JEFF's JAVA HOUR - 1st Trial in Texas

Well, I’ve come to my first big trial in Texas and right now, there isn’t much I can say but there is so much that is going through my head and through my heart. Like a piece of drifting wood caught in the middle of a raging ocean, I find that right before I reach the top of every violent and towering wave, my hope of seeing land, as I tirelessly climb to the top, never gets any more visible than the hope I had at the top of the first wave, but I know someday I'll see land so I cling to hope.
I can’t tell you how I feel and why. I just know that I need Jesus. He is my hope where there is no hope. I’m not quite ready to share what’s causing me to feel this way. All I can tell myself is that He said that He makes springs in the wastelands; He made everything out of nothing. [Isaiah 43:19]And honestly, that is what I have turned my life into… nothing. Oh, how I relate to that saying, “if only I knew then what I know now.” I surely would turn my life into gold with choices that propelled me into God’s pleasing and perfect will instead of making choices that scratched just the surface of deep emotional itches.
But you know what? Who would I be today if I hadn’t gone through the consequences of those choices and where they took me? Would I be able to really see the beauty of light if I hadn’t spent so long in the dark? Would I really be able to cry when joy overwhelmed me if I had never felt such deep sorrow? Would I really know God passionately if I never had to seek Him with all of my heart on my knees crying out in desperation, “God I can’t do this anymore I need you to save me, to show me, to comfort me, or at least to give me the strength I need to keep going!”? Would any of us know anything if we didn’t feel compelled to ask Him, “Why?”
Ohhh but it is such a rich beauty because with the deep purples of despair, and the bright reds of anger and hatred, a brilliant orange mixes with a living yellow, blue and pink to show that something new and exciting is on the horizon. Yes, trials are and can be something that gives life and life so colorfully, abundantly, and beautifully.
God, who am I that you are mindful of me? [Psalm 8:4] Haven’t you seen what I have done? Don’t you know who I am? My thoughts are shameful and my heart is deceitful, God? I know that you say that You forgive unconditionally but it is so hard for me to believe that. I am unworthy to even speak Your name but You have given me breath in my lungs and Your name is on my lips. You are my master, God; teach me; discipline me. Wrap me up in your arms and love me like a father loves his son and never let me go. I desire to be obedient to you, God, as you desire obedience from me. I want to do your will and not just hear your will and I long to know your will in my heart. Teach me how to trust you and what that word even means. I love you, God. Please don’t let me stray from you.

Jeff

What is a Divine Appointment? from Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power…

What is a divine appointment and what makes it divine? I pondered this question as I went for a run my first morning in New Jersey, and I happened to be there as a result of a divine appointment! I realized something so poignantly true: In order to recognize a divine appointment, you must show up for your first appointment! And that first appointment is with our Creator, our Provider; our loving Heavenly Father who patiently waits to be invited into your day, to open up the eyes of your heart with a promise or two and bring hope into any circumstance. As a result of making that my first appointment of the day, a practice I’ve been keeping for several years now, I can look back and remember many divine appointments!
That’s why I thought it would be fun to begin an ongoing blog on this subject, so we can share divine appointments. Divine appointments help us to recognize the hand of God in our lives and when we recognize the divine hand of God in our lives, we are encouraged, inspired and able to show up for any assignment.
So I was invited to Vineland, New Jersey, as a result of a divine appointment, to be a keynote speaker for a “Women that Transcend” conference and I came ready to serve, excited to see what He was up to, humbled that He desired to use the likes of me. The trip was full of wonderful surprises, and God used our hosts, Ruben & Sandrie Bermudez (Mayor and First Lady of Vineland) in ways that I’m sure will have a ripple effect in our lives.
But let me go back to our first divine appointment of this trip, which happened at the Ontario Airport. We came in to check our bags in but there were also a couple of problems we needed to take care of: First, my husband and I were not seated together. Now, that may not seem so bad, but I kind of like my husband, at least most of the time, but I need my husband on a flight! See, I tend to get panic attacks on airplanes! Secondly, my boarding pass for our connecting flight said “See Attendant” in the “Seat” section. In other words, I did not have a seat!
Now, we all know that machines are replacing people, at least that’s what they are trying to do, and I was trying desperately to check us in and our bags too but was having a bit of a problem due to the aforementioned issues. But thank God there was one lady there and I just very matter-of-factly said, “I’m getting a bit nervous here and not sure how to handle this.”
She came around from the counter immediately and with a warm sense of humor and a genuine desire to help, and she pushed some buttons, got a funny look on her face, and then began to push cancel, cancel, cancel. She took my United credit card and within a couple of minutes found the problem, checked us both in for the first flight and put us together, then upgraded us for more leg room on the second flight, which was something else I had whined about, and then proceeded to inform us that both of our bags were free!
As she was finishing up, I went over to George’s carry-on, heavy-laden with books, and grabbed out A Cup of Hope for her, signed it after asking how to spell her name, and handed it to her. I told her I prayed for a resolution that morning and God blessed me with an angel!
Her smile meant just as much to me as the ability to sit with my husband and stretch out our legs, which went a long way in lessening my anxiety! I have flying anxiety; trust me! God is so concerned about all that concerns us [Psalms 138:8] and when we are about His business, He’s all about ours!
Join me tomorrow for more of the Destination? Joyful! series but keep checking in for more divine appointments next week!
Looking for the hand of God …

Evinda

WHO ADDS to YOUR JOY?

