May 6, 2026

“I AM” Chapter 7 – Day 2: Alpha and Omega

August 20, 2013 by

2Chron7_14_IAMAlpha and Omega

These are two very powerful words; they are strong and demand attention.
But for me these words also bring comfort.  Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega; the Beginning and the End. There is so much in between those two words, in between those two names.

Alpha (Friend. Redeemed. Forgiven. Free. Confident. Assured.) Omega

This is who I am in the great I AM.  This is who you are in the great I AM.
When I look at this title, and what the Alpha and Omega truly means, it reassures me that I will never be left alone.  Christ has been with me from my start and He will be with me through my finish. He will be with me when I need a friend; when I need redemption; when I need to be forgiven; when I am seeking freedom; when I need confidence and when I need assurance.

By having a relationship with Christ we can feel these things, we can develop a relationship in which we will always know our Beginning and we will always know our End. To quote Teresa from this book, “Jesus wants to be your best friend.” He wants us to have all of these things in abundance. He wants to be there in our Beginning and in our End.

 ____________________________

Let’s Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for showing us our beginning and our end. Thank You for being there in our lives for both, and through all the in-between. Lord, You offer us friendship and redemption.  You offer us things we do not deserve; Your love always remains. Your gift of friendship always remains. Lord, help us to walk in the power of Your promises and in Your covering.  Most importantly, help us to be an example to others of what it means to be a friend of the I AM.  In Jesus’ name we pray.

Amen.

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Perfect God

August 20, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogo

The Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul,
the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
Psalm 19: 7

The Law is a general term for God’s revealed will that directs a person in a right relation with Him.  This term (and many others) are God’s true word that testifies to His character and His will, the study of which makes us wise.

It is written that God’s will for us is to have a perfect life…an abundant life. And that can only be possible if we understand His purpose and move with that purpose. We need to fully turn our hearts and minds over to Him by:

  • Studying His word
  • Talking about His word
  • Meditating on His word
  • Obeying His word

The more fully we do that, the more completely we live by His good and perfect will for our lives. Those who know and obey God’s true word—His Law—will be prosperous and successful in that they will possess the wisdom to live righteously and to achieve God’s goal for their lives.

We will be prosperous and successful as we follow Jesus’ example to be strong, courageous, and diligent (Jesus’ character gives us His example of responding to the devil without fear.  Fear intimidates, but faith jumps forward.)  And to make God’s word your authoritative guide for all beliefs and actions (Jesus quoted Scripture verses as much as possible so that the devil left Him.) We must study and meditate daily on God’s word (Jesus was the Word made flesh; hence living by the word).  And determine to seek diligently God’s presence throughout your life (Jesus was recorded many times to have gone to His Father in prayer).

God has perfect plans for us.  He makes plans for our lives perfect not because we are perfect—we are fallible and make so many mistakes.  But His plan is perfect because God is perfect and whatever He does is perfect and complete.  In Philippians 1:6, Paul told us that God saved us and started a good work in us. Paul also wrote in Ephesians 2:10 that we are God’s handiwork.   Just prior to this, two verses tell us that we are saved by God’s grace.  We have nothing to do with the act of salvation.  We haven’t earned it or deserved it.  We are born into the kingdom of God as a gift.  Nothing we can ever do would be good enough to satisfy God’s perfection.  Only Jesus, the Perfect One, is good enough.  Nothing, but our faith in Him, makes us acceptable to God.

* * * * *

Our dear Heavenly Father, we love You for You are a great and perfect God who loves us unconditionally.  In the midst of our imperfections and weaknesses You sent Your only Son to die for us so that we could be made perfect.  Create in us a steadfast spirit to do Your perfect will, Lord.  May Your name be glorified now and forever more!  In Jesus’ name, we pray, AMEN.

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“I AM” Chapter 7 – Day 1: 7 “I AM’s” in Revelation

August 19, 2013 by

2Chron7_14_IAM

Revelation is more than just the end of the Bible.  It is more than the end of time, or the end of the world.  A revelation is a new realization of something you previously had not known or understood.  It could be revealing of a secret.  A revelation is definitely a gaining of knowledge you can use to apply to your life.

