Jenn's Journey from Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

Hi and welcome again to Monday's blog and coffee time! I am happy you are here and thanks for reading some of my thoughts.
This past weekend was Mother's Day, as we all know. It's a special time to recognize mothers and all they do! While some would argue we need to do that all year, and I tend to agree, it is nice to have a day set aside for an extra reminder. Same for Father's Day coming up in a few weeks!
This year I was reflecting on my own motherhood and the journey it has been. I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to mother my sweet little daughter. She has brought so much into my life. She is extremely creative and imaginative, which has made me tap into that myself; it's helped me remember my own imaginative days. Why did I lose that? I think as I grew up, I let too many other things that take the place. My daughter wakes up happy most every day, which has been a total inspiration for me, the non-morning person! That influence has perhaps been one of the biggest life changers for me…seeing that sweet, happy little face first thing is so joyful. Her ability to communicate her feelings and bounce back from disappointments is amazing. I am blessed.
There was a time in my life when I did not think I would ever be a mother. The fact that I am is one of the biggest answers to prayer. The journey was not without pain though and that is what I want to share with you today. I was married for 10 years, five of which were spent hoping to get pregnant and have a baby. Infertility is a much talked about issue nowadays, and I have many friends who have faced it. The sadness and grief it causes is very complex. As women, we expect that it will just happen, and for many of us, we may have spent years of our life preventing it until the right time. Once you decide you want to have a baby, and month after month brings disappointment, it is a very difficult season to live through. To top it off, I did not have any emotional support at home so it was a very lonely time for me. The marriage was extremely lonely as it was and there were some days I had no idea how I would keep living that way.
I cried out to God a lot in those days. I went through the emotions of wondering what was wrong with me; why is this happening to me? After several years of trying, I had begun to accept that perhaps this was not my lot, and began to think of what else would fill my life. We had talked some about adoption but had never seriously pursued that option, and I had long ago decided pumping my body full of hormones and fertility drugs was not for me.
Though often I gave up hope, a verse I found once stayed in my mind as a small beacon of light: "He settles the barren woman in her home as the happy mother of children." (Psalm 113:9) I wondered many times how/if God would do this for me!
My life changed instantly one night in June of 2008 when a friend from Washington called me to tell me about a baby she knew was going to be up for adoption in just a few months. The more of the story she told me, I realized that I knew the people she was talking of; they were friends and neighbors of my sister here in CA!! I get chills when I think of how God orchestrated this situation. To make a long story short, we made contact with the parents, and because they knew us they immediately said that we could have the baby.
The following two months were spent going through all the proper channels to be able to bring her home and on August 7th, 2008 that beautiful girl was born. On August 9^th -- my birthday!!!! -- she was placed in my arms and I became a mom. I had no idea of the road that was before me but I knew that God had answered my prayer. He had indeed turned five years of barrenness into a unique and beautiful story.
God answers prayers. He has His own timing. Someday I will look back on the twists and turns of life as I do on those difficult five years, and know I would not have it any other way. Some days are hard, some weeks and years are too, but through it all, He listens and He walks through it with us. When His answers come, they are right on time!
Until next week, be blessed

Faith Filled Fridays From Croley’s Corner of Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

