August's WOW - IRA or ERA

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

Proverbs 23:5 Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away like an eagle towards heaven.

Wow, I don’t know what you think when you read that verse, but my head and my heart so need this visual truth. It’s almost like you can see dollar bills of every denomination sprout wings and fly away, especially after a session of bill paying, huh? Anyway, thanks so much for stopping by today for our Coffee Hour! It’s that time again, our WOW time! Whew, I can’t believe August is almost gone. Where has this year gone? Anyway, if you’re new to CPM and TCU, WOW stands for Weapons of Warfare and/or Words of Wisdom so grab your coffee and your strand of faith and let’s go tie some knots as we put ourselves into our WOW for August.

Just last week, I parked my car in the credit union parking lot, ready to bang my head on the steering wheel as I contemplated what I was about to go do: -- no, I wasn’t about to rob the bank; J however, I was going to withdraw yet again from the savings account. My mind raced with all sorts of thoughts, positive, negative and everything in between. I was getting closer and closer to the ledge of despair as I calculated how much we needed this month. “But at least we have it,” I muttered aloud. Another negative thought pulled on my emotions, and again I pushed it away with a positive thought. I reminded myself that it never pays off to put our hope in money.  But let’s be honest: it sure does help us along, doesn’t it?

I tried not to dance with the enemy by entertaining the constant thoughts and questions flitting through my head as if they were all doing the fox trot on hallowed ground, but I wasn’t quite able to send all of them out on their butts. I had sort of a scowl in my heart, and honestly, I questioned God, asking Him why I had to be tested so much; I’d surrendered to my calling in ministry; what more did/does He want? A groan escaped me as tears ran down my face, tears that cried “When will you put my husband back to work?” More tears came trickling down as more questions surfaced unspoken: When would I have to stop simplifying and minimizing in the name of a budget, and when would my needs be met according to His riches in heaven? (Phil. 4:19)

What an emotional tug-of-war that was, aka, a pity party and I was the only party present! Have you ever been present at anyone else’s pity party, or thrown your own? Well, there’s nothing positive about a pity party and the longer we stay there, the more uninvited guests will show up; you know, negative Nellie, desperate Debra, sad Sally…you get the picture.  I blew my nose, wiped my face and gathered my purse and phone, ordering the thoughts to go away.  Truth pushed me out my car door and into the door of the credit union, the truth that at least we have a savings account to take from.  Funny thing was I walked right up to a teller; there was no one in line. I guess God didn’t want to give me any more time in my pity party.  I was in and out of there so fast my head was sort of spinning!

By the time I got home, I had left my pity party, physically and emotionally; I had moved on to the next thing: my last class for the semester! It wasn’t until the next morning in my own Coffee Hour with my Abba that He reminded me of that pity party with Proverbs 23:5 and I can still hear Him in a gentle kind of stern voice ask me: “Will you set your eyes on that which is not?” Oh, His Word can really render me silent and humble! And then I finished reading:”For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away like an eagle towards heaven.”

Oh, Coffee Hour friend, there is nothing concrete about money and as I continued on with my time with Him, I was reminded that to have an Eternal Retirement Account is so much better than to have an Investment Retirement Account. What are we investing in? Are we diligently and consistently seeking after the things of God, with God and for God? How do we spend our days? Are we too busy worrying how our next bill will get paid, so much so that we miss out on those moments where we just know His fingerprints were left upon us and He provided?

Really what it comes down to is we just need to be about His business because He’s all about ours and He does have our every need in His heart and will meet it. Perhaps we confuse need with want and when we focus on a want, perhaps that want may escort us right into a pity party. Will we walk into that party, or will we turn the other way and seek to find a praise party?

The more I learn, the less I know, but this I do know: HIS WORD NEVER LIES! His promises are checks that will not bounce! You can deposit them…in the depths of your soul that you may withdraw from them whenever you need them.

As you read this, I pray that you will hear Him ask you these questions in such a loving and assuring voice and that you would know that you know that you know that He will never leave you high and dry, never leave you or forsake you and He will never leave you in time of need…as long as He’s invited to the party of your life!

Love,

Evinda

July’s WOW Worship…or Worry?

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

“Cast your cares on the Lord; He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall.” Psalm 55:22

Happy day to you and thanks for returning for our Coffee Hour and our July’s Weapons of Warfare and Words of Wisdom! Grab your coffee, journal and your Strand of Faith. I’m praying you will tie some major double-knots in that SOF! I left off with hearing the words “worship or worry”!

