May 7, 2026

Lady in Waiting: Developing Patience

December 6, 2012 by


Have you ever heard the phrase “Patience is a virtue”?  Well, curious-little-me decided to look up where that saying came from.  As it turns out, there is an entire list of 7 heavenly virtues (to counter the 7 deadly sins).  This list is derived from the Psychomachia (“Contest of the Soul”), an epic poem written by Aurelius Clemens Prudentius (c. AD 410). These 7 virtues include: chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, patience, kindness, and humility.

Aurelius made a pretty good list, but I think he plagiarized or perhaps he drew some inspiration from Galatians 5:22-23:  “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness self-control; against such things there is no law.”

So how can we develop these virtues?  How can we develop the virtue of patience?

I believe that if we ask the Lord to help us develop the fruits of the Spirit (patience being one of them) then He will give us situations and opportunities in which we can develop our requests.  It’d be nice if He would just zap us down some “instant patience,” but that’s not how He works.  And what a blessing! He’s given each of us that opportunity RIGHT NOW! We can practice and develop our patience now in our singleness so we may glorify Him wherever He may lead us in the future.

I want to draw your attention to three points made by our authors:

  • Marriage is not a need.
  • Marriage is not a right.
  • Marriage does not complete a person.

As I write to you, I cannot tell you that I will ever get married.  To be honest, God may not have that in His plans for my life.  And I must be okay with that possibility.  Ask yourself if you are truly okay with that possibility.  Have you turned your desire for marriage and a spouse completely over to God?  This is a daily submission for me.  “Lord, go before me today, and carry me through.  I want to do Your will today; I want to live the life You’ve planned and be the person You’ve created me to be.”

God put a verse on my heart this week to share with you, dear Ladies in Waiting.  Romans 8:37-39:  “Now, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present (singleness) nor things to come (either more singleness or marriage), nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

WHAT A PROMISE!  Jesus is our Husband and absolutely nothing can separate us from His love!  Not even ourselves, our impatience, our earthly desires, or our temptations can separate us.  As we wait, let us focus on our love relationship with Him.  His love is never-failing and never-ending!


In love,

Carissa

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Let’s Pray:
Heavenly Father, we know and trust that Your ways are higher than ours.  Help us to trust in Your plans and Your timing for the desires of our hearts.  Lord, make our desires to be Your desires.  Father, grant us a spirit of patience as we wait upon You.  Father, thank you for Your perfectly constant and completely fulfilling love.  We love you, too, Father.  In your precious Name, Amen.


Your Assignment:

I have two questions for you.  Answer whichever you prefer – or both!  

  • Do you consider marriage a “goal” for your life, and do you think it should be? As a Lady in Waiting, what should be our goal?
  • How are you developing a patient heart? Share your experiences and strategies with us!

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Our Next Single Women’s Online Bible Study

“Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman’s Soul”

by John & Stasi Eldredge

Begins January 6, 2013

To sign up for this Online Bible Study, click HERE and follow the instructions. You will also be given a link to where you can purchase this bible study. We’re looking forward to studying “Captivating” with you!!
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Filed Under: Singles Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Winning Him Without Words – Prepared by God – Unanswered Prayers

December 5, 2012 by

GCH_Eph2_10

During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverent submission. Although He was a son, He learned obedience from what He suffered and, once made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him and was designated by God to be High Priest in the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 5:7-10

Somehow, reading these verses, I feel strangely uncomfortable and comforted at the same time. I don’t know about you, but it makes me feel uncomfortable when I read that God let His son go through trials and problems so much that He offered up prayers and petitions to his Father. I mean he WAS God, why did He have to go through that? On the other hand, I find myself comforted knowing that He went through trials, just like me! And now I can send up prayers and petitions, too. I don’t think He, Jesus, actually had to go through them; he could have been born and gone through life without one problem or trial. But He chose to be like us, to show us how to pray and be an example of how God wanted to prepare us for our own battles.

I love this paragraph in our study that Dineen wrote: “In our trials, we can look to Jesus and see the pattern of preparation, and perhaps therein lies our joy-in knowing that the Father loves us as much as He loves His Son and is preparing us for the destiny He has planned for each of us, and for our husbands.”

