Faith Filled Fridays From Croley’s Corner of Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

I’m so happy you could join me today. Grab your coffee and let’s look into a question: Does God have a return policy?”  Lately, does it feel as though life has been like mini tornados going off at varied times? If you answered yes, well, you’re not alone; it certainly has been for me. In the last several weeks it has been pretty tough and today was my, as they say, “I’ve hit a wall” kind of a day. I couldn’t put my finger on it until I began taking inventory and realized that I’m coming up on my mother-in-law’s one-year anniversary of her graduation to Heaven. And yes I have been reflecting. I’ve had some pretty hard days thinking back on how difficult she was with her Alzheimer’s. Anyone who has had a family member or friend with this disease understands that it robs you of who you are; it literally steals your identity. There were many times I would go over to help take care of her and find she had no clue of who I was. Now mind you, I’ve been married to her son for 43 years so one would think that would be enough for her to recall me. Yet again, I would introduce myself and say “Hi mom, remember me?” and still see the void and blank look on her face; which spoke volumes.

My heart felt saddened for her yet during those times the one thing that would stir her soul and bring life to her face would be singing songs. Now being a Pastor of a church in Colton, California many years ago, she would lead the choir and church in victorious songs, songs that would bring down heaven.  So when I’d begin to sing those songs, something happened… within her mind something seemed to click and you could see her expression turn from a hard disparaging look to a look of joy and contentment and soon she would join me singing with all that was within her, not skipping a beat.

Oh how I miss hearing her sing and pray; she surely could get a hold of heaven!!

We too must often be reminded, as I reminded Rod’s mom of songs long ago, of God’s promises. The moment I began speaking the Word of God she would finish the verse for me. Oh to know that she knew His word in her heart made for such a blessing for us all. God’s word never ever returns void…it’s not empty…and does not have a return policy. Isaiah 55:11 reminds us “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”

So when life comes at us in a way that seems like a tornado and everything seems to be in disarray, no matter what you may be experiencing right this very moment or if you’ve been going through tornadoes for a while, know you can reach deep down inside of you and pull out the very Word of God you need. How and why you ask; because the word is hidden in your heart and His word will accomplish what He pleases.

God’s word will sustain you and give you peace just as the rain falls on and feeds the earth; that’s a promise and it’s not something you just forget. When Rod’s mom seemed distant and empty, when we began to sing and speak His Word life returned to her. His Word brings life even at its lowest of times. Embrace His word: memorize it, write it down, tape it to your mirror, whatever it takes that will bring you to His promises that are within you.

His word doesn’t have a return policy; that is something we can count on! May your weekend be filled with great expectations of a new promise from His word…and remember…keep Him close to your heart

Love,

Deb

Seven Sacrifices to Joy

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

Happy day to you, and thanks so much for joining me for more of the Seven Sacrifices to Joy! Can you believe it; we are on sacrifice number six! Grab your coffee and your Strand of Faith and let’s go talk about an attitude of gratitude, aka, thanksgiving!

The sixth sacrifice is thanksgiving and kind of works like the sacrifice of joy. What I mean by that is thanksgiving, an attitude of gratitude works like joy in that it can pull us up and out of the murky pits of sadness, depression, frustration and even anger. Much like joy, a sacrifice of thanksgiving is made easier when we stay in touch -- and pardon the pun -- with our five senses. I have learned, finally, that there is always something to be thankful for, truly! Psalm 107:1 tells us to give thanks to God for His steadfast love endures forever … that’s a promise in and through any circumstance which challenges your faith, your joy, your ability to give thanks!

My leadership team and I planned something really thought-and thankful-provoking for the last class of Transform I and I gave it the title of problem swapping. Here’s how it worked: First, in their group times, they were asked what their perspective was on trusting God. Then they were each given an index card to write their current problem that they were going through. I encouraged them that if there were more than one, to write the biggest one, the one really making life difficult for them. Then, on the backside, they were to write how they were going to trust God in that problem for the solution to that problem, based on their perspective of what it means to trust God. At the end of the class, everyone had to put their problem on the table and then we formed a circle. One by one, they came forward, grabbed a card/problem and read aloud the problem, thus sharing it with the group, which means we were learning how to share our burdens. Then they were to turn the card over for the perspective on how to trust God in the problem for the solution to the problem.

