When Hurting People Hurt you, What do you do?

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power…

Welcome back to our continued journey toward Destination? Joyful! God is good; all the time, God is good, even when I fall short! Can I get an Amen? Grab your coffee and let’s try and wrap up the second sacrifice, the sacrifice of righteousness which is a huge contribution to our Cup of Joy!
The price tag for a sacrifice of righteousness may be the loss of a promotion, a job, and even a friendship or friendships and the price tag may even include some ridicule and/or mockery for good measure. STOP! Let’s talk about this price tag as it relates to these things that become such big desires that we can sometimes lose focus of their correct priority.
First, there is a verse that keeps rising to the door of my heart bursting to get out: Blessed are those who are persecuted for thy name’s sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. [Matthew 5:10] The NIV say it like this and this translation really spells it out in a relevant way: “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.”
Friends, these words are from Abba Himself! He’s giving us a heads-up that these things will happen! He knows that people that we come to care about will talk about us negatively, say false things about us and cause great emotional wounds, but here’s the deal: most of the time they don’t realize it’s because of Him in you! That’s when it’s really difficult to offer up a sacrifice of righteousness.
Just two days after missing the mark on turning the other cheek, I was presented with yet another opportunity to offer up a sacrifice of righteousness! Ugh, I guess He wants to make sure I get this one, and you know what they say about writers and teachers: they learn the most, probably because we need it the most, at least I do!
Have you ever come across someone who comes across incredibly harsh, opinionated and always has a critical thing to say about someone but after you get past that, you see someone with a soft heart, and other good qualities? Oh, I know a few and God has helped me to look past and try and know them beyond all of that unresolved stuff. After, all, isn’t that what He does with us?
Well, just a couple of days after the last incident wherein I failed to offer a sacrifice of righteousness by turning the other cheek, someone just like I described stepped on my emotional foot and in such a way that I couldn’t ignore it. I waited four days before I said ouch, but this time, the way I said ouch was in love in a card with a letter. I bathed it in prayer and sent it off.
I knew my heart was in the right place; my motive was to speak into her life and not out for the sake of our “friendship,” for the sake of Christ-desired unity! [Ephesians 4:3]
For the next couple of days, I put it in the back of my mind, though it stayed at the forefront of my prayers, and so when a response came at the end of our CPM Board meeting via Facebook messenger, I couldn’t wait to open it because I wanted our friendship to resume – neither of us initiating anything — and I just knew she would understand what I had tried to say. So, I did open it right as our board meeting ended, and got pulled into her message and away from my board members for as long as it took me to read it.
MISTAKE!
The color drained from my face as my heart fell to the ground and while it was down there, I continued to read and what I read not only verbally slapped me across my left cheek, but stomped all over my heart as if to be doing some angry dance.
Join me for my sacrifice of righteousness for this circumstance tomorrow!
Gripped in His arms,

Evinda

Have you ever had to choose between life and death for your pet? Join us for Monday's Manna

Happy Monday Manna Friends,
I’m writing this from my dining room table trying to re-cap the weekend. So much has happened, but the good news is that we have a new edition to the family- Duke Jenkins! All 8.5 lbs of this little guy is completely healthy, so we thank you for all your prayers.
Saturday was one of the toughest days I’ve had in a while. It was finally time to take our little dog to the Humane Society to be euthanized. We adopted our little guy approximately four years ago, and within that time there were a total of four different incidents that involved biting, not including the times he had bit Kay and I. We exhausted all of our efforts as we sought the help of professionals and changed a lot of our daily routines in order to cater to the needs of our little four-legged guy.
I can remember the day that we spotted him at the Riverside shelter. Kay and I were eager to adopt, so we were on a mission to find the right puppy. As Kay and I were making our rounds through the never-ending corridor of kennels, we saw Walter make his way over to us and lay his chin on the concrete step as other dogs were jumping and screeching all over. Those manipulative hazel eyes stared into the depths of our soul! We took him outside for some “meet and greet” time and we knew he was the one.
Wally and I would often go for walks/ runs and I knew that God had brought this little companion into our lives for a special reason. So many things were revealed to me as we trained and ran with this little dog on a regular basis. He used to stray while we ran at night, so I would give him a little tug to redirect him into safety. He would test my patience and I would do my best to give him grace for chewing up our guest’s shoes, socks, and other articles of clothing. I know that God brought Walter into our life for a special reason and throughout his time with us, I can look back and just thank the Lord for four years of companionship that he provided to us.
After his last biting incident, Kay and I discussed our options and after tons of calls we realized that no adoption agencies would qualify him for their programs due to his serious history of biting. We would not post his information in the classifieds since we were fearful that another new owner could potentially be bit. Now with little Duke in the family, we are unable to risk the chance of another attack so I did one of the hardest things I’ve EVER had to do in my life.
He smiled at me as I loaded him in the truck and we drove to Ramona Humane Society in San Jacinto. As we pulled in the drive way he was panting and was smiling, as if to say “Where are we going now, Dad?” I put on his leash and with tears in my eyes we entered into the front lobby. With a shaky voice, I informed the woman at the front desk that I needed to surrender my little guy. I filled out the paperwork and a volunteer asked me if I was ready.
I knelt down to say my good byes, but as the volunteer was trying to pull him to the kennel, he kept crying and was fighting with everything in him to come back to me. I walked him back to the quarantine kennel myself, took off his collar, told him I loved him, and cried like a baby as I shut the kennel door behind me. He was crying hysterically as I walked away.
I was completely heart broken. As I made my way home through the canyon I looked at my passenger seat and sitting there were his collar, his leash, and his intake paperwork. I just betrayed my best friend. I remember praying as tears were rolling down my cheek just asking for God to give Walter and myself peace. I prayed that God would take away his fear and anxiety of being in that scary kennel before being euthanized. I began to give thanks for the four years that God gave us with Walter. We had learned so much from him and my mourning turned into thanksgiving. God gave us that little puppy at a time in our lives when we needed him more than he needed us.
I know that Walter is in a better place where he can run for days without tiring. A place where he has no more anger or aggression and his heart is at peace. Today Kay and I were at Petco to pick up more supplies for our other pup and I saw a dog at the adoption booth that looked exactly like Walter, but I knew it wasn’t him. With a peaceful heart I just thanked God for Walter. Animals are very special and God has given us domain over these cute little critters; their unconditional love comes from the one who made them…
God Bless and have a great weekend.
In His Love,

Garrett Castro

What does turning the other cheek look like?

