We’ve all been rescued from something at some time!

Res-cue

save (someone) from a dangerous or distressing situation.

Save from danger, save the life of, come to the aid of

Rescuing requires a cry for help! As Nancy shared her near-death experience on the 210 Freeway the previous Saturday night to our connection group, I literally could feel the fear she endured during those moments leading up to her unbelievable rescue!

Thanks for joining me for Coffee Hour with Chicklit Power and Wednesday’s Word with Trench Classes United. Grab your coffee, your Strand of Faith and let’s go tie some knots in our God-given gift of faith.

As she recounted the details of sitting in the dark, in her car on the freeway, trying her hardest not to panic as cars went whizzing by her -- without hitting her, two of our other friends began to share similar circumstances.  The sense of a fear that cripples you and renders you frozen was so present for all of us that a stranger coming in could have probably touched it. It lingered as we related with Nancy and others who shared similar circumstances.

The ever-so-powerful truth about each of their stories is that they knew they had each been rescued. Each of them had cried out to their Rescuer, and He rescued them.

Have you ever been rescued? Psalm 107: 1-32 reveals that every one of us has been rescued from something at sometime in our lives.

Maybe it wasn’t from such a near-death experience, but if we were to sit still for a moment and think about it, our Father has rescued us from something, someone and maybe even from ourselves at least a time or two. The more important question to ask is why, when we get in a bind, or life hands us an unexpected curveball do we duck and hide from Him who has rescued us time after time instead of crying out for help? Do we really realize He’s ready to rescue 24/7? He doesn’t have voicemail; you can cry out directly to Him! 

I don’t know about you, Coffee Hour Friend, but I’m thinking I need to continue to remember those times He’s rescued me, beginning with that first encounter when I realized I had a Rescuer that would never, ever leave me or forsake me [Hebrews 13:5]. Can I encourage you to sit and be still for a few moments, look back to those times of rescuing…and thank Him for His provision of protection!

Rescued,

Evinda

P.S. You’ve been hearing about the upcoming Trench Class; you wonder if it’s for you…well, join us tonight at 6:00 on Facebook for a little taste of How to Love Who You Love with Steve and Kim Evinda! www.facebook.com/trenchclassesunited

Existence is non-existent without relationships!

If you think about it, our whole existence is non-existent without relationships! Why do they feel like a curse and a blessing at the same time? Thanks for joining me for Coffee Hour with Chicklit Power and Tuesday’s Trench Truth with Trench Classes United.

What would life be like if we all knew how to love healthily, uninhibitedly, not focused on getting hurt, not concerned about what we can get?  Is there even such a thing? The answer is yes and no!

See, many of us have been wounded by love…but we are also healed in/by love. The struggle lies in the non-attention to the woundedness, and if we were to trace it back, we would discover its genesis.

Join us to learn how to look at your history – because some history isn’t worth repeating – and break cycles that you may learn how to love who you love.

 

Truthfully,

Evinda

P.S. Join us live for a little snippet of our upcoming Trench Class How to Love Who you Love with Steve and Kim Evinda @ 6:00 P.S. at www.facebook.com/trenchclassesunited

God is waiting on you; what are You waiting for?

“Some of you think you are waiting on God – but God is waiting on you!”

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

The above quote is from Daring to Wait on God, by Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church. We all know how it feels to wait for the answer to prayer. Pastor Rick emphasizes that waiting is not passivity. It is more fruitful to wait expectantly on the Lord as opposed to passively for Him. He uses the word WAIT as an acronym to show us how:

Write

Act

Initiate

Trust

The W stands for Write – Write down the lessons God is teaching. Waiting is the season to listen and learn. God has things to teach us before He answers our prayers. If we don’t write them down, we may forget and have to learn the same lesson all over again!

“At the Lord’s direction, Moses kept a written record of their progress.” Numbers 33:2a (NLT)

The A stands for Act – Act in advance. Act as if our prayer is already answered. God cannot direct a parked car. Get in the car and turn it on so He can direct it!

“Jesus said, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Mark 11:24 (NIV)

The I is for Initiate – Initiate the habits that grow strong faith. Use this time to spiritually mature. Keep praying. Keep believing. Keep serving. Read and memorize scripture. Join a Bible study and stay close to others who are strong in their faith.

“We do not want you to become lazy, but to IMITATE those, who through faith and patience, inherit what has been promised.” Hebrews 6:12 (NIV)

The T stands for Trust – Trust God instead of panicking. God is never in a hurry; God is never late. God’s timing is always perfect.

