May 6, 2026

At Home with GCH: Caprese Salad

Here on our At Home with GCH blog, Monday’s are always focused on healthy but oh-so-yummy! recipes.  This week I am sharing a dish that I often prepare for gatherings—Caprese Salad, aka Fresh Mozzarella and Tomato Salad.  Here we are thick in the season of bridal showers and graduation parties and Mother’s Day  and Father’s Day celebrations.  Today I made this for a bridal shower, and so I multiplied the recipe 4X.  It served over 40 ladies as a side dish on the salads table.  If you are preparing this in advance, add the vinegar and olive oil just prior to serving.

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Caprese Salad

8 ounces fresh mozzarella
1/2 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
basil * (fresh is best); if using dried, 1/2-3/4 teaspoon)
kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (I use ‘white’ balsamic)
1-2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

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Easy-peasy!  Depending on the size of the fresh mozzarella you have bought, you might need to cut the balls of mozzarella into small, bite-size pieces; halve the tomatoes, and sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste.  Thinly slice the basil*.  Add the sliced basil to the seasoned tomatoes and cheese.  Pour a small amount of olive oil and some of the balsamic vinegar over and gently mix. Taste; add more vinegar and olive oil, if necessary.  Serve immediately.

*tip: stack 3-4 basil leaves; tightly roll-up (like a tiny cigar!); then carefully slice into very thin slices. You have now accomplished the technique known as ‘chiffonade!’  You are amazing!  🙂

 

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

coleen

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If you would like to send a personal message to Coleen concerning this series, you may email her at: Coleen@girlfriendscoffeehour.com

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY Girlfriends Coffee Hour!!!

GCH_Anniversary

 

Woo Hoo!! Happy Anniversary to GCH!!!

1-year ago today, Girlfriends Coffee Hour published its first LIVE Online Bible Study on this website! We had just a few women sign-up for that study, and we had a blast!

Today, GCH, as we all so fondly call it, is now in 150+ Countries across the globe!! Never in a million years would I have ever dreamed that God could use a simple housewife from Southeast Wisconsin to help spread the Gospel!! Many times, I had to be reminded God’s God This!!  Don’t ever think that God can’t use just ordinary people!!  He can, and He will, if you let Him!!

Today, we have 20 women on our Ministry Leadership Team, who help keep this ministry functioning on a daily basis! Thank God, because there is no way this housewife from Wisconsin could do this on her own! I am so very BLESSED by this amazing Team of women who give so graciously of their time, prayers, support, and LOVE!! Truly without these women …. wow!

God has blessed this ministry in so many ways. Each day we dedicate GCH to Him in our prayers, and we give Him thanks for all that He has done, and continues to do.

The scripture that God gave us for this ministry is Proverbs 27:17 (NLT) “…as iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” In this ministry, we are blessed to sharpen each other. We are blessed to hold each other accountable to building our relationship with our Heavenly Father, and being the Leaders that He has called us all to be! We are blessed to have such a Sisterhood in this ministry, where faith, friends, and fellowship flourish in our Fellowship & Study Groups!

I give God all praise, honor, and glory, for Girlfriends Coffee Hour! I hope you will help us celebrate this week! We will be giving away some amazing prizes this week in honor of our anniversary! Stay tuned … on Monday (tomorrow) we will announce the first prize!! These prizes are going to bless your socks off!!

Be sure to leave a comment below to let us know how GCH has been a blessing in YOUR life! We’d love to hear from you!

Thank You ALL so very much for joining us this last year! We hope to see you around for many more years to come!!

May the Good Lord Bless You,

Christi Wilson
Founder of Girlfriends Coffee Hour

LOVE One Another

Last week, I brought up a simple fact: loving God = obedience to Him.  After delving into the Scriptures, we were convinced that there is no way around it: if we want to love God we must obey His commands.

For this is what LOVE for God is: to keep His commands.
1 John 5:3

This week, we will look at one very specific area in which our obedience (or disobedience) clearly shows our LOVE for Him—our LOVE for one another.

