May 6, 2026

Life’s Healing Choices: Chapter 5 – The Transformation (Reading Assignment)

February 3, 2013 by

Choice 5: Voluntarily submit to every change God wants to make in my life and humbly ask Him to remove my character defects.

“God blesses those people who want to obey Him more than to eat or drink.  They will be given what they want!” (Matthew 5:6 CEV)

The hardest part for those of us who like to be in control of our circumstances (and lives) is surrendering ALL to His authority, and being willing to submit to EVERY change He brings to us.  John Baker starts Chapter 5 by describing how it’s against our nature to change our behaviors.  It’s so much easier to keep doing what we’ve been doing.  It’s been said that changing a habit takes around 30 days of consistent behavior to make it stick.  How many of us actually try for that long?  Here we are in February, how many of you are holding firm to the New Year’s resolutions you made?

The scars we bear from our life experiences did not happen overnight, and we cannot expect change to be rapid.  Over the past four weeks, we’ve been preparing our hearts and minds for the changes God wants to do in our lives.  He’s been working in us through this time, but it’s also been a time of preparation.  Romans 12:1, 2 says that we are to “be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind He will find acceptable…let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect” (NLT).

Do you take the time to read a passage in different translations?  Sometimes you can get more insight, clarification, and direction by what the various translations offer.  From The Message, we read the same passage in Romans, “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your every day, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.”

How awesome is that?  God is helping us.  God wants the best for us.  He will change us inside and out.  Another promise of The Father we can hold on to when we don’t think we can keep on this journey.

Chapter 5 will discuss where our character defects come from, why it takes so long to get rid of them, and how we cooperate with God during this transformation process.  A key point for me in this process is to remember my identity in Christ, who He says I am.  Baker says, “Notice their identity is in their belief in Christ…they do not allow character defects to become their identity” (pp 133, 134).

Almost 17 years ago, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia.  It’s a chronic pain syndrome that many don’t fully understand.  Even with almost 11 years together, my husband still doesn’t “get it” on many days, though he has learned to be more patient and tolerant of my episodes.  Pain, muscle tenderness, weakness and tingling are common place for me.  On a daily basis something hurts, usually my back, hips and shoulders.  But I also get tingling and swelling in my feet and hands; and fatigue…oh boy, do I get tired!  Some days I feel like I over-exerted myself the day before.  Other days, I feel like I’m battling the worst flu virus ever.  And, the only thing I can do is manage symptoms; there is no cure.  I have medications to take.  I give in to the afternoon nap.  I opt to sit as an observer than push my body in an activity I know I’ll regret later.  I get massages (much too infrequently) from a therapist who knows how to treat my body.  And, I try to enjoy walking as an easy, low-stress exercise for my body.  Keeping it moving helps keep it from tightening up even more.

Now, I know there are people with fibromyalgia who are truly affected more severely than I am, so this is not meant to disregard the severity of their situations.  Many are unable to work, enjoy activities, or function on a normal level.  I’ve never been affected so badly that I cannot “do life.”  I may not want to do something, but it’s a mental attitude not a physical limitation.  But what if I gave in to my pain and let it determine who I am?  If I focused on what I have, rather than who I am, how much different would my life be?  I might refuse to leave my bed.  I might quit my job because it’s just too much effort.  I might refuse to care for my family; instead asking them to tend to my needs.

But I am a person with fibromyalgia.  It does not have me.  Just like I am a child of Christ with sin, sin does not have me.  I have freedom in Christ.  And, it’s His freedom that also provides comfort during my fibro-flares (periods when it is worse).  It is His strength that pushes me through.  It is His wisdom that guides my doctors for management.  And, oddly, it’s a blessing in my life at times because the flares cause me to rest, and be thankful that my infliction truly isn’t that bad in the scheme of things.

So what defines you?  Do you believe you cannot change because it’s “just the way you are?”  Do you see yourself as the addict or victim?  Or do you see yourself as God sees you.

James 4:10 

Humble yourselves before the Lord,

and he will lift you up in honor. (NLT)

Reading Assignment for Week 4: Chapter 4 of Life’s Healing Choices

Monday: Laurie will discuss Principle 5: The Transformation Choice
Tuesday: Leslie will discuss Why Does It Take So Long?
Wednesday: Kim will discuss How Do We Cooperate With God?
Thursday: Amy will discuss Make The Choice
Friday: Laurie will bring it all back home with a recap of our week

Let’s Pray:

Lord, so many times we view our scars and afflictions as bad things in our lives.  Help us to see these as tools used by Your Hand to change and transform us into the daughters You want us to be.  You desire only the best for us.  You gave Your very best to us in Your Son, Jesus.  Show us the defects within that keep us from freedom and peace.  Allow us to humbly bow to You wisdom and correction in this process.  Amen.