“God does everything just right and on time, but people can never completely understand what He is doing.” Ecclesiastes 3:11b (NCV)

A delay in the answer to prayer is not a denial. There is a natural delay between planting and harvesting. We reap in a different season than we sow. Pastor Rick equates waiting to pregnancy. He writes, “Waiting does not diminish us any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We don’t see what is enlarging us, but the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy.”

Pastor Rick also reminds us that we are in good company…

Noah waited 120 years before it rained!

Your comments are always most welcome.

Lovingly in Christ,

Megan

*for full sermon go to pastorrick.com

P.S. You’ve been hearing about the upcoming Trench Class; you wonder if it’s for you…well, join us Wednesday on Facebook for a little taste of How to Love Who You Love with Steve and Kim Evinda! www.facebook.com/trenchclassesunited

Waiting is part of the faith-ing process!

Good Morning, Coffee Hour Friends. Come grab a warm cup of coffee and sit with me. Thank you in advance for taking time and joining me for Coffee Hour with Chicklit Power and Faith Filled Friday with Trench Classes United.

Be still and wait… well, this is not an easy task to tackle.

During this time of being still, come before the Lord with your praise, petitions, and needs. As you come lay your heart out raw and undone, praise Him. When you’re seeking His will, even when He seems to be silent about which way he wants you to go, Praise Him while you wait for His response. 

What do you think when you read these instructions? Easier read than said and done, right?!

My husband and I have been praying for four years now for a new job or career for him.  Many potential jobs would come available…only to be followed by a closed door. This continues to happen. It’s perplexing and frustrating, but in the end, we both have peace because we know those closed doors are His answer at this time and we only want God’s will.

Obviously God is not done using him and working on him at his current job.  So, we wait. And during the wait we praise Him for the financial stability this job brings us. 

Be still and trust, oh another difficult task to succumb to. When you’re angry or hurt, praise Him first. Thank Him for all He has done in every other situation in your life. Sit and Praise Him because when you do His still, calm voice comforts and soothes the very hurt and anger in you.

Be still and trust that these trials and difficulties will build you up in Him more than you were before. He’s refining you and me in the refiner’s fire. Why? Because as 1st Peter 1:7Amplified Bible (AMP) reminds us, ⁷ so that the genuineness of your faith, which is much more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested and purified by fire, may be found to result in [your] praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Can I encourage you to join me in this prayer?

Heavenly Father,

Lord as we wait for unanswered prayers, remind us Lord that you’re working the fields and getting everything together for when the harvest comes in. Oh Lord, remind us that harvesting takes time, and I pray we remember this when we’re waiting on answers from you. Restore us when we grow weary, encourage us when we grow faint. Lord for your timing is perfect and we always feel it’s late. Lord, how we love thee, as the bird’s chirp and sing your praises in the morning; oh that we would do the same. Fill us with understanding and knowledge of Your fruit. Remove all in us that says it isn’t possible, for we know all things are possible through you. Thank you, Jesus, for bending down and hearing our prayers, for always being with us through every circumstance we go through. Oh Praise your Holy Name!

 In Jesus Name…Amen.

Ashley 

True connection brings electricity to a relationship!

When I say the word connection to you, what is the first thing you think of? The first thing that comes to my mind is the word power. When I say the word power, what do you think of? My gut says “electricity.” Hmmm, could it be that true connection brings electricity?

Welcome to Coffee Hour with Chicklit Power and Thursday’s Trench Truth with Trench Classes United. Come on in for a moment of truth.

I was having a pretty intense conversation with someone the other day and my soul experienced this sort of power surge as I realized a common disconnect in relationships: the lack of true connection! 

True connection happens on three levels: Emotional, spiritual and physical! That’s electricity! 

Just as there are three prongs in a plug which plugs into an outlet, there are three levels that need to be connected to in order to have complete connection!

Are you experiencing a disconnection of any kind? Join us to learn how to connect healthily and powerfully with those you love!

Truthfully,

Evinda

Focus on your Problem Solver, not your problem. And/or: When we remember His past provision and protection, we can face any problem!

I logged into my computer and waited for it to warm up and allow me to go online. She seemed a little tired this morning, like me, but I was eager to get to my list of things to do before leaving for work. I put my cursor on Google Chrome and waited to see the familiar page which would allow me to do all I needed to do online. Instead, I got this message: Network failed!

What?

