Monday's Manna-from Castro's Corner @ Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

I had the honor of attending my first CPM event on Saturday, June 28^th. To say that I was blown away would be an understatement. The lesson Kim Evinda covered- Truth produces Faith is the theme of this week’s writing.

Wednesday, June 25^th was the day of our Fundraising event for Sarah Amento. Up to the date of the event I wasn’t sleeping much since my nerves were on edge…all the last minute things were really beginning to add up. I hadn’t had a chance to take care of all the loose ends going into the event and I remember getting on my knees, days before the event, and just praying. I prayed that God would provide a way to bring everything together and that we would have the ability to raise as much money as possible for this family.

As I sat in that pew at the River Church, Kim elaborated on the importance of trusting in God one day at a time. God truly does supply all of our needs and uses us as vessels to complete his work. I was so moved as Kim talked that I could feel myself getting choked up as I remembered how perfectly everything came together that day for Sarah.

As our whole team prepared for the event on Wednesday, I remember running around like a chicken with it’s head cut-off. But all the loose ends came together (as usual) and as our vendors showed up, I looked around and just stopped. I gave thanks for God’s provision and his ability to ALWAYS come through. Later that night, during the raffle, I had the blessed opportunity to thank everyone who came out for the event. It was truly amazing to see the community come together for such an honorable cause.

Later that evening, after the event had ended, I hopped on the laptop and I had a message from Sarah in my In-box. She was sincerely grateful for all that we had done, but little did she know that this event had impacted me in a way that I had never imagined. I told her that out of the sixteen years that my dad had been gone, I had never felt this close to him. Sarah’s strength in taking on this disease head to head reminded be of my Father’s strength; Sarah fights to stay alive for her five children as my father fought to stay alive for us.

After I left Thriving in Love and Life I stopped by my Father’s gravesite and told him of what God was able to accomplish through us for Sarah. I told him that I had been so scared and fearful as I took on this project, but God provided. It was at that moment in time that I received confirmation- The joy of the Lord is my strength (Nehemiah 8:10).

Trust does produce Faith and God will become our every need. Never forget this. We can be His hands and feet as we step outside of our comfort zone and take on the world. He will sustain us! God Bless You!

In His Love,
Garrett Castro

Power Friday-from Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

Welcome to Power Friday at Chicklit Power! This will be the last “Power Friday” for a while as my son’s blog, "Jeff’s Java Hour" will move to Friday beginning next week. It’s exciting to see how the Lord is providing and increasing our territory to reach more through transparency from our heart to yours! Grab your coffee and come on in.

I’ve formed so many special relationships from and in the trenches with others who want to right what’s wrong in their relationships and within themselves. It has been life changing to say the least. I find myself on the phone more, or in one-on-one little meetings in order to encourage those trench class friends.

One day, while in the midst of a conversation with a sweet friend struggling in her marriage, she kept exiting her emotional lane, and her car and going on over to her husband’s, sharing with me all that he’s doing wrong, justifying her anger towards him. Talk about an emotional wreck! :)
I shared the valuable truth with her that when she gets there in front of her First Husband, He’s not going to talk with her about what he did to her, but how she handled what he did! It was after that truth that this one followed:

Our actions defend what’s right; our mouths defend who’s right!

Oh that our actions would speak quietly the love and grace given to us that we may extend it to others!

Love and hugs,
Evinda

Destination? Joyful! (tm) from Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

Thanks for stopping by for our Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power! Whew, we are officially in summer! Grab your “iced” or hot coffee and come on in for a new series.

For those of you who are regulars at Coffee Hour, I’m sure you’ve noticed a couple of changes! God is increasing our territory and He’s using MEN to do it! We now have Monday’s Manna by Garrett Castro, and Wednesday’s Word – which may change to Friday after the event – written by my son, Jeff Burton! So bear with us as we get into a new routine!

I don’t know about you, but I’m in need for a real joy-stirring series, especially coming up and out of a 300-page curriculum that addresses the roots of any -- yes, I said “any” – hurt, habit or hang-up! So my intent is to not go too deep, and hopefully I won’t have to dig too much to stir up that joy within each one of us who have figuratively signed the adoption papers to be children of God.

I guess that’s as good a place to start as any! The joy’s already in us. If you’re reading this right now, and going through a real tough time, you may find that truth hard to swallow -- ha, then it would really be in you! :) -- But let me assure you, His joy is in us if we’ve invited Him to clean out and reside in our heart! See, the word “joy” is in His Love Letters to us over 200 times! It’s one of the most talked-about subjects.

Dang it! I just can’t put the shovel down! I’m wondering if there’s someone reading this blog that needs some real proof about joy and the Author of true joy! Let’s have some fun with this and begin our quest for joy with the aid of my handy-dandy Hebrew and Greek Exhaustive Concordance, a must-have for tools in the digging process.

