Faith Filled Friday

Hello and welcome back to Faith Filled Fridays everyone! Grab your favorite beverage and come on in for a few moments.

Some different thoughts came my way earlier in the day. Ernest Hemingway once said: "There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down to a typewriter and bleed." 

Many a time, I have sat down and let my fingers bleed out what the heart can no longer keep inside. My mindset has been this since I was encouraged to write feelings out as a young teen in the foster system of California. At first it was incredibly difficult for I could not find the words to portray the emotion and feelings I seemed to almost be trapped in. Trying to explain fear, sadness, depression... how could a young man put words to these? 

I remember wanting to arrange my words in a way that people could not only understand but ultimately feel inside. At that time of my life (and, yes, even now sometimes) I felt no one listened to me about the things that had happened to me, and how they affected me. So I remember pondering that maybe this is the way to explain what I can't express and if I find just the right words and/or analogies that maybe someone would hear me.

All these years later...I have bled so much, but tonight when I remembered that quote from Mr. Hemingway a thought jumped in my head: What if I could type to heal instead of bleed? Surely there is as much oomph in a word on the opposite side of the spectrum. I admit this really made me feel good to think about the possibilities in writing.

We can climb to a summit, or we can fall to dive into refreshing water. Oh yes, we can surely write for a better tomorrow, my friends. So where is God in all this? Tonight I came to realize that God is the typewriter, the keyboard, the pen and even the brush. So what of us? We are the paper and the canvas. We can bleed and heal so much onto that paper that things can become hard to decipher.

Our prayers surely encourage the Holy Spirit to provide us with more canvases, more paper for a cycle that I not only repeat in writing this midnight blog, but more importantly start fresh. Writing is not always a way for others to hear us, but even more importantly, for us to hear ourselves.

Much love & God bless you through till next week... 

Your fellow trencher & friend,

~John Tam

Wednesday's Word

Where’s Your Mindset Set?

The Blue Shoe

Colossians 3:2: Set your mind on things above, not on things of this earth!

Welcome to Wednesday’s Word @ Coffee Hour with Chicklit Power and Trench Classes United. Grab your favorite beverage and your Strand of Faith and let’s go tie some knots because honestly, as a dear friend once told me, mind over matter matters! ^SJ

Last week was a hard week in my court-reporting world, but life is just like that; you have to take the good with the bad, ride the waves of excitement and hold steady when there’s a lull. Over the last several months, I’ve become accustomed to spending at least one if not two days of each week in L.A. and I absolutely enjoy it. However, it’s become a bit more challenging as I’ve gotten a lot older. ☺ Each time I go into L.A., I’m up at 4:00 (no easy feat nowadays) to have my Coffee Hour with my Abba, figure out what needs to get taken care of in the ministry, pack my equipment, and of course some pretty shoes that I can easily slip on in exchange for my tennis shoes before I enter the office where I’ll be reporting for the day. Well, last Monday was no exception. I packed everything, including my favorite pair of blue shoes – they took me two years to find – a pair of Aerosoles. Not only are they incredibly comfortable but they’re really cute too! I mean too much of my wardrobe is based on these blue shoes! 

This particular day turned out to be a shorter day than expected because my 2:00 had cancelled, so I made a hasty decision to try and get the next train back to San Bernardino. This was a challenge and would require some fast-paced walking, maybe even a few moments of jogging down the streets of L.A. to reach the Red Line about a mile away.  Now, there’s something funny about a woman lugging 50+ pounds of equipment down the boulevard, sort of, and yet, I fit in as just another “different,” perhaps a bit crazy lady in the streets of L.A.!  I should be in amazing shape with not an ounce of fat on my body, but Menopause has pushed that image on pause!

So I made it…with a few minutes to spare! I got comfortable and got right to work editing my job and then working on upcoming ministry stuff. An hour and a half passes by quickly and this day was no exception. As the train pulled into the station, I looked out the window and saw my husband waiting for me…and my heart smiled. I headed for the exit and suddenly my smile faded as I realized that the shoe I had hurriedly placed in the side pocket of my case was…GONE! The conductor’s voice came over the intercom, “doors closing, door’s closing,” 

I yelled out, “Hey, I need to check inside. I lost my shoe!” I didn’t wait for a response and left my court reporting equipment out (can you believe it; over 6k worth of stuff!) while I ran back in…only to discover my shoe wasn’t there. I was devastated. I know that may seem like a strong word for losing a stupid shoe….but I seriously looked for just the right pair of blue shoes for two years and had just found these three months ago. I loved them! 