Welcome to Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and Wednesday’s Word with Trench Classes United. Come on in for a life application of some old truths still relevant today!

See, the night before, I had decided to try and help my husband take down our old router and install the new one, which seems to be Frontier’s fix for every problem. I got about three steps in and got so flustered, I felt as though I had taken several wrong turns and couldn’t find my way back of my own cardboard boxL.

The only thing I could do was call for help, so I called a friend from church, a guy very knowledgeable in this sort of thing. He came over and within 15 minutes we were up and running on the desktop. I didn’t know there was a difference.

What does this all have to do with Wednesday’s Word? I’m so glad you asked. This particular morning, I was reading in Numbers 13:26-14:9, and to give you a quick backdrop and paraphrase, it’s about an old habit still very much alive today: grumbling. Moses was instructed by God to send 12 men out to survey the Promised Land, and they did. When they came back, 10 of them gave the same report: It is a land full of milk and honey – I would have loved to have seen the eyes of the rest of the council for I’m sure they were like a deer in headlights!  BUT…yes, there’s a “but” – they said, it is full of giants!

Can’t you just imagine them all so inflated with hope and boom! Deflation sets discouragement into motion and immediately the children of Israel begin grumbling.

Caleb and Joshua, the other two of the 12, stood amongst their peers, reminding them of God’s provision and protection thus far – which had been incredible, real, and life changing – but the children of Israel didn’t want to hear it and they wanted to stone Caleb and Joshua. Why? Their eyes were on their mountain, and not their mountain mover; the potential problems instead of their powerful problem solver who was and is bigger than any giant.

There is richness in the soil of this principle. First: When we reflect on God’s past provision and protection, we are able to move in our present toward our future! Second: God is bigger than any problem you have; the price for the victory of your problem has already been paid so why not just go through the process to cash in? Are you catching what I’m throwing you? We need to learn to focus on our Problem Solver and not our problem!

Now what does this have to do with turning my computer on and not being able to get online? Well, long story short, computer problems are giants to me…and I tend to allow them to send me over the edge and I can become like an Israelite, grumbling and forgetting about all of His prior provisions and protection!

But this morning was different. I was able to apply the Word I had just feasted upon to my situation, and for the time being, I had to walk away and get my focus off of that giant and move forward.  It was so rewarding to actually be a doer of the Word and not just a reader or hearer of His Word.

Exactly what I read that day was exactly what I needed for that day! God is good; all the time God is good! May today be a day of giants that lead you to the reality of your Abba who can slay any of them…when you focus on Him!

Love,

Evinda

P.S. Don’t forget to join us tonight for Part II of our Love, Sex and No Rose Ceremony Facebook live segment to learn about the three levels of connection, aka, emotional foreplay!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1467339743513605/

MIXED SIGNALS CREATE DISCONNECTION

Imagine you’re driving on a busy street, and suddenly up ahead, you saw the light going from red to yellow, then for just a second it turned green and went back to red, then yellow again. As you get closer, what would you do? Would you go speeding through the intersection? Chances are you would cause a wreck.

Welcome to Coffee Hour with Chicklit Power and Tuesday’s Trench Truth with Trench Classes United.

Mixed messages…what are they and how do we respond to them? For example what do you do when what a person says conflicts with what they said previously? Or what they did previously contradicts with what they’re saying? 

We have all been on the giving and receiving end of mixed messages! Would you like to know how not to give them, and how to respond to them?

Join us for our upcoming trench class, How to Love Who You Love!

Postcard/front and back

Evinda

P.S. Plan on joining us tomorrow night for Part II of our Love, Sex and No Rose Ceremony Facebook Live segment where we will discuss the three levels of connection, aka, emotional foreplay!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1467339743513605/

Life threatening experiences can make or break your faith; it’s a choice!

Once you have faced a life-threatening experience, it changes you forever. The things you thought were important lose their value. The things you took for granted become blessings. Life takes on a whole different perspective and our loving God is at the center of it all.

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

Eighteen months ago, I had the upper left lobe of my lung removed due to stage 1, non-smokers, lung cancer. Now, every six months, I undergo a CT Chest Scan to ensure there are no other suspicious areas of concern.  Today, I got my third CT Chest Scan.

I find that I experience similar behavioral patterns around the time of each scan. The pre-scan finds me the most fearful; imagining the worst case scenario. The day of my scan, my fear subsides and I become distracted. I can hardly focus on anything. Waiting for test results affords me a reprieve. I can’t change the results anyway. The day I receive my results, I am scared but feeling stronger. Once I get the results, I go home and take a nap, since I have not had a good night’s sleep in weeks!