Here we are at the end.  The last week of our study.  The omega…the last.  There are seven more “I AM’s” for us to look at this week.  As we conclude our study together, we find that four of them use the term “Alpha and Omega”.  The word nerd in me had to look these up for us.  Let me show you a couple of things I have learned.  (Warning: This will be cheesy!)

  • The New Testament was written in Greek, the Old Testament in Hebrew (mainly).  Alpha and Omega are the first and the last letters in the Greek alphabet and signify the “beginning and the end” or eternity.    The Greek “alpha” was derived from the Hebrew “aleph.”  (Doing a Happy Dance!)  The Hebrew name for aleph sounds like “eleph” or ox.  An ox is a leader and leads the other letters in the alphabet.  (Get it?  The alpha – bet?)
  • Ox comes into play in our culture, too.  How many times have we signed a greeting card with oxoxox?  Did you know you were actually sending God’s love to that person?  These are Christian symbols introduced through the ages, based on the Bible and the Great I AM.  Don’t get me started on crossing your fingers….
  • The Hebrew word for truth – “emet” is made up of the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet.  This kind of consistency makes me dance with joy.  Our God is a God of order.  No matter what language or dialect you speak, His TRUTH will always be the same.  He is “I AM”.

From the Prophet Isaiah, “I AM the first and the last”  (Isaiah 44:6) to the Psalmist, “From everlasting to everlasting thou art God” (Psalms 90:2), to John, “I AM the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty” (Revelation 1:8), the message of the Bible DOES NOT CHANGE.

This “I AM” is important because Jesus is telling us He was before creation and will be after the end of time.  He is eternal.  When we see or hear Alpha and Omega (AΩ or ox) we are seeing the “I AM”.  Because of our relationship with Jesus (The Great I AM) we can claim the “Truth.” 

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
even when we were dead in our transgressions, made alive together with Christ
(by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him,
and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus”
Ephesians 2:4-6

As a member of God’s family, seated in the heavenly places because of Jesus, we are in His KINGDOM.  A kingdom is where the king is.  The Kingdom is where the KING lives.  If you have received the gift of salvation offered by Jesus, you are in the Kingdom and the King lives in you.  Did you hear that?  The KING lives in YOU!!!  The Kingdom is not a far away land, it is here now.  If the King lives in you, the kingdom is here…on earth.  The kingdom is not broken down into small factions of fighters in their own corners doing their own thing.  We are ONE Church, ONE body of believers, living in the Kingdom of God RIGHT NOW!!!!  Let revival begin with us!

We have received a revelation over the last seven weeks.  Now, we have a responsibility to share the good news with others.  Listen to the prayer of our hearts as we declare our allegiance to the King of Kings.

Let’s Pray:

Heavenly Father, King of Kings,

We praise You for the HOPE You have placed in our hearts as we have drawn closer to You.  We thank You for the great LOVE You have shown us that while we were yet sinners, You wanted us.  Lord, we want to let this fire burning within us to be seen by the world.  Heal our hearts and heal our lands so that we may serve You.  We ARE the Church…Send us out to do Your work while we are here on earth.  We are YOUR church…One Body, unified for Your purpose.   Live in us.  Bring Your Kingdom now.  We are ready.  We love You, Lord.

AMEN

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Gluten Free Zucchini Bread

August 19, 2013 by

Here on our At Home with GCH blog, Monday’s are always focused on healthy but oh-so-yummy! recipes. Today our series on summer recipes featuring in-season produce continues. Our featured ingredient—again—this week is zucchini!  Our own little garden (ok, honestly, it is Robert’s garden) is pumping out the zucchinis.  How about you?  Are you checking Pinterest or roaming the internet looking for yummy zucchini recipes?  This zucchini bread recipe uses almond flour so it is low in carbs, high in protein…very paleo-friendly, too!  Enjoy!

2013-08-16 10.34.44

Gluten Free Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:
1+1/2 cups blanched almond flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1+1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or 1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)
1 medium-to-large sized zucchini
2 large eggs
2-3 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
1 very ripe banana, mashed
1 tablespoon melted coconut oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a loaf pan and set aside.
Grate the zucchini (sans the seeds!) onto a tea towel; you should have about 1 cup.  Roll the towel up and squeeze to remove excess moisture from the zucchini. Set aside.
Whisk dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.
In a larger bowl, mash the banana and then whisk in the eggs, agave, and coconut oil.  Stir in the zucchini.
Add dry ingredients to wet, whisking until well combined.
Pour batter into greased loaf pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, or ‘til a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥

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

♥  coleen

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Children of God

August 19, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogo

As of this past Saturday, I officially have a five year old son.  We have tried to instill knowledge of God in his life since he was old enough to talk and attend children’s Sunday school.  My husband informed me that our son saw the Bible we used at our wedding (it is considered the family Bible), and it has our names and wedding date are on that Bible.  Our son has requested his own Bible with his name and birth date only printed on the front.  My, my!  He is only five and already asking for a Bible.  Where does the time go?

