Faith Filled Friday

Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Colossians 4:6

Welcome to Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and our Faith-Filled Friday with Trench Classes United. Today’s blog is written by myself and Jenn Woosley, a former Transformer of ours who has truly learned the value of transformation. I love what she shares about words, and their power…which are influenced by our attitude, aka, our heart! Grab your coffee and your Strand of Faith and join us for another Faith-Filled Friday!

What we say and how we say it is so important. It's imperative to remember that others hear based on their life experiences. It's the reason we get triggered by something that's said. I was reminded of this in two instances yesterday.

There are a lot of people out there who've been seriously hurt by the words, tone and actions of other human beings. If you find yourself upset by words, take a step back and understand why before responding. Realize that not every comment requires a response from you.

If a person is upset by your words, take a step back and understand where they may be coming from, why they are upset. And if you don't know, ask. Often, your words triggered something in them about them, and their life experiences, not something you did or said wrong. If their anger or frustration is that of an abuser, then you have to step away because fighting back only causes more bad behavior.

There are two key ingredients we need to flavor our words with: Empathy and compassion. Both have gone missing in our society. All the anger, the hate, the backlash going on around us is largely caused by what I've written about above. We all want "my" say...

Words matter. How they are phrased matters. Sometimes it may be best to say nothing at all.

Think about it.

Jenn

Thursday’s Trench Truth

Welcome to Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and Tam’s Trench Truth with Trench Classes United. I must say, today’s blog is a bit raw…but maybe, just maybe it will touch someone out there who also suffers with chronic health issues. That’s our prayer! Come on in for some heart to heart from John Tam.

I’ve been sick for over two weeks now! These long-term sicknesses can be so hard. Coughing for weeks and weeks brings so much pain to my ribs and abs. Tonight it all kind of came to a head as I had maybe the longest coughing fit of my life. I started feeling as if I was going to pass out. But the pain seemed to keep me in it somehow. 

My coughing literally pulled me out of my bed and had me holding the foot board. When I eventually stopped I ended up sitting on the floor. I leaned my head back against the bed and started thinking. I leaned my head back, exhausted, and the thought came to mind just how complex life can be. Isn't it weird to think about how pain can even have its place?

Sure it is incredibly hard to live with. For years I have dealt with panic attacks as the pain overwhelms me and leaves me feeling trapped like I am in someone else's body. 

It's not as if I think God wants us physically hurting or for that matter, emotionally hurting but I can't help but wonder if even pain can be used by Him. To be honest, for so many years I can see how it has literally destroyed parts of my life and if I am honest maybe even the best parts of who I am. I have literally screamed at God and asked him why he can't help relieve me more. But maybe He is relieving me from a pain that was far worse? I keep asking and telling God that I am already humble enough. I even tell friends and family to please work on their health so that they don't end up like me. I have not been able to find my way out but I must say tonight that it was nice that my pain kept me from falling over and probably bustin' my head open.

Weird to think I thanked God for that tonight...

Yesterday found me begging the VA for a walker. That is so hard for me to ask for that as it was hard just getting on a cane. But my goal with the walker is to alleviate the pain a bit so maybe I can walk further. The further I can walk, the better it will be for my health. I know the "No Pain No Gain" plays into all of this. But I just have to take it in bits and pieces and manage my way through it somehow. I could use your prayers everyone, and so can the many people around the world who live with pain. 

Much love everyone,

~John 

Wednesday’s Word

Standing Steadfast is Moving Forward

1^st Corinthians 15:58: Therefore my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Welcome to Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and to Wednesday’s Word with Trench Classes United. I just love taking scripture and applying it to our everyday lives! Grab your coffee and your Strand of Faith, and let’s go tie some knots! Oh, and if you’re new to Coffee Hour, all the Strand of Faith is, is a red strand of yarn, and every time you read scripture that resonates in your heart and life, you are to tie a knot in it. After a while, you hold it up and thinking of the strand of yarn as your faith, how likely is that faith to unravel in tough times? Keep tying those knots! J

Are you a believer in coincidence or when something happens that speaks to you, or works out near perfectly, do you sense Him working everything that concerns you on your behalf? Well, I don’t have enough fingers and toes to count the number of times just the right scripture has come to my attention at just the right time. This week’s is no different.