Oh, happy day to you! Thanks for joining me for more of this series on joy! These truths are truly freeing me from some of my self-inflicted persecution on this subject! I hope and pray they are doing the same for you. I know I’ve heard from a couple of you out there who have expressed an appreciation for the affirmation of all that it takes to receive, keep and walk in joy! Grab your coffee and come on in.
Before I return to Psalm 16:11, I have to shout for joy about something and I’d love for you to praise Him with me for this: Today is my ten-year wedding anniversary! Woo-hoo! Can I get a witness?!??!!!! I’M SUPER EXCITED and for those of you long-time covenant keepers, I know; ten years isn’t that long. But considering my history, especially my relational history, this is a God-given miracle! I’ve never been married this long, and what is crazy about that is I was never going to get married again!
God has used this man to cut away that which needed to go, to refine what was good in me to be better, and to love me in a way I have never experienced. God has used George to increase my joy!
So, happy anniversary to the man God chose for me and with whom I choose to stay in covenant with. You are a part of my joy and I thank God for the gift of you!
Now let’s get back to verse  Psalm 16:11 and the Hebrew translation for this type of joy: The Hebrew translation is “samach” and means to brighten up, usually refers to a spontaneous emotion or extreme happiness which is expressed in some visible and/or external manner. It does not normally represent an abiding state of well-being or feeling. STOP!
Ah-ha, so this fits what we talked about yesterday; there is spontaneous emotion or extreme happiness that we experience when we press in and choose to be in His presence; however, this translation tells us that this does not normally represent an abiding state of well-being, or that “feeling” of joy.
You might be asking, “Isn’t that a bit contradictory, then?” No, and here’s why: we live in this tent of flesh making it impossible to abide in joy 24/7, much less joy abiding in us 24/7. I hope that was clearer than mud. See, it is only when we seek to sit in His presence that that joy within us can get stirred up and as it is stirred, it rises, reminding it is abiding within.
In addition, the Hebrew concordance describes this type of joy as: an emotion which arises at festivals, circumcision feasts – what a weird feast! :) -- wedding feasts, harvest feasts and/or the overthrow of one’s enemies. The emotion is usually described as the product of some external situation, circumstance, or experience”!
Ah-ha, so it takes an external circumstance to stir up an internal joy!
More joy to you, my coffee hour friend,

Evinda

OUR SEARCH for JOY - More Ingredients

Joy to you! I hope you are having a great Tuesday so far and I hope that our Coffee Hour makes it even better. Grab your coffee and let’s get back to this series of joy, the recipe of joy, and our search for joy!
After discovering many of the ingredients that make up the true essence of joy within us, I think it’s time that we get a move-on in our recipe for joy and theologically hop on over to the Psalms! Warning ahead: We may be here for a while, in the Book of Psalms, that is!
We are going to first stop Psalm 16:11 because there is a phrase I’ve heard many times that has intrigued me; maybe now that we’ve learned about the ingredients required for true joy, this may make more sense to me: “You will show me the path of life. In Your presence is fullness of joy.” STOP!
Do you wonder what in the world “fullness of joy” means? Well, I’ll go ahead and confess my ignorance to you: I did until I looked at the words that preceded it and realized that it is when we are sitting at His feet, when we are worshiping, or when we are just listening to songs of worship with our mind and heart stayed on Him, this is being in His presence. And only in His presence is our joy complete, at least complete as it can be in our tent of flesh!
What other ways are there to be in His presence? Well, here’s a hint. This Psalm is referred to as a messianic Psalm because it is actually quoted in the New Testament by Peter and Paul referring to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Also if we look at the final part of this verse, it says “At Your right hand are pleasures forever more.”
So is this speaking of when we will actually be face to face with Him? Absolutely! But – yes, I said but – we don’t have to wait until we have resurrected into our eternal life to be in His presence; we can begin to practice that right where we are. What does that look like? Well, I’ll share how I endeavor to sit in His presence.
When I get out of bed and stumble toward the coffee pot, make my coffee, and snack, I go into my place where I can just sit and sip on my coffee, be still and seek His presence. Now, I’m just like a lot of you out there; I get distracted quite easily, so oftentimes it takes a real pressing in. When I’m feeling extra challenged by ADD, or feeling pulled by the things I feel I’ve got to do, I press in, grab my IPod and put in my ear plugs to tune out the world and tune into worship. Worship massages my heart in a most profound and powerful way and helps me to focus in on He whom I am truly in love with and in awe of. Because of my ADD, sometimes I don’t last a whole song before I find myself journaling my thoughts and crying out to Him. (Yes, I said ADD, but that’s another story for another day, and any of you who have been diagnosed with this, please know I empathize with you more than ever!)
I guess all I’m trying to say that though many think this Psalm is speaking of when we get to heaven, I believe that it is also peaking of the joys and benefits of a life lived in companionship with Christ! We don’t have to wait until eternity to enjoy joy!

