Monday’s Mantra

Do you ever feel uncomfortable sharing your faith with someone you fear won’t be as receptive as you’d like them to be? Do you feel reluctant to even approach the subject sometimes? I know I do. Thank the good Lord for those who don’t!

Welcome to Coffee Hour at Chicklit Power and Megan’s Monday Mantra with Trench Classes United.

Last Sunday, I volunteered for the Women’s Bible Study sign-up table at church. As I assisted with registration, I could not help but overhear the conversation a woman was having with another volunteer at the table. She was lamenting how, once again, she had asked her friend to attend the bible study – and how, once again, her friend had declined.

I remember attending my first Bible Study. I did not know the first thing about the Word of God. Over the period of three years, a faithful Christian friend called me every time her Bible Study group started a new study, and every time I answered with a “No.” Even though I believed in God, I felt nothing I did was good enough for Him. I felt all of my failures were indicative of my unworthiness of Him. I definitely had a tumultuous relationship with God, and the point at which my life began to mirror my relationship with Him, I despairingly responded with a “Yes!” When I told my husband I was going to attend a Bible Study, he asked, “What made you change your mind?” I told him I needed to find out why God did not love me.

I attended my first Bible Study because I believed God did not love me. Why was I convinced He did not love me? Because, I did not know the first thing about the Word of God! By the end of the first month, I knew how wrong I had been.

I momentarily stopped filling out a registration form and shared this story with the disheartened woman whose friend, once again, had turned down her invitation to Bible Study. I encouraged her to please...

DON’T STOP ASKING!

Perseverance like my friend’s, changes lives.

I know - it changed mine.

Your comments are always most welcome.

Lovingly in Christ,

Megan

Faith-Filled Friday

Oh, what a great reminder Jennifer brings us today…I don’t know about you, but some things are worth repeating for the spiritual journey! Welcome to Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and Faith-Filled Friday at Trench Classes United.

Who are you listening to?

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.  Romans 10:17

Faith is complete trust or confidence in someone or something.  We can have faith in anything.  Faith is not about belief. It has very little to do with what beliefs you hold, other than that it allows you to hold them.

So…if we are not hearing the word of God…who are we listening to?

I must admit that sometimes I listen to the lies that my past experiences have taught me.  My faith in humans has been broken; the hurt runs deep.  I occasionally allow the hurt and pain to speak (sometimes relentlessly) into my day.  My faith is in what I am not and what I can’t do because of what I am hearing.  Some call it negative self-talk. 

It helps to keep an eye on the things you tell yourself, and challenge some of the negative aspects of your thinking.  This goes back to last week’s blog about taking every thought captive.  There are many scriptures that illustrate what can happen inside of our head and ways to fill your inner being with the things of God. 

Proverbs 23:7 says, "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he" (NKJV). In other words, we become what we think. Or, as I like to say, where the mind goes, the man follows. It was a breakthrough to understand that my problems had a lot to do with a negative, critical, suspicious, judgmental mindset, and I didn't have to just think any thought that fell into my mind. I could think about what I wanted to think about on purpose.

The best thing we can do is renew our minds with the Word of God so we can think like He thinks and experience His good plan for our lives. Hearing the word of God helps us believe and fill our minds with the right things, the true things.

Romans 12:2 says, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God" (NKJV).

When you spend time hearing the Word and renewing your mind with the Truth, it helps set your mind in the right direction so you can have more victory in your life. And as this new way of thinking gradually renews your mind, it dilutes the old thinking and transforms your perspectives and attitudes.

So… who are you listening to?  Who do you need to be listening to?  My prayer is that you will build your faith in God and listen to the truths He speaks into you and wash away the lies.

Jennifer

Tam’s Trench Truth

Hello and welcome back to another Thursday’s Trench Truth.

Have you ever had someone go off on you…for what you deemed no reason? Well, this last week I had a customer of mine completely unload...on me telephonically!

I completely dread moments like these and if someone is being completely rude to me I usually will just hang up the telephone. But something in me wanted to see it through, because I could sense something else was wrong. So I sat there as the woman went on for probably 5 minutes steady. I have had a few times where a customer of mine would chew me a new one, but this I could feel was something a little different. It was as if I heard an inner voice, perhaps the Holy Spirit just encouraging me to keep on the line. 

Suddenly, out of nowhere and what must have been the end of her rant, she apologized! I felt dizzy with the emotional ride, and then she confirmed what the Spirit had spoken to me: there was something else wrong. After she apologized, she then went on to tell me that her husband had passed away just two months ago and that when I had showed up a little later than I usually do, it just set her off.

I began to listen with my heart, not just my ears, and responding a few times in between her breaths. She told me how important it was for her to read her newspaper I deliver every morning since her husband died and she even confessed to feeling guilty because when he was alive, he was the one who read the paper for many, many years and then he would always want to talk with her about current events, about the things that he read…but she would always tell him she didn't want to hear it.

What she said next pierced my soul: Looking back, I’ve come to realize that I missed something with him. And it wasn’t so much what the current events were, but how he wanted to express more deeply about the world he lived in.”

She told me that for some reason that news in general had always stressed her out. But now that he was gone, she faithfully tore into the newspaper and found a world of not only drama, but of current events at schools, things going on in her community, as well as other corners of the world.

She expressed how she felt she had missed what could have been a really great part of her marriage and that now there was regret for not having participated in what she now deems could have been meaningful conversation that began with the newspaper.

Wow, her regret sparked inside of me, and I knew that she had picked up the newspaper and started to give it a go as a way of honoring her husband and marriage; that something inside clicked to give it a chance.

She is quite elderly and also very lonely. Her loneliness resonates with me on a deeper level than most, a kind of common ground that really got me thinking.

How often do we shut things down without giving them an ear or a mere few seconds because we feel that it will leave us feeling stressed, depressed or anxious?

I know that I’m guilty of this in some ways. In fact, the very way I had wanted to shut her down and not hear her out when she was expressing her anger!

People don't always want us to respond as much as they need an ear and a shoulder to not only lean on and listen, but vent upon until the real reason comes out buried beneath the pain.

So from now on I am going to try wrapping small notes around her paper... maybe they will just be a “Hi,” or a little statement that lets her know I’m trying to do a better job for her, a little something to just become more personable, ease the loneliness, let her know someone cares. 

I thank God for trusting me with these moments, for helping me to be that shoulder and realize that in the heart of a shoulder God wants us to love people Sometimes we all just need someone to be patient with us; sometimes we just need for someone to be there.

Much love everyone,

                                        ~John

                                   

                                            

Wednesday’s Word

James 4:3: You ask and do not receive because you ask amiss that you may spend it on your pleasures.”

Can you believe it; September’s already in full swing! Wow, time is so precious and I thank you for taking some of yours to join us for Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and Wednesday’s Word @ Trench Classes United.

Last week my husband and I went on a little four-day getaway to Cle Elum, Washington – I had never even heard of Cle Elum J Well, let me tell you, it’s a beautiful little town full of history, and trees…lots and lots of trees, oh, and hills, beautiful, green hills, old, old houses, and very nice people, oh, and did I mention wild life roaming free?!

Why did we go to Cle Elum? Well, my husband’s sister and brother-in-law have a ranch out there and they’ve been asking us to come visit them for a couple of years now. So we decided to celebrate our wedding anniversary out there and I’m so, so glad we did!

My sister-in-law actually flew with us – they also have a home in Upland, CA, so her husband picked us up at the airport…in style, with a red Cadillac Escalade truck – I soon discovered that he loves red. Anyway, as we pulled onto his property, his pride shown quietly through his smile as he explained various parts of the property, beginning with the entry gate that has a real-life tractor hanging 50 feet up in the air!

As we neared a driveway, I was stunned into silent envy as I viewed the rolling hills to my left and right, and a long and winding road up ahead, a roof peaking out in its midst, getting larger as we got closer. It was the longest driveway I’ve ever seen! As soon as their home came into full view, I was again stunned into silent envy with every angle that we approached. It was absolutely beautiful…and as we made our way inside, and they began to take us on the tour, my silence turned to overwhelmed exclamations. I couldn’t believe all the beautiful details of their custom-built ranch home. They had spared no expense.

By the end of the tour, I had a real bad case of house envy. Don’t get me wrong; I am very happy for them, truly. They both are hard-working, and he’s the owner of a company he started 52 years ago, a company that is thriving! It was crazy, the teeter-totter of emotions I was feeling: happiness for them on one end, and envy on the other, and what was it that bounced me back and forth between the two emotions? This question: Why does God bless some more than others? Have you ever wondered that?

Over the next few days, this question came through the hallway of my heart, rising to my mind, and threatening my joy, but my faith kept me from falling.  And days later, as I sit here reminiscing over the beautiful moments, now sweet memories in the near past, scripture holds me tight, firm on the ground of faith.

See, while God desires for us to have abundant life, it doesn’t always include beautiful homes, cars, and financial freedom, especially if it is used for one’s own pleasure that is void of kingdom purposes. James hits the bull’s eye straight into my heart with this verse:  You ask and do not receive because you ask amiss that you may spend it on your pleasures.”

Could it be that I’m not necessarily asking for the wrong things, just maybe not asking for the right reasons? Do I want the right things for the wrong reasons?

Thing.....

Evinda

Tuesday’s Trench Truth

Welcome to Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and Tuesday’s Trench Truth with Trench Classes United. I’m excited to share today’s Trench Truth and Invitation too because it is from one of our leaders in the trenches, John Jones! Grab your coffee and come on in for a moment of truth!

Have you ever thought “what if”? What if I, what if they, what if!?! What if what if!!! Now if you have, you probably will again! So the next time you think “what if,” will it be about what you are about to do? Should be doing? Will it be about a decision that should be made but fear and confusion are clouding your mind!

So, what if before you make the next move, the next decision, the next whatever, you STOP… Stop, Think, or Pray about your next “What If”!

Then maybe the “what if” will become the “glad I did,” the Wow! The “Thank You God”!!!

Join us for an introduction to Living Fearlessly and turn your “what-ifs” into fearlessness!

Looking forward to seeing you there

Evinda & John

Megan’s Mantra

I heard a news commentator say, “Had someone dreamt this up, it would have been a nightmare!”

The catastrophic events in Houston and Southeast Texas are a nightmare, and they’ve weighed heavily on my heart this week. 

Welcome to Coffee Hour at Chicklit Power and Megan’s Monday Mantra with Trench Classes United.

Let us pray ….

“Heavenly Father, please keep all who are affected by this disaster from despair. Do not allow their faith to be destroyed by the helplessness they endure. Move deeply in those who are able to serve; that they may be your heart and hands here on earth. Please attend to the injured, comfort the bereaved, and protect the helpless, including all of your precious animals. Dear Lord, give mightily the assurance of your presence, so through the tears of tragedy, the promise of hope and your steadfast love will be felt and known.” In Jesus name, we pray. Amen

I resided in Southeast Texas for 3 years. I still have close friends in the area. Houston was hit by a hurricane while I was living there. Being 90 miles inland, I only experienced the residual effects of the hurricane … 80-plus mile an hour winds, torrential downpours, and no electricity for 48 hours.

The personal Facebook videos, posted by a professional acquaintance, powerfully expose the raw emotion of fear, hopelessness, and sense of overwhelm experienced by those trapped in these horrific circumstances. As the rest of us helplessly look on, she documents the rising water in her home and yard, the goats being moved to her upper deck, the truck and horse trailer slowly disappearing beneath the water’s surface, and how she finally rode her horse through thigh–high water to get it to dry ground. The next morning’s post: Only six more inches till her elderly Mother’s home is flooded!

A close friend of mine is a dispatcher for the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, just North of Houston. Traveling to work is extremely dangerous due to heavy rains and flooded roads. They are on “emergency mode” which means all hands on deck and 12 hour shifts – for flooding and water rescues.

Everywhere they look, there are drenched and terrified people stranded on rooftops, lost and abandoned pets treading water, trying not to drown. I don’t know how I would survive without the help and strength of our Lord! I wonder how many people the Lord found wanting, and saved them. I wonder how many people found the Lord and were saved. The one thing I do know is this …

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Therefore, we will not fear though the earth gives way,

though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.  (Psalm 46:1-3 ESV)

Thank you Lord. Please hear our prayers.

Lovingly in Christ,

Megan

Foster’s Faith Filled Friday

I just love how faithful our God is in teaching us the most beautiful things in the midst of sorrow or great tribulation. Grab your coffee and you’re in for a treat today as Breanna shares again from her heart.

Listen, being transparent isn’t easy. It means having to admit your daily flaws and struggles but I have found that by doing this I am keeping myself accountable. Now let me follow that up with a nice little story.

Since my daddy passed away, A LOT, I mean A LOT has changed (duh, right?) I went and got treatment and when I came home my whole world got twisted even more upside down. My family was going in all sorts of directions and I couldn’t emotionally keep up. I grew sad and bitter. My family and I have grown apart, in large part due to me not agreeing with choice decisions and feeling hurt, left out.

This past week, I was talking to one of my best friends, Krystin -- she is such a genuine soul, someone whom I trust and respect -- I was telling her my hurts and she’s always so good to listen and she will give advice when she feels necessary. Well this particular day was no different. I was venting and telling her what I’ve been feeling convicted about in certain situations, especially as it relates to the relationships with my family.

Well, this life change that my family and I are going through and the chaos that’s transpired through the last couple of months has been exhausting. So I’m talking to her on the phone and I tell her, “Krys, Im really trying and I don’t know why I’m still feeling a sense of anger and distance.”

What she said was truly a game changer for me! She says, “ Im going to ask this and i don’t want you to get upset with me, but do you feel like if you forgive and move forward that you will be essentially no longer loyal to your father? If your father was alive would he approve of the way you and your family are acting?”

BOOM!!!!!

Does she know me or what? I was so stuck in making sure I was loyal to my daddy, that I had his back and that was causing me to not be able to forgive and move forward. And when I think of my dad’s approval about all of our behavior, the answer is no, my dad would not approve of the way things have been in my family lately.

So I pray that the Lord continues to soften my heart to help me stay as transparent as possible so I am kept accountable and grow in a positive direction.

Transparency is sliding aside the curtains of the soul, revealing its character. It is not easy or quick to do if there have been many years, many scars, many fears that stand in the way.

The idea that the truth will set us free is an outcome of transparency. Working towards transparency might be better done with someone that can be trusted. Exposing the darkness will require a trusted relationship so that the surfacing of the negatives can be done safely and without repercussions.

Transparency allows one to shift from hiding behind pretense to genuine living.

2 Timothy 2:15: Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

Learning, and unlearning

Breanna