June 28th, 2013

Nana Holds from Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power…

Thank you for stopping by for our time together today and more of Nana Holds. Grab your coffee or whatever you’re having and come on in.
It’s just a couple weeks before our next event, and I am suffering from Dry Bone Syndrome! I can’t seem to grasp what it is He’s trying to give me to give to those who are planning to attend this event. To top it off, it became apparent that I was missing a huge piece of my puzzle when Steve, my friend, co-host on Blog Talk Radio, and a board member of CPM said that I haven’t quite accepted the Bryden piece. Then he followed up with, “But I don’t know if I would be able to do it!” Now I was really scratching my head. What in the world did all that mean? I wasn’t wanting to be so busy anymore and yet, the more I craved simplicity, the more complexity was banging on the door of my life! Was I ever going to figure this out?
And then He allowed a moment so sweet to soothe my soul like honey on a sore throat, and in a most unlikely time and place: at a book-signing for our Christian Bookstore in Yucaipa. Book signings aren’t my favorite thing to do…. YET! I had been sitting there talking with the owner who was going through a horrific time in her business life and all of a sudden I

I wanna sign, Nana…. Bryden joins me at a book signing!

looked up to see George coming through the door. My heart smiled, but when I heard “Naaaaaaaa Naaaaaa,” that smile reached my face and I bent down just as he ran right into my arms. How could such a sweet boy have so much love in him, especially considering all he’d been through?
I believe that God used Bryden’s love to tug on and in my heart, awakening my almost dead desire now a yearning to connect. The more available I made myself for Bryden, the softer my heart became, rendering the hidden walls shorter and shorter.
As I prepared for our Revival for Relationships workshop, I was experiencing some major breakthroughs which were equipping me and preparing me for revival in my own marital relationship, but it wasn’t happening fast enough. I was nowhere ready, at least I didn’t think so, to stand before a crowd of people and talk about happy and healthy relationships. It wasn’t until a day or two before that I realized that the first relationship He was perfecting was with our little Bryden.
Join me Monday for more revelations and moments of restoration in Nana Holds
Evinda

Nana Holds!

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Tags: book, book-signing, encoura

June 27th, 2013

Nana Holds from Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power…

Thanks for taking time out of your busy day to join me for Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and more of Nana Holds. Grab your coffee and come on in for a few!
Before we get to our word for today, I need to say happy birthday to a very special friend of CPM and mine, Gay Hardy. So if you’re reading this and you know her, would you remember to offer up a prayer of blessing for her and give her a happy birthday message!
Valentine’s Day was just around the corner. Ugh, just saying V Day brings mixed emotions. What a racket, huh? Every day should be a day we show love to the one we love and commit to! I’m not sure if it’s spiritual maturity or my age, or maybe a combination thereof, but I no longer hold such high and unreasonable expectations to experience all the romance that ambiance and money can buy paid for by my guy. We shouldn’t need a holiday to celebrate our love, but I didn’t always believe that.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m a sucker along with the best of ‘em, buying cards and some cute little something-something for each of our grandkids, seizing the opportunity to shower them with love and affection and laughter. I just don’t expect my husband to be prodded and pushed like a puppet to do something society says he has to do on Valentine’s Day! Give me romance when I least expect it; now that’s what I’m talking about!
This year, as it drew near, I got an idea to make it a better day for Jene’ because by now, she and Bryce are “in love.” You know the old saying we always want what we can’t have? Well, I was sensing she was bumming a bit because what she couldn’t have was a Valentine’s date with her guy, our son so, George and I invited her to join us and Bryden for a Valentine’s Dinner at an Italian restaurant here in Yucaipa. We had never been there before and they were having a Valentine’s dinner special so George made the reservation and I’m so glad he did.

In his daddy’s arms . . .and heart

Jene’ had the happiest smile on her face when Bryden demanded to sit by her. Ah, acceptance from a child is a beautiful thing; of this I can state with the utmost of certainty. We took turns entertaining him while talking and waiting for dinner. We discovered that Jene’ was still reveling in the familiarity with which she interacted with Bryden, despite the newness of the relationship. Inwardly, I was marveling at the same thing. But when God does things, often they are mind boggling, head-scratching kinds of ways, and you know that you know that He’s orchestrated the dance that’s taking place!
We made another discovery on that Valentine’s night: we all found out just how much Bryden loves spaghetti! There was no coaxing and prodding, begging and pleading for him to eat his dinner. No bribery with Oreo cookies necessary, though we did give him some anyway! Yes, our Valentine’s Day dinner and evening was far from romantic; but it was better. And though in my heart I still wondered how long all of this would feel so hard, I was beginning to see changes from the inside out!
Join me tomorrow for more of Nana Holds.
Evinda

Nana Holds!

