate our 9th Anniversary.  I had made reservations at a Bed & Breakfast just a couple of hours away from home.  This was our first experience at a B&B, and the first time we had ever done anything for our anniversary!  So we were both pretty excited!

Having never been to a B&B, we really didn’t know what to expect.  But I have to say that within just a few minutes upon arriving, the hosts of this B&B set our minds at ease!

David and Nancy Bowman, the Innkeepers at Bowman’s Oak Hill Bed & Breakfast in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, were the absolute best hosts!  Both of them were extremely friendly and very determined that we were going to have an awesome time!  David even made us literally promise that we would ask if we were in need of something!

The room we reserved was called “Gracie’s Garden Room”.  It was amazing!  From the white cast iron bed with fluffy pillows, two-person in-room Jacuzzi, His & Hers bath robes, the “Happy Anniversary” card found on our pillows, and the soft gentle music playing in the background, Gracie’s Garden Room was the perfect setting for our anniversary!  This room is just one of the many reasons why we will definitely visit this B&B again!

The reason I am sharing this information with you is not just because this was an amazing place to stay, but I want to share a recipe with you that Nancy Bowman has won several awards for!  This particular recipe is one that was served to us for breakfast on our first morning.  With Nancy’s permission, here is the recipe for her infamous “Southwest Frittata”.  Oh my goodness, this is absolutely delicious!

Southwest Frittata

Ingredients:

7 large eggs

1 can creamed corn

1-4 oz can sliced black olives, drained

1-4 oz can diced green chilies

2 cups shredded Cheddar or Mexican mix cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Beat the eggs in a large bowl.  Add remaining ingredients.  Stir together and pour into 10-inch glass pie pan.  Bake for 50-60 minutes.  Bake until set.

Nancy served this dish with black bean and corn salsa and sour cream.

Variation:  You can also use whole corn and ¼ cup half & half in place of the creamed corn.  Fresh slices of tomatoes on the side are also nice!

Servings:  6

You can find other awesome recipes on David & Nancy’s B&B website, located at:  www.bowmansoakhillbedandbreakfast.com.

If you’re looking for a great B&B, we would highly recommend Bowman’s Oak Hill B&B, located just outside of Wisconsin Dells.  From the spacious romantic bedrooms, lovely bathrooms, and the yummy breakfast served in the dining area or on the large deck, to the eight acres of park-like setting and 25 acres of woods to wander, you will definitely have the opportunity to rest and relax!

Contact Info:

David & Nancy Bowman
4169 State Hwy 13 North
Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965
(888) 253- 5631
 

(Be sure to visit me here next Sunday, when I share Nancy’s amazing recipe for Lemon Sauce!  This sauce was the most amazing treat for the Ricotta Pancakes made for us on our 2nd day at this B&B!  Oh my goodness, it was so delicious!!)

Are you ready to find out who the Winner is of our “GCH:What’s on Your Plate” Launch Party Giveaway?

It was so much fun reading all of your comments on Thursday and Friday!  Thank you so much for participating in our Launch Party!  I am very happy to announce our WINNER.  This person commented on our blog on November 1st at 6:51am!  Her name was randomly drawn!

I am happy to announce

Theresa Roxmarin-Cox…

IS OUR LUCKY WINNER!!

I will be contacting you soon!  Please email me at Christi@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com with your mailing address right away, so I can mail your copy of “Southern Plate” cookbook by author Christy Jordan!  You will love this cookbook!!  Christy happens to be one of my all-time favorite cooks!  I hope you enjoy the cookbook!

 (If this prize is not claimed by Wednesday, November 7th, at 8pm CST, a new Winner will be drawn.)

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Be sure to check back tomorrow when Coleen Hayden will share a “Good for You…but Yummy, too” recipe!!

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Be sure to FOLLOW our blog so you won’t miss out on one single delicious recipe right here on “GCH:What’s on Your Plate?”!!

Bon appetit,

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Winning Him Without Words: Trade Perfection With Authenticity

November 4, 2012 by

 

Trading Perfection for Authenticity — WOW!  What a chapter!  So much of this chapter stood out to me in ways that really caused me to think about my actions toward my husband.  It caused me to ask myself if my actions toward him were speaking the love of Christ, or the selfishness of Christi?  OUCH!!