The first time the word “joy” appears is in 1^st Samuel – wait, that tells me something interesting that will definitely add to my bucket of joy: So if joy comes from Him abiding in us, then here’s more proof that the trinity is for real; that God knew man would fall in the Garden; that we would need a Helper, a Comforter to stir up that joy in times of sorrow or trouble. Okay. Sorry, got a bit off track there.

Let’s check out the first translation in Hebrew for joy: “blithesomeness or glee.” Hmm, haven’t heard that first word before, at least not with the “ness” at the end of it! Oh, wait a minute! It says that this noun is both a technical term for the external expression of joy; and then it references Genesis 31:27. Let’s go check that out!

“Why did you flee away secretly, and steal away from me, and not tell me; for I might have sent you away with joy and songs, with timbrel and harp?”

Okay, so we need to detour just a bit here, but oh, how I love the way He’s leading! So this verse is in reference to Laban and Jacob. The short version of that long story is Laban is trying to outsmart Jacob while Jacob spends some time on the run, running from this self-centered man and Laban overtakes Jacob. In that moment, Laban experiences a little breakthrough that helps him let go of some of his selfishness and for that moment, he himself experiences joy and speaks of sending Jacob, who had stolen much of what was Laban’s, off in joy!

The story is way more complex than that, but to wrap up our first detour, I think God wants us to know that no matter how bad things look, no matter what or who is taken from you, or how lost in fear you are, no matter what has tried to overcome you, there is joy to be found!
Join me tomorrow for our Power Friday and next week for more ways to discover the joy within us to lead us to our Destination? Joyful! ™!

Evinda

Jeff's Java hour @ Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

So I just want to vent for a minute... I was brushing my teeth and talking to myself, as I usually do, and me and myself were discussing the fact of lying to my kids. Wait, wait, wait! Before you go all "You're a bad parent" on me, I mean I’m talking about the little white lies like Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny and things like that. Now don't get me wrong; I am guilty of this needless tradition but upon further inspection, I realize that our main arguments for keeping up with these tall tales are that there is magic in them and the kids get to “feel” that magic when they think about these lavish stories.

But wait, isn't Christmas about a virgin who became pregnant with the son of GOD!!!? Isn't Easter about a Man who ROSE FROM THE DEAD!!!? To me that is magical. If we really grasped the reality of those realities, just think of the impression that would leave on their hearts and ours. A virgin birth! Way better than flying reindeer. The Son of God not staying down when death dealt its most powerful blow! No bunny in the world, no matter how big he is, is more awesome than that. And both of these things were done so that we could inherit eternal life and forgiveness of sins and we are taking these truths and covering them up with lies.

Now I know that I am a few months off season here to be blabbering on about these holidays but when you talk to yourself while brushing your teeth, the subject matter is bound to go places. The message I send to my kids, even after I come clean with them about Santa and the bunny, is that if it is an important enough reason, and if everyone is doing it, then it is Ok to lie; wait! But it’s just a white lie. It's all the same no matter what color the lie is!

Pheeeew! Ok I am done. Maybe I will start listening to music when I brush my teeth from now on. d:-) I love you guys more and more…


Jeff

P.S. Join my Mom at Fitness 19 in Yucaipa for the Fight for Sarah Armento Fundraiser 5% of her book sales will go toward helping Sarah win this fight of stage 4 cancer.

Invitation Tuesday-From Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

It’s so good to join you for our final Invitation Tuesday before our Thrive event! I can’t believe it’s already here! Saturday is just around the corner and there are still a few things to do to get ready for you! Grab your coffee and come on in.

It’s hard to believe that CPM has been in existence for almost four years! Yup, July 7^th will be four years! And oh, how it has evolved. With each event, He is showing us His good and perfect will for Chicklit Power Ministries, a ministry dedicated to helping others thrive “in” relationships and “out” of hurts, habits and hang-ups. The majority of that work is done in the trenches and on a much deeper level whereas the event(s) will be a lot lighter but every bit as powerful!

As we’ve been preparing for the event, we’ve prayed that our territory would increase through this four-hour interactive workshop on the Ten Ways to Thrive in Life and Love. Can I encourage you to bring a friend? Who doesn’t need to get better at life and love? We have so much in store for you: New merchandise with a message, an incredibly radical raffle, a great break with food and fellowship, an amazing team, two amazing emcees (one of whom is flying all the way out from New Jersey to meet you!) and of course, whatever He shares with me and Steve to give to you! Oh, and there’s a Thrive Kit, too!

The first half will be the 5 Ways to Thrive presented by myself and the second half will be a T.V. type talk show on the 5 Ways to Thrive in Love hosted by me and Steve. This entire workshop has been bathed in prayer and there’s something for everyone. The doors open at 8 so you can browse our gift store and the radical raffle and avoid the rush!