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.
Psalms 19:2-3

Time flies…and life flies.  We are busy with work, school, family, etc.  Yet, a five year old boy can stop and ask for a Bible.  Every Saturday night and Sunday morning, a five year old boy can stop and ask if we are going to church.  If a five year old can stop and ask if he is going to church today or for his own Bible then so should we.  We should seek the Lord so we have knowledge of Him. We should pass this knowledge on to those who do not believe.  We should help God place a yearning for Him in our kids and those around us.  Pass the word along.  It spreads the knowledge of God to the ends of the earth.

We should seek God daily.  Noah and Moses looked for His guidance during their trials.  The prophets listened to God, and spread His message upon command.  Jesus commanded his disciples to spread the word and the knowledge of Jesus to the world.  Thanks to the Internet, telephone, airplanes, cars, boats, trains, Skype, etc., we can spread the knowledge of God to every language, nation, and culture in the world.  We can use our knowledge that was passed down from the disciples to spread the knowledge of God.

But Jesus said, “Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
Matthew 19:14

My son has asked for his own Bible.  I know that is mainly because of having his own name on there, but I also know that he yearns for God.  It never fails that he asks on Saturday nights if we are going to church tomorrow.  I hope that when he gets his own Bible in four and a half months that we can continue to help his yearning grow to the point he becomes a child of Jesus.  We are not going to hinder him or his sister from becoming a child of God.

* * * * *

Dear God, please give us the strength to spread Your word.  Bless us in our work for You.  Be with us as we spread Your word.  Thank You for the tools You have given us to finish the mission You have given us.   Amen.

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Fixing Your Eyes on Him

August 16, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogo

Psalms 141:8-9
But mine eyes are unto thee, O God the Lord; in thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute. Keep me from the snares which they have laid for me and the gins of the workers of iniquity.

Our God is a Sovereign God who by His mercies offer His divine protection to His very own. If you are born of Christ you are called His sons. We can ask God anything at anytime as long as we are able to realize who He is and how great He is. If we make God too small in our lives He will be as such; but if we live with faith and trust in Him we can pray and He will answer us and deliver us from workers of iniquity.

We have all experienced situations that seemed impossible to handle at the time. When things seem hopeless and you feel you are at your worst, that is the time to turn to God and seek Him with everything you have. You may feel you are alone in your circumstances but God is a ‘very present help in times of trouble’. While the facts of your situation may look bleak, the truth of God’s Word brings light, hope and deliverance. As long as we fix our eyes on Him…as long as we depend on Him. You can’t handle life’s challenges alone, and God doesn’t want you to. He loves you and as long as you believe this in your heart, you have access to His Divine intervention.

Let us pray to this faithful God. When we pray it is like we are calling Him to intervene in our situations the way David prayed. Don’t allow the devil to deceive you that God won’t help you. The enemy wants to steal your confidence in God.

I want to encourage you today, that no matter what you’re going through or facing, God knows your situation. He is willing and able to provide for you, protect you, and bring you to an expected end.  All you have to do is take refuge in Him and trust Him. Ask God today to help you and fix your eyes on Him. Look away from everything that distracts and focus on God. Never give up! Never throw in the towel! Never surrender! God will help you. God will see you through and you CAN live and walk in victory.  You can avoid and overcome the snares and gins of the workers of iniquity.

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank You for Your loving kindness. May You help us today to fix our eyes on You for You are the solid ground. In Jesus name I pray… Amen.

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Glorious Living w/ Coach Megan: Financial Freedom {part 1}

August 16, 2013 by

GL header

This week I have received several emails asking various questions about spending money- gaining financial freedom. I thought that the best way to handle this would be to break up this topic into several posts so as not to be too overwhelming and hopefully for it to be fairly easy to digest and put into practice! All of the emails I received had to do with the same questions….