Evinda

Monday Manna from Castro's Corner

Happy Monday Manna!
As August comes to an end, fall approaches quicker than ever. The year has flown by once again and 2015 is just around the corner, unreal! As we get older, it seems that we lose the ability to “take it all in,” or at least I do, as life rushes by quicker than a train without brakes. Sometimes it’s just good to stop, breathe, and be still as we reflect on what God has done in our lives. Hopefully today’s reading will fuel you up and prepare you for a new week!
Last week was definitely an emotionally and physically draining week. I felt like the enemy was on the prowl and it was my week to be on the receiving end of his assault. I often wonder what is actually taking place in the spiritual realm. I sometimes imagine that the enemy and his entourage of fallen angels are lurking somewhere in the darkness as they watch and see if the trap set before me will bring me into submission or if through prayer, I will overcome and claim my victory in Christ. I have always wondered what that battlefield would look like. I’m reminded of Ephesians 6:12: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
As I felt like I was getting beaten, I did my best to keep my composure by refraining from saying something to someone that I know could have potentially caused a lot of damage. I know the danger involved with this, since I’ve blown in many a time before and the consequences are huge…after all words can kill and unfortunately I’ve learned this the hard way.
I called my wife Kay to inform her of what had happened and I began venting to her in such a way that she cut me off and said “Garrett, I understand that somebody has done you wrong but you have to let it go…you have to understand that you are being tested.”
Prolific words from my wife who has heard me vent a few too many times about this particular situation and I just sat there in silence on the other line.
There are times where we feel like we are being beaten and we feel compelled to remind the world of how it needs to “Play fair.” Unfortunately, it often takes us getting beaten for the world to see our light. Pastor John Courson nailed it when he quoted – “And He was beaten, and beaten, and beaten, and beaten but He never gave up; He never whimped out; He never backed down…and that’s when the light was seen.” Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ knew that He would literally be taking on the world as He carried His cross to Mt. Calvary. He was beaten; He was bruised. He was smitten, and He was afflicted for our transgressions and at His death that Roman centurion knew that this man was the Son of God. His light was seen.
That’s what I want. I want people to see Christ when they see me being beaten, when they see me afflicted, when they see me stricken. I want to take up my cross every day and even though it will be painful I pray that God will give me the strength to deny myself and overcome. I pray that He will do the same for you as well. God Bless and have an awesome week.
In His Love,

Garrett Castro

What's Normal? Jeff's Java Hour @ Chicklit Power

     Okay, Guys. So if thinking about the future is anxiety and thinking about the past is depression, then how in the name of all that is holy do you only think about the now? “Just for today,” “Live in the now, man.” “There’s no day like today,” these are all great sayings and now they have become clichés. Here’s a good one: “if you’ve got one foot in the past and one in the future, then you are pooping on the present!” The truth is that the truth doesn’t lie in these sayings; it lies in the instruction. A great teacher doesn’t just tell you what you need to do but he will show you how. Jesus said, “Whatever is noble, whatever is lovely, whatever is pure, think on these things.” Phil 4:8 Actually, Jesus spoke through Paul to say that to us but, the message is still the same.
I like what Jesus said over 2000 years ago, “Who of you could add a single moment to your life by worrying?” Luke 12:25. He knew then what they are just now figuring out; that stress from worrying literately releases toxic chemicals into your body that actually cut your life expectancy down like taking big swings with an axe at the base of a big tree!
I must admit, people, I have the hardest time living in the now. I am either vacationing at my beach house on 1983 Past Life Blvd, or I am slaving away at my full-time job over at the Fear of the Future Café. I rarely get to be HOME at my property in the Now. Sometimes I am in Now County, but rarely do I get to enjoy the real now. For me, because I am so dang broken, I have only one choice for stability of any kind and that is from my Heavenly Father. I am serious here, guys; I am so jacked up from the back up, needing a check-up from the neck up that I can’t wrap my head around normal thinking.
And I know, I know; you’re asking, what is normal? But every thought that runs through my skull is so self-centered and just plain off. I can only see when God speaks sight into my life. I have the feeling though that as I continue to use that sight for to see what He sees, then I will be able to see longer and farther.
Thank you, God. Just thank You. I am so helpless down here when it comes to my life. In my hands it is useless and all in vain but in Your hands I have a purpose. God, what does it mean to trust someone? Honestly, I don’t know. I am a shallow human being and I need You so, so deeply. I need You, God, and I want you to be my Lord. My life is Yours and I don’t want it anymore. I don’t want to have control. I want you to steer this ship before I run us aground. Thank You for loving me, Jesus. Give me a revelation of Your love for me and Your love for those who are still lost in their sin. Give me Your heart, God, and renew a right spirit within me. [Psalm 51:10] Amen

Jeff

WHO DO YOU LOOK to FOR JOY?

Oh, the truths that plant in our hearts and bloom in our lives are joy in action! It’s great to be with you today for our Coffee Hour! Grab your coffee and let’s resume our recipe of joy.
In Job, we learned that joy can be found despite our circumstances when we concentrate on the object/giver of our joy!
Who do you look to for joy? In the context of the recipe of joy, who is your Master Chef? So many of us so much of the time look to others to make us happy and we all have either been told and heard, or learned that happiness is based on external circumstances while joy comes from within; it’s internal. So if joy comes from within, then this truth leads me back to my salvation; the day I asked Jesus in – into – my heart; He became the Master Chef, stirring up my joy, adding to my joy, perfecting my joy and protecting my joy. In other words, He’s not just my/our Master Chef in this complex recipe of joy, He’s our joy keeper; He’s our joy!
So if our focus is on our mountain – our troubles and struggles, or our recent disappointment, or a failing relationship, or a wayward child – and our focus is not on our Master Chef, then guess what? The stirring, the increasing, the perfecting and protecting of our joy all lay dormant, still and quiet, fading into the background of the noise of our lives.
Why oh why can’t He just stir that joy up during those troubles and struggles, before a relationship fails, or our children go down the wrong path? Because our Master Chef is a gentleman, only coming into the scene when invited, and that invitation can be as simple as a cry for help, or as complex as a total surrender.
Wait, I hear another question echoing in the main hallway of my heart.
“But what if I’ve already done that?”
A-ha, I’m so glad you asked. Just as a student taking cooking lessons from a chef for a particular recipe pays close attention to each ingredient put into the recipe, so we must look to and trust this truth: Our Master Chef is at work, cooking up something beautiful inside of us despite what is happening outside of us! He knows every ingredient needed for the current recipe of your life and He will turn up the fire in order to refine our joy! (Malachi 3:3)
Joyfully,

Evinda

CAN JOY and FEAR CO-EXIST ?

