Perseverance changes lives…yours and those whom you’re preserving for and with. EL

Wednesday’s Word

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

This is a reposting of a blog by Megan, one of our Coffee Hour writers. This blog though written last year is so relevant today and a truth that never gets old. I am confident you will agree.

Welcome to Coffee Hour at Chicklit Power and Wednesday’s Word with Trench Classes United.

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

I remember attending my first Bible Study. I did not know the first thing about the Word of God. Over the period of three years, a faithful Christian friend called me every time her Bible Study group started a new study, and every time I answered with a “No.” Even though I believed in God, I felt nothing I did was good enough for Him. I felt all of my failures were indicative of my unworthiness of Him. I definitely had a tumultuous relationship with God, and the point at which my life began to mirror my relationship with Him, I despairingly responded with a “Yes!”

When I told my husband I was going to attend a Bible Study, he asked, “What made you change your mind?” I told him I needed to find out why God did not love me.

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

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

DON’T STOP ASKING!

Perseverance like my friend’s, changes lives.

I know - it changed mine.

Your comments are always most welcome.

Lovingly in Christ,

Megan

Sometimes we need to let go of what is to grasp what could be!

 Thursday’s Trench Truth

Living Fueled by Hope is coming to a trench near you!

Join us on Facebook to stay updated on when and where www.facebook.com/trenchclassesunited

Love,

Kim-Evinda

You have a direct line to Christ; He’s waiting for your call. EL

Tuesday’s Trench Truth

And isn’t it great to know He won’t have voicemail on! He is concerned about all that concerns you!
Join us at www.facebook.com/trenchclassesunited for a cup of daily encouragement

Looking for a fun filled night full of laughter and GOOD times? Come and join us as we laugh the night away!Doors open at 7 PM, check in by 7:40 PM. Show Starts at 8 PM.  August 24, 2018. Food is available for purchase.
Funds raised will go towards supporting the mission of Trench Classes United: Helping others thrive in life and love through exploring and understanding past and present experiences for a transformed future.  

Prayer keeps our concerns from consuming us! EL

Tuesday’s Trench Truth

Do you have a concern that is consuming you?

Join us for encouragement in the journey at www.facebook.com/trenchclassesunited

Looking for a fun filled night full of laughter and GOOD times? Come and join us as we laugh the night away!

Doors open at 7 PM, check in by 7:40 PM. Show Starts at 8 PM. Food is available for purchase. 

Funds raised will go towards supporting the mission of Trench Classes United: Helping others thrive in life and love through exploring and understanding past and present experiences for a transformed future.

Hope to see you there!

Bitterness and truth cannot coexist! el

Faith-filled Friday

James 3:14 Kings James 

But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.

I find when I get focused on a situation and my feelings have been hurt and my hurt turns to strife, it usually escalates in my mind. I find I began to play out a scene in my mind that’s never happened. Yet, in my mind I'm predicting it to fruition. Have you found yourself doing this? Thanks for joining me today for Coffee Hour with Chicklit Power and Faith-Filled Friday with Trench Classes United.

James 3:14 instructs us on what to do with our strife or bitterness that seems to go straight to our heart. We aren’t to cover up. We are to address it, and I believe God is instructing us to place it before Him because out of bitterness stems actions that do not bring glory to our Lord.

I've realized that by allowing this strife, bitterness, and/or jealously to take hold of my mind, it opens the door to a downward spiral, and a mall issue becomes far greater in my mind and heart than it really is. Could it be that each situation occurs, He wants to use it to help build our endurance, keep us looking to our Abba? These trails build our character in in Him.

Romans 5:3-5 New Living Translation (NLT)

³ We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. ⁴ And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. ⁵ And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

Without these trials of hurt, strife, and jealousy we would never see that there's still so much in us that needs to change. It humbles us, brings us to our knees, helpless for our Abba’s help, for we are helpless without Him.

Be encouraged through these trials, knowing that God will never give us more than we can handle. Praise God for His new grace, mercy, and forgiveness for our sins every second of the day. Take courage, beloveds; He is making warriors of us so He can use us for far greater things.

Humbled,

Ashley

Thursday’s Trench Truth

Knowledge unlocks the door to the mysteries of our mistakes; wisdom guides us away from repeating them. ^el

Join us for more encouragement in the journey at www.facebook.com/trenchclassesunited 

Click Me to Buy Tickets

Looking for a fun filled night full of laughter and GOOD times? Come and join us as we laugh the night away
Doors open at 7 PM, check in by 7:40 PM. Show Starts at 8 PM. 
Food available for Purchase.

