Monday's Mantra

Going the Extra Mile

Welcome to Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and Trench Classes United! I’m so humbled to have you join me for a cup of encouragement in the journey of life which is full of opportunities to be a good neighbor as He puts people in our lives for a reason, and for a season. Some seasons are longer than others, and some are so quick that one must be prepared and ready to show kindness, listen, sacrifice and humbly! Today being Halloween is a perfect opportunity to practice some of these neighboring principles! Come on; grab whatever you’re having and don’t forget your Red Strand of Faith as my prayer is that what you read today will tie another knot in your faith.

Have you ever not done something and even found good cause to justify not doing so…and then shortly thereafter felt a little nudge tugging on your heart?  Oh, I have, and too many times to count.  Everywhere we look there are obvious and not-so-obvious needs needing to be met, brokenness needing mending, dysfunction needing education and guidance; in other words, there are plenty of opportunities to be His hands and His feet, to friends, strangers and enemies!  

Let’s look at this next piece of this verse 34 in Luke 10 which reveals the Samaritan’s commitment as it relates to this parable. He has already done what most of us would deem plenty – he saw him; his compassion moved him into action of cleaning his wounds; thereafter, he put him up on his own animal, which meant he probably walked to the inn with his eyes on the beaten man while pulling his animal and then he “took care of him.” In verse 35, we read the words: “On the next day when he departed,” which tells us he stayed the night with him!

To many of us, this is a big stretch, a sort of stock in Spandex kind of stretch! ☺ But, really what it is, is the “extra” in “extraordinary”; the extra mile. Did you know that phrase “the extra mile” actually comes from the Bible? See, according to the law, the Roman soldiers could force a Jewish boy or man to carry their packs or burdens for up to one mile. This was a law! And by the way, their mile was just a tad short of the equivalent of our mile. I don’t know about you, but walking a mile requires some energy; I can’t imagine carrying something too! 

Galatians 6:2 tells us that bearing one another’s burdens is fulfilling the law of Christ! And yet…we hesitate. Maybe instead of concentrating on excusing why we don’t, let’s look at why we should:

So why would we want to go the extra mile? Well, an easy answer would be “because Jesus says so!” But let’s dig a little deeper. When Jesus spoke the words “And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two” in Matthew 5:41, this was contra-culture; in other words, this statement was offensive to the Jews of Jesus’ day because a Messiah wouldn’t subject himself to such humility for a myriad of reasons…many of those reasons are still with us in our own culture today.  Why do you believe Jesus requires a “second mile”? Did you know that there are those in the church that desperately need someone to go the extra mile for them? And we don’t have to walk very far outside the doors of our place of worship to see that same reality.

It’s easy to love those who love us, to like those who like us. This is the equivalent of going that first mile, and if we’re honest with ourselves, many of us do this out of a sense of duty and/or love. But when it comes to a neighbor, a stranger and even an enemy, well, this is the opportunity to go the second mile or the extra mile. It is in this second mile that others are able to see firsthand the level of our commitment and our love for Jesus. Do you believe that if more of us consistently went that second mile, the church would experience a significant shift! Why? The second mile is the trial mile, and we all know that trials grow our faith, and make us more like Jesus!

Can I encourage you this week to be on the lookout for your invitation to go the second mile.

Love,

Evinda

Fatih Filled Friday's

Welcome back to Faith Filled Friday's!

Do you ever feel like there needs to be five of you to get it all done because things are just too crazy? Well that is how I have felt for quite some time; however, this week has been an extremely challenging one for me: between emergency dental visits, an extension deadline fast approaching for my taxes and missing that deadline due to a bug in the IRS’s system, there were also VA issues. Oh, and let’s not forget car breakdowns, printer breakdowns, business issues... Well let's say I am grasping for any extra seconds or bits of calm and peace that I can get.

Well, all of this really became too much and I grabbed my head and let out a scream. I felt trapped, my anxiety coming on so strong sending me into a full-on panic attack. I prayed for God to help me through it as I don't like having to reach for medication to help settle me down. But in this moment, I absolutely had to reach for them, fighting feelings of guilt, feeling like half a man because I can't deal with it all without assistance from a pill. All these thoughts were swirling with all the other stuff as I reached into the cabinet for what I knew would quiet it all. 