How do you master money when you feel like money has actually mastered you?

How do I get in the black with my finances when I am always in the red?

How do I get out of debt?

Good thing for all of us that we CAN find financial freedom through sound Biblical principles for wise money management and solve all of our dollar dilemmas!

I don’t know about you, but my whole life, I believed societal myths about money and it wasn’t until I stacked them up against God’s truth that I was truly set free from them. Do any of these myths sound familiar? Let’s see how they stand up to God’s living truth!

Myth: Money is the root of all evil

Truth: No….. money can actually be used for great good. It is really the love of money that is wrong.

1 Timothy 6:10

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.

Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Myth: If I just have enough money, I will be satisfied.

Truth: Satisfaction with your financial situation does NOT come from the amount of money you have, but wisely managing what you have.

Ecclesiastes 5:10

Whoever loves money never has enough;
whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.

Myth: You must borrow money and pay it back in order to prove financial responsibility and establish good credit references.

Truth: Borrowing and paying back money is not always necessary to get credit. Most lenders are more than anxious to extend credit in order to collect inflated interest rates over an extended period of time. Why?

Proverbs 22:7

The borrower is slave to the lender.

The first aspect of this subject that I think is important for us to discuss is how to know whether you are trustworthy in the way you spend money. You must first desire to please the Lord in every way that you manage the financial resources He has given you. Before you purchase anything, it is good to ask yourself:

  • Is this purchase a true need or just a desire?
  • Do I have adequate funds to purchase this without using credit?
  • Have I compared the cost of competing products?
  • Have I prayed about this purchase?
  • Have I been patient in waiting on God’s provision?
  • Do I have God’s peace regarding this purchase?
  • Does this purchase conform to the purpose God has for me?
  • Is there agreement with my spouse about this purchase?

The Bible says:

1 Corinthians 4:2

Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.

Have you run your purchases through this filter? How would your spending habits be different if you did? I would love to hear all of your thoughts about this in a comment below. I think we would all agree that our money is not ours…. but it belongs to God and we are called to be good stewards of it. God is the owner of everything.  We are the managers of what He has entrusted to our care.

1 Chronicles 29:11

Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,

for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.

This scripture tells us that God is the owner of everything.  Stop and think about that for just a second.  How often do we insert the possessive pronouns of “my”, “mine”, or “ours” when talking about possessions?  It reminds me of a child who says: it’s “mine”, “mine”, “mine!”  But according to scripture house, cars, money and all possessions belong to God.

Most commonly the idea of people claiming money as “their” money leads them down the road of poor decision-making.  Think about all of the financially immoral acts in our society.  All of them typically occur because people make decisions with the perspective of it being “their” money versus it being God’s money.

  • When we acknowledge God’s ownership, every spending decision becomes a spiritual decision.  
  • We need to stop asking, “Lord, what do You want me to do with my money?” 
  • The question needs to be restated, “Lord ,what do You want me to do with Your money?”

Many blessings,

Coach Megan 🙂

 

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“I AM” Chapter 6 – Day 5: I AM…Able to Do Anything

August 16, 2013 by

Eph2_10

 

Hasn’t it been such a great joy and encouragement to consider just some of what I am (I AM) and who I am (I AM) IN CHRIST these past couple of weeks?  My heart has been revived and refreshed because of the TRUTH that has been presented in our I AM study.  I am so thankful for all that God revealed to Teresa as she wrote this book.  We have reflected upon the truth of who and what God has made us to be in Christ. Here in the Book of Ephesians, listen to this truth:

 

 

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.  For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us for adoption to sonship through HJesus Christ…In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us…In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will…And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance…those who are God’s possession—to the praise of His glory. — Excerpts from Ephesians 1:3-14

How about a little review?

I AM accepted
Colossians 1:12 and 13
…and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.  For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves…

I AM family
Galatians 4:4-7
But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.  Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”  So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

I AM free to be me
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

I AM fit for service
Ephesians 1:3-7
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.  For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.  In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.

I AM complete
Colossians 2:9 and 10
For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;

I AM significant
Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

I AM a branch of Christ
John 15:5-8
I am the Vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.  If you do not remain in Me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.  If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.  This is to My Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be My disciples.

