Sometimes we need to focus inward to realize we need to look upward! EL

Reflecting on how you treat others is a form of propelling you spiritually forward ^EL

“You’re so uptight”; “You need to loosen up! “People are afraid to come to you because you always seem so stressed.” “You’re always so busy”! These are the comments I have heard consistently over the last two weeks. I think He’s trying to tell me something and using several people to bring the message!

Welcome to Coffee Hour with Chicklit Power and Wednesday’s Word with Trench Classes United.

Have you ever received honest criticism from more than one person but about the same thing? If so what do you do? I know for me, the first time I heard it, my tendency was to defend myself, but after the third and fourth time, I took a step back and realized maybe there was something to learn from in all of this. I began to banter back and forth with God in the days that followed the last critique. This is what I read one morning as I was pondering this dilemma of loosening up without letting go of my convictions: Psalm 106:3: “Blessed are those who keep justice; and he who does righteousness at all times!”

Uh, how in the world is that supposed to help me my soul cried out. At all times means all the time; sounds pretty rigid to me and yet, our God is not rigid, I argued with myself. If people see me as rigid, then they may see my God as rigid. Ugh, I could just groan without ceasing because of the picture that began forming. In many instances, I was handling situations like a bull in a china cabinet! Isn’t that a scary but funny picture? I must admit, my first glance at this picture didn’t make me laugh.

I realize I may sound a bit crazy having this conversation with myself, but that’s why I’m writing from my heart to yours, Coffee Hour Friend, because if you don’t understand the depth of the dilemma then you won’t appreciate the victory I’m beginning to experience.

Over the last few weeks, our organization has gone through something pretty difficult, something that would destroy most organizations, but we have come out of it more determined than ever, and stronger in number. But – this is a big but – unconsciously it has buried my joy and my love for laughter.  It was as if, for a short time, I had the weight of the world in my heart and it pushed all the joy out of sight.

How did I get my joy back? God used others to speak into my life and He does the same for you. They may not always be people we trust for whatever reason; and that may be why we don’t hear the message at first, but if we quiet our souls, and seek Him with our whole heart, we can hear the message He’s trying to convey. 

Hearing these things from others did help to snap me out of myself and make me realize that I needed to focus upward instead of inward and yet, I needed to focus inward to realize how desperately I needed to look upward. In other words, taking time to reflect on how you may be coming across to others can be spiritually healthy. How else do we learn and move forward.

Learning and unlearning

Kim-Evinda

Love overcomes all things…even religious skepticism.

The young male stranger sharing a table with my husband looked at him and shyly said, “I know this may be out of context, but I love you.”

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

My husband almost choked on his BBQ chicken wing. He was on a business trip and stopped at a fast-food restaurant to grab a bite to eat. The restaurant was busy, so customers were sharing tables. He could have sworn he just heard the young boy proclaim his love for him. Perhaps he heard wrong; after all, he is deaf in one ear. J Did he somehow give the wrong impression? Should he get up and leave? Should he say something? How was he supposed to respond? Observing my husband’s internal turmoil, the young male stranger repeated, “I know this may be out of context, but GOD loves you!”

I give this young boy a lot of credit. He was taking his faith seriously and being obedient to Jesus’ command: “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”

(Mark 16:15 NKJV)

Many Christians understand the importance of sharing the Word of God, but most Christians struggle with actually doing it. In today’s climate of religious skepticism, preaching the gospel to a stranger can be a daunting thought. Fear of rejection, being mocked, and not knowing what to say are reasons Christians shy away from sharing the Word. Even Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples, denied Him three times because he was afraid he would get killed for being one of Jesus’ followers.

One of the final commands Jesus gave to His disciples before He ascended into Heaven was, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20 KJV)

God assures that when we take the step of faith to share His Word, He is always with us. In allowing Him to work through us to help others, our lives are enriched as well.

Your comments are always most welcome.

Lovingly in Christ,

Megan

A shift in the wind could be a reminder of WHO’S in control! EL

I don’t know about you but I am not a fan of change, even if its small change. It throws me overboard and wrecks my nice smoothing ship. Welcome to Coffee Hour with Chicklit Power and Faith Filled Friday with Trench Classes United

As the Lord creates change in my calm and routine life, I tend to think: what now? What I am going to do? What am I supposed to do? Recently He brought a change and it didn’t just affect me but someone else, and while I was worrying for this person I must confess that I was more consumed with how it was going to affect me.

Realizing this was an eye-opening experience and reminded me that I need to keep my eyes on Him so He can help me focus on others instead of so much on myself. God is so gentle and loving that He met me right there with love and guidance and helped me bow down and pray my heart out for this person. Doing this also reminded me that God will take care of me; He always has and always will. 