Destination? Joyful! from Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power…

Oh, it’s so good to write from my heart to yours! I pray that my learned lesson acts as preventative medicine for you in your journey toward Destination? Joyful! ™ Grab your coffee and let’s get back to the second sacrifice that makes our Father smile, a sacrifice of righteousness.
So according to Psalm 4:5, we are to not just offer the sacrifice of righteousness, but we are to also put our trust in the Lord. For many of us, that last part is every bit as hard as the first part! I have to confide in you: the more I offer a sacrifice of righteousness, the easier it is to let go, let God, to trust Him with all my soul hurts, my trials and tribulations, my overall well-being! It’s actually liberating, freeing, like spreading your wings and flying … off of a cliff; scary at first but oh, what a feeling.
Our Father loves us too much to leave us the way that we are, and He does what He needs to do to insure we have learned a lesson well enough to begin putting it into practice. Here’s how I can confirm that truth:
Yesterday, after writing for you, I took a run, still suffering from the side effects of my emotional hangover as a result of not turning the other cheek and engaging and exchanging hurt for hurt. Running is a great way for me to sort through things, get out of my head by getting into my head, if you know what I mean.
Well, I wasn’t too far into my run when I was slapped on my cheek by our Father, in a loving sort of way! See, the very thing I was trying to teach someone about, which was it’s not okay to have a fit and fall in it, I wound up doing myself! I remembered how the button of my anger got pushed so violently, and what I immediately stood for, which in and of itself was not wrong; but the way I stood for it, instead of standing against evil, was where I ran into trouble, literally!
Oh, how the bittersweet taste of conviction filled my mouth as He lovingly reminded of many promises that guarantee HE will defend us; He will fight our battles [Exodus 14:14] [Jeremiah 51:36a]; He will vindicate and validate! He is a shield to those who take refuge in HIM! [Proverbs 30:5]. It comes down to taking Him at His Word and letting pride die instead of reside … in my heart. This is a sacrifice of righteousness.
Easier said than done!
See, righteousness translates to doing what is right in the sight of God. Since righteousness constitutes a spiritual sacrifice, it stands to reason that it will cost us something. Doing what is right many times carries a genuine price tag.
Ouch, when I think of Him watching what transpired in the midst of that ugly fire the other night I think of the price He had to pay for my inability to resist evil and turn the other cheek. And then He whispers I am forgiven and His grace holds my head up again, continue on in this journey toward Destination? Joyful! ™
I pray that my learned lesson will be as preventative medicine in your journey toward joy!
Wrapped in His amazing grace,

Evinda

Me, Turn the other Cheek? From Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Thanks for joining me for this search of joy. Oh, how I long to stay on the destination to joyful! Grab your coffee and let’s go explore more about this second sacrifice, a sacrifice of righteousness.
So I left off with a baffling and mind-boggling question and/or concept, one that is too hard to digest without our spiritual selves, so please remember that component as we dig to understand what in the world Jesus is telling us in Matthew 5:38! The question: Is He telling us to stand face to face with the one who slaps us on the cheek and offer the other side?
According to Matthew Henry, that is exactly what He’s saying! He says: “The plain instruction is ‘Suffer any injury that can be borne, for the sake of peace, committing your concerns to the Lord’s keeping. And the sum of all is that Christians must avoid disputing and striving. If any say, Flesh and blood cannot pass by such an affront, let them remember, that flesh and blood shall not inherit the kingdom of God; and those who act upon right principles will have most peace and comfort’.”
That may sound incredibly confusing, but oh my goodness; I just got a word picture! I hope with all my being that I can help you see it too! I’m going to apply these words to a situation that just happened, in other words, to my drama! Oh, before I do, let me tell you about something else I discovered: the “evil” that Jesus is referring to in this context is not the enemy himself, rather, the human acting in their flesh!!!!! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! I feel like making the sound that the “angry birds” make on the game when they get smashed!
Now, I wouldn’t call this person who sent me to blur with one action and all their mean words evil, although their choice to do what they did felt evil. But maybe, just maybe there’s something to this verse that applies to these types of in-the-heat-of-the-moment situations. At least this verse is speaking to me ever so loudly in a soft kind of way.
Here’s something else to think about: maybe resisting evil isn’t confined to a person who is not a follower of Christ. Could it also apply to us as followers of Christ who act out of our flesh? Could resisting evil mean not reacting to it? Ugh, hindsight is always 20/20, right? If I had stood firm against what I deemed wrong/evil which was being demonstrated by someone I love, I wouldn’t have had to endure what happened next: a complete verbal slapping in front of another someone whom I love!
Let me tell you, I did not turn the other cheek to receive anymore! In fact, I spit out a mouthful of nails! You may be saying, “Well, why would you? That’s not what Jesus is saying in that verse.”
I agree; we are not to be doormats; however there is a fine line between turning the other cheek and hurling nails out of my mouth to pierce the heart of the one who hurt me! Have you ever felt like that; like all you wanted to do was strike back and hurt the one who just hurt you? The line is the line of pride!
Could it be that we are to emotionally turn away from the evil acts of those who hurt us, and face them in love, without retaliating? Could this be a sacrifice of righteousness? Oh, but I can see now how different it could have turned out, no matter how right I felt about my position and wrong about theirs because in the long run, when I’m face to face with Him, He’s not going to ask me about their side; we are going to only talk about my actions and my failure to offer a sacrifice of righteousness!
Oh, Abba, I fall short, miss the mark every day, and some days are worse than others. I thank you for your mercies that are new every morning, for your Word that works as a double-edged sword, piercing my heart and trimming away what needs to go. Help me offer up a sacrifice of righteousness, even when I don’t feel like it! When it all comes down to it, Father, what matters is my relationship with you and my relationship with others affects my relationship with you. Help me to be Christ-like to those who slap me in the face with their evil acts.
Seeking to offer a sacrifice of righteousness,