Welcome to Faith Filled Friday’s Coffee Hour. Today’s blog may seem simple yet for certain we are always in need of a reminder that our words are powerful in that they can bring life or death. Grab your favorite beverage, journal and join me for a moment as we look into God’s word together.
Proverbs 18:21 teaches us that “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Our words have a tremendous ability to heal and bring peace or to destroy and hurt others. We also find in Matthew 12:34–35 Jesus reminds us that the words we speak are actually the overflow of our hearts.
I have five amazingly talented, gifted, beautiful grandchildren, I guess I’m a bit partial, then again, what Grandma or Grandpa wouldn’t be? We have three girls and two boys, the ages ranging from 12 to 7. The two boys are 7. Now mind you, I love them dearly; however when they are together, it seems like there’s an army of them…literally! They seem to multiply right before my eyes! I find it funny that the boys seem to emulate one another more so than the girls, maybe because of their ages, yet I’m not convinced, (girls do as well; however, we’ll leave that for another time of blogging.)
One thing for sure what one boy does the other will soon follow, repeat or even act out. I recently bought them some Lego’s. Soon after they opened their packages they began comparing each item, one was better, bigger, more pieces, and had more men. As we watched them interact you could sense the atmosphere changing and quickly a verbal argument broke out. Of course at this young age the worst word one could hear was, at least from our grand boys, was ”That’s stupid,” and I’m keeping the name confidential for the sake of privacy. :)
He quickly turned and looked at us, to see if we were going to react. He definitely had a look of ‘uh oh’ I’ve just said something that wasn’t nice. Immediately you could see the reaction on the other boy’s face. He, too, was surprised, hurt and then angry. Yet within a few minutes the offender said, "I’m sorry". He recognized he brought brokenness between the both of them. Even at the age of 7, they recognize that their words can harm one another and bring improper actions.
The power of our words can actually rescind one’s spirit. It could have been a whole lot worse; however, I was thankful for the tender-heartedness of our grandson to ask for forgiveness and yes the other grandson responded…. “I forgive you.” They hugged and played on.
We find in Ephesians 4: 29 that Paul warns us “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” Here Paul is emphasizing the positive over the negative. The Greek word translated “unwholesome” and means “rotten” or “foul.” It originally referred to rotten fruit and vegetables. Yet another blog for another day!
Although Paul was speaking to a mature church, we find that it’s not impossible to be equipped and empowered by what is good, acceptable by the power of our words... at any age, for that matter. How blessed are we when we use our tongue to lift up and encourage the people around us. Simple as that!!!
Prayer: Father continue to show us in your Word that our mouth would be a means of grace… a tool that would bring You glory and that the hearer will know that our words are covered with Your love. Help us to be reminded whose got their eyes on us that they would find we are able to control our actions, our words that may feel like it requires us to respond in a corrupt way. We recognize that the fight for purity of mouth starts in the heart… in that we should emulate the example of Jesus whose words were so filled with grace that the multitudes were even amazed. Amen!!
Have a wonderful weekend… and keep Him close to your heart.
Love,

Deb

Faith Filled Fridays From Croley’s Corner of Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

Wow, can you believe it’s already May 1^st? If this is your first time to Faith filled Friday, welcome. I hope this day has already found you rejoicing. Grab your coffee, journal and let’s see what He has for us today.
My oldest granddaughter Jordan came to stay with us for a few days and during that time she would go with me on my prayer walks. She asked me why I came to this particular spot and I told her I can overlook the valley and be at peace and hear from the Lord and it’s my time to talk to Him as well. She was happy with the answer. We stood there for a few minutes then decided to move on.
As we walked back home she started picking up rocks. She soooo LOVES rocks. There were so many different sizes and colors. She was in rock heaven. Her little pockets were stuffed and overflowing, and in addition, her hands were just as full. She asked if I wouldn’t mind helping her carry some back to the house because if there were any boulders I’d find a way to carry them. I answered her: of course, I’d be happy too.
I suggested to her, however, Jordan, why don’t you get just a few and leave the rest behind. She simply answered: “Well, Tutu, each one is special. They have different colors and some are just really unusual and I can’t just leave them.” I could see her heart and where this was going.
She wanted to inspect each one when we got home and soon she realized how heavy these small rocks became in her pockets. She said, “You know, if you could somehow melt these all together, wouldn’t that be awesome? It would make one big rock with multiple colors”!
I said, “Yes, it would be awesome…but each rock has its own significance and each one if fitted together just right would make a pretty good foundation.
So started the thought …the rock!
We represent, by our confession the type of person on which the true church is built on.
The Rock is what Jesus is referring to in Matt 16:18: “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”… Jesus refers to Himself as the rock.
A rock is a symbol of strength and immovability it also was a place in the Old Testament where people in danger often took refuge. God is depicted as the Rock of Israel, being the strength, security and deliverance for his people.
Where do we run to when our lives begin to become weighty?
There’s no excuse for us as believers. We may be barraged and seemingly bombarded by the enemy and honestly we too can be our own worst enemy. Sometimes all he has to do is plant a little itty bitty seed and then we run amuck filling our minds like my granddaughter did with her rocks, and they became too heavy. We find ourselves flailing our arms and running in a mad circle, going nowhere but into confusion and defeat!
Christ has given to us a sure foundation, yet it’s up to us whether we continue to build on it or allow the foundation to become unsettled which can cause a shifting and cracking.
Ask yourself this question: What or who is prevailing against you? Remember, you have that choice to allow it to “prevail over you” or “you to prevail against it!” Conquer! Overcome! Get the better of it! Win through it! Be victorious!
Acts19:20: “So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed...Prevail and Carry the day. Make it a great weekend; keep Him close to your heart….
Until next week,

Love Deb.