What trials are you going through, or have gone through, in your life and marriage that you can look and see the hand of God in the midst? Perhaps God has asked you to stay the course in your marriage through very tough and heavy circumstances. Maybe He’s asked you to show love to a man who acts unlovable, maybe he’s defensive and angry. Maybe you don’t feel loved by him, but God has called you to love him as He has loved you.

God has equipped us for these and any other situations that might be presented to us on a daily basis. Let’s look at some scriptures that bear out this very thing:

* 1 Corinthians 10:13  No temptation has seized you except what is common to man and God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. (NAS)

* 2 Timothy 3:16-17  All scripture is inspired by God and useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. (NIV)

* Ephesians 2:10  We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, to do good works which God prepared us in advance to do.

If we read these verses, and apply them, we know that not only is God preparing us, but He is equipping us for the battle, sometimes way ahead of it! Stay in the word, learn His way, and apply it to life. God does not say He won’t give us trials in this life.  He said we will have them, but He will help us and provide a way for us.  If the battle is short or long, He will be there for us.

We know that God hears us from the verse Dineen shared, Psalm 17:6  “I am praying to you because I know You will answer, O God. Bend down and listen as I pray” (NLT), but do we really believe it? Sometimes it seems as though God is not listening. We pray and plead and send up our petitions and it seems we’re hitting a wall. We worry that He doesn’t see our situation or hear us, but because of His word, we know He does. So we wait….

I know I’ve talked about my son and his addiction to drugs and alcohol and  rebellion before, but let me just expand on it for a moment. Tristan’s rebellion started when he was 12. He suddenly became this angry, unhappy person I didn’t know. It went on a downward spiral of drugs, alcohol, and girls. He was soon more interested in partying than school, or life. He ran away a few times, screamed that he hated me on daily basis and moved out for a time when he was 17. He only came back because he was hungry.

During this time, we prayed and prayed and prayed. God probably got tired of hearing my voice!! But hear me He did!  When Tristan turned 19 things started to change. He admitted his addiction and got help. He tells me everyday that he loves me, whether in a text or by mouth. He is 21 now and a productive member of society. He hasn’t come back to the Lord yet, but I’m still praying for that. But because we were in the word and had an active Christian life, God prepared us ahead of time for the battle. I can look back and see how God prepared me and listened to me in the heat of the battle. It was part of His plan for us. God heard me!  His timing may not have been  my time, but He was faithful. I know He is hearing my prayers now; He’s proved it to me.  He is hearing you, as well!  Rest in that.

In Christ,

Donna

Let’s Pray:

God thank You for hearing our prayers and for preparing us for the battles You allow to happen in our lives. Help us to hear You, as well . May we stay as ever faithful to You, as You are to us. In Jesus’ name we pray-Amen

Your Assignment:

Let us know the battles you are facing in your marriages and let’s us be privileged to pray for you as we all face the battlefield.

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Our next Women’s Online Bible Study

“Crazy Love” by Francis Chan

Begins January 6, 2013.

To sign up for this Online Bible Study, click HERE and follow the instructions. You will also be given a link to where you can purchase this bible study. We’re looking forward to learning about this “Crazy Love” with you!!

We would LOVE to have your feedback on this study! Will you take a few minutes to complete the following survey? Your responses will help us create the best online bible study experience for you! CLICK THIS LINK to fill out the short 10 question form. Your responses are completely anonymous, I promise!! Thank you so much!

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

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A Daughter’s Worth: Week 10 / Day 3: Continue to Grow