I shook my head with conviction as I pondered on those words. Immediately I confessed my choosing to worry instead of worshipping. I got the movie and watched it from where/when it had started, ever so slow and sneakily. I should have harnessed it right back on track, but instead I followed the pull and rewinding it and really looking at it, I can see the track it took me to: seeking control! That’s not living up to God’s standard…to trust Him in all things knowing that His plan is to lift us up, not tear us down! Oh, how true it is, another mini download He gave me: the more we seek control, the more we worry.

Oh to be utterly and completely out of control trusting the “One “who has all the control. I guess a good way of saying it is the more I relinquish control the more in control I am.  But there’s more; He wasn’t done with me yet and He added some distance to my intended run! And what I heard next did stop me in my tracks…I nearly tripped over this gentle form of conviction: “Did you know that worry is a form of worship?”

As I stood there for a few minutes, I repeated those words with my own question attached to them: “How and who?”

“Worry is a form of self-worship!”

Ouch… Yes, my Coffee Hour friend to worry and be anxious about anything is missing the mark by not living up to His standard by failing to believe He loves us enough to carry us over and above all that worries us and causes us anxiety. Oh, how I love these promises that come right after the simple directive of casting our burden upon the Lord, our Abba, for He will sustain us and He will never let us fall…so this is as much for me as it is for you, Friend. Are you crumbling under worry and anxiety, or you casting all that concerns you upon the One who loves you and will never leave or forsake you?

Father, forgive me for thinking higher of myself than I ought to by trying to tend to, hold on to every detail physically, emotionally and spiritually. Please help me to worry less and worship you more…knowing YOU got this!

Letting go…hourly…of worry,

Evinda

July's WOW Worship…or Worry?

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

Psalm 55:22 “Cast your cares on the Lord; He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall.”

Thanks for taking time out of your day for our Coffee Hour! I almost forgot about our monthly WOW, Words of Wisdom and/or Weapons of Warfare. Oh, how true it is that the Word is our greatest tool, turned weapon , in times of difficulty, times of reaching out to others, times of joy, sadness…all the time the Word is powerfully refreshing, granting a new perspective, especially if we make a habit to feast upon it! Grab your coffee and your Strand of Faith (SOF) and let’s go and talk about worry!

I am really good at minimizing this word, offering a cliché statement like, “everybody does it,” or “who doesn’t have worry?” Well, over the last several weeks, more than I care to admit, I’ve been in a constant state of worry and anxiety, finding it difficult to take a deep breath, let alone breath normal. Let me tell you, I am learning that neither of those statements actually negates this truth: that while the Bible doesn’t call worry a sin, He does grieve when we worry. Why? Because to have worry and/or anxiety as a constant companion is actually a failure to trust the “One” who loves us so much He sent His Son to die for all that I/we worry about, for every ounce of our worry and anxiety! I so wish I would have had this vision earlier of disappointing Him. I can almost see Him standing there, looking at me run around like a chicken with my head cut off, shaking his head not in frustration or anger, but in sadness, holding His hands out, asking ever so quietly, “Are you going to give me that which worries you, Evinda, that which is causing you so much anxiety?” Oh, what a visual.

I can honestly see how easy it is to get caught in a whirlpool and undercurrent of worry! Why oh why did I minimize the dangers of worry and anxiety? There is absolutely no excuse, especially since many of His promises have come alive in me in my lifetime! Well, I am guilty as charged and now because of what I know, I must choose a different way of stress management.

Let me share how I came upon these truths:

It wasn’t until I was out for my run just the other day that this hit me…nearly stopping me dead in my tracks while allowing a source of lightning of understanding pulse through to my soul. There I was, running…not very fast. As a matter of fact, my thoughts were definitely running faster than I was, felt like at the speed of lighting. Inside my head was what felt like a thousand details to tend to for our Five-year anniversary party which was just a few days away at that time and you would think the faster the thoughts came, the more I picked up speed. Normally that’s what happens…but not this time; I think a turtle would have caught up to me!

As I wrestled with several of the details, I’m sure if someone were to take a picture of the inside of my brain, they would have seen a giant roller-coaster whose track went in every single direction, including dips and climbs, and someone resembling a freaked-out mouse on the track! :-)

I can hear you say, “Why didn’t you delegate?” Oh, I did, trust me…but could have done so even more! Anyway, I’m running along and all of a sudden, in the quietness of my soul two words came up and out and I mean I actually spoke them after I heard them! “Worship or worry”?

I almost stopped but I wanted to hear more…and I did!

Join me tomorrow for the conclusion to our July’s WOW!

