Do you Minimizie God or your Problem? From Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power…

Happy Friday to you …. Thanks for coming by for our Power Friday and a little coffee break. I know many of you are busy with Harvest/Halloween celebrations, whether with/for your kids or yourselves, so I won’t keep you too long today. Grab your coffee and come on in.
Several weeks ago, I submitted a curriculum to a new publisher that I know that I know that He wrote through me. It’s about hurts, habits and hang-ups and we (CPM) have actually been using it in our Transform Trench Classes. I was super excited about working with this new publisher for a few reasons: they are a division of Thomas Nelson/Zondervan, the largest traditional publishers in the world, and so our curriculum would have their logo on it, or so I was assured. In addition, the sales rep explained that every manuscript I submitted would increase my chances of being picked up as an author for Thomas Nelson/Zondervan. Well, let’s really inundate them, I though and in my zealous self, I actually gave them one of my Cup books to re-publish, thinking now I have two chances!
In the process, I’ll have to confess, there have been a few warning lights going off; you know, that yellow light you try and speed through before it turns red? Oh, how true it is that hindsight is 20/20 but His grace is sufficient for me! [2^nd Corinthians 12:9]
Anyway, right before I blew completely through the light getting ever so orange, I put the brakes on and asked a couple of questions, questions that caused me to skid in the intersection of this move!
See, I discovered through a series of events and a conversation that I insisted on having with my project coordinator, that I had been mislead. Yes, the same people that look at content for Thomas Nelson and Zondervan are the same people that look at the manuscripts from this publisher … AFTER the work is published and they determine how well it’s selling.
Disappointment poured through every cell of my body as I hung up the phone, preventing me from speaking, but giving my eyes permission to well up. I won’t edify the enemy by sharing some of the most negative thoughts that ran through my soul like tiny spiders growing bigger by the moment, but I will say I was able to step back within a few moments and seek Him for direction.
I didn’t hear a loud audible voice giving me directions with specificity and an exact route to go, but I will say just that morning, before even having this conversation with my contact person at the new publisher’s, I was reminded of something I’d heard a couple of years ago about how God will promote that which He’s written. Later on that night I received a confirmation along that very same directive, and it helped me to truly step back, not be in a hurry and go a different direction.
Once I took that new direction, I felt a peace and knew I was on to something, and I can’t wait to see what transpires because of it. I am doing my homework and letting God do the rest. That is where this power thought comes from:

We minimize God when we maximize our struggles!

See, for a while, my focus was on getting published by a traditional publisher, and of course with the right intentions in mind: To help others with their hurts, habits and hang-ups, but oh, how easy it was to blow through that yellow light and lose focus by maximizing that goal/struggle.
How many times have we run ahead of God whining about our troubles and struggles, minimizing our God’s sovereignty and will for our lives ultimately maximizing ourselves?
Father, forgive me for running ahead of you and losing focus, for thinking I had to find a publisher for your curriculum. I just want it to happen yesterday! Thank you for gently reminding me that you have my best interest at heart, that your ways are not my ways, and for nudging me ever so gently, then pulling me back so that my focus is not on the daunting dilemma of publishing and getting this curriculum into the hands and hearts of those struggling with hurts, habits and hang-ups, but on maximizing all that you have given me in the area of writing because my heart is entwined with yours.
Oh, that we would maximize our God!

Evinda

The 7 Sacrifices to Joy-from Coffee Hour

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power…

It’s a great day to spend more time in this thought-provoking series, The Seven Sacrifices to Joy! I still am humbly amazed, twitter-pated about how much trouble He went through to teach us about joy! Grab your coffee and let’s get back to where we left off in our last Coffee Hour!
As I concluded our coffee hour yesterday, I kept hearing a question echo in my head, and it settled in my heart, not allowing me to move on until I could answer it, and I can’t help but wonder if you’ve ever asked this or wondered this: So why do we need to go to church to experience that fellowship/communication if we have His Spirit within us?
I think the first place I go when that question is asked is to another question: why do we not want to have that fellowship with others? Iron sharpens iron … [Proverbs 27:17] oh, but for some of you that answer is not good enough, so let me stick with the original question: Fellowship with other believers stirs up that Holy Spirit within us. I was going to say but we need to be in fellowship with Him first, but as I thought about it, I had to confess, that it was through communication/fellowship with a couple of other people who represented Christ incredibly well, namely my therapist at the time and my adopted mom, that I actually felt I could have that fellowship with our Abba Father! Does that make any sense to you at all? Oh, how He uses all things!
In our Transform II class, we have a couple transformers who still question the whole God thing, the reality of Him, and it is so exciting, like incomprehensibly exciting to watch as a light goes on when they are sharing and they realize that God’s Spirit did something for them, directly related to them so it lands inside them!
How many of us have heard someone ask, and we’ve asked, why do we need to go to church to believe in God? When we understand the true meaning of communication/fellowship, and we do our homework and research His instructions on this issue, we discover that it is His will that we fellowship/communicate within a church; that’s one of the reasons He released His Helper; to form the church! In Hebrews 10:25 we are told let us not quit getting together as some have gotten in the habit of doing but let us keep on keeping on for the sake of encouraging one another. Now, that’s incredibly paraphrased, but that is a Holy Spirit inspired instruction!
As I researched this subject, including those who say that you don’t have to go to church to be a Christian, or to believe in God, or to grow in God, they all had a common denominator: PRIDE! Yup, there were money issues, hurt feeling issues, leadership issues, and the list goes on but what’s the air in those balloons? Pride! And what’s in the middle of pride? I, I, I, I, I!!!!!
Paul tells us in Romans 12:5 that we are all members of one body, the Body of Christ, aka, the Bride of Christ, and each member belongs to the whole! In other words, God knows we need communication/fellowship to grow; He never meant for us to do it without the encouragement, wisdom, discernment and/or gifting of other members of the body of Christ. Yes, He is in you, but how many times do you ignore His nudge, or a conviction, or an instruction? I don’t know how you answered that, but I know I’ve got both arms and feet up in the air and I’m saying: “Teacher, teacher, my answer is ‘too many times’!”
I have sought others’ counsel/guidance/fellowship in the church for many things. Why? Not because of a lack of faith, but my flesh sometimes desires to have someone in the flesh to confirm that nudge, or that instruction, that question, that issue of where do I go from here, especially when I’m completely baffled! And oh, how freeing it is when His Spirit speaks through the one you sought out in the flesh!
What about you; have you ever felt His Spirit stir within you through a member of the Body of Christ, aka, a church? Share your thoughts … and join me tomorrow for what I truly hope will be the conclusion to the sacrifice of communication!
In His Spirit of Love,