 

Power Verses for Chapter 5:

Psalm 37:5

Matthew 5:6

Romans 12:1, 2

Philippians 1:6

James 4:10

1 Peter 1:13, 14

1 John 1:9

2 Thessalonians 3:3

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If you are interested in joining us for the amazing online Bible study, and would like to join our private Facebook Discussion Group, click HERE to sign up.  Once we receive your registration, we will email you further details.

If you would like to send Amy a private email in regards to this blog, please email her at: Amy@girlfriendscoffeehour.com

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Seeking His Face in Your Lonely Place

February 2, 2013 by

Today’s blog is a little bit different than my typical Saturday blogs.  I decided to take a week off from the Letters from God series to share with you something that the Lord showed me this week that truly changed not only my heart, but my perspective on some things too.  I am so excited to share with you what the Lord taught me.

Let’s pray together before I share: Heavenly Father, we come to You today asking You to join our hearts together with Yours.  Lord, help us to get rid of all the lies and yuckiness that tries to make its way into our hearts.  Please fill our hearts with Your never ending, never fading love and truth.  You truly are our heart’s Desire.  I pray that eyes are opened, hearts are changed and You are praised!  Only You are capable of such miracles.  Lord, I am giving all of the control over to You, guide my finger tips with Your words.  I pray You alone get all of the glory forever and ever, Amen.

It all started with the word “lonely.”  How many of you detest the feelings associated with that word?  Really think about it for a moment.  What are the first feelings that come to mind when you hear the word “lonely?”  Prior to four days ago, the first thing I feel when the word is brought to my attention is this sad, depressing, pathetic feeling of never having anyone and simply dreading the next time that word will become my reality.  The best way to describe loneliness in my life (prior to four days ago) is a black cloud right above my head darkening my heart every time I end up in a solitary place…alone.  This is not me being dramatic…this is me being honest with you.  I remember crying out to God with tears, big tears streaming down my face because the thought of being alone…again…was just too much for me to bear.  I quickly learned that I am never alone because God is always with me, and that truly brought so much comfort to my lonely places, but it did not cure my loneliness.  As much as I hate to admit it, sometimes even knowing the truth is not enough for me to feel it in my heart.  Is anyone with me on that?

I happen to know for a fact that I am not alone in this struggle, no pun intended.  It is a fact that every person struggles, at one point or another, with loneliness.  I am writing this today to show you hope in your lonely places.  I am here to show you we all have the cure for loneliness already within us!  I believe God wants to share with you how to take your knowing His truth one step further—feeling His truth in your heart!

Four days ago I read Luke 5:15, 16 “Yet, the news about Him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses.  But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”  This verse has opened my eyes and changed my perspective on loneliness.

I believe with all of my heart that those two verses found in the Book of LIFE will open YOUR eyes and change YOUR perspective on loneliness TOO, if you let them!

When Jesus was walking around on the Earth in the flesh, being Jesus, He drew crowds of people to Him.  I imagine He did not have to worry about being alone; someone always desired to be near Him.  Jesus embraced those crowds and did amazing miracles and helped so many find healing and freedom through God’s perfect power.  We also see that Jesus chose lonely places to spend time with God in prayer!  WOW!!  Does this realization pull on your heartstrings???  It pulled on mine, big time.  Jesus DESIRED lonely places to spend time with God!!!  Here we see the pure form of the word lonely.  Lonely places are meant to be spent with God.  Loneliness is supposed to be a time for prayer with our Father in Heaven.  What is it that our hearts want when we are alone? Is it a crowd?  Surely God will be our crowd when we are alone!

LonlinessKnowing this, can you see so clearly now what we have let Satan do with this word.  We have given Him control over our loneliness.  It is so bad that sometimes you do not even have to be alone to feel this pain of loneliness through your soul.  Satan uses loneliness against us!  He will try so hard to keep us from spending time with God.  He will fill our hearts and thoughts with lies about the world loneliness and everything associated with it.  The last thing Satan wants us to be doing in our lonely places is to be spending that time with God.  Instead of praying in our lonely places we are simply sulking in our loneliness.  We become distracted in this time by lies.  Loneliness ends up pulling us further away from God when it was designed for just the opposite: to draw us closer.  How awesome would it be for God to look down on us from Heaven and see that in our loneliness we are no longer turned away from Him, but looking up at Him seeking His face!  How awesome would it be to give God control of our loneliness instead of Satan!

The way to feel God’s truth and not just know His truth in our hearts is to make the choice to feel.  If you know God’s truths and desire to feel the benefits, you must let those truths REIGN IN YOUR HEART WITH GOD! 