The Christian Life is about trusting God. We are not to be afraid or disheartened because God is always with us. Sometimes I think it is easier to believe in God than it is to trust in His plans. Even though I pray continually, I know if I am still afraid, then I am not trusting Him. But God is good. Every six months He gives me an extra difficult challenge to keep me fine tuning my trust in Him.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD, your God will be with you wherever you go.”   - Joshua 1:9

Your comments are always most welcome.

Lovingly in Christ,

Megan

P.S. Plan on joining us tomorrow night for Part II of our Love, Sex and No Rose Ceremony Facebook Live segment where we will discuss connection on three levels!

Emotions are like waves of the ocean…don’t let them take you under!

Thanks for joining us for Coffee Hour with Chicklit Power and Faith Filled Friday with Trench Classes United and Ashley! Join us as she shares her heart in this blog.

I have been talking a lot about how to redirect our thinking towards God’s truth, and this week I get to talk about it again because I think God is working out all my kinks when it comes to my thinking.

As I have been sharing this burden with God, He has been revealing to me that I am leaning on my emotions too much and they have been taking a great hold on me lately.

I’m learning that when I allow my emotions to take hold, the enemy uses that vulnerability to slip inside my mind and spew his lies into the lies I’ve already been telling myself. And then I remember versus such as Philippians 4:8: ⁸ Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. And then I’m fine…for the moment.

See, I could be just fine until one person says something that makes me feel invisible, unloved, and, boom, the emotions flood in like a furious storm that won’t let up, crashing over and over on me.

I try and come up for air for God’s truth and down I go, under the water of my emotions again because the lies seem to be so valid and true as they scream in my face. These emotions are bringing past hurts, anger and pain back up, as if I had never surrendered them at the cross before. It’s a physically, emotionally and spiritually exhausting battle.

This week, as I fought this battle, I cried and cried, asking Him all of my whys, all the while it felt like Satan was laughing in my face. And then the still small whisper of my Abba, “Come this way,” sent me desperately holding tight to Him until another lie pulled me out of His presence.

This war raged for the entire day and into the night.  If I could only see the heavenly hosts in front of me in this war, a war I know now I wasn’t fighting alone, and that God sent His fleet of angels to guard me as these emotions, my flesh and the enemy try to take me down and destroy me. I held tight and kept fighting and kept speaking Gods truth over me, and though it was a drawn-out war that felt at the time that I would lose, His whispers of love spoken over me, over and over again, and His perfect truths He guided me to led me to victory over this battle of the mind. John 14:27 (ESV): ²⁷ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Trying to understand the whys of our life brings us down and causes us great confusion, hurt, pain, and uncertainty of our worth. But what I know to be true is that they have a heavenly eternal purpose; they make you and me more than we could have ever become without them. Without these whys we’d never lean so desperately into our Heavenly Father, for we know there’s nothing else that can set us free.

The good news is I came out of that night renewed in God’s love, revived, and encouraged.

Remember, Coffee Hour friend, when there’s a battle going on in your mind, listen for the whispers of His love and the guidance of His truths.

Love,

Ashley

Warning: Disconnected!

I forgot to pay attention to the warnings…all three of them telling me my battery was dying, and just like that, poof, the screen went blank!Thanks for joining me for Coffee Hour with Chicklit Power and Thursday’s Trench Truth with Trench Classes United.

Has that ever happened to you? And then you plug it back in, your fingers crossed, your teeth clenched, shoulders tightened as you wait to exhale until you see your document appear on the screen, hoping you hadn’t lost all your hard work!

What are the warning signs of disconnection in our significant relationships? There are so many…but just like the computer, we can be so wrapped up in our own thing that we ignore them.

Join us to learn how to stay connected to those who mean the most to you…

Looking forward to seeing you in the trenches,

Evinda

Thankfulness can put the intention back into your good habits.

As I made my way to my lounge chair in my writing room with my coffee and morning snack, my word for the year came rushing to the surface of my heart, making it visible to see with my eyes: intentional…how long have I been meeting with you, Abba? Has it become habitual or is it intentional?

Thanks for joining me for Coffee Hour with Chicklit Power and Wednesday’s Word with Trench Classes United. Come on in and let me share from my heart to yours my journey thus far this year of being intentional. [“Intentional” is my word for the year, a word to live by, if you will]

I don’t know about you, but I can tend to lean a bit on the bored side if I keep doing the same thing day in and day out, so I need to change it up a bit. Now that’s not to slight anyone who loves that sort of structure, however when it comes to meeting with our Father, is it so structured that it’s become habitual instead of intentional, which leaves out the “relational” aspect of our time with Him?

