Monday's Mantra

Angels Flexing over our Protection! 

Luke 4:10: For it is written: He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you.

Welcome to #Coffeehour @ Chicklit Power and Trench Classes United. This is a new Monday series, and my heart hopes that you will find meaning in Monday’s Mantra each week! Grab your favorite beverage and your Strand of Faith (SOF) and come join me for a true story.

Mondays always seem to be extra busy for some reason, especially now that I’m back to court reporting three to four days a week. Last Monday was no exception; in fact, my to-do list seemed to be put on steroids – meet with assistant, leadership training meeting, our Night of Purpose event list of things to do, upcoming class to begin preparing for, raffle gifts to procure, but in the midst of it all I needed and wanted to make time to have a late lunch with my adopted mom who is recovering from pneumonia. This would be our first lunch in weeks. I just needed to be with her. She’s calming for me, understands me like no one else, gently advises and offers her wisdom, and has this ability to bring my world back to a more accurate perception. She was God’s first example of unconditional love in human form! 

Anyway, we were inside eating lunch for a good hour and as we made our way out, we were still talking while walking to my car…that is until I looked up. What I saw rendered me speechless! Imagine me, a person of soooo many words, speechless! J I stopped mid-sentence and stood there, holding mom back as I pointed to what I was seeing: my driver’s side car door wide open!

The movie replayed in my head and I realized that after getting out of the car, and not shutting my door, heading for the trunk to get her walker, then over to her to help her up, I just had a brain toot and forgot to close and lock my door! We stood there a couple of seconds; I looked at her, and she looked at the open door and at first this feeling of dreadful fear came over me. I motioned for her to stay right there as I made my way across the lane toward my car. With every step the fear lessened and when I got to the car and peeked in the back seat to confirm that my laptop and newly purchased bags of Bath & Body Works stuff was still there, I gasped…in thanksgiving more than disbelief. 

“Nothing’s taken, Mom” I hollered across the lane. I went and got her and both of us were in a sort of dumbfounded quiet, both of us knowing with every cell in our being that God’s angels had to do a bit of overtime on my behalf. Angels were flexing over my protection for sure, protecting everything that concerns me. There is no other explanation; no denying He was defying any evil coming my way, protecting me from my mistake, going ahead of me and watching behind me. To say I felt loved and protected is an understatement. 

May I challenge you to look for ways that He protects you throughout your day; they may be blatant; they may be subtle but I can say with an experienced certainty, His protection is there! Seek and find…

Love,

Evinda

Faith Filled Friday

Hey folks... how everyone doing this week? Great I hope. 

This time around I wanted to talk about something I have come to call invisible bullets. I think in today's world we are a type of people that have become more and more judgmental of others and the ways in which they live. We take pens to paper, fingers to keyboards, emotions from within where we pull them pull them back out and express in ways that perhaps we shouldn't. These expressions can often fall under fire where people then do the same...all this hate and anger running free in the world. It is incredibly overwhelming and sad. It's all bullets to me. People don't have to pick up a firearm to hurt and harm one another for sometimes our voices are the biggest guns of all. They can drop bombs all over another person. What's even sadder is that they are often oblivious to these invisible bullets and bombs. 

I can never understand why, when it feels so good to connect with people on things that we both share a passion for, why we can't do it more often? Where is the benefit of the doubt these days? Where is the love in just trying to get along? Why so much oblivious nature when these bullets start flying? I have come to believe that people don't want to feel vulnerable in body, situation or opinion. They want to secure the borders within and anyone outside the scope of that is perceived as a possible threat. 

Do we as a people really want to live that way? I surely don't. If people want to constantly find the bad things in you and call you pathetic, there is nothing you can do about it. We must seek to connect those dots with those who represent love to us and we must throw out a lifeline of our own understanding of people that differ from us. I have always found it difficult to pray for those who hurt me violently, who hurt me emotionally. The older I get the more I find that Jesus taking to prayer when He was tortured and led to a hill where He surely knew what was coming, and still He made the climb, filled with love for those who spit upon Him with their hatred. How horribly hard that must have been and yet completely natural for God's son to do such a thing. 