Letting go of worry…one minute at a time

Evinda

Faith Filled Fridays From Croley’s Corner of Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” John 7:38

Today I’m on a mini-vacation and I’ve wondered why we came to this particular place, nevertheless I know He has an intentional plan, so I need to be ready for whatever the task is He has set before me. Thanks for taking a few minutes of your time to join me today. Grab your journal and favorite coffee and let’s see where He takes us today!

Have you ever had the “need” to go to a certain place? I have, many times and most of my times have been to the Islands, but I’m not talking about the “need” to go on a vacation or a short excursion! I’m talking about being led to go somewhere, yet not fully understanding the reasoning behind it, at least not at that moment.  I can say I have had a few times, not many, that I was impressed to go to a certain destination only to find that I was needed to go in another direction and found that there WAS a reason behind the need!

We read in Gospels, John the 4^th chapter that Jesus left one city, Judea, to head to Galilee but He “needed” to go through Samaria. Jesus’ sense of constraint (“needed”) choice to go through Samaria was not merely a geographical deliberation, but a divine compulsion.

Sometimes life causes us to leave one place with the idea that we were heading to another to find we are “needed” to go through an unfamiliar place of destination to get what our Heavenly Father wants accomplished, by way of us. Many times we struggle with the fact that when change comes, we are head strong not to deviate from our plans, because of fear, our biggest enemy. If fear can conquer us, His need for us to execute His plan can be quenched.

I know my husband is one that has always been head strong when you set a plan in motion then by golly he is going to walk it out till the very end, no deviating; however there has been a time or two or three when interruptions have come and it changes the WHOLE situation...destination and “need”!! You get where I’m going?

When Jesus arrived at Jacob’s well, wearied from traveling, He sat by the well, and a woman came to draw water and Jesus said to her “Give me a drink.”  One would also think because of the distance in traveling He would be hungry, but instead He asked for a drink. We understand the scriptures to say that Jews and Samaritan’s did not interact or share eating or drinking vessels. He knew this and yet He allowed her to question Him, because her “need” of Jesus outweighed the physical “need” of a drink. Not only was she impressed that Jesus knew all about her, but she was also given the opportunity to have her sins forgiven. She believed He was truly the Messiah. She repents of her past wrongs and goes back to tell her family, friends, and neighbors how she met Jesus and how He revealed His knowledge of her sins and His offer of live-giving water. She went on to lead many conversions in this area through her zeal and love for God. John 4:39–42

He reached out with a divine love and a human sensitivity to a woman who was of a different race and whose morals were questionable. Jesus was always reaching. In order for Him to reach others, He has to use you and me. Sometimes we just have to break the mold of traditionally “religious religion”   which is consistent with Jesus’ frequent examples, as we often see Him becoming friends with those of questionable character, those thought to be unworthy of attention.  Luke 5: 27-31

Jesus gave time and energy to relationships which sometimes meant experiencing pain and loss such as Lazarus John 11: 35,38. He provides yet another life quality for us to emulate; He calls you and I to enter intentionally and sensitively into experiences of others and also to other believers in Christ, even if they are different from us ~ culturally, ethnically or denominationally.

In the grand scheme of things He knows the future when we only see the present.

So the next time you’re on your way “somewhere,” He just might take you “elsewhere” to meet the “need” of someone who’s waiting for “A drink of living water!”  John 4: 13, 14. Till next week...and remember keep Him close to your heart! 

Deb

Faith Filled Fridays From Croley’s Corner of Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

I’m so happy you could join me today. Grab your coffee and let’s look into a question: Does God have a return policy?”  Lately, does it feel as though life has been like mini tornados going off at varied times? If you answered yes, well, you’re not alone; it certainly has been for me. In the last several weeks it has been pretty tough and today was my, as they say, “I’ve hit a wall” kind of a day. I couldn’t put my finger on it until I began taking inventory and realized that I’m coming up on my mother-in-law’s one-year anniversary of her graduation to Heaven. And yes I have been reflecting. I’ve had some pretty hard days thinking back on how difficult she was with her Alzheimer’s. Anyone who has had a family member or friend with this disease understands that it robs you of who you are; it literally steals your identity. There were many times I would go over to help take care of her and find she had no clue of who I was. Now mind you, I’ve been married to her son for 43 years so one would think that would be enough for her to recall me. Yet again, I would introduce myself and say “Hi mom, remember me?” and still see the void and blank look on her face; which spoke volumes.

My heart felt saddened for her yet during those times the one thing that would stir her soul and bring life to her face would be singing songs. Now being a Pastor of a church in Colton, California many years ago, she would lead the choir and church in victorious songs, songs that would bring down heaven.  So when I’d begin to sing those songs, something happened… within her mind something seemed to click and you could see her expression turn from a hard disparaging look to a look of joy and contentment and soon she would join me singing with all that was within her, not skipping a beat.