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Tags: affection, date, dinner, encoura

June 25th, 2013

Nana Holds from Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power…

Welcome to Coffee Hour @ Chickilt Power and thanks for joining me today for a little break and more of Nana Holds. Grab your coffee and come on in.
Have you ever looked back upon a season in your life and wondered, how in the world did I get through that? Well, we are in the midst of one of those seasons at this point of this true-to-life story. I don’t think I realized then what I do now: That He had me, once again, on the operating table for open-heart surgery, spiritually speaking that is, and He would cut something away that needed to go, then let me back up, albeit briefly, and then back on the table I would go.
The brief recesses from this cutting-away process provided breakthroughs, powerful enough to keep me going, illuminating enough to desire to stay. And in the backdrop of life, there are many other things that are pulling on me, tugging on my emotions and wreaking havoc on/in my body. For example, by this time, I was five weeks into a horrible sinus infection and my doctor prescribed steroids for me! Talk about an out-of-body experience!
Did the doctor really realize what he was doing, elevating menopause to a whole new level? The urge to pick up the broom and fly at speeds that would make anyone anywhere close become so dizzy was greater than my need to eat!   And yet, He granted me self-control and I was soaring via a different vehicle from the victories I was winning daily by not allowing my tongue to roam free! Oh, the things He uses to answer our prayers to be more Christ-like!

Look, Nana; I’m big and strong!

Another circumstance in the backdrop of life is the unfortunate loss of CPM’s assistant. I was finding it more and more difficult to do it all and at times I experienced such strong waves of discouragement, wondering if I was really in His will and why the journey of ministry seemed to be more uphill than down. It wasn’t that I doubted Him for a minute, but the surge of self-doubt was enough to send me surfing!
George was openly admitting he didn’t want to do what he was doing work-wise anymore; he needed a change. This was adding to the tension in our marriage, though we weren’t quite equipped to acknowledge it and talk about it.
Those were just a few of the circumstances coming at me from all sides. I share this not to lift myself up but in hopes that you will recognize the One who carries us to and through each and every circumstance if we let Him. There is absolutely no other explanation for coming out on the other side but for/by His grace!
And what do I see as I look back now? God, the Author/Artist in our lives, was using little Bryden as the glue to keep us together in the covenant of marriage; that He had much to teach us about ourselves through the gift of this little boy.
Join me tomorrow for Wednesday’s Word and Thursday for more of Nana Holds.
Evinda

Nana Holds!

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Tags: depression, encouragement, marriage

June 24th, 2013

Nana Holds from Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power…

Thank you for stopping by today for our Coffee Hour and more of Nana Holds. I’m so glad there’s you to share this with! Grab your coffee and come on in for just a bit.
Yes, the month of February whizzed by with life changing moments. For example, there were opportunities to correct Bryden in love with patience instead of the anger and frustration that I experienced as a child and continued with my son! Oh, how good that felt.
Another test which proved to be an opportunity to lay my agenda aside, comfort him and fit into his world was peeking around the corner and I didn’t even know it! How thankful I am that He goes ahead of me and guards me from behind, ready, able and willing to clean up any mess from a failed test!
I had just come in from a three-mile run and thoughts of things I needed to accomplish were spurring me into a dizzy speed. I hurried and showered, dressed and ready to go to the CPM office when I noticed I had missed a phone call. I listened to the voice mail. It was Christ the King calling: “Hello. This is Carol from Christ the King. We have Bryden in our office. He threw up this morning and is not feeling very well. We’ll keep him here until you come and get him.”
I don’t need to look in my journal to remember how I responded. Yep, that’s right; I responded instead of reacted. I had no anxiety, no frustration. Instead, I had a new and keen insight that He was removing the old scratches that had been engraved over and over and over again into my heart and mind, and He was replacing them with a new song of

Bringing him home for some TLC

compassion, one that I was dancing in and to with Bryden.
But I’m not yet dancing with my husband. Still, there is this “something” that holds me back from completely connecting with him emotionally and spiritually, thus hindering us physically. What it is I can’t put my finger on just yet, but something tells me, that answer is around the corner and that maybe it is I who hold the key to unlock that door and not him.
Join me tomorrow for more…
Evinda

Nana Holds!