Evinda

The 7 Sacrifices to Joy! From Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power…

Happy day to you! It’s so good to be walking through The Seven Sacrifices to Joy with you and I’m thoroughly enjoying what we are learning along the journey, especially how each of these principles are used as sacrifices. Grab your coffee and let’s go finish up this third sacrifice of communication and discover the true sacrifice!

So I have to share one more point on the benefit of koinonia/fellowship as it relates to the Holy Spirit because I can’t keep it inside. I was reading from my Not a Fan book by Kyle Idleman and it’s like he reached right in my brain and grabbed a couple of my thoughts as it relates to the Holy Spirit. How many of us have ever wondered what it would be like to walk with Jesus back in the day, to be one of His disciples and have eaten with Him, been taught by Him in the flesh? Have you ever wished you could be Moses on the mountain in the presence of God, or Abraham, or Joseph or Elisha? Well, I’ll be the first to raise my hand, and my other hand and my feet, too! :) I have been known to wonder aloud those very things, and to be sort of envious of these guys. But not anymore! Oh, how I have been guilty of treating the Spirit as a second string on a football team, not really utilizing its strength or power unless I really have to!

Oh, but God pierced my heart but good through Kyle but that wouldn’t have been possible without HIS Holy Spirit! See, there’s something powerful we need to be cognizant of, at all times. Back in the Old Testament, God was with many …. And in the New Testament, Jesus walked with many, but Jesus Himself in John 16:7 said it’s going to be best that I go for I’m sending you the “Counselor” to be IN you!

Do you get it? What is more powerful; knowing something is beside you or in you?

Oh but that gives me goose bumps. Never again will I minimize the importance of the Holy Spirit or wish to be someone I’m not in a time I wasn’t to be. See His Spirit in us happens when we confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior. That’s when the communication/fellowship begins.

Now to just allow His Spirit in me to maximize the good and minimize the not-so-good and to walk differently knowing greater is He that is IN me than he that is in the world!
Excited,

Evinda
P.S. I’d like to say a very Happy Birthday to a sweet little sister, Yvette Sanchez! Make memories that make your heart giggle for years to come! Love you!

Everybody has a gift! from Castro's Corner @ Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power…

Happy Monday Manna
I’m writing this week’s edition of Monday Manna from the same location I wrote my very first, approximately eight months ago. It seems like yesterday when Kim Evinda asked me to write for CPM and I can’t put into words how big of a blessing this has been for me. God has blessed every one of us with spiritual gifts and talents specific to His internal purposes. The question is, how will we use these spiritual gifts to glorify his name?
I believe that God will often bring people into our lives in order for us to either share or help identify spiritual gifts. The ministry requires a myriad of different gifts that we have the ability to use and share in order to extend His kingdom. I don’t believe I’m gifted at writing at all, but I’ve learned so much from Kim Evinda and from all of you from your continued love and support. God is changing the direction of my writing and I’m excited to follow His calling to write to, with and for my wife in a journal of thanks!
I had a great conversation with her last week about the blog and the direction that God has been pulling each one of us. At the end of the conversation I remember looking at Kim and saying, “Kim, you have such an amazing gift…you are changing lives.” Kim’s leadership role with CPM epitomizes the use of a STRONG gift.
Let’s face it. Not all of us have the ability to pick up a guitar (not an air guitar) and play an Eric Clapton cover, frame a house from the ground up, solve linear algebra equations, bake banana bread, or swing a golf club without injuring themselves or someone else. L But God has blessed EVERY one of us with a gift. I’ve come to the honest conclusion that I’m not good at a whole lot, but God has given me long legs to run long distances. How do I use this gift to glorify his name? Perhaps I could “Run for a Cause” or put together a running team at church.
Matthew 25:14-30 speaks of the three servants who received different amounts of silver. The distribution of silver was proportionate to their abilities. Proportionate is the key word. Think about the first servant who received five bags of silver, invested it, and made five more. Then imagine the last servant digging a hole and placing his bag of silver in the ground in fear of losing everything.
Fear is what drives us from using these gifts to honor God. Those who have been provided with spiritual gifts are required to produce spiritual fruit. Who does that first servant represent? He represents you, me, and the body of Christ.
Those that don’t know Jesus as their Lord and Savior are represented as the last servant who failed. Failure is exemplified in his inability to use His God given gift; instead, he dug a hole and he stored his silver. Each and every one of you has an amazing gift that will help bring others closer to Jesus. Don’t let the lies of the enemy devalue or deface the gifts that have been so abundantly given by Him who loves you.
As my last writing for CPMm I just want to stay thank you for all of your love and support. I could not have done this without your encouragement and God’s moving through CPM! Keep running the good race and when your legs tire, which they inevitably will, trust in Him to carry you across the finish line. Use your gift and show the world what you’re made of! God Bless!
In His Love,

Garrett Castro
P.S. this is Evinda, letting you know we will have a new series beginning next Monday called Monday’s Testimonies; Jenn’s Journey! She’s an amazingly gifted girl, writing among her talents, who will share her unpacking journey transparently with you! Be sure and join us!