Oh how I miss hearing her sing and pray; she surely could get a hold of heaven!!

We too must often be reminded, as I reminded Rod’s mom of songs long ago, of God’s promises. The moment I began speaking the Word of God she would finish the verse for me. Oh to know that she knew His word in her heart made for such a blessing for us all. God’s word never ever returns void…it’s not empty…and does not have a return policy. Isaiah 55:11 reminds us “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”

So when life comes at us in a way that seems like a tornado and everything seems to be in disarray, no matter what you may be experiencing right this very moment or if you’ve been going through tornadoes for a while, know you can reach deep down inside of you and pull out the very Word of God you need. How and why you ask; because the word is hidden in your heart and His word will accomplish what He pleases.

God’s word will sustain you and give you peace just as the rain falls on and feeds the earth; that’s a promise and it’s not something you just forget. When Rod’s mom seemed distant and empty, when we began to sing and speak His Word life returned to her. His Word brings life even at its lowest of times. Embrace His word: memorize it, write it down, tape it to your mirror, whatever it takes that will bring you to His promises that are within you.

His word doesn’t have a return policy; that is something we can count on! May your weekend be filled with great expectations of a new promise from His word…and remember…keep Him close to your heart

Love,

Deb

Seven Sacrifices to Joy

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

Happy day to you, and thanks so much for joining me for more of the Seven Sacrifices to Joy! Can you believe it; we are on sacrifice number six! Grab your coffee and your Strand of Faith and let’s go talk about an attitude of gratitude, aka, thanksgiving!

The sixth sacrifice is thanksgiving and kind of works like the sacrifice of joy. What I mean by that is thanksgiving, an attitude of gratitude works like joy in that it can pull us up and out of the murky pits of sadness, depression, frustration and even anger. Much like joy, a sacrifice of thanksgiving is made easier when we stay in touch -- and pardon the pun -- with our five senses. I have learned, finally, that there is always something to be thankful for, truly! Psalm 107:1 tells us to give thanks to God for His steadfast love endures forever … that’s a promise in and through any circumstance which challenges your faith, your joy, your ability to give thanks!

My leadership team and I planned something really thought-and thankful-provoking for the last class of Transform I and I gave it the title of problem swapping. Here’s how it worked: First, in their group times, they were asked what their perspective was on trusting God. Then they were each given an index card to write their current problem that they were going through. I encouraged them that if there were more than one, to write the biggest one, the one really making life difficult for them. Then, on the backside, they were to write how they were going to trust God in that problem for the solution to that problem, based on their perspective of what it means to trust God. At the end of the class, everyone had to put their problem on the table and then we formed a circle. One by one, they came forward, grabbed a card/problem and read aloud the problem, thus sharing it with the group, which means we were learning how to share our burdens. Then they were to turn the card over for the perspective on how to trust God in the problem for the solution to the problem.

There were many “problems” revealed that helped each one of us to not only empathize with the person going thru what they were, but give us an attitude of gratitude for our own problem that may have seemed a bit easier. While the problems were anonymous, I encouraged everyone to take the card/problem home and pray for that person with that problem. It was incredibly powerful, and helped each one of us find something to be thankful about/for. It was such an amazingly powerful moment…made sweeter by each offer of thanksgiving.

We can change our attitude with a dose of gratitude! When we exchange complaining for gratitude, He changes our perspective and increases our faith. When a sacrifice of thanksgiving becomes an accompaniment to any of the sacrifices, its power is doubled, granting us smooth sailing through chaotic storms. Oh, what a feeling, to have peace in chaos! And just think, we have that ability within us to change the power of the storm … by offering up a Sacrifice of Thanksgiving.

Thanking Him while in the storm will enable us to thank Him for the storm! After all, He’s the ultimate Captain of our ship as we go through the waves of change and challenge. Will we let Him drive, thus experience peace and ensuring our safe arrival, or will we try and take the wheel al the while white-knuckling it through the changes and challenges, wondering whether we will land or capsize?

His grace and mercy are increased by our offering up a Sacrifice of Thanksgiving. The worst thing that can happen is your faith will increase, and your entire outlook on this journey of life will change as you learn to be content in all circumstances! And who doesn’t enjoy being around a content person? After all, the price paid for yours and my contentment … whew, well that’s something to be thankful for!

Join me next week as we go to and through the seventh sacrifice and be sure and join us tomorrow for Croley’s Corner @ Chicklit Power for Faith-Filled Friday!