How blessed are we to have had love like that along the path of mankind's existence. One of my most constant prayers is for God to fill me with love and understanding... My new prayer this last year has been to also identify and pray for those who hurt others, and that includes myself. I don't want to carry hate. I want to talk to those who have hurt me and tell them what they did to me. If they care not to listen or hear that conversation then I have to leave it with God.  

Isn't it amazing that we can leave these things in God's care? That He can help alleviate the wounds we have suffered not only from others but from our own choices and fault. Let's put down the way of hurting one another and be filled with the light of love. It's what God wants and surely intended for every single one of us. I would love to see more of that go viral in the world, wouldn't you? 

Much love & God bless everyone...

John

Wednesday's Word

Swept off my Feet!

John 10:10: “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly.” 

Welcome to Wednesday’s Word and thanks so very much for making the time to take the time to join us today. Grab your summer beverage, your strand of faith and join me.

Last week, I was reminded of a phrase that always makes my heart smile as it is loaded with joyful memories: “Sweep the floor” is what our six-year-old grandson says as he tries to slide his foot under papa’s and knock him down, or at least off balance in the midst of a wrestling match, aka as “Hut, Hut, 24, a fun tackling game we all made up. Papa taught those same words to our other grandkids and just last week our little seven-year-old granddaughter, in the midst of a pillow fight -- the girls against the guys—says, “Sweep the floor” as she aimed low for papa’s feet. I laughed so hard my abs hurt! And incidentally, they did sweep the floor as I got knocked down right on my butt, and I sat there utterly stunned! 

That stunned feeling is the only verbal picture I can think of to describe what happens, at least to me, when the enemy uses someone we love to knock us down. Like, “what just happened?” “Where did this come from?” “What do I do now?”

I had one of those sweep-the-floor moments just last week, shortly after experiencing a major victory in my life, and honestly, I sat in all of my emotions for days, experiencing sleepless nights, heart pain, all the while stuck on disbelief, disillusionment and discouragement. I truly had no idea how to proceed and the realization that I’m not as far along as I thought I was in this area sunk me to lower depths. I always say I have skin tough as leather but my heart remains squishy, thanks be to God as you can’t do ministry with a hard heart! 

Jesus’ words in John 10:10 became like a rap song in the deepest nooks of my heart, drumming life in me, helping me to stand when all I really wanted to do was run, stay down, alone,  quit the fight…and not because I am a victim, either….but I no longer deny my emotions. Most of the time I am able to not get caught up in the sea of them, allowing them to toss me to and fro, but the enemy found a weak spot and took full advantage of it. 

As the truth made its home in my heart, that “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy,” I began to pray for wisdom and knowledge on how to proceed that I might take hold of that abundant life in this area with this person that He paid the price for us all to have, even when we’ve been swept off our feet and have lost our balance. I moved off my butt onto my knees and searched His Love Letters, Principles and Promises…this is what He gave me: 2^nd Timothy 2:23: But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition…” 

Humble pie rarely tastes good, but when it’s digested, the peace comes and all is well with my soul. Isn’t that all I have control over?

Have an awesome rest of the week….and be on the lookout for the enemy to sweep you off your feet

Evinda

Jenn's Journey

Good morning and welcome to another week! Grab a cup of your favorite drink and sit with me for a few minutes.

Trials...Had any of those lately? It seems that we simply can't escape those, doesn't it? My recent blogs have been on loving others, watching thoughts and words, and what happens? I get tested. The hard-to-love narcissist in my life rears his ugly head, and I'm challenged. The thoughts from my blogs haunt me, while our daughter watches…so my response matters. 