I hope you plan to join us!



Learning to thrive,
Evinda

Monday's Manna from Castro's Corner @ Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

Happy Monday Manna,

Last Sunday, after I finished writing for Monday Manna, I drove over to Hillside Memorial Park where my Father is buried. I told him how much I missed him and I prayed that the Lord would fill me with the type of strength and joy he had during his sixteen-year battle with terminal lung cancer.
I sat in front of his headstone with my head bowed praying and reminiscing. I felt alone, but I also felt at peace; it’s amazing what type of emotions couple together when we experience the loss of a loved one. As I sat in front of his grave, I felt like the eleven-year-old boy that just lost his dad, but this time I was alone. I remember the day he passed like it was yesterday. As we sat in the front row of his memorial service, I remember thinking to myself “Now what? Who am I supposed to depend upon now? Why did God have to take MY Dad?”

Robert with Revival Life invited me to a Bible study in Yucaipa weeks prior to Father’s Day and I was asked to share my story with the Church. At first I was very nervous about sharing, but writing for all of you has helped me to step out of my shell. I eventually shared the story of my Dad and how hard his passing was on me. When I finished sharing, I was holding back tears and the Revival Life Church prayed over me. I can’t begin to articulate how moved I was. When we were finished Robert thanked me for sharing and said “Garrett, in taking away your father, God was able to show you how He would provide for you and your family.”

I remembered what Robert had said that night and it echoed in my brain as I sat at my father’s burial site. As the sun set I said my good-bye to my Father once again and prayed that God would fill me with the type of strength and joy my Dad always had. I also prayed for the Amento family and asked that God would watch over the family as they prepared for their departure to Austria where Sarah would be undergoing eight weeks of intense cancer treatment.

I’ve been overwhelmed with planning for Sarah’s fundraising event, but I know that God has His hand on this. He works in such amazing ways and the amount of love and support that’s been pouring in from the local community is a testimonial to how the Spirit moves. We are so blessed to give back and we only wish to honor God through this event.

I pray that each and every one of you have a great week and if you’re available on Wednesday June 25^th, come stop by Fitness 19 of Yucaipa where donations will be accepted for the Amento family. God Bless You!

In His Love,

Garrett Castro

Power Friday from Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

Thanks for taking the time to stop by for a little power thought a Chicklit Power! Grab your coffee, iced or hot, and come on in! :)

I’ve recently wrapped up my curriculum, Transform, An In-Depth Study of the Eight Roots to any Hurt, Habit or Hang-up, and  I received this mini download as I was writing the final root, which is the Root of Confusion.

To say I had a heck of a time writing it would be an understatement! Confusion is so confusing! But God continues to be faithful in providing clarity through various means: Steve Atkinson, a wonderfully educated man of God, and these mini downloads that astound me as they awaken my mind, the seat of my heart, to a new level of understanding.

I have been guilty of "spiritualizing" mental difficulties -- nearly every one of them are called blank disorder, but after doing this research and writing this curriculum, I call them difficulties because there is hope, especially when you understand what you’re dealing with. While confusion is the enemy’s strongest weapon, we can’t just put any mental/emotional difficulty in a box and call it Satan, or any other “spiritual” term we may give it. And by all means, please, the next time you encounter someone who appears to be struggling mentally, do not accuse them of having no faith or little faith!

I’ll get off my soap box and give you one of the many mini downloads He wrote through me while writing the Root of Confusion and I pray it splashes perspective on the seat of your heart as well:

When we are “in balance,” confusion can’t tip us over!

Leaning on my Balance …

Evinda

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

Thanks so much for stopping by today for our special time! I'm sorry it's late! I got a bit sidetracked! Grab your coffee and come on in... make that an iced coffee! :)

So our event is coming up and we are doing things a bit differently. Change is always a bit scary but more often than not required and refining! So one of the things we are doing different is encouraging everyone to register for the event online, which means... I HAVE NO IDEA HOW MANY TICKETS ARE BEING SOLD!! :) Because we are doing away with tickets and only a few team members have them, it's hard to know who is coming or if anyone's coming!

That's where this power truth brings comfort so if you are going through an uncertain time, I pray this mini download ministers to your soul as it did mine when He reminded me of it!

Peace that transcends all understanding is contentment in uncertainty!

Blessings to you in all your uncertainty!

Evinda

Jeff's Java Hour @ Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

Wednesday's Word!

Thanks for joining us today for Wednesday's Word ... from my very own son whom I am just discovering has a passion to write from his heart to yours! I pray you enjoy his words ...
Who do we think that we are?!  I read the Bible, bold instructions before leaving earth, and I see nothing but stories of people that defied all their natural five senses and stepped out in faith, believing in God, and accomplished AMAAAAAZING things for His glory.  So why do I think that when God calls me to act that I need to be in charge and figure out the most sensible way to do what He called me to do?