Evinda

Seven Sacrifices to Joy

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

Thanks so much for stopping by for our Coffee Hour and more of our Seven Sacrifices to Joy series. I know we’ve been sitting in the communication sacrifice for a loooong time now, but I’m hoping to wrap it up today, and in fact, my goal is to wrap up the whole series by next week, because we have a real fun series starting at Coffee Hour when this one is done. We are going to lighten it up a bit and I can’t wait J so bear with me; grab your coffee and your Red Strand of Faith and let’s go tie some knots in the final point of Sacrifice of Communication made sweeter and better by the Spirit!

Let me share one final thought on the Helper: I was reading from my Not a Fan book by Kyle Idleman and it’s like he reached right in my brain and grabbed a couple of my thoughts as it relates to the Holy Spirit. How many of us have ever wondered what it would be like to walk with Jesus back in the day, to be one of His disciples and have eaten with Him, been taught by Him in the flesh? Have you ever wished you could be Moses on the mountain in the presence of God, or Abraham, or Joseph or Elisha? Well, I’ll be the first to raise my hand, and my other hand and my feet, too! :-) I have been known to wonder aloud those very things, and to be sort of envious of these guys. But not anymore! Oh, how I have been guilty of treating the Spirit as a second string on a football team, not really utilizing its strength or power unless I really have to!

Oh, but God pierced my heart but good through Kyle but that wouldn’t have been possible without HIS Holy Spirit! See, there’s something powerful we need to be cognizant of, at all times. Back in the Old Testament, God was with many …. And in the New Testament, Jesus walked with many, but Jesus Himself in John 16:7 said it’s going to be best that I go for I’m sending you the “Counselor” to be IN you!

Do you get it? What is more powerful; knowing something is beside you or in you?

Oh but that gives me goose bumps. Never again will I minimize the importance of the Holy Spirit or wish to be someone I’m not in a time I wasn’t to be. See His Spirit in us happens when we confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior. That’s when the communication/fellowship begins.

Now to just allow His Spirit in me to maximize the good and minimize the not-so-good and to walk and talk differently knowing greater is He that is IN me than he that is in the world!

Excited,

Evinda

Seven Sacrifices to Joy

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

Thanks for joining me today for our Coffee Hour! Grab your coffee and your Red SOF and let’s go tie some more knots in this delicate subject of conflict resolution in the Sacrifice of Communication!

So far we’ve been able to come up with a few diamonds in our digging through some scriptures about communication, which actually translates to fellowship. We’ve learned much from one of the most prolific communicators in the Word of God, Paul.  Come with me to discover another huge benefit of fellowship/communication and how we can best utilize it as a sacrifice in our daily walk with our Keynote Speaker.

God knew we would have difficulty in this area of communication and fellowship that brings unity, so He sent us a Helper, his Holy Spirit. He longs for us to communicate with Him; that’s without a doubt!  But He doesn’t leave us without help and that humbles me, knowing He loves us enough to not let us figure this stuff out on our own. What a loving God we have!

We are told in Romans 8:26 that when we do not know what to do or what to say, the Spirit will intercede for us! That goes for anything, anytime, anyhow, anywhere! And that’s not just for His benefit, but for ours. It’s to help us stay in fellowship with Him, first and foremost, and then when we step outside of our personal relationship with Christ, and seek that fellowship with like-minded followers of Christ, we are told in 2^nd Corinthians 13:14 that we also share together a fellowship with the Holy Spirit!

The Holy Spirit is the Super Glue for unity in the church. If we relied more on His Spirit to guide us in our interactions, there would be more unity among the diversity creating harmony that is ever so pleasing to His ears. Whew was that ever a mouthful but let’s sit here in unity for a bit!

Paul tells us in Philippians 2:1-4 that without the Helper, aka the Spirit, unity in the church would not be possible! Now, I don’t know about you, but I like that name, “Helper,” because that’s exactly what He is for us, to us and why He was sent for us, to help us! We are to lean on the Helper and not our own understanding, for all things, and this includes in the area of communication.

I don’t know about you, but I used to lean on the side of forgetfulness when someone hurt or offended me, especially when it was done by someone in the church. It used to be so disillusioning to run into conflict in a place I thought was for perfect people. Obviously I’ve learned that the church is not a place for perfect people – I couldn’t go if it was – but a hospital, if you will, for all of us to go for our sicknesses and symptoms, our deficits and diseases.

What about you; do you let your flesh speak before consulting our Helper when someone pushes your “ouch” button? It is a natural thing to do and consulting the Helper goes against the flesh. Oh, to dare to be different! I think if more of us relied on the Helper in times of conflict we would have more unity within the Bride of Christ, which would be a really good thing for the Groom is waiting and watching!