Seven Sacrifices of Joy

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

Oh, happy day to you! Thanks for joining me for more of this series on our search for joy! Grab your coffee and your Red SOF (Strand of Faith) and come on in. We’ve got some knots to tie in our SOF so let’s get back to a great communicator who shares his gift of communication, koinonia!
We have been given another great example of someone who valued communication; he was actually an amazing communicator and spoke not only from his knowledge, which he was rich in, but his heart! He could have “coined” koinonia and koinonio for as much as he spoke about it and lived it. Can you guess who I’m talking about? Give up?
Paul! Koinonia was his favorite subject and one of the things he talked about the most in the letters he penned during some of his most difficult times, times where all he had was the gift of communication. Oh, what a great example of Romans 8:28, using Paul’s incarcerations to His glory and our benefit!
In 1^st Corinthians 1:9 Paul reminds us that God is the one who has called us into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. I don’t know about you, but oftentimes, it is hard for me to allow that truth to sink in, that God desires koinonio with the likes of me, but He does! He chose to communicate with us before we ever chose Him, and He proves it by pursuing us relentlessly. Romans 8:1 keeps coming to mind where Paul shares with struggling Christians who wrestle with not feeling good enough: He says that there is now no condemnation for those of us who are in Christ Jesus. Now, I don’t know about you, but in my first years as a Christian, if I felt I wasn’t behaving appropriately, or felt like I wasn’t measuring up, I usually stayed away until I had earned my way back. Have you ever felt like you shouldn’t show up until you cleaned up?
Coffee Hour friend, can I share with you how wonderful it is to truly understand these words of “no condemnation”? See, no condemnation is a three-prong promise that keeps the line of communication open: This means He’s not angry with us; He will not reject us, and He’s not going to punish us – despite us thinking that He’s a cause and effect kind of God. But – yes, there’s a “but” -- :) we must allow His Spirit to guide us and not our flesh to overtake us. Here’s another way to sort of simplify the whole no condemnation and living by the Spirit concept: I can’t; He can; here’s how!
Show up daily to communicate with Him. If that sounds really foreign to you, begin with just ten minutes … a tithe of your day. Start by thanking Him for at least three things that often we take for granted. Trust me when I say that when you make this a habit, three will turn into four, five, six … Maybe listen to one or two worship songs to soften your heart and align your focus. After you thank Him, mentally press the rewind on the events of the day before and be still, seeking to understand if there was an attitude, an action or anything that was out of line, missing the mark. He will be faithful to reveal so you can then ask Him to forgive and to heal you.
See when we acknowledge it, we will be more aware of it. When we become more aware of where/how we miss the mark, then we can avoid the detours that take us there to where we shouldn’t be.
This ten minutes you take to give Him will wake up His Spirit within you, helping you to be guided by His Spirit and not overcome by your flesh.
It takes thirty days to make a habit and only one day to break it! This is a Sacrifice of Communication!
Join me tomorrow for Debbie’s Faith Filled Fridays. ..
Love,

Evinda

Seven Sacrifices to Joy

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

Welcome to our Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power. Today we are going to return to the series I started a while back, The Seven Sacrifices to Joy. Grab your coffee and your Red Strand of Faith and let’s go tie some knots as we learn more about the sacrifices of righteousness, one of the seven which ultimately leads to joy.
Oh, speaking of joy, I had an experience that was all about this one tiny but gigantic word so let me share that with you.
I was sitting in class listening to the professor talk about the spiritual discipline of silence! Immediately the ears of my heart pricked into high gear and he began to talk about the power of prayer, only not the way we think of prayer where we talk to God, maybe give Him a list of things to do, wait to hear His voice and when we don’t we get up and give up. Have you ever experienced such moments? I know I’ve been truly convicted lately about spending more time in contemplative prayer, especially since my honey’s home and often up shortly after I get up, which leaves me little time, or so I’ve bought into that lie for a while. Oops, let’s return to the classroom.
Anyway, he gave us an assignment right then and there: Think of one word to focus on and sit with Jesus. The professor even went as far as to say, “Sit in His lap,” or “Imagine Him sitting next to you.” Focus on this one word and sit in silence for five minutes.
Sounds simple, huh? IT’S NOT! Especially if your mind has been running ahead of your body all day, every day for too many days! But as the seconds turned into the first minute, I began to relax and the word I heard was joy! I began to just say with my heart, “Father, be my joy, stir up my joy, grant me joy. You are the source of my joy.” The first minute turned into the next and then the next and as I sat there silently – and no, I didn’t sit in His lap :) – my mind emptied and I began to experience His presence … it was then that I heard: “You are a joy to me.”
The tears began to slowly trickle down my face. I was flabbergasted! How could that be? Lately I had been feeling like a whiny baby who was constantly saying “Father, Father, Fatherrrrrrrr, are you sure? Father, do I have to? Father, can I quit?”
That simple sacrifice to be still for five minutes was one that I know I need to slow down enough to practice not just daily, but at least twice a day! Oh, the joy of being still and knowing that He is God! (Psalm 46:10)
What about you; can you slow down enough to practice this spiritual discipline of sitting still and hanging out with Jesus for just five minutes? I believe that you can; the better question is will you? And if not, why not? This can also be accounted as a sacrifice of righteousness. How can we get fueled up and filled up if the engine is always running?
Oh, Coffee Hour friend, take time to make time to be still with Him. Join me tomorrow for a quick recap of the sacrifices thus far and the conclusion to the sacrifice of righteousness.
Love,

