October 2015
NEWS & NOTES
A monthly newsletter to keep you informed.

From Where I Sit
Hi! Karen Salas here...From my seat, at my desk and in the Body, I have the rare privilege of seeing you lovely people live your lives with HIM. I am in awe of you!     This month I invite you to welcome Juana Jimenez, who recently served as our World Vision Long Beach Marathon Team Captain, to our Newsletter cover....          

 
1. Introduce yourself and your family. What do you do for work? Hobbies?
My name is Juana Jimenez. I have three children; Selina 21 years old, Esther 16 years old and Jayden 2 ½ years old. I have worked for Long Beach Unified School District since 2004. I became a high school counselor for Jordan High School this year. My first year as a counselor.  

Some of my hobbies are reading even when I can hardly find the time and energy to finish a book.
Spending one on one time with any of my three kids, I have to say the bigger the family the harder it gets so when I get to do this it becomes very special for both my child and I.
I love admiring God's creations. The outdoors have always been my favorite; camping, watching the sunsets and sunrises and listening to the waves crashing among other things. Everything that has to do with the outdoors can be very relaxing to my soul.

Running; I believe the reason why I fell in love with running was because it gave me a chance to be outside. I like heading out in the dark and watch the sunrise as I'm running; the Bolsa Chica Wetlands became one of my favorite spots for this reason.

2. How and when did you become a follower of Christ?
I wish I could answer this question with just a date but I find that very hard to do. Read more about Juana here... 
   

 
 
   
Tank & Big Mama
 



Katrina Kirtz has a terrific new blog!

"Hello, my  name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."  



What do Kramer, Moose, Capi, H2O, Torch, Lurch, Little Gray, Cub, Karch, YY, Kit Kat, T.O., and Beast have in common? One might be led to believe that this is the starting line-up of a pee wee Pop Warner team, or possibly a list of lesser known characters from Sandlot or Little Giants. But, in actuality, they are just a small sampling of the names I have given to some of my middle schoolers over the years. Sometimes I pick the nickname, sometimes they pick the nickname, sometimes their given name is just so dang cool that no nickname is sufficient! I love this particular part of my relationship with our students because (I hope) they feel loved, they feel special, they feel seen, they feel known.
Click here to read more about names...
 
Japanese Gospel Concert at Los Altos
 
Cookies are needed for refreshments after the concert on Saturday.
You may drop off your cookies in the church basement fellowship hall Friday until 5PM...just label them Gospel Choir and leave them on the kitchen counter.

Or, you can bring your cookies when you
 
 
 
Deep Water from Susan Mayo
Shortly after my beloved passed away, the Bible study I was working on had the following version of Psalm 30, with the bold lettering my 'fill in the blanks' part of the assignment.  It is now 5 years later, and I am ready to share my thanks to my heavenly Father.

                "You turned my wailing into dancing, You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with Joy"   
                              
  (Psalm 30:11)

From Bible Study, ANOINTED TRANSORMED REDEEMED   A study of David from Priscilla Shirer, Beth Moore and Kay Arthur.  The lesson that I want to share with you was from Beth Moore's section, the Transformed section of the Bible Study.
                                   Week Four/ Day Four    MOURNING TURNED TO DANCING
Psalm 30: 1-12 (Mayo version)
1   I will exalt You, LORD, because You have taken my beloved to Heaven and have not allowed him to suffer here on earth for very long.
2   LORD my God, I cried to You for help, and You heard and loved me.

3   LORD, You brought me from calm and comfortable ; You spared me from complacency.
4   Sing to the LORD, you His faithful ones, and praise His holy name.

5   For His anger lasts only a moment, but His favor, a life time.  Weeping may spend the night, but there is joy in the morning.

6   When I was secure, I said, "Everything is ok"
7    Lord, when You showed Your favor, You made me; vulnerable yet, willing to try when You made me stand on my own, I was terrified.

8    LORD, I called to You;   I sought favor from my LORD:

9    "What gain is there in being terrified?
10   LORD, listen and be gracious to me;   LORD, be my helper."

11   You turned my sorrow into one day a future of happiness;   You removed my fear and clothed me with Your courage.

12   so that I can sing to You and not be silent.  LORD my God, I will praise You forever.

Lastly, one more verse to share.  The instrumental piece of this music was played at our wedding: Psalm 42: 1 & 2.  "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, O God.  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God, When can I go and meet with God?"

 

Hannah Deaton's Recipes
Our very own Hannah Deaton has a fantastic cooking blog.... 
http://easybreezybasil.com/.

Change Yo Life Tacos

Get ready for the "best meal of your life." I made these tacos for two friends of mine, Sarah and Jason. Sarah helped make the dinner and Jason took the photos. Which by the way look beautiful. These tacos are so delicious and are super easy to prepare. They are also super filling! One will easily fill you up, but they're so delicious you'll want more and I guess you can share. Hope you enjoy!
Makes enough for 3-5 people.

Ingredients: 1 cup of cilantro, finely chopped
1 cup of basil, finely chopped
2 lbs of shrimp, peeled and tailed
1/2 jar of Trader Joe's salsa verde
corn tortillas jack cheese, sliced
1 lb. of kale
2 limes zest from
1 lemon
cumin
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 avocados

How To: Preheat oven to 400F. Start by chopping the cilantro and basil (you can also use a food processor). Slice your cheese into long thin strips, and mince your garlic.

Sauce: Whisk avocado in a large bowl. Add lime juice to the avocado to help break it up. Add the salsa verde and the chopped basil and cilantro, and half of the garlic. Season with salt and pepper, red pepper flakes, and cumin (about 2 tablespoons).

  1. Tortillas: In a frying pan on medium-high heat, heat up one tortilla (both sides) with some oil in the pan, put a few slices of cheese on top and add another tortilla on top and cook until cheese has melted completely. Make as many as you need and set aside.
  2. Kale: Chop Kale and lay flat on a cookie sheet. Season with salt and pepper, the rest of the minced garlic, and a little bit of olive oil. Toss all together and put in oven for 5-7 minutes.
  3. Lastly, prepare the shrimp in a medium pan on medium-high heat. First heat some oil and a little bit of water. Then add the shrimp in two batches. Cook both sides of the shrimp for 2 minutes each.
  4. Add the shrimp to the sauce and mix together.
 
 
 
E N J OY
 

Please Pray
 
We are so blessed to have a church family that prays! Please  click here for this month's prayer requests.

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