November 24, 2024

GCH: What’s on Your Plate? – Strawberry-Rhubarb Dessert

November 24, 2012 by

This dessert is one of my most requested recipes of all time! I make it for family gatherings, Bible study groups, and parties, and my friends and family absolutely LOVE it. As a bonus, it’s simple to make, and tastes scrumptious whether it’s just out of the oven, or right out of the fridge two days later. Prepare to be amazed! *Disclaimer: Do not expect leftovers. In fact, you better stock up on plastic containers, because your friends will be wanting to take extra home with them. You’ve been warned.

Notes:

  • This is a sweet dessert. I oftentimes use Splenda in place of sugar, or 1/2 sugar & 1/2 Splenda.
  • The cake mix really makes this dessert extra special. I sometimes use 2 boxes of cake mix instead of one, and push the extra into the fruit. I use 2 – 2 1/4 sticks of butter when I do this.
  • This is great with vanilla ice cream in the summer.
  • I think it tastes best after it’s been left on the counter for one or two hours to cool, but it really is delicious no matter when you eat it!

Praise God! Let’s eat!

Shandy

Be sure to visit Shandy’s personal blog Aprons ‘n Pearls for recipes, crafts, homekeeping tips & more!

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

Lord, Teach Us to Pray – Week 9

November 24, 2012 by

Today we continue a series entitled Lord, teach us to pray!  Do you ever cry out with that same desire as Jesus’ disciples did — “Teach {me} to pray”?

Each Saturday over the next couple of months, we will intentionally pursue asking the Lord to do just that—teach us to pray.  I believe that, as we continue to look at learning how to pray through the Scriptures, we will develop into daughters who delight, yearn, love to pray to their Father!!!  This is my heart’s desire.

Jesus was asked this important question by His disciples. One of the places that it is recorded is in Luke 11, verse 1: “Then He was praying in a certain place; and when He stopped, one of His disciples said to Him, Lord, teach us to pray….”

Listen to the words that He spoke to them when they asked:

Pray, therefore, like this:

Our Father

Who is in heaven,

hallowed (kept holy) be Your name.

Your kingdom come,

Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven (left, remitted, and let go of the debts,

and have given up resentment against) our debtors.

And lead (bring) us not into temptation,

but deliver us from the evil one.

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

Amen.

Matthew 6:9-13

The first week, in this series, we focused on the very first, and most important aspect, of Jesus’ instruction—addressing God Almighty as “Our Father….” We found that He wants to be our Father…our Abba Father!

The second week, we looked at the very next aspect of prayer that Jesus deemed of  importance—”Who is in heaven.”  This attribute tells of the utmost importance of God Who is in heaven.  And we also were reminded of an awesome promise from God, that we will dwell for all eternity with Jesus and our Father, Who is in heaven.

Then we came to the third aspect, as we followed Jesus’ instruction,— “hallowed (kept holy) be Your name.”  And we looked at five examples in the Scriptures where Almighty God is described as holy: we saw the Psalmist proclaim that ‘You are holy’…that the prophet Habakkuk called Him ‘my Holy One’…that Isaiah saw in a vision God seated on His throne with the seraphim proclaiming ‘holy, holy, holy’…that Jesus our Lord prayed  ‘Holy Father’…that one of the seven angels praise Almighty God saying ‘You Who are and were ‘O Holy One.’  What a privilege that our Father…Who is in heaven…would allow us to come before Him and call Him ‘holy!’

After that we looked at the next aspect of prayer that Jesus deemed important—‘Your Kingdom come.’  We considered the question, “What is the Kingdom?” by focusing on just two ways to understand what Jesus meant.  The first connotation that “Kingdom” has refers to the eternal Kingdom.  And then to understand “Kingdom” in another way, we looked specifically at Matthew chapter 13  where Jesus spoke in parables and used tangible examples to help His disciples (and us!) to understand the importance of having the Kingdom established in our hearts.  He wants you and me to be in that Kingdom along with Him.

The following week we focused on another aspect of Jesus’ instruction: ‘Your will be done.’  It is Almighty God’s will that we are to be concerned about…not our own.  We considered scripture after scripture and saw our Lord’s constant example showing that it was not His will that was important but His Father’s.  If it were ever possible for anyone to justifiably state and act on their own will, it would have been Jesus; true?  Jesus always desired His Father’s will, always sought His Father’s will, always purposed to know His Father’s will so that He always did His Father’s will.  And what did we find was His Father’s will?—salvation and redemption through Jesus Christ.  We were assured that at the very foundation of God’s will lies our hope, which is salvation through Jesus leading to eternal life.