Thank You Jesus for opening our eyes.  Thank you for our lonely places!

Be Blessed, 

Diane

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If you would like to send Diane a private email in regards to this blog post, please email her at: Diane@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com

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Seeking Him – In His Presence

February 2, 2013 by

This week in our current series, Seeking Him, we will focus on the joy of intentionally seeking the Lord and His presence during our quiet time.

Each Saturday we have been looking in-depth at a few of the most important aspects of having a dedicated, purposeful quiet time.  At the beginning of this series I had the privilege of sharing with you a few thoughts from some friends about their own quiet time.  Gathering from their experiences, there seem to be a few basics which include:

Bible reading
Prayer
Praise Songs
Meditation
Seeking the Lord

As we have taken the time each week to consider each of these aspects in turn, we have learned that the quality and the depth of our quiet time is truly based on our hearts’ attitude as we enter into it each day.  If we force ourselves to simply eke out a few minutes…sing a song…and read a few verses…voice a quick prayer—and be done—we surely are not going to experience the joy of what the Psalmist communicates as he wrote about how important his time with the Lord was. Here is just one example from the book of Psalms where we read of David expressing his absolute need of, desire for, love for seeking his God and being in His presence.  Listen….

Psalms 27:4-11
One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek, inquire for, and [insistently] require:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord [in His presence] all the days of my life,
to behold and gaze upon the beauty [the sweet attractiveness and the delightful loveliness]
of the Lord and to meditate, consider, and inquire in His temple.
For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter;
in the secret place of His tent will He hide me; He will set me high upon a rock.
And now shall my head be lifted up above my enemies round about me;
in His tent I will offer sacrifices and shouting of joy;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.
Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud; have mercy and be gracious to me and answer me!
You have said, Seek My face [inquire for and require My presence as your vital need].
My heart says to You, Your face (Your presence), Lord, will I seek,
inquire for, and require [of necessity and on the authority of Your Word].
Hide not Your face from me; turn not Your servant away in anger,
You Who have been my help! Cast me not off, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation!
Although my father and my mother have forsaken me,
yet the Lord will take me up [adopt me as His child].
Teach me Your way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain and even path
because of my enemies [those who lie in wait for me].

Can you feel yourself being drawn into David’s experience?  Can you ‘hear’ the passion in his voice?  Can you understand, to an extent, just how very much David yearned to just dwell in his Lord’s presence?

Here…try this: read these verses through again and this time, in each place where David speaks of and about himself, think of yourself.  Put your name in there.  Try it, would you?

Almighty God desires to make Himself known to you.

He wants you to seek Him with all your heart.

“As we seek Your face…May we know Your heart…Feel Your presence, acceptance…As we seek Your face.   At Your feet we fall…Sovereign Lord…We cry ‘holy! holy!’…At Your feet we fall.”

Keep seeking Him and enjoy your quiet time with your Lord!  As you seek Him, He will be found…He promises!

Jeremiah 29:12,13
Then you will call upon Me, and you will come and pray to Me,
and I will hear and heed you.
Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity]
and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

Praying for each of you!  I know that the Lord will answer your heart’s cry as you are seeking Him with ALL your heart!

♥ coleen

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

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Life’s Healing Choices – Chapter 4 Review

February 1, 2013 by
  • Realize I am not God
  • Earnestly believe that God exists, that I matter to Him, that He has the power to help me recover
  • Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ’s care and control
  • OPENLY EXAMINE AND CONFESS MY FAULTS TO MYSELF, TO GOD, AND TO SOMEONE I TRUST
  • V
  • E
  • R
  • Y

 

Matthew5_8

Wow, ladies, after this week I am so glad for that verse – “Happy are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”   The thought that as my heart continues to be refined and purified, I will see God.  As I look around I see Him daily, in the clouds, the flowers, my sons, my work, songs, and in each post and response from all of you amazing women.  God is so good, isn’t He?

The first part of the week we talked about what guilt can do to us:  destroy our confidence, damage our relationships, and keep us stuck in the past.  But through all the guilt, shame, and regrets we may have from our past sins, as we cry out (like David) for God to create that clean and pure heart within us, He is always faithful to forgive and cast our sins as far as the east is from the west.  We begin to chip away at the junk that the past has built up within that heart.

I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden.  I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. (Psalm 32:5)

And they shall rebuild the old ruins; they shall raise up the former desolations and repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations. (Isaiah 61:4)

Tuesday, Leslie made this challenge: Are you ready to take this step and transform your life?  Are you ready to Make time to begin your inventory? Are you ready to Open your heart and mind to allow the feelings that have blocked your healing and recovery then Rely on God’s grace to complete that healing He has for you?  Are you ready to Analyze your past, step out of your denial of the past and step into the truth of the present? Finally, are you ready to List the events of your past?  Please, please, please make sure you list both the good and the bad choices of your past.  We caution you to not just list the bad; there are good choices you have made that you need to list and praise God for those choices, too.