Lately I’ve been realizing that for quite some time now, our organization has been analogous to an Israelite wandering in the desert. In other words, we keep going around the mountain and not climbing up it! In fact, there are times when I feel as though I’m standing still, and not sure how to move which makes me want to run! Have you ever felt like that? Like you want to throw in the towel because you feel as though you’re not going anywhere? You just want to feel like you’re moving forward, whether in a relationship, in our finances, His calling for our life…whatever the situation, right?

I saw this particular verse on a meme’ for a memorial service for a friend of a friend…and I had to re-read it a couple of times. My heart sort of skipped a beat, or so it felt, as I read it for the third time. “…be steadfast, immovable…”

It hit me like a surge of electricity: to be immovable in our faith is moving forward!

We may not feel the motion, but inch by inch, in whatever the situation, to remain steadfast and immovable in our faith, trusting Him for our next move is a motion in the right direction: closer to Him…forward!

So if you’re feeling like you’re in a rut, sort of stuck, not going anywhere, I pray that this verse will rekindle the fire in you that you would know you are progressing forward in the right direction.

Thoughtfully,

Evinda

Tuesday’s Trench Truth

Thanks for stopping by for Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and Tuesday’s Trench Truth with Trench Classes United. Today is the first day of sharing what we are actually learning in the trenches at this time, so grab your coffee or your favorite beverage and come on in for a trench truth.

Have you ever hung out with someone for an hour or two and gotten sucked into their opinions and observations which just so happened to be about everyone else? And then when you said good-bye you felt this surge of relief and realized your ears were tired and your heart heavy?  

When much of our conversation is about others, this is a sign of one of two things: either it’s a bad habit to get in the lane of others’ lives, or it’s a sign of an internal struggle to stay in our own lane, our own life! It’s called a preoccupation with others.  Let’s look at that word for a minute:

pre·oc·cu·pa·tion

“Lost in thought, extreme or excessive thought about something or someone”

In other words, Coffee Hour Friend, a preoccupation with others’ lanes of travel, aka, their lives is a distraction from our own!

We must ask ourselves, why…am I so preoccupied with them and what concerns them? Is there something in my own life I’m not willing to look at? Is there something within me that I need to have my thoughts occupy?

Learning and unlearning

Evinda

Monday’s Mantra

Watching her enjoy the new found freedom her wheelchair offers makes my heart happy.

Watching the forecast of her future makes my heart break.

Welcome to Coffee Hour at Chicklit Power and Megan’s Monday Mantra with Trench Classes United.

My precious Kirby Girl started to show signs of canine Degenerative Myelopathy 18 months ago. It started with the dreaded sound of the intermittent dragging of her back left foot. Degenerative Myelopathy is a progressive, genetic disease of the spinal cord, similar to Lou Gehrig’s disease in humans. Its progression, over time, results in complete paralysis. The ultimate outcome of DM is death. There is no cure. The majority of dogs with DM require euthanasia long before reaching the final stages of this insidious disease. The one hidden blessing is that it is painless for the dog.

When I first detected the onset of the disease, I prayed and pleaded Kirby would be spared from it. But as I painfully watched the slight drag of a foot slowly and deliberately progress into complete rear end immobility, I knew escaping the consequences of this debilitating disease was not His will.

It is gut-wrenching to stand by and watch someone you love go through something that you cannot fix. No matter what you do, no matter how much love and quality of life you provide, you know, in the deep recesses of your heart, it will not change the eventual outcome. This feeling of helplessness can be so vastly overwhelming!

I am no stranger to this feeling and my prayers for Kirby have changed considerably as her disease forges onward. I have had to relinquish my control and remember who is really in charge!

I could write countless blogs on the lessons I’ve learned caring for my Kirby Girl, but I couldn’t begin to count all of the times the Lord has intervened … a fleeting moment, when a back foot is able to scratch an itchy ear … a squat, held just long enough to go potty, without falling over … or a donated wheelchair to resume walks in the park. The Lord continues to hold me up as I hold up Kirby. More significantly, He continues to fulfill my deepest heartfelt prayer, “please keep my Kirby Girl happy and comfortable and show me how to best care for her.” He has blessed Kirby and me with the resilience to face this season of our lives, resulting in an even deeper and more intense connection.