For years I reacted to the ugliness that a narcissistic personality brings. It brought out my bad side: anger on top of hurt, not a pretty sight. Many counseling sessions, supportive family/ friends, prayers and tears later, I am getting much better at responding instead. I've admitted before that anger was my go-to emotion, until I began understanding that it was really pain  I needed to feel. I used to be afraid of feeling the hurt. Even as I write this, the tears flow. But now, I welcome the pain. I don't feel the rage I once felt, and if I do, I am better at identifying the underlying sadness instead. It's much easier to sit back and plan my response.

I recently watched an excerpt of a sermon where the pastor said that our trials are used by God to show us what needs to change in us. Not that God purposely sends us trials, but rather, He uses them to refine us. 

As much as I wish I'd never experienced abuse in marriage, or an ugly divorce, or the pain of sharing a child with this person, in a weird way, it's made me who I am today. I cannot claim I've made the best choices through all of it. But I can look back and see where God has worked in my heart and my life. I am incredibly humbled by that fact.

I challenge you to stick close to God through whatever trial you may be facing. Surround yourself with friends who can lift you up to Him when you feel weak. He'll bring you through the fire. We might have to wait until He comes to rescue us from this world, but one day the beauty of it all will be revealed.

I leave you with two verses:

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds.." James 1:2

"These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world." 1 Peter 1:7.

This is my final blog here with #Coffeehour @ Chicklit Power, but I pray that all of you will continue to be blessed. Thank you for joining me week after week!!

Jenn

Faith Filled Friday

Learning to say no is saying yes to you!

Hello and welcome to Faith Filled Fridays! 

Throughout much of my life I have been a very observant person. I see things that tend to hide from the eye, ear and even touch. This is surely a gift but also can be a curse as it is so overwhelming. Life thus far has been about trying to employ a balance. Sometimes I wish I didn't notice all these things, as it has made major complications for me. Because I am this way it often leaves me in a state of always trying to help others and this really lands me in difficult situations. Far too often I don't leave enough time for myself because I’m saying yes to others. 

 One tragedy in this is that friends/people can tend to start taking it for granted. When motivated out of the goodness of your heart and you see how people almost expect it from you, well it hurts. I am learning that I must surely leave room, time, caring, learning, loving for myself. Helping others was never meant to be a burden.  

 I believe God wants us to help others. When I help others I call it: "My Church." I actually feel closer to God when I am doing something for others. For me it's a way to worship, how I connect to God. It just feels good. While I’m helping others, I often think of passages of the Bible. Perhaps it's not a pew under the roof of an actual Church, but it is under the roof of God's love. What is helping me realize that I must learn to say no to others and yes to me is when those people I help become so unwoven that they can't even grasp that someone is helping them out of the goodness of their own heart. They second guess my love and help for them I struggle to not become bitter, and stop doing for others. It is so hard and difficult to pray constantly to God imploring Him for the strength to not harness and harvest anger...feed that bitterness. 

 I have come to believe that God's plan for me and you is to help others. I just need to do it in a more sensible manner and leave myself something at the end of the day. A balance must simply be found in everything... without it we will always be in a flux of constant stress. There is a time to roll up the sleeves and a time to roll them back down.

May we rise to a new day and a fresh emotion of feeling loved from above.

Much love & God bless...

John

Wednesday's Word

Staying in the Now is Staying in the Know!

Welcome to Coffee Hour and thanks for stopping by for a little encouragement and some knots in your strand of faith! Grab your favorite break-time beverage and your strand of faith for our time together today.

I don’t consider myself to be politically savvy; on the other hand, I don’t like to think of myself as burying my head in the sand. However, and that’s a big however, how does one find the balance with so much of media focusing on all the name-slinging, reputation ruining, and character bashing going on in and outside of the race for president? Ugh, it’s almost frightening to think about and literally if I focus on all of it, it does make me want to bury my head in the sand while asking all these what-if questions. 