December 5, 2012 by
GodIsntFinishedWithMeYet
Today’s blog is brought to you by Jordan Spring!
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I was saved when I was 5 years old. FIVE. And to be honest, I don’t remember much about that day- other than what my mom has told me. From five years on, I had a real relationship with God. I trusted Him to provide my every need. I drew near to Him in the difficult days. I knew He was who He says He is.
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I continued to grow in my understanding of what it meant to be a believer, and as I grew in that, my relationship with Him grew. There were times when my relationship with Him felt dry and stagnant. Each time I was in that place, I would ask the Lord how to grow or what was standing in between us, and He would always reveal it to me. Sometimes the thing that stood between us was a person, a hobby, or a lie I had believed. Sometimes I found those things painful to let go of, but it is ALWAYS so much better to grow in my relationship with the Lord than to hold onto something that is harmful to it.
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“He who began a good work in you will be faithful to carry it on to completion.” Phil. 1:6 ~He is continuing the work He began in us by showing us the areas in which we need to grow!
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I have grown SO much over the past few years. The Lord has allowed me to experience circumstances where my need for Him was so great that I couldn’t even face the day without clinging with all of my strength to Him. I don’t EVER want to be in a place where I feel that there is no need for Him. Even when we discover what our purpose is, we need HIM to give us the strength to walk it out. Even when things look like they’re exactly how we want them, we should be praising Him and thanking Him. We need Him, in those times, to remind us not to set the good things above Him in our hearts. My prayer is that I would never stop learning. My prayer is that I would never stop falling in love with Him.
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Lord, thank You for wanting a relationship with us! And thank You for loving us enough to tell us when we need to lay things down. I pray that we would never stop growing. Lord, continue to teach us more about You and more about who You have created us to be. Amen.
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God’s Blessings,
Jordan
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For the A Daughter’s Worth Online Bible Study, you will need the book, your Bible, pen or pencil, a highlighter and a quiet place. You can order the book right through our website from clicking the sign-up form button located at the top of our webpage.

If you are interested in joining us in our GCH: decaf Teen Girls Ministry, please click the sign-up form button at the top of our webpage. Just follow the instructions on the form and hit submit. We’ll be happy to add you to one of our Online Bible Study Groups! Please emailGCH_Decaf@girlfriendscoffeehour.com for more information.

Filed Under: Teens Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Lady in Waiting: Consequences of Impatience

December 5, 2012 by

Ten years ago, I found myself single and pregnant. With fear strapped to my leg like a chain, all I could think of was a future as an unwed mother. My daughter’s father, my boyfriend at the time, proposed marriage and I accepted. Throughout the next few months I felt something nagging at my spirit. Something just didn’t feel right. I ignored it for a while longer. At one point I could no longer pretend that the feeling wasn’t there, and I had to face the truth. I was being impatient, I was grasping at the life I felt I should have rather than waiting to see what God wanted for me in this situation. I needed to check my motives, I needed to step back and pray about the situation, and I needed to trust God.

The marriage didn’t happen. We went our separate ways, and although my daughter doesn’t have a relationship with her biological father, I feel in my heart that the impatient decision I was about to make would have had much more dire consequences than living as a single mom. Thinking about what could have been scares me.

When you’re facing the possibility of making an impatient decision do you take the time to step back and look at the possible consequences. Do you seek God and inquire of what He wants for your life? I didn’t until it was almost too late. The bible is very clear in saying that our decision will affect our family generations to come.

Exodus 34:7

…that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

Is this a chance we’re willing to take?

Even if children are never involved, is the possibility of not being able to share your love of Christ with your spouse a life you desire? In order for a man to truly know our heart he must first know God, if he doesn’t know God, he will never truly know you.  An impatient decision can jeopardize the blessings God has planned for our lives.

 Deuteronomy 28:2

And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God:

Deuteronomy 28:15

“But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you.

When a decision arises that needs to be made, take the time to seek God, listen for His voice and for His direction. And always remember that He protects our heart, He only wants the best for us, including our future husband.  Don’t take the risk, and wait for his blessing.

With Love,

Tonya Ellison

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 Lets Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, your words are clear, your warnings and your promises are plainly written. When we are facing a decision that we are going to make with an impatient heart, please Lord touch our hearts and minds so that we are not able to ignore your urging  Remind us that your promises and blessings are meant for our benefit. And that our impatient decisions will have consequences, consequences that not only affect us but those around us, consequences that will affect our futures. Instead I pray that we seek your will, and that we trust your plans. Thank you for planning our futures, thank you for protecting our hearts.  In Jesus’ name I pray amen.

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Your Assignment:

I refer to scripture a lot. I feel that the answer to every question, problem and possible impatient decision is held in that wonderful book. So, what scriptures do you go to when you are faced with a decision, when you’re unsure of what to do?