As I write this, I can hardly see through the swelling of my tears. I have no idea how or when her journey will come to an end, but I can see in her eyes, she has turned yet another corner in the progression of this disease. In spite of her condition, she continues to accept her circumstances unconditionally, with a bit of spunk and a few cherished licks to my cheek … most notably, she is happy and comfortable.

God is always with us.

He is with us when we feel Him and He’s with us when we don’t.

Focus on God’s presence.

He is near to all who call on Him.

God does answer prayer.

Your comments are always most welcome.

Lovingly in Christ,

Megan

Faith Filled Friday

Thanks for joining us for Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and for our Faith Filled Friday with Trench Classes United. I can’t wait to share this blog with you, one written by a former Transformer. It really inspires us to be on the lookout for those “divine appointments” in places we get so comfortable, we may miss them: Work! When you’re not feeling well, where do you go? Hopefully we go to a doctor or a hospital, right? Come on in for an appointment at the doctor’s office with Sharon Drachenberg.

I was so ministered to through a patient I evaluated today whose walk with Jesus shone, exposing light on my own recent Laodicean – which means lukewarm or halfhearted -- drifting. Let me share what I mean:

This sweet lady had severe – and I do mean severe -- burns and painful, itchy scarring from her chin to her waist as well as on both arms.  Instead of groaning and complaining, she caught the attention of my heart because she was genuinely positive, thanking God for saving her life. When I questioned her about constant pain and the discouragement that it must trigger, her face lit up and she exclaimed she wasn't discouraged because she was a Christian.

I countered that even though we are Christians, we can feel discouraged.

She looked at me in shock, then ever so gently touched my arm and said, “Oh, how can we be when we have Jesus Christ?”!

The respect, honor, love, and gratitude of her heart said His name in a way I have never, ever heard before. It was as if angelic choirs lit up her voice and shone light on her face.

At the end of the visit, I thanked her for coming in and blessing me with so much more than I was able to return to her. She was/is one of those patients I’ll never, ever forget. In fact, when I got home later that evening, I was reminded of her in an ever-so-powerful way as I settled down to prepare for bed, which included some Bible reading time. Her sweet voice echoed in my heart as I read a recent note I wrote after a portion of scripture that I had read. I had noted to God how unresponsive my heart was to His name, to hearing His name

I realized that though I hadn’t asked, but had just made a physical and mental note of it, He heard me and sent me that patient today! Right then and there, as I re-read my note, I asked Him to change that in me, to rekindle the fire in me and bring me out of my drifting that I would be responsive to the whispering of His name.  

Thanks for letting me share a piece of my work day this Faith-Filled Friday

Sharon

Top of Form

Tam’s Trench Truth

Hello and welcome back to Thursday’s Trench Truth.

Forgive me if I keep this one a little shorter than I usually do. I attended a class reunion and have been sick ever since. I can’t wait to share about that when I feel better, but for now, I'd like to share with you about something I am most thankful for in this life, something that has worked like glue and has held me through the hardships and heartbreaks of life, Music!

Music: A Gift from Above

It's not that music always has an innate ability to heal me... but it surely has had the ability to invade me. Its power within me jumps on the swing-sets of my soul, and rocks the teeter-totter of dreams within my mind. Each and every step of the ladder is a gift where it brings me back to the place I stood as a child so long ago... Atop the slide where I can see all the rhythmical beats of my heart... still sliding... still beating the drum of life, still thanking my Higher Power for an ever-widening range and breaths of life.

I leave you with this truth and question: Music has a significant power; what does it do for you?  

Much Love to all of you as always!

~John Tam

Wednesday’s Word

Spiritual Math!

And He said to them, with the same measure you use, it will be measured back to you, and to those who hear, more will be given!

Luke 6:38

Thanks for joining us for Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and Wednesday’s Word @ Trench Classes United. I just love this time of transparent sharing and using His Word in real life situations which I pray encourages you in your journey. Grab your coffee and don’t forget your Strand of Faith, for the more knots we tie in it, the less likely it is that it (our faith) will become unraveled.

I’ll be honest with you; I really struggled with what to share with you this week. It’s the week before class and my to-do list is getting longer instead of shorter!  Well, I contemplated just re-using a blog from last year, so I began to flip through them and came upon this paragraph which awakened my writing soul:

“Have you ever heard the saying, ‘What you put into it is what you will get out of it’? That’s what I think of when I read this verse and really hear what it is saying. Another way to say it or ask it is, “Do you get what you give?”