I was greatly rewarded by listening to that whisper on my way to my quiet place. I changed up my routine a bit by going right into the Word and my study of Giving Thanks to God with Sarah Young…after inviting Him to come with me, of course. He took me to 2^nd Corinthians 9:6 which says: ⁶ But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

But when I read it, I had exchanged the subject of money for the subject of thankfulness. Go ahead, read it with “thankfulness” as the focus of what we sow bountifully.

Pretty cool, huh?

See, thankfulness fuels our faith while complaining and grumbling fuels doubt. 

No matter what circumstance you are in the midst of right now, thanking or complaining can literally change you and your direction!

What areas of your life have become habitual instead of intentional? Thankfulness can put the intention back into your good habits.

Intentionally thankful,

Evinda

Our children’s choices are not a reflection of us…or are they

I listened as this sweet, sweet prayer warrior/friend of mine shared the “truth” behind her daughter’s illness that our team had been praying for, what she believed had caused it. What she said next rendered my heart humbled and sad all at the same time.

Thanks for joining me for Coffee Hour with Chicklit Power and Tuesday’s Trench Truth with Trench Classes United.

“I’m sharing this with you because you’ve shown great concern and I know you are praying for her.”
I nodded my head slightly.

She went on: I just don’t feel comfortable sharing this with the rest of them.

“I understand” I assured her gently. The information stirred suspicion and I went on to ask her a couple of questions which she responded yes to. I thanked her for trusting me and sharing with me and walked away so sad, and not necessarily just for her daughter, but for her because of this truth:
Too often we see our children’s choices – no matter how old they are – as a reflection of ourselves and this inhibits transparency.

This truth confirms another truth:
How we are loved affects how we love…and so the cycle continues

Friends, some history needs to be studied because it isn’t worth repeating!

Mark your calendars and plan on investing in you and your significant relationships. This incredibly powerful eight-week relationship class will help you discover some truths in your history and equip you with the tools to begin breaking unhealthy cycles!

[Please post front of postcard and back, side by side]

Truthfully,

Evinda

Monday’s Mantra

In “The World According to Dave,” if you don’t feel a knot in your gut before doing something important, you probably don’t care enough to do it in the first place!

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

This past weekend I showed my dog at the Palm Springs Dog Show. It was with a huge leap of faith that I decided to enter this particular show. I have dabbled in a few smaller shows over the past 9 months, but nothing as big and prestigious as this show. It is one of the largest shows of the year, and everyone who is anyone is there.

As I stood ringside waiting for my class to begin, I could feel that old familiar nervous churning in my stomach. I am an owner-handler with a young, inexperienced dog, about to compete alongside professional handlers who get paid big bucks to show dogs. 

Before entering the ring, I thanked God for giving me this opportunity. I prayed I could keep my focus on Him and that He would be glorified in the process.

In Jesus Always, Sarah Young writes: You can train your mind to turn from other things and focus on Me. Thus you can enjoy the wondrous gift of My Peace.

I showed my dog four times in three days.  We did not come home with any blue ribbons, but he performed beautifully. He placed second in his class all four shows. We received many compliments, one of which meant more to me than a blue ribbon. The owner of one of the dogs we competed against came to me and said, “You did such a nice job and you were so calm in the ring.” I actually looked around to make sure she was referring to me!

It was then I realized I had been calm because I was at peace. I trusted it would all work out the way He designed it, so I was free to enjoy the process with the God and dog I love.

He will keep in perfect peace all those who trust in Him, whose thoughts turn often to the Lord! - Isaiah 26:3 (TLB)

Your comments are always most welcome.

Lovingly in Christ,

Megan

Emotions are like waves of the ocean…don’t let them take you under!

Thanks for joining us for Coffee Hour with Chicklit Power and Faith Filled Friday with Trench Classes United and Ashley! Join us as she shares her heart in this blog.

I have been talking a lot about how to redirect our thinking towards God’s truth, and this week I get to talk about it again because I think God is working out all my kinks when it comes to my thinking.

As I have been sharing this burden with God, He has been revealing to me that I am leaning on my emotions too much and they have been taking a great hold on me lately.