Power Fridays-Fan or Follower-from Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power…

I just love Fridays, don’t you? For most of us, it’s the end of our work week, and around the corner is some sleeping-in time, maybe a fun activity or two with friends and family, and of course, time to breathe while doing all the duties of a wife and/or mom. For those of you who have been joining us on Fridays, we will be returning to Power Fridays for a while and putting Jeff’s Java Hour on hold until he’s feeling more settled and less overwhelmed!  Grab your coffee and come on in so I can share from my heart to yours from a book called Not A Fan, and how the author, Kyle Idleman, has pierced my heart and inspired this power thought.
So my husband was actually given this book by one of the owners of the company he works for, who obviously doesn’t really know my honey very well, because the only thing he reads with any consistency is the Bible! And that’s not a dig on either of them, by the way; I’m just sharing that my husband doesn’t usually read “books,” including mine!
Anyway, it was sitting in his truck for a couple of weeks and one day on our way to somewhere, I began to flip through the pages. What I read caught my attention, immediately! It was as though the book was just waiting to be opened so it could literally reach out, grab a hold of both of my ears, and then come back for my heart, too, and … all I can say is oh, em, gee, it has done all of that and more so I have to share!
So for a while, I will share thought-provoking lessons from this book, paraphrasing it so as not to plagiarize but also share how his words spoke to me. I just love how God does that; gifts people to write/teach and though we as authors may feel as though we are merely a needle in a haystack – this guy’s a huge needle and I’m oh, such a tiny one! — and it is up to Him to pluck us out and pierce the hearts of others. I pray what I share pierces your heart in such a way to cause you to think about your relationship with the One who loves you like no one else can!
This book is really piercing my heart and making me think about things that I don’t know that I’ve thought too much about, and also challenged me in areas where I thought I was okay with. For now I’ll leave you with this first thought that captured my ears, heart and mind which is based on the miracle of Jesus feeding hundreds with just a few loaves of bread and fish [Matthew 14:13-21]: What is it you show up to church functions for? Is it the free food? Do you just go for social reasons? Are you part of the crowd returning to the next event for more of the same, just like a fan, or are you a follower?
So many churches, and ministries, are so “seeker-friendly,” caught up in making Jesus look as attractive as possible so others would come to have eternal life, with the best of intentions in mind, but in the process, we are creating fans and not so many followers.
Share your thoughts. What do you think the difference between the two is?
Yearning to follow after Him,

Evinda

The 7 Sacrifices to Joy! From Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power…

Happy day to you and thanks so much for joining me for more of the Seven Sacrifices to Joy! Did you ever think in your wildest dreams that God would use so many principles to teach us about joy? I had no idea, seriously! And then to discover that many of these ingredients to a healthy life — joy, righteousness and communication — are actually considered sacrifices! Wow, I am humbled by all He continues to teach me despite me, encouraging me toward less of me and more of Him! Grab your coffee and let’s hope and pray we can get through the final part of this third sacrifice, the sacrifice of communication.
So far we’ve been able to come up with a few diamonds in our digging through some scriptures about communication, which actually translates to fellowship. We’ve learned much from one of the most prolific communicators in the Word of God, Paul. Come with me to discover another huge benefit of fellowship/communication and how we can best utilize it as a sacrifice in our daily walk with our Keynote Speaker.
God knew we would have difficulty in this area of communication and fellowship that brings unity, so He sent us a Helper, his Holy Spirit. He longs for us to communicate with Him; that’s without a doubt! But He doesn’t leave us without help and that humbles me, knowing He loves us enough to not let us figure this stuff out on our own. What a loving God we have!
We are told in Romans 8:26 that when we do not know what to do or what to say, the Spirit will intercede for us! This goes for anything, anytime, anyhow and anywhere! And that’s not just for His benefit, but for ours. It’s to help us stay in fellowship with Him, first and foremost, and then when we step outside of our personal relationship with Christ, and seek that fellowship with like-minded followers of Christ, we are told in 2^nd Corinthians 13:14 that we also share together a fellowship with the Holy Spirit!
The Holy Spirit is the Super Glue for unity in the church. If we relied more on His Spirit to guide us in our interactions, there would be more unity among the diversity creating harmony that is ever so pleasing to His ears.
Paul tells us in Philippians 2:1-4 that without the Helper, unity in the church would not be possible! We are to lean on the Spirit, not our own understanding, but how many of us forget this when we are wounded by someone within the church? And trust me when I say, I’m talking to myself here. We must be led by His spirit and not our flesh to maintain that unity for that is true fellowship. When we are out of unity with any member of His church, then we are out of alignment with Him, the one we are engaged to, the One we are waiting for.
Don’t misunderstand me; there are those people whom you can never please, who will never appear on your list of your top ten friends, family members, et cetera, but when you think of them, are you keeping a list of all the ways they’ve offended you? Is there a little tug on your heart when you merely think about them, a little sting of bitter seeping into the soul? We need His Spirit to reveal the answers to these questions and then be the healer of the hurt!
Oh that we would be in fellowship with the Spirit so we may be guided by the Spirit and not our flesh; that we would be a part of the solution, and not part of the problem, creating true unity in the church, protecting our relationship with our Bridegroom, the One who we are waiting for, the one we are engaged to, and hopefully with!
So I almost made it to the final part of the sacrifice of communication! Next week; I promise! Join me tomorrow for a fun new series based on the book, Not a Fan, by Kyle Idleman!
Koinonia to you, my coffee hour friend,

Evinda

The 7 Sacrifices to Joy-from Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power…