 Evinda

The Waiting Room … In the Hospital of Life March's WOW

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

“Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.: Phil. 1:6

Wow, can you believe it; it’s WOW time … in fact, March is more than halfway gone and though time passes faster as we get older, there is ONE thing that remains a constant, one thing that can slow us down and splash some perspective on the speed and quality of life: His Word! Grab your coffee and your red Strand of Faith and let’s go tie some knots in our March’s Words of Wisdom and Weapons of Warfare. I’m going to begin with a bit of a story.
I held my husband’s hand as he prayed; it’s what we do when we pray. First he prays and then it’s my turn. As he finished, the words that began to come out of my mouth were certainly Spirit inspired, not anything I had planned, and at the same time, this month’s WOW was confirmed. I prayed that as my husband was in the waiting room of his life, that he would take this time to right anything wrong, or the appearance of wrong, especially with his son, my stepson, knowing in my heart that we need to take the first step towards reconciliation in this broken relationship. I prayed that he would busy himself with kingdom things instead of anxiously searching and seeking for business opportunities which could literally pull him toward unnecessary risks. I prayed that he would find rest in the waiting room, knowing and trusting that the plans our Father has for him are to build him up, offer him a hope and a future, not to tear him down. And I prayed that I would be able to encourage him while in the waiting room…
The funny thing about praying those things for my husband is that prayer was also for me; it encouraged my soul, reminded me of truths that I must cling to at this time of our lives.
Just the day before, while I was talking to a former Trench Class student -- someone whom I am incredibly fond of and admire, someone who is very teachable and yearns to get over herself -- this same concept of The Waiting Room in the Hospital of Life came to me after powerfully poignant questions came gushing out from her heart: “When will this be done? Am I just destined to this misery and this conscious uncomfortable awareness of what needs to change? Will I ever be happy again?
Oh, how I so empathized with her, that feeling of wondering if I will ever get beyond the current infection revealed by a lesson needing to be learned. The silence suddenly filled with a giggle that erupted from me unexpectedly. I just love all the different analogies He gives me … first … and then for others.
“What’s so funny?’ my friend on the other line asked.
“Oh, I was just reminded of something that He showed me when my deep healing began years ago, right after being taken out of my court reporting seat and put on what I have now come to accept as the operating table of life. It’s not just a diet, friend, this sort of open-heart surgery that takes place in life, and more than once. See, spiritual surgery is necessary over and over; it needs to be a way of life and the sooner we understand that life is like being in a hospital, the easier it is to get on that operating table; and the easier it is to trust the Divine Physician. And, oh, the joy in between surgeries”!
I could hear her sigh, almost feel her thinking!
I continued.
“I mean, it’s not like I jump up and down for joy every time He comes to take me to the Operating Room, but I go now without fear and dread, anticipating the recovery period, for there is joy after surgery.”
“That’s really good,” she said.
I smiled.
“Think about it, I said; there are many rooms in the hospital; we are not always on the operating table or in the O.R. room. The Divine Physician performs a particular procedure, then closes us up, and picks us up, and allows us to go to the Recovery Room for some rest, to process all that He has just accomplished and cut away. Sometimes in the recovery room, our recent surgery is put to the test and we are forced to deal with others who interrupt our schedules, our train of thought, our agenda, people that may annoy us, and we are once again forced to slow down, be still, and acknowledge that He is God so we may prevent a premature surgery. “
“The point is, my friend, He who began that work will be faithful to put us back into the O.R. as needed, and keep on performing whatever surgeries need to happen until the time of Christ.”
I could feel her smile … and again, I could feel her thinking.
Suddenly we were both building on this analogy, talking about all the rooms within a hospital creating this month’s WOW, encouraging each other, hoping to encourage you in The Waiting Room of the Hospital of Life …
Join me tomorrow for more.