I AM God’s workmanship (His masterpiece)
Ephesians 2:10
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

I AM a minister
Ephesians 4:3-6
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.  There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called;  one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

whew! …or rather… HALLELUJAH!  And who and what I AM in and through Christ leads us to—I AM able to do anything!  His grace covers me!

2 Corinthians 12:9

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my 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.

The Apostle Paul, sharing of us struggles to live for God’s glory, tells us what the Lord revealed to him.  This truth applies to our lives, too.  In our weakness(es) we, too, are given the sufficiency of Jesus’ power through His gracious help and provision.  Through all that I AM in Christ, I AM able!  God has provided for us in so many ways!

 

Let’s Pray:

Lord, we offer our hearts to You!  We stand in awe, so amazed and so thankful…hearts full of praise to the One Who has made us accepted, free, in Your family, fit to serve, complete, significant, a branch of the Vine, Your masterpiece, a minister of Yours, and able to do anything!  It is in Your Presence, Your indwelling of our hearts through Your Holy Spirit that we can be anything…and we are!  We are!!!  Thank You, Lord.  May You be honored and glorified as we live today in light of all that You have made us to be.  May our voices and our actions prove “I AM His!”  We praise You and we love You!

Amen.

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Salad Nicoise

August 16, 2013 by

Salad Nicoise small

 

Salad Nicoise sounds fancy, doesn’t it?  It makes me picture Paris fashion, little bistros with snooty waiters, and dining on vin and fromage by candlelight.  In reality, Salad Nicoise is just a dressed-up tuna salad!  This is one of my favorite dinner salads, combining satisfying protein, crunchy vegetables, and a few extra surprises.

Nothing too exotic to buy at the store here.  You probably don’t have Nicoise olives at your store (I’ve never seen them grocery shopping around Los Angeles), but you can easily find a jar of juicy black Kalamata olives.  I use romaine lettuce (it’s my absolute favorite!) but you can use any green lettuce, and I’ve eaten this on baby spinach too.  You don’t want to use anything too bitter, though, so stay away from a salad mix that has a lot of frisee, arugula, or escarole.  I didn’t have any in my fridge, but a couple of teaspoons of minced parsley would be nice sprinkled over the top.  You can use this as a jumping off point, and add in other ingredients you like:  tomatoes, diced bell pepper, pistachios, or capers.  Let your imagination run wild, French-style!

Salad Nicoise

(Makes 2 dinner salads.  Serve with bread and white wine if desired.)

Ingredients:

  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or wine vinegar (red or white is fine) plus one tablespoon reserved for potatoes
  • a pinch of sugar or one drop of honey
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 5-oz. bag of salad mix or 2 heads of romaine lettuce, washed and chopped
  • 3 or 4 hard-boiled eggs
  • 2 cans tuna, drained
  • 1 large red- or white-skinned potato (Russet potatoes aren’t as nice and fall apart – save them for baked potatoes)
  • 8 oz. fresh green beans
  • 1 jar kalamata or other large black olives
  • salt and pepper
  • optional:  minced parsley, basil or tarragon to sprinkle over top

Directions:

  1. Make the vinaigrette:  In a small container with a lid, add the mustard, 2 tablespoons lemon juice or vinegar, pinch of sugar, and olive oil, and shake to combine.  (The pinch of sugar offsets the mustard and vinegar – you don’t need to add it, but I think it mellows out the dressing a little.)
  2. Boil a large pot of water on the stove.  Wash the potato and green beans.  Chop the potato into one-inch chunks, and cut the green beans into one-inch pieces.  Add to the boiling water and simmer the potatoes for about ten minutes, then add the green beans and cook for 3 minutes more.  You should be able to just pierce a potato with a knife or a fork, but you don’t want the potatoes to break apart.  When the potatoes are done and just cooked through, drain the water, and sprinkle with the reserved tablespoon of vinegar.  Set aside.
  3. While the potatoes are cooking, make a bed of the lettuce in 2 large salad bowls.  Peel the hardboiled eggs and slice into quarters, lengthwise.  Drain the cans of tuna and flake with a fork.  Layer the tuna and eggs over the lettuce.
  4. Top the tuna with green beans, potatoes, and olives.  Season with salt and pepper.  Drizzle with the dressing and optional chopped herbs.