There were many “problems” revealed that helped each one of us to not only empathize with the person going thru what they were, but give us an attitude of gratitude for our own problem that may have seemed a bit easier. While the problems were anonymous, I encouraged everyone to take the card/problem home and pray for that person with that problem. It was incredibly powerful, and helped each one of us find something to be thankful about/for. It was such an amazingly powerful moment…made sweeter by each offer of thanksgiving.

We can change our attitude with a dose of gratitude! When we exchange complaining for gratitude, He changes our perspective and increases our faith. When a sacrifice of thanksgiving becomes an accompaniment to any of the sacrifices, its power is doubled, granting us smooth sailing through chaotic storms. Oh, what a feeling, to have peace in chaos! And just think, we have that ability within us to change the power of the storm … by offering up a Sacrifice of Thanksgiving.

Thanking Him while in the storm will enable us to thank Him for the storm! After all, He’s the ultimate Captain of our ship as we go through the waves of change and challenge. Will we let Him drive, thus experience peace and ensuring our safe arrival, or will we try and take the wheel al the while white-knuckling it through the changes and challenges, wondering whether we will land or capsize?

His grace and mercy are increased by our offering up a Sacrifice of Thanksgiving. The worst thing that can happen is your faith will increase, and your entire outlook on this journey of life will change as you learn to be content in all circumstances! And who doesn’t enjoy being around a content person? After all, the price paid for yours and my contentment … whew, well that’s something to be thankful for!

Join me next week as we go to and through the seventh sacrifice and be sure and join us tomorrow for Croley’s Corner @ Chicklit Power for Faith-Filled Friday!

Evinda

Seven Sacrifices to Joy

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

It’s great to have our Coffee Hour and to write from my heart to yours. I know we’ve finally picked up speed and are moving through this series at a much quicker pace. In case you’re wondering why, well, the whole communication piece took the longest because it is the key to all the other sacrifices! So as we turn the corner and head to the finish line of this series with only three more sacrifices to go, I am excited to hint at a new series coming after this one. It involves four-legged children who steal our hearts … yup, dogs! I’ll be co-writing it with our Director of Development who taught her dog how to say “I love you” and of course she passed that lesson on to me and we, in turn, passed it on to our four-legged kiddos! Anyway, I’m looking forward to that fun series and the laughter and joy it will bring! Let’s get back to The Seven Sacrifices to Joy. Grab your coffee and your Strand of Faith and let’s go talk about the fifth sacrifice, joy!

So how could joy be one of the sacrifices to joy? Well, hopefully I’ll be able to paint the answer to that question in this blog.

It seems strange that offering joy before the Lord is considered a sacrifice. However, when we look around and see how many Christians do not exhibit joy we may begin to understand. When we offer up joy, we tell God that we are rejoicing because we have Him and know Him. Joy takes on many forms which actually involve all the senses: hearing, seeing, touching, smelling, feeling. Various things that we listen to can cause the joy within to rise up, for example, in the midst of a noisy day, to stop and take a little worship break and break forth with songs and praise to the Lord. Or how about the calmness that touches our soul when we sit still before the crashing waves from His glories oceans? Or what about the sweet sound of life coming from singing birds; doesn’t that sound squeeze our hearts with joy?

Oh, and His creation beckons and stirs our joy when we take in a glorious sunrise or sunset as the Creator whispers good morning or sweet dreams. The fragrance of flowers, their vibrant colors, their quiet ability to captivate…. Joy!

But how would we know joy if we hadn’t experienced sadness or unhappiness? It is the experiences of the antonyms of joy that increase our joy! It is through those times of the stretching of our faith and increasing our trust boundaries that our joy is not just stirred but increased!