As I walked toward my smiling husband, all I could do was exclaim about my lost blue shoe. “Tell me where to get them and I’ll go buy them for you.” That did make me smile for a minute. As soon as I got in the car, I didn’t waste a minute and started to Google Aerosole shoes, and could not find my shoe anywhere. This began to really consume me and I allowed it to pretty much ruin the rest of my day, especially when I went into my closet to plan what I was wearing for my next day, which was back in L.A.! Everything I wanted to wear required those darned blue shoes!

I had a dream that night of finding that blue shoe and I knew just right where I lost it. I saw myself in the middle of the street holding on tightly to my lost blue shoe while cars went zooming by me, blasting their horns. I mean this dream was real…that is until I went there the next morning and it was nowhere to be found. Disappointment washed over me worse than my longest hottest hot flash and suddenly this verse came out of the hallways of my heart and echoed in my brain: “Set your mind on things above, not on things of this earth”!

 I continued walking up Wilshire Boulevard but immediately my mindset was changed, no longer set on my lost blue shoe. I know that our Father cares about everything that concerns me so I have hung on to the one blue shoe with the hopes that one day, somehow my other one will make it back to me, and if not, it will serve as a reminder about my mindset, that it should be set on things above, not on things of this earth…or blue shoes!

Oh, to gain an eternal perspective so external circumstances lose their power!

Evinda

Monday's Mantra

Doing the Right thing the Wrong Way!

Welcome to Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and TCU (Trench Classes United)! I’m so glad you could join us for some neighboring mantras that will surely spread a message of hope to you and your neighbor(s), friends and strangers too! Grab your favorite beverage and your strand of faith and let’s go tie some more knots together based on Luke 10:25-37.

So we talked about the priest that passed by the other side of the injured man left for dead; let’s now push the pause button on the Levite, the other guy that passed by on the other side, just like the priest. Here’s a couple of facts to help us bring this story closer to home within our own neighborhoods:
Levites assisted  the priests in their duties and they were very well-versed in the law because of their role in the temple, which was quite a big role.  They lived life by the book or the law and to break the law was to invite disassociation and rejection upon them. The Levites were no different than us: they wanted approval and acceptance and oftentimes they would compromise in order to get those God-given desires. Haven’t you? I know I have!

Understanding the laws that these guys were bound to, and knowing that law often overrode morality as we know, understand and practice morality, or try to, it’s a bit easier to understand why the Levite passed by on the other side, just like the priest did.  So now that we can quit finger-pointing, let’s talk about the reality of following the leader and compromise. See, there comes a point when following the leader can lead to a form of compromising one’s values and beliefs; this is known as rigidity! Another way to put it is doing the right thing the wrong way? He was trying to do the right thing but it was the wrong way, and compromised the heart issue of any law!

See, it comes down to what’s in the heart. Paul talks about this very issue in 1^st Corinthians 9:19-23, wherein he was able to be all to all without compromising his beliefs and his relationship with Christ. He wasn’t a lawmaker or a lawbreaker; his heart was for their heart to know his God. 

Have you ever gone about doing something you knew to be right but you did it not so right? I can give you lots of examples in my own life but let me give you just a couple: How many times have I parented the wrong way but with the right motive? Or how many times have I interfered in a matter via opinion or unsolicited advice with the greater good in mind, of course, but only made it worse? These are examples of doing the right thing the wrong way.

So let’s get back to this Levite in the parable of The Good Samaritan: He was a lawmaker, not a lawbreaker; his heart was to please his boss, not His Savior. Haven’t we all dodged a bullet for the sake of self, to make ourselves look good, upright and righteous?

May I challenge you that when an opportunity comes to neighbor a stranger, don’t walk on the other side of the street for the sake of culture, rules or to avoid embarrassment or even to fit in and get acceptance; consider doing the right thing the right way; it’s a matter of the heart!

Love, 

Evinda

Faith Filled Friday

It Could Happen!

Hello everyone! Hope everyone has had a good week. I found myself thinking a lot this week about how healing takes shape from heartbreak. I was caught up in thinking about just how it all comes together. It brought on a ton of thoughts and even a little bit of pain but writing this blog for me is ultimately a part of my own healing. So grab your favorite beverage and join me.

I have come up short so many times in love. It's hard to not give up on the possibility that someone is out there for me; though I must admit I have grown quite weary and tired from heartbreak. It's hard to recover when it strips my emotions to the bone. Not even an enemy can hurt us as bad as those we love!  Mere hateful words from a loved one can last longer than an insult from a stranger. 