And the next week we studied the phrase ‘Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven’ from the perspective of our Lord’s life and ministry.  In John 6:38 we read that Jesus came down from heaven not to do His own will but to do the will of His Father on the earth.  Jesus was always the perfect example to His disciples, and of course, to us.  We, too, can live with that same heart as Jesus did.  God has promised to lead us, to guide us, to show us His Will.  We looked at a number of promises that God has given us regarding our knowing His will.  Jesus, Who knew His heavenly Father like no one else did, desired to do God’s will.  God’s perfect will.  He simply and clearly taught His disciples AND US to do the same.

The following week we considered the phrase, “Give us this day our daily bread.”  We recognized that Jesus IS the ‘bread of life.”  We looked at John chapter 6 where Jesus spoke repeatedly about this.  We clearly saw Jesus’ heart of compassion, wanting them (and us!) to live forever by partaking of the Bread of Life—Himself—and receiving that blessing.  We also looked at  Jesus’ instruction that if they would pray, “give us this day our daily bread…” they would be humbly acknowledging that their heavenly Father already KNEW what their needs would be that day.  For us, just like Jesus’ disciples, it is when we recognize our immense need for God’s provision that we step back from trying to accomplish it (whatever ‘it’ may be for that day) and let the One Who has so much to give to us provide so perfectly for us!  Let’s remember: Jesus answered their plea to teach them to pray, and in the midst of that instruction, He directed them to pray, “give us this day our daily bread.”  Then, He gently reminded them that God already provided that daily bread for them!  (AND for us!)

Then last week we focused on the next direction Jesus gave as He taught His disciples (and now us!) to pray.  It is the request to “…forgive us our debts.”  In Matthew chapter 18, Jesus addressed the issue of forgiveness in two different ways.  We looked first at the record where Peter asked Jesus how many times did he need  to forgive him and let it go? Jesus answered him, ‘I tell you, not up to seven times, but seventy times seven!” Nothing has changed.  We, too, are to forgive “…seventy times seven…”  (In other words, just keep on forgiving!)  Then Jesus gave further clarification and direction to Peter and the other disciples about this important issue of forgiveness by teaching them through a parable (verses 21-35). He held nothing back in communicating that forgiveness, or the refusal to forgive, is an issue of the heart.  We saw a righteous example of compassionate forgiveness (the king forgiving the servant his debt of 10,000 talents).  And, in comparison, the depiction of the forgiven servant having a hardened, merciless heart that refused to forgive  his fellow attendant’s small debt.  In the completion of this parable, the king then does have him thrown in jail because of his lack of forgiveness.  Jesus tells His disciples (and us!) in verse 35, “So also My heavenly Father will deal with every one of you if you do not freely forgive your brother from your heart his offenses.”  God through Christ has forgiven us for so, SO much!  And He compassionately, mercifully, and lovingly, continues to forgive us as we repent and ask.

Here in the ninth week of studying our Lord’s instruction, His next direction to His disciples (and us!) is to ask our Father to “lead us not into temptation…”  This phrase must be kept in its context which attaches it firmly to the next phrase, “but deliver us from the evil one.”  (We will look at this second half next week.)

Of great importance is to remember that God does not “tempt” anyone.

James 1:13,14

Let no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted from God; for God is incapable of being tempted by [what is] evil and He Himself tempts no one.

But every person is tempted when he is drawn away, enticed and baited by his own evil desire (lust, passions).

Clearly, THE tempter is satan, our enemy.

Matthew 4:3

And the tempter came and said to Him, If You are God’s Son, command these stones to be made [loaves of] bread.

So if satan was Jesus’ tempter, he would also attempt to do the same thing to us.

Hebrews 4:15

For we do not have a High Priest Who is unable to understand and sympathize and have a shared feeling with our weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation, but One Who has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sinning.

So thankful to know, are we not, that Jesus, our High Priest, our Intercessor, our Mediator, our Redeemer, our Savior, our Lord, is right there to help us.  We are not alone in handling temptation.  He understands and has shown us how to handle satan’s tempting.  The following record clearly shows that as Jesus was tempted by satan His response—the very thing that kept Him from being tempted—was the truth of the Scriptures.  Jesus replied to satan each time, “…it is written….”

Matthew 4:1-11

Then Jesus was led (guided) by the [Holy] Spirit into the wilderness (desert) to be tempted (tested and tried) by the devil.

And He went without food for forty days and forty nights, and later He was hungry.

And the tempter came and said to Him, If You are God’s Son, command these stones to be made [loaves of] bread.

But He replied, It has been written, Man shall not live and be upheld and sustained by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.

Then the devil took Him into the holy city and placed Him on a turret (pinnacle, gable) of the temple sanctuary.

And he said to Him, If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, He will give His angels charge over you, and they will bear you up on their hands, lest you strike your foot against a stone.

Jesus said to him, On the other hand, it is written also, You shall not tempt, test thoroughly, or try exceedingly the Lord your God.