If we freely admit that we have sinned, we find God utterly reliable and straightforward. He forgives our sin and makes us thoroughly clean from all that is evil. (1 John 1:9) 

“Come now, let’s settle this,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.” (Isaiah 1:18) 

Wednesday, Kim shared how “more, much more than this” she did it her way, as many of us have and may still be trying.  However, there is a time to realize we cannot move forward until we let go of our past by confessing our past to someone else and to our Heavenly Father.  We need to have an accountability partner, someone you can trust and who understands what you are saying is valuable, as a treasure to be handled with care.  Someone who will not sit with their jaw dropped as you speak or gasp when you bear your heart.  And finally someone who knows the Lord, who will be your friend, as well as accountability and prayer partner.

I sought the Lord and He answered me, and He delivered me from my fears. (Psalm 54:4)

Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the Heavenly prize for which God through Christ Jesus is calling us. (Philippians 3:13, 14)

Amy closed us out with praying for God’s help through this.  We need to armor up and tap into His power in order to “examine our ways and test them.”  When you begin to write your inventory remember five areas: the person whom you resent or fear; the specific actions that was related to that person; what cause – action effected your life both in past and present; the damage done to your basic needs (social, security or sexual); then honestly determine what part you are responsible for.  Ask God to show you your part.  We want to make a strong point in those areas of abuse – when you come to the area of what part did you have responsibility for –write NONE or NOT GUILTY – begin feeling freedom from the shame and guilt you have been carrying around with you. Finally, share those areas you wrote with someone you trust, that accountability partner or trusted friend.  This road is not to be traveled alone.

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. (Ecclesiastes 4:9, 10)

They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony….  (Revelation 12:11)

He is able to do abundantly beyond anything that we can think or ask. (Ephesians 3:20)

Ladies, as you are writing your inventory, this is an amazing journey to healing and freedom.  Our Heavenly Father wants to give you anything you can ask for and more.  This is not to be taken lightly as you have carried around these hurts, habits, or hang-ups for some time now.  It may not go away overnight; however know that He has already overcome the world (John 16:33).

I want to circle back around to “create in me a clean heart.”  Read on in Psalm 51, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.  T

hen I will teach transgressors your ways,

so that sinners will turn back to you

” (verses 12, 13).  Your journey of confessing your faults, taking time with the Lord, writing your inventory, and sharing with your accountability partner will restore your joy. And it could be such an encouragement for someone God may place in your path that needs to hear your story (His story) at just the right place and just the right time! You will forget the past and look forward to the finish line He has prepared for you.  As Leslie challenged us on Tuesday: Are you ready to take this step and transform your life?

 

 

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Let’s Pray:

Oh, Father, we come and sit at Your feet with humbled hearts.  You know we have made both good and bad choices.  Your word says be strong and courageous that You will never leave us nor forsake us.  Father, that is what we are asking, that You give us the strength and courage to follow through this step in chipping away at our past hurts or habits and sharing with a trusted person – one You have placed in our path. Thank You for each woman You have placed in this study; bless them Father.  Take away any guilt or shame they have or are feeling and replace that with the joy and peace that only You can give. We thank You for taking us on this journey and showing us Your incomparable grace.  We love You Lord.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen!

Your Assignment:

Pray first then begin writing and sharing your inventory.  Take quiet time with the Lord this weekend.  As you begin writing, go to our Facebook group and share with us a scripture God has shown you this week through this step.

_______________________

If you are interested in joining us for the online Bible study, click HERE.

Once we receive your registration, we will email you further details.

If you would like to send a private message to Laurie in regards to this blog,

please email her at Laurie@girlfriendscoffeehour.com

 

 

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Captivating – Chapter 4 Weekly Review

February 1, 2013 by

On Monday we learned from Tonya that our fathers made a mark on our lives.  Some of those marks were better than others. But our Heavenly Father has the biggest impact of them all. Remember, despite the happenings of our childhood (good or bad), God created us in His image, and with His heart.

On Tuesday Tonya reminded us that we do not live in Eden, and that the world we live in is a troubled place, ready to hurt at any turn. But rest assured that we have God on our side. The Bible states it clearly: He is here to heal the brokenhearted, to set us free from the bonds of our wounds.

On Wednesday Carissa shared with us that God is waiting for us to trade in those evil messages that try to control us. He wants to exchange those negative messages for His messages of affirmation, love, beauty, strength, boldness, self-worth , and perfection in Him.