Evinda

Faith Filled Fridays From Croley’s Corner of Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

Wow it has been three weeks since we started our “A call to Sow.” Grab your favorite drink and journal as we peek into our “soul garden” and see how it’s growing. Let’s get started.
Have you heard the expression “Digging in the dirt makes one feel closer to God?” I know for the most part when I’m out digging, I find myself absorbed in all that He has created. It’s a great way to spend my quiet time, cultivating what I love...spending time with God.
Luke 8:11 tells us: “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.” When we begin to dig into God’s word, there is no doubt that there will be an increase and immeasurable amount of growth of our faith and our strength in Him and His peace in us. His word produces life....just like a seed.
Jesus taught the parable of the soils to His disciples in Mark 4. Christ said spiritual fruitfulness or barrenness depended upon the type of soil that received the seed of God's Word. He warned of the choking influence of thorns… pesky, prickly weeds that squeeze the life out of fruit-producing seedlings. The weeds Jesus warned of are the worries of the world, the anxieties of this age. Worry or anxiety means "to be drawn in different directions," or, "to be distracted.” What’s worrisome is that these weeds have the inherent potential for multiplying ... and way too quick!
When weeds are left unattended, they can cut the harvest by as much as 40 to 60 percent. As I consider the consequences in my life of the "harvest hinderers," I know that I need to get serious about pulling, poisoning and plowing under those destructive weeds. Letting just one weed grow freely in your life could result in crop failure; removing them is essential to a healthy, productive, bountiful harvest.
The potential for weeds for me is my busyness. A full schedule of doing good can crowd out the best of my intentions and I soon find the seed that He has planted in me becomes “weed crowded.” I catch myself rummaging through the pages of God’s Word and circumventing or skirting through my prayer time. And I justify my actions by saying…” see, God, how busy I am for the Kingdom?”
I can also be distracted by urgent things, but what’s more urgent than feeding on His Word? See, doing all the right things doesn’t always qualify for a bountiful harvest, even if our intentions are good. If we don’t pick up and rightly utilize the tools He has given us, be prepared for some deficiencies. 
As we grow closer to Him He can spotlight areas of the weed root that has mixed itself in with the seed of life: for example, it can be bitterness...un-forgiveness...jealousy…lack of faith, or even doubt.
When we find ourselves not producing as we should, that’s when we need to take inventory: Are we reading God’s Word …daily? Are we spending time in prayer?
Friend, what distracts you? What pulls you in a direction you know is unfruitful? What seems to be inhibiting the growth of your spiritual walk?
Time spent in His presence…springs forth His power in us….which roots us in Him!
We must keep a watchful eye on our “soul garden.” We must be careful how we pluck out the weed not to disturb the seed that has been properly planted. This week make a check list; ask Him to help you weed out your pesky, prickly weeds so you can continue to produce a bountiful “soul garden!”
…rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Colossians 2:7
Thanks for stopping by “Faith filled Friday’s.
Love,

 Debbie

Thanksgiving Praise from Alex Trevino and Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Thanksgiving Praise-Thinking our Loud with Alex Trevino @ Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power…

Happy Thanksgiving and thank you so much for stopping by for Coffee Hour, especially on such a special day! This is another “Thinking Out Loud” piece that I found while on my newsfeed from a new friend all the way from Texas, one who has been healed in the fire of cancer and has a heart full of thanksgiving, so grab your coffee and come share this victory with Alex Trevino.

I feel I need to share this with family and friends. Two years ago I started feeling a big change in by body. There was so much hurt and pain and I was worn out with no energy. It’s true what they say; that pain is exhausting. I had no desire of any kind to go on … anywhere for anything.
Finally, and only because I couldn’t take the pain any longer, I went to see the doctor. That first doctor told me I was fine but my body was telling me no, I wasn’t fine. I got a second opinion. I’m so grateful to Dr. Brian Kansas who took his time with me, checked me and quickly found something was not right. He gave his radiologist an order to scan only my pelvis area.

On the day of the scan, the technician said to me, “You know, Mr. Trevino, I’m not sure why I feel this but I feel like I need to scan your whole body, against the doctor’s order. Well, she did just that. I’m ever so thankful that GOD used her as the start of what would be the most devastating news… Cancer! I’ll never forget the words: “You have kidney cancer.”

I can’t begin to tell you how I felt. I walked out to my car and just sat there. It took me an hour before I could even start the car and drive off because of the tears, the shock. I do remember that the first thing I did was ask GOD why? I was so angry, but one day at a time, one foot in front of the other, I began to plan for their course of treatment.