Just as I was reaching into the cupboard, the doorbell rang. It was a friend showing up and I realized right away that she was totally God sent. She was able to help me calm down enough to get the priority stuff done and then talk me through an emotional breakdown. I fell to tears and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop. I was so overwhelmed with the reality that though I felt so all alone, God heard my silent screams of panic. I don't always have people show up like that and in fact I am alone most of the time. But in my dark moment, God showed up in the form of a friend. I felt…loved, cared for.

So I just wanted to portray my thanks to God and to my friend by sharing this with you. See, sometimes we just need to hold on a few seconds later... help is on the way. Once again I find myself in tears but this time it's because I feel blessed. I needed exactly what came my way tonight. I surely hope this blesses you wherever you are in heart, mind and spirit.

Until next week.. Much love & God Bless,

~John Tam

Wednesday's Word

1^st Peter 2:20

But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God.

Thanks so much for joining us for Wednesday’s Word and Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and Trench Classes United. Grab your beverage and your Strand of Faith. Something tells me there may be a very big knot to tie in our faith!

The other day I was on the phone with one of my Transformers and they were sharing their recent relational struggle which involved a sister and her three children and her and her two children.  As she unfolded the pieces of her interpretation of what happened that led up to her son being bullied, and how she handled it, and the results of the way she handled it, she was left in a frustrated quandary and wanted me to tell her which direction to go now. Each time I suggested something, she brought a new piece into the messy puzzle, which definitely tweaked it just enough to change the outcome had she tried what I suggested. I listened and could totally relate with her frustration but also realized that in every situation, there are two versions: the one I’m being told and the one I’m not being told. ☺

Not only that, but there were many facets to this current drama she was entangled in and as I continued to listen to try and assimilate them all, I put myself in her shoes and in the shoes of her sister and there was a holy moment that happened as these words flew out of my mouth, almost without any warning but for the memory of having read these powerful words just the day before: “Let go of your right to be right,” I exclaimed.

“Huh?”
The silence was refreshing.

I repeated what I had said, and then added, “So many times when we know that we know that we are in the right, we want to take the other person and rub their nose in our opinion of being right, get them to see what we see, but we can’t do that for it only causes harm, and adds to the frustration. Maybe it’s time to step back and pray and just let go of your right to be right. This situation is not going anywhere, but if you continue trying to solve it now, you will only make it bigger…and worse.”

As I was sharing this with her, He was speaking to me! He’s such a multi-tasker like that! I’m pretty sure that you can vouch for at least one broken relationship that means so much to you, and recently I have surrendered mine to Him, letting go of my right to be right while praying He builds the bridge towards reconciliation, which definitely will require that I bear patiently while I suffer in my soul over the absence of this relationship, doing what is right by letting go and letting God work it out. And knowing this is pleasing to Him…well, that does make it a little easier. 

I love this Transformer and her teachable heart. She got it and simply said, “So do nothing?” 

“Right now, yes, do nothing; just handle it within your own household, with your husband and children and let go of your need to be right. It’s not like this won’t come up again, but before it does, you need to be prayed up so you can soften up.”
I am definitely waiting patiently to see how God intervenes in her relational struggle and mine. How about you; do you have an area of your life that you need to surrender your right to be right? I’m praying that these holy words will erase that need while rooting in your heart and blossoming in your life and the lives of those whom you love.

Evinda

Monday's Mantra

Humility=Thinking of Yourself Less

Welcome to Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and Trench Classes United. I’m so glad you chose to take the time to make the time to join us for a cup of encouragement in the faith journey! Grab whatever you’re having for your break, and don’t forget your Red Strand of Faith because my hope is that you will be able to tie a few knots in it as things written from my heart reach yours.

So far in this series about neighboring, we’ve talked about compassion, which moves us into action, and the fact that anyone who crosses our path is our neighbor in that moment, and about the gift of listening to our neighbor and then of course the sacrifice it requires to stop in the moment and be a good neighbor. Today I’d like to talk about something that actually goes hand in hand with sacrifice and let me start out with this quote from C.S. Lewis: “True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less”! Isn’t that a good one?!