Matthew6:26-34 New Living Translation (NLT) ²⁶ Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? ²⁷ Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

When God shifts the wind and brings change or storms, it’s to grow us and remind us of who’s in control. The goal: To take our eyes off ourselves and to get them fixed completely on Him. I pray, that I may have the sight and perspective that Jesus gives me and that it wouldn’t be of my own, and that each time my eyes begin to focus on me that He would bring the wind to realign my vision, to always be fixed on my Heavenly Father and how He sees things.

Let me encourage you Coffee hour friends, if God has shifted the wind in your sails it’s because He’s beginning a new work in you and wants to show us areas that need improving or maybe, He’s getting ready to shower you with an abundance of blessings. Praise Him through the change and know that He wants the very best for His sons and daughters

Jeremiah 29:11 New Living Translation (NLT)

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

Love, Ashley

The heart reveals and yet conceals our true character EL

Have you ever misplaced something and found yourself retracing your steps and coming back empty of what you lost? And the harder we look for it, the more frustrated we become, right?

Thanks for joining me for Coffee Hour with Chicklit Power and Wednesday’s Word with Trench Classes United.

In those moments of sheer exasperation, what is it we do? I have learned to step away from the angst and redirect my focus, and sometimes, I’ll even ask God to reveal that which was lost.

So what does the phrase “do not lose heart” mean? How can we lose our heart if it’s beating inside of us? How does that happen? When I read Paul’s instructions in 2^nd Corinthians 4:16 – and I’ve read this verse several time in my life – I decided to look up what that phrase means to see if there is a mystery behind the phrase, a diamond to behold in this walk of faith on our way to heaven.

How I’ve interpreted it in the past is “Don’t give up”! But this particular morning, while I was feeling as though I lost my heart, I felt a little nudge to dig a little deeper, which confirmed that my heart was still beating within me J  So I went to my Hebrew and Greek Concordance.

Wow, talk about a landmine! Did you know that the word “heart,” and all its forms, is in the Bible over 1000 times? Here’s a couple of really inspiring definitions for this word heart: “it represents man’s true character but conceals it”—we could literally stay on that definition for a while but let’s keep going.

It is the seat of physical life, moral nature, spiritual life, the seat of grief and the seat of joy.  Again, we could stay in these “seats” for a while and feast upon the meanings, but let me give you the final one that is the context for our Wednesday’s Word:  Understanding, reasoning powers, conscience, intention, purpose and…faith!

So if I were to rewrite this verse with its Greek translation, it would read something like this:

Therefore, I do not lose understanding, my reasoning abilities, my conscience, my intention, my purpose or faith in this trial, for even though my outward man is perishing, yet my inward man (the heart) is being renewed day by day.

Oh, Coffee Hour Friend, do not lose your faith, your ability to reason, to live intentionally in your purpose no matter what you are going through, for all of this is preparing us and renewing us for our heavenly destination.

Finding my heart,

Kim Evinda

Coincidence…or God-incidence?

God –the one Supreme Being, the omnipotent, omniscient creator and ruler of the universe.

Wink - to open and close one eye deliberately, as to convey a message, signal, or suggestion.

God Wink – a uniquely personal experience or event, often mistakenly identified as a coincidence.

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

I am not a believer in coincidences. Oftentimes, when I am in need of direction, reassurance, or a solution, it unexpectedly comes through a radio broadcast, a stranger’s comment, or a turn of events. I get so excited when I “catch” one of these moments, because for me it means God really cares and He is hearing me! I was blessed with one such moment last week …

I’ve learned asking the Lord for help is the best way to tackle any dog training challenge. Since He is the one who created the dog, I’m sure no one knows better than He, how to train one. I am currently training my young, enthusiastic Boxer for competition obedience. Competition obedience demands an exorbitant amount of focus from the dog. Requiring my highly distractible Boxer to keep his undivided attention, solely upon me, is proving to be an arduous task. After a particularly frustrating day of training, I came home and opened up Sarah Young’s daily devotional, “Jesus Calling”. It read,

“I am intimately involved in all of your moments, and I am training you to be aware of me at all times. Your assignment is to collaborate with me in this training process.” I stared at the devotion in disbelief. “WOW”, I blurted out loud, “The Lord is teaching me the exact same thing I am teaching my dog!”

A mere coincidence – what are the odds of that?

I shared this experience with my friend and work out instructor, Cheryl. She told me her family calls these special moments “God-Winks.” I am not familiar with the expression, but the visual it represents is powerful. Through a mindful observation or a moment of recognition, we have access to God’s guidance. All He asks of us is to be aware of Him at all times. Imagine the countless blessings - the gift of peace, once fear is dispelled, the clarity of mind, once doubt is negated, the certainty of love, once faith is restored … all in the wink of an eye – God’s eye!

Are you aware of God’s winks in your life?

Has God winked at you today?

Dear God, let us have the eyes to see…

Your comments are always most welcome.