I’m learning that when I allow my emotions to take hold, the enemy uses that vulnerability to slip inside my mind and spew his lies into the lies I’ve already been telling myself. And then I remember versus such as Philippians 4:8: ⁸ Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. And then I’m fine…for the moment.

See, I could be just fine until one person says something that makes me feel invisible, unloved, and, boom, the emotions flood in like a furious storm that won’t let up, crashing over and over on me.

I try and come up for air for God’s truth and down I go, under the water of my emotions again because the lies seem to be so valid and true as they scream in my face. These emotions are bringing past hurts, anger and pain back up, as if I had never surrendered them at the cross before. It’s a physically, emotionally and spiritually exhausting battle.

This week, as I fought this battle, I cried and cried, asking Him all of my whys, all the while it felt like Satan was laughing in my face. And then the still small whisper of my Abba, “Come this way,” sent me desperately holding tight to Him until another lie pulled me out of His presence.

This war raged for the entire day and into the night.  If I could only see the heavenly hosts in front of me in this war, a war I know now I wasn’t fighting alone, and that God sent His fleet of angels to guard me as these emotions, my flesh and the enemy try to take me down and destroy me. I held tight and kept fighting and kept speaking Gods truth over me, and though it was a drawn-out war that felt at the time that I would lose, His whispers of love spoken over me, over and over again, and His perfect truths He guided me to led me to victory over this battle of the mind. John 14:27 (ESV): ²⁷ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Trying to understand the whys of our life brings us down and causes us great confusion, hurt, pain, and uncertainty of our worth. But what I know to be true is that they have a heavenly eternal purpose; they make you and me more than we could have ever become without them. Without these whys we’d never lean so desperately into our Heavenly Father, for we know there’s nothing else that can set us free.

The good news is I came out of that night renewed in God’s love, revived, and encouraged.

Remember, Coffee Hour friend, when there’s a battle going on in your mind, listen for the whispers of His love and the guidance of His truths.

Love,

Ashley

Faith Filled Friday

Happy New Year, friends! Thank you in advance for taking time and joining me for Coffee Hour with Chicklit Power and Faith Filled Friday with Trench Classes United. Grab a warm cup of coffee and come sit with me.

We are just days into the New Year, a time for new beginnings, and today I want to share a new perspective on a familiar verse. God opened up this verse in a way I’ve never looked at before. Take a look at this verse with me….

Luke 17:6  New Living Translation (NLT)

⁶ The Lord answered, “If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘May you be uprooted and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you!

Now see where it says, “’if’” you had faith”… “…you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘May you be uprooted and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you”!

That begs this question: Are we speaking with faith over our circumstances, for example, a new job, finances, marriage, or our children? I know I try to, but if I’m honest with myself, and you, I usually let the situations or my emotions cloud out all of Gods truth that He has so perfectly ready for me.

Our lives get so busy, and unknowingly we let the enemy sink his teeth into our faith with all his lies. Yet, God gave us His perfect word to sustain us through our days. However, I didn’t realize that I was needing to do more than just read my word but to also speak His word over me, my family, and my friends.

 As we start to speak Gods truth out loud over us, we are covered with His perfect truth, and it’s much more difficult for the enemy’s lies to penetrate our emotions and sink deep into us. I was floored as I read this verse with a new pair of heavenly eyes.

Let’s take a look at how John Courson sees it. He writes: “How did God make the world? He spoke it into existence. So, too, Jesus altered the course of the world and eternity when he spoke… “Waves be still” (Mark 4:39), “Lazarus, come forth” (John 11:43), “It is Finished” (John 19:30).

John also reminds us that we also speak our individual worlds into existence and alter the course with our words. This is confirmed in ” Joshua 1:8 New King James Version (NKJV)

^“8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

WOW!! Wasn’t that powerful?

So when we are faced with doubt or fear, let’s speak Gods word over these emotions and put them into check with God’s word. There are so many powerful reminders in His word that we can speak into ourselves and our world!

Let me leave you with this powerful example: Matthew 6:31-34

³¹ “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ ³² These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.³³ Seek the Kingdom of God^[a] above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. ³⁴ “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

WOW! I am in awe of our Great Abba, and how great His love is for us. Jesus knew just how hard it would be for us, and so, He left us His perfect truth to read, meditate and speak over ourselves, our families and friends. Don’t forget when you’re having a hard or bad day to ask God for a verse, He knows just what you need, and when you get it, faithfully speak it over yourself and your situation and let Gods perfect truth work for good for you.

Love,

Ashley