Long ago I realized I can only be "All In" and nothing else in a relationship. It doesn't mean I get to have everything my way. It means I am willing to work extremely hard at something worthwhile. The ability to compromise is one of love's greatest tools. Compromise starts by sometimes closing the mouth and listening. Ears are another set of brilliant tools God gave us to love with. 

To love partially; is that really love, then? Love is meant for so much more than just only in the good times. I believe that love has its adversities and challenges naturally, but how else can we grow?  Down deep in our subconscious we benefit in knowing despite arguing with the ones we love, that they won't leave us behind. God knows I long for that in a partner, a life-long partner.

We don't always get back what we put into love... nor should we expect to. We surely cannot keep scores or stats on this tie that binds us. Nor can you judge them by it. I have loved people who want to love entirely, to trust it unconsciously but simply can't because the fear of being vulnerable is too much to handle or take on. Oh, the feeling of loving someone enough to look past the fear, to be all in...I wish we could all love and be loved that way

Vulnerability feeds the emotional freedom you feel while “IN” love. I want to be a better man day by day... to learn to trust again, to be brave enough to take the risk and I realize that because I’ve been beaten down with heartbreak... again and again and yet over again, prayer will be my companion. It is in and through prayer that hope will rise and with it comes not only the possibility to love and be loved... but also healing. God surely made us to love and respect one another. I’m learning that part of the healing is surrendering it to God... that in HIS time IT COULD HAPPEN! :)

May we all be blessed by the love & respect we give and share with others. :)

~John Tam

Wednesday's Word

A Promise to Hold on to!

“Fear not, for I am with you: Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; yes, I will help you. I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

Welcome to Wednesday’s Word and our Coffee Hour! He never ceases to give me something to write about, some way in which He showed up in my life in a way that I must share with others. Oh, how I hope this one helps you tie a knot in your Strand of Faith. Come with me to the largest-attended deposition of my almost 27-year career as a court reporter!

I walked into the conference room almost an hour early expecting to see no one but perhaps the videographer. WRONG! There were several people already there, much to my surprise, as I was thinking there were only going to be one or two attorneys, and that my biggest challenge was going to be getting the six checked in telephonically, something I had never done before. 

But as the room began filling up, I realized I had assumed incorrectly…isn’t that usually the case! ☺ Let’s pause here for a second so I can give you a couple other details.

Now I had gotten prayed up for this deposition, especially after printing the caption the night before and seeing the 30+ case numbers attached to the “lead case” number. As panic knocked on the door of my heart, I shooed it away with the assurance that my God wouldn’t allow me to go to something He wouldn’t bring me through. In my almost 27 years of court reporting, I think the biggest attorney party I’ve ever had to report was seven or eight, nothing larger than that; however, one time in court I reported a high-profile case and the room was filled with attorneys but the judge always made them say who they were and who they represented before saying anything! That is the key: we have to paint a verbatim picture with words and the words have to belong to someone! In other words, every person who speaks must be identified. Now, with that in mind, let’s return to this room that is quickly filling up as I’m checking people in on the telephone!

I stopped dead in my tracks as I counted how many were already in the room; five plus the video guy. Okay, I thought to myself, everyone is just wanting to be early and get a good seat for the show! Well, within five minutes, that theory was blown straight out of the conference room and up into the air. The last attorney to arrive as we started the proceedings numbered 23!

The case material was challenging, but not nearly as challenging as figuring out who was saying what they were saying when they were saying it, so by the time I’d figure it out, the answer was already spilling out of the witness’s mouth and the next question was almost on the table! Talk about playing catch-up or throw up! At one point in the proceedings, the teleconference got lost due to dead batteries in the phone and I remained calm as I went in search of a techy guy and he replaced the batteries and we got up and running again. From that point on I kept my cell phone on my lap, texting one lead attorney every now and then to make sure they were all still hearing the proceedings…in between objections, answers and questions.

See, here’s the cool thing: I truly remained calm in all the chaos. His instruction to me to not be dismayed, to know He was right there with me holding me up so I wouldn’t give up, throw up and/or walk out is the only explanation I can give because when I went back and began preparing the transcript in rough draft form to send to our client, I had written cleaner than I had in years…had hardly dropped a word!

Our God’s promises are true, my friend. He just says, you first, then Him. What do you need to trust Him for or in today?