Our joy can be active because of God not just for the good times, but also in the painful circumstances. Joy is based on our internal hope of our eternal destination!

This joy enables us to rejoice in and thru all circumstances, but it doesn’t mean we are joyous for those circumstances while we are in those circumstances! How is that possible? Because of our faith and trust in His faithfulness. And here’s something that can seem a bit unfathomable: Even when we are faithless, He is faithful. Now that’s something to offer up a sacrifice of joy for!

And when life’s difficult situations come crashing upon you like a giant wave, pray for strength to lay aside the innate tendency to worry, to exhibit fear and anxiety and instead, to offer up the sacrifice of joy. God will be well pleased!

Until tomorrow …

Evin

Seven Sacrifices to Joy

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy day to join me for a few words, or more, from my heart to yours! We are finally on the fourth sacrifice in the Seven Sacrifices to Joy, a contrite heart. Oh, there is beauty in Godly sorrow! Grab your coffee and your Red Strand of Faith and let’s go ties some more knots in this series.

Have you ever let some words come flying out of your mouth in a burst of anger and then immediately, as soon as they left your tongue, been sorry? Or hit someone and only after you did, were you wishing you could scamper into a hole like a lizard? Or how about those messages from the pulpit where you just know the Pastor is looking right at you because he was at your house the day before sorting through your “dirty laundry” and saw your sin? Oh how beautiful are the quiet crashes of conviction against the soul that bring a contrite heart. A contrite heart is a requirement for change!

Now we want to be careful and not confuse contrite with depressed! To avoid that crash, let’s check out a couple of definitions for contrite.

Hmmm, I just discovered something interesting: contrite is only in the Old Testament! The first occurrence is in Psalm 34:18: “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart and saves such as have a contrite spirit.”

Wow, the word translates to “daka,” pronounced daw-kaw, and means “to crumble; to dash into pieces or crush.”

That’s a lot of sorrow but look at the promise: The Lord is near … to pick up the pieces! I don’t know about you, but there have been many times where I’ve felt that my world was in pieces and mostly because I had made such a mess of it, but EVERY single time, He was there to turn tragedy into triumph, trash into a testimony for He knew in my heart I was broken and sorrowful.

I hear another question echoing in the hallways of my heart: what about those that have sinned against us and don’t have a “contrite” heart for hurting us? I guess the simplistic answer to such a difficult but honest question is to truly have a contrite heart means we experience remorse over sin … not just our own, but those committed against us! In other words, our heart will break for what breaks His!

A contrite heart experiences repentance and true repentance is seen by a turning away from that which we are repenting from. Let’s sit here for just a minute… without a gavel in our hands!

There are two types of repentance that exist: genuine repentance and false repentance. Genuine repentance occurs when we come clean before God and confess sin out of a true sense of remorse at having offended God.

False repentance occurs when an individual says, "I am sorry" because someone else discovers him in sin and points it out. The apology does not bring change to the one who is falsely repenting, but that’s not for us to decide!

God wants us to be honest with Him, contrite before Him and not wait until we are discovered by others to repent.

A contrite heart will keep us in our own lane and in our own car so we don’t cause emotional wrecks in others’ lives! A contrite heart forgives without being asked for forgiveness!

One of the greatest prayers we could pray for ourselves and those who have hurt us is to have a contrite heart, which is a humble heart that truly desires to walk with God and be what He wants.

A “contrite heart” is considered a sacrifice because it sets aside selfish desires and wants and waits for God's will.

Oh, to offer up a contrite heart, to walk in this journey with the broken in a way that makes Him smile …

Join me tomorrow for the fifth sacrifice in this series!

Evind

Jenn’s Journey from Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

Good morning! Welcome back! Have you seen the quote that says "What messes us up most in life is the picture in our heads of how it is supposed to be"? Have you caught yourself upset because things just didn't go how you thought they would? Grab your cup of coffee and let's talk about that for a few minutes.

