Thursday’s Trench Truth

Thanks for joining us for a quick moment of truth at Chicklit Power and Trench Classes United. Grab your coffee, or your favorite break-time beverage, a journal and a pen as you will definitely want to take some notes, and don’t forget your strand of faith as faith is a necessity in any relationship. Let’s go determine if you have lost your voice in any of your relationships.

This information was taken from a life-changing book called How We Love by Milan & Kay Yerkovitch. This book really rocked my marriage in such a positive way and helped me to stay in my own car and work on me instead of pointing the finger at everyone else in my world.

Look these over and answer these yes/no honestly…it’s just you and Him looking!

¹I am usually the giver in relationships; ²I am good at keeping the peace; ³I avoid conflicts at all costs fear making others angry or upset;  ⁴I don’t like to be alone;  I am very uncomfortable when I know someone is upset with me; ⁵I had either a critical/angry parent or an overprotective parent; ⁶I grew up in either an abusive, violent or addictive environment; ⁸I’ve been in destructive/abusive relationship(s) ⁹I suffer with depression/anxiety;  ¹⁰I have felt unworthy for most of my life…

Now if you answered yes to any of those, can I just encourage you that life was not meant to be lived without a voice…in any relationship!

The inability to express needs and/or wants is the same as a lack of integrity!

The challenge comes in finding your voice! Join us in the trenches to learn how to find your identity without chaos and confusion!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r57y5GI16LQ&feature=youtu.be

Evinda

Wednesday’s Word

Are You an Infant, Adolescent or Adult?

Welcome to Wednesday’s Word @ Coffee Hour with Chicklit Power and Trench Classes United. Grab your coffee and your Strand of Faith, and let’s go tie some knots in our faith by overcoming the complexity and focusing on the simplicity of His Word.

Have you ever looked at the Bible and been overwhelmed by wondering where to start, how to start? It’s a big, big book, and usually when we grab a book, we want to read from beginning to end, but we also want to understand, enjoy and hopefully be challenged by what we read. What if I were to tell you that the Bible is the greatest love story ever written, and lived out? Or that it is full of mystery, drama, oh, does it have a lot of drama. Our connection group has been studying in the book of 1^st Samuel, and we have been nearly bowled over with shock by the drama, mystery, and twisted love stories all woven in this historical time.

I remember a long time ago, when I used to just dream about writing, I wanted to start with 101 ways to read the Bible…maybe someday I’ll get back to that, but for now, I’d like to share another simple thing I learned in our Discover class, a class designed to help us discover how to have a closer relationship with our Living God through the Bible. Of course, I’ll put my spin on it, just like I did the Five-Finger Prayer, with the hope that it will stir something down in your soul and cause you to open up the greatest book ever written, the one book that has been on the New York Best Seller’s list since it’s been published!

What is the difference between an infant, an adolescent and an adult? Give up? Okay. Well, an infant has to be fed, an adolescent can feed themselves, and an adult can feed themselves and others. Do you see the difference? When you have a baby, don’t you measure their growth by how much they eat?

So now let’s put a spiritual twist on this: as spiritual infants, we need to be fed by others whether that be through church, connection groups, study groups, worship services, to name a few types of feeding. As we grow spiritually, we should be setting aside time to feed ourselves with the goal of becoming a spiritual adult, able to feed self and others.

The truth is many of us don’t make it past the adolescent stage, and are still figuring out how to feed ourselves. We can’t feed others and fulfill His great commission if we are not feeding ourselves. Why? Because we can’t give what we don’t have or haven’t received! We have become such a smart-phone society that we are losing sight of true spiritual food; not only do we not take the time to sit down and eat, but often when we do, we then forget to digest it!

