We choose what we believe or disbelieve

 Tuesday’s Trench Truth

If this is true, who has the power over your thoughts?

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Love,

Kim-Evinda

Spiritual fitness is to the soul what physical fitness is to the body. EL

 Wednesday’s Word

Have you ever heard of “The 7 Sins,” or “The 7 Presumptuous Sins”? Actually, I’ve heard these phrases several times and have been curious about their origin and meaning, but I just haven’t gotten around to studying them…that is until a sweet, sweet young lady that I’ve been mentoring pointed them out with a question.

She showed me a passage of scripture she had circled and outside of the circle was a big question mark. It was this portion of scripture, Proverbs 6:6-19, and as soon as I read it, I had my own a-ha moment for finally I was reading about “The 7 Sins”! To paraphrase, they are: pride, envy, lust, gluttony, anger, greed or sloth. Let’s push the pause button right here!

What caused my heart to pitter-patter was the definition for the 7^th sin, sloth. Sloth means “the avoidance of physical or spiritual work.” 

I must admit, I’m ecstatic to see that “spiritual” work is included! What does “spiritual work” mean to you?

We all encounter slothful or lazy people but how would you describe someone who is spiritually slothful? We are told in Philippians2:2 that we are to work out our salvation…and I do believe that is a daily workout! When I go to the gym, I usually have a routine, if you will, to exercising. I usually start with some cardio, and then I concentrate on at least two muscle groups. And I don’t take a long time to do it, but I get it done!

What does a spiritual workout look like? Now, don’t misunderstand me and think I’m saying our salvation is procured by works because it’s not. Our salvation is procured by grace, not works, but it is an exercise to be completed daily; otherwise, how will your spiritual muscles grow?

Diet and exercise do not just apply to the physical being! We are created mind, body and soul and when we feed and/or exercise the body without feeding and/or exercising the soul, we are out of balance. It’s kind of analogous to a car without the fourth tire, or a boat without a captain, or even more dramatic and traumatic, a plane without a pilot.  We’ve got to avoid becoming an emotional wreck and out of balance as a result of spiritual slothfulness. 

To create a spiritual diet, think of it as Digesting Internally Eternal Things.  What does that mean? Well I’ll answer with a question: Did you know what goes in is what comes out?   What are you taking in with your eyes, ears and mind…spiritually? You can always begin your spiritually fit routine with prayer! He loves it when you talk with Him and consistent communication with Him is sure to grow your spiritual muscles! Start planning your spiritual diet that you may become spiritually fit and not considered spiritually slothful!

Thoughtfully,

Kim-Evinda

Happy 8th Birthday

​8 years ago God begin the wildest roller coaster ride I've ever been on! I wouldn't trade it for the world and I'm still seat-belted in looking forward to many more years of serving him and others that they may thrive in life and love.
Love,
Kim-Evinda

TRUTH: LOVE WINS EVERY TIME!

Faith Filled Friday

Recently, I made a decision and I felt justified by my decision to remove certain people from my life. Now I didn’t make a big deal or scene with this decision I made; it was a decision I had made in my heart and mind. I felt no remorse for it and was convinced that God was behind this decision. You see I have been hurt by these people all my life, and my weary heart could not withstand it any longer, or so my weary self thought.

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

 Last Sunday during worship they played a song that talked about fighting for love. As I sang this song, tears flooded my face. I was to fight to love these people, not for me, but for God because this is what He instructs us to do. I cried my broken and weary heart out to the Lord. I came before him standing, but in my spirit, I was on my face asking God to forgive my wretched heart. After worship, I dried my tears, and the pastor begins to speak in 1 Peter about loving your brothers fervently.  As I am listening to the message the tears continued to flood down my face. I couldn’t contain them. My purpose is to show Christ's love, and here my heart and mind’s decision was the furthest thing from His love.

1Peter 1:22 New King James Version (NKJV)

The Enduring Word

²² Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth ^[a]through the Spirit in ^[b]sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,

Looking back, I do recall a period of my life where I had fallen away from the Lord, and lived my life the way I wanted for my pleasures, and didn’t want anything to do with God. Yet, He still loved me and sought after me, and here I am throwing in the towel. Needless to say, my heart was convicted to the core, but I love how gentle and tender God is with correcting us. He does it with grace and love.

Can I encourage you beloveds, if there is someone difficult in your life who causes you pain or hurt, just ask God how you are to love them and for the strength to do so. It could be either through prayer or actions, a smile or a simple “How are you?”