1 John 4:21
And we have this command from Him:
The one who LOVES God must also LOVE his brother.

God specifically communicates, just as distinctly as in 1 John 5:3, that LOVE for Him requires obedience.  If we LOVE God, we keep His commands—we obey Him.  His command in this area is that we must also LOVE our brother (and sister).  And we are encouraged that ‘yes! I CAN do this!’ because we know that His commands are not too hard for us “…His commands are not a burden…” (1 John 5:3b).

Jesus was preparing His disciples for His soon-coming death, resurrection and departure.  One of the very important things that He spoke to them about was this very thing—LOVE—when He told them,

This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples,
if you have LOVE for one another.
John 13:35

Think about that for a moment, please.  Was there ever anyone who loved more, or better, or more completely, or selflessly than our Lord?  No…not ever.  But, we understand from His communication with His disciples that they would be recognized as His by their LOVE for one another.  Just amazing, isn’t it?  Truly, I believe, we also are recognized as His by our LOVE for one another.  How blessed are we!!!

We all know the ‘LOVE’ chapter of the Bible…that’s right, 1 Corinthians 13.  Contained in that portion of the Scriptures is God’s definition of what LOVE is.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Love is patient,
Love is kind and is not jealous;
Love does not brag and is not arrogant,
does not act unbecomingly;
It does not seek its own, is not provoked,
does not take into account a wrong suffered,
does not rejoice in unrighteousness,
but rejoices with the truth;
bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails;

Dear children, let us not LOVE with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
1 John 3:18

The actions  are clearly defined for us in 1 Corinthians chapter 13:

  • being patient
  • kind
  • displaying no jealousy
  • or bragging
  • not being arrogant
  • acting becomingly (appropriately)
  • being selfless
  • not being provoked
  • not worrying about wrongs done to us
  • not rejoicing in unrighteousness
  • rejoicing in truth
  • bearing and believing and hoping and enduring all things

These are the actions—the attitudes of our hearts—that show, or prove, or display our LOVE.  Words are easy to say…but actions show the truth.  Amen?

Praying for you each (please pray for me, too!) as you endeavor to be obedient and to treasure the commands of our God.  Remember, loving God = obedience to His commands.  He has commanded that we LOVE one another and to LOVE with actions, not just idle words.

Let all that you do be done in LOVE.
1 Corinthians 16:14

Praying for each of you!

♥  coleen

LOVE God, LOVE People (lyrics)

how can i thank You for the way that you freely gave
LOVE so beautiful, unconditionally
had to stop, take a break, feelin’ good today
everything’s wonderful…You didn’t have to do this for me
but then i look and see all of the suffering, i wanna do something
but something’s gotta start with me

i can’t give it ‘til i live it
now that my eyes are open, teach me how to LOVE

LOVE God…LOVE people!  LOVE my neighbor as myself
my brother, my sister; everybody LOVE somebody

and now it’s time to make a change—revolution day
put it into action…live compassionately
you take the black and the white…red, yellow, brown
life gets better, it just gets better when we
we look around and see all of humanity
waiting on someone—someone is you and me

you can’t give it ‘til you live it
now that your heart is open, just reach out and LOVE

you can’t give it ‘til you live it
you can’t live it until you give it away
you can’t give it ‘til you live it
now that your heart is wide open, you gotta give all of your LOVE

you can’t live without giving LOVE
so let your heart be open; just reach out and, just reach out and LOVE <3

_________________________________

If you would like to send a personal message to Coleen, you may email her at:

Coleen@girlfriendscoffeehour.com, or leave a comment below.

At Home with GCH: Broccoli Bacon Salad

 

Broccoli Bacon Salad

Bacon!  Did that get your attention?  (My husband’s ears always perk up when he hears that word.)  This salad is a family favorite.  I love vegetables of every kind, but it’s nice to take a break from lettuce-based salads.  You probably have everything you need for this salad at home already.  If not, pick up some broccoli and let’s get to it!