Now, now, don't get me wrong; I am human after all and my first instinct when God speaks to my heart to act is always, "Well, how is that going to work?!  Okay. Well I need to plan this way and that way with these things and those people and blah blah blah."

Look, again when I read His word, I always see God say "Go" and that person goes.  That is why God tells us to "pray without ceasing" because God wants to give us the wisdom that we need not to make smart calculated decisions, but to hear His voice.  He calls us sheep, ya know!  Do you know how dumb sheep are?  The only hope that they have of staying alive and making "right decisions" is solely based on them following their shepherd's voice.  If they are left to their own vices and their own "wisdom," they go astray and are eaten by wolves or stolen by thieves or fall in a ditch and can't get out and and on and on and on.  You get the picture :)

The Bible says that God's wisdom is more valuable than gold and more precious than silver because it brings freedom and life to our spirit and mind.  I am tempted to try and help God but God only wants me to be obedient because honestly I have no idea what is good for me.

It seems extreme to follow God these days, I mean to truly follow God.  There is too much natural mixed with what God wants to do supernaturally these days.  There is a saying that goes, "you're too spiritually minded to be any earthly good," and I know what they mean when they say that but honestly, our example is Jesus!  And how spiritually minded was Jesus?!!!  The Bible says that Jesus didn't even move unless His Father told Him to move.  He didn't care about celebrities or their "reality" shows, or who was considered important in those days; no, He cared to death about yours and my eternity and He trusted His Father all the way to being obedient to death on a cross.  To me, that is pretty spiritually minded.  God please help me to get this and to be sensitive to Your leading and to pause until I hear Your precious voice guide me further.

Blessings to you today and tomorrow and tomorrow after that ...

Jeff

Invitation Tuesday-from Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

 Thanks for joining me for another invitation Tuesday; only one more left before the event! Whew, time’s a flying! Grab your coffee and come on in for a little inside scoop on Thrive workshop!
What is your goal in life and love? When I think of that question, I can’t help but know in my heart that love, relationships, play a very important part of life and can either cause us to survive in or thrive through the stormy seas that life can tend to bring. Let’s look at the second definition for “thrive”

“To progress toward or realize a goal despite or because of circumstances …” hmm, “despite or because of” really adds a twist to this definition for “thrive.” As I meditate on it, there is a verse that echoes in the hallway of my heart, reaching the forefront of my mind: “For we know that all things work together for the good to them who love God, to them who are called according to His purpose.”
So to thrive through the ups and downs of life, the sea of trials, we must acknowledge that He will either allow or use circumstances to bring us beyond surviving to that place of thriving, a way of increasing the borders of our faith until we see Him face to face.

I hope you will join us for tools to thrive in life and love … mark your calendar; it’s only a week and a half away!


http://chicklitpower.com/events/

 Learning to thrive,

Evinda

Monday's Manna from Castro's Corner @ Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

Well, I hope that each and every one of you had an amazing Father’s Day. I want to be completely honest with all of you; Father’s Day is tough for me. I’ve been contemplating about writing on this, but God has put this on my heart.

My father Richard Castro passed away in September of 1998 after battling a rare form of lung cancer for sixteen years. Out of anger and frustration, I only visited his burial site three times. I visited him after I graduated from college, again after Kay and I married, and just recently again with my brother Evan. I would have given anything to have my Dad at my college graduation, since I knew it was his dream to see me graduate; he was never fortunate enough to have the option to attend college, since his family was financially strapped. During our wedding in Kauai, I knew my Dad was there in spirit but I still visited his grave site afterwards to tell him the good news.

Last week, as I was stressing about coordinating the fundraising event for Sarah Amento, I had an emotional and spiritual awakening because of it. Sarah Amento, wife and mother of five, was diagnosed with stage three, triple negative breast cancer. I’ve been working tirelessly with my team to orchestrate a fundraising event to help raise the amount needed for her treatment costs while she’s in Austria. I came home on Wednesday night stressed and overwhelmed beyond all measure. A majority of all the planning was done, but there were a few loose ends that weren’t coming together as easily as I had anticipated. I was praying diligently but felt as if my way was easier than God’s way.

At around 11PM on Wednesday I was still working from home, so I decided to shut the laptop down, put on my trail running shoes,  my head-lamp, grab my boot-knife (I always run with one, since we live close to the canyon and there seems to be a dense population of coyotes and mountain lions…I mean you never know, right!?) and I was gone. I ran to the bottom of the canyon and as I was heading back up I began thinking of how much I missed my Dad. Sarah’s battle has brought back all of those not-so-fond memories. Anger, mixed with pure frustration, overcame me. As I was sprinting up the canyon my legs were on fire and thoughts of my Dad and Sarah filled my heart with fury. Why does God always allow the good ones to suffer? My leg pain sent me yelling at the top of my lungs and I could hear myself echoing through the dark canyon as I sounded like a wild man. Hopefully I didn’t wake any of my neighbors.