The days are just flying by and all around us kids are nestled in their classrooms! Whew, time for a little coffee break! Grab whatever you’re having and let’s get back to this joy-stirring series.
I don’t know about you, but I am truly enjoying these poignant reminders of all that it takes to achieve this mysterious recipe of joy. I truly had no idea there was so much involved; after all, it’s only a three-letter word!
So let me ask you a question: Do you think that joy and fear can co-exist? Well, I’ll give you a hint: The Word says that perfect love casts out all fear (1^st John 4:18) but we all know we are not perfect. You might be asking what’s love got to do with it? (I’m hearing Tina Turner sing right now! :) Well, we all know that there is joy in being loved and in loving, but let’s stay on track here.
I can honestly say that joy and fear cannot co-exist! Keep in mind I am not talking about Godly fear – a fear of being without Him -- but I am speaking about worldly fear, which is a subject so huge, I could write a book. Don’t worry; I’m not going to do that. Let me just give you some truths that convey that joy carries us up and away from our fears:

Fear robs; joy fills!

Fear steals; joy restores … what the locusts (pawns of the enemy) have stolen (Joel 2:25).

Fear binds; joy frees … the prisoner from prison. (Isaiah 61:1)

Fear is based on lies; joy is based on truths. (3 John 1:4)

Fear leaves us stuck on impossibilities; joy takes us to possibilities.

Fear keeps us frozen; joy keeps us moving!

Fear says “I am in control”: joy remembers Who is in control!

Fear is as a result of drowning in discouragement; joy comes by wading in encouragement.

Fear says we are alone; joy reminds us of Him who will never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6)

Fear pushes us down; joy picks us up!

Joy chases fear away … Oh that I would chase joy relentlessly!

Evinda

WHAT is GODLY SORROW?

Happy Tuesday! It’s a new day, a new chance to not let adversity take our focus off of our Father whose love never changes no matter what is going on! That truth right there is enough to stir up a good amount of joy! Oh that we would think on the things that are true. Grab your coffee and join me for these discoveries we are making about the recipe of joy!
We discovered that Joy follows Godly sorrow, but what is Godly sorrow? Let’s look at 2^nd Corinthians 7:9-10 where Paul, in his letter to the Church of Corinth is addressing this very subject: “Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a Godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. For Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted, but the sorrow of the world produces death.”
Whew, what a mouthful. Let me see if I can share an example; it shouldn’t be too hard for I have actually experienced Godly sorrow more times than I care to admit – well, wait a minute! As I wrote that last sentence, I realized that I have misunderstood Godly sorrow for many of my Christian years. See, Godly sorrow does not produce condemnation; nor is it filled with regret, guilt, shame; no, that's worldly sorrow.
This is the kind of worldly sorrow that Paul is talking about. See, that kind of sorrow keeps you doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result. So let me start over and say I have experienced Godly sorrow in many areas of my life that have led to repentance, a turning away from that which grieved my Abba Daddy and ripped me off in some way or another!
Let me share one of my first experiences of Godly sorrow that definitely ushered the presence of joy into the situation. I was not quite two years into my marriage and still suffering from bouts of looking back instead of up, truly wondering if God had made a mistake because I was absolutely miserable more than I was joyful! And marriage, for the third time, was still so new! I had gone to a women’s retreat and I don’t even remember what they were talking about as I share this with you, but something stirred up some strong conviction about the way I was loving my husband. Actually, it’s probably more accurate to say the ways I was not loving him! There were a whole host of reasons, all of which circled around the many adjustments and ways I was having to stretch to fit into my new skin He was/is trying to dress me in by the use of this marriage!
Anyway, to make that incredibly long story short and to get to the happy ending, I came home from that retreat with a soft and repentant heart. I apologized to my husband for not being the kind of wife I now knew God was calling me, and continues to call me, to be, for not loving him in the ways that marriage requires. I was truly sorry, and because I had that Godly sorrow, immediately, or maybe it was simultaneously, there was a desire to do it differently, a determination to get it right.
I remember the apology as if it were yesterday – it’s been almost eight years ago! He was lying down and I went and sat on the bed, bracing myself in such a way that I could look right at him. I began to share the highlights of the retreat. Their effects were still fresh in my heart, so fresh that the closer I got to the apology my lips began to tremble and my eyes filled up. Suddenly he looked so blurry, but not so blurry that I missed the expression of utter surprise, a sort of stupefied look came over his face as I uttered the unpracticed words of apology.
He brought me down to him and took me into his arms, whispering his unconditional love for me, confirming that God had brought us together and my past would not tear us apart.
Oh the joy that follows Godly sorrow! How about you; do you remember a time that you experienced that type of sorrow that beckoned change? I’d love to hear about it!
Joyfully,