Broccoli Bacon Salad

Ingredients:

  • one pound small broccoli florets, about 7 cups
  • 1/4 cup minced red onion
  • 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
  • 1/4 cup raisins
  • 4 strips bacon
  • 3/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sugar, honey, or other sweetener of choice
  • salt and pepper

Directions:

  1. In a large bowl, gently toss together the broccoli, onion, sunflower seeds, and raisins.
  2. Cook the bacon until done – I like it crunchy rather than chewy.  Drain and dice.  Add to the bowl and combine.
  3. Mix together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, sugar, and salt and pepper.  Pour over the broccoli mix and toss to combine.  Taste for seasoning – I usually add a little more lemon juice over the top.  Chill for an hour before serving.That’s it!  This salad is nice the next day, too, since the broccoli softens up a bit.

 

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana


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

Girls With Swords: Chapter 6 Weekly Review – “Becoming a Warrior”

Click Here for Next Week’s Reading Schedule

Welcome to Campground USA

Log Cabins, Nature Trails, Canoes,

Paddle Boats, Bikes, Fishing

Here we are again – -continuing our study in Girlfriends With Swords, by Lisa Bevere. Tonight, we will try to grab hold of what Becoming a Warrior means.  But, first let’s play a game with Chapters 1-5.

You might say these chapters took us through Basic Training, preparing us to be a warrior in God’s army.  In an effort to make sure their groups are spiritually fit for the front line of duty, Amy, Christi, Laurie, and Kim devised a Girls With Swords Trivia Game.

Here’s how it works:  Christi made cards with words or scriptures taught in Basic Training. A contest is going on between Group 1 and Group 2 to see who can be the first to answer all the questions on the cards.

If you missed the games, take a minute and play.  On your mark!  Get Set!  Go!

 

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GWS_TEST_Ch2

 

GWS_TEST_Ch3.jpg

 

GWS_TEST_Ch4

 

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Wasn’t that fun?  I need to review several of those scriptures.  I think I’ve been grazing and not feasting on the Word.  (Ugh)  Time to head over to the bonfire. I’m anxious to hear Teresa, Jennifer, Tonya, and Diane speak on Becoming a Warrior.

Teresa

Lisa gives us words a WARRIOR would understand:  strategy, intuition, vision, wisdom, patience, persistence, tenacity, a unified voice, and concerted effort. This requires us to develop Maturity as a Spiritual Warrior.

The Apostle Paul spoke to people in Hebrews 6 about becoming mature Christ followers. 

“So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God.  You don’t need further instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.  And so, God willing, we will move forward to further understanding.”  (NLT)

The basic teachings are very important.  Once a new believer understands the basic lessons, it is time to practice what was learned and “move forward” toward maturity. 

We have a CHOICE to believe, a CHOICE to mature,
and a CHOICE to live in a way that brings Honor and Glory to God the Father.

Jennifer

Girlfriends, warriors are not hired; they are called. David had an elite group of men fighting with him. They were not soldiers, hired to do a particular job. They were called to the task.

As Lisa said:  ”You are at once a daughter and a warrior.”  There is no separation between the two. If you are a part of God’s family—a part of His army—then you are one of His warriors.

I think many of us are scared to be warriors.  We want to just “get by.” But, I am challenging you today to rise up!

Face Your Fear Today and
Put Your Trust in God!

Tonya  

All soldiers are trained, but in addition to being trained, a warrior will be tempered.  For example:

  • A warrior isn’t quick to teach a lesson; they aren’t quick to avenge a wrong done.
  • They are compelled to offer grace and compassion, and to show God’s love.
  • They are led by God to do what is needed when it is needed, whether it is to offer grace, or to stand up and fight.
  • Warriors seize the opportunity to make a difference in an area where they can bless others and where God’s love can shine through them.

Lisa said: “the processing of tempering may not be pleasant or quick,”  but the outcome is this:  “the warrior woman, not only sees what our enemy is doing, but can follow God’s lead into battles with His promises in our hearts.’”

Are you ready to sign on to be
more than a soldier?

Diane

Have you opened your ears and heard the Lord call your name?  Are you covering your ears with fear of the unknown after you hear Our Mighty King whisper His warrior-princess’s name? 