The next thing that the Samaritan did to love/serve his neighbor after he had bandaged him, or cleaned up his wounds with oil and wine, was to then “set him on his own animal”! (Emphasis own added) 

It’s important to remember the historical backdrop: The Samaritans were known as “half-breeds,” half Jewish and half Gentile, and because of their idol-worshipping, were despised even more than the Roman conquerors. They were labeled as “unclean,” which is why Jesus uses him as an example for this parable; he was the least likely to help his Jewish neighbor for the Samaritans’ hate for the Jews ran as deep as the Jews’ hate for the Samaritans! 

So what would our homes, neighborhoods and communities look like if we were to lay aside culture, social and economic backgrounds, or the whole popularity issue, private and public prejudices? What if we just reached out and treated any of these, aka, our neighbor as a creation of Christ? How is it that we deny ourselves the propensity of labeling others less fortunate than ourselves in a negative light, or deny the habit of ignoring the homeless, or humbly run to instead of run from the addict, the alcoholic, or stereo-typing the more obviously wounded, or the mentally challenged, the frail elderly? What if we were to bring them near to us, just as the Samaritan put this guy on his own animal?

The Samaritan’s eyes remained opened; he listened to his heart which moved him to continue to show compassion. He could have left him there after cleaning his wounds, but he didn’t. He sacrificed his own agenda, delayed his journey and re-routed his course, and at his own expense of his own resources: time, money. He humbled himself and put the guy’s needs ahead of his own, dared to associate himself with him, bee seen with him by putting him up on his own animal. Here’s something else to ponder: I wonder if by the time the Samaritan puts him up on his horse if the guy was coherent enough to recognize the help he was receiving. Remember by the time the Samaritan reached him, he was “half dead.” 

Let’s exchange “half-dead” for our lowest point or points in life, when trials and tragedies really have us shaken, when our needs feel greater than our faith. Have you ever been in such a position? Do you know anyone right now who could use someone to bring them close?  This verse goes on to say that the Samaritan takes him to a safe place! The first place I think of when I think of a safe place is the church! When is the last time you reached out to invite anyone to a safe place, let alone a hurting neighbor? Isn’t the church a hospital for the wounded and sick? 

What makes us different from that man in the road? Could it be the safe place we call church?

Humbly

Evinda  

Fatih Filled Friday

Oh, friends, if you’re a pet lover, you’re really going to relate with this blog today. I too believe that God uses four-legged friends for many, many things in our faith journey…one of them being learning to be vulnerable! Grab your favorite beverage and join us for a sweet time!

Welcome back everyone to another Faith Filled Friday! 

So I thought I'd share some pretty exciting news here: After going two years since I lost my best friend Bella (my dog), I have decided to take on a kitten. This is a big step for me. I am not the kind of person to fill the painful loss and void with just another. I loved my dog Bella with every part of me. She was the most loyal friend and she was always there for me, even eager to warm my cold feet. I think for many of us in the world when we have troubles connecting with people we confide in our four-legged family members quite a bit. Animals have a unique way of filling in the voids that come our way in the world. I was incredibly blessed that God brought that dog into my life. I miss her dearly but I feel that the time has come to bring a family member into this home. I have actually been quite excited and found myself even surfing through the pages of Amazon and heading to a pet store to get a few things. The anticipation is building and I still have a month and a half of waiting before I bring the lil' guy home. I just couldn't help myself. 

I have always wanted to be good to any pet I have had because I want to bond with them. This leads me to read up extensively, so that I may fully understand what I am getting into, but mostly to gather the knowledge and figure out how I am going to put it together to create the best and overall experience for the both of us. 

This really got me to thinking about God and how in creating our world, all of the thought and love that He put into understanding that mankind would fair very well with companions like four-legged pets. Someone once asked me: "Where do you see God the most when you look at the world?" I remember thinking how blessed I was to have that dog named Bella. She brought me so much love and joy. I feel she really got me and I got her. I can't explain what it was like to know that I had a living thing that never wanted to leave me, especially considering all of my abandonment issues rooted in my childhood. The concept of something, someone by my side from the starting line to the finish line in life is something so energizing and fulfilling for me. 

So now once again I am opening up and laying out the welcome mat to a new family member. A little nervous but mostly excited for a new bonding experience with a new friend. Pray for me folks, if you don't mind because in opening up this time round, I realize the risk because it's hard to love when you still feel the loss of one you’ve loved. 

Can't wait to share some pictures with all of you and write about some funny new experiences that come with my new four-legged family member.