On Thursday Michelle said that God does not want us to live in shame. Shame makes us hide, makes us think that we are not worthy. As daughters of the King, we need to fight these thoughts that do not speak God’s truth into our lives.

Wow, girls, I don’t know about you, but I could totally relate to this chapter. I had my fair share of hurts and disappointments, but God…. Even at the age of 41, my mother’s words can still do some serious damage, I mean really serious damage, you know what I mean? Have you been there? I was the child who got her food right at the end when there was no more meat left in the pot, but God…. I was the ugly one in the family, the one no one noticed except for when I did something wrong. But praise God for His wonderful love and healing promises. Praise God that I was able by His grace, to turn those hurts into wonderful opportunities to bless my 13 year old daughter. I am determined not to allow the enemy to steal my joy.

Before we close, I want to share a video with you.  I love the words in this video “This is where the healing begins, when the Light meets the dark.”  God loves us so very much, ladies.  Do you know that?  I mean, do you really know that?  He wants to heal you, to heal the past hurts and wounds.  This is where the healing begins is when the dark meets the Light, as the song says.  Allow Him in, to give you the FREEDOM you’ve been yearning for!  Let His Light come through!!


Be blessed!

Edwina

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If you are interested in joining this Online Bible Study, please click HERE. Once we receive your registration, we will email you further details.

If you would like to send a private email to Edwina in regards to this blog, you may email her at: Edwina@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com

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Crazy Love- Chapter 4 “Profile of the Lukewarm” Weekly Review

February 1, 2013 by

Francis Chan has this video for us this week… Please take some time right now to watch it:

http://youtu.be/xufREJzzuxo

Yes, this was a heavy video…and chapter. But I believe it is a wake up call that we ALL need as Christ followers. If you felt any condemnation over the last 5 days…GOOD…but let that be a catalyst for change, not to give up! God needs us all to get HOT HOT HOT in our faith from this moment on…and He needs us to be contagious in order for His will to be done on this earth.

luke 14 33

God has been speaking loud and clear to me my 4th time through this book. I think He said similar things to me when I read it before…but my eyes and ears are wide open…and I am willing to be obedient. One of the things Chan talked about in the video was how in other countries, baptism has a much different meaning than it does here in the USA.  We see it as a “sanctification” and that we grow in our faith when we let God take over more and more aspects of our life. In other countries, it is a “prerequisite”…they have made the choice to be willing to lose it all for Christ and literally die to themselves in making this decision to follow God.

There is nothing lukewarm about that.

Let’s Pray:

Dear Lord, please leave us forever changed after reading this chapter and give us a hunger and thirst to be more like Jesus through turning up the heat on our faith. Lord, we want to go from a 5 to a 10 in being on fire for You! Help rid us of ourselves and be willing vessels to be obedient to Your call like never before. We love You and thank You for this provision, Father. In Your Son’s mighty name we pray, amen <3

Your Assignment:

I think it is important to take time to reflect on this chapter…. Then it’s time we put feet to the pavement and start walking it out! How has God changed you through this book so far? For real…I want to hear all about it and know how I can best be praying alongside you as you are taking this BOLD stance for God’s Kingdom! If God has spoken to you but you are afraid to move forward, please, please, please reach out…even if you would be more comfortable doing so in private. My email address is listed below and I would love to encourage you and help guide you through this. This is too important to stop now, ladies <3

Blessings,

Megan 🙂

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If you are interested in joining this amazing online Bible study for Crazy Love, click HERE to sign up. Once you are registered, you will receive an email with further details.

If you would like to email a private message to Megan in regards to this blog, please email her at: megan@girlfriendscoffeehour.com

 

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At Home with GCH: Greek Chicken Soup – Avgolemono

February 1, 2013 by

Avgolemono

 

If there is one unifying theme to At Home with GCH, I would say it’s stewardship.  To me, being a good steward means using my resources wisely and creatively.  The biggest challenge to being a good steward is being thrifty and cutting down on waste.  If you haven’t already, check out the post on the Great Freezer Challenge!  And then, check out this soup recipe!

My favorite tip for saving money in the kitchen is buying a whole chicken instead of pre-cut pieces.  You can easily get two meals out of one chicken, and for the same price you would pay for a package of chicken breasts!  For the first meal, you have endless choices; but then comes the challenge—once you’ve cut the legs and breasts off, or roasted the whole bird, what do you do with the carcass? Easy answer?  Soup!