Evinda
Thanks for joining me for this search of joy. Oh, how I long to stay on the destination to joyful! Grab your coffee and let’s go explore more about this second sacrifice, a sacrifice of righteousness.
So I left off with a baffling and mind-boggling question and/or concept, one that is too hard to digest without our spiritual selves, so please remember that component as we dig to understand what in the world Jesus is telling us in Matthew 5:38! The question: Is He telling us to stand face to face with the one who slaps us on the cheek and offer the other side?
According to Matthew Henry, that is exactly what He’s saying! He says: “The plain instruction is ‘Suffer any injury that can be borne, for the sake of peace, committing your concerns to the Lord’s keeping. And the sum of all is that Christians must avoid disputing and striving. If any say, Flesh and blood cannot pass by such an affront, let them remember, that flesh and blood shall not inherit the kingdom of God; and those who act upon right principles will have most peace and comfort’.”
That may sound incredibly confusing, but oh my goodness; I just got a word picture! I hope with all my being that I can help you see it too! I’m going to apply these words to a situation that just happened, in other words, to my drama! Oh, before I do, let me tell you about something else I discovered: the “evil” that Jesus is referring to in this context is not the enemy himself, rather, the human acting in their flesh!!!!! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! I feel like making the sound that the “angry birds” make on the game when they get smashed!
Now, I wouldn’t call this person who sent me to blur with one action and all their mean words evil, although their choice to do what they did felt evil. But maybe, just maybe there’s something to this verse that applies to these types of in-the-heat-of-the-moment situations. At least this verse is speaking to me ever so loudly in a soft kind of way.
Here’s something else to think about: maybe resisting evil isn’t confined to a person who is not a follower of Christ. Could it also apply to us as followers of Christ who act out of our flesh? Could resisting evil mean not reacting to it? Ugh, hindsight is always 20/20, right? If I had stood firm against what I deemed wrong/evil which was being demonstrated by someone I love, I wouldn’t have had to endure what happened next: a complete verbal slapping in front of another someone whom I love!
Let me tell you, I did not turn the other cheek to receive anymore! In fact, I spit out a mouthful of nails! You may be saying, “Well, why would you? That’s not what Jesus is saying in that verse.”
I agree; we are not to be doormats; however there is a fine line between turning the other cheek and hurling nails out of my mouth to pierce the heart of the one who hurt me! Have you ever felt like that; like all you wanted to do was strike back and hurt the one who just hurt you? The line is the line of pride!
Could it be that we are to emotionally turn away from the evil acts of those who hurt us, and face them in love, without retaliating? Could this be a sacrifice of righteousness? Oh, but I can see now how different it could have turned out, no matter how right I felt about my position and wrong about theirs because in the long run, when I’m face to face with Him, He’s not going to ask me about their side; we are going to only talk about my actions and my failure to offer a sacrifice of righteousness!
Oh, Abba, I fall short, miss the mark every day, and some days are worse than others. I thank you for your mercies that are new every morning, for your Word that works as a double-edged sword, piercing my heart and trimming away what needs to go. Help me offer up a sacrifice of righteousness, even when I don’t feel like it! When it all comes down to it, Father, what matters is my relationship with you and my relationship with others affects my relationship with you. Help me to be Christ-like to those who slap me in the face with their evil acts.
Seeking to offer a sacrifice of righteousness

Evinda

What's a Sacrifice of Righteousness? From Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Destination? Joyful!

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power…

It’s a great day to seek joy! Grab your coffee and let’s return to the seven sacrifices that add richness of gold to our joy.
Let’s finish up with the first sacrifice, the one of praise. Hebrews 13:15 reminds us that a spiritual sacrifice of praise needs to come from the heart and is prompted by the spirit, which is exactly what happened in my situation instead of me resorting to old behaviors! In other words, we must remember the spiritual part of ourselves in all circumstances! A sacrifice of praise not only stirs up our joy but increases our joy! When we offer a sacrifice of praise, that also leads us right into the second sacrifice, a sacrifice of righteousness.
Sacrifice number two is righteousness. Psalm 4:5 tells us to “offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord.”
Well, that sounds a little holy, huh? For me, those eleven words are speaking some serious light into a dark situation that just happened last night! I actually have an emotional hang-over as I’m writing this for you. Have you ever felt like that, a bit beat up and weary? Despite yet another situation rising to the level of an all-out fire, I find that my heart has hardened a bit and I don’t want my heart to melt to make it right!
Whew, I know, that may be a bit too transparent for you but I’m humbled that despite me, He wants to speak to me so He can speak through me.
We will do some digging into a sacrifice of righteousness, but for now, let me share what it is speaking to my heart: See, when someone wrongs you, how likely are you to offer a sacrifice of righteousness? NOT! I guess it’s the equivalent of Jesus’ lesson on retaliation that He gave to the crowd of people on the Mount, as well as to you and me. He says in Matthew 5:39: “But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.”
Oh, but there’s a mouthful right here. Let’s explore what it means to resist because at first glance, this doesn’t seem to make sense without any digging.
My first thought is that resist can mean to turn away from but let’s see what the Greek concordance says.
Okay, bear with me. First, I find the actual Greek word interesting: “anthistemi,” pronounced “anth-is-tay-mee” and it comes from the Greek word anti. Well, looking at the prefix, I automatically go to anti being against but hold on here; there’s more. The actual definition for this context is: to stand against, i.e., oppose, withstand.” Breaking it down, anti is against, and “histemi” is to cause to stand.
So, what is Jesus telling us? Is He telling us to stand face to face with the one who slaps us on the cheek and offer the other side? Join me tomorrow for the answer!
Seeking to offer a sacrifice of righteousness,

Evinda

Monday's Manna from Castro's Corner @ Chicklit Power

Happy Monday Manna!