Oh, it’s a great day to write from my heart to yours, to have this sort of fellowship/communication that I don’t take lightly but cherish knowing we spend this time together! Grab your coffee and come on in for some more foundation of communication.
So Paul explains over and over again that because of our leap of faith, that original jump, if you will, we have fellowship with the Son of God! As I wrote that, my heart did an extra pitter-patter! ( 1 Corinthians 1:9 ). What then feeds that faith? In 1^st Corinthians 9:23, Paul explains what fed his faith while he was imprisoned: “Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.”
The Gospels in the Bible is what I would deem one of the main courses of the meal, if you will. The Gospels bridge the gap between here and heaven paved by grace. Oftentimes, we struggle to open up the Bible, overwhelmed by its complexity which is enhanced by its size. We scratch our head, not knowing where to begin and then quickly shut it, discouraged by no voice that tells us what page to open it up to!
This reminds me of a book that I wanted to write: 100 ways to read the Bible, wherein I began teaching myself ways to read these instructions, love letters and promises in ways that really made it more user-friendly. Uh-oh, I could easily get off on another book/series here. Sorry; I’ll stay on track but stay tuned for a series on this subject!
I remember when I first began reading the Gospels; I was reading from the NIV Women’s Daily Devotional Bible – It’s probably out of print now! — but it always had a real-life daily devotional that I could relate to and with, and that stirred my faith, got my taste buds wet and sent me seeking after more fellowship. All the daily devotionals were inspired by our Keynote Speaker who used them as vessels to communicate His ways to anyone willing to feed their faith!
See, when we share in the gospel with others, whether that be via sitting in on a sermon, a small group study, or one-on-one, fellowship takes place, and this is a sweet, sweet aroma to our Father that travels all the way up to His throne, and our Mediator on His right says, see, would you look at that fellowship! When we share in the gospel, it’s an affirmation of the ultimate sacrifice of communication! Paul shares from his heart in Philippians 1:4-6 reminding us of this very principle: ⁴ always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, ⁵ for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, ⁶ being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.
So not only does the sharing of the Gospel feed our faith, but it continues the work that He has begun in each one of us. Are you allowing His communication/work to continue the good work He began in you so He can work through you?
Koinonia to you, my coffee hour friend,

Evinda

The 7 Sacrifices to Joy! From Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

The Seven Sacrifices to Joy-From Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power…

Hello, and thanks for stopping by for our Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and thanks for joining me for the continuation of this series on The Seven Sacrifices to Joy! I had no idea communication was considered a sacrifice, but I’m beginning to understand why it is deemed so, especially after writing/sharing that last blog. Grab your coffee and let’s get back to this incredibly important key to success on so many levels, communication!
So as I was wrapping up our last coffee hour about Adam and Eve and reiterating that despite the original sin, God still chose to pursue them, the light bulb went off as far as communication/fellowship becoming a sacrifice and how it does become a sacrifice … all because of the first sacrifice on the part of God who desired fellowship/communication with us so much that He sacrificed His only Son to be our mediator, to keep the fellowship/communication going. [1^st Corinthians 1:9] [1st Corinthians 9:23]
I had a thought: while there are only 14 references to communicate/communication, and its major translation means fellowship, there are certainly a lot more references to unity, which is as a result of good and effective communication; and many references to conflict, which is as a result of not-so-good communication. Could this be why we are instructed in James 1:19 to be slow to speak? And look at all the instructions in Proverbs about holding our tongues, watching our words, etcetera. Did you get any sort of visual for either of those? Because I did and it was pretty funny! Go ahead, grab your tongue and look at yourself!
When we put all the ingredients that go into good, or bad, communication, our Keynote Speaker has definitely made a huge deal about communication. In other words, He communicated to us through the writers in the Bible. Communication is one of the main building blocks to the early church. Without it, how would the Bible have been translated as accurately as it has? How would we learn without effective communication? Where would our relationship with our Keynote Speaker and Mediator be without communication? How is it we communicate? Oops, I know; too many questions. Let’s go lay some more foundation about the sacrifice of communication with Paul!
Paul is gifted in this area of communication and uses this tool to describe our relationship with our Mediator Jesus Christ and the benefits of salvation which come through Him by faith. But how would we even have faith without the knowledge imparted through good communication? We take that leap of faith because someone communicates to us in a way that grabs at our heart and squeezes it and causes us to recognize the necessity of the reality of Christ. Do you see what I mean?
So who or what communicated to you your need for a Savior? Join me tomorrow for more of The Seven Sacrifices to Joy!
From my heart to yours,

Evinda

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

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

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power…

Happy Monday Manna,
If you didn’t have a chance to join us last week, we touched on the importance of anchoring ourselves onto Jesus Christ and tossing out that old, tattered life preserver as we ride out the storms of life. Our comfort doesn’t lie within conventional wisdom that the world offers; instead our peace lies within the promises offered by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
As of this afternoon, Duke, my three-week old nephew, is doing great! Although he’s still at Loma Linda’s NICU, his G-tube placement surgery has gone well and he’s continuing to gain weight. God truly does answer prayers, especially those supplications from a mother who cries unto God for the life of her child. Just as Hannah promised to give her child (Samuel) to the Lord, we as believers do the same because we know that He has the ability to provide for our every need.
I know that my mother has said a prayer or two for my brother and me, especially throughout our rebellious years. I believe that she continues to pray for us and I know that He has answered those prayers. The prayers of a mother receive special expedited follow-up.
In the first chapter of 1 Samuel, the Bible speaks of Hanna’s supplication before God. Her prayer is so passionate that she literally weeps in anguish within the presence of the Lord. God heard her prayer and felt her anguish. He blessed Hannah with little Samuel, who would become a prophet and a judge to the nation of Israel.
It’s easy for us to underestimate the power of prayer. We know that God hears our prayers, but sometimes we become so overwhelmed by the complexity of our circumstances that we often lose touch of who He really is. God’s spirit moves most noticeably through situations of hopelessness and all that He requires from us is a minimal amount of mustard seed faith. Give him an inch; He’ll take you miles! That’s all He needs.
For all you mothers, continue to pray for your children and ask God to provide you with the peace needed to cope with situations that are fully and completely in his control. Whether praying for your child’s healing, your child’s liberation from an addiction, or even just asking God to redirect them in their walk, He will hear your prayers and He will move.
Have a blessed week and continue to offer those supplications before the Lord. God Bless!
,
In His Love,