I am a recovering perfectionist. There! I've said it. I recently said this to a group of moms as we were working on our kid's scrapbooks at school. These books are a collection of memories of Kindergarten and we get to work on them at our leisure. It's been interesting to me to see all the different styles, some elaborate, some simple. My book is on the simple side, but I am pleased with how it has turned out. I've listened in as many of the other ladies compare themselves and their work, thus, the conversation that led me to make my statement.

I get hung up very easily on being perfect in other areas, however. I like my house to be perfectly clean, and the clothes to be hung and folded perfectly, the dishes done, the yard to be...well, you get the picture. This perfection has spilled over to how I view myself. As I've gotten older I accept my looks and weight better than in the past but now it's my personality and flaws that I have a hard time accepting.

I was talking to my cousin recently and I got very real with her. I said that I am really tired of being the one to recognize my flaws, to always be a work in progress, to be the one to change… and, I said, honestly, I want someone else to be at fault. Her response? "Yep. So you can be...’Perfect’! Ouch. I guess I have to own that.

I suppose this tendency is a result of sin and selfishness. If we look around, it doesn't take long to recognize this blame shifting is everywhere. Very few people take responsibility for what they do or say; there is almost always an excuse. What is at the bottom of this? Could it be that to own a wrong is to admit less than perfection?

As a Christian, I have to let go of perfection. It does not exist in a mere mortal like me.  I have to accept that I have never made a perfect choice, or been a perfect mother, daughter, sister, ex-wife or girlfriend. It's okay to admit this. God has me covered. He has us all covered. If I let that really sink in, it's a relief. You know why? It's tiring to keep up the pretense! I can let go. What does God say to me? In 2 Corinthians 12:9 He says, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."

I see this as a process that God is leading me in…and though I am not "perfect" at letting it go, He is right there with me reminding me that though I am weak, He is strong. I pray that I can boast more gladly in my weaknesses.

Until next week, be blessed,

Jenn

Faith Filled Fridays From Croley’s Corner of Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

“But Master”...Simon answered, “We’ve worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets" Luke 5:5 NIV

Good morning to all our coffee hour friends. What a great glorious Friday to be alive.  Grab your favorite beverage, journal and let’s get started.

Have you ever found yourself arguing with God or for that matter tried to state your point?  If you’re honest, you can assuredly, maybe even sheepishly, answer yes!

We spent a weekend with our son and his family recently and certainly had a great time, until trouble brewed with the grandchildren. As grandparents, boy is it hard not to interfere. And for the most part, when being corrected, they will surrender to their actions with no further arguing. However, this time I overheard one say, “But dad!”  When it was all said and done, daddy’s insights were spot on and then the blessings took over.

We will find today in Luke 5:1-11 that there was one man named Simon who is later known as Simon Peter, who figured he could argue with Jesus. Really, argue with Jesus?  Let’s take a look into this passage and see what’s in store for Simon Peter and for many others included.

One of the first sermons Jesus ever gave was from a boat. It was Simon’s boat. You see, Simon’s fishing business was in a slump. They had just fished all night and caught nothing.  When Jesus arrived, He picked Simon Peter’s boat to teach to the multitudes and asked him to push out a little from land. When He had stopped speaking, Jesus said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” But Simon answered Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.”

You say to yourself, really, Simon; you just witnessed Jesus healing your wife’s mother and you question Jesus’ ability? Sure enough, when Simon let go, Jesus blessed them. They caught so many fish their nets were breaking. Jesus knew, yet pressed Simon to go beyond what his eyes were seeing.

We all, at one time or another, have felt the pressures of life. We’ve had our share of wearisome times, wringing our hands wondering where the next provision was coming and the “needs list” just seemed to grow, like a Chia pet.  We must find ourselves at a place in our lives whether to trust God and then determine that God’s word never ever fails. Simon Peter had to choose to either trust in the very words of Jesus or argue and deal with the consequences of his unwise decision. Simon almost missed a blessing not only for himself but for others as well.