Until tomorrow …

Evinda

Tuesday's Thinking Out Loud from Diane Huntsman @ Coffee Hour with Chicklit Power

Tuesday’s Thinking Out Loud

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power…

Welcome to Tuesday’s “Thinking out Loud”! This is a fun series that I post periodically as I look through my Facebook newsfeed. I found this post a few weeks back and thought its timing would be great today as the holidays are zooming in all around us! Grab your coffee and join us for some thinking out loud by Diane Huntsman!

I am all about the family picture life. I have faithfully gathered my brood together once a year for the annual family pic’… for YEARS! There is only one request I make of each person in my family: that they make every effort to be available for this event.
There have been some photo shoots that my son literally pulls up from a long drive from Santa Barbara with surfer bed head, arriving moments before the scheduled photo shoot…but I never care what he looks like, as long as he makes it!

As I’m making my plans for this year’s Huntsman photo extravaganza, I begin to plan for the backdrop; it’s every bit as important as the subjects in the pic’, don’t you think? I want beauty behind us, something unique.

As I’m thinking about backdrops for family photos, I can’t help but think about the backdrops of our lives. I don’t want an ordinary family photo, and I certainly don’t want an ordinary life, boring and full of predictable play-outs. But I certainly don’t want pain and affliction either! But wait, aren’t those the very things that can turn ordinary into extraordinary? It’s the pain, the days met head-on with suffering that drop us to our knees and cause us to cry out: “GOD, I NEED YOU!!! Rescue me! Meet me! Deliver me! Teach me what it is I am to learn through this dark hour. And in the crashing waves and gasping for breath moments, He shows up. He meets us, rescues us by granting us strength to swim. He doesn’t take away the pounding waves, but He gives us the grace to swim and stay afloat.

In time, He sends a life boat and we are taken to shore and get to experience reprieve from those crashing waves that cause us to cry out, question with things like: “Why do some people get to have tons of kids while others are left barren?” Or, “Why does one person get healed from Cancer and the other one dies?” Oh, and “Why do parents lose kids to death or to this world of lies and sin and others swim through life with ease and blessings?”

I DO NOT KNOW!!! I scream at the same injustices while in the midst of them but then I have to look to heaven and know that the God who made me also makes the backdrop of my life, and yours. And in that backdrop of beauty there is tons of painful threads woven through to make it beautiful, because if I don’t have pain, if I don’t have loss, if I don’t have lack in my life, I don’t need nor do I want Jesus. And then, ultimately, I will look to my own efficiencies, my own successes, my own agendas and ignore the One who breathed life into me 47 years ago.

It is in my weaknesses that I am made strong in His strength [2^nd Corinthians 12:8-10] and when I understand that, the painful threads in the backdrop of life become beautiful, vivid with grace and love, unconditional love.

This fallen world will always have suffering, my friend. Just because we suffer doesn’t mean He doesn’t care or hasn’t seen our afflictions for our sufferings are opportunities to trust Jesus to make something beautiful out of the ashes of pain…to be able to walk through that same suffering with someone else, to hold their hand, to share in their tears, to understand like no other person what they feel. God intended that we would comfort others with the comfort we’ve been given [2^nd Corinthians 1:3-5], pointing them to heaven with these words…our suffering is for a time, but paradise awaits us, and for all eternity we will be pain free and we will know joy unspeakable.

Our temporary sufferings will not compare to the glory which shall be revealed in us!! Pain and suffering lead us to the Rock that is our stability, to the One who is our comfort in the dreadful pain we run from. I hate pain! I want things my way, but I can’t have that beautiful backdrop in my life without it.

So with arms stretched high, I surrender all and say, make my life something beautiful to the praise and glory of Jesus Christ. Let’s clasp hands and walk through the pain together, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith as He paints the beautiful backdrop of our lives.
From my heart to yours,