Much love everyone... till next week…and remember, love and laugh as much you can.

John

P.S. And since I think the Big Man upstairs might read my blog post, I'd like to thank Him for helping me heal enough to open up my heart once again. ;) Let me leave you with this question: In what way do you need to become vulnerable again?

Wednesday's Word

What if…

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. “ Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)

Welcome to Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and Trench Classes United. Grab your favorite beverage, your Strand of Faith and let’s go tie some knots in our faith as we ponder this scripture along with this phrase, “what if…”

There is so much life going on…and so many not-so-positive reactions to the waves of tragedy, challenges and circumstances happening all around us. But what I think makes life even more uncertain for us is when something is happening within our inner circle of life, meaning our own homes, and/or the homes of those closest to us. A couple of weeks ago, an author acquaintance of mine lost her little three-year-old son and for days she’s been posting her pain, and I mean each post is so vividly real that you can feel her pain…so much so that it’s hard to not get overwhelmed by the waves of it and go under.

In a deposition the other day, I was overwhelmed with sorrow for this young man who had to confess his many felonies, spending much of his life on the streets or in prison. I was able to not focus on the things he’d done that landed him in jail but instead on what led him to do all that he did that ripped him off and stole so much from him. 

And just this past week, someone whom I long to be close to did something that was tantamount to inserting a knife into my heart and turning it a few times and her attempt to cover it up only pulled it out and left me bleeding emotionally. But the Great Physician, in His sovereign ways rushed to my aid and whispered these words to me, using them as salve to my soul, opening up the eyes of my wounded heart to the truth that just as there is a Sovereign, loving God, there’s our enemy, walking around stealthily, or even not so sneakily, seeking to distract, deceive and divide. 

And then I heard this reminder in the form of a question: What if that’s the best she could do? 

Wow, as I picked myself up off His operating table, my heart once again intact, I was humbled, not quite healed, but humbled at the thought. What if…we were to give everyone the benefit of the doubt and realize that they are doing the very best that they can? What if we separated their actions from their soul and looked at those hurtful actions as empowered by the enemy, meant to distract us, deceive us and divide us? Would our battle plan change? Would we leave the battle or fall to our knees that we would rise, and take the high road when they take the low one? 

Oh, to see that our battle is not against those who hurt us, but the one who means to distract, deceive and divide us from Him and those we love.

Encouraged in the journey

Evinda

Monday's Mantra

Sacrifice, a Door to Wisdom

Welcome to Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and Trench Classes United! I’m so glad you could join us today for a little break! Grab your favorite beverage, your Strand of Faith and if you can, your Bible. We’re going to have a little fun today with the word sac·ri·fice!

When you see that word, what’s your first thought? Is it a positive thought or a negative thought?  This three-syllable word is definitely  a huge part of being a Christian but I know it causes some of us to cringe, kind of like the word submit, or confess…I can think of a few other words that bring refinement for our hearts and walks as Christians, but let’s stay on track. I found this really cool quote by one of my favorite authors, C.S. Lewis: “No great wisdom can be reached without sacrifice.”  So let’s see what this has to do with our learning how to neighbor those we come into contact with by returning to the story of The Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37.

The next thing we read that the Samaritan did for his neighbor is he poured oil and wine on him. Now you might be thinking, oil and wine, sounds like a salad dressing! ☺ Believe it or not, there is some great significance in these two elements but let’s discuss first the sacrifices we see here. Grab your shovels and let’s do some digging.

We’ve all heard it said that if you want something done, ask a busy person; however, many of us may lean on the crutch of being too busy to stop and minister to our neighbor. But if the eyes of our heart are truly opened, compassion will send us into action, and action often requires a sacrifice.

The Merriam Webster’s Dictionary defines sacrifice as: “the act of giving up something that you want to keep especially in order to get or do something else or to help someone.” What makes a sacrifice a true sacrifice is the cost and I don’t mean just monetarily!

What makes this sacrifice so sacrificial is the cost! It went against culture, against common sense and core beliefs! 