I scheduled my surgery to have part of my left kidney removed. I won’t lie; it was the most scared I’ve ever been. I didn’t know if this was the end, the beginning of the end or a new beginning.
On the day of surgery, while in surgery, they discovered other issues that caused the surgery to go even longer, but they corrected the unexpected. But one thing that they were not prepared for, and that they couldn’t fix when they had me on the table that first surgery was the tumor, and not a tiny tumor; a tumor the size of a grapefruit!

They closed me up and planned for another surgery, giving me some time to recover from all they had just completed. Two days after my first surgery was the worst pain I have ever experienced, next to the death of my father-in-law. It was the second time in my life in which I experienced the darkest place in my life. But God didn’t leave me in that dark and desolate place alone; He had many praying for me, family and friends and I know in my heart if it weren’t for my wife, my kids and seeing my little grand kids, I don’t think I could have survived it all.

The second surgery was scheduled for October 7th. Much to their surprise, the tumor wasn’t a grapefruit; it was a tumor the size of a small watermelon! We were all in shock, and I was in sooooo much pain, so much so that I even called my cousins David C Edwards & Pamela Kay Edwards on the worst night of pain. I asked them for prayer over the phone and I prayed for me, too. I asked the Lord for peace. David and Pam prayed a powerful heartfelt prayer. I remember closing my eyes while they were praying, and I saw a vision of a bearded man holding a lamb. I knew that lamb was me and right after we hung up, I quickly fell fast asleep, something I hadn’t been able to do much of because of the pain.

I know that I know that that was GOD and the power of prayer. My wife never left my side and took care of me so faithfully. I know GOD had my back and took care of me. Yes, cancer, you are not bigger than GOD. The C in CHRIST is so much bigger, more powerful than the c in cancer!
Thank you all so much for the love and care you showed me. I love you all so much. I now pray blessings on your lives. May GOD bless you with good health, and the love of family!
GOD, I don’t think I’ve said this enough but I thank you for your saving grace, your love for me and for carrying me through this as a wounded lamb. I give you all the glory. Through it all, you have increased my territory of friends. I am thankful, so, so thankful.
Sincerely

Alex Trevino

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The 7 Sacrifices to Joy-from Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power…

Oh, it’s a great day to write from my heart to yours, to have this sort of fellowship/communication that I don’t take lightly but cherish knowing we spend this time together! Grab your coffee and come on in for some more foundation of communication.
So Paul explains over and over again that because of our leap of faith, that original jump, if you will, we have fellowship with the Son of God! As I wrote that, my heart did an extra pitter-patter! ( 1 Corinthians 1:9 ). What then feeds that faith? In 1^st Corinthians 9:23, Paul explains what fed his faith while he was imprisoned: “Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.”
The Gospels in the Bible is what I would deem one of the main courses of the meal, if you will. The Gospels bridge the gap between here and heaven paved by grace. Oftentimes, we struggle to open up the Bible, overwhelmed by its complexity which is enhanced by its size. We scratch our head, not knowing where to begin and then quickly shut it, discouraged by no voice that tells us what page to open it up to!
This reminds me of a book that I wanted to write: 100 ways to read the Bible, wherein I began teaching myself ways to read these instructions, love letters and promises in ways that really made it more user-friendly. Uh-oh, I could easily get off on another book/series here. Sorry; I’ll stay on track but stay tuned for a series on this subject!
I remember when I first began reading the Gospels; I was reading from the NIV Women’s Daily Devotional Bible – It’s probably out of print now! — but it always had a real-life daily devotional that I could relate to and with, and that stirred my faith, got my taste buds wet and sent me seeking after more fellowship. All the daily devotionals were inspired by our Keynote Speaker who used them as vessels to communicate His ways to anyone willing to feed their faith!
See, when we share in the gospel with others, whether that be via sitting in on a sermon, a small group study, or one-on-one, fellowship takes place, and this is a sweet, sweet aroma to our Father that travels all the way up to His throne, and our Mediator on His right says, see, would you look at that fellowship! When we share in the gospel, it’s an affirmation of the ultimate sacrifice of communication! Paul shares from his heart in Philippians 1:4-6 reminding us of this very principle: ⁴ always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, ⁵ for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, ⁶ being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.
So not only does the sharing of the Gospel feed our faith, but it continues the work that He has begun in each one of us. Are you allowing His communication/work to continue the good work He began in you so He can work through you?
Koinonia to you, my coffee hour friend,