When problems are minimized, not maximized, faith is exercised! el

Wednesday’s Word

Proverbs26:20 Where there is no wood, the fire goes out;

And where there is no talebearer, strife ceases.

Have you ever said you’ve forgiven someone for an offense only to find that the next time that anything that even remotely reminds you of it, resentment re-ignites the flame of un-forgiveness? Thanks for joining me today for Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and Wednesday’s Word with Trench Classes United.

If there’s one lesson I seem to be forgetting more than I’m getting, especially lately, is that the more I talk about a problem, the bigger it gets and before you know it, I’ve overwhelmed myself! Or what about when someone offends us; do you ever notice that the more you talk about it the more resentful you are? Oh, but this truth reveals the need for some scriptural sanitization of the mind!

Look at the words in this verse. They are certainly more quiet and gentle than my resentments that can build as fast as a freight train headed to its destination!

What a beautiful way of saying let go, let God, and of gently but quite firmly reminding me that I don’t need to keep adding wood to my tough circumstances by talking about them – in the name of venting – and I definitely don’t need to participate in a disagreement by continuing to disagree! That only makes resentment rise and our spirits fall.

Let’s have some fun with the NIV version of this verse:

Without wood a fire goes out – think about it; can a fire burn without wood? Of course not! This part of this instruction is telling me to minimize what I tend to maximize, and it can be applied to relationships and circumstances!

Let’s look at the second part of the verse: without a gossip a quarrel dies down. Ah, can a person fight all by themselves? What a funny picture, right, to leave a person standing there arguing by themselves because we refuse to participate. J J  But this verse is also telling me that many disagreements happen because of un-truths, aka, gossip! If you can’t say it to the person, you shouldn’t say it about the person! OUCH!

Maybe it’s time to minimize what I maximize, and let Him make it go away!

I don’t know about you, but I’ve tied me a few knots to remind me of these truths in the journey! I pray you’ve been able to do the same!
Much love,

Kim-Evinda

Faith Filled Friday

Psalm 37:5 ⁵ Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him and he will do this

 Thanks for joining me today for Coffee Hour with Chicklit Power and Faith-Filled Friday with Trench Classes United.

Growing up I took care of my siblings. Maybe that’s why others often encouraged me to take child development classes in High School, which I thrived in. Children are God’s gift to me. I love working with them. I always dreamed of being a teacher and/or a daycare provider. God answered, my prayer two years ago, and I have been enjoying running my own in-home daycare. I was content; my prayers prayed since I was nineteen had been answered. WOW! I am so thankful and overjoyed.

So why rock the boat, right? But I find that oftentimes when you are content and thankful, God opens another door, and at first sight, it may look like walking through that door will pull us out of the place of contentment. Let me share what I mean: Just recently I was meeting with my son’s Independent study teacher, and again, for the fifth year, she told me that I needed to go back to school to become a teacher. Each year I would consider it but felt it wasn’t the right time; I didn’t feel like I could take on the extra load.

Well, friends, this time, I felt a stirring in my spirit, and I have been proactive about getting the process started. I feel confident that I can do it! What is ironic about this stirring is that at this time of my life, I am in a very busy season, yet, I feel like now is the time.

I am excited for this new season of my life; I am also terrified.

This is where I will stand in faith and trust and know that God will lead me down this narrow path. God placed the stirring in my spirit, and the abundance of confidence I have in myself to conquer this mountain.  

Of course, this new faith adventure comes with the attacks of the enemy, who is doing his best to detour me from God’s plan, using things like finances, time, knowledge, telling me I am lacking in each of these. I combat these attacks by speaking God’s truths over me. The verse that God has tucked deep in my heart is Philippians 4:8 New Living Translation (NLT) ^8 “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”

This instruction weeds out all of the enemy’s lies.

Has God called you to take a step of faith, a new career, a new school, a move, et cetera?

Despite how scary it may look or feel, don’t ignore the stirring in your spirit, for God calls us to great and scary adventures not to harm us but to better us, challenge us, and to make us more in His image. As we embark on our new journeys, we will have to lean ever so deeply into His strength and wisdom to get through the narrow and steep climb He’s called us to.

Take courage, He has a great purpose for you and me.

Love,

Ashley

Leaning into Him in the hard times helps us to love on Him in the easy times. EL

Faith-Filled Friday

 Faith is clinging to Him in the circumstances that only He could bring us through! ^EL 

Have you ever found yourself in one of the stories of the Bible? Thanks for joining me for Coffee Hour with Chicklit Power and Faith-Filled Fridays with Trench Classes United.

