Faith Filled Friday

Thanks so much for stopping by for Faith Filled Friday! Grab whatever sounds good and refreshing and let’s go feed our faith!

The other day, I got a very profound text from a Transformer asking how does one stop trying to be a control freak and quit holding their family hostage. This Transformer went on to share that they would like their family to be held together by love, not fear.

I went on to explain that the efforts to control everything and everyone are driven by a need that is not being met. What is it that we are in need of whenever we feel the need to control others, or our surroundings, or our circumstances? It’s not enough to suggest that control is a delusion. I mean, this person really wants an answer and while the answer is somewhat simple, the solution takes work: paying attention consistently to the emotional dashboard. 

See, we all have an emotional dashboard that flashes with warning signs, just like our cars. But how often do we stop and pay attention to them? It’s because we don’t that we cause many emotional wrecks.

This power thought is inspired by this Transformer and this complex subject of control.

Those who try to control others are driven by a need that often winds up in an emotional wreck hitting all involved in their world if not addressed!

Oh, that we would surrender control to the One who is really  in control!
Love,

Evinda

Wednesday's Word

Quieted Soul

Psalm 131:2: Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul like a weaned child with his mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.

Thanks so much for taking a break and choosing to join us today for Wednesday’s Word! Grab your favorite summer beverage and your Strand of Faith and let’s go tie some knots together.

Have you ever been driving and suddenly realized you were going in the wrong direction, and then had to do the inevitable U-turn? Hopefully it was a legal one, right? ☺ 

Well, the other day I had something similar happen, only it was with my mind. I had been racing around most of the day, and I do mean racing, checking things off of my list, one at a time and sometimes two or three at a time. I like to multi-task! Why the rush? Well, I was getting ready for a trip to a very special place where my favorite people are, my grandkids, son and daughter-in-love are: Texas! I was so ready for some of that unconditional, sweet loving; the kind only grandkids seem able to give. You know what I’m talking about? 

So my final stop was a workout at the gym, but then I had a few more things to cross off my list once I got home, the largest of which was to proof 125 pages of transcript. Just thinking about the case could send me off on another rabbit trail, but I’ll focus!  So, there I was on my mat, experiencing Yoga for the first time, and I feel my body sort of unwinding, and my heartbeat return to whatever normal is and my soul became quiet☺ 

In the midst of the stretches and poses – none of which I could give you the names of – I hear Him talk to me: “Go home and turn your computer off and spend the rest of the evening with your husband.”

For just a second, I thought of arguing with Him, but FINALLY I’ve learned that when we wrestle with God, He always wins! So when I got home, that’s exactly what I did. I had gotten a direct order, bathed in love and what I referred to in that moment as a head change! 

Now why am I telling you all of this? Well, for one, God honors obedience in any form or fashion. See, the crazy thing is, the next morning I was up at 6, had my time with Him, finished proofing and correcting and printing the 125 pages, got my other things done, including final touches on packing, and had over an hour to spare before leaving to the airport! That has NEVER happened and I’ve traveled many times. 

It wasn’t until I get to the airport, two hours before my flight, that I discover I’ve been TSA pre-approved, which means my laptop doesn’t come out of its case and my shoes stay on  and I just walk right on through!  As I made my way to my gate, I stopped for something to eat; I had plenty of time! I had the most positive experience waiting to board my plane. I don’t think I’ve ever been so calm – I’m not a great fan of flying! ☺ I truly believe all of these blessings stemmed from one act of obedience…which never would have happened if I didn’t quiet my soul! 

The other reason I’m sharing this with you is He longs to speak to us…and often does, but we can’t hear Him when we’re going a hundred miles an hour! Abba speaks to us in the quietness of our souls!

So what do you say…is it time to be still…for a head change?

Loving His ways,

Evinda

Jenn's Journey

Happy Monday again, Friends! Thank you for joining me for a few minutes. With all this heat, an iced drink may be what's in order. Grab one and let's explore a few of my thoughts.

A couple weeks ago, I took three days off of social media. I was feeling weary of the negative posts, the skewed views, the anger, the hate. I do my best to keep positive, but being the sensitive soul I am, at times I feel overwhelmed. The break did me good and I will probably do it again soon.

However, the fact remains that there is major unrest and unhappiness in our world. My heart feels broken at times over this, not to mention feeling hyper aware of my environment. Have you noticed how easy it is to dwell on what's wrong? Or how about the need to put an opinion on posts that make us mad? I am amazed at how mean and angry people sound on their responses on Facebook. 

I was sitting at work yesterday, cleaning teeth and listening to the radio. Michael Jackson's song "Man in the Mirror" came on. I've heard this song many times. Yet, this time, it set off the inspiration for my blog. I'll share a few of the lyrics:

 I'm Starting with the man in the mirror; I'm asking him to change his ways
and no message could have been any clearer: 

If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself, and then make a change

 What if instead of spewing out more hate and anger, we looked in the mirror and said "How can I change"? What if we stopped pointing the finger at others, and looked at our own hearts? When will we learn that we're only responsible for our own actions, and for change in ourselves? Is this hard when someone does us wrong? Absolutely! It is easier to pass the blame and let self off the hook, for sure! But, it gets us to the point we are at in society right now. 