This principle applies in so many areas of our lives. I’ve seen it over and over again. If you dream of owning a home, you have to take care of what you rent. If you want/need a nicer car, take care of the one you have. If you want to make more money, you need to use what you have wisely. If you want a better job, you’ve got to give %100 to the one you have when you’re there.

And then this thought hit me in my busy head: If you keep running out of time, give Him the first minutes of your day!

Coffee Hour Friend, if you’re like me, busy with whatever it may be, we can’t afford not to give a bigger measure of time to the Author of our time each day! It’s called Spiritual Math! 

Counting my blessings

Evinda

Tuesday’s Trench Truth

Welcome to Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and Tuesday’s Trench Truth @ Trench Classes United. I’m delighted you could join us for a moment of truth!

Did you know that conflict can be a character developer? Yup, but it takes a lot of practice. If I were to ask you what your first reaction is at the first hint of conflict, what would your transparent answer be? Would it be to run, hid and pretend it doesn’t exist? Do you find that when you do that, run, that is, the conflict occupies space in your head without paying rent?

Oh, Coffee Hour Friend, would you consider joining us for our four-week class Living Fearlessly and turn your conflict into character-development?

 

Hope to see you there

Evinda

Monday’s Mantra

God –“The one Supreme Being, the omnipotent, omniscient creator and ruler of the universe.”

Wink – “To open and close one eye deliberately, as to convey a message, signal, or suggestion.”

God Wink – “A uniquely personal experience or event, often mistakenly identified as a coincidence” … L

Welcome to Coffee Hour at Chicklit Power and Megan’s Monday Mantra with Trench Classes United.

I am not a believer in coincidences. Oftentimes, when I am in need of direction, reassurance, or a solution, it unexpectedly comes through a radio broadcast, a stranger’s comment, or a turn of events. I get so excited when I “catch” one of these moments, because for me it means God really cares and He is hearing me! I was blessed with one such moment last week …

I’ve learned asking the Lord for help is the best way to tackle any dog-training challenge. Since He is the one who created the dog, I’m sure no one knows better than He how to train one. I am currently training my young, enthusiastic Boxer for competition obedience. Competition obedience demands an exorbitant amount of focus from the dog. Requiring my highly distractible Boxer to keep his undivided attention, solely upon me, is proving to be an arduous task.

After a particularly frustrating day of training, I came home and opened up Sarah Young’s daily devotional, “Jesus Calling”. It read: “I am intimately involved in all of your moments, and I am training you to be aware of me at all times. Your assignment is to collaborate with me in this training process.” I stared at the devotion in disbelief. “WOW”, I blurted out loud, “The Lord is teaching me the exact same thing I am teaching my dog!”

A mere coincidence – what are the odds of that?

I shared this experience with my friend and workout instructor, Cheryl. She told me her family calls these special moments “God-Winks.” I am not familiar with the expression, but the visual it represents is powerful. Through a mindful observation or a moment of recognition, we have access to God’s guidance. All He asks of us is to be aware of Him at all times.

Imagine the countless blessings - the gift of peace, once fear is dispelled, the clarity of mind, once doubt is negated, the certainty of love, once faith is restored … all in the wink of an eye – God’s eye!

Are you aware of God’s winks in your life?  Has God winked at you today?

Dear God, let us have the eyes to see…

Your comments are always most welcome.

Lovingly in Christ,

Megan

Faith-Filled Friday

Welcome to Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and Trench Classes United. Today’s Coffee Hour is written by a long-time friend of ours, Jennifer Wyatt on a very perplexing subject: Nourishment. Hmmm, come on in for some spiritual nourishment! J

Nourish means to provide (someone or something) things that are needed to live, be healthy, to develop or grow stronger.  Often we equate this with food and drink, but I believe that we are to nourish one another.  In a relationship it means to be supportive, encouraging and affirming.              1 Thessalonians 5:11 and Hebrews 3:13 tell us that we are to build each other up every day. 