____________________________

Our Next Single Women’s Online Bible Study

“Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman’s Soul”

by John & Stasi Eldgredge

Begins January 6, 2013

To sign up for this Online Bible Study, click HERE and follow the instructions. You will also be given a link to where you can purchase this bible study. We’re looking forward to studying “Captivating” with you!!

Filed Under: Singles Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

GCH:Victorious Healing – Life’s Healing Choices: Freedom from Your Hurts, Hang-Ups, and Habits … Starts Soon!

December 5, 2012 by

Through life, we often think recovery is only for alcoholics or drug addicts. Regardless of what issue you may be struggling with in life, whether it is financially, emotionally, through chemical dependency, sexual addictions, food issues, lying, depression, anxiety (just to name a few), we all have a hurt or a struggle that causes us pain and hinders our walk with God.

‘All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’  

Romans 3:23  

There is not a struggle or hurt that is greater or lesser than the other; just as there is no one sinner worse than the other. We all need God’s hope, healing and recovery through these hurts.

So many times we try to fix our problems ourselves, finding that we turn right back to the comfort of our faulty coping skills. This blog will help you realize that no matter what your hurt or struggle may be, God wants to give you hope and healing if you will trust and allow Him to. With the blogs, studies and fellowship of this group, you will have the opportunity to begin to feel the freedom and peace of healing from your hurts and struggles.

We are excited you have decided to join us on this journey- so grab your cup of coffee and get ready for the ride!

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Our first GCH: Victorious Healing

Online Bible Study

Begins January 6, 2013

Sign Up Today!

Life's Healing Choicesby John Baker
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Life’s Healing Choices by John Baker

This 8 week study takes the 8 Beatitudes from one of Jesus’ most famous sermons, the Sermon on the Mount – Matthew 5: 3-10. Through the principles outlined in the beatitudes, you will find the hope, healing and happiness God has intended for you. The book outlines how you can leave your past hurts and struggles behind and begin to rely on God to help you focus on the amazing future He has planned for you.   

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To sign up for this Online Bible Study, click HERE and follow the instructions.  You will also be given a link to where you can purchase this bible study.  We’re looking forward to studying “Life’s Healing Choices” with you!!  

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GCH:What’s on Your Plate? – Pizza Pasta

December 5, 2012 by
Pizza Pasta

Pizza Pasta

Super once-a-month casserole dish to make.  Kids and guys seem to love this. You can add any toppings that you would on your pizzas and switch up the pasta.  Penne and Rigatoni work well.I have chopped broccoli, banana peppers, diced ham….the possibilities are endless.  I used to take these to Church potlucks back home and I always came home with an empty casserole dish.

Pizza Pasta

* 12  ounces  uncooked spaghetti (or any pasta you prefer)

* 1/2  teaspoon  salt

* 1  (1-lb.) package mild ground pork sausage

* 2  ounces  turkey pepperoni slices (about 30), cut in half

* 1  (26-oz.) jar tomato-and-basil pasta sauce (I use Classico)

* 1/4  cup  grated Parmesan cheese

* 1  (8-oz.) package shredded Italian three-cheese blend

Preparation

1. Cook spaghetti with 1/2 tsp. salt according to package directions. Drain well, and place in a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.

2. Brown sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until meat crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain and set aside. Wipe skillet clean. Add pepperoni, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes or until slightly crisp.

3. Top spaghetti in baking dish with sausage; pour pasta sauce over sausage. Arrange half of pepperoni slices evenly over pasta sauce. Sprinkle evenly with cheeses. Arrange remaining half of pepperoni slices evenly over cheese. Cover with nonstick or lightly greased aluminum foil.

4. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes; remove foil, and bake 10 more minutes or until cheese is melted and just begins to brown.

Happy Eating, 

Liz

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Be sure to check out my personal food blog  FRESH-PLATE.COM

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Winning Him Without Words: Motivated By Agape Love – Crossing a Threshold

December 4, 2012 by

Motivated By Agape Love

I want to piggyback on the last paragraph of Sarah’s section from yesterday. It flows right into my section today. Let’s read it again:

John kept his eyes on Jesus. He knew it wasn’t about him but about the mighty God he served. And that’s where we find inspiration. John’s story wasn’t about him; it was about Jesus. Just as our story isn’t about us; it’s about preparing the way for Jesus in the life of our husband (pg. 152, emphasis mine).