Again, the devil took Him up on a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory (the splendor, magnificence, preeminence, and excellence) of them.

And he said to Him, These things, all taken together, I will give You, if You will prostrate Yourself before me and do homage and worship me.

Then Jesus said to him, Begone, Satan! For it has been written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him alone shall you serve.

Then the devil departed from Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

We, too, can have the assurance of the truth of the Scriptures when our enemy tries to tempt us.  The psalmist, David, had such a confidence in his heart.

Psalm 119:11

Your word have I laid up in my heart, that I might not sin against You.

Verses 97, 98

Oh, how love I Your law! It is my meditation all the day.

You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies, for [Your words] are ever before me.

Verse 101

I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep Your word [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying it].

Being encouraged by David’s heart for His God and by following the perfect example of our Lord, we can resist the temptations of the enemy by refuting him with confident, bold communication of Truth—the Truth contained in the Bible.  Be encouraged!

“For we do not have a High Priest Who is unable to understand and sympathize and have a shared feeling with our weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation, but One Who has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sinning.

Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it] ” (Hebrews 4;15,16).

Oh. How. He. Loves. Us. So.  <3

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This week, in our study A Daughter’s Worth, we have been focusing on dating with discretion, having Godly boundaries, retaining a heart of purity—not being tempted.

Ask yourself:  ______ (insert your name here), how much worth do I have if my Lord Jesus understands and sympathizes with my being tempted?  How much worth do I have knowing that my heavenly Father has enabled me to resist temptation through the Truth contained in the Bible—”it is written”?   <3

“…Lead us not into temptation….”

Love, Coleen

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For the A Daughter’s Worth 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 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! Our new study is A Daughter’s Worth! Please email megan@girlfriendscoffeehour.com for more information

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

Special Post – Thanksgiving Traditions Part 2

November 23, 2012 by

Today we are continuing the second in a two-part feature. Girlfriends Coffee Hour leaders and members have shared some of their Thanksgiving traditions for us! Do you have a special tradition for Thanksgiving? Leave a comment and tell us about it! We would love to hear what it is! If not, maybe the stories shared below will spark some ideas for new traditions in your home!

Have a blessed Day-After Thanksgiving Day!
Jennifer

***

Liz – For Thanksgiving – I have a thankful jar that sits on the living room table year round. All year, we add things to the jar that we are thanksful for and on Thanksgiving we pull out the pieces of paper and read them . When we are done, ( a few weeks later) I paste them all into a yearly thankful journal, so I will be able to keep the kids thoughts, thankfulness and handwriting forever.

For Christmas – I wrap 25 Christian themed Christmas books the week after Thanksgiving and put them under a special Book Tree in the kids room. Just a small Christmas tree in their room that they decorate every year with handmade ornaments. Every night of Advent, before bed, we unwrap a book and read it together. It reminds them of the reason we celebrate Christmas and we get some quality time each night to spend together. On Christmas Eve , we read the Christmas Story together as a family.

***

Sarah – We always buy our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. We go as an entire family, aunts, uncles, grandmas & grandpas. It’s a lot of fun!!

***

Laurie – On Thanksgiving evening, my boys and go for a walk, start the Christmas music, break out the hot cocoa and put up our decorations. Then we light candles, turn out all the lights, lay under the tree and tell what our Christmas list is. <3<3 love that time with my family!!

***

Teresa: Since we have had so many girls living with us, we make a menu together, invite friends who do not have a place to go on Thanksgiving and make dishes in shifts together. Last year was good, here at home, but my mom and brothers were 3 hours away without us.

Can’t please everyone all the time. We do talk about the things that have changed in the past year, what we are thankful for and what we have learned. Our family is always in a state of change.

We stress the importance of being “ever thankful”, not just on Thanksgiving Day. It has helped us survive some pretty rocky times the last few years.

***

Shandy – Watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and having a big dinner with the whole family prepared by my mom!

***

Jennifer B. – My sister made me a “thankful” book 3 years ago. (she is into scrapbooking and it is beautiful) Everyone at our house on Thanksgiving wrote on a page stating what they were thankful for, even great-grandma on my husbands side! I love to read thru the book to read everyone’s blessings…..btw, our family has grown by four, soon-to-be 5 children since then so I cannot wait to read this years blessings of thanks from everyone…..how precious it will be to have for my grandchildren, great grand children etc. A great family keepsake! 🙂

***

Donna – Our Thanksgiving tradition is two fold. First in order to enjoy the meal we start at the head of the table, take our time and go around the whole table, ( there are usually around 20 or more of us!) and say what we have been thankful for that year. Then after the meal is over and cleaned up we play a game of some sort with everyone who is there. One of us shops for a new game every year and bring it to play. It’s lots of fun and helps us all interact together! Just what Thanksgiving is all about!!