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Tags: coffee, coffee hour, dancing, encourage

June 21st, 2013

Nana Holds from Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power… Latte anyone?

Thanks so much for joining me today for a little coffee break at Chickilt Power. I am truly enjoying reliving these moments with and for you through my journal entries. If I tied a knot in my strand of faith for every revelation, every life-changing moment I’ve experienced thus far in this season alone, my strand would look like a thick rope because of all the knots. Grab your coffee and come on in.
In the background of all these revelations, we are surviving in some areas and thriving in others. Our Sunday visits were made even brighter with the companionship of Jene and the blossoming of their relationship which by now has turned into something deeper than friendship. And not just between her and Bryce, but with Bryden as well. I’m giggling as I realize that I’m not the only one being transformed in this process. And here I thought it was all about me!
I loved watching the changes that take place that are good for a person and motivated by the gift of love. Picture this sweet girly-girl who swore she didn’t like to get dirty standing by Bryce as George and I ran around with Bryden in the muddy grass, often falling and winding up pretty dirty. There was a sort of wishful look on her face, and a smile in her eyes.
Well, it was only a matter of three Sundays I think before she showed up looking like she just might join us out in that

Sunday smiles!

muddy grassy area! I’ll never forget her childlike enthusiasm and willingness as she pointed to her tennis shoes. Are you ready for this? They were white with pink trim and looked like they’d never been worn! But, in her words, she was ready to get dirty! Grant it, she was openly awkward and uncomfortable in the beginning, especially when she got mud on her hands and shoes, but she pushed past it all and it wasn’t long until she was letting her guard down and her inner child out as she played in the muddy grass with father and son.
Join me Monday for more moments in this life-changing series!
Evinda

Nana Holds!

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Tags: coffee, coffee hour, encouragement,

June 20th, 2013

Nana Holds from Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

I closed Tuesday’s time with a statement that may have sounded a bit sadistic to some of you, so please let me clarify: God uses our pain to bring beauty that not only transforms us but transcends our human understanding. I in no way mean to imply that our God is sadistic either. No, I happen to know from life’s experiences that He desires only His best for us and He will stop at nothing to bring it about. Grab your coffee and come on in.
So January is gone and February is upon us. Bryden’s birthday becomes a common ground for us both to stand upon and plan together, something to look forward to. In addition to his birthday, we and our team are preparing for our next CPM event, “Revival for Relationships.” It’s almost comical, even as I write this for you, that the person He was aiming at speaking to the most was probably me!
By this time, I am finally using a few of the powerful tools Steve and I discuss on Blog Talk Radio in order to break free from my own relationship infection, aka, co-dependency. The revelations before this event are coming at me pretty rapidly and I am having trouble processing them. But one thing I am definitely doing is taking my focus off of my honey and keeping it on my own heart surgery He is performing on me so He can work through me.
Hints of not letting others’ behavior control mine are breaking through the cloud of co-dependency, ever so slowly, casting light where there has been confusion for all these years.
Life continues to happen on life’s terms and God stirs the gift of compassion in me again as I recognize symptoms in

his pink cheeks became a sign of getting sick:(

Bryden of yet another bout of Strep throat. It seemed like only yesterday that we had taken him to urgent care not once but twice within 30 days. Now, just three weeks later and three doses of antibiotics he was sick again. This time we caught it sooner! But this time he also had an ear infection. I knew he wasn’t feeling good, but you talk about a little trooper!
I was able to love him, comfort him through his cranky moments with an ease I had never experienced until now. My emotional healing contributed to his physical healing. It wouldn’t have been possible had I not let Him reveal and cut away things of the past, making it possible to comfort this amazing little boy when he was sick all while I fought a sinus infection that was spiraling out of control! The only explanation is Christ in me!
Join me tomorrow for more
Evinda

Nana Holds!

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