Dineen said on page 100 that God has equipped us with the Holy Spirit to accomplish the things that He wants and needs for us to do.  All we need to do is listen and obey Him; be willing vessels for God to use in reaching our unsaved loved ones.  We should be encouraged to know that God can use each of us, in this way!!  As Dineen said, “He doesn’t “need” to; He “chooses” to!  He could change our husband all on His own, if He wanted to.  But He chose to use US, You and I, to be Jesus with skin-on to our unbelieving spouse, right here and right now!  I LOVE that!!!!

I won’t go further into this subject because it will be taking away from one of our bloggers this week who will be covering this topic.  But what I do want to do is share a video with you that I found.  It is an interview that is done with Lynn Donovan and a friend who is talking about how God used her to witness to her husband through the power of the Holy Spirit!  It’s a great video!!   I hope you will take the time to watch it all the way through!

You will find the link to this video HERE.  

PLEASE take the time to watch it!!  It will be worth the time!! I promise!

Before I give you your reading assignment, I do have a couple of questions for you.  Do you have a personal relationship with Christ?  Have you prayed for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit?  Two very important questions because we need both in our lives in order to love our spouses the way God intended.  I know for myself that without the Holy Spirit, I would not be as effective in my marriage!!

I know this study is for women who are married to an unsaved spouse, but I don’t want to assume that each one of you have accepted Christ as your Savior.  If not, and you would like someone from our prayer team to pray with you, please send us an email to Prayer@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com. One of our prayer team members will contact you and pray with you!!

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Here is your Reading Assignment for this week!

Nov 5 –  

Perfection for Authenticity / A Fine Linen Belt – Beverly

Nov 6 –

A Confession – Jennifer

Nov 7 –

Heart Tablets – Donna

Nov 8 –

Sacrificial Giving – Sarah

Nov 9 –

Discovery / Prayer – Martha

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Let’s Pray:

Father, I am so thankful for You in my life, and in the lives of each of the marriages represented here today. Lord, I lift each marriage to You today, and I ask for Your special blessings to pour out onto each husband and wife, and upon our unsaved loved ones.  I ask Lord that You give each wife wisdom and direction in how to love her husband unconditionally.  I ask that You teach each wife Lord, how to submit and not to be afraid to submit to her husband.  Lord, reveal to her to that submitting to her husband is also submitting to You, Lord, because this is what You instruct us to do!

Holy Spirit, I invite You into each marriage that is represented here.  Indwell us with Your power as we learn to be the submissive wife the Lord calls us to be.  Holy Spirit, I pray for each woman who is reading this today and I ask that You speak to each heart.  For those who have not invited You into their heart, I pray their hearts will be nudged today, and they will seek You knowing now that in their own weakness, You can provide the strength they need to be the authentic wife we are each called to be!  In Jesus’ Name, AMEN!

Be Blessed,

Christi

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Winning Him Without Words: Believe Your Marriage Is Blessed

October 28, 2012 by

“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,

and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one.  

Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”

Mark 10:7-9

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I just wanna celebrate!

 

Will you celebrate with me??

 

This week is my 9th Wedding Anniversary

and my husband and I are taking some time away to celebrate!!

 

 

So my part of this blog today is going to be short, sweet, and simple! 

We didn’t have the opportunity to go away for a honeymoon, nor have we ever had the chance to go away for our anniversary!  So this year, we are taking some time for ourselves and we are headed to a nice little B&B nestled in the woods, where it is nice and quiet!  This time of year here in Wisconsin is BEAUTIFUL!!  The trees are many shades of reds and golds; amber and more!  It is breathtaking!

So while we are away, here is your reading assignment this week!  I hope you have an amazing week!  

Be Blessed,

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– Chapter 5 –

Winning Him Without Words

Reading Assignment

Oct 29 

Believe Your Marriage is Blessed / Mismatchdom – Beverly

Oct 30

Obedience / Plan for Marriage – Jennifer

Oct 31

Biblical Truths – Donna

Nov 1

Blessed Doesn’t Mean Easy –  Sarah

Nov 2

 Discovery / Prayer –  Martha

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If you would like to join us for this Online Bible Study “Winning Him Without Words”, and our Facebook Discussion Group, please click on the “sign-up here” button at the top of the page, and complete the form.  Once we receive your registration, we will be glad to place you!