There are many people in the Bible that nourished and encouraged others.  Moses (Duet. 3:28), Titus (1 Cor. 7:4),Tychicus (Eph. 6:21-22), Judas and Silas (Acts 15:32), Timothy (1 Thess. 3:2) to name a few.

What does it do for us?  Why is it important?

·         It builds up (1 Thess. 5:11)

·         Makes us feel loved and appreciated (2 Cor. 7:13)

·         Strengthens us (2 Thess. 2:16-17;2 Cor. 7:4,7)

·         Helps us remain on our appointed path (Acts 11:23)

·         Gives us courage (2 Chron. 32:6-7; Phil. 1:14)

·         Creates unity and helps fight the temptation to isolate (Rom. 15:5; 1 Thess. 3:6-10)

·         Keeps us true to our calling (Deut. 1:38)

·         Develops perspective and trust in God (2 Chron. 32:6-7)

With all of these amazing reasons, why is it so easy to criticize and tear down?  There are many reasons that come from “woundedness” and bad definitions in our life.  When we don’t love and value ourselves, it is hard to love and value others.  Oftentimes the root of this is because we were never taught how to be encouragers. 

Coffee Hour was designed to encourage you and uplift you on your journey.  We appreciate your time and prayers for this ministry as we encourage others through our blogging.  My freedom challenge for this week is to think of three people you would like to encourage.  Choose one of them to encourage weekly over the next three months.  Then sit back and watch them grow. 

“My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love” (Col. 2:2)

Encouraging you in your journey…

Jennifer

Thursday’s Trench Truth

Welcome to Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and Thursday’s Trench Truth with Trench Classes United. Today we have another thought-provoking question for you and invitation, too. We invite to leave your answers in the comment section! We’d love to hear from you

Have you ever noticed that the more we talk about our problems, the bigger they get? It’s the same thing with fears; the more we feed them, the smaller our faith becomes. 

I know I used to do this in the name of “venting,” and perhaps you have, too. Coffee Hour Friend, can I just keep it real right now? There is a fine line between venting and vomiting! The more we talk about something, the more we are hanging on to it. How many times do we need to regurgitate the same thing in order to feel validated? In order to feel heard? Or, in order to make a point? 

Perhaps we need to think about who we vent to, and our motive behind the venting! Today, can I challenge you to feed your faith and quiet your fears? And if that seems a bit of a stretch, mark your calendars and plan on joining us for a four-week class to learn how to Live fearlessly! Classes are on Thursdays and begin September 21^st. 

Wednesday’s Word

Just Ask!

John 16:24: "Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.”

It’s already midweek…again! Thanks so much for stopping by for our Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and for our Wednesday’s Word with Trench Classes United. I truly enjoy seeking Him in His Word and applying it to whatever is happening in my life at the time, and I pray it helps you as well. Grab your coffee and come on in.

Have you ever wondered if you were on the right track, going in the right direction, doing the right thing? If I had a dollar for every time I wondered that…well, let’s just say I’d have a nice savings account – if I didn’t spend it, that is! J

What is it we do when we are felling less than content in the journey, or better yet, feeling like all that we’ve done to get where we are, where we felt He was/is leading was either for nothing or just not right? Again, I must admit my own overwhelming confessions of been there, done that; I got the hat, mug, T-shirt and bathrobe, too!

Little by little, the enemy can chip away at us, and because he slithers into our thoughts, which become actions if left in our hearts and minds for too long, before we know it, we lose confidence and before we know it, we are backing up from our Guide in the journey. Confusion sets in, and now we are left wondering and whining, not sure what to do. It’s such a crazy cycle easier seen once we break it. I wonder how He sees it. I imagine He scratches His head, maybe even smiles a bit as He watches me go around and around and around again the same mountain…just like His children the Israelites!  I wonder if He’s ever tempted to take away our free will for just a second or two, however long it would take to reach down and literally put me and you in the right direction.

But that’s never going to happen; we have been gifted with free will – the choice is ours. So back to the original question, which basically summed up is: how do we know we are in His will?

Are you ready?

It’s really simple: Just ask Him!

I can just hear you say, “Seriously?!” “But what if I don’t hear Him?”

Again, it’s really simple, Coffee Hour Friend, and how I know is it has worked EVERY single time for me:  Oftentimes the right perspective is waiting…in His presence.