Do you see here the perpetuation of God’s blessings? When there are times of drought in our lives…we must press in. We must hear what the Master is saying and not be so eager to argue:”But Master!”   When Jesus is requiring something from us we must be willing to let go of what we hold so closely to our hearts. Just like when Simon Peter fell at the feet of Jesus with sorrow, and Jesus with His sweet words responded to Peter: “Don’t be afraid.”

He is our source of everything and knows our situation. He is more than willing to bless His children when we say “Ok, Master”!

Hope your weekend will be full. Until next week, Love,

Deb

Seven Sacrifices to Joy

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

It’s a great day to spend more time in this thought-provoking series, The Seven Sacrifices to Joy! I still am humbly amazed, twitter-pated about how much trouble He went through to teach us about joy! Grab your coffee and let’s get back to where we left off in our last Coffee Hour!

As I concluded our coffee hour yesterday, I kept hearing a question echo in my head, and it settled in my heart, not allowing me to move on until I could answer it, and I can’t help but wonder if you’ve ever asked this or wondered this: So why do we need to go to church to experience that fellowship/communication if we have His Spirit/Helper within us?

I think the first place I go when that question is asked is to another question: why do we not want to have that fellowship with others? Iron sharpens iron … [Proverbs 27:17] oh, but for some of you that answer still does not fill the void that question creates, so let me stick with the original question: Fellowship with other believers stirs up that Holy Spirit within us. I was going to say but we need to be in fellowship with Him first, but as I thought about it, I had to confess, that it was through communication/fellowship with a couple of other people who represented Christ incredibly well, namely my therapist at the time and my adopted mom, that I actually felt I could have that fellowship with our Abba Father! Does that make any sense to you at all? Oh, how He uses all things and others!

In our Transform I class, we have a couple transformers who still question the whole God thing, the reality of Him, and it is so exciting, like incomprehensibly exciting to watch as a light goes on when they are sharing and they realize that God’s Spirit did something for them, directly related to them so it lands inside them!

How many of us have asked as well as heard someone else ask, “Why do we need to go to church to believe in God?” When we understand the true meaning of communication/fellowship, and we do our homework and research His instructions on this issue, we discover that it is His will that we fellowship/communicate within a church; that’s one of the reasons He released His Helper; to form the church!

In Hebrews 10:25 we are told let us not quit getting together as some have gotten in the habit of doing but let us keep on keeping on for the sake of encouraging one another. Now, that’s incredibly paraphrased, but that is a Holy Spirit inspired instruction!

As I researched this subject, including those who say that you don’t have to go to church to be a Christian, or to believe in God, or to grow in God, they all had a common denominator: PRIDE! Yup, there were money issues, hurt feeling issues, leadership issues, and the list goes on but what’s the air in those balloons? Pride! And what’s in the middle of pride? I, I, I, I, I!!!!!

He never meant for us to do it without the encouragement, wisdom, discernment and/or gifting of other members of the body of Christ. Yes, He is in you, but how many times do you ignore His nudge, or a conviction, or an instruction? I don’t know how you answered that, but I know I’ve got both arms and feet up in the air and I’m saying: “Teacher, teacher, my answer is ‘too many times’!” I have sought others’ counsel/guidance/fellowship in the church for many things. Why? Not because of a lack of faith, but my flesh sometimes desires to have someone in the flesh to confirm that nudge, or that instruction, that question, that issue of where do I go from here, especially when I’m completely baffled! And oh, how freeing it is when His Spirit speaks through the one you sought out in the flesh!

What about you; have you ever felt His Spirit stir within you through a member of the Body of Christ, aka, a church? We could spend so much more time on the subject/benefits of the Helper within us Who is for us, but I’m happy to say we made it to the fourth sacrifice in The Seven Sacrifices to Joy! Join me tomorrow for Faith Filled Fridays at Croley’s Corner of Chicklit Power!

In His Love,

Evinda