I am still studying the book of Esther, and learning from the circumstances of Esther and Mordecai, both Jews. They had prayed and fasted for three days from ALL things. Esther 4:16

 Esther was about to go before the king to plead for her people and herself, a terrifying circumstance because anyone who went before the king without being summoned by him would be killed.  Let’s stop there for a moment.

Why does God allow terrifying circumstances into our lives? Well, each circumstance, grand or small, is meant to draw us to Jesus, to His Word, and to our knees. Through each circumstance God is building us into stronger warriors for Him. He is equipping us through these times to get better at recognizing and fighting the lies of the enemy. He is placing specific verses deep within our hearts to be ready to stand and fight the lies of the beast. He is, each time, reminding us and the enemy who is on the throne.

I don’t know about you, but sometimes, I say, “Lord, why another circumstance? I can’t take another one right now.” And, I am right I can’t on my own take another circumstance. The Lord reminds me of His perfect word and I am filled with hope.

Joshua 1:9 New Living Translation (NLT)

⁹ This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

I forget during my difficult circumstances, that there have been seasons of peace, and during those seasons, I love to bask in life moving smoothly without hiccups. However, without a mess, a hiccup, a conflict, or finances dwindling, I don’t lean so deeply into my Savior. I do love on Him during my season of peace, but I don’t lean as deeply into Him for my needs. Why, because they have been being met. He doesn’t want me to forget Him.

He is ever so jealous for time with us, and doesn’t want us to lose all that he has taught us to fight the enemy.   

God wants to make warriors out of us! We can only become warriors for Christ by being ever so needy for Him, His strength, Word, and guidance. I will praise Him through the storm, the unknown, and the why’s, because I know He has a perfect purpose and plan for my life. He wants nothing but to bless and love on us.

Would we truly see and experience His love if we didn’t have circumstances that only He could bring us through? 

Thank you Jesus for the storms, the trudge of mud I am working through, the unknowns, and why’s, and thank you, Lord, for holding and counseling me through each circumstance.

Ashley

Pleasing God surpasses pleasing people.

 Faith Filled Friday

Happy Friday! Today I want to talk about the dangers of trying to please others, and the harm it can do to us. Thanks for joining me for Coffee Hour with Chicklit Power and Faith-Filled Friday with Trench Classes United.

I feel the Lord’s whisper: “Why are you worried my beloved over such a trivial thing?” I was worrying, yet, I didn’t realize where this worry was truly stemming from. As I sat in prayer, the Lord revealed the answer to me and I’d like to share with you what He gave me in my time with Him.

Pleasing God surpasses pleasing people.

1 Thessalonians 2:4 New Living Translation (NLT)

“For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts.”

The need to be accepted and liked is too grand in my mind. After reading this, here’s what I wondered: What does it mean eternally and temporally? Why do I need to feel accepted, liked, and or wanted by others? Why is the need so grand in me? I am God’s beloved and He cherishes me and loves me infinitely. He will never leave me or forsake. My Lord is enough!

 However, I get caught up in the questions like: Am I good enough? Was what I said enough or right? It’s exhausting, questioning my every move! I’m learning that I can’t sacrifice my very being to be accepted or liked. What does it matter? It doesn’t! When I have sought the Holy Spirit’s guidance, His words, and I’ve done all that He has asked of me, everything else is to be left in His hands. For in mine, nothing but chaos takes place, disconnecting me and filling me with an anxiety that leaves me lost.

Philippians 4:6-7 New King James Version (NKJV)

⁶ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Do you find yourself trying to please others, in your head about your words and deeds? If so, meditate on these loving instructions from our God for the have brought me great encouragement and I trust that they will encourage you too. Don’t let Satan lie to you or cause you to think of less of yourself because of someone. You are cherished and loved by God. He is jealous for you and longs for time with you. Put your energy and focus on Him and He will bring the right people into your life and help you let go of the ones who aren’t.

 Many Blessings,

Ashley Zito

Maybe routine and rigidity keep us in familiarity! JW

 Monday’s Mantra 

I may use Facebook a little too much but I swear I find the most thought-provoking posts and memoirs. The one that stood out to me this week was, "You can't use an egg unless it's broken."

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

The post went on to say how perhaps we are best used by God after we are broken. I posted this on my own wall and some of the comments were thought-provoking.