Garrett Castro

Jeff's Java Hour @ Chicklit Power

Jeff’s Java Hour @ Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power…

So, first of all, how the heck are ya? I trust you are doing well! Soooooo, something happened the other night which inspired me to write on this topic, bitterness turned to un-forgiveness.
As I pulled into our apartment complex, and up to our garage, I wasn’t prepared to be unable to park where I wanted to so that started me on bitter. That bitterness stirred up more bitterness and I began to voice this mental argument with someone out loud by myself in my car while drove around and around and around to find a parking spot at my own house. I was exhausted after a long day at my new job so I’m sure that didn’t help matters. The issue that I was arguing with this person about, unbeknownst to them, was the issue of bitterness! Why bitterness? Well, I was so upset that I couldn’t find a parking spot in my complex within a hundred yards that the issue of bitterness was naturally occurring in my thoughts. I started thinking of all the reasons that my wife could have left the garage parking for me, and one thought begat another which begat another which begat bitterness.
But then, conviction entered and I really got to thinking: Un-forgiveness is a great big deal and can send one straight to bitterness; and bitterness is the souring overcoming the sweetness in our hearts. Jesus said in Matthew 18:35, “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”
That quote from Jesus got me to take the mental elevator up a floor. I realized how petty I was being and how petty we all can be. I mean, think about it; Jesus forgave us not only for our sins but He let OUR sins put Him on a cross, after having been beaten within an inch of his life first and forgave us not only before He died and before we sinned but also while He was being beaten and having His beard ripped out of his face, being spat on, mocked, tortured, wrongfully accused, despised, cursed at, and so many other things and then being marched to His death while carrying His instrument of death reminding Him of how much worse the pain was going to be shortly. That is hardcore!!!
And to emphasize the forgiveness and clarify that there was no bitterness, Jesus didn’t say anything back to these people, defend himself, or hit back because those people who were doing all of these terrible things to Him were all of us. It takes real power to be meek and forgiving. How hard would it be for us to ask God to forgive the people who were nailing us to a cross while they were doing it? Hello, McFly! I don’t know if I could do that… Actually I am telling you right now I couldn’t.
He did all of that so we could come to the throne of God with confidence, knowing we are forgiven, and can receive redemption, so who are we to hold un-forgiveness in our heart toward anyone? If the murderer still has breath in his lungs, then God will forgive him if he turns his heart toward Him and repents.
Here are some truths I am learning and re-learning:
Un-forgiveness spoils our hearts and turns our love into paranoia. We begin to see people as annoying and uncooperative. We begin to think that everyone is just out to try and get something for themselves and that there are few genuine people left in the world and if we are unfortunate enough to meet one, then we soon find out that they too have faults and won’t/can’t fulfill our unrealistic expectations for them.
Un-forgiveness will turn your gifts into tools to manipulate people into the places that you want them to be in your life. For a person with the gift of giving who has been taken advantage of over and over again begins to grow bitter and their gift starts to be used as a way to attach strings to people or they turn the other direction because giving is not something that lights that part of the heart up anymore so they don’t do it.
Un-forgiveness literally takes our spirit and our bodies through a slow and bitter death. It turns into poison in our blood and does things like give us ulcers, turn our hair gray, raise our blood pressure through the roof because bitterness is a catalyst for un-paralelled stress.
I am sharing all of this with you because I was incredibly convicted in my little car thinking about these things, thankful I was actually thinking about them because they go so unnoticed every day. I am so used to living with my issues that I forget what they Bible tells me about this very subject. I need to forgive; we need to forgive, guys.
Is there someone in your life who needs your forgiveness? Ask God to bring to mind anyone in your life who you haven’t forgiven yet. You will be surprised, because when you ask, He will answer, and the crazy thing is it may be someone that you thought that you have already forgiven. This means that we have to keep forgiving that person, not just a one timer, but perhaps over and over again, especially if you see this person all the time!
Chances are if you can’t help but complain about someone when you see them or even think about them, then there is something that they have done that you haven’t forgiven them for, or maybe you need to keep forgiving them until you are completely set free from whatever it is. I was told once, from a very wise man, pray for them. And I know, it’s like “DUHHHHHH” we should pray for them, but he said not just to pray for them but to pray that God blesses that person and get specific with it.
As I made my way upstairs, I was actually grateful for the extra time it took to park because it gave God some time to deal with my heart!
Thank you for letting me share what “was” on my heart!

The 7 Sacrifices to Joy-From Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

The Seven Sacrifices to Joy-From Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power…