Diane

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Share and Enjoy

Who's Your "Daddy"? Jeff's Java Hour @ Chicklit Power

Man oh man, life is so hard sometimes! There is an old adage that goes, "You can't pick your parents," and that is so true. Thank God that He uses all things for good to those who are called according to His will -- (Romans 8:28) -- because if He didn't, the painful things that we go through would never make sense and/or come to any sort of resolution. And what's more is that our victories wouldn't be so beautiful, adding such colors and fulfillment to the canvas of our life, and our faith wouldn't be as deep. But even so, that bright side is hard to see sometimes.
My Dad has kind of been in my life for a few weeks now and it has been the most emotionally exhausting, short period of time that I have experienced in a long time. I can't explain to you how much power this man has over my emotions. He has let me down more than hell has misery. What I mean is after all these years of him being in and out of my life, mostly out, I still get my hopes up every time he says that he is going to do something ... and I still get my hopes crushed every time he doesn't do it. The frustrating part: I know better!!!
For some reason, I am looking for the emotional structural integrity that an emotionally healthy person has, and I am looking for it in a spiritually and emotionally depraved person. It's just not there. This last short stint has made me realize that I need to look for the right way to accept who he is and I do know that I cannot change this person I call Dad. I am praying for wisdom, for God to show me the right way to detach where I need to and still love this person I call Dad. I am looking for opportunities as well as the right way to be honest with him and not feel bad when it comes to letting him know that what he is doing is hurting me. I am looking for the ways to forgive him and still be close enough to him so that if God wants to use me, I won’t be full of bitterness or resentment. I am looking for the right way to take my eyes off this fallen man, just like we all are fallen, and to put them on God.
I’ve realized that it's hard for me to stand on God's promises sometimes because I have it in the back of my head that He is going to let me down. I thank God, though, that He is not like a man that He should waver back and forth but that He is the same today, yesterday, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) And even though I am shaky when it comes to certain things, God can handle it. He's not going anywhere.
Thank you, God, for setting me free. Thank you for buying me back from a dark slave master who tried to steal everything that You gave me and get me to throw it away. Thank You for loving me beyond me and my defects, and thank You for being so big that You can take those defects and use them to create a beautiful picture. You are so very good to me, God. Please show me what it means to truly call You Father, to call You my Dad. Please let me know You like a son knows his Poppa and like a friend knows their friend. I love you, God, and You are my Lord.

Jeff

Have you ever hit a wall . . . and not know what to do? Join us for an answer!

Happy Monday Manna,
Even though another hectic Monday awaits you, I pray that God will meet you wherever you are. He’s bigger than any chaotic schedule, or problem that you will encounter this week. He’s on your side! I hope you enjoy!
Most Saturday mornings in the Castro household consist of caching up on caloric deficiencies that take place throughout the chaotic work week and Kay makes the BEST Ezekiel Bread French toast on the face of the planet, so that’s my excuse to over indulge. Normally after breakfast we get into the Word and pray together, but this last Saturday was different.
I woke up early, around 6:00AM, and called my running buddy Eddie Lopez to see if he would be interested in running a trail in Highland. He agreed and we rendezvoused at the trailhead at approximately 9:00AM, which gave me enough time to grab a quick bite to eat and stretch before the monster run. Eddie is one of my best friends and his testimony is a great one. We got into the Word together, prayed for safety, and then began our ascent up the mountain.
We brought half of a gallon of water and a grapefruit that Eddie found in the groves close to the trail head. Eddie and I both knew that we should pack more water, but as you know, the more you pack the more you expend so we decided to opt for the minimalist approach. The first five miles hurt pretty badly since the grade was so steep and the temperatures were already creeping up to 90 degrees. This specific trail doesn’t provide much shade from tree coverage and although the trail is well maintained, the inclines really began getting to me.
We dropped off the water half way up the mountain to conserve energy and then Eddie and I finally had enough air in our lungs to thank God for such a beautiful day. As we were running, we could see the peak of Big Bear and the ominous series of switchbacks that lead to the peak; we were approximately nine miles in. We decided it might be a good idea to head back since we had no water and the temperatures were rising to 100 degrees.
As we began our descent, I remember feeling depleted and then…I hit a wall. I began cramping and I knew that my core body temp was too high since I felt myself getting the chills and I began to shiver. I continued on as far as I could, but then I really began to struggle.
As I was running, pieces of Psalm 22 suddenly popped into my head “I am poured out like water, and all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; it has melted within Me. My strength is like a potsherd, and my tongue clings to my jaw; You have brought me to the dust of the earth” (Psalms 22:14).
And just then I pictured Jesus Christ on the cross. The amount of pain I was experiencing was not even a small fraction of the pain that He endured…for you and me. I actually imagined a melting heart. I was delirious from heat exhaustion, but nonetheless, I gained stronger understanding.
I stopped and laid under a small tree to bring down my core temp. I remember praying for God to remove my pain. Eddie ran down the mountain to retrieve the remaining water and his grapefruit. What an awesome friend, right!? I asked myself, what was so much different about this run that the others we had done? I then realized that I hadn’t hydrated nearly enough 48 hours prior to this run and my electrolyte levels weren’t monitored before beginning to run.
Eddie arrived with the water and we shared the grapefruit. I instantly felt my electrolyte levels equalize and I felt re-energized. As we ran down the mountain we passed an old wooden cross that overlooked the whole valley area. It was a reminder of God’s provision and love for me. I’m learning that Jesus Christ reveals himself more and more to us, even through times of agony and desolation. He has His name on us and He will continue to reveal Himself to us as we eagerly seek him. Have a great week and stay hydrated! God Bless!
In His Love,