Evinda

MONDAY'S MANNA from Castro's Corner

Here’s to Monday!
Mondays are awesome, aren’t they? A fresh start to the week begins and you have someone on your side that loves you more than you can even begin to comprehend. I start blowing circuits when I attempt to take on the challenge of grasping how vast His love is.
Last week I stumbled on the quote “Good without God.” I found this quote on the news feed of an acquaintance’s Facebook page. I immediately grew angry, but then I took a deep breath and realized that God had revealed this to me for a reason. Good without God… the phrase itself is just one HUGE contradiction, right? Can one truly be “good” without God?
As believers we understand that our own internal moral and ethical codes are based upon the standards that have been given to us through the Word of God. We have been given the ultimate “Guide to Life” if you will, and it is provided to us through the Bible. Humanist ideologies, which are often linked to Atheist philosophical perspectives, attempt to debunk and simplify the Christian Faith. Humanists believe that we can be good people through dignifying ourselves; and through dignifying ourselves they believe we have the ability to establish a sense of empowerment and strength. I call it the “I” philosophical perspective. I am successful because I have taken the steps to become successful. I am healthy because I have taken the steps towards healthier living. I have received empowerment because I have dignified myself and I deserve this.
But what happens when one loses the success, loses their health, or loses a sense of empowerment and all the “right” steps have been taken? We are prone to fail if we place our faith in our own abilities, at least I am.
As believers, we also know that our strength and empowerment come from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; this is not contingent upon our own drive to dignify ourselves as a way to evoke empowerment and to find our own inner strength. Atheists don’t share in the same hope that we have. Humanist movements that are linked to Atheism sound great since their primary focus is to help promote equality for those that are under racial, ethnic, or religious persecution but they believe that the means to an end will never be linked to the existence of God and the concept of God is completely negated from their mission.
This movement has been introduced into New Age thinking and there are even humanist churches that have sprung up in some of the New York areas. As these ideologies creep their way into our workplace and public schools, we must stand firm in our faith and pray for those who are actively searching for a reason to disprove the existence of God and intelligent design. After all, many previous atheists and humanists who have made it a life mission to disprove the existence of God have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. They have searched their entire life for the answer to the big question, but the answer has been directly in front of them the whole time.
His Word is the ultimate authority; it always has been and it always will be. I encourage you to pray for an atheist and let the Holy Spirit do work on that individual, as His Word tells us to do in Romans 12:14: We are to bless those who persecute us! We can hate atheism but not the atheist! The end result will blow your mind!
God bless you and have a spirit filled week!

In His Love,

Garrett Castro

WHO'S YOUR DADDY - Part II

Who's Your Daddy?

 Ohhhhh my goodness!!! I am at a laundromat in a new state with an old problem on my hands: I am a selfish and self-centered person who needs the saving grace of a Being so dang big that my sins cannot only be forgiven but overcome. Let me let you in on a little secret… I am a wreck! I feel like I can barely see ten feet in front of me and need to see a hundred. I think that if I could see that far in front of me, then I would think that I knew where I was going, and let me be clear; I do not know where I am going. Every time that I think that I do, and take the wheel, I end up stranded on the side of a desert road with a blown engine, dehydrated, with buzzards circling above me head.
I just don’t know, you guys; I really, really, really don’t. I have no idea what tomorrow holds. I know I have a final interview for a job, but I have no idea what will happen. I just don’t know. Sometimes I wish I did know what was going to happen, but like the Bible says, it is His pleasure to hide certain things and for us to find them when we seek Him. [Matthew 7:11] I am definitely learning that He is a good father, wanting to surprise His children with good gifts when they look for their Dad. This is a hard concept for me to grasp; all I’ve ever known is an absent father. Could He be trying to teach me something different?
So I am in the great state of Texas with nothing familiar around me except His big blue sky, which is a little bigger out here, by the way, and I am so scared but at the same time I have a great peace because I know who packed my parachute. I don’t know what is going to happen from one day to the next so I just keep praying for strength, wisdom, and favor because I need it. I have eyes to see, but it’s like I am blind. I want to be completely in His care and living in complete abandon to His spirit. Pray for me, please… We need it.
Jesus, help me. There are so many questions spinning around in my head: Where am I even at? Why do you even love me? You’ve seen all that I’ve done but still you insist on blessing me! Please teach me what it means to know a father, to know unconditional love and to know what it means to trust You. Please, never let me go, God. Please don’t let me ever get away from you. Amen.

Jeff

POT of JOY - Ingredients Part V

Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy day to join me and tune out all the distractions of life. Grab your coffee and let’s go stir up some more ingredients in our pot of joy. Did you notice I got rid of the “cup” of joy? I don’t know about you, but I need a big pot of this stuff; besides, there are more than a cupful of ingredients that make up this awe-inspiring gift of joy.
Don’t you just love walking into a home that is filled with the sweet smells of baking, or the mouth-watering smells of an awesome home cooked dinner? The aroma is an awesome gift and a reward of the actual cooking. After the last bite is had, the aroma, mixed with the wonderful memories made while eating it, still linger like an aphrodisiac. So it is with joy! See, true joy always follows a spiritual victory!
I can think of so many spiritual victories that while I was walking in the midst of the battlefield, physically, emotionally and spiritually weary but faith-ing (rhymes with bathing) thru it, victory was nowhere in sight and let me tell you, when God brought me to the top of the mountain, and He has never failed to do just that, the joy was unmistakable!
And our God is so faithful, so dependable! He hasn’t changed His promises, even through my son’s move to Texas! There is no way in h-e double toothpicks that I wanted him and his family to move so far away from us, but I’ll tell you what: there have been at least four spiritual victories since this whole nightmare became a reality! So joy does follow a spiritual victory!
Sure, I can’t help but wonder couldn’t He have accomplished these victories differently? But then I remind myself what His answer is: “My ways are not your ways,” [Isaiah 55:8] so I’ll trust Him ... again and again. I trust His promises, each and every one that I have committed to my heart and that have come true in my life. I trust that His love for my son is greater than mine. I trust that He cares about my soul-deep dream, to have my own family blended healthily, each and every one of us. So the major spiritual victory that is causing me to soar on wings of an eagle is knowing that I truly trust Him enough to let Him do His job, knowing that I may not like it right now, but someday I’m gonna look back and marvel at all the beauty He worked into this painful transition!
How about you; can you relate to rejoicing in a tough time, being able to find something to rejoice over, and then getting through it and seeing so much beauty out of it that you are filled with joy? I’d love to hear about it.
Tearfully joyful,

letting go is so hard ...