In other words, we may not get a “Go this way,” or “Do this,” but we will get the right perspective if we just meet with Him, consistently seeking His presence, quieting out the rest of the world, spending time with Him in His Word.  Let me give you a quick example:

Just a week ago, I was having one of my fits, threatening to quit, and so I said to Him, “You are going to have to give me a hit-me-over-the-head, with a cast-iron skillet, type of sign to keep me in this craziness.” I continued with my pity party: “I just can’t do this anymore!”

You know what? He’s okay with pity parties, as long as He’s invited! You know why? Because if you throw that party in His presence, He replaces that self-pity with a perspective aimed in the right direction. Within minutes, my soul echoed “You can’t or you won’t?”

I confessed…”I don’t want to be out of your will.”

That day, guess what happened? I got a hit-me-over-the-head with a cast-iron skillet kind of sign! And the next day I got another one! And the next day I got another one! As I write this, I can’t help but laugh because our Abba has such a sense of humor. It wasn’t necessarily a cast-iron skillet that hit me over the head, but He made sure to hit me over the head and get right to my heart THREE times so I’d get it!

So the next time you wonder in the waiting, remember, just ask Him. Go be with Him. Your persistence will usher in His presence…and perspective will come, and you will know what to do, where to go as peace follows you.

Your fellow sojourner

Evinda

Tuesday’s Trench Trut

Welcome to Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and Tuesday’s Trench Truth with Trench Classes United! We won’t keep you long, just long enough to leave you with some thought provoking questions…and an invitation, too!

Do you often “worry” about what’s going to happen next? Or about how things are going to play out for you, your child or children, or any of your loved ones? Did you realize that worrying about tomorrow robs you from today? How do we stay in those moments and not miss things to be thankful for?

Coffee Hour Friend, there is a way! Join us to learn not just the solutions to these common themes of anxiety and worry, but gain the tools to overcome them and learn how to Live more Fearlessly!

Invest in you and those you love by joining us for our NEW four-week classes!

Monday’s Mantra

Do you ever feel uncomfortable sharing your faith with someone you fear won’t be as receptive as you’d like them to be? Do you feel reluctant to even approach the subject sometimes? I know I do. Thank the good Lord for those who don’t!

Welcome to Coffee Hour at Chicklit Power and Megan’s Monday Mantra with Trench Classes United.

Last Sunday, I volunteered for the Women’s Bible Study sign-up table at church. As I assisted with registration, I could not help but overhear the conversation a woman was having with another volunteer at the table. She was lamenting how, once again, she had asked her friend to attend the bible study – and how, once again, her friend had declined.

I remember attending my first Bible Study. I did not know the first thing about the Word of God. Over the period of three years, a faithful Christian friend called me every time her Bible Study group started a new study, and every time I answered with a “No.” Even though I believed in God, I felt nothing I did was good enough for Him. I felt all of my failures were indicative of my unworthiness of Him. I definitely had a tumultuous relationship with God, and the point at which my life began to mirror my relationship with Him, I despairingly responded with a “Yes!” When I told my husband I was going to attend a Bible Study, he asked, “What made you change your mind?” I told him I needed to find out why God did not love me.

I attended my first Bible Study because I believed God did not love me. Why was I convinced He did not love me? Because, I did not know the first thing about the Word of God! By the end of the first month, I knew how wrong I had been.

I momentarily stopped filling out a registration form and shared this story with the disheartened woman whose friend, once again, had turned down her invitation to Bible Study. I encouraged her to please...

DON’T STOP ASKING!

Perseverance like my friend’s, changes lives.

I know - it changed mine.

Your comments are always most welcome.

Lovingly in Christ,

Megan

Faith-Filled Friday

Oh, what a great reminder Jennifer brings us today…I don’t know about you, but some things are worth repeating for the spiritual journey! Welcome to Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and Faith-Filled Friday at Trench Classes United.

Who are you listening to?

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.  Romans 10:17

Faith is complete trust or confidence in someone or something.  We can have faith in anything.  Faith is not about belief. It has very little to do with what beliefs you hold, other than that it allows you to hold them.

So…if we are not hearing the word of God…who are we listening to?

I must admit that sometimes I listen to the lies that my past experiences have taught me.  My faith in humans has been broken; the hurt runs deep.  I occasionally allow the hurt and pain to speak (sometimes relentlessly) into my day.  My faith is in what I am not and what I can’t do because of what I am hearing.  Some call it negative self-talk. 