"As a man thinks, so is he" Proverbs 23:7.  "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." Proverbs 4:23

Until next week, be blessed,

Jenn

Faith Filled Friday's

This last couple of weeks has seen an awful lot of sadness, an atrocity where one man could only see the color of a man's skin and the uniform in which they wore. How sad it makes me that not only in the mind of a man, but of his very heart, a murderous rampage develops and curls such a cold and calculating cold finger upon a heartless trigger. He came to a place where he felt justified by only these two things that mattered to make the yay or nay of whether they live or die.

I spent a lot of time thinking about this man and how he could do such a thing to not only those men but to their families. I spent a lot more time reading up on these heroes who lost their lives protecting their community. It's in their blood and genetic coding to run toward the fight and not from it. 

How lucky we are to live in a country and our local communities where men of all color, religion, free will, make a decision not only when they swear to protect the constitution but to serve and protect us. I wonder how many people really stop, think and really appreciate such an incredible and priceless thing. 

As I watched it unfold on television where an officer was on one side of a pillar in a firefight with the active shooter, the shooter charged to one side but then moved back flanking the officer and shooting him down. When that officer fell I was filled with so much despair for him, his family, friends and community. But also because I can feel the world failing more and more... There he was, this hero, standing the line for you, for me, for community and in an instant he perished. 

I have known heroes like this and I call them my brothers. They were the very men I served with in the military and if it's one thing that stands true, they too laid it all on the line. These men are a special breed; they are far and few, but every day they get up and make a decision to protect and serve. As a Veteran I can say this and some of you might not understand -- perhaps you will -- At that moment and feeling of despair, I soon had another feeling come over me. It was a feeling of love. To know that there are people who care so much about the world in which they are a part of, that they stand a line in no matter the type of fight to protect it.  

We need to absorb that kind of love and constantly feed it, validate it, and pray for it to take more real estate not only in the world, our communities but in the very heart of us where we can project it toward a better future for children. To love with an 'ALL IN' attitude and nothing short. May we never forget any man or woman who has fallen for what is right in defending... because it is love and it stems from above. Please pray for these men who lost their lives; pray for their families to be embraced by God's most loving and caring arms. 

Pray that we become a nation of people who encourages the world to let go of this hatred... 

Much love everyone.

John

Wednesday's Word

Am I Living Like I Believe?

Thanks for joining me today for Wednesday’s Word, from my heart to yours. I pray that what is shared today will not only tie some knots in your strand of faith, but will encourage you in your life, and in your relationships. Grab your coffee, and your strand of faith, too!

I just love it when scripture comes to life in my life! Don’t you? J  Over the last eighteen months, I’ve consistently asked myself this question: Am I living like I believe…He’s my provider; He’s my protector; His plans are to lift me up, not tear me down? Am I living like I believe that He’s working all things together in my life for my own good and His glory, that one day He will restore what the locusts have stolen? Am I living like I believe God is who He says He is and will do all He said He would do?

The short answer is: I’m trying…but isn’t there always room for improvement? So how do we live like we believe what we say we believe? What does it take? One thing it doesn’t take, and that is pretending…pretending things are all right when they’re not. In fact, when a storm hits in our lives, or a season of them, this is the time to show that you believe by living like you believe. 

It all comes down to the following eight principles which are the acrostic for PRACTICE! 

Practice His presence; in other words, stay plugged in to Him, the source:

I’ll be honest; sometimes it feels like I’m white-knuckling it to stay plugged in; but thank God for the years of my faith foundation that make it easier to know I’m plugged in even when I don’t feel I’m plugged in!

Remember what He’s already done for you up to now.:

It’s so good to rewind our yesterdays and remember those God-stops, those God-incidences that He showed up, nudged our heart, or whispered a thought to us, or squeezed our heart and soul with conviction, or had us reach out to another. This act of remembering will keep His presence active.

Admit your need for Him in each situation:

If left to my own devices, I can certainly make a mess of things…so it’s best to invite Him into each situation before making the mess so He doesn’t have to do the cleanup…but the amazing thing about His grace is no matter what point we invite Him in, cleanup or otherwise, He will come!

Call on Him 24/7…He won’t have voicemail on:

Talk to Him throughout the day, in the car, getting ready for work, in the midst of a heated moment look up and call upon His name. He’s there!

Take the time to be with Him first thing in the morning:

Start your day off the right way, giving the first moments of your day to be with Him and the funny thing is you will have time for more things!

Include Him in all your plans:

He’s your partner; don’t plan anything without including Him, asking for His permission. This is forming the partnership. He wants a say in your daily activities!