Have you ever been on the receiving end of someone’s sacrifice? Have you ever been the one to sacrifice something? Keep in mind, a sacrifice doesn’t have to have a monetary value at all! Let’s look at the Samaritan’s sacrifices. The first sacrifice we see demonstrated here is the sacrifice of time, which we will get more in-depth in our upcoming Mondays. The next sacrifice we see is the Samaritan giving of his supply of oil and wine. Who knows how long the Samaritan had to go to get to his final destination, but this verse makes it clear: he didn’t even stop to think about it; he was moved into action and began doing the next thing, cleaning the wound…for a potential enemy!  

Here’s an important truth to take with us in this parable and in our mantra to neighbor: We can’t give what we haven’t received!  Now let’s figure out what significance the oil and wine play in this parable as well as in our own lives. There are literally hundreds of scripture references with an incredible amount of spiritual significance about wine and oil in both the Old and New Testament. It was a common practice to clean wounds with oil and wine. The two most common symbolisms are the thread from the Old to the New and they are analogous to these things: The oil is representative of new life, in other words, our new life in Christ, which is now fit for…the wine, which is analogous to the Holy Spirit. Both of these ingredients, if you will, are essential to the exercise of loving our neighbor. We cannot love or serve our neighbor the way we are called to without being in Christ and prompted by His Spirit.    

Romans 12:1 tells us we are to be living sacrifices. What does being a “living sacrifice” look like to you? I can tell you what it doesn’t look like: The walking dead! We are more alive when we are open to divine opportunities to neighbor, because it means we aren’t just living by our own agenda. 

Each of us has certain talents and gifts that we are to offer up as a sacrifice unto others. This is the pouring out of the oil and the wine! Pray for opportunities to exercise a sacrifice this week.

I encourage you to dig a little deeper into this subject and read Isaiah 1:11-17; Matthew 25:14-29

Learning how to sacrifice what to sacrifice!

Evinda

Faith Filled Friday

Hello and welcome back to another Faith Filled Friday. 

How many of us fear the automobile breakdown, especially one that happens in the middle of the night, far from any help and out of range from any cell phone towers or even other drivers? I drive for a living through areas like this in the middle of the night and on occasion it happens. This is one of my bigger prayers; that God watch over me and help me to get through the night of work and back home regardless of what happens…and it happened!

There I was, miles from nowhere and my car’s lights went super dim. I pulled over right away, popped the hood and the serpentine belt was still good. I instantly suspected the alternator and or battery. Knowing I needed to make it back to cell phone range, or even better, home, I started driving back towards help. Unfortunately it wasn't meant to be. As I started to drive I asked God to please give me enough juice in the battery to get me there. Shortly after my prayer the lights went completely out and my car died. It was so strange to pray one second and then the very next break down. So there I was, a man with a flashlight... a new bright one I might add, thinking how can I get help? For a mere moment I felt completely stranded and helpless.

That thought only resided in me for a moment and I remembered an old battery jumper I keep for emergencies. But this was different. If the alternator isn't charging the battery once it starts it would do me no good. But then it came to me: Why not hook up the clamps to the battery and let the battery jumper be my primary power for the car, and instead of using the headlights (which drain a car battery very quickly while the car is running) use the new bright flashlight I had just purchased the week before when my other one broke? It was worth a try! 

Imagine this: There I was in the darkness pulling a Macgyver. Got it hooked up and braced so it wouldn't move around while driving back.

 As I got back in and pulled the seatbelt over me and clicked in. I knew I had to pray again...and so I did. I sat there for a moment and went through the checks in my head: Power for battery, check; flashlight, check; prayer for safety, check. Without hesitation I turned the key and it started! I flipped the flashlight on holding it out the window and I was off. There I was driving down the road getting closer and closer to help and as I did, I felt a confidence in me. I really got to thinking about all the things that had unfolded to get me going again.

You see I think when I first prayed when I was breaking down I thought God had answered back instantly by letting me break down that moment right after my prayer. But now while scooting back down the road, I had a different thought: What if God was looking out for me long before I prayed that night? What if a week earlier when my other flashlight broke that was not very bright had worked for another week? Without the new bright flashlight I could not have driven like that. Where did I think to use a jumper far beyond what it was meant for? It occurred to me that through life I have been in these really bad spots, while as a child, in the military, and now many times as a civilian. Somehow I have made it through all of them. I realized that this confidence in me that night was not solely mine; it was the feeling of strength that once again God was helping me get through something. 