***

Colleen –

Events: We have an open house *usually on thanksgiving night but occasionally moved to friday evening*. It is our ‘praise and prayer and pie’ event! Very casual. sometimes we just have a few folks; once we had over 20—that was SO nice! Love just sitting around singing praise songs and some hymns; My husband, Robert, plays his guitar.

Food:
Robert and i always brine the turkey together…it is quite a process but i like that we do it together. (he must, too, ’cause he already asked me if i need the giant stockpot down yet 😉;-) no, dear, not yet!)

Frou-frou:
I start putting up the fall/thanksgiving decorations in early October! When Robert brings the storage totes (yes, there are 3 of them!) up from the basement, I get so excited! There’s always a couple of things that I don’t remember we have; such fun! And, of course, the little mementos that our grandchildren have made. Last year and this year, we made a paper chain that we just keep adding onto…you have strips of paper (like construction paper), and you write a praise or something you are thankful for, etc.; and then just keep adding on to the end. We always ask those who join us for thanksgiving dinner AND the praise & prayer time to add onto it, too.

***

Filed Under: Women's Ministry Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Lady In Waiting: Mystery of Contentment – Stop Arguing with the Umpire

November 23, 2012 by

 

Every once in a while I will see a status on Facebook from my married friends out there that introduces her husband as something like this…the love of her life, all she ever needs, her savior, her one and only.  Every time I see that all that comes to mind for me as the only thing that could ever fill those descriptions perfectly is MY GOD IN HEAVEN.  God does not have to share me with anyone just yet; I like to think that is why I am still single; He just isn’t ready to share me yet!  Have you ever thought of that before?

In reality the man we marry one day is not perfect.  He is far from being the love of our life or all we ever need, he most certainly is not our Savior, and he is not the only one for us.  If you are wishing and dreaming and hoping and wanting your husband to be those things…you will never find contentment.  When you truly search for God and seek Him will all of your heart, you will find that He is the true love of your life, all you need, your Savior, and most certainly your One and Only!  This is where your contentment is found.

In our world it is very easy to fall into the trap of the lie that when you finally get married, you will be completely satisfied and content in your husband alone.  That lie is seriously deadly.  We are putting expectations on a man who were never intended for him.  We make this husband we are searching for an idol in our lives.  This world is the last place you should be receiving relationship advice from.  Our God in Heaven speaks relationship advice to our hearts, we just need to open our ears to Him and listen.

The relationship advice He gives us is all for the relationship that we can have with HIM.  As single ladies and also as married ladies, our focus can sometimes be shifted onto other relationships in our lives or the search for a relationship in our life.  We lose contentment when we forget about the most important relationship we can have with Jesus.  Jesus is where we will find lasting joy, peace, love, contentment, and the list goes on and on.  Our identity is found in God alone.  He is where our heart is.

There will come a day when God will hand over the key to our hearts that he has been guarding our whole lives.  He will share us with the Godly man He has planned for us.  We must not be in danger of taking that key out of His hands and giving it to the first man who comes along because the clock is ticking and no potential soul mates are in sight.  That is just about the worst thing we can do.  We should be waiting for God’s timing and the journey does not have to be a lonely one, you have Jesus to go along with you every day!  The journey of a single woman is one I believe a married woman would envy just as much as we envy a married woman’s husband and family from time to time.

I believe the most important thing about these single years is that we have the opportunity to find all of the things we desire in God alone.  We want happiness, love, joy, peace, security, etc.  We can have all of that and more in God alone!  When our Mr. Right does finally come along, we are not expecting him to be what he is not able to be for us; because we have already found all of that in God.  This is where true contentment comes into play.  We find that no matter the circumstance, we have God.  No matter if we are single, or married, we are never alone and we are always cared for.

I am famous for taking matters into my own hands especially when it comes to my love life or lack thereof.  I fight with the Umpire-God.  I fight for my husband.  I am learning to give up the fight.  God has already done the fighting for me.  All I have to do is embrace HIS plan for my life and my love life.  I need to embrace the victory God has already won for me!  He has won victory for you too.  Don’t let the lies from Satan steal your contentment any longer!  Stand firm in God’s love for you and embrace this life He has given you each day!  Thank Him for the man he chooses to share you with one day.

*******

Let’s Pray:

Father God, I praise you and thank you for being all that we truly ever need!  I love that you bring true contentment to everything in our lives from the little to the big.  I ask that you help each of us married or single to embrace the life you have blessed us with.  I pray that you help each and every one of us to strengthen our relationship with you.  I thank you for the opportunities we have to grow closer to You, help us to make the most of each of those opportunities instead of missing out on the joy they bring by wanting what you do not have for us.  I thank you for listening to us and loving us so much!  Amen

Your Assignment:

Honestly think about the man who you would want to share life with.  Tell God all about what you are looking for, pray over your list.  See what God shows you He has for you-man or no man.  In our group, share with us one way you have tried to take your love life in your own hands.  How can we help one another to give up the fight and embrace victory with God?