  • Fear will always be a part of our lives, but it does not have to be the driving force behind our actions or lack thereof. 
  •  Fear, when placed in the right manner, will only drive us closer to God Himself.
  • We must fear God and keep His commandments.  We do this by coming to a revelation of Who God truly is and what He has truly done for us.  This revelation drives us to be obedient because of the deep love we possess for our One and Only King. 

All of us have a perfect will for our lives, and also a perfect love that drives out any fear that tries to prevent us from living out God’s perfect will for us. 1 John 4:18 says:  There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.

As warrior-princesses-in-training,
we all possess God’s perfect love in our hearts.
Where God’s love is, fear doesn’t stand a chance.

**********

After Diane spoke, praise and worship lasted into the midnight hour under the glow of the heavenly lights. 

Something else very exciting has been taking place at our meetings.  Word has gotten around the campground about “those women” who gather nightly at the bonfire.  First there were one or two outsiders who visited the meetings, and now a big crowd has joined us.  Lisa said:  “Warriors will lead and irresistibly compel others to join the cause.” 

You go, girlfriends!  MIGHTY WARRIORS YOU ARE!

Let’s pray:  Father God, I thank You that You have called us to be warriors.  May we not take Your calling carelessly, but serve You with honor, and free of fear.  In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen

*****

If you would like to join us for the “Girls with Swords” Online Bible/Book study, click HERE to be taken to our sign-up page.  Once you complete the enrollment process, we will email you further details.  We hope you will join us!

Glorious Living w/ Coach Megan: Getting Past the Hurt

GL header

My sweet Megan!

I have a friend who used me in hopes to gain something better for her daughter through a sport they are both involved in. After realizing that I was not able to offer any more than what she was already receiving, she got angry at me and started speaking badly of me. I am hurt, #1 because she was just using me and had not intention of actually being a friend #2 because of the negative things she has been speaking about me. I want to forgive and move on, but am struggling with complete forgiveness. How do I move on? I need some life coaching!! I need to know what a woman of God would do to resolve & get passed this issue!!
~S

My dear S,

It sounds as if rejection is at the root of this issue and I believe that once you deal with that rejection by healing the wound in your heart, you will be able to move forward.

Psalm 34:18

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted

and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

All of us are created with three God-given inner needs: for love, significance, and security. Because people fail people, it is essential not to let other people define who you are. Realize that rejection can easily skew your view! Now I realize that there was more to your hurt than the initial rejection of thinking she was a true friend but finding out she was using you…. but please stay with me through this discussion because I believe it will help to talk about rejection as a whole and I promise to bring it together for you at the end! 🙂

Deuteronomy 31:8

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.

Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

How do you accept yourself when others reject you?

1. Focus on the facts, not feelings.

First off, you must admit the rejection of the past and acknowledge its pain. Ask God to bring to mind every rejection from your childhood to the present, and then consider the circumstances of each situation. {Yes, we bring past hurts to present situations}. Then, acknowledge the wide range of feelings of rejection you experienced with each past event. Release to God the pain AND the person(s) involved. Ask God to heal the physical, emotional, and spiritual damage caused by each of these painful experiences of rejection.

Lamentations 3:19

I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitternessand the gall.

2. Claim God’s acceptance and unconditional love

Confess God’s love for you and all the ways He has shown you His love {like Christ dying for you}. Cite Psalms 139:1-18 and praise God for your life and His divine creation and plan for it. Convey your appreciation to God for His love of you by loving Him with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Love others as He loves you.

3. Choose to forgive those who rejected you

Consider all the hurt and anger you feel over your rejection. Realize the cost of withholding forgiveness {a bitter spirit building up inside you, which will cause trouble and spread to those around you}. Commit to forgiving those who rejected you just as Christ forgave those who rejected Him (including you). Write down their names, their offenses, and the pain caused you. Then release each person, offense, and pain into the loving hands of God.

Colossians 3:13

Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone.

Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

4. Expect future rejection as natural in a fallen world

Empty yourself of the pride that drives your desire to be accepted by everyone. Since gaining everyone’s approval is impossible, commit yourself to pleasing God. Empathize with others who feel rejected by friends, family, employers, business associates, or anyone else important to them. Embrace the truth that as a believer, you will experience rejection, just as Jesus did. You are not exempt from being rejected in daily life.