It made me think of an experiment as a kid. Hold an egg in the palm of your hand and try to crack it…apparently this is very hard to do. I Googled this to read more about it, and I guess this has been tried a lot! One of the experimenters concluded that if you hold an egg in an upright position, it is impossible to crack.

A shell is made for protection. Eggshells protect life growing inside. Seashells protect the animal inside from harm, which is necessary, right? At some point though, the life inside the shell has to break out to completely fulfill its purpose. If that does not happen, it equals death.

We tend to build shells around our lives and our hearts. Perhaps there are wounds so deep we want to encase them so as not to remember the pain. Maybe routine and rigidity keep us in familiarity. Staying inside the shell, our own little world, feels safe and comfortable. I am here to tell you, you cannot grow that way.

I tend to fear 'cracking.' I don't want to be pushed out of perceived safety. At times, life does this to us just by its nature. Other times, choices we make cause breaks in the shell. I don't believe God causes harm to come to us…but I do believe when it does, He uses it to help us and those we come in contact with. Yes, we have to allow Him to do that. How better to allow Him than to first admit we're broken? It's okay to be shattered. Let's stop trying to hold the shell in place, or piece it back together.

May I challenge you to let the pieces of YOUR shell fall away; continue to allow growth in and let your growth be an encouragement to others. God has a plan!!!

Be blessed

Jenn

Do you tend to throw others under the bus to be in the bus?

Thursday’s Trench Truth

We each were born with the need to love, be loved and accepted and we will do just about anything to get those needs met, including participating in negative conversation about someone without that someone. But when we do this, the cost is integrity. This is throwing someone under the bus to be in the bus, to be a part of something, included with someone.

If you would like to determine the strength of your friendships, join us tonight on Facebook Live for the final relationship/friendship test at www.facebook.com/trenchclassesunited

If you would like to learn more about why we do this, join us this Saturday for our relationship workshop, How to Love Who You Love…

Love,

Kim-Evinda

Inviting His presence into your present will change your future! EL

Wednesday’s Word

“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you…” Kim-Evinda.  (1stThessalonians. 5:18)

When I added my name to the end of that verse, my heart stopped.

It worked!

Instead of staying stuck on pause, wishing and missing, I found myself thanking and praising Him for the moments that turned into wonderful memories, and even the not-so-wonderful ones I experienced on vacation, for those are the ones where He taught and guided me into new waters of understanding.

Here’s another key that may work to unlock your heart and get it moving past the past: God knows that sometimes, this whole idea of giving thanks can really be challenging, but in this verse He tells us that while in any type of circumstance, we can thank Him for something! See, we may find it difficult to thank Him FOR our current situation or circumstance, but we surely can thank Him for something while IN the current situation or circumstance.

So let’s gather our thanks, press into Him with an attitude of gratitude, for this will bring new awareness of more blessings to thank Him for, especially His presence in our present!

Love,

Evinda

P.S. Don’t forget to join me tonight on Facebook Live at 5:45 @ www.facebook.com/trenchclassesunited

Expressing love instead of an opinion will change an opinion every time! EL

Wednesday’s Word

Has someone ever offered you their opinion without you asking for it? It can be unnerving at times, can’t it?

Welcome to Coffee Hour with Chicklit Power and Wednesday’s Word with Trench Classes United. I’m so happy you joined me for some heart to heart time.

So I’m just going to get right to it, what’s in my heart that is, so come on in for a sneak peek at my journal and a personal struggle.

Journal entry: “Lord, I’m really struggling to not stay in my head about people who profess to have accepted you, to love you, and yet…don’t necessarily live for you. At least that’s my opinion.”

What came out of my pen rendered me humbled, and I know it was Him, because Coffee Hour Friend, I know firsthand that He speaks to us in ways unique to us and since I was writing to Him He wrote through me!

Daughter, I’m not asking for your opinion; I’m merely asking you to love them!

Talk about a sweet piece of humble pie!

And then I flipped the pages back in a study I’m doing about being thankful…and I came across this answer to the question: what has been your response to new life in Jesus and in what ways is death still to come, meaning in what ways do I still need to die so I can grow?

My answer: New life has taken time. It’s been a process of dying; some things slower to die than others, and still some things just needing that one little cut to be dead that I would continue to rise in Christ.”

Conclusion: My opinion of someone else’s relationship with Christ can actually interfere with my own relationship with Christ and is of no significance compared to how I love them.  Can I encourage you, Coffee Hour friend as it says in 1stPeter 4:8: Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

Love,

Kim-Evinda

Join us to learn how to free yourself from the need to defend yourself…in relationships!