I finally reached the top of the hill. I was breathing heavy and with tears in my eyes, I stopped, bowed my head and prayed for peace. After praying I instantly felt comforted and as I ran home, I remembered how much my Father taught me about putting my faith in Christ. I will be leaving here after I am done writing this to head out to my Father’s grave site where I’ll find it written “A Heart for Jesus.” My dad is my hero and I hope he would be proud of me for giving back to Sarah. God Bless You All!

In His Love,

Garrett Castro

P.S. The fundraiser is at Fitness 19 in Yucaipa on June 25th beginning at 4:00 p.m. Hope to see you there; I would love to meet you!

Mirror-Mirror from Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

1^st Corinthians 13:12: “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.”

Thanks for coming back for the second part to our WOW for June! Grab your coffee and come on in. I'm excited to share with you the conclusion to Mirror-Mirror and why things are never as they seem!
When I did a little research, I came across my first commentary I ever used when I began to actually dig and study in the Bible: Matthew John Henry Commentary. I wanted to share his commentary on this portion of scripture and I hope it speaks to your heart as it continues to speak to mine:

“Things are all dark and confused now, in comparison of what they will be hereafter: Now we see through a glass darkly (en ainigmati, in a riddle), then face to face; now we know in part, but then we shall know as we are known.”

He begins to explain it here: “Now we can only discern things at a great distance, as through a telescope”…

So what if we were to not act on things that we can only discern from a distance? Would there be less reacting? It’s kind of analogous to reading without your glasses; you are not as equipped and your understanding is somewhat blurry as you try and make out the words, but when you put your glasses on, voila! You not only see, but because you have a better picture, understanding brightens the picture and things are less obscure.

Matthew John Henry continues his commentary: “But hereafter the things to be known will be near and obvious, open to our eyes; and our knowledge will be free from all obscurity and error.”

See, that says that there will be some things that we just don’t get to understand … until He says so! And that means until we meet Him face to face! So all we can do is “faithe” – rhymes with bathe – through them, trusting Him instead of leaning on our own understanding, which should prevent us from reacting based on our assumptions, a mistake that is often damaging to not only the one making it but all parties involved!

Here’s a powerful truth that makes what is not understood much less important: God is to be seen face to face! So really, when I think about it, that which seems to be one way, or they that seem to be a particular way, based on my assumptions and what I am able to see or hear, will not be important in comparison to seeing Him face to face!

And here’s a point to ponder that He gave me for us: Oftentimes, those things that are based on assumptions that grate on our nerves are what we see when we look in the mirror!

And here’s another truth that Matthew John Henry points out from this verse: We are to know Him as we are known by Him; not indeed as perfectly, but in some sense in the same manner. We are known to Him by mere inspection; He turns His eye towards us, and sees and searches us throughout. We shall then fix our eye on Him, and see Him as He is, 1 John 3:2. We shall know how we are known!”
Whew, I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be known for acting or reacting upon a bunch of assumptions, things that aren’t as they seem!

Oh, to fix the eyes of my heart on that day when I will pass from unknowing to really knowing, from darkness to light, from clouds to pure “Sun” shine when I look in the mirror and see Him face to face!

Evinda

Mirror-Mirror from Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

1^st Corinthians 13:12: “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.”

Thank you for stopping by for our Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power! I never tire sharing from my heart to yours! I realize that it hasn’t been but a few days since we completed May’s WOW, but I’m trying desperately to come up for air and get back on track after finishing a 300-page curriculum so, would you care to join me for June’s Words of Wisdom and Weapons of Warfare, do we can get ‘er done before June is gone! :)

Have you ever acted, or reacted based on an assumption that you found out after the fact was wrong? Isn’t that just the worst? Talk about a huge piece of humble pie. The examples are almost countless. I remember when I was nearly drowning in my insecurities; whenever I would first come around a group of people who I was seeking approval and acceptance from, I just knew that when I walked in the room and they stopped talking, it was because they had been talking about me … and it had to of been all negative!

Or have you ever thought you were well-schooled in a particular subject only to discover you were more un-learned? I could go on and on with examples, and maybe you can share one of yours with me, but for the sake of time, let’s get to our WOW.

Now the words preceding this particular verse are actually speaking about our giftedness that we use in and out of the Church, i.e., wisdom, knowledge -- and there is a difference but that’s for a different blog! – faith, gifts of healing … all from the Spirit and then Paul goes on to talk about the greatest gift over all is love/charity. He is also telling us in the preceding verses that our giftedness isn’t perfected until the Perfect One comes. So he’s comparing now to then, meaning present to what is to come. Our gifts are to be used for His glory until His glory comes! In other words, our gifts are but a candle whose flame will be lost in the Rising Son when He comes.