Evinda

POT of JOY - Ingredients Part IV

Oh, it’s great to be sipping coffee with you and writing from my heart to yours! Grab your coffee and come on in for another stir in our pot of joy we are cooking up to enjoy in our days ahead!
Going back to this whole rejoicing thing during a painful time, I’ve learned something else that has helped me with the ability to rejoice, to have joy in and through a tough time; it’s the ability to step outside of myself, because it’s really not all about me, and yet, if I believe that He will do what He says He will do (Jeremiah 29:11) – which is to give me a hope, a future; to help me, not to hurt me, to prosper me -- then suddenly I can see the bigger picture and I can rejoice during this tribulation.
When I think of how my life is changing because of God calling my son and his family to another state, I must confess that I am not quite capable of thanking Him FOR it while I'm walking through it, but rejoicing over what I know He is doing in it will bring Romans 5:3-4 to life within me for I know that this painful separation will produce perseverance – STOP! Let’s define perseverance: steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success! Oh, yeah, that fits to a T!
Preparing for this separation in and of itself has produced a sort of patience within me that I didn’t even know existed within the likes of me. Have you ever traveled 1450 miles in a mid-sized car with two dogs and a five- and nine-year-old? I am so rejoicing right now as I relive every mile of that trip, a trip that could have been a nightmare – and would have been a couple of years ago – but was absolutely the most amazing time I have ever spent with them on so many levels. That’s not to say there wasn’t a hint of frustration and struggle, but the joy far outweighs the struggle; hence, perseverance! And perseverance keeps us from the distractions of doubt, thanklessness and complaining. We need perseverance for the long haul, the “high” way to heaven.
Along that highway wrought with those struggles which produce perseverance, there is a sort of dip in the road when we discover the unfamiliar but likable sense that perseverance produces character and we become more comfortable in our Christ-like skin. See, character is what you are when no one is looking and is formed by your moral compass! Life has proven over and over again that the more I am tuned into my moral GPS, the more I am consumed by hope!
So as the tears flow steady on the drive home, I am filled with hope, knowing that the important lessons He has loved me enough to teach me are being learned and practiced, and despite feeling like the flesh of my heart is being torn away with every mile, I know the next time I see my son, and hug him to me as if to never let him go, I will see a man God is creating more and more into His likeness.
Tearfully joyful,

Evinda

POT of JOY - Ingredients Part III

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

Thanks for joining me today for more of this series that has definitely turned out to be more complex than I ever imagined. I truly thought joy was kind of like a snap of the fingers, a one-ingredient recipe; wow, was I ever wrong! Grab your coffee and let’s finish up reiterating the ingredients thus far and putting them with a real life circumstance, life real time!
Since “joy” is in the word “rejoice,” it stands to reason that you cannot rejoice without joy! This may sound a bit redundant, but there are some light bulbs going off in my heart and in my mind and I am finally getting something that is freeing me up from some misinterpretation and misunderstanding. Oh, knowledge is power and the scriptures remain a mystery unless we dig for understanding. Let me share with you my light-bulb moment from Romans 5:3-4: “And not only that – the “that” refers to having peace in and through Christ – “but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that the tribulation produces perseverance, and perseverance, character, and character hope.”
So let me see if I can explain this a little bit at a time by applying it to a life-changing season that I am walking through right now as you read this. First of all, to “glory in tribulations” actually translates to “rejoice” in tribulations, but let’s not stop there; do you see that word “in?” I learned a long time ago -- in the midst of excessive crazy-hard circumstances -- I don’t have to rejoice “for” them while I’m “in” them but I can rejoice through them! That is huge. Let me put this to the test of that life-changing season I’m going through right now.
My son and his family have been called to another state, and not just around the corner; I’m talking 1450 miles away! I can’t even put into words what the past several weeks have been like knowing that they will be so far away and I can’t just get in the car and drive over to see them, at least not for a short drive! Gone are the every-other Monday lunches we shared, or the weekend over-nighters. It has been like someone with a knife has been casting a shadow over my heart and when I’m not looking, they sneakily cut away a layer of it, one piece at time, one day at a time, as if to separate us, one from the other.
And as the time drew closer to say good-bye, I was left yearning for that piece of me to stay and protect the rest of my heart, to not go so far away. Talk about a bummer! But – yes, I said but – I have been able to rejoice! Why? Because I know God has called them to and will carry them through this new season of their lives; that’s the bigger picture.
The bigger picture is still yet to come, but in the meantime, a small movie captured in a week’s worth of memories created when we moved all of them 1450 miles away comes into focus and the moments made during that move squeeze my heart with joy. They are what I cling to now every mile we drive further from them and back toward our home. These moments wouldn’t have been as sweet without the reality of our imminent separation and I’m so happy I’m sad! There really is always something to be thankful for, to rejoice about! Something tells me I’ll be sharing all of those memories in another series someday soon.
Join me tomorrow for more of this joy-stirring series, Destination? Joyful! ™
Tearfully Joyful,