I pray each and every one of you had an awesome weekend. Last week was an interesting one for me. We had a company meeting in Las Vegas and I drove up separately, since my sister-in law Amanda is still hanging onto her baby at 39 weeks! I reassured my wife that if Amanda did go into labor, I would have the ability to ditch out early but of course this wasn’t the case and she WILL BE induced this Tuesday so all prayers are welcomed! I had the honor to share rooms with a believer and brother over those three days and we had some awesome fellowship.
As I was driving to Vegas I began to think of my wife Kay and I just thanked God for her and all of the support she provides to me. There have been countless instances of doubting my own abilities to lead the awesome team God has given to me, but Kay always reassures me that I can do it. She’s so strong, and I often feel like I’ve failed when I lose faith or when the race becomes too overwhelming. Her words of encouragement always lift me up and I can’t begin to thank God enough for this woman that has literally rocked my world. The enemy sees my weaknesses as opportunities, but Kay always reminds me that my weaknesses are made perfect through God’s ability [2nd Corinthians 12:9]. Marriage is God’s institution, not man’s.
Maybe I think too much while I’m on the road. I’m the driver that forgets how he got from point “A” to point “B,” even if the drive was over 100 miles. Driving serves as private time for me to just thank God for all he has done in my life and although sometimes it’s distracting as I’m trying to pray over my little Toyota’s roaring motor as it tries to keep up with traffic on the I-10, I still make private time with my Creator.
As I approached the towering buildings, the scandalous billboard advertisements, and the bright lights of the Las Vegas strip, I felt like I was too far away from home. I parked and checked in at the resort and found out I was rooming with Mike, one of the strongest believers and brothers in my life. We woke up the next morning and prayed together, got in the Word, and even had conversations about what we though heaven would be like. Fellowship does happen in Las Vegas!
We attended the company meeting later that day and the Vice President awarded our owner with an award that we all pitched in for. Our owner is a prolific speaker (Just like Evinda) and when he walks into a room, his presence is known and people just look and listen attentively. He has a huge heart and as he began to speak about our mission as a company, he reminded us that our primary goal is to serve our members with humble hearts. As he continued to speak, he began to get choked up and so did the rest of the audience. I am so thankful that God has given me the ability to be part of a team whose mission is to change lives.
Have an awesome week!

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Monday's Manna from Castro's Corner @ Chicklit Power

Happy Monday Manna!

I pray each and every one of you had an awesome weekend. Last week was an interesting one for me. We had a company meeting in Las Vegas and I drove up separately, since my sister-in law Amanda is still hanging onto her baby at 39 weeks! I reassured my wife that if Amanda did go into labor, I would have the ability to ditch out early but of course this wasn’t the case and she WILL BE induced this Tuesday so all prayers are welcomed! I had the honor to share rooms with a believer and brother over those three days and we had some awesome fellowship.
As I was driving to Vegas I began to think of my wife Kay and I just thanked God for her and all of the support she provides to me. There have been countless instances of doubting my own abilities to lead the awesome team God has given to me, but Kay always reassures me that I can do it. She’s so strong, and I often feel like I’ve failed when I lose faith or when the race becomes too overwhelming. Her words of encouragement always lift me up and I can’t begin to thank God enough for this woman that has literally rocked my world. The enemy sees my weaknesses as opportunities, but Kay always reminds me that my weaknesses are made perfect through God’s ability [2nd Corinthians 12:9]. Marriage is God’s institution, not man’s.
Maybe I think too much while I’m on the road. I’m the driver that forgets how he got from point “A” to point “B,” even if the drive was over 100 miles. Driving serves as private time for me to just thank God for all he has done in my life and although sometimes it’s distracting as I’m trying to pray over my little Toyota’s roaring motor as it tries to keep up with traffic on the I-10, I still make private time with my Creator.
As I approached the towering buildings, the scandalous billboard advertisements, and the bright lights of the Las Vegas strip, I felt like I was too far away from home. I parked and checked in at the resort and found out I was rooming with Mike, one of the strongest believers and brothers in my life. We woke up the next morning and prayed together, got in the Word, and even had conversations about what we though heaven would be like. Fellowship does happen in Las Vegas!
We attended the company meeting later that day and the Vice President awarded our owner with an award that we all pitched in for. Our owner is a prolific speaker (Just like Evinda) and when he walks into a room, his presence is known and people just look and listen attentively. He has a huge heart and as he began to speak about our mission as a company, he reminded us that our primary goal is to serve our members with humble hearts. As he continued to speak, he began to get choked up and so did the rest of the audience. I am so thankful that God has given me the ability to be part of a team whose mission is to change lives.
Have an awesome week!

Tiny Compromises-from Jeff's Java Hour @ Chicklit Power

Hello out there. How are you guys? My mom says our coffee hours are going well. It’s good to hear; it really is. So I was brushing my teeth yesterday, because Saturday is the day that I brush my teeth – hmmm, why is it things come to me when I’m brushing my teeth? Actually, my mind is always going, but anyway, as I was brushing my teeth, I got to thinking: I don’t think that there is anything that is out there other than ministry that is truly fulfilling. I mean, think about it. If we aren’t serving each other, then we are not serving God; and if we aren’t serving God, then we are only serving ourselves. But wait a minute, didn’t God tell you and me to love our neighbor as we love ourselves? Did you know that neighbor translates to anyone you come in contact to?
My teeth-brushing went exceptionally longer than usual and I continued inside my head, thinking about how I compromise every day, even in the smallest thing, for example, watching a video on YouTube of one of my favorite shows like The Office, or something.
Now, that doesn’t sound bad, right? I am just watching a show on America’s new favorite entertainment medium; but what I failed to acknowledge is that the person who posted that video did so without the permission from the appropriate people; therefore that video is a copyright infringement, which means it’s up there illegally.
Now, I can hear you saying, Jeff, slow down. That is a little much. I mean, after all, you didn’t post it up there, right? Right! God says that He doesn’t even wink at our sin or sin period and we are to try to uphold that same standard as best as we can because it is the Holy Spirit who lives in us and gives us life and direction [John 6:63].
I realize that You Tube and ministry are not exactly related topics but I told you this because I believe God was showing me how insensitive my heart was to things like this because I have spent so long outside of ministry. Something tells me that’s about to change, but I’ll get to that in a bit. I remember being in Teen Challenge as an intern, serving the guys there, and realizing one night that there was nothing that this world had to offer other than serving others. My spirit was so sensitive in those days and even little compromises set off that alarm in my spirit saying, “danger, danger, Will Robinson, sin is in the camp.”
I couldn’t have imagined ever leaving ministry back then and God has recently given me the re-revelation of how important it is to serve our brothers and sisters in Christ and to be a servant to those who don’t know Him that we might show them that there is something different about us. I am eagerly waiting to answer this call. In fact, just a couple of weeks ago, I filled out the “Serve” card, and it had several areas of ministry and then asked for me to check off any area(s) I would like to serve. Since I’m a coffee buff, I immediately checked off the coffee shop, and then in the “other” section, I just added, anywhere you need me.
Let’s see where that goes …
God, please never let me lose what it is that you want me to do. I never want to stray from your will for my life. And, God, I don’t know anything! I mean it; I know nothing in this life. Left to my own devices I am running around trying to save my own skin but so are You and You are the only one who knows how. I love you, God, and I need You. Please give me Your heart for other people that I may see them how You see them. Please give me a revelation of Your love so that it may move my heart to love others. Thank you, God.