Joyfully,

Evinda

Monday's Mantra

Things are Never as they Seem!

Welcome to Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and TCU (Trench Classes United)! I’m so glad you could join us for some neighboring mantras that will surely spread a message of hope to you and your neighbor(s), friends and strangers too! Grab your favorite beverage and your strand of faith and let’s go tie some more knots together.

Come with me to Luke 10:25-37. 

The story begins with this question: “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” to which Jesus answered with a question! I don’t know about you, but when I ask a question, I want an answer, not another question! But…this is a big one…Jesus had His reasons, as He always does, for responding with a question. And what’s really telling is Jesus truly wanted the lawyer’s opinion of his reading of the law.  We could spend quite a bit of time on this one principle of engaging with our ears to really have meaningful conversation, but we won’t. Let’s stay on track with the principles of neighboring and why we neighbor!

In the course of the dialogue between Jesus and the lawyer, with many onlookers I might add, the lawyer asks Jesus another question: “And who is my neighbor?” So Jesus responds with the parable of the Samaritan, known in our era as “The Good Samaritan.”

We discovered who the characters in the parable were last week, but today, I want to talk about the first one that comes into the picture after the poor man who has been robbed and beaten is left to die…on a very dangerous road: The Priest. ³¹ “Now, by chance (emphasis added) a certain priest came down the road and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.” 

Let’s pause there for a few minutes. I don’t know about you, but the many times I have read this parable, I was sort of puffed up with an attitude of self-righteousness filled with quips like, “how dare he,” “how could he,” and of course, “why didn’t he…” until writing this study for our church and really studying the history behind it. See that is why studying history is so very important because unless we study it, we’ll repeat it! And we all know that many parts of our own history aren’t worth repeating!

Things are NEVER as they seem, and I found that to be true as I studied up a bit on the Priest, his role in society, a little about their culture, all of which have an important piece into this puzzle of this parable. In fact, I’d dare say these pieces are the framework for this parable. Here’s what I learned:
Exodus 28 reveals the Priest’s social status, which of course includes his clothing he must wear daily; Exodus 29 talks about sacrifices, all the do’s and don’ts and all the things a priest could not be around in order to be qualified to sacrifice. 

Leviticus 21-22 reveals all the rules for the priests, included in those rules were do’s and don’ts for their conduct and contact: they were not allowed to be anywhere near a “defiled” person, a bleeding person, a handicapped person of any kind or they could not offer up a sacrifice! 

To make a long history short…this guy, the Priest who walked on the other side did what he did because he was in bondage to the law. Why else did Jesus bring him into the story? How many of us are all bound up by do’s and don’ts, rigidity preached from the pulpit, that if we are struggling with weaknesses and worries, habits and hang-ups, we must not have enough faith, or be praying enough. I could go on, but let’s wrap this up. 

How many times have we acted based only on our assumptions and not all the facts? I don’t know about you, but I’m raising my hands and feet in the air right now: GUILTY!  I was so guilty of being indignant about this Priest as I read this story yet again, and now, after studying it, I am humbled beyond belief. Who am I to judge the priest who is like one of us…held in bondage by something he/we believe to be greater than Jesus! The priest may have been bound by the law, but I was bound up by a judgmental attitude, a critical spirit of sorts. What has you bound up, preventing you from recognizing who your neighbor is, let alone how to neighbor? 

I’m so thankful for my God-given hunger for truth that I would continue to learn that things are never as they seem and Jesus uses all things to teach us what we need to learn when we need to learn it.

Are you listening to learn or learning to listen?

Love,

Evinda

Faith Filled Friday

Hello and welcome back to another Faith Filled Friday!

This week I thought I was set to write about one thing but at the last second decided to change it up. So here goes. Please bear with me as I know it might be a little long but it is worth the read. :)

For many years of my young adulthood I did not even know about credit and what it did as I was in the military and I just used cash and never applied for any loans or needed the use of a credit score. After getting out of the military I quickly learned what credit was for and started working hard to create a good credit history. I learned what each scoring bracket range was and wanted to work hard to get over 800. This was in part because I wanted to one day purchase my own home which I have always dreamed about since being very young. 

I was along this journey for better credit when I was in an accident on my motorcycle. I had gone over the side of a cliff on my motorcycle and had to be airlifted to immediate help and later hospitalized. I was told that the VA refused to pay for it because they did not receive notice of the hospitalization within 14 days. 