Evinda

MONDAY MANNA

“And I will make you into a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And those who curse you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Genesis 12:2-3). What an amazing promise that has been given to the nation of Israel. As our Western Media bombards us with painful and disturbing images of the carnage inflicted upon the Palestinian people, we are easily overwhelmed and taken back by the actions of Israel…it’s only natural, right? I’ve had some interesting conversations with many people regarding the validity of many western journalist reports throughout the course of the recent conflict in Gaza, but I won’t touch on that topic today.
It’s so easy for us to become fearful when we see continued conflict taking place through Israel and it’s surrounding countries, but we must stand firm in the promises that God has made to the nation of Israel. Israel will be restored – “I will accept you as a sweet aroma when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered; and I will be hallowed in you before the Gentiles. Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for which I raised My hand in an oath to give your fathers.” (Ezekiel 20:41-42). God’s promises never fail and you can take that to the bank.
Right now, close to 100,000 Iraqi Christians from the Nineveh plains (The Northwestern region of Iraq) are fleeing for their lives from a terrorist regime called The Islamic State of Iraq. This regime has given Christians an ultimatum: resort to Islam, or die by the sword. Thousands and thousands of Christians have fled to parts of France, or the surrounding mountain regions where they are without food rations or water for their families.
As these events unfold, let’s come together and pray for our brothers and sisters In Iraq, as well as all over the world, and also for the Nation of Israel.
The Church is being persecuted, but God will hear our supplication for our brothers and sisters in Christ. We need not fear. We know who is on our side- The God of Angel Armies! Let’s keep our eyes focused on our Lord and King Jesus Christ and let’s not be overwhelmed with the world’s attempt to shake us. God is our Chief Cornerstone and we will not be moved. I encourage you to take time out of your hectic day to stop, take a deep breath, and say a prayer for the displaced families of Iraq, as well as for the protection of the Nation of Israel. God Bless you and have an amazing week!
In His Love,

Garrett

Who's Your "Daddy"? Jeff's Java Hour @ Chicklit Power

Man oh man, life is so hard sometimes! There is an old adage that goes, "You can't pick your parents," and that is so true. Thank God that He uses all things for good to those who are called according to His will -- (Romans 8:28) -- because if He didn't, the painful things that we go through would never make sense and/or come to any sort of resolution. And what's more is that our victories wouldn't be so beautiful, adding such colors and fulfillment to the canvas of our life, and our faith wouldn't be as deep. But even so, that bright side is hard to see sometimes.
My Dad has kind of been in my life for a few weeks now and it has been the most emotionally exhausting, short period of time that I have experienced in a long time. I can't explain to you how much power this man has over my emotions. He has let me down more than hell has misery. What I mean is after all these years of him being in and out of my life, mostly out, I still get my hopes up every time he says that he is going to do something ... and I still get my hopes crushed every time he doesn't do it. The frustrating part: I know better!!!
For some reason, I am looking for the emotional structural integrity that an emotionally healthy person has, and I am looking for it in a spiritually and emotionally depraved person. It's just not there. This last short stint has made me realize that I need to look for the right way to accept who he is and I do know that I cannot change this person I call Dad. I am praying for wisdom, for God to show me the right way to detach where I need to and still love this person I call Dad. I am looking for opportunities as well as the right way to be honest with him and not feel bad when it comes to letting him know that what he is doing is hurting me. I am looking for the ways to forgive him and still be close enough to him so that if God wants to use me, I won’t be full of bitterness or resentment. I am looking for the right way to take my eyes off this fallen man, just like we all are fallen, and to put them on God.
I’ve realized that it's hard for me to stand on God's promises sometimes because I have it in the back of my head that He is going to let me down. I thank God, though, that He is not like a man that He should waver back and forth but that He is the same today, yesterday, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) And even though I am shaky when it comes to certain things, God can handle it. He's not going anywhere.
Thank you, God, for setting me free. Thank you for buying me back from a dark slave master who tried to steal everything that You gave me and get me to throw it away. Thank You for loving me beyond me and my defects, and thank You for being so big that You can take those defects and use them to create a beautiful picture. You are so very good to me, God. Please show me what it means to truly call You Father, to call You my Dad. Please let me know You like a son knows his Poppa and like a friend knows their friend. I love you, God, and You are my Lord.

Jeff

POT of JOY - Recipe Ingredients Part II

It’s another day of cooking … pardon the pun, I mean getting back to our recipe for joy, the ingredient that He promises to us, for us and freely gives us. Grab your coffee and come on in. We are double-checking our ingredients in this recipe of joy before we play any more theological hopscotch looking for experiences of joy.
So early on in this series -- feels like forever ago – we saw that true joy inspires us to give, to share with others, even if we have little! Oh, isn’t it easier to give or to share when we have plenty? But that’s what differentiates true joy from generosity: giving when you have little versus just when you have plenty. See, when we give from the heart freely, this actually adds to our joy, sort of heightens its flavor. It’s like eating the most delicious meal and adding just a pinch of salt to perfect it. It increases our joy; it does not subtract from it in any way.
We also have learned that joy stirs up compassion for others. That’s a mouthful! When we have the joy of the Lord within us, we are better able to separate those hurtful things from the hurting person. It’s not that we pity them in a prideful way, but we have compassion for their lack of joy, and we can truly pray that the eyes of their heart may be open to the riches of Christ someday. Compassion doesn’t mean we think of ourselves better than others; but recognizes we are nothing without Christ and because we truly walk in that knowledge, knowing He is the source of our joy, and as long as we stay plugged in to Him, we will be connected to joy. Shouldn’t we want that for others? Compassion doesn’t lend itself to meddling in others lives trying to fix them and get them to see the light. No, that’s the Holy Spirit’s job. Compassion inspired by true joy steps back and prays that the joy of the Lord will one day be theirs!
Oh to fix my eyes on Jesus that my joy would splash compassion onto the lives I encounter today, tomorrow and every tomorrow after that.