But that’s not all I get from our WOW – which is how His Word is; it is alive and active, meeting us right where we are, thereafter changing us forward. And maybe I’ll be speaking just to myself about this interpretation because of what is going on in my life, especially in a particular situation where I’m left with only assumptions due to a loss of contact and I dare not act on those assumptions.
Join me tomorrow for the conclusion to Never as it seems …

Evinda

Jeff's Java Hour from Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

 Hurry, grab your coffee and plan on staying just a little longer. I'm bursting with joy over something super exciting. I get to introduce a new series and a new blogger for CPM, someone who definitely speaks from his heart!

I am giggling right now as I get ready to introduce you to this new series beginning today called Wednesday's Word! But even more exciting is how it came to be. We have been praying for guest bloggers to join us so more than one voice is sharing time with you and God has heard our prayer and He used Facebook to do it.

See, just Friday my assistant and I were scrolling through my news feed, pretty quickly, and I saw my son's name and an out-of-the-ordinary amount of writing under it. "Stop!" I said rather abruptly to Lindsay and she scrolled back up and what I read rendered me in tears, tears of joy, tears of praise, and every other happy emotion you can sometimes only imagine! My son's emotional and spiritual healing was happening, and it was right there on the screen for all to see!

Well, then reading how everyone responded to what he wrote was another happy-tears time and when I talked with him about it the next day, suddenly it hit me: this son of mine is a writer!
"Jeff," I nearly screamed, "how about if you join the blogging team for CPM?"

His face lit up like a brand new light bulb. "Really?"

Jeff's Java Hour @ Chicklit Power is born . . . May his first words render your soul spoken to... in love!

Oh man, God is Good!!! I always, and I mean always, forget that I am saved by grace, ya know. I could never be good enough or "Christian" enough to earn what God has given through faith in His son Jesus Christ. Faith! That's it, not works.

In James, I believe chapter 4, he writes how if I have faith, true living-outside-of-my-comfort-zone faith, then my works will automatically fall in line with my belief.

I get so mad at other people sometimes thinking in my head that somehow they are different than I am, but they are not because God is still giving them air to breathe. He loves them just as much as He loves me. Even if they are not a "Christian," and don't believe or think as I do, God knew them and knit them together in their mothers' womb. He still has a plan for them no matter what that is He knows.

So I am going to make a conscious decision today to stop being so angry at people and so easily offended and so unforgiving. You know when you think of a certain person and immediately you get ticked off? Well, me too, and that means that we haven't forgiven that person. And God has told me in His word that to the extent that I am unable to forgive, I will also not be forgiven. He told me how can I say that I love Him but hate my brothers and sisters.

God's truth sometimes hurts but it brings life with it and regeneration. The moment that I am unable to except truth in my life, even if it is from someone that it is hard to hear it from, that's the moment that my heart begins to get a little harder. And you remember the story of the Pharaoh in Egypt; he hardened his heart to God and God can't work with a hard heart.

Wheeeeeew! I am sorry for all of that but my heart just threw up through my fingers and now it feels a little lighter. So in closing, all of you, my friends, keep me accountable and never stop yourself from telling me or anyone else for that matter the truth; even if it is going to hurt our feelings, we need it.

Thank you, and I love you guys.

Jeff

Invitation Tuesdays-From Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

Happy Invitation Tuesday and thanks for stopping by today! Grab your coffee and come on in. I want to share a divine appointment with you.

Let’s rewind the clock of time for just a moment. It’s April 23^rd, the day of my final book-signing at our resort in Cabo and I was walking by the pool to finish setting up when I heard a “Ma’am, excuse me, Miss?”

I turned around and a guy about my husband’s height was about ten steps behind me and now catching up. “Are you the author?”

I smiled at his question. “Yes, that’s me!”

“Well my wife really wants to meet you.”

I waited for him to catch up and pointed to the table that had already been set up for me. “Well, bring her on over. I’m just getting set up.”

He assured me he would and went off to get her as I began the set-up. Carol, a sweet friend I met from Cabo years ago at my first book-signing at the resort, was already there waiting to help, and between the two of us, we were set up in no time. Just as I was going to sit down, he came back … with his wife.

He introduced himself as well as her and we struck up an immediate conversation. Within minutes, anyone looking on would have thought we were long-lost friends as we exchanged ministry experiences and laughter. It was this statement that really intrigued me … at least then, but not as much now: “I told my husband I’m going to work with this woman one day.”

In the back of my mind I’m thinking, who is this woman? Why would she want to work with me?
Well, God is still revealing all the facets of her to me -- and there are many -- but to make the longer story short, by the time we ended our vacation, she, and her husband, were planning to come out for the event all the way from New Jersey, and she had created a book-club event for her top leaders in August based on my new book A Cup of Grace for the Day – she has since added a one-day conference with me as the keynote speaker, and she also re-invented the wheel for an event she’s doing in September to include me in it!