Love to you all!
Diane

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For the “Lady In Waiting” Bible Study, you will need the book, your Bible, pen or pencil, a highlighter and a quiet place. You can order the book right through our website by clicking the “sign-up here” button at the top of our webpage; which is also where you can sign up to participate in this awesome bible study!

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

A Daughter’s Worth: Week 8 / Day 5 – You Can Enjoy Being Single

November 23, 2012 by

 

Growing up in the South, it meant that teenage girls were supposed to have a boyfriend and be ready for marriage by the time you were out of high school. If you didn’t then you were expected to find a job and maybe find a future husband there or at college, if you could afford to go. That was a lot of pressure for a young woman, who may not have the self confidence she needs to be in a healthy relationship.

Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians said it is better for you to be single, so you could be about the Lord’s work, than if you were married, because being married would be a distraction. So by reading 1 Corinthians 7:32 would you say that you could still serve the Lord if you were dating someone? I know it would be hard, unless he was as dedicated to serving as you would be.

Waiting for God’s best may not be easy, but it is so worth it. He may not want you to be married. He may want you to be a missionary that travels around the world telling others of His love for them.  He may want you to get married in your forties. Whatever God’s plan is for you life, make sure you are praying for clarity and not what you want. Ask him to give you a peace and comfort while you kneel before our heavenly Father and give him your heart and let him bring you his best.

Let’s pray,

Father, I want to do my best is serving you. Show me how I need to do this in order to bring blessings and honor to my life and glory to yours. Thank you for what you do for us. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

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For the A Daughter’s Worth 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 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! Our new study is A Daughter’s Worth! Please email megan@girlfriendscoffeehour.com for more information

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

A Daughter’s Worth: Week 8 / Day 4 – You Can Handle a Difficult Break Up

November 22, 2012 by

I can remember when I was in Middle and High school… I never really dated until I officially got into high school. My dad was not really big on his daughters dating too much into our younger years in school. It was all girls in my family, so my dad tended to be a little sterner with us. He always said that he was a boy once, and he knew how they thought :). It did make it a little difficult for my sisters and me although, I will have to admit that yes, my dad was right: he knew how they thought.

As teenagers we all seem to think that our parents don’t know what they are talking about, we are quick to think that they are trying to make our lives difficult and hard, when all they are really trying to do is make it easier for us. They don’t want to see us hurt. They want to see us happy at all cost. Nine times out of ten, they have experienced heartbreak before and they desire to keep us from having to go through that type of pain.

Let me get to my story. I was in the 11th grade and I can remember my first real boyfriend. I was so in love with him. There was nothing that my wonderful dad could have done to help prevent that heartbreak from happening, although I am sure that he knew it was coming, because I was so head over hills for this guy. He was the perfect gentleman. We had dates to the movies, out to eat, long talks on the phone, good face to face conversations, etc… Then one day, he decided that he no longer wanted to date me. I was so heartbroken. I tried to figure out what I had done wrong, was it something that I had said, or did or didn’t do? It didn’t seem to matter because he just didn’t want to date me anymore. I was HEARTBROKEN!

My dad tried to comfort me, but it just didn’t seem to work. Honestly girls, I had to let God work His wonderful healing powers. I had to lean on Him to heal and mend my broken heart completely. Do I still feel that hurt sometimes? Yes I do, but I also remember how God sent people my way, who loved me dearly to help me work through that painful process. There were loved ones who baked me cookies, friends who sat and listened to me talk and held me when I cried. I can look back over that time and see how much God loved me that He desired to see me whole again. It was hard girls, it really was, but God got me through that painful process and He will do the same for you!!

There are two certain scriptures that are dear to my heart that show me that God is so concerned about us when our hearts are broken.

The Lord is near to the broken hearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

Psalms 34:18

AND

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Psalms 147: 3

God never wants to see His children hurt and heartbroken. He definitely KNOWS how it feels, just think about how He felt when He had to watch His only begotten son on the cross, bearing all of our sins and He couldn’t help Him because that was the decision that His son made, just for us, so that we could all be united with Him again. He also had His heart broken when Adam and Eve sinned for the first time by taking a bite out of the fruit when they were told not to. Wow! Yes He does know how it feels to have your heart broken!