Now a little background: My shoulder was previously injured in the military and it went out while riding that day. In going over a cliff I thought my life was over but thank God I had just purchased new riding gear. In fact it was the first time paying for all the gear I had. It was truly the body armor that saved my life that day. However, it didn't save me from the terrible debt I had now gone into. 

After paying down some of that debt I started feeling better even though my credit took somewhat of a hit. So I got back to damage repair on the credit and in 2007 was in another accident where I was broadsided. In this accident I suffered a back injury that I have lived with for so many years and to this day still suffer from. Once again the VA would not be paying for my hospitalization or any of my medical bills. This time I would be sued and so I quickly decided to take the credit I had and get into a home so that I could flip it after 2 years of sweat equity and pay off the medical debt as this would keep me from bankruptcy. 

While I found a home and signed a contract and had it in escrow I learned that I was levied, which means that they took everything I had in the bank and they left me with no way for my checks to clear for any of the bills I had just paid. The home I had in escrow fell out and I almost was sued for that. 

Since then I have struggled so bad. My back had gotten worse. I gained weight... It was the perfect storm and my credit fell to the 500's. 

I also fell into depression and just gave up for years. One day I decided to start trying again. For years I read articles online and did things to bring up my credit score bit by bit. It's a frustrating process because at times I felt like it was one step forward two steps back. But still I stuck with it.

For the last two years I have actually had a good credit score rising to the 700's. I've still always wanted to get into the 800's but I had reached a point where I accepted 770 would probably be as good as it would ever get. It just seemed to be the best I could get... 

So then yesterday came along. I checked my score and I was so shocked that I signed out and signed back in... I was so excited and felt like I needed to call someone; instead, I opted to write about it. You see that score represents a lot of hard brutal work. I felt that God saw me through to this... because although I had not given up on a good credit score I admit I had given up ever seeing the 800's. Despite home prices being too high for me to afford, even with a good 805 score, it still feels great. I prayed for that so long ago... and I made it. 

I am not going to be sad that I can't purchase my home for now... This makes me realize that the possibilities are still there, even when we might not realize it because we have a loving God that hears prayers and gets around to them, in His time and our partnering with Him. 

I am trying to heal and work on many things in my life... all of which I prayed for. I have worked hard toward these things like anger and abandonment... and here we have a class starting very soon to put me back in the driving seat toward a better life and a more consistent level of happiness. Will my score of problems and pain be gone at the end of this Trench class? Surely not, but the tools I learn will put me above the 700s in the score of healing! I have no doubt about it. I am aiming for that 805 score of living, healing, loving... That is just something I have to keep giving to God. I have to keep giving myself the oxygen to see it through. One day I will own my very own home, a place where I can have my own dogs without worrying about landlords, or seeing homelessness like I have in the past. I just can't thank the Lord enough... 

Much love & God bless everyone... Till next time,

~John

Wednesday's Word

Witness to the Witness

"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who ask you a reason for the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.” 1st Peter 3:15

Welcome to CoffeeHour @ Chicklit Power and Trench Classes United! I’m so glad you could join me for a little break. I have a true story to share with you so grab your favorite beverage, your strand of faith and come with me to a deposition in Los Angeles, in one of those real fancy high-rise law offices where you can look out the windows and see for miles…on a clear day of course, and the conference room is like 20 feet long, and the staff is as nice as you see on T.V., oh, and they are video-taping this one!

I was all set up and had made sure my time was in sync with the videographer’s time, I had put in my signs for each of the attorneys – there were three – and finally the plaintiff and his attorney walked in. Now, I don’t know what I was expecting, but surely not what walked in and sat in the witness seat. He was about 6 foot 7, a few tattoos and clean-shaven, black T-shirt, black shorts to go with his dark skin. He is African/American and he had a great smile that lit up the room…but he was somber, humble, and it was obvious he was a little nervous.

I like to put the witness at ease so I introduced myself and noticed right away he was gentle in an unsuspecting sort of way, and he was soft-spoken! This giant did not have a giant voice.  Everyone introduced themselves and the videographer did a sound check and just like that we were on the record, introductions first and then I swore him in. I always like to look ‘em in the eye and add, “as you shall answer unto God,” and see if they squirm! ☺ 

Anyway, the deposition got going off with a bang, which means it was flying but the problem was this witness was so soft-spoken I was straining to hear and by the time I figured out what he had said, the attorney was on to the next question over someone else objecting. It was quite stressful, to say the least. And it’s soooo very challenging not showing my frustration! 