Invitation Tuesday

Have you ever received a tongue-lasing from someone you love or care deeply about…unexpectedly? The shock value is often what escalates that not-so-kind verbal blast into an all-out disagreement and before you know it, two people who care about each other are on opposite sides of life.

Welcome to Coffee Hour with Chicklit Power and Invitation Tuesdays with Trench Classes United.

What would it look like if after the unexpected tongue lashing, we stepped back, sort of bent down emotionally, in other words, humbled ourselves and tried to sort through our own emotions of it, and then look for clues as to why they felt the need to spill like a volcano all over you?

It’s not easy but possible and powerful for it frees you to really listen without agreeing and it frees you from that need to defend yourself.

Join us to learn how to work through those waves of internal emotions and lessen that tendency to defend yourself.

Looking forward to meeting you

Kim-Evinda

Taking inventory of all He has done is a great reminder of all He will do! EL

Happy Friday, Beloved! Come grab a cup of coffee and sit with me, and thank you in advance for taking time and joining me for Coffee Hour with Chicklit Power and Faith Filled Friday with Trench Classes United.

I am a list-maker, organizer, and like to be in control of what’s happening in my day, every day! I run my own daycare business I have had children come and go, and each time I go through a phase of sadness because I am going to miss the little one and a phase of worry of what child will replace the one leaving. We don’t understand why God moves in our lives the way he does, but as I have been reading Esther, God is opening my eyes. I love how perfect His timing is.

In Esther chapter 3:12-15, Haman had ordered all of the Jews to be annihilated, and it was to take place during the time they celebrate the Passover, which is a time of remembering all that God had brought them through. Imagine with me the children of Israel telling their kids and grandkids the stories of how God had rescued them, and all of a sudden, here comes a letter from the King declaring they would all perish in eleven months! L

I can’t even imagine what they must have gone through, but I know that they received that letter by no accident when they did. All God had done for them was fresh in their minds, to help them mustard up the tiniest bit of hope that God would rescue them…yet again.  

Now, I don’t experience a threat of annihilation, but sometimes my finances do and as I go through a decrease in pay, I wonder why and also how we are going to get by. That’s when the enemy spews his awful lies in my ear, and if I’m honest, sometimes I cave in by believing the lies. This only serves to increase my worry and anxiety even more.

Friends, remember, the thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. God’s purpose is to give us a rich and satisfying life. (John 10:10)

Reading about His provision in Esther, I was reminded of all that God had done for us. Before I started my business we were so poor. We had nothing and went day to day, in prayer, for our daily needs, and each day God showed up. We went from nothing to being blessed a hundred fold. It is so good to look back on those days and remember. And when I do, I can’t help but give Him all of the lies, fears, and worries, because God has a perfect plan for good and to prosper us, and bring His glory. He allows these events to take place, so we are reminded to look a back and remember how abundantly He rescued us, and will again.

Beloveds, if your life seems like it has turned for the worse, remember who sits on the throne. Who knows every hair on your head and cares for you more than the sparrow. Matthew 10:31  (NLT)

^31 “So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.”

 You are His beloved and He is yours. Sit at His feet and reminisce all that He has done for you. It can truly be difficult to deafen all the lies, but as you sit and thank Him, one by one the lies will fall at His feet where they belong. I pray this encouraged you as much as it encouraged me.

 Blessings,

Ashley

“Take Two” of your significant relationship’s temperature!

Maybe, just maybe, you and your significant other are in a good place right now, or maybe, just maybe, your child or children and you are enjoying a great parent/child relationship. That’s great! Then this relationship temperature-taking test can be deemed just that, a check-in to maintain great communication in all of your important relationships.

With your most important relationship(s) in mind and the last 12 months, answer the following questions:

1.       Do you ever find yourself overcommitted, overwhelmed and under-appreciated; in other words, you have a hard time saying no to others?

2.       Do you tell “white lies” to avoid conflict and keep the peace in a relationship?

3.       Do you experience some form of worry or anxiety when you know someone is mad at you?

4.       Are you the peacemaker in your home?

5.       Do you feel like your feelings matter?

So how did you do? If you answered yes to the majority of them, perhaps you’re running a little warm. Stay tuned for Take 3 of our relationship temperature series next week…but for the full picture, plan on joining us for our How to Love workshop Saturday, May 12. Get your tickets today!

Milan & Kay Yerkovich, best-selling authors of How We Love are joining us May 12!

Looking forward to seeing you

Kim-Evinda