1 Peter 4:12

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you,

as though something strange were happening to you.

5. Secure Scripture in your mind to produce new thought patterns

Purpose to renew your mind by selecting meaningful scriptures to read. meditate on, and commit to memory. Plan a specific time each day to read God’s Word and pray. Partner with someone who will hold you accountable for applying God’s truth to your heart.

Romans 12:2

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is— his good, pleasing and perfect will.

6. Thank God for what you have learned through your rejection

  • “Thank you, Lord, for using my pain to make me more dependent on you.”
  • “Thank you, Lord, for using my pain to make me less dependent on people.”
  • “Thank you, Lord, for using my pain to make me more dependent on Your Word.”

Psalm 119:71

 It was good for me to be afflicted
 so that I might learn your decrees.

7. Encourage others as an expression of Christ’s love.

Give compassion to those who are hurting as someone who has been hurt. Lift them in prayer, faithfully praying for them and with them. Ease emotional wounds by embracing those in pain and encouraging them to talk.

Hebrews 3:13

 Encourage one another daily

8. Draw on the power of Christ’s life within you

  • “I will see Christ as my security whenever I feel insecure.”
  • “I know that I have all I need, for Jesus will meet all my needs.”
  • “I will daily set aside my selfish desires in favor of His desires, saying ‘Not my will, but Yours, be done.'”

Philippians 4:13

I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

While rejection is real and it hurts, we need to make sure that we are keeping our feelings in check as they can be so deceptive. We need to be careful not to take on someone else’s issue as our own and through forgiveness and loving as Christ loves, we free ourselves from hanging on to the yuck that keeps us from moving forward in such circumstances. No it is not easy, but it IS possible as God calls us to this in His Word. Seeking God through such trials and letting Him soothe your deep wounds is the only way to live free and get past the hurt. I pray this guides you though healing and is a blessing to you <3

Lord, give us Your unfailing compassion as we walk through tough relationships and help heal all the places we are hurting. We yearn to not stay stuck, but to get past out hurt and break free for good. Thank You for the guidance we find in Your Word. May You get all the glory as our hearts and relationships are restored, Lord! In Your Son’s matchless name we pray, Amen <3

Blessings,

Coach Megan 🙂

Girls with Swords: Chapter 6 – “Hear the Call” – “A Tale of Two Kings” (pgs 98-104)

Have you opened your ears and heard the Lord call your name?  Are you covering your ears with fear of the unknown after you hear Our Mighty King whisper His warrior-princess’s name?  Whether you embrace it or not, we all have warrior potential traced throughout the perfect will God has for us.  Whether you choose to hear it or not, the King of Kings is calling your name.  He is calling you to a life in which you bring glory to His name through your very own.

Fear will always be a part of our lives, but it does not have to be the driving force behind our actions or lack thereof.  Fear, when placed in the right manner, will only drive us closer to God Himself.  We must fear God and keep His commandments.  We do this by coming to a revelation of Who God truly is and what He has truly done for us.  This revelation drives us to be obedient because of the deep love we possess for our One and Only King.  When we let Satan get in the middle he uses fear to paralyze us when indeed it was intended to help run the race that is marked ahead for us!

All of us have a perfect will for our lives, and we also have a perfect love that drives out any fear that tries to prevent us from living out God’s perfect will for us.

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

As warrior-princesses-in-training we all possess God’s perfect love in our hearts.  Where God’s love is, fear doesn’t stand a chance.  Remember why you are able to take your stand against fear: because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross, and let all that you do be a testament of His surrendered life.  This is how we are able to bring God glory—we surrender our lives to His.  When I picture God receiving glory, I picture a beautiful song playing throughout Heaven for Him to enjoy.  I desire God to hear that song always.  In order to hit the play button I must stop muting His song, start giving Him glory for all He does through my life, and let the praises be a sweet, sweet sound in His ear!

Let’s all surrender our lives to being a princess-warrior for Christ and live for the day we can dance in Heaven with His glorious song playing in the background!

