Faith Filled Fridays From Croley’s Corner of Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

Let Your hand become my help, for I have chosen Your precepts. Psalm 119:173
Good morning and thanks for joining me today. Grab your favorite beverage and journal. My prayer has been as you read each week’s blog that you gain sweet insight into His Word. So let’s get started.
For many who know my testimony, you know our daughter was diagnosed at the age of 11 with an incurable disease by the terms of doctors called “Gaucher” (although this disease is inherent) and there are many pieces to this puzzle, a picture that hasn’t exactly been completed but I totally trust God is in control. I can recall when she was in the third grade she came home from school, excited that on this particular day she had access to this little mound and was able to tell others about Jesus. She exclaimed in her tiny little voice, “There were a lot of kids, mom, and they listened.” Within a few short weeks her territory grew and it’s been growing ever since. Oh the heart of a missionary or even an evangelist, at that.
Which brings me to 1 Chronicles 4:9-10. This portion of scripture describes a man who was more honorable than his brothers, which tells me there must have been some dishonor within the family, and his mother called his name Jabez, because she bore him in pain. We go on to read in verse 10 that Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested.
We find shortly after Jabez speaks he’s asking for a blessing. So what do you think Jabez is thinking when asking for a blessing? Does it sound selfish? Could it be that he is requesting for a relationship with God? "Blessing" is drawing near to God, to be close to God, to walk with Him, finding Him and knowing Him personally. Oh to be filled with His wisdom and to understand His loving, forgiving heart; all of this is part of a "blessing" and this is what Jabez is praying for.
Many of us have heard different messages on The Prayer of Jabez and is a wonderful reminder because it encourages us to look to Jabez's prayer as one of many biblical models of prayer worthy of emulation. We must understand that true prayer does not consist of a set of repetitions or chants working to provoke a particular response from God. God is not a genie in a bottle, waiting to be enticed/lured out so He can grant wishes. But rather, prayer is about aligning your mind and heart with God's purposes.
Jabez is the only exception I have seen in Scripture to have a life without pain; yet sometimes pain is often necessary to mold us and shape us. Although our daughter’s healing has not manifested this does not stop her from enlarging her territory for the Kingdom. Anyone that knows her sees the heart of Jesus…yes, that’s what I said…sees the heart of Jesus. Her love for many is likened as the cry from Jabez. Can God enlarge our territory and entrust us to use it for His purposes regardless of our circumstances? Absolutely, He can! God truly wants to increase our territory to have greater influence in the world around us...and that would make us Kingdom builders!! Till next week,
Love Deb

Jenn's Journey from Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

Happy Memorial Day! We often use this day as a reason to vacation, barbecue or just have a day off..all good things. However, let's not forget the real reason behind it, and that is to remember those who have served our country. The sacrifice they and their families make is huge!! Send up a prayer of thanks will you? Thank YOU for joining me today!

I've written a lot recently about my daughter..but today I have some thoughts brought on by an experience at my 'other' job. I am a dental hygienist, as a matter of fact, I graduated 21 years ago this Memorial Weekend. Wow, where has that time gone? I enjoy my job because of the people I get to meet and talk with. Somehow I manage to get in some conversation with most of my patients in between the scraping and polishing. I've met some wonderful and unique people throughout my career..oh the stories I can tell. :)

The other day I had a patient whose treatment required anesthetic. She'd put off her dental appointments which resulted in needing a 'deeper' cleaning which would cause some extra sensitivity and pain. I always attempt to make this procedure as pain free as possible and there are several ways to do just that. Well, the first option was not as successful as I'd hoped and the patient was still feeling pain. So, I had to go with plan B. Now that involved a shot, which most people despise, and I don't blame them, but in the end it numbs the gums and teeth so the patient can have a more comfortable experience. Just as I began to give her the injection, she refused it. She told me in no uncertain terms that I was not to touch her with 'that thing'. At this point I was not sure how to help her. She was frustrated, but told me that she would "just deal with it." I had no choice but to go ahead and treat her.