The content was also something a bit disturbing; it involved an improper arrest with some pretty aggressive police officers and this witness as well as three of his friends. As the evidence unfolded, it was easy to see how the police officers, and the lawyers, too, had put this witness in a box by lumping him with all the other African Americans who had fallen short, done bad/wrong things to law enforcement. 

But this guy, well, he has quite a story: he’s a teacher, and very involved with afterschool programs that he himself began. He also mediates in troubled families by teaching kids how to respect and parents how to listen. In other words, he’s not who they thought him to be! A color and some ink is not what makes a person a criminal or a bad guy/girl!

When counsel agreed to play the arrest recording, I cringed at the aggressiveness of the police officers, yet I understood that they were just doing their job. They thought they saw a gun; they made a mistake. They acted on their assumption and it wasn’t pretty. As the recording continued I watched this six-foot-seven gentle man crumble in his chair pushed down even further by the tears he could not control. They almost shot him…he saw his life flash before his eyes and he has been traumatized by it. 

Now, I don’t want to paint a picture of a sissy; no quite the contrary. He was a very tall, well-built gentle giant with a kind spirit!

The fight for his innocence was not made any easier. Our system is overloaded and in spots very broken. Listening to what he had to go through for his criminal trial was gut-wrenching. All the twists and turns, one error begetting another and this was his opportunity to do something about it, to stand up for what he believed was unfair treatment based on being put in a box with all the other people who make bad choices, because he’s Black and has some ink and was at the wrong place at the wrong time. 

And yet, we can’t put these officers in with all the other officers who make bad choices either! Two wrongs never equal a right.

At one point, one of the defense attorneys asked for a break and the plaintiff and his counsel stayed in the conference room. Usually I’ll do a little bit of editing and then take a quick break as well while checking for messages from my assistant. But for some reason, my butt stayed glued to the chair and what happened next could have cost me my job!

I called him by name, looked him in the eye and said: “You are not a victim. He says ALL things work together for your good and His glory, ALL things.”
He looked at me, his eyes suddenly big as saucers. I continued.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about; this didn’t knock Him off His throne and He didn’t decide that this incident doesn’t count under the all things. He wants to work this out for your good, so if you’re here on a matter of principle, be confident, strong, knowing He fights for you as well because He loves you.”

Pause…dead silence…

I looked at his attorney and thought oh, crap, I could get in some serious trouble here. A stream of stress dripped down my back as returned my attention back to my computer at the same time saying: “Now I’ll shut up so I don’t get in trouble, but just know you are not alone in the fight. He will use this for your good.”  

His tears started again, but these looked to be tears of relief. It’s funny what a word of encouragement will do for a weary and discouraged soul. Father, thank you for helping me be prepared to give an answer to a weary soul for the reason of the hope that is within me with gentleness and fear!

May I challenge you this week to be looking out for opportunities to defend your faith through encouraging another!

Evinda

Monday's Mantra

Love your neighbor…as yourself! 

Who’s your Neighbor?

Welcome to Monday’s Mantra and to what I hope will be an eye-opening series on Loving our neighbor as ourselves and the Who, How and Why of Neighboring. Grab your coffee or favorite beverage and your Strand of Faith and let’s go tie some knots!

Let’s face it, when it comes to reaching out to our neighbors, those we know and especially those we don’t know, many of us tend to shy away for many reasons: too busy, shy, don’t want to get involved, I want to stay in my own space. I mean the list could go on, right, and justifiably so. 

All of these were my reasons, aka, excuses for not reaching out to neighbors, let alone those whose path crossed mine and vice versa. I guess that’s why He had me help write this study; to get me to learn how to neighbor. Writing this has really revealed just how much of an introvert I am. I mean after a day’s hard work whether it be out in the field of court reporting or at the ministry office, all I want to do is come home and unwind and not see anyone…except for my husband and four-legged kids, of course! But His Word has been stirred in my heart so turn with me to Luke 10:25-37.

This parable is commonly known as the story of The Good Samaritan -- which is where we get all other stories of today of others who go out of their way to do a kind deed and treating others as they would like to be treated.  This portion of scripture is so rich with spiritual analogies that though written over 2000 years ago, they are still relevant today, only if we understand the significance found in the tiny details. So I will take us through verse by verse and break it down while bringing it back to us. I promise that each Monday will hold a mantra that you can carry with you in your faith journey.