This Greek recipe is called Avgolemono.  In Greek, “avgo” means “egg” and “lemono,” well you can probably guess what that one is!  This is a fresh-tasting soup, with a bright lemony flavor.  There’s also a lot of room to customize—you can add more vegetables beyond just the spinach (bell peppers, onions, zucchini), and you can choose what kind of starch you want in it.  I’ve seen recipes that call for cooked rice, or different shapes of pasta.  However, most will call for orzo, which is a small, rice-shaped pasta.  Or, if you are cutting out refined flours or grains, just don’t add it in!

This makes a great dinner, with a salad and some bread or a roasted sweet potato.

Greek Chicken Soup – Avgolemono

Ingredients:

  • 1 chicken carcass  (You can also use 2 bone-in chicken breasts)
  • 1 (10ounce) box of frozen spinach
  • 3/4 cup orzo
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • 2 eggs
  • salt and pepper

Directions:

  1. Put chicken carcass in a large pot with enough water to cover.  Cook until chicken is cooked through and falling off the bone.  Remove carcass to a large bowl to cool.  Strain broth and return to the pot.  
  2. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bone and shred or chop into small pieces.  You should have 2-3 cups of chicken.
  3. Return broth to the stove and heat on medium.  When it simmers, add the box of spinach (no need to thaw), along with the bay leaves and the chicken.  Now look at the consistency of your soup.  Do you like it really brothy?  You might want  to add more water.  Do you like your soup thicker, more like a stew?  Now is the time to raise the heat and reduce your broth.
  4. When you have your preferred consistency, add the orzo to the soup.  Cook on medium heat for about 8 minutes.
  5. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs with the lemon juice.  Slowly add a ladleful of your broth to the eggs and stir, to temper them, so they don’t seize up when you add them to the soup.  Turn the heat off.  Slowly stir the egg/lemon juice mixture into the soup. Keep stirring to make sure you don’t get any eggy clumps.  Season with salt and pepper.

 

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana

Please visit me at Frugal Girlmet for more unique recipes!

If you would like to contact Dana in regards to this blog, please email her at Dana@girlfriendscoffeehour.com

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Captivating: Chapter 4 – Wounded Femininity – Unholy Alliance

January 31, 2013 by

Shame

Shame is a powerful word.  To me, it is one of those words that means so much more than the definition reveals.  According to dictionary.com, shame is “The painful feeling arising from the consciousness of something dishonorable, improper, ridiculous, etc., done by oneself or another.”  The painful feeling; yes, pain being the key word.  Many of us have had something unpleasant happen to us in our lives.  Something that makes us feel “less than”—less than what my family needs…less than what the boy is asking for…less than what God wants from me.  It is what we do with those feelings that define our outlook.

When we turn those feelings of “less than” into BELIEFS that we actually are less than, then shame is born.  God doesn’t want us to live in shame.  Shame makes us hide, makes us think that we are not worthy.  Not worthy of meaningful friendships, not worthy of voicing our opinions, not worthy of love.  We are not even comfortable in our own skin.  We are so worried we will get hurt again; we just pack ourselves away and play it safe.  This is a very lonely place to be.  As daughters of The King, we need to fight these thoughts that do not speak truth into our hearts.

Created for MoreAs Romans 10:11 tells us “As scripture says, ‘Anyone who believes in Him will never be put to shame.’”  This is the life He has for us if only we believe.  Some of us may have trust issues, even with God, but now is the time to change that.  Start praying today, right now, and ask God for forgiveness for putting your trust in yourself rather than in Him and then ask for His help.  He wants you to be free of any feelings of inadequacy.  You were created for more.  You are His creation.  No matter what you have done, no matter what pain you have endured, no matter where your thoughts have taken you, once you confess your sins He sees you as pure as snow.

As we read in Isaiah 1:18, “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson they shall be like wool.”  Let it go, my sisters!  Free yourself to live completely in the life the Lord intended for you.  This is my prayer for you.

LET’S PRAY

ABBA Father, thank You that You love us no matter what. Please forgive all our sins and, Father, please help us to forgive ourselves and overcome all the unnecessary feelings of guilt and shame.  Thank You for hearing and answering our prayers. In Your Holy Name we pray, Amen.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT

Our wounds often cause us to feel shame and hide ourselves. Do you ever feel this? In what ways are you aware that you are hiding these days?

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If you are interested in joining this Online Singles Bible Study, click HERE.  Once we receive your registration, we will email you further details.

 If you would like to send Michelle a private email in regards to this blog post, you may email her at:  Michelle@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com

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Life’s Healing Choices: Chapter 4 – Make The Choice

January 31, 2013 by

MAKE THE CHOICE

Search usSearch me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life (Psalm 139:23, 24).

This week’s activities will bring memories to the surface that may have been ignored (or forgotten) for years.  But Jesus promised that the truth will set us free (John 8:32 NLT). So without further delay, let’s get started!