Jesus calls us to live out agape love toward our spouse. Agape love is a selfless, sacrificial, unconditional form of love. Agape is the love that Christ has for each one of us. Agape love is based upon a decision, not a feeling. When you live out agape love, you choose to love, despite the fact that you have been hurt. You choose to overlook the ways your spouse has slighted you. You choose to forgive your spouse for the way he has hurt you.

You choose to do all of this because Christ has done this for you. You choose to do this to honor God. You choose to love your spouse without expectation. You choose to love despite the cost.

Jesus loves every single one of us this way. Even Peter, who denied Jesus three times, was able to redeem himself in John 21:15-17 by choosing Jesus three times. If you really stop and think about that, it is pretty incredible. We will make mistakes, sometimes big ones, but Jesus still has agape love for us. We can honor Him by choosing to live out agape love toward the one we have pledged to spend our lives with.

But, you make the choice to love this way. Once you do, Jesus supplies the ability. Because we absolutely cannot do this of our own will. It is impossible. We are only able to love this way because of Christ working in us. The question is: Can you sacrifice your own needs, wants, and desires and truly love your husband with an agape form of love that is not based on anything other than choosing to love him like Christ loves you?

Crossing a Threshold

What are you willing to risk for your unbelieving husband to know Jesus? (pg. 156)

Have you ever prayed the most dangerous prayer? I have. But, I’ll admit the truth to you all since I have from the beginning of this study. I wanted this prayer answered in my way. I was not prepared for anything bad or negative to happen. I was not prepared to risk anything for my husband to know Jesus. I prayed the prayer believing that the Lord would put some things in my husband’s life and then his eyes would be opened. Ta-da! Magic. My hubby would fall to his feet and praise Jesus.

But, to really pray this prayer and sincerely mean it, we have to be loving our husbands with agape love.

The path of the spiritually mismatched is not an easy one. We must be willing to give up the life we have known and live the life that Christ wants us to live. This means sacrificing everything. Everything.

When we can finally do that, we allow God into those places that we have unintentionally closed off from Him. Those places that hurt and ache. He can fill those places and show us how to love the way He loves. Even if we have been hurt. Even if we have unforgiveness in our hearts. God cannot work in those places if we cannot open ourselves up and let Him in to change us.

Are you ready to cross that threshold?

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Let’s Pray: Father, please reveal any areas of my life that I have unintentionally closed off from you. Help me to confront these issues today, Lord, and to release each one of them to you. I choose today to let you in to those dark, hurtful places. Please give me peace and a supernatural strength as I hand over each one of these issues to you and trust completely in your unfailing love and grace. Teach me how to begin loving my husband with an agape love, the way that you love us, Lord. In Jesus precious and holy name I pray, Amen!

Your Assignment: Pray and ask the Lord to show you what areas of your life you are holding back from him; what is holding you back from loving your husband with an agape love. Release these things to Jesus. Let Him in to those places that you have closed off; the places where you hurt and ache; the places where you hold onto unmet expectations. Let today mark a turning point in your relationship with the Lord and with your husband. Leave a comment below and let me know what you think of these sections in our book. What insights did you glean? What did you learn?

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Our next Women’s Online Bible Study “Crazy Love” by Francis Chan, begins January 6, 2013. To sign up for this Online Bible Study, click HERE and follow the instructions. You will also be given a link to where you can purchase this bible study. We’re looking forward to learning about this “Crazy Love” with you!!  

We would LOVE to have your feedback on this study! Will you take a few minutes to complete the following survey? Your responses will help us create the best online bible study experience for you! CLICK THIS LINK to fill out the short 10 question form. Your responses are completely anonymous, I promise!! Thank you so much!