You see when we put ourselves and our feelings down and allow God to work it’s not us they see but Christ who lives in us. Let’s be like Jesus, though we didn’t deserve his love or grace, He still gave it abundantly. Let us follow in His footsteps. 

1 Corinthians13:4-8 New King James Version (NKJV)

⁴ Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not ^[a]puffed up; ⁵ does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, ^[b]thinks no evil; ⁶ does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; ⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

⁸ Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

Love,

Ashley

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

There’s no such thing as a perfect person; but there is a person perfect for you! EL

Wednesday’s Word

It’s that time of year again: school’s out for summer, vacations are being planned and couples are endeavoring to embark upon the waves of marriage, committing to do so before friends and family. Thanks for joining me today for Coffee Hour with Chicklit Power and Wednesday’s Word with Trench Classes United.

I love weddings for lots of reasons, the first being it refreshes my own marriage commitment.  Last week I got to attend a long-awaited wedding. So many of us have prayed that God would bless this guy with someone to love and be loved by. What’s crazy is her family and friends had been praying the same prayer for years!

Their wedding was one of the sweetest, simplest ceremonies I’ve ever attended. It was a wedding I am certain I will never forget. The bride’s brother married them and it was obvious he was significantly emotionally invested in his sister’s happiness. Several times throughout the ceremony he had to stop to catch his breath…and dry the tears of joy.

He began his message with Exodus 14:14: “I will fight for you; you need only to be still.” These were the words the Lord spoke to Moses to give to His people as they wandered in the desert for 40 years, a long time to get where they wanted to be: the Promised Land.

He shared a common piece to both of their stories: they each had been heartbroken several times, had waited for a long, long time for the right person, and had wondered if God was ever going to answer their prayer for a lifelong partner. They both had nearly given up, tired of hearing their own prayers…but the Lord had fought for them and brought them to each other. It was in the struggle that they learned to be still, to trust Him.

Her brother then said: “I’d like to say that now that you’ve found each other, and you’re getting married, that you will have entered the Promised Land;” we all laughed. “But that is certainly not the case.” I absolutely loved the truths that followed and to summarize, he compared the Children of Israel’s journey into the Promised Land to marriage; that there will be times of pain, sorrow, doubt, going without…but remember, the Lord will fight for you; you need only be still.

So, Coffee Hour Friend, what has you struggling emotionally, physically and/or spiritually? Can I encourage you to take this promise to the bank, trusting that it will not bounce; it’s a guaranteed, already-paid for promise! He will fight for you; He has your very best interest at heart.

Love,

Kim-Evinda

The chaos in our minds can drown out the whispers of God EL

^{Faith Filled Friday}

^{If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. (James 1:5) Sounds simple, huh?}

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

^{What a glorious verse! He is always so faithful to give us all that we need. I find at times when I ask for wisdom that I can’t quite make out what the Lord is saying to me or if He is even talking to me. Sometimes He seems quiet. Recently during such a time as this, I sat in prayer, I felt the Lord calling me to a fast.}

^{As I began my fast, I noticed after a few days a calm and peace come over me.}  

^{Before my fast, I was trying to figure out why things weren’t happening the way I thought they should be. I own my own business and it felt like business was slow. To me it was turtle-pass slow, and I didn’t understand why.  I couldn’t understand the whys, and the enemy took full advantage of answering my whys with his lies, which I admit, I began to digest and believe them…but only momentarily.}

^{As I fasted, I let go of all my whys regarding all things in my life. I laid them before the Lord, just as we are lovingly guided to do in 2 Corinthians 10:5:  “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.”}

^{You see, as I took my thoughts captive to the Lord, all the noise of my flesh and the enemy fell away. It was quiet, and I could once again hear the small still voice of the Lord. It was the chaos of my whys and the digesting of the enemy’s lies that made it impossible for me to discern the voice of God.}

^{Are you feeling like God is being silent? Are you wondering why He isn’t answering your prayer for wisdom and guidance? He may be speaking, but the chaos raging inside your head may be making it impossible for you to discern His voice, or, alternatively, God may not be ready to answer your prayer for He may have something far greater for you.}

^{Coffee Hour friend, may I encourage you with this truth: He always has wisdom, love, and encouragement to speak into our hearts and minds. It’s up to us to lay our thoughts captive at His feet, so we can discern our Heavenly Father’s words of love that He is continuously speaking over us.} 

^{Have a great weekend}

^Ashley

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