 *****

Let’s all get excited together for Chapter 7!

“Lovely One, you are the daughter of a triumphant Warrior-King.  The warrior’s sword you carry represents honor, virtue, courage, beauty, loyalty, and freedom from fear.  In the next section we will learn how to wield these with purpose”  (page 104).

 

Let’s Pray: 

Thank You, Lord, for sending Your Son to surrender His life for ours.  Please let us learn to surrender our lives to Your perfect will.  Give us the strength to carry on in this life as a warrior-princess.  Let all of the glory go to You alone.  We praise You and thank You for empowering us to live for You.  Amen.

Girls With Swords: Chapter 6 – “Becoming A Warrior” – “Saul’s Warrior Son” (Pgs 90-98)

I never used to look at the term soldier and warrior as two different people, two different meanings, but after the past few weeks I am noticing a significance difference. While a soldier isn’t less important, less needed or lower than a warrior, a warrior possesses traits I want to strive for. I want to be a soldier that matures into a warrior. I want to “sign on to be more than a soldier”. I want to be tempered until I am the warrior God designed me to be. I looked up the term tempering because to be honest I’ve only really heard it in reference to chocolate (which I feel is one of God’s food choices for us women warriors).

Tempering may refer to:

Like Lisa said “the processing of tempering may not be pleasant or quick”.  But imagine the outcome.  Imagine being the warrior woman who not only sees what our enemy is doing, but one who can follow God’s lead into battles with his promises in our hearts.

2 Kings 6:16-17

So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”  And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

Romans 8:31

 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Imagine walking into battles without the “blinding fear” that has stopped us in the past. Imagine walking into battles, big and small, private and public, wanting to give our all, wanting to be an example for others, wanting to be different than those around us.

The example of Elisha instructing the King not to slaughter his enemies, but instead to honor them and gift them with a feast was surprising to me, but it made sense. A warrior isn’t quick to teach a lesson, they aren’t quick to avenge a wrong done. But in the right situations they are compelled to offer grace, and compassion. They are compelled to show God’s love, they are led by God to do what is needed when it is needed, whether it is to offer grace, or to stand up and fight.

When we see a “lion with a lamb in his mouth”, when we see an area where we can make a difference, an area where we can bless others, an area where God’s love can shine through us, we as warriors need to seize the opportunity. We need to face each day, each task, and each battle with the perspective of more than just a soldier; we need to face these with the perspective of a warrior. We need to allow ourselves to be tempered.  We need to step back and allow God to mold us into the warriors He desires us to be, and to be the David’s and Jonathon’s of our time.

Let’s ask ourselves ladies: 

MoreThanASoldier.jpg

Let’s Pray:

Lord I pray that we walk with Your promises in Romans 8:31, I pray that we believe that no one, or nothing can be against us when You are for us. I pray that You open our eyes to see those standing behind us when we need it.  I pray that we become more than soldiers, and that we desire to be more and do more. Thank You Lord for this task, and thank You for Your guidance.  In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Easy Healthy Lunch to Go by Crystal Breaux, Wellness Coach/Fitness Designer

 

One of the biggest challenges for busy women can be finding the perfect healthy lunch. Packing the same old sandwich or salad every day can become boring and frustrating. When at a loss, it is easy to slip into old habits such as grabbing whatever is available or eating at the mercy of your nearest fast food restaurant. For busy women, we want variety and an easy healthy lunch to go. One of my new favorites is a Black Bean Power Salad.

RECIPE:

• 1 cup whole-kernel corn

• 2 cans (16oz each) of black beans, rinsed and drained

• ¼ cup chopped parsley

• 2 TBS minced red onion

• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar

• 2 TBS olive oil

• 1 tsp lemon juice

• 1 tsp minced garlic

• 1 tsp honey or brown sugar

• Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, combine the corn, beans, parsley, onions, vinegar, oil, lemon juice, garlic, and honey or brown sugar. Let it marinade for the 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

NUTRITIONAL VALUE:

Calories 417.6

Fat 6.9

Sodium 220.3

Protein 21.7

Fiber 21.3

It is so delicious and look at the fiber and protein…..a guarantee to keep you full and satisfied. I make it right after church on Sunday to prepare for my upcoming week. It just takes a few minutes each morning or the night before to pack my easy healthy lunch to go. To add a little more protein, I add any leftover grilled chicken (nutritional value not included with chicken). For variety, I reduce my serving size and add cheese and crackers. All together, here is my lunch to go.