First we need to know the characters, who’s all involved in this story? Well, obviously the one telling the story is Jesus and then there’s the lawyer who back in the day was considered an expert of the law (the Old Testament).  Today, in our neighborhoods, this is the person whose spiritual knowledge has not made the 12” leap from head to heart, the one professing to be a Christian but whose lifestyle does not match their words…but we must not invade someone else’s spiritual space for only God has the video into each and every heart!

There was a priest who was a Levite, aka, a religious person who also lives by rules and is not necessarily motivated by love, maintains a great external appearance, mostly concerned about prestige and principles versus character development through the understanding and acceptance of the gift of grace. Oh, how many of us can be pious and critical of others today, especially of those in our neighborhood?

The robbers were the ones who exploited the unsuspecting man walking down from Jerusalem to Jericho – which is a stretch of road that most would not dare travel alone. It would be like you or I traveling down a dark alley in the streets of Los Angeles. In other words, the robbers, thieves represent those looking for trouble, those who stir the pot and prey upon those whom they deem less than…to bring this back to the 20^th century, gossip is no different than robbing for its intent is to wound and steal from the heart of the one gossiped about!

The wounded guy left for dead is assumed to be Jewish because when Jesus told a parable, which is fiction with a non-fiction life principle/truth, He always had a role for the Jewish people. Scripture is replete with descriptions that identify just how special the Jewish people are to Him despite their disbelief, their rejection, their constantly doing the same thing expecting a different result. To summarize, Jesus/God describe the Jewish people as “a special treasure above all people,” Ex.19:5 A holy people chosen by God to be for Himself; the least of the people loved by God and brought out by His mighty hand, redeemed from bondage, Deut. 7:6-8 His people, He their God gathered after being scattered. Ezekiel 37:21-25.

In other words, we have ALL been the wounded guy left for dead; we have all rejected, had bouts of disbelief, and needed to learn things the hard way!  

The innkeeper represents the one interested in making money, the one who will take any opportunity to do so and think about it later, in other words, a person who lacks the gift of compassion due to being blinded by a form of greed, great or small. We all have seen this in our lives and neighborhoods but if I’m honest, I have put financial gain ahead of compassion and more than once!

The Samaritan is the one Jesus used as the hero of the story, the one least likely to be the one to stop and go the distance because Samaritans back in the day were a sort of segregated people, a sort of half-breed culture that other people despised, made fun of and avoided, especially the Jewish people. They avoided the Samaritans like the plague! Oh, how true it is that Jesus does not call the qualified; He qualifies the called! In other words, he was considered “different.” Have you ever been segregated as “different,” or treated others that way?

So those are the main characters. Which one(s) are you? 

Oh, Abba, make us more aware of our neighbors that we would learn to love them as ourselves and recognize that Jesus found us all worth dying for!

Evinda

Faith Filled Friday

Welcome to Faith Filled Fridays! Have you ever had to talk yourself into an attitude of gratitude? Oh I know I have! Grab your beverage and join John as he shares a time such as this!

Day of Thx...

Despite the pain that takes so many away from me, I am learning that I can still have a great day. For example, after working, here’s what I thought: Nothing like going to work for an honest day's wage. Thereafter, going for a small walk I was grateful for many things, a time to clear my head and think upon those things I need to be grateful for. 

Then, when I came home I was given an opportunity to help a friend fix her son's car, which also gave us a chance to visit and catch up on our friendship. I just really love being with other people. 

Afterwards, when I walked home, I took in the beauty of yet another sunset. Wow, breathtaking, a moment that literally took my breath away, and how grateful I am that He gives me the ability to capture it with a camera!

I took the time to read an old National Geographic I previously overlooked and then it was time to get to bed for a few hours rest. Despite not having the things in life I dream of having... a family of my own to include four- legged family member as well, I felt…content. Another thing I felt was hope. All these things my heart desires, because of Who my hope is in, I know they could happen.

For now I thank God above for a good day. 

Have a great day everyone. Just think, we're alive and taking our fair share of the O2!

John

Wednesday's Word

What you Give is What you Get!

“Then He said to them, ‘Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you, and to you who hear, more will be given.’” Mark 4:24

Thanks for joining us for Wednesday’s Word @ Coffeehour @ Chicklit Power and Trench Classes United. Grab your favorite beverage and your Strand of Faith and let’s go tie some knots together!

So the other day I happened to be thumbing through my Facebook feed, and I just so happened upon a live conversation about social media, the pros and cons of it. I tapped on the person’s self-made live talk about it and listened to her every word. She had some really good things to say and thereafter she opened it up for comments. She wanted to dialogue with anyone who was willing to get some feedback and some possible guidance.