One of my struggles in life is abandonment. It has built traits in me that I deal with frequently. I can't put in words how good it felt to break down and strategically think my way out of a hard predicament. But that isn't my goal here. My goal here is to inspire you friends while reminding me that at any moment, that even something breaking down such as a flashlight might just be God cleverly intervening. 

What I ended up with by breaking down that night is something I have really been lacking in my life... confidence. God gave me the basic necessities, and let me use my own mind, my own knowledge to get back. As I wrote this I started crying…tears of joy. Amazing the man who struggles and breaks down, only to come away from it feeling empowered and backed by God. How lucky we are to be loved by such a higher power. 

So did I make it back? Yes I did... and more. Soon as I got back into town I turned on the headlights and thought I'd see just how far I'd get to home. As I turned the corner for home, the lights went super dim and although I didn't break down again, it was really close. I spent the rest of that day ripping apart my vehicle to fix the alternator. All I can say is ... GOD IS GOOD!

Much love everyone... Till next time, feel God in your sails...

John

Wednesday's Word

Where Do You Hang Out?

John 8:31-32: “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. ³² And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.’”

Welcome to Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and Trench Classes United, and our Wednesday’s Word to be used as weapons in warfare! Grab your favorite beverage and let’s go hang out for a few moments away from life’s pulls and distractions.

There’s something about reading the red letters within the Bible, something that makes it easier to imagine Jesus as a real person; do you know what I mean? It’s as if He’s talking right to you and me…and the truth is He was and these words spoken so long ago have this uncanny power to speak to us as though aiming straight for our heart. Try putting your name after every “you” and see what I mean: If you, Evinda, abide in My word, you, Evinda, are My disciple indeed. And you, Evinda, shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free…from confusion, from distractions, from negative emotions, from giving in to temptation! I could go on, but you get the picture? ☺

These words are spoken with the utmost of love to give us a prescription for the infections that run rampant and try and infect us physically emotionally and spiritually. This instruction of abiding in His word is a preventative, kind of like a spiritual probiotic to protect us from worldly infections present wherever we hang out.

So where do you hang out? In other words, where do you spend most of your time? Is it at home, at work? On the phone, the computer, social media, video games? Oh, my goodness so many things can distract us from a safe hang-out, huh?

You may be wondering, what in the world does hanging out have to do with this verse? I’m so glad you asked! ☺ Jesus’ first words in this verse are, if you…in other words, here’s the power of choice. And then He goes on to give us the instruction: abide in My word… 

Do you know what the word “abide” means in the Greek translation? It means to dwell. In other words, if we were to choose to hang out in His word more often, we will know the truth for each and every circumstance that comes our way!  Sounds a bit simplistic, I realize, but I have to tell you it has worked EVERY time I’ve dared to abide! But isn’t it easier to hang out emotionally in what is troubling us, to allow circumstances and challenges to consume us? Why is it we don’t treat hanging out in His word for a little bit daily as a prescription? I mean, isn’t He the great Physician? When a doctor writes us a prescription, we take it, don’t we, if we want to get better?

This is an open invitation, a pre-written, preventative prescription from Him to you and me to bring our hearts and minds to a safe place, a place that will provide answers, no matter what the question, a place that will offer perspective in times of confusion, a place that offers shelter from any of life’s storms, directions when we are lost, healing for any of our wounds.

So I challenge you to start hanging out daily in His word, even if it’s a few minutes. The bigger dose you take, the more you hang out the more truth He will reveal to you and the better you will feel!
Love,

Evinda

Monday's Mantra

Thanks for joining us for Monday’s Mantra and our “neighboring” series. Grab your favorite beverage and come on in for a few minutes away from any distractions!

Today is a special day: the birthday of someone who was once a stranger, someone who I dared to neighbor almost twelve years ago! Oh, how she’s taught me the value of neighboring for we never know what stranger will become one of our dearest friends…and she also taught me the value of this one principle we will talk a bit about today: Listening! So happy birthday, Janine Peace!  

Let’s get back to this parable Jesus uses to teach us so many things about neighboring. In this parable we see five things that the Samaritan did for the wounded man all done because of the compassion that moved him. In Luke 10:34 we read that the Samaritan went to him (moved by compassion). ^34”So he went to him and bandaged his wounds”… 

Let’s stop right there and talk about the physical and spiritual significance to this second act, bandaging his wounds. Now, I know we don’t all carry around a first-aid kit, though the Samaritan apparently did. So let’s take this to a deeper level and exchange “bandage” for a different type of bandage, in other words, something that makes a wound better. 