Jeff

What is a sacrifice of Joy? Join us for Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Thanks so much for stopping by for our Coffee Hour! I’m truly excited that you’re here! So last week I started a new series, Thinking out Loud Thursdays and it was about peace. We actually did have quite a response to it, but I haven’t been able to ask if we could post that response on the blog, so hopefully we can pick up with that next week. But the good news is we can continue on with our big dig in our search for all the ingredients of joy, and we left off with a sacrifice of joy and how it all ties in as far as us in the world today. Grab your coffee and come on in, with your shovels!
In my research for deeper understanding as to the term of “a sacrifice of joy,” I came upon the verse we talked about yesterday, 1^st Peter 2:5 wherein Peter is succinctly sharing to his fellow believers then, as well as to us here and now, that when we come to accept Christ as our Savior, we become one of the priests in the priesthood, aka, a member of the family of Christ, part of the Bride (church) of Christ. So each one of us are priests! Really? Okay, I’ll tell on myself here: I’ve always thought the term “priest” was associated to being a Catholic and declaring celibacy for all the days of your life, in addition to being completely devoted to Christ, of course. But here, in 1^st Peter, God, through Peter, is declaring that each one of us is a priest in the Royal Priesthood!
Okay, stay with me now because I’m about to get to the sacrifice part, which began in the Old Testament days wherein priests would offer up sacrifices for themselves and for their people – whew, I bet they were extremely thankful when that responsibility was taken from them by and through the Ultimate Sacrifice!
Once the Ultimate Sacrifice was made, the New Testament church, meaning all of us, received the direction to offer up spiritual sacrifices and this is where this gets super exciting. Why? Because it’s something we can do! It’s not bloody and gory, but these types of sacrifices are obtainable … for a cost! Yup, I said there’s a cost so let’s do some digging to see what all it’s going to cost us to offer up a sacrifice of joy.
According to the New Testament each one of us has the obligation of offering up not one but seven sacrifices! Something tells me after we get through each one of them we are going to understand this term, “a sacrifice of joy” a lot better.
The first one is found in Hebrews 13:15: “By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name.” So sacrifice number 1 is praise. Why do suppose that “praise” is a sacrifice?”
Well, I know when I’m feeling like picking up my broom and flying around the room, and maybe even leaving home with it, to just stop and actually say the name Jesus, and begin to think upon things that are noble, whatever is lovely, things that are true takes a real act of discipline. In fact, it sometimes feels like pulling the reigns in on a wild horse that refuses to listen to direction!
As a matter of fact, this very thing just happened the other day as we were trying to get some last minute things done before leaving for the long drive to pick up our little four-year-old grandson for a three-week visit, a long overdue visit, I might add. As the minutes ticked away, my husband’s warning that I better be on time and ready to go at 10:00, not 10:01 got louder and closer as if it were reverberating right in my ear. And then I began to get really irritable, downright grumpy, and I started to pick a fight with him because he wasn’t helping me by doing something the way that I thought he should. I mean, he was helping me but making a complete mess while he was at it! And I let him know it! Ugh… I get so disgusted with myself sometimes and disillusioned at how ugly I can be!
But let me tell you, my emotional thermostat was about to explode and I was headed for that broom and was about to leave home and tell him to go by himself. But greater is He that is in me than he who is in the world. [1st John 4:4] I actually stopped slamming things around and swiping at the counter fast and furiously long enough to say the name Jesus, and you know what? That was a form of praise to His ears! I came to my senses almost immediately! Oh, how I thank God for His merciful reminders of who I am in Him, how far I’ve come, and all that I’ve learned, because I stopped what I was doing after I received a little tap-tap in my conscience that echoed down into my heart, and I explained to my husband, “It’s not you; it’s me.”
Of course he had to have a smart retort and I almost fell for the enemy’s plot to have me strike another match in the now smoldering fire and give him a “WHATEVER!” But I didn’t. In my mind, I just remember asking for Jesus to intervene so I wouldn’t make a mess of things, thanking Him for loving me enough to not let me continue in my flesh without a conscience choice. I began to explain to my husband that while I was so looking forward to seeing our little guy, I was also nervous about how he would receive us, if he was looking forward to coming home with us for a few weeks, and I also expressed a reality that I’m trying to wrestle with: the work of it all!
Immediately I felt better; it didn’t solve what I was having all the anxiety about, but it put me in touch with it and I vocalized it by sharing it, risking my husband’s disapproval. It was out there on the counter so I could look at it and deal with it and become better equipped to get through it.
You know what? It worked. He actually, not right away, but within minutes, said, “I understand!”
My mouth dropped and I actually said, “You do?”
“Yeah, I get it.”
My heart immediately filled with praise, which calmed my spirit and I was able to chill out and remember that whatever God brings me to, He’ll bring me through. He honored my tiny, tiny, tiny sacrifice of praise and turned it into a jinormous praise party within me!
Join me next week for the other six sacrifices, which include a sacrifice of joy!
Joyfully,

Evinda

Looking for Joy ... in all the right places! Destination? Joyful! (tm)