PRAY –

Dear Lord, it is so difficult to look within and admit our hurts.  We guard our hearts and deny the pain because it just hurts too much.  Look within us and guide us through this week’s activity.  Help us be honest with ourselves about the pains we’re hiding, the effects others have had on our lives, and even what we’ve done to others.  Our heart’s desire is to be healthy, to shed the negative emotions that hold us back.  We know that the only way to truly be free is to face our fears and find strength in You.  Give us the strength to discuss with our trusted friends.  Thank you for loving us through it all, no matter what.  Amen.

WRITE –

John Baker outlines on page 116 steps to working through our past hurts through a personal inventory.  You will need several sheets of paper to complete the inventory.  Because of the detailed instructions Baker provides, I will be using his descriptions for this step.

Using a piece of paper, create 5 columns and label at the top: The Person, The Cause, The Effect, The Damage, and My Part.

The Person – List the person or object you resent or fear.  Go back as far as you can.  Remember that resentment is mostly unexpressed anger, hurt or fear.

The Cause – It has been said that ‘hurt people hurt people.’  List specific actions someone did to hurt you.

The Effect – Write down how that specific hurtful action affected your life in the past and in the present.

The Damage – Write down which of your basic needs were injured.  Social: Have you suffered from broken relationships, slander, or gossip?  Security: Has your physical safety been threatened? Have you faced financial loss?  Sexual: Have you been a victim in abusive relationships?  Has intimacy or trust been damaged or broken?

My Part – You need to honestly determine and write down the part of the resentment (or another sin or injury) that you are responsible for.  Ask God to show you your part in a broken or damaged marriage or relationship, a distant child or parent, or maybe a job loss.  List the people you have hurt and how you specifically hurt them.

In 1973, I was a free-spirited 4 year old who didn’t have a care in the world.  I don’t remember much about this time, except for one thing—returning home with my mom, from a visit to my grandparents, to find our home empty.  I remember my mom going from room to room, and the confusion I felt as she looked through everything.  My dad had left.  Packed his things, and just left.  No word, no comment, no goodbye.

On my birthday in 1979, I was getting ready for a sleep over with a couple girlfriends when the phone rang.  My step-dad yelled up for me, “Amy, your dad’s on the phone.”  What?  What did he mean, “My dad’s on the phone?”  I hadn’t heard from my dad in 6 years.  I went to the kitchen to see my mom crying—the only time I’d seen her cry up to this point was because of my dad.  I picked up the phone, and heard the voice.  Yes, it was my dad.  I was shell-shocked, quiet, and I’m sure I must have been confused and angry, too.

I never realized the impact these events would have on my life until I was in my mid-30s.  I had superficial friendships, a desire to know-everything-and-be-perfect, and was facing my first significant depression.  I learned how guarded I was with my heart, because I was convinced that if my dad could leave me, certainly others (less vested in my life) would leave me too.  But if I proved to be invaluable with my knowledge, my skills, my talents…people would HAVE to keep me around!  I was miserable.  I was doing everything to please other people, to make them like me, and I ended up not liking myself.  Through this process, I had relationships that didn’t work (I ended them before they could so I would have control).  I doubted God’s true feelings for me (sure, He says He loves me but so did my dad). 

There’s so much more I could say on how this affected my life, but that’s not the real story.  Having the ability to put aside the hurt and realize that it wasn’t about me.  My dad didn’t leave because of me, and nothing I could have done at the age of 4 would have changed his heart or his mind.  He has his own hurts to deal with and I can’t do it for him.  What I can do is forgive him and move forward.  But I also need to release my misplaced guilt and shame … and truly embrace the truth, “It wasn’t about me.”

God blessed my life with an amazing man in 1976, my stepdad who was, for all intents & purposes, my “dad” for 27 years.  I walked beside him when I got married.  He cradled my daughter as a newborn.  I held his hand in his last days, and heard him whisper “thank you” (the last words he spoke to me).  The day that he passed into God’s glory, my father called me to give his condolences, and added, “I couldn’t have picked a better man to raise you.”  To this day, there is so much power in that phrase that I cannot even begin to express.

Just as those words from my father bring a peace to my heart, I can trust God, The Father, when He says He will never leave me nor forsake me (Hebrews 13:46).  I can trust that I am God’s child (John 1:12), I am complete in Christ (Colossians 2:10), I am free forever from condemnation (Romans 8:1-2), I am God’s masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10), and so many more of the promises found in His Word.

SHARE –

Take time with your trusted friend to go through what you wrote in your inventory.  The lists you created are no one’s business but yours, God’s and the person with whom you choose to share it with. 