Claim His promises in your life:

Oh, there’s nothing more powerful than speaking a God-given promise, for when we do that it is GUARANTEED to splash perspective, and stabilize us in and through any situation.

Exercise your spiritual muscles; give Him heart service, not lip service:

Let Him have the key to the home of your heart, and I promise, lip service will change to heart service as He cleans one room (area of your life) at a time!

Oh, that I would practice, practice, practice living like I believe. I am so thankful for His patience in my practicing for the works of His hands in my life rearrange my world in a way that’s just right.

Love,

Evinda

Jenn's Journey

Good morning my friends! Another Monday has dawned and here we are in the middle of July! Where is the summer going? Please, grab a cup of your favorite drink and spend a few minutes with me.

"Out of the mouths of babes," how often I have thought of this phrase since my daughter came into my life. Being a mother has taught me much. I think God knew I needed some lessons. :)

My daughter took a pretty good fall last week and scratched up her knees and elbows. The following day we were driving to church and she was talking about her fall. Then she said, "I don't want to go to church like this. Everyone will see my scars. They'll think I don't trust God." Wow, was all I could think. Does this sound familiar?

We tried to explain to her that God doesn't always keep us from getting hurt, but that doesn't mean we don't trust Him…and that no one would or should think less of her for her scratches. In a way, those words felt empty because how many times have I believed that others think less of me for my “scars” and how many times have I thought less of someone for theirs? It's a sobering thought, isn't it?

It's true that God does not protect us from all harm. Living in this sinful world exposes us to many injuries, physical and emotional. Sometimes the choices we make cause more hurt. No matter how the scars came about though, our tendency is to want to hide. We feel the need to put on a face, pretend we're okay, shrink into ourselves or worse yet, continue on a path towards self-destruction.

My daughter ended up showing off her banged-up skin…and was given comfort. My friends, we need to do this as well. We need to find safe places, and people with which to show our scars and receive the grace and comfort we need. More importantly, we must BE safe people that others can share with. This is the way to healing. It's also the way to living an authentic life.

"I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself." Jeremiah 31:3

Until next week, be blessed,

Jenn

Faith Filled Friday

Good day everyone! Hope everyone had a great Independence Day and ate some good food as well took in some incredible fireworks. We are truly blessed to live in this nation despite all the things going on. This brings me to my thoughts...

Would we as a society have so much to complain about if instead we were a nation of completely content people? After being around the world and back in the military and traveling some afterward I have seen just how much we have compared to others. It just really makes me sad for us to not appreciate these things. We don't tend to focus on the things we have; instead we focus on what others have. It’s the same thing when others do things that hurt us…intentionally or not. 

Years ago when I was a teenager in the system, my counselor once said to me: "John perhaps they did do these things wrong to you, but did that give you the right to respond in the way you did? Are they responsible for your actions?"  Over the years that has stuck with me. It really stuck out to me when I was told by a person very close to me: "I'm not responsible for your emotions or feelings." I felt they said it in a way that gave them a free pass for how they had acted and treated me, but they are not directly responsible. God gave us feelings. We can hurt people physically and we can hurt them emotionally. So in a sense I do feel we are responsible for how we make people feel on the inside; however, we are not responsible for how they act out with those emotions. 

God wants us to feel free and happy. No matter how many times we have done wrong...God still believes in us and continues to give us opportunities to do the right thing. I know I often let Him down but I am so happy that someone has the time to love and appreciate me in this life like that. I have not found it in people, though I have sought it, someone to love me for me. What a precious priceless gift.

Concentrating on being content has helped me take the stand in observing myself with bringing peace to anger, understanding to confusion, a warm light to a cold darkness. It is incredibly difficult but there is truly so much good feeling in it when we are there. Things of course will never be perfect but we must sort through the day-to-ay stresses of life. We must sort through the heartbreak and let go of it. It's hard to let go of such things because sometimes letting go takes practice; it takes time. It is a choice. If we rebound too quickly, do we really learn and appreciate the struggle? Oh, yes, contentment itself requires a good amount of patience, practice and prayer.

 We write our own sentences in life, but God can put the punctuation on the end of the sentence. When enough sentences are gathered, we have what we call our very life... our story. Just as a soldier enjoys living through the battle, he also sees the war ahead still goes on. 

Contentment: Absorb it. Let it fill you. Let it put you in check to help you realize that God is beside you as if carrying a flag in support of you.

Last time I wrote I spoke of the little things... Did any of you identify with some of them? I challenge you to find appreciate and contentment in your hunt to discover those small things. I can't speak for others but I can for myself and I know one thing beyond any other... I want to live with the ability to notice the small things, for it’s all the small things that work together to bring contentment. Besides, what’s small to me may be someone else’s big blessing! Join me next week as I share about doing a small thing that became somebody’s big source of encouragement!

Anyhow, much love everyone... May you have a great week until I catch you next time!

~John Tam