It helps to keep an eye on the things you tell yourself, and challenge some of the negative aspects of your thinking.  This goes back to last week’s blog about taking every thought captive.  There are many scriptures that illustrate what can happen inside of our head and ways to fill your inner being with the things of God. 

Proverbs 23:7 says, "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he" (NKJV). In other words, we become what we think. Or, as I like to say, where the mind goes, the man follows. It was a breakthrough to understand that my problems had a lot to do with a negative, critical, suspicious, judgmental mindset, and I didn't have to just think any thought that fell into my mind. I could think about what I wanted to think about on purpose.

The best thing we can do is renew our minds with the Word of God so we can think like He thinks and experience His good plan for our lives. Hearing the word of God helps us believe and fill our minds with the right things, the true things.

Romans 12:2 says, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God" (NKJV).

When you spend time hearing the Word and renewing your mind with the Truth, it helps set your mind in the right direction so you can have more victory in your life. And as this new way of thinking gradually renews your mind, it dilutes the old thinking and transforms your perspectives and attitudes.

So… who are you listening to?  Who do you need to be listening to?  My prayer is that you will build your faith in God and listen to the truths He speaks into you and wash away the lies.

Jennifer

Tam’s Trench Truth

Hello and welcome back to another Thursday’s Trench Truth.

Have you ever had someone go off on you…for what you deemed no reason? Well, this last week I had a customer of mine completely unload...on me telephonically!

I completely dread moments like these and if someone is being completely rude to me I usually will just hang up the telephone. But something in me wanted to see it through, because I could sense something else was wrong. So I sat there as the woman went on for probably 5 minutes steady. I have had a few times where a customer of mine would chew me a new one, but this I could feel was something a little different. It was as if I heard an inner voice, perhaps the Holy Spirit just encouraging me to keep on the line. 

Suddenly, out of nowhere and what must have been the end of her rant, she apologized! I felt dizzy with the emotional ride, and then she confirmed what the Spirit had spoken to me: there was something else wrong. After she apologized, she then went on to tell me that her husband had passed away just two months ago and that when I had showed up a little later than I usually do, it just set her off.

I began to listen with my heart, not just my ears, and responding a few times in between her breaths. She told me how important it was for her to read her newspaper I deliver every morning since her husband died and she even confessed to feeling guilty because when he was alive, he was the one who read the paper for many, many years and then he would always want to talk with her about current events, about the things that he read…but she would always tell him she didn't want to hear it.

What she said next pierced my soul: Looking back, I’ve come to realize that I missed something with him. And it wasn’t so much what the current events were, but how he wanted to express more deeply about the world he lived in.”

She told me that for some reason that news in general had always stressed her out. But now that he was gone, she faithfully tore into the newspaper and found a world of not only drama, but of current events at schools, things going on in her community, as well as other corners of the world.

She expressed how she felt she had missed what could have been a really great part of her marriage and that now there was regret for not having participated in what she now deems could have been meaningful conversation that began with the newspaper.

Wow, her regret sparked inside of me, and I knew that she had picked up the newspaper and started to give it a go as a way of honoring her husband and marriage; that something inside clicked to give it a chance.

She is quite elderly and also very lonely. Her loneliness resonates with me on a deeper level than most, a kind of common ground that really got me thinking.

How often do we shut things down without giving them an ear or a mere few seconds because we feel that it will leave us feeling stressed, depressed or anxious?

I know that I’m guilty of this in some ways. In fact, the very way I had wanted to shut her down and not hear her out when she was expressing her anger!

People don't always want us to respond as much as they need an ear and a shoulder to not only lean on and listen, but vent upon until the real reason comes out buried beneath the pain.

So from now on I am going to try wrapping small notes around her paper... maybe they will just be a “Hi,” or a little statement that lets her know I’m trying to do a better job for her, a little something to just become more personable, ease the loneliness, let her know someone cares. 

I thank God for trusting me with these moments, for helping me to be that shoulder and realize that in the heart of a shoulder God wants us to love people Sometimes we all just need someone to be patient with us; sometimes we just need for someone to be there.

Much love everyone,

                                        ~John