Who is this woman? Oh, so many facets to her! Please, mark your calendar for June 28^th! You are going to love meeting Dr. Sandrie Bermudez, the First Lady of Vineland, New Jersey!

Join us for our Thriving in Life and Love event

Thriving in His sense of humor,

Evinda

Monday's Manna from Castro's Corner @ Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

I’m always amazed to see God’s hand at work. My brother Evan, whom I love dearly, called me on Saturday morning so overwhelmed with excitement that he could barely speak.

His story gave me goose bumps. Evan was on his way to work when his supervisor called him and communicated to him that his client wouldn’t be ready to meet with him until hours after their initial scheduled appointment. Evan eats as often as I do (every two hours) and decided that he would take an early lunch break at the local Taco Bell; not the healthiest of all options, but I’ll give him a break.
He parked and as he was walking inside he noticed a young lady, approximately 25 years of age, who was drinking a beer in a paper bag and he noted that it looked as if she had the same dress on for weeks. Her hair was tangled and draped over part of her face, but he was still able to see her young complexion behind it. As he walked in to place his order, he felt the Spirit tugging on his heartstrings to reach out to this young girl. So, he walked outside and asked her when was the last time she eaten. She responded that it had been over one day that she had eaten.

Evan coaxed her to go inside with him, but he told her that before they entered, he must first pour out her beer. When he had finished pouring out her beer, he escorted her inside and after they ordered their food, they sat at a booth and Evan asked her if she wouldn’t mind sharing her story with him. Evan shared his story with her as well and he said to her, “Kathleen, I just barely met you but I want to let you know that God loves you. He loves you so much that he sent his Son to die for your sins.” After, Evan asked if he could pray for her and she agreed. Evan didn’t compel her to accept Christ that day, but he was able to reach out and pray for a girl in need.

Evan said that Kathleen began weeping and she thanked him for praying. I was so proud of my big brother. Evan has not had an easy upbringing and he admits that he’s very rough around the edges, as we all are, but he has a gift- the ability to relate to those who have hit rock bottom. Evan’s testimony is incredible. I can’t recall a time in the past that I’ve heard my brother so excited about a spiritual opportunity.

Evan told me that he’s been in the Word now more than ever and he reminded me that God’s Word is alive and powerful. His rendezvous with Kathleen was not by coincidence, but through divine appointment. His encounter is a reminder of how spiritual opportunities present themselves in a myriad of situations.

Let’s capitalize off of these opportunities to extend his Kingdom! With open eyes, open ears, and an open heart, God will utilize us to fulfill his perfect will.

God Bless You!

In His Love,
Garrett

Power Friday-from Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

Wow, is it really Friday already! I nearly forgot to meet with you today; I’ve been so immersed in the current writing project! Whew, grab your coffee and come on in for a mini download He gave me for us.

Did you know that skyscrapers are built with flexibility in mind? I didn’t ever really think about it and we don’t, until an earthquake hits but in my research on the subject of rigidity, I discovered that the taller a building, the more flexible it is and the more flexible it is, the less energy it takes to remain standing!

That’s where this week’s power thought comes from:

It takes more energy to be rigid than it does to be flexible!

See, the same is true in life because when we stay rigid in our thinking and in our actions, holding fast to our opinions and positions we will eventually fall to the ground like a small building while the trial/tribulation or circumstance looms over us like a skyscraper!

Leaning into Him . . .

Evinda

How to Mend a Broken Heart-From Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Psalm 147:3

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds!

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

Oh, happy day to you and thank you for stopping by for our Coffee Hour and the conclusion to our WOW for May! About time, huh, especially considering it’s already June! But that’s okay because as we’ve discovered, the deeper we dig, the brighter the light! Grab your coffee and let’s go wrap this one up!

The last word that got my attention is “wounds.” I am thinking that after we conclude our word study for this word, we will come to the understanding that the Psalmist inspired by the Holy Spirit is not speaking of a wound that requires a Band-Aid, but let’s go check to be sure.

So there’s six different translations for this word in the Old Testament alone but for the sake of moving on to our current month and not getting stuck in the month of May, we’ll look at just three. The first time “wounds’ comes up in the Love Letters of God is in 2^nd Kings 8:29 so let’s go check out that translation. Something tells me this may be a physical type of wound because 2^nd Kings is around the time of all kinds of war, blood and guts! Grab your shovel.

Yup, that’s what this “wounds” is: a blow, also pestilence” – that’s interesting – “beaten, stripes, sores.”