Maybe our neighbor isn’t lying in the middle of the street bleeding, literally, exposing his or her wounds. However, we have all experienced in some form or fashion running into, or being connected to someone who is hurting…on the inside.  What do we do when someone dares to share their story? The greatest bandage we could ever use is the gift of listening.

We cannot learn our neighbor’s story if we do not listen; we cannot remember one thing about their story without compassionately listening, and we cannot learn something about them if we are not listening with our hearts, not just our ears. The word “listen” is in the Word of God only once and it’s in the O.T.; however, “hear,” and all of its forms, is used over 500 times! We have one mouth and two ears; we’d do well to speak less and listen more. I love what the Hebrew translation says about listening:”to hear intelligently” – in other words, using all senses -- …”often with the implication of attention and obedience”! So, listening produces obedience!

Picture yourself before you came to accept the reality of the necessity of Jesus into your life. Would you consider yourself as someone who had been robbed in some way by the enemy? In what way or ways were you robbed and what were you stripped of?  Who played the Good Samaritan in your life? In other words, who encouraged you, listened to you, helped you with your wounds?

Let’s switch the characters in the parable here to bring this closer to home: The Good Samaritan is Jesus, the one who binds up our wounds and we are that man in the road, stripped, beaten and wounded. Psalm 147:3 tells us that HE heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds. How has Jesus bound up your wounds? 

When we remember where we came from, and the compassion given to us, we are better-equipped to help bandage by listening to our wounded neighbor. Who can you practice the art of listening to today? 

Listening…

Evinda

Faith Filled Friday

Welcome back to another Faith Filled Friday everyone! Hope you've had a brilliant week. :)

This last week I felt a need to drive somewhere, head off anywhere so as to not stay perched between the walls of my home. As I took off I had an idea that I would not pick my destination, but instead if I saw a bird go flying by, I'd turn and go in the same direction. I didn't know where the birds would lead me, but my eyes were certainly open to this new adventure. The thought that I'd let free birds take the steering wheel was just fun to me. 

So there I was driving and a bird would cross the horizon and I'd then turn to follow its lead, and several times I found myself on dead-end country roads; it happened over and over again. Although I was enjoying the ride I wanted to end up somewhere other than where I was. It was a little frustrating for a while. After several times over several hours I was once again coming to a dead-end road. This time I needed to stop and get out so I could stretch my legs. After walking for a bit I sat down on a patch of grass beside the road and a thought came over me. Why had I been so frustrated ending up on several dead-end roads? Was I frustrated with the birds? 

As I sat there pondering these questions, I noticed a cool breeze came up and I could hear it blowing through the leaves of a nearby tree. It dawned on me in that moment that peace was everywhere around me. There was no politics in the background, no sounds of anything man made. I felt so incredibly free. The sun was nearing its setting when I saw a hawk gliding in the wind above. It was an incredible sight to see but also to feel. Enough wind for the hawk to not have to hardly flap his wings...he just soared, and soared and as he did I had this feeling of emotion come over me and it made so much sense.

In life we can drive toward goals, love, events, adventures, only to arise at the end of a road. But maybe that's not such a bad thing? Maybe it's God answering a prayer? Maybe He's trying to show us something? Maybe He's just trying to quiet the white noise of the world because we needed it more than we realized. But after that little adventure, I have come to realize it just might be a way He inspires so we can talk with Him. 

For me, that hawk had enough wind beneath his wings to lift us both, and I felt blessed for I breathe this same air into my lungs and ride the wind of life. I know I need to try harder to let God in my life like that more often. Just trusting in the Creator of the free birds, taking their lead... to have faith like the wind beneath their wings and perhaps even the peace once can discover at the end of a dead end road...

Much love everyone... God bless

John Tam

Wednesday's Word

There’s a Storm in my Head!

Mark 4:39-40: “Then He arose and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Peace, be still!’ And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰But He said to them, ‘Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?’”

Welcome to Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and Trench Classes United. It’s a great time to just “be still” and allow His words to penetrate down to our bone marrow that they may come to life in our life!  Grab your favorite beverage and your red Strand of Faith and let’s go ties some knots so that in our next storm, our faith will not unravel!