So when you are experiencing heartbreak, yes you can go to God! He knows what it feels like. Take your broken hearts to Him, because He KNOWS exactly how to heal and mend them back together again 🙂

Let’s Pray: Dear heavenly Father please help us to remember that we can bring our broken hearts to you because you do know how to fix them. When the pain may feel like it is unbearable, please take that pain and help us to use it for good. Remind us that you love us so much that you don’t want to see us in pain and that you want us to be happy. We love you Lord and it is in your darling son’s Jesus Christ name we pray. Amen

Love Tonya 🙂

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For the A Daughter’s Worth 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 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! Our new study is A Daughter’s Worth! Please email megan@girlfriendscoffeehour.com for more information

 

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

Lady in Waiting: Spiritual Monitor

November 22, 2012 by

This year my goal has been to slow down. To take the time to seek God in all that I do and to not rush into words and actions; so when I read this section of the chapter I was excited because it lined up with my slowing down plan. However, I never thought that this plan would extend to my friends and how I reacted when I was listening to their excited stories. But there were a few points that stood out to me in regards to this.

  • “Encourage your friend, instead to wait until she sees how the friendship develops”
  •  Our excitement and the excitement of our friends can distract from developing the relationship with God.
  • Psalm 62:5 “my soul, wait thou only upon God; my expectation is only from Him”
  • Do not run ahead of the Lord in your relationships.

I think that learning these things ourselves first will help us to become spiritual monitors for our friends.

There are three other key things needed to become spiritual monitors, both for ourselves and for our friends. These are 1. A relationship with God, 2, prayer and 3. Love. If we try to reign ourselves in, and tame our tongues without these three factors included, we will not be successful.

Talk about an eye opener for me. I always thought that my excitement for my friend’s stories is what made me a good friend. I thought that sharing the magical what if’s with my friends was what I needed to do to support their dreams and desires. But, in reality I need to be encouraging them to spend time with God and encouraging them to work on developing their relationship with Him, while He develops their relationship with others.

Thousands of needless tears,
Produced by careless cheers,
Assuming that Boaz is finally here,
When the arrival of her prince is not even near…
~JMK

Yes we can encourage our friends, and be excited from them. But we as spiritual monitors should make sure to remind our friends in love that their lives are in God’s hands and to not let their excitement distract them from the one relationship that truly matters.

With Love,
Tonya Ellison

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Let’s Pray:

Dear heavenly father, you have placed people in our lives to be our spiritual monitors. You have place d these people here in the times that our emotions are high and in times when we may not be seeing clearly. Thank you for a loving person to remind us when we’re becoming distracted. Please open our eyes and hearts to their wise words. Please remind us to focus on our relationship with you and trust that you will and that you are working on our behalf in all situations.  In Jesus’ name, Amen

Your Assignment:
Do you have a spiritual monitor? Or have you been a spiritual monitor to a friend? Share with the benefit of this person in your life and how their words blessed you in your situation.

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For the “Lady in Waiting” Bible Study, you will need the book, your Bible, pen or pencil, a highlighter and a quiet place. You can order the book right through our website by clicking the “sign-up here” button at the top of our webpage; which is also where you can sign up to participate in this awesome bible study!

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

Special Post – Thanksgiving Traditions from GCH Members

November 22, 2012 by

We have a very special feature today and tomorrow. Girlfriends Coffee Hour leaders and members have shared some of their Thanksgiving traditions for us! So, enjoy this special two-part feature. Do you have a special tradition for Thanksgiving? Leave a comment and tell us about it! We would love to hear what it is! If not, maybe the stories shared below will spark some ideas for new traditions in your home!

Have a blessed Thanksgiving Day!
Jennifer

***

Michelle – One of the things I look forward to every Thanksgiving is my grandfather’s stuffing. He made it every year until he passed away, then my mom started making it, and when she passed away I started making it. Sooo yummy!

***

Amy – I hadn’t thought much about any traditions until my husband and I got together 10 yrs ago. Our first holiday together brought a bit fussing between us because we both enjoyed cooking and kept pushing each other out of the way LOL

So we’ve since learned that he does the stuffings (one cooked inside turkey, one cooked in another pan), and the turkey. I do the side dishes & desserts. He grew up with egg noodles AND mashed potatoes (served together with gravy), while I would have just potatoes. So I’ve made sure to keep that combination going for him.

Another fun tradition that my mom started was a movie with the grandkids. After the big dinner, she will take the kids to an afternoon movie while my husband and I put away the left overs, read the paper, and relax after a busy morning of cooking. It’s been a great activity for the kids & grandma over the years.

***

Tonya – The family tradition that we have started since my divorce my sister and my oldest son cooking the turkey together every year. The rest of us cook the other side dishes together and the ham. We sit down together as a family, when dinner is ready and before we eat, we go around the table saying what we are THANKFUL for and then we pray and eat. After we all eat and clear the table and we have let our food digest, we begin putting the Christmas tree up together 🙂:-)

***

Shauna – my thanksgiving holiday tradition is making my dad’s recipe for turkey gravy. Even when I was single I would make a turkey just so I could make the gravy. Felt like he was there, even though both my parents have been gone for many years now. It’s not thanksgiving without the gravy!!