If you have any questions, or would like to forward a comment on to one of our bloggers, email Christi@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com.

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Winning Him Without Words: Know the Essentials

October 21, 2012 by

 “Then why do you treat him any differently now?

Treat him as if he were a Christian.”  

OUCH!  I wonder how many of us have ever had this epiphany!?!  Men need respect … while women need love.  We women know that we need love.  It makes us feel secure in our relationship.  But have we really truly thought of what respect means to our husband?  As Dineen said, “some even equate respect with love.”

Having respect for our husband means treating him with the utmost kindness. Treat him as you want to be treated.  Do you treat your husband with the utmost kindness; or the way you want to be treated?  Do you let your husband take the lead in the household?  Do you belittle your husband in front of others?  Do you laugh at him in front of others?  Do you add to the stress that he already has? Do you nag him?

God calls us to respect our husbands.  He doesn’t tell us to respect our husband only IF he does this or that; only if he is a good father; only if he is a good provider; only if he shows you love, and so on.  He simply tells us to respect him….period!

Respecting your husband simply put, means that you have chosen to obey God.  When you obey God by respecting your husband, you are showing honor to God!  God never called you to nag your husband.  In fact, in Proverbs 21:9 tells us that it’s better to live on the corner of a roof than to share a house with a nagging wife.  Proverbs 21:19 tells us that it’s better to live in a wilderness than with a nagging and hot-tempered wife.

From there, we move into the section of the book that talks about our needs.  We have such a way of putting such high demands on our spouse to meet our needs that it’s impossible for him to meet them all!  Then we get frustrated, disappointed, or angry, that he isn’t able to meet these needs. First off, your spouse was never made to meet your every need!  Only God can do that!  Once you figure this out, it takes the pressure off of you both!  You are no longer disappointed in him for not meeting your needs; and he is no longer working so hard trying to figure out how to please you!!  Win-Win Situation for you both!  Praise God!

The one thing that really stood out to me in this chapter though, is the section that talked about his salvation and praying for your husband.  I know how important his salvation is to you.  But I want to ask you something.  I want you to really think about this, too.

“Would you rather your husband have a ‘forced’ relationship with God because you forced him into this with your nagging? Or would you rather he have the kind of relationship that allows him to love the Lord with his whole heart, soul, mind, and strength?” 

I really want you to think about this question today.  The rest of this chapter goes into a lot more things for us to think about, and I don’t want to take away from our awesome ladies who will be blogging the rest of the week.  So with that, I’m going to end my blog here today.  I hope I have given you some food for thought today.

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Here is Your Reading Assignment this Week:

Oct 22 –

Know the Essentials / Our Deepest Needs – Beverly

 Oct 23 –

It’s Not About Us – Jennifer

 Oct 24 –

To Know & Be Known – Donna

 Oct 25 –

God Is the Wild Hope Maker – Sarah

 Oct 26 –

Glue to Hope, Joy, & Peace / Discovery / Prayer – Martha

Don’t Forget! Saturdays with Shandy!

Shandy is taking us through a 6-week journey to prepare our homes for the Holidays!

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Let’s Pray:

Father, thank You so much Lord for loving us the way You do.  Thank You Lord for the spouse you have given each of us.  Lord, allow us to see him through Your eyes.  Allow our hearts to love him the way You do.  Put a guard over our tongue this week Lord, and help us to watch the words that come out of our mouth.  Lord, help us to truly be the kind of wife that You designed us to be for the spouse You have given us. In Jesus’ Name, AMEN!

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 God bless you,

.

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For the “Winning Him Without Words” Bible Study, you will need the book, your Bible, pen or pencil, a highlighter and a quiet place. You can order the book right through our website by clicking the “sign-up here” button at the top of our webpage; which is also where you can sign up to participate in this awesome bible study!

Please email Christi@girlfriendscoffeehour.com if you have any questions, or if you have a private comment that you would like to forward to one of our bloggers in regards to their post that day.