Oh, happy day to you! Thanks for joining me for more of this series within a series, The Seven Sacrifices to Joy! Grab your coffee and come on in. Let’s get back to Paul and his gift of communication, koinonia!
Let’s move on to someone who valued communication, was actually an amazing communicator and spoke not only from his knowledge, which he was rich in, but his heart! He could have “coined” koinonia and koinonio for as much as he spoke about it and lived it. Can you guess who I’m talking about? Give up?
Paul! Koinonia was his favorite subject and one of the things he talked about the most in the letters he penned in some of his most difficult times, where all he had was the gift of communication via his letters and I’m sure that’s why he could write so passionately about it because we all know that saying: you don’t know what you’re missing until it’s gone!
In 1^st Corinthians 1:9 Paul reminds us that God is the one who has called us into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Do you see that word koinonio? I don’t know about you, but oftentimes, it is hard for me to allow that truth to sink in, that God desires koinonio with the likes of me, but He does! He chose to communicate with us before we ever chose Him, and He proves it by pursuing us relentlessly.
I can’t help but take a little detour here back to the Garden where we see this truth explicitly played out with Adam, and Eve, and God. Adam, and Eve, both have just eaten from the forbidden tree, the Tree of Knowledge (of good and evil) and immediately they recognize that they are naked. The crazy thing is in just a few verses before the first sin [Genesis 2:25], this “nakedness” translates to without shame; in other words they have a beautifully vulnerable relationship with each other and with God. But later, in Genesis 3:7, now their nakedness translates to “with shame” because their eyes (of their hearts) have been opened, so he begins to cover himself and Eve up with fig leaves. The vulnerability has disappeared and in its place is shame!
I can hear you asking, what in the world does this have to do with fellowship? Hold on, because I’m about to explain!
Have you ever busted someone in the act of doing something they shouldn’t be doing? Or do you remember being a child and getting caught doing something you just knew you weren’t supposed to do? Do you remember experiencing a bit of fear when the one who caught you caught you and called you on it? Well, imagine that emotion on steroids and then multiply that by a hundred!
In Genesis 3:8, we learn that despite them, God is looking for them but as soon as Adam and Eve heard God, they ran, as if to hide, among the trees in the Garden. Kind of crazy when we think about it; to take refuge in what got you in trouble in the first place! Why did they hide? Because of their shame; that’s why.
Then God calls out, “Where are you?” [Genesis 3:9] Now, personally, I know He knew where they were; that was an indication that the invitation for fellowship was still valid! In other words, we see the beautiful picture of God seeking fellowship/communication by communicating His unconditional love!
I don’t know about you, but every time I get that visual of them running for cover and God pursuing them, it just gives me the chills while warming my heart at the same time. See, haven’t we run from God after doing something stupid, or missing the mark? If He pursued Adam/Eve, then know that He pursues you and me! He longs for fellowship/communication with us. He doesn’t need it; He wants it! He proved it by paying the ultimate sacrifice! God was the first example of the sacrifice of communication!
Now, that’s initiation for some beautiful communication! Join us tomorrow for Jeff’s Java Hour!
Grateful for fellowship,

Evinda

The 7 Sacrifices to Joy from Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

The Seven Sacrifices to Joy-

From Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power…

I so enjoy our coffee hours and am so thankful that there is you to share this information with. Having coffee with you and sharing from my heart to yours really does help me to process it more deeply, so as to plant it in my heart and thereafter, allow it to bear fruit in my life. That’s my prayer for you, too; that what we learn in our search for joy will encourage you to keep going. I am discovering that while there is joy at every corner, there are things you must go through to get there! Grab your coffee and let’s get back to our digging for understanding about this word communication.

Oh, how I’m beginning to realize how important communication is to God for us and with us! In fact, as I sit here thinking about this, His greatest form of communication to us, for us, and with us is His love letters, instructions, promises throughout the New York’s Best Seller – oh, the world’s Best Seller, the Bible! When you read it with this perspective, you can’t help but notice some serious communication He had with and through the authors of the various books, and it was communication meant not just for them, but for you and me as well.

As I was going over what we talked about in our last coffee hour, my deep-seeded curiosity wanted to know, what does the root word of “koinoneo” and “koinonia” mean? Where did it come from? Whew, put your seat belts on, because here we go!

I just knew it; those two are incredibly closely related and I’m thinking you can’t have one without the other. The prefix of both words will explain what I mean:
The Greek root “koin” has a base meaning of “common,” out of which a number of facets of meaning sparkle. For example, in the Apocrypha, written and produced during the two centuries between the Old and New Testament, the Greek root “koin” was used to express ideas such as friendship and table fellowship. Interesting … could this be why we usually fellowship with food? And isn’t some of our best communication around the dinner table? [1st Corinthians 1:9]

“Koin” was also often used to describe the sense of bonding and closeness which the members of social, religious, and philosophical organizations shared with one another. See, God did intend for us to learn the dos and don’ts of communication and I believe the one He used the most to emphasize the importance of communication is Paul. I say is, even though Paul is no more, because the Word is alive and active, useful for teaching from generation to generation. Oh, I could so get off on a tangent about how the Word comes to life but I won’t – well, let me just say this one thing: If you read Psalm 15 today, and a year from now read it again, I can guarantee you that it will speak something different to your soul compared to the first time you read it. His Word is alive and active! [Hebrews 4:12]

See, I think that our Keynote Speaker is God, our Father, who passed the torch, or microphone to His Son, Jesus, who became not only the Keynote Speaker, but our Mediator, Who then spoke through the likes of the apostles, disciples and prophets and Who is still speaking to us through these guest speakers of the Bible today. See, our Keynote Speaker understands, because He came to earth in human form, the value of communication as well as the harm that happens from a lack of communication. I’m thinking that a lack of communication leaves all kinds of room for misinterpretation and misinterpretation partners with pride and leaves little room for clarification! Hmmm, I’m just thinking out loud.

What do you believe the sacrifice of communication is? Join me for more of the Sacrifice of Communication tomorrow!
All ears …

Evinda

The Seven Sacrifices to Joy-from Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