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Don’t forget your calories with crackers which can add up quickly. My favorite cracker that gives me the most bang for the buck is Triscuits Thin Crisp. At only 150 calories for 15 crackers, half of a serving is perfect.

TriscuitThinCrispsOriginal8_5oz240g500Combine with string cheese at 80 calories and you Black Bean Power Salad and you have an easy healthy lunch to go.

 

Eating Healthy, 

Crystal Breaux

Wellness Coach/Fitness Designer

 

 

Girls With Swords: Chapter 6 – “The Enemy’s Target” – “The Original Warrior” (pgs 84-90)

war·ri·or
/ˈwôrēər/
Noun: (esp. in former times) A brave or experienced soldier or fighter.
Synonyms: fighter – soldier – combatant

I am reading through a Chronological Bible with my church this year. We are currently reading about David and I was drawn to a study note in my Life Application Study Bible as it relates to this section of our book. Here it is verbatim:

David surrounded himself with great warriors, the best of the Israelite army. What qualities made them worthy to be David’s warriors and servants? (1) They had practiced long and hard to perfect their skills (with bow, sling, and spear); (2) they were mentally tough and determined (“fierce as lions”); (3) they were physically in shape (“as swift as deer”); (4) they were dedicated to serving God and David. Weak leaders are easily threatened by competent subordinates, but strong leaders surround themselves with the best. They are not intimidated by able and competent followers. (1 Chronicles 12:1-7, note 12:1ff)

Now, although this passage is referring more to the actual men who fought in the battles, I feel that this passage can be applied to us as women warriors today.

  1. We must study the Word, delight in it, meditate on it day and night (Psalms 1:2). It must soak into our being and become a part of who we are and who we want to portray to this world. We should strive to draw into God’s presence every single day so that we can strengthen ourselves for whatever battles lay ahead of us.
  2. Studying the Word, our s(word) gives us strength and courage. It drives out fear. It helps us move forward when God gives us that nudge to do what we know we must do. It helps us to be tough and to stand strong against the attacks of the enemy.
  3. God wants us to lay aside all of our desires and offer ourselves as a living sacrifice to Him (Romans 12:1), to put all of our energy and focus at His feet and trust Him to guide us where we need to be.
  4. By studying the Word and placing our trust in God, we are pronouncing with undivided loyalty that we will serve the Lord and Him alone.

Girlfriends, warriors are not hired; they are called. David had an elite group of men fighting with him. They were not soldiers, hired to do a particular job. They were called to the task. Do you know that…”You are at once a daughter and a warrior” (page 86)? There is no separation between the two. If you are a part of God’s family—a part of His army—then you are one of His warriors. I think many of us are scared to be warriors, though. We want to just “get by.” But, I am challenging you today. It is time to rise up!

Are you not moving forward with something God is calling you to do? DO IT!

Is fear preventing you from living the glorious life God has planned for you?

FEAR_GWS_Ch6

Having trouble forgiving someone who hurt you deeply? TAKE YOUR BURDEN TO THE LORD. LET HIM HAVE IT. AND FORGIVE.

Ladies, our Lord needs His warrior daughters. Whatever your problem, take it to Him. Soak in His Living Word and let Him speak to you. He will guide you…if you let Him.

Let’s Pray: Father God, help us to rise up as the warrior daughters You created us to be! We know that Your perfect love casts out all of our fears. Help us to claim this promise from Your Word today and place our trust fully in You. Whatever each of these ladies is facing today, Father, I pray that You speak directly to her heart, show her the next step she should take. Surround her with Your comforting and loving presence. I know how much You love every single one of us, Lord. Help us to live the glorious lives You designed us to live. In Jesus mighty name, I pray, AMEN!

Just DO IT!

Jennifer