The funny thing is for several days, there had been a bit of a tug on my heart every now and again about how much time I spend on social media (all forms) and especially how much time I spend trying to overcome a higher level in the Jewel Saga game on my phone! I’m going to put myself out there and say, I’m addicted! It’s been a great distraction to keep my mind buys while waiting in line at the store, post office, in a drive-thru…I could go on…but I think the worst one is at night, when I’m sitting side by side with my husband and completely ignoring him as my thumb scrolls and my mind searches and there he sits. All the while I tell myself, I just need this time to unwind. The funny things is I can get so involved in a game of Jewel Saga, so intense that I throw off this body message that pretty much says stay away, especially if I can’t figure the game out or hit enough jewels to go to the next level!

After listening to this person’s vlog (video blog) and then participating in a really cool conversation with several people, I’ve come to the conclusion for me that I am out of balance. All forms of social media have their good points and their not so good points; it’s what you make with each of them. I know I hate hearing about what’s going on in my son’s family on Facebook when I haven’t heard from them, so that’s a zinger…for me. Sure, social media has connected people, and re-connected old friends…and destroyed marriages, and become a platform to argue opinions and create animosity if not enough “likes” appear on a post. 

And yet, it is said in scripture that everyone will have heard of the Good News,

We’ve become so socially inundated when we should be getting spiritually saturated! How do we balance it all? The pull is strong, isn’t it? 

What if you and me were to just ask ourselves to very simple questions, the answers which would reveal some powerful truths:
1. What am I needing/searching for on Social Media that I can’t get somewhere else, for example, time spent in prayer?
2. What if I were to spend at least half as much time in His Word as I do on Social Media, where would that put me spiritually?

As for me, I’ve got some work to do and it won’t be on social media!

Thoughtfully,

Evinda

Monday's Mantra

Welcome to Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and Trench Classes United! Grab your coffee, or your favorite beverage, your strand of faith and let’s dive into this new Monday series which I pray will speak to your heart and enlarge your territory beginning on this Labor Day! 

Not too long ago, I was asked to co-write a Bible study for our connection groups at YCC (Yucaipa Community Church) on a subject I’d never really practiced before, neighboring.  When we hear that word, where do we go in our minds? For me, I thought of one of my favorite neighbors, Adele, who has got to be one of the most thoughtful neighbors I’ve ever been next door to. At least once a week, I’ll get a text asking if I’ve made dinner yet – the answer, more often than not, is no – and she lets me know that once again, she made too much and wants to share. Oh, how I admire her neighboring. Each and every time my heart has been blessed and my tummy full with her thoughtfulness and His provision. 

 Our neighbors across the street are also fantastic neighbors, very concerned about our safety and privacy and gently protective. And of course, we do the same for them. As far as the rest of the neighborhood…well, there’s the casual wave as they go driving by our home, maybe even a hello while on a walk around the neighborhood, but that’s the extent of my neighboring! Oh, who says God doesn’t have a sense of humor! Why else would He have me write about this but to grow me and make me more accountable as one who has learned the art of neighboring, and now He wants me to share it with you too, so we may all become a community of great neighbors. ☺ 

Here is a truth for us all to think about which comes from the Greek translation for neighbor: “Anyone you come in contact with.” Yes, so even if you are away from home, that person that crosses your path for that moment in time is considered your neighbor.

So, what about the single mom with two energetic children at the grocery store whose voices you can hear from the other end of the store and just happen to wind up in your line when you’re ready to check out? How do you neighbor them? How do we neighbor that homeless person waiving a sign on the street corner? And what about the person that just cut you off on the freeway; do we give them a friendly finger or a sincere “it’s okay” wave? How about that cranky customer service representative on the phone that tried your ability to hold your tongue? That one gets me too often so I’ve really been working on that one!

Oh, and don’t forget those grumpy workers in your favorite fast-food chain; how do you neighbor them? And, yes, even that hard-to-work-with co-worker is considered your neighbor!  

Oh, what a challenge. It’s easy to love the lovable, but when it comes to those not-so-lovable, difficult people, what does neighboring look like? Well, I found this quote by C.S. Lewis that really says it well and in the Monday blogs to come we’ll talk more about the challenges and triumphs of loving our neighbor as ourselves!

“You are told to love your neighbor as yourself. How do you love yourself? Love is not an affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person’s ultimate good as far as it can be obtained!

Learning to love my neighbor…

Evinda