The Seven Sacrifices to Joy 

from Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power…

Happy day to you! It’s so good to have you to write for and to share all these beautiful facets of joy. I’ve been thinking when I am editing my next book, A Cup of Joy for the Day, that this part of the series we’ve been on/in for a while will actually be its own series: The Seven Sacrifices to Joy! So, with that said, grab your coffee and let’s get to the third sacrifice, communication!
As I wrote that word, I did a mental uh-oh, something tells me we may be on this one for a while as well, but, hey, that’s okay. There’s no law that says we have to get through a series in a New York minute, right? Let’s enjoy the ride.
So before we get to the actual sacrifice of communication and why it is deemed one of the Seven Sacrifices to Joy, let’s go and explore the word “communicate.” This word, and all its forms, shows up in the Promises of God, the instructions by God, the Love Letters from God a total of 14 times and that’s significant enough to be a bit intriguing to me. So before I go on to the actual “sacrifice” of communication, I want to research this word a little bit. Why? Well, because as I look at the Greek Concordance under communicate, communicated and communication, beside each context is a different number which means a slightly different meaning so my curiosity is getting the best of me.
So many of us don’t like this subject; in fact, many shirk away from it which is usually because of a lack of understanding and/or a bad experience with it, but please, stay with me and let’s have some fun with this word. Who knows, it may stir up our joy and make the actual “sacrifice of communication” a bit easier to process.
Okay, so I got the chills because this Greek translation sounds like a word I’ve heard in the church for quite some time, especially Calvary Chapels: “koinoneo,” pronounced “koy-no-neh-o,” and means to share with others, to distribute, to be partakers! Look at that word again because if I were to swap that last “eo” for an “ia,” which is the word I hear so often with Calvary Chapel, the translation would mean fellowship, communion, distribution and contribution!
In English, that says communication is a two-way street with giving and receiving involved!
Have you ever participated in a conversation where one person was doing all the talking and pretty soon your ears were just overflowing and needing a break because the person was talking non-stop, and usually about themselves, and offering no break for you to distribute or contribute to the conversation? Well, that is not true “koinoneo”! Or what about just wanting to be understood? Doesn’t that feel freeing when it happens in the midst of communication?
True communication does however require that I wait to speak until I truly understand what the other person is trying to say. Oftentimes, that may require me to have to ask questions along the way to understand their perception, their point of view, and that’s okay. Here’s the key: truly listening to the other person does not mean you agree with him. That reminds me of something that happened while sitting down in the airport the other day, waiting to be called to board the plane to Austin, Texas. It was an incredibly awkward but insightful moment involving this young couple. You could totally hear that they were in the midst of a “moment” and several times I heard her say: “I just need you to understand my perspective”; and “I just want you to look at it from my point of view.” She must have pleaded this request in all its possible ways – at least seven times – and the guy was growing increasingly frustrated but remaining pretty calm.
Do you know how hard it was for me to sit there, drink my water and eat my bag of Chex mix – my lunch since the lines for any and all nutritious foods were almost out to the entrance of security—and not say a word? I wanted so very badly to lean into the young guy, whom I was sitting right next to because of there being more people than seats, and just whisper, “It’s okay to give yourself permission to see it from her perspective. It doesn’t mean you agree; but oh the value you will give to her and the quicker you will resolve your apparent conflict.” True listening doesn’t require that you agree but it is the quickest way to conflict resolution! It’s also the other half of effective communication because the more we listen, the more we learn.
A very good friend and fellow board member calls this, with a sweet smile on his face, the big ears/little lips syndrome! God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason: He wanted us to truly embrace, endure and enjoy koinoneo!
Paul speaks about this very thing in Galatians 6:6: “Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches.” We can’t learn unless we’re listening, and we don’t have to limit this to being taught the word, but the principle is the same and we see that true koinoneo in the “share in all good things.”
Join me tomorrow for more diamonds behind communication that will illuminate in our understanding of a sacrifice of communication.
Listening …

Evinda

Do you Have a Spiritual Life Jacket? From Castro's Corner @ Chicklit Power

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

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power…

Happy Monday Manna,
If you tuned in last week, I gave a brief update on Duke’s status. This little guy has an international prayer chain that is literally off the hook; it’s incredible to see how one little human being can bring so many people together. As God continues to answer our prayers, we are reminded of how much he loves us. He has big plans in store for this little guy and even though we may not have the capacity to understand why little ones must suffer from ailment and illness, we know that our sovereign Lord and King is with us throughout the storms of life.
Storms come in all shapes and sizes and that cliché saying “When it rains it pours” is sometimes the truth when the largest storm in our life is coupled with torrential downpours. How do we anchor ourselves onto Jesus through these storms? What if we find out our life jacket fits a few sizes too large when the storm arrives? If we want to remain spiritually buoyant, we MUST fully and completely put our Faith in Christ Jesus.
Remember Peter? “So He said ‘Come.’ And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, ‘Lord, save me!”’ [Matthew 14:30]
I can’t wait to meet Peter in heaven. I picture him as a large framed fisherman, with meat hooks for hands and a grizzly Adam’s beard. How could Peter doubt Jesus’ ability to calm the ocean? This is the same Jesus that Peter had seen heal paralytics and demon-possessed men.
Each and every one of us can relate to Peter in that we are often driven by our own internal doubts in God’s ability to calm the storm. Our anchor lies in Christ Jesus. As Peter was sinking in the ocean, Jesus reached out His hand and lifted him out of the waves caused by the storm.
What does conventional wisdom, or the world, offer to us for preventative measures taken for life’s storms? The world teaches us to pack a life jacket, because we are self-sufficient, we are independent, and we are the only one who can save ourselves. The storm hits and then we place on our life jacket, but to our surprise, our life jacket doesn’t fit…you must have grabbed the wrong one! So much for self-sufficiency and proper preparation; we have failed.
The storms of life facilitate spiritual growth for us, as long as we place our Faith in Christ Jesus and anchor onto him. Throw that life jacket away, because who knows if it will fit right anyway. Place your faith in the one who loves you more than you will ever know. We often sink, just like Peter, but we never become submerged by the waves of life’s storms.
Have a blessed week and hopefully you feel readily equipped to go through the storms with Christ Jesus. God Bless!
In His Love,

Garrett Castro

What's the Fear Factor Test? From Coffee Hour @Chicklit Power

Power Friday Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power…=

Happy Friday to you …. and thanks for taking a little break with me. Fall is on the calendar, but not quite here, yet, but I’m hoping it’s around the corner! Grab your coffee and come inside for just a few.