Evinda

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

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

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power…

Happy Monday Manna,
If you didn’t have a chance to join us last week, we touched on the importance of anchoring ourselves onto Jesus Christ and tossing out that old, tattered life preserver as we ride out the storms of life. Our comfort doesn’t lie within conventional wisdom that the world offers; instead our peace lies within the promises offered by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
As of this afternoon, Duke, my three-week old nephew, is doing great! Although he’s still at Loma Linda’s NICU, his G-tube placement surgery has gone well and he’s continuing to gain weight. God truly does answer prayers, especially those supplications from a mother who cries unto God for the life of her child. Just as Hannah promised to give her child (Samuel) to the Lord, we as believers do the same because we know that He has the ability to provide for our every need.
I know that my mother has said a prayer or two for my brother and me, especially throughout our rebellious years. I believe that she continues to pray for us and I know that He has answered those prayers. The prayers of a mother receive special expedited follow-up.
In the first chapter of 1 Samuel, the Bible speaks of Hanna’s supplication before God. Her prayer is so passionate that she literally weeps in anguish within the presence of the Lord. God heard her prayer and felt her anguish. He blessed Hannah with little Samuel, who would become a prophet and a judge to the nation of Israel.
It’s easy for us to underestimate the power of prayer. We know that God hears our prayers, but sometimes we become so overwhelmed by the complexity of our circumstances that we often lose touch of who He really is. God’s spirit moves most noticeably through situations of hopelessness and all that He requires from us is a minimal amount of mustard seed faith. Give him an inch; He’ll take you miles! That’s all He needs.
For all you mothers, continue to pray for your children and ask God to provide you with the peace needed to cope with situations that are fully and completely in his control. Whether praying for your child’s healing, your child’s liberation from an addiction, or even just asking God to redirect them in their walk, He will hear your prayers and He will move.
Have a blessed week and continue to offer those supplications before the Lord. God Bless!
,
In His Love,

Garrett Castro

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

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power…

Happy Monday Manna!
So first and foremost, I want to apologize to anyone that I may have offended with last week’s blog. My last intention was to hurt or upset any of you. Each and every one of you have been extremely supportive throughout my time with CPM. I cannot thank you enough for all the love you have shown. So please continue to join me for Monday’s Manna and I assure you, and so does Evinda, that we will stick to blogs that equip and encourage!
Kay and I just got home from Loma Linda Prenatal Intensive Care unit where my nephew Duke has been over the past four days. Unbeknownst to any of us, including Duke’s mommy and daddy, my brother and sister-in-law, his kidneys were undeveloped and hence, a series of problems have come to the surface. It began with him throwing up and mommy finding blood in his urine. Can you even imagine how scary that was/is for them?
Because of this underdevelopment in utero, there was a serious undetectable blockage in his kidneys and they are not functioning properly and this little guy will need dialysis over the next year. Once his year is complete and his body weight approximates ten pounds, we are told that he will qualify for a kidney transplant.
We visited him on Wednesday evening, the day after he was admitted to Loma Linda, but yesterday was the first day I was actually able to see him in the NICU. I sat side by side with my brother and and together we watched Duke fight for his life. When I saw his little feet moving  I smiled from the inside out, but when I saw his hand which was wrapped with the little pole and blood pressure monitor. I had a really hard time looking at him, and looking at what my brother was enduring. And as I watched my brother ever so carefully pick Duke up to hold him, his little defenseless, helpless baby, all I could do was bow my head in prayer.
Can I ask you all to do the same for Duke, my brother and my sister-in-law? I know God has a plan, and His Word promises that He will use ALL things for those who have been called [Romans 8:28]; my brother and sister-in-law have been called and love the Lord. Father, hear the cry of my heart!
Have a great week and I’ll keep you posted,

Garrett

Do You Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart?

                                   Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.