 

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana

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

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Answering the Call to Homeschool

August 15, 2013 by

Answering the Call to Homeschool www.girlfriendscoffeehour.com

Homeschooling was never on my radar. When our first child was about 15 months old, my husband graduated from college and we moved south to central Florida. We soon found a wonderful church where we became heavily involved. We loved it there! We were making close friends, I was serving in the children’s ministry, and together we took some of the marriage classes offered, to grow closer to God and to one another as a couple.

The church had a preschool and was also starting an elementary school. My ‘plan’ was to send my kids to preschool and elementary school there, and to eventually teach there myself. When my oldest was 3 years old, he entered the preschool program. My daughter was only 2 years younger and soon followed. By the time we had added our third child to the family, my son was entering kindergarten and we were wondering how we would afford private school for three children!

We decided to try public school. That lasted all of about 6 weeks, due to an illness in the family which required travel. My son was “missing too much school” and we were told he would fail the year if he missed more than 9 days in a semester. We decided to try homeschooling for the first time. Although it was going well, and I enjoyed teaching my children at home, it was not a permanent decision. By the beginning of the second semester, we had found a way to cut costs enough to swing tuition, and we re-enrolled our son and daughter in private school.

I began volunteering at the school because I wanted to be involved and be ‘in the know’ about school happenings. As my children learned and grew, we became ensconced in the school setting. We made great friends, participated in field trips, and generally enjoyed our time there. I missed my children, but kept busy with my baby and enjoyed our time together when they were home. As they each moved into their next grades, I found a sitter for my youngest and was able to spend even more time at the school. I was the ‘Friday Folder’ mom in my son’s 1st grade class. I saw what they were working on each week, listened to the teacher as she taught various lessons, and sometimes I graded papers. I even began walking with my son’s teacher some evenings because we lived near one another, and it was a great time of fellowship for me!

The end of the year came and went, and we were well into summer when there were rumblings about a temporary move. We were not sure if we should all move or if my husband should go alone, but eventually came to the decision to take everyone. Thus began our second, and very short, stint in the homeschooling world. With a 2nd grader, kindergartener, and 2.5 year old, I found it difficult to ‘do school’ and keep everyone happy. After 4 short weeks, I threw in the towel and put the kids in the neighborhood public school. Their time there ended up being very short as well, as the company shut down the program my husband was working on and our family headed back to Florida after just 9 weeks away!

Working My Plan

There were openings in the children’s grades, as well as an opening for a preschool teacher’s aide and an after-care worker, at the private school where our kids had been enrolled before. I accepted both. My dream to teach was about to come true! We began school just after Thanksgiving that year. My children were at the school from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day. I had found a daycare for my youngest son and I had also enrolled in college classes. I was preparing to get the teaching degree that I had always wanted.

We were all very busy and actually not very happy. My husband was the one to pick up my youngest from the sitter and he also often began dinner preparations. What a blessing he was! Still, that was not his role, it was mine. By February, I knew things weren’t working. We held a family meeting and decided that I would stick the year out with my teaching and classes but that the next year I would be done at 3 p.m. when my children were. I was thrilled with our plan, and I even had a real teaching job lined up for the following school year. I would teach 3 year olds from 8 to 12 and be able to pick up my kiddos  at 3 p.m., just as I had promised!

Surrendering My Plan to God

Over the summer I continued to take classes and left my children in daycare. I still didn’t get it, and God began to whisper to me:

How do you feel about missing your son perform during his Christmas play,  and for Mother’s Day? Shouldn’t you be teaching him?

He also brought to mind the verses from Deuteronomy 6: 4-9, and I wondered, how will I teach him if I am not with him?

We had also learned that our daughter had a vision problem and could not read, a requirement for the first grade environment. She would need more help than would be available. These two things caused me to consider homeschooling yet again.

It was a hard sell to my husband. I promised to stick out the entire year, even if I hated it. He hesitantly agreed. It was tough, but I knew that this time I had heard a clear call from God to do this. That is what made the difference! I have had to surrender some dreams, but answering the call to homeschool has given me new dreams, far and above anything I could have dreamed up on my own. We are entering our 8th year of homeschooling and I wouldn’t trade it for the world!

Please be sure to join me again next week, when I will answer the question: What IS homeschooling, anyway?

Blessings,

Wendy

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