My blog has never been nor will it ever be about politics; all I’ve got to say about it all is “Is this really the best we’ve got?” Listening to any of it, hearing about it, reading about it can definitely bring on a bit of anxiety, sending my thoughts to running amuck but a splash of perspective from His Love Letters, Lessons and Promises always brings me back. 

I have just returned from a great memory-making, staying-in-the-moments kind of visit with my favorite little people, three of my grandkids. More times than I can count, my grandson was focused on the moments ahead, his childlike enthusiasm so pure, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and yet, he had a hard time staying in his now and exuded some anxiety about waiting. Often he would ask, “Nana, are you excited for…?” “Are you excited about…?” (It was always about our upcoming two-day trip to Schlitterbahn, the largest water park in the world.)

Each time I would handle it a bit different, but give the same message: “Sweetheart, I’m focused on our now; I’m excited to be creating memories with you now.” “Yes, I’m looking forward to….and I’m enjoying my now with you.” 

I have ripped myself off of so many blessings by not staying in my moments and I am pretty sure my adamant responses sounded foreign to him at first. But when our trip to Schlitterbahn came and went, the meltdown that came afterwards was tragic and proved the necessity of staying in our moments. His words spoken in between sobs felt as though they were slicing my heart right in half: “You don’t understand; I’ve been counting down the days for this and looking forward to it all summer and now it’s gone and I have nothing to look forward to, nothing.”

His emotional outburst pulled me out of the front seat into the back with him so I could hold him in this moment and comfort him, assuring him that I did understand, all the while re-iterating the blessing of having had that time at the water park to create such beautiful memories.

When we lift an upcoming event so high that we fall down when it’s gone, we are not staying in our moments! 

There is this child in each of us, though, that needs something to look forward to, something we know will be fun, exciting, and worth the wait. It’s almost like an addiction we must break free from in order to capture the moments in our now, to be free from the worries and/or the plans of tomorrow. 

There really is only one thing we should be aiming for that will not take us away from our now but more than likely keep us more committed to the moments, and that is the thought of heaven! “Therefore do now worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

When I read that verse to my oldest grandson, his face lit up with a big smile, and his one-word response was “Yeah.” 

Learning to embrace my now….so I can face my tomorrows

Evinda

Jenn's Journey

A new month! Around here, August is full of celebrations. My daughter and I have birthdays two days apart. We are excited! I pray this month brings excitement for you as well. Thanks for joining me today. Grab your favorite summer drink and let's chat.

My job as a dental hygienist can be very challenging. Not only do I clean teeth, but I educate people on better oral care, figure out what motivates each person to improve oral health, and ease dental phobias. I've done this job for 22 years. The best part is working with people. The worst part is working with people! ☺ I've learned a lot about human nature though, I will say!

I find it hard to tell patients what they need to change in order to improve their health. I don't want to sound as if I'm berating, or negative. I usually try to find something they are doing right and capitalize on that. Well, the other day, I told a patient that her teeth are beautiful. She looked at me in shock.  She said, "No one has ever told me that before." The look on her face was so happy. Then she told me, "My grandma always asks me if they told me how pretty my teeth are, today I can tell her yes!" For some reason, this almost gave me tears. 

Kind words…they mean a lot, don't they? My cousin makes a point of asking clerks how they are and chatting with them a little. She said it's amazing how many of them mention that it's rare a customer do that. I guess this kind of goes along with my blog of last week. Not only does it matter what we think about, it matters what we say. Sometimes I do have to tell a patient bad news about his or her teeth, and encourage a better job. It matters how I say it though. Isn't this true in life in general?

Our world could use kindness. A kind word, a thank you, and even just a smile can go far. Sometimes it's what we DON'T say. It's not necessary to say every thought that comes to mind, especially if it is not helpful to another. 

"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up." 1 Thessalonians 5:11

 "Be kind and compassionate to one another." Ephesians 4:32

Until next week, be blessed,

Jenn