                                                                                           
Thanks so much for joining us for this series on joy! Grab your coffee and come on in away from those things that threaten to steal your joy!
Yesterday I left off with some equations in the form of questions that really have the power to steal one’s joy if we were to dwell on only one part of the equation. And please know, from my heart to yours, I am in no way trying to minimize or simplify the effects of pain, sorrow, loss, sickness, or any other challenge that has the power to destroy us or transform us emotionally, physically or spiritually; I am just encouraging the truth that because we have the freedom of choice in all things, He is constantly and relentlessly working all things for our good and ultimately they can bring Him glory and unite us as His bride … if we let them. I know this because I have experienced it over and over and over again! We can let these truths steal our joy or add to our joy; it’s up to us.
Let’s now move to the verse that started this particular conversation, Psalm 27:6 “And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me. Therefore, I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle. I will sing; yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.”
Talk about another handful of diamonds. Let’s begin to look at them one at a time so we too can offer sacrifices of joy … which I don’t understand but we’re about to find out and hopefully sooner than later!
Again, David mentions trouble here … trouble in the form of enemies. David was one of the most sought after guys of his day, and more often than not, the “sought after” was not in a good way, but to take him out. He spent many years on the run for his life, especially from King Saul who was extremely jealous of David, destined to be king.
Have you ever walked into a room full of enemies? When I think of entering a room full of people that don’t like me, I don’t believe I would have the confidence to enter with my head held up high! I sometimes struggle to walk with my head held high in the presence of one who deems me their enemy. How confident are we in our Savior who goes before us, the One who promises to never leave us or forsake us, the One who promises to fight our battles? Do we believe His promises? David did and because he did he was able to exclaim that he could hold his head high and offer sacrifices of joy. Oh, to be one with our Defender like that.
See, the term sacrifices of joy, I believe, speaks of the ability to worship through chaos, through the storm, through our greatest tribulations and trials. But it gets a little deeper than that. Grab your shovels, and follow me.
In 1^st Peter 2:5, the Apostle (one who was appointed by Jesus) Peter writes: “You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood to offer you spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
I know, you are wondering what in the world does this have to do with sacrifice of joy … Hang in there with me.
I’m so excited because I’ve never really understood this verse either, us being living stones and called priests but now as I am writing this for you, diamonds are sparkling so bright that I can’t take my eyes off of them. Won’t you join me as we stare into their brilliance so we can truly understand the depth of joy, and offer sacrifices of joy?
Join me tomorrow and be sure and bring your shovels so we can get some serious digging done!
His Joy-seeker,

Evinda

In Search of Joy? Join us @ Chicklit Power for Coffee Hour!

 
Welcome to Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and back to our Destination? Joyful! ™ series! I’m delighted you could join us. Grab whatever you’re having and let’s return to our theological hopscotch in search of joy and all of its contexts!                                                   
My husband and I have recently started to read a Psalm a day together, and on the 27^th day of the month – it happened to be our ten-year wedding anniversary – we were reading and I came upon this next joy stop, and I do mean stop. See, the phrase puzzled me so I thought what a great place to go next in our search for joy. It’s found in Psalm 27:6, but in order to understand its full context I think we should read the verse above it, which is such a soothing word for the soul, especially in the midst of an incredibly tough day: “For in the time of trouble, He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me. He shall set me high upon a rock.” Psalm 27:5 (NKJV)

Don’t you just find sweet comfort in those words … in time of trouble, He shall hide me! Love it!
But let’s take a quick look at all these diamonds! We’ve just got to explore this for a minute to appreciate this next context of joy. See, David was a man after God’s heart, and he didn’t just seek God in times of trouble; he sought Him every day and the Psalms are replete with his cries to Abba. When I dug just a bit, I learned that sometimes David used tabernacle and pavilion interchangeably to also denote being in his/our Heavenly Father’s presence. I mean, look at the first words of Psalm 20: 5: “For in time of trouble”… Oh those words can soothe even the weariest of souls.
See, there is truly only one escape from our troubles that brings rest, peace and joy, and that is when we hide in His presence. Why is that so hard to do? I know when I finally do it, I think to myself, why didn’t I just do this sooner? See, our flesh will have us scurrying and worrying over our troubles, but our Father wants us to find rest in His presence. In His presence is how we escape our flesh! And we won’t be able to do it 24/7 until we get there!
Lately, I’ve been realizing some powerful truths in the form of analogies, and this particular verse in Psalm 27:6 (we’ll get to the actual verse tomorrow!) rings the bell of truth in each one of them. I hope the ringing resonates within your heart and reverberates down to your toes that you may experience that joy that surpasses all understanding and that they answer the “why” for a lot of scenarios in your life and the lives of those around you:

Without pain, how would we know the joy of true relief?

Without tragedies & trials, how would we know the joy of triumphs?

Without hatred from others, how would we experience the joy of His love for us?

Without war and chaos, how would we know the joy of peace?

Without freedom of choice, how would we know the joy of wisdom?

Without sorrow, how would we know the joy of happiness?

Without His Holy Spirit, how would we get thru any of this?

Without sickness, how would we recognize the joy of health?

Without challenges, how would we recognize the joy of victory?

Without despair, how would we recognize the hope?

Only God in His amazing sovereignty can work it all for good for you and me!
Rejoicing in the ingredients of joy,

Evinda

How do you talk with an Atheist? Monday's Manna @ Castro's Corner of Chicklit Power

Monday’s Manna from Castro’s Corner of Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power…

Happy Monday Manna!
It’s official! Another week is already here and I feel like I missed out on the weekend entirely! My wife and I are eagerly awaiting for her sister, my sister in-law, to give birth to a healthy beautiful baby boy. They are anticipating that she will go into labor this week, but if she doesn’t then they will induce next Sunday so please keep Amanda and her awesome husband Charles in your prayers!
Last week I stumbled upon an Atheist web page that had an abundance of different videos and speakers that were attempting to “debunk” the Christian faith. I know that I didn’t stumble onto this page by coincidence. As I began listening to these different speakers I felt like I had just entered into a spiritual battlefield as these young people so passionately attempted to disprove the existence of God and His son Jesus Christ. One particular individual actually believed in the existence of Jesus Christ, but she did not believe that Jesus was the Son of man. In fact she believed (like most atheists do) that Jesus was just another “teacher” of his time.
She went on to discuss that she had grown up in the Church and she began asking questions as to whom Jesus really was. She felt that no one could give her the answer that she was looking for so she began to look elsewhere (The world) for the answers that she was so desperately seeking. As she continued on I tuned out and I began to think to myself- “Why is this young woman so passionate in attempting to disprove God’s existence and Jesus Christ.” Then it finally hit me.
The Spirit has the ability to convict anyone. Although the Spirit resides in our hearts, He has the ability to work in/ on the hearts of those who may seem the farthest away from Him. Think of Saul (Paul) as he made his way down the old dirt road of Damascus He was on his way to arrest and kill Christians within the city of Damascus, but God had different plans for Paul and Jesus showed up on the scene. Pray for our Atheist friends, as they are on a mission to disprove the existence of God and the Son of man, He is the only one that can truly save them. As conviction gets heavier and heavier, so do the arguments that defend their own belief systems.
We are accountable to God. Atheists know that their lifestyles are conducive to their own ideologies, so the healthy fear that God has internalized within our hearts grants us the ability to remember who He is: Our Sovereign King. I believe that Atheists have a different type of fear within their hearts. This fear originates from not knowing a loving God that has the ability to meet us where we are and who becomes our every need.
We need to have the answers for these young people who are asking questions about who Jesus really is and why He died for the sins of the world. Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 point to a greater understanding. Let’s join in coalition prayer as we ask God to move in the hearts of these Atheist organizations. A Christian revival within this movement could show the world that if he can change to heart of Paul, of you, and of me, He can work on/ within the heart of anyone. Have a great week and I encourage you to read these two chapters in scripture; I do every time my faith feels mustard-seed like and He reinforces my own understanding.
In His Love,