I found myself reflecting on this situation and it made me think. How often do I refuse help that is offered to me? How often do I say I will just deal with something rather than find a solution? Do I put up with unnecessary pain out of stubbornness? Oh, these questions sting! I can answer yes to all of them. I know that I have clung to old habits stubbornly, out of fear of letting them go. I have ignored that still, small voice showing me a new path. I've chosen my way over and over instead of opening my heart and mind to what God is showing me. I dare say you, my dear reader, can look back to some times you've done the same thing.

Thank God He is patient with us. Psalm 86:5 says "But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, Slow to anger and abundant in loving kindness and truth." He is right there, waiting until we are ready to take what He has to offer. If we care to avoid pain in the first place, He's given us the Ten Commandments..which were set up as a guideline for a happy and abundant life. Being human, as we are, He knew we'd fail or refuse them..and He has a plan for that too. There is a plan B. He has something for the pain. He says "“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

At the end of the appointment the other day, my patient said to me "Thank you so much for being patient with me and helping me." God is doing that for me..for you. All we have to do is accept!

Until next week, be blessed,

Jenn

Coffee in Cabo from Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Thanks so much for joining me for Coffee Hour and Cabo memories. I think this is every bit as fun as scrapbooking, actually a bit easier because I can definitely write/type faster than I can scrapbook! Grab your coffee and come on in.

On Thursday evening, we went to the Beach Party put on by the resort. I was anticipating another fun time, hoping to laugh like no one was listening and dance like no one was watching, just like we had unexpectedly at the Fiesta. Right after dinner, the Emcee got us up and out of our chair into a conga line. The party was definitely starting, but this time, George and Rodney stayed back and Cheryl and I joined the line.

The song hadn’t even finished and Roberto stopped everyone and began explaining the Limbo. The more he explained, the more people left the line. I was up for the challenge, and so was Cheryl, though she was a bit hesitant. When it came my turn, I confidently walked forward, practicing the positioning that Roberto had explained to us: bend down, thrust hips out, shoulders back and walk!

I got closer to the bar and bent down, thrust my hips back and began to walk forward, that is until a pop that I swore everyone heard stopped me. For a brief second, my body broke out in a sweat and instantaneous paralysis, but pride pushed me forward. The crowd cheered their approval for me to continue on in the contest, but I went straight to our table not stopping to collect $200. I was in excruciating pain. I don’t know if I pulled my groin or thrust my hip out of its socket, or what. All I knew in that instant was pain. I literally had to take both my arms and lift up my right leg to get it stretched up and out on the chair in front of me, which was empty, thank God!

beach party fun…b4 injury!

The rest of the night passed in a blur. I did manage to get up and dance a bit, but it certainly wasn’t as if no one was watching. In fact, as I tried to move in the sand, I probably looked as though there were invisible restraints attached to each of my legs while the rest of me sort of swayed to the beat!

We managed to stay through the end and my pain lessened a little bit but if I moved a certain way, it would begin to rear its head and cut at me like a razor-sharp knife. I think this was the night we went up to their room at The Ridge – no, that was the night before. Oh, that was another hysterical memory. Have you ever tried to walk through a screen door in the dark? OMG, we all laughed so hard over that one that I nearly had an accident.

Rodney & Cheryl dancing like no one’s watching

Anyway, the night after my injury, we went into town so George and I could get a massage. We knew right where to go: to the place we had been last year where for only $25, you got a one-hour massage! And it was really good. Or at least it used to be.

When we walked in and saw completely different people, that should have been our first red light, but we proceeded anyway. The language barrier should have been another flashing red light. Last year, we were able to hold a conversation with almost everyone in the place. They motioned for us to follow them and they put George in the room next to mine. Let me tell you, when you don’t speak the same language, or any part thereof, there’s a problem, a cultural problem.