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A Daughter’s Worth: Week 10 / Day 2 – Keep Your Life Clean

December 4, 2012 by

 

I talked to my girls about some of the names girls get called when they try to live out their life for God.  I added a few ‘old school’ words I heard when I was in school, too.  Things haven’t changed so much.  See if these look familiar:

Teacher’s Pet                                       Party Pooper                                        Weak

Goodie 2 Shoes                                   Kill Joy                                                  Stuck Up

Know It All                                           Buzz Kill                                                Goody Goody

Nerd                                                      Lame                                                  Add Yours Here

When people think about you, what kind of words come to mind?  I look over this list of words meant to hurt and cause peer pressure.  They say these words to make themselves feel okay about the way they are choosing to live their lives, not so much about the way a “good girl” lives hers.  So look back over that list again.  Is there really anything bad on that list?  Is there anything there that would cause God to be ashamed of your behavior?  Can you bring glory to God as you live your life…even if people call you names like that?   I know you have heard the words that “Bad Girls” get called.  Think about that list.  Is God glorified if you are living a “bad girl” kind of lifestyle?

At this point in our study, we have learned what God expects of us as a Daughter of the King.  We know how to bring our earthly parents joy and we know how to make our Heavenly Father happy.  It’s time to live out our faith in God.  There may still be some bad habits we have, or some areas in our lives we need to turn away from.  Look how easy it is to change:

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.  Psalms 51:10

When your heart is clean, your thoughts will change, your actions will change, people will notice.  In today’s lesson of A Daughter’s Worth, Ava Sturgeon says, “After accepting Christ, you begin to desire the clean heart that He provides. “  Then Ava encourages us:  “Sharing Christ is so much easier when you become a living testimony.” 

For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.  Luke 6:45b

Live YOUR Faith.  It’s impossible to give away something you don’t have.  Make sure the people in your life can see the change Jesus has made.  You won’t be perfect, but you will be forgiven and can begin each day fresh and new.  Show love, kindness, compassion and generosity.  There will be a different list of words people will say about you.  Words that truly do bring glory to God, the Father and words that you WILL NOT be embarrassed by.

Before we go, I want to remind you of ways to Keep Your Life Clean:

•Put God first. This means making the commitment to seek God.

•Finding ways to be a blessing. “Being a Blessing” means taking the focus off yourself and placing it onto someone else.

•Acting right on purpose. This means treating people with kindness, respect, and patience, even those that are hard to love.  Right behavior is Christianity in action.

Let’s Pray:

Heavenly Father,  We want to bring glory to You.  We want others to see Your life shining through us.  Create in us a clean heart.  Give us the desire to remove those bad habits from our lives and live for You.  Help us to treat others with kindness, respect and patience.  Help us as we walk out our faith, especially on the hard days.  We love You Lord.  AMEN

Be A Blessing,

Mama T <3

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For the A Daughter’s Worth Online Bible Study, you will need the book, your Bible, pen or pencil, a highlighter and a quiet place. You can order the book right through our website from clicking the sign-up form button located at the top of our webpage.

If you are interested in joining us in our GCH: decaf Teen Girls Ministry, please click the sign-up form button at the top of our webpage. Just follow the instructions on the form and hit submit. We’ll be happy to add you to one of our Online Bible Study Groups! Please email GCH_Decaf@girlfriendscoffeehour.com for more information.

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GCH: What’s on Your Plate? – Baked Spaghetti

December 4, 2012 by

Baked Spaghetti

This is a very simple recipe, but it tastes great!  It’s a nice solution for those weeknights after work when you’re wondering what to make with the pound of ground beef in the fridge.  You probably have all of this stuff in your pantry and fridge already, that’s one reason why I love it!  I found this online and then tweaked it because my husband and I are picky eaters…  I hope you enjoy! 🙂

What you need:

1 – 8 oz package of spaghetti, cooked

2 tbsp of butter

1 1/2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese, divided into 1/2 cups

1 – 8 oz package shredded cheddar cheese

1 – 8 oz package shredded mozzarella cheese

1 lb ground beef

1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce (the one I used was 24 oz)

13×9 baking dish

Cooking Spray

Pot or bowl for mixing spaghetti and butter

Spoon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray baking dish with cooking spray.

Brown ground beef, drain and mix with spaghetti sauce, then set aside.