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Power Verses:
1 Peter 5:10 NCV
Psalm 139:23, 24
John 8:32
Hebrews 13:46
John 1:12
Colossians 2:10
Romans 8:1, 2
Ephesians 2:10

Lord, thank You for being a loving and personal God who allows us to come to Him with our hurts.  You have adopted us as Your own children.  We know that nothing we experience is unknown to You.  Everything has passed through Your hands before we see it.  Help us work through our hurts in an open and honest way, to uncover those emotions & events we’ve been trying to hide for so long.  Jesus said that we will know the truth, and the truth will set us free.  We cling to this hope and ask for Your truth to shine upon us.  Thank you, Lord, for loving us as only a good Father can.  Amen.

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If you are interested in joining us for the amazing online Bible study, and would like to join our private Facebook Discussion Group, click HERE to sign up.  Once we receive your registration, we will email you further details.

If you would like to send Amy a private email in regards to this blog, please email her at: Amy@girlfriendscoffeehour.com

 

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Crazy Love – Chapter 4 “Profile of the Lukewarm” pgs. 77-81

January 31, 2013 by

Over the last two days, Martha and Donna have taken us through the profiles of a Lukewarm Christian. I’m going to finish up the last three mentioned in the chapter and then end the post with some closing thoughts.

“Lukewarm people feel secure because they attend church, made a profession of faith at age twelve, were baptized, come from a Christian family, vote Republican, or live in America.”

I often come back to the Book of Acts when I think of the label of “Christian.” Jesus’ disciples were first called Christians in Antioch (Acts 11:26). They did not name themselves. Scripture tells us they were called Christians or “Christ-ones.”  Something they were doing made them stand out. We see a glimpse of this in Acts 2:42-47:

“All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals, and to prayer…And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity–all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people.”

Chan says that “We are not safe just because we wear the label Christian.” Indeed. We must continue to strive toward the Acts 2 model of what a “Christian” is. Our lives should demonstrate that we are followers of Christ rather than any vocal expression of naming ourselves a “Christian.”

“Lukewarm people do not live by faith; their lives are structured; so they never have to.”

Did this one hit you where it hurts? I know it did for me. I have control-freak tendencies. I like to plan for things and do not like it when things do not go according to MY plan. Boy, did the Holy Spirit do some convicting when I read this section! Living by faith is TRUSTING God even when you do not know what is going to happen. I did not expect my infertility diagnosis and it took me a very long eight years to realize that God was not punishing me; rather He loves me and has a plan and a purpose for my life. I just had to put my TRUST in His ultimate plan. I had to have FAITH. It is a continual, daily process of laying down my need to control and letting God do His work. He cannot work if we do not let Him.

“Lukewarm people probably drink and swear less than average, but besides that, they really aren’t very different from your typical unbeliever.”

Have you ever worn a mask to hide your true self from others? Have you ever tried to hide your true self from the One who knows you the best–your Mighty Savior? As much as we try to pretty ourselves up on the outside, God wants what is on the inside. He wants to change us from the inside out; He wants our hearts. Will you let Him in to help cleanse and rid you of anything that is holding you back from a full, rich relationship with Jesus Christ?

***

Now that we have investigated the profiles of a lukewarm person, Chan points us to 2 Corinthians 13:5: “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.” This is not an easy task. I know it is hard. You may be feeling anger or hurt or conviction. Accept the feeling and let it inspire you to action. Whatever feeling comes over you regarding any of the profiles mentioned, journal through your reaction–why did it make you feel that way? Pray through it. Let God into those hurtful places. Remember, He cannot do His best work if we do not let Him in.

 

All or Nothing_Crazy Love

As Chan notes, we are all growing. Not one of us is perfect except Christ alone. But, it is important to remember what Christ has called us to do as His believers; as those who claim His name. We should not be content with our “just good enough” status to get into Heaven. Read through the Gospels. Let Jesus’ words soak into your being. His commands are not easy, but they should inspire us to act in accordance with the faith we believe in with our whole hearts.

***

Let’s Pray:

Lord God, we do not want to be lukewarm in our faith. Reveal to us how we can better ourselves to serve You in the Kingdom. Strengthen us and give us courage to face the tough questions and work through them. With You, all things are possible. We want to be on fire for You, Lord. Renew a passion in each of us for Your Word and our faith, Lord. Help us to grow daily and not to become stagnant believers. We love you, Lord. Amen.

Your Assignment:

Of all the lukewarm profiles we discussed, which one spoke to/convicted you the most? What is one action step you can take today to move forward in that area?

If you are interested in joining this amazing online Bible study for Crazy Love, click HERE to sign up. Once you are registered, you will receive an email with further details.

If you would like to email a private message to Jennifer in regards to this blog, please email her at Jennifer@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com

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