***

Beverly – Here are some of our traditions over the years
1. Everyone gets the opportunity to speak what they have been the most thankful for since last Thanksgiving
2. Put our Christmas tree up on Thanksgiving evening
3. After thanksgiving dinner, all the girls look at all the ads and plan our Black Friday shopping spree…meet very early about 4:00 a.m. Fri for some grits, eggs and coffee then Stand in line for the freebies at the early bird stores…
4. This year we are going to do something new we are going to have a gingerbread house building contest. Every one in the family must participate from youngest to oldest, we will draw names for teams and there will be a prize for the winners…

***

Anne – I give each person a blank card to write what they are Thankful for and we put them in a basket & read them. Them we save them in our Thanksgiving box.

***

Jennifer M. – Every year one of my aunts (5) or uncles (2) on my mom’s side of the family (yep, that’s 8 kids!) volunteers to host the Thanksgiving dinner (someone else does the Christmas dinner). About 30 family members gather to eat and watch football! This year we will be at my mom’s house. This year is also very special because, Thanksgiving day is also my nephew’s first birthday! We are looking forward to celebrating his birthday on Saturday!

***

Christi – This recipe that I share with you today has been passed down in my family for several generations! It is a recipe my family makes every year for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. Why we don’t think to make it at other times throughout the year, I have no clue! There is really no reason why it couldn’t be served with other meals throughout the year! It is that good!!

The first I tasted this recipe was when I was a little girl. My “Memay” was born in 1913 in Beaver County, Oklahoma. She was my paternal grandmother. She and my grandfather had three children. My father was the middle child. I love listening to all the stories he tells us about his childhood. Life was so different back then! We really have no idea how good we have it today!

Memay was a school teacher for many years, and then after my grandfather passed away, she put herself through beauty school and became a hair stylist. Her beauty shop was located in a back room of her home. She remarried six years after my grandfather passed away, and became a step-mom to three more children. She lived the rest of her years as a homemaker.

I loved my Memay very much! She was sure one special lady!

This recipe that I share with you today was her dish that she made with every holiday meal! I guess that’s why I always thought it was cooked for just the holidays!! LOL

Since I’ve passed this recipe onto my own daughters, and to friends, I would love to share it with you, as well! I hope you will enjoy it as much as my family does, and it will soon become a holiday for you, too!

Memay’s Potato Sausage Dressing

8 large red potatoes, cubed and boiled

1 lb sage flavored sausage, browned & drained

1 green pepper, thinly diced

2 stalks of celery, thinly diced

½ small yellow onion, diced

3 Tbsp Poultry Seasoning

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ cup of milk

¼ cup butter

Salt/pepper to taste

  • Dice green pepper, celery, onion into very small pieces; add to sausage and brown together with sausage.
  • Boil potatoes until done; drain. Add in butter and milk. Blend w/ hand mixer until smooth and creamy. Add salt & pepper to taste.
  • Add browned sausage, green pepper, celery, onion, poultry seasoning, cinnamon, and mix well.
  • Bake in pre-heated 350-degree oven uncovered for 30 minutes.

I hope you will give this recipe a try, and then let me know what you and your loved ones thought of it!  Until then, may the good Lord bless you and your loved ones during the holiday season!

***

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GCH: What’s on Your Plate? Chicken (or Turkey!) Fajitas Salad

November 22, 2012 by

Happy Thanksgiving!  Chances are, if you live in America, right now you are either preparing the Thanksgiving turkey, eating it, or wrapping up the leftovers!  There are so many great ways to use up leftover turkey, but if you are burned out on your old standbys and are looking for something different, I have the solution to your big bird blahs!

There are two ingredients you may not have in your fridge right now that you need for this salad:  cilantro and chipotles in adobo.  Cilantro, that green leafy herb that imparts a fantastic flavor to many south-of-the-border dishes, should be easy to find in your grocery store.  Make sure you’re buying cilantro and not Italian parsley!  (Trust me, I’ve made this mistake!)  The chipotles in adobo will be in your “ethnic food” aisle at the grocery store.  They come in a small can, a little larger than a can of tomato paste.  These are smoked jalapeño peppers in a spicy red vinegar sauce.  Their smoky, rich taste is incomparable and irreplaceable in many Mexican dishes.  Once you taste them, you’ll never forget them!  They are not too spicy, but provide the perfect kick to everything they touch.  You only need one chipotle pepper in this recipe, so transfer the rest to a Tupperware container and stash them in your fridge – they last for a few months since they are already smoked and soaking in vinegar.  Blend one up and add to your next batch of chili!