Garrett Castro

Jeff's Java Hour @ Chicklit Power

Jeff’s Java Hour @ Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power…

How the heck are ya?  Good to hear it… What’s that? Oh, I’m fine; thank you for asking. So get comfy because I have sort of a lot to tell you.
I know I left you with sort of a cliff hanger last week, but before I move forward, I need to take a step back, as my mom always says, and sort of rewind the story because I realize I made a huge leap that caused many to get the wrong idea. I mean, it’s my tendency to omit that got me in this dilemma in the first place. See, about two years ago, I had gotten let go from Chipotle in California; the reason? Well, I began to have a crappy attitude because they had been promising me a kitchen management position and it just wasn’t happening and I began to feel as though I was getting taken advantage of. Hindsight is always 20/20, right? The truth is I didn’t handle it right.
So fast-forward a couple of years to now, actually to a few weeks ago, and I’ve gone through the hiring process, all the interviews, and not once did I mention, hey, by the way, I, uh, didn’t end it on such great terms in California.  I omitted that information on my application. I didn’t tell them what happened with my last experience at Chipotle because, hey, they didn’t ask. In my heart, I felt maybe it wouldn’t follow me and if they don’t ask, then it isn’t lying … right?
Oh, how wrong I was and I wasn’t ready to admit to you all that I had made an omission mistake not once, but twice! And then I expected God to bless me on top of it! Well, it doesn’t work that way, sort of.
See, when you are walking in the Spirit, He does not let you get away with things like that even if they are “little” compared to other things. [Galatians 5:16]
Let me see if I can come up with an analogy. Ah, I have one: How do you keep a mischievous puppy from running amock when you are walking him?  You keep him on a short leash; that’s how.  You watch over him, discipline him, and love him and as you gain confidence in the dog’s ability to listen to commands, you extend the leash but you never purposely let him wander too far off and you always try to keep him within sight.
You know, I think it is kind of funny that God, quite a few times, in His word refers to us as sheep and Himself as a good Shepherd and that is so true.  You know how dumb sheep are?  I wish you could see the look on my face right now because as I am writing this for you, I get it!  We really are like sheep who constantly need to be told the right way to go.  And back in those days, I don’t know if shepherds still do this, but if the sheep would run away a lot, then the shepherd would break the sheep’s leg.  Now after doing this he would have to carry that sheep on this shoulders the whole time and being so close to the sheep’s ears, he would constantly talk to the sheep in a loving voice so that the sheep got to know his master’s voice and he would begin to trust him like he had never trusted him before [John 10:27]. Oh, that I would be like a sheep and just let myself be carried close to Him, and listen to His voice to remind me of these things, like not to omit truths vital to a situation.
Now to get back to my story, I kind of went off on a tangent there, sorry.  So my Good Shepherd broke my leg when on the day of my orientation, I was sent home because they were told that I was labeled a “non-rehire.” I was so embarrassed and crushed at the same time.  I had put all of my eggs in this basket and my boss lived next door to me and it just made sense that this was going to be my job and I was going to do well there. But I was a stubborn sheep.
So you would think my punishment would follow me all the days of my life; I mean that’s what I feel I deserve, but I am learning that our God does wish to bless us despite us, that He loves us too much to leave us the way that we are, with any propensity to sin and miss the mark by omitting a truth.
Just when I thought I would really spiral too hard and too deep, I got a return call from an application I had filled out, and last Friday, as you were reading my blog, I was being interviewed; and it was a great interview. Two hours after the interview, I got the call that I was hired! Here’s the crazy truth: THIS job is so much better for me and my family. See, I’ll be making $3 more an hour than the job with Chipotle, and here’s another HUGE blessing: it’s Monday thru Friday so our church life will not be interrupted! Can you believe it? See what I mean when I say we don’t necessarily get what we deserve from the Shepherd who loves His sheep too much to leave them the way that they are?
There are still some hoops to jump through for this job, but I recognize now that God loves me so much, He had to discipline me.  All in all it was a very hard lesson to learn but as I allow God to carry me on His shoulders, He speaks to me and I am getting to know His voice better and better, to trust Him and rely on Him more and more.
So that’s it, friends, my java joiners.  Integrity will follow me all the days of my life for I have learned the moral of the story: omitting the truth is the same thing as lying, and lying doesn’t represent well for all that I believe.
Lord, I love you.  You make beauty out of ashes.  I can’t fathom Your glory and your power, nor am I able to comprehend the depth of your love for me.  I just pray that you would continue to give me the revelation of your love for me and for others; that it would move my heart to love others like you love them.  Thank you for turning my bruises into blessings.  Amen.

Thinking out Loud Thursdays! Join us!

  