Combine the hot cooked spaghetti with butter and stir until butter melts and coats the spaghetti.  Add 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, stir.

Arrange spaghetti in an even layer in the baking dish.  Then cover with the entire package of cheddar cheese and sprinkle that with 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese.

Cover that layer with the browned ground beef and spaghetti sauce mixture.  Top that with the entire package of mozzarella cheese and then remaining 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove the foil cover and continue baking 15 minutes or until cheese is as brown as you would like.

Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Yum!! 🙂

God is great, God is good… let us thank Him for our food!

<3 Shauna

_________________

PS – you can also find Shauna on her personal blog, www.workhomeplay.net.

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

Lady in Waiting: Lady of Patience – Why Is Waiting So Hard?

December 4, 2012 by

Ps31_14

Have you ever made decisions in life because they seem right at the time but when you look back you realize that it wasn’t the right thing to do?  Well, I have and there are many times when I ask myself why I didn’t wait before making such drastic decisions.  Why did I allow my emotions to get ahead of me?  Why did I let the temporary feelings to determine my future? Why didn’t I seek the face of God before doing this?  Why didn’t I wait?

Waiting for anything is hard, it’s even harder when you are single and you feel like you have limited options available to you.  Some of us have made life altering decisions because we were tired of waiting for what seemed like forever.  Loneliness crept in and we allowed FEAR get to the best of us.

We were afraid of being the odd ones out, the only one who is always the bridesmaid and never the bride, how many bouquets have we caught and believed the myth that the one who catches the bouquet is the next in line to get married?  But year in and year out, we continue the journey as a single lady.

We were afraid to attend family functions where everyone has a partner by their side and a quiver full of kids.  We don’t want to sit next to the nosy cousins who can’t help but taunt us at the dinner table with the following remarks: “this year we were looking forward to being introduced to the man in your life!” or “your nieces are worried that they are growing taller so they will no longer qualify as flowers girls at your wedding.”

As years passed by you asked yourself “when is it going to happen for me? Is Prince Charming going to notice me before the clock strikes 12? Sadly you didn’t have the answer to this question and the more you thought about it the fearful you became.

Fear has been defined as False Evidence Appearing Real.  Fear can cause us to take matters into our own hands and forget God’s promises and fear can make us to accept the proposal of the first guy who comes along without taking into consideration if He is the right man.

You see, the right man won’t rush you to the altar.  He will get to know you first and allow you to get to know him in the process.  He will want to become your friend first before becoming your lover.

Girlfriend, I urge you, do not allow fear to control your decisions, give God back the control of your plans and future.  He knows the desires of your heart.  He loves you with an everlasting love and He is saying “Be still and know that I am God.” “I know the plans I have for you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Isaiah 40:31 tells us:

“But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.”

Have patience, beloved.  Waiting may be hard but it is worth it in the end. This week let us be willing to learn how to boldly soar like the Eagle as we wait patiently upon the Lord regardless of our circumstances be it the ticking of the biological clock, the number of bridesmaids dresses in our closets, the statistics that are so depressing or what our beloved family thinks of us.  Let us put everything in the capable hands of our Precious Father, “Our Daddy’s got this!”

LET’S PRAY

Precious Father, we come before you this week empty and waiting for you to fill us with your Holy Spirit.  As we learn how to be Ladies of Patience, we ask you to help us because waiting is not easy; we admit that this is a struggle for most of us.  However, we don’t want to hurry and go ahead of you because that is worse than waiting up you.  Father, you know what is best for us; we are not single because you don’t love us but because you want what’s best for us.  Teach us to content and wait upon you.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

 YOUR ASSIGNMENT

Write out the things that make you lose patience. Which of these cause your Sovereign God concern? Give these concerns to Him and ask Him to help you trust while you wait. “I will trust while I wait, for my God is never late” is a good motto.

Be Blessed

Jackie

Our Next Single Women’s Online Bible Study

“Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman’s Soul”

by John & Stasi Eldgredge

Begins January 6, 2013

To sign up for this Online Bible Study, click HERE and follow the instructions. You will also be given a link to where you can purchase this bible study. We’re looking forward to studying “Captivating” with you!!

Filed Under: Singles Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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