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Winning Him Without Words: Stay Connected

October 14, 2012 by

 

1 Corinthians 13: 4-7

 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

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Well, how did the first two chapters go for you?  Are you ready to move forward and learn more about making your unequally yoked marriage thrive?  I am!!  Let’s get to it!

In this Chapter, Lynn walks us through different ways that we can stay connected to our husbands.  In the beginning of this chapter, she talks about how putting together a Fantasy Football Team gave her something in common with her husband.  I admit I haven’t been that much into football, or any other sport for that matter. But there are things that my husband and I do like to do together; riding motorcycles, movies, reading, playing cards, trying new restaurants, trying new foods and recipes, and more.

A little over five months ago, we turned off our television. Yes, shut it off!  We even had the cable turned off!  We had discussed this for a couple of years, but he was never really ready to give it a try.  But one day he brought it back up again, and I jumped at the chance.  I called the cable company and asked them to turn off our cable.  We looked at each other and said, “Well, Now What????”  🙂

From there, the only time we watched television was if the two of us wanted to sit down and watch a movie.  Netflix has some fun programs that we enjoyed watching, as well; like Myth Busters, or How It’s Made; both fun and interesting shows.

We weaned ourselves away from the television, and began to find new things to do together.  We began to explore new books.  We got into the reading the bible more.  We learned how to play new card games, or board games.  We went for more walks. We TALKED more!! That was a big one!!

During these five months, we grew together.  We learned more about each other.  We learned each others Love Language.  We spent more quality time together.  During our meals, we sat at the table and talked, instead of in front of the television without speaking a word to each other!  It was amazing what was happening in our marriage!

If you do not know what your spouse’s Love Language is, please click HERE for an online test.  HE WILL NEED TO TAKE THIS QUIZ.  It will be well worth it,Ladies, to learn his love language!!  His love language will speak directly to his heart!  Win-Win situation!  You will also see other quizzes for wives, children, teens, and singles!  Excellent site!

About a week ago, we decided that with winter months coming on board, and football season starting, we would turn the television back on; but we both agreed that it was not going to become the idol that it had been in our home before.  It would not become the thing that divided us, or took away our quality time!

It was funny when we turned the television back on and hooked it up to the antenna…we flipped through a few channels and said “Eh, nothing really on…so now what do you want to do?”  LOL  It wasn’t like before, where we would flip through the channels and even if we couldn’t find something worthy of watching, we would watch it anyway just to have something to do!!  That will not happen again!

We gained a lot during this time without our television, and we are determined not to let a stupid little box divide our relationship again!

I love my husband.  I know he loves me, too.  We want our marriage to be successful.  So we are determined in finding ways that we can make our marriage even better.  It isn’t a bad marriage, in any way!  Don’t get me wrong!  But I believe that every marriage has room for improvement, no matter how good it is!!  All it takes is a little work, creativity, and the determination to do it.  Whether it’s turning off the television, or creating a fantasy football league, or ??? … ask the Lord what will bring your marriage to a higher level, and then be intentional about it!!  Your marriage is worth it!

This week’s chapter has a whole lot more to offer you than what I’ve shared here.  Lynn covers some pretty awesome topics!  Be sure to spend the time that you need in this chapter.  I believe it is truly going to open your eyes in so many ways!!

 

Your Reading Assignment

Oct 15 – 1 Cor 13:4-7 – Love Is a Lifetime – Beverly

Oct 16 – All Things Are Not Equal – Jennifer

Oct 17 – Bring On the Bedroom – Donna

Oct 18 – When You Don’t Agree – Sarah

Oct 19 – Discovery / Prayer – Martha

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Let’s Pray:

Lord, I pray for each women that reads our blog posts this week.  I pray that each woman would be given creative ideas to stay connected with her husband.   Give us creative ideas of how we can meet our husbands needs physically, emotionally, and more.  Teach us his love language Lord. Help us to speak to him through his love language.  In Jesus’ Name, AMEN!

If you would like to join this Online Bible Study and our Facebook Discussion Group, please click on the “Sign-Up Here” button at the top of our page, and follow the instructions.  We will add you as soon as we receive your request.  🙂

God bless you,

 

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