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

 Thanks for joining us for Coffee Hour. Have you ever experienced someone thinking out loud? It can be a beautiful, thought-provoking, question-stirring kind of thing. Facebook is one of the best places to catch someone thinking out loud, and many times I’ve read some things I thought would make great conversation for our Coffee Hours. More recently, I read someone’s thoughts about peace that I just couldn’t pass up. My hope is that it will have you thinking out loud as well and quench your thirst for something we all long for. Grab your coffee and come on in for some great thoughts on the subject of peace, initiated by a fellow trench-class student now friend, Jenn Woosley.
Peace is an interesting subject. Is it something to be grasped? Is it a destination? Is it something to pursue? Is it a feeling or a state of mind? What is it and how do we get it? I think Jenn found some answers from her pastor as he spoke from the pulpit on this very subject.    
“I heard the most amazing sermon. It was on the subject of peace, something that I feel this world demonstrates a lack of, and something that most of us can attest to wanting, if not craving. Peace is an internal thing, something I have searched for, almost wrestled with, for a very long time.
"Much of what the pastor said was profound, but this one statement stuck out the most: ‘Peace comes from facing reality, not fleeing reality’!"
Can you see why I wanted to share this thinking out loud? As I read this, and re-read it, I couldn’t help but agree with this statement wholeheartedly and I could see why it grabbed Jenn’s attention and knocked on the door of her soul. Unfortunately, many think the opposite is true; that they will find peace by running from reality. I know this because I used to be one of those many!
Oops, let’s continue with Jenn’s thoughts:
“He pointed out how often we use things to avoid reality, things such as busyness, work, food, drugs, alcohol, sex, and a whole host of other addictions, all in the pursuit of peace. But as the pastor explained, these poor substitutes are facades, aka, the peace that the world offers. But Jesus offers a whole other form of peace...by first helping us face our reality; and then He walks through it with us. He does not always change reality, but He goes through it with us.
“I absolutely love that I am finally learning this in my own life. I wish I could not only share this with everyone, but be assured that they’d get it; however, one thing’s for sure: we each have our own journey, paved with trials, triumphs, discoveries and unfortunately denials. But I’ll share it here and think out loud so you can think on it, if you wish.”
So what is peace to you? We’d love to hear some of your thinking out loud! "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give as the world gives. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let it be afraid." John 14:27   See, Jesus told His disciples, and all of us, long ago, whatever is trying to steal your peace, He has already overcome it all!
In His perfect peace,

When You Just Don't Get It...Continued at Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

Welcome back to our series about understanding and faith. I hope you are able to see that it’s sometimes God’s intent that we don’t understand, as He waits ever so patiently watching us as the scenes of our life play out which He has ordained. I imagine Him up there not watching in suspense, but with proud anticipation to see if we will just faithe (rhymes with bathe) thru them, holding His hand, trusting that His plan for us is to love us, prosper us, build us up, not to tear us down. Grab your coffee and come on in for more of this true story that adds brilliance to this diamond of scripture Proverbs 3:5-6.
By the end of our first day on the road back home, my heart was sad but happy, too. How can that be? I had much to be thankful for. I had talked with Jeff a couple of times already – I could hear sadness in his voice and while I don’t like to know he’s sad, it makes me glad to know he misses his mom. But I KNEW he was going to be okay; he was where he was supposed to be. When we are able to find things to be thankful for, the light of thanksgiving casts a shadow over sadness, sending it backwards into the backdrops of life.
See, one of the last things Jeff had said to me before I left and as he held me close was he would for sure return my phone calls a lot quicker! He made good on his promise. That first day of statewide separation brought with it a glimpse of hope and promise that our communication would become even stronger. I let that realization plant in my heart and the hope that came with it. All of this was worth more than understanding it all in the moment.
The days ahead showed they were right where they were supposed to be. Lauren got settled in with working from home; the kids were registered in school, doctors located, and oh, the fun they were having exploring being in a new place, especially surrounded by Lake Travis.
For the first two weeks I remember scrolling through my Facebook feed starving for signs of life from them! I was rewarded almost every time! We experienced their explorations, albeit secondhand, and the thrill I felt for them combined with the assurance that Abba had brought them there and would see them through this new season filled my soul, confirming that it was best to lean not on my own understanding, but in all my ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct my path … and if that physical path means away from my son, then I will trust Him, knowing when He joins our paths for visits, they will merge but for a time and I will soak up every minute of that merging … allowing faith to carry me through the separations.
For those of you who are regular Coffee Hour friends, may I encourage you to read my son’s blog, Jeff’s Java Hour right here at Chicklit Power, for more on this very subject wherein he shares some immense disillusionment about traveling across the country for a job that he didn’t get! But oh, how amazed I am at our Father’s loving hand in it all, His plan that Jeff, or any of us, were unable to see, a plan that tested Jeff’s ability to faithe thru it that he would experience the unconditional love and trustworthiness of his loving Heavenly Father!
Faith-ing thru the journey

ey,
Evinda

When You Just Don't Get It - Encouragement from Chicklit Power

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

Welcome to Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and to more of September’s Words of Wisdom and Weapons of Warfare found in the wise book of Proverbs! I pray that as I share a true story full of facets of not understanding that require faith to get through, that your journey with our loving Father is encouraged. Grab your coffee and come on in.
The morning after unloading the truck, my daughter-in-love began to feel a little better, and her tug-of-war with feeling overheated and then chilled with goose-bumps to prove it, as well as nausea had faded off into the distance, though we still insisted she take it easy. And by the end of the third day, we had unburied the kids’ room, organized their closet, dressers, and even hung a couple of nets up for all their stuffed animals. Ye gads, they have so many that I think a life sized hammock would work better! :)
And by the time George and I left, much of what they needed was put away in its new place; home was established. It made saying good-bye a fraction of an inch easier … but oh, was that ever the toughest good-bye I’ve ever had to say.

Don't understand why I have to say good-bye

As it got closer, in hours and then down to minutes, my eyes were a constant faucet. Suddenly all I could think about was no more Monday lunches with my son and granddaughter, and those occasional weekend sleepovers with all of them where we all woke up with laughter and joy in our hearts, ready to embrace the day …. Those are gone, too. Just knowing I couldn’t get in my car and stop by, nor could they, was almost like a panic button on the door of my heart; and I had no idea how I’d get through it.

To complicate my understanding further, filling my eyes even more as I stared at my grand-kids, both of whom I was just building something really sweet, hoping to imprint their hearts in ways that would inspire them as they grow older and wiser, the thoughts kept coming: not being able to pick them up and go to the beach, or wherever, not being able to physically hold them, put their little faces in my hands and look into their sweet eyes, carry on amazing conversations and listen to them … Yes, as the clock turned, the seconds passing by so quickly, our time to leave approached as if to whisk me away. I wished I could stop time and just stay physically there, but I couldn’t.
I kept trying to shake off what felt like a dismal ending, reminding myself that after all, I could visit those truths on the long drive back. I didn’t want anything to do with turning their blessing into a curse! And, yes, I know, now I have a different place to visit; I get all that ... but this is a big change and I will  need my faith fueled by my relationship with my Father to get me thru it.
So instead I soaked up every moment I could, exchanging tears for laughter, hugs and kisses, and as Jeff and Lauren walked us to our car, our last moment made memory was packed with a burst of laughter that carried them all the way back to their apartment!




I didn’t understand why this separation had to take place, but I did know God had ordained it and where He guides, He provides. Please join me 2morrow for more of this month’s WOW!
Faith-ing thru the change,

Evinda