Garrett Castro

Wednesday’s Word from Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Welcome to our coffee hour and to Wednesday’s Word. I realize it’s the 1st of the month, which is normally our WOW time, but I’m still praying for direction as to which verse He wants me to share, so I’m postponing our WOW until next week. In the meantime, I do have another powerful revelation to put into words inspired by His love and patience.

Last week, George and I found ourselves in a bit of a precarious situation where we had to pray and trust instead of worry and fret. The thing that made it a lot harder is we were so far away from the situation physically speaking, so the only thing we really could do was pray. We clasped hands and did just that.

When we were done, we both got up and I began to do something – I don’t remember what, and I looked over at George and he was just standing and staring off into who knows where. I fanned my hand in front of his face to see if he would come back and at least blink, and it worked! Where did you go? I asked. “I’m just worried,” and then he did something so cool: As if God were physically there, he began to talk with Him, and refreshing his own faith with scripture. It was one of those moments in our marriage that I will savor for a long, long time.

So as I share this power thought which is a great accountability tool, I hope it helps you overcome the sin of worrying:

Worry is like a squatter: it sneaks in and tries to stay without paying rent! Serve it eviction papers!

Oh, that we would worry less and pray more . . .

Evinda

Faith-Filled Friday from Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Happy day to you and thanks for joining me for another Faith-Filled Friday! I know I said we’d share coffee in Cabo this Friday, but I decided to save that until after I was back as a way of savoring the memories created! Grab your coffee and come on in!

Last Friday we acknowledged that even the “bad” things that we do and/or the sin heaped upon us are actually part of our testimony, and this is certainly true of the “elders” acknowledged in the Hall of Faith.

Verse 3 has a lot of yummy meat, some potatoes, and definitely some good-for-you vegetables! Hopefully I can serve all of it to you in one blog! I’ll try.  “By faith we understand –STOP! See, that first part of verse 3 again reiterates what I’ve said from the beginning of this series: faith unlocks the door to understanding. Without it, we are unable to allow the things of God to wrap around our minds, let alone root in our heart. Creation is one of those things that we definitely need faith to understand!

Okay. So, “By faith, we understand that the worlds — oops, sorry, but do you see anything in that word “worlds” that causes your eyebrows to go up into your forehead? Well, I do, so please, bear with me.

Hmm, interesting! It translates to “alon” and means age, or time; always and on, being. Both in the singular and plural, it signifies eternity! Bingo! That’s why it says plural “worlds”!

Okay. Moving on through the verse, and I promise, no more interruptions. “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.”

“… framed by the ‘word’ of God” deserves another honorable mention. See, in the beginning, as in Genesis 1:1-31, our invisible God demonstrated all of the senses by first speaking light into the darkness over the surface of the deep.

Those without faith cannot grasp the depth of this truth of creation, but with faith we can celebrate the creativity of our Creator who though invisible experienced the senses of sight, touch, and smell. Read the first chapter and see if your faith helps you see what was/is not seen.

Faith-ing through the journey,

Evinda

Wednesday’s Word from Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Is it really already Wednesday? Grab your coffee and come on in for our Wednesday’s Word!

It seems as though the revelations are coming at me almost as quickly as time is flying by. It’s like the heat has been turned up on an area of my life that I had no idea was in need of such refining. The hotter the heat, the purer the refinement! In this season of learning to unlearn many nearly innate tendencies rooted and rotted in codependency, I must confess, again, I so understand why people would rather not unpack their junk. This has been one of the most painful seasons I’ve had to endure in the journey, but the bleeding has stopped and the healer is restoring all that the locust has tried to steal from me! And, oh, what a feeling! This is what it must feel like when a baby bird learns to fly, or a caterpillar turns into a butterfly!Exhilarating! Absolutely mind boggling and freeing all at the same time!

So this thought came to me in the midst of a storm, a time where I realized that I could be taken to the ledge again and asked to jump, spiritually speaking, and trust that His plan was not to harm me. I pray that you continually experience the kind of peace that He speaks about in His word:

Peace that transcends all understanding is contentment in uncertainty!

Oh that we would be content in uncertainty, certain of our Father’s love.

Have a beautiful day

Love,

Evinda