Okay, so combine that with what we’ve learned about binding and healing and this confirms that our Heavenly Father can be the Great Physician, physically speaking. However, we’ve all known people, or at least heard of others who were not healed of their physical wounds – could this be the “pestilence” that this translation refers to? – but those of us who have come to accept Christ in our hearts and lives know that sometimes we are healed before the fire/wound, sometimes in the midst of the wound, as we’ve discovered in the definitions for “bind,” and sometimes beyond the wound!
Let’s move to another translation. Psalm 38:5 says “My wounds stink and are corrupt”… let’s see what that translates to.

Oh! This one says “bind with stripes, a black-and-blue mark, a bruise.” So this is physical as well. Hmm, how many times do we invite Him to heal the bruises of our life? Anything that presses down upon us, oppresses us is symbolic to a bruise! He wants to relieve the pressure. Oops, let’s get going to the last one before I get way off track.

So the translation for our WOW is… drum roll… OH, EM GEE… No way!!!! This word “wounds” in Psalm 147:3 translates to “atstsebeth” and means “an idol; also a pain or wound, sorrow!”
I have goose bumps right now, because if you really think about it, we constantly have to fight off making idols out of things of this world – money, power, love, acceptance, drugs, food, clothing, fashion -- so this type of wound is often self-inflicted! Idolatry brings sorrow; idolatry is a wound that brings a wound!

Wow, this word is bringing to the surface a request by one of our faithful friends of CPM, to do a series on idolatry! I think I just may do that, but in the meantime, I pray that you are comforted by the powerful truths we learned along the way, that God desires to heal all types of wounds, your wounds… if you let Him.

With a mended heart,
Evinda

How to Mend a Broken Heart-From Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power... 

Psalm 147:3      He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds!

Thanks so much for joining me for our Coffee Hour and more on our May WOW, How to Mend a Broken Heart! In our Words of Wisdom, the Psalmist tells us that God binds our wounds, and this is one of the ways He heals a broken heart. Grab your coffee, and your shovel, and let’s continue this dig for diamonds that will illuminate upon our journey!

So another reference to the word bind is found in Job 40:13: “bind their faces in secret.” What in the world… Let’s go to the Hebrew Concordance because that sounds as clear as mud: “to wrap firmly, compress or saddle, and only one reference relates to “healer” – I’m getting a visual of Him wrapping us firmly in His love but it comes through others and blessings, and favor. So in other words, it’s not like we can see Him wrapping us, swaddling us in a blanket, but He goes before us, and has our back, too, and uses others to surround us in His love, favor, grace, all of which bring healing!

I don’t know about you, but this dig is adding so much depth to this little verse of only ten words! There’s only one more translation in the Old Testament for this word, so let’s go check it out.
Oh, em gee! This is beautiful; I promise: “to yoke or hitch, to fasten in any sense, to join battle”! Wow, so that means He can bring healing IN the battle! In other words, things may look, get and/or feel messy, but there’s still a binding, a healing that will happen.

The definition for this final translation “acar” also says “to gird, harness, hold, keep, make ready, prepare; the common word for ‘tying up’ for security and safety.”

Frequently this particular translation for “bind” is used to reference or describe the “binding of prisoners with cords and various fetters.”

See, un-attended wounds are like prisoners, growing roots. And roots, if left unchecked, root rampantly and cause a lot of damage, especially as they encroach into others’ spaces, i.e., property (hearts). If we leave a wound unattended and don’t ask Him for healing, the results could be more devastating than the original wound!

What you don’t see can continue to hurt you, and undetected hurts create habits which turn into hang-ups. I love what Rick Warren says in his Celebrate Recovery© book: “Wounds that are left untended fester and spread infection throughout your body.”

When/if we allow for His healing, it can ready us for whatever comes next!

With a mending heart,

Evinda

Are You Thriving, or just Surviving? From Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

 Thanks so much for stopping by to ponder this very important question with me: Are you thriving… or just surviving? Grab your coffee and come on in for a little peek into our next event.

Whenever I’ve thought of the word “thrive,” I have to be honest and tell you, I’ve never used it in the same breath as “life.” I mean, thrive means to grow or develop successfully, right? And the first thing I used to think about was a plant! Don’t you just love to watch that process, wherein you put something in a pot, or in the ground, and you nurture it, feed it, water it, protect it, and before you know it, some little green something comes up, and it begins to grow, and grow and grow… and if it continues to get the aforementioned attention, then it flourishes and gets bigger and more beautiful… And this is success!

But how in the world do we do this in life? Just imagine you are able to see your life as a plant in a pot, or in the ground. What type of attention are you getting? Ponder that for a few and journal your thoughts – before you begin to journal, I hope you will mark your calendar for June 28^th, now around the corner, and join us for some incredible insight, register today! http://chicklitpower.com/events
Oh, and next week, I’ll share with you about how we got one of our guest emcees!



Learning to thrive,
Evinda