Everything else should be easy to procure.  This recipe makes two large dinner salads, or 4 or 5 side salads.  I serve this with chips and salsa, but feel free to supplement with whatever other Thanksgiving leftovers you have handy.  Rolls or garlic bread would be welcome (but maybe save the pumpkin pie for later.)

Chicken (or Turkey!) Fajitas Salad

Ingredients:

  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (and about a teaspoon of the sauce)
  • 1 large clove garlic
  • 1/2 bunch cilantro (use the upper stems too, but discard the lower, tougher stems)
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
  • juice of 1/2 lemon (or more … I like more!)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 large onion, sliced into thin strips
  • 1/2 green bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
  • 1/2 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
  • 1 zucchini, sliced into thin strips
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked chicken or turkey, shredded
  • 1 avocado, sliced (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons salsa (optional)
  • large bag of salad greens – romaine is best, but regular old spring mix is fine too

Directions:

  1. Toast the cumin seeds over medium heat for a few minutes until they get a little darker and start smelling delicious.  When toasted, grind in food processor or pulverize in mortar and pestle.  (You could use pre-ground cumin, but please look into  buying the whole seeds!)
  2. With cumin in the food processor, add chipotle and a little adobo sauce, garlic, cilantro, mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon juice, salt and sugar.  Buzz to combine.  Taste for seasoning – too spicy?  Add more mayo or yogurt.  Too tart?  Add a pinch more sugar.  Put the dressing in the refrigerator while you cook the veggies.
  3. Add a little oil or butter to a large pan.  Add the sliced onions and sauté until golden, then add the peppers and zucchini.  Cook until hot and tasty (not for too long, don’t let them get mushy!)  If you have any leftovers, these are amazing mixed with scrambled eggs and a little cheese.
  4. To serve:  Lettuce on the bottom, top with hot veggies and shredded chicken or turkey, and dress liberally with the chipotle dressing.  Scatter some avocado over the top, dot with salsa and dig in!

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana

Please visit me at Frugal Girlmet for more unique recipes!

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Winning Him Without Words: A Front Row Seat

November 21, 2012 by

Take a stroll with me down the streets of Orange, Texas, a small town located on the Louisiana border, where I have resided for the last 25 years.  One of the main attractions in Orange is The Lutcher Theater.  Though a small town, we here in Orange are very privileged that The Lutcher plays host to big name celebrities throughout the year.

Two blocks down the street from The Lutcher is another theater called Orange Community Players.  It is here one will see familiar faces of people in the community, using their God-given talents in the performing arts.

Five miles north of town is The Bush Family Theater.  In this theater, God Himself, is the producer.  On any day of the year, He is producing some of the highest quality dramas, unlike The Lutcher, or I dare say, Broadway has ever produced.

It is in this small home theater where God casts my husband as the main character in each  drama.  The role he is playing is a true story and it is all about God relentlessly pursuing him for his eternal salvation.  An analytical, strong-willed man, who feels he is self-sufficient and has no need of God, he is totally clueless about what is going on between him and God.

I kid you not, every time I watch another episode, my mind races back to the farm I grew up on in Georgia.  Not only did my daddy grow peanuts like all farmers do in Georgia, but he had a large herd of cattle and hogs.  Once a month, Daddy would load up about 50 hogs that he had been fattening to take to the market to sell.  He’d back his big truck up to the fence and line it up with the  “hog shoot.”  For all you city girls, a hog shoot is a narrow wooden passage that the hogs walk up to enter the truck from the field.

Now, the old hogs did not “gracefully” walk up the shoot.  They had to have a little prodding.  Daddy had just the thing to get them going in the direction of the back of his truck – -a hot stick.  This was a battery operated device that gave them an electric shot in their rear that guided them up the narrow passage way into the back of the truck.  Poor hogs – -they had no choice, but to enter the truck.

I am sure you know where I am going with this.  My man has no choice.  God’s guiding hands will get him in the back of His truck.

Yes, it is all being played out before my eyes, and I get to have a front row seat, just as Lynn talks about on page 129 in Winning Him Without Words.

I just feel it in my bones that the final episode is about to be produced.  When it is, you are invited to Orange to the little theater five miles north of town to the celebration. I will kill the fatted calf that I have been fattening up for this occasion.

Outside The Bush Family Theater, the marquee will read: “My Son Which Was Lost Is Now Found.  Admission FREE! Come on in!”

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Let’s pray:

God, I thank you for pursuing each of our husbands, not only for their eternal salvation, but that they grow in grace and in the knowledge of you.  Help us to live our lives before them as 1 Peter 3 calls us to, and not interfere with what you are doing in their lives.  In Jesus name, I pray.  Amen

Your assignment:

Have you seen God in some way pursuing your husband?  If so, how?  The big question is:  “Did you stay quiet and not interfere in what He was doing?


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