Do you ever wake up thinking? Or go to bed and have a difficult time going to sleep because the thoughts in your mind are racing their own independent race for some unseen finish line and crashing into your ability to sleep? Ugh, welcome to my world. They say it’s partly due to menopause…hmmm, look at that word backwards: pause o men! Wow, that has everything to do with this verse He gave me this week. I think He’s trying to tell me something!

The best writings are those from my heart, so I’m going to dig deep and bring this up and out to share with you with the hope and prayer that it will encourage someone in their journey. See, there’s this relationship – hmmm, I can’t even call it a relationship. In fact, over the last year or so, I’ve realized that the relationship I thought I had with them wasn’t really what I thought it was.  In fact, it’s riddled with resentments that I had no idea existed…on both sides and those erupted about two months ago. I tried with all of my might to make it right but then knew it was time to let go and let God.

See, the more these people pushed back, the bigger the chasm in my heart, the more it ruled my thoughts. The thoughts clamoring for my attention, looming over me like the mountains of Mt. Everest threatened to steal my heart away from my Mountain Mover. I mean, relationships are the core of our existence and can be all consuming and cause an internal storm that controls external actions.  So that’s where I was in my head and heart with this very important relationship until about a week ago. And yes, I’ve spent much time on my knees pouring out to my Mountain Mover, asking Him to change me, help me to understand them and to build the bridge towards reconciliation. I did not ask for restoration because what was there before wasn’t healthy. 

I love taking God at His word, speaking His words into my life’s circumstances, and watching it come to life…and WORK! After weeks of mind-screwing this situation, trying desperately to understand, validate so we could negotiate, I finally was able to say, “Peace, be still,” and the storm in my heart and head subsided. And whenever the wind of thoughts threaten to come upon me again, I think of Jesus inquiring of my faith and asking me why am I so fearful…and the threat of the storm goes away and once again, I remain still…and waiting for His divine intervention that will reconcile my love for them to them!

Faith-ing through the journey,

Evinda

Monday's Mantra

Open Your Eyes

Welcome to Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and Trench Classes United! I’m thrilled you took the time to join us for a little break and for our Monday’s Mantra, which for the last several weeks, and several weeks to come is focusing on the art of neighboring, meaning being His hand and feet to those who cross our path! Grab your coffee, or your favorite beverage, your Strand of Faith and let’s go tie some knots as we talk about the first principle to good neighboring!

We’ve talked about many characters in the parable of Luke 10:25-37, so now let’s look closely at the Samaritan and what he did for his neighbor in verses 33-36 even though he was the least likely voted to succeed in this endeavor!

He, like the Priest and the Levite, saw the wounded man with his eyes…but when the Samaritan saw him he was filled with compassion, “so he went to him.” Let’s pause here from a second on the keyword “compassion.” This word translated in the Greek means “to be moved inwardly, to be moved with compassion.” In other words, compassion moves us into action. To be moved in such a way, might we first need to have the eyes of our hearts open? In other words, if we were in the parable today, how many of us would walk right by the wounded man and not even see him?

I know when I think of some reasons, aka, excuses for not seeing the nearly dead man in the road, or the homeless guy, or the prostitute on the street who didn’t really want to be a prostitute or the drunken guy on a bench, or someone less fortunate than myself – you get the picture? – would be because perhaps I’m too focused on my own agenda, or maybe I don’t want to bother or be bothered! Perhaps the eyes of our heart need to be opened! In Ephesians 1:17-21 we read that The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is our same God, through His Spirit will open the eyes of our hearts and grant us wisdom, revelation that we may know what is the hope of His calling and the riches of His glory and exceeding greatness of His power! Now that’s some eye-opening promise.

I absolutely love what C.S. Lewis says about neighboring: “You are told to love our 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.”

When the eyes of our hearts are truly opened, we can’t help but be moved forward. True compassion doesn’t discriminate; it reaches across all cultures and moves across all religious beliefs. Compassion has no enemies; nor does it have boundaries! Could our first step to true neighboring be praying for compassion, that the yes of our hearts would be open to see? Love is born out of compassion that leads us to desire our neighbor’s ultimate good as far as it can be obtained!

Learning to neighbor,

Evinda