Evinda

POT of JOY - Recipe Ingredients, Part 1

Happy day to you … Are you loving these hot August nights? Well grab your coffee and come on in away from the heat and distractions of the world and let’s go take a look at the ingredients we have so far in this pot of joy!
Since this is turning out to be a looooooooooong, series, I thought it would be good to double-check the ingredients so we don’t miss anything in this recipe for joy. :) The crazy thing is I didn’t even realize there was/is a recipe for it! Whew, no wonder I’m not a cook, or a chef!
So the first thing we discovered is we’ve got to clean out the bowl, if you will, where this joy resides. So this takes us to the first thing: His joy is in us if we’ve invited Him to clean out and reside in our heart (the bowl)! So no matter what is going on around us or concerning us, it is available! Sure, our hearts sometimes feel as though someone has the mixer on inside us and is stirring up so much stuff that we can’t find the joy, but it IS in there, and through that mixing and refining, aka, trials and difficult circumstances, joy is the strongest sweetest flavor in the bowl! It’s just like His Word promises in Psalm 30:5 weeping may endure through the night, but joy comes in the morning!
Another truth about joy is that it is usually a representation of the abstract feeling or concept, and that abstract feeling inside of us moves us away from us into action! So joy moves us away from ourselves! In other words, this is the beginning of the fruit of joy, if you will the first glimpse of it within us is when it takes us outside of us and splashes on others through our actions. And it doesn’t necessarily have to be a paying-it-forward or kind-deed kind of action; it could be as simple as an attitude adjustment, a smile that doesn’t disappear when tough circumstances threaten to erase it, or even just a dance in your step, a light and merry heart.
All does not have to be right with the world in order for you to be all right and experience joy! It’s when our world seems to be turning upside down and shaken up that joy is in the making, and like some recipes, it just may take longer to cook!
Join me tomorrow as we continue to look at the ingredients in our recipe of joy.
Joyfully,

Evinda

CREATE IN ME A PURE HEART, OH, GOD

Psalm 51:10

Create in me a pure heart, Oh, God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

So the hottest month is upon us, the last month of summer; and before we know it, my favorite season will be here, fall! Before it does, grab your coffee or whatever you’re drinking and come on in for our August WOW, Words of Wisdom and Weapons of Warfare.
I’m so excited to share this one with you! I feel like a proud teacher, or a big sister sitting on the sidelines of life watching her little sister transform from the inside out, getting more and more beautiful every day! She’s a wife and a mommy. I met her more than a year ago through another friend of CPM. She has been in our trench classes and I have so enjoyed working with her and watching her journey. Her transparency and her teachable heart have been a huge inspiration to me in this trench class journey. She’s not afraid to ask questions … because she wants answers. She longs to get this whole marriage and parenting thing right for she knows in her soul that these are the two most important jobs she will ever do here on earth. I’d like to introduce you to Erica Bauchert. Enjoy this true story and the lessons she learned and who God used to teach her!
"I would like to share a story with all of you, especially for those of you who, like me, sometimes feel like Jesus has forgotten about us. This happened about 2 weeks ago
"So my son Andrew -- he is soon to be six years old -- was having bad nightmares. He started being afraid of the dark, being alone and he completely freaked out every day at sundown. He never, ever had shown this kind of behavior in the past. The nightmares went on for about ten days.
"We tried different things to help out, like putting him in our bed to sleep, and on a crib mattress on our bedroom floor. Nothing seemed to help. Every night he would wake up crying and scared. He would ask me to pray with him to help him go back to sleep. After so many nights of this, my husband and I were growing concerned as we didn't know if this was a phase or something more serious. Why is this happening? After all, we pray every night before bed and we have peaceful evening routines?
"Anyway on day ten, Andrew and I went shopping for a special bedtime plush toy. We wrote down a special prayer (I wrote it but it was Andrew's prayer) and stuffed it in the new toy. The idea was that if he woke up in the middle of the night, he could hug his toy as tight as he could and think about his prayer and hope that would help him sleep better.
"Well that night, Andrew prayed so beautifully. He asked Jesus to come into his heart and to give him peace and take away all the scary things because he already knows where Jesus is, there is always peace. I came so close to crying as I listened. I also prayed but I was feeling like God was not listening. I had been praying for ten days and I was losing faith.
"That night I couldn't sleep. In fact, I was awake all night; I was not sleepy for whatever reason. At around 4:00 a.m., I sat up and I saw Andrew moving around. I just knew he was about to wake up again. He them mumbled some words that I couldn't understand. I was in no way prepared for what I saw right after that: He raised his hand with his fingers wide open and as he hit the wall, he said very clearly "High-five!"
"I just giggled and lay my head down. I was grateful that he was having a good dream. Needless to say, he slept peacefully thru the night. When he woke up – not until 10:00 a.m. -- he came to me and said, "Mom, guess what?"
"I said, "What happened?"
"He said with this childlike joy in his voice, "I had a beautiful dream, Mom; I was with Jesus. We were playing together and, Mom, he high-fived me.” He said, “I don't need to be scared"
I let myself cry and felt this overwhelming slush pile of feelings: I was grateful; I was relieved; but I was also ashamed. See, I had been praying with anger and not with a pure heart. I was challenging God to show me He was there. But my son's prayer was pure and genuine. He wasn't challenging; he was surrendering himself to Jesus, and his prayers were answered.
"It might not seem like much to some of you but to me, I was up all night for a reason. Jesus wanted me to witness Him high-fiving my son in his dream so I could understand that He is everywhere and in everyone who seeks Him with a pure heart. He had not forsaken me; it was me who was not seeking Him in the right way.
I hope this story brings some light into the darkness we sometimes feel. Love you all!


Erica