I actually would like to ask you a thought-provoking question, at least I hope it stirs your mind to think. I found it in my curriculum as I was preparing for our Transform Trench Class. It’s about the subject of fear, you know, a false expectation appearing real. Last week, I gave you a fear factor test, and shared the seven things we fear — here’s a refresher because you’ll need to have these in mind as you think about the question I’m going to ask you. We fear:

1. Not being good enough
2. Being different.
3. Commitment.
4. Change/discomfort.
5. Facing inner truths/our inadequacies.
6. Not being loved in return, and …
7. We fear being alone.

With those things in mind … can fear become an idol? Oh, that we would feed our faith and not our fears!
Would love to hear your thoughts …

Before I sign off, I’d like to send a very happy birthday wish to someone very special in my heart: Janine Peace … I’m so proud of the Christ-centered woman you are becoming. I pray that the memories you make today will make u smile from the inside out for all your tomorrows. I love you!
Fearlessly,

Evinda

Thinking Out Loud with Diane Huntsman -Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Thursday’s Thinking Out Loud-from Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power…

Welcome to Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power, a ministry dedicated to helping others thrive IN relationships and OUT of hurts, habits and hang-ups, a ministry that began with a book! We are thrilled you decided to join us today for our Thursday series, Thursday’s Thinking Out Loud. Grab your coffee and come on in!

I can’t wait to share this post I found from a sister in Christ, someone I’ve admired from a distance for a long time. She had posted it on Facebook last week and as soon as I was done reading it, and could catch my breath and shake off my goose bumps from its powerful inspiration, I in-boxed her to ask for permission to share it. So I bring to you, without further ado, “The Cry of My Heart” from Diane Huntsman, an incredibly gifted writer. And by all means, if you enjoy what you read, leave a comment so we can encourage her to continue sharing her gift!

Cry of My Heart

“I found myself getting lost going on a lady’s Instagram from Porterville; Honey Holden is her name. She’s a Godly woman, or so her Instagram says she is. Her family is beautiful, or so they seem to be. Her life seems practically perfect in every way… filled with such fun and purpose, surrounded by many friends and family. She has what many women want.

“As I stared at her posts on Instagram, my thoughts began to wander from where I sat staring at the screen, thoughts that actually brought me back to truths eventually!

“We live in a era where becoming discontent is at the touch of a button, taking us to social media sites where we “wish” we could have this or that, or sites that show a dreamy life/person that we think we would trade lives with, and how about those thoughts of wishing we could be as awesome as that person we follow, that person we don’t really know but wish we did?”

As I read that first part, I felt the beauty of conviction because oh, how many times have I caught myself comparing myself to others, especially as an author, or my life to another? But Jesus tells us through Paul that we are blessed beyond measure when we can learn to be content in all circumstances. [Philippians 4:11]
Let’s return to Diane’s transparent heart:

“Today, from the moment I awoke, my mind was being tossed to and fro, from really vital stuff going on to I wish my lawn was green… and then back to ISIS and the severity of their threat, and then back to thoughts about my exercise regime, and then over to the seriousness of the drought, then back to what I am wearing to work tomorrow…. to and fro, important to the unimportant…then getting lost in someone else’s seemingly perfect world only to see how imperfect mine is.
And then the light goes on; the voice inside me says, “Stop it, Diane! Stop it this instant! You are being self-saturated and living in the land of trivialness.” (Yes, I talk to myself; but I don’t answer myself … usually!

"Then I stop and realize this place is the place my adversary wants to take me, the place where I forget the importance of knowing the temporariness of this life and the focusing in on the permanency of the next life, in other words, gripping with all of my strength to my heavenly hope!

"If Satan can get us to believe our successes here in this life are our number one objective in life, then we can miss out preparing for eternity. I believe we are distracted on such high levels that we are truly missing out on living now for that which is to come. What does preparing for heaven while living in the now look like? I’m talking about in the sense of really caring for others, loving people, sharing the gospel message, praying for our households, our government leaders, our drought, the ISIS threats and the billions of other prayer needs on the list. This is communing with the God who died for us that we might live.

"And what about reading, meditating, memorizing His promises and commands that we might have spiritual depth and understanding, not just go by what they tell us at church, but go by what we learn firsthand on our own as we spend time reading our Bibles, and allowing its truths to come alive within our lives! Are we really getting to know our God?

"Maybe we aren’t out killing folks or dancing on poles for a side job, but equally as disturbing as those two naughty activities are the rest of us who are living by wasting precious moments given to daydreaming of what we wish we had, allowing the imperfections of life to cause us to sink further still in our own self-pity while we scroll through our phones nearly hating all those who seem to have it so much better than us and making sure we don’t “like” the picture of that person who just radiates near perfection… or un-friend people who don’t measure up to our standard of expectation.

"I think we all need to throw our phones in the toilet and get our brains saturated in God’s words, instructions and promises so that we have a chance of making some kind of difference in this lost and bankrupt world we currently live in.

"ISIS is beheading people and we are pinning another pin on our Pinterest boards and liking or not liking another pic on Instagram! The drought is heading us to mandated water rationing and we are still vicariously watering our lawns. People don’t know about Jesus and we are busy renewing our Disneyland passes.

"To the professing follower of Jesus, if we really believe what we say we do, our lives should look so totally different. And please know I’m speaking to myself the loudest, so before you comment, know that I am talking to myself first.

"If we are truly saved, our lives should reflect it in every way we live, and if we aren’t, then we can keep living with our heads buried in the sand or we can look to the heavens, beat on our chest, and say: “God, help us! I am a sinner. Forgive me and empower me to live in newness of life with eternal purpose, with genuine love and care for others. Jesus, wake us up; shake us up. Get us living how You’ve intended us to live and forgive us for being lazy.

“I know You are returning soon. I know the gathering of Your church is nigh. We will be without excuse, fully accountable for our choices. May we choose You this day for the sand is quickly passing through the hourglass, and we’ve been given many opportunities to get it right. Hear the cry of my heart, Father; help us get it right.

"Oh, that we be found busy about our Father’s business.
From my heart to yours,

Diane"