In Matthew 28: 19-20 Jesus gives specific marching orders for each of us:  ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

So may I encourage you with a starting point: If you want to learn about Jesus, study the books of Matthew, Luke and John; history, study the book of Acts. If you want some life application principles from Jesus Himself, start with Ephesians, Galatians and then Colossians. If you want to read about how to pray, read Psalms. If you need comfort, read Psalms (a Psalm a day keeps the blues away!) If you want to know God’s story, read Genesis through Deuteronomy, and if you want some wisdom, read Proverbs.

We are not alone; He waits for you in that comfy chair, or that secluded place, or that special corner to share His promises and principles with you, to help you understand what you are reading that you may be able to digest it for digestion leads planting and planting to blooming and what we plant in our hearts and minds blooms in our life, one sentence at a time!

Longing to hang out in His Word…

Evinda

Tuesday’s Trench Truth

Thanks so much for joining us for #Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and Trench Classes United. It’s time for Tuesday’s Trench truth, and now that we are in the trenches, it brings me such joy to share a powerful truth we are learning about. Grab your coffee and your strand of faith and let’s go tie some knots in our faith that it won’t come unraveled as more truths are revealed!

Do you have a hard time asking for what you want or need? This is one of the most common symptoms of identity problems, and it could be for whatever reason. I can say most emphatically that there’s a history behind this inability, and history needs to be studied so as not to be repeated!

Many of us have heard someone say, or have even said ourselves, that we are with the wrong person, or “I made a mistake,” or even more common is the mistake of blaming others for the lack of a voice in our significant relationships.

Let me let you in on a little secret: These inabilities didn’t just show up in your/their adult life! They have a genesis, a starting point if you will.  But the longer we go unaware of the root of the problem, the bigger the root. What happens with roots? Unattended roots encroach into the lives of others! This is what I deem relational insanity, but you can’t know what you don’t know!

Taking the time to figure out you so you can do you in any “us” that is significant to you is a big part of the equation of a healthy relationship!

Join me Thursday for a little assessment to determine if you have lost your voice in any of your relationships!
Evinda

Monday’s Mantra

Five-Finger Prayer

Thanks for joining us for Monday’s Mantra & Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and Trench Classes United! Grab your favorite break-time beverage and let’s go ties some knots in our faith through a five-finger prayer!

I have had the privilege of being a table leader for our Discover class at our church and I have to say, I think what I’m enjoying the most is the nuggets I am getting in the classrooms of life and in this classroom! I love learning new things, especially when it comes to growing my spiritual self.  And then, of course, I love to share what I’ve learned with a heart that hopes to encourage you in your journey in the classrooms of life. Psalm 138:8 tells us that he will perfect that which concerns you and me, and that He will not forsake the work of His hands, meaning us! What a comfort.

So, first, to make this even more real for you, get a piece of paper and a pen and then trace your hand…go ahead, do it! It will be fun.

Okay. Now, looking at your hand-traced hand, whether it be your right or left, let’s start with your thumb. Thumbs up, those we pray first are usually the ones closes to us, so inside the thumb, put “those closes to me.” Then the next finger is your pointer finger, which is analogous to those people in your life who point you in the right direction, so write in “Leaders in my life” in that finger. Now that third finger…uh-huh, that’s the middle finger, also known as the middle finger and that finger is to remind you to pray for your…enemies! So write “enemies, or even personalize it and put a few unlovable people’s names in that finger. And then the ring finger, did you know it’s considered the weakest finger? Oh, my goodness, what beautiful symbolism, especially if there’s a wedding ring on it! Anyway, that finger is to remind you to pray for the weak, those less fortunate than you and I so in that finger, write “Weak, those in need.”

And then finally we have the pinky, which is to remind you to pray for yourself, so write “self” in that finger.  Do you pray for yourself, friend? Many of us are so concerned about others that we may forget to pray for ourselves, but just like the fingers on a hand, every one of them has a purpose…and so do you! So next time you get ready to pray, remember all of your fingers to accomplish a five-finger prayer!

Love,

Evinda

Faith Filled Friday

Guess what day it is? Faith Filled Friday; it certainly is.