Ah, but it’s so incredibly great to be with you for another Coffee Hour and to begin this month’s WOW! Can you believe it’s September already? Oh, to make the most of the moments as they go whizzing by us! Grab your coffee and come on in from the passing of time as we explore this scripture and apply it to our lives.
Have you ever thought you had God’s plan figured out only to be left scratching your head and saying to yourself, “I just don’t get it” when things don’t go the way you thought they would? Oh, I have, and too many times to count. The older I get, the less I do that, though, because I’ve learned that His ways are NOT my ways [Isaiah 55:8] and I’ve seen too much of scripture come to life not to trust His promises. The thing is, each of His promises have a condition. Oops, I’m about to get derailed so let me come back to our scenario of just not understanding when something goes awry.
Recently my son and his family moved to Texas. To say that there is a piece of my heart missing sounds cliché, but I get that saying now, truly. I didn’t leave my heart in San Francisco, but I sure did leave a piece of it in Texas, or so it feels like it at times. There are moments when I literally ache to give my son a hug, to bend down and take the little face of my grandson or granddaughter in my hands and give them big kisses and hold them close to me … and stay there for a while!
That desire rises like a skyscraper reaching for the stars when I know my son is struggling, and only satisfied after whispering a prayer to the Father who has them in His hands and is mindful of every detail of their lives, and I do mean every detail. I can’t help but still shake my head in utter amazement as I am reminded of certain details that confirmed their calling to Austin before they ever left!
After shopping for school districts and apartments to live, they were approved for an apartment right where they had visited online many times, only dreaming of the reality of living an arm’s throw distance from Lake Travis. The apartment they wanted would put them within walking distance to the best school for their two children. That confirmation, along with some verbal affirmations was enough to set a moving date. They were leaving, with or without a job! Oh, how I admired their faith. I couldn’t begrudge them for it. Internally I was crying out to God, really?
I remember when they first told me they were leaving: We were at a local restaurant after a CPM event planning meeting. I was excited to spend some quality time with them – my son, daughter-in-love and my two grand-babies. We had just ordered our lunch and suddenly, as if preparing for a landing, Jeff cleared his throat and began with, “So, Mom”…
They informed me that they had been approved for an apartment and because of that first door opening, they were moving forward in faith to Texas. They didn’t have jobs yet, but they were forging faithfully ahead.
Flies could have come in and nested in my mouth for as long as I sat there with it open! Then a sense of panic at the loss of all I’d taken for granted, i.e., their presence just a few cities away, set in. I burst into tears, uncontrollable sobs right in front of them as if I didn’t have any sort of emotional filter. And at that moment, I didn’t. My world was shaken and I could do nothing to stop the gushing. And when Jeff put his arm around me to hug me to him, I sobbed a little harder, not even cognizant of what others might think.
My mind tried to process what I had just heard and though my heart knew God was behind and ahead of this impending move, at that moment in time, and for at least a week after, all I could think of was the dream of a blended family floating away ever so slowly like a huge helium filled balloon, rising further and further into the distance and one day, gone …
Yes, faith-ing (rhymes with bathing) has nothing to do with understanding. Join me tomorrow as we explore this profound truth.

Evinda

Reality Check-October’s WOW-From Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Thanks so much for joining me for a little break today. I know it’s not always easy to get away, but I pray this will be a wise investment of your time today. Grab your coffee and come on in and let’s get back to our WOW.
I’m still stunned at the reality of the necessity of walking in the truth of these words, and my desire for them to manifest in my DNA and rid me of anything that is not from Him, with Him and for Him. And while we’re at it, Father, could you help me to quit comparing myself to other authors and speakers! (Go ahead and pray that one for me and for you!:) )
Here’s the Words of Wisdom: Philippians 2:3-4 (don’t you love that easy address?) Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit – I wasn’t going to take the same detour as last year, but I think I’d better so we can receive all that is intended! Since this is New Testament, I’ll go to the Greek concordance. The word that is pulling at my attention is ambition. So, ambition – wait, there is no “ambition” in the concordance. Well, that’s weird. Okay, so it must be a translation thing. So, that’s okay; I’ll go to my Holy Bible (1865 copy) which says: “Translated out of the original tongues,” which says: “Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory.” Interesting! Now let me look up strife. This is getting fun! :)
The word strife translates to eritheia and “denotes self-seeking ambition, self-will being an underlying idea with an emphasis on drawing followers.” It also says: Seeking to win followers creates factions, and factions are the result of jealousy.
Oh, my, the taste of conviction is bittersweet as I think about tweeting on Twitter and connecting on Facebook, and dealing with all the other forms of social media that help in the platform-building process for an author. And as I rewind my book-signing experiences, I can’t help but admit that He’s used them all, individually and collectively, for His purposes. I’m totally smiling right now because I remember one recent book-signing at my nail salon. This woman was getting her toes done and she was totally engrossed in a book, a book that has gone to the New York’s Best Seller’s list in record time. I literally almost broke out in tears at the inadvertent rejection and my mind spilled out questions that only He could answer. Just before I jumped in the pool of pity, I received a text from a team member sharing that someone who had been to our recent workshop had rededicated her life to Christ afterwards. I pulled myself away from the pity pool and my phone announced another text, sort of like a P.S.: “Oh, after she read Back to Single.”
My heart smiled while my mind begged for forgiveness for coveting the success of this author who was reaching people in the flesh while He is reaching hearts, albeit one at a time, through Back to Single. And somewhere in this WOW is the key to balance in this mind-boggling challenge of how to get what He has written through me out to the hearts of women all over without sounding as though I’m all about me.
Oh, how true it is that the Word is alive and Holy Spirit inspired. Please join me tomorrow for the conclusion to our October WOW.
Humbly,
Evinda