To make this long story short, here I was supposed to be relaxing through a one-hour massage

Looking 4 hats!

but instead of laying down in an attitude and atmosphere of relaxation, I spent the next 60 minutes grimacing, clenching my fists and even at times grinding my teeth. And just when I think this had to be the worst massage I’ve had, and I’m fighting the urge to just get up and say I’m good, you will never believe what happened: She began pounding on my face! I thought she was going to break my face bones. If I wasn’t so shocked, I might have broke out laughing at how ludicrous it was. Now I know there was minimal lighting and it’s hard to really see, but you would think that she would have noticed the terrified look on my face, the gritting and grimacing and grinding would have caused her to stop, but no, she kept on pounding. And when her sweat dripped on my face, I nearly jumped off the bed, but sat there frozen in disbelief and pain. I couldn’t move because my hip or groin or something was killing me!

enjoying the pool at The Ridge

I have never been so relieved in all my life to know one hour of massage was finished and I have had more than my share! Before she left out of the room, she thanked me. All I could do was shake my head.I was so tempted to ask her where in the heck did she learn to do what she had just done, but I bit my tongue, reminding myself it is better to speak into someone’s life than out of it!

In a couple minutes, George came in to get me. “Get me out of here,” I gritted through my teeth fighting back the bipolar urge to scream and laugh at the same time. I couldn’t get out of there fast enough, and oh, the look on Cheryl’s face as I told her about my massage experience was priceless, almost worth the facial beating.

We laughed all the way down the boardwalk. That’s the beauty of traveling with friends like

Rodney never met a stranger

them; laughter can come when you least expect it but it always comes!

There are many more Cabo memories that I’ll always treasure, but pictures speak a thousand words. Thanks for allowing me to recapture the moments that made this trip so special.

Join me Monday for the return of Nana Holds. Wow, are things ever changing in that series!

Joyfully,

Evinda

Nana Holds-From Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Welcome to our Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power. I’m so glad you could come by and take a break with me. Grab your coffee and come on in.

As I look back on that first week of being Mama/Nana, it was definitely one of those footprint times when I know the Author and Finisher of our Faith carried George and me, and all of our pain, sorrow and frustration. There’s no need to go into all the gory details and run the risk of glorifying the evil one but what I would like to do is highlight some of the beautiful moments that shone through more brilliantly than all the pain and sorrow. They are moments that bring so many of the promises of God to life within our home and definitely deeply into this circumstance.

And in the midst of living in those moments, there were lessons learned along the way, again, lessons that bring to life the Holy Spirit inspired Word of God, promises that have led us through the most painful part of this circumstance to victory in many areas of our lives. See, He has warned us that we will have tribulations in this world, but He has already overcome them. I don’t know why I am always so surprised by His creativity, His sovereignty that accomplishes so much with one circumstance, but I am and I continue to be awestruck, captured by His characteristics in a way that ties so many knots in my string of faith along the way that I, by His grace, shall never come unraveled in my faith. I may have trouble finding my joy sometimes, and there may be days where I have to stir really hard to bring it up to the surface that it may come out and splash others, but I know too much to go back and too much of HIS Word, too many of HIS promises have come to fruition in my own life for me to unravel!

In the midst of the pain, sorrow, frustration and confusion, I was preparing for our holiday event “Living outside Your Circumstances.” Wow, did He ever prepare me that I may comfort others with the comfort I’ve been given. And in my research, I found some diamonds, big diamonds, Girls! I think they will sparkle so beautifully in any circumstance you may be going through and I’m excited to share them with you. The first diamond I discovered is within the word tribulation and I have to tell you as I dug for a deeper understanding, it became so much easier to keep an eternal perspective in our current circumstance, aka, tribulation.

Tribulation translates to “thlipsis” in Greek and primarily means “a pressing, pressure, anything which burdens the spirit and is often accompanied by anguish.” Hang on with me here because this gets better. So the root word for tribulation is actually a sort of sifting machine, a machine that goes and sifts the bad from the good by applying pressure!

There it is; the 10-karat diamond that sparkles with truth that shows us that circumstances/tribulations can work for our eternal good by sifting out the bad, separating it from the good, if we let them!
Please join me tomorrow for the beginning of the highlights of the moments that nearly took our breath away and etched in our hearts their revelations and lessons.

Marveling at His handiwork,

Evinda