Ok. I really have to be honest here. I have become growingly weary of hearing the political bantering and hate being spewed. The level it has reached has really been affecting me. So much so, that I had put FB in the backseat for a while. Then I realized I really do love social media. So I came back and just started un-following people. I don't want to discount people or their opinions but I started noticing that it was causing me a lot of anxiety. It was disrupting my own journey toward happiness and peace which I already struggle with. I don't have to absorb it, at least not if I have the choice.

So as hard as it was, one, by one, I began clicking the button to un-follow friends. I love everyone, but it's like people have become un-hinged and can't help but project hate and hostility towards one another. 

I have to admit making this decision has made me feel better. It is nice to enjoy some peace. Funny that although social media is a lot of typed words, when you shut off that hateful energy how much more quiet things seem to evolve around us. Peace is surely becoming more and more valuable the older I become. I want to not only see the beauty out there, but ultimately feel it. Take the time to touch it, smell it, fall asleep appreciating that it was part of my day and just one piece to the puzzle of the day behind me.

It just crossed my mind..."Back to Breathing," which, for me, means to stay the course toward happiness. Let's dare to step back and let go of the pride-motivated hate and take every chance we get to steady our compasses toward what we really want internally from this life. 

Much love

John

Thursday’s Trench Truth

How can we find balance in chaos? We need to incorporate all three God-given components: Mind, body and soul!

Balance means “a righteous evaluation of motives and actions,” and/or “to examine, to make level,” and/or “harmonious arrangement or relation of parts or elements within a whole;” Why is it we leave home without our spiritual selves?

What are you feeding your soul today? Join us to learn how to find your balance without chaos and confusion because when we are in balance, confusion can’t tip us over! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r57y5GI16LQ&feature=youtu.be

Wednesday’s Word

IT’S ALIVE

Philippians 4:12-13:

Welcome to Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and Trench Classes United! I’m delighted you chose to take the time to join us today for our Wednesday’s Word. Grab your coffee, or your favorite break-time beverage, and your Strand of Faith and let’s go tie some knots together, remembering that the more knots in our faith, the less likely we will come all unraveled in times of trouble!

Recently I was asked to become a part of our “Discover” team at our church, which is a class that helps others discover how they can have a closer, deeper relationship with Jesus as well as discovering their gifts and strengths so they can help others do the same. It’s a way to pay it forward, if you know what I mean. After all, why would we want to keep what we learn to ourselves?

Our first homework assignment was – well, let me just say it was a good dose of humility for me. We were to read Philippians 4:4-13, and do a few things, like read it to self, then aloud, and then circle words that stand out, and just really digest the scripture to understand what it’s speaking to each of us. I have memorized three different segments of this particular passage last year, but I have not, at least in the last year, put them all together.

What is mind-boggling and confirming all at the same time is this truth: SCRIPTURE IS ALIVE! See, I’d read this portion of scripture many times, and I mean many times; however, I have never read it in the context I received it this time. See, in Philippians 4:12, Paul is talking about the ability to be content during all circumstances, times of plenty, scarcity, times of joy and times of struggle, and then he says: I can do all things through Christ who  strengthens me. “

Now you may be scratching your head wondering, yeah, so what’s your point? Well, undoubtedly I have used this verse over and over in my life as a sort of Ninja verse, you know one of those power verses I say aloud for my own ears to hear while the words plant in my heart and come out in my actions and then I proceed to overcome whatever challenge. And it’s not that that has been wrong, per say; it’s just I discovered this time an even greater power behind this verse. Are you ready? When those waves of tragedy, trial and torment threaten to overwhelm us, this verse is promising that we will not be overwhelmed by these things; rather, we can get through ALL things through Him who strengthens us.  To me that is even more powerful than using it like a champion trying to maintain his/her championship status.

This is more assurance that no matter what happens, how it happens, when it happens, because He is in me, I will get through whatever comes my way! Now, that’s a power punch!

Thrilled by His promises,

Evinda