Lovingly in Christ,

Megan

Jesus is in love with you!

Happy Friday, Beloveds! Thank you in advance for faithfully joining me each Friday for Coffee Hour with Chicklit Power and Faith Filled Friday with Trench Classes United.

Time with the Lord is so very important to me. If I don’t start my day with Him I find my days long and my patience short. All in all, my day just isn’t great. I start my days out pretty early in the morning and I have found that I am waking up before my alarm, but finding it hard to get up and turn the light on, pour a cup of coffee and begin my time with my Abba. I have found myself missing my time with my Abba because my tempter sleep has gotten the best of me. Deep time with the Lord, this is what my heart craves deeply. Yet, I find myself dozing off on the couch then taking the precious time He has woken me up for.

Coffee hour friend are you finding yourself in this rut that I am finding myself in?

Can I encourage you as I the Lord has encouraged me? He reminded me of this song and I’d like to share a small piece of it with you.

What can I do for You
What can I bring to You
What kind of song would
You like me to sing
'Cause I'll dance a
Dance for You
Pour out my love for You
What can I do for You
Beautiful King

Then I hear You say
You don't have to do a thing
Simply be with me and
Let those things go
They can wait another minute
Wait this moment
Is too sweet
Please stay here with me
And love on Me a little longer
'Cause I'm in love with you

You see He just wants us to sit with Him. He loves us so much, He asks for nothing but our time. Yet, this seems at times a task too grand, but is it? Oh I encourage you to turn on some praise and worship music and sit at His feet and just praise Him. He just wants our undivided attention. Come, Coffee Hour Friends, let’s sit and  praise our King Jesus just as Martha chose to do.

Luke 10:42: 41“Martha, Martha,” the Lord replied, “you are worried and upset about many things. 42But only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Jesus, thank you for your unfailing love and patience with us, as we fall short every day.. Forgive us Lord, for putting us first. Lord, put our priorities in order. Lord, when you call us to a quiet place with You, help us to hear that we would take the time to stop and sit with you. Thank you for all You've done and continue to do for us. I pray that each day we would grow deeper and closer to You than we were the day before. Build us up to be willing vessels for You for whatever You call us to. Lord let us have ears to hear You. Help us, Oh Lord, to stay on the path you have called us too. We love You and dedicate ourselves and our time to You.

In Jesus' Mighty Name Amen

Ashley

God doesn’t allow a trial without directions to the answer! EL

I couldn’t find my way out of a paper bag, or a cardboard box, which is why I need explicit defining directions and instructions and not just in driving! 

Thanks for joining me for Coffee Hour with Chicklit Power and Wednesday’s Word with Trench Classes United.

I so appreciate having GPS in my car because it’s proven over and over again it will get me to where I need to go…almost alwaysJ But driving is not the only area of life that I need specific defining directions and instructions in. In my sociology class, we have a Signature project coming up and I’ve been feeling like I’m literally drowning in information. My brain is having a hard time not getting swept away and allowing the information to settle in like the sand of the ocean floor. The first part of the project is due this weekend, and I do not have a starting point! I know what I want to talk about but I have no idea where to start, and I can’t write about it like I write a blog or a book. L It’s like being lost and needing to find my way.

I reached out to my professor, confessing my ignorance while pleading my case of needing a starting point, some sort of direction. I waited…trying not to dwell on feeling lost.

I used to feel that way when I would listen to others share the Word of God with such specificity. I wondered, how in the world do they do that? It’s such a huge book filled with so much information…until I opened it and began by dipping the feet of my heart in, a little at a time and now, just as with anything, there is more of a jumping in with an eagerness to learn and receive what He wants to lovingly teach me.

While waiting for the response from my professor, I read Philippians 4:4-7 and James 1:1-4, which speak to our response to challenges of any kind. Both Paul and James remind us to relax in the trial or trouble because everything’s gonna be all right, (paraphrased) and you and me, well, we’re going to be made stronger for it, stronger in faith, and another benefit, the flame of hope within us will not be blown out.

Paul tells us to not be anxious about anything, but he doesn’t leave it right there. He gives us direction on how to do that: but in everything, our response is to pray, just talk it out with God. Stay there in the conversation; don’t walk away until your heart is filled with the knowledge of hope in Christ.

See, God doesn’t allow a trial without directions to the answer.

Speaking of an answer, the next day, after reading these passages, I received a response from my professor:  Chillax! You will be okay. Try to relax and benefit from the process as opposed to stressing the hell out about it :-)

Hmmm, benefit from the trial, the challenge. I wonder if he had any idea how God used him to confirm the answer to my dilemma!

Anything means everything, including: relationships, finances, health…and my signature assignment.

Oh that we would be able to do as James, Paul and my professor stated: relax and